Go

Luke 14:12-24

“Go” is the fourth sermon in the series “Gather, Grow, Go” which is our theme for the year.

CONTEXT:

Jesus is sitting in the company of leading Pharisee (14:1) who has invited many people to his home. Jesus has just healed a man in his home. Then Jesus spoke to the invited guests about their attitudes. The guests were competing for the best seats in the house. Therefore, Jesus teaches about humility to the invited guests (14:7-11). Then Jesus spoke to the Pharisee and said that he should spend his time inviting people who won’t return him compliments or return the invitation with another party invitation (14:12-14). In other words, Jesus is saying: don’t do something just to get something.

Someone at this party has been listening to Jesus. We don’t know who it is. but he basically talks about the people who are going to heaven are the most happy people on earth, the ones who are invited and who come. Well, if I don’t get something from someone, at least I get heaven. Jesus relates another parable to deal with this selfish attitude.

Here, He is talking about two groups of people: “the invited who don’t come, and the ones who came after being “made” to come in.”

Jesus now addresses how hard it will be to ask people to come to the Kingdom of God. He knows that just because we ask people to come, they won’t. So He is talking about strategy.

THE TWO GROUPS JESUS MENTIONS WE SHOULD GO TO

Pharisees/Israel – the religious people who rejected the Messiah because of their own expectations.
Outcasts/Gentiles – the people who were not originally invited, but who were begged to come.

GROUP #1  – INVITED BUT DECLINED

GROUP #2 – BRING IN and DRAG IN

Now let’s look at these two groups. The first group was politely asked. These are the first group of people you and I would naturally ask. Perhaps they are the easy group – relatives, friends, or rich neighbors (14:12). This is really the hard group to ask, because they seem to be so busy – so pre-occupied with other things. So the first group are the ones who were politely asked. The problem is that they made excuses.

This the same problem we face. Many people you know have in interest in what you say, and they are glad you invited them. But they make excuses for not coming:

I am too busy during the week, and I want Sunday to be the time of rest.
We like the church, but we don’t like the form of music.
I am glad you asked, but I don’t have time to come right now…

These are very similar excuses that Jesus said in His parable:

EXCUSES PEOPLE GIVE WHY THEY CAN’T GO

Wealth (14:18)
Work (14:19)
Wife (14:20)

Three people came to the master and gave him three different excuses. As a result, the master became upset.  He goes to the next group which has two kinds of people: people who are unable to come because of disability or distance. The servants invite all the disabled folks and they come. Then he directed to get people who don’t live in the area. Now what is the point of this?

Our first group may not be the most receptive to the church. We must go to the people who want to come. As a church, must use methods that will work, because we live in an age in which people feel like they don’t have to go to church.

We can’t expect to just come because they will use excuses. Instead, we need to go and recruit people to come.

STRATEGY TO GO AND RECRUIT LOST PEOPLE

Reach out

“Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”” (Matthew 28:19–20, CSB)

Reach out to the community and discover the prospects

Expand

“Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:46–47, CSB)

Expand the organization and create new classes or groups

Care

“Then Moses said to the entire Israelite community, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Take up an offering among you for the Lord. Let everyone whose heart is willing bring this as the Lord’s offering: gold, silver, and bronze;” (Exodus 35:4–5, CSB)

Care for the space and equipment and provide adequate facilities and resources

Resource

“What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, commit to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.” (2 Timothy 2:2, CSB)

Resource, train, and support the leaders who will teach or facilitate.

Unite

“For just as the body is one and has many parts, and all the parts of that body, though many, are one body—so also is Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and we were all given one Spirit to drink.” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, CSB)

Unite them in fellowship and ministry

Invite

““Then the master told the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges and make them come in, so that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:23, CSB)

Invite, visit, and follow up with the prospects and members.

Teach

“Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” (Colossians 3:16, CSB)

Teach them the Bible and help them grow as disciples.

Photo by Priscilla Du Preez  on Unsplash