Joseph Prince - Enjoy Jesus' Supply And Delight His Heart
Are you all ready for the Word? I want to share real quick what God is doing around the world today, and but that's not my message. And then I'll just show you that real quick and then we'll go right into the message proper, okay? Look at Jeremiah 23, "'Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!' says the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people.'" Notice, "Feed my people". All right, they're supposed to feed, not to beat, all right, not to scatter. But this is a prophecy of Jeremiah who lived long before Christ came in the flesh, okay, so this is the prophecies about our times, all right? It is actually explaining what is happening all over the world in regards to this grace revolution.
Then God says, "'Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,' says the Lord". Verse 3, "But I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase. I will set up shepherds". Plural, all over the world God will set up shepherds over these people who have been scattered, shepherds who will feed them, not beat them, feed them. "And they shall fear no more," the first result, "nor be discouraged or dismayed," second result, "neither shall they be lacking". Three things will happen, all right, when you are under God-appointed shepherding, all right, under God-appointed pastors. Notice he says, "My flock. I will gather my flock". See, all of you, you are not my flock, you are Jesus's flock. I am the under shepherd. He's the chief shepherd, amen? And how good we shepherd is how good we let the chief shepherd be seen, amen? Praise the Lord. And God says that he will set up shepherds, plural, all over the world.
This is what's happening, all right? "And these shepherds will feed my people," but feed them with what? We'd like to know because the results are amazing. These three results, all right, the three results is they shall fear no more. You find that when you are under God-appointed pastors, fear becomes a decreasing factor. Discouragement and dismay becomes lesser and lesser, all right, and then you will not be lacking anymore. How many want that? Amen. And if you're a pastor and leader, all right, wherever you are watching this, you want that for your people. So, we need to find out, it behooves us to find out what are they feeding the people. The same context, next verse. 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness,'" that's the Messiah our Lord Jesus Christ. "In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely".
Jeremiah is prophesying the coming of Christ who has not yet come, all right? "And this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS," Yahweh Tsidkenu, amen, in plural which means the message that causes these three results to take place in the flock, all right, is the message the Lord our righteousness, all right? Your works, your good deeds, your morality is not your righteousness, amen. You trying to have it all together is not your righteousness, amen. And the thing is that we cannot trust in anything else but the Lord himself, the Lord is our righteousness. If the Lord is my righteousness, I am right, amen? So, the thing is this, that's the message that is going forth in a powerful way is sounding real loud like a trumpet. At one time it was a soft shofar blowing, now all over the world people are hearing the gospel revolution.
There's a gospel reformation and God is talking about raising shepherds that will preach this message in these end times. Hallelujah, give praise to our God, hallelujah, church! All right, so the gospel reformation is on. It's amazing, you know, at one time you hardly hear the gospel being preached the way it is all over the world. And all of a sudden, we have people that new voices coming out, and they are trying to redefine grace so they'll say things like, "Grace, yeah, grace is unmerited favor and all that, but". In other words, they push unmerited favor one side and they say grace is an empowerment. Now, listen carefully, grace is not defined as an empowerment. Grace produces empowerment, but grace, you see, when you see grace empowerment, it's like this, "What's wrong with you? Grace is an empowerment, therefore, you are lazy. What's wrong with you? Great is an empowerment, therefore you're just being rebellious. What's wrong with you"?
You see, it can be another form of law, another form of demand. No, my friend, grace is unmerited, unearned, undeserved favor. And the Amplified Bible got it right in the bracket. Whenever you see grace it says, "unmerited favor," that's right, all right. But more than anything else, let's forget man's definition. Let's look at the Bible's definition. In Romans 11 it says, "And if by grace, then it's no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. If it's by works, it's no longer by grace; otherwise works is no more works". I love the simplicity of God's Word. All right, God is saying they're both antithesis to each other. It's either works, you merit it, you labor for it or it's unmerited.
So, whenever it seems like God demands something, remember this, look at the time of Solomon, the golden era of Israel, the Bible says this was the number of people that were there during that time, Judah and Israel. 1 Kings 4, it's chapter 4, keep that in mind. "Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and rejoicing". Think about the description. It's not just the sand in the middle of somewhere. It's the sand by the seashore. You know how fine that sand is? It's like powder and God is saying, "Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the seashore in multitude". Wow, how in the world can a king govern that many people, that number of, you know, multitudes to feed, to shepherd, to lead? Same chapter, drop down. See what God did. "God gave Solomon wisdom and exceedingly great understanding, and largeness of heart like the sand on the seashore".
So, when the demand becomes greater, the supply is there! Hey, hey, hallelujah! You don't have to worry, church. Whatever assignment God gives you, it's not a demand, it's a supply. So, what am I doing right now? I'm preaching, right? Now I can take it like this, "Wow, these people, their appetite is ferocious. They'll make you eat your lunch, if you don't preach a good sermon. Oh, the demand is on me. New Creation Church is, they're spiritual gluttons, oh. Every Sunday I must produce". And I don't travel often. I preach every Sunday. "Every Sunday I gotta produce, I have to produce. The demand on me". I'll be stressed. No, what I do is that "Lord, I'm waiting for your supply for next Sunday. Lord, I'm waiting for your supply. Thank you, Lord". And sometimes I preach so good I want to take notes on myself but I know it's not me. I know it's the teacher who took over, amen, amen?
