Party Like Jesus

Thank you so much, Richard, for sharing that.

I love that song.

If you have your Bibles, turn to Luke chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Luke chapter 14, and some of y'all are going to look at the

Luke 14 · chapter mention

title of my sermon and say, preacher, that's inappropriate.

I figure there's pools of people planning on meeting after the

service to talk about the radical preacher.

And if you think that, I have to say to you, what kind of party

have you been going to?

Apparently, you ain't partying appropriately.

That's what it sounds like to me.

Because Jesus did go to weddings, and Jesus did go to dinner

parties on several occasions, and we have some of those in

Scripture.

And in our passage this morning, Jesus was invited to eat at a

main Pharisee's house, and the whole crowd had their eye on him,

watching him to see what he would do.

And upon arriving, there was a man with dropsy.

That is an old-time word for bad edema.

It's the kind of swelling that congestive heart failure can cause.

And he was dealing with that, and Jesus healed him.

And then asked, is it all right that I do that since it's the

Lord's day?

And healing is considered work.

Do you help somebody out if you can on the day of rest, or do you let it go

until another day?

That was the dilemma here.

Jesus helped the man.

That was his decision, and that was controversial.

Some didn't like that.

By the way, somebody's not going to like it when you go out of your way to

help somebody else in the name of Christ.

Somebody's not going to like it.

And that didn't stop Christ, and that shouldn't stop you.

God opens a door, and he leads you to do it.

You do it.

Let it fall where it may.

But I'll tell you what happened with this.

It set the mood of the party, and Jesus, as only he can do, takes advantage of the opportunity

and teaches us and them how to party like him and how to party for him.

Luke chapter 14, beginning in verse 7, and I'm not going to read all this passage right now.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

I'm going to read it as we go along, because it's a lot to digest.

It says in verse 7, it says this.

Now he told a parable to those who were invited.

When he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them,

When you're invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor.

Let someone more distinguished than you be invited by him.

And he who has invited you both will come and say to you,

Give your place to this person.

And then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place.

But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place,

so that when your host comes, he may say to you,

Friend, move up higher.

Then you'll be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you.

For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled,

and he who humbles himself will be exalted.

First rule of party is enter humbly.

Wherever you're going, whatever gathering you're in,

every kind of party you frequent, you enter humbly.

Because it's not about me, and it's not about you, it's about him.

And you say, well, preacher, what are we talking about?

Are we talking about church?

No, no, no, I'm talking about life.

I mean, if you have surrendered your life to the Lord Jesus Christ

and committed your life to Christ, your life is about him.

It's not about me.

It's not about you.

It's about him.

So wherever we venture and whatever we go into,

we ought to enter it humbly.

His example to us was to take the lowest place of the servants.

He was washing feet.

He was washing feet.

And then he was telling folks, do as I do.

In other words, take the lowest spot.

Do what needs to be done to minister to folks.

For years, I attended a football banquet,

a high school football banquet,

because I was the PA announcer,

and I was also the chaplain.

So I saw those guys right when school was over,

and I spoke to them and used some scripture,

some Old Testament battle scene to tell them to go win the fight

and give their heart to Jesus while they're killing the man next to them.

Then we'd eat a meal together,

and then I'd try my best to influence and still follow the rules from the box, the booth.

And I'm trying to do the same thing now for the Pickens Blue Flame.

And every year, they'd have me, they asked me to go to the banquet,

and every year they'd put me at the head table,

but they didn't have the spots marked.

And so there were several wives, I mean, excuse me,

there were several coaches that would sit,

all the coaches would sit at the head table.

Many of them had their wives there, and their wives would sit at that,

and there were a select number of seats.

And you could tell when you walked in the room that it was a select number of seats.

I came alone to those things.

I was not sure where I was to sit.

So I did not go to the head table.

I just sat down.

Just found a spot and sat down.

Someone would come, and I'd say,

what are you doing sitting out here?

You need to sit up there at the head table.

And I'd get up and go to the head table and sit at the head table.

