Choosing the Kingdom Seat
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning that the seat at the end of the table is the seat of honor in the Kingdom of God.
Text: Luke 14:7-11
Date: 04/14/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 145
Description:
Jesus' luncheon with a group of Pharisees and lawyers continues after a confrontation over healing a man with dropsy on the Sabbath. In the silence that followed their public shaming, Jesus noticed how these "pious" Pharisees had fought over the seats of honor at the table. He takes the opportunity to tell a short parable about one of the core values of the Kingdom of God-- humility. We will analyze the parable and the short proverb that follows, from a Kingdom perspective-- considering its significance to both salvation and sanctification. We will realize that God's love of humility is not an ancillary teaching but one that is repeated throughout Scripture. We will also realize that when God became man and dwelt among us, the seat He chose and established for us-- was the seat of humility. In the end, we will learn that the seats of honor at the table of our Lord are by invitation only, and therefore the seat of choice for the Kingdom-dweller must be the rickety chair at the end of the table-- the Kingdom seat.
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I. Introduction, Phil. 2:5-8; John 1:1; Luke 6:44.
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 14:7-11.
A. Context
B. The lesson on humility.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 7.
a. Turning the tables.
b. When the "watched" becomes the "watcher", Luke 14:1.
c. The best seats at the table.
2. The example of self-exaltation, vs. 8-9.
a. The setting of a wedding feast, vs. 8.
b. The embarrassing situation, vs. 9.
3. The example of Kingdom humility, vs. 10.
a. Gravitating towards the last seat, Prov. 25:6-7.
b. Noticing humble Kingdom servanthood.
4. The proverb on pride and humility, vs. 11.
a. Looking at the words.
b. Both in the here and now and not yet, Job 21:7.
i. Examples from the "here and now", Ex. 5:2; Dan. 4:30-32; Dan. 5:26-28; Acts 12:21-23.
ii. Examples from the "not yet", Luke 1:20; Rev. 20:10.
c. Backing up the argument.
i. From the New Testament, Luke 18:14; Matt. 23:12, 18:4, 20:26-28; Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1Pet. 5:5.
ii. From the Old Testament, Job 22:29; Prov. 26:12, 29:23; Psa. 51:17, 147:6; Isa. 14:13-15, 57:15.
III. Application
A. From the perspective of salvation.
B. From the perspective of sanctification.
IV. Conclusion
