Come, for Everything is Ready

We can turn back to our reading in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Luke, chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

Reading at verse 16 and 17.

Luke, chapter 14, chapter 14.

Luke 14 · chapter mention

But he said to him,

A man once gave a great banquet and invited many.

And at the time of the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited,

Come, for everything is now ready.

Come, for everything is now ready.

Where do you find meaning in life?

It's a big question and there's many different ways that we could go with it.

There's many different directions we could go with that question.

But as you look at this passage today that we've read in Luke 14,

Behind everything that Jesus is saying is that question.

And it's being answered, it's being shown,

Not in the deep ways where we can go all kinds of different directions,

But Jesus is really putting before the people then and before ourselves today as we gather here.

Finding meaning in life can be found in two different ways.

The way that we look at things ourselves and what we do,

Or the way that we look at the Bible.

So what's the first thing that comes to your mind when that question is asked?

Where do you find meaning in life?

What immediately comes to you?

I'm sure many, we've all gone in different directions with that thought.

It may be, well, family.

Family is so precious and so important.

Rightly so.

Family is important.

And that's where we find meaning in many ways.

It might be work.

Work is important as well.

But it's that where we find our meaning.

It's that where we find what is important in life.

It may be that we think of experiences,

Things that we want to do,

Places we want to go.

We start thinking,

Maybe I'll find meaning in life as I broaden my horizon,

As I look at the world through very different eyes,

And see what's happening.

Not just around my own small place here,

But in the wider world in which we live.

Maybe we'll find meaning there.

But what about faith?

Where does faith come in to your thinking of,

Well, what does life mean?

What is my meaning in life?

Where do I find my meaning today?

Where does faith fit in?

Other things are important.

Family and work and the experiences that we have in life,

They've all got their old place of importance.

But the Bible gives us a sense of putting things in the right order.

Faith is priority, or should be priority.

As Jesus says in another part of the Bible,

Seek first the kingdom of God,

And then everything else will be added unto you.

Everything else will fall into place after that.

And that's really what Jesus is saying here in this meeting with the Pharisees,

As they're called.

They were the leaders of the day.

The people who felt that they were so important,

And had all the answers to the meaning of life.

And yet they were missing the very fact that Jesus,

The giver of life,

Was here with them.

And Jesus here is at a meal with these people,

And he's using the theme of a meal to help them understand

What priorities we should have in life.

About what is important,

And what our priorities should be.

So as we gather today,

As we really have a sense of a new start in church,

When we have that sense of a new beginning,

A new term starting,

Everything that's going on,

What is our focus on?

Where is our priority?

Family, work, experience, or faith?

Well, Jesus here is talking about being given an invitation.

And we're going to look at, really, verse 15,

Down to verse 24.

That's going to be our main focus.

Because here he's talking about an invitation that has gone out.

And invitations are great things.

It's always nice to receive an invitation.

Many of you will have received,

I'm sure over the years,

Invitations to different things.

An invitation to a party.

An invitation to a wedding.

An invitation to a special event.

And it reminds us that people are remembering us.

A wedding invitation often has that word,

Would request the pleasure of your company.

And you're thinking,

They've thought of me.

They've thought I'm important enough to invite

To this special occasion,

That I might enjoy this day with them.

And it's great to get invitations.

It's lovely things.

It shows us that we're being remembered in that way.

But today we're looking at an invitation to something even greater.

And from someone far greater than any of us are.

We're thinking of an invitation,

Not to a wedding or a party.

We're thinking of an invitation to come to a person.

A come to see Jesus and who he is.

And come and see how important he is.

Not just for our life here and now,

But for our eternity.

For all that lies ahead of us.

The things that we maybe haven't even thought about yet.

As we go on in life.

What lies ahead of us.

We can all see our days going ahead of us.

But do we think?

But what then?

What about eternity?

Well, Jesus here is reminding us

Of an invitation

To come to him.

Coming back after the summer holidays.

It does feel like a new start in many ways.

Sunday school has started.

Explorers for the children has started.

We've got lots of different things

To look forward to in these coming months.

We think even of next weekend.

The Christians in sport.

And a time to invite people along.

To hear about the wonder of the gospel

In a different way.

And then to come and hear the preaching of the word

On the Sunday.

