The Weightiness of the Kingdom

Today on Senate life invitation from God himself. Important is an invitation that does not leave the relevant imitation from God wouldn't get everything else.

The excuse we never do well to the porch, forcing a backyard barbecue invite might show up in an email or text message but a wedding in the Tatian is probably going to make a bigger splash right today on Senate life pastor Judy Greer explained that when an addition from God shows up, it deserves our full attention in a very quick RSVP were starting a new message today titled the weightiness of the kingdom as part of our series called kingdom, you can catch up on previous messages that you may have missed you visit JD Greer.com now turning your Bible to Luke 14 and let's join Pastor Jamie is something that Jesus explains is is of such dire importance that everything else in your life becomes irrelevant compared the way to show you how Jesus said that a lot of times people have a question of you is God really that relevant to my life. When you see Jesus turns around us is based on how relevant this is your life. I'm not sure you would go anything else. Your job where you live, Mary. I'm sure you recall that relevant compared to how important this question is what you get your Bible if you have it and want you to open it to Luke 1414 chapter 14 verse seven whichever 14 verse seven now Jesus told a parable to those who were invited to this particular party. We noticed how they chose the places of honor and he said to them when you were invited by somebody. The wedding feast. Don't sit down. The place of honor with someone more distinguished than you be invited by him and then he who invited you both will come to you and say your place for this person and then you will be embarrassed and begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may save you for them move up higher then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. Now at first this is things like really good practical socialite vice president you get invited to the wedding of the daughter of the president of your company. So your little like going to the reception you walk in the reception hall. You notice that there's a a few chairs open at various tables but you're like eight I see some chairs open at table number one. And so you will mosey your way out there you go up on the little platform. Look at all the other tables you got. You sit down next to the mother of the bride and the bride and the groom your own lovely wedding dress looks fabulous, big, little, got to get you guys to just and as your kind that you didn't situate us or comes up you and says excuse me sir, these seats are reserved for the close friends and the family of the president and you are not one of those and so I'm left to ask you to get your stuff and make your way back to the points way to the back of the room, not even to a table, but to those chairs that are lighting the side of the room. That's actually like for you to sit would also request that you not get anything from the food line until everybody else is going through. That's how unimportant you are right you get your stop and you begin the walk of shame not turn that around might say that you go into the wedding feast in the reception. You sit back there at the back to sit down yes or comes up uses sir the president has requested that you, sitting at his table because he wants your for his family to get to know you little better like to come up there.walk of honor you're walking about is I who is that the president want to know that's Jesus parable. Now that's as good, practical, social advice, right practical social point rendered in any still the parables of the king and about God, about the prodigal son and hear some good bites when you're apart and go back to you know it's interesting to write note there is actually a profoundly important point in this.

That explains what he's about to say in the next story. Let's go ahead and get that that one, and I'll show you how to tie together right. Verse 51 of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God seat were staying on the theme of the kingdom of God is a part right so verse 16 but Jesus said to him what meds once gave a banquet and invited many.

I love the fact that Jesus so often and so consistently compares the coming of his kingdom to apart. Why you want because Jesus was trying to say that the kingdom of God is everything.

Our hearts have grown Ford wanted to comfort you, Jesus, first miracle Jesus first miracle was to fix the broken Apartment.

John chapter 2 now that's significant when you consider the fact that I explained you before that Jesus miracles were not ran the magic tricks we should all help much power he had Jesus miracles recalled sides which means each of them had a message to the fact that he began his ministry in charge to what the miracle of fixing a broken tap at a party was trying to tell us something right you trying to tell us what what I what you that what would you like to create a burning effigy of Satan in the sky or at least raise the money from that I would've been a good depiction of his ministry. It's because what he was trying to show us is that our hearts have been yearning for something as we know something is wrong with the world. Every world religion has taught consistently. All of them have taught that there's something fundamentally wrong with the world.

That's why there earthquakes and nursing nominees and in and in and in our bodies are broken and there's pain in the mortgage broken relationships of mental illness hung there something wrong with the world.

Every world religion teaches that it wasn't always that way. There was a time when the world was at peace or was it harmony. Jesus shows up saying my kingdom is a banquet the party with the party of all parties using everything your heart is yearned for will come true. Everything your heart has eight over will become untrue, it is everything that you been looking for is a banquet so we consistently compares to a party going.

