1 00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,100 It's great to see you tonight, appreciate your presence again 2 00:00:03,100 --> 00:00:05,500 and I know probably by this time you're getting, maybe a little 3 00:00:05,500 --> 00:00:09,000 bit tired, maybe a little bit tired of me, I don't know, but 4 00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,500 I'm glad you're here tonight. And if you're a visitor at this 5 00:00:11,500 --> 00:00:15,000 place, I want you to know that you are a very honored guests, 6 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:20,100 we appreciate the energy and the time that you have taken to be 7 00:00:20,100 --> 00:00:23,000 here tonight. A lot of places you could be and 8 00:00:23,000 --> 00:00:25,700 of course, you can even be at home with your feet, propped up. 9 00:00:25,900 --> 00:00:28,700 But you have chosen to come here either because of an invitation 10 00:00:28,700 --> 00:00:31,300 or because you just want to hear Or something more about the 11 00:00:31,300 --> 00:00:33,200 Bible. And I personally and I know the 12 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:36,800 congregation here appreciates that very much as well, you 13 00:00:36,808 --> 00:00:39,600 know, really, there's nothing more important than we can do 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:42,100 than to get together and study God's word together. 15 00:00:42,100 --> 00:00:43,500 You know, we live in a busy life. 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,400 We are very fast paced in our culture. 17 00:00:46,700 --> 00:00:49,100 Maybe that's one of the reasons I like to go to other places 18 00:00:49,100 --> 00:00:51,900 like Africa, where things are? You know, slower. 19 00:00:51,900 --> 00:00:55,500 In fact, you know, when you go for example, to Tanzania many of 20 00:00:55,500 --> 00:00:58,600 you probably years ago, or at least you kids saw The Lion King 21 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:02,500 and there was a phrase in that Lion, King movie called Hakuna 22 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:05,099 Matata, and that just means no worries. 23 00:01:05,200 --> 00:01:07,600 Well, that's salt Swahili for no. 24 00:01:07,600 --> 00:01:11,300 Where's and that's a phrase, you'll hear a lot in Tanzania 25 00:01:11,300 --> 00:01:13,900 and if it doesn't get done today, well, it might get done 26 00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:16,600 tomorrow, if not, we'll get it done next week. 27 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,300 Well you know that's not the way we live in our Western culture 28 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:23,600 and of course, we're harried and were hurried and where, you 29 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,600 know, very tired, a lot of the times, but you've chosen tonight 30 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,300 to be here and to worship and to see Seeing and of course, to 31 00:01:31,300 --> 00:01:34,200 study God's word. You know what to do something a 32 00:01:34,208 --> 00:01:36,100 little different tonight. I want us to look at one of The 33 00:01:36,100 --> 00:01:40,100 Parables that Jesus taught. You know, Jesus was a masterful 34 00:01:40,100 --> 00:01:42,800 Storyteller. In fact, many of the things that 35 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:46,700 Jesus had to say, well, there are commands and there are other 36 00:01:46,700 --> 00:01:48,400 Ark. There are other styles of 37 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:53,300 teaching Jesus did the best. It seems when he talked about 38 00:01:53,300 --> 00:01:55,500 things in Parables. Now, what's a parable? 39 00:01:55,900 --> 00:01:57,800 But before we look at the parable tonight, let me just 40 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,100 talk to you a little bit about what it is, a parable. 41 00:02:00,500 --> 00:02:05,600 Is a story and literally the word means to lay alongside like 42 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:08,800 you might lay, for example, a measuring stick along. 43 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:12,200 Something else in order to kind of get a feel for the size of 44 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,400 that thing. Well, a parable is a story that 45 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:20,600 you lay alongside a spiritual truth and that story while it is 46 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:24,900 a physical story illustrates that spiritual truth and 47 00:02:24,900 --> 00:02:28,200 parables are a wonderful tool for teaching. 48 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:31,500 They are a wonderful thing because They're usually easy to 49 00:02:31,500 --> 00:02:33,800 remember. They usually have something 50 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,800 within them, that maybe grabs your attention, there have 51 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:40,400 something within them that usually you're familiar with and 52 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:44,100 so, they're easy to remember and then take away and kind of chew 53 00:02:44,100 --> 00:02:46,900 on as you go throughout the next few days. 54 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:49,800 And, of course, Jesus understood that, you know, for example, 55 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,600 when Jesus came, he came to Common People, he came to this, 56 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:57,600 the working-class folks out in the country of Judea and 57 00:02:57,600 --> 00:02:59,900 Galilee, of course, where he based his ministry. 58 00:03:00,300 --> 00:03:04,600 So he would use things in their environment, so that they could 59 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,600 then get a grasp on something that they had never seen. 60 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,800 And that is the Kingdom of Heaven. 61 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:13,800 Jesus was inaugurating something that only the prophets had 62 00:03:13,800 --> 00:03:16,200 foretold and promise in the future. 63 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:19,300 And now, Jesus was bringing about the kingdom. 64 00:03:19,300 --> 00:03:22,300 He was bringing about the reign of God to the people. 65 00:03:22,300 --> 00:03:25,100 And so he wanted them to understand it and it was going 66 00:03:25,100 --> 00:03:29,100 to take some time for even his Apostles to grasp, the deeper 67 00:03:29,100 --> 00:03:32,500 nuances of Of what the kingdom or the reign of God was all 68 00:03:32,500 --> 00:03:35,000 about. And so he taught stories, he 69 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:38,600 taught Hillary told stories. He told, you know, illustrations 70 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:41,900 that came from things right around the people of that day. 71 00:03:41,900 --> 00:03:45,200 For example, one of the greatest and most famous Parables that 72 00:03:45,200 --> 00:03:49,100 Jesus teaches is the parable of the sower, you know, the sword 73 00:03:49,100 --> 00:03:53,600 went out into a field and he cast his seed by hand and some 74 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:57,000 of that seed fell upon good ground and some fell upon, not 75 00:03:57,000 --> 00:03:59,700 so good ground and Jesus illustrates you know, the 76 00:03:59,700 --> 00:04:03,200 various Types of soils that, that are out there and he 77 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,600 Compares it to the various types of hearts that people have. 78 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,600 When they hear the gospel, sometimes we preach the gospel 79 00:04:09,600 --> 00:04:13,200 and there are good solid Hearts. Honest hearts that take the word 80 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:16,100 and it's like seed and it grows in their life. 81 00:04:16,300 --> 00:04:19,300 Others of course just kind of brush it away. 82 00:04:19,500 --> 00:04:23,700 So Jesus tells stories for example, like the story of the 83 00:04:23,700 --> 00:04:26,200 parable of parable of the sower, rather. 