by Dr. Paul Chappell

"Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready."

Luke 14:16-17

You have been given the task of inviting people to a heavenly, eternal feast.

Have you ever been invited to an event you really didn't want to attend? Maybe it was a party you knew would not be exciting, a gathering of people you really didn't know, or a work function that required attendance. We usually frown upon those types of invitations and either think of a good excuse to get out of them or begrudgingly attend them. On the other hand, have you ever been invited to an event that you were excited to attend? Perhaps a friend wanted to go to lunch, you were invited to your favorite sporting event, or you were given the opportunity to meet someone famous. Those events we usually do all we can to make sure to attend!

An invitation can be a positive or negative request depending on the event. Notice the event Jesus describes in Luke 14: "Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready."

A great feast was being prepared. Rich foods, good company, and a time of enjoyment was to be enjoyed. The master of the feast sent out invitations ("bade many") and wanted for many people to be in attendance. The tradition of eastern culture at the time was for the host to invite guests, who would then wait for the host's servant to return days later when the meal was ready and follow him to the feast. Because of lack of refrigeration and preservation, the servant was sent to announce the readiness of the feast.

God is preparing a great feast for His children right now. He has bade many to come, inviting them to be part of His family and enjoy His goodness through salvation. And now that the time of the feast comes close, He has sent us as His servants to invite those who aren't part of His family to come to the feast.

God send out His invitation in Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." But He has also sent us as His messengers to tell people of His invitation.

You are God's messenger to those who aren't part of God's family. He's preparing a wonderful feast and joyful eternity for those who accept His gift of salvation. God wants everyone to be part of His feast. While you are on earth, God's desire is that you would bring as many people to the feast with you as possible.

If you were invited to a formal dinner with the President of the United States and were told you could bring as many people as you wanted, you'd invited as many people as you could, right? Even greater, you have been invited to an eternal feast with the Lord of lords, and He has invited anyone who will believe on Him to come.

How many people will be in Heaven because of your invitation? You have been given the task of telling people of God's invitation to them. Some people don't know, others are confused about the meaning, and some willingly reject the invitation. But God wants you to be faithful in inviting people.

As excited and outgoing as you would be about inviting people to a dinner with the President, eagerly invite people to God's feast. Don't be shy about inviting others, but let them know that they have a seat waiting at God's table if they will trust Him for salvation.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Nehemiah 7-9 | Acts 3