The next year, they'd invite me back.

I'd come back.

I'd walk in the room.

I'd see the head table there.

I also served on the school board during this time as well.

So they invited board members to come.

And so I'd sit down just somewhere out here.

I didn't really care to sit up there, honestly.

The reason they had me up there was not because I was a chaplain,

not because I was there,

because they wanted me to pray so they could eat.

That was what it didn't amount to.

But I'd find somewhere else to sit.

And then somebody would come and say,

Preacher, what are you doing sitting out there?

You need to sit up here.

You need to come up here.

And year after year after year, I never sat down at that head table.

One time after they moved me up there,

another school board member came in and sat down beside me.

And I was thinking, you done messed up.

You ain't read your Bible.

Because everybody knows football coaches don't like the board.

They're not going to invite the school board, you know.

It's not going to sit at the head table.

And sure enough, when they came up,

they didn't have to tell him.

He figured out.

He said, what are you doing up here?

I said, I'm praying for the meal.

He said, oh.

And he got up and left.

And went and sat somewhere else, you know.

I didn't want to be that guy.

And I don't want you to be that guy.

And more importantly than what I want,

Jesus don't want you to be that guy.

The atmosphere that Jesus walked into

was one that culturally had a horseshoe set of tables

with about three at each table.

Sound like a good old Baptist function, don't it?

But that's typically the setting.

And the center of each table

set the guest of honor at that table.

And the closer the table to the center,

the closer, I mean, the higher up you were.

So, I mean, we're talking about, you know,

making sure you sit at the right table, you know.

I mean, making sure you don't mess up.

The further from the head table, the lower the place.

And the host would sit in the lowest place.

Part of hosting, get this,

part of hosting is to be at service to others.

And when Jesus witnessed this scurry

to find the best seats and to sit in the best spot,

there was such an effort led

that some people were embarrassed

because they messed up.

They sat too high up.

And, you know, and the whole time,

it's like a middle school kickball game, you know.

I mean, they're picking who sits where, you know.

And, oh man, they didn't pick me, you know.

Well, nobody's left.

You sit at the last one, you know.

It's one of those kind of situations.

And Jesus is watching all of this take place.

What a blessing it is to see somebody

walk in such a room as that

and not be wrapped up in any of that.

I like the way G. Campbell Morgan put his old-time commentator.

He said,

Those who are willing to play second fiddle

make beautiful music indeed in the symphony of life.

You don't have to be the main thing.

Let me let you in on something.

You ain't.

And nor am I.

It's not about us.

It's really not.

And to take the seat of honor

is not only to elevate yourself,

but you are devaluing everyone else in the room.

And when you upgrade yourself,

you actually downgrade.

But if you degrade,

and you also degrade everyone else.

And we need to keep that idea in the kingdom of God.

Jesus didn't stop there there.

He went on.

And it says in verse 12,

He said also to the man who had invited him,

When you give a dinner or banquet,

don't invite your friends or your brothers

or your relatives or rich neighbors,

lest they also invite you in return

and you be repaid.

But when you give a feast,

invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,

and you'll be blessed

because they can't repay you.

For you'll be repaid

at the resurrection of the just.

The second rule of partying like Jesus

is invite others.

Invite others.

Let me first tell you what Jesus is not saying.

I want to be clear about this.

He's not saying that there's a problem

with eating a meal with your friends.

That's not what he's saying.

That's fellowship.

Fellowship.

And fellowship is sweet.

And Jesus did that very thing.

Mary and Martha and Lazarus invited him over

and he ate a meal with them.

And the whole neighborhood wasn't there with them.

They ate a meal together.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

You can just invite the preacher

as long as you cook good.

That's all you have to do.

However, what he wanted this Pharisee to know

that was eating with friends at a dinner party

is this.

That's not ministry.

That's not ministry.

Labor Day Sunday was a great day

in the life of this church.

It was a great day.

I mean, I don't know what y'all used to,

but I had a good time.

That was the way I liked to party, you know.