84 00:04:26,500 --> 00:04:29,700 Well tonight I want us to look at the parable of the great 85 00:04:29,700 --> 00:04:32,000 wedding. Feast and this is found in Luke 86 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:36,400 the 14th chapter and it's really an incredible story because in 87 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:39,400 my view it's almost a funny story. 88 00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:43,300 No, I don't mean that in the sense of a joke are in the sense 89 00:04:43,300 --> 00:04:48,400 of you know haha funny but there's an irony that Jesus sort 90 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:53,600 of puts into the story as we see the story unfolding and just to 91 00:04:53,600 --> 00:04:56,100 kind of give you a thumbnail sketch of what the story is All 92 00:04:56,100 --> 00:04:58,500 About. It's about a rich man. 93 00:04:58,500 --> 00:05:02,400 Who probably was a king. Who throws a great dinner party 94 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:06,400 and he invites several people all of his friends and probably 95 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:10,000 the village to his dinner party. And then when the dinner party 96 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:14,400 time arrives, he sends out his servants to bring them in and 97 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:18,200 they began to make excuses. Now, before we begin to look at 98 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:21,700 this, Parable in depth, I want us to consider it at least from 99 00:05:21,700 --> 00:05:24,800 this angle tonight. You know, Jesus is teaching 100 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,800 about the kingdom of heaven. And ultimately, I think he's 101 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,600 teaching about himself and him come Aiming to the world. 102 00:05:31,600 --> 00:05:34,800 And of course, he came as the master, if you will of the 103 00:05:34,800 --> 00:05:38,600 banquet, the kingdom was being offered and people refuse to it. 104 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:41,800 And so I think we can apply of course, that Parable certainly 105 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:45,800 to those terms because Jesus was talking to people of his day, 106 00:05:45,900 --> 00:05:50,000 especially the religious leaders who really denied him and they 107 00:05:50,000 --> 00:05:52,800 had been given as it were the first seats at the great 108 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:55,200 banquet, but they refused to come to the party. 109 00:05:55,700 --> 00:05:57,400 But, you know, I want us to think about it more in a 110 00:05:57,407 --> 00:06:01,700 personal level tonight because, you know, Tonight, both in the 111 00:06:01,700 --> 00:06:04,600 church and if you're not a member of the board's body, the 112 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:08,100 same goes for you. We have been extended or given 113 00:06:08,100 --> 00:06:11,200 an invitation to literally be with Jesus. 114 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:15,500 We have been given the invitation to as it were Feast 115 00:06:15,600 --> 00:06:19,500 from his great table. You know, the Jews always wanted 116 00:06:19,500 --> 00:06:21,500 a feast at the Messianic banquet. 117 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,300 They thought it was going to be a physical banquet, by the way, 118 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,600 but yet, of course, we know it's a spiritual banquet, but 119 00:06:27,600 --> 00:06:30,000 nonetheless, you know, the Jews of Jesus day and then go. 120 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:32,300 In all the way back, even to the Old Testament. 121 00:06:32,300 --> 00:06:35,700 Wanted this great feast that the Messiah was going to bring where 122 00:06:35,700 --> 00:06:39,600 they could sit with the Messiah, the Redeemer and truly have, you 123 00:06:39,600 --> 00:06:43,200 know, one-on-one relationships with this individual. 124 00:06:43,400 --> 00:06:45,600 In fact, probably that's what is being talked about. 125 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:49,000 In Psalm 23 where it says you prepare a table before me in the 126 00:06:49,008 --> 00:06:51,800 presence of mine enemies. You know, the Jews love to think 127 00:06:51,800 --> 00:06:54,400 that when the Messiah came, they were going to be right there. 128 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,200 Eating at the feast, the literal feast and the Gentiles were 129 00:06:57,200 --> 00:06:58,800 going to be sort of looking in the windows wishing. 130 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,600 They had some of that food. Well, the point is, this Jesus 131 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,100 did bring a great feast and he brought a spiritual feast. 132 00:07:06,100 --> 00:07:10,700 And today we have the opportunity to sit at the table 133 00:07:10,700 --> 00:07:13,000 of Jesus. Now, I don't mean the Lord's 134 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:15,800 table necessarily as we talked on some boards, they morning, 135 00:07:15,900 --> 00:07:19,500 although that would be included but we have the opportunity to 136 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:24,100 enjoy the nourishment. That comes from God's word that 137 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:27,200 comes from the life of Jesus that comes from having our sins 138 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,000 washed away in baptism by his blood that It is applied to us 139 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:33,700 at that point. We have all of these blessings 140 00:07:34,100 --> 00:07:36,800 and the way I want us to look at this, Parable tonight is to 141 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:40,800 think about maybe how much we appreciate that or do not 142 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:43,600 appreciate that. Because sometimes, you know, we 143 00:07:43,600 --> 00:07:47,700 have all of these blessings literally at our fingertips and 144 00:07:47,700 --> 00:07:52,800 yet we make excuses so that we don't have the responsibility of 145 00:07:52,800 --> 00:07:56,100 actually being there with Jesus, I think on some level, you know, 146 00:07:56,100 --> 00:07:59,300 we want to be with Jesus, but it will comes right down to it 147 00:07:59,300 --> 00:08:01,600 other things. Perhaps are more important. 148 00:08:01,600 --> 00:08:04,000 And, you know, I'm not here to get on the soapbox about 149 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:08,200 anything special tonight, but we all have things that distract Us 150 00:08:08,400 --> 00:08:11,000 in life. You know, maybe it's our job or 151 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:14,100 maybe it's our family or friends, or whatever the case 152 00:08:14,100 --> 00:08:15,700 is. You know, we all have things 153 00:08:15,700 --> 00:08:18,600 that distract us and Jesus of course demands. 154 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:21,500 That he's first Jesus demands that he's first. 155 00:08:21,500 --> 00:08:24,500 Now there are a lot of really good things that we do in life 156 00:08:24,900 --> 00:08:27,500 but and that's fine. Providing we don't forget the 157 00:08:27,500 --> 00:08:30,000 best thing and that is following. 