Luke 14:15-24
The Great Banquet Find others to do this study with you — friends, family members or coworkers — or join an existing group. You will understand more of God and better arrange your life around God’s Word as you pursue Him with others. This week we are focusing on the parable of the great banquet. Some have called this the parable of the excuses, but it is a wonderful teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven. This method of notification for large events was common in this day and age, as preparing a meal of this sort would take a significant amount of time and there were no telephones to get the word out when everything was ready. A meal like this would certainly have been involved a lot of work, so advance notice was given and when everything was ready, guests would be gathered at a moment’s notice. We cannot will ourselves to accept grace. There are no magic words, preset formulas, or esoteric rites of passage. Only Jesus Christ sets us free from indecision. The Scriptures offer no other basis for conversion than the personal magnetism of the Master. — Brennan Manning, “The Ragamuffin Gospel”
Share Your Story What is the biggest party you have ever given? Did you request that guests RSVP? How did that work out for you?
Welcome
Hear God’s Story READ LUKE 14:15-24 Read the passage together, and discuss the questions that follow. What do you think the banquet represents? Apparently the guests the first slave was sent to gather had already accepted the invitation. What reasons did each guest give for not attending? Do you think their reasons seem valid? Why or why not? Tyndale’s New Testament Commentary suggests that the first invitation represents the testimony of the Old Testament prophets, while the second, more personal invitation is the one that Jesus came to give. The church would be represented by the slave who went into the highways and hedges.
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The Parables of Jesus
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The Great Banquet
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So the host is intent on filling his table and not wasting his feast. What does it tell you about the host, that he requested the poor, the crippled and the blind be invited? What does this tell you about why Jesus came?
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What Scripture mostly does is teach us about God. Think about the meaning of this parable for a moment. In this picture of the Kingdom, consider Jesus as the host, as the banquet, and as the invitation. What does this show you about His nature?
Find Your Story in God’s Story
Now talk about how you will apply the wisdom you’ve obtained from the teaching and Bible study. Then think about practical steps you can take in the coming week to live out what you’ve learned.
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With which character in this parable do you most identify? Explain. WATCH THE VIDEO
NorthlandChurch.net/ParablesOfJesus Afterward have someone read the discussion questions in the “Hear God’s Story” section and start the conversation.
If this parable were retold in a modern setting, do you think the excuses would be the same? How can your group extend Christ and His Kingdom to others?
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JULY 8-10, 2017
DIGGING DEEPER
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