Last week at Wibblesfield, in the evening, I preached on John 21. But it's not going to be the same message because a wise Anne would have already heard it. But I want, there's three words that I want to really, that struck me as I sort of read it early in the week and as I read it preparing for last Lord's Day. And those three words are in verse 12. Come and dine. Come and dine. Just those three words. That's a heading, really, a nice simple heading.

In this chapter, in verse 14, we are told this is now the third time that Jesus showed himself to his disciples after that he was risen from the dead. The other two times were in the previous chapter. In chapter 20, when the Lord appeared took the disciples behind closed doors for they feared the Jews and the first time it was without Thomas And then a week later, Thomas was there. Thomas, who very much doubted it, doubted the resurrection, but then wonderfully said, didn't he, my Lord and my God. In verse 28 of chapter 20, And it just reminded me of the gentleness of our Lord.

Here was Thomas quite a lot. I'm not going to believe what you've said about Jesus being alive. I want to see him. I want to touch him. And that's quite evident in chapter 20 in some of the verses there. And then when Jesus appears, he says to Thomas, you've seen me, touch me. See that it is me, put your hands into my side, thrust it into my side.

It's as though he didn't rebuke him for his doubt. But in the end, Thomas didn't need to. Thomas just saw, but not told that he touched the Lord. He looked, he believed. Verse 29 of chapter 20, Jesus said unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

But going back to the subject for this morning, come and dine. So here is the Lord appearing for the third time to the disciples, perhaps unexpectedly as well, they didn't seem to recognise him. And they had been toiling all night, fishing, They were fishermen, but they hadn't caught anything. And the Lord sort of suggests to them about what they should do to catch fish. And then we read that there was suddenly a lot of fish. And then we read of Jesus being the perfect host and laying on a meal for them. come and dine.

And just thinking of the idea, the image of a, say a dinner party. And there's sort of a few thoughts really, if you think of a dinner party and perhaps certain things and some spiritual thoughts concerning it. And I've got just several little points. And the first one is invitation. Invitation. If you go to a dinner party, then you no doubt have been invited.

And the Lord invites us to himself through the gospel. John 14, 6, Jesus saith, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father but my me. And also before that in John 6, 44, no man can come to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last time. So those who are invited are sort of chosen. And we think of ourselves as the Lord's people. We're chosen, aren't we, before the foundation of the world.

Ephesians 1.4 tells us that, according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. So an invitation suggests being chosen, doesn't it? And we are to come to the Lord.

We're not, we don't believe in sort of deciding for Christ or anything like that, that kind of, we don't go along with that. As I've said, we have to be drawn to the Lord. By nature, we're dead in trespasses and in sins. And so we can't make ourselves or anybody else alive if we're dead in trespasses and in sins.

It has to be the work of God. But there is that wonderful invitation, isn't it, in the gospel and through God's word to come to renounce the things of the world and to come to the Lord. And we're told in Matthew 11, 28, come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. We labour, we have struggles in life. We're heavy laden with whatever these struggles are, these trials that we have in life. But of course, we are heavy laden by sin as well. And we are invited to come to the Lord who will give rest.

So may we accept the invitation and not be like those in Matthew 22 from verse 1, where it says, And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.

Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which have bidden. Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise.

So may we not be like that. When the gospel is preached, And when we're told that we're sinners, that we need a saviour, we need forgiveness, that we're in a perilous situation without the Lord, may we not be those who make light of it and go their way. And often we see that perhaps when there's open air preaching and people make light of it or just ignore it.

They just walk on by, don't they? Some might. We're thankful for those who take an interest. And I'm sure there are those who are saved through open air preaching. But many will just make light of it or just ignore it. So invitation. Secondly, we've got a few of these. So secondly, we have preparation. preparation. Think again of a dinner party. It's all prepared, it's all neatly laid out. Crockery, the cutlery, the napkins, the placemats, all the condiments, it's all nicely laid out, neatly laid out.

And our God is a God of order, not confusion. Our God is a God of order. And God who knows all about us, wonderful how he prepares us and prepares his people for things that will happen. You know, God knows the end from the beginning. And haven't we found in life often that we went through a situation and we look back and say, And this, what happened here quite a while before was preparation for that. The Lord brought me through, helped me at that time to prepare me for what I was going to go through now with a change of circumstances or health or whatever it might be. But of course, the best preparation to have is to be prepared for heaven.

We're told, aren't we, in John 14, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. Whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

So wonderful, if we are the laws, the Lord now seated at the right hand of his father, gone to prepare a place for us. And at just the right time, not a moment too early, not a moment too late, we will be summoned to that place and it will be wonderfully prepared for us. May we be prepared to meet with the Lord.

As Amos 4.12 tells us, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. We are to be prepared. We are now to seek the Lord, aren't we? Today is a day of salvation. You hear his voice, harden not your hearts. Today is the day of salvation. For none of us know, do we? None of us know the days that we have upon earth, no matter what age we are.

But may we be prepared at all time for meeting the Lord, prepared for death. But we know that in this life that things that are before us, that the Lord wonderfully prepares us for those things as well. He is altogether wise and all-knowing and we bless God that he is a God of order.