So, the Lord supplies. Grace is supply. Law is demand. And there's all some people who will say, "Well, Pastor Prince, there are demands in the Scriptures. If you read with all honesty, there are demands". Now, for the eye, that is legalistic, a eye that's not open, you will see demands everywhere. Let me share with you what happened at the well of Jacob when Jesus went there one afternoon and the woman, the Bible calls her a sinner, all right, of the city of Samaria came. And Jesus asked her a demand. Watch this, "Give me a drink". That's a demand, isn't it? Watch what she said. "Then the woman of Samaria said to Jesus," John 4, "'How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?' For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, 'If you knew the gift of God,'" that's him, "and you knew who it is who says to you, 'Give Me a drink'".
In other words, "If you knew God's gift to you, which is me, and if you knew who is the one telling you give me a drink, you would ask him, you would ask him instead of him asking you. You would have asked him and he would have given you living water. I'm not about demand. I'm about supply. Even when I demand, I'm actually setting you up for supply". Isn't that good, amen? By the way, a little known tidbit. She says, "How come you ask a drink from me"? In the Greek, "ask" here is an inferior asking a superior. She actually lowered Jesus down. She said, "How come you ask a drink from me"? Jesus answered her, "If you knew who it is who says to you," he didn't repeat her "ask". He didn't repeat the word "ask" because he's definitely not inferior to her. He is God in the flesh, amen? "If you knew who says to you, instead of you thinking it's a demand, you would make it a supply, you would ask him," mmm.
Now, we are gonna take a journey right now with Jesus. You'll see Jesus walk through the different crowds, different kinds of people. You know, people always ask the question, "Pastor Prince, what about discipleship, what about Jesus saying, 'If any man come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross. Anymore comes after me and hates not his father, his mother, his wife, his children is not worthy of me.' What about those demands"? Okay, we're gonna look at the whole thing in context. Are you ready? Can we take a journey together? Let's follow Jesus and let's look into his heart, let's look into his mind and let's see what pleases the Lord, okay, because he's about to show you different crowds of people and what pleases him. Jesus is on a journey in the Spirit, so to speak, okay? He's looking for rest. He's looking for joy.
Let's see what brings him joy and rest and what displeases him, what makes him not feel at home, shall we? It's all in the same chapter. Let's look at Luke 14, "Now it happened, as Jesus went into the house". He just stepped into it, just as he went "into the house of the rulers of the Pharisees of one of the rulers". So, the guy who invited him is not just a Pharisee, he's a chief Pharisee, okay? So, as Jesus walked, obviously he was invited to eat bread on the Sabbath, "that they watched him closely". There were so many guests there, all the VVIPs, all right, that this guy has invited. As Jesus walked in, they narrowed it down to him, to watch him closely, all right? Do you think he feels welcome? Remember the story of Luke 7? If you look at Luke 7, Luke 7 talks about Jesus said this in Luke 7, "What shall I liken this generation, the men of this generation? They're like children who pipe music and say, 'We have piped music to you but you have not danced. And we have mourned and you have not wept'". Then it says, "John the Baptist came neither eating or drinking, always fasting. You call him, he has a devil. The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you say, behold a glutton and a winebibber".
And what a wonderful accusation, a friend of sinners. So, what does it mean children, you know, piping in the marketplace? He likened the generation that he was in like, you know, John the Baptist came neither eating or drinking. He was the last prophet of law. He's fasting all the time, he was solemn, right? And it's like children saying, "We have mourned and you have not wept". God gave the law, the law has no effect on sinful man, on Israel at that time. Then grace came. "We've piped happy music, but you have not danced". Grace came to celebrate God's love for man, all right? So, man is so lost when they hear the mournful tones of law, they cannot cry. When they hear the joyful sounds of grace, they cannot rejoice. They are, "Duh"? They are really broken. How many understand? Man wants to have God's salvation, God's blesses, God's holiness, God's abundant life.
They want to have it by law but they could not, could not. Yet until today, even some Christians, they still want to have God's blessings and sanctification, even a holy life, by law, but they could not. They tried, they could not, not would not, could not. Then when God offers grace, they would not. So, they try law but under law they could not, under grace, they would not. So, they're like children, play happy music, no response, sad music, no repentance. So, John the Baptist, they call him a devil. He's a prophet of the law, the greatest of all the prophets, Jesus said. Jesus came eating and drinking, not fasting and he says, "Glutton, winebibber. Behold, a friend of sinners". What a wonderful accusation, a friend of sinners. Then Jesus, the following verses in Luke 7, it says he went to the house of a Pharisee named Simon, a Pharisee named Simon invited Jesus and spread him a feast.
Now obviously, his motives were not pure, all right, because we know that he's out there to judge Jesus. Then a woman, most likely a prostitute, came and she wept at Jesus feet. In those days they reclined so she wept behind him at his feet and wiped his feet with her hair and poured precious ointment. Then Jesus says, "Look, this woman, all right, "how she loved me. I came to your house". It's a good thing to tell your guests, huh, straightforward? "I came to your house, you gave me no water for my feet. You did not clean it. Look at her, she has not creased kissing my feet". Then he says this, "she loved much because she's forgiven much". Now, he said all that because the Pharisee, in his mind says, in his mind, not outwardly. If this person is a man of God, Jesus, is a true prophet, he will know what kind of woman this is. So, Jesus answered those thoughts, even those thoughts are not spoken.
