As taught at Bible Study on 6_7_21
THE
INVITATION HAS GONE FORTH
WILL YOU ACCEPT OR REJECT IT?
Matthew 22:1-14
1 – And Jesus answered and spake
unto them again by parables, and said,
2 – the kingdom of heaven is like
unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 – and sent forth his servants
to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 – Again, he sent forth other
servants, saying, tell them which are bidden, behold, I have prepared my
dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto
the marriage.
5 – But they made light of it,
and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 – And the remnant took his
servants and, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 – But when the king heard
thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those
murderers, and burned up their city.
8 – Then saith he to his
servants, “The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 – Go ye therefore into the
highways and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.”
10 – SO those servants went out
into the highways and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and
good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 – And when the king came in to
see the guests, he saw there a man which had not a wedding garment:
12 – And he saith unto him,
“Friend, how camest thou in higher not having a wedding garment?” And he was
speechless.
13 – Then said the king to the
servants, “Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
14 – “For many are called, but
few are chosen.”
(Popular movie – The Chosen …..caution = movie makers like to embellish
and change things because reality does not sell as well as fiction.)
We see from this parable that Jesus is bidding ALL to come to the marriage
supper of the Lamb. In this parable we
see four different groups invited and their responses….
The first group He mentioned REFUSED
THE INVITATION.
There are some that God is
drawing and trying to woo them in to the Church before it’s too late, yet they
refuse to hear or refuse to respond.
There are some whose family is
inviting them, praying for them, reaching for them, yet they refuse the invitation.
We just spoke with a man the
other day who God in His mercy has been reaching for and given him TWO dreams
that he was plunging headlong into hell.
He knows what he needs to
do. He’s been to Church. Yet, so far, to this day he hasn’t made the
move back toward God.
The invitation has been given
time and again to this man. Yet, he has
refused.
God gave this warning in Genesis 6:3
….My Spirit shall not always
strive (plead) with man…
It is dangerous to play with your
eternity, especially when God is trying to draw and move you. Because, one day it will be too late and
you’ll wish you had made that move when God was calling you.
God grew weary with the ones who
refused His invitation so He sent His servants to call the next group of
people.
THE MOCKERS
These are the ones who do not
believe Jesus is coming back.
They mock and scoff and roll
their eyes when you mention the need to get right with God before He returns
for His Church.
But the Bible warns this day
would come… 2 Peter 3:3-4
Knowing
this first, that there shall come in the LAST DAYS scoffers, walking after
their own lusts, and saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the
fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of
creation.
Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it’s won’t!
Growing up, I remember hearing so
many sermons and songs about the soon coming of Jesus. But because there were those who tried to
put an exact date on ‘the Rapture’, some have turned away and no longer believe
anymore because it didn’t happen when it was claimed to happen.
Some may still believe but do not
think it’s any time soon so they mock and scoff at those who cry out to ‘get
ready! Jesus is coming soon!’
They are looking for things to be
like was portrayed in popular movies such as “Left Behind”. Many are going to be surprised when it
doesn’t happen like in the movies.
HOSTILE AND HATEFUL
Some of those mockers became
HOSTILE and HATEFUL toward those who invited them to Church or issued the
warning cry to make theirselves ready.
They didn’t want to hear that
they needed to change.
They didn’t want to hear that the
life they were living was sinful and would lead to hell.
These are the ones who didn’t
want to hear that they could not smoke, drink, cuss, fornicate, or commit
adultery and still go to heaven.
They became angry toward the ones
who tried to help them see that they’re bound by sin.
It says they treated those
Servants spitefully (they wanted to annoy, upset or hurt them), they hated
them, and some they killed.
There will be those who will
reject the Truth of the Gospel and will hate you for your stand.
There is a meme that is accurate
and sadly true…. If someone posts or says, “God’s gonna bless your socks off!”
People are quick to love, like, and amen it 100 x’s.
But if someone says, “Church, we
need to repent. World, we need to
repent.” You may get a couple likes but
for the majority, you are either going to hear crickets (silence/no response)
or you get attacked spitefully and called judgmental.
Many today have ‘itching ears’
THE BAD AND THE GOOD
Finally, they went to the
highways and byways (the places where the poor, rejected, the homeless live)
and bid them to come, as many as they found, both BAD and GOOD.
Those are the ones who not only
need Jesus but want Jesus because their life is such as mess. When you reach the bottom, you realize He is
the only hope.
So, the wedding was filled with
guests. The Church was filled with
guests.
Everyone was happy and excited.
And then…the King enters (that’s Jesus’ return)
And He began to examine those who
had answered the call and came to Church.
He looks around and sees many
guests with all kinds of sordid pasts.
That’s ok, because they changed from those old filthy beggarly garments
of the world and now have on a new wedding garment, a robe of pure white washed
in the Blood of the Lamb.
But then….His eye falls on a man
who stood out from the rest. He still
had on his old tattered garments of sin.
The King walks over to him and
calls him ‘Friend’ before asking the question, “How camest thou in hither not
having a wedding garment?”
You see, that man came in the
same way everyone else did, but he didn’t want to change. He wanted the
blessings and to participate in the festivities of the marriage supper, he
wanted to be counted in that number when the Roll is Called up yonder, all
while still holding on to the sinful things of his old life.
Jesus is bidding ALL to come but
He loves us too much to leave us as we were…sin scarred, battered, bruised, and
covered in the filthy rags of worldliness.
He doesn’t care about your past,
but He also doesn’t expect you to remain there in your sins.
There must be a change!
We are told to “PUT OFF the OLD
MAN and PUT ON the NEW MAN!”
We are to crucify the old man and
our old ways.
2 Corinthians 5:17
If any man be in Christ, he is a
NEW creature: OLD THINGS are PASSED
AWAY; behold, ALL things are
become NEW.
There must be a change! Sin cannot enter there!
The man was speechless before the
King. He thought he could do things his
way and still make it into heaven. He wouldn’t listen to the teachings and
admonitions of the preachers (the servants who invited him to the wedding).
And then he heard the dreaded
words, “Bind him hand and food, and take him away, and cast him into outer
darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
We can’t do things our way – we
have to do it God’s way!
For many are called – each and
every one of those guests were called.
But few are chosen (accepted). It is the narrow path that leads to Life
Everlasting.
You will be chosen and received
if you do things GOD’S way and obey His Word.
God is not willing for any to
perish but He is also a holy God and requires holiness from His people.
We are warned in Proverbs 16:25
There is
a way that seemeth right unto a man but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Just because it seems right or
like no big deal to us, if God’s Word teaches against it, we must obey what
God’s Word says.
It’s God’s way or the
consequences are received by your own doing…or lack thereof.
So, again, I ask the question…
THE
INVITATION HAS GONE FORTH
WILL YOU ACCEPT OR REJECT IT?
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