Who’s at Your Party

Jenny Greer Jesus left everything to come to earth and because of that you got stable. How could somebody recognizes that the present to God for the gift of grace.

The cost of everything and nothing to pursue self-interest and so it is moderately inconceivable. I'm your host Molly benefits seem far-fetched to some of us by outside a VIP event like the award show or a political event and wondered those people get an invitation today on Summit life Pastor JD times in the Gospel of Luke to share with us God's idea of an A-list event as he teaches from a message.

He's titled who's at your party.

Jenny reveals more about God's kingdom perspective and what invitation list actually looks like Pierce Pastor JD as he continues our series titled kingdom come. Survival just remind you the context. In case you were here just to bring everybody up to speed. Jesus is not a party and while he's at this party uses that opportunity to teach everybody that is present at the party that the kingdom of God is like a party while Jesus is at this party looks around the party and he notices a couple of things. The first thing that he notices is how everybody is angling to choose the best places to set up a party.

The seats of honor the places that are closest to the important people or one is closest to the host and Jesus said no when you guys come to party will take a high place because then if the host sees you with a high place and doesn't belong there and since about below place. Well that's pretty embarrassing.

Well, on the other hand, Jesus said if you choose the low place to sit in a place that's not a place of honor, and that he calls you up to a place of honor is about honoring and he said that's how you ought to live. Now I told you at first.

That just sounds like good social advice and I don't want to ignore that because for many of you that is social advice that you need to hear right so that you embarrass yourself. But it's not just good social advice is all also the path of salvation because the truth is that none of us deserve the high place and got stable.

We don't even deserve to be. But the gospel is that Jesus did deserve the high place below place for us. He took our place on the cross, suffering the penalty for our sin he took below place, taking the role of the outcast, and because he did that he offers us his place at God's table in exchange you see in order to get that, you have to acknowledge that you discern below place you have to go to look like. This is where I deserve to be in Europe to receive God's offer as a gift is a gift single gift gift say it again like you like what you are what I sent to gift gift is something that most people don't get about Christianity because there is something instinctive in Austin feels like that we have to earn our acceptance.

It's like the way of life. We are constantly trying to demonstrate to ourselves and to others that were worthy of acceptance will always try to show them that there is something about us makes us distinctive, something that sets us about others and makes us worthy we are successful were talented good parents were good people.

If you're rich, you feel like the fact that you made a lot of money shows that you are a worthy person worthy to be accepted or not. Ritual data richly.

We got but slabs are spending the rich, good person. I'm a good mom or dad explained before that it's it's like life for us is one big survivor episode were always trying to convince everybody else that were not the ones to be thrown off the island and then when approaching a God that way God that way to what God is going to accept us at his table.

Based on our worthiness to be there but God's acceptance is only given as a gift and it has to be perceived that way by grace. The truth is that all of us are so guilty in our sin. We are the lame, the blind, the poor, the cripple before God, but none of us could ever want to place before God to God has to give it to us as greats. Jesus says that if you choose the posture of trying to earn your place before God. You'll be rejected. But if you would knowledge that you deserve to be rejected. But that Jesus was rejected for you, then you will be received up into the high place you see in Christianity and this is the part everybody stumbles or in Christianity the way out is the way down that way anywhere else in the world but with God the way up is the way down. If you exalt yourself before God. You will be rejected. But if you like. First Peter says.

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, he will exalt you second think Jesus noticed at the party was a notice of the party that the Pharisee throwing his party had invited all of his rich friends to be a part now Jesus was not himself rich, but he was pretty well known that he gets really cool party tricks which made him a popular got out there. I got a lot of Twitter followers. He was pretty popular with the common folk. And so he had a reason to be there as well. So this rich guy had invited all his rich friends of Jesus and that's free begin in chapter 14 verse 12 when Jesus saw that he said to the one who invited him when you give a general banquet do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives, your rich neighbors last also invite you and returning you be repaid. But when you give a feast, you should invite the poor.

