Preached by Gregory W. Lee
EASTER -- 23 March 2008
I. Introduction
-- turn in Bibles to Luke 14
16. Jesus replied: "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.'
19. "Another said, `I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
20. "Still another said, `I just got married, so I can't come.'
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.'
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.'"
25. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
27. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29. For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30. saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31. "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32. If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
34. "Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again?
35. It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
-- this weekend, I had the opportunity to watch the movie, "No Country for Old Men" -- the winner of this year's Academy Award for Best Picture of the Year
-- did anyone else in here see this movie yet? -- it was directed by the Coen brothers, so you know that it is a very violent movie -- definitely not a family friendly film -- but it is probably one of the most profound movies that I have watched in a long time -- it's easy to see why it won Best Picture
-- I'm not going to ruin the plot for you, but I did want to share with you some thoughts on the subplot that undergirds and provides meaning to this film
-- Tommy Lee Jones plays Sheriff Ed Tom Bell -- Sheriff Bell has been the sheriff in his county for a long time -- his father was sheriff before him -- and his grandfather sheriff before him -- Sheriff Bell has learned how to be a sheriff from these men who went before him -- from these old-timers who stood for justice in a community coming out of the wild west days
-- these old-timers were like Andy Griffith -- they didn't even carry a gun, but they were able to handle any situation that came up -- but now, as Sheriff Bell nears the twilight of his career -- as he is becoming an old-timer himself -- he is confronted with a new and different and frightening world -- and he doesn't know what to make of it
-- it started when he had to send a young boy to the electric chair for killing a 14-year-old girl for no reason at all -- and now, as this movie opens, he is confronted with an evil and a violence that he just can't understand
-- and so he has a choice to make -- does he enter into this new world of evil and violence -- continuing down the path of his father and his grandfather -- standing up for justice and righteousness and peace in a world gone mad -- or does he simply quit -- give up -- and retire
-- that is the question that I want us to ponder this morning because that is the question that confronts us all -- do we choose to stand up in this world as a true disciple of Christ -- choosing to be a beacon of justice and truth and righteousness -- or do we just give up and live our lives and let the world do what it will?
II. The State of the World
-- without a doubt, the state of our world is not good -- we open our papers -- we turn on the tv -- we listen to the radio -- and we are confronted with a world that has gone mad -- rising inflation -- an unstable economy -- and a world of crime and violence and war like nothing we have ever seen before
-- when I was a kid we used to read of the murders in Atlanta -- of the home invasions -- of the crime -- and we would go to sleep at night thankful that we lived in south Georgia where those things didn't happen -- but now they do -- and not a day goes by that we don't read of some violent act -- some violent crime being committed -- somewhere down here in south Georgia
-- there are some days that I just get overwhelmed by this -- I just can't bear to look at one more crime scene on tv -- I just can't bear to listen to one more story of robbery or rape or murder -- and so lately, I've found myself coming in from work, and rather turning on the news, I try to find an old sitcom to watch -- just something that offers escape from the horrors of this world
-- when you think of what people are doing today to other men and women -- people created in God's own image -- it just breaks your heart
-- but, you know, no matter how bad things seem now, they've been worse -- think about the story of Noah and the flood -- in Genesis Chapter 6, it says that the Lord saw how great our wickedness had become -- how every thought of our heart was evil -- and it grieved Him -- God was sorry He had made us -- and so God chose to start over by flooding the earth and killing everyone except Noah and his family -- the only righteous family left on earth
-- the world was bad in Jesus' day, too -- life wasn't just cheap -- it had no value -- it didn't amount to anything -- murder was common -- and people were killed at the drop of a hat -- if Roman fathers got mad at their children, they could disown them -- sell them into slavery -- or even kill them with no repercussions -- it was perfectly legal
-- it was a time of evil and violence and wickedness -- and similar to the decision that Sheriff Bell faced in "No Country for Old Men" -- God was faced with a decision -- how should He react to a world filled with evil and violence?
