The parable that we are looking at this week is the parable of the prodigal father. I want to remind you that the main character is not the lost son, but the father. Also, I want to remind you of the definition of prodigal. The word prodigal is a very old English word that actually means extravagant. It does not speak of youthful rebellion or sinful living. The main idea behind the word prodigal is that of wastefulness and excess. A prodigal person is a big spender who spreads his resources around, someone who is recklessly openhanded with large gifts.
I want to submit to you that the father was more of a prodigal than his son ever was. We are seeing the prodigal nature of the father in 4 things this week. Already, we have seen the prodigal nature of the father in the Rebellion of the Son, the ruin of the son, and the repentance of the son. If you need to catch up, check out the archives at kevinivy.com and catch up on part one. Today we will see the prodigal nature of the father in the restoration of the Son. Look at what happens in verses 22-24. But the father said to his servants, 'Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. 23 And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. 24 For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to celebrate.
Not only did the father forgive him, but he restored him and he restored him in a prodigal (lavish, extravagant) way. He gave him a Robe. Every nobleman had a choice robe—an expensive, ornate, embroidered, one of a kind, floor length outer garment of the highest quality fabric and craftsmanship. Giving him the robe signified a greater honor than one would normally even think to confer on a son. This was the kind of courtesy reserved for an extremely prestigious dignitary. The father was publicly honoring his returning son not only as guest of honor at the banquet but also as a person of the utmost distinction.
He also gave him a Ring. This was the signet ring that had the family seal, so when the ring was pressed into melted wax on a formal document, the resulting seal served as legal authentication. The ring therefore was a symbol of authority.
He went on to give him Sandals. The sandals may sound like the least of the gifts, but they were highly significant. Hired servants and household slaves customarily went barefoot. Only masters and their sons wore footwear. This is not a servant. This is my son.
Finally, we see him kill the Fatted Calf. Such a calf would be grain fed only for an extraordinary occasion, such as the wedding of a firstborn son or a once in a lifetime banquet held to celebrate the arrival of an important dignitary. The animal would be carefully selected well in advance of the occasion, generously fed, diligently cared for, and kept penned up, apart from the herd. It would be enough to feed hundreds of people. Preparation would take the rest of the day, and the festivities would continue deep into the night. It would not be unusual for a party such as this to last three days or more.
The rebellious son had entrusted his life to the father, and the father had absolutely amazed and overwhelmed him by entrusting his resources to him. His father turned out to be the prodigal of the story. The prodigal nature of the Father was not met with open arms by everyone. The story goes on in verses 25-32.
"Now his older son was in the field, and as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. 27 And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and your father has killed the fattened calf, because he has received him back safe and sound.' 28 But he was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, 29 but he answered his father, 'Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!' 31 And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Haven’t you always wondered, What happened then? Did he go in and celebrate? Did he walk away angry? Who knows? The ending simply isn't there. It leaves us hanging. There was an ending to the story however. Think about it. The father figure in the parable clearly represents Christ. The younger son in the parable represents the heathen, publicans, and tax collectors: the lost. The elder brother clearly represents the Pharisees, Scribes, and religious leaders. With all of that in mind, we can today fill in the remainder of the story, because we know how the elder brother responded to the father (Christ). The true ending of the story should read something like this: "The elder son was outraged at his father so he turned some of the servants against him and murdered him right in the very midst of the celebratory feast!" Ouch! The prodigal nature of the father (the lavish mercy, the excessive grace, and the extravagant forgiveness) is met with rage by the religious elite.
Christ is murdered. He is beaten, he is crucified, he is buried, and thankfully he is resurrected from the grave. The ironic thing is, even in his death he is pouring out grace, mercy, and forgiveness. The ending was not officially penned in the parable itself and I think that this is good. This allows for everyone who hears the story today to write his or her own ending by how they respond. How will you respond?
Will you crucify him all over again OR will you join the celebration by repenting of your sin, embracing the Gospel, and following Christ? The responsibility to rightly respond is yours.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Prodigal Father: Part 1
The parable that we come to today is probably the most popular parable in all of the Word of God. It is definitely the most popular parable in Luke’s Gospel. Though this parable is so well known, I do not believe that it is rightly known.
First, the main character is not the lost son, but the father. There are 3 parables in this chapter: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost silver, and the parable of the lost son. All three have Christ as the star! In the parable of the lost sheep he is pictured as the good shepherd. In the parable of the lost silver he is pictured as the one who came to seek and to save the lost. And now in the parable of the lost son, he is pictured as a gracious and merciful and compassionate Father. So, the main character is not the son, but the father.
Secondly, the title that we have come to recognize this parable by is backwards. We call it the parable of the prodigal son. I want to submit to you this morning that the title should be the parable of the prodigal father. I have a very good reason for this title. After all the word prodigal is a very old English word that actually means extravagant. It does not speak of youthful rebellion or sinful living. The main idea behind the word prodigal is that of wastefulness and excess. A prodigal person is a big spender who spreads his resources around, someone who is recklessly openhanded with large gifts.
I want to submit to you that the father was more of a prodigal than his son ever was. We will see the prodigal nature of the father in 4 things this week. First, we see the prodigal nature of the father in the Rebellion of the Son. Look at what happens in verses 11-13. And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living."
This younger son was a rebellious son. He said to his father, give me my inheritance. Pull your will out of the safe, call a lawyer, and give me what is coming to me. For a son in that culture to request his inheritance early was equivalent to saying, I wish you were dead. And any father with a proper concern about the honor of his own name and the reputation of the family would now see to it that a boy like this received the full and just punishment for his disrespect. A son guilty of dishonoring his father to this degree could well expect to lose everything he had or was hoping to receive. He could expect to be permanently dismissed from the family. Actually, he would be viewed as dead. It was not uncommon in that time and place to hold an actual funeral for a child who disrespected and abandoned his home and family in this way.
The scribes and Pharisees are sitting on the edge of their seats in utter shock and amazement. They fully expected the prodigal son's father to drop the hammer on the wayward youth. After all, the father's honor had been turned to shame by his son's rebellion. Here is where we see the first sign of the father’s prodigal (lavish, extravagant, excessive ways). Rather than publicly strike the boy across the face for his disrespect, this father granted his rebel son exactly what he asked for. He dug out the will, called in the lawyer, and gave him his entire inheritance. That was a little excessive in the eyes of the religious leaders. Instead of punishment, he gave him what he did not even deserve. We see the prodigal nature of the father in his response to the rebellion of the son.
We also see the prodigal nature of the father in the Ruin of the Son. Look at what happens in verses 14-16. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
We see the prodigal nature of the father in the ruin of the rebellious son. The party has ended for the son. His funds have run out, his friends have run off, and a famine has set in. The son has lost his inheritance and he has lost his hope. He finds himself a job feeding pigs. He is at the lowest of the low. Rabbis actually are quoted as saying, “Cursed is the man who breeds swine.” Here is this young Jew working for a Gentile, feeding the swine, and even considering eating with them. Obviously, he is at his lowest point. He is ruined.
What is the father doing during the ruin of his son. It is dangerous to assume much of anything, but I think it is safe to assume that he is waiting and watching for him. It is evident that the father was looking diligently for the prodigal's return. Look in verse 20, “While he was still a great way off, his father saw him.” How else could he have seen him while he was still a long way off if he were not watching and waiting for him? We see lavish mercy, excessive love, and extravagant patience from the father. We see the prodigal nature of the father as he waits for his son to return from his ruin.
We also see the prodigal nature of the father in the Repentance of the Son. The son is awakened to his sin in verses 17-20a, “But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father.” He sees his sin. He sees the solution. He formulates his plan. He arises and begins to carry out his plan.
Look at the prodigal response of the father. 20b But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. He ran to him. In that culture of honor, especially in a situation like this, it would be nothing extraordinary if the father simply refused to meet the boy face to face. Yet, here was the father not shunning his son, but running to him. In the context of that culture, the father's action of running to the boy and embracing him before he came all the way home was seen as shameful. Nobelmen in that culture did not run. Running was for little boys and servants. No, noblemen walked in a dignified, authoritative manner with deliberate steps. The text uses a word that speaks of sprinting, as if he were in an athletic competition. The father gathered up the hem of his robe and took off in a most undignified manner.
