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DEMANDING GRACE
Luke 14:25-35 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas July 8, 2018 25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. 34 “Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 35 It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile. It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” — Luke 14:25-35, ESV Every time Jesus drew a big crowd, He quickly ran off most of them. But as we look at the hard words in this passage, let us not forget the softness of Christ's heart. The gospel should always be heard with a fixation upon grace. Grace is the grounds of salvation. Grace is the unconditional and unmerited favor of our Lord toward the ones He chooses to save. Grace reminds us that our salvation is based not upon what we have done for God, but upon what God has done for us. Grace is amazing, as we are oft reminded in the unforgettable words of John Newton’s hymn. Grace is free, unaccompanied by any earnings or energy our part, as the inspired words of Paul teach us in Ephesians 2:8-10. Grace is amazing, yes, and grace is free, hallelujah, but grace is never easy. The virgin Mary was the first person in the gospel story to find “grace” with God (ref. Luke 1:30). From that moment on, her life was anything but easy. The Apostle Paul was the theologian of grace, and his writings span decades of severe suffering. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Author and Finisher of grace and faith, and just look at the price He paid. So, with the help of Dr. Luke, we have a new adjective to accompany grace. It is amazing, and it is free, but it is also demanding. Demanding grace, though strange the sound, is required to save wretches like you and me. Grace Demands Your Family Saving grace demands that we give up our family. Jesus prefers to use the word “hate.” Already, demanding grace puts us in controversy mode. Some claim the text is in error, since God is not supposed to her capable of hate, nor would He advise anyone to feel that way about anybody. However, hate is a word quite common to Holy Scripture, however, found almost a couple of hundred times. It commonly speaks of the way unbelievers feel about God; but, occasionally it speaks for God or God’s people. God hated Esau (ref. Malachi 3:1) and the ensuing context puts the word in an quite literal light. King David, the man after God’s own heart, actually hated people who hated God (ref. Psalm 139:21). As revelation progresses, we are advised to hate sin, not sinners; therefore, Jesus did not use the word in the literal sense in Luke. Scholars appeal to the fact that Jesus’ spoken language was Aramaic, and that there is an Aramaic word for “hate” that simply means to “love less.” Christ had already commanded that we cannot love Him and money, one must be loved while the other is hated. Indeed a Christian must love Jesus more than money, but that doesn’t mean we cannot enjoy money as a means of commerce. We can even have a strong appreciation or even attachment to some of the things that money can buy, as long as we do not love them more than God. So whether you appeal to the original spoken language of Jesus, or just read this text with an interpretive sense of hyperbole, Jesus is not demanding that we literally hate our parents or siblings. Jesus just demands that we give them up as we crown Him the Lord of life. I choose my words carefully here. Giving up is vastly different from giving away. Christianity does not require us to leave or shun our earthly family, even if they are unbelievers. It steadfastly requires us to put the Lord above them, then give them up, to the Lord. Anyone or anything you put under the Lordship of Christ is in a better position. Give up your family, for Him and to Him. Otherwise, you cannot be a Christian. This is demanding grace. Grace Demands Your Life As if giving up your family is not enough, grace demands that you give up your very own life. Here, the sermon produces pain. There’s no getting around it. Christ plays the trump card here, the “cross.” Though Luke wrote this after the fact, Jesus spoke this word before His own crucifixion became the substance and symbol of New Testament Christianity. We know what it means now. The original audience knew what it meant then. It meant death by impending execution, and embracing it in such a way that the whole world would know. A person dragging their own cross around Roman-occupied Palestine in those days was not a mystery. You knew what was happening. The word picture demands spiritual application. Receiving saving grace requires accepting demanding grace. The demands of grace include death. Yet, in dying, you literally get to start life anew. Paul, our theological of grace, said it best in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” Who doesn’t want a brand new, better, abundant, and eternal life? Total commitment is required. People think of commitment as some kind of hell on earth, but commitment to Christ is a heavenly experience, though not without some difficulties. Pilgrim’s troubles began in earnest after he became Christian. Life for saved people and lost people is exceedingly short in the measure of eternity (ref. James 4:14). It is much better to die and then live than to live and die. The demands of grace are overwhelmingly worth the pain and sacrifice. Grace Demands Your Thoughtful Deliberation Before Commitment Since the first and second demands of grace are so radical, Jesus encourages any inquirer to make no rush to jump in. Take your time. Think about it. Look before you leap. Or in His words, count the cost. Jesus’ words here are not just for the evangelized, but for the evangelist. Those of use who bear the yoke of demanding grace are bound to share it. But we are not to share the gospel like telemarketers or used car salesmen, with a quick pitch and pressured appeal. Sadly, this marketing approach is the mark of most modern evangelism. The deal of demanding grace is the Holy Spirit’s to close. Anything else promotes human pride, false assurance, and counterfeit conversion. When grace is only amazing, when grace is nearsightedly free, and when grace is not demanding, it is a dangerous grace. So, instead of simplistic approaches or silly so-called altar calls to try to trap people for Christ, let me offer more thoughtful suggestions. Share your testimony of others noting your life before, during, and after you received Christ. Give