You should invite to cripple the lame and the blind and then you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just by the way, Jesus showed absolutely no evidence of caring whether he ever was invited back to a party at somebody's house twice as of the Bible. He never did get invited to a party twice because the man was not afraid to speak his mind. Okay he just called it like he saw it when you have a party. Don't invite people who can pay you back. Invite people who can pay you back then you will be blessed to have reported have a few observations. First of all what Jesus was instructing here was economic suicide because in those days a party was your primary business for that is where rich people got to know each other and what would happen is when you invited your rich friends to your party. They would in turn invite you to their party.

So when you invited them to your party you had a self interest because you knew they were to write, invite you back to invite the poor.

The cripple the lame and the blind that you were inviting people who could never you back people who cannot reciprocally has a lot of hard reset, rotate, is that right people cannot reciprocates. This is how we live still is not me I don't were removed from this context within this bill the way of life. Most of us generally speaking, invest in people who can benefit us. It's not like were trying to take from others or to steal from them, but generally speaking, we make decisions we form relationships we pursue life in a way that benefits us in return.

Jesus says you should not live that way for a few reasons.

Number one, you do not want to live by the law of reciprocity. You do not want to live by the law of reciprocity before God when it comes to God's party. What did you deserve. You deserve to be rejected.

Why were you accepted at God's table because Jesus left everything to come to earth to rescue you. He turned his back on his interest and gave them up for you and because of that you have a seat at God's table. What Jesus is doing in this parable is attacking the entire idea of reciprocity which so undergirds how we think and how we operate. Most of us live like we get what we deserve and we give others what they deserve rocket I live that way. My wife and I when somebody invites us out for dinner. What is the first thing you think after they've invited you out for dinner and paid for you. We gotta invite him out for dinner now pay for them when somebody invites you or somebody gives you a gift. The first thing you think is why I get them a gift. As I got to pay them back, but you can't do that with God.

The most fundamental tenet of the gospel is that you and I loaded that we can never pay so God had to give us his grace entirely as a gift, a gift that cost him everything but one that we just received, freely, and he did that for us gladly see if you understand that you understand that that should shatter the whole idea that we would invest our lives primarily in those you could pay us back. God poured himself out for us when there was nothing we could do in return. How would it be possible that you and I would actually understand that and still continue to live our lives and leverage our talents and spend our money and use our stuff and throw parties in a way that primarily just benefit ourselves.

How could somebody who recognizes that the president God's party entirely because of gift of grace.

The cost him everything cost us nothing. After they continue to pursue a life of self-interest and selfishness is utterly inconceivable. Jesus told one parable that I think that encapsulates that it really is one of my favorite all-time parables. I know I reference a lot but it's not like I'm doing the same story twice. This is Jesus a story right so you need to hear it more than once. This might not parable it for me demonstrates gospel response, more than anything else that I know is the story of the man that was forgiven of 10,000 talents. Nobody knows exactly how much talent he is, but we think it's about $75 right so you take 10,000 talents. You look at it almost was a little bit less than $1 million so much this one guy was another credit card debt you got a credit card of $1 million that I want to know what credit card company gave you that, limit you get this massive credit card debt. This guy in those days you could declare bankruptcy.

They had invented that yet. If you owed somebody else money and you can pay back.

He went to medical debtors prison which was basically in slave labor that you did for somebody so you paid off your debt. And when you die you have paid off your debt and your kids would become their slaves and then if they had paid all by the time they got there to have whole generations of families got enslaved to another another family that's is indentured servant hood. Will this guy got money today comes for it to him to be paid and he doesn't have it. He rose from the sky need. He says sister I don't have your money. This guy says when you have the money. This is the David Gustus please for one more month one will not give you one more month and I promise you I will get you every single penny that I know you now you disguise look at him saying no you somehow about the money system works you campaigning you're going to jail right and you're going to become my slave. All of a sudden the sky drops to his knees and he begins to plead to say no sir, please don't go make me a slave only my children slaves on my family don't. I don't want to see my kids grow up slaves just pours his heart out.