Now, question, who gave Jesus a greater feast, Simon the Pharisee or that sinner? Who gave Jesus a feast that satisfied his soul? He turned around and looked at her and says, "Woman, your sins are forgiven you". Who pleased him? Who gave him joy? The Pharisee who gave Jesus elaborate feast, Jesus corrected him, or the sinner who has nothing to give but came to take? Who pleased him? Talk to me, church. The sinner. You say you want to please the Lord? Learn to take from him. Let him, you know, don't try to give to him. Don't have this mentality, "But pastor, we are called to be givers, movers, shakers". Sounds like a rock 'n' roll song. Yes, I know but before you shake, you must have strength to shake. Before you roll, all right, make sure you don't break your bone, all right? You must receive first before you can do all these things. Can I have a good amen?
See, the attitude Jesus has with the Pharisee who gave him a feast, it didn't satisfy him. He was not at ease in the presence of that house but when a woman came who had nothing to give, only to take, all of a sudden, Jesus came alive, praised her. "You see this woman," he praised her and corrected the Pharisee even, mmm. He's the same yesterday, today and forever. All right, let's take this journey with him. "And behold, there was a certain man before him who had dropsy". Now, this is probably the disease, modern-day disease called edema. Back then they called it dropsy, which is swelling because of a certain condition, water condition. "And Jesus, answering, spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, 'Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?' He's asking them a question. Next, "But they kept silent. So, Jesus took him and healed him, and let him go".
You know, he loves this, this is his hobby, okay? Even when he's invited to someone's house, he will do this, all right? You know that about Jesus, he's always giving, all right? Now, the Pharisee, the chief pharisee, is trying to give Jesus a feast. For whatever reason, we know it's not a pure reason. It's not a good intentions because he brought him there to be scrutinized. They watched him closely, all right? And what they caught was a man who had compassion for the sick, all right? Then he answered them saying, "'Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?'" So, in other words, he turned the whole thing on them and made them their own judges so they kept silent. Healing the sick is like pulling a donkey out of the pit, okay?
It's common courtesy, common humanity, and yet it's so sad because the chapter before this, Jesus was in the synagogue and there was a woman bowed down for 18 years, bowed down for 18 years, 6 plus 6 plus 6, 18, all right? It's a spirit of Antichrist. Whenever people are bowed down by depression, they are loaded down with rules and regulations, all right, even a lot of manmade rules, they're always looking at the dust and Jesus calls this woman a someone whom Satan has bound, 18 years, the number of the Antichrist, 6 plus 6 plus 6. And then Jesus healed the woman by saying, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity". Because it's a Sabbath Day, the woman's pastor, the Pharisee said, "There are six days man ought to work". So, his "ought to" is in working.
Follow me now. "There are six days man ought to work, in them come and be healed, not on the Sabbath". Jesus says, "You hypocrite, this woman is a daughter of Abraham, ought she not be loosed"? So, Jesus's "ought to" is that she ought to be healed. His "ought to," the Pharisees "ought to" is you ought to work. "On the working days come and be healed". Jesus says, "No, she's a daughter of Abraham, she ought to be loosed, not one moment less, on the Sabbath". Because in his thinking, in the thinking of the woman's pastor, I don't know how in the world he can be a pastor of that woman, all right? But in his thinking, healing is work. In Jesus's mind, healing is rest. It definitely was for that woman. And isn't it wonderful, the first person she looked up to, notice people identify them with their sandals and their feet. The first face she saw was the face of our Lord Jesus Christ and his loving eyes. Isn't it wonderful, isn't it so cool, amen?
So, now Jesus is in the Pharisee's house, in one of the chief priest, all right, chief Pharisee, and he asked them this question, "And they could not answer Him regarding these things". Okay, so he made them their own judge and they were silent. And then he notices all the VVIPs that were invited. Next verse, "So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 'When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; and he who invited you and him come and say to you, 'Give place to this man,' and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.'"
So, there he was sitting down there, he just healed a man. All right, the host is near him and all the VVIPs are there, all right? And he noticed how they chose the best places in the house and then he addressed them. Because think of the mind of Jesus, can he feel at home with this kind of thing? No, he who deserved everything, he who is really somebody, with a capital S, all right, made himself of no reputation, took upon him the form of a servant, humbled himself even to death, and the worse kind of death, the death on the cross. And they who were nothing, sons of Adam, creatures of the dust, they made themself something, and it was just offensive. Isn't it true that so many of us, you know, it's possible for us to be offended because somebody took our place. "I don't know why this guest came at this time. That was my favorite seat right there. Do you see the way he addressed me just now? He didn't even call my professor or doctor. Well, I think I deserve that title".
You know, little touches of self comes up when actually, whatever we have, whatever we are, I love Romans 11. This will put flesh to nothing, okay? Look at Romans 11, "For of Him," the origin, "and through Him," the means, "and to Him," the end, "are all things, to whom be glory forever and ever," amen, amen, amen? Praise God. Whatever you have, whatever you do, whatever you enjoy in life right now that God has blessed you with, remember, it came of him and it came through him and it will end up with glory to him. Where is our part? Nowhere. Our part is just to be a participator, to enjoy what he does and then the wonderful thing is that the Bible says we are co-laborers. He cays, "Come on, come on, just watch me now," all right? We participate.
