I'm Invited!

Everyone loves a good party. Right? Don’t you? I do. There is nothing like a good party where you can have a good time being around good likeminded people, eating good food, listening to good music, and laughing a good laugh. Everyone loves a good party. It doesn’t matter what kind of party it is people look forward to it. If it’s a bar-b-q we can’t wait to eat. If it’s a baby shower we can’t wait to play the games. If its church fellowship we can’t wait to get to the fellowship hall to eat. If it’s family affair we can’t wait until we eat grandma’s cooking. If it’s New Year’s we can’t wait until he countdown and toast. If it’s a house party we can’t wait to dance. And if it’s a wedding we can’t wait for the grand celebration of cake, dancing music and all he things that come with a reception. We all love a good party. And nothing is wrong with a little celebration in life as long as it does not call into question your integrity and character as a Christian, go ahead a turn up. But, I don’t care how much of a personality you are, or how great a host you can be without an invitation there is no party. If people don’t know to come than there is no party. And on the flip side of the coin if the people who are invited do not RSVP then it can mess up the party because you won’t be able to plan accordingly. (People of Color have this bad) Well God is planning a party. And he has sent out His invitations and is still waiting for some people to RSVP. The party God is preparing is going to have better food than the bar-b-q because Jesus is the Bread of Life and the Living Water. His party will have more to do than the Baby Shower because Jesus is the Son of God. His party will not have a fellowship hall because we will fellowship all around. His party will be better than the family affair because everyone there will be family. It will be better than New Year’s because it won’t end with a countdown. His party is better than a house party because nobody will set the root on fire. God’s party will be the great wedding feast and He is the both the Host and the Guest of Honor and if you intend on going I suggest you RSVP and tell Jesus you want to get in because there is still time left. Just in case you didn’t know by now the wedding is when Jesus comes back for His bride (that is the Church) and the reception is in heaven. You can’t sneak in. You can’t work to get in. You can’t get in by your credentials. You can pay to get in. The only way you can get to this eternal wedding reception party is if you respond to the gospel messes and say “I want my spot and I want to be saved.”

(talk about the Text)

(also familiarize the congregation the Israel/Gentile implications and context of story)

1. God Rejects the Unworthy

First Jesus tell us that this kind invites specific people in his kingdom to attend. In other words there are people who the king was counting on to be in attendance. What is interesting is that the king sends out his servants even though the people he sent them to already had invitations. If you were to read this in the original language you would see that Jesus uses the same words in v.3 literally saying “to call the called” but they were not willing to come. And that is a shame. It’s not that they could not come, but they wouldn’t come. It’s not that they had something better to do, but the found something else to do. The come up with excuses as to why they can’t come and all of the excuses they come up with have to do with catering to themselves. (Preach up til v.8 telling of what disqualified them.)

· They killed run…Isaiah, Jeremiah,

And what I love about my Jesus is that he is sharp and specific with his grammar. Just in case you get confused thinking, “well those who did not get invited, us Gentiles, or in a contemporary context the oppressed why weren’t we invited” But here is the lesson. Jesus says, “those who were invited were not worthy.”

2. God Receives the Uninvited

Here we see the grace and goodness of God in full effect. The king in the story sends his servants out to the streets to get all the people they can to fill the wedding. The servants are not to send out invitations, but are to go out and invite. The mode of inviting then becomes personal contact and relationship building rather than word of mouth or paper. This model should still be used. That it is past time for the church to get out of the four walls and get into the streets where the people are. (Preach) Church’s today are so concerned with bringing people in that they will cater to the itching ears of the people. But, that is not what the king said do. The king said to go out and invite them in, tell them about all the good things that they are missing and the good news will be enough for them to come.

Sometimes church, people just want to know if it is real at the church house. And the best way to show somebody that this is real and God is real is to go out tell somebody about Jesus, take them by the hand and lead them into this place.

The good news is the people they invite are people who don’t always fit in or deserve to be there. The bible says, “…both bad and good.”

It’s a good point here to tell you about ancient Hebrew marriage customs.

3. God Removes the Under-dressed

In v.11 the king comes in to do his own evaluation. It’s not our job to do the evaluating.

· The king provides the wedding garment.

Joseph...

Solomon’s...

Joshua the High priest...

Prodigal Son...

Jesus wore a robe...

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands

Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

I'm going to put on my robe Tell the story how I made it over I'm going to put on my robe Tell the story how I made it over Soon as I get home Soon as I get home I shall see His face I shall see His face When it's all over When it's all over I shall see His face I shall see His face When it's all over When it's all over I'm going to put on my robe Tell the story how I made it over I'm going to put on my robe Tell the story how I made it over