A Call to Prayer
Luke 14:15-23 (NLT) Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” 16 Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. 17 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ 18 But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ 19 Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 20 Another said, ‘I just got married, so I can’t come.’ 21 “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ 22 After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ 23 So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full.”
Theologically — This parable deals with the Israelites rejecting Jesus as their Messiah, and the Gentiles being “grafted in.”
John 1:11-12 (NLT) He came to His own people, and even they rejected Him. But to all who believed Him and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.
Prophetically — This parable speaks to the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb.”
We are asking for you to do 3 things:
1. Earnestly pray
Luke 13:29 (ESV) And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God.
2. Invite someone
3. Welcome everyone
1. The secret of prayer
Luke 11:1 (NLT) It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples."
“We don’t know the millionth part of one percent about anything. We don’t know what water is. We don’t know what light is. We don’t know what gravitation is. We don’t know what enables us to keep on our feet when we stand up. We don’t know what electricity is. We don’t know what heat is. We don’t know anything about magnetism. We have a lot of hypotheses about these things, but that is all. But we do not let our ignorance about all these things deprive us of their use.” —Thomas Edison
Many Christian simply don’t pray, because they don’t want to pray.
Genuine prayer must first flow from the heart and secondly through the brain.
Romans 8:26 (AMP) In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf…
“Our Methodist Fathers were mighty in prayer. They saved England by prayer. They shook the gates of hell by prayer. They opened the windows of heaven by prayer. How did they learn to pray? They learned to pray by being much in prayer. They did not talk about prayer; they prayed. They did not argue about prayer; they prayed.”
—Samuel Chadwick
The secret to prayer, is that we learn to pray from the heart.
2. The basis of prayer
A. God loves me
John 16:26-27 (AMP) In that day you will ask in My name, and I am not saying to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf [because it will be unnecessary]; 27 for the Father Himself [tenderly] loves you, because you have loved Me and have believed that I came from the Father.
B. God stands by His Word
1 John 5:14-15 (ESV) And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.
3. The limit of prayer
God has promised us…
If we ask we would receive?
If we seek we would find?
If we knock the door would be open?
Whatever we bind on earth, is bound in heaven?
Whatever we loose on earth, is loosed in heaven?
His ears are open to the prayers of the righteous?
The prayers of the righteous are powerful and effective?
Matthew 21:21-22 (AMP/ESV) “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, if you have faith [personal trust and confidence in Me] and do not doubt… 22 whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
John 14:12-14 (NIV) Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in Me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 And I will do whatever you ask in My name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 You may ask Me for anything in My name, and I will do it.
John 15:7-8 (AMP/NKJV) If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
John 15:16 (NIV) You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in My name the Father will give you.
John 16:23-24 (NIV) In that day you will no longer ask Me anything. Very truly I tell you, My Father will give you whatever you ask in My name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
1 John 3:21-22 (ESV) Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him.
“God honors bold prayers, and bold prayers honor God.” —Mark Batterson
4. The reach of prayer
One of the greatest tragedies when it comes to the prayers of God’s people, is we tend to focus on ourselves and our needs.
Numbers 16:41-50 (NLT) But the very next morning the whole community of Israel began muttering again against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the Lord’s people!” 42 As the community gathered to protest against Moses and Aaron, they turned toward the Tabernacle and saw that the cloud had covered it, and the glorious presence of the Lord appeared. 43 Moses and Aaron came and stood in front of the Tabernacle, 44 and the Lord said to Moses, 45 "Get away from all these people so that I can instantly destroy them!” But Moses and Aaron fell face down on the ground. 46 And Moses said to Aaron, "Quick, take an incense burner and place burning coals on it from the altar. Lay incense on it, and carry it out among the people to purify them and make them right with the Lord. The Lord's anger is blazing against them — the plague has already begun." 47 Aaron did as Moses told him and ran out among the people. The plague had already begun to strike down the people, but Aaron burned the incense and purified the people. 48 He stood between the dead and the living, and the plague stopped. 49 But 14,700 people died in that plague, in addition to those who had died in the affair involving Korah. 50 Then because the plague had stopped, Aaron returned to Moses at the entrance of the Tabernacle.
Recap:
What is the secret of prayer?
What is the basis of our confidence in prayer?
What is the limit of our prayers?
What is the reach of our prayers?
Psalm 27:8 (NLT) My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with me." And my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."