At the Table Pt. 1 :: The God Who Came Eating & Drinking

Visit our website
Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on Instagram

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi, welcome to the Vine Life Church Podcast. We're in Boulder, Colorado, and we're following Jesus by staying rooted in his presence, growing in his family, and living on his mission so that hearts are awakened with his awe-inspiring love. In this time of social distancing, we're not currently gathering in person, but we invite you to stream the video from our weekend services online. And if we can help you in any way, reach out to us at VineLife.com. For now, here's a short sermon from last weekend at Vine Life. Again, thanks for joining us. Well, good morning, Vine Life. I'm excited to open the word with you today. We're starting a new conversation together, and uh we are still navigating a momentous time. Um we we could even refer to this time as a great upheaval. And uh I I don't know if you've noticed this, but it seems like nearly everything that can be shaken has been shaken. And I wonder if the history books will look back at this global moment as a as a great exposure, a great revealing where God is shining his lights on things underneath the surface of our lives and the systems of the world. And uh and it's a it's an interesting time because right now we're in between two worlds, it seems. We're in between the world we knew and the world that's taking shape. And uh and and it's creating this sense of unrest, this uncertainty of what's to come. But I just want to encourage you today uh that uh that God is in this with us, that God is in the middle of this shaking. In fact, I I firmly believe that what's happening right now is we are being ripened for the next great awakening. There is a preparation that is taking place. So be encouraged. Um, you know, but while we're in this in between, there is some work to do, right? Because we are participating with God as He is establishing His kingdom through us. So the Lordship of Jesus is working its way through the church, and uh and we are being a prophetic picture of what the kingdom of God looks like in this point in time. And I and I think one of our greatest opportunities in this point of time is to continue to be agents of healing and hope and reconciliation, um, which seems like a big calling, but we need to look no further than our rabbi, our teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to take some, to take a play from his playbook for how he ministered transformation and healing, which is what we're gonna get into right now. You see, Jesus knew what it meant to walk on earth in a tumultuous time. And that should be encouraging for you and I, because he was no stranger to uh to upheaval. He walked at a time where racism and politics and religion were all at new heights, all uh all systems working in and around each other. He came and uh he stood in the middle of all of those, the oppression of the Romans, who were unmatched in their military strength and empire, and that they they had the people of Israel under their oppression. We read about uh the religious system in that time, and it was growing in strength and power, um, organizing people according to righteousness and and and categorizing who who was holy enough to approach God. Um and then we see that Jesus came and he stood between socioeconomical classes and races and and and and and the young and the old and male and female, and he he would fight for the vulnerable and he would stand in the middle of it all. He would stand between the Pharisees and the lepers and the Sadducees and the Samaritans, right? Of the sinners and the saints, and even his own twelve disciples, crazy enough, he picked the guys that were probably least likely to get along. Um, not only do we have the fishermen in the crew, but we have a tax collector and a zealot. And that might not mean a whole lot to you, but just imagine somebody on the far right of the political spectrum that is militant, and somebody on the far left of the political spectrum who is militant about their views, and invite them to come follow you for the sake of world transformation and see how that goes, right? So that's exactly what Jesus did. He didn't care who it was because for Jesus, everybody had a place. Everybody was going to be a part, everybody was invited into the story of God. And that's what Jesus came to do. But we have to ask this question: how did he do that? How did he bring them together? And there's a few ways of looking at this, but I think there's a really specific, unique facet of the life and ministry of Jesus that that doesn't get a whole lot of attention that I think we can learn a lot from in this moment of time. You see, uh, author Tim Chester he makes this observation that in the New Testament, the Son of Man came for a few different reasons. Um in Mark 10, 45, it says the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. Okay, so he served. The second appearance was the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost. In Luke 19, 10. Okay, so he came to seek the lost. But the third one is this the Son of Man has come eating and drinking. So which one is not like the other? Um the first one, he came to serve, he came to seek, and he came to eat and drink. It seems a little bizarre. It's kind of like another description of how the Messiah came. In fact, the prophet Daniel was the one using this phrase, the Son of Man. And the Prophet Daniel, as he was speaking of the Son of Man, he was speaking of the Messiah, the one who was to come with authority and power. And there's this idea that the Son of Man was going to come and he was gonna rule the nations. He was gonna come in a blaze of glory with an army of angels, right? Coming on the clouds. He's gonna ride in, it's just gonna be this heavenly, glorious thing. But then Jesus comes, and one of the descriptions we get is the Son of Man came eating and drinking. It seems a little weird, except when we uh when we when we see that not only did he come eating and drinking, but for what reason, that the heart of God always leads to a table. And when we look at the gospels, this is what's fascinating about Jesus. Some of the most poignant moments of transformation happened over a meal. Some of his most beautiful, moving uh scenes in the gospels happen around the table. For instance, the first miracle was at a wedding feast where he turned water into wine, and his last supper was with his friends and his disciples just before he would be taken to the cross. We read over and over how he dined with Pharisees and tax collectors and sinners, and was accused almost every time of not fitting into what he should be doing. He multiplied food for the masses, he invited