And Yet There is Room
Luke 14:22 “And the servant said, Lord, it is done as Thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ, when He was here on earth, was zealous in His Work,…..so that all would hear the invitation to the Kingdom.
He traveled all over Judea, even ministering to the Samaritans and a Phonecian woman…..delivering from disease and oppression.
The main theme of the messages: The kingdom of heaven is at hand….in the presence of the King, Jesus Christ. “Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy ladened” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Matthew 4:17 “From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
He healed many: the blind, saw….the lepers, cleansed….the lame, walked….and the wandering multitude were fed.
They heard again and again His Word…they praised Him for His Works…..they followed Him for what He would give….and sought Him out, for miracles.
The years He went to the feast of Passover:
The first …He drove out the buyer and sellers from the temple. (John 2:13-16). “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not My Father’s house a house of merchandise.”
This was a command from the King….one they refused, for two years later:
The last Passover, He drove out the buyers and sellers, again. (Matthew 21:12-13) “And He said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.”
Having refused His authority and blessing…….this time He quotes the scripture they said they believed….to honor His Father.
Everywhere He went……and when He sent His disciples out, the message was the same: the Kingdom of God is at hand……the people were going to have to make a decision about the King.
Luke 10:1-2, 9 “After these things the Lord appointed other seventy also, and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place, whither He Himself would come.
Therefore said He unto them, The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.
And heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The Kingdom of God is nigh unto you.”
(During the three years of ministry, Jesus gave two parables of a great supper….one in the personal sense in Luke 14, and the other before multitudes in the temple, a few days before they took Him in Matthew 22.)
Jesus was often invited to homes….several of them, Pharisee’s homes:
In Luke, someone had said, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.
Which prompted Jesus to tell the parable of “a certain man” who made a great supper. The man invited many, but when it was time to come, they all made an excuse to refuse to come.
(How many times do we feel we will do anything for God,….but when it comes time to do…..do we do?)
Jesus tells that this “certain man”, after His invitation was rejected, said….”Forget these who gave an excuse…….go out and get all those who are poor, and lame, and blind”. (This certainly describes each of us without Jesus)
And yet the servant came back and said….
Luke 14:22-23 “And the servant said, Lord, it is done as Thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.
And the Lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that My house may be filled.”
“Compel” here means to make them come in. Now this is what the Holy Spirit will do in the individual,…..as we, the servants….go out and give out the gospel.
(Yes, I was one of those “compelled” by the Holy Spirit. In my younger days, I was not going in His Way….as a matter of fact I had made a decision to leave the church and “do my own thing”. But, Hallelujah, God had other plans. And He would not let me go, and be lost!)
And now, Jesus has given us the charge to:
Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth.
Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
As Christ’s followers we are to deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow Him, personally. Growing in grace from here, to heaven.
As His disciples, we are to share our knowledge of our King, inviting all who will to enter into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Are we ready to do the work…..in Word and action….that He wants us to do today?
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 