LUKE LESSON 38

     We will begin this study in Luke 14:16 "Then said he unto him, A
certain man made a great supper, and bade many:"

     We need to look for a moment back to the last lesson to see that
this man Jesus is speaking directly to here is the one who realized
that Jesus' sayings were true. This is Jesus speaking above.

     Luke 14:17 "And sent his servant at supper time to say to them
that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready."

     Jesus is spending extra time with this man, because He sees he
has potential. This is really a parable about being called to God, but
Jesus is using the occasion to prove a point about how shallow most of
these people at this dinner really are.

     Luke 14:18 "And they all with one [consent] began to make excuse.
The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must
needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused."

     This is a little bit like the ridiculous excuses people give for
not going to church. Not one of these excuses given are something that
should keep a person from church or from this make-believe dinner
party of the parable here. What does buying a piece of ground have to
do with not being able to go to a dinner party?

     Luke 14:19 "And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen,
and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused."  Luke 14:20 "And
another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come."

     This reminds me of our day so much. Everything comes ahead of
God. Just any little old excuse they think will get them excused.
II Timothy 3:4 explains this perfectly. The last part of verse 4 says
"lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God".

     Luke 14:21 "So that servant came, and shewed his lord these
things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant,
go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in
hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind."

     Jesus is telling this man that the Hebrews were invited into the
kingdom first. When they refused the gift of salvation through Jesus
Christ, then God threw the doors open to whosoever would.

     Luke 14:22 "And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast
commanded, and yet there is room."

     We see by this, that Jesus is correcting the opinion that heaven
is a small place, just big enough for the Hebrews, or as some people
believe today, just big enough for 144,000 people. Heaven is a vast
place big enough for every person who ever lived, but some who are
invited refuse the invitation.

     Luke 14:23 "And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the
highways and hedges, and compel [them] to come in, that my house may
be filled."

     This going out to the highways and hedges in the physical means
go beyond our family and friends and go to the stranger. In the
spiritual, this is speaking of going to those who are not the physical
house of Israel. He is saying, if Israel won't accept the invitation,
then go to the heathen. We see here, the word "compel" which falls
just a little short of force. He is saying bring them back without
excuse for my house must be full. The Lord offered Christianity first
to the Hebrew; and when they rejected him, He offered it to the
Gentile.

     Luke 14:24 "For I say unto you, That none of those men which were
bidden shall taste of my supper."

     We see, here, the same statement as when Jesus cursed the fig
tree. God will not force himself on Israel. Since they have rejected
Him, He turns to the Gentiles to fill the Father's house.

     Luke 14:25  "And there went great multitudes with him: and he
turned, and said unto them,"  Luke 14:26 "If any [man] come to me, and
hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren,
and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple."

     What Jesus is saying, here, is that none of our family or even
our own lives can be put ahead of Him. Our first love and obedience
must be to God. We cannot make gods of our family or even of our
ownself.

     Luke 14:27 "And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after
me, cannot be my disciple."

     We see from this that each of us have a cross to bear. Our cross
will not fit anyone but us. Every Christian has a cross made just
exactly for the amount of growth we have. Today, we hear very little
about suffering for Christ. Christianity is a way of life. Many
believers would have you think that there are only pleasures following
Jesus.  They have totally ignored Scriptures like the one above.
Pleasing the flesh is the opposite of what the Scriptures teach. Even
Paul was told by Jesus that He would show him the great things he
would suffer for Jesus. You will find this in the book of Acts 9:16
"For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's
sake." In Matthew 16:24 "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any
[man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross,
and follow me."

     We don't hear much of this today. It is a time of "good times"
religion. I seriously doubt God has much taste for this "new age"
religion without sacrifice.

     Luke 14:28 "For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth
not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have [sufficient] to
finish [it]?" Luke 14:29 "Lest haply, after he hath laid the
foundation, and is not able to finish [it], all that behold [it] begin
to mock him,"

     Before we make a commitment to God. we must first count the cost
and make sure that we will be able to carry through. It is really best
not to have come to God at all, than to start with the Lord and decide
it is too rough and turn around and go the other way. The world is
looking. If we fail, it doesn't just ruin us, but may even cause
someone else not to come to God.

     Luke 14:30 "Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to
finish."

     You see, our weakness effects others, especially if you are the
one who led them to the Lord. If we compromise, they compromise. If we
decide following Jesus is too hard and we turn our back, then they
will perhaps say: if we can't make it, I know I can't; and they fall,
too.

     Luke 14:31 "Or what king, going to make war against another king,
sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten
thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?"

     You see, the Christian walk is a continuous battle. The flesh is
warring against the spirit. The way of the world is flesh. Some times
the spirit has only us to battle all our family and friends. The flesh
call is great, as Eve found out in the garden of Eden. The battle is
to the death. Either the flesh succumbs to the spirit or the spirit
succumbs to the flesh. Everlasting life is the prize of the victor if
the spirit wins. Death and hell awaits if the flesh wins.

     Luke 14:32 "Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he
sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace."

     This is compromise. God will not allow compromise. This is the
very happening in our churches today. The world's music and dance are
coming into the church. Compromise means defeat for the spirit and
leads to death and hell.

     Luke 14:33 "So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh
not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple."

     You see again, here is Jesus' own words that those who follow
Jesus must give up the things of the flesh and live in the spirit.
They must forsake all for Jesus.

     Luke 14:34  "Salt [is] good: but if the salt have lost his
savour, wherewith shall it be seasoned?" Luke 14:35 "It is neither fit
for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; [but] men cast it out. He that
hath ears to hear, let him hear."

     We see in this that unless the salt does the job it was intended
to do, it is of no use to anyone and is cast out. The spiritual side
of this is: if we Christians do not do the job that we have been
called to do, we are of no use to God; and we will be cast out. What
is your job?  To do the will of the Father.



















































                          Luke 38 Questions

1.  Who is speaking in verse 14?
2.  Who is He speaking to?
3.  In verse 17, who did He say "come all things are ready" to?
4.  What excuses did they make for not coming?
5.  What do these excuses reminds us of in our day?
6.  In II Timothy 3:4, what were the people lovers of?
7.  If the first ones called would not come, who were next invited?
8.  Who were the first to be invited to believe in Jesus and enter
    into the Kingdom?
9.  When they refused, who did God throw the door open to?
10. What does the fact there was still room left show us about heaven?
11. In verse 23, what word stops just short of force?
12. ________ of these men bidden will taste of my supper.
13. What did Jesus mean by hating mother, father, and self in verse
    26?
14. What must we do to be His disciple described in verse 27?
15. Christianity is a way of ........... .
16. What is the opposite of what the Scripture teaches that many
    believe today?
17. In Acts 9:16, Paul was told what?
18. If any man will follow Jesus, what must he do that we read in
    Matthew 16:24?
19. What did Jesus compare to a Christian who jumps in with no thought
    of the cost?
20. What is worse than not even committing to God?
21. How does our relationship with God effect others?
22. What must a king consider before he goes to war when he is out
    numbered.
23. What is the war Christians are involved in?
24. What is peace at any cost, really?
25. If we do not ......... ....... , we cannot be His disciples.
26. What happens to salt that looses its savour?