someone a Bible and show them how to read it. Earnestly invite them to the Bible studies and biblical worship services of your church. Above all, pray, pray, and pray. People should count the cost and coming to Jesus, to His amazing, free, and demanding grace. Grace Demands All Your Possessions Perhaps the sermon could have stopped here, but Jesus went on from preaching to meddling. He not only demands our family, and our own lives, but now He wants all our stuff, too. “All that he has” is demanded by the Lord in order to become His disciple. This is perhaps easier for communists than capitalists, which perhaps explains why the gospel often spreads faster in closed countries than free. But Jesus could have quoted Jackson Browne here and said, “I ain’t no communist, I ain’t no capitalist, … I am a patriot and I love my country.” Christ’s country is the kingdom of God, and those who enter lay down all their stuff at the border, marked by the cross of Christ. When conversing with children about the gospel, I always try to ascertain which of their toys is their favorite. I want to know if they would exchange it for the opportunity to become a Christian. Men are boys with bigger toys, so I think the same question could be asked of adults. Think about all of your possessions and proclivities. Is there anything you value more than a relationship with God through faith in, and faithfulness to, the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ? If money, or sex, or houses, or sports, or anything else comes between you and God, then you have not accepted the demands of grace. Grace Demands Your Perseverance Jesus finishes with a flourish with words about salt, dirt, and a pile of manure. The demands of grace are not only perplexing. They are persistent. Salt throughout the centuries has been used to improve the taste of food and to keep it from spoiling. You’ll understand this if you every try a low salt diet. Or, take a look at the amount of sodium in a can of soup. Jesus used salt as a metaphor for real Christians in the “Sermon on the Mount” (ref. Matthew 5:13ff); and, here, as a warning against counterfeit Christians. The doctrines of demanding grace include the perseverance of the saints. Justification always results in sanctification (from whence we get our word “saint”). Faith begets faithfulness. People who genuinely receive the gospel will live out the demands the gospel. In doing so, Christians make life better (through worship, good works, and evangelism) and last longer (eternity is a long, long time). False Christians do not. They profess for a season but soon leave the practice. They are, in the words of Jesus, people to be most pitied. They are worth less than a mound of dirt or a pile of you know what. Of course, our Arminian friends believe these words of Christ teach that salvation can be forfeited or lost. But the best interpretation of God’s word makes grace a permanent gift. At least when grace is amazing, free, and demanding. Demanding grace, how strange the sound, That saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now I’m found, Christ’s demands have set me free. These were the first words I ever heard from the Bible, effectually. They were preached to me by a Baptist preacher named Bill in January of 1982. Before then, the motto of my life could be summed up by the Jackson Browne song co-written with Glenn Frey, “Take It Easy.” Everything changed, however, when I heard about the not-so-easy grace of God. I was convicted by it, I graciously accepted it, and since then the sparks have flown upward. But nothing is more precious to me than the love of God given to me through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is all of grace. But, grace demands all. Copyright © 2018 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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THE DANGER OF HAVING DINNER WITH JESUS
Luke 14:1-24 Dr. Chuck DeVane, Pastor Lake Hamilton Baptist Church Hot Springs, Arkansas June 24, 2018 1 One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were watching him carefully. 2 And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. 3 And Jesus responded to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?” 4 But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away. 5 And he said to them, “Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out?” 6 And they could not reply to these things. 7 Now he told a parable to those who were invited, when he noticed how they chose the places of honor, saying to them, 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in a place of honor, lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, 9 and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this person,’ and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit in the lowest place, so that when your host comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at table with you. 11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.” 15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’” — Luke 14:1-24, ESV When profiles of people appear in newspapers or websites, a common question is asked. If you could have dinner with any person from any time, who would you invite? Appearing on most lists are the names of movie stars, famous athletes, U.S. presidents, and once in a while, Jesus Christ. But you’d better think twice before asking Jesus to your dinner party. The Pharisees did, and our Lord proved to be a most unruly guest. He offended the hosts and insulted the invitees, all to make salient points about the kingdom of God. See for yourself, and learn, the dangers and joys of having dinner with Jesus. Jesus Broke The House Rules You should know by now that among Christ’s enemies, the Pharisees were chief. Yet when they extended a dinner party invitation to our Lord, He accepted. Servants of Christ must be willing to go just about anywhere, anytime, to talk to anybody about the gospel. Jesus the rule-breaker breaks ground on one of His new rules for His followers here. Love your enemies. But do not be intimidated by them. On this occasion, Jesus also could not resist breaking one of their many man-made rules. The Pharisees had taken Sabbath keeping to ridiculous extremes, even denying help and healing to people because such activity was considered by them unlawful work on the Sabbath. Jesus scoffed at the Pharisees, healed a sick man, then dared them to complain about it. Course one was served. We cannot go around