Not only did he run to him, but he embraced him! Now that the boy was coming home, the Pharisees expected him to get what he deserved. It would be fairly typical to punish him first by publicly shaming him. A father in those circumstances might have his son sit outside the gate in public view for several days. The boy would be completely exposed to the elements—and worse, to the utter scorn of the whole community. In a typical village where everyone knew everyone else, the entire village would mock and verbally abuse him and possibly even spit on him. He would just have to sit there and take it while he waited. After a few days wait, the son would be expected to bow low and kiss the father's feet. But his father kissed him, and the verb tense means he repeatedly kissed him (the rag wearing, pig smelling, disrespectful son). He does not receive what he deserves (shaming). He receives what he does not deserve in abundance, in excess. He was embraced and kissed. Such an embrace with repeated kisses was a gesture that signified his full acceptance, forgiveness, restoration, and total reconciliation.
In verses 21-22 we read, And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants. The father quickly cut him off. The prodigal never even got to the part of his rehearsed speech in which he would ask to become one of the hired servants. The father had already reinstated him as a beloved son, and the great celebration was to get underway.
The excessive, lavish, extravagant love, forgiveness, and mercy the father showed reveals his prodigal nature.
If you are not yet convinced that it is the father who is the prodigal in the story just wait until next time…
First, the main character is not the lost son, but the father. There are 3 parables in this chapter: the parable of the lost sheep, the parable of the lost silver, and the parable of the lost son. All three have Christ as the star! In the parable of the lost sheep he is pictured as the good shepherd. In the parable of the lost silver he is pictured as the one who came to seek and to save the lost. And now in the parable of the lost son, he is pictured as a gracious and merciful and compassionate Father. So, the main character is not the son, but the father.
Secondly, the title that we have come to recognize this parable by is backwards. We call it the parable of the prodigal son. I want to submit to you this morning that the title should be the parable of the prodigal father. I have a very good reason for this title. After all the word prodigal is a very old English word that actually means extravagant. It does not speak of youthful rebellion or sinful living. The main idea behind the word prodigal is that of wastefulness and excess. A prodigal person is a big spender who spreads his resources around, someone who is recklessly openhanded with large gifts.
I want to submit to you that the father was more of a prodigal than his son ever was. We will see the prodigal nature of the father in 4 things this week. First, we see the prodigal nature of the father in the Rebellion of the Son. Look at what happens in verses 11-13. And he said, "There was a man who had two sons. 12 And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.' And he divided his property between them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living."
This younger son was a rebellious son. He said to his father, give me my inheritance. Pull your will out of the safe, call a lawyer, and give me what is coming to me. For a son in that culture to request his inheritance early was equivalent to saying, I wish you were dead. And any father with a proper concern about the honor of his own name and the reputation of the family would now see to it that a boy like this received the full and just punishment for his disrespect. A son guilty of dishonoring his father to this degree could well expect to lose everything he had or was hoping to receive. He could expect to be permanently dismissed from the family. Actually, he would be viewed as dead. It was not uncommon in that time and place to hold an actual funeral for a child who disrespected and abandoned his home and family in this way.
The scribes and Pharisees are sitting on the edge of their seats in utter shock and amazement. They fully expected the prodigal son's father to drop the hammer on the wayward youth. After all, the father's honor had been turned to shame by his son's rebellion. Here is where we see the first sign of the father’s prodigal (lavish, extravagant, excessive ways). Rather than publicly strike the boy across the face for his disrespect, this father granted his rebel son exactly what he asked for. He dug out the will, called in the lawyer, and gave him his entire inheritance. That was a little excessive in the eyes of the religious leaders. Instead of punishment, he gave him what he did not even deserve. We see the prodigal nature of the father in his response to the rebellion of the son.
We also see the prodigal nature of the father in the Ruin of the Son. Look at what happens in verses 14-16. And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything.
We see the prodigal nature of the father in the ruin of the rebellious son. The party has ended for the son. His funds have run out, his friends have run off, and a famine has set in. The son has lost his inheritance and he has lost his hope. He finds himself a job feeding pigs. He is at the lowest of the low. Rabbis actually are quoted as saying, “Cursed is the man who breeds swine.” Here is this young Jew working for a Gentile, feeding the swine, and even considering eating with them. Obviously, he is at his lowest point. He is ruined.
What is the father doing during the ruin of his son. It is dangerous to assume much of anything, but I think it is safe to assume that he is waiting and watching for him. It is evident that the father was looking diligently for the prodigal's return. Look in verse 20, “While he was still a great way off, his father saw him.” How else could he have seen him while he was still a long way off if he were not watching and waiting for him? We see lavish mercy, excessive love, and extravagant patience from the father. We see the prodigal nature of the father as he waits for his son to return from his ruin.
We also see the prodigal nature of the father in the Repentance of the Son. The son is awakened to his sin in verses 17-20a, “But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! 18 I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants."' 20 And he arose and came to his father.” He sees his sin. He sees the solution. He formulates his plan. He arises and begins to carry out his plan.
Look at the prodigal response of the father. 20b But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. He ran to him. In that culture of honor, especially in a situation like this, it would be nothing extraordinary if the father simply refused to meet the boy face to face. Yet, here was the father not shunning his son, but running to him. In the context of that culture, the father's action of running to the boy and embracing him before he came all the way home was seen as shameful. Nobelmen in that culture did not run. Running was for little boys and servants. No, noblemen walked in a dignified, authoritative manner with deliberate steps. The text uses a word that speaks of sprinting, as if he were in an athletic competition. The father gathered up the hem of his robe and took off in a most undignified manner.
Not only did he run to him, but he embraced him! Now that the boy was coming home, the Pharisees expected him to get what he deserved. It would be fairly typical to punish him first by publicly shaming him. A father in those circumstances might have his son sit outside the gate in public view for several days. The boy would be completely exposed to the elements—and worse, to the utter scorn of the whole community. In a typical village where everyone knew everyone else, the entire village would mock and verbally abuse him and possibly even spit on him. He would just have to sit there and take it while he waited. After a few days wait, the son would be expected to bow low and kiss the father's feet. But his father kissed him, and the verb tense means he repeatedly kissed him (the rag wearing, pig smelling, disrespectful son). He does not receive what he deserves (shaming). He receives what he does not deserve in abundance, in excess. He was embraced and kissed. Such an embrace with repeated kisses was a gesture that signified his full acceptance, forgiveness, restoration, and total reconciliation.
In verses 21-22 we read, And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' 22 But the father said to his servants. The father quickly cut him off. The prodigal never even got to the part of his rehearsed speech in which he would ask to become one of the hired servants. The father had already reinstated him as a beloved son, and the great celebration was to get underway.
The excessive, lavish, extravagant love, forgiveness, and mercy the father showed reveals his prodigal nature.
If you are not yet convinced that it is the father who is the prodigal in the story just wait until next time…
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Salvation, the Heart and Joy of God
Last time we were reminded that salvation is the work of God (if you did not read it, search the archives at kevinivy.com and read it). Salvation is not our work. It is His. We are saved by grace, through faith. Not only is salvation the work of God, but it is also the very heart of God. Listen to the message of the parable in verses 8 and 9 of Luke 15. “Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.”
Salvation is the Heart of God. This woman so desired the lost silver that she thoroughly, consistently, and with great perseverance sought it until she found it. This woman searches carefully until she finds it. This woman lights a lamp. She sweeps the whole house. She leaves nothing unturned. When she comes to the end of her search, she can say, I have searched everywhere. She seeks it until she finds it.
Salvation is God’s Heart. We read in 1 Tim 2:3-4, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God so desires that people be saved, that he has given us every opportunity and reason to respond. God has thoroughly revealed Himself to us!
He has given us the witness of the heavens. Just look up at the moon. The moon’s orbit creates the necessary tides upon the oceans. The moon orbits the earth from about 240,000 miles out. If the moon were to move in just one-fifth of this distance, the continents would be plunged under water twice a day. Just look up at the stars. There are only 4000 stars that can be seen without a telescope. Modern telescopes have verified that there are 10 million, billion, billion stars. Just look up at the uniqueness of the planets and at the power of the sun. 90% of all astronomers believe in God because they have looked up. The Psalmist in Ps 19:1 said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. “
He has given us the witness of our conscious. There is a moral law in each of us that tells us that regardless of our beliefs it is wrong to rape, steal, and kill. If there were no such moral law or conscious within us, the world would be in chaos. Who set these universal rules in the heart of mankind? According to Romans, it was God. Rom 2:14-15 says, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.”
He has given us the witness of creation. Just look around at the grass and trees and the animal kingdom. Look out at the ocean and the diversity of ocean life. The archerfish can shoot water into the air 15 feet and strike a small insect that it has chosen for a meal. Just look around period! That eye that you are looking around with comes with automatic aiming, automatic focusing, and automatic maintenance during one’s sleep. When stuck in the dark the eye can increase its ability to see 100,000 times. No one has to think about that, or give their eye instructions, or teach their eye to perform. It just happens. Did it just happen by accident or chance?
