Food has often been used as means of persuasion, coercion or behaviour control. We see it in families - a mother trying to coax her child into believing that if they eat their 'vegies' they will grow up big and strong and smart. Or the 'carrot-and-stick' approach that if they don't eat their vegetables, they will miss out on dessert. We see it in the school yard where only the ‘populars’ are allowed to sit in a certain place and anyone who dares to defy that unwritten rule is dealt with quickly. As for politics and the workplace, food has been a staple when it comes to doing business for centuries. Meals are often a place where power is exercised and games are played. Jesus is confronted by these power games at a meal today. Yet he refuses to play by the established rules, breaking the power games with love and expanding the table to all who are willing to sit down at a place of humility. We’ll explore and experience that today.

#5 in series: At the Table

THEME VERSE:

For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 14:11

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

God loves you just because. Until you live knowing that you are simply loved by God and you don't have to give to him to get something back, you will always be a Pharisee. Jesus invites you not only to engage with him but participate with him at the table, for it’s there that his gracious presence will totally transform you.

READING

Luke 14:1-24

FAITH TALK:

1. How would you describe ‘humility’?

2 What’s the best ‘excuse’ you’ve heard for declining an invitation?

3 Why do you think so many say “no” to God’s banquet?

4 What would it take to get you to come to the banquet of God’s deeper things?

You would think it would be customary for party or dinner guests to act per status quo -- as in being polite -- but when you get people together around a table with food, things can often go wrong. There's the' always late perso'n who comes when they are ready, your family's version of Uncle Bob who drinks way too much and wants to give everyone a kiss! There's the 'food critic' who is quick to offer advice on how they would have cooked it, the raconteur who dominates the floor and thinks they are Jerry Seinfeld or keen to impart the knowledge gained from their latest intellectual reading. There's the 'the wine spiller' or the one who doesn't know when to leave! It can leave the host wishing they had never invited the person in the first place. Today at the table, Jesus is that guest, who makes the meal one that the host and other guests will never forget…for all the wrong reasons. We'll explore that today as Jesus speaks a hard word; a word that may even offend, a word that takes aim at those who take refuge in ritual, rote, resources or routine rather than finding a place of trust in the only relationship that matters.

#4 in series: At the Table

THEME VERSE:

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7b

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

Jesus is never after acts of religiosity, but genuine love, compassion, mercy and service that overflow from a deep relationship of love with him. He throws the spotlight on your heart, not to condemn you, but to cleanse you, so that the beauty of his love may be completely reflected in your life and draw others in his presence where they can take refuge forever.

FAITH TALK:

1. What’s the most embarrassing or awkward meal you have hosted/been to?

2. Who’s the person in your family that you can count on to embarrass you at a family event?

3. Who are the people who are good at pointing out the hypocrisy between your life and faith?

We've all been there: You're having a pleasant meal when, out of nowhere, you take a bite or have a drink and suddenly you start choking, gagging and gasping for air as the food goes down the wrong way. It can be a painful and uncomfortable experience. Today, in an unexpected encounter at the Table, an outpouring of emotion and gratitude goes down the wrong way as the host of the meal chokes on a bit of Lamb that he considers too hard to swallow. But Jesus' promise is that all who willingly receive this gift of grace will discover a place of forgiveness that is not only easy to swallow, but will restore, renew, and release to live fully and abundantly. For love is born from forgiveness and forgiveness makes love grow. And from great forgiveness, great love grows. That's what we will experience and explore today.

#3 in series: At the Table

THEME VERSE:

“I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love. Luke 7:47 NLT

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

Bring Jesus your worst. He can handle it. Confess your worst. He will forgive it. At the table of his mercy, you will find a life-transforming grace that will lead to nothing less than spontaneous, unguarded, unplanned, emotional, and joyful worship.

FAITH TALK:

1. If you could meet any living person for a chat over a shared dinner, who would you pick and why?

2. Share a time in your life when you were incredibly thankful and relieved.

3. What difference does forgiveness make to your daily life?

Do you ever feel pressured to do it all? Be the perfect spouse, parent, child, employer, employee, Christian? Here’s the truth about having it all together. Jesus has not come for those who have it together, but those who are falling apart. He has not come for those who have made it to the top, but those struggling at the bottom. He has not come for the respectable, but for the despised. He has not come for those who are “healthy, wealthy, and wise,” but rather those who are sick, poor, and lost. He hasn’t come for the righteous but for the unrighteous, to give them a place of healing.

# 2 in series: At the Table

THEME VERSE:

Jesus answered them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Luke 5:31-32

REMEMBER THIS WEEK:

Jesus comes for those who are struggling and in need of healing. Unless you can admit your deep down and profound need of healing, Jesus has nothing to offer you. When you acknowlege that need, Jesus has everything you need.

READING

Luke 5:27-32

FAITH TALK:

1. In what circumstances do people hear the message: You don’t measure up or you are not good enough?

2. What's the most memorable banquet you have ever been a part of?

3. When's the last time you invited non-Christians over for a meal at your place?