Is This Seat Taken? Part 3

IS THIS SEAT TAKEN PART 3: Food at the Table

Introduction:  Last week I spoke to you concerning:  “Sitting in Silence” Lo-Debar.

Dinner is Served

(Ziba – remember he went and got Mephibosheth…Ziba goes and invites people to the table!)

  • I told you Ziba was likened unto the Holy Spirit…”no man comes to the Father unless the Holy Spirit draws them.”
  • Ziba goes after all kinds of People on behalf of the king
    • The Mephibosheth’s who can’t walk and come to the table…they have an issue so bad it leaves them paralyzed
    • Ziba will go after the lonely
    • Ziba will bring to the table the religious person
    • Ziba will gather the good ole boy

Transition:  But when they get to the table…there must be bread, (food) at the table.

  • Who here remembers when you asked Jesus to take over your life?
  • How many remember what was preached?
  • How many remember the songs that were sung?
  • Now how many recall what and how you felt the day you said “yes” to Jesus?

That tells me His presence is more important than anything else.  Often times we go through the religious exercise of church and totally miss His presence.

  • We have become like bakeries
    • Open but no bread
    • We enjoy the chit-chat around the table and the empty ovens…
    • We will even spend time sweeping imaginary crumbs from bakeries with no bread.

(Ziba – begins to bring in the meal)

  • Bring out some bread and place it on the table
  • Bring out something to drink… (Grape juice)

 

Ruth 1:1-6

1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion — Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband.

Naomi Returns with Ruth

6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread.

NKJV

  1. People Leave the House of Bread for One Reason
    1. Famine in Bethlehem – Judah
      1. Bethlehem means “House of Bread”
      2. Judah means “praise”
  • Jesus was called in the book of John “the bread of life” from the tribe of Judah or the tribe of Praise
  1. Church is called the “Body of Christ”
    1. If we are His body, we should possess the Bread of life in the house…
    2. As His body, this is and should always be the House of Praise
  2. Old Testament Tabernacle
    1. Showbread in the Holy Place
    2. It was called “The bread of Presence”
  • Showbread would be better defined as “show up bread”
  1. In the Hebrew it was called “face bread”
  1. People are looking for Bread
    1. Naomi left looking for Bread due to a great famine in her life.
    2. People walk out of churches every week because they are looking for His face, His presence for sustaining bread….
  • We have an obligation to have fresh bread in the house when people come to the House of Bread looking for something to satisfy their lives.
  1. The problem is word gets out, “There’s no bread in that bakery.”
    1. It sounds more like this though: “Ahh, you’ve seen one church you’ve seen them all.”
    2. See folks, we must have His presence in this House whenever we come together, because someone walked into this house today needing some bread.
  2. False Advertisement
    1. I can’t stand false advertisements.
    2. Get my hopes up and then, the great let down…
  • No fresh presence of God is false advertisement to a world who desperately needs His Presence.
  1. Sometimes there are only traces of old crumbs from the past move of God

Transition:  Here me…if I’m not going to encounter the presence of God and His word…I don’t want to come either.  It would be like showing up to Crispy Crème Donuts and the light is on…but no fresh Donuts.

  1. A Rumor of Bread
    1. See Naomi’s family left Bethlehem and went to Moab!
      1. If you would allow me to frame it this way…these are folks who have tried the church and left disappointed…so they take off for Moab
      2. The problem is…Moab will destroy you.
  • Moab will take your family.
    1. It will promise things like, “Just get a divorce…”
    2. It will destroy your kids…
    3. Your Possessions
    4. Naomi goes to Moab, and she loses her
      1. Husband
      2. Her sons
      3. And all her stuff…
    5. This is exactly what happens to people…
      1. I’d rather stay in an old bakery and wait on fresh bread verses trying the pig slop the prodigal son had to eat…
      2. Have you ever made a decision that had you eating slop you would have rather not had to eat…all because you wouldn’t stay in the house of bread?
    6. A Rumor Begins to Spread
      1. Have you ever noticed the best and worst advertisement is Word of Mouth?
      2. Let God show up and show out…
        1. I mean let fresh bread be discovered…
        2. You will have every Naomi, Ruth and Moabite coming out of the woodwork this way….

Transition:  Have we the “House of Bread” become content with crumbs…when God has promised fresh loaves of bread.

  • Content with Crumbs
    1. When we refuse to press in for God’s best we settle for CRUMBS
      1. Like a Wine Press
      2. Oil Press
  • Push until we get the best God has to offer for us…
  1. We need to press in
    1. Like the Woman with the issue of Blood
      1. She began to press her way in
      2. Was probably considered a bit rude, maybe even a bit radical?
      3. Oh, but I’ve got to touch him…
    2. Press in
      1. Past Comfort
      2. Complacency
      3. Habits
      4. Press passes the hurt
      5. Press beyond pain!
      6. Press past my own ATTITUDE!
      7. Press Past Yesterday’s Success
  • Press till I come into His Presence…

Transition:  I hope we haven’t become like Lazarus at the rich man’s table, content with Crumbs.

NO MORE CRUMBS

  1. Baking Fresh Bread
    1. How Do You Get Bread In the House
    2. Develop a Hunger
      1. I must have your presence.
      2. People who are starving act and behave differently.
    3. Forget your manners and your protocol!

 

  1. Matt 15:21-28

21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

23 But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”

27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

NKJV

  1. By-Product of Bread
    1. Naomi heard that there was BREAD back in Bethlehem…
    2. So, she loaded up what she had left and Naomi along with Ruth went back to where there was the rumor of bread
    3. If the church gets bread back in the House
      1. His Presence
      2. Healing
  • Miracles
  1. His Glory
    1. Backsliders will come home.
    2. Sinners will come.
    3. Hurting will come running.
  2. There will not be room to contain the people…
  1. Closing
    1. Leftovers are for family…but FRESH BREAD IS FOR GUEST
    2. I came to tell you…each and every one of you that you are a guest at the table of the Master…and everything you have need of is at the table…
    3. Your name may be Mephibosheth…somewhere in life you were dropped…
    4. If you’re desperate for His Presence…come seek His Face and Not His Hand…
      1. Someone needs to grab your wife and family and hit this altar and not get up until you take restoration and healing off His Table…
      2. I tell you there is Healing at this table…
  • Miracles are on the Table This Morning
  1. Prosperity is on the Table
  2. Repentance is at the Table
  3. Freedom is at the table…

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