Then he says, "I want to touch this person, speak the Word. Be healed". The guy gets healed, amen? Then he says, "Watch it, man". As if we are something. You know, my son Justin is now four months old and he loves to stand. You can see his face. Every time you make him stand,he just turned four months two days ago, three days ago. And whenever he stands he will look around smiling. And I'm holding him, you know, his head is wobbly and he's smiling. He's got a big smile on his face. But every time I put him down, he will straighten his legs. Number one, he refuse to sit down and you can tell he's straightening his legs. And then every time I put him up again, he's smiling again. When I put him on my hands just to, you know, like treat him like a baby, he will cry. But I make him stand, he will smile. He really believes he's standing. He doesn't know that underneath him are the everlasting arms. Come on, church, amen, amen. Praise the Lord.
We think we are accomplishing, but the Lord is doing. It's all supply. If someone is good, someone is good, you say, "Well, he's a good care group leader". Well, that's because he knows where it comes from. He knows how to do it through him. He knows how it's all going back to him, amen? So, back to the Pharisee's house. So, he looked at all of them and they tried to make themselves something when they have nothing. You know, Adam had everything in the garden and no competition. He had everything. Sinned against God. Jesus, the last Adam, was in the wilderness and obeyed God, all right? He, who was really somebody, looked at all this nonsense going on, people posturing, and Jesus is never flattered into good opinions of anybody and he's never slighted into bad opinions of anybody. Have you noticed that about Jesus?
Now we, you know, people can flatter us into a good opinion of them and then someone else can slight us, offend us, to bad opinions of them. In other words, we judge people based on us. We judge circumstances based on us. Jesus is independent. Notice that in the Pharisee's house, he can say things like that, he can heal anybody. He's independent of anyone and, yet so humble. He who has everything and is truly somebody, the Son of God, fully God and fully man. Then he says, "Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted' so, he has spoken to the VVIPs in the house, now he addressed the host. So, the host is not let off. Next verse, "Then He also said to him who invited Him".
So, now it's the chief Pharisee, the host. "When you give a dinner or a supper do not ask your friends your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just". Next verse, notice what he said to the guy. The host invites people who will invite them back. I scratch your back, don't forget, you scratch my back. But the Son of God came and he gave hoping for nothing again. He lent hoping for nothing again. Everyone that he healed, he gave back to the family, amen?
The boy, the widow of Nain, the widow of Nain, the son who's probably a teenager or in his 20s, Jesus raised him up for the dead and gave him back to this mother. He never claimed those he healed, never. Everyone he healed, Jairus's daughter, gave her back into the bosom of the family. He never claimed. He never made a demand because he has healed. I know people do that. "Now Jesus has healed you, why don't you give your life full time to the Lord"? No, those he called, he called, like Matthew, the tax collector, "Follow me". The fisherman, "Follow me". Those he wants to follow him, all right, full time, he will just say, "Follow me". His healing is not to be purchased, amen?
So, he told the Pharisee, all right, let's go back to the host again. "You know, you are inviting people who invite you back". Okay, that's why we always do things, you can be generous exactly in God's eyes, it's not generosity. I'm generous so that now you feel guilty, right? Nothing escapes Jesus's eye. Now, he was sitting down there, look at the scenario. He's not at home. You can tell he's not at home. His heart is kind of sad, looking at all this behavior, right? I'm about to show you this journey in the Spirit. Now one person, grace just touched that person's heart and he says, "Blessed is he who shall eat bread in the kingdom of God"! All right one of them, at least has the insight saying, "Blessed is the one who eats bread in the kingdom of God". And then Jesus looked at the huge buffet spread, all the food on the table and he reminded him of something, something sad. Watch this, "Jesus said to him, 'A certain man gave a great supper and invited many'".
Now, he's referring to his Father, his Heavenly Father. God has a banquet spread, amen, a banquet spread. You know, when man has a spread, a banquet, they only have to send an invitation, people will turn up. God has a banquet spread, all right, just an invitation won't do. You have to compel them to come in, which we're about to see. What is it about man that you have to compel them to enjoy the blessings of God? So, he reminded Jesus, the guy says, "Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God". Jesus is thinking, "You do not know. It's not as simple as you think it is".
Then he shared a story about his father, actually spreads a great supper. Say, "Great". Great supper. "And sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'" Say, "All things are now ready". He's saying come. He's not saying come to serve, come to serve as an usher, come to serve as a waiter or he didn't say, "Come and help me bake, help me cook". No, come and what? Eat, all things are now ready. At the Father's table, you have baby back ribs, ribeye, filet mignon, truffles, all kinds of fruits and bread freshly baked, the smell of freshly-baked bread. Don't forget what Jesus said about the children's bread. It's healing.