He has given us the witness of His Word. The Word of God was written over a period of 1500 years on 3 separate continents by more than 40 different authors in 3 different languages. Yet, despite its diversity, it comes together to present one story of God's plan to redeem mankind from sin, iniquity, and transgression.
Ultimately, He has given us the witness of Himself. God came to earth in the flesh. Every religion on earth tries to give its followers direction on how to climb the mountain to God. Most would claim that all the roads up the mountain are leading to God. Most would claim, that it doesn’t matter how you climb, or which side of the mountain you scale, because we are all striving to reach the same God. Christianity is not about climbing a mountain to find God. It is about God coming down off of the mountain to find us, pick us up, and carry us home. He came to seek and to save the lost.
Salvation is God’s Heart. He has turned on the light, He has swept the room, and He is seeking you out. God’s heart is salvation and we know it because of how clearly He has revealed Himself to us.
Finally, we need to be reminded that salvation is the Joy of God. Notice the reason he told the 2 parables in verses 1 and 2, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." The Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling. They were grumbling because tax collectors and sinners (less important folks) were coming to Christ. And not only that, Jesus is enjoying and rejoicing in the fact that they are coming to him. This upset the religious crowd, so he told these parables.
Listen to verse 7 and verse 10. Verse seven states, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." Verse 10 says, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This is a description of the pleasure of God Himself. Notice that Jesus doesn't speak of the joy of the angels, but the joy in the presence of the angels and joy in heaven. It is the joy of God Himself. Salvation is God’s Joy.
The only feature of those 2 stories that seems exaggerated is the celebration. Most people who find a lost coin or a lost animal wouldn't actually go to the trouble of calling friends and neighbors together and having a public party to rejoice. This is a picture of heaven's joy over sinners repenting. Heaven's joy over the redemption of sinners is an ecstatic joy, almost exaggerated. That the Sovereign, Holy, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Immutable, Eternal, All Powerful, Creator God would rejoice at the repentance of a totally depraved, ungodly, iniquity filled, sin filled, rebellious wicked sinners is OUTRAGEOUS. And we so often seem to take it for granted. Let us praise God that salvation is His joy.
These two parables are all about God seeking us, taking the initiative, and doing the work of salvation. These parables are not about the sinner’s response to God, but about God’s response to the sinner. So what kind of response is required of us? Simply put, we must repent and believe the Gospel. We must turn away from our sin and believe and embrace the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor 15). We must Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near. In the words of Jeremiah the prophet, “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart.” Are you seeking God? If so, that is a reliable indication that He is seeking you. Don’t give up. Continue pursuing Him. Repent, believe and embrace the Gospel. Throw yourself upon the mercy and grace of Christ and he will carry you and rejoice in your redemption. Keep seeking Him until He finds you.
Salvation is the Heart of God. This woman so desired the lost silver that she thoroughly, consistently, and with great perseverance sought it until she found it. This woman searches carefully until she finds it. This woman lights a lamp. She sweeps the whole house. She leaves nothing unturned. When she comes to the end of her search, she can say, I have searched everywhere. She seeks it until she finds it.
Salvation is God’s Heart. We read in 1 Tim 2:3-4, “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” God so desires that people be saved, that he has given us every opportunity and reason to respond. God has thoroughly revealed Himself to us!
He has given us the witness of the heavens. Just look up at the moon. The moon’s orbit creates the necessary tides upon the oceans. The moon orbits the earth from about 240,000 miles out. If the moon were to move in just one-fifth of this distance, the continents would be plunged under water twice a day. Just look up at the stars. There are only 4000 stars that can be seen without a telescope. Modern telescopes have verified that there are 10 million, billion, billion stars. Just look up at the uniqueness of the planets and at the power of the sun. 90% of all astronomers believe in God because they have looked up. The Psalmist in Ps 19:1 said, “The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. “
He has given us the witness of our conscious. There is a moral law in each of us that tells us that regardless of our beliefs it is wrong to rape, steal, and kill. If there were no such moral law or conscious within us, the world would be in chaos. Who set these universal rules in the heart of mankind? According to Romans, it was God. Rom 2:14-15 says, “For when Gentiles who do not have the Law do instinctively the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law to themselves, in that they show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, and their thoughts alternately accusing or else defending them.”
He has given us the witness of creation. Just look around at the grass and trees and the animal kingdom. Look out at the ocean and the diversity of ocean life. The archerfish can shoot water into the air 15 feet and strike a small insect that it has chosen for a meal. Just look around period! That eye that you are looking around with comes with automatic aiming, automatic focusing, and automatic maintenance during one’s sleep. When stuck in the dark the eye can increase its ability to see 100,000 times. No one has to think about that, or give their eye instructions, or teach their eye to perform. It just happens. Did it just happen by accident or chance?
He has given us the witness of His Word. The Word of God was written over a period of 1500 years on 3 separate continents by more than 40 different authors in 3 different languages. Yet, despite its diversity, it comes together to present one story of God's plan to redeem mankind from sin, iniquity, and transgression.
Ultimately, He has given us the witness of Himself. God came to earth in the flesh. Every religion on earth tries to give its followers direction on how to climb the mountain to God. Most would claim that all the roads up the mountain are leading to God. Most would claim, that it doesn’t matter how you climb, or which side of the mountain you scale, because we are all striving to reach the same God. Christianity is not about climbing a mountain to find God. It is about God coming down off of the mountain to find us, pick us up, and carry us home. He came to seek and to save the lost.
Salvation is God’s Heart. He has turned on the light, He has swept the room, and He is seeking you out. God’s heart is salvation and we know it because of how clearly He has revealed Himself to us.
Finally, we need to be reminded that salvation is the Joy of God. Notice the reason he told the 2 parables in verses 1 and 2, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, "This man receives sinners and eats with them." The Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling. They were grumbling because tax collectors and sinners (less important folks) were coming to Christ. And not only that, Jesus is enjoying and rejoicing in the fact that they are coming to him. This upset the religious crowd, so he told these parables.
Listen to verse 7 and verse 10. Verse seven states, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." Verse 10 says, “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” This is a description of the pleasure of God Himself. Notice that Jesus doesn't speak of the joy of the angels, but the joy in the presence of the angels and joy in heaven. It is the joy of God Himself. Salvation is God’s Joy.
The only feature of those 2 stories that seems exaggerated is the celebration. Most people who find a lost coin or a lost animal wouldn't actually go to the trouble of calling friends and neighbors together and having a public party to rejoice. This is a picture of heaven's joy over sinners repenting. Heaven's joy over the redemption of sinners is an ecstatic joy, almost exaggerated. That the Sovereign, Holy, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Immutable, Eternal, All Powerful, Creator God would rejoice at the repentance of a totally depraved, ungodly, iniquity filled, sin filled, rebellious wicked sinners is OUTRAGEOUS. And we so often seem to take it for granted. Let us praise God that salvation is His joy.
These two parables are all about God seeking us, taking the initiative, and doing the work of salvation. These parables are not about the sinner’s response to God, but about God’s response to the sinner. So what kind of response is required of us? Simply put, we must repent and believe the Gospel. We must turn away from our sin and believe and embrace the Gospel of Christ (1 Cor 15). We must Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near. In the words of Jeremiah the prophet, “You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart.” Are you seeking God? If so, that is a reliable indication that He is seeking you. Don’t give up. Continue pursuing Him. Repent, believe and embrace the Gospel. Throw yourself upon the mercy and grace of Christ and he will carry you and rejoice in your redemption. Keep seeking Him until He finds you.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Salvation, the Work of God
We come today to a chapter of parables. There is the parable of the lost sheep, the lost silver, and the lost son, all of which point to the salvation of the sinner. We must understand that these parables are not referring to a backslidden believer. They are referring to lost sinners and to how God responds to them! Furthermore, these parables are not about the sinner’s response to God, but about God’s response to the sinner. This week we will look at the first 2 parables in Luke 15 and we will conclude next week with the parable of the prodigal.
In Luke 15:1-10 we read, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. 3 So he told them this parable: 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
As we think about God’s response to the sinner, we see three things about salvation in these parables that we will be reminded of this week.
