INVEST AND INVITE
Luke 14: 15-24
Movie producers want to have packed theaters. Those who own professional sports teams want to have their stadiums and arenas packed. Concert promoters want to sell out every show. Restaurant owners want to have a waiting list of those wanting to eat at their establishment. Hotels and Resorts want their accommodations filled to capacity. Schools want to have every classroom seat filled. Amusement parks want to have every ride and show packed. Airlines want to fill every seat on every flight. And the Lord wants every seat in His House to be filled every Sunday!
Empty seats concern Movie producers. Empty seats cause owners to either sell or relocate their teams. Concert promoters cancel shows when too many seats are empty. Restaurants shut down when there are too many slow days and nights. Hotels and Resorts are vacated and abandoned if there are too many empty rooms for too long. Schools cancel classes when there are not enough students. Amusement parks go out of business when ticket sales are too low. Airlines cancel flight destinations when too many seats are empty. And the Lord is not happy when His house is not full!
The movie producer, professional sports owner, the concert promoter, the restaurant owner, the hotel owner, the institution of higher learning, the amusement park owner, and the owner of the airline want us to fill their seats because they want our money. In Jesus’ day the religious people invited influential people to their homes in order to get something from them.
Luke 14:12 Then Jesus said to the man who had invited him, "When you give a lunch or a dinner, don't invite only your friends, your family, your other relatives, and your rich neighbors. At another time they will invite you to eat with them, and you will be repaid. (NCV)
The religious people in Jesus’ day had selfish motives for inviting people to their homes. They thought, “If I scratch your back, you’ll scratch mine.” But God wants us to invest in and invite those we know to come to His house for a different reason.
Luke 14:13-14 Instead, when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14Then you will be blessed, because they have nothing and cannot pay you back. But you will be repaid when the good people rise from the dead." (NCV) CIRCLE “YOU WILL BE BLESSED”
The reason why God wants us to invest in and invite people to church is because he wants to bless you. I’d much rather receive a blessing from God than something from another person.
Luke 14:15 When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, "Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God." (NIV)
There is no greater blessing than to be able to sit at the dinner table with Jesus in heaven. (Bring Out Table) The Kingdom of God is like this table. A table is a place where you build and make relationships. It’s like your breakfast table, your lunch table, your dinner table, or your conference table. God has strategically placed all kinds of people around your table so you can be blessed by having a relationship with them.
This morning I’d like us to consider what the parable of the great banquet in Luke 14: 15-24 has to say about investing in and inviting people to God’s house so it will be full. There are three things we need to do.