The Bryce Crawford Podcast - Luke Series Chapter 14 (EP 68)

Episode Date: December 14, 2024

In this episode, Bryce breaks down Luke Chapter 14.

What's going on, guys. Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast. I'm Bryce. And in today's episode, we are on Luke 14, chapter 14 of the 24-day Luke series where every day we're reading a chapter of Luke. So by the time you get to Christmas Eve, you would have read the whole gospel of Luke. Guys, still recovering. I got this sickness.

It's not good. But before we get into it, guys, a couple things. First off, January 19th, first ever live podcast show. It's going to be insane. I want you guys there. Please come. It's going to be powerful. For some reason, the website says it's 21 and up, but all ages are welcome.

So if you guys want to come, go to Jesus in the street.org slash tickets and get your tickets. Come on. It supports our ministry. It's going to be a powerful night at the live podcast show here in Los Angeles. It's going to be awesome. But let's dive into Luke chapter 14, see what Jesus is doing here. We're about to watch Jesus heal someone on the Sabbath. And again, he's going to have the same response that he had to the Pharisees in Luke chapter 13 when he healed the woman with a disabling spirit.

One Sabbath, when he went to dine at the house of a ruler of the Pharisees, they were washing him carefully. they were trying to trip up Jesus. And behold, there was a man before him who had dropsy. And Jesus responded to the lawyers and the Pharisees saying, is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not? Saying there isn't a commandment that says you can't heal on the Sabbath. But they remained silent. Then he took him and healed him and sent him away.

And he said to them, which of you having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on the Sabbath day will not immediately pull him out? And they could not reply to these things. Saying, look, if you're willing to help your son or an ox that falls into a ditch on the Sabbath, then how much more should we be willing and compassionate on those who are made in the image of God? Let's jump down to verse 7.

Now, he told a parable to those who were invited when he noticed how they chose to places of honor saying to them. Now, look, we're about to watch Jesus rebuked people with pride here. He says, when you're invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit down into a place of honor lest someone more distinguished than you be invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, give your place to this person, and then you will begin with shame to take the lowest. place saying look you guys like to be seen by other people you guys think you're the best in the room and so what is it like if you show up to a party assuming you're the best in the room

and the host of that party says actually step down i'm exalting this person instead then he says this but when you are invited go and sit in the lowest place so that when your host comes he may say to you friend move up higher then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table now jesus is saying this he's showing about he's talking about humility and pride here And he's saying, look, don't assume you're the best in the room, but actually go to the lowest place. He's like, you're not going to the lowest place as if you're worth dirt, but you're just content in where the Lord has placed you. And now you allow the Lord to place you where you're at, and you allow the Lord to exalt you and move you up. You don't move yourself up.

You allow the Lord to exalt you and move you up. In whatever time and place you're in, be content in that season where God has you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. This goes whether in this lifetime or when eternity comes and we face judgment. Those who have led in the entire life of pride, they'll be humbled. And those who were humbled and listened, they will be exalted. Listen, Jesus, if you oftentimes read the Bible and Jesus says, those who have years let him hear, he's saying, those who are humble, those who are humble enough to listen, listen to what I'm saying. The parable of the great banquet.

Verse 12. He said also to the man who had invited him, when you give a dinner or abe. banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or your rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. So Jesus is saying, look, why is it that you host these parties and you only invite people, you only honor people, you only allow people to come around that either owe you favors or that your close friends? He's like, don't do that. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just he's saying like

look listen we need to like if you guys know about i think it's in matthew 25 i think it's matthew 25 where jesus said for i was naked and you clothed me for i was hungry you gave me food for i was searching you gave me a drink for what you do to the least of these you do unto me we live a life not just serving those that we benefit from we need to live a life that is glorifying to god that serve those even though we may never get anything back in return that's true humility When one of those who reclined at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, Blessed is everyone who would eat the bread in the kingdom of God. But he said to him, a man once gave a great banquet and invited many.

And at the time for the banquet, he said his servant to say to those who had been invited, come, for everything is now ready. So there's been a big feast prepared and all those that have been invited. The servant goes, hey, look, the feast is ready. But they all alike began to make excuses. The first one said to him, I have bought a field. I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen. examine them. Please have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Now imagine this, right? Jesus Christ has an original design for mankind. He's made you and I in his image and he has an original design for mankind, but sin separates us and corrupts and perverts the original design. Now, Jesus comes to us and says, my son, my daughter, I have a feast for you. Let's die and let's spend time together. Come, become more like me. Jesus's offers on the table.

And you say, Oh, you know what? Well, I'm too young. When I get older, I'll hang out with you. But I'm too young right now. So I'll do, I'll live my life. And then when I get older, I'll live for you. Or another person says,

I'm too busy to hang out with you right now. Jesus, I got school. I got this. I got that. I got blah, blah, blah. And I'm too busy to hang out with you. Or the third person says, ah, you know what, Jesus?

