The Power of the Invitation

“The Power of the Invitation”
by Pastor Dino Rizzo
November 2, 2020

When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the one who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ “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.’ “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ “Still another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ “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.’ “‘Sir,’ the servant said, ‘what you ordered has been done, but there is still room.’ “Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those who were invited will get a taste of my banquet.’”

• Luke 14:15-24 (NIV)

In Luke 14, Jesus is sitting at a table with all kinds of people. Jesus loved gathering. He loved a good party. In this passage, he tells the parable of the Great Banquet. 

In this parable, a man is preparing a banquet and sends his servant to invite the guests. The first guest uses his possessions as an excuse. His possessions prevented him from partaking in everything that God had provided. There is nothing wrong with owning possessions, just as long as our possessions do not own us. The second guest, who recently purchased five yokes of oxen, let busyness get in the way of attending the banquet. There is nothing wrong with being busy, unless busyness steals what God wants to do in our lives. Finally, the third person blames their spouse as the reason why they cannot come. There is nothing wrong with relationships, but we don’t want relationships to stand in the way of everything that God has for us. 

When the servant reported to the master that his guests had declined, the master told him to invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. This is a picture of the mission of the church. There are three takeaways we can glean from this parable: 

1. The power of an invitation: 

This story shows us the power of the invitation, that we need to partake and participate with everything God has provided for us. In this parable, Jesus is telling a story about how God has provided, and not only for a certain group, but for all people to come and participate. The heart of God is that everybody receives everything that he has provided for them. He is not a savior that wants anybody left out. The invitation changes everything. When we say yes to God’s invitation, he wants to experience all that he has for us. 

2. The power of being available: 

The guests who were not available for the banquet missed out on all that God wanted to provide for them. When our heart is open to all that God has for us and how he wants to use us, it’s amazing the reward we will see. 

The servant was available and flexible. Once the servant completed the initial task, the master still was not done inviting guests yet. That is a word for City Church in this season. Because the servant stayed fluid and flexible, he was able to be used in a powerful way. 

3. The power of inclusion

Like the banquet master, Jesus always wants to reach more people. The circle of provision kept being extended, and the search kept broadening. That is the heart of the church. We want to include people who are struggling with addiction, who just lost their job, who are dealing with broken relationships. Jesus came to preach the Gospel to the brokenhearted, and we are called to be a part of that. 

Additionally, there are two invitations we can receive from this parable: 

1. An invitation to serve. 

When we’re on the front row of serving humanity, we don’t have time for criticism and complaining. God wants us to be in the front row of what he is doing in humanity.

2. An invitation to give. 

When we have a God-first life, then giving becomes a priority. 

Reflection/Discussion Questions:

1. What excuses do you tend to make when God is inviting you into a new season? How can you revisit the invitation with this parable in mind? 

2. How can you invite others to experience all that God has for them? 

3. What can you do to serve in this season?

4. How can you make God a priority in your giving?