Rescue: From My Wild Side

God throws parties for those who could never pay him back.

Our Lord's always been a party animal. This drove the Pharisees crazy. When the Pharisees partied, they would throw private parties, with an exclusive guest list of their friends, relatives, and rich friends. In Luke 14:12 Jesus says as much! But notice what else Jesus says. They'd only invite people who could pay them back!

Now, isn't that just the way our generosity works? How often are we generous just for the sake of being generous? Is our generosity motivated, at some level, by a desire to get something in return? We want to feel good, to look compassionate, to alleviate our materialistic guilt, to be praised for our good deeds, to be invited in return, or to be paid back with a favor, a business deal, a social invite, or an opportunity. It's called conditional generosity.

But God's generosity is altogether different than ours. Here is what Jesus says in Luke 14:13-14 (NIV). "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

These are the kinds of banquets God throws. He throws parties for those who are utterly incapable of ever paying him back. It's not that the well-to-do aren't invited. It's just that they never come!

The well-to-do don't come to God's parties.

In Luke 14:16-17 (NIV) Jesus tells a parable, "A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many quests. At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who'd been invited, 'Come, for everything is now ready.' "

The trouble is that all the people the man invited were people of great means. They are relatives, family members, rich neighbors, and people of status. When the invitations go out, no one responds. In Luke 14:18-20 (NIV) they give their excuses. "But they all 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.' "

All of these excuses are related to each person's self-sufficiency. "I've got my own field full of good things. I've got five yoke of oxen. I just got married. I inherited this dowry and got showered with gifts from my in-laws, and guests. None of these people needed the man's generosity because they were rich."

Of course, this outrages the master. Luke 14:21 (NIV) says, "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." Since he still has room to spare, the master orders his servant in Luke 14:22-23 (NIV), "Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full. I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will get a taste of my banquet."

As you can see, it isn't the well-to-do who partake of the master's banquet. It's the outcasts, the sinners, the tax collectors, the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. It's people who've been humbled and stripped of all pride, people utterly unable to repay. Christ offended people's sensibilities with his outrageous generosity.

Remember, all of this is in Luke 14. Now take a look at Luke 15:1-2 (NIV). "Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathered around to hear him (Jesus). But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, 'This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.' "

Jesus is talking to the same people in Luke 15 as he was in Luke 14. He is trying to make the same point in Luke 15 as he was in Luke 14. But neither the tax collectors, nor sinners, nor Pharisees were getting the point.

The parable of the prodigal son.

In Luke 15:11-12 (NIV) Jesus continues, "There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them."

What percent did the younger son get? 50%? What percent did the older son get? 50%? What percent did the father keep? 0%? Is it true that the father gave 100%, that he did not spare anything for himself, that he freely gave everything to his sons?

Luke 15:13-16 (NIV) continues, "Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything."

This son is a total scoundrel. He has absolutely no respect for his father and no respect for himself. If ever there was a young Jewish boy who should be stoned, and I don't mean that kind of stoned, it was this young man. His hunger was well-deserved. Let him scrounge with pigs. Let him smell like the hogs. Isn't that exactly how we should see it?

But alas, we could be wrong! Luke 15:17-20 (NIV) says, "When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' So he got up and went to his father."

Now come on! If the scrounging for food with the pigs doesn't make you sick, everything the son says sure ought to! Right? The Pharisees would have scoffed at the son's "supposed" repentance. "Of course he's repenting. He's gotten himself a little bit of that pig-house religion."

Some people have been the object of cynicism.

Now let me warn you, there are only two types of people in this room this morning. There are some of you who have been the object of such cynicism your whole life. You have come to this place because you've been broken, humbled, and humiliated. You are here because there isn't anywhere else to go.