158 00:08:30,100 --> 00:08:34,900 Jesus Christ, Jesus doesn't want anything to be above him and so 159 00:08:34,900 --> 00:08:37,799 everything we do in life, we should think of it in terms of 160 00:08:37,799 --> 00:08:40,900 Jesus first. How would this how is this going 161 00:08:40,900 --> 00:08:44,000 to react? Or how is this going to affect 162 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,200 my relationship with Jesus? In fact, what we'll see tonight 163 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,200 is that Jesus as he tells this Parable he basically breaks it 164 00:08:51,200 --> 00:08:55,300 down these three excuses into things that steel impact our 165 00:08:55,300 --> 00:08:57,800 lives. Today, we're going to see a 166 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:02,100 stuff excuse, or a real estate. Excuse, we're going to see a 167 00:09:02,100 --> 00:09:06,900 work excuse, and we're going to see a relationship excuse now. 168 00:09:06,900 --> 00:09:09,600 You know, everything in our lives, typically would fall in 169 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,700 one of those categories. We have a lot of stuff sometimes 170 00:09:12,700 --> 00:09:16,200 or Goods, or real estate, or whatever it is, they keep us, 171 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:18,400 you know, from totally giving our lives to Jesus. 172 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,800 Or maybe we have work-related obligations that, keep us from 173 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:26,500 giving our lives, totally to Jesus, or we have relationships 174 00:09:26,700 --> 00:09:29,700 that keep us from giving our lives, totally to Jesus. 175 00:09:29,700 --> 00:09:32,700 And so, So, Jesus is going to build off of those three main 176 00:09:32,700 --> 00:09:36,300 areas in people's lives. He Jesus knew people really 177 00:09:36,300 --> 00:09:38,500 well. And even the people of his day, 178 00:09:38,700 --> 00:09:43,100 struggled, No Doubt with those very same areas as they wanted 179 00:09:43,100 --> 00:09:45,900 to follow Jesus. You know, sometimes Jesus would 180 00:09:45,900 --> 00:09:48,500 talk to people who would say, you know, I am ready to follow 181 00:09:48,500 --> 00:09:51,400 you, you remember the Rich Young Ruler who came to Jesus and he 182 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,200 says, Lord, you know, I want to follow you but you know you know 183 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:58,300 what I need to do, and Jesus, you remember that conversation? 184 00:09:58,300 --> 00:10:01,000 Ultimately says, you know. So what you Have and follow me 185 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:04,500 and and the man wouldn't do it. Another man came to Jesus on one 186 00:10:04,500 --> 00:10:06,600 occasion, I said, Lord, you know, I want to follow you, I 187 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:09,300 want to be your disciple, but let me go back and settle up 188 00:10:09,300 --> 00:10:12,600 some home Affairs first. Let me bury my father and then 189 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,800 I'll come and I'll give my all to you. 190 00:10:15,100 --> 00:10:18,600 And Jesus has that phrase that almost May at times seem a 191 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:21,700 little cold Until you realize what he's saying, and he said, 192 00:10:21,700 --> 00:10:24,800 let the dead bury the dead. In other words, let the people 193 00:10:24,800 --> 00:10:28,000 who aren't interested in me, take care of things that don't 194 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:30,800 have anything to do with me and you come and you totally 195 00:10:30,800 --> 00:10:35,000 dedicate your life to me. And so, of course, being, you 196 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:39,100 know, totally engaged with Jesus as hard. 197 00:10:39,100 --> 00:10:42,000 It is difficult. And of course, for the religious 198 00:10:42,000 --> 00:10:45,300 leaders of Jesus day, even to put it back in the context of 199 00:10:45,300 --> 00:10:48,100 that first century. Jesus came and he literally 200 00:10:48,100 --> 00:10:51,300 offered the Jewish leaders, you know, everything they could have 201 00:10:51,300 --> 00:10:55,600 ever wanted, the Messianic banquet was right there and yet 202 00:10:55,600 --> 00:10:59,800 they refuse to accept him. So no matter how we interpret 203 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:02,900 the Tonight, in its original context, we don't ever want to 204 00:11:02,908 --> 00:11:07,000 take a passage out of context but there is an application for 205 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:08,300 us tonight. And that's where I want to go 206 00:11:08,300 --> 00:11:10,400 with this. I want us to think about our own 207 00:11:10,400 --> 00:11:12,700 relationship with Jesus. I want us to think about our own 208 00:11:12,700 --> 00:11:15,100 relationship with God. I want us to think about our own 209 00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:20,900 relationship with the church and see if maybe we can improve our 210 00:11:20,900 --> 00:11:25,500 relationship by keeping these three areas in a better 211 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,800 perspective. Now, the context of Luke 14 is 212 00:11:30,100 --> 00:11:32,000 Jesus has been at a wedding Feast. 213 00:11:32,200 --> 00:11:35,700 He's been there and he's apparently given instruction 214 00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:38,400 about what to do when you're at a wedding feast. 215 00:11:38,500 --> 00:11:41,300 In other words, don't be greedy to have the best seat and he 216 00:11:41,308 --> 00:11:44,600 goes down through here and gives various, you know, items of 217 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:49,400 decorum and ettiquette. But then on down in verse 15, he 218 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:53,000 begins to get into this. Parable of Luke chapter 14, it 219 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,900 says that when one of those who sat at the table with him, heard 220 00:11:56,900 --> 00:12:01,400 these things he said to him blessed is he whose Eat bread in 221 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,400 the kingdom of God. Now, by the way, Jesus was often 222 00:12:04,400 --> 00:12:07,300 invited feasts. He was often invited to dinner 223 00:12:07,300 --> 00:12:09,200 parties. In fact, right after he called 224 00:12:09,200 --> 00:12:12,800 Matthew Matthew through a huge dinner party for Jesus. 225 00:12:13,100 --> 00:12:16,300 And of course, sometimes that brought down the, you know, the 226 00:12:16,300 --> 00:12:18,800 little bit of the criticism on Jesus that, you know, he was 227 00:12:18,800 --> 00:12:24,000 some kind of a party person, but Jesus enjoyed good company, he 228 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:26,100 even Joy. Even apparently enjoyed it 229 00:12:26,100 --> 00:12:28,400 times. Those who needed him the most, 230 00:12:28,700 --> 00:12:32,000 but nonetheless Jesus was Often at a dinner, we find him in the 231 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,000 scriptures and it almost seems that the people wanted him there 232 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,700 because they could quiz him, he was sort of like dinner 233 00:12:37,700 --> 00:12:39,700 entertainment. And then of course, you never 234 00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:41,200 knew what Jesus was going to say. 235 00:12:41,200 --> 00:12:43,700 He was always going to teach something and that seems to be 236 00:12:43,700 --> 00:12:46,600 the case here. Well somewhat blurts out, and 237 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,800 obviously he has this Kingdom Concept in mind. 238 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:53,100 This better banquet this Messianic banquet that they 239 00:12:53,100 --> 00:12:56,100 thought was literal in mind. When he says blessed is the one 240 00:12:56,100 --> 00:12:58,100 who eats bread and the kingdom of God. 241 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:02,200 You see he had it messed. But there is an element of Truth 242 00:13:02,200 --> 00:13:05,400 to that. Well then Jesus Takes that he 243 00:13:05,400 --> 00:13:08,000 takes that kernel of Truth and he builds on it. 244 00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,600 And by the way, while we're not talking about evangelism today 245 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:14,300 in our lesson, you know, that's really what we've got to do, as 246 00:13:14,300 --> 00:13:17,200 well as Christians we bought a, you know, grab those little 247 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,200 opportunities, those little phrases, those little statements 248 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:23,200 and little conversations that we have with folks that give us 249 00:13:23,200 --> 00:13:26,600 that little door in order to talk to them about our faith. 