Verse 17 at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who have been invited, everything is now ready not see what happened in those days for a big feast, they would all will always be two invitations is in those days before the were electricity and all the modern conveniences we have. I could tell you exactly the party would happen as were too many moving pieces you but that's the food and then prepare and cook refrigerated and then like I get out of town people, and there was no telling when they be able to show up, so they have a first imitation were you would RSVP the party and then there be a second imitation tell you everything is now ready. You were supposed to come on if you RSVPed yes Jesus story. These people RSVPed yes already analogous to not word it says it's time to come. Things right so verse 18.

They all alike, however, begin to make excuses in the first one said to him, I bought a field and I got to go out and say please have me excuse question buys a piece of property without ever having looked at it and even if you hadn't looked at what's so important about it you going to look at it right now Dirk is not going anywhere. It's a pretty lame excuse. Verse 19.

Another one set I bought five yoke of oxen to go examine them.

Well it make a lot of sense either by five yoke of oxen with a major investment back then is like buying a car today. Imagine you walking on your door difference.

What were you going you like about car. What kind is it I don't know days under $12,000 and the Internet not see what I bought make any sense.

That's a lame excuse. Also, verse 20 said I married life. Therefore I cannot come right right right you the last thing a new life wanted to get dressed up and go to a nice feast of rich people. That's the last thing she will.

She'd much rather stay home and watch ESPN with you and eat food that you and Ito's Cheetos Doritos.that's what she wants. Right right so these are these are pretty. It was a pretty lame excuses. Verse 21 so the servant came and reported these things to the master then that mass of the house became angry, consider servant block quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the crippled and the blind and the lame white rich person does not give my friends to come aboard parties you really want the homeless people give me a bunch of poor people go to me a bunch of ex-cons and bring a man to shocking things about the store. The first is that the original people did not respond to the imitation of this incredibly important man. The second shocking thing about the story is that he filled up his house with the poor, the blinds and the lame and the crippled verse 23 then the service that's what you commanded has been done there still room verse 23. The master said to the server go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in so that my house may be filled now we really go a step farther. Now he's telling about the highways and hedges in Jewish parlance what that meant was I was you outside of the city to where the outsiders live people that are not accepted with the Jewish society, we talk about people who are street people. People who run the highways people who are prostitutes, people who are so far gone that they're not even accepted in our cities anymore. People who live in the hedges. People with rough past centers that I want you to bring them in verse 24 for I tell you notice by the way, that this point he switches into the first person of its announcement on a per store in the third person now switches in the first person he says. I tell you none of his men who were invited shall taste my banquet is talking about the Jewish rejection Jewish people in that day were the ones who had received the first invitation to the party and they had RSVPed yes that invitation came from the prophets, and they said yes the Messiah is coming we want and we want a part of the Messiah after Jesus comes. He's like the second imitation now that he's here. I got 100 reasons why I don't have time for him and then I paid attention to most have to do with just the normal day-to-day tasks of life, getting married, pursuing a job by real estate by real estate is what Jesus says you go out to the Gentiles you go to the outcast, the marginal unit of the center does they'll understand how incredible of an opportunity it is to be invited to the Kings banquet.

This really bothers Jesus by the way not know that verse 25 says right after this he turns to this big group of people that are following him, and he makes this statement.

He says if any of you comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even his own life he can't be my disciple. So you see the word hate in your like what I mean Jesus is tell us to hate our mothers and fathers about Jesus want us to love our mothers and fathers and her children are wise and are under them. Yes, anybody who would follow Jesus will tell you that the result of following Jesus is that you love your family more, not less. What he is saying is this compared to the weightiness of the invitation that you are receiving from Jesus even your most close and tender relationships will seem like eight because of how much importance you give to the one who invited you to his banquet that Steve, I realize, but that's how important Jesus is saying this invitation is it trumps relationship. It trumps getting married. It trumps where you work. It trumps everything.