First, we see that Salvation is the Work of God. We read in verses 4-6, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. In this parable we see very clearly that salvation is ultimately God’s work. After all, what does the sheep do? All that the sheep has done is get lost. He has gotten himself into mortal danger. He is as good as dead. A sheep separated from the flock and left to wander by itself in the wilderness will die, even with an abundance of food and water all around. It is only a matter of time before the lost sheep would succumb to the stress of being separated from the flock. Sheep are not generally independent thinkers. Their natural inclination is to stay together in flocks. If one got lost, it faced serious stress. Its stupidity and clumsiness were maximized. It is only a matter of time before the lost sheep will be devoured by predators, or die due to exposure to the elements. The sheep was as good as dead!
Just like that lost sheep, a lost person is as good as dead. The Bible tells us in Eph 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.” We are dead and left to ourselves we have no hope. We will always run from God, not to God. We will stray from the shepherd not run to him. Isa 53:6 reminds us that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” The sheep was hopeless and helpless on its own, so if there is to be any hope, the shepherd has to find the sheep. We are hopeless and helpless left to ourselves, so if there is to be any hope for us, God has to do the work.
Think for a moment about Lazarus? He had been dead and buried for 4 days. Jesus comes on the scene, has the stone removed, and says, “Lazarus come forth.” Lazarus walks out of the tomb alive to everyone’s joy and amazement. He did not find Jesus and then receive life. Why? He couldn’t! He was dead! He was given life by the Sovereign Lord and then he came out to Jesus. He didn’t hear the voice of the Savior calling his name and then come to life. He came to life and then heard the voice of Christ and was able to respond to it. It was God who did the work!
We see in this parable that the shepherd leaves the 99 and goes in search of the lost sheep. The shepherd's duty would be to leave his flock in a safe place together and go in search of the lost sheep. That is exactly what the Lord did. He said in Luke 19:10 that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The good shepherd seeks out the lost sheep. In Ezek 34:11-12 we read, “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” God, the Good Shepherd does the work of our salvation. He seeks us.
Not only does the shepherd go in search of the sheep, he picks it up and carries it to safety. The shepherd lays the sheep on his shoulders and carries it back to the flock, back to the fold. He doesn't even leave it to the sheep to travel home in his own power. He lifts it up and carries it. Isa 40:11 says, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” In Isa 46:4 we read, “I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”
The sheep does absolutely nothing in this parable. The entire saving work is attributed to the shepherd. Clearly, salvation is God’s work. May we never forget that our redemption is all of grace and none of works. It is all of God. Next time, we will see that salvation is also God’s heart and great joy. Until then…
In Luke 15:1-10 we read, “Now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear him. 2 And the Pharisees and the scribes grumbled, saying, This man receives sinners and eats with them. 3 So he told them this parable: 4 What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. 7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance. 8 Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp and sweep the house and seek diligently until she finds it? 9 And when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost. 10 Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
As we think about God’s response to the sinner, we see three things about salvation in these parables that we will be reminded of this week.
First, we see that Salvation is the Work of God. We read in verses 4-6, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost. In this parable we see very clearly that salvation is ultimately God’s work. After all, what does the sheep do? All that the sheep has done is get lost. He has gotten himself into mortal danger. He is as good as dead. A sheep separated from the flock and left to wander by itself in the wilderness will die, even with an abundance of food and water all around. It is only a matter of time before the lost sheep would succumb to the stress of being separated from the flock. Sheep are not generally independent thinkers. Their natural inclination is to stay together in flocks. If one got lost, it faced serious stress. Its stupidity and clumsiness were maximized. It is only a matter of time before the lost sheep will be devoured by predators, or die due to exposure to the elements. The sheep was as good as dead!
Just like that lost sheep, a lost person is as good as dead. The Bible tells us in Eph 2:4-5, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved.” We are dead and left to ourselves we have no hope. We will always run from God, not to God. We will stray from the shepherd not run to him. Isa 53:6 reminds us that “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” The sheep was hopeless and helpless on its own, so if there is to be any hope, the shepherd has to find the sheep. We are hopeless and helpless left to ourselves, so if there is to be any hope for us, God has to do the work.
Think for a moment about Lazarus? He had been dead and buried for 4 days. Jesus comes on the scene, has the stone removed, and says, “Lazarus come forth.” Lazarus walks out of the tomb alive to everyone’s joy and amazement. He did not find Jesus and then receive life. Why? He couldn’t! He was dead! He was given life by the Sovereign Lord and then he came out to Jesus. He didn’t hear the voice of the Savior calling his name and then come to life. He came to life and then heard the voice of Christ and was able to respond to it. It was God who did the work!
We see in this parable that the shepherd leaves the 99 and goes in search of the lost sheep. The shepherd's duty would be to leave his flock in a safe place together and go in search of the lost sheep. That is exactly what the Lord did. He said in Luke 19:10 that “the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” The good shepherd seeks out the lost sheep. In Ezek 34:11-12 we read, “For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for my sheep and will seek them out. As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.” God, the Good Shepherd does the work of our salvation. He seeks us.
Not only does the shepherd go in search of the sheep, he picks it up and carries it to safety. The shepherd lays the sheep on his shoulders and carries it back to the flock, back to the fold. He doesn't even leave it to the sheep to travel home in his own power. He lifts it up and carries it. Isa 40:11 says, “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” In Isa 46:4 we read, “I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.”
The sheep does absolutely nothing in this parable. The entire saving work is attributed to the shepherd. Clearly, salvation is God’s work. May we never forget that our redemption is all of grace and none of works. It is all of God. Next time, we will see that salvation is also God’s heart and great joy. Until then…
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Nature of the Gospel Call: Part 2
Last time we saw that the call of Christ is comprehensive and conditional. Today, let us see that it is also costly and continual. First, let us see the Costly Nature of the Call. The conditions are so great for one to follow Christ and answer the call that one must consider carefully the cost of this call. You put much more thought into buying a house, than you do into buying a pack of gum. The ramifications are much greater concerning the house than they are for the gum. Well, the gulf is that wide between the ramifications of buying a house and the ramifications of what you do with the call of Christ. Jesus does not solicit a hasty, emotional decision. Instead, he urges those who would follow him to think seriously about their decision and to count the cost. Do not promise to follow Jesus unless you understand the cost and are willing to pay it. Jesus never encouraged an unthinking, impulsive leap of faith into discipleship in hopes that later on they would be willing to pay the price. The ramifications are great.
Jesus used 2 illustrations to drive home the importance of serious deliberation over this call. First of all, he used Buildings. Jesus said in verses 28-30, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish." It might have been a watchtower because in ancient days enemies attacked by burning fields, sowing tares in the fields and so towers were often built in these great estates from which the people could protect their land. Jesus says, Don't start building unless you can finish. It is better for you and the KOG not to even start if you aren't going to finish.
John Stott writes in Basic Christianity, "The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half-built towers, the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people, still ignore Christ's warning and undertake to follow Him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. Large numbers of people have covered themselves with a thin veneer of Christianity."
He also used the illustration of battles. In verses 31-32 he said, "Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." This king realizes his enemy is coming with 20,000. What man, what king, what leader is going to put his 10,000 in danger before he sits down and assesses his chances of winning the battle. And if he comes up with the conclusion that he can't win, verse 32 says, he's going to send a delegation and ask terms of peace. There's no sense in spilling all this blood to get to the same end that we could get to by negotiating.
Concerning the building, the man decided to build. Concerning the battle, the enemy is on the way to attack him. This is a dilemma over which he has really no control. The builder of the tower is free to build or not as he chooses, but the king is being invaded. The other comes against him. He doesn't have a lot of choice. In the first parable Jesus says, "Sit down and decide whether you can afford to follow me." In the second parable he says, "Sit down and decide whether you can afford not to follow me." Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! You can't really afford to come to Christ, but you surely cannot afford to NOT come to Jesus.
Jesus does not want disciples who do not realize what they have let themselves in for. Counting the cost is important. You do all the important things in life by calculating carefully. This is the most important thing you'll ever do. This is more important than any tower you'll ever build and more important than any enemy you'll ever meet. When you come to Me, Jesus says, you're not just adding Me to your life. I become your life. I'm not offering you a makeover. I am calling for a takeover. The call is costly.