over Zacchaeus. He invited himself to Zacchaeus' house, which typically isn't good form, but but Jesus likes eating and drinking. He revealed himself in the breaking of bread to the disciples walking on the road to Emmaus. In utter devastation, Jesus, it was in the breaking of the bread that he revealed himself to them. One of my favorite scenes is after his resurrection, he comes back. One of the last scenes of Jesus and the Gospel of John is uh he decides he wants to cook breakfast for his friends. And so there's a scene on the beach where he says he starts cooking up some fish for breakfast for his friends. Um, you know, I will add this uh fish typically isn't a great choice for breakfast, in my opinion. Unless we're talking, I don't know, crab benedicts, you know, seafood of some kind, that's what we're gonna do. But we're not gonna hold that against him because he wanted to cook breakfast for his friends. Why? Because he loves eating and drinking. Robert Karras concluded this that in Luke's gospel, Jesus is always either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal. And why? Because the table, it seems, is the centerpiece of God's mission. It's the reconciling force that brings people together. And not only was it Jesus' mission, but it's a prophetic symbol of what's to come. You see, in the book of Revelation, that the table shows up a couple times. And in chapter three of the book of Revelation, Jesus is addressing the church of Laodicea, and he's calling them back to him. He's actually rebuking them because they were complacent. They had fallen asleep. He even said, You're neither hot nor you're cold. You're lukewarm, and it's disgusting. I'm gonna spit you out of my mouth. Yikes. It's hard when Jesus says those kinds of things, but he was serious about it. He was calling them away from their pride and their arrogance, he's calling them back to himself. And he ends a passage in Revelation 3. He says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come to him and dine with him, and he with me. And I want you just to get this picture of even when Jesus is refining us and shaping us, like he's doing right now, and he's calling the church out of our sleep and our complacency, which is also what he's doing right now in human history, that the purpose that he's doing that, he's knocking on our door. He's saying, Listen, if you just open the door, I want to come in and share a meal with you. And it goes further than that in the book of Revelation. And this is important that we see that all of our lives, all of the story, the story of God is culminating in a climactic scene. And that climactic scene of this movie ends at the marriage supper of the Lamb, where all will be made right around the table. And here's what Charles Spurgeon, here's how he talks about this. He says, There will come a day when all who have died shall be raised again from the tomb, and those who remain alive shall have changed, so that the corruption shall have put on incorruption, and mortality shall have put on immortality. Then will the church be perfect and complete. No matter no one member will be missing. There will be no spot or wrinkle remaining in her. Then it shall come to pass that Christ will celebrate this marriage supper, which will be the bringing of the people of God into the closest and happiest union with Christ, their Lord in glory. Ah! Amen, right? This is where this is going. All will be gathered up, all will have a place at the table. And so why would Jesus prioritize the table as a method of ministry? And why should we? Because the table is a prophetic picture of where our story will end. Every time we gather at the table, we're declaring that this is what God is doing. He's gathering up all of the nations, he's gathering up all of the peoples of all kinds, and he's saying, You have a place among my table with me for all of eternity. It's beautiful, right? But then we kind of tee that up with our experience of meals and table, and you know this, in our culture, when it comes to dining, it's not always this beautiful prophetic picture. In fact, uh sometimes it's quite opposite. Some of us eat just primarily because it's functional. It's something we have to do. It's like, okay, I'll eat because if I don't, I'm going to die, right? I'm gonna have energy. So it's primary primarily just a necessary requirement for everyday life. Uh others, we eat uh because we're we eat while we're hurried, right? We eat while we're doing something else. We're multitasking, so we eat while we're working, or we eat on the way to somewhere else, because it's not enough to just do it as an act in and of itself. It's it's not worth our time all the time. Ouch. Right? And I'm I have you know, I've never done that by the way. This is only I'm only talking to you. I never have these kinds of problems, which is a joke. Uh the third thing we do though is we eat while we're distracted. Oftentimes we eat in front of the TV. We eat while we're thinking about other things. But I believe that this picture that God is calling us to to reclaim the meal as a sacred space is both to root us in his story, but then also to hold open a space as a reconciling force for our neighbors and co-workers and for this world that we live in, to show them what life in the kingdom can be like. And that's why when you think about, I just want you to think about just for a moment of your most memorable meal of all time. Think about your most memorable meal. Where were you? How old were you? What were you eating? What was the setting, right? It doesn't have to be a fancy meal, it could be a very simple meal. We're not talking about um, you know, we're not talking about going all out, but what was the most memorable meal? So for me, there's a few that come to mind. This is really hard because my wife is an amazing cook, and so nearly every meal is memorable, and uh I'm gonna hopefully get some points for saying that later. Uh, but but my wife is an amazing cook, and and she does an amazing job. And so I am blessed every time I sit down at the table. But there's a couple meals that stood out in my lifetime. One, I I can remember uh being in Africa back in the early 2000s with a bunch of friends in this this ministry internship ninth hour, and we were on the edge of the Indian Ocean and we were eating crab legs while the ocean breeze was was coming by, and there was something perfect about it, about that moment. Another one was much like it, it was also on the ocean. Uh a few years ago, being in Kauai with my wife, and uh we were eating fresh sushi while the sun was going down over the ocean, drinking some Mai Thai's, and it was brilliant. Um and so uh we asked you this week what were some of your favorite meals, and here's what some of you had to say.

