home > Pastor’s Desk > 2017 > November 16th > Not Welcome Here

NOT WELCOME HERE

Who is welcome to church? We could glibly answer, “Everyone!” But we all know that’s not true. There is a group of people who will never be welcome to our church! This group consists of perfect people. Our church will never be for perfect people! We already have people who have done things they are ashamed of. We have former thieves in our church. We have former liars in our church. We have men who have betrayed their wives. We have wives who have betrayed their husbands. We have young people who have lost their innocence. We have business people who have cheated. We have formerly religious people who have perpetrated the most vile hypocrisies. Each of these people have found redemption after they were warmly welcomed to our church.  

The kind of church Jesus described to His original disciples was made up of people who were either reluctant to come to church, or worst still, unaware of its existence. Yet when these reluctant souls did come in, Jesus foretold, they would find love, acceptance, and forgiveness. 

But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 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.’
Luke 14:16-17

 

JESUS NEVER DESCRIBED HIS CHURCH AS ‘NICE’

In this story, the Christ tells how those who might be described as ‘good’ or ‘nice’ were initially invited to the banquet. This is a picture of God the Father inviting people to His eternal heavenly banquet. But this lavishly generous invite met with an unappreciative response.

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.’ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’
Luke 14:18-20

These were the invited guests who thought that the banquet was about food. The best banquets are never just about the food on offer. We see this same confusion today with those who think that the Father’s invite is an invitation to become religious. God does not invite people to become religious – He freely invites people to become to His heirs! C.S. Lewis once described this invite as being like someone who is offered a holiday at a beautiful beachside resort and upon arriving there they find the nearest mud puddle to plonk themselves down in and begin playing with the mud for the remainder of their holiday time, when just a few yards past the obscuring fence, is a beautiful beach to enjoy! The Father’s offer to enjoy eternal satisfaction is often rejected by those who think that nothing could be better than the mud-puddle they are sitting in presently!

The Host of the banquet then turns his attention to those who do not deserve his favour and instructs his servants to invite a different kind of people-

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.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 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. For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
Luke 14:21-24

 

JESUS DESCRIBED HIS CHURCH AS ONCE ‘BLIND & CRIPPLED’

The poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame accepted the banquet invitation with gratitude. None of these people had to be convinced of their woeful condition. It takes humility to acknowledge when we are poor, crippled, blind or lame. The guests to this sumptuous banquet discovered not only delectable food, but that their host had the power to cancel their debts, open their eyes, restore their withered limbs, and enable them to enjoy a dignity they had previously had no hope of. As outstanding as all this was, their Host was to do something else for them that far outweighed these acts of grace. Each one of these unloved orphans was made a member of His family and given the full rights and privileges of now being made a member of the royal family! 

Each Sunday as we gather, we are ‘shadow banqueting’. Our church service faintly reflects the Royal Heavenly Banquet which awaits us. We have each received with gladness the offer to come to that Banquet. Thus, each Sunday, we hobble, limp, and stumble along to the shadow-banquet. Our church is not comprised of perfect people. And neither was the early church. The apostle Paul described the church at Corinth, in Greece, as being comprised of formerly –  ‘sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, men who practice homosexuality, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, swindlers’ (1Cor. 6:9-10). He then reminds them of their adoption into God’s Royal family and their new identities-

And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
First Corinthians 6:11

Who is welcome to come to our church? Imperfect, flawed, broken, hurting, lost, lonely, confused, people – that’s who! Help me this Sunday to extend a welcome to people who don’t know any better than playing in life’s mud puddles. As this welcome sign in the entrance of Coventry Cathedral states, these people may look like they have it all together, or they may look like their life has fallen apart. It doesn’t matter. As the servant reported back to the banquet host, “There is still room for more!“

 

Cathedral_Welcome

 

Amen.

Your Pastor,

Andrew

Let me know what you think below in the comment section and feel free to share this someone who might benefit from this Pastor’s Desk.

3 Comments

  1. Lynne Parry
    Lynne Parry on 2017-11-16 at 3:46 PM

    Very good, inspirational ,so true and may we, who by the grace of God are today a part of the body of Christ- the Church, always remember what we have been saved from and open our lives to all mentioned in “A Cathedral Welcome “.

    Reply
  2. Thomas Nielsen
    Thomas Nielsen on 2017-11-16 at 5:42 PM

    The awesome love of our Father God is amazing , what a wonderful and great God we serve.

    Reply
  3. Annie Riseley
    Annie Riseley on 2017-11-29 at 12:56 PM

    Praise our Lord for his Grace and sacrifice without it non of us would be able to sit at his table and be a partaker of his gifts. I, the least of all. There is no greater thing we can do, but to Love each other, as we do ourselves.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

HOW DID THEY UPSET MALACHI SO MUCH?

by | 2024-07-25 | Pastor's Desk | 0 Comments

Over the past twenty-nine years of pastoring Legana, I have generally preached through biblical books verse-by-verse. These biblical books series have been interspersed with various shorter topical series (which is why it took me eight years to preach all the way through the Book of Jeremiah). As I now commence my last biblical book teaching series, through Malachi, I hope to leave a deposit in your souls about the value and authority of God’s Word and how we need to worshipfully approach it. While we all want to “cut to the chase” and “get to the point” when we approach God’s Word we must do so carefully. This takes time. “Time” is what most people complain they do not have. This is why I am doing so much background work on this often-neglected book so that you can take advantage of my time investment on your behalf. In this series so far, I have introduced the context of this book, discussed who Malachi was, explored where Malachi was, and examined who was Malachi’s immediate audience. I am now considering why Malachi was so profoundly upset and what we can learn from his passionate love for God and His Table.

