Sunday Sermon Outline: The Parable of the Dinner

Luke 14:16-24

The Parable of the Dinner

 

Introduction:

Luke 14:16-24, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; [17] and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ [18] But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ [19] Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ [20] Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ [21] And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ [22] And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ [23] And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. [24] For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’”

Luke 14:1, “went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread.”
 

I. The Places of Honor

 

“noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table” (Luke 14:7). 

 

II. The People of Honor

 

“When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment” (Luke 14:12).

“He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11). 

 

III. The Purpose of Honor
 

“those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6)? 

 

Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”

“I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). 

 

Matthew 21:31-32, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.” 

Conclusion:

“How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” [31] It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:29-31).

 

 

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Sunday Sermon Outline: The Parable of the Dinner

The Parable of the Dinner


Introduction: Luke 14:16-24, “A man was giving a big dinner, and he invited many; [17] and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come; for everything is ready now.’ [18] But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of land and I need to go out and look at it; please consider me excused.’ [19] Another one said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please consider me excused.’ [20] Another one said, ‘I have married a wife, and for that reason I cannot come.’ [21] And the slave came back and reported this to his master. Then the head of the household became angry and said to his slave, ‘Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ [22] And the slave said, ‘Master, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ [23] And the master said to the slave, ‘Go out into the highways and along the hedges, and compel them to come in, so that my house may be filled. [24] For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste of my dinner.’” 
     Luke 14:1, “He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread.”


I. Exalting Self v. 7
     “He noticed how they had been picking out the places of honor at the table.”


II. Picking Favorites v. 12
     “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment.”
     "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him” (John 1:11).


III. Choosing Real Fellowship vs. 21, 23
     "Go out …"
     “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matthew 5:6)
     Hebrews 5:12, “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food.”
     “I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32).
     Matthew 21:31-32, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. [32] For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”


Conclusion: “How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? [30] For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” [31] It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:29-31).




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Sunday Sermon Outline: Fellowship vs. Relationship

Fellowship vs Relationship
1 Corinthians 1:9-31


Introduction: 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”


I. Fellowship is about being baptized into Christ. vs. 10-16
     “10 Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment. 11 For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. 12 Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos,” and “I of Cephas,” and “I of Christ.” 13 Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul? 14 I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius, 15 so that no one would say you were baptized in my name. 16 Now I did baptize also the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I do not know whether I baptized any other.”


     Galatians 3:26-29, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”


II. Fellowship is about accepting the word of Christ. vs. 17-21
     “17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. 18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And the cleverness of the clever I will set aside.” 20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.”


     Matthew 28:18, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.”


     Acts 10:36, “The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all).”


III. Fellowship is about honoring the work of Christ. vs. 22-31
     “22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ (is) the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27 but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28 and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, 29 so that no man may boast before God. 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 so that, just as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.””


     1 Corinthians 2:14, “A natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.”


Conclusion: Philippians 3:10-11, “that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; 11 in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”


     1 John 1:3-7, “What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. 4 These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. 5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.”




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Sunday Sermon Oultine: Acts 2:42, Moving Toward Maturity

Acts 2:42
"Moving towards Maturity"


Introduction: Acts 2:37-38, "... they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?' And Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"
     Acts 2:41, "those who had received his word were baptized; and there were added that day about three thousand souls."
     Acts 2:42, "And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer." 

I. Walking in the Word

John 8:31-32; James 4:17; 2 Timothy 2:15 


II. Faithful in Fellowship
     Acts 2:44-45, "And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions, and they were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need."

Luke 12:15; Hebrews 10:24-25


III. Constant in Communion

Luke 22:19-20; Acts 20:7


IV. Persistent in Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17; Hebrews 4:15-16; Acts 6:1-7; 1 John 1:9; Ephesians 2:13; Genesis 4:26




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Five things that are killing the Restoration Movement: #4, Fellowship

Ours is supposedly a Restoration Movement, dedicated to restoring New Testament principles. There are few areas in which deviation has occurred more than in the realm of so-called fellowship.

What a grand New Testament word! Fellowship … koinonia! Oh, if only the modern church understood what it meant. Acts 2:42 gives us the traditional “big four” of worship in the early church. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” Preaching? Check! Lord's Supper? Check. Prayer time? Check! But what do we do with fellowship?

For most congregations, “fellowship” is the mish-mash of what's left over. We sing together, therefore it's fellowship. We have a time when the people can shake hands and greet one another, therefore it's fellowship. We have a potluck dinner after church. That's real fellowship! The ladies' quilting club is fellowship. The mom's exercise class is fellowship. The men's basketball team is fellowship. The coffee shop out in the foyer next to the book store is fellowship. The kids' trip to the corn maze is fellowship. It is this emphasis on the physical which is killing the Restoration Movement. We are fellowshipping ourselves to death, all the while missing the point of real New Testament fellowship.

Let's take a look at how the word is utilized in Scripture. Koinonia is used of fellowship with Christ (1 Corinthians 1:9; 1 John 1:3, 6), the lack of fellowship between light and darkness (2 Corinthians 6:14), fellowship with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14; Philippians 2:1), the right hand of fellowship offered to those being sent out to preach (Galatians 2:9), the fellowship of suffering with Christ (Philippians 3:10), the fellowship of faith within a home congregation (Philemon 1:6), fellowship with the apostles by the acceptance of their word (1 John 1:3), fellowship with God (1 John 1:3), and fellowship with one another IF we walk in the Light (1 John 1:7).

Koinonia is also translated as participation, sharing or contribution. In those senses, it speaks of sharing in the body and blood of Christ (i.e., communion, 1 Corinthians 10:16). The church is instructed to share sacrificially with others (Hebrews 13:16). We are told of the “favor of participation in support of the saints” (2 Corinthians 8:4; or “contribution,” 2 Corinthians 9:13). We read of contributions to the poor (Romans 15:26), and of participation in the gospel (Philippians 1:5).

That's it. No mention of dinners, concerts, praise bands, retreats, sports teams, exercise classes, or coffee and donuts. In fact, when you take a good look at those references, you see three particular ways in which the word is utilized: 1) Our spiritual fellowship with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; 2) the fellowship we have with one another through our acceptance of God's word; and 3) the fellowship that we share as we participate in financially contributing to the work of Christ.

Hmmm. If we take a look at our worship services then, the offering time would be more “fellowship” than the meet and greet time. The Lord's Supper would be more “fellowship” than the bagel bar. The preaching of the word would produce more “fellowship” than the stories, jokes and illustrations. Seeing an increase in faith and righteousness would be more “fellowship” than increases in the attendance and offering.

But as it stands now in a majority of contemporary congregations, fellowship is purely physical. It means the same thing to the church as it does to the people at the country club. It's about getting together and doing the things you like with the people you like. Our leaders are not shepherds … they're event promoters! With such an earthly view – and with so little focus on our spiritual fellowship with heaven – it is no wonder that the Restoration Movement is slowly but surely dying.