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God Is Throwing a Banquet—and We Are Invited

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By Larry Short

As Elim moves into the next season, God has been directing us to focus our attention on “rolling out a red carpet of Gospel hospitality.” Pastor Ryan even pivoted his sermon this past weekend away from Ecclesiastes and into the scene at the Last Supper where Jesus “showed the full extent of His love” to His disciples by taking on the role of a humble servant and washing their yucky feet—and then urging them (and us, by extension) to do likewise to one another, showing God’s love by serving each other in humility.

While reflecting on this topic of Gospel hospitality, another parable of Christ’s has been demanding my attention. In Luke 14, we find Jesus at the home of a ruler of the Pharisees, invited to a fancy dinner. This was “ordinary hospitality”—invite someone to dinner, and perhaps you will get something out of it: a return invitation, a chance to learn and observe, etc.

But Jesus was also observing. He saw many of the guests vying for the best seats at the table, the seats of honor closest to the host. He warned that in doing so they risked getting displaced by someone the host deemed more important than they and forced to sit shamefacedly in a lower position. He encouraged them instead to seek out in humility the low position, with the possibility that the host might then raise them up.

This principle of humility is one that of course syncs well with Christ’s teaching about washing His disciples’ feet. But it’s the very next thing Christ said, the parable of the great banquet, that really caught my eye:

12 He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. 13 But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 14 and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 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.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 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. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

I realized that the part of this parable that begins with Jesus’s words “A man once gave a great banquet” is less parable and more an actual prophecy. Because Scripture tells us of a coming day in which Christ Himself, the Bridegroom of the Church, will indeed throw a great banquet, which Revelation 19 calls the “marriage supper of the Lamb”:

 Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,

for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his Bride has made herself ready;

it was granted her to clothe herself
with fine linen, bright and pure”—

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”

A couple of things that jump out at me about this end-times great feast. First of all, while all may be invited, not all will accept the invitation. The original invite list in Christ’s parable was full of people who sadly allowed “ordinary life and business” to get in the way of accepting the Master’s invitation. “Please have me excused,” they begged, and the Master did, even though it caused him distress to do so. God will never compel us to accept His invitation.

And if we do accept it, we must learn the lesson of humility. We cannot seek to seat ourselves at the place of honor, or else we risk being put in our proper place. It is far better to humble oneself than to be humbled.

In Christ’s final great wedding feast, we see that humility in the way the Bride has prepared herself. “It was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure.” That fine linen, we are told, is “the righteous deeds of the saints,” but those saints have been freely granted the privilege of attendance, as that righteousness comes not by our own doing, but at the cost of the blood of God’s sacrificial Lamb, the Bridegroom of the feast.

It takes true humility to realize that we are invited to the wedding not because of how holy we are, but because of how God (at His own expense) has made us holy. And the proper response to such an act of grace is deep gratitude and highest praise!

The third and final aspect of our response (humble acceptance and gratitude and praise being the first two) is shown clearly in Christ’s closing words to His listeners. Once we have accepted God’s Gospel hospitality in humility and thankfulness, we must extend it to others. The Master’s command in Luke 14:23 was to “go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.” But God never forces people to accept His invitation. The basis of their acceptance will be love! Thus His mandate in John 13:34 is that we must “love one another just as he has loved us.” It is only and precisely this love and service that will make Christ’s love compelling to others.

Elim is on a journey to learn how to roll out a red carpet of Gospel hospitality to all in our community. Humble acceptance, thankfulness, selfless love, and service will be required of each of us in this priesthood of believers in order to fulfill Christ’s purposes for Elim. Are you on board?

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Family Chores

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By Dan Amos

Pastor Ryan’s sermon on Sunday on “Learning to Live as Life in the Family of God” didn’t talk about the more mundane aspects of being part of a family. There’s day-to-day stuff to take care of that I’ll call “chores.” Our “home” as a church family is the plot of land at the corner of 94th Ave and 128th Street E. It’s not fancy, but it does catch our neighbors’ eyes, and it takes some care to keep looking sharp. It needs the care of the unskilled, like me, and some with a particular set of skills.

Many Hands—and a Riding Lawn Mower—Make Light Work

The biggest needs are mowing, weeding, and trimming. We have a riding lawn mower and a gas-powered trimmer, but weeding just needs a pair of gloves. Lori Cantu has set up a lawn-mowing sign-up sheet online. You can also email me at Dan@elimefc.org. I’ll get with you to get a key to the shed and walk through the operation of the mower and show you the sprinklers to avoid.

Weeding can be done any time. Our islands and flower beds need adoption. Please keep safety in mind when working with other people at the same time.