So, let's turn all this strong meat, health, healing, for your spirit, soul, body. All kinds of fruits, fruit of the Spirit. Look at all the gifts that's sparkling, gifts of Spirit. All things are now ready, free for the taking. Come, come. There's peace for your conscience, peace for your mind. There's eternal life. There's angelic protection for you and your family. You know that one you're concerned about, you cannot watch over your child 24/7 but angels can, God will. It's yours, take it, take it. All things are now ready. It's all paid for. I'm not asking you to come and buy. I'm asking you to come and take. What is it about men? When God spreads, it is so hard for them to come. They don't want to be adapted to grace. They want to be the one to spread. The next time it's your turn to spread, then it's my turn to spread. We want to be the giver, the doer, the worker. When God works, you say, "No, hang on, let me do it". I always say if God wants to have all the glory, let God do all the work. By the way, he's not offended I say that. He loves it. He loves it, amen?
So, watch this, "Come, all things are now ready". Next, "But they all with one accord began to make excuses," to come to God's table to enjoy, to eat. And all those invited began to make excuses one by one. "The first said to him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.'" Now, Singaporeans, how many of you buy property first and then you see it? It's a stupid excuse. It's obviously an excuse. The next one, "And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.'" Guys, how many of you buy a 5,000 cc car and then you test drive after you bought? So, the third one, "I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'"
So, God has this buffet spread, all right, with all kinds of blessing, salvation, eternal life, financial supply, well-being for you and your family, peace of heart, peace of conscience, rest, hallelujah, prosperity in all that you touch, angelic protection, an impact, a blessing to multitudes all for you to take. It's not demanding. He's not saying, "Come and help me cook. Come and prepare the table". No, all things, the food, the table, the waiters, are all now ready. And one by one, they began to make excuses. Now, in the context, dispensational truth, the invitation was given to the Pharisees first, the leaders of Israel. They all gave excuses about coming to God's table of providence. One by one they give excuses. Then the next verse, "So that servant," singular, Holy Spirit, "came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.'"
So, when the leaders of Israel rejected the Messiah God says, "Okay, bypass them, go to the poor of the flock of Israel, the maim, the lame, the blind. Call them in". "And the servant said, 'Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'" The supply is always greater than the need. So, the first call is to Israel. The leaders of Israel rejected the Messiah. They could have walked in divine health, perpetual youthfulness for the rest of their life. No more death, if they accepted the Messiah. And now the offer went to the whole nation and the whole nation actually rejected him as well, only as selected. That's why there's still room. Then the servant said, all right, "'Master, it's done, still there's room'. Then the master said to the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.'"
What is it about man that God must prepare the table, then God himself must go out and bring you in, compel you to come in to be blessed? What kind of feast is this? You know what's compel? Gently force. It's amazing. And all of us, if we are humble, we'll realize that our eyes are so blind and we are so dense spiritually, we are so far out, all right, that God, the Holy Spirit, has to come and bring us in. See verse 21, "Bring in here". He has to bring us in or else we'll never find our way to the table, the table of his supply. Another thing you notice in verse 21, the first call was to the streets and the lanes. That's Israel, all right? The last one is our times. Watch this, 23, "Go out into the highways, highways or cities and hedges".
That's our time where you see highways in cities. The second one is for the Gentiles, highways. And how about hedges? I asked the Lord about hedges? Hedges, why hedges? Go into the hedges? And I looked up the Greek word, it means hedges, a hedge, a dividing curtain. Then I realized, it's the iron curtain is coming down before the gospel. It's the bamboo curtain coming down. Everyone is coming in. They're all coming in. "Compel them to come in". You gotta make them come in. The Holy Spirit will bring you and help you here, here. You are so sick you don't even know you need good food, you know? You think you need trash. You're like those who are drug addicts. "No, I gotta have that, gotta have that". And it will kill them so God has to bring you to where there's good food, amen.
So, you can see that Jesus stepped into the house, his Spirit is not at rest, all right? He knows their motives, he knows their reason. There are people who look at Jesus as he's a leader. It's worth my while to invite him. But does he want to be seen as a leader. No, obviously not. He's not at rest. There's no joy. What about the VVIPs, okay? No, again, they him as a great rabbi. Does he want to be seen as a rabbi, as a teacher? Nope, doesn't bring joy to him. Okay, finally, that crowd is done. By the way, the ending is solemn. Verse 24, "I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper. If you don't want, like I said, it's your loss. The supper is still there. Okay, your loss, you know, because I told God I'll take whatever you don't want, okay? Now, this is verse 24. Look at verse 25. We're all going in order. Verse 25, next verse, "Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them".
Now, it's always sequential. He was in the house. He spoke to the guests then he spoke to the host. He got up, obviously he left. He walked out and great multitudes followed him. Watch this now. Now these great multitudes, okay, they are not following him because they see him as Savior. They are following him as a pattern because many of them, they are following him because of the loaves and fishes. Many of them are following him because oh, he's a healer, all right, or whatever it is. Or rabbi, he's a great rabbi. He's a teacher. Do all these things please him? This is the reason, and later I'll prove to you, the multitudes here are seeing Jesus as a pattern, as an example.
Don't forget, Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and called Jesus rabbi, in other words, teacher. But is that the reason why he came? He's the greatest teacher of all times but is that what he wants to be known by? No, he told Nicodemus, all right, "Teaching cannot save you. You must born again". He gave him the impossible. Only a Savior can do that, all right? And then the multitudes that he multiplied the loaves and fishes for, how did they see him? "Here's the king of Israel". They saw him as a king. Does that please him? No, he went away. What does Jesus want to be known by? Now watch this, even the rabbis. And "Now the great multitudes followed him". They see him as a pattern, an example. Is he a wonderful pattern? Yeah, he's the divine examplar.