250 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,900 And, of course, it's a great way to do that when they have. 251 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,900 Have opened the door. We can enter that door. 252 00:13:31,900 --> 00:13:36,400 Well, Jesus has had the door open when it comes to the 253 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,200 kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of God. 254 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:41,900 And so Jesus is just going to take that opportunity. 255 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,800 So then Jesus says that he said to him a certain man gave a 256 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:50,500 great supper and invited many. Now again a parable is not going 257 00:13:50,500 --> 00:13:54,000 to give us every detail that we would like there are sometimes 258 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:56,600 details even in a parable that are sort of in the backdrop 259 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:00,300 there just to set the scene. But I imagined when I About 260 00:14:00,300 --> 00:14:02,600 this. Parable when it says a great man 261 00:14:02,700 --> 00:14:05,800 gave a great supper, I'm thinking he's probably he, I'm 262 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:09,400 thinking probably, you know, he's a king or at least a great 263 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:14,100 landowner over, maybe a great part of the country in which he 264 00:14:14,100 --> 00:14:16,700 lives. Maybe he lives up on a hill way 265 00:14:16,700 --> 00:14:20,200 up there and they he's got a mansion a palace that you know 266 00:14:20,200 --> 00:14:23,300 the little commoners down here in the little huts look up to 267 00:14:23,300 --> 00:14:26,100 and they have never even imagined that they would ever be 268 00:14:26,100 --> 00:14:28,500 up there. And of course you know they have 269 00:14:28,500 --> 00:14:31,500 wondered what people in. In that status live like you 270 00:14:31,508 --> 00:14:34,100 know we do the same today sometimes we like to drive 271 00:14:34,100 --> 00:14:36,400 through real expensive neighborhoods and we just wonder 272 00:14:36,500 --> 00:14:39,700 what the other half lives like you know, do they do they really 273 00:14:39,700 --> 00:14:42,700 have you know the same problems that we do. 274 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:45,400 Well, here's a great man, no doubt. 275 00:14:45,400 --> 00:14:50,100 Very respected in the community. No doubt one whom everyone knew 276 00:14:50,300 --> 00:14:53,500 and he's going to throw this incredible great. 277 00:14:53,500 --> 00:14:57,700 Supper probably a wedding Feast is what I'm guessing because the 278 00:14:57,700 --> 00:15:02,200 context of chapter 14 is Decorum and a wedding feast and so, he's 279 00:15:02,200 --> 00:15:03,700 going to throw this great supper. 280 00:15:03,700 --> 00:15:07,600 Now he's going to do everything to prepare for that supper, you 281 00:15:07,608 --> 00:15:10,700 know, think about, even when we have weddings today, how much 282 00:15:10,700 --> 00:15:12,700 trouble we go to, and how much expense? 283 00:15:12,900 --> 00:15:14,500 In fact, it's almost gotten ridiculous. 284 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:18,400 It's almost gotten to the point that we can't afford, you know, 285 00:15:18,400 --> 00:15:22,000 to do what we are expected to do in our culture, you know, some 286 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:24,400 30 years ago when I lived in New York, there were, there were 287 00:15:24,400 --> 00:15:26,600 clubs. Literally that people would get 288 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,600 together and commiserate with one another because they didn't 289 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:33,300 have the Money to give their kids some huge wedding because 290 00:15:33,300 --> 00:15:36,800 it was expected out there in that North Eastern culture. 291 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,200 We, you know, today we like to have the Big Show. 292 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:44,000 We like to have the big party. Well, this man had the money to 293 00:15:44,000 --> 00:15:47,400 do it and so he's going to have this huge supper. 294 00:15:47,400 --> 00:15:50,100 Now, what's he going to do? Well, let's just read back in 295 00:15:50,100 --> 00:15:52,700 thinking of, you know, maybe what we know of other passages 296 00:15:52,700 --> 00:15:54,400 and things. You know, when I think of this, 297 00:15:54,400 --> 00:15:57,900 I think of Luke 15, you remember when the prodigal son comes home 298 00:15:58,100 --> 00:15:59,900 and, you know, he's been away in a far country. 299 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,500 For a long time and the father sees him and so happy. 300 00:16:02,500 --> 00:16:06,100 And he puts the the robe on him and he puts the ring on his 301 00:16:06,100 --> 00:16:08,700 finger and he kills the fatted. Calf. 302 00:16:08,700 --> 00:16:10,500 That's probably what's going on here. 303 00:16:10,700 --> 00:16:14,300 Now, the fatted calf was, you know, a calf that they kept up 304 00:16:14,300 --> 00:16:17,000 just for a special occasion. You know, some of you have been 305 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:21,400 raised on the farm and maybe you fat out of be for side of beef 306 00:16:21,400 --> 00:16:24,600 or a cow or two, you know what I'm talking about? 307 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,600 You know, you fatten it up and it's there and it's going to be 308 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,100 the best meat. Eat ever. 309 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:35,000 And so you're preparing this calf just for the perfect 310 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:38,700 occasion, or maybe it's a sheep, or maybe to go back in this 311 00:16:38,700 --> 00:16:41,800 period of time, but everything's got to be just perfect. 312 00:16:41,900 --> 00:16:43,800 And of course, you're going to send your servants out and 313 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:46,200 they're going to bring in the finest fruits and vegetables. 314 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:48,400 For the feast you're going to have your servants and your 315 00:16:48,400 --> 00:16:51,000 staff, cook it in just the right way. 316 00:16:51,200 --> 00:16:54,000 You know Abraham, for example in the Old Testament was a very 317 00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:55,800 hospitable man. Remember when those angels 318 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,500 appeared to Abraham? And of course he, you know, has 319 00:16:58,500 --> 00:17:02,300 his servants killed they The other sheep and he has them 320 00:17:02,300 --> 00:17:05,800 bite, special bread. You just put on the show, you 321 00:17:05,800 --> 00:17:09,900 put you bring it all out because you want your guests to feel 322 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:15,300 honored Hospitality was huge in the Oriental culture. 