There's nothing in your life that carries the weight and the importance of this is what Jesus done is done in these two parables as he is taught us the two reasons that most people miss the kingdom of God. The two reasons that most people miss the kingdom of God. I would encourage you to write these down because most of the people that I miss the kingdom of God on the one of these two categories right here. Number one on some fail to recognize the importance of the invitation.

Some fail to recognize the importance of the imitation. The excuses that are given in the story are not outright evil and you notice that nobody's like a I think I got a drug dealer I kidnap a little kid I got a dog fighting ring that are not can come to your party. None of the excuses are outright evil there just there just lame compared to the weightiness of the invitation they receive all excuses are lame. This is point all excuses are lame compared to how important this is.

Even if the excuses that a legitimate you think you're being too hard on real estate deal.

Big deal.

I think it's a good excuse but he didn't married life you want some alone time for the honeymoon. That sounds perfectly fair to me. Okay, maybe they are legitimate not sit all excuses are lame compared to the importance of the imitation of receiving example.

Sometimes your mama office and and call him for me about meeting with somebody else. My assistant will tell the person calling I'm sorry, he can't talk right now he's talking to somebody else or maybe you not just in the zone. I'm working and I don't want to be disturbed and opened it out of the zone and never did I get it in socially I'm sorry usually tied up your he can't he can't take a phone call right now. Usually people perceive that you know most of you don't really have a problem and that's the answer that you get back about you and I promise to call you back but my assistant knows that if the person on the other end of the line says your wife is in the hospital.

Then she interrupts me to the question here is how important is an invitation from God.

That's the question how important is it invitation God.

If there is a God and he is the creator of everything there is. If there is a God that he invented the Adam if there's a God. All things come from him all things are held by him all things are going to him. Ultimately the only opinion of your life that matters is his opinion. If there's a God one thing that you will be warned about this. Do we know that God everything else compared to that is lame. It's ridiculous is that leave in the relevant compared with you that is if there is a God that would disrupt absolutely everything I want for Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of GE say if you want to succeed in an organization organization.

Figure out who's organization it is how they keep score and score. I thought you succeed.

If this is God's universe of its God's world and the only scorecard that really matters is scorecard so if there were an invitation from God. Wouldn't it trump everything else on earth any excuse we give every Jeff Pelton importance of the invitation. We've received this is to be treated as a matter of life and death. I want to do an atheist professor who teaches at the school not far from here who asked his class every year you believe the Bible is the word of God is about two thirds of the hands in his class will go up. We believe the Bible is the inerrant inspired word of God and he says how many of you have read it all the way through to the least 90% of the hands go down to work through talking for 5% of the class to the Henry's are put into his. It was like a pocketable mean you read the twilight series all the way through, 56% hands go up as you go to that, he says, I don't really think you believe the Bible is the word of God. Because if you did believe it was the word of God. You tell me you wouldn't even have read it, not at that point what his purpose in doing that is trying to shake them a little bit serve them about what they say they believe is not really what they believe, but actually tend to agree with him on this point. I tend to agree with him that you see there's two kinds of atheist.

There's intellectual atheist to say there is no God.

And then there's practical atheist to say there's a God, but then live like there is no God. If there is a God, then that trumps everything trumps everything in the city Gaza so that you twilight series. I don't really read what you call books apply to me right so you guys don't read books you can tell me that I want to know about your profession.

You tell me every major league baseball score and stat and team what to do when you got nine fantasy football leagues running her head at any given point. You can tell me on anything but a book that you believe comes from God.

If you treated your relationship with God retreat your job with your relationship with God you be fired before the day was out.

It didn't make any sense to me. It doesn't make any sense to me. So I says I believe in a God doesn't give importance God. It makes sense to me when somebody says I don't believe in a God, and they live like that's true. What doesn't make sense to me is when somebody says they do believe in God and live like it's not really there many weight what I don't understand our people who say they believe the resurrection of Jesus and the given absolutely no weight who come once a year to perhaps would Christmas time and Easter then go on throughout their lives like it doesn't really matter that much. This is something that were talking about God can ask you a question. What what if what the Bible says about heaven and hell. What if it's true what if it's true that heaven is an eternal banquet in which every one of our hearts desires that we have yearned for them long for this facility comes true, it's true that the officer that is a place called hell. The people go, which is a place of anguish for Jesus quoted, by the way, anguish and torment like I will hell the Old Testament… It is cranky years when he was angry.