We not only see the comprehensive, conditional, costly nature of the call, but we see the Continual Nature of the Call in verses 34-35. Jesus said, "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." This is not a call that you answer on June 11, 2009, never to be concerned about again. This is a call that demands persistence. This is a call that demands a present tense faith. This is a call that is continual in nature. If the salt ever loses its saltiness, what good is it. Most salt came from the dead sea and contained impurities. If it was not processed properly, it would lose its taste and become not only useless, but it would create a disposal problem. If the conditions of discipleship are not kept, the disciple likewise will become less than worthless. Not only will he do no good for the kingdom, he will damage the kingdom. Half hearted disciples do more damage than good. If the salt loses its saltiness, it will be thrown out. If we lose our temperature, we will be spewed out. Jesus himself says in Rev 3:15-16, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." The apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
This is not a past tense decision that you make and take care of never to be concerned with again. This is a present tense, daily walk with Christ. True saints persevere. It is an ongoing faith walk. The Gospel call is continual in nature.
The question is, have you truly considered and answered the Gospel call. It is a comprehensive call. There is no way that you can get around it. It is extended to you and it applies to you. It is not only a comprehensive call, but it is a conditional call. You must put Christ before your relationships, your life, and your possessions. The call is not only comprehensive and conditional, but it also costly. Salvation is all of grace and free of charge, but it will cost you everything. And it is not a one time decision you make that you never have to be concerned with again. It is a continual, ongoing walk with Christ. So, have you truly considered and answered the Gospel call. Have you met His conditions?
If not, I want to invite you to repent of your sin and believe the Gospel. Turn from your sin and place your faith and trust in Christ alone. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ from this day forward. Today is the day of salvation.
Jesus used 2 illustrations to drive home the importance of serious deliberation over this call. First of all, he used Buildings. Jesus said in verses 28-30, "For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish." It might have been a watchtower because in ancient days enemies attacked by burning fields, sowing tares in the fields and so towers were often built in these great estates from which the people could protect their land. Jesus says, Don't start building unless you can finish. It is better for you and the KOG not to even start if you aren't going to finish.
John Stott writes in Basic Christianity, "The Christian landscape is strewn with the wreckage of derelict, half-built towers, the ruins of those who began to build and were unable to finish. For thousands of people, still ignore Christ's warning and undertake to follow Him without first pausing to reflect on the cost of doing so. Large numbers of people have covered themselves with a thin veneer of Christianity."
He also used the illustration of battles. In verses 31-32 he said, "Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace." This king realizes his enemy is coming with 20,000. What man, what king, what leader is going to put his 10,000 in danger before he sits down and assesses his chances of winning the battle. And if he comes up with the conclusion that he can't win, verse 32 says, he's going to send a delegation and ask terms of peace. There's no sense in spilling all this blood to get to the same end that we could get to by negotiating.
Concerning the building, the man decided to build. Concerning the battle, the enemy is on the way to attack him. This is a dilemma over which he has really no control. The builder of the tower is free to build or not as he chooses, but the king is being invaded. The other comes against him. He doesn't have a lot of choice. In the first parable Jesus says, "Sit down and decide whether you can afford to follow me." In the second parable he says, "Sit down and decide whether you can afford not to follow me." Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! You can't really afford to come to Christ, but you surely cannot afford to NOT come to Jesus.
Jesus does not want disciples who do not realize what they have let themselves in for. Counting the cost is important. You do all the important things in life by calculating carefully. This is the most important thing you'll ever do. This is more important than any tower you'll ever build and more important than any enemy you'll ever meet. When you come to Me, Jesus says, you're not just adding Me to your life. I become your life. I'm not offering you a makeover. I am calling for a takeover. The call is costly.
We not only see the comprehensive, conditional, costly nature of the call, but we see the Continual Nature of the Call in verses 34-35. Jesus said, "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear." This is not a call that you answer on June 11, 2009, never to be concerned about again. This is a call that demands persistence. This is a call that demands a present tense faith. This is a call that is continual in nature. If the salt ever loses its saltiness, what good is it. Most salt came from the dead sea and contained impurities. If it was not processed properly, it would lose its taste and become not only useless, but it would create a disposal problem. If the conditions of discipleship are not kept, the disciple likewise will become less than worthless. Not only will he do no good for the kingdom, he will damage the kingdom. Half hearted disciples do more damage than good. If the salt loses its saltiness, it will be thrown out. If we lose our temperature, we will be spewed out. Jesus himself says in Rev 3:15-16, "I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth." The apostle John wrote in 1 John 2:19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. Jesus said in Luke 9:62, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God."
This is not a past tense decision that you make and take care of never to be concerned with again. This is a present tense, daily walk with Christ. True saints persevere. It is an ongoing faith walk. The Gospel call is continual in nature.
The question is, have you truly considered and answered the Gospel call. It is a comprehensive call. There is no way that you can get around it. It is extended to you and it applies to you. It is not only a comprehensive call, but it is a conditional call. You must put Christ before your relationships, your life, and your possessions. The call is not only comprehensive and conditional, but it also costly. Salvation is all of grace and free of charge, but it will cost you everything. And it is not a one time decision you make that you never have to be concerned with again. It is a continual, ongoing walk with Christ. So, have you truly considered and answered the Gospel call. Have you met His conditions?
If not, I want to invite you to repent of your sin and believe the Gospel. Turn from your sin and place your faith and trust in Christ alone. Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Christ from this day forward. Today is the day of salvation.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Nature of the Gospel Call: Part 1
Luke 14:25-35
We find ourselves at a time in the life of our Lord when He is moving from town to town and village to village and He is preaching to the people, doing miracles, and healing. Always, He is calling people to follow Him, to become His disciples, and to come after Him. At the same time that he is calling them to come to him, they are walking away because of his radical requirements.
We read in John 6:66 that, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. It seems, when you study the words of Jesus, especially in Luke, that instead of pointing out the promises associated with following Him, He always seemed to point out the costs…exactly the opposite of what we are told to do today by most church growth gurus.
We are told to point out the promises and the positives in hopes that people will respond and maybe later on they will be willing to pay the price of discipleship. We are told to devise a gospel or a message that is easy to receive and easy to accept and easy to believe. Well, Jesus' words are not usually so palatable. Here the Word of God in Luke 14:25-35.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 34 "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
The basic message that Christ delivers here is found in many other places in the four gospels, so we know this to be a normal part of His teaching. And these teachings are extreme. The nature of His call is extreme. What does this message teach us about the call to follow him? First, we see the Comprehensive Nature of the Call in verses 25-26a .
There are those who would preach, teach, and say that the invitation Jesus extends here is not for all. It is not a comprehensive call. It was only for those closest to him. There are those who see their need of a Savior, they pray asking Christ to forgive them, and redeem them, and they go on with their life never growing and never really changing. Then there are others who really feel led to go deeper. They are really interested in spiritual things. These people are the ones that this applies to. This is not for all Christians. It is for the deeply committed. This gospel call however is a comprehensive call. It is for everyone. This is not a call to a deeper walk. It is a call to a walk. This is not a call for the special forces. This is a call that he extends to the crowd (now great crowds accompanied him v25). This is a call that begins with "If anyone." This is a comprehensive call.
We not only see the comprehensive nature of the call, but also the Conditional Nature of the Call. This is not an open ended call to come as you choose to come. You cannot come as you choose to come. You must meet His conditions. There are 3 conditions that he lays down for us in this passage. Three times he says, if you do not meet these conditions you cannot be my disciple. First, there is the Condition of Your Relationships in verse 26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. What he is really communicating is not a literal hatred for your parents and family, but a love for him that surpasses your love for your family. He says it this way in Matt 10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. In other words, your relationships are all subordinated. What honors Me, what pleases Me, what I desire, what I will, what I command as the Lord of your life takes precedent over all other demands and relationships. What's interesting (here is what we so often miss) is what pleases God is for us to obey our parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (Col 3:20). What pleases God is for us to honor our fathers and our mothers (Ex 20:12). What pleases Christ, honors Him, and brings Him glory is for wives to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, and for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...for husbands to hold fast to, cling to, their wives (Eph 5). If we put Jesus 1st, he will subordinate our relationships, but in doing so he will demand that our family relationships deepen, not diminish. If your marriage is suffering, your relationship with God is suffering. You cannot even pray effectively. If you lose your marriage and family, you lose your ministry and your witness! Do not sacrifice your marriage and family on the altar of the church, because the church is not your God. Jesus Christ must come before any other relationship that we have, however when he comes first it will result in our family relationships deepening, not diminishing.
There is not only the condition of our relationships, but there is also the Condition of Your Life. Jesus said in verse 27, Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus' call demands that we bear our cross. While there are many different interpretations concerning what Jesus means by this, Christ's original audience knew exactly what he was calling for. Perhaps some 30,000 were crucified during the lifetime of Christ alone. The disciples knew exactly what to expect and it was not good. They immediately pictured a poor, condemned soul walking along the road carrying the instrument of his execution on his own back. And one thing about that man, if he was seen leaving town carrying a cross, he was not coming back. He was as good as dead!