All right, par excellence, no one can compare with Jesus. He's a wonderful pattern and, yet there are people who are saying, "Follow Jesus, he's the pattern. He's the pattern". No, he wants more than that. He says, "I am the bread of life". What do you do with bread? He says, "I'm the water of life". What do you do with water? You drink. So, what does Jesus wants us to do? Now, great multitude, when you come to him and you see him as an example, you see him as a pattern, he will turn around and say this to you, "If any man comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple".
Now, like it or not, strong words, strong words to the great multitude. In other words, if you see me as an example, all right, to follow, then give up everything. Are you with me? Again, you can tell he's not pleased. He's still on a journey in the Spirit, okay? Now, because of time, let's drop down to the end of the chapter, all right? Right at the end we go to chapter 15, do you see that, verse 1? "Then, then," after the great multitude, "Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to hear Him". They drew near to hear Jesus. In other words, the great multitude were not sinners. They're all sinners, you understand, even the Pharisee, all right? But they're not the sinner, sinners. How many understand?
Watch this now, in other words, he saw the great multitude. He's not flattered. He thinned it down. "He unleashed the demands straightaway and obviously he cleared. Left, you know who were left? The prostitutes, the tax collectors, sinners, now watch this, who have nothing to give him. They came near to receive. One more time, great multitudes came because he's a wonderful example, wonderful example. "If I'm your example, then you have to do this," cleared. Obviously the great multitude and the sinners are not the same. After they cleared, then came the sinners and the tax collectors. Something happened to Jesus's Spirit. When they came to him, not as a teacher, not as the king, not as an example for them to follow, they came as Savior for them to take. They came with nothing to receive everything. All of sudden, Jesus's Spirit changed and he spoke about the three parables in Luke 15, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, amazing. Amen, give him praise. Come on, church. This is our Savior. This is our Lord.
Now, watch this, all right, "Then all the tax collectors". Let's look at the chapter itself. "Then all the tax collectors and the sinners drew near to Him to hear Him". Don't forget, the "then" is after the great multitudes was given the demand, right? Then all the sinners came and the tax collectors and the Pharisees the were still there at the sideline. "And the scribes complained, saying, 'This Man receives sinners and eats with them.'" Well, he just ate with them. Okay, never mind, all right. This is the same example today. They are saying, those grace people, you know, they preach license to sin. In other words, the same accusation, they are saying of Jesus. He eats with sinners. In other words, his grace is license to sin.
Now, they accused Jesus of this, "This man receives sinners and eats with them". Isn't it wonderful that they accuse him of this? Another place they accuse him, he's a friend of sinners. What a glorious accusation, amen. He's a friend of sinners. So, "This man receives sinners and eats with them". Now, before I go to the parable and thing this to a close, listen carefully, Jesus, in the gospels, he has a way of answering questions. You know, when people ask him question, he does not answer the question. Have you noticed that? For example they say, "When will be the sign of your coming"? The disciples asked. He never said, "Well, January the 1st". You know, he never said that kind of thing or December 25th. All right, he does not answer the question. All the questions asked him, read in the gospels, he always answers in a way that goes for the heart of the conscience. He tells them, "You do not know the day nor the hour, be ready". That's the answer, be ready, right? It's more like handling, not so much the inquiry as the inquirer, okay?
Some questions they ask is to trap him. He never answers the question. So, here is another place they accuse him and he does not answer. You know how he answers? Think about, "This man receives sinners and eats with them". Think about the numerous answers Jesus could give. "Let me explain to y'all, okay? It doesn't mean I compromise grace, all right? I compromise holiness to eat with sinners. Don't you know one day I'll go to the cross and I'll die for them? Therefore, I'll magnify the holiness of God by my death because sin must be paid and I'll die". He could have said that. He didn't say that. He says, "Don't you know that God is just in making the sinners just. It doesn't mean compromise. It doesn't mean that God bends his standard to accept sinners. No, the cross will change", he doesn't explain that.
You know what's his reason for eating with sinners? Would you like to know his reason? Watch this, he shares a parable with them. "What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it"? Now, watch this, "When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance". Now, watch this. This is amazing. His reason, they're asking him, this man receives sinners. You know how his response? "You know why I eat with them? Because it makes my Father, and the Holy Spirit, and me happy".
The father in the story of the prodigal son, the Holy Spirit, the woman with the lost coin and the shepherd, him, it makes us happy. What a glorious reason. I can meditate on that for months. Ooh, the reason he gives, it makes heaven, all of us in heaven, happy. When the Lord God Almighty, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the holy, holy, holy, the thrice holy God, is asked the question, "Why do you deal with all these people with such grace"? How does he respond? "It makes me happy. It's my Father's good pleasure to give you, to give you, even the kingdom. It's my Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom". If the truth was preached, we don't have to force people to be healed. They'll be healed while they're hearing.
