WHOS COMING TO THE BANQUET?

(2): YOUR PRIORITIES ARE SHOWING

(Luke 14:15-24)
Read Lu 14:15-24 A husband turns to his wife as he turns on the first
football game of the season and asks: Is there anything you want to say
before the season begins? His priorities were showing, and we laugh hoping
its not really true. But it demonstrates what many people, most of whom think
they are heaven-bound, are saying to Jesus. Is there anything youd like to
say before I get on with my real life which is over here? Well, actually
there is a lot Jesus would like to say and its in our passage today.
Jesus is at lunch with a bunch of Pharisees, trying to get them to see their need
for a Savior. He is responding to a man who says in v. 15, Blessed is
everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God! The Bible often likens
heaven to a banquet to end all banquets. But Jesus warns him that there may
be 1 less at that banquet than he thinks. And he lists 4 ways that those who
accept His invitation must humble themselves for entrance.
I.
Humble Yourself Under the Phasing of the Kingdom (16)
II.
Humble Yourself Under the Pricelessness of the Kingdom (17)
Last week we saw first that we must humble ourselves under the Phasing and
timing of the kingdom. Wed like it all right now. But Jesus has consistently
warned that while His kingdom starts in hearts now; it plays out in history
later, under Christs rule of perfection. Second, we must humble ourselves
under the Pricelessness of the kingdom. No price we can pay can ever deflect
Gods wrath against sin. But what God demands, God provides. So, our
invitation to the kingdom is based on Jesus death in our place, not on our
righteousness. It takes humility to admit that and accept His amazing offer.
III.

Humble Yourself Under the Priority of the Kingdom (18-20)

17

And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had
been invited, Come, for everything is now ready. 18 But they all alike began
to make excuses. So, we have this twofold invitation system. First a banquet
is announced. These people all said, Yes, I want to come. But when its
announced the feast is ready excuses come out of the woodwork. Sorry, I
cant come. New field, new oxen, new wife. Cant come. This is an amazing
turn. Such a feast by a very rich man might have been the event of a lifetime
for some -- certainly a major highlight. Like being invited to the White House
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for dinner. Nobodyd turn that down. Not only would it be highly offensive to
the president, but youd be missing out on something very special.
And the excuses are so flimsy. V. 18, I have bought a field, and I must go out
and see it. Really?! You wouldnt have examined the field before you bought
it? V. 19, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. You
bought these oxen without seeing them? That would be like Mike or Dan or
Lynn buying a new John Deere sight unseen. Not going to happen, is it? V. 20,
I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. Really?! You could not
bring your wife along? Do you see the point? These excuses are trivial and
they offend the Master of the banquet who rightfully became angry.
So what point is Jesus making here? If the Master is God the Father and the
servant is Jesus; the banquet is the kingdom and those invited were initially
the Jewish people and by application now us, then what is the point?
First, the banquet is ready. All that is necessary for our entrance into and
enjoyment of the kingdom of God was accomplished by the life, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. We dont merit the invitation; it comes to us by
grace and right now we can enter the kingdom. It just takes humble
repentance. The full expression of the kingdom comes later, but it begins now.
The invitation is now. Paul reminds us in II Cor 6:2, Behold, now is the
favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. Jesus says in John 5:24,
Truly, truly (two trulys meaning this is critical), I say to you, whoever
hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not
come into judgment, but has passed from death to life. Not will have eternal
life someday but has it now. The banquet is ready. Now is the time to come.
Second, those giving lame excuses are not totally antagonistic. They are not
outright rejecters not the people who say, Oh, Christianity, what a lot of
bunk! Thats not these people. Initially they said they wanted to come. I call
them conditional accepters. The start out believing. They start out saying,
Oh, sure. Ill come. Count me in. But in the end, they dont come. They get
distracted -- caught up in their own agenda. They want to pursue their own
ends, and in the end, they dont come! Its a tragedy, Beloved. And some of us
here this morning are living out this tragedy. Me is more important than He.
Jesus described these people in the parable of the sower. Remember? The seed
(the Word) was sown in various soil types. One had a lot of thorns. The seed
started to grow, but got choked out by the thorns. Jesus interpreted in Luke
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8:14, 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but
as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures
of life, and their fruit does not mature. Thats exactly who Jesus is describing
here. Theyre not flaming unbelievers. They want the kingdom of God. But
they want the kingdom of self more. They are more taken by this world than
they are the next. The cares and riches and pleasures and relationships of this
life mean more to them than Jesus. Are you getting the picture?
But there is a third point Jesus is making which is -- this a really stupid
decision. The decision to hold this world tighter than Jesus is extremely nearsighted. The flimsiness of excuses make that point. It would be like being
invited to William and Kates wedding and saying, Like to come, but I have a
haircut appointment that day. Really!? But, to care for things more than
Christ is just as dumb! The parable shows it. How stupid these people are.
How offensive to the Master. They are turning down so much to get so little.
But in rejecting or postponing accepting Jesus invitation to follow Him, we
are doing the same thing. Kingdom entrance demands kingdom priorities.
Jesus said it this way in Matt 6:33, But seek first the kingdom of God and
his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So what means
more to us this morning our own business and personal concerns and
hobbies and recreations and relationships or Jesus? Deep in our heart, that is
the question we must all answer. Because Jesus will not play second fiddle to
the trivialities of this life.
On Dec 29, 1972, Eastern Airlines Flight 401, an L-1011, was flying NYC to
Miami. During the descent for landing the pilot noticed an indicator light
signaling that the landing gear was not deployed. The pilot pulled up and
circled while the crew investigated. They speculated that perhaps there was a
short causing the light to go on for no reason. The flight engineer went below
to check the landing gear. The co-pilot began to fiddle with the bulb to see if it
was plugged in correctly. The pilot put the plane on autopilot so he could help.
Soon the co-pilot was looking at the light. The pilot was looking at the light.
The engineer was checking from below. Meanwhile, the plane began a descent
so slowly that no one noticed. Minutes later the pilot asked, Whats going on
here? and then silence. The plane crashed into the Everglades, the first US
crash of a jumbo jet: 101 killed, over 260 injured. Why? Because the pilots
were distracted with a $.75 light bulb while forgetting to fly the plane.