So we've got so much to look forward to.

And all of these things

When we think of a church

Or the activities of the church

Are opportunities to invite people along.

But do we?

You would invite people to a wedding

Or a party.

To a special meal.

Even just inviting people for a coffee

Or something like that.

But would we and do we invite people

To church.

To the church services.

To the church activities.

You would invite people

To special events

Because you want them to be there.

You want them to enjoy it.

But would you invite them

To church?

Well the more we love

A people

The more that would be our priority

In terms of saying come.

Come and hear

About this man Jesus.

Come and hear

From the Bible

What God is saying to us

About what our priorities

Should be.

The more we love

And care for people

The more we invite them

To come and hear

About Jesus.

And maybe today

You are here

Because someone has taken

The time to invite you.

And that's wonderful.

At least

We put out invitations

These invitation cards

Went out to many people

And maybe you are here

Because someone took time

To give you

One of these invitations.

But I bet

The majority of us are here

Because of someone

Who invited us.

Not maybe in this week

Or last week

But down over many years.

A friend

A family member

Someone who just came

And said

Look why don't you come

To church?

Why don't you come with me?

Come along and hear

From the minister

Who is going to be preaching.

Come along and hear

From the word of God.

We are

Most people come

To church

Because someone

Has asked them.

Someone has felt

That they are important

Enough to ask

To come along to church.

And people

Have responded

And come to hear

The good news

Of the gospel.

And so as we look

At this passage today

We are seeing

This invitation

That continues

To go out.

Goes out

Wic by wic

If you like

Because we hear

The gospel

Speaking to us

Again and again.

And we see

How people responded

To this invitation.

So we are just going to

Look at it

Under three headings today.

We are going to think

First of all

Of the invitation

That is given.

We are then going to look

At the excuses

That are made.

And then thirdly

We look at the outcome

That we see.

So the first thing

We look at is

The invitation

That is given.

Jesus as he tells

These parables

And there is more than one

In this section

We have got the parable

Of the wedding feast

In verse 7 to 11

The parable of the great banquet

Then follows after it.

He is having a meal

As I said earlier

With these Pharisees

These important people

As they saw themselves.

They had invited him

To come along

To this meal.

You think that is great

That is lovely.

But what we learn

As we read

In the beginning

Of this chapter

Is that their motivation

Was really to catch

Jesus out.

To find fault

With him.

