Sermon Cloud

On the Other Side of the Gate

Luke 14:16-23, Luke 16:19-31

Objective: To attract people to the poor and by doing so drawing them closer to God. 

It's great to finally be here at Canyon Creek. Courtney has told me so much about this church. I'm kind of embarrassed to tell you but I used to plan what I would say if I was ever asked to speak. Courtney can testify to the many times over the phone I've said "Courtney! I think I know what to speak about if they ask me to at your church!". So in a way this morning is a long anticipated dream come true. 

Just a little bit about me. I grew up in a missionary family in Los Angeles. My grandparents were involved with starting a missions organization called Youth With a Mission or YWAM. When I was about 16 I told myself I didn't want to be in YWAM. You know when you're a teenager you can just get this rebellious attitude sometimes. Everyone knew I was going to go into YWAM and I wanted to prove them all wrong. I spent a year in college and realized I wasn't doing to well. My relationship with God seemed to just be dying. It was more and more a thing that had to do with my family but in my heart I was growing further and further from God. My cousin asked me to join him at a YWAM location in Newcastle, Australia. I knew I needed time to get my life right with God. So I flew over to Australia when I was 18 and had the experience I really needed. It seemed like as I reached up to God, He came and reached down to me. After losing a lot of my passion as a teenager it was like I went back to my first love. It was truly amazing. 

I stayed on staff there with YWAM for the next 4 years. I worked with an evangelistic youth ministry called "Youth Street" within YWAM. I started a skate team which I led every saturday for about 3 years. I was also involved with a discipleship school which is how I met Courtney. 

I love telling stories. I'd love to start this morning with a story from a recent trip I took to China. I was leading a team of 5 and we were living in a hotel for about 2 months in Shanghai. All 5 of us lived in this one small hotel room on (in my opinion) the craziest street in China. It was everything I pictured China would be. Huge neon signs hung over the crowded street with bicycles and motor cycles constantly about to run you over. Windows turned into fish tanks in outrageously wild restaurants with eels and sharks, dead ducks hanging from hooks. There were at any given time 4-5 professional beggars positioned outside of our hotel which we had become friends with most of them. There were also many brothels on our street with women sitting in the window motioning you to come inside. It was a mixture of intense sadness and sheer excitement from the culture.

We always had mondays off. This monday I had walked to a nearby shopping center. It was unlike anything i had ever seen before. thousands of crowded stalls on about 4 floors of chaos. Every stall had at least one person try to persuade you to buy their polo shirt or watch. It was absolute Chaos at times. I had spent most of my day in this mall. I must have spent around $100 on gifts. At times I had bartered so much that it was getting to the point of selfishness. 

I was walking back to our hotel room holding about 3 bags of dvds and clothes. God felt so far away from me. I felt so far away from myself. I was like a drained version of myself and to be honest I felt awful about the way I had spent my day off. I had spent thousands of dollars and flown thousands of miles to do something good for China. But I had spent my whole day doing nothing but bartering to get the entire series of seinfeld for $30. 

I had promised our team that we would check out the "Hot Pot" restaurant in the lobby. I had almost forgotten about how awful I felt because I was so hungry. I tend to always over order when I'm hungry. I always order that one extra burrito that I can never eat when I go to taco bell. Well, I had over ordered again. We had a fair amount of left-overs.  

Most of my team had left when I noticed two old, weathered faces peeing through the restaurant window. 3 Elderly beggars that we had known were watching us feast hoping to have some of our left overs. My heart immediately went out to them. I had felt so sick of myself that I just needed to do something for someone else for the sake of my self-esteem. So, I waved them in. I wish you could have seen the reaction of the waitresses. Just totally discussed. They would have kicked them out if we weren't foreigners. For the next 20 min or so me and some of my team sat with them as they had the feast of their week, month or year. We got them new plates, served them their food and sat smiling at each other. We didn't speak a word of chinese, they didn't speak a word of English but our smiles and nods seemed to communicate more than you would think. they were beaming! 

I remember mouthing to my co-leader "this is awesome". There was a Joy that just came across us as we watched our new friends eat. As they left we all shared kisses and hugs and walked them out, our stomachs were big but our smiles were even bigger. 

On the elevator I just felt peace. I realized that day that helping the poor is not a duty. But it's this beautiful, spiritual partnership with God. It did feel as if we were God's partners doing His work. 

But the funny thing was... As much as they needed us. In a different way I needed them. I needed them to show me my humanity again. My purpose of being alive. I needed them to show me that we are all loved and all human and all a mess and all beautiful. I needed them to show me God.

But sometimes forget that beauty of helping the poor. Sometimes it can feel like another thing I need to be doing.. but don't have time for. Have you ever felt that way? Can it feel like a chore to us sometimes? Most times I have reached out to people I have not regretted it. It's always just taking that first step. I'm hoping this morning to paint a picture that isn't a chore, or another "christian" thing to weigh you down with. 

I think a lot of us including myself can feel like it is just for someone else. But the more I read about it the more I realize it's for all of us. Jesus came for the sick, that was one of His major messages and one other thing he said was that he came to give us life to the fullest. I'm hoping that this will help us live more fulfilled not just weigh you down with another duty. 

