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Dinner With the King. Luke 14 Coming to Jerusalem. Background. Jesus – headed for the BIG TIME. Excitement builds…. The King’s Global Kingdom.
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Dinner With the King Luke 14 Coming to Jerusalem
Background • Jesus – headed for the BIG TIME. • Excitement builds…
The King’s Global Kingdom “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me also welcomes my Father who sent me. Whoever is the least among you is the greatest.” Luke 9:48 “People will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God.” Luke 13:29
Fearless At that time some Pharisees said to him, “Get away from here if you want to live! Herod Antipas wants to kill you!” • Luke 13:31 Jesus replied, “Go tell that fox that I will keep on casting out demons and healing people… Luke 13:32 …For it wouldn’t do for a prophet of God to be killed except in Jerusalem! Luke 13:33
Fearless “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me!” Luke 13:34
Dinner With the King Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table… He gave them this advice: “When you are invited to a wedding feast, don’t sit in the seat of honor. What if someone who is more distinguished than you has also been invited? The host will come and say, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then you will be embarrassed, and you will have to take whatever seat is left at the foot of the table! “Instead, take the lowest place at the foot of the table. Then when your host sees you, he will come and say, ‘Friend, we have a better place for you!’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.” “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Dinner With the King Jesus noticed that all who had come to the dinner were trying to sit in the seats of honor near the head of the table… “For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Jesus: the Anti-King “Those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11
Jesus: the Anti-King Prov. 13:10 Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Prov. 16:5 The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished. 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. 16:19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed than to share plunder with the proud. Prov. 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. 21:4 Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin! 29:23 A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor.
What Makes Humility Powerful? • Able to practice other-centered love Phil 2:3 Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves… Pride is a narcotic
What Makes Humility Powerful? • Able to practice other-centered love • Able to enjoy God’s grace… For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Ephesians 2:8-9 All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 1 Peter 5:5
What Makes Humility Powerful? • Able to practice other-centered love • Able to enjoy God’s grace… • Not Pseudo-Humility • Too ‘humble’ to lead, teach, serve others • Serving others who serve me Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Luke 14:12
Real-World Implications “Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.” Luke 14:13-14 Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!”
Real-World Implications Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’’ Luke 14:16-20 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.
Real-World Implications “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’” Luke 14:21-24
Join God’s ‘Kingdom Party’ • Willing to Serve the WEAK • “Invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame…” • Serving the young & disenfranchised… “urge anyone you find to come” “Whoever receives this child in My name receives Me…for the one who is least among all of you, this is the one who is great." Luke 9:48
Join God’s ‘Kingdom Party’ • Willing to Serve the WEAK • Lay aside pretense & image-building • The “Uncool Crowd” includes you and I. • Hypocrites try to sit at “the head of the table” • The plight of old age: “Too cool for school”
Join God’s ‘Kingdom Party’ • Willing to Serve the WEAK • Lay aside pretense & image-building • Receive God’s Grace • He is inviting you. “urge anyone you find to come”
Join God’s ‘Kingdom Party’ • Willing to Serve the WEAK • Lay aside pretense & image-building • Receive God’s Grace • Join the WINNERS • Be Fearless! • God’s Grace, Our Humility