breaking rules just because they are not God’s. But we should smash to smithereens rules that are patently offensive to God and harmful to people. In our right hands should be love for God and His word, and in our left hands compassion for people and their problems. Get a grip on this and your life will be Christ-like and well spent, even though there may be the occasional embarrassing situation at dinner. Jesus Embarrassed The Guests After offending the hosts, the second course of the meal finds Jesus insulting the guests. The Lord had arrived early, then watched the other guests as they came in and scrambled for the best seats. After everyone was seated, Jesus told them a story that exposed their pride and promoted godly humility. John Calvin said, “The human heart is an idol factory.” Indeed it is, and the supreme idol is self. We want the best for ourselves, the best clothes, the best car, the best seat at the table. But sometimes the way to the top is found at the bottom. General admission tickets were sold for an infamous Who concert in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1979. In a rush to get the best seats, eleven people were crushed or trampled to death. Would you rather be last and live, or insist on being first, and die? With all due respect to the relative innocents at the rock concert and the guilty diners at the Pharisees’ party, Jesus’ serving of the second course is a summary of Christianity. High is low, low is high. Christianity is not about getting (hello out there, all you televangelists), but about giving. What have you given up so that other people can have a seat at Jesus’ table? A career, a few dollars, a little swallowing of pride, a little embarrassment at the risk of extending and invitation to someone to come to Christ or His church? Such are subtle ways to take the back seats, which may eventually place you on the front row, according to Jesus. Jesus Criticized the Guest List Now that Jesus has offended everybody, we move on to the third course of the meal. This time the criticism is aimed at the head Pharisee, the man whose home Jesus had come to dine. This is getting very awkward. Christ’s lesson for the leader was pointed. Quit doing good deeds with bad motives. It is a good thing to make dinner for others, so just do it. But don’t do it in order that you may gain something in return. Quid pro quo is the motif for modern life, but it is maxim unfit for the kingdom of God. This barb also highlights another principle of kingdom life under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Society in Jesus’ day had turned a blind eye to “the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind.” Jesus said we should put both eyes upon them and invite them to dinner. And even in our jaded age and welfare state, doing something for some is better than doing nothing for all. We do not have to risk our safety by picking up hitchhikers or get bamboozled by the panhandler on the corner, but we cannot leave ministry to our misguided government. There are good ways and fine organizations that bring poor people to the table, and Christians must take their place in the kitchen that serves them with food, clothing, shelter, and especially the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus Boasted of a Better Dinner Party Now that everyone is equally uncomfortable, it is time for dessert. Jesus saves the ultimate insult for last. This dinner party is okay, Jesus said, but mine is much better! Then, He goes on to point out why most people won’t get in. God loves the whole world, and for two thousand years He has been inviting everyone to attend His banquet, the marriage supper of the Lamb (ref. Revelation 19:9). In the short parable that closes this dinner party, Jesus crushes the excuses made by lost people and tells them they will only have themselves to blame for being shut out of Heaven. Some people won’t come to Christ because of their land, or other earthly possessions. Who buys land without checking it out first? It was just a lame excuse. People make similar excuses on Sundays, and everyday, instead of whole-heartedly following Jesus. People who love their stuff more than the kingdom of God will perish with the former and be shut out of the latter. Some people won’t come to Christ because of their oxen, or other earthly means of position or power. Oxen are necessary for work, and this man put his work before Christ and His kingdom. So do most people in our present world. Statistics show were are working more and more hours, while church attendance is adhered to less and less. Going to church won’t necessarily get you to heaven, but one cannot inherit the kingdom of God without responsible membership in Christ’s church. Some people won’t come to Christ because of their husband or wife, children, or other people. At least this is a better excuse than the other two, but it is the saddest story of all. I love humanitarians, because humanitarians love people. They sacrifice their own lives for the sake of family, friends, even strangers. But without the grace of God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the noblest of all family life and charity work is in vain. We know there will be evil people in Hell, but there will also be a multitude of really good husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, brother and sisters, who had their priorities in order, except for number one. There is a great danger in having dinner with Jesus, if you have not repented and believed the gospel. There is great joy, however, at the marriage supper of the Lamb. Eternal life, the new Heaven and new earth, the kingdom of God is for fully devoted followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. This good news has been served at this dinner party, and it will be made even plainer in the next paragraph in Luke’s Gospel. Copyright © 2018 Lake Hamilton Baptist Church, All rights reserved. Check out the weekly happenings at Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. |
AuthorDr. Charles F. "Chuck" DeVane, Jr., is the Pastor of Lake Hamilton Baptist Church in Hot Springs, Arkansas. His weekly sermon article, "The Gospel Truth," has been published in newspapers in Arkansas and Georgia. Dr. DeVane is a graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and has served in the pastorate for over 20 years. Contact Pastor Chuck at PastorChuck@lakehamiltonbaptistchurch.org
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