There’s a story in Luke 14 where Jesus gives us this amazing picture of grace.

He’s telling a story saying that GOD is like a rich man that’s throwing a party for all of his friends and as the party gets closer and closer, people start backing out.

One guy says he has to work.
Another says he just got married and he has to get home to his new wife… (enter “whipping” noise).
My favorite though is this one guy who says, “I just bought an OX that I have to get home to.”

LAME. But, I’ve never owned an ox, so maybe they take more work that I know and this guy really can’t go to a party because he has a to tend his ox.
It’s still lame.

So, the rich man is annoyed, right?
And, he doesn’t want this party to go to waste.
So he sends his servants out to invite anyone the meet in town to the party.
The sick, the lame, the hungry… the Message says, “Anyone that looks like they need a square meal…”

It’s kind of like the first Snicker’s commercial.
“Hungry? Why wait… old man Snickers is throwing a party…
with caramel and nougat…
and peanuts.

But, here’s my favorite part of the story.
It says starting at Verse 21:
“The servant reported back, ‘Master, I did what you commanded— and there’s still room.’
“The master said, ‘Then go to the country roads. Whoever you find, drag them in. I want my house full!’”

The rich man says, “I want my house full!”
GOD says, “I want my house full!”

That’s the picture of GOD that Jesus is painting for us here. A GOD that says, “I want my house full. Come on in. Food’s on the table. Oh, you have know another guy that needs a good square meal? Bring him. And that lady. And that guy, and the hooker, and the crack addict, and so on…”

A few weeks ago at Crosspoint we introduced this song to the crowd called “Come Away/Let Me In” from Jesus Culture. You can watch their version of the song below.

It’s a little different than most songs we sing at XPT. Typically, church music involves songs that we’re singing to GOD or about GOD. But, I’ve not experienced many goodsongs that are GOD singing to us. That’s exactly what this song is. It’s not us saying, “GOD we love you and will do anything for you” (which is many times an over exaggeration, isn’t it?). But, it’s GOD straight up saying:

Come away with me.
It’s never too late.
It’s not too late for you.

I have a plan for you.
It’s gonna be wild.
It’s gonna be great.
It’s gonna be full of me.

It’s GOD saying, “I love you. And you, and you. And, that guy, and that guy, and that lady, and the hooker, and the crack addict…
And PJ.
And Angie.
And Isaac.
And Jesse.
And Trisha.
And Lowell.
And Jasmine.
And Tiger Woods.
And Charlie Sheen.
And Rob Bell.
And Mark Driscoll.
And, yes. Even you.”

These are the kinds of songs that the church needs right now.

+PJT