There’s Room at My Table for You

Today on Summit life with Judy Greer reminded the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. Sharon talk about finding God's will for our lives. It's not lost. God intends to use you to bring other people to Jesus you don't leave a call especially mystical call. You have the call. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but also come repentance.

You don't need a voice we say because you got a verse after their and legend Judy Greer.

As always, I'm your host Molly made a batch the program a little more introspectively today, Sally. Do you ever wonder sometimes if anything about your life really matters like am I making any sort of real difference in the world today.

Pastor Judy Greer continues our teaching series called come to the table where we'll see how Jesus used the occasion of the banquet a party to teach people about his kingdom and our significant role in it.

If you miss the beginning of this new teaching series, you can catch up online Judy Greer.com Pastor JD has titled today's message there's room at my table for you to grab your Bible must step in. If you have your Bible this weekend and I hope that you do open it to Luke 14 we are in Luke 14 in our second week in a series that we are calling come to the table which we are seeing how Jesus used the occasion of the banquet, a meal, a party to teach people about his kingdom there is something that many of you will be excited to know that you may not know meals were central to the life and the ministry of Jesus, especially in Luke's gospel.

One scholar points out that I was looking at that at just about every point in Luke's gospel. Jesus is either coming from a meal he's at a meal or he is going to a meal doubt that the Savior were following in my bogeyman.

You can literally, the scholar says eat your way through Luke's gospel. So much so that Jesus's critics label him a drunkard and a glutton. This is an area of Christ likeness. I have already mastered. I am very proud to say I say Lord, make me more like you. And then I order that extra side of cheese fries just like I think Jesus would do. What would Jesus do that might be what he would do. By the way, I should also point out my conscience compels me that he seems to have gotten in an extraordinary number of apps every day as well.

Always walking everywhere back when his disciples like a boat across. He chooses us to walk across the water business step count was low for the day. So master both sides of this equation if you're going to do it. Your like you are the worst Bible interpreter ever I get it.

But anyway think of what it's worth last week we saw how Jesus had invited us to the party of his kingdom and we look at what keeps people from receiving that invitation. Well today were going to see how he uses eyes to extend that invitation to the banquet to others, just like he extended it to us. Let me remind you of where we left off last week.

These were the verses that we closed on Luke 14 verse 25 now. Great crowds accompany them and he turned to them and said this is, inside church growth methodology. He says something very difficult. He says I am glad you guys are interested in me and why do you like my teaching, but if any of you really want to come to me and you don't you don't hate your own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, even your own life can't really be my disciple. Last weekend we talk about how tough a statement that was means that compared sue our loyalty and our commitment to Jesus. Every other relationship in our lives.

Every other one.

I even our most intimate relationships like RRR family or friends or our dreams for our life.

All of those relationships, even though the great they should all look like hate in comparison to how committed we are to Jesus I asked you to consider this.

Can you honestly say that compared to your commitment to Jesus that your commitment to your family to your friends to your desires for your life that compared to how dedicated you are to Jesus that your dedication of those things looks like Kate will today. Jesus is going to give us a picture of what this looks like in action. Now when you give you a warning here today is going to be difficult for some of you, for many of us because it's going to challenge you and I have some pretty fundamental levels to challenge you to rethink for some of you your whole approach toward life did Jesus's message today also has I believe the power to set you free on a journey which is going to bring so much more joy and so much more purpose into your life than what you're currently experiencing money to sashay to consider this.

Do you ever wonder sometimes if we just find yourself wondering if anything about your life actually matters is if you have any, lasting significance beyond your death, or does it have any eternal significance. Let me ask are you tired of feeling like you just get up every day you go to work and you try to make ends meet.

And yet you watch a little TV and try to distract yourself with some hobbies and then look for the vacation next year and then just rinse and repeat.

Go to that process year-by-year is a God created you all of you. He created all of us to crave eternal significance. That's not some kind of pipedream that belongs to middle schoolers really odd middle schoolers that for something God put in the heart of every human being. He put eternity in our hearts we long to long for something and that is a desire he put there and what Jesus is going to show you today is how you can have that kind of eternal significance of the thing. It's going to surprise you what he says.

Living for eternal significance. Living in a way that has eternal significance may not look like you expect and what Jesus is teach teachers here might surprise you because it's a lot less glamorous and a lot more rewarding than you might anticipate Luke 14 verse 12. Again the context Jesus was at a rich party at some point Jesus looks around any notices that the doctor on the party has only invited other rich popular people to be at the party with him.