SPEAKER_02 15:55

I just asked my husband what was your most memorable meal, and he said, without a doubt, spaghetti. So when I was a young mom, I was gonna make dinner, and I had made spaghetti, which I can cook, spaghetti sauce, yummy, and um so I was gonna make a pizza out of the leftover sauce. But lo and behold, when he he put away that dinner, um, he put all the noodles in with the sauce, and so I thought, well, let's see, I had the crust already, so I just dumped the whole thing on top of the crust, noodles and all, and then I covered all of it with cheese, so you couldn't see the the spaghetti noodles, and so I cut it and gave him his piece, and when he took one bite, all the noodles just went all down his face, and it was so funny, and um, so he named it spaghetti, so that was his favorite.

SPEAKER_01 16:56

My most memorable meal was actually by the Sea of Galilee in Israel. It must have been 110 degrees in the shade when we were there, and we had gone into this little restaurant and they served fresh vegetables, hummus, and freshly caught fish, which they had just cooked, and it was so reviving to the souls of everyone there. It was just awesome. That's all I can say.

SPEAKER_03 17:23

The best meal and most memorable meal that I've ever had was in Morocco, Marrakesh, Morocco, in 1994. Dale and I were on a tour and sat down to dinner at our hotel, and um local man came in and said to our table, do you know Roberto? I'm looking for Roberto. And Roberto was the man on our tour. And um we said, Well, yeah, we we know him. Now he was just a recent acquaintance. He says, You're all coming to my house for dinner tonight. So we loaded up into taxis with Roberto and this table full of 10 people or so, and and went to Mohammed's house. And uh the inside of his house was beautiful, mosaic tile everywhere. We sat at this table, this round table with cushions everywhere around, and the food just came out for hours and hours. His his wife and servants had prepared this incredible traditional Moroccan meal. So there were little marinated vegetable salads all around. There was a giant platter, every platter was this was this big. Giant platter of couscous with dried nuts, uh dried fruits and nuts in it. Another platter would come out with whole little chickens with ginger and all kinds of Moroccan spices, and then another platter of lamb, and it and it was just incredible. We ate for hours and listened to Mohammed and Roberto, who did business together, talk with each other and sort of try to one-up each other with stories, and it was just a beautiful cultural experience. Um, sadly, his wife was not allowed to eat uh the meal with us. Uh, but his children, we did meet her, and his children all came in. There were eight or nine of them, um, and kissed us all on the cheek, made the rounds. It was a lovely evening, the best meal I've ever eaten, and a beautiful location and just fascinating cultural experience.

