Dinners with Jesus - A Dinner with Levi

 Today we are finishing up our dinners with Jesus and the truth is that we could look at several other meals that Jesus had with people because Jesus loved to eat.  As you read through Luke’s gospel it seems like Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.  That kind of reminds me of the Grange Fair.  During the week of the Fair people seem to be either going to their favorite food stand, at their favorite food stand, or coming from their favorite food stand.  What this tells me is that if Jesus was here, He would be at the Grange Fair.  Maybe I need to rethink my views of the Fair.  

The other reason Jesus would probably be at the Fair is because that is where all the people are and Jesus, more than eating, loved to eat with people - all kinds of people.  In fact, Jesus got criticized all through His ministry for eating with the wrong people and today’s story is about one such meal.   

Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him.

Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them. But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

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 5:27-32

While we might not like tax collectors today, in Jesus’ day, tax collectors were truly despised.  The Jewish people particularly hated them because they were seen as traitors because they worked with the Roman government.  When Rome conquered Israel, different areas of the land were sectioned off and the rights to collect taxes in those areas were sold to tax collectors.  Those men would then turn around and collect all the taxes they could and anything they brought in over what they had to pay to Rome, they got to keep.  The Jewish people hated that some of their own people were helping support the Romans.  Tax collectors were to be avoided.  Many people saw them as being beyond redemption, beyond God’s grace and love, and beyond salvation.  

Levi was a tax collector.  He was despised by his people.  His only friends were tax collectors and other people in the community who were seen as being too sinful to receive God’s grace.  And yet the irony is that his name was Levi.  Levi was one of the 12 sons of Jacob and it was his family that was given the responsibility to care for the Temple in Israel.  Levites were the ones called to be priests.  Levites were the intermediaries between God and the people.  Levites were an honored people and yet every time this Levi heard his name, it was probably in a curse, or with hatred because of what he did.  Think of the gap between what his names said of him and his position in society.  Every time he heard his name, Levi might have thought about how far he had fallen.  

And yet…  Jesus called him to be a disciple.  Levi was not too far gone, not so unredeemable, that he could not become  a follower of Jesus.  Jesus called Levi to follow Him.  He was being called to be the disciple of a rabbi.  Who knows, maybe Levi had studied to be a rabbi.  Most young Jewish boys did.  He most likely started off learning the Torah and at some point was deemed not good enough, so he ended up collecting taxes, but now Jesus was saying, follow me. 

Think of all the things Jesus could have said to Levi?  You should be ashamed of yourself for working with Rome and betraying your people.  You should repent Levi and come back to the Lord.  There is no hope for you Levi.  There is no mercy for you Levi.  Change your ways and then maybe, MAYBE, God will forgive you.  

Jesus could have said words that kept Levi at arm’s length, but He didn't.  Jesus drew him in.  Jesus said, I want you to be part of what I am doing.  Jesus said, you belong to me - so follow me.  

Where the world had used a sharpie to cross out Levi’s name and place in the community, Jesus was using a highlighter to let Levi know that he was special.  He was important.  He was someone to be remembered.  Let me stop right here and make sure you know that while the world may want to use a sharpie to cross you out, God uses a highlighter to let you know that you are important and loved.  There may be times when we want to use a sharpie and cross ourselves out because we know our sin, our failures, our addictions, and our unfaithful actions, but God removes the sharpie and uses a highlighter to remind us that through His grace and love, we are forgiven.  You are special to God and as you place your faith and trust in Jesus, God highlights your name.  

God highlights Levi here.  God calls Levi to follow Him and he does, which means that we know his name and his story and not the names of the Pharisees.  The rest of Levi’s story is that he got up and left everything to follow Jesus.  Leaving everything meant that Levi left his job and any future he had as a tax collector.  If you walked away from a tax booth - you were walking away from your job.  You were burning your bridges with Rome and closing the door on that part of your life and all the income that came with it.  Levi left it all behind and then he spent some of what he had left to throw a banquet for Jesus and guess what - Jesus went.  

Jesus went to Levi’s house.  Jesus went to the home of a tax collector where the only other people invited were tax collectors, outcasts, and sinners.  And it was a great party because it said there was a large crowd and it was probably a noisy crowd. This party was the talk of the town.  It was the place to be if you were living on the edge, but not the place to be if you were a religious leader.  

The Pharisees and the teachers of the law who belonged to their sect complained to his disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?”

The religious leaders were critical of Jesus because the people at this party did not behave the right way.  They were sinners.  They did things so far outside the law that there was no redemption for them.  They didn’t behave the right way and they didn’t believe the right things because if they did, they would have changed their behavior.  The crowd at this party didn’t behave the right way and they didn’t believe the right things which means that they didn’t belong to God. They were not children of God.  

It says that those who complained about what Jesus was doing were those who belonged to the sect of the religious leaders.  Those that belonged to them, those that were true children of God were those who behaved the right way and believed the right things - that’s how you got to belong.  This was the system of religion in Jesus’ day.  You had to behave the right way and believe the right thing and you then could belong.  But Jesus turns this all around.  Jesus said to Levi, you belong to me.  Follow me, and then I will change your beliefs and in time your behavior, but first and foremost you need to know that you belong to me.  

By eating with Levi, and by eating and drinking with sinners, Jesus turned the religious system around.  You belong to me and if you follow me and live with me, in time you will see all that you need to believe and then behavior will change, life will change.  But to start, just know that you belong to me.  No matter what you have done, where you are, how you are living or what you are doing - you belong to me.  Romans 5:8, God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Christ died for us because we are God’s children who need salvation.  Christ died for us because we are God’s sheep who have gone astray and need to be brought home.  Christ died for us because we belong to God and need to be brought home.  We were still sinners when Christ died, which means that our beliefs and behaviors did not line up with God’s will, but that didn’t matter.  Belonging mattered so Jesus gave Himself so that we could belong and then through the gift of the Holy Spirit God helped us believe what we need to believe and behave the way we need to behave.  But belonging came first and belonging comes through Jesus.  