Now of course Jesus was not himself rich, but he was pretty well known and he could of course to some killer party tricks so he usually got invited in a Jesus rotted Tex-Mex band he multiplies. As of this will baskets whatever jet Tex-Mex 08.

Always got invited to these parties first well but he said to the man who had invited him. When you give itinerary give the banquet do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors.

Leslie also invite you in return and you be repaid.

But when you give a feast, you should invite the poor.

The cripple blame of the blind man you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just now I have to imagine this was a tad bit awkward to me looks around them. He says hey when you become a party. Don't invite these people right here.

The only reason you're invite these people is because you hope that that maybe they'll invite you back to their parties and said you should invite people who really have nothing that you're interested in who can invite you to the parties because they don't really even own houses know what Jesus was telling them here would have been in those days economic suicide because parties in those days were the places that business took place.

It's where really important relationships were formed for networking happened at work deals were done so inviting, rich, influential people into your party was up was a pretty shrewd economic decision because then they would feel obligated to invite you back to bears where you could get to know all of their rich friends in their network and you could do business with wit wit with their network. So for you to invite the poor.

The cripple blame and the blind met that you were choosing to spend your resources on those who could not pay you back and could really add any financial benefit in your life you think about it. Things have not changed that much in business today.

Of course right things ever change that much to back this is a thing of it is a philosophy of life that many people go through life with them just like I'm going to invest my life in those things that can return a value to my life but if you remember what we saw last week Jesus explained that when he invited people to his party. Remember this even just invite people to get a value to his life. Jesus chose when he compel people to come to his kingdom. The poor the cripple blame the blind up the street people.

The highway people badge people. In a word, see invited us and thank God that he did that because if he hadn't done that and we will be excluded from his eternal party and that should fundamentally reorient. He says how you approach the party of your life to their two questions I want us to consider from this parable.

One is metaphorical and one is very little. There is a metaphorical one.

If your life okay metaphor. If your life were depicted as a party who would be the invited guests, either party. Imagine that we chose to depict your whole life.

We chose to depicted in terms of a party, a metaphorical party.

If so, who would you be throwing a party for is your life a series of calculated relationships and decisions that you think will one day return value to your life is you is it a party. In other words, that you were throwing for you or is your parties something you were throwing for those who cannot necessarily pay you back. See following Jesus means following Jesus means that you look at your life, your talents, your resources as resources given to you to bless people get necessarily pay you back at least in this life. Let me apply this for a few minutes to how you think about your career. Later the message they'll talk about it more in terms your personal life of analysis they can terms of your career, for whose benefit do you primarily see your talents and your career. If we thought of your career like a big party to she will throw it was a party really being thrown for MET four questions you can ask about your job help you get out this amount have is ABCD eight. Do you look at your job primarily as a way of serving others is a way of enriching yourself by designated and that this is something I think we haven't taught enough about in the church but God gave us our talents and our careers, primarily as a way to serve and bless others is nothing wrong with getting financial benefit from it, but at its core, our talents and our careers are instruments by which God blesses others. One of the primary ways that God blesses his creation and cares for his creation is the skills that he gives the people which way that God created the world in an unformed fashion he created. It said it was good. Then he gave Adam and Eve and all humanity. Since then skills to develop the earth Martin Luther that the former German reformer and the 16th-century swing like this. We pray the Lord's prayer we ask God to give us our daily bread right will give us as their daily bread. How does God usually do this he does it by usually by means of the farmer who planted and harvested the great, he does it by means of the baker who made the flower in the bread of the person who prepared our meal, we might add to that in our data truck drivers you all the produce the factory workers in the food processing plant. The warehouse workers also distributors the stock boys lady at the checkout counter also played the part of bankers, development investors, advertisers, lawyers, agricultural scientists, mechanical engineers, government officials and any other active player in our nation's economic system. Every single one of those people was instrumental in enabling you to eat your morning the everything bagel right now God could have chosen to answer that prayer directly miraculously like you did the man I can just wake up one morning and bam there is a leaves on the ground. The way that God provided manner for the children of Israel, but typically typically right. God chooses to provide us our morning bagel to the skills and careers of other human beings who Jean B says in their different capacities and according to their different talents serve each other. The point is whatever your job is you want to see it as a gifting by God to meet the needs of others and we should see our jobs as gifts by God given to us to bless others is how God cares for his creation. You say, well, wait a minute I'm just a stay at home mom. Well, your job might be the most important of all of raising godly kids to serve the world is the most important job I would say that I can think of in the world. I know a pastor's wife. He graduated from a top college and she said she got sick of hearing your friends ask her how you what you doing now. She went to such a good school and and that when she would say. Why might you have stable mom and raising our kids had the disappointment that all week of this Bible like disapproval. Looking back, away, so finally she said I was going to start say when asked me what you do now. She says, quote I'm socializing for Homo sapiens into the dominant values of the Judeo-Christian tradition in order that they might be instruments of transformation for the social order and the kind of eschatological utopia that what God will do for the beginning of creation. What you do right. My point is, whatever task God has assigned you to do. You should see it as a gifting by God to serve others. Now dammit I mean you all don't also make a profit from it just the first and foremost, it's an instrument of God uses the bless others. The architect help provide beautiful safe building for people to live in. The lawyer helps craft and implement laws that make our society fairer and more and more equitable. The pharmacist deals drugs that help us avoid sickness. The actor provides entertainment that adds joy and entertainment to our lives were the case of Nicholas Cage gives us a hero to model our lives after the barista at Starbucks provides caffeine hits that makes us feel like life is worth living right amen amen amen. This is what it means by the way, to think that to be a Christian in business to be one of the worst ideas about what it means to be a Christian business. I told you think they mean you gotta go and open up a hair salon called his clips are a cut above over a coffee shop called Hebrews and if that's you that's fine and that's the name of your thing.