Church, this is amazing grace. When the Pharisee tried to give Jesus the feast, give to him, didn't please him. The multitudes, great multitude, gave him their respect, their admiration as a teacher, didn't please him. But when sinners came to take, to receive, he talks about the joy of the shepherd when he finds the sheep. It's never the joy of the lost object. It's the joy of the finder. In all the three parables, it's the joy of the shepherd, it's the joy of that woman who found the lost coin. It's the joy of the father who say, "Let's party! My son was lost, now he's found"! "Well, well, Pastor Prince, I believe that this sheep must understand before he comes to Jesus, he must deny father, mother, wife, everything, their own life as well, then come to Jesus".
Notice he never used that on them. In fact, the sheep cannot find his way. I said, the sheep cannot find his way. When he has found it, in other words, he was seeking. We say, "I found the Lord," actually he found you. We say, "I found the Lord". He's not lost, you know? You are. I understand the term, all right? I understand, or the Lord found me, you know? But when he has found it, he put it on his shoulders, two shoulders. In Isaiah 9, the government of the whole universe is on his shoulder. Takes one shoulder of God to govern the universe. It takes two shoulders to redeem us. His whole heart is in it, amen? Let me ask you a question, okay? Verse 7 says, "I say to you likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance".
Okay, the big subject, repentance. "Pastor Prince, you gotta preach more on repentance". Okay, here comes repentance, how did the sheep that was lost repent? Okay, let's see, okay? Let's go back to first verse again, verse 3, verse 4. All right, and go after the one which was lost. So, he's lost until he finds it. Who goes after the shepherd? Who find, until he finds it. He will not rest until he finds the shepherd. Next verse, "When he has found it," who found it? The shepherd. "He lays it on his shoulders," who lays? The shepherd. Rejoicing, who is rejoicing? The shepherd. When he comes home, the shepherd, he calls together, the shepherd. Who says to them, "Rejoice with me"? The shepherd. It's almost as if he expect everyone to be happy with him, you know? Whether they are or not, we're not told. The Lord is like that, you know, he rejoice so much he expect everybody to be rejoicing with him but we're not at the level of God's joy.
Now, what did the sheep do to repent? Because he says, "I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents". So, obviously this lost sheep repented. So, how did he repent? So, the Lord asked me this question sometime ago and the Lord says, "Whenever someone asks you about repentance, use this passage". Never heard anyone preach on this. How did the sheep repent? I'll tell you how he repented? Repentance means change your mind. Every Sunday, repentance is going on in New Creation Church. You know why? As the Word goes forth, you change your mind. You used to think, "You know, I can be, you know, no one must tell me anything, you know? I...". But now you say, "Okay, of him, through him and to him". You are repenting. You are seeing. I always thought God wants us to give, give, give that, give this, give that. But now I see how poor we are, we are only here for us to receive and his joy is to give. Is repenting going on?
So, I tell you how the sheep repented. The sheep consented to be found. He didn't run away, you know? He consented to be found. He consented to be carried. In other words, instead of making him walk, you get lost. "Learn to walk. Follow me. Leave father, mother, everything, follow me". No, he carried, he carried, he consented to be carried. He didn't go in his strength, he was borne along. He rested on the strong shoulders of Jesus. That's repentance. He allowed himself to be loved. He allowed himself to be found. He allowed himself to be carried. That's repentance. It brings a lot of joy. It brings a lot of joy, a lot of joy to Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the shepherd. Now, we don't have to time look at lost coin and the lost son but let me tell you it's all the same. The father's rejoicing over the son that was lost. The woman found the lost coin and she rejoiced.
So we have the father, son, the woman is a picture of the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit. The Triune God rejoices when he finds the sinner. And all this is to answer this man receives sinners, all right, and the sinners were there and they're listening to the three parables. Let me tell you this, church, he never told them, "Don't come to me unless you deny father, mother". No, to them he preached grace, why? They saw him as teacher? No. Rabbi? No. Example? No. He's all that, but he wants us to see him as what? Savior. Then we have these people who start saying, "Well, if he's not Lord of all, then he's not Lord at all". It sounds nice, poetic, but I tell you, it's a doctrine not from God. That statement is not from God. In other words, you, in your own strength, gotta position your life, make sure that everything is okay down here because if it's not Lord of all, he's not Lord at all. If he's not Lord at all, you're still not saved.
Now we are back to justification by works. No, and then we say, "Savior is good". You know, this attitude, "Savior is good. Savior is basic. Savior is first step. No, we gotta see him as Lord". But honestly, those who saw him as teacher didn't please him. Those who saw him as king, he walked away into the mountainside, left the multitudes after they multiplied loaves and fishes. Those who saw him as an example, didn't even please him. Now, he is all this but those who came to him as Savior, gladden him. I don't know about you, but every day, I need a Savior, someone to save me from myself, you know, amen? Somebody stop me! You know that kind of thing? You need somebody to stop you sometimes, somebody save me.
You know, every day saving is going on. He saves you from depression. He saves you from selfishness. He saves you from dangerous situations. You don't even know, you give thanks to God for the things that he delivered us out from. We don't thank him for the things he prepared beforehand that we never walked into, but there's so much more of this. I'm telling you, he's a Savior. Maybe cancer was looking to come into your life two years ago, three years ago, but it did not. You know why? You never gave thanks to God for that. You know why? You do not know because many of times you are not healed. You are kept from needing healing. We give thanks, many a times, for what we know, the large bulk we don't give thanks. But you know something? The Lord says it's okay because the child will never love the parent more than the parent loves the child. And you know what the Lord says? "It is all right. Just let me love you. Just let me love you".