We're going to look at a story where Jesus is inviting people to a banquet. I love it because it paints a picture of not a chore or burden but a banquet. Open with me to look 14:16.

Luke 14:16-23 (The Message)

 16-17Jesus followed up. "Yes. For there was once a man who threw a great dinner party and invited many. When it was time for dinner, he sent out his servant to the invited guests, saying, 'Come on in; the food's on the table.'

 18"Then they all began to beg off, one after another making excuses. The first said, 'I bought a piece of property and need to look it over. Send my regrets.'

 19"Another said, 'I just bought five teams of oxen, and I really need to check them out. Send my regrets.'

 20"And yet another said, 'I just got married and need to get home to my wife.'

 21"The servant went back and told the master what had happened. He was outraged and told the servant, 'Quickly, get out into the city streets and alleys. Collect all who look like they need a square meal, all the misfits and homeless and wretched you can lay your hands on, and bring them here.'

 22"The servant reported back, 'Master, I did what you commanded— and there's still room.'

 23-24"The master said, 'Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full! Let me tell you, not one of those originally invited is going to get so much as a bite at my dinner party.'"

I love this story because it seems to be so backwards to how I think. It's a story of the in croud being out and the out crowd being in. One shocking thing is when you really pay attention to the details of this story.

A Man was making preparations for a banquet. In those times you can picture a banquet as something you would never want to miss. In a time of persecution from Romans it would be a breath of fresh air! Food and wine that was never ending, laughter going well into the night. 

Jesus was saying that His kingdom isn't a chore. Following Him isn't a huge weight on your shoulders but it's as if we're sitting with Him at this great banquet!

Like my friends in China... We are all hungry and in need of God's banquet. The surprising part is the people who don't want to go. All nice people, middle to upper class, look like good Christians... But they end up rejecting the invitation. 

The first person just bought an ox...

Second bought a field...

Third was just married...

What do all three have in common?

All three could not go because they were busy with themselves. They weren't these overly selfish reasons. Kind of reasonable reasons to not attend. 

But I think Jesus was warning us that it is the nice, subtle, reasonable things that distract us the most from His banquet.

All three also had to do with wealth. To be married also meant that he had enough money to pay the dowry as well as build a house onto His Fathers house. 

The people in this story that really experience Jesus were the poor. 

They end up sitting at the banquet table with Jesus. Often Jesus' stories end with the poor in heaven. But why is that?

We always think that the poor need us... that we need to be "Jesus" to the poor. But in one story called "the sheep and the goats" Jesus said that the poor is "Jesus" to us. 

I was hungry and you fed me,
   I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
   I was homeless and you gave me a room,
   I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
   I was sick and you stopped to visit,
   I was in prison and you came to me.'

God is everywhere right? But even though we might not say it, at times we think that God is only in certain places. Churches, certain worship services, or maybe with a pastor or priest. We search for God in these places or people. 

Jesus said in this scripture. "Whatever you did for the least of these you did unto me". Could it be that the answer you need isn't in a book store but in "the least of these".

I thought about this verse this last weekend. I went to hand out some blankets downtown to the homeless. I met a man named Todd. He wasn't who I thought I would meet down there. He was so incredibly generous and lovely. He told me stories about his life and his best friends. He knew I was doing this because I loved Jesus and he began to tell me that he could see that in my face. But I remember thinking that I could see Jesus in his face. Todd was showing me that my problems are nothing. That we are all just humans, all loved by God. Like in China... I can't explain to you what that did to my soul. It was like meeting Jesus, had the same feeling as if I was in worship or prayer. It was beautiful. I don't think Todd knew that I needed him as much as he needed me. 

For some reason we can often forget that Jesus taught about His kingdom first. There are so many christian books about how you can help yourself. Which I'm sure isn't all bad. But Jesus taught us to seek the kingdom first and He will take care of the rest. 

I really think that if you need Jesus... If you need to be refreshed or have a purpose. You can find the face of Jesus in that person downtown or across the street. 

But like in this story of the banquet, our position or status can distract us from the fact that we are all the same. That the invitation doesn't look at our bank accounts or year of our car. But the invitation looks at our hearts.

Jesus told this parable sitting at the table of pharisees. A group of people who's status was very high. But here Jesus is probably offending them and almost picking a fight. Jesus seemed to have no tolerance for people that used their wealth or status to seperate them from others.

A challenging question I had to ask myself was if I used my "status" to create a gap between me and other people. 

Why is it that a failure to help the poor is such a serious issue to God. Seemingly more so than sexual perversion or paganism. In another parable we might find the answer. Please turn a few chapter over to Luke 16:19

19 "There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20 At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21 and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.

    22 "The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24 So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

    25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.'

    27 "He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, 28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.'

    29 "Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'

    30 " 'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.'

    31 "He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.' "

How many of you just heard this story and are like "what the heck?". Ha! I know I was. It is a very odd story. 

But let's look at why Jesus told this weird parable. 

The rich man who is rich beyond measure and Lazarus the grotesque homeless man who lives at the gate of the rich man hoping for at least the garbage from the rich man's house. 