Skilled Needs

The rain has been plentiful this week, but as always, we hope for sunny weather to come. When this happens, we need our sprinklers to keep the grass green and the flowers blooming. We have sprinklers for much of the landscaping, but they need some maintenance before we can turn them on. I’d love to help someone that knows what they’re doing and learn from them how to do it in the future. Please let me know if you can help with the sprinklers.

We’ll get the lawn mower to the John Deere dealer for some preventative maintenance, but some of the other equipment could use it too. If you have experience with small engines, this would be another place to serve. There’s a donated pressure washer that I can’t start too.

Lastly, if you have ideas or want to discuss ideas, I’d love to talk to you.

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Rebuilding the Gates—Together

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by Larry Short, Elder Chair 

I’ve been reading the book of Nehemiah, and I’m struck by the parallels between that story and our own story here at Elim as well as the Church beyond our corner of 94th and 128th. 

In 586 BC, Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians and the Jews were exiled to Babylon. They lived there in captivity (“locked down”) until 539 BC, when Persia invaded and defeated Babylon. The next year, the first straggling contingent of Jews was able to return to a devastated Jerusalem. 

About 22 years later, under the ministries of Haggai and Zechariah, the Temple was restored. But 58 years after this, when Ezra led another group of Jews back in a second return to Jerusalem, they discovered the gates and walls of the city were still in ruins. 

This is where Nehemiah’s story starts. He was a cupbearer to the King of Persia and a devout Jew. When he learned of the situation in Jerusalem, he was devastated. We can learn much from how Nehemiah responded to this difficult news: 

When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven. (Nehemiah 1:4) 

Jerusalem was not “finished.” God had a plan to restore Israel as His nation! But due to the cluelessness, callousness, and wickedness of his people, some deconstruction had to occur before the rebuilding could begin. 

After his season of humbling himself, repenting, and interceding for his people, Nehemiah determined to take an enormous risk: he would approach the King of Persia with his request to visit Jerusalem and take stock of the situation there. 

And Nehemiah was shown favor by God. Not only did the king give him permission, but he also sent his own police force to secure Nehemiah for the journey as well as a “credit card” with which Nehemiah could secure lumber and other materials needed for the restoration! 

Lessons from Nehemiah 

This past year, Elim (along with thousands of other churches globally) has experienced some deconstruction of our own. And in addition to the COVID plague as well as political and social unrest, we’ve faced the enormous challenge of finding new leadership to guide us. 

I think we’ve all been tempted to give up. Indeed, some have given up on Elim and left, for a variety of stated reasons. 

But for those of us who believe God still has a purpose and plan for Elim and the global Church, I draw these important principles from Nehemiah’s story: 

  • Our first responsibility is to humble ourselves before our God, repent (2 Chronicles 7:14), and intercede for one another. This has been a hard year for all of us, and as we await a new lead pastor, it has been easy to give in to impatience or simply excuse ourselves from gospel ministry and service until “the new guy gets here.” Perhaps some have fallen into despair as the pandemic has kept us from gathering in person or reacted with anger as we tried to wrestle through some of 2020’s challenging events. Or maybe we’ve even experienced some ungodly pride as we’ve compared our handling of the pandemic to that of others! But as always, though our sins may be excusable, that does not make them right. Let’s ask God to search our hearts to “see if there if any offensive way” in us and lead us in His ways (Psalm 139:23–24). 
  • Next, let’s seek His vision for the days ahead. How does He want us to change before we can rebuild better? He may be calling us to step out in faith and take a risk. To re-engage. To reach out and share Christ’s love with a neighbor. To figure out where God wants us to plug in and throw ourselves into that task, even if it seems a little scary! 
  • Third, we need to count the cost. When Nehemiah first arrived at Jerusalem, he surveyed the damage to the walls and gates of the city. We must conduct an accurate assessment of where we are and count the cost (Luke 14:28–30). Who is with us? What are our resources? What do we need to rebuild? 
  • Fourth, every family among us must swing into action and own their part in the rebuilding. We can be mere spectators no longer. I find it fascinating how Nehemiah 3 lists each family or group by name and tells what part of the walls and gates they were responsible to rebuild. God is watching. Will our names be recorded in the legacy of building back better? 
  • Finally, we must be prepared for opposition. When the men of Jerusalem began the rebuilding process, they did so with a sword in one hand and a trowel in the other (4:23). But while they stood again foes of flesh and blood, Paul makes clear that our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but “against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12). Our weapon of choice is prayer, and in divine warfare, the occasional half-hearted supplication will not do. If we wish to reach our neighbors with the love of Christ and His gospel, we must ask our Father for His power, wisdom, and help, for hell itself hates our lifesaving work. 

Are You with Us? 