You say, How foolish, but no more so than those who will wake up one day
in eternity, having spent their whole life on $.75 trivialities while ignoring the
invitation to the banquet, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ. The
people in the parable thought the banquet would not disturb normal life. They
thought they could be part of the kingdom and not disrupt their agenda and
their goals. They could not accept that the rules and values of the kingdom
might make it harder to make as much money, or have as many friends, or
enjoy the same pleasures. But the day will come when they see all of those as
trivial in light of eternity. Only it will be too late. The invitation is now. It
brings joy in this life and the next. The excuses will look very flimsy in
eternity. Our priority must be His kingdom, not ours! C. S. Lewis put it this
way: "Put first things first and we get the second things thrown in: Put
second things first then we lose both first and second things."
IV.

Humble Yourself Under the Proliferation of the Kingdom

21

So the servant came and reported these things (the excuses) to his master.
Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, Go out
quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled
and blind and lame. Jesus is aiming this parable primarily at the Pharisees
with whom He is having lunch as representatives of the people in general. The
Jews thought they were a lock for heaven as Gods chosen people. But they
were rejecting Gods offer or salvation thru Jesus and He was rightfully angry.
Lets stop to think about that for a moment. R. A. Torrey was preaching in
Chicago one time when a friend brought a friend to him who considered
himself a Xn. He said, I was brought up a Christian, and I am not going
back on the training of my parents. Torrey asked him, But have you been
born again? He said, What? Have you ever been born again? Jesus
said, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
Have you ever been born again? The young man said, I dont know what
you are talking about. I have never heard of that?
Torrey said, My friend, you have committed the greatest sin a man can
commit? The man replied, No. I never did in my life. I was raised well. I
have lived an exemplary life. I never committed the greatest sin a man can
commit never! Torrey asked, What is the greatest sin a person can
commit? He replied, Why, murder, of course. Torrey opened to Matt
22:37-38 and said, Read this. He read, Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt
love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy
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mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. Which commandment

