Feast Video Transcript: Hey Missional Community families. I’m Mark Sellers, a member of the MC Staff Team. Today we are going to discuss the abiding practice of Feasting.
When we think about our 10 abiding practices, some of them, actually most of them, push us in uncomfortable places physically, mentally, and emotionally. Let’s be honest, Feast is not one of those. I’m guessing I won’t be spending our short time together trying to convince you to feast. As soon as I say that word, your mind probably goes to some of the best parties, or feasts, that you’ve attended. You’re probably smiling thinking about it. So why is it important for us to talk about feasting? Why is it even one of our abiding practices? And how then do we consider feasting in the daily rhythms of our Missional Community?
As you journey through the bible, you will find that food is one of the most significant themes. The idea of the feast, of God’s people feasting, finds its way into nearly every book of the bible. Food is deeply symbolic and regularly points to the gospel and the great provision of God, and our great need for God, both physically and spiritually. So we would say that disciples of Jesus Christ regularly commemorate the goodness of God and celebrate their redemption through Christ in feasting together.
Let’s jump into the biblical idea of feast.
Eating tells us at least two primary things about the human race.
First, eating is an expression of our dependence. We literally cannot survive without food and water. We were created to depend on something outside of ourselves to sustain us. This is a beautiful reminder that we cannot survive on our own without the truth of the gospel. Every time we gather around the table we acknowledge our inability to live on our own.
Secondly, eating is an expression of our dependence on God. It’s a reminder of His incredible grace. To all people, those who believe in His provision, and those who don’t. God has graciously given us all things, even food. So everytime we gather around the table; everytime we feast, we get to celebrate with gratitude that God has given us everything we need, every molecule of water, food, and air. What an incredible reason to feast!
And it’s not just purely physical. God lavishes his grace and mercy upon us by blessing us with taste buds that light up with each delicious bite.
How do we see this played out in God’s story in the bible? It’s literally from cover to cover. One of the first things God does with Adam and Eve is to invite them to feast on His creation. The fall has food front and center. And where does the story end? At the great wedding feast that promises to be the greatest feast in all eternity! There are so many places we could go but we will just look at a few:
First: After 400 years of horrific slavery, God miraculously leads His children out of Egypt. Before this grand Exodus, he initiates the feast of Passover. This feast literally saves the firstborn from death. And this continues until God sacrifices His firstborn. Passover. Feasting here points to salvation. And God doesn’t stop there. He introduces many other feasts so that his people remember His deliverance, His salvation. Just a few of these include: the feast of unleavened bread, feast of first fruits, feast of weeks or Pentecost, feast of trumpets, Day of Atonement, feast of tabernacles or booths. All of these point to the great salvation of Yahweh. God saves His people and it’s costly but it’s glorious, so we feast. We celebrate.
Second: Jesus was the best feaster. So much so that He was accused of being a glutton. When talking about Jesus' life in Luke, Robert Karris states “...Jesus is either going to a meal, at a meal, or coming from a meal.” Jesus regularly eats with people, any people. People who loved him, people who hated him, people who questioned him, people who betrayed him. Jesus accepted all men and women and He did this at the feast. In fact, at the final Passover, the night before His crucifixion, Jesus establishes the feast of communion. He invites His followers to partake of the feast of the new covenant, His body and His blood. Jesus completes the feast.
Let’s end here: Isaiah 25
O Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
2 For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin;
3 Therefore strong peoples will glorify you; cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
4 For you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat;
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined.
7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations.
8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.
9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
“The Lord will make for ALL PEOPLES a Feast…”
What is Isaiah talking about? I believe He’s talking about the multitude in Revelation 7, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
And what do they do? How does it end, In Revelation 19:
7 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;
8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.
9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”
We feast. Why? Because it reminds us of our salvation and of future glory. We feast to invite the whole world to the table of God.
Let’s quickly discuss how feasting plays out in the rhythms of your Missional Community.
The good news here is that eating is already built into your daily schedule. Now we get to enjoy making our meals a feast to the glory of God!
First, the Family Gathering
The family gatherings of your MC give you an awesome and convenient avenue to feast. There are so many opportunities to celebrate God’s goodness. Holidays, graduations, anniversaries, momentous occasions. The list goes on and on. Don’t miss this low hanging fruit. Here’s the challenge. Whenever you gather to feast, acknowledge the reason for the feast. Acknowledge how eating points to the gospel and our dependence on God. Make it a central point to do this every time you sit around the table. Invite others to participate in this gospel proclamation every time you feast.
Next, DNA Groups
DNA Groups: On the surface, it might seem that the form and purpose of DNA groups prohibit feasting. On the contrary, the spiritual intimacy that is found in consistent DNA relationships gives great purpose to feasting together. On the one hand, the most convenient time to gather might actually be around a meal. So point to the goodness of God and His gospel as you feast and share. On the other hand, we would expect God to show up in mighty ways as you pursue Him together. Celebrate this! Take the chance to feast as a DNA group as you express your gratitude to the Father in His sanctification and provision.
Neighborhoods to Nations
Finally, let’s look to the Neighborhoods and to the Nations. There is so much to say here. More than we have time for. Think of feasting in this rhythm in a few different ways.
First, remember Revelation 7. Remember that a “great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…”. Take the opportunity to feast as you pray desperately for these unreached peoples. Maybe even try eating their cuisine as you feast.
Second, think about the unifying nature of food in your local context. Think of the feasts that your city and your neighbors observe. Join them and bring the gospel to the feasts in your culture. Or, do your own feast. BBQs and cookouts are the feasting language of our American neighborhoods. Pull the grill out, invite the neighborhood, cooperate as an MC family and watch the magic happen. Do it regularly. It’s our prayer that our people will be famous for the feasts they put on. Maybe you have a neighbor from a different part of the world. Ask them to introduce you to their kind of feast. Know their culture and bring the kindness of the gospel to their table.
Conclusion
We could go on and on. There is something to the feast. It draws people, it lowers relational walls, it unifies. It’s the symbolic truth of the gospel. It’s our prayer that we will be known for our feasts and that we glorify God’s goodness in salvation as we feast.
MC families, take the time to study the feast together. Work through the accompanying Feast Training Guide to plan out how you will feast together in your MC rhythms. We continue to pray that God will be seen and known in your hospitality as you feast together. See you soon.