Don't submit an angry email, but that's not all that it means to be a Christian business what it means to be a Christian business is not that you have Christian labels attached everywhere as much as it is that you see your career whatever it is your skill. Your assignment is given to you by God primarily as a way of serving and caring for others at the first question you should ask second question you ought ask based on Jesus is teaching here is B. Are there ways your job or skill set, specifically can benefit the poor. You ought to ask if there ways your job can benefit those who are poor, crippled, blind and lame. Listen only be really careful here because I don't want to imply that all good business that's done that honors God is nonprofit or charity work. Listen to me. Good for-profit businesses are absolutely critical to eliminating poverty, long-term. But for some of you there are aspects of your career that you can use to bless others that go beyond profit they can, of course, with a lawyer who dedicates a certain amount of their of their cases to be pro bono over the Dennis to engage as a free, community clinics, but I also know what entrepreneur in our church was dedicated his services. His expertise now that he is and more of his but that the chapter where he's getting ready for retirement.

These dedicated his business to helping other small businesses get off the ground in low income areas, even though that may not necessarily be the most financially profitable for him. He thinks or somebody can do that to bless those who may not be able to bless them back. I note local business owners in our church who, for example, work with our prison ministry to help provide jobs for some of our prison brothers and sisters when they're released they're doing it or leveraging part of their career to be able to minister to those Jesus is talking about some of you have skills that can benefit the poor overseas, listening pioneer missions areas. Lisa once and I'm familiar with. There's almost an endless need for English teachers and builders construction disaster laid on us like any job that makes a viable wage in the US is something that can benefit the poor somewhere. The need for good lawyers, doctors, accountants in developing countries is massive and broad experience. By the way, in business leadership might be the most needed thing over there that I put it this way if it's even crossing your mind right that you can climb a ladder in your workplace, then you already have skills that could transform entire communities in the poor parts of the world you listen. According to the theology of work project.

1.4 billion people in our world live in abject poverty and another 1.1 lived 1 million live in Bay on basic subsistence. The Centers for Disease Control says that every week hundred thousand kids in our world die of starvation or preventable hunger related diseases. Jesus's parable has to mean something in light of that undoubtedly have heard it said there has to be a connection between empty stomachs on one side of the Atlantic and empty lives on the other. God gave those things to you for a purpose and tell you what he wants you to use them for the skills and the resources to inmost poverty I believe are already in the church she got asked that question. Are there ways are there ways that you might leverage that to minister to those people, here's the third question. C. How can you leverage your job for the great commission explained that the church many times or the myths or the destructive mess we believe is that the call leverage your talent your life for the great commission is this mystical moment that takes place in your life where everything goes blurry in a cloud descends from heaven.

It's a sacred experience that only a select few varsity Christians ever go through a often the archway is that what I call the Cheerios method of discerning the will of God is waiting one days reading your cheers in the morning for it magically to spell out like go to Afghanistan you like to get it little goblins.

Me to do so. Yesterday my Cheerios for years. They never smelled anything out of it all and only all ever told about it over and over and over again never smells and it is not how God calls people in the ministry. The call of Millicent the call to leverage your life for the spread of the gospel was included in the call to follow Jesus. Matthew 419. Follow me Jesus it and I will make you a fisher of men.

Which means when you accepted the call to follow Jesus, you accepted the call to use your life to spread the gospel and that's gotta mean something in light of this parable, we always say right here.

