Come to the Banquet

Communion Service January 1, 2023

This morning, on this first day of 2023, I thought we would do something a little different. Today we’re going to be sharing in the Lord’s Supper, as we always do on the 1st Sunday of the month. But instead of just tacking Communion on at the end of the message, we are going to be making our time around the Lord’s table the focus of our whole service this morning. And our theme this morning is “Come to the Banquet”

Part 1 – Luke 14:12-20

A2 Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or sisters, your relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid.

A3 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

A4 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.”

A5 Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’

A6 “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’

A7 “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.”

A8 I think there are basically 2 words that summarize Jesus’ entire message to us. Those words are “Come”, and “Go” To those who are lost and broken, those who are weary and lonely, those are hurting and depressed, Jesus says “Come”.

A9 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28) And so if you are feeling the burdens and stresses of life, if you are 2 tired of living the way you’ve been living, if you’re lonely or discouraged or depressed, Jesus says to you: “Come” But then once we come to him, once we receive Jesus into our lives, and we become a new creation in Christ, once we become part of his family and his kingdom, then he has another word for us, and that word is “Go”

A10 And so for example, to the woman who had lived a sinful life, who poured perfume on his feet, Jesus says: “Your faith has saved you. Now go (in peace)” (Luke 7:50)

A11 To the disciples he says: “Go into the whole world, and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19) And all through the Bible we see God giving his people the command to “Go” He tells Abraham to Go to a country he had never been to. He tells Moses to Go back to Egypt and lead the people. He tells Paul Go and take the gospel to the Gentile world. And so first Jesus says to us “Come”. But then he says “Go”

A12 And in the passage we read this morning, Jesus tells a story in which both of these words, “Come and Go”, play a key part in the story. Let’s look again at Luke 14:16-17 “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ Now as in many of his parables, here Jesus is telling this story to explain what the kingdom of God is like. You see the Bible tells us that God has invited you and I to a great banquet, a great celebration. It’s a celebration in heaven that will last for eternity. And one day there are going to be millions and millions of people at that celebration, 3 people from every tribe and nation in the world. And we’re going to worship and celebrate together forever, and it’s going to be great! It’s what every person who is part of God’s family looks forward to.

A13 And each month, along with millions of other Christans around the world, we celebrate the Lord’s Supper here at our church, and we do this for a couple of reasons. 1st of all, here at this table we remember what Jesus did for us almost 2000 years ago. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the penalty for our sin, he made it possible for us to receive forgiveness for our sin, and the free gift of salvation and eternal life. And so this bread that we eat, this cup that we drink, are symbols of Jesus’ body broken for us, his blood shed for us. But we also celebrate communion here together as a way of looking forward to that day in the future when we will join in what the Bible calls “the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And so Jesus invites each of us here, as well as people all over the world, to come to the party! Come and join him in the great celebration that will take place one day in heaven. That’s also what this table represents: it’s a foretaste of what we can look forward to in heaven. And so this morning as we gather at this table, we remember how “the Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” Prayer for the Bread Distribute Bread (Worship: Behold the Lamb) Worship song Gerald & Allison (as bread is distributed) “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest” “Take and eat; for this is my body”

Part 2 B1 And so Jesus graciously invites everyone to come to his banquet. But we have to accept his invitation, we have to be willing to come. He never forces anyone to come, he only wants those who really want to be there with him. But unfortunately there are many people who reject his invitation and simply refuse to come to the banquet. Why is that? Well, some people don’t come because they don’t believe there will even be a banquet! They think it’s just a myth, a story someone made up. Other people don’t want to come, because they don’t really like some of the other people they think will be there. Other people say “I’m not worthy to come to the banquet. I’ve done some really terrible things in my life. How could Jesus ever want me there with him?” But the biggest reason why people don’t come is spelled out for us in this story, isn’t it?

Look at v18: B2 When the servant goes out and starts to invite people to the banquet, “they all begin to make excuses. The first one says, ‘Sorry, I’ve just bought a field, and I need to go and see it.’

B3 Another says, ‘I’ve just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out.’ Still another says, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ So everybody had an excuse for why they couldn’t come to the banquet. It was 5 because they had other priorities, other obligations they thought were more important. For some it was their possesions, for others it was their work, their career. For others it was a relationship. Everybody had a reason why they couldn’t come. And it’s the same today isn’t it? People have all kinds of excuses and reasons for not wanting to follow Jesus, not wanting to come to his banquet. So let me ask you this, What is your excuse? What’s keeping you from coming to Jesus, from coming to this table this morning? He is inviting you to come, but you still have to make the decision to come. My friend, if there is something in your life that is preventing you from coming, something that you’re not willing to let go of, something that you think is more important, why not surrender it to him this morning? As we begin a whole new year, as we come to the Lord’s table, what better time to say, “From now on I’m going to live my life for Christ, I’m going to make him the center of my life. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to follow him”

B4 “And so in the same way after supper, Jesus took the cup saying “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me”

PRAY for cup Distribute cup

Worship song Gerald & Allison (as cups are distributed)

Part 3 Luke 14:21-24 

C1 “Then the servant came back and reported this to his master. 6 And the owner of the house became angry and ordered his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’

C2 “Sir,” the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.” Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.

C3 I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.” That’s a very sad statement isn’t it? A lot of people are never going to get to taste what God has prepared for them, simply because they refused to accept his invitation to come. And one day they’re going to regret it. But then the master says, “Well, if they won’t come, let’s invite those who will!”

C4 So he says to his servant: “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Now do you think these people are going to say “No”? Do you think they’re going to find excuses not to come? No way! They will be glad to come, because they are so grateful to the master for his kindness and generosity. But I don’t think he’s talking only about those who are physically disabled. He’s also talking about the broken, the hurting, the lonely, those who have been abandoned and marginalized, those who are poor in spirit. Those who know they are sinners in need a Savior. Those are the ones he invites to come to his banquet. But even then there is still more room, and so he tells the servant to go out again into the whole countryside and bring even more people in. Why? Because the master wants his house to be full! 7 You see, God doesn’t want just a few people in heaven. He wants lots of people! He wants his house to be full! And that’s why now he says to the servant “Go, and invite them and bring them in!” So if you have already received the invitation to come and follow Jesus – then there is another word for you here, and that is the word Go! “Go out quickly, go out into the streets of the town, and bring them in, so that my house will be full” So Jesus’ first word to us is “Come” “All you are hungry and thirsty, Come!” Come to me and I will give you rest. But then his next word to us is “Go” He has called us who have already come to the banquet, to now Go to our neighbours, to our city, to our world, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame, so that his house will be full.

Let’s pray Lord Jesus, thank you that you have invited us to come to your table this morning, to come and receive the wonderful life that you want to give to us. We thank you that one day we will celebrate together with you along with millions of other believers at the great wedding supper of the Lamb. But Father we also recognize that there millions of other people, who have not yet accepted your invitation to come. And so you have commanded us to go into the whole world, and share the good news that there is hope, there peace, there is life for them as well. You have commanded us to go and invite our neighbours. To invite the hurting, the broken, the lonely here in this community. So that they too may come to your banquet, and celebrate with people from every tribe and nation and people and language, from every corner of the planet. To come and join us there.

Closing Song Gerald & Allison

Benediction Jim McBeth