The Parables of Christ no. 45

The End Time Love-Feast

Sunday, July 4, 2004

Rev. Brian Kocourek

 

This morning we will take one more message from the Parables of Christ found in the Book of Luke chapter 14, and verses 7-24. 

 

Now, before we begin, I want you to notice that this parable has three parts to it. I want to show you how that all three parts have to do with this hour and the wedding that is to take place in this hour. Now, there is an emphasis placed on the wedding supper or feast that we are bidden to in this hour.

 

Now,  in this parable, Jesus begins by speaking of a wedding, and then speaks of the feast that is associated with this wedding. Therefore, in all three parts of this parable we see that Jesus is speaking of a feast, or sitting at meat with friends, and his emphasis concerns the attitude we should have during this feast.

 

Now, I want you to keep in mind this feast while we read from this parable, because the feast and our attitude towards this feast is what this parable is all about.

 

LUKE 14:7   And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

 

Now, let’s just stop here for a moment to see how this parable speaks of this hour. Notice he is speaking of a wedding, but the main point of this parable is not the wedding, but the sitting at meat as part of the celebration of the wedding.  So we are not looking here at the wedding supper that comes after the wedding, but the sitting at meat as part of the wedding celebration process. For notice he is speaking of them that sit at meat with thee.

 

Now, we know that William Branham taught us that the entire New Testament speaks of this hour, and the Apostle Peter and Jude  warned us that there would be others at our love feasts when we are assembled together to feast upon the Word of God.

 

II PETER 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; 13 And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, [as] they that count it pleasure to riot in the day time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; 14 Having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls: an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: 15    Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam [the son] of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

 

JUDE 1:10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. 12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, (if they are clouds without water then they are clouds without rain, and that means they are without doctrine for God said His Doctrine shall fall as the rain in Deuteronomy 32. and notice they are) carried about of winds; (that means they are carried away by every wind of false doctrine as Paul told us in Ephesians 4.:14. Then he says they are) trees whose fruit withereth (and remember fruit is the teaching of the season, which is the doctrine for the season for the word doctrine means teaching, and these have a withered dried up doctrine with no life in it, and in fact he says they are ), without fruit (which means that they are without doctrine or teaching for the season, and that makes them ), twice dead, plucked up by the roots;

 

Brother Branham said in the sermon, GOD KEEPS HIS WORD   57-0307   E-27    Last night, in the service last night, I preached on Korah, who raised up, and he had about all Israel ready to stone Moses, Caleb, and Joshua. And they were certainly on the minority, but God was with them. And the Bible said that in the last days this thing will be repeated again: woe unto them; they have run in the error of Cain, and perished in the gainsaying of Korah, spots in your love-feast, tossed about with every wind of doctrine. Who's he speaking about? The church in the last days; that's this church, tossed about with every little thing comes along.

 

It never amazes me to see the conventions we have in America and Canada. When they have minister conventions here or in Canada, they do not come to learn the word of God, but they come together for bragging rights on who is doing the best missionary work, and who is sending out the most tapes and who is sending out the most books, and who is doing this that and the other. But when they have these minister conventions, do you ever hear of the ministers coming together to study the Word? Do you hear of them coming together to learn more about the Message of the Hour?  Absolutely not. They come seeking the upper rooms, and the upper positions, and as I said the conventions become bragging tournaments of how much I have done, and How much we have done. And Jesus warned us in this parable to change our attitude or it will be changed for us.

 

Then Jesus begins to lecture the men on how they should set about to hold such feasts where the bread of Life will be broken for others.

 

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, (now this is the key here. When you make a supper or dinner, in other words when you have prepared food to feed others, he says, and we must ask ourselves what sort of feast or supper is he talking about here.) In  JOHN 6:35 we get our answer, when we hear the words, And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

 

And in JOHN 6:48 we hear Jesus say,  I am that bread of life. 49 Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60   Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

 

In MATTHEW 24:45 we also get hear Jesus say. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant (In Luke Chapter 12 he is called a Faithful Steward), whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant (or that Steward), whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

 

Now, listen carefully how we are to hold these meetings where we break the bread of life and share the meat in due season…

 

12 Then said he also to him that bade him, When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends, nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen, nor thy rich neighbors; lest they also bid thee again, and a recompense be made thee.

 

In other words, if you have meat in due season, don’t just share it with those who will share theirs with you in return, but go to those who do not have and share with them… You know the American way and the Canadien way is to invite a minister to your church hoping he will have you come to his church in return, and that is so carnal. And we find Jesus telling us here not to do it that way.

 

Notice he says, 13 But when thou makest a feast, call the poor (that is those who are destitute of wealth, influence or position), the maimed (those are the disabled, those who are not able, those who have become crippled), the lame (this is those who are deprived), the blind (this is those who are able to see. So he tells us the type of people we are to go to and then he says, ):14 And thou shalt be blessed; for they cannot recompense thee: for thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just.

