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Sermon Audio: The Parable of the Great Banquet
Speaker: Pastor Val Watkins
Scripture Text: Luke 14:12-24
Duration: 22:14
Size: 10.1 MB
Luke-The Investigative Gospel
The Parable of the Great Banquet
Luke 14:12-24
Then, he began to teach them about the Kingdom of God, first by introducing practical teaching.
I. The Reward of a Generous Heart – Luke 14:12-14
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. 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.”
In other words, it deadens hospitality to invite with an expectation.
He told the Pharisees that in return for showing hospitality to those who couldn’t return it, “you will be blessed” – that God Himself would reciprocate with blessing and reward at the Resurrection.
II. Hopeful Remark – Luke 14:15
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.”
The problem was that the man who made this hopeful remark was presuming that he and all the other religious people deserved a seat at God’s great banquet.
III. Gracious Invitation – Luke 14:16-17
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.'”
The parable of the great banquet is really about God’s gracious invitation to sinners to enter the kingdom of God.
The time for the great banquet had arrived, so in his teaching Jesus offered the gracious invitation, “Come, for everything is now ready.”
IV. Feeble Excuses – Luke 14:18-20
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.” 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.”
The invited guests simply did not want to attend the great banquet. There is no other explanation for their feeble excuses.
V. Wider Invitation – Luke 14:21-23
The servant came back and reported this to his master. Then 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.” “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.”
So now Jesus was inviting all people – the Gentiles – to enter and participate in the great banquet.
VI. Dreadful Exclusion – Luke 14:24
I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.
People who dabble in religion, who want to go to heaven, who desire to attend the great banquet, but who do not turn to Jesus in faith and repentance will not be saved.
On behalf of Jesus, I invite you to accept the gracious invitation he extends to you to attend the great banquet.