Levi didn’t do anything to earn God’s love or favor.  He didn't do anything before Jesus called him to belong to His family Levi simply belonged because Jesus highlighted his life and said, you belong to me.  Jesus said to those who criticized Him, I didn’t come to call the righteous, those who behave and believe all the right things, I came to call the sinners.  Jesus came to say to all of us that feel isolated, alone and cast out that we belong to Him.  We don’t deserve it, we can’t earn it, and we can’t repay Him, but we belong to Him.  

In this dinner with Jesus, we see 3 powerful truths about the heart of God.  First, the heart of God always Leads with Belonging.  Jesus doesn’t ask Levi to behave differently or believe differently.  He just says, follow me.  Just as you are, be my disciple.  You belong to me.  In the call to be a disciple, growth, change, and transformation are implied, but all of that comes after Levi knows that he belongs.  Jesus leads with belonging.  

God always leads with belonging.  Last week we looked at the woman caught in adultery who was brought to Jesus.  What Jesus said to her first was, you belong to me.  I do not condemn you.  Now, because you are mine, go and sin no more.  Because you are mine, let my love help you believe all God has to say and then allow that to change your life.  God always leads with belonging, and then moves to transformation.  Just as you are today, you belong to God and when God wants you to grow and change - God will lead you.  

The second reflection of God’s heart that we see here is that God always Leans toward Sinners.  Jesus said that He did not come to call the righteous but sinners.  Jesus told a parable about the heart of God which said that if one sheep went astray, the shepherd would leave the 99 others to go after that one.  God will literally move heaven and earth to go after the one who has gone astray.  Jesus said that there is great rejoicing when one sinner returns and there is rejoicing in heaven because God always leans toward the sinner.  

Jesus went out of His way to spend time with sinners.  He said, I have come to call the sinners not the righteous because the healthy don’t need a doctor, the sick do.  God is always leaning toward us and reaching out toward us. In Revelation 3:20, Jesus says, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.   Jesus is speaking to us, to sinners.  He doesn’t tell us to clean ourselves up and then open the door, we can answer just the way we are, and He will come to us and join us at the table.  God leans towards sinners and thank God because we are those sinners.    

The third thing we see in Jesus is that God’s heart Loves those Unlike Him.  Let’s be honest, most of us are most comfortable with people who are like us, but Jesus always moved to those who were not like Him.  He called tax collectors.  He ate with sinners.  He allowed sinful women to wash His feet and anoint Him with oil.  He spent time with fishermen and people who were not worthy enough to be priests, Pharisees, and religious leaders.  Jesus' heartbeat like the heart of God and He gravitated toward those unlike Him.

In our world, we seem to only want to hang with people exactly like us.  A recent study showed that college students would not be comfortable rooming in a dorm with someone who voted differently than they did.  The world is polarizing and unfortunately the church is too, but Jesus reached out beyond expected boundaries and barriers because the heart of God reaches out to all people. Loving those unlike us means being with them.  It means belonging to one another first and allowing God’s love to move us forward.  

The heart of God Leads with Belonging, it Leans toward Sinners and it Loves those Unlike Us.  And our hearts need to beat the same way.  So here is how we can start.  Like Jesus, let’s shake up the system.  Let’s lead with belonging.  Let’s make sure we focus on belonging first and then allow God to lead us all into strong beliefs and faithful living.  Let’s communicate that because of Jesus - we all belong.  We are all sinners, but because of the love of Jesus, we all belong to God.  

In October we are going to hold a Belong workshop which we hope will help you know that you do belong here at Faith Church.  We will share more of what goes on here, allow you to meet some of the pastors and staff, and help you get connected so the sense of belonging can grow.  I’ll make sure we have some food available because Jesus not only loved to meet people where they were, but He loved to eat with them.  If you are interested in belonging here, or knowing more about what it means to belong to God, I hope you will join us on October 2.  

At Levi’s home, and at Levi’s table, Jesus really does set the example for us.  We need to welcome people into our hearts and lives and let them know that they belong to God.  Who do we know that thinks that because of who they are, where they have been, what they have done, and where they are today that they just don’t measure up or matter to God.  As we think of them, let’s make sure we are not taking a sharpie to cross them out, let’s take a highlighter and show them that they matter to God and that they belong to Jesus.  Let’s lead with belonging and allow God to work out the rest.  

Next Steps

Dinners With Jesus - A Dinner with Levi

Read Luke 5:27-32

● Who was Levi?  

● What does his name say about him?

● What does his job say about him?

● What does Jesus say about him?

The religious leaders had a clear system they followed:

● Behave the Right Way & Believe the Right Things and THEN you Belong to Us.  

Jesus’ system turned this upside down:

● You Belong to Me!  Now I will help you Believe the Right Things & Behave the Right Ways.  

How do we see this new system in the story of Levi?

How do we still live in the old system?  

How do we still exclude people because of their behavior?  

● What behavior do we think excludes people from belonging to Jesus?  

How do we need to change our own behavior and beliefs?

How can we Lead with Belonging?  

Name a “Levi” in your life who needs to know they belong to Jesus?  How can you let them know that they belong to God?  

● Invite them to dinner and let them know they are part of God’s family just the way they are.  

