The Last Excuse
by Rev. Kirby Williams
Learning from the parable of the Great Banquet that your next excuse for rejecting the Gospel might be the last excuse.
Text: Luke 14:15-24
Date: 04/28/2024, the Combined service.
Series: "Luke: Thy Kingdom Come" Part 147
Description:
Luke brings Jesus' luncheon with the Pharisees to its conclusion with the well-known parable of the Great Banquet. Jesus tells a story of a wealthy man who prepares a spectacular banquet and invites many guests. But when the time for the dinner is at hand, they all make excuses and reject the invitation. Not willing to waste his banquet, the master sends his servants into the highways and byways to invite the disadvantaged and disabled until his house is filled. We will carefully analyze this parable noticing its allegorical elements. Although the parable has many applications, we will consider it particularly from the perspective of the master and the eternal danger of making excuses when the Lord invites you to the wedding feast of His Son. Ultimately we will warn those who have heard the Gospel repeatedly but continue to make excuses as to why they will not accept Christ's invitation to salvation. For your next excuse-- might just be the last excuse.
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I. Introduction
II. Exposition of the text, Luke 14:15-24.
A. Context
1. The narrow door, Luke 13:25-30.
2. The Sabbath Midday meal.
B. The Great Banquet.
1. Setting the scene, vs. 15.
a. Describing the banquet, Isa. 25:6-9.
b. Determining the tone.
c. Summarizing the scene.
2. The invitation to the banquet, vs. 16-17.
a. The nature of the banquet, vs. 16.
b. The banquet is ready, vs. 17.
i. The use of hyperbole.
ii. The two invitations.
1) The nature of food preparation.
2) The first invitation.
3) The second invitation.
3. The excuses, vs. 18-20.
a. The excuses in general, vs. 18a.
b. The field, vs. 18b.
c. The oxen, vs. 19.
d. The wife, vs. 20.
e. The Theological importance.
4. The new guest list, vs. 21-23.
a. The host's anger, vs. 21a.
b. The new guest list, vs. 21b.
i. Repeating the list of the marginalized, Isa. 61:1-2.
ii. The location of the guests, Matt. 15:24, Rom. 1:16.
c. Expanding the guest list, vs. 22-23.
i. The outer reaches.
ii. The compulsion.
1) What it does not mean.
2) What it does mean.
3) Imagining the scene.
iii. The full house.
5. The judgment, vs. 24, Matt. 22:7, 7:21-23.
C. The allegory.
1. The mood at the luncheon.
2. The elements of the allegory.
3. The message of the allegory, Acts 1:8; Luke 13:27-30.
III. Application
A. Focus on the Master.
1. The centrality of the master.
2. What Jesus tells us about God.
a. A vital expositional point.
b. Everyone was invited, Rom. 1:20.
c. The importance of accepting the invitation, Matt. 5:20.
B. A direct invitation, Rev. 19:9, 3:20.
IV. Conclusion