-- He had promised Noah and all creation that He never would destroy the earth again, so that wasn't an option -- so God had a choice -- He could do nothing and let mankind burn themselves out with their violent ways -- or He could enter into the world to stand up for justice and truth and righteousness and to be a beacon of hope
-- of course, we know what He chose -- God entered the world through Christ Jesus -- the Almighty God -- the Creator of the Universe and all that is in it -- allowed Himself to be clothed in flesh and to be born in a manger on Christmas morn
-- to live as us -- to be us -- to live a life of holiness and righteousness to show us a better way and to give us a hope for a new life
-- no other religion can claim this -- no other god entered the world in this way -- the false gods of Greek and Roman mythology sometimes entered the world, but not on man's behalf -- they entered for their own selfish gain
-- the god of Islam didn't enter the world -- he just sent his word to the prophet Mohammed
-- the god of the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses didn't come -- he sent a created being instead
-- the gods of Hinduism and Buddhism didn't enter the world -- they just pointed to nirvana and self-enlightenment through men like Buddha
-- but in Christianity, God got involved -- Jesus became one of us so that He might die on the cross to reconcile us with the Father -- so that He might offer us forgiveness from our sins and a new way of life with Him
-- when faced with the question of what to do with a violent and evil world, Jesus chose to enter it and make a difference for eternity
-- but He did more than that -- He stayed behind in the presence of the Holy Spirit and He issued an invitation to all who would hear -- He invited us to become part of His family and to sit at His banquet feast -- and He invited us to enter this world on His behalf and to stand up for truth and justice and righteousness in His name
-- so, it is a two-fold invitation that we are asked to respond to -- the first is for salvation -- the second is for discipleship
-- let's look at these separately
III. The Call to Salvation
-- look back at verse 16
16. Jesus replied: "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.'
-- in those days, it was customary for people to give out two invitations to their events -- the first invitation was given to just let people know that a banquet would be happening and to find out if they might want to attend -- the second invitation was sent out when everything was ready and when it was time for them to respond and to come to the banquet table
-- we see something similar in our spiritual lives -- in our lives, God has always been at work, calling out to us and telling us about His love and His Son Jesus Christ in so many different ways -- telling us that He offers us forgiveness from our sins and an eternal home with Him -- and then, when we are ready, the Holy Spirit speaks to our heart -- calling us to the cross -- calling us to come and believe in Jesus -- calling us to ask Him to forgive us of our sins and to cleanse us from all the bad things we have done and to come into our lives and to be our Lord and Savior -- calling us to put our faith and trust in Jesus for our salvation
-- but look at our responses -- verse 18
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.'
19. "Another said, `I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I'm on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.'
20. "Still another said, `I just got married, so I can't come.'
-- we've always got excuses for why we don't come to church or why we don't come to Jesus, don't we? -- Sunday's the only day I get to sleep in -- I don't like the service -- I don't get anything out of it -- I don't understand the preacher -- I don't like the music -- there's too many hypocrites in the church -- I can worship God just as good from my deerstand or from my back porch
-- but, in the end, it's all the same, isn't it? -- regardless of the excuse -- regardless of how valid the excuses might be -- the fact is you're choosing to turn down an invitation from Jesus
-- that's what the Jews did -- that's who this parable is really about, although it speaks to our day and our time -- God had sent His invitation to the Jews through the prophets and through His written word -- inviting them to look for the Messiah -- to welcome Him in and tell others about Him -- but when Jesus came, all the religious people of His day had nothing but excuses for why they wouldn't follow Him
-- so God turned to others -- verse 21
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.'
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.'"
-- God brought His message of reconciliation and hope and love to the poor and the needy -- to the sinners -- to those Jews and Gentiles in Jesus' day who were looked down upon and who were suffering the most from the injustices of their world
-- God calls you to salvation -- He calls you to come to Jesus in faith and to sit at His banquet feast -- He speaks to you every single day in a thousand different ways, but if you continue to refuse, you may miss out on the feast -- you may miss out on eternity with Him
-- God's first invitation to us is for salvation
IV. The Call to Discipleship
-- God's second invitation to us is for discipleship -- look at verse 25
25. Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said:
26. "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple.
27. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
-- what does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? -- what does it mean to be a true follower of Him? -- it means everything -- it means sacrifice -- it means commitment
-- Jesus makes that point very clear here when He tells us that if we would follow Him, we must hate our family -- we must hate our life -- and we must pick up our cross
-- now, understand this, the phrase that Jesus uses here does not mean "hate" like we typically think of when we hear, "I hate you" -- it's a Jewish idiom -- a Jewish phrase -- that means, "to turn away from -- to detach oneself from"
-- in other words, Jesus is saying, "If you want to follow Me, then I have to be the most important relationship in your life -- I have to be more important to you than your family or your own self"
-- there is a cost to pay to be a disciple of Christ -- regardless of what the tv preachers might tell you, being a Christian is not supposed to be easy -- being a Christian -- being a disciple of Christ -- means that you are choosing to make a difference in this world -- you are choosing to get off the sidelines and into the game -- you are choosing to enter the battle to fight for truth and justice and honor and righteousness
-- one day a chicken and a pig were walking down the street and as they passed by this restaurant, they saw a sign in the window that read, "Bacon and Eggs Wanted" - -the chicken looked at the pig and said, "You know, we ought to go in there and help that guy out" -- the pig said, "No way! I'm not going to do it" -- the chicken said, "Why?" -- the pig replied, "Because for you it's a contribution -- for me it's a commitment."
