The King's Table: Invitation to Christmas Fellowship

Devotional

Day 1: The King stands and invites you in.

Imagine the King arriving at your front porch with a scroll bearing your name, standing there not to condemn but to welcome; He does not wait for perfect preparation but simply knocks, offering presence and a shared meal. This is an invitation to relationship more than ritual—an open door to friendship with the One who delights in your coming. Receive the picture of the table already set and let that loosen the grip of performance in your faith. [22:46]

Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you keep the door slightly shut, and what single step could you take this week to open that door and accept Jesus’ invitation to fellowship?

Day 2: Come to Jesus despite not being ready.

Even when life feels heavy, the King extends a simple, gracious call: come and find rest. The invitation is not contingent on having everything fixed first; it meets you in your weariness and offers refreshment for your soul. Let this be an encouragement to bring honest need rather than polished appearance to the table of grace. [24:24]

Matthew 11:28–30 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Reflection: When you feel too burdened to approach God, what practical habit (a brief prayer, a trusted friend, a Scripture verse) can you commit to this week to help you respond to His invitation?

Day 3: Jesus desires friendship, not mere formality.

The King does not rule from a distance but stands in the doorway and calls for personal relationship—friendship, not just duty. He wants to share life with you, to make known the heart of the Father, and to walk alongside you rather than simply receive your obligations. Let your posture be one of conversation and companionship rather than checklist and performance. [21:34]

John 15:15 (ESV)
No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

Reflection: Who is one person or practice that helps you move from religious routines into honest friendship with Jesus, and how will you prioritize that this week?

Day 4: Worship calls for stillness amid busyness.

Music and worship are invitations to pause, breathe, and let the beauty of Christ displace the noise of the day. Setting aside busy work to pay homage to the infant King opens the heart to receive grace that changes how one lives. Practice a moment of stillness this week to let God’s presence be felt like warmth pouring through an open door. [23:33]

Psalm 46:10 (ESV)
Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Reflection: What is one concrete interruption (phone, task, worry) you will intentionally set aside for five minutes each day this week to be still and recognize God’s presence?

Day 5: The King's table is set—come now.

The picture given is of a table already prepared and a host who is delighted at the arrival of guests; the feast is offered, not earned. When excuses arise—busyness, possessions, obligations—the invitation still stands: come, for everything is ready. Responding means letting go of reasons to delay and stepping into the hospitality that fills the house. [22:09]

Luke 14:15–23 (ESV)
15 When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” 16 But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many, 17 and at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So the servant came and told his master what had happened. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ 23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.’”

Reflection: What familiar excuse do you rely on to delay responding to God’s invitation, and what specific step will you take this week to say “yes” and come to the King’s table?

Sermon Summary

I invited us to imagine coming home to find an unexpected scroll on the doormat—our name on it, an invitation to dine with the King. No guards, no velvet ropes, just a door slightly open, warm light spilling onto the porch, and a host who has been waiting for us. That picture is what Christmas means to me: the God who comes near, who doesn’t demand we climb up to Him but steps onto our front porch with a personal invitation. Revelation 3:20 says He stands at the door and knocks, promising a shared meal as friends. That’s not a transaction; that’s a relationship—presence, conversation, belonging.

The language of the table is everywhere in the story: “Come in. The table is already set. Let me show you your place.” That is grace before performance, welcome before worthiness. He does not wait for us to get our lives tidied up, because most of us live in the long in‑between of unfinished work and imperfect hearts. The King sets the table anyway.

We also received a pastoral word from Benjamin Harlan, whose music we shared today: put away your busy work, stop, and pay homage to the Infant King who gave all unconditionally, willingly, sacrificially. In a season that crowds our calendars and fragments our attention, worship becomes a holy pause—a clearing in the clutter—so our hearts can warm to the light pouring from the open door. Music helps us breathe, notice, and respond.

So here is the invitation, again and again: open the door. Let Him show you your seat. Let worship soften what hurry has hardened. And trust that even where you feel late, lost, or less-than, the place card already bears your name. The King is here, and He is delighted that you are here.