Dinner with Jesus - A Meal of Grace

 In 1986 I graduated from MS with a degree in Telecommunications.  I wanted to work behind the scenes producing Christian TV programs but when I couldn't find a job in Christian TV, I decided to move to Los Angeles and try to get any job in the TV industry.  This was not a well thought out plan.  I traveled from CT to CA with some friends and when I arrived in LA I had no car and no idea how to get around the sprawling city and suburbs.  

I was able to stay with some relatives in Studio City, but after a few weeks I had quickly used up all my money, I had no leads on a job, and no idea of how to move around the city let alone move forward with life.  My time there was a disaster and I knew I needed to return home to CT, but had no money to make that trip.  I ended up calling my parents for help and I asked if they could send me some money to fly back to CT so I could start over again.  

I don’t remember all the words of that phone call, but I remember how I felt when it was over.  I felt blessed and relieved.  You see, they didn’t shame me.  My parents didn’t tell me that they knew it was a bad plan from the start and that I shouldn’t have gone in the first place.  They didn’t ask how I was going to pay them back or what job I was going to get when I got home, they just said, how can we get you the money?  I didn’t deserve their grace.  I hadn’t done anything to receive it and there was no way I could pay them back.  But their grace was there.  I remember what that felt like.  I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest.  I could breathe again, sleep again, eat again.  I had hope and a future.  I didn’t deserve it and I couldn’t repay it, but grace was there.   

Have you ever had grace extended to you when you didn’t deserve it?  Have you ever had people not look back at the poor choices that you made and say, I told you so, but simply look forward and give you a hand to start over again?  Have you ever been forgiven for something that you truly never deserved and felt that terrible weight lifted off your chest and heart?  Receiving grace is humbling and it can be difficult.  Because we don’t deserve it we often try and figure out how to pay the person back or be worthy of their blessing.  But grace isn’t earned, and it isn’t repaid.  We don’t try to make things right on our own, we simply open ourselves up to receive the grace and love that is offered.  

God’s grace is absolutely big enough to cover every mistake we have ever made and every sin we have ever committed.  God’s love can forgive everything we are struggling with today and the sin that clings to us so closely.  God’s grace and love is even able to repair and restore our relationship with God.  Our sin separates us from God and there is nothing we can do to bridge that gap, but God's grace draws us close to Him once again.  God’s grace sets us back into a relationship with the living God.  We know God’s grace is sufficient for all of this and more because of one specific dinner with Jesus.  

What we know as the last supper was actually a Passover dinner that Jesus celebrated with His disciples.  Every year the people of God would gather in their homes to celebrate this dinner that retold the story of how God liberated His people from Egypt.  For 400 years, the people of Israel lived as slaves in Egypt.  When things got really difficult and the oppression of God’s people got severe, God sent Moses to lead the people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land.  The Pharaoh of Egypt, however, had other plans.  

The Pharaoh was not going to let God’s people go, so God sent plagues upon the Egyptians in hopes that the Pharaoh would change his mind.  Plague after plague came upon the Egyptians, but the Pharaoh would not let God’s people go.  God finally sent what would be the final plague and this was a plague of death.  The first born in every family was going to die and the people of Israel were going to be caught up in this plague unless they put the blood of a lamb on the door frames of their homes.  When God’s people did this, the angel of death would  “pass over” their homes.  The blood of a lamb saved God’s people.  

It was after that plague that the Pharaoh finally let the people of Israel go and they made their way to the Promised Land.  Every year after that, God told his people to celebrate a meal that would remind them that it was by His power and His grace that they had been saved.  

As part of the meal there was to be a lamb bone to remind the people of the sacrificial lamb whose blood saved them.  There was parsley, or bitter herbs, to remind them of their bitter time in Egypt and salt water to remind them of all the tears they had shed.  There was a mixture of apples, nuts and wine called charoset that looked like the mortar they used when they were forced to build the buildings, and they put that mixture on matza bread that reminded them of the unleavened bread they took with them when they fled Egypt.  There was also an egg that symbolized the new life God had promised.  

Everything in this meal reminded the people of their difficult situation and how God alone was the one who rescued them.  They didn’t get themselves out of the bitter situation on their own - it was the blood of a sacrificial lamb.  They didn’t enter into the Promised Land by their own strength, it was by the grace of God.  This was and is today a meal of grace.  We are saved by God’s grace alone.

During this meal, 4 cups of wine were consumed, and each cup stood for a promise God made in Exodus 6:6-7.  I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.  I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.  

The first cup celebrated the promise that God was going to bring the people out from under the burden of living in Egypt.  

The second cup was to remember God’s deliverance and that He was the one who set the people free from slavery.  

The third cup told the people that it was God who redeemed them by the power of His outstretched arm alone, and the last cup celebrated that God took these people as His own and that He was their God.  

Each cup was a sign of God’s grace and power and it reminded the people that their deliverance and salvation was the work of God.  They hadn’t done anything to earn God’s favor, they didn’t deserve God’s deliverance, and they couldn’t repay God for what He had done.  It was all by God’s grace.  This was and is a meal of grace.  

Israel was saved and redeemed by the grace of God alone and each year the people remembered that in this meal.  It was this meal that Jesus celebrated with His disciples and we think it was when Jesus picked up the third cup, the cup of redemption, the cup that talked about how God redeemed His people by His outstretched hand, that Jesus said, this is my blood which has been given for you.  As often as you drink this, remember me.  

