An Invitation to Grace

MP3 File: 

20110220 Sermon.mp3

People love a special invitation! People love to be invited to special events!

Remember a while back when Tareq and Michaela Salahi crashed the party at the White House? They weren't invited, but they showed up anyway. It created a big media event for about two days. People in high places were horrified that uninvited guests were able to get into a state dinner. At least one White House staff person was eventually forced to resign because of the debacle.

People want to be included, to be invited. And some go to great lengths to get in on the fun!

Last weekend, while Sharon and I were sitting in the airport, waiting to get on a plane to return to Minnesota, an airline worker announced: "We are now boarding First Class passengers ...If you are flying first class or if you have a AA advantage card, you are welcome to board now."
That's what she said. What I heard, though, was, "We are now boarding First Class passengers, but we are not boarding you. We're not boarding losers or second-class citizens. We are not boarding lowly peons like you. You have to wait.
Apparently some "economy class" people tried to get on board right away even though they weren't "First Class." Because a few minutes later they would make another announcement: "Remember, we are boarding First Class passengers only."

I wasn't invited to board the plane—not until later, after the "important" people were cared for.

People want to be invited, to be included. We don't want to be left out. We all want to feel special. We all want to be first class.

At least that's usually what happens. But on occasion the opposite happens. Occasionally some people will actually snub an invitation and turn down the opportunity to be included. Maybe they feel too important for the occasion. Maybe they feel imposed upon. Maybe they think they're too good to hang out with certain people. Maybe they don't respect the person who sent the invitation. But for whatever reason, they make some kind of an excuse so they can avoid the occasion.

Jesus told a story about just such an incident. The story is found in Luke 14.

¹⁶ ..."A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. ¹⁷ At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' ¹⁸ "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.'

Why would you buy property you've never even inspected? Real estate agents would love working with people who did so little investigation. I suspect, however, that this guy had actually seen it already. Now he just wanted to go and look at it—to enjoy it and feast his eyes on it. Either way, it was a poor excuse. He was saying: "I'm more interested in me and my things than in you and your special event.

 ¹⁹ "Another said, 'I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'

This guy had a similar excuse to the first guy. He's bought something he wants to try out—but I have to ask: Would you buy 5 yoke of oxen (10 oxen!) without a test drive? I don't buy a used car without a test drive, why would I buy oxen that way? It was a poor excuse! He was saying: "I'm a busy man with important things to do—you and your banquet are not important enough for me to pay attention to."

²⁰ "Still another said, 'I just got married, so I can't come.'

Well, this is a new one. He didn't use his business or his self-importance as an excuse; he used his family—his relationships! Did you know that your family activities can get out of whack? Did you know that good things can become obstacles to better things? Our priorities can become misplaced and even come between us and God! This man was saying: "I'm a newlywed. For the next year I'm going to use that fact as an excuse to avoid anything I don't want to do."

Deut 24:5 - Newly married man not obligated for military duty for one year after his wedding...so he could stay home and make his wife "happy."

Deut 20:5-7 - Other reasons to be excused from military duty: a newly built home not yet dedicated; a newly planted vineyard before its first harvest; engaged but not yet married.

²¹ "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.'

Jesus told this story to show how the respected and privileged people had become so full of themselves that they had rejected God's invitation. They were too wrapped up in their own interests and activities. They didn't have time for God because they wanted all their time for themselves. God sent an invitation, but they turned it down. On the other hand, there were others who would ordinarily be overlooked by the important people of society—those who were needy, spiritually poor, emotionally crippled, unable to see, unable to get around on their own. They would have been the beggars in the streets, the hungry, the hurting, the outcasts with lives broken by hard circumstances. Jesus told this story to show that these are the ones who will gladly receive the invitation. It's the hungry and the thirsty who will be filled...who will actually attend the banquet.

This was in great contrast to the OT expectations. It was only the best, only the pure and clean and holy who could get in. There was a law (Lev 21:16-21) that even restricted who from among the priestly tribe, the Levites, could serve in the holy place. None could serve who had a physical defect (blind, lame, disfigured, deformed, with broken bones, scabs, or eczema).

And yet here was Jesus saying that these are precisely the people who will get into the banquet!

²² "'Sir,' the servant said, 'what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.' ²³ "Then the master told his servant, 'Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. ²⁴ I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.'" Luke 14:16-24 (NIV)

One of the great truths of the Bible—God's message for humanity—is that God has called us! He wants us to come to him. God extends a call to all people everywhere, inviting them to come to his great banquet, to feast at his table of grace.

Jesus said, "Many are called..." (NIV: invited), but the sad reality is that not all those who are called will make it to the banquet. Not everyone will accept the invitation. "Many are called, but few are chosen" (Matt 22:14).

In the NT, the Greek word used for church (ekklesia), in fact, literally means those "called out from." We are called out of the world, called into fellowship with the Lord.

The call of God is central to our experience as believers. God's call defines who we are:

...you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ. ⁷ To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints... (Rom 1:6-7, NIV)

[Paul wrote] ...to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling... (1 Cor 1:2, NASB); NIV: "called to be holy"; NLT: "called by God to be his own holy people."

We find both our identity and our destination in the call of God. It tells us who are in Christ...and who we can become.

Over the next three weeks I want to talk about what this calling means to each of us in very practical terms. What difference does it make in our everyday lives if God has called us by his grace? What difference does it make that we know the hope of his calling? What difference does it make that he has called us according to his purpose? What difference does it make that he expects us to live worthy of his calling—a better, more excellent way of life?

God has called you! He invites you to receive grace, hope, purpose, excellence...