323 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:17,900 And so we can imagine the wealth of this man. 324 00:17:18,099 --> 00:17:20,800 He is going to do everything. Everything is going to be just 325 00:17:20,800 --> 00:17:23,300 perfect. Now, not only that, but he's 326 00:17:23,300 --> 00:17:26,599 going to send out invitations. Now in the next couple of 327 00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:29,200 verses, we're going to find out that he's going to tell people. 328 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:31,500 Hey the supper Is ready. But now there's a lot of 329 00:17:31,500 --> 00:17:33,900 preparation for this man, no doubt. 330 00:17:33,900 --> 00:17:37,800 And even for us, when we have great events, you know, 331 00:17:37,800 --> 00:17:41,000 sometimes I go through my mail and I get a lot of, you know, 332 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:44,400 invitations to things and sometimes you'll get out the 333 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:47,300 little card out of the envelope. And it had the baby out of young 334 00:17:47,300 --> 00:17:50,100 couples picture on it and it will say save the date. 335 00:17:50,500 --> 00:17:52,800 You know, that's sort of a pre invitation. 336 00:17:53,100 --> 00:17:56,200 It's sort of one of those things that says you have been selected 337 00:17:56,300 --> 00:17:58,300 to be good enough to get an invitation later. 338 00:17:58,700 --> 00:18:01,600 You see, it's not an invitation. Not really, it's a premium, the 339 00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,400 tation and then later on, you'll get the invitation, where it 340 00:18:05,400 --> 00:18:08,200 tells you, where the register that way you get the by gift. 341 00:18:08,200 --> 00:18:10,100 You see, so really the dinners, not free. 342 00:18:10,100 --> 00:18:11,900 You get to pay for it in another way. 343 00:18:12,100 --> 00:18:14,600 That's okay. We kind of expect that but 344 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:19,100 anyway, it's a lot of lead up to the actual event. 345 00:18:19,400 --> 00:18:21,100 That's the way it was in Jesus day. 346 00:18:21,500 --> 00:18:24,300 They would send out an invitation maybe one or two. 347 00:18:24,300 --> 00:18:26,900 The whole village would know what's going on on the mountain 348 00:18:26,900 --> 00:18:28,800 up there, in that great house that day. 349 00:18:28,900 --> 00:18:32,400 And so it was a day Day that everyone who even thought they 350 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:36,100 might be invited had cleared on their calendar. 351 00:18:36,500 --> 00:18:39,800 They didn't want anything. If you were anybody, you wanted 352 00:18:39,800 --> 00:18:43,000 to be there and you did not want your calendar be cluttered for 353 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:46,200 that day. Well, the day arrives, it's a 354 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:49,500 great day. Everyone is in anticipation of 355 00:18:49,500 --> 00:18:53,000 this, tremendous, Feast those who again, were going to be 356 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:54,300 invited, are going to be up there. 357 00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:55,800 In the little people are going to be looking on. 358 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:59,500 Say, I wish I was one of them, I wish I could sit at that Kings 359 00:18:59,500 --> 00:19:02,100 Table. And taste that food and that 360 00:19:02,100 --> 00:19:04,400 stuff that he's serving, it would be so good. 361 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,600 Well, at supper time, he sends his servant for 17 and they say 362 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:13,800 to those who were invited come for all things are now ready. 363 00:19:14,300 --> 00:19:17,700 They have anticipated this. There have been much work put 364 00:19:17,700 --> 00:19:21,000 into it and now it's ready. Now, in the context of Jesus 365 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:23,800 day, you know, we can think about the Jewish Nation. 366 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:26,000 You know what? Jesus came all things were 367 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:29,000 ready. In fact, John was the final 368 00:19:29,100 --> 00:19:31,300 call. You will, for the Messianic 369 00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:34,300 banquet and, you know, the prophets had come in the Old 370 00:19:34,300 --> 00:19:37,500 Testament said he was the Messiah coming, you know, and 371 00:19:37,500 --> 00:19:40,700 it's going to be a wonderful time when you can, you know, be 372 00:19:40,700 --> 00:19:43,200 with the one who can actually save you from your sins. 373 00:19:43,700 --> 00:19:47,900 And yet when the invitation was finally given, they offered 374 00:19:47,900 --> 00:19:51,400 excuses as it were, they rejected him so much. 375 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:54,500 So that at the end, he ended up on a cross. 376 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,100 But now, the invitation Goes Forth and says all things are 377 00:19:58,100 --> 00:19:59,800 ready now. I want to say to us tonight. 378 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,400 All things are still ready, you know, even though Jesus has come 379 00:20:04,600 --> 00:20:09,000 and died and risen and ascended, 2,000 years ago, the preparation 380 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,000 for that Feast is still right now. 381 00:20:11,500 --> 00:20:16,500 We are right again available already or you know, we have the 382 00:20:16,500 --> 00:20:19,900 ability rather, do you actually sit down at that table? 383 00:20:20,300 --> 00:20:24,700 And so as we go through these little excuses, think about your 384 00:20:24,700 --> 00:20:28,200 life and I'll think about my life and will say are we taking 385 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,800 advantage of what Jesus is off? It or maybe you've already been 386 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:33,600 baptized. Maybe you're already a member of 387 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,700 Lauren's body. You know, we can steal and up 388 00:20:35,700 --> 00:20:39,200 offering excuses for not getting into a deeper loving 389 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:43,200 relationship with the Lord and we can use the same excuses so 390 00:20:43,700 --> 00:20:48,900 now the invitations out so what happens well in verse 8 it says 391 00:20:48,900 --> 00:20:53,200 or 18 but they all with one Accord began to make excuses. 392 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,800 Now you know I think there's a difference between an excuse and 393 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:00,200 a reason you know, reason is something typically that Is 394 00:21:00,200 --> 00:21:03,100 beyond our control. What we're going to see is that 395 00:21:03,100 --> 00:21:07,100 these truly works uses because these individuals could have 396 00:21:07,100 --> 00:21:11,800 made changes in their life, that would have allowed them to be 397 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,700 there at that. Great feast, they just chose not 398 00:21:15,700 --> 00:21:17,600 to. And I think, you know, God 399 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,900 understands reasons things beyond our control, but I 400 00:21:20,908 --> 00:21:25,100 believe that God is very, very intolerant of excuses. 401 00:21:25,500 --> 00:21:27,700 Well, what's the excuse? Well, let's notice again the 402 00:21:27,700 --> 00:21:32,200 laughs ability of these excuses. The first said to him, I bought 403 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:35,100 a piece of ground and I must go and see it. 404 00:21:35,100 --> 00:21:38,000 I asked you to have me excused. They you think? 405 00:21:38,000 --> 00:21:41,700 Well, that's pretty good. He made an investment. 