The power of God’s hand had saved Israel and now it was going to be the blood of Jesus that would save the world.  The outstretched arm of Jesus, an arm that was stretched out and nailed to a cross, this arm would now save the world.  Jesus was not only redefining the cup of redemption, but He was also redefining the sacrificial lamb.  The sacrificial lamb whose blood saved God’s people was now Jesus.  John the Baptist said of Jesus, behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  The sacrificial lamb is Jesus.  The perfect lamb whose blood saves us all is Jesus, and we don’t deserve this grace, but it is shown to us and given to us in this meal.

Let’s think about this particular dinner with Jesus.  At the table with Jesus were people who didn’t deserve His grace.  Judas was there and he was going to betray Jesus in just a few hours.  Peter was there and he was going to deny Jesus.  Andrew, James and John were there and they were all going to run away.  None of them deserved the grace of God, but Jesus invited them to the table and stretched out His arm for them.  He poured out His blood for them.  His grace was for them, and His grace is for us.   

We have all failed to be faithful.  We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.  We fail to walk with Jesus and to walk in the way of Jesus.  We fail to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and we really fail to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  We fail and we don’t deserve God’s mercy and we can’t repay God for His grace - but here it is for us.  It is given freely to us.  The sin that separates us from God has been forgiven.  The punishment for our sin has been paid and we are able to live in God’s presence and experience God’s love once again.  This is a meal of God’s grace.  It’s a meal that tells us that we are forgiven.  

What does it mean for you to come to this table and share in this meal?   I’ll be honest, every time I come to the table, I am reminded of my sin and that on my own I cannot love God the way I want to.   I remember the sin that I never seem to be able to move beyond, and the attitudes and actions that I hate but never seem to overcome.  When I come to the table, I am reminded of all those things and yet it is here that I also hear God say, you are forgiven.  I am reminded that like the disciples, I am fed and even washed clean at this table.  I am reminded that God’s grace is free and open to me and that I can trust in the blood of Jesus to save me.  Jesus is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Jesus is the one who redeems me and brings me back into relationship with God.  

Just as there was nothing I could do to repay my parents when they reached out to lift me out of the depth of my despair, there is nothing I can do to repay God for His grace.  What does this meal mean for me?  It means my sin is not held against me.  It means Jesus doesn’t remind me of my failures or shame me in order to change me.  I am simply forgiven.  It’s all grace.  

Let me share this grace of God looks like when it shows up in someone’s life.  I don’t want this to be just another hearing of a familiar story, I want you to put yourself in the story and allow God’s grace to speak to you.  John 8:2-11

At dawn Jesus appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”

They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.  But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”  “No one, sir,” she said.

“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Can you put yourself in this woman’s place?  She didn’t deserve God’s grace. She was caught in the act of adultery.  Yes, the man should have been there too, and the religious leaders really didn’t care about her or the law, they were just trying to put Jesus into a difficult situation, but the woman was guilty.  She didn’t deserve grace.  She had broken the law and the punishment was for her to be stoned.  Can you put yourself in her position?  We are all guilty.  None of us deserve God’s grace or forgiveness, but that is exactly what she got.  God’s grace.  The forgiveness of Jesus.  She wasn’t stoned.  She wasn’t condemned.  Jesus didn’t even lecture her or shame her, He just forgave her.  

This is what grace looks like.  We are guilty but God offers grace.  We deserve to be punished but God provides a second chance.  This is grace but notice that God’s grace didn’t lower the standard.  Jesus didn’t say that adultery was ok.  He didn’t make light of her sin or the sin of anyone else who was there.  In fact, He reminded everyone of their sin by writing the sins of the people in the dust.  

We are all guilty and while grace doesn’t lower the standard, it does forgive.  Grace doesn’t pretend that sin doesn’t exist, it looks sin full in the face and overcomes it.  

Sin also doesn’t wipe away the consequences of our failures.  The woman before Jesus still had to deal with her family and friends.  She still had to endure the hardships and pain she would feel in her community because of her actions, but she had been spared and given a second chance by God.  There are times when we are going to have to deal with the consequences of our sin and failures.  God doesn’t wave a magic wand and make every problem we have created disappear, but He also doesn’t hold it against us.  

Grace doesn’t lower the standard.  Grace doesn’t pretend that wrong is right, and grace doesn’t remove all the consequences of our actions, but grace is real and it can set us on a path of freedom and new life.  Receiving God’s grace also means that we need to give grace to others.  When Jesus tells this woman to go and sin no more, it’s not just go forth and don’t commit adultery again, it’s go forth and truly sin no more.  Don’t get up and be filled with so much pride that you start condemning others.  Don’t get caught up in looking down on others when they fail, don’t pick up stones to throw at those who wanted to throw them at you.  As you have been forgiven - forgive others.  As God has given grace to you - give grace to others. As God has loved you - love others.  

When we sit down at this table with Jesus and accept His grace and love, we are saying that we will now get up from this table and extend God’s grace to others.  This grace needs to shape our attitudes and actions.  This grace needs to direct our words, our hearts, and our hands.  We now have to get up and set a table of grace and invite others to join us.  We don’t do this to repay Jesus, and we don’t do it in an effort to earn God’s love in return for what He has done for us, we do it because we know that God’s love truly does shape us and causes our hearts to beat differently.  This meal makes us agents of God’s grace and peace that we now share with others.  

Next Steps

Dinner with Jesus - A Meal of Grace

When have you experienced grace and forgiveness from others?  What did it feel like?  How did it change you?  

When have you shared grace and forgiveness with others?  What did that feel like?  How did that change you?

How is the Passover meal a meal that reflects God’s grace?  What do each of these elements tell us about Israel’s history and God’s grace?

