July 12 Come to The Table

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Happy Sunday, happy Sunday, happy Sunday, and good morning, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And good morning to you as well. This is our care, let's pray. And today, our episode is talking about come to the table. There's a place for you. Welcome back, welcome back, welcome back. I'm so glad you all are here today. Whether you're sitting in church waiting for church service to start, whether you're listening from home, listening in your car, or getting ready for church, I want you to take a moment to be with me before we go worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. Amen. I want you to know there is a place for you with God. You are welcome here. Today is Sunday. For many people, Sunday is a day of worship, gathering, singing, praying, and hearing God's word. But I know something else is true. For some people, Sunday can be difficult. Maybe this is your first Sunday without someone you love. Maybe you're sitting alone. Maybe church has hurt you. Maybe you feel like you don't belong in church. Maybe you've been carrying shame, thinking you needed to fix yourself before God. Well, want you near him. And I want to tell you this morning, that is not the case. I want to remind you that you are beautiful and you are wonderfully made by his hands. For he is the potter and we are the clay. God is not standing at a distance waiting for you to become perfect. He is inviting you closer. He is saying, Come to the table, come to the altar, come to the church house. There's a place for you. Saint Luke, the 14th chapter, through the 15th and 24th verse, I ain't gonna read all of it, but it tells a story about a great banquet. A man prepared a feast and invited many guests, but one by one, people began making excuses. They were too busy, they had other priorities, they missed the invitation. So the master of the feast told his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and the alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame. The table was still waiting, the invitation was still open, the seats were still available. And I love that picture of God's heart. The invitation wasn't only for the person who thought they had everything together, it was for the hurting, the overlooked, the forgotten, the ones who knew they needed grace. That is the heart of Jesus Christ. So let me tell you about the table of grace. A table is a place of connection. A table is where stories are shared, where relationships grow, where people are welcome. I want you to think about some of your favorite memories. Many of them probably happen around a table, a family dinner, a family discussion, a holiday meal, a potluck at work, coffee with a friend, a conversation that lasted longer than expected, right? Tables remind us that we were created for relationship. And Jesus invites us to his table, amen. Not because we have earned our seat, but because he loves us unconditionally. Notice something powerful. The Psalms doesn't say God prepares a table after every problem is gone. It says he prepares the table in the presence of our enemies. Meaning God can give peace where the battle is still happening, God can give hope where you're still waiting. God can provide comfort while you're still healing. Amen. The presence of trouble does not mean the absence of God. He is still preparing, he is still present, he is still providing, he is still inviting you closer. Maybe you're listening today and thinking, does God really have a place for someone like me? And the answer is yes, times a thousand. Jesus did not come for people who had it all together, he came for the broken, for the weary, for the lost souls. He came for those who knew they needed a savior. He said, I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. Amen. Jesus doesn't come to fix yourself. Jesus didn't say fix yourself. Sorry about that. Jesus didn't say for you to fix yourself, then come to me. He said, Come to me. The invitation was come to me, right? The transformation comes through relationship with him. So I want you to know if you feel like God is this, then he is not. I want you to know that God is still with you. I want you to know that his arms are still open. He ain't went nowhere. The same Jesus who welcomed the lost son home in Luke 15 is still welcoming people today. You are never too far gone for God's grace. I want you to know that some people are surrounded by others but still feel lonely. You can be in a crowded room and still feel invisible. But God sees you, He knows your name, He knows your story, He knows the tears you cried, and nobody else was watching. And today, He's reminding you you have a place at His table. So on this Sunday morning, as we reflect before we go to church and before we pray, I want you to think about this. What will you bring to Jesus' table today? What will you place on the altar today? What will you surrender out of your mind today? Worry, regret, questions, gratitude, dreams, pain, whatever it is, turn it over to God. His table is way big. I don't care if you put a thousand things on the table, God can handle them all. Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before your throne full of grace and mercy. Just saying thank you, O God. Thank you, O God, for every listener on the sound of my voice right now. Thank you for inviting us to your table. Thank you that your love is not based on our perfection, our performance, or our ability to have everything figured out. Your word tells us that you prepare a table before us. So today, Lord, remind every listener that they are welcomed, they are valued, and they are deeply loved by you. Honey Father, I pray for the person who feels like they don't belong. Speak to their hearts today. Remind them that they are loved. Remind them that their identity is not defined by their past, their mistakes, their failures, or what others have said about them. They are your creation. You made us in your image, O God. They are seen by you, they are loved by you. They are cared for by you. For the person who feels lonely today, become their comfort, oh God. For the person who has been hurt by the church or by people who claimed your name, bring healing to their hearts. For the person who has been running from you, O God, gently draw them back home. For families gathered around the table today, Heavenly Father, bless their conversations, bring forgiveness where there has been tension, bring laughter where there has been heaviness, bring love where hearts have grown distant, O God. For those grieving around an empty, seat at their table, O God. Comfort them. Hold them close and remind them that you are near to the brokenhearted. For those serving today, whether it's the pastors, the evangelists, prophecies, prophets, bishops, elders, worship teams, volunteers, teachers, ministry workers, strengthen everybody. Let them serve from a place of joy and not exhaustion. Heavenly Father, teach us to become people who invite others to the table. Help us to notice the lonely, the brokenhearted, the lost souls. Help us welcome the stranger into the church building today. Help us to show kindness to those who feel forgotten. Let our homes and our churches and our lives reflect your open invitation. And for the person listening today who has never surrendered their life to you, O God, I pray they would hear your invitation clearly. Come. Come receive forgiveness. Come receive peace. Come receive new life. May they know that Jesus Christ is their hope, is their restoration, and a place where they belong. Thank you, oh God, for the gift of your presence. Thank you, oh God, for the table you have prepared before us in the presence of our enemies. Thank you, oh God, that Jesus welcomed us home. It's in the mighty name of Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Glory be to God. Hallelujah. Thank you, Jesus. Friends and family, as you step into this new week, remember this simple thing. You have a seat at God's table. You are not forgotten. You are not overlooked. You are not too far away. The shepherd knows your name. He knows every hair on your head. The Father invites you home, just like the prodigal son. May your heart be filled with peace. May your home be filled with his love. May your words bring encouragement. And may someone experience the kindness of Jesus Christ because they encountered you this week. Thank you for spending this Sunday morning with me. Until next time, I care, God curse. And whatever you're facing, let's pray.