Jesus is saying, this is what you have to be willing to embrace and endure if you will follow me. Jesus said, you must willingly and intentionally take up your life. He put it this way in Luke 9:23. And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Every day, we must die to ourselves. Paul said, I die daily. Everyday, we must crucify the flesh. Paul tells us in Gal 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
There is not only the condition of our relationships and our lives, but there is also the Condition of Your Riches described for us by Christ in verse 33. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Along with willingness to place him above family and life, Jesus also calls his followers, to surrender their possessions to his Lordship. The original language in verse 33 for "give up" is to say good-bye to. We must be willing to give up our finances to follow Christ. Peter, Andrew, James, and John gave up their nets, boats, and jobs to follow him. Matthew gave up his high paying position as a tax collector to follow Him. Zachaeus paid back all that he had stolen and gave half of his goods to the poor. Christ will subordinate your riches, and if he hasn't, you need to examine yourself.
This is clearly a conditional call. You cannot be my disciple, you cannot be my disciple, you cannot be my disciple! Here is what he is asking. If your family was going to become your enemies and hate you because you came to Christ would you come? OR If I were to ask you to lay down your life, pride, and your desires for your family, would you? Not because they deserve it, but because I said so. And if you had plans and ambitions in certain things and I asked you to do other than that and My Spirit directed you to give your life in some service over here, would you be willing to do that? And if I asked you to take everything you have, sell it all and give it to the poor, would you be willing to do that? And even if I asked you to die in the cause, would you do that? You become a steward of everything and an owner of nothing. Is Christ worth everything to you? He was to Paul. Paul wrote in Phil 3:8, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
Have you come to Christ on his conditions? Is he more precious to you than your family, than your riches, and than your very life? He will not be your co-pilot. He must be the pilot. He will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. He must be your Savior and your Lord. Are you counting all things as rubbish, that you may gain Christ?
Next time we will see that this call is not only comprehensive and conditional, but it is costly. Until then…
We find ourselves at a time in the life of our Lord when He is moving from town to town and village to village and He is preaching to the people, doing miracles, and healing. Always, He is calling people to follow Him, to become His disciples, and to come after Him. At the same time that he is calling them to come to him, they are walking away because of his radical requirements.
We read in John 6:66 that, many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. It seems, when you study the words of Jesus, especially in Luke, that instead of pointing out the promises associated with following Him, He always seemed to point out the costs…exactly the opposite of what we are told to do today by most church growth gurus.
We are told to point out the promises and the positives in hopes that people will respond and maybe later on they will be willing to pay the price of discipleship. We are told to devise a gospel or a message that is easy to receive and easy to accept and easy to believe. Well, Jesus' words are not usually so palatable. Here the Word of God in Luke 14:25-35.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 34 "Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
The basic message that Christ delivers here is found in many other places in the four gospels, so we know this to be a normal part of His teaching. And these teachings are extreme. The nature of His call is extreme. What does this message teach us about the call to follow him? First, we see the Comprehensive Nature of the Call in verses 25-26a .
There are those who would preach, teach, and say that the invitation Jesus extends here is not for all. It is not a comprehensive call. It was only for those closest to him. There are those who see their need of a Savior, they pray asking Christ to forgive them, and redeem them, and they go on with their life never growing and never really changing. Then there are others who really feel led to go deeper. They are really interested in spiritual things. These people are the ones that this applies to. This is not for all Christians. It is for the deeply committed. This gospel call however is a comprehensive call. It is for everyone. This is not a call to a deeper walk. It is a call to a walk. This is not a call for the special forces. This is a call that he extends to the crowd (now great crowds accompanied him v25). This is a call that begins with "If anyone." This is a comprehensive call.
We not only see the comprehensive nature of the call, but also the Conditional Nature of the Call. This is not an open ended call to come as you choose to come. You cannot come as you choose to come. You must meet His conditions. There are 3 conditions that he lays down for us in this passage. Three times he says, if you do not meet these conditions you cannot be my disciple. First, there is the Condition of Your Relationships in verse 26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. What he is really communicating is not a literal hatred for your parents and family, but a love for him that surpasses your love for your family. He says it this way in Matt 10:37 Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. In other words, your relationships are all subordinated. What honors Me, what pleases Me, what I desire, what I will, what I command as the Lord of your life takes precedent over all other demands and relationships. What's interesting (here is what we so often miss) is what pleases God is for us to obey our parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord (Col 3:20). What pleases God is for us to honor our fathers and our mothers (Ex 20:12). What pleases Christ, honors Him, and brings Him glory is for wives to submit to their own husbands as to the Lord, and for husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her...for husbands to hold fast to, cling to, their wives (Eph 5). If we put Jesus 1st, he will subordinate our relationships, but in doing so he will demand that our family relationships deepen, not diminish. If your marriage is suffering, your relationship with God is suffering. You cannot even pray effectively. If you lose your marriage and family, you lose your ministry and your witness! Do not sacrifice your marriage and family on the altar of the church, because the church is not your God. Jesus Christ must come before any other relationship that we have, however when he comes first it will result in our family relationships deepening, not diminishing.
There is not only the condition of our relationships, but there is also the Condition of Your Life. Jesus said in verse 27, Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus' call demands that we bear our cross. While there are many different interpretations concerning what Jesus means by this, Christ's original audience knew exactly what he was calling for. Perhaps some 30,000 were crucified during the lifetime of Christ alone. The disciples knew exactly what to expect and it was not good. They immediately pictured a poor, condemned soul walking along the road carrying the instrument of his execution on his own back. And one thing about that man, if he was seen leaving town carrying a cross, he was not coming back. He was as good as dead!
Jesus is saying, this is what you have to be willing to embrace and endure if you will follow me. Jesus said, you must willingly and intentionally take up your life. He put it this way in Luke 9:23. And he said to all, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Every day, we must die to ourselves. Paul said, I die daily. Everyday, we must crucify the flesh. Paul tells us in Gal 2:20, I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
There is not only the condition of our relationships and our lives, but there is also the Condition of Your Riches described for us by Christ in verse 33. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Along with willingness to place him above family and life, Jesus also calls his followers, to surrender their possessions to his Lordship. The original language in verse 33 for "give up" is to say good-bye to. We must be willing to give up our finances to follow Christ. Peter, Andrew, James, and John gave up their nets, boats, and jobs to follow him. Matthew gave up his high paying position as a tax collector to follow Him. Zachaeus paid back all that he had stolen and gave half of his goods to the poor. Christ will subordinate your riches, and if he hasn't, you need to examine yourself.
This is clearly a conditional call. You cannot be my disciple, you cannot be my disciple, you cannot be my disciple! Here is what he is asking. If your family was going to become your enemies and hate you because you came to Christ would you come? OR If I were to ask you to lay down your life, pride, and your desires for your family, would you? Not because they deserve it, but because I said so. And if you had plans and ambitions in certain things and I asked you to do other than that and My Spirit directed you to give your life in some service over here, would you be willing to do that? And if I asked you to take everything you have, sell it all and give it to the poor, would you be willing to do that? And even if I asked you to die in the cause, would you do that? You become a steward of everything and an owner of nothing. Is Christ worth everything to you? He was to Paul. Paul wrote in Phil 3:8, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
Have you come to Christ on his conditions? Is he more precious to you than your family, than your riches, and than your very life? He will not be your co-pilot. He must be the pilot. He will not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. He must be your Savior and your Lord. Are you counting all things as rubbish, that you may gain Christ?
Next time we will see that this call is not only comprehensive and conditional, but it is costly. Until then…
Thursday, June 4, 2009
The Invitation: Part 3
We are looking at the parable that Jesus shared in In Luke 14:16-24 this week. Jesus said, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
We have already been reminded that our words are not adequate to save us. We also have been reminded that our excuses are not acceptable to the thrice holy God of all creation. Today, we will see some good news: our Sin is not taken into account. Listen to the rest of the parable in verses 21-23, 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.
We have a problem now. We have a massive banquet prepared and nobody to come. The celebration will go on, however. Every seat will be filled, but it's going to be fulfilled by the most unlikely people: the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. We're talking about the beggars and the outcasts who live in the slums. We're talking about the outcasts, the untouchables. They were all invited and yet the servant tells the master that there is still room! The master then tells the servant to go over to the highways and along the hedges to fill up his house. This is referring to the Gentiles, the heathen, the really depraved and irreligious. He was to compel them to come in. In other words, the slave was not to take 'no' for an answer. The idea of the word compel here is a very strong word. This type of individual would take a lot of convincing that they were really wanted at a banquet in the city. You're going to have to compel these people because of their sense of unworthiness, but their unworthiness was no match for the grace of the master.