Because you cooked your best,

fixed your best, did whatever,

and fixed a bunch of it.

I mean, I do work the room usually

while people are lined up.

And I will sneak and get those little

chocolate oatmeal things

because you can do that without making a mess.

And there was an eclair I grabbed a bowl for.

But typically, I kind of work the room

and go through that line almost last.

It's not trying to be,

I just want that time with the family.

And usually when I go through potluck lines,

there ain't nothing left, you know.

I mean, it's somebody who rushed out that morning,

got something stove-bought, you know.

It's almost a sin against God.

But anyway, but, you know,

I mean, I'm eating cupcakes,

I've been sitting at the grocery store for a week,

you know, and whatever that potato salad is

that don't have no taters in it, you know.

I mean, it's that kind of stuff.

And whatever the meat that the church provides,

you know, that's what I eat.

But that meal was not like that at all.

I mean, somebody took all the fried okra.

And I'd like to know who.

We're setting up new cameras and stuff like that

to fix all that.

But there was bunches and bunches of food.

I mean, when you thought you were done,

you got to the elbow of the table, you know.

And then you went, whoa, I done filled up my plate, you know.

There were profane things said at the corner.

It's interesting how that happened, you know.

Because people were going, man, I want that.

And yet I've hogged myself so much

that I ain't got room for it, you know.

It's a great fellowship.

It was not ministry.

Nothing wrong with a fellowship meal.

But eating fine food with all your friends ain't ministry.

It's just fun.

It's just an opportunity to fellowship together.

Ministry is when you invited somebody to come to that dinner.

Want them to be a part of that.

They don't have to bring anything.

They can just come on and be a part of that.

It's not ministry to have supper with your friends.

It's ministry to do something for someone else

that they can't do for you.

That's what ministry is.

Invite people that won't invite you back.

That's when you impact lives.

David's best friend was a man named Jonathan.

King David, his best friend was a man named Jonathan.

And Jonathan was the son of Saul who David succeeded.

But Saul was a nemesis to David.

I mean, David could play the harp.

And he'd come in and play the harp.

And Saul was soothed by that until he wasn't.

And then Saul would chunk a spear at him

while he was playing, you know.

I mean, that's not a good gig for a harp player.

Saul was like that.

David spent much of his life running from Saul

because Saul tried to kill him.

And when David had the opportunity to kill him in a cave,

he didn't do it.

He cut off a corner of his robe

just to show that he gave evidence

that he had let him live.

But then he felt guilty because he had touched

who he called God's anointed

because he shouldn't even mess with his robe.

I mean, it was a fascinating situation.

And Saul would rage and try to kill him.

And in 2 Samuel chapter 9,

2 Samuel 9 · chapter mention

David wants to honor his friend Jonathan's memory.

Jonathan's been killed.

And he wants to honor Jonathan's memory

by finding a relative of Saul

and giving him a place of honor.

And Mephibosheth was mentioned to him.

Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan

and was only five years old

when his daddy was killed in battle.

And when Jonathan was killed,

a nurse that cared for Mephibosheth

was afraid that after they had killed Jonathan,

they would come after his family.

And they would come after his child.

And so she ran to get away from the child.

And in the running, she fell and she dropped the child.

And that accident from falling crippled Mephibosheth.

So when David called

for a living relative of Saul to come

so he could honor him,

a living relative of Jonathan so he could honor him.

So when David called,

he brought a handicapped grandson of his arch enemy

to his own dining room table

and gave Mephibosheth the family property

that had previously been Saul's.

And when David called Mephibosheth,

Mephibosheth didn't feel worthy of that.

And he knelt before David and said,

what is your servant that you should show regard

for a dead dog such as I?

Mephibosheth was humbled

by just being recognized by the king,

just by being honored by the king.

He could, because Mephibosheth could do nothing for the king.

And typically because of his physical condition,

would never have been invited to such a setting

because of the cultural aspects of that day.

He had nothing to offer,

yet here he is sitting at the king's table.

