Daily Reflections on Lk. 14:15-24 (It's Party Time)

It's why I answered the call to plant a church. Nobody wanted to come to the party. Everyone was too busy doing their own thing, concerned abut their own stuff, only interested their own self-gratification. Others outside in the streets, the bars, the neighborhood, those hurting and searching and wandering were basically ignored. "We got enough to deal with on our own to worry about THEM."

The church I served before I left to plant a church is a great church. God touched hundreds of lives and ministries to others were springing up from within. I love those people dearly. But the larger a church grows, the more it can turn inward and lose sight of the needs of those outside of Christ. I found myself, as senior pastor, being pressed into purely administration, maintenance, and only preaching/teaching. My passion is extending God's love to those outside of God's family. Nothing thrills me more than sharing with, encouraging and offering hope to those stumbling through the darkness of a lost world.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost. He came as a shepherd to the shepherdless, as a hope to the hopeless, as a hand to the outcast and downcast, as a way out to the imprisoned, as good news to the poor, as vision for the blind, as freedom for the oppressed and enslaved. Jesus is the bread of life, the light of the world, the only way to God.

Jesus' desire was the same as His Father's, that all men and women would come to repentance (change your way of thinking to God's way of thinking) and become a part of His family. Join the banquet feast. Come to the party. For several years I've had a picture/painting in my office of an endless banquet table that is elegantly set, but all of the seats are empty. It's a constant reminder of God's unending invitation to those who've not yet accepted God's offer. It's so easy to get caught up with other things of seeming importance in life as a believer, a pastor, a church that we forget that God wants His table full, not a few full people at His table becoming lethargic and sleepy after another big meal.

God, I confess I've enjoyed eating at your table, stuffing and gorging myself on your word, the fellowship, etc. Forgive me for my lack of passion and action. I know you want your table full. Give me the insight and wisdom and passion to go to the highways and byways to extend your good news and invitation. God help me GO and not sit in my church waiting for people to come to me or my church. I want to party with the angels who celebrate when a person comes to faith in Christ.