Read

FINDING JOY IN YOUR CHURCH THROUGH HUMILITY

by | 2024-07-18 | Pastor's Desk | 0 Comments

home > Pastor's Desk > 2024 > July 19th > FINDING JOYIN YOUR CHURCH THROUGH HUMILITY¶ For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body,though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.First Corinthians 12:12 What is a...
Read

YOU CAN DO IT!

by | 2024-07-12 | Pastor's Desk | 0 Comments

Both ‘adulting’ and letting kids really grow up can be too challenging for some! We generally don’t like change and tend to love comfort. Change is difficult. It is uncomfortable. On the other hand ‘comfort’ seems easy and familiar. But think about your life journey thus far. You began life literally being held by your mother. Then nine months or so – everything changed. And it changed because you had grown! In fact, ‘growth’ and ‘change’ are partners! One day you were in a basinet, then in a cradle, then in a cot, then in a bed – and were still not yet four years old! We are not meant to stay the same (although, as we get older staying the same in appearance would have been quite nice!!). You may have heard the saying that “God loves you just as you are, but loves you too much to leave you the way you are.” God knows that change will be rewarding and lead to you having a more fulfilling life. You may not like change, or even want to change – but you’re already an expert at it – and may not even realise it!

Read

THE 10 BIBLICAL PRIORITIES AND PURPOSES FOR A LOCAL CHURCH

by | 2024-07-05 | Pastor's Desk | 3 Comments

Christianity is both a vertical and a horizontal relationship. It is a vertical relationship of the believer with God; and, it is a horizontal relationship of a believer with other believers who are also a part of the body of Christ. This horizontal relationship is transacted within a local context in which God places the believer. Below are the ten priorities and purposes for a local church in which the believer is a vital participant…

Read

KNOWING GOD THROUGH THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

by | 2024-06-28 | Pastor's Desk | 2 Comments

When someone takes up residency in a new home they set about adding their own touch to their home. It might be as simple as a coat of paint or new curtains, but it could also be as major as renovation work like a new kitchen or bathroom. So they leave their imprint on the home. The same should be apparent when the Holy Spirit takes up residency in our lives. There should be a visible imprint of the renovations that have taken place.

Read

PENTECOSTALISM, THE TWO SIDES OF REVIVAL

by | 2024-06-19 | Pastor's Desk | 1 Comment

home > Pastor's Desk > 2024 >June 21st > PENTECOSTALISM, THE SIDES OF REVIVAL Pentecostalism began with a move of God - a revival. This happened on a Jewish Festival called the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1). This was when the Holy Spirit was given and poured...
Read

MY BIGGEST BURDENS

by | 2024-06-14 | Pastor's Desk | 3 Comments

A burden is something that weighs on you. You could be burdened emotionally because a relationship that is weighing on you. You could be burdened psychologically because of the weight of a looming deadline. You could be burdened spiritually because of the weight of guilt you are carrying. You could be burdened physically because of your weight and depleted strength. We all carry burdens. There are seasons in our lives where some burdens a big and you do not feel that you will be able to bear up under the enormous pressure you are under. Those seasons will pass. For those in leadership there is the constant burden of the weight of responsibility that must be carried. (Have you ever noticed what this kind burden bearing does physically to a President or Prime Minister over their term in office?) In the Bible we read that GOD actually gives people burdens so that they become stronger, wealthier, happier, and more productive. These types of burdens always involve caring for others. (Have you ever considered why Jesus was sweating great drops of blood as He was praying just before He went to the Cross via His hours of humiliating pummelling, beating, scourging, hair-pulling, and mockery?) I want to share you with you why I am now carrying an enormous burden that I would consider that biggest burden I have ever had to carry. I do so in the hope that this might help you to bear your burdens with greatest expertise and joy. Yes, joy.

Read

HOW TO DEVELOP YOUR RELATIONSHIP SKILLS

by | 2024-06-06 | Pastor's Desk | 1 Comment

This year we have been laying a foundation for knowing God and then each Sunday building upon it. Throughout June we are focusing on how knowing God enables us to find our joy in Him and consequently to discover that He enables us to find joy in our relationships with others. But sadly, for many people who have vowed to love, serve, and follow Jesus, this has not always been easy to do. This is why the current sub-theme of humility is critically important if someone desires to truly experience joy in each of their various relationships with others. 

Read

KNOWING GOD

by | 2024-05-30 | Pastor's Desk | 1 Comment

In the past few months, we have been hearing in Church and also by reading the Pastor’s Desks that through the Psalms and by the Fruit of the Holy Spirit, we can know God more. The Psalms show God as our Shepherd, God’s character is unchanging, we can be still and know Him, and that He is poetic. The Fruit of the Spirit reminds us that God is faithful, gentle and kind, and that we need to stay close to Him in the same way a baby gets nutrients from its mother through the umbilical cord. Knowing these things, we can become more like God as He helps us outwork His character in our lives. Philippians 3:10 challenged me in this regard some time ago.

Read

RULES RULES AND MORE RULES

by | 2024-05-24 | Pastor's Desk | 3 Comments

What comes to mind when you hear the word Rules? For some, it is a welcome relief to all the chaos surrounding us. Rules can provide comfort, safety, stability, predictability and protection. But for many others, as soon as you hear the word rules, it causes you to sigh loudly, followed by the instant urge to do the opposite. It can cause an immense sense of frustration along with that feeling of being boxed or caged in. Then some rules are plain silly as they make no sense, or there appears to be no apparent reason for why the rule/s exists in the first place. 

Read