And that is

No reason to invite

Anybody to anything

Just inviting them

To catch them out

Or to find fault

But that was their

Motivation

But Jesus really

Turns it back on them

And the invitation

That he has had

To come to them

He kind of puts

Back to them

And not in a way

That he is trying

To catch them out

But to show that

He has done

Everything for them

And that is really

What verse 17

Is all about

He is showing

That this great banquet

Has been prepared

For all who will come

Even the Pharisees

Who have it in for him

And he is saying

Come for everything

Is now ready

So the invitation

Is going out

And Jesus

Through that invitation

Is showing that

His concern

Goes far and wide

To all people

And to understand

How this invitation

Works

We must see

Just how it was

Back in Jesus' day

In verse 16

When it says

A man once

Gave a great banquet

And invited many

It goes on then

To say

And at the time

Of the banquet

So there was

A gap

It's a bit like

Someone saying

Save the date

And then the invitation

Comes

Later on

That's the same

Kind of situation

Here

Someone was going

To give a banquet

They would make

An announcement

And they would

Tell people

I'm giving a banquet

And you're invited

But it may be

Weeks or even

Months

In advance

But then at the time

When the banquet

Was ready

A servant

Is sent out

And says to the people

Come

For everything

Is now

Ready

So those who

Have been invited

Maybe weeks

Or months before

Are now expected

To come and attend

When the day

Of the feast

Arrived

Everything is prepared

The servant

Gives the invitation

What is Jesus

Saying to us

Here

About this invitation

He's saying

This is an invitation

That has been going

On for a long time

It's probably

You could look back

Into the Old Testament

Where the prophets

Are saying

Jesus

Is going to come

A saviour

Is going to come

He is going

To give you

A banquet

He is going

To give you

A feast

To feast on

And as Jesus

Arrives

As he comes

Into this world

He's saying

Now

Everything

Is ready

Everything

Is prepared

Everything

Is done

For you

So come

When you think

Of Jesus

Meeting other people

Like the woman

Of Samaria

Who he met

At a well

She was saying

To him

We know

The Messiah

Is coming

We know

About this invitation

That is coming

Through the Old Testament

But Jesus says

I who you speak

Of

I'm here

This is me

And that's what

We're seeing again

Here

These things

That you know

About

This invitation

To the banquet

That has gone out

He is here now

The banquet

Is ready

Come

And so

There is this

Wonderful invitation

To us all

And it still

Goes out

To this day

Jesus is saying

Come

And when you look

At the invitation

There's three things

About this invitation

It's a simple invitation

You just look

At the words

That he uses

He says

First

Come

Such a simple word

And yet

It says

So much

It's one of the

Greatest words

In the scriptures

Come

And you see

Jesus

Use it often

And the prophets

Use it often

They say

Come

Come

And that's what

An invitation is

It's all about

Coming

An invitation

Is to go

Somewhere

And enjoy

Something

And Jesus

Is saying

Come

Come

And enjoy

Me

Anyone

Who will come

Will be saved

That's what the

Gospel is all

About

There is an

Invitation

To come

To Jesus

And so

The invitation

Is simple

Come

The invitation

Reminds us

That everything

Is secure

Everything

Is done

For us

Come

He says

For everything

Is now ready

You don't have

To worry about

Bringing something

Yourself

You don't have

To worry about

Doing something

Yourself

Everything

Is now

Ready

How do you

Spell the word

Salvation

Start spelling

It in your

Head

Don't you

S

A

L

And so on

You start

Spelling that

Word

Well

A preacher

By the name

Of Dwight L

Moody

Once put

That question

How do you

Spell

The word

Salvation

And he was

Talking about

It in the way

That people

Will spell it

In different

Ways

You say

But how

Well he said

There are those

People

And you spell

Your salvation

This way

D

O

Do

That your

Salvation

Is based

On what

You do

That you

Will get

Things ready

But Dwight

Moody

Then turned it

Around and said

I spell

My salvation

D

O

N

E

Done

It is

Done

It is

Finished

Everything

Is now

Ready

So the

Invitation

Is to

Come

And it's

Not about

Changing

Yourself

Or doing

Anything

Yourself

It's

Coming to

The security

Of this

Invitation

That is

Jesus

Because he

Says

Everything

Is now

Ready

But then

The invitation

Is serious

It's a

Serious

Invitation

Because he

Says come

For everything

Is now

Ready

It's not

About putting

It off

It's not

About putting

It away

It's about

Coming

Now

Because everything

Is ready

And again

The word

Of God

The bible

Is full

Of that

Seriousness

Of this

Invitation

How often

You find

It is about

Now

There is

An urgency

In Isaiah

Isaiah 55:6

55

Verse 6

Seek the

Lord

While he

May be

Found

Call upon

Him

While he

Is near

It is

Now

In 2nd

Corinthians

Chapter 6

Verse 2

For he

Says

In a

Favourable

Time

I

Listen

To

You

And

In a

Day

Of

Salvation

I

Have

Helped

You

Behold

Now

Is the

Favourable

Time

Now

Is the

Day

Of

Salvation

There is

An urgency

In this

Invitation

It is

Simple

He says

Come

It is

Secure

Because

Everything

Is ready

And it

Is urgent

Because

He says

Now

Come

Now

What a

Wonderful

Invitation

That is

Given

To us

What a

Wonderful

Invitation

The people

Got here

But what

Did they

Do with

It

Well

We

See

Secondly

The

Excuses

Come

He says

For

Everything

Is now

Ready

And then

You

Go

Into

These

Verses

That

Follow

Verse

18

But

They

All

Alike

Began

To

Make

Excuses

Have

You

Ever

Made

An

Excuse

Not

To

Go

Somewhere

And

Really

It's

Just

A

Lie

Someone

Invited

You

To

Go

Out

And

I

Can't

Tonight

I'm

Busy

I'm

Washing

My

Hair

I

Can't

Tonight

Because I've

Got

To

Walk

The

Dog

There's

Always

An

Excuse

If you

Don't

Want

To

Go

Somewhere

You

Can

Find

An

Excuse

And

You

Can

Get

Away

With

It

In

Certain

Situations

But

Not

When

It

Comes

To

The

Gospel

Not

When

It

Comes

To

Hearing

This

Invitation

Come

Because

Everything

Is

Now

Ready

No

Matter

How

Hard

We

Try

To

Make

An

Excuse

!