All of a sudden this man looking at this other man.

He feels something in his gut that Jesus called's blog's blog. We translated as compassion, but I thinks blog buys a much better word because it means coming from the gut feel sensible about right slot. He felt sublime placements from his gut. This feeling came out of tenderness and compassion. Maybe he thought about his kids.

Who knows, but his lip begins to quiver to get a tear in his eye and looks of his minutes is the absolutely unexpected he says is a 30 what you told me about every single penny you are me goal. I paid it back. I have clinched your debt entire nobody can believe this right merely the courtroom is watching this note because you don't become a moneylender by being a softy. I know that's what I don't hold them in a loan.

Puppies were little bunnies when you call loan sharks is right and you'll pay them a sense of guarding Bruno with a stick to break your kneecaps. You become a loan sharks said was going on in the skies, forgiven, and he stands up for the first time in his life and feels like there is for some is like money to fly so he walks outside and uses the light is walking across the street thing about this money that is been forgiven across three comes a buddy of his who owes him three dollars borrowed from him the week before dinner.

He says give about three dollars, three dollars is been a really rough week next week.

I get it to you know my three dollars as well. Have you going to prison usually grabbed his neck and drags him and throws him into prison for three dollars as Jesus is telling the story. You can hear the whole audience going. Are you kidding me.

Nobody would ever been forgiven of $750,000 would throw somebody else in prison for three dollars.

In Jesus's point was. So if you don't live a life of generosity. If you don't live a life that is spent pouring itself out for others. You'll have a life that is characterized by forgiveness and one that is characterized by grace one is characterized by leveraging your life for the poor, the lame and the blind must be because you have no concept of what the gospel actually is what Jesus did for you.

The first reason Jesus said it, you want to do this you will live in the law of reciprocity.

Second reason Jesus says we should invite people all parties. You can pay us back is that he gives you reward in heaven.

She dispersed 14 if you live this way you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Jesus life on earth was not one of luxury. He never owned a house he certainly never owned a second one you live poor as a servant, and he poured his wife out for us, to the point of giving away his very lifeblood so that we could be saved.

He did that.

Not because he enjoyed poverty not because he enjoyed pay, not because he even enjoyed living simply. He did that because, listen.

He said his focus on eternity. He was willing to be impoverished here so he could be enriched. There and part of his riches bear would be the fact that we would be able to enjoy those riches with him so he expanded the circle of his joy he freights he expanded the circle of his joy beyond himself so that it now included eyes and he was willing to be impoverished here so that he can have riches in heaven with us and then he tells us to live that way. What we sacrifice down here will be abundantly repaid at the resurrection of the just personally I think one of the things that keeps most people from being generous is really believing this really taking into account this promise or actually taking it seriously. At least I reversible most of us have the image of heaven is unison, a white cloud in a robe sipping a tasteless margarita without alcohol instrumental heart. That's the image that we have of heaven, but heaven is always described in terms get this of the resurrection.

When Jesus was resurrected.

He was kind of our picture of what the resurrection would be like it was the same body they recognize them, but it was perfected right in a couple things that we see from his resurrected body personal. He ate fish.

The reason that he did that you try to show us that in the resurrection the same things we learn to enjoy.

Here are the things we will enjoy their battles to the cloud on a cloud right now and from a heart that's been the problem to be doing a very like the same things that he enjoyed enjoyed. Here we enjoy too much greater degree. There he was, listen more alive, not less. Life in the resurrection. The other thing we know is that he walk through walls, which means that not only did you have the same body that he had. It was super charts when this world is resurrected like that the new creation has similarities to the old creation is just so much more rights with the resurrection second winner will be repaid. So what we do here lace up treasures for us up there were more alive most of a safer time right you will save time.

You have a job and you need to immediately after this service become more financial peace University classes will teach you why and how you have safer attire.