And then we have at this dinner party, obviously we have guests. I mean, that's ludicrous to think you've got a dinner party and nobody turned up. You've got guests. And we are, we are the Lords of course, then we're guests and indeed we one day will be at the marriage supper of the Lamb.

But we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. God commendeth his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. Normally if you have a party, dinner party, then you're inviting family, friends, people that you like. But of course there's nothing about us by nature that is appealing to the Lord. but it's all of the grace of God that we will be guests and that we will have a place one day in glory and now are part of his church here upon earth. None are worthy. And we need to realize that we're not worthy, are we? We can't save ourselves. It's not what we do It's nothing at all, isn't it? It's not our merit.

It's the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then we have dress code. Just thinking about what are we dressed in? I'm not talking about the clothes that we're wearing now. But are we dressed, do we have on the robe of righteousness? Are we clothed in the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ? Because our righteousnesses, we're told, are as filthy racks. And may we be clothed with the righteousness of God. May that be imputed, given over to us, the righteousness of the Lord, our unrighteousness given over to him, his righteousness given to us.

And then there's service. Then there's service. You're thinking at this dinner party, perhaps a grand dinner party, and you've got waiters and waitresses serving. you know, topping up glass and giving you your meal, taking away when you finished and everything, and giving you service.

And as the Lord's people, we are to, we're told, aren't we, in Psalm 100 verse 2, serve the Lord with gladness. Come before his presence with singing. And Ephesians 6, 7, with goodwill doing service as to the Lord and not to men. So may there be a joy in serving the Lord. You know, we have been wonderfully saved, that's something to be joyful about, isn't it? That I'm forgiven, that I'm saved, I'm not gonna go to hell, I'm gonna go to heaven to be with the Lord forever. That's something to be joyful about. And then it should show itself in our service for the Lord. If you love somebody, you want to do all you can to show that you love them. And so it is with the Lord. Then we have unity, unity.

We read in Psalm 133.1, behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity.

And in Acts 2.44, all that believe were together at the day of Pentecost and had all things common. And there should be a unity, isn't there, amongst the people of God.

Now, certainly respect if perhaps we don't agree. And not all Christians will agree about everything. You probably don't meet any two Christians who agree absolutely fundamentally about everything. You know, there are things that we disagree about. It might be about baptism. It might be about the end times. It might be about church government. and I know of many good men who differ quite considerably on these things and yet there is great respect between them because they realise the fundamental, yes we're sinners, we're needing forgiveness.

We're forgiven through the Lord Jesus Christ. We're relying upon the finished work of Christ. We can't save ourselves. It has to be the work of God alone to save us. And with that, complete unity with that. And that's true, isn't it? How it should be. That we know that we are We are sinners, we can't save ourselves. We need forgiveness. And Jesus died that we might be forgiven. Jesus suffered and died there at Calvary that we might be forgiven, that he would take away our sin.

And then he rose again. And we also one day will have new bodies, not in this world, but in glory, we shall have a new bodies. And it's all of grace, isn't it? What unity there will be in glory. We'll all be without sin and singing worthy is the Lamb. And realizing that we've all got the same We're all singing the same words, the same chorus, that we are saved by grace, and that alone, God's grace.

And then sort of following on from unity, we have fellowship. Again in Acts 2, 42, they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship. And in breaking of bread and in prayers, fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And then all that believed were together and had all things common. So there is that unity in that fellowship. And it's wonderful to have fellowship.

Hebrews 10.25 tells us, not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is. It's good to have fellowship, isn't it?

We're able to come together well enough to be able to come together and have fellowship and to worship God together. There was a time in COVID when we couldn't come together, listened online. And there are benefits, of course, in listening online, particularly if you're not well. And so there is a blessing in that. But it's good, isn't it, to be able to come together and to worship God and to support one another. And perhaps We might learn about people more when we're together. We see their expressions and things like that. And then perhaps we can get alongside them and help them.

And, you know, there's great blessing in fellowship. And then we have satisfaction. Satisfaction. So the meal, as I say, it's been laid out. The guests are there. And then you have, don't you, a meal. And presumably everyone is happy with what they have. And there is great satisfaction. Yes, that was a lovely meal. couldn't eat it all because it was too much, but it was a lovely meal.

And we're told, aren't we, in God's word, to taste and see that the Lord is good. Taste and see that the Lord is good. And also in Psalm 119, we're told about God's word, that we rejoice at thy word as one that findeth great spoil. There's so much, you know, to sort of gorge ourselves in God's word.

And as life goes by, we build up a kind of a history, a sort of a database, as it were, of times when God has been good. And it's good to write those things down or keep them in our remembrance of those things and say, yeah, God is good. And then we can say, well, God has been so good to me. He was good to me then and then. And I've got all these examples of the goodness of God in my life in different ways. And it's good to be able to remember those things and to be able to testify to the goodness of God. And our God, of course, is abundantly good. Now unto him that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, as we read in Ephesians 3 and verse 20. The Lord gives life abundantly.

The thief cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly. That's a life that we want now. And the life that is for the believer when we've passed, when we've died, The Lord calls us home. Well, that will be a wonderful life, but maybe we can enjoy a wonderful life now, despite the sin in our own lives, the sin all around us, the sin of a fallen world.