406 00:21:41,700 --> 00:21:44,700 Sure needs to go see it. Well, had he seen it before he 407 00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:47,700 bought it hadn. T seen it before he bought it 408 00:21:47,700 --> 00:21:50,700 and apparently not. And you know, if as most 409 00:21:50,700 --> 00:21:52,800 parties, are we have evening coming on? 410 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:56,400 Why would he go at night and want to look over this land? 411 00:21:57,000 --> 00:21:59,800 You know, it's one of those things that's almost laughable. 412 00:22:00,100 --> 00:22:04,100 Shows the foolishness of the man who's making the excuse in that 413 00:22:04,100 --> 00:22:09,000 he has invested all of this money and time into this stuff 414 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:11,900 into this real estate when he doesn't even really understand 415 00:22:11,900 --> 00:22:14,900 its true value now. You know, we do the same today, 416 00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:18,100 you know, we invest a lot of money into things that really 417 00:22:18,100 --> 00:22:22,000 ultimately have no value. Now, sure, we have real estate, 418 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,000 we have stuff in our possession. Sure. 419 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:27,500 We have baggage as we carry through life but the spiritual 420 00:22:27,500 --> 00:22:29,800 baggage is really what I'm talking about you. 421 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,300 No. Sometimes we have things that we 422 00:22:32,700 --> 00:22:37,400 love more than Jesus and because we have things or stuff in our 423 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:42,300 life, where reticent were hesitant to give those things up 424 00:22:42,600 --> 00:22:46,300 and follow Jesus and give our all to him, you know, maybe 425 00:22:46,300 --> 00:22:49,800 against the job or maybe it's, you know, it's a house or 426 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:53,400 whatever the case is and and we hold on tightly to our stuff. 427 00:22:53,400 --> 00:22:56,600 Now, there's nothing wrong with having stuff, we all have 428 00:22:56,600 --> 00:22:59,800 stopped and in every dispensation of time people had 429 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,800 Bad stuff. But stuff must never come 430 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:07,700 between us and the Lord. You know, I like the philosophy 431 00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:12,200 of using our stuff are at least thinking about our stuff only in 432 00:23:12,200 --> 00:23:14,300 relationship to how we can use it for the Lord. 433 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:17,500 You know, I've noticed folks that have stuff like nice 434 00:23:17,500 --> 00:23:19,400 houses, they won't even have anybody over. 435 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:22,000 They won't have a church group over because they might spill 436 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,300 something on their carpet. Well, I don't want to be too 437 00:23:24,300 --> 00:23:26,000 critical. I don't like this bill things 438 00:23:26,000 --> 00:23:29,400 either, but, you know, we need to use our stuff. 439 00:23:29,800 --> 00:23:33,200 For Jesus. And so it's not that these folks 440 00:23:33,200 --> 00:23:36,900 couldn't have had their land, but they needed to put this 441 00:23:36,900 --> 00:23:39,400 relationship with this great Master first. 442 00:23:39,900 --> 00:23:42,000 And so, they said, I bought a piece of ground. 443 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:45,300 I need to go see it. I pray have me excused. 444 00:23:45,700 --> 00:23:49,000 What about the second man? Well, another said I have bought 445 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:52,400 five, yoke of oxen and I'm going to test them. 446 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:55,500 I asked you to have me excused now. 447 00:23:55,500 --> 00:23:58,100 This is laughable as well because here we have the 448 00:23:58,100 --> 00:24:01,600 work-related excuse. Now, you Go back in that day and 449 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,800 in the Old Testament in general, you know, the oxen was sort of 450 00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,100 like the farm all or the John Deere tractor. 451 00:24:08,500 --> 00:24:12,500 It was your means of tilling, the soil and getting work done, 452 00:24:12,900 --> 00:24:15,400 and of course it was. So important that even the Old 453 00:24:15,400 --> 00:24:19,400 Testament, the Old Law had various rules about how you take 454 00:24:19,400 --> 00:24:23,100 care of your oxen. For example, you couldn't muzzle 455 00:24:23,100 --> 00:24:25,600 the ox. That was treading out the grain 456 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:27,900 or grinding the grain. You had to allow that Ops to 457 00:24:27,900 --> 00:24:31,700 reach over and eat a little bit as Work God cared for oxen. 458 00:24:32,100 --> 00:24:35,100 Also, if the auctions in the ditch, you had the ability of 459 00:24:35,100 --> 00:24:39,700 the right to pull it out or, you know, maybe The Oxen because 460 00:24:39,700 --> 00:24:43,600 they work so hard, God gave laws and he did about how you had to 461 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:48,100 Pare oxen, with equal oxen, you couldn't pair two different 462 00:24:48,100 --> 00:24:51,000 animals together. In other words, God cared about 463 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:55,200 ox, and so, nothing wrong with owning oxen nothing on a wrong 464 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:59,300 with owning this all important, necessity for farming. 465 00:24:59,900 --> 00:25:03,200 But now notice what he's done, he's butting five yoke of oxen, 466 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:08,600 I would take a joke being too, so he's bought 10 beasts of work 467 00:25:08,600 --> 00:25:10,600 here. And then, he says, I want to go 468 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,800 test them. Why wouldn't you test them 469 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,800 before you bought them? Now again, I guess we could get 470 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,100 technical and and say, well, you know, maybe there's a reason for 471 00:25:20,100 --> 00:25:23,400 this but just on the surface, it seems rather silly, you know, 472 00:25:23,400 --> 00:25:26,900 would you go out and buy a, you know, a 60 thousand dollar truck 473 00:25:26,900 --> 00:25:29,600 and not drive it, would you go out and buy? 474 00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:31,900 Two hundred thousand dollar tractor and not drive it. 475 00:25:31,900 --> 00:25:37,200 First that seems ludicrous to me and yet that seems to be the 476 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:39,100 case here. So I think there's a little 477 00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:42,300 humor, a little irony that Jesus sort of fits in. 478 00:25:42,900 --> 00:25:48,000 But you know, again the issue is putting things first that should 479 00:25:48,000 --> 00:25:51,100 go first, you know, it's nothing wrong with having a job. 480 00:25:51,100 --> 00:25:54,000 There are Necessities nothing wrong with having the tools that 481 00:25:54,000 --> 00:25:57,500 that we need to have to complete, you know, the task of 482 00:25:57,500 --> 00:26:01,400 making a living for our family. But but that should never come 483 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:05,900 between us and the Lord. The Lord must come first and you 484 00:26:05,900 --> 00:26:10,500 know the invitation of being close to Jesus must always take 485 00:26:10,500 --> 00:26:15,400 precedent over the invitation or the Temptation really to spend 486 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:18,500 more time with things that have no Eternal value. 