 

If you want to do something for God, then these are the kind of people you are to go to with the Bread of Life. If you are busy running from one church to another and these churches pay your way, and fill you with good food, and give you recompense in this world, then what have you got. But go to those who can not pay you, and to them that can not bless you with physical things, and then you shall reap your reward at the resurrection.

 

15 ¶  And when one of them that sat at meat with him heard these things, he said unto him, Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the kingdom of God.

 

Now notice this man’s comments, and then look at how Jesus answers him. This man says, what a blessing to sit at meat and to eat the bread of life in the Kingdom of God, and Jesus says, mister, if you only knew, if you only knew. And then he proceeds to tell this man how that the people just don’t want the Bread of Life, as you would think that they would want it. Notice how Jesus knew those who came to the meetings just to receive the fishes and loaves, and not the real bread that mattered which is the bread of Life.  And how many people have come to the Message for the same reasons. For a meal ticket.

 

JOHN 6:26 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. 27    Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. 28    Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. 30    They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? 31 Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. 32 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. 34 Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 36 But I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not. 37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. 40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. 45 It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. 46 Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. 47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. 48 I am that bread of life. 49    Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. 50 This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52    The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us [his] flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. 54  Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58 This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59 These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. 60 ¶  Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard [this], said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? 61 When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? 62 [What] and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? 63 It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life. 64 But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him. 65 And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father. 66 From that [time] many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.

 

Now, we know that Jesus has told us to go to those who can not afford to have you and you will receive your reward. But it seems that those who can afford it don’t want it, and Jesus as He continues to teach us concerning the Love Feasts where we are to feast upon His Bread of Life, He shows us how everyone that was originally invited to the feast seemed to have an excuse as to why they could not come to this Word.  So then he said forget them and go to those on the highways and byways. In other words, go find those that will want this bread of life and give it to them.

 

16 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many to come: 17 And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. 18 And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. 19 And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. 20 And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.

 

Notice here that it was supper time and the feast was ready but they did not want it. Now the only reason I can think of is that they did not like that kind of food. Because the Bible tells us they were astonished at His doctrine and that word astonished means they were shocked, they were upset, they wanted to cast it off and away from them. And it seems to me here that these people did not like this man’s cooking or at least the kind of food that he was serving, because every one of them rejected the offer to sit and feast with him.

 

And in the sermon IS YOUR LIFE WORTHY  63-0630E  197, Brother Branham tells us that they will not come to the spiritual feast of the promised and vindicated word.  “Notice. Now, they don't do it; they just won't do it. They have the excuse that their church don't believe in it. They... Why... But Jesus would say to a man tonight, speak to his heart and say, "I want you to go preach the full Gospel." "My church doesn't stand for it, Lord. You excuse me if You will. I've got a fine charge. I... You know, I'm a pastor of one of the greatest churches in this city, Lord. Oh, we praise Your Name down there. Yes, sir, we sure do. I can't do it." The same excuse, same thing. So they don't come to the spiritual feast of His promised, vindicated Word. Did not Jesus say where the carcass is the eagles will gather, eagles, not buzzards now, eagles. Where the slop is and the carrion, then the buzzards gather. But where the fresh, clean meat is, the eagles will gather. See? Certainly. Where the Word, Eagle Food, they'll gather. So they don't come to the spiritual feast that they're invited to. Do you believe that God has give America an invitation the last fifteen years to a great revival, to a spiritual feast? Did they come? No, sir, no, sir. Then to reject to come, is that life worthy of the Gospel, though they call themselves that?

 

So I hope you can see how this parable of Christ applies to this hour. I was talking to brother Vayle the other day and he mentioned how that ion every age it took many, many years for the message of each age to work it’s way around the world, and how amazing it is that in such a short time God has sent the Message to the entire world. And I said to brother Vayle, I think it is more amazing to think that in 3-4 short years God has sent the Message Doctrine into 132 countries around the world. Brother Branham’s Message has taken 40 years but his doctrinal teaching has taken only 4. That’s a tenth or tithe of the time.

 

Notice while he was alive, for over 33 years Brother Branham invited the people to feast on this word and they rejected it. Then Brother Vayle invited them for 23 years, from 1977 to 2000 and yet they still have rejected the call to this glorious feast. Now God has used the internet, not to go to those in America or Canada, but to take this invitation to the rest of the world that was not invited at the original invitation, and it has been a quick work. In 33 years brother Branham’s ministry went forth into a handful of countries. Then brother Vayle took this invitation to several more countries during the next 23 years. But in the past 4 years this Doctrine, this Meat in Due season has gone into 131 countries. And I want you to notice, as we pick up at verse 21 what Jesus says…  21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly (that means with speed, quickly, suddenly) into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 22 And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. 23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways (that’s the way of the traveler) and hedges (that’s those places that separate), and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say unto you, That none of those men which were bidden shall taste of my supper.

 

And so we have seen that God is doing a short quick work, and he is gathering together in One, all things in Christ, from the entire world and they are being compelled to come into Christ for He is the Doctrine. Let’s bow our hearts and heads in prayer…