No

Matter

How

!

In

Our

Own

Eyes

Write

Down

Your

Excuse

Not

To

Come

To

The

Gospel

What

Is

It

What

Is

Your

Excuse

Well

We

See

Here

Three

Excuses

That

People

Gave

And

The

First

One

Is

This

When

We

Think

About

The

Meaning

Of

Life

And

Where

Our

Priorities

Land

The

First

In

Verse

18

Is

This

The

First

Said

To

I

Have

Bought

A

Field

And

I

Must

Go

Out

And

See

It

Please

Excuse

Me

It's

Really

Talking

Here

About

Material

Possessions

This

Man

Had

Purchased

Property

He

Hasn't

Even

Seen

It

But

Now

He

Wants

To

Go

And

See

It

This

Is

More

Important

This

Is

His

Priority

The

Invitation

To

This

Great

Banquet

That

Can

Wait

And

How

Many

Of

Us

Live

Like

That

Or

Have

Lived

Like

That

Where

Our

Priority

Is

The

Material

Things

Of

This

World

Material

Possessions

I'm

Building

A

House

I've

Got to

Go

And

Buy

This

Car

There's

Always

An

Excuse

There's

Always

Something

That

Comes

Between

Us

Doing

What

We

Want

And

Coming

To

Church

And

The

Priority

Is

Falling

In

That

Direction

Of

Our

selves

That's

Our

Priority

And

The

Word of

God

Is

A

Word

Used

For

These

Kinds

Of

People

And

It

Is

Fool

You

Are

A

Fool

You

Think

Of

The

Man

Who

Was

Building

Bigger

Barnes

He

Didn't

Have

Enough

So

He

Was

Building

More

And

More

Barnes

To

Hold

His

Crops

!

And

The

Word

And

The

Word

Says

You

Fool

This

Night

Your

Soul

Shall

Be

Demanded

Of

You

It's

Foolish

To

Put

Anything

Between

Ourselves

And

God

And

So

Where

Are

You

Today

In

That

Sense

You

See

The

Second

Excuse

Here

As

Well

Another

Said

I

Have

Bought

Five

Yoke

Of

Oxen

And

I

Am

Going

To

Examine

Them

Please

Excuse

Me

Again

You

See

Here

This

Kind

Of

The

Way

Work

Comes

Between

Ourselves

And

God

I

Have

Got

To

Get

My

Career

In

The

Right

Path

I

Got

To

Get

All

Of

These

Things

!

