Breakfast Sandwich Banquet

Breakfast Sandwich Banquet 

 “So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 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 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.’ ” Luke 14:21-24 (ESV) 

My Brother-in-Christ (and the closest thing to a real brother) Mark Fisher gave us quite the devotional at our last men’s breakfast.  He shared with us how he had this amazing revelation that there are two things that are very much in common when any men’s fellowships are called. The first most important thing is our saving grace knowledge, understanding and commitment to Jesus Christ. And the second thing is food. He has been to many in his time, like the first Promise Keepers where they served bologna sandwiches with some other stuff on a Styrofoam plate with a bag of chips to the Keswick Men’s Fellowship night to our most recent find at Mission Point Church in Somers Point, NJ. They serve pizza and homemade chili…I like the chili part! 

But the best part of fellowship is YOU HAVE BEEN INVITED!!  

When we look at the Parable of the Great Banquet you see that it starts off with those who have been invited by the master of the house but they all had excuses to NOT attend. Funny thing is that those he invited sound like they were well to do folks just like him but when you have enough meat to keep you knee deep in quarter-pounders for the rest of your days you kind of panic when no one shows up to eat them. He ends up inviting the kind of people he normally wouldn’t have around. Try to look at what is being served as spiritual meat and those invited are the “already spiritual” ones. The ones who came to eat were the poor, crippled, blind and the lame. 

Another part of fellowship is BE PREPARED TO ATTEND!! Matthew 25:1-13 gives the Parable of the Ten Virgins. So many times I notice that brothers coming to breakfast or even dinner leave the sword behind. It is sad to think that the reason brothers show up is to eat only. We are told in Psalm 119:105… “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path” It is to us to keep enough oil for our lamps and the only way I know to do that is to stay knee deep in God’s Word. Can’t cut a steak with a butter knife can you? So when a brother has a devotional to share open your Bible up and see things for yourself.

The last part of fellowship is WE CAN’T SNEAK IN!! Oh you can think showing up late will do it but we all hear the door open when you arrive. It’s how we react to it that’s key. Matthew 22:1-4 tells the Parable of the Wedding Banquet and this one ends kinda tough doesn’t. This person shows up and doesn’t have the wedding clothes on. Flat out dishonoring the king and winds up being tied up, thrown outside into darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth (that gnashing stuff sounds scary). Getting into the Heavenly Banquet is like going to a “black tie” event. If you are a “party crasher” in jeans and a t-shirt you will stick out like a sore thumb. The Father will notice that you are not covered with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. 

So getting into “The Breakfast Sandwich Banquet” goes like this.

1. We have all been invited!

2. Are you ready and prepared to attend?

3. Will you be clothed for the “black tie” event and welcomed when you get there?

4. Even though we don’t know the day or hour there is no sneaking in!

And for the record if Brother Mark is there and he is behind the grill that day, he makes a killer pork roll breakfast sandwich that will stick with for the morning. Make sure you grab to home to the family…they’ve been invited too!!! – Chris Hughes is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy and served on the Freedom Fighter team

Team YOU: Exodus 12-13; Proverbs 25; Matthew 16

Motivations: “God’s dream is that ‘Christians’ would actually live like Christians”---Chip Ingram

Practice to Remember: Level 1:Ephesians 2:8-9; Level 2: Ephesians 2:1-10

Powered Up:  The whole field of prayer, and praying as laying hold on unlimited power, is unexplored, with the result that spiritual laws still lie undiscovered by the average believer.