Proper 23 (Sunday 2023)

The goal of the sermon is that the hearers will take seriously God’s offer of grace.

— The problem is that we sometimes make God's gracious offer an excuse for sinning.

— The means to the goal is that God invites all sinners and provides them with the needed garment.

There are invitations we might be tempted to reject: an invitation to an event you are not interested in, an invitation to a party that takes place at the same time as something else you want to do.

There are other invitations that people would say you’ve lost your mind to reject: an invitation to go on a free tropical vacation, an invitation to go backstage and meet your favorite musical group, or an invitation to the Super Bowl. We get so many invitations. Some we accept; others we reject.

Where does God’s invitation to participate in his heavenly banquet rank? Scripture often pictures eternal life as a joyful party full of friends and family, laughter, and the finest foods.

Through a story, Jesus teaches us how one would really be out of their mind to reject God’s gracious invitation to that eternal celebration. More, Jesus tells us what we need to get into that best of all banquets.

One of life's pleasures is to hear the announcement, “Dinner's ready.” God has prepared a dinner—salvation, forgiveness of sins, and life eternal. That's quite a dinner! This dinner has been ready for a long time.

THIS IS THE STORY OF THE SUPPER THAT IS READY

And at this supper God does all the inviting.

— The goal of the sermon is that the hearers will take seriously God’s offer of grace.

— The problem is that we sometimes make God's gracious offer an excuse for sinning.

— The means to the goal is that God invites all sinners and provides them with the needed garment.

God invites.

He doesn't command people to come.

He doesn't demand that we first make ourselves worthy.

He won't force us to eat.

Yet many refuse the invitation.

They allow activities acceptable in themselves to become more important than God's invitation.

We need to watch that we do not put off accepting God's invitation.

The consequences of such procrastination can be drastic.

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— The goal of the sermon is that the hearers will take seriously God’s offer of grace.

— The problem is that we sometimes make God's gracious offer an excuse for sinning.

— The means to the goal is that God invites all sinners and provides them with the needed garment.

God invites all.

He sends His messengers out again.

He won't let rejection by some prevent the banquet from taking place.

He wants the food to be eaten.

God shows no partiality or prejudice. When the respectable people refuse, He invites the lowly and the despised.

The respectable people is Israel, and Jesus is speaking of Israel’s shameful treatment of the prophets of God sent to call them to repentance.

“Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and while, all are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

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— The goal of the sermon is that the hearers will take seriously God’s offer of grace.

— The problem is that we sometimes make God's gracious offer an excuse for sinning.

— The means to the goal is that God invites all sinners and provides them with the needed garment.

God invites on His terms.

He provides for each guest the needed wedding garment.

Not only has He prepared salvation, but He also makes it possible for all to partake of salvation.

The wedding garment is the righteousness Christ earned for us, which alone makes us acceptable to God and qualifies us to be guests at God's wedding feast.We receive this garment by faith in Jesus.

Without Christ's righteousness we are doomed, for our righteousness condemns us.

While letting Christ's righteousness cover our sins, we must be on guard lest we continue to love and practice sin.

That would amount to playing games with the grace of God.

That would mean that we are no better off than the blatant unbeliever.

God Himself has prepared a wedding dinner. What joy to hear,“Dinner's ready” — to hear Him invite us and to receive from Him the beautiful garment of Christ's righteousness.