It's Almost Suppertime
By Pastor David Reagan
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Text: Luke 14:15-24
INTRODUCTION:
Launch Out! – “But our faith makes us abundant in good works. May I say to you, if you are doing all you possibly can for Christ, endeavor to do yet more? I believe a Christian man is generally right when he is doing more than he can; and when he goes still further beyond that point, he will be even more nearly right. There are scarcely any bounds to the possibilities of our service…We need, like the apostles, to launch out into the deep, or our nets will never enclose a great multitude of fishes. If we had but the pluck to come out of our hiding-places, and face the foe, we should soon achieve immense success. We need far more faith in the Holy Ghost. He will bless us if we cast ourselves entirely upon Him.” –from An All-Round Ministry by C. H. Spurgeon (p.22).
I. HEAVEN IS WORTH THE GETTING (14:15-16)
A. Blessed is He (v.15; Romans 8:18)
B. A Great Supper (v.16; Revelation 19:5-9)
II. ANY EXCUSE WILL DO IT (14:17-20)
III. REJECTORS WILL BE REJECTED (14:21, 24)
A. The Anger of the Lord (14:21)
B. The Rejection of Those Who were Bidden (14:24)
IV. THE ORDER TO GO IS URGENT (14:21, 23)
A. We Must Go Quickly (14:21; Romans 1:16)
Preach the Gospel – “The Gospel is a revelation of divine truth—and while it can, while it certainly will save all that believe it—it cannot save those who are ignorant of it—who neglect it, who misapprehend it, who reject it—who do not understand and believe it. The Gospel is ‘the power of God unto salvation to every one what believeth:’ in other words—‘The Gospel believed is God’s effectual method of saving mankind.’ In this we find a very good reason both why Paul should not be ashamed of the Gospel, and why he should wish to preach it.” –comments on Romans 1:16 from Analytical Exposition of Romans by John Brown (p.8).
B. We Must Compel the Lost (14:23)
Speak a Word for God – In commenting on Psalm 119:43 (“And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth…”), Charles Bridges states: “Oh! Let not the word of truth be taken utterly out of our mouth. A stammering confession is better than silence. If we cannot say all we want of, or for our Saviour, let us say what we can…And a word spoken in weakness may be a word of Almighty power, and a present help to some fainting spirit. In our connection with the world, many occasions will unexpectedly occur, if the heart be but wakeful and active to improve them. The common topics of earthly conversation often furnish a channel for heavenly intercourse, so that our communications with the world may be like Jacob’s ladder, whose bottom rested upon the earth, but the top reached unto the heavens.” –from An Exposition of Psalm 119 (p.107).
V. WE MUST GO OUT TO THE PEOPLE (14:21, 23)
A. To the Streets and Lanes of the City (14:21)
B. To the Highways and Hedges of the Country (14:23)
Pray for the Missionaries – “I am feeling more and more that it is, after all, just the prayers of God’s people that call down blessing upon the work, whether they are directly engaged in it or not. Paul may plant and Apollos may water, but it is God Who gives the increase; and this increase can be brought down from heaven by believing prayer, whether offered in China or in England…If this is so, then Christians at home can do as much for foreign missions as those actually on the field. I believe it will only be known on the Last Day how much has been accomplished in missionary work by the prayers of earnest believers at home…Solid, lasting missionary work is done on our knees. What I covet more than anything else is earnest, believing prayer.” –written by James Fraser, missionary to China, about the year 1911 (in Behind the Ranges by Mrs. Howard Taylor – p.47).
VI. GOD WANTS THE WORLD’S UNWANTED (14:21; Revelation 3:17-18)
A. The Poor
B. The Maimed, the Halt, and the Blind
VII. THERE IS YET ROOM FOR MORE (14:22-23)
A. Yet There is Room (14:22)
Obligations to Convert the Heathen – In the late 1700’s, English Baptist William Carey recommended the following topic at a minister’s meeting: “Whether the Command given to the Apostles to teach all nations was not binding on all succeeding ministers to the end of the world…” An older pastor, John Ryland, Sr., spoke up, “Young man, sit down, sit down. When God pleases to convert the heathen, He’ll do it without consulting you or me.” Carey subsequently became a great missionary to India and is called the Father of Modern Missions. –from William Carey: Father of Modern Missions by Walter Bruce Davis (p.16).
B. The House Must Be Filled (14:23)
I Expect God Will – In the early 1800’s, Robert Morrison served as an early English missionary to China. He ostensively worked in Canton as a mercantile clerk and interpreter while translating the Bible into Chinese—a work that would certainly have brought death to himself and his Chinese helpers had the real nature of his work been discovered. In 1807, Morrison had been in Boston arranging passage for China since the East India Company had refused to take any missionaries to the Orient. When the owner of the ship on which he set sail discovered his purpose, he commented, “And so, Mr. Morrison, you really expect to make an impression on the idolatry of the great Chinese empire.” To which he replied, “No, sir; I expect God will.” –from To the Golden Shore: The Life of Adoniram Judson by Courtney Anderson (p.52-53).
CONCLUSION:
Call to Action – “Let not your exertions end in tears; mere weeping will do nothing without action. Get on your feet: ye that have voices and might, go forth and preach the gospel; preach it in every street and lane of this huge city; ye that have wealth, go forth and spend it for the poor and sick and needy and dying, the uneducated, the unenlightened; ye that have time, go forth and spend it in deeds of goodness; ye that have power in prayer, go forth and pray; ye that can handle the pen, go forth and write down iniquity, --every one to his post; every one of you to your gun in this day of battle; now for God and for his truth; for God and for the right; let every one of us who knows the Lord seek to fight under his banner.” By Charles Spurgeon from New Cyclopaedia of Prose Illustrations (p.10).
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Antioch Baptist Church Knoxville, Tennessee