Whenever I read this it reminds me of a trip I took to South Africa. I visited one of the nicest malls in South Africa. Marble floors, gold chandeliers, floors and floors of stores. But something so strange was on the drive up to the mall were hundreds of shacks. From the mall as you looked at the hillside you could see scraps of metal and wood homes. In a place like South Africa where the rich are really rich and the poor are really poor, the poor will move and surround themselves around the rich areas just hoping for some work or food. 

What is Jesus' point with all this? What is he trying to say?

At the end of this story you find the one who was tormented on earth is now comforted and vise versa. But even more peculiar it seems as though the rich man is still clouded by his wealth even in the afterlife. He is still asking that Lazarus serve him. He is still asking for a sign. He still won't accept that.

The most upsetting thing to me about this story is the gate. Here is a man isolating himself from the poor by building a gate. Almost this statement that he doesn't even want to see anyone who might be in need. The gate around his property represents his heart. Out of sight out of mind... not my problem. 

This is why i think this issue of not being externally focused is so huge to God. We are not just blessed to be blessed. We are blessed to be a blessing. 

Can you imagine how God sees this situation. A God who sees everyone equal, everyone loved just as much, everyone having the same opportunity for relationship. But this man is using his blessings, talents and gifting to elevate himself over someone else. 

God is longing that we would become one. One of Jesus' prayers for us would be that we could be one like He is one with the Father. Are we one? Or is there a gate in your heart?

That is why the punishment for the rich man was so severe. Using blessing to isolate him. Building a gate in his heart from other people. The exact opposite of why Jesus came to earth or why we even exist. The saddest part of this story is that the rich man got what he wanted. He wanted to be in isolation, he wanted to be distant than lazarus. One of his desires no became his nightmare. He was in isolation from not only lazarus but from God.

Helping people is like tapping into what God is trying to do everyday. Bring us to Him and to each other. That's why it's like attending a banquet. That's why in China it was more than an act it did something for my soul.

Again, it may have seemed like Lazarus needed the rich man. But in such a sad irony it was the rich man that needed Lazarus. The rich man's ticket to being "spiritual" wasn't in a church but in the poor, sore covered man sitting at his gate. 

Before my trip to China I had to drive down to sydney to pick up some visas for my team. I had picked up the visas and had decided to spend the rest of the day in Sydney. I remember then it seemed cold (after being in Calgary I now know it wasn't cold at all) i was walking down all these unknown streets looking through windows of shops. I walked pass a group of what seemed to be homeless people. I felt enough compassion to pray an "Oh God, please bless them" prayer and continued to walk. As I rounded the corner I felt God speak to my heart. "You can answer your own prayer, go and bless them." I walked back to the group with a slight hesitation. It's that initial first word that's the hardest. It was extremely uncomfortable to be honest. I had started a conversation with one guy that didn't last for very long. I offered him my sweater but he said he didn't need it. I went over to a woman who really didn't want to talk to me. She walked away and before I knew it there was no one left to talk to. It felt like a major disappointment. It didn't feel like i had blessed anyone. I had even doubted if that was God's voice in the first place.

But as I walked around the same corner I had a few minutes earlier I had felt the voice of the Lord again. "At least you treated them like humans". Even though I hadn't seemed to have any impact I felt that I least I gave them their humanity back. God was leading me not just to walk by. But to treat them as equals. After all they were just as loved by God as I am.

Half the world — nearly three billion people — live on less than two dollars a day. 

he wealthiest nation on Earth has the widest gap between rich and poor of any industrialized nation.

“The combined wealth of the world’s 200 richest people hit $1 trillion in 1999; the combined incomes of the 582 million people living in the 43 least developed countries is $146 billion.”

The gate is getting bigger and bigger between the rich and poor. I know that Jesus is calling us to do something.

Tear down your gate... I promise you'll never regret it. 

I came to give you life to the fullest... Isn't that what you're looking for? Maybe it's right on the other side of the gate.

Some of you may be struggling with your faith and be drowning in doubt. Could you find the face of Jesus in the poor? On the other side of the gate.

Some of you are struggling with an addiction. What if the answer to breaking an addiction to pornography wasn't in a bookstore. But in setting child prostitutes free in Thailand. Staring right into the ugliest part of you sin. How would you see lust after that? See lust on the other side of the gate.

Is your marriage struggling? What if you helped a single mother raise her newborn baby. Or help a woman involved with domestic violence find safety. It might make you realize the gift your marriage is. See your marriage on the other side of the gate. 

Could the only thing keeping you from a more fulfilled life is your gate? Tear it down! I hate to say it but as Christians we can love to build gates. We get in our cars and roll up our windows and listen to Christian music and go so fast that we can't even see the people we're driving by. We love to only hang out with people in our same status, people that agree with our world view. We love to judge and come up with reasons why people need to change. 

Please tear it all down. I need to tear mine down everyday. Every morning... Tear it down. 

I pray you walk out these doors externally focused. Not just for the people you will change but for your own soul. I pray we can seek His kingdom before ours. I pray you find what you're looking for on the other side of the gate.