● Lamb bone

● Bitter herbs (Parsley)

● Salt water

● Matzah bread

● Charoset

● Egg

What promises do the 4 cups of wine represent?  See Exodus 6:6-7

How does Jesus redefine the Passover meal?  What does it mean for us to now have forgiveness through the covenant of Jesus’ blood?  

When you come to God’s table, what feelings and emotions do you experience?  How is it a table of both repentance and grace?  

What do we learn about God’s grace from the story of the woman caught in adultery?  See John 8:2-11.  

● How is her story our story today?  

● How can we share this kind of grace with others?

● Who needs you to show them grace today?  

● How can you show them grace it this week?  

Dinner with Jesus - Breakfast on the Beach

You have probably heard the saying that there are only two things we are certain of in life, death and taxes.  Well, let me add a third.  Failure.  At some point, we will all fail at something.  Maybe you failed a test in school, failed to make the cut on a sports team, or failed to get into the marching band at MSU.  (OK, that was me.)  Maybe you failed to get into the school you wanted or land the job you wanted, or maybe you failed in a relationship that was important to you.  Failure is universal. At some point we will all fail, and how we deal with failure can determine the rest of our life.  

Failure creates a barrier between who we are and who we want to be.  If that failure keeps us from seeing the potential in our lives and the possibility of becoming more or our true self, it has both defined us and defeated us.  If we fail to make the sports team and decide to never play sports again, our failure has defined us and defeated us.  If we fail in a relationship and decide to never love anyone or let anyone love us again, we have allowed our failure to define us and defeat us.  When we allow our failure to be a final barrier in moving forward, it has become fatal, but our failure never has to define us and it never has to defeat us.  

We know that our failure isn’t final because of a meal the disciples had with Jesus.  It wasn’t a dinner but a breakfast, and it took place on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.  John 21:1-12

Afterward Jesus appeared again to his disciples, by the Sea of Galilee. It happened this way: Simon Peter, Thomas (also known as Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. “I’m going out to fish,” Simon Peter told them, and they said, “We’ll go with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

Early in the morning, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus.

He called out to them, “Friends, haven’t you any fish?”

“No,” they answered.

He said, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some.” When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish.

Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, “It is the Lord,” he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. The other disciples followed in the boat, towing the net full of fish, for they were not far from shore, about a hundred yards. When they landed, they saw a fire of burning coals there with fish on it, and some bread.

Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you have just caught.” So Simon Peter climbed back into the boat and dragged the net ashore. It was full of large fish, 153, but even with so many the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord.  

Let’s go back and look at the first word in this passage.  Afterward.  After what?  What has just happened?  When does this meal with Jesus take place?  It takes place after Jesust’ crucifixion and resurrection.  It takes place after all the disciples ran away and left Jesus alone to face the guards in the Garden of Gethsemane, and most important for Peter, it takes place after he failed Jesus when Jesus needed him most.  

If you remember the events around the arrest of Jesus, Peter and the rest of the disciples were with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane when Judas came and betrayed Jesus with a kiss.  As the guards arrested Jesus and led him to the high priest’s house for questioning, all the disciples ran away.  Peter did have the courage to follow Jesus and hide in the shadows, but when the servants at the high priest’s home asked Peter if he was a follower of Jesus, he said no.  Peter didn’t just say no, however, he denied even knowing who Jesus was three times.  Peter failed.  But this was not the first time Peter failed.  In fact, Peter is the poster child of failure.  

Peter is an interesting character because we see in him great aspirations and great failure.  Remember the night Peter walked on water with Jesus?  The disciples were in a boat on the sea of Galilee when Jesus walked out to them on the water.  When Peter saw Jesus he said, Lord if it is you, let me walk on the water with you.  Jesus said, come, and Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water.  Peter walked on the water with Jesus!  But then his faith wavered, and doubt crept in and he began to sink.  Jesus had to reach into the water to save Peter from drowning.  Success and failure.  

Then there was the day that Jesus asked the disciples who they thought He was and Peter said, you are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.  Jesus then said that as the Messiah, He was going to have to suffer and die.  Peter rebuked Jesus and told him that it would never happen.  Peter telling the Messiah how things are going to happen is failure.  Jesus even said to Peter, get behind me Satan for you have in mind the things of man not the things of God.  Success and failure.  

And then in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asked Peter to stay awake and pray with Him.  Three times Peter fell asleep.  And then Peter deserted Jesus when the guards came, and then he denied knowing Jesus three times at the high priest's house.  Failure.  Time and time again Peter fails Jesus.  You have to wonder why all these stories are told about the one Jesus said was going to be the rock of the church. Why do we see all these failures of Peter in the Bible?  

The answer is simple.  They are recorded for you and me.  They are recorded because we also fail.  We fail to be faithful to Jesus and God wants us to know that our failures are never final.  Peter’s failures were not final.  Making breakfast for Peter and the disciples on the beach shows us that Jesus was not holding their failure against them.  Reaching out to eat with them was a sign of God’s grace and mercy.  Jesus forgives them and is giving them all a second chance.  

What I love about this story is that it takes place at a meal.  Jesus provided the bread and fish.  We don’t know where He got them, but I like to think of Jesus taking the time to catch the fish and then make the bread so that He could feed His friends.  We don’t often hear about Jesus fishing or baking, so this was something special.  He took the time to prepare the meal.  He lovingly made the bread and started the fire so that the meal would be ready when they arrived.  Preparing this meal is an act of love.  

This is a moment of forgiveness for all the disciples, but it becomes a special moment for Peter when the breakfast was over and Jesus took Peter aside.  John 21:15-17

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”

“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”

Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.”

Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”

The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”  Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.”  Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him and three times Peter had the opportunity to say yes.  Three times Peter had denied knowing Jesus and failed to love Him in a moment of need, so three times Jesus asked Peter to proclaim his love and commitment.  This was an intimate moment between Peter and Jesus, and yet we have a record of all that was said, which means that Peter must have shared this story with his friends.  Peter doesn’t share this to set himself apart as better than the others, he does it to give witness to the forgiveness that God offers to us all.  

Jesus doesn’t need to hear Peter proclaim his love for Him, Jesus knows his very heart, so He must have asked Peter these questions for his own good.  Peter needed to be reminded that his failure to defend Jesus and his failure to stand with Jesus in a moment of need did not define him forever.  Not only does Jesus forgive Peter, but notice what Jesus does to help him.  After asking Peter to share his love for Him, Jesus invites Peter to once again follow Him and he gives him a vision of who he is and who he can become.  He is no longer a fisherman or even a fisher of men and women, Peter is now a shepherd of God’s people.  Feed my lambs.  Tend my sheep.

The first time Jesus invited Peter to follow Him it was to fish for men and women, but now Peter is being invited to be a shepherd.  Jesus is asking Peter to feed His lambs and tend His sheep.  Jesus is entrusting His life’s work to Peter and giving him a picture of what his future is going to be.  He is not going to be a failed fisherman but a successful shepherd.  God created and called Peter to be a leader and Jesus is helping Peter see this and live into this vision for his life.  Jesus is not going to allow Peter’s failure to be the barrier that keeps him from becoming all God wants him to be.  

More than anything, what Peter wants is to be like Jesus.  He left his boat and nets and fishing business to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.  He walked on the water to follow and be like Jesus.  He always tried his best to follow Jesus, but at every turn he seemed to fail.  In this moment, Jesus is saying, Peter, those failures do not define you.  You are who I say you are.  You will be the leader of my people.  You will be a shepherd of God’s flock.

What we need to hear today is that God doesn’t just forgive us, God leads us beyond our failures and helps us see a better version of ourselves.  Jesus leads us beyond the barrier our failures create so that we can see more of our God given potential and step into the possibilities and plans God has for us.  And God does this for all of us, and God does it for one reason, and one reason alone.  Love.  

Why did Jesus go out of His way to make breakfast for the disciples and then take Peter aside to forgive him and show him the future God had for him?  Because He loved him.  Why does God work to open our eyes to the potential and possibility that lies in our future?  After all our failures, why does God continue to forgive us?  The answer is love.  God loves us.  God loves us that much.  God loves us that completely, and God’s love will always work to help us see the future He has for us.  

Have you ever wondered if God gets tired of your failures?  Have you ever said, this failure is the final straw - God just can’t forgive me again.  Or maybe you think God has just gotten tired of forgiving you and so has decided to cut you loose.  The author and pastor Tim Keller said that if Jesus held on to His love for the disciples during all of their failures even as the full force of hell came against Him on the cross, and if He was willing to forgive and love and restore them in this meal, then there is nothing that He can’t forgive.  

The Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:35, 37-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

If death and demons can’t separate us from the love of God, then neither can our failures.  If trouble and hardships can’t separate us from the love of God, then neither can our failures.  Our failures never have the final say - love does.  When our failure meets God’s love - love wins - every time.  And it is that love, that infinite love of God, that moves us forward and inspires us to be the better version of ourselves that God shows us.  

Let’s go back to Peter after breakfast.  Peter left that meal and went on to become the shepherd of God’s people.  Peter boldly preached about the forgiveness and new life that everyone could have in Jesus and thousands of people believed and were baptized.  Peter formed a new community that today we call the church, and he became the rock that Jesus said he would be.  

Do you think Peter did all this out of guilt and shame for failing Jesus three times on the night He was arrested, or because he had experienced the love of Jesus three times after breakfast?  It was because of love.  Failure can only lead us so far, but love has the power to change our lives.  Love is what needs to define our lives.  

When we are confident and secure in God’s love for us, we can then honestly evaluate our failures and learn from them.  When our view of God can change from the One who judges our failures to the One who forgives us in love, then our failures can become opportunities to learn and grow and we can step out in faith again.  Peter was confident in his love for Jesus.  Three times he said, Yes Lord, you know that I love you.  He was confident in his love for Jesus and Jesus’ love for him, which meant he was able to step out in faith again to follow Jesus.  

No matter what you are facing today, God loves you and there is nothing that can separate you from His love.  You are forgiven and God is here to help you see the potential and possibility He has for you.  Don’t let your failures define you.  Allow God’s love to not only forgive you but give you the faith to step out again to follow Jesus.  

 

Next Steps

Breakfast with Jesus - your failures are not final!

Think back to a time when you failed miserably.  

● Did that failure define you?  Did it defeat you?  

● Were you able to step out and try again?  

● What did you learn from that experience?

Read John 21:1-19

● How had Peter recently failed Jesus? 

○ See John 18:15-18,25-27

● How had Peter failed Jesus before? 

○ See Matthew 14:22-33, 16:21-23, 26:36-46

● How does this meal reflect the love and forgiveness of Jesus?

● Why does Jesus forgive Peter personally?

How does Jesus help Peter overcome the barrier of his own failure?  What vision does Jesus give Peter for the rest of his life?  

Jesus had called Peter to be a fisher of men and women and now a shepherd of God’s people.  

● What might be the differences in these two callings? 

● How does Peter live into both roles? (Both a fisher of people and a shepherd.)

What vision or calling do you think God has for your life?  

● How have failures clouded that vision?  

● How can God’s love help you see a better version of yourself?

Read Romans 8:31-39 and allow God’s love to meet and overcome your failures.   