That, my friend,

that's what Jesus is talking about.

Jesus is talking about inviting others.

Serve those that cannot serve you.

Be a part of a caring ministry.

And we have those types of ministries.

We have those type opportunities from time to time.

And those times will become more often in the future

because we're looking for opportunities

to minister to our community like that.

And as God moves in us, just watch.

Watch.

Ask God to open a door for us

to minister our community.

You'll watch.

We will.

And as he meets our needs,

we'll want to reach others.

Whether that be backpacks

that we gave out before school started.

Or whether that's the Samaritan's Purse

Christmas boxes

that we collect supplies for every month of the year

so that when Christmas rolls around,

actually before Christmas

because they want to get up to them for Christmas,

we can fill those shoeboxes

and send those out.

And I will tell you,

I followed the story of those shoeboxes.

Those kids get the gospel with those shoeboxes.

Not in any kind of manipulative fashion,

in a good old gospel way.

And when they want to know more about Christ,

they're sent through a discipleship program

to teach them of what it means.

They don't have to go through that to get the box.

But with that box comes the story of Jesus

and the invitation and the opportunity.

That's what Jesus does.

And we're to be like Jesus.

And every time we have a meal together,

we get the best of both worlds.

By the way,

that's why we have meals together, okay?

I mean, it helps that people can cook good.

But the reason we have meals together

is so we have a chance to fellowship with friends

and we have a chance to make new friends.

That's what it's about.

So think of someone to invite.

Invite them.

And then when you invite them,

meet them here.

Jesus challenges us to do that.

But it does not stop there.

He don't stop there.

It says in verse 15,

it says,

when one of those who reclined at table with him

heard these things,

he said to him,

blessed is everyone who will eat bread

in the kingdom of God.

But he said to them,

a man once gave a great banquet

and invited many.

And at the time for the banquet,

he sent his servant to say

to those who had been invited,

come for everything is now ready.

But they all alike began to make excuses.

The first said to him,

I bought a field

and I must go out and see it.

Please have me excused.

And another said,

I bought five yoke of oxen

and I go to examine them.

Please have me excused.

And another said,

I've married a wife

and therefore I can't come.

Wow, there's a message there.

So the servant came

and reported these things to his master.

Then the master of the house

became angry and said to his servant,

go out quickly to the streets

and lanes of the city

and bring in the poor

and crippled and blind and lame.

And the servant said,

sir, what you commanded has been done

and there still is room.

And the master said to the servant,

go out to the highways and hedges

and compel people.

Compel them.

Compel people to come in.

That my house may be filled.

For I tell you,

none of those men

who were invited

shall taste my banquet.

Third rule

to party like Jesus

is don't make excuses.

Don't make excuses.

When the Lord invites you

to get in on something,

please don't make excuses.

Because these people

had initially said they'd go.

I mean, when they got

the Facebook invitation,

they checked, I'm going.

And then they didn't show up.

When the time came,

they backed out.

They let other matters

come in the way.

Sometimes our business

gets in the way.

Isn't it amazing

how you always have time

for what's most important to you?

But when something comes up

for the Lord,

sometimes it's hard

to find the time.

The first excuse,

these are interesting excuses,

the first excuse

is that it gives,

the man buys a field

that he's not seen.

He bought it online.

online.

Some of y'all want me

to tell the truth.

Okay, they didn't have

online sales then, okay?

Just in case you didn't.

Somebody will call me out,

you know.

Is there a reason why

looking at the field

that he's already bought

could not wait

until after the banquet?

He was putting off

what the man

who invited him wanted.

You've been invited.

Don't put off

what God wants.

The next one

bought oxen

sight unseen.

Listen,

don't look a gift horse

and a mouse,

but if you're paying for it,

you better take a peek

at it, you know.

I bought a car

one time

sight unseen.

We were looking

to replace our vehicle

and we,

I was,

I was out of town.

I was at a meeting

and I took a lunch

and after lunch

I stopped by a dealership

and did not see

what I was looking for

and the guy said,

that's not a problem at all.