On Thursday I was walking out to my truck when a frail woman with a weak voice called out to me from her car. "Pastor, can you help me?" It was raining and windy, so I invited the woman, her husband, and their schnauzer dog named Winston into our lobby to talk. They were tired and distraught. They'd been living at a campground in Virden until the campground closed for the winter. For the past few days they'd been living in their car. They called agencies all over town, but were denied help. They went to the gas station here to beg for help and were politely asked to leave. They went to Wendy's, and then someone told them, "Go to that church across the interstate. Someone will help you."

We were this couple's very last resort. Only after they had expended all other options did they even consider coming here. Everywhere they went, they were greeted with cynicism, but God had something different in mind for them at Lakeside. Your generosity treated them to a banquet at the Golden Corral and told them about the love of God. You groomed and medicated their tick and flea-infested dog and told them how God loves them infinitely more. You provided temporary shelter and gas.

God's grace is a generous banquet table.

Some of you are here not because you wanted to be, but because you had no other resort. You have come to receive mercy you do not deserve. You've surrendered all sense of pride and self-sufficiency, and come pleading for God's rescue. You've made a mess of your life. You know your sin. You are reaping the severe consequences for a life lived without God. You are crushed by your guilt. You know your shame. It's a struggle that you'd even lift your eyes to heaven. You've come wondering if God could forgive, or even should forgive someone like you. You have messed up so many times that you've lost count. You've hurt so many people and have broken so many promises to yourself and God. If God's grace were a banquet table, you'd gorge yourself.

Well you know what? God's grace is a banquet table-- and you can gorge all you want. Luke 15:20-24 (NIV) says, "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

Did you catch the possessive pronouns? Notice that the father did not say, "Bring my best robe. Bring my ring. Bring my sandals. Bring my fattened calf." The father freely gave up all those things, and why? For you. " 'For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate."

If you are like the younger son, remember that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. The calf has been slaughtered and the feast is ready. Come celebrate God's abundant grace. You are the object of God's love, not of his contempt.

Some people are cynical, and disbelieve the power of God to redeem wasted lives.

But as I said, there are two types of people among us this morning. It's been said that cynicism is the enemy of love. Some of you are the cynical ones. You disbelieve the power of God to redeem. You've become a self-appointed judge of who is worthy to partake of this banquet table. You'd just as soon exclude those who don't measure up to your self-righteous standards. You'd just as soon people feel condemned and remain in their sins, then invite them to this table and lend them your hand. You'd just as soon throw a party for people just like yourself, for your family and friends, rather than celebrate this meal with your lost brother. When you see the father's generosity, it sickens you. You say, "They don't deserve it." But do you deserve it?

Luke 15:25-27 (NIV) continues. "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.' "

You know whose fattened calf it was, don't you? Remember, the father divided his estate 50/50, 70/30, or whatever was customary. It was the elder brother's calf! The younger brother was being redeemed at the expense of the elder brother. This is why Jesus says to us in Luke 14:13-14 (NIV), "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Our accounts don't get rectified on this side of our resurrection. There isn't anything we shouldn't give up to redeem those far from God. No price is too great. But listen to the elder brother's response.

Luke 15:28-30 (NIV) says, "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!' "

Did you catch the older son's concern? "You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes....."

Luke 15:31-32 (NIV) continues, " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "

Are we willing to invite those who are far from God to God's banquet table?

The other day I got a haircut. It took under 3 minutes, seriously! I go to a ghetto barber shop where they talk filthy, play country music, and there are dirty magazines laying around. Don't worry, I don't read them. As I sat in the chair the guy said to me, "Hey brother!" I said something really stupid. I said, "You're my brother?" He didn't laugh.

But then I thought to myself, "I pray one day that you will be my brother." But are we willing to invite those far from God to this banquet table? Are we willing to pay the price and to afford others our generosity?

This month we have a goal to raise ten thousand dollars to help people far from God find their way home. I doubt it would hurt us much to exceed that goal this month. But for God to redeem us, it cost him everything. He sent his one and only Son to die for our sins. We don't deserve it, but God has poured out his mercy and grace anyway so that we might celebrate his grace this day.