Dinner With Jesus - True Worship

A week ago I had the honor of doing a wedding ceremony in France and was able to spend a few days in Paris.  It was an amazing experience to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Arc De Triomphe and at least see part of the outside of Notre Dame.  I walked down the Champs Elysees which is home to stores like Gucci and Cartiers but in 1988 Parisans were shocked when it became the home to McDonalds.  It is actually the largest McDonalds in the world and does the most business.  In case you aren’t a McDonalds fan, there is also a Five Guys, and no, I didn’t eat at either one.

But I did eat.  There are cafes all along the streets of Paris and they are filled with people enjoying time with family and friends.  From late afternoon through the night they are filled with people enjoying croissants, cheese, cafe au lait, and wine.  Eating is a big part of French culture.  As part of the wedding, I enjoyed 3 amazing dinners.  One was held on a boat traveling along the River Seine and it lasted for over 3 hours.  The second was the rehearsal dinner which also lasted over 3 hours, and the third was the wedding reception itself which lasted 6 hours and included 5 courses.  

During all these meals, I was reminded about the wedding in Cana that Jesus attended with His family and friends. Weddings, in Jesus’ day, could last three days, and now I see how that can happen.  If you remember that story, it was at the end of the feast that Jesus turned water into wine to keep the festivities going. Jesus must have been a little bit French, or maybe the French learned something about wedding receptions from Jesus.  

I’m glad I got to spend a week enjoying a lot of time at meals last week because it makes me appreciate this sermon series even more.  Today we are beginning a series called Dinner with Jesus and what we are going to see is that when Jesus showed up for a meal, it was not just a time to eat.  Meals were the times and places when lives were changed.  Meals were places where people celebrated God’s abundance and grace.  They were places where people were loved and accepted.  For Jesus, meals were opportunities to forgive and restore people.  These were times to welcome and teach and challenge and heal people.  Meals were moments of worship and transformation.  All of this could happen because people made the time and created space to eat together.  

The opening of McDonalds along the Champs Elysees didn’t bring about the end of the world, but for many people in Paris, something important died.  Fast food isn’t the end of our world either, but fast food, eating from a bag on the run, is diminishing us.  A part of us is dying because we aren’t taking the time to eat together.  So as we begin this series I want to issue this challenge.  As a family or with a group of friends, add one more intentional meal together during this month.  If you set aside time one day a week to eat together, try for two.  If you eat together on the weekends, add a day during the week.  And when you sit down to eat, ask Jesus to join you so that your meal won’t just nourish you physically but spiritually as well.  

One of the things we forget about meals in the Jewish tradition is that they were also times of worship.  The Passover wasn’t celebrated in the Synagogue or the Temple but in people's homes as they sat down to eat.  Worship took place around tables as people came together to share their lives, their love, and their faith.  So it’s not surprising that at one dinner with Jesus we see an example of what it means to truly worship God. 

In this story we see 2 people at the meal with Jesus who were both untouchable: a sinful woman and a self-righteous man.  

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”  Luke 7:35-38

There were other guests at the dinner, but we only hear about two.  The first is a Pharisee who we later learn is named Simon.  As a Pharisee, Simon made sure that he and everyone else followed all the laws.  Pharisees were often judgmental, and Jesus’ harshest criticism was aimed at them.  Jesus called them white washed tombs because while they always tried to look clean and righteous on the outside by following all the rules, their hearts were filled with judgment and deceit.  That was Simon.  He had invited Jesus to his home curious about whether or not He could be the son of God, but when Jesus doesn’t follow the rules and allows this woman to touch Him, he is sure that Jesus is not a real prophet.  

The other person we hear about at the table is the woman.  What we know about her is that she had a reputation in town as a sinner and she was either wealthy or at least had one great item of value to her name, an alabaster jar of perfume.  Some believe that the jar of perfume may have been worth a year's wages, so it was an expensive gift she has used to anoint Jesus.  Whether it was all she had, or if she had more at home, we don’t know.  We do know she was willing to pour it all over Jesus.  

We also don’t know what kind of sinner she is.  Most commentators believe she was a prostitute, but it doesn’t say that.  Luke could have been clear about her sin, but he wasn’t.  And neither was Jesus.  Jesus didn’t reveal her past.  He didn’t shame her or humiliate her.  Pointing out sin is not the focus of the story, forgiveness is the focus, and this is an important lesson for us all.

While confessing our sin and coming to terms with the reality of our past is important, God is not in the business of shaming us.  Too often we want to point out the sin of others, or even focus on the sin in our own lives, but Jesus doesn’t.  Jesus didn’t push this woman away or make her confess all she had done wrong before he forgave her.  Jesus wasn’t there to condemn but to love.  He wasn’t there to judge but forgive. 

John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  But the next verse is what Jesus does here.  

God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.  John 3:17

Jesus does not condemn the woman, He welcomes her.  Simon, on the other hand, condemns her.  He passes judgment on her and not only sets himself apart from her but from Jesus as well.  He makes himself untouchable and misses out on the loving touch of God.  Two very different responses to Jesus at this dinner.  Simon was there to judge and condemn but the woman had come to worship.  Simon, in his self-righteousness and sin, didn’t receive God’s grace or mercy, but the woman did and from her we learn what the transforming worship of God looks like.  

Worship begins with BOLDNESS.  This woman was bold.  Everyone knew she was a sinner so she had to know that she wasn’t going to be welcomed in the home of a Pharisee, let alone at the table with his guests.  She must have known that the chances were good that she would be either barred from entering or thrown out soon afterward, but she went anyway.  She didn’t know if she would be stoned for her actions but she certainly knew she would be shamed, but yet she went anyway.  She was bold and entered into the presence of Jesus.  