-- part of the problem in our churches today is that we've got a lot of chicken Christians -- Christians in name only, who are unwilling to pay the price it takes to truly follow Jesus -- to commit to living their life for Him and trying to make a difference in this world today
-- Jesus says that there's a cost -- and if you are going to claim to be His follower, you need to count the cost and be prepared to pay the price -- verse 28
28. "Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it?
29. For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him,
30. saying, `This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31. "Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand?
32. If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.
33. In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
-- where is our commitment to follow Jesus no matter the cost -- where is our dedication -- our determination -- our resolve -- our sacrifice
-- Jesus invites us to follow Him into this world -- to choose to enter this world -- to choose to fight the good fight -- to run the race -- to pick up our cross and follow Him because someone has to take a stand against the evil and violence and sin in our land
-- as Edmund Burke once wrote, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
-- the second invitation of Jesus is for us to count the cost, to pick up our cross, and to follow Him
V. Closing
-- In June of 1967, in a speech to students at Fordham University in New York City, Robert Kennedy, the brother of John F. Kennedy, said this: “Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change a world that yields most painfully to change.”
-- Jesus' invitation is for us to change this world -- to join Him in a battle of good versus evil -- to shine the light of truth and justice and righteousness in a world growing ever and ever darker -- to have the moral courage to count the cost, pick up our cross, and follow Him
-- in the movie, "No Country for Old Men," Sheriff Bell makes his choice -- he says that this world is just not for him -- and he chooses to quit and to do nothing to stop the evil and violence that confronts him
-- why do so many of us choose the easy way out like Sheriff Bell? -- why do so many of us choose to stand by and let evil rule the day while Christ urges us to get involved?
-- it's easy to choose to not come to church -- it's easy to come up with excuse after excuse of why we won't worship -- it's easy to turn down Jesus' invitation for salvation and forgiveness of sins
-- it's just as easy to claim the name of Christ and to come to church, but to come only to be entertained -- it's easy to contribute -- to offer up a little of our money -- a little of our time -- but to not commit ourselves to true discipleship or ministry for Christ -- to just stay in our pews and never enter the battle
-- it's easy -- but it's not right -- sometimes we have to make a commitment -- we have to be willing to make a sacrifice -- because it's the right thing to do
-- in the Book of Ezekiel, we read of another wicked time -- a time when the politicians and the leaders preyed on the people -- when the priests profaned the holy things of God and led the people into idolatry -- when the poor and the needy -- the widows and the aliens were being oppressed and brutalized -- when robbery and murder and violence was a way of life
-- and God said, in Ezekiel 22:30, "I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none."
-- if God was to look at America today -- if He was to look at our churches today -- would He find anyone willing to stand in the gap on behalf of the land and the name of Christ?
-- this morning I want to extend to you Jesus' invitation to join Him in standing for justice and truth and righteousness
-- it starts by accepting Him as Lord and Savior -- by believing that He was God and that He died on the cross for your sins and that He rose on the third day -- it starts by asking Him to forgive you and to come into your life as your Lord and Savior -- it starts by accepting His invitation to attend the heavenly banquet feast
-- and it continues when you accept His challenge to pick up your cross and to follow Him -- to count the cost -- to enter the battle -- to fight the good fight and to run the race with honor and with courage -- knowing that there is more to this Christian life than just warming pews on Sunday -- knowing that we are called to make a difference in this world and in the lives of those we know
-- for some of you, that may mean that you start participating in ministries outside the walls of this church -- it might mean helping the homeless -- or visiting the sick -- or ministering to others in need
-- for some of you, that may mean serving Christ on the mission field -- carrying your cross to other lands and raising the banner of Christ in other countries
-- regardless of what you may feel led to do this morning, I am going to invite you to respond to Jesus' call today -- the choice is yours -- you can continue to take the easy way out -- to do nothing -- or you can choose to be part of something bigger than you -- you can choose to make a difference
-- let us pray
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