Sorted

Out

Maybe

Then

I

Come

To

God

We

Pursue

The

Wrong

Things

Is

That

Your

Excuse

Today

Far

Too

Busy

To

Come

To

Church

I

Am

Far

Too

Busy

To

Commit

My

Life

To

The

Gospel

When

Things

Ease

Off

When

The

Going

Is

Cleared

In

My

Diary

When

All

Of

These

Things

Are

Done

Then

I

Come

Again

The

Warning

Is

That

We

Don't

Know

What

Is

Ahead

Of

Us

We

May

Be

Lost

Eternally

And

Maybe

Too

Late

And

Then

You

See

The

Third

Excuse

Verse

20

I

Have

Married

A

Wife

And

Therefore

I

Cannot

Come

You

Think

Well

That

Sounds

A

Reasonable

Enough

Excuse

Just

Happily

Married

I

Want

To

Devote

My

Time

To

My

Wife

Family

Is

Priority

But

Again

You

See

In

All

Of

These

Things

They

Are

Not

Wrong

In

And

Of

Themselves

But

They

Are

Wrong

When

They

Become

The

Priority

In

Our

Life

When

They

Keep

Us

From

Coming

Near

To

God

Are

You

Making

Excuses

Today

Are

You

Putting

The

Wrong

Things

First

Are

Your

Priorities

In

The

Wrong

Order

It's

A

Bit

Like

Saying

I'm

Not

Going

To

Go

Into

That

Swimming

Pool

Until

I

Learn

To

Swim

You

Can't

You

Can't

Do

It

You

Got

To

Go

In

You

Got

To

Go

Into

The

Pool

To

Learn

To

Swim

I

Remember

I

Remember

Being

In

College

Here

Many

Years

Ago

Now

We

Were

Learning

All

About

How

To

Weld

And

We

Had

All

The

Theory

We

Were

Writing

All

About

It

And

We

Learned

So

Many

Different

Things

And

Yet

I

Couldn't

Weld

Because

I

Never

Touched

A

Welder

And

You

Think

To

Yourself

You

Can

Know

All

About

!

It

But

Until

You

Actually

!

And

Do

It

It's

Useless!

And

In

Many

Ways

That's

The

Way

Our

Faith

Is

As

Well

We

Can

Know

All

About

The

Bible

We

Can

Learn

All

About

It

But

Jesus

Is

Saying

Are

You

Coming

Are

You

Coming

To

Follow

Me

Are

You

Coming

To

Put

Your

Trust

In

Me

And

You

Say

Oh

There's

So

Much

!

To

Give

Up

All

These

Excuses

But

What

Is

There

To

Give

Up

That's

More

Important

Than

Following

Jesus

Or

You

Might

Say

Oh

But

I'm

Too

Great

A

Sinner

Well

He

Can

Save

Anyone

And

That's

What

We're

Reminded

Of

Here

You'll

Say

Oh

I'll

Come

Later

I'll

Come

Again

But

Not

Today

You

Have

No

Idea

What's

Ahead

None

Of

Us

Do

So

It's

Not

A

Time

For

Excuses

Because

The

Risk

Come

He

Says

For

Everything

Is

Now

Ready

But

Then

They

Made

Their

Excuses

But

Finally

I

Just

Want

To

See

Very

Briefly

The

Outcome

The

Outcome

That

We

Have

Here

Imagine

You

You

Organized

A

Big

Meal

A

Wedding

With

Hundreds

Of

Guests

And

No

One

Came

How

Would

You

Feel

Sad

Angry

Dismayed

Be

All

Kinds

Of

Emotion

After

All

The

Trouble

You've

Gone

To

After

All

The

Expense

You've

Gone

To

And

No

One

Comes

Well

That's

The

Response

The

People

Give

Here

To

This

Invitation

To

The

Banquet

Nobody

Comes

They

All

Make

Their

Excuses

But

Jesus

Speaks

Then

Of

Well

We're

Not

Going

To

Waste

This

Banquet

Go

Out

He

Says

To

The

Servant

In

Verse

21

The

Servant

Reported

Back

Then

The

Master

Of

The

House

Became

Angry

And

Said

To

The

Servant

Go

Out

Quickly

To

The

Streets

And

Lanes

Of

The

City

And

Bring

In

The

Poor

And

Crippled

And

Blind

And

Lame

Now

Jesus

Is

Here

Saying

To

The

Pharisees

You

Think

You're

Important

And

You're

Saying

No

Well

The

Danger

Is

This

Is

Going

To

Pass

You

By

And

The

Invitation

Instead

Is

Going

To

All

The

Ones

That

You

Look

Down

On

The

Ones

That

You

Don't

See

As

Important

The

Blind

The

Lame

The

Crippled

The

Poor

They

Are

The

Ones

Who

Will

Come

And

There

A

Warning

There

For

Us

That

If

We

See

Ourselves

As

Beyond

The

Gospel

Or

Too

Important

For

The

Gospel

That

That

Invitation

Passes

By

It

Goes

To

Others

What

Is

God

Desire

Here

What

Is

He

Saying

He

Is

Saying

That

He

Wants

His

House

To

Be

Filled

As

You

See

In

Verse

23

The

Master

Said

To

The

Servant

Again

Is

Going

Even

Further

Now

Go

Out

To

The

Highways

And

Hedges

To

Those

Who

Have

Been

Almost

Abandoned

You

Could

Say

Compel

These

People

To

Come

In

That

My

House

May

Be

Filled

The

Invitation

Goes

On

And

That's

The

Way

It

Is

To

Be

But

How

Are

You

Responding

To

The

Invitation

Today

Come

For

Everything

Is

Now