What did you think was going to happen to you the first time you went to worship?  I talk with people who say that if they come to church the roof will cave in.  I assure them that it won’t, but they feel either unworthy or unwelcome.  Many people avoid worshiping with others because they think they will be set apart, shamed, or humiliated because of their past.  Joining others in worship takes boldness.  It takes courage.  

It also takes boldness and courage to enter the presence of Jesus.  While we hear of His love and compassion, and we can read about His forgiveness and mercy, we can still feel unworthy to worship the living God.  Will God forgive me?  Can God forgive me?  It takes boldness for us to come into the presence of God but it is in God’s presence that we experience the transforming love of God.  

While the woman was bold and entered the home and came to the table with Jesus, she was by no means proud or arrogant.  She came with HUMILITY.  True worship requires us to humble ourselves before God and we get a picture of what humility in worship looks like if we step back and look at this dinner.  

The woman is kneeling at the feet of Jesus.  She has lowered herself in His presence and is anointing Jesus’ head with her oil as her tears and hair wipe away the dirt on His feet.  She has lowered herself, and in the end God lifts her up.  Simon, on the other hand, is standing far off.  I picture him standing, looking down on this scene with scorn.  He has separated himself from Jesus and His mercy.  He has withheld his love from the woman and from Jesus and therefore doesn’t experience God’s love in return.  

How do we enter worship?  Do we come with humility or pride?  Do we see ourselves as good enough to be here so we can stand in judgment over others, or are we simply grateful that God has opened the door for us to be here?  We should be truly humble because none of us are good enough to be here on our own.  We have all sinned and fallen short of God’s glory so it is only by God’s grace that we can enter into worship.  It is only because of Jesus that we can experience the presence and power of God.  

So we come with humility and with humility comes HONESTY.  This woman was honest about her sin.  She knew all that she had done.  She knew she was a sinner and needed to be forgiven, that’s why she was there at Jesus’ feet.  She wasn’t trying to be someone she was not.  She wasn’t trying to hide or cover anything up - she honestly came to Jesus and He accepted her.  

Simon, on the other hand, was not being honest.  He thought he was righteous enough to pass judgment on others.  He wasn’t honest about his own sin and his own failure to love others.  We need to be honest, none of us are perfect.  Every one of us has our own failures and shortcomings and while we don’t need to hide in our guilt and shame, we do need to be honest about our sin and our need for a Savior.  When we are honest about our sin - God forgives us.  When we acknowledge that we need a Savior - Jesus stands ready to save.  

The woman humbled herself and was honest about her life, and she was forgiven.  Simon was full of pride and pretended to be something he was not and he didn’t receive the transforming power of God’s grace and love.  For worship to change us and heal us and forgive us, we need to humble ourselves so God can lift us up.  We need to honestly confess our sin so that God can forgive us.  

The last quality of worship we see from this woman is that our worship needs to be EXTRAVAGANT.  We tend to think that extravagant means expensive and while it can be, it is more than that.  Extravagant means lacking restraint and this woman held nothing back.  She boldly entered a place that she may not have been welcomed.  She poured perfume all over Jesus which must have filled the home with a strong aroma.  She wept openly and publicly and even allowed her tears to clean the dirt of Jesus' feet.  She held nothing back and that is true worship.

True worship holds nothing back.  Extravagance is not about the size of the gift we place in the offering box, it’s about emptying ourselves in the presence of Jesus.  Extravagant worship is singing with passion because the words echo our hearts.  Extravagance is praying deeply and earnestly because we desire to communicate with Jesus.  Extravagance is weeping for our sin because we are being honest about all the ways we keep ourselves from God, and then weeping with joy because of all the ways God forgives us and redeems and draws us close to Him.  

Too often we restrain ourselves in worship instead of allowing God’s spirit to lead us ever deeper.  We hold back so we don’t look too emotional or too radical.  We hold back because we don’t want to stand out and look foolish.  We hold back and because we do, we miss the blessing of God’s love.  Simon held back and missed everything.  Jesus was at his house and eating at his table and yet because Simon was self-righteous and concerned about his appearance and what his friends might think of the scene unfolding at his home, he missed the transforming power of God’s love and grace.  He held back and lost everything. 

We can’t hold back when we come to worship, and we can’t hold back when we are at the table with Jesus.  We will look at this very special dinner with Jesus (communion) in a few weeks, but for now, let’s come to this table with a boldness, humility and honesty that will help us  throw off all that tries to hold us back.  Let’s have a real dinner with Jesus and  watch our lives be transformed.  

 

Next Steps

Dinner With Jesus - True Worship

Sermon Series Challenge: Each week have one more dinner with your family and friends and invite Jesus to join you.  

Read Luke 7: 36-50.  Compare and contrast the two guests identified at this dinner with Jesus.

True worship requires:

BOLDNESS

● Identify the ways this woman showed boldness.

● What boldness is required when we enter worship?

● When have you needed boldness to worship God?

HUMILITY

● Identify the ways this woman showed humility.

● Why is humility needed for our worship of God?

● Read what the Bible says about humility: James 4:6-7, James 4:10, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalms 25:9, 149:4, and Proverbs 3:34.

HONESTY

● How do we know this woman was being honest about her life?  

● Why was Simon not being honest about his life?

● Why is honesty needed for our worship of God?

● What do you need to be honest about as you approach worship?

RAVAGANCE

● Identify all the abundance seen in this dinner with Jesus.

● How can you be more extravagant in your worship?

● In what areas do you tend to hold back in worship and in your relationship with God, the church, and the world.  How can you be extravagant this week?