Pancakes, Prodigals, and Mission

Attention all men of CrossWay. On Saturday, January 10th, we have an opportunity to invite our non-Christian friends to hear a clear proclamation of the gospel at our men’s pancake breakfast. What better way to start the New Year than add a few pancakes to the pounds you already put on over Christmas and New Years!

Pancakes, prodigals, and mission

Seriously; this pancake breakfast is part of our mission as a church – to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives by the power of the gospel. How? There will be a clear proclamation of the gospel from Luke 15:11-32; the parable of the prodigal son who went from prosperity, to poverty, to peace.

The context leading up to Luke 15 gives us four reasons why we should make every effort to invite our non-Christian friends to this pancake breakfast.

The parable of the great banquet

In Luke 14:12-24 Jesus teaches on the parable of the great banquet. In the parable, all who were invited by the servants to the master’s banquet refused to come. The master became angry and told the servants to go the streets and invite the “poor and crippled and blind and lame” (v21), but the servants had already done so. So the master said,

“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 14:23-24

The banquet of the lamb is to be filled with sinners saved by grace. Who have you invited to the pancake breakfast?

The cost of discipleship

In the next section, Luke 14:25-35, Jesus teaches the crowds who followed him about the cost of discipleship. His point was it will cost you to follow me. Jesus tells them they must hate their family, and carry their cross, and renounce all that they have if they want to follow Him. A disciple is one who does not give up midstream, or coast, or lose his saltiness as a follower of Christ.

“Salt is good, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? 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.” -Luke 14:34-35

The cost of following Jesus means reaching out to sinners with the gospel. Who have you invited to the pancake breakfast?

Joy over one sinner who repents

Jesus then tells three parables about seeking, saving, and rejoicing over those who were once lost but who have been saved. First Jesus tells the story about the shepherd who seeks, saves, and rejoices over the lost sheep. Jesus ends this parable by saying,

“Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” -Luke 15:7

Then Jesus tells the parable of the woman who searches, finds, and rejoices when she finds the lost silver coin. Jesus ends this parable by saying,

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” -Luke 15:10

Then Jesus tells the parable of the father who seeks his two sons. When the first son returns home, the father rejoices and celebrates with a feast. He invites his older son to join in the celebration, but the older son wants nothing to do with it. So the father says to him,

“It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.” -Luke 15:32

The mission of those who follow Jesus is to seek those who are lost. Who have you invited to the pancake breakfast?

The example of Jesus

Throughout all of this we have the example of Jesus who distanced himself from the religious groupies and made Himself a friend of sinners. This angered the Pharisees and scribes who said,

“This man receives sinners and eats with them.” -Luke 15:2

We have an opportunity to be like Jesus on January 10th who receives sinners and eats with them. Who have you invited to the pancake breakfast?