The task will take commitment and tenacity. But we know the end of the story. Jesus said, “I will build my church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). We are a part of that Church, and He is not finished with us yet! As elders, staff, and leaders of Elim, we sense the Lord is leading Elim with kindness and love through a tough season and toward better days ahead. 

Are you with us, sword and trowel at the ready? Let’s rebuild those gates—together! 

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Can We Pass the COVID-19 Test?

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By Interim Pastor Steve McCoy

Tests are dreaded by most students, but teachers have been using them for years because they work. Students strive to learn their lessons so they can advance, pass the test, and move on to the next level.

God also administers tests. Jesus writes to the church at Philadelphia about testing the whole earthly population: “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come upon the whole world to test those who live on the earth” (Revelation 3:10).

The good news is that this church is going to be spared from that test. The bad news is God is going to test those who call this planet home.

Interestingly enough, our world is going through a planetwide test right now since God has allowed COVID-19 to sweep the globe.

How do we and the rest of the world pass the test?

Do we pass by coping and hunkering down?

Do we pass when we discover who is to blame and hold them accountable—China, politicians, virologists?

Do we pass the test when we wear a mask, socially distance, or get a vaccine?

Just how do we pass the pandemic test?

When God was leading Israel through their wilderness wanderings, Moses disclosed to them the purpose of their trials: “to test you in order to know what was in her heart” (Deuteronomy 8:2).

God is testing me, our church, other believers, unbelievers, and the whole world with COVID-19 to see what is in our heart:

  • Do I love God more fervently than before?
  • Is my service for God as passionate as before?
  • Is my obedience more complete than in previous days?
  • Is my character more reflective of Jesus?

I want to pass the test with a heart hot after God.

Perhaps God is preparing His church to come roaring back with more vitality and passion than ever before!

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What Is Greatness?

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By Martin Schlomer

It’s difficult to identify true greatness in our world today. Some would see it in 21-year-old Jordan Spieth winning the Masters Tournament in 2015. Others would look to Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook, who became a billionaire at the young age of 23. These are great accomplishments, but are either a definition of true greatness?

Jesus was approached by two of His disciples who had a “small” request: “Permit one of us to sit at your right hand and the other at your left in your glory” (Mark 10:37, NET). They wanted to be great. They wanted influence. They wanted power. They wanted recognition. They wanted to matter!

Before we criticize them, let’s be honest: we all want these same things. We may not think we want power or recognition, but we all want our lives to matter. When we look at it in that way, we all want greatness, don’t we?

But what does it take to obtain true greatness? Can anyone be great — even those of us who are just average, or unintelligent, or disabled, or plagued by anxiety? In Mark 10:43, Jesus says, “whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant.” There we have it! The pathway that leads us into true greatness, real influence, and recognition has nothing to do with talents or accomplishments. True greatness is having the heart and practice of a servant.

So that’s it — we just need to serve others openheartedly. Sounds easy, right? Yet it’s not long before we discover how deeply Jesus cuts into our way of being.

Serving others isn’t something we can do just until we reach our goal of having a meaningful life. In fact, true greatness isn’t even something we can attain. Rather, true greatness is revealed by a life bound up in serving others. It never ends — it is a way of being that will extend into eternity.

Serving others is not something we do when we get around to it or can make time for it. It permeates our life. If we are to reflect our Father, it must be as natural as breathing.

Serving others challenges our sense of justice. We can’t do it only when someone serves us first or expresses appreciation for what we do. It’s something we do even when no one serves us in return and our efforts go unrecognized.

We serve because we are children of God. As children of the Kingdom, true greatness is not earned, but revealed, just as Christ’s greatness was revealed through His servanthood.

“But what about my ______________?” We all have a lot of “what abouts.” “What abouts” are detours that move us away from true greatness. True greatness is costly. Jesus made it clear: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We cannot have a truly meaningful life, one marked by true greatness, without expecting to lay down our wants and needs to serve others wholeheartedly, just like Christ did.

Where do you begin? At Elim, we have many opportunities for you to join others in serving wholeheartedly. Many leaders are praying for servants who are eager to invest in the lives of others in the way Jesus describes. We need wholehearted servants for Sunday morning children’s ministries and the Awana ministry. Larry Short is praying for wholehearted leaders who will lead small groups. Kim Schlomer is praying for wholehearted leaders who will serve and disciple women at Elim. You can start — or continue — your life of service here in your own church body.

Every day we must face a choice. Will we spend our lives in pursuit of worldly greatness that will last but a moment? Or will we seek true greatness, a meaningful life of service to others?