SPEAKER_00 19:42

Yeah, so our meals are memorable in our life. They're anchor points for the way we even remember our own life stories. And chances are you remember not only what you were eating, but you remember how you felt and more importantly, who you were with. Uh, meals have a way of doing that. Tables have a way of bringing people together that you remember those moments of laughter or even being moved to tears as you were opening up your life to each other, as you were telling stories and reminiscing together. And that's what the table has the potential to do, to create a strong bond of connection. And that's much like the table that God calls us to. It has different properties to it. For instance, the table is a place of intimacy, where we are seen and known by name. The table is a place of belonging, where uh there is a seat for everyone: sinners and saints, black and white, male and female, young and old, every tribe, tongue, nation, the whole thing. Everybody has a place at the table. The table is a place of being, where we get to slow down to be with one another. The table is a place of humility, where we come as we are, not just how we want to be or how we want to be perceived. We come in the reality of where we are. The table is a place of laughter where we uh where we tell poop jokes, even though it's not appropriate, right? Um maybe that's just my table. Uh the table is a place of discovery where we tell our stories and maybe embellish others. The table is a place of honor, where we speak truth into each other's lives. The table is a place of gratitude, where we receive provision and nourishment with glad and sincere hearts. And the table is a place of remembrance where we remind ourselves of who God is and what he has done. And so I hope by now you can get this picture that the table is not peripheral to your spiritual life. In fact, I would say the table is one of the most sacramental, sacred spaces that we hold if we're willing to reclaim it and actually. Repurpose it in this season of life to not only be an act of worship but an act of reconciliation. The table is important to the heart of God and it should be for us as well. It's a place where Jesus transformed the lives of the people that he spent time with. And in a like manner, it's a place where, if we're willing, this can become a place of mission for us as well. And I love that. Again, Jesus' whole mission strategy was a long meal stretching into the evening. And he seemed to accomplish more around the table than many of us do in large conferences and gatherings. And I want to encourage us, as we're launching this conversation, we'll be here for the next several weeks looking at the meals of Jesus and what we can learn about the meals that we share. Is that one of the most profound things we can do to become people of love, awe-inspiring love, in this moment of division and uncertainty and anguish that is being felt all around, is to surround our tables, even with people that need to know that there is hope and there is another story and there is a new narrative and they belong and they have a place and they are loved. Right? And you might be thinking at this point in time, wow, um, you didn't see the message going here, and maybe you're thinking, gosh, Luke, uh, I don't know. It just feels like that, you know, everything right now, it feels like a battle, right? It feels like I I don't know that um uh I don't know if I can enter into this because what does this have to do with the battles that we're facing in culture in our lives right now? And it's a fantastic question. And I think this is why David, when he was writing Psalm 23, he worked this into this song of the leadership of God in a season of discouragement and disappointment in the valley of the shadow of death. And here's what he says in Psalm 23 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies. And I and I want to encourage you today, if you are fighting a battle, and I'm sure you are, and I don't know who you're fighting, I don't know who your enemies are. Uh likely your enemy is different than who you think it is. Um the scripture says that we do not fight flesh and blood, we fight rulers and principalities in high places. Um either way, I want to suggest to you that God's answer to your greatest battle is still a table. He prepares a table for you in the presence of your enemies. And for every fight, God declares a feast. Why? Because that's where He is leading us. And I think in this time of turmoil, what better way to celebrate and point to what God is ultimately