[God] has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord (1 Cor 1:9, NIV)

...think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, 29 so that no one may boast before him. 30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. (1 Cor 1:26-30, NIV)

This is a picture of grace! Think of what you were when you were called! That's when you realize that God's call is not based on our influence, our noble birth, our human strength or wisdom. Grace is seen in the basic nature of an invitation. Here's several things we understand about an invitation:

1.     An invitation honors you.

• It says: someone wants you! Someone values you.
• Example: Mr. & Mrs. Michael Middleton request the honor of your presence at the marriage of their daughter, Kate to Prince William of Wales...
• They just mailed out their invitations this past Thursday...so be watching your mailbox! They mailed invitations to 1,800 guests for the wedding, but only 300 are being invited to the reception. It's an honor to be invited to the wedding, but it's apparently even a greater honor to be invited to the reception.

2.     An invitation offers something to you. You'll receive benefits by accepting the invitation.

• Maybe it's a meal; maybe it's a show; maybe it's a half-off sale at the furniture store. Whatever it is, you're invited to receive something of value.
• The offer is not based on something you deserve. The offer is based on the kindness of the host. This is a picture of grace—undeserved benefit, unmerited favor. God's invitation is not delivered to those who are worthy of receiving it, because if that were the case no one would receive the invitation. But the invitation is for ALL—many are called—and it's especially for those who are spiritually poor, crippled, blind, and lame.
• An invitation answers the question: What's in it for me? And when the invitation comes from God, the answer is: Everything!

    Golfer Arnold Palmer once played a series of exhibition matches in Saudi Arabia. The king was so impressed that he proposed to give Palmer a gift. Palmer protested; "It really isn't necessary, Your Highness. I'm honored to have been invited [to play golf in your country]."

    "I would be deeply upset," replied the king, "if you would not allow me to give you a gift."

Palmer thought for a moment and said, "All right. How about a golf club? That would be a beautiful memento of my visit to your country."

    The next day, delivered to Palmer's hotel, was the title to a golf club. [Not just a single club—a 3-Wood or 7-iron—but an entire club:] Thousands of acres, trees, lakes, clubhouse, and so forth.

    The moral of the story? In the presence of a King, don't ask for small gifts! —Brennan Manning, Lion and Lamb: The Relentless Tenderness of Jesus (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker, 1986), p.165

3.     (And this is critical) An invitation is optional. It's not mandatory that you accept it.

• An invitation is not like a court summons. You're not "invited" to appear in court. A court summons requires that you come; it's not an invitation.
• An invitation is not like a legal warrant. You cannot choose to ignore a search warrant. You are obligated to meet the demands of the authorities.
• An invitation is not like taxes; taxes are not optional. "The Internal Revenue Service requests the honor of your participation in this year's Form 1040 extravaganza. Please RSVP if you plan to be part of this annual affair."
• An invitation leaves the decision to you. It's voluntary whether or not you accept an invitation. An invitation is optional.

4.     An invitation anticipates your response.

• If you say "yes," then you've obligated yourself in some way: you'll bring a gift, you'll give your time; you'll make an effort to attend.
• When you respond to an invitation, you've made a commitment. You've voluntarily obligated yourself.

In each of these descriptions we can see a picture of grace.

• Grace honors you—it recognizes your value and your worth.
• Grace offers something to you—the benefits and blessings of God's love.
• Grace is optional—God doesn't force you to accept the gift. (He came to his own and his own received him not; I longed to gather you as a hen gathers her chicks, but you were not willing.)
• Grace anticipates your response—we are saved by grace through faith, that is, through our acceptance of the gift and our obedient response to it.

Philip Yancey, in his book What's So Amazing About Grace (p 48), told a story that first appeared in The Boston Globe in June of 1990:

Accompanied by her fiancé, a woman went to the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston and ordered the [reception] meal. The two of them pored over the menu, made selections of china and silver, and pointed to pictures of the flower arrangements they liked. They both had expensive taste, and the bill came to thirteen thousand dollars. After leaving a check for half that amount as down payment, the couple went home to flip through books of wedding announcements.

The day the announcements were supposed to hit the mailbox, the potential groom got cold feet. "I'm just not sure," he said. "It's a big commitment. Let's think about this a little longer."

When his angry fiancée returned to the Hyatt to cancel the banquet, the Events Manager could not have been more understanding. "The same thing happened to me, Honey," she said, and told the story of her own broken engagement. But about the refund, she had bad news. "The contract is binding. You're only entitled to thirteen hundred dollars back. You have two options: to forfeit the rest of the down payment, or go ahead with the banquet. I'm sorry. Really, I am."

It seemed crazy, but the more the jilted bride thought about it, the more she liked the idea of going ahead with the party—not a wedding banquet, mind you, but a big blowout. Ten years before, this same woman had been living in a homeless shelter. She had got back on her feet, found a good job, and set aside a sizable nest egg. Now she had the wild notion of using her savings to treat the down-and-outs of Boston to a night on the town.

And so it was that in June of 1990 the Hyatt Hotel in downtown Boston hosted a party such as it had never seen before. The hostess changed the menu to boneless chicken—"in honor of the groom," she said—and sent invitations to rescue missions and homeless shelters. That warm summer night, people who were used to peeling half-gnawed pizza off the cardboard dined instead on chicken cordon bleu. Hyatt waiters in tuxedoes served hors d'oeuvres to senior citizens propped up by crutches and aluminum walkers. Bag ladies, vagrants, and addicts took one night off from the hard life on the sidewalks outside and instead sipped champagne, ate chocolate wedding cake, and danced to big-band melodies late into the night.

That's a picture of the banquet God invites us to. We're invited, not because of who we are but because of who he is! Because of God's amazing grace and generosity, all those with broken hearts, all those who are emotionally crippled, all those who are spiritually homeless and poor can feast on his love and forgiveness.

God invites you to his banquet. The only question that remains is this: Will you accept his invitation?