You know, the Lord gives life. Let's have that joy in the Lord. We are to rejoice, aren't we, in the Lord, always. And again, I say rejoice, as we're told in Philippines 4. You know, there's so much, isn't there? And even in trials, and we all have trials, and we don't in any way laugh at those or take them lightly. They are serious and they can be very challenging and very upsetting. But maybe even in those times we know a joy and a peace that only comes from the Lord, that he wonderfully gives. So may it be that we can testify that God is good.

And then perhaps people say, oh, you know, that was lucky or something. I said, no, it's nothing to do with luck. It's the providence, the working of God. And so I don't thank Lady Luck for that. You thank God. It's God. It's nothing to do with luck. And then finally, we have leftovers. The thing of a party that is bound to be leftovers.

Perhaps, you know, people eat, well, they have a good meal and then, well, I can't eat. I can't eat it all. It's just too much. or else there's certain things that they leave because they don't like them. So they leave their broccoli or whatever, sprouts or something. I love broccoli and sprouts, but you know, certain things you might get, well, I don't like that. So you leave that.

And then of course, often the caterers will, there'll be far too much anyway. and said, do you want a doggy bag to take home with you? And I'm sure that we've often taken our doggy bag when we've perhaps been out for a meal. Well, we read about leftovers in scripture, don't we?

We read about Ruth. Ruth the Moabitess, a poor widow. She was gleaning leftover grain in the fields of Boaz. who is a wealthy relative of her mother-in-law Naomi. Following Israelite law, she collects stalks missed by harvesters to provide for herself and Naomi. Boaz showed her favor, ensuring her safety and providing extra grain. So she had more really than the leftovers because of the goodness of God to her through Boaz. And of course she was to marry.

Then we have in Matthew 15, we have then Jesus from verse 21 of Matthew 15. Then Jesus went thence and departed into the coast of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coast and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David.

My daughter is grievously vexed with the devil. But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, send her away, for she crieth after us.' But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. And she said, Truth, Lord, Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table. So the leftovers that fall off, the dogs eat the crumbs. Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith.

This woman who wasn't going to be in any way stopped. It seemed as though she was being rejected. And even perhaps with the Lord's word and others, just send her away. But she wasn't going to, she was determined. And she said, Lord, even the dogs eat of the crumbs. And then the Lord says to her, great is thy faith, be it unto thee, even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour, which was the main concern that she had there, her daughter being grievously vexed with a devil. So there we see the grace of God. And then finally in Luke chapter nine, verse 12. And when that day began to wear away, they came.

Then came the 12 and said unto him, send the multitude away that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get victuals. For we are here in a desert place. But he said unto them, give ye them to eat. And they said, we have no more but five loaves and two fishes, except we should go and buy meat for this people. For they were about five thousand men.

And he said to his disciples, make them sit down by fifties in a company. And they did so and made them all sit down. Then the Lord took the five loaves of the two fishes. Looking up to heaven, he blessed them and break and gave to the disciples set before the multitude. And they did eat and were filled And there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

Sort of try and work it out mathematically. You can't. Five loaves, two fish. Basically, it was like a lad's lunch. Five thousand men. And so there'll be more than that. How can you feed everybody with that satisfactorily and have all that left over?

Doesn't make mathematical sense, but it's a miracle of the Lord, wasn't it? We're not to try and analyse these things in a mathematical way. One of the miracles of our Lord. So we see wonders, don't we, in leftovers, the grace shown to Ruth and to the Canaanite woman, and then the miracle, the wonder of the feeding of the 5,000.

So just a little, it's like a little parable in a way, you know, A parable is often described as an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. I don't quite know if you call it a parable, but we see don't we, just in something that we're familiar with, that we can sort of use it perhaps in a spiritual way. try and just sort of keep things quite sort of simple, isn't it really?

And that's it, isn't it? And so it is with coming to the Lord and our salvation, it's simple in a way, isn't it? We're sinners, the hell-deserving sinners. There's one saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shed his blood that we might be forgiven. and that one day then we would go to heaven.

And if we know that for ourselves, that's good, isn't it? You can say, yeah. We can say amen to that. Yes, I'm a sinner saved by the grace of God. And may it be that we can all say that for ourselves, that we are sinners saved by grace. One day we shall see his lovely face and say that we are saved, a sinner saved by grace. Amen.

May the Lord help us as we close the service by singing hymn number 736. Show me some token, Lord, for good, some token of thy special love. Show me that I am born of God and that my treasure is above. Hymn number 736, tune 310. some token of good, some token of thy special love. Show me that I am born of God, and that my treasure is My supplication, Lord, is this, That all my sins may be subdued, That all my precious promises they make to me and for my good. I sell my pardon to my soul, and then proclaim my peace with thee, Thus make my wounded conscience whole, And that will be for good to me. Let thy good spirit rule my heart, Let grace abound in every part And teach my tongue to sing thy praise I see that I am Thine, and fill my heart to the earth's end. Then shall I know that Thou art mine, My God, my Father, and my Friend. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, now and for evermore. Amen.