Sermon on 13 September 2021 by Ps Justin
Introduction
Following Jesus Christ is our primary calling. When Jesus came, what was His purpose?
Son of Man came… not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” - Mark 10:45
the Son of Man came… to seek and to save that which was lost. – Luke 19:10
I have not come… to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”- Luke 5:32
Jesus came to serve, to save the lost, to call sinners to repentance. What was the manner in which He did this?
Message
The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say,‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’- Luke 7:34
But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. – Luke 14:13
Jesus invited people to feast. His strategy for discipleship was through eating and drinking. Food was an important element in Jesus’ ministry. Eating and drinking together builds relationships, it brings communities together. The Greek word for fellowship involves partnership, unity and sharing, centered on Christ.
Before you invite a pre-believing friend to church, it is a good practice to first invite them to your home for a meal. It is easy to share the gospel at the dining table. Share love, value your friends, and embrace them through eating and drinking. Invite those in darkness. Evangelism and discipleship need not be complicated.
So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, - Acts 2:46
1. Table fellowship demonstrates hospitality and inclusion
The Greek word for hospitality is rooted on love for one another. Be generous with your time. Invite your pre-believing friends to join your group. Be careful about using the word fellowship. Fellowship must be centred on Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ was invited to a wedding feast in Canaan. In the midst of the feast, they ran out of wine. Jesus’ mother told the servants to do whatever Jesus said. John 2:5 teaches us about doing whatever Jesus says. When Jesus turned water into wine, this symbolized the holy and unholy. It is a universal symbol of inclusion and generosity.
This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. – John 2:11
In Luke 5:27-32, Jesus was invited to a feast by a tax collector, Levi. Jesus was asked by the Pharisees why He ate with tax collectors and sinners.
Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” – Luke 5:31-32
Jesus came to call sinners to repentance. Many accounts in the book of Luke tell us about Jesus being hospitable. Luke 7:36-50 tells us about Jesus being anointed by a sinful woman. Luke 24:28-32 tells us about Jesus sharing bread. Be hospitable and show hospitality.
But hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. – Titus 1:8
Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. – 1 Peter 4:9
You can impact someone’s life just through eating and drinking.
2. Table fellowship fosters relationships
Jesus calls us to express our love and solidarity with those who are“broken” and “hungry”(Luke 14:13).
Invite those who are in need. Conversion flows from communion (Luke 19:1-10).
In Luke chapter 19, Zacchaeus the tax collector, a sinner, wanted to see Jesus, and climbed up a tree to do so. Jesus told Him that He wanted to stay at Zacchaeus’ house. Zacchaeus repented. Repentance leads to salvation.
And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”- Luke 19:10
3. Table fellowship mirrors the character of God
We are all born again, commanded to live a life that glorifies God. It is not a coincidence that in 1 Corinthians 11:24-26 that Jesus wanted His disciples to remember Him by the breaking of bread and drinking of wine. The table was the primary symbol for Christian worship.
Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Closing
Let us continue to pray, ask God to open the door for the opportunity for you to share your faith, being bold. Live your everyday life for the glory of God. Live a life in the likeness of God, by the way we conduct ourselves. There is truth in simplicity. Foster a habit of eating with pre-believing friends, inviting them is an effective way to make disciples. Share the gospel, be commission driven. Bring forth the grace of God. Build a community.
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