doing in us and around us than to become people who know how to feast on the provision of God and invite others to do the same. So, what does that mean for us? Well, a few different things, a few different ways to respond. First of all, you know, reflect on these passages, reflect on the gospel, see what Jesus was doing as he was eating and drinking. And in turn, allow your meals to become a sacrament, allow your meals to become a new altar of worship. See, uh, the reality is all of us, every single one of us, we're eating roughly 21 meals a week, right? Maybe give or take, maybe some of us a few more, maybe some of us a few less. Um, but even now, what if you began to repurpose every single one of those meals as a sacrament to God, to both feast on him, and then as you're sharing those meals, to let it become a picture of unity for what he is doing, prophetically declaring the feast that God is inviting the whole world into. Set apart your eating and your meals as holy unto the Lord, because that's what it is. The second thing, though, is you know, as as you begin to repurpose your own table in your own home, uh think about the meals that you're sharing with others. And as our restrictions are beginning to lift, I know many people are beginning to gather around the table again, and not everybody is doing that, and I totally get that, but but but but some of us, this is an opportunity we have right now because people are longing to be together with real human beings, doing real things and not virtual things together. And uh and this is a moment, a unique opportunity, begin to surround your table with your neighbors, with people that maybe even are not like you, um, that you can come in so you can start to practice connection and honor and celebration and these types of things, and start to minister hope and healing just by sharing a meal together. And if if you are one of those who you're only uh you're still just doing everything virtually, you're not having people over, there is no pressure. But listen, there's still opportunities. In fact, one of the things that we learned this last season was uh uh we can do this even over Zoom. You can call up people and say, hey, let's have a happy hour over Zoom or let's share a meal. We'll both have a meal on different sides of the screen, and we're gonna connect and we're gonna love each other and we're gonna pray for each other, and you can still do that. Do this with those in your own home, with your own family and children. Uh recover the place at the table, knowing that God's presence is among you. Bring a meal to a neighbor. We've been doing this with some of our neighbors, and it's just been opening all kinds of doors for conversations and love. And you know, as we come into the summer, one of the awesome opportunities is to begin to host outdoor block parties or lawn parties and invite all your neighbors to bring a chair and something to eat, and uh and you can even do that casually and gather with each other over a meal or over a dinner or on a back patio. And listen, I know that all seems very simple, but it is simple. Um, but this is one way that we can continue to participate with what God is doing in our day and our time. And so I want to pray for us as we end our time here together at the table with Jesus as we begin this exploration, that God would give us a new imagination for what he's calling the whole world into. So, wherever you are, would you stop with me and let's just pray into this. So, Father God, I thank you. I thank you today that we have been invited to your table. And for every person that's watching this right now, as we start reflecting on our lives and reflecting on our own rhythms and our own eating and drinking, Lord God, I pray that you would just inject a fresh dose of life and creativity and imagination, both for how we can enter into your joy and your presence around the table, but that in the coming weeks and coming months that we can also reclaim the table in our homes as a centerpiece of mission and reconciliation, to begin to invite conversation and healing and prayer, even as we share that space with the people we love. And God, I pray for my friends that they would be rooted in the story that we all share, that we would remember we are all on our way to the wedding supper of the Lamb, where you will make all things right, and we can start to enter into that right now. So we thank you, God, that you have made a place for us at your table and we get to do the same. And it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Love you guys.