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Finishing Well

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by Larry Short

Hopefully this doesn’t sound morbid, but I’ve been thinking a lot about the end of my life and the impact I might make on the people around me. Martin’s partly to blame for this. He’s been asking questions about people we know who finished well and why they had an impact on us. Another reason I’ve been thinking about finishing well is because last Sunday we celebrated the life of Darlene’s mother, Dotty, who passed a few months ago at the ripe age of 98. Like her husband Fred, who preceded her, she finished well.

Larry Short and Dotty French
Sharing a photo with Darlene’s mom, Dotty, on her 98th birthday celebration last November. Amazing to think she’s now reunited with Fred and walking with Jesus!

But what “finishing well” looked like for her was quite different from what it looked like for Fred and for other people I know who have finished well.

Fred wore his faith in Christ on his sleeve, so to speak. He shared openly about his relationship with Christ and urged all around him to follow Jesus. Outgoing and fearless, he was a talented salesman and a natural-born evangelist.

My own father was similar, but in different ways. He led three of his four sisters to Christ after he himself found Jesus while a student at Seattle Pacific University (where he met and married my mom, already a believer and instrumental in my dad’s salvation). He even led his own father to Christ when my grandpa was on his deathbed! My father was incredibly compassionate and generous. He loved to give and serve.

My own mom died of cancer at the age of 64. But she finished well. She had a vibrant faith in Christ, and was positive and encouraging until the day she died. My mom loved her family and her church well, and was incredibly committed to me becoming all God wanted me to be.

Darlene’s mom also lived to serve others: her husband, her husband’s clients, her kids, extended family, you name it. She wasn’t super outspoken about her own faith, but Christ could be seen in the way she cooked, cleaned, and catered to the needs of those around her.

Because of Martin’s questions, I’ve been thinking about many others you all probably knew and loved. The name Art Nissan is often mentioned when we talk about finishing well. Art was wise and godly, and he carefully nurtured his own connection to Christ. He was simple and humble; he shared his life with those he loved. He made an incredible impact in the lives of many in our church.

Helen Eash springs to my mind as another who finished well. Much like Darlene’s mom, she quietly served those around her and devoted her life to supporting her husband Harold and the many people they impacted on the mission field. Her love for people and for Christ was beyond doubt.

And then there was another man I think “finished well” even though he was very, very different from Art or Helen. Robert Lee was truly a diamond in the rough, far from perfect. A professional tattoo artist (and a good one), his early life was violent and dangerous. But after he found Christ and began attending Elim (his 45 revolver strapped to one leg!), he fearlessly began to change. He had a real and vital relationship with Christ, which he shared with those around him, including his friends from his “darker days.” Now he is dearly missed.

Finally, I would be remiss not to mention our dear friend Nancy Ide. She finished well, at too early an age, but the strength of her faith in Christ and the way she poured into others, even as she herself was being ravaged by cancer, was truly remarkable and praiseworthy.

I think about the things that each of these well-finishers shared in common, and I think if I truly seek to achieve the following four things, I, too, may stand a chance to finish well:

Devotion to Christ as their highest and most important relationship. Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our mind. People who finish well leave no doubt that their relationship with Jesus is their first and foremost priority.

They loved the people God placed in the path of their life. Jesus said, “And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Each of these people I mentioned were people whose love for others was indisputable. They honored others as more important than themselves and serve others wholeheartedly.

They were fearless. Scripture says “Perfect love casts out fear.” Love for God and faith in Him inspires us to be fearless. No matter what happens in our life, whether it’s the cancer that ravaged Nancy or Alzheimer’s as my dad experienced, God has our back, and there is no need to fear the future!

Like the faithful servant of Christ’s parable, they invested whatever gifts God gave them to bring Him glory. Too many people “retire.” My dad retired as the president of an industrial plant in Singapore when he was 55, and I (sort of) retired two years ago, at 60 (only to find myself drawn back to a ministry I really love at World Vision!); but those who finish well, I believe, never really retire. They keep on keepin’ on, with whatever strength they have that remains, using whatever gifts, talents, skills, and resources God has given them, investing these in the Kingdom of God and the lives of the people around them.

Losing loved ones to heaven is not really sad. The sad fact is that many among us, unfortunately, do not finish well. As a song I really appreciate says, “gravity is pulling me on down.” We get self-centered (instead of God- and others-centered), we get tired, we stop loving God and people well and serving with whatever means God has blessed us with. We may allow ourselves to grow fearful and complacent.

I’m constantly aware of the tendencies in my own life for gravity to pull me on down. Thankfully, every new day brings new opportunities for me to repent and recommit myself to the task of finishing well! And I’m also thankful for brothers and sisters in Christ who surround me and are willing to “hold my arms up” as I seek God’s strength to end my earthly story in a way that brings Him glory.

How about you?

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