487 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:22,000 Well what about the third guy? Well the third one still another 488 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:26,000 said I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. 489 00:26:26,500 --> 00:26:29,600 Now we could you know, sort of think about this. 490 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:32,500 I don't want to read too much into a parabola, Parable usually 491 00:26:32,500 --> 00:26:35,700 is a story with a major thrust. It doesn't have, you know, 492 00:26:35,700 --> 00:26:37,500 something that we just need to overanalyze. 493 00:26:37,500 --> 00:26:41,600 But think about this, if this is a wedding Feast that's being 494 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:44,700 thrown up there or if it's just even a big feast in the town, no 495 00:26:44,700 --> 00:26:47,600 matter what it is. You know, why would a man? 496 00:26:47,700 --> 00:26:52,100 Marry a wife at this very Time, same time, you know, this party 497 00:26:52,100 --> 00:26:55,000 had been advertised forever for a long time. 498 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:58,400 So why would this man have scheduled his wedding during the 499 00:26:58,400 --> 00:27:00,000 time of this? Party. 500 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:03,400 That would be taken away the glory from the bride, you know, 501 00:27:03,400 --> 00:27:06,600 in reality during a wedding, it's the bride's day. 502 00:27:06,600 --> 00:27:09,300 She wants the focus upon her and rightly so. 503 00:27:09,308 --> 00:27:13,200 But here's a man who has apparently entered in some 504 00:27:13,200 --> 00:27:16,600 nuptials at some point in time, when all this other stuff was 505 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:18,600 going on. And he says, you know, in 506 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,900 reality my relationship with my wife is more important than 507 00:27:22,908 --> 00:27:26,300 coming to this great feast and so, obviously, he is 508 00:27:26,300 --> 00:27:30,200 discrediting not only this great man upon the hill, but Also 509 00:27:30,200 --> 00:27:33,800 discrediting is why now the point is relationship here and 510 00:27:33,800 --> 00:27:36,600 we do that ourselves. If we're not careful, many 511 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:40,100 times, Jesus is calling for us to do things and his service, 512 00:27:40,200 --> 00:27:43,800 put him first. Read his word, dedicate our 513 00:27:43,808 --> 00:27:47,700 lives in prayer, you fill in the blank and we are more interested 514 00:27:47,700 --> 00:27:51,800 in being with friends or family or have relationships with the 515 00:27:51,800 --> 00:27:54,400 world than we are and being with Jesus. 516 00:27:54,800 --> 00:27:56,400 And of course, those are excuses. 517 00:27:57,000 --> 00:28:00,500 So those same things that plagued the I love Jesus day 518 00:28:00,500 --> 00:28:03,400 plague us as well. Well, the servant has made the 519 00:28:03,400 --> 00:28:05,100 rounds. Now, he has talked to all the 520 00:28:05,100 --> 00:28:09,400 folks in question and excuse after excuse, after excuse. 521 00:28:09,500 --> 00:28:13,400 So he goes back verse 21. So that servant came and 522 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,300 reported these things to the master. 523 00:28:15,300 --> 00:28:18,800 Then the master of the house being angry, said to his 524 00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:22,700 servant, go out quickly into the streets and Lanes of the city 525 00:28:22,700 --> 00:28:26,800 and bring in the poor and the maned and the lame and the 526 00:28:26,800 --> 00:28:29,700 blind. Now contextually there may be 527 00:28:29,800 --> 00:28:34,300 Some indication here are some application to the Gentiles. 528 00:28:34,700 --> 00:28:38,000 You know, Jesus came to the Jewish people, they rejected him 529 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:40,600 and of course the gospel was preached but it didn't go to 530 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:43,700 waste. The gospel was preached and 531 00:28:43,700 --> 00:28:45,700 later. The Gentiles really were the 532 00:28:45,700 --> 00:28:50,200 ones who really composed the church and so that may be behind 533 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:54,500 some of the story as well, but the point is for us today. 534 00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:58,000 Anyway, would be that, you know, sometimes if I can illustrate it 535 00:28:58,000 --> 00:29:00,100 this way and again, I don't want to stretch the pair Ville too 536 00:29:00,100 --> 00:29:03,500 far in the wrong direction. But you know sometimes those of 537 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:07,200 us who should appreciate God, the most appreciate him the 538 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,600 least and those who would think would appreciate God the least 539 00:29:11,700 --> 00:29:14,800 end up appreciating God the most what I mean by that. 540 00:29:14,800 --> 00:29:18,400 Well you know many times in the church you know maybe we've been 541 00:29:18,400 --> 00:29:21,700 raised in the church. Maybe we have grown up with 542 00:29:21,700 --> 00:29:25,100 Godly Parents and grandparents and maybe you know the lineage 543 00:29:25,100 --> 00:29:27,600 of being in the church goes way back generations. 544 00:29:27,700 --> 00:29:29,500 And so we sort of grow up taking things. 545 00:29:29,700 --> 00:29:31,700 Granted and, you know, we really are. 546 00:29:31,700 --> 00:29:34,500 Faith is our faith, but it's kind of not our faith because it 547 00:29:34,508 --> 00:29:37,600 was passed on to us, you know, sometimes we just take it for 548 00:29:37,600 --> 00:29:41,000 granted, you know, we don't realize how much of a blessing 549 00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,700 it is to even come to worship while in other countries. 550 00:29:44,700 --> 00:29:48,200 People are literally risking their lives to even hear the 551 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:51,500 teaching of the word and so we don't realize it. 552 00:29:51,500 --> 00:29:54,200 We just, you know, just kind of, you know, just go through our 553 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:55,900 lives. Come to services three times a 554 00:29:55,900 --> 00:29:59,400 week or two times a week or maybe someone a week and we 555 00:29:59,408 --> 00:30:02,400 don't Not realize how much of a blessing and privilege it is to 556 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,900 actually have a personal faith in Jesus and be able to be close 557 00:30:06,900 --> 00:30:10,300 to him. Now, once in awhile, you and 558 00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,200 advise them of the services. Maybe they've got a whole 559 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:17,000 boatload of problems and maybe, you know, you're able to convert 560 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:22,400 them and they see the error of their past life and they change. 561 00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:26,200 And, you know, sometimes you'll see folks who just Blossom now. 562 00:30:26,208 --> 00:30:29,500 Sometimes, you know there's always this attrition rate but 563 00:30:29,700 --> 00:30:33,000 you know, folks who I think coming from the world, having 564 00:30:33,000 --> 00:30:38,300 lived in sin, sometimes probably appreciate the blessings of the 565 00:30:38,300 --> 00:30:43,100 Messianic banquet or the church more than maybe we do, because 566 00:30:43,100 --> 00:30:46,900 they don't take it quite so for granted, you know, Willie, when 567 00:30:46,900 --> 00:30:49,900 you think about it, a lot of times to in the church we want 568 00:30:49,900 --> 00:30:53,100 people like us you know kind of got everything worked out, you 569 00:30:53,100 --> 00:30:55,700 know, social middle class economically, you know sort of 570 00:30:55,700 --> 00:31:00,200 Savvy you know but in Jesus day was the poor Have the gospel 571 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:02,100 preached to them. It was a challenge. 