is that? Torrey asked. He replied, The first and great commandment. If
this is the first and great commandment what is the first and great sin?
Not to keep this commandment. Have you kept it? Have you loved God
with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind? Have you put God
first in everythingGod first in business, God first in politics, God first in
pleasure, God first in study, God first in everything? No, sir, I have not.
What have you done then? I have broken this commandment. Which
commandment? The greatest commandment. So what have you done?
He replied, I have broken the first and greatest of Gods. I have committed
the greatest sin a man can commit, but I never saw it before in all my life.
Do you see, Beloved, if the Father has bought, paid for and prepared the
banquet at His own expense, the life of His Son, He is right to be angry those
who insist on writing their own rules, denying His worth and diminishing His
offer. Its the greatest sin and man can commit to turn down the invitation.
And there are consequences.
Notice the next step. 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his
master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant,
Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and
crippled and blind and lame. 22 And the servant said, Sir, what you
commanded has been done, and still there is room. 23 And the master said to
the servant, Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come
in, that my house may be filled. This was a devastating ending to the
Pharisees. Jesus is saying to those who thought they had a lock on the
kingdom, Sorry, you wont be there. That was bad enough. But what really
ticked them off was what came next. The poor, crippled, blind and lame of
Israel will be there. Not by Pharisee standards they wouldnt. Their very
disability was evidence that they were sinners and ineligible for the kingdom
even tho they were Jews. To the Pharisees, they were out. But not to Jesus.
But the servant goes even further, outside the city, which meant, symbolically
Gentiles. They are compelled to come in. Compelled because they couldnt
believe it was possible for them. But grace means all are welcome. All can
receive eternal life. There is no discrimination here, no favorites, no one with
an inside track. Only repentant sinners who are receiving and accepting the
invitation to come. This the self-righteous Pharisees would not do. Humility
was not in them.
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They are representative of the educated and influential and powerful people in
every society who find any religion more palatable than Christianity.
Christianity is the only one that says, You are a lost and hopeless sinner
who can do nothing to save yourself. Jesus Christ had to die a bloody death
to pay the penalty for your sins so God the Father could adopt you by His
grace. Every other religion says, You have the power within. Live a good
life. Live a life of compassion and you can come in. But its not true,
Beloved. The gospel is humbling. It means all must come thru repentance, not
goodness. We are all equally in the same lost boat. But salvation is equally
available to all. The invitation is without discrimination.
And so there will be Muslims there. Poor people from back alleys will be
there. Drug dealers and prostitutes and potheads will be there along with
people from every tribe and language and people and nation (Rev 5:9), who
have been saved by the blood of Jesus Christ. Equally sinners. Equally
repentant. Equally saved. They will all be there, but will you be there? Only if
you too have confessed your sin and thrown yourself on Gods mercy. But the
invitation to the banquet is equally open to Simeon who held the baby Jesus in
the temple at the beginning of his life to the thief who believed at its end. The
death and resurrection of Jesus opens to kingdom to everyone.
An evangelist was at the Indiana State Penitentiary shortly after Stephen Judy
was executed. That is always a time of special tension in a prison. But the
message was powerful and as the evangelist and a few volunteers later visited
the death row area, inmates were allowed out of their cells to visit briefly.
When it was time to go, an inmate named James Brewer was walked back to
his cell by a volunteer. The man remained in the cell, standing shoulder to
shoulder, reading the Bible until the evangelist gently told them time was up.
The volunteer replied, Please, please, this is very important. Im Judge
Clement. I sentenced this man to die. But since then he as accepted Christ.
He is born again and we need just a minute to pray together. So there they
were one black, one white; one powerful, one powerless; one rich, the
other poor but equally in need of a Savior, equally humble before God,
equally accepting the invitation to the banquet thru repentance and equally
forgiven before God. Impossible by human terms. But thats the kingdom,
Beloved.
Conc Have you humbled yourself before the Phasing, the Pricelessness, the
Priority and the Proliferation of the kingdom? When we lived in CA, we
lived just up the hill from a train track. On April 22, 2002, death visited the
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track. A mile long freight train ran thru a stop signal and crashed headlong into
a commuter train filled with rush hour passengers killing 2 and injuring 260
others. It was later determined that the engineer of the freight train was texting
at the time and failed to see the signal. Distractions can be deadly, Beloved.
Dont let the trivialities of this life the fields, the oxen, the business interests,
the career, the relationships dont let anything distract from the main thing
and make a train wreck of your eternity. Accept Jesus invitation now. "Put
first things first and we get the second things thrown in: Put second things
first then we lose both first and second things." Lets pray.