There may be those of you who think that God could never save you. He could never include you in the Kingdom of God. You have been too wicked and sinful and ungodly. Your sin is not so great that it cannot be forgiven. Why? Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ died to pay the price for your sin and mine and his blood is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins. Our inadequacies are insufficient because God's blood and grace is sufficient.
Mic 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. It is as though, we lay our sin, iniquities, and transgressions at his feet and he just grinds them into the ground. He could then be pictured as picking up those crushed sins and throwing them over his shoulder behind his back. According to Isa 38:17 In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. Those sins, iniquities, and transgressions then roll downhill into the very depths of the sea, where they are taken out with the tide as far as the east is from the west. Mic 7:19 says, You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea and Ps 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Needless to say, if we repent and turn to Christ, our sins will be remembered no more. According to Heb 10:17 I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
He is inviting you. He is calling you. Before you attempt to respond though, remember, your words are not adequate. You must respond with your life and with your will. Your excuses are not accepted. It doesn't matter if they are valid or invalid. No excuse is acceptable with God. You sin is not taken into account. If you will respond to his call in repentance and faith, your sin will be remembered no more. I want to encourage you to repent, turn away from you sin, iniquity, and transgression. Turn away from your old affections, attitudes, and actions. Deny yourself. Repent. I want to encourage you to turn away from your sin and self and turn to Christ alone. Do not trust in a sinner's prayer. Do not trust in a baptism or a church membership. Do not trust in your good works. Trust in the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Christ alone to make you right with God. Take up your cross daily and follow him. Respond to the invitation. It is the most important move you will ever make.
Listen to how he concludes his parable in verse 24. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. How dangerous it is to refuse the invitation of God. If God has spoken clearly to you and you have rejected his call, you are treading on dangerous ground. Today is the day of salvation. While the Spirit calls, you respond. Repent and place your faith in Christ alone.
We have already been reminded that our words are not adequate to save us. We also have been reminded that our excuses are not acceptable to the thrice holy God of all creation. Today, we will see some good news: our Sin is not taken into account. Listen to the rest of the parable in verses 21-23, 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.
We have a problem now. We have a massive banquet prepared and nobody to come. The celebration will go on, however. Every seat will be filled, but it's going to be fulfilled by the most unlikely people: the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. We're talking about the beggars and the outcasts who live in the slums. We're talking about the outcasts, the untouchables. They were all invited and yet the servant tells the master that there is still room! The master then tells the servant to go over to the highways and along the hedges to fill up his house. This is referring to the Gentiles, the heathen, the really depraved and irreligious. He was to compel them to come in. In other words, the slave was not to take 'no' for an answer. The idea of the word compel here is a very strong word. This type of individual would take a lot of convincing that they were really wanted at a banquet in the city. You're going to have to compel these people because of their sense of unworthiness, but their unworthiness was no match for the grace of the master.
There may be those of you who think that God could never save you. He could never include you in the Kingdom of God. You have been too wicked and sinful and ungodly. Your sin is not so great that it cannot be forgiven. Why? Because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ died to pay the price for your sin and mine and his blood is sufficient to cover a multitude of sins. Our inadequacies are insufficient because God's blood and grace is sufficient.
Mic 7:19 He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities under foot. It is as though, we lay our sin, iniquities, and transgressions at his feet and he just grinds them into the ground. He could then be pictured as picking up those crushed sins and throwing them over his shoulder behind his back. According to Isa 38:17 In love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. Those sins, iniquities, and transgressions then roll downhill into the very depths of the sea, where they are taken out with the tide as far as the east is from the west. Mic 7:19 says, You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea and Ps 103:12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. Needless to say, if we repent and turn to Christ, our sins will be remembered no more. According to Heb 10:17 I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.
He is inviting you. He is calling you. Before you attempt to respond though, remember, your words are not adequate. You must respond with your life and with your will. Your excuses are not accepted. It doesn't matter if they are valid or invalid. No excuse is acceptable with God. You sin is not taken into account. If you will respond to his call in repentance and faith, your sin will be remembered no more. I want to encourage you to repent, turn away from you sin, iniquity, and transgression. Turn away from your old affections, attitudes, and actions. Deny yourself. Repent. I want to encourage you to turn away from your sin and self and turn to Christ alone. Do not trust in a sinner's prayer. Do not trust in a baptism or a church membership. Do not trust in your good works. Trust in the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of Christ alone to make you right with God. Take up your cross daily and follow him. Respond to the invitation. It is the most important move you will ever make.
Listen to how he concludes his parable in verse 24. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet. How dangerous it is to refuse the invitation of God. If God has spoken clearly to you and you have rejected his call, you are treading on dangerous ground. Today is the day of salvation. While the Spirit calls, you respond. Repent and place your faith in Christ alone.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Invitation Response: Part 2
We are looking at the parable that Jesus shared in in Luke 14:16-24 this week. Jesus said, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
Last time we were reminded that our words are not adequate to give us eternal life. Our verbal response is insufficient if it is not accompanied by a volitional response. Today, we will see that our Excuses for not responding properly are Not Acceptable either. Hear again what Jesus said in verses 18-20. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
When the banquet was ready a slave was sent to announce the start of the feast. All of those who had verbally responded in the affirmative should have now been ready to respond with action. They had all affirmed the invitation with their words. Now it was time to affirm the invitation with their actions. But they all began to make excuses. These were clearly excuses, not reasons. First they were deceptive. After all, who is going to go buy a field without first inspecting it? Who is going to buy one yoke of oxen without testing them, much less 5 yoke of
oxen? The guy who was just married appealed to scripture, but he twisted it and took it out of context to fit his situation. Their excuses were all deceptive and that is what an excuse is any way….deceit. An excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Not only were they deceptive, but they were also weak. If this guy did buy a field without looking at it, it was too late now to turn back. The field was bought. He could see it later. It is done. It was the same with the oxen. And the guy with the wife…he would have attended if he were still single, but now he
is married and he can't come. That sounds like someone really desperate for an excuse. I am so henpecked that I can't come. It is plain that they did not want to come and there is the root of most excuses. They are not reasons, they are polite ways of saying I do not want to. Not only were these excuses deceptive and weak, but they were dishonoring as well. A tremendous amount of effort, work, and expense has been invested in this banquet. A tremendous act of generosity and kindness has been offered. They had responded to the RSVP and then decided at the time of the banquet to skip out. Is this not dishonoring? This is considered outrageous and unacceptable conduct. Some ancient near eastern traditions equate this with a declaration of war.
The problem wasn't found in the deceptiveness, the weakness, or the rudeness of their excuses. The fact that they made excuses at all was what mattered, because no excuse was valid. They reserved the place. They agreed to come. They then declined with deceptive, weak, and dishonoring excuses. Their excuses were not acceptable.
Our excuses are not acceptable either, because we have no excuse. We have heard the Gospel in church. We have the Gospel available to us in our homes (the average household in America has 4 Bibles) and if you dusted off all of the dusty Bibles in America, a dust storm of such proportions would erupt that President Obama and the whole Go Green Movement would have to reach for an anti-anxiety pill. We have the Gospel. We have no excuse. God's kingdom must take precedence over everything else: over the cares of this world, over the deceitfulness of riches, and over the pleasures of this world. What excuses are you making for not whole heartedly surrendering your everything to Christ? No excuse is valid. Our words are not adequate. Our excuses are not acceptable. Next time we will hear some good news. Until then….