We own a thousand lots

across the country.

I can find whatever you want

and so I said,

well, I'll tell you

what I want

and I called my wife

to find out what I wanted

and then

I gave him the description

is a used vehicle

and it had this

and this

and this

and this

and this

and he said,

I found it

and we'll have it in,

I don't remember,

five days.

I was 160 miles

from home

and so I went back

to my meeting

and I went on home

and I mean,

we did the contract

and the whole bit.

I said,

what if I don't like it?

I mean,

what if it gets

and I said,

well,

if you just don't like it,

then,

I mean,

you're stuck

but if there's a problem

with it,

if it's not what we said

it was,

then,

then,

you know,

you don't have to buy it.

Okay, good.

So I went home

and they called me

and we rode

160 miles

to go get this car

and I got in the car

and we rode across

the parking,

the guy was driving,

excuse me,

the guy was driving.

We drove across the parking lot,

got in the road

and the pandemic roof

started vibrating

and I know it's a panoramic

but it started making

all kinds of racket

and I knew it wasn't

going to cut it

and I was just saying,

Lord,

don't let her hear it.

It didn't cut it

so I said,

dude,

this ain't going to work.

I said,

it wasn't supposed

to be in this condition.

Oh,

no,

it's not a problem,

not a problem.

So he turned around

and went back.

They took it back

in the shop.

Okay,

I'm not a guy

who could buy a car

and sit in the booth

and wait on them.

Okay,

I sold cars one summer.

I asked God

for forgiveness

and

and so I know

the strategies

that go with that

and I don't,

I don't sit there.

I don't like it

and so I went

looking for my vehicle

that I done bought.

Sight unseen,

guaranteed

and I walked back

in the shop

and they are

wiping some type

of silicone

on

the gears

of that

of that sunroof

to try to get it

to be quiet,

you know

and I heard

one of them say,

well,

I don't think

she's that worried

about it.

I walked up behind

them.

They didn't know

I was standing there.

That's the kind

of guy I am.

I walked up

behind them

and he said,

I don't think

she's that worried

about it.

So I walked back in.

She's sitting

in the lobby

and I said,

they don't think

you're worried

about it.

That changed

the whole atmosphere.

I promise you

and so we got

the car back

and took it

in the parking lot

from here

to the front door

and turned it around

and I said,

I want you to shred

every document

that I signed

the other day

because you didn't

do what you said

you did.

You said you'd

have it clean.

There's a coffee

stain on the back

seat that could

be wiped.

I can lick it

off if I wanted

to.

I said,

but you didn't

do what you said

you were doing.

You sold me

a bad bag of goods.

I don't care

how many car lots

you want.

I don't want

nothing to do

with you.

They said,

we'd love to

fill up your tank

and we're sorry.

They shredded

everything.

We'd love to

fill up your tank.

We're sorry.

I don't want

your gas.

It might have

water in it.

I'll be fine.

We drove home

and bought

another car.

I don't buy

them unseen

no more

because it

didn't work.

This man

bought something

unseen,

but that's

what this man

did and

that made

a great

excuse

not to be

a part

of a banquet

that he

was invited

to.

Now,

let's be

honest.

He didn't

want to go.

He didn't

want to go

and we miss

out on what

the Lord

wants us

to do so

very often

to be honest

because we

don't want

to go.

We don't

want to do

it.

And I'm

just telling

you when

God gives

it to you,

it is not

simply an

invitation.

It's a

commission.

He's charged

you to

share, to

compel the

world to

come to

Christ.

He said

it.

He don't

offer

suggestions.

And we

miss out

on so

much

because we're

so busy.

The next

one said

I'm married

and I

can't go.

And there's

a lot I

could say

about that

but there's

a sermon

on marriage

that I don't

want to touch

because I've

spent a week

moving into

a new house

and spent

the last

night,

last night

we spent

the first

night in

that house

and we

don't camp

but that

must be

what camping

is like.

Where do

we put

that?