572 00:31:02,500 --> 00:31:08,000 But anyway, in this case, Jesus teaches that this make Banquets 573 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:09,800 not going to go to waste the foods prepared. 574 00:31:10,100 --> 00:31:14,000 And so the servant goes out into the most difficult parts of the 575 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,100 city out under the hedges. He brings in the poor and the 576 00:31:17,100 --> 00:31:20,500 maimed, the lame and the blind. You know, we don't understand 577 00:31:20,500 --> 00:31:22,600 that today in this culture because we have all these safety 578 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:25,700 nets. But now if you go overseas and 579 00:31:25,700 --> 00:31:29,500 you see Beggars on the street, you see people without limbs. 580 00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:33,300 They literally are starving to death and it was even worse. 581 00:31:33,300 --> 00:31:37,400 Back in Jesus day, these are the dregs of society. 582 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,700 These are people that normally you don't want to associate 583 00:31:40,700 --> 00:31:43,700 with. Well, that's who now are invited 584 00:31:43,700 --> 00:31:47,100 into this, great feast. And the point here is that, you 585 00:31:47,100 --> 00:31:49,500 know, God is gracious. God's the one throwing the 586 00:31:49,500 --> 00:31:52,600 feast? And no one has stooped lower 587 00:31:52,600 --> 00:31:54,500 than God can reach to pick them up. 588 00:31:54,800 --> 00:32:00,000 No one is so low, that God will not take them and make Something 589 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:01,700 of them if they're willing to come. 590 00:32:02,200 --> 00:32:05,700 And so that's what happens. They begin to call these folks. 591 00:32:05,700 --> 00:32:08,500 They come to the feast verse 22. The servants had Mastery. 592 00:32:08,500 --> 00:32:12,100 It's done as you commanded and still there's room and then he 593 00:32:12,100 --> 00:32:16,000 said to the servant go out into the highways and hedges and 594 00:32:16,000 --> 00:32:19,000 compel them to come in to come in that. 595 00:32:19,000 --> 00:32:23,200 My house may be filled, you know, God didn't send Jesus. 596 00:32:24,300 --> 00:32:27,800 And Jesus didn't die. So that church pews could be 597 00:32:27,800 --> 00:32:33,700 empty, he died so that we might spread the gospel, he died so 598 00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:37,700 that we might wear the gospel on our sleeves. 599 00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:41,400 So to speak and invite others to enjoy the blessings that we 600 00:32:41,400 --> 00:32:42,400 enjoy. But first of all we got to 601 00:32:42,408 --> 00:32:43,800 appreciate those lessons are self. 602 00:32:44,300 --> 00:32:46,600 You see these three have been up here that made the excuse. 603 00:32:46,700 --> 00:32:48,800 I'm convinced they didn't really appreciate the relationship. 604 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:50,500 They could have had with the master. 605 00:32:50,800 --> 00:32:53,800 They didn't really appreciate the good things that the master, 606 00:32:54,100 --> 00:32:56,600 Add in store for them. And so they didn't take 607 00:32:56,600 --> 00:32:59,600 advantage of it. Well, Jesus, then concludes this 608 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,900 Parable and verse 24. And he says, again, the man 609 00:33:02,900 --> 00:33:06,600 speaking that has thrown the feast he is ask now just felt my 610 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,900 house with, with people who need what I have to offer and he's 611 00:33:10,900 --> 00:33:14,100 just for, I say unto you, that none of those men who were 612 00:33:14,100 --> 00:33:18,400 invited shall taste my supper, that was Jesus talking to the 613 00:33:18,400 --> 00:33:21,200 religious leaders to this point, or maybe the Jewish folks who 614 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:24,500 had rejected him maybe. And of So I think that's a 615 00:33:24,500 --> 00:33:29,300 possibility that is very good but nonetheless there's an 616 00:33:29,300 --> 00:33:32,700 application for us, you know, again, sometimes we don't 617 00:33:32,700 --> 00:33:36,400 appreciate and God you know, God won't Force us into his kingdom. 618 00:33:36,800 --> 00:33:40,400 He won't pull out the chair for us and make us sit down around 619 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:45,800 his table, it's there, but we have to take the invitation and 620 00:33:45,800 --> 00:33:48,800 be willing to accept it. Well, there's so much we could 621 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:50,700 learn from. I think The Parables of Jesus 622 00:33:50,700 --> 00:33:53,900 and you know when you boil it all down, The Parables of Jesus, 623 00:33:54,100 --> 00:33:57,600 Primarily go about the kingdom and what that means is the reign 624 00:33:57,600 --> 00:33:59,500 of God in our life. Yes. 625 00:33:59,500 --> 00:34:01,900 It's about the church. Yes, it's about, you know, Jesus 626 00:34:01,900 --> 00:34:04,500 coming to the Jews and then the Gentiles but you know, when you 627 00:34:04,508 --> 00:34:06,900 talk about the kingdom concept, you don't want to forget that. 628 00:34:06,900 --> 00:34:10,400 It's about the reign of Jesus in our hearts, you know, Jesus 629 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:12,900 wants to sit on the throne of our hearts and you know, that's 630 00:34:12,900 --> 00:34:14,300 really what the kingdom is all about. 631 00:34:14,300 --> 00:34:15,699 It's really what the church is all about. 632 00:34:15,699 --> 00:34:18,900 When it's all said and done. And Jesus has provided, this 633 00:34:18,900 --> 00:34:23,800 great Messianic banquet, he's even died so that we might be 634 00:34:23,800 --> 00:34:29,000 able Able to sit at his feet. But we have to be willing to 635 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:30,800 accept the invitation. Well, how do we accept that 636 00:34:30,800 --> 00:34:33,199 invitation today? Well, the invitation is the 637 00:34:33,199 --> 00:34:35,400 gospel. We hear the gospel. 638 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:37,100 We believe what Jesus did for us. 639 00:34:37,199 --> 00:34:39,000 We believe that he died for our sins. 640 00:34:39,100 --> 00:34:42,100 We believe that he rose again, we believe that he ascended to 641 00:34:42,100 --> 00:34:44,500 heaven. We repent then of our sins, we 642 00:34:44,500 --> 00:34:47,699 change our lives so that we then begin to live in a different 643 00:34:47,699 --> 00:34:52,000 direction than being a sinner. We confess Jesus as the son of 644 00:34:52,000 --> 00:34:55,600 God. We make him the Lord of our life 645 00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:58,300 allegiance to him is really what that's about. 646 00:34:58,700 --> 00:35:01,000 And then of course we are baptized and have his blood 647 00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,500 applied to our life and we are saved through his blood in the 648 00:35:04,500 --> 00:35:07,900 waters of baptism. We thank you for listening to 649 00:35:07,900 --> 00:35:12,700 our podcast, put on by the Church of Christ at 22:15 plans. 650 00:35:12,700 --> 00:35:16,300 Road in Bakersfield, if you would like any additional 651 00:35:16,300 --> 00:35:19,600 information or you would like to receive a free Bible 652 00:35:19,600 --> 00:35:24,600 correspondence, course by mail. Please email us at info at 653 00:35:24,900 --> 00:35:28,700 search of Christ. Bakersfield.com, our service 654 00:35:28,700 --> 00:35:33,900 times are on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 655 00:35:33,900 --> 00:35:37,800 at 7:30 p.m. Please make plans to join us. 656 00:35:38,300 --> 00:35:40,500 We would love for you to be our honored guest.