Jesus comes on the general got no Jesus talk more about help anybody else in the Bible you white because he loved us what he said about it was true true. What if what he said about what he was doing was true that he was living and suffering for us in our place that we deserve condemnation.

He was an absorbent on the cross in our place and he was taken to himself the penalty we deserve. What if it's true in what he said that there's two ways you and I pay for sin.

One is we suffer for eternally giveaways he pays for on the cross for us and he suffers the wrath of God in our place.

What if it's true, when he said John 14 six but he was the way the truth and the life and nobody comes to the father but through him. What if that's true, then how important that is.

There's a picture of given people in our church several times and serve you for the rest of the tubes is how I see myself until I see our church is stored to place out in California several years ago when I was an earthquake guy was problem wrote about 330 the morning there was an earthquake in the last about 30 seconds a post office on the road again stopped Weitzen out then think it's a big deal, but on the road circle and cross a bridge crisscrosses bridge about 70 miles an hour when he notices the tell lights of the car in front of them just disappear either. Let's cut me that's that's that's odd. So he stopped his car gets out and realizes that what happened is the middle section that bridge a draft out what it seems that car drop off the edge and drop down about 75 feet to the death of everybody in the car turned around. He said he was our puncture tell the story is that I watched as four cars are coming toward me.

I start waving my arms to get them to stop the question your problem outside a Los Angeles at 330 in the morning and there's a bit on the side of her waving his arms. You can stop now discussed that he watches four cars drove right by him at 70 miles an hour and plunged to their death. He said I looked and saw a bus come across that bridge. He said I made up my mind that at that bus went across the bridge and take it with his trusted right it's Hathaway my arms.

I took off my shirt. I started to wave it that bus home to 20 flashed his lights try to get me to move. He said I would move that bus driver got out, started cursing at me but then I showed them what I saw on the bus driver saw three partners but nobody else go off the side of the cliff. There's a question I asked what what if you have been the first one to be at the scene of that accident was you would of course I mean how could you not. Which would you care the people thought that you were a moron on the side of the road. No, because you see something they don't see and I didn't notes here from people who visit our church thought all of your charitable music but I thought you were little compassion.

I thought you yelled too much. There's a reason that I talk like this reason the simple reason is because I believe these things are true if these things are true. I don't think that apparent school talking about my feelings is really in order. I shall look at you and I look at me and I look at our church and I look at people who are headed to a destruction is much worse even than that seen on that rich SRI calls for several little too passionate.

There's reasonable like this is reason I'm trying to tell you because I believe what Jesus says about these things are true, and I believe because of that they have an invitation from God. Most important thing in our lives. And part of God's invitation to know him through his word. You're listening to Senate life Bible teaching ministry of Pastor, author and theologian JD Greer. If you miss any of the messages in this series, you can listen to them online, free of charge@jdgreer.com less destructiveness in the church today, only a few of us are actually called to the ministry.

But here's the truth. All Christians are called to ministry, not necessarily to vocational ministry to leverage their lives for the great commission in Pastor Ginny's new book titled what are you going to do with your life.

He considers Jesus's radical call to give our lives away to the greatest cause of all it's time for all of us to view our life from the perspective of eternity. We'd love to get you that new vet today and with it will include a special edition study guide to go alongside your reading the work guide your time in reading through some of the passages of Scripture included in the but it also includes a handful of devotionals to spare you along. We pray that as you read this, but you'll gain a fresh passion for the gospel allow us to get this new resource to you by reaching out@jdgreer.com you're welcome to request when you support this ministry with a donation of $25 or more when you get to Senate life you really getting this program to your fellow listeners making sure that we stay on your station and on the wet.

In the book and workbook is just our way of saying thanks for your support member to ask for your copy of JD's newest but what are you going to do with your life when you call 866-335-5220 866-335-5224 50 theory can give online JD Greer.com now before we close. Let me remind you that aren't signed up yet for our email. You want to go online and best way to stay up to date with Pastor James latest block will make sure you never miss new resource for series is quick and easy to sign Greer.com that's like doing this today, tomorrow, where gospel Irene and castigating will explain the parable of the wedding Friday on Jeannie