Where is

that?

I will

say this.

Spouses

never get

in the way

of your

spouse

serving

the Lord.

Don't

do it.

I am

thankful

that God

gave me

a wife

that knows

that need

calls at

any time

and we've

been rerouted

on occasion

and I've

never heard

a complaint.

Don't

let your

spouses

legitimately

say

I can't

serve this

way

because of

my husband

or because

of my

wife

because in

God's

kingdom

we shouldn't

have any

excuses.

so

let's

get on

and party

like

Jesus.

Don't

do a

party

don't do

a party

what he

wouldn't

do

and that

may be a

whole other

sermon too

and don't

go to a

party where

he wouldn't

be welcome

you've got a

testimony

you've got a

reputation

and a

responsibility

and if

you're a

child of

God you

have a

responsibility

to win

the world

of Christ

you don't

have to look

like him

to win

him to

Christ

and if

you look

too much

like him

you will

not be

saw

you will

not be

light

hear me

church

don't go

to a

party

where

Christ

ain't

welcome

if he

walked

in

would

you

be

embarrassed

don't

do

things

at a

party

that

would

dishonor

him

instead

party

like

he

does

enter

humbly

invite

others

to join

you

and

quit

making

excuses

because

if

Jesus

is

your

Lord

and

Savior

we

got

a lot

to

celebrate

and

I

think

as

long

as

God

gives

us

breath

we

ought

to

stay

after

it

and

party

like

Jesus

with

every

head

bowed

and

every

eye

closed

if

you're

here

this

morning

and

you

don't

know

the

Lord

Jesus

personally

there's

never

been

a

time

in

your

life

when

you've

surrendered

your

life

to

Christ

and

ask

him

to

cleanse

you

and

to

change

you

and

to

renew

you

I

want

you

to

know

that

today

we

extend

that

invitation

we

don't

do

it

on

our

own

today

is

the

day

of

salvation

and

Jesus

is

the

same

yesterday

today

and

forever

he's

always

there

ready

and

willing

he'll

lead

you

and

when

you

respond

he'll

save

you

we'll

stand

in

just

a

moment

and

we'll

sing

but

more

important

than

that

is

that

you

follow

what

God

would

tell

you

to

do

anything

step

in

the

way

maybe

you're

here

and

you

know

you've

done

that

but

you've

never

acknowledged

that

publicly

salvation

to you

is a

private

matter

the

reality

is

Jesus

shows

us

and

proclaims

that we

are to

let others

know

what

Christ

has

done

in

us

maybe

you

want

to

join

this

church

today

and

let

people

know

that

you're

a

child

of

God

and

come

by

baptism

we'd

love

to

guide

you

through

that

process

if

you

have

questions

along

the

way

we'll

answer

them

we'll

guide

you

there

maybe

God's

drawing

you

to

this

congregation

you

know

that

God

would

have

you

to

be

a

part

of

this

congregation

we

invite

you

to

come

if

there's

questions

along

the

way

we'll

deal

with

that

you

just

obey

God

and

do

what

God

would

have

you

do

maybe

you're

here

this

morning

you just

need

to get

some

things

right

and you

can do

that

where

you

sit

and

where

you'll

stand

in a few

moments

or you

can do

it at

this

altar

you can

do it

with a

pastor

praying

for you

makes

no

difference

to me

my

burden

is

that

you

do

exactly

what

God

tells

you

to

do

I

had

somebody

last

week

tell

me

God

told

me

to

do

this

during

the

invitation

and

I

just

didn't

do

it

don't

let

that

be

your

story

when

Christ

invites

you

respond

no

more

excuses

heavenly

father

I

love

you

and

I

thank

you

for

the

opportunity

that

you

give

us

to

be

together

today

God

will

you

give

us

the

strength

and

the

boldness

and

the

obedience

and

the

fortitude

to

do

exactly

what

you

tell

us

to

do

nothing

more

nothing

less

right

now

oh

God

I

pray

in

Jesus

name

Amen

you