Key Takeaways

1. The King comes to our doorstep God does not shout from a distance; He knocks, waits, and wants to share a meal as friends. Divine love takes the first step and crosses the threshold we could never bridge by effort. Advent is not our climb up; it’s His coming down. Open the door He already stands before. [22:46]
2. Your place is already prepared Before you prove anything, the table is set and your name is on it. Grace precedes achievement, and belonging precedes behavior; that order changes everything. When shame says, “earn your seat,” Jesus says, “come and eat.” Sit where He has already planned for you to rest. [22:09]
3. Worship is a holy pause In a frantic season, worship trains the soul to stop, notice, and adore. Music becomes a sanctuary where scattered thoughts re-gather around the presence of Christ. We do not perform for God; we open to God. Let beauty make room for the King to speak. [23:33]
4. Stop waiting to have it together God’s invitation does not arrive after your perfection; it arrives in your need. If you wait to be worthy, you will wait forever; if you come as you are, you will find welcome. Faith is not polish—it’s consent to be loved. Come now, not later. [24:24]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[17:55] - Announcements: Christmas Miracles and Kenya Scholars
[18:19] - Vitality Call introduction and invitation
[18:46] - Imagine coming home weary
[19:27] - Packages on the porch
[19:43] - The unexpected scroll with your name
[20:09] - “You’re invited to the King’s Table”
[21:34] - Walking into the warm, open door
[22:09] - The King welcomes and seats you
[22:46] - Revelation 3:20: sharing a meal as friends
[23:33] - Music as a sacred pause
[24:24] - Prayer: receiving the King’s invitation
[57:51] - Gratitude for musicians and tech team
[58:37] - Greet one another; final musical suite instructions

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading
- Revelation 3:20 (ESV)
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me."

Observation questions (3–4)

What specific actions does Revelation 3:20 describe Jesus doing, and what do those actions suggest about who begins the encounter?
The image of finding a scroll with your name on the doormat was used to describe the invitation. What details from that picture stood out to you (packages on the porch, the scroll, the name, the lack of guards)? [20:09]
The sermon said, "The table's already set. Let me show you where your place is." What do those phrases communicate about timing and worthiness? [22:09]
Music was described as a way to "put away busy work" and become present to the King. What behaviors or rhythms in the description made the idea of worship as a "holy pause" concrete for you? [23:33]

Interpretation questions (3–4)

What does the image of Jesus standing at the door and knocking imply about initiative, power, and respect for human response? [22:46]
What does "the table is already set" teach about the relationship between grace and human effort—does this change how one might understand religious performance or earning? [22:09]
How does portraying God as a host who welcomes the weary (waiting on the porch with warm light) reframe common ideas of where God is found—on thrones or at thresholds? [21:34]
If music and worship are described as a deliberate pause that enables noticing and responding to God, what tensions arise between that practice and the rush of holiday (or everyday) life? [23:33]

Application questions (4–7)

Jesus stands at the door and knocks. What step will you take this week to "open the door" in a concrete way (a prayer, a confession, letting someone in emotionally)? Be specific. [22:46]
Grace precedes achievement: the place is prepared before proof. What one shame-driven expectation about yourself will you name and intentionally set aside so you can accept belonging now rather than later? [22:09]
Worship can be a holy pause that clears clutter. What single, practical change can you make in your daily or weekly rhythm (a 5–10 minute silence, a hymn, turning off devices) so you can notice God's presence? When will you do it? [23:33]
The King is described as delighted you are there. How would your self-talk or the way you greet others change if you truly believed that? Give one concrete example you can try this week. [21:34]
The invitation image began with a scroll on the porch addressed to you. Who is one person you could invite to a simple "table" (a meal, coffee, or church) because they need to hear they belong? What will you say, and when will you invite them? [20:09]
Waiting to be "together" can keep people away forever. When has waiting for a better version of yourself delayed your step toward God or community? What small step of faith will you take now to come as you are? [24:24]

Sermon Clips

and you just knock a little bit, and the door begins to swing further and further open. And you see him. Again, no big announcement, royal announcement or anything, but this is the person that seems like they've been waiting for you to arrive for some time. And it's the king, and he's standing right there. He says, I'm glad that you're here. Come in. The table's already set. Let me show you where your place is. That's the Christmas story, my friends. That's the Christmas story. [00:21:43] (35 seconds) #OpenDoorInvitation

And you see him. Again, no big announcement, royal announcement or anything, but this is the person that seems like they've been waiting for you to arrive for some time. And it's the king, and he's standing right there. He says, I'm glad that you're here. Come in. The table's already set. Let me show you where your place is. That's the Christmas story, my friends. That's the Christmas story. [00:21:49] (31 seconds) #WelcomeToTheKing

That's Christmas to me. A king who didn't want to remain distant. A king who doesn't wait for us to get it all together. He actually shows up on our front porch with a scroll and an invitation to dinner because he wants a relationship with us. And so as we begin our musical experience here in just a moment, I want to give you some notes from Benjamin Harlan, who actually arranged all of these songs for us today that Stephen picked for the orchestra and the choir. [00:22:46] (37 seconds) #KingAtTheDoor

I think that should be our prayer, and that's my prayer for you during this time, to settle in, take a breath, let the beauty of every song, you know, fill your heart like the warmth of a light of the open door and the kindness of a king. See, the king has invited us to his table. And he has been waiting for us to fully embrace a lot of times what he has invited us to. And so welcome to the king's table. The king is here, and he is so delighted that you are here. [00:23:47] (36 seconds) #SettleInAndBreathe

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