So, let's bring this to a close. Isn't this wonderful, church, that the rejoicing of the Father is in sinners coming to him, even believers. Don't think it's only for a gospel story, it's not. The bread is not just one filet mignon, salvation. After you are saved, you're on your own, sorry. All right, work it out, man. No, it's a great supper, which means what? There's children's bread, healing. There is baby back ribs. Oh, juicy. Lunch time, okay. So, there's new wine to intoxicate you on God's love and it's all ready for you, amen? That's why the devil has to blind people's minds to the glorious Gospel of Christ. You know, why is there a need to blind you? If the gospel is not glorious there's no need to blind you, just show them the gospel. "You see how boring it is"? Because if the devil has to blind people's minds, that means our gospel is indeed glorious. He has to blind people to the banquet spread. He has to blind people.
You know like when your wife, there's a beautiful girl walk by and your wife covers your eyes, all right? Why does she do that? Because she is beautiful. But a grandmother passes by, she lets loose. Sorry, great grandmother. Okay, great, great, grandmother. I know there's a lot of young grandmothers, daughters of Sarah here, amen. All right, so great, great, grandmother, okay? Why does the devil have to veil your eyes? Because, church, our gospel is glorious. If the world sees it, they will break down the doors, amen, when they see Jesus as who he is. And all the while, you know what they think out there of us? All right, they think that Christianity is all about God wants this. God wants you to give up this, give up that, give up this. You think God thinks for one moment you are able to give up, you're able to perform? He knows you can't, amen?
So, sometimes you think he's demanding when actually he's setting you up for supply. So, what is it you need this afternoon? What is it, healing for your body, peace for your mind? You want God's intervention into your relationship? You want to work your marriage out or would you like God to bestow a blessing of favor on you in your marriage? All things are now ready, all right? All things are now ready. Come and take. Come and take. Take the wisdom. Take the joy. The fruits of the Spirit is abundant, love, joy, peace. Even self-control is a fruit. Come, come take. Every head bowed and every eye closed all across this place and also in the overflow. Would you come and take, amen? As for me and my house, let's say this, "As for me and my church, all things that are ready is mine. They are mine," amen? We're not gonna leave one drop on that table. How about you? We are coming.
Father in heaven, we thank you for your love, Lord. Thank you for your grace. Holy, holy, holy. We love you, Father. Your holiness is now justifying us, Lord, by Jesus's blood. That holiness that condemned our sins in the body of Jesus Christ, that same holiness declares us justified. And every single day, Lord, we come to you to receive. We come to you to take. And I pray in Jesus's name, you will let your light flood into every heart, into every mind. Break, Lord, that barrier, Lord, that darkness, Lord, on that mind. Let the light shine in that place of darkness. Let revelation flow like a river. And Father, I pray that even those places, Lord, where it seems like you demand, if we knew who was the one speaking to us, we would ask and he would give.
If you have a responsibility right now that is weighing heavy on your shoulders, maybe it's financial, you have to pay off something and it's weighing heavy on your shoulders, my friend, it's time to come to the table and eat, eat your supply. Say, "Father, I come and I give you all the glory, Lord, because you are doing all the providing, Lord. Thank you, Father". And enter into rest, my brother, enter into rest. Don't take that burden anymore. Jesus is carrying you and he wants you to let go. Only when you let go, are you letting God flow. If you hold on, God lets go. But if you let go, God will hold on to that problem, God will handle it, God will bring his power to bear on that situation.
Maybe it's your family you're concerned about, a child or a teenage son or daughter, well, there's answer at that table. All things are now ready. It's part of the all things. Come, come and take. It will please your Father for you to come and say, "I do not know how to handle my boy. I come to take your wisdom. Just as you gave Solomon wisdom, Lord, according to the need, so was the supply. I come to you now to receive your wisdom. I come now to take your wisdom. Thank you, Jesus".
If you are here, my friend, and you've never accepted Jesus Christ, put your trust in him, take from him the salvation, the forgiveness of all your sins, past, present and future, complete forgiveness. If you say, "Pastor, I see now, salvation is not doing. Salvation is done already. It's for me to take and I want to take Jesus as my Savior". My friend, this is grace. All things are ready. Salvation is yours. Eternal life is yours through Jesus Christ. Will you take? When you take Jesus, you take everything. If that is you wherever you are that's watching this right now, pray this prayer with me from your heart.
Heavenly Father, I thank you. I believe you love me and sent your Son Jesus Christ to die on that cross in my place for all my sins so that I will receive complete forgiveness for all my sins. Jesus bore my judgment and I bear his righteousness, his favor. Jesus bore my curse and I bear all his blessings. Thank you for the divine exchange. Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord now and forever. In Jesus's name, amen and amen and amen.
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Hallelujah, hallelujah. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord, amen? When you confess Jesus as your Lord, it's not you trying to put everything under his Lordship. Let him do it, amen. You confess him as Lord in terms of Savior, amen, Lord of your life and he will be Lord of all by his power, amen praise the Lord.