"IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS, AND THAT, AND THE OTHER"

IF IT WERE NOT FOR THIS, AND THAT, AND THE OTHER

by Pastor Mark Taylor 

“AND THEY ALL WITH ONE CONSENT BEGAN TO MAKE EXCUSES” LUKE 14:18  

In Luke 14: 16-24 our Lord tells us of a story that He is using compare this incident to the Kingdom of God. In these scriptures we see an invitation from a very good, kind, and generous man to all his friends. Instead of being grateful for this invitation to come to a “great supper”, they all rejected his offer by giving excuses. 

Today, that invitation is given to “many” by the Holy Spirit to come to the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, refreshment, and fellowship. “And the Spirit and the bride says come. And let Him that hears say come. And let him who is thirsty come. And whosoever will let him take of the waters of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17). But many people respond as the people in this story by saying I would come “if it were not for this, and that, and the other..” 

This is certainly a message to all those who have not received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, “to come”. But it is also an invitation to those who call themselves “friends” of His. In this story these people knew the man very well. This rich and generous man sent His servants to deliver the invitation to specific people who He knew well. You and I are the people of this message. 

The message for you and me is “come, for all things are now ready” (Luke 14:17). The Lord Jesus has done everything necessary to provide you the opportunity to come and fellowship with Him and use your gifts and abilities to serve Him. 

The Lord wants you to come and have some great fellowship with Him. But many are saying not now. They are saying “If it were not for this, and that, and the other..” I would read my Bible more, and pray more, and be faithful to the worship services. 

As you listen to the excuses in this story, you will see that they are very weak. One man bought some land that he had not even looked at. After he paid for it, he decided to go see it instead of going to the “great supper” of his friend. Another bought some animals to plow his field that he had not looked at or tested to see if they were able to do the necessary work he needed done. He decided to go see them after he bought them instead of going to the “great supper” of his friend. The third man used the excuse of his family for the reason he could not come. He could have brought his wife to the “great supper’, but instead, he used her as an excuse. 

After this generous man had received all these excuses, he became angry. Have you ever put in a lot of work and effort into something, and no one appreciated it? How did that make you feel? Possibly, angry? 

The Lord Jesus Christ has given you an invitation to come to His house at least on Sunday morning to have fellowship with Him and His other children. He has given you the Bible to study, He has given you open access to Him in prayer, and He has given you many blessings because He loves us. What has been your response to His invitation to “Come, for all things are now ready.” 

The Lord is also giving you an invitation to receive His blessings by living a life that would be pleasing to Him and a blessing to others. “Depart from evil, nd do good, seek peace, and pursue it. The eyes of he Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears are upon their cry. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil...” (Psalm 34: 14-16). 

Now you and I have a choice. We can follow the Lord and live a life of purpose and blessing to ourselves and others. Or we can make excuses. 

You are invited to produce good works through the power that the Lord has put into your life. “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that does not produce fruit, He takes it away. Every branch that produces fruit, He purges it (makes it better), so that it may bring forth more fruit.....I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 1-5). 

The sad news of this story is that those who made excuses would no longer have an opportunity to enter the house of this loving and generous man. The excuses they gave kept them from receiving many blessings. “For I say unto you. That none of those who were asked to come shall taste of my supper” (Luke 14:24). 

The good news of this story is that the invitation became open to others. 

If you feel unworthy today to serve the Lord Jesus Christ, He wants you to know you are invited to His Heavenly Home for a “great supper”. The invitation has been extended to “whosoever will”. “Then the master of the house said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor, and the crippled, and the disabled, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, t is done as you have commanded and yet there is still 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.” (Luke 14:21-23). 

Today the Lord Jesus is giving you an invitation to accept Him, to serve Him, and to love Him. Will you say yes? Or will you say “I would, if it were not for this, and that, and the other?”