Harmony of the Gospels

110. The great feast (supper)- Luke 14:15-24

 

-Jesus’ parable about the great feast and its invitees gives us a glimpse into the mind of God, and His longing for His people. It depicts His frustration and anger (righteous indignation) when, out of free will choices, they turn away from Him with excuses. And, it shows why He opens the door for others to come into the Kingdom, which was His plan all along (Genesis 12:3; 18:18). God has been inclusive with His Kingdom and has plenty of room for all. The command is to go out and find the poor, the crippled, the blind, the lame, and every other sort compelling them to come to the banquet of the Lord and His goodness concerning His Kingdom. The instructions to hit the streets and lanes of the city are there along with the highways (road) and hedges (byways, walls, barriers). *Application* Hopefully we can see the nature of God here and act on what He begs of us. Active service to grow the Kingdom is often something we would like to put on the back burner and not focus on. Here we see God’s urgency to include more and more guests into the feast because of the preparations made for it and its lavish extravagance. We are commanded to seek out the lost that are outside the Kingdom wherever they may be and bring them by convincing them in our faith. This means that our testimonies must be effective and real as the Holy Spirit guides and directs us in His mission to save the world. There is still room at His table and He wants to fill it (Luke 14:22-23). Do your part to invite people to the ultimate party!

 

Verse to Memorize-

 

111. Following Christ, bear your cross- Matt. 10:37-39, Luke 14:25-35

 

-Here in the words of Jesus, we see the cost of discipleship is high, and one must first calculate the costs before following in the nature of His footsteps. Otherwise, that one will be ridiculed because of his quitter mentality and inability to finish what was started. This devotion to discipleship exceeds love of family as we see here very clearly. In comparison to the love of Christ, the family and self is hated, which is a warning against idolatry within the family unit in devotion to one another over devotion to the Lord. The true disciple will pick up his cross and bear it daily as he comes after the Lord with endurance. “He who has found his life (in selfish living) will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it (Matthew 10:39).” *Application* Be a strong finisher of what you start in the Lord. The perseverance of the believer is the security of the believer in Christ and it must be sacrificial in totality, not in part and not wavering. You will be justifiably mocked if you cannot complete the task of discipleship, so it’s better to not even try if your heart is not totally in it and you really don’t believe. Get in the game by faith and go hard until the final buzzer in the Name of Christ Jesus after you have counted up the costs and decided it is really worth it.

 

Verses to Memorize- Matthew 10:37-39

 

112. The lost sheep- Matt. 18:12-14, Luke 15:1-7

 

-The heart of God is shown in this passage as He desires that none perish (Matthew 18:14). The rescue effort is on in earnest, and when that lost one is found there is great rejoicing as they are brought back into the fold of the Lord. There is great celebration over the lost being found by repentance on both earth and in Heaven. *Application* Repentance is the changing of the mind away from sin and the things of the world towards the mind of Christ and the ways of the LORD. The Lord loves your return to Him and all that entails. He is seeking you out because He loves you and wants to rescue you from the destruction of the enemy. When you come to Him and receive His grace know that there is tremendous rejoicing from on High and in every place where the Spirit of the Lord reigns! What a concept this is to internalize!

 

Verse to Memorize- Matthew 15:7