Week 4 | Day 4 | My Assignment

Command:

Tell the people there to come. Luke 14:15-24

Read:

Jesus 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.’ “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.’ Luke 14:16-18 (MSG)

Reflect:

The Story of the Dinner Party in Luke 14 tugs at my heartstrings. As a Growth Group Leader, I’ve been discouraged at times when invitations to join my group were declined. However those declined invitations ended up leading me to expand my invitation list just like the servant did in Jesus’ Dinner Party story. When my husband and I started a couples’ group, we didn’t get many signups initially so we invited two couples from our neighborhood who did not attend Eastlake Church. To our surprise they accepted! 

Our neighbors and friends couples’ group overflowed with evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence and power as we shared our God stories. If we had filled our group immediately, we would have missed out on witnessing the Lord’s supernatural work. In Luke 14:15 it says “That triggered a response from one of the guests: 'How fortunate the one who gets to eat dinner in God’s kingdom!’” Much like that guest, we marveled at how the Lord worked in our group.

In the years since we all met together, several of the families have gone down difficult roads of grief, three members battled cancer and one neighbor passed away. Because of our connection that started with an invitation, we’ve continued to lift each other in prayer, offer support and provide encouragement.

The Lord calls all of us to extend invitations. We were created for connection. When we are turned down, we need not be disheartened. Instead, we can ask the Holy Spirit to lead our invitation in a new direction. The Lord is faithful and has a good plan. 

React:

Who can you invite for a meal in your home, to church or to attend a growth group with you? Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you towards connection and give you the courage to invite.

Pray:

Lord Jesus, how blessed I am to eat dinner in God’s kingdom! Please give me the courage to extend invitations that I might share the blessings of your kingdom with others.