Last time we were reminded that our words are not adequate to give us eternal life. Our verbal response is insufficient if it is not accompanied by a volitional response. Today, we will see that our Excuses for not responding properly are Not Acceptable either. Hear again what Jesus said in verses 18-20. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'
When the banquet was ready a slave was sent to announce the start of the feast. All of those who had verbally responded in the affirmative should have now been ready to respond with action. They had all affirmed the invitation with their words. Now it was time to affirm the invitation with their actions. But they all began to make excuses. These were clearly excuses, not reasons. First they were deceptive. After all, who is going to go buy a field without first inspecting it? Who is going to buy one yoke of oxen without testing them, much less 5 yoke of
oxen? The guy who was just married appealed to scripture, but he twisted it and took it out of context to fit his situation. Their excuses were all deceptive and that is what an excuse is any way….deceit. An excuse is the skin of a reason stuffed with a lie. Not only were they deceptive, but they were also weak. If this guy did buy a field without looking at it, it was too late now to turn back. The field was bought. He could see it later. It is done. It was the same with the oxen. And the guy with the wife…he would have attended if he were still single, but now he
is married and he can't come. That sounds like someone really desperate for an excuse. I am so henpecked that I can't come. It is plain that they did not want to come and there is the root of most excuses. They are not reasons, they are polite ways of saying I do not want to. Not only were these excuses deceptive and weak, but they were dishonoring as well. A tremendous amount of effort, work, and expense has been invested in this banquet. A tremendous act of generosity and kindness has been offered. They had responded to the RSVP and then decided at the time of the banquet to skip out. Is this not dishonoring? This is considered outrageous and unacceptable conduct. Some ancient near eastern traditions equate this with a declaration of war.
The problem wasn't found in the deceptiveness, the weakness, or the rudeness of their excuses. The fact that they made excuses at all was what mattered, because no excuse was valid. They reserved the place. They agreed to come. They then declined with deceptive, weak, and dishonoring excuses. Their excuses were not acceptable.
Our excuses are not acceptable either, because we have no excuse. We have heard the Gospel in church. We have the Gospel available to us in our homes (the average household in America has 4 Bibles) and if you dusted off all of the dusty Bibles in America, a dust storm of such proportions would erupt that President Obama and the whole Go Green Movement would have to reach for an anti-anxiety pill. We have the Gospel. We have no excuse. God's kingdom must take precedence over everything else: over the cares of this world, over the deceitfulness of riches, and over the pleasures of this world. What excuses are you making for not whole heartedly surrendering your everything to Christ? No excuse is valid. Our words are not adequate. Our excuses are not acceptable. Next time we will hear some good news. Until then….
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Invitation Response: Part 1
Who goes to hell? Everyone you ever hear of dying is in a "better" place. They are at rest now. Everyone you talk to believes that they are okay with God. There seems to be no concern over spiritual matters. There seems to be no such thing as a lost person anymore, especially in the buckle of the Bible belt. Virtually everyone you run into has responded to an invitation somewhere, repeated the coveted "sinner's prayer," and are now convinced that they are okay with God because of it.
It was no different in the New Testament. In verse 15 of the 14th chapter of Luke's Gospel someone yells out, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God." It's almost as if he picked up his cup of wine and said blessed is everyone who will be eating bread in the kingdom of God and they all said, "yes." In other words…"I am so glad I'm going to be there and I am glad that you all will be there too!"
Well, Jesus is going to shatter their false hope with a story, a parable. In Luke 14:16-24 Jesus said, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
In this parable, we see some different truths about our response to the Gospel invitation. First, we see that Our Words are Not Adequate. In verses 16-17 Jesus said, A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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.' A man is giving a great banquet. This is a huge event put on by an obviously very wealthy man. Every one of these kind of events had two invitations. The one that let you know you would be invited and then the second when everything was ready. The first was to make reservations and the second to announce that the banquet was beginning. He sends out the first invitation to many.
This invitation would come in a very personal, formal way. It seems that they all accepted the invitation. After all, nobody would have refused. Everybody would have said yes, absolutely. This was the pinnacle of Jewish social life. After all, there was nothing else to do. To have a great feast prepared for you and to be invited by a very prominent person could be the highlight of your life. They all verbally and clearly responded to the invitation. They all made their reservations. And as we will see, that type of response was insufficient, for none of those who were invited would be allowed to taste of the supper. There word was not adequate. They had to actually show up!
Likewise, our verbal response to the Gospel invitation is not adequate, yet this is the extent of what most people make. Most invitations in churches today go something like this…If you have any doubt about where you would go when you die, come forward and repeat this simple prayer and you are guaranteed to go to heaven when you die. First of all, the goal is not heaven. Of course, you would never know that if you listened to most Southern Gospel songs or Gospel invitations. You see, it's not about heaven, it's about God. God is not a means to an end. He is not someone that you use to get to heaven. He is the end. Eternal life is not about heaven, it is about finding and embracing and worshipping God. Our invitations promise people, if they will just come forward and repeat a simple prayer that they wiill have eternal life. This sounds good, so many people respond to it. Of course they are thinking, all I have to do is ask Jesus to come into my heart and then, I can get on with my life. I can pray this prayer, get baptized, have my name added to the church rolls and then continue to live my life like I want to live it, for the goals that I want to live for, and then go to heaven for all eternity. I have actually heard Gospel invitations offered in which the speaker said that coming to Christ doesn't cost you anything. What happened to the following scriptures?
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 9:23
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Our invitation is for people to walk down an aisle and pray a prayer to accept Jesus. Has anyone ever thought about this? Accept Jesus? Jesus is very acceptable. It is you and I that are unacceptable. We don't have to accept Jesus. Jesus has to accept us.
We are quick to verbally accept the invitation, but our verbal response is insufficient. Our reservation is null and void if we do not show up for the banquet! Another parable that Jesus told shows the worthlessness of a verbal response to the invitation without an actual volitional response. In Matthew 21:28-31, Jesus said, "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."
Many, many church people have said yes to God only to ignore his commands and fail to follow his call. Their words are not adequate. Next time, we will see that our excuses will not be acceptable on the day of the Lord.
Until then…
It was no different in the New Testament. In verse 15 of the 14th chapter of Luke's Gospel someone yells out, "Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God." It's almost as if he picked up his cup of wine and said blessed is everyone who will be eating bread in the kingdom of God and they all said, "yes." In other words…"I am so glad I'm going to be there and I am glad that you all will be there too!"
Well, Jesus is going to shatter their false hope with a story, a parable. In Luke 14:16-24 Jesus said, "A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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. The first said to him, 'I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.' 19 And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.' 20 And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.' 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"
In this parable, we see some different truths about our response to the Gospel invitation. First, we see that Our Words are Not Adequate. In verses 16-17 Jesus said, A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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.' A man is giving a great banquet. This is a huge event put on by an obviously very wealthy man. Every one of these kind of events had two invitations. The one that let you know you would be invited and then the second when everything was ready. The first was to make reservations and the second to announce that the banquet was beginning. He sends out the first invitation to many.
This invitation would come in a very personal, formal way. It seems that they all accepted the invitation. After all, nobody would have refused. Everybody would have said yes, absolutely. This was the pinnacle of Jewish social life. After all, there was nothing else to do. To have a great feast prepared for you and to be invited by a very prominent person could be the highlight of your life. They all verbally and clearly responded to the invitation. They all made their reservations. And as we will see, that type of response was insufficient, for none of those who were invited would be allowed to taste of the supper. There word was not adequate. They had to actually show up!
Likewise, our verbal response to the Gospel invitation is not adequate, yet this is the extent of what most people make. Most invitations in churches today go something like this…If you have any doubt about where you would go when you die, come forward and repeat this simple prayer and you are guaranteed to go to heaven when you die. First of all, the goal is not heaven. Of course, you would never know that if you listened to most Southern Gospel songs or Gospel invitations. You see, it's not about heaven, it's about God. God is not a means to an end. He is not someone that you use to get to heaven. He is the end. Eternal life is not about heaven, it is about finding and embracing and worshipping God. Our invitations promise people, if they will just come forward and repeat a simple prayer that they wiill have eternal life. This sounds good, so many people respond to it. Of course they are thinking, all I have to do is ask Jesus to come into my heart and then, I can get on with my life. I can pray this prayer, get baptized, have my name added to the church rolls and then continue to live my life like I want to live it, for the goals that I want to live for, and then go to heaven for all eternity. I have actually heard Gospel invitations offered in which the speaker said that coming to Christ doesn't cost you anything. What happened to the following scriptures?
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.
Luke 9:23
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Our invitation is for people to walk down an aisle and pray a prayer to accept Jesus. Has anyone ever thought about this? Accept Jesus? Jesus is very acceptable. It is you and I that are unacceptable. We don't have to accept Jesus. Jesus has to accept us.
We are quick to verbally accept the invitation, but our verbal response is insufficient. Our reservation is null and void if we do not show up for the banquet! Another parable that Jesus told shows the worthlessness of a verbal response to the invitation without an actual volitional response. In Matthew 21:28-31, Jesus said, "What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.' 29 And he answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first."
Many, many church people have said yes to God only to ignore his commands and fail to follow his call. Their words are not adequate. Next time, we will see that our excuses will not be acceptable on the day of the Lord.
Until then…
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