The idea of retirement is that you sacrifice a little now to prepare them but here is the limit with retirement sensitively but clearly right and that is you say and you say you say, but by the time you finally get to retirement. You're not really able to enjoy it as much as you could have when you were saving for me when I think about owning a beach home and not having to go to work.

I don't picture myself hopping down the sand with a walker you're getting sandal up in my depends. That's not how I see a vacation at the beach answer the dilemma of retirement is we save for retirement when were less able to enjoy it because in retirement. Please hear me sensitively and retirement assemblies were less alive, not more alive knows it doesn't retire not send me a note saying I love my retirement playing golf all the time and in your gum and applesauce. I just love that you don't. I don't understand. Okay the point is you spend your life investing for luxury during the time that only last for a few years, which in many ways are not even your best years and that's fine. Listen you want to plan for retirement. What I really want to invest in the is my eternal retirement because then I got have a supercharged superhero body, but you will will admit I'm really good to be able to enjoy it retirement. I'm not using a walker with a pint of fluid in my back completely unable to remember where I left the keys is not what what what what what I'm going to be an eternity to be like Jesus. That's what my beach house you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just. Do you actually believe that do you actually believe that you did your money would follow Randy Alcorn in a book called the treasure principle we use a lot around here said that the bald truth about your money is that when you die, you can't take any of it with you, but you can send it on to have been ahead of you, but you do that here.

By investing it in God's kingdom that, do you really believe that you will be repaid, because if so, your life would be characterized as a party that you throw for people who can't you back. That is what I want to do this the time you have less ability to think the first thing is I want to ask you a general question about your lives, and that is if we chose the metaphor of a party to depict your life gasping as well and ask you because Jesus main point in this parable. The story is not trying to give you rules about your next birthday party is not his point. His point is that you began to think about your life and think about who it is been live for the second thing I want to do is someone applied this to a part of the Christian life, which I think is all but been forgotten is something we hardly ever talk about anymore and I want to try to get back on your radar screen.

Just a second thing to do right here is one if your life were depicted as a party who would be the invited guests, so I'm doing we pick a metaphor for your life to be a part if we chose that metaphor in that metaphor who would be invited just be who would your party, your life would be thrown for is it primarily for people who can benefit you. Reason for people who can't necessarily pay you back people for who you brought your life like Jesus for is out for you. Some of you college students and young professionals need to ask this question now because you are making big decisions about your career. Jesus said that following him means that you look at your life in many ways like you look at his truth is that we still live in a world where there are 6500.

What we call unreached people groups and enrichment group is a group of 10,000 people or more that are united by a common language who have no viable witness to the gospel in their culture.

What that means is that, barring some supernatural act of God. None of us can explain. There is no chance that they will hear the gospel before they die. If you were to live all those people of any single file line.

They would circle the earth 25 times. Can you imagine seeing a line of people as long as the circumference of the earth.

25 people why trampling hopelessly. If that is true then what does that mean about how you want to be thinking about your life wasting me for time to pick your gas on the table and right God you're listening to Senate life. The Bible teaching ministry of Pastor JD Greer. We are here daily on your local radio station and online 24 seven JD Greer.com. These daily Bible teaching messages available because we're committed to making an impact for God's kingdom on the world around us and one of the ways that we do that is by providing these messages and resources to take you deeper into the gospel just JD asked today how are you thinking about your life.

He asks this question and considers Jesus is a radical call to give your life away to the greatest cause of all to view your life from the perspective of eternity in his new back. It's called what are you going to do with your life.

The beginning of the rest of your life can start any time. It isn't a message for just young people trying to figure out there. This is for all of us, even an excellent resource for people nearing retirement length to get your copy of this premium along with the special edition devotional study guide to go along with those resources get to Senate life for where you going to do with your life. Greer donation today at $25 and 552 20 or you can get a request online. We are not high-minded events sure to listen again tomorrow to learn more