Like, I kind of want to, but my Sunday night football's on. And I want to see this right now. And I don't care. I'll put you on the back burner. you're probably going to be there tomorrow, but Sunday night football is only here every Sunday night. So I'm going to go watch my Sunday night football.

But then he's sitting here and he's like, look, listen, people are going to make excuses. And so Jesus is like, you know what, fine. If you reject me, it breaks my heart. But I'm going to go find people who are hungry and want what I have prepared for them. Jesus is going to look for those who want what he has for them, who wants freedom.

He's going to look for those who want freedom, who want to look and become more like him, who want relationships. with him he's looking for those people then he says to the the master said became angry and said to his servant go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city and bring in the poor and the crippled and the blind in the lane and the servant said sir what you commanded has been done and still there is room and the master said to the servant go out to the highways and the hedges and compel people to come in that my house may be filled for i tell you none of those men who were invited shall taste

my banquet so not only is he saying like look i want people to come and dine with me that actually want me i'm not going to force anyone to it breaks my heart that people reject me but I'm going to draw those and those who come to me at my drawing or those that come to me who are hungry for me. But he's also giving a rebuke to those who only invite those to the table that they're friends with or that they benefit from saying, look, my gospel, the gospel of my life, the life that I'm going to lay down for all of me, it's for everyone. It's for everyone of all walk of life.

That's why it says they go out to the highways and the hedges and they tell everyone, they compel people. They say, look, there's this massive feast. It's for everyone. Jesus Christ is for everyone. Verse 25. Jesus is now going to talk about the cost of the discipleship. Now, great crowds accompanying him and he turned and said to them, if anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children

and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Who does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. Jesus is asking people to come to him without reservation. That relationship with him is far greater than ever. any other earthly relationship we have. Now, he's not saying respect these relationships, but he's like, look, if you have zero reverence and respect and priority for me, but you're prioritizing all of these other people, that's a no-go, man.

Like, don't do that. You must be willing to serve me above all these people amongst the closest blood brothers you have, your mother, your father, and your friends. Like this relationship you have with me is going to be far more greater than that. Because at the end of the day, all these people perish. But I'm eternal. I remain the same. I'm perfect.

I'm flawless. whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple he says his own cross he doesn't say his he doesn't say his cross he says your own cross because every person's walk of life is different the things that people have to set aside are going to look kind of different people come from all different walks of life different backgrounds different struggles so it's like look each person has a unique way of life has a unique purpose that have been through different things that other people may have it and that's okay he says put it aside pick up your cross for which of you desiring to build a tower does not first sit down and count the cost. Following Jesus costs something. It's not free. And a lot of people think, you know what?

Well, I choose not to follow Jesus because I don't want to give up these certain things. Well, the best life we can live is one that's in submission to the Lordship of Christ. The best life we live is one that is in full obedience to the Lord. That is the most fulfilling life. I look at my life and I thought, man, you know, I was bitter at God for a very long time and I was like, you know what? I don't want to follow God too because man he's just going to make me change the way I live and I like the way I'm living but deep down I didn't deep down I hated my life deep down I was still broken and flawed and I was in need of someone greater than myself to help me and finally when I submitted to Christ and I thought that he was going to take away my fun I found more joy in him and the things I thought were fun

were actually just detrimental to my soul and so a lot of us don't understand that the things that we deem fun in this life are just worldly fleshly desires that lead to death and that there's no benefit from it other than it is just crippling our soul. And Jesus is in the business of renewing our soul and giving us new life and wiping our slate clean. Whether he is enough to complete it. Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it began to mock him,

saying, this man began to build, I was not able to finish. Or what king going out to encounter another kingdom war will not sit down first and deliberate, whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him, or come against him with 20,000, counting the cost again. And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation to ask for terms of peace.

Therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. Saying like, look, got to count the cost. Following me costs something. We're going to close out chapter 14 with two verses here. Salt is good. But if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? He's talking about the fruitless Christian here. The one that's a Christian who's grown a hardened heart, who's grown numb.

who like claims to be a Christian but isn't doing a lot. He's saying like, look, the salt has lost its taste and it's only good if it's salty. It's in, it combats everything else that's comfortable. Salt's got a little sting, a little pizzazz, like the Christian life is drastically different than any other life in this world because it's in whatever the world exalts. Christ is like, no. And whatever Christ exalts, the world is totally against. and the saltiness is described as like the true Christian life. It is of no use either for the soil or for the manure pile.

It is thrown away. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He says, anyone who is humble enough to listen to my teachings and accept them, do so. May we learn so much from Jesus here in Luke chapter 14. I was so encouraging my heart, my soul. I'm so stirred right now. Guys, I pray that Luke chapter 14 blessed you guys. I love you guys so much.

Go get your life podcast show tickets here for Los Angeles, January 19th. Jesusanth Street.org slash tickets. I love you guys. See you guys tomorrow for Luke chapter 15