The question is no longer.

If you are called the question now is only where and how you are called to listen.

We live in a world where there are still more than 6400 unreached people groups. That is a group of 10,000 people or more who speak a language that have no viable gospel witness. They said if you lined up all the people in those people groups into a single file line.

They would circle the earth might just have an armed arm. They would circle the earth 25 times. Can you imagine standing in front of a line of people as long as the earth 25 people wide, just treading hopelessly toward destruction, surely that require something from those of us who know Jesus over the years I have compared it to you before to your mic and walking through downtown and you find yourself aside railroad tracks and there's a small child on the railroad track shoes hurt and they can't move still live but they can't move and you notice a train is coming. You don't stop get on your knees and say Lord I just want you will in this moment, would you burn my heart with what you want me to do God, would you know you you like no idiot. Pick the kid up.

You know what God's will is in that moment. Second Peter 39 the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.

We surround talk about finding God's will for our lives. It's not lost. God intends to use you to bring other people to Jesus. You don't need to call a special mystical call. You have the call. The Lord is not willing that any should perish, but also come repentance. You don't need a voice we say because you got a verse, and I would say it seems to me that the burden of proof lies upon us to stay in a world where there is in a society where there is so much when there are places where there is so little. Some of you might be able to expand your company or take your skill places in the world.

No gospel witness.

Historically, historically, I've explained you before that this is the way the gospel always travels best in our world hi Stephen Neal nods a church historian, wrote a classic book on the history of Christian missions which he traces that the spread of the gospel in the early church and he says what is remarkable, most remarkable about the first century growth in the Christian church is its anonymity. Nobody really knows her spreading the gospel is about the end of the first century you had three major church planting centers, Antioch, Alexandria and Rome is what is remarkable is we have no idea who planted the churches in Antioch, Alexandria wrote, no idea is it the story of the founding of the church in Antioch takes place in acts 11 and all it says is some brothers who were filled with the spirit showed up in Antioch and when they were there they planted a church some brothers is Luke, the writer the book of acts.

That's his way of saying a bunch of dudes who aren't even important for me to tell you their names because you never see him again in Scripture. Anyway just got it showed on the planet, a church and wanted at churches and the apostle Paul actually hated Paul for the last half of the book of acts is dead set on plant a church in Rome. That's what you like him. Rome was I the capital were almost plant a church there, take Christ he's never been made. What a journey it is right shipwrecks and beatings imprisoned in heaven. The circuits dangle off of his arm, and finally Bax 2080 dragster tire. Nobody in the room just get beaten up and there it says ex 2014. He is greeted by some brothers same phrase same group unnamed guys like Paul and so glad for you. Come and visit us with limited church here. Love you coming to teach a sermon edit menu right is a book that will be awesome.

Would love to have the book of Romans right it's it's it's all anonymous. It's all in one day.

That church in Rome would have peters is later repeated and found the gospel today spreads in the world through, not through apostolic effort think apostle someone like me somebody you work in the church. The gospel is mainly for ordinary people just say God show me how to use my career for the great commission in your screen limited not only share with a friend. You can always find our teaching catalog Jeannie Greer.com Jeannie something we've noticed is that while most Christians believe that the Bible is true. A lot of us don't really spend time studying on her own but one of our primary goals here at Summit life is to help our listeners become better students of the Bible themselves emollient of the best definition of ever heard of preaching is helping people read the word of God better right we don't want you to sit take my word for or become dependent on me or anybody else when it comes to the Bible we want to equip you to study and dig into this incredible book for yourself and hear hear from God in his and it it is an exhaustively rich word this month we got a book of devotions of a Bible study help.

These are daily devotions and said Scripture readings that are that of the perfect entry place and they offer a chance for you to dig deeper into the Scriptures that were discussing on this program and help you get in the habit of daily Bible reading this can give you some central ideas and then a couple of questions every day for reflection and a prayer prop. We are praying that this devotional book will help you feel more confident and joyful in reading the Bible so that when you pick it up on your own. It's not a big confusing book but it's an invitation to the greatest experience of joy and purpose that you know every encounter everything for the first time today. This brainy resource won't take you hours to work through each day. Only a few minutes, you can truly begin to in God's word and create lifelong transformation. We like to hear from getting this 10 day devotional the will send you a copy today and our way of saying thanks for your financial $35 to intermission today.

We began by calling 863-3520 and remember to ask your copy of our newest resource list and at 10 interactive devotions from the terrible I'm only inviting you to continue again next showing teaching theories come to the table Friday on my Jeannie