The vision of Sinai Church is…

May His house be filled by bringing lives to Christ so they may live and serve in community within the culture of the Kingdom and the church.

 

1. Evangelism (Commission)
2. Relationships (Community)
3. Values (Culture)

Luke 14:16-24 (ESV)

16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 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.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

5 Questions To Better Study His Word:

What is going on?

What’s the connection?

What’s the lesson for the original audience?

What’s the lesson for me today?

What am I going to do about it?

Luke 14:1 (ESV)

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully.

1) Jesus knew they were trying to catch Him making a mistake. (V.1)

2) Jesus heals a man with dropsy and He knows they have an issue with it. (V.2-6)

Luke 14:5-6 (ESV)

And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” And they could not reply to these things.

Luke 20:26 (ESV)

And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Luke 11:31 (ESV)

The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.

3) Jesus introduced an ethical teaching directed to the guests & partakers of the meal about meekness & humility. (V.7-11)

Luke 14:7-11 (ESV)

7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who 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. 10 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 will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

4) Jesus introduced an ethical teaching directed to the host about service to the needy. (V.12-14)

Luke 14:12-14 (NLT)

12 Then he turned to his host. “When you put on a luncheon or a banquet,” he said, “don’t invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward.13 Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.14 Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you.”

Serving the needy is a characteristic of the proper attitude toward others.

These two ethical teachings are all tied to an invitation to a meal.

• False Popularity— The guests were self-seeking honor by maneuvering their way to better seating of positioning.
• False Hospitality— The host was self-seeking in his selection of guests, inviting only those who are able to reciprocate.

Our motive should always be the praise of God and not the applause of men.

Luke 14:15 (ESV)

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!”

#1) PRIORITIZED PRIORITIES (V. 16-17)

Luke 14:16-17 (ESV)

16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 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.’

1 Timothy 2:1-4 (NLT)

1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.

There is nothing more important in life than the salvation of mankind.

 

The Sinai vision’s primary focus is to bring lives to Christ, the host of the banquet.

 

Philippians 3:10-11 (NLT)

I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

John 17:3 (NLT)

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

#2) EXCUSES EXPOSED (V. 18-20)

Three Types of Excuses:

A) The Cares of This World (v. 18)

Luke 14:18 (ESV)

But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’

B) The Deceitfulness of Riches (v. 19)

Luke 14:19 (ESV)

And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

C) The Pleasures of This Life (v. 20)

Luke 14:20 (ESV)

And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’

Matthew 13:22 (ESV)

As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.

Luke 8:14 (ESV)

And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

The enemy will choke out every Word (seed) if you are struggling with any of these three things.

#3) GRACIOUS GATHERING (V. 21-23)

Luke 14:21-23 (ESV)

21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

A) THE REJECTED

Luke 14:21b (ESV)

… 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.’

Until you realize you’re not a good person, you’ll never understand your desperate need for a savior.

B) THE GENTILES

Luke 14:23 (ESV)

And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.

• Compel them = make them = force them
  • This is not about forcing Christianity on people. This is to help them overcome their shame, feelings of unworthiness, shyness.

CONCLUSION –– #4) INCLUSIVE INVITATION (V. 24)

Three Lesson Jesus is trying to teach us:

• False Popularity— self-seeking position
• False Hospitality— self-seeking by inviting only specific people who can reward you
• False Security— self-seeking other things, thinking you still have time.

Luke 14:24 (ESV)

For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Luke 14:25-27 (ESV)

Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

• hate = love less

Mark 10:18 (ESV)

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.

John 14:6 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

• Our vision is to see His house filled by bringing people to Christ. Christ must be the center. We all need Jesus. We are all broken, lost, without Jesus.

• First, let’s make sure we have accepted the invitation… With true humbleness.

• Second, let’s go get the outcasts… the brokenhearted, the forgotten, the lame… With true hospitality.

• Third, let’s compel people to come into God’s house… With true security.