Banquet for All

Introduction

Ever felt like you were on the outside of the inside crowd? It is really easy to feel like an outsider. It is also easy to forget what it is like to be an outsider.

Sometimes you walk up to a group of people and suddenly the conversation gets quiet and the group quickly breaks up without filling you in. Many times it is innocent, but it still makes you feel like an outsider.

Sometimes we are part of the group that gets quiet when the new person walks up to the group. It might be up to you to help make an effort with your words, body language, and so on. Then there are times when it isn’t so innocent.

Today, when a group chooses to leave someone out it is called getting “cancelled.” When you cancel someone you decide to leave them out of your life. When you are cancelled people start to leave you out.

Thank God, there is an invitation that will NOT cancel you. The kingdom of heaven never cancels you. It is up to YOU to accept or reject it. But it will never cancel you!

Matthew 22:1–9 ESV

And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.” ’ But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

The Kingdom of Heaven

Matthew 4:17 ESV

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Jesus wanted people to understand the kingdom of heaven so much so that he talked about it in everyday language. Language that would have been understood by the common folk, but allegorical enough that the experts had a hard time appreciating His teaching.

In today’s text He teaches the kingdom of heaven is like a king throwing a wedding banquet. Most of us have been to a wedding party/reception. Even today, we get it. Weddings can be expensive, so a couple has to decide who they invite in order to make sure they have enough food, drink, and room for everyone that they have invited. Some people make the invitation list and some don’t. It is a practical thing. So usually, those who are on the original invitation list are the ones originally chosen to be invited. So Jesus uses this part of the wedding to teach us a lesson about the kingdom of heaven.

Let’s talk for just a minute about people who were invited first.

They made the cut, invitations were sent out, and were given all access to be at the wedding. But didn’t come. Didn’t RSVP. Didn’t show up. The king, who put out resources, time, effort, planning, and needed people to come in order to eat all the food, but most of all to celebrate the new married couple.

How embarrassing for no one to come to the party in honor of their wedding. So the king sends out his workers to go door to door to find the people invited and tell them to come. Some ignored and then some even killed the kings workers who were sent out to invite them to the feast. They went back to work. As if the invitation wasn’t that important!

That brings me to the meaning behind this parable…Jesus was talking about God inviting all the Jewish people/particularly the so called experts in righteousness to be part of the heavenly kingdom. (Jesus’ arrival and the kingdom of heaven) and those God invited, the Jewish people ignored the invitation.

How tragic it is when people who are invited do not not even appreciation what is being offered to them.

Let’s talk for just a minute about those originally invited…

The Experts in Righteousness

Jesus teaches us in detail about the error of these experts in righteousness.

Matthew 5:20 ESV

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 6:5 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

Matthew 6:16 ESV

16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.

In the time of Jesus, the Pharisees and scribes were the religious leaders who meticulously followed the law yet often missed the heart of it. They were like an intricate clock, beautiful and precise on the outside, but lacking the true essence of time. Jesus challenged them, reminding us that external observance without a heart for God leads to spiritual emptiness. As we reflect on their actions, we must ask ourselves: are we honoring God with our traditions or truly living out His love and justice?

His point was that unless there is more than surface level righteousness, then you will NOT enter the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called them hypocrites and pointed out the outward things they did, but knew their heart wasn’t in the right place.

Matthew 23:4–7 ESV

4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi by others.

They created a cancel culture where people who did not measure up to their behavioral code were left on the outside as if they were not welcomed or worthy. They loved their places of worship. They loved recognition. They loved being treated with honor and respect. They do not even try and listen for God because they think they know all there is to know of Him. They do not even open the invitations from God because they don’t need to go or attend. They are too busy to recognize God’s voice.

That was them then…the experts in righteousness of Jesus day…but people like them are still present today. Every culture, every time, every church, and every era will have people who are these “experts in righteousness.” They are the ones that outwardly do things for show, but inwardly are mean, jealous, envious, selfish, self-promoting, and believe they are the gatekeepers for God’s kingdom.

They are can be church folk who are too focused on their preferences that they miss God’s invitation addressed to them to be part of his KINGDOM that is growing, changing, and expanding all the time. Reaching the new people, the neighbor, the kid, the teen, the teacher, the mom, the dad, the coworker.

They can be the young who are too focused on their future dreams, careers, and aspirations that they miss the purpose God has invited them to fulfill.

They can be old who are too focused on getting back to the way things used to be or the things they missed out on that they miss God’s invitation to ensure the kingdom of God gets to their kids and grandkids.

They are the pastors or religious leaders who pretend to care for their congregations from a pulpit, but throughout the week, give no leadership, care, or concern for the churches present and future mission.

And then it can be the stiff necked who choose to ignore the invitation with all of their being.

The kingdom of heaven isn’t like what these experts in righteousness were establishing. Jesus came to establish THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN>>>THE HEAVENLY KINGDOM.

A Heavenly Kingdom

Good news is that the kingdom of God is an invitation that is not only for the so called “experts in righteousness.” It is offered to all people.

This was good news for the people left out back then, and it is good news for us today! The kingdom of heaven is now about power, position, or prestige. If you feel powerless, the kingdom of heaven is for you. If you don’t have the position, the kingdom of heaven is for you. If you don’t have the prestige, the kingdom of heaven is for you.

All people. All sinners. All lost. All broken. All people. The greatest news of all is that the invitation to come and see is offered to all people regardless of anything. Our response requires humility.

Jesus says it like this…

Matthew 18:1–4 ESV

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Change is Required of You

The invitation is offered to be part of the kingdom of heaven. But there is a change required of you. You must be born again. There is a conversation that Jesus has with a so called “expert in righteousness” that is recorded in John 3.

John 3:1–6 ESV

1 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

You cannot enter the kingdom of heaven without beign born again. Spiritual birth is required of Nicodemus, Pharisees, Church People, Non Church People, Sinners, Addicts. All.

You must be born again. This is not a command, it is a foundation fact. The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me.

Oswald Chambers (Lecturer and Missionary)

What we do with our lives matters! (You were made for a purpose and if you are choosing not to fulfill your part of the body of Christ, you are disobeying)

How we live our lives matters. (You were commanded to live Godly lives and if you are choosing not to live Godly, you are disobeying)

GREATEST NEWS OF ALL…But spiritual birth is offered to ALL! The kingdom of heaven is an open invitation, rather than a club of exclusion. It is a place where you are invited to be born again! Does anybody need to be born again! Does anybody need a fresh start? Does anybody need start to walk with Jesus afresh? Today could be the day.

The Invitation

The parable today reminds us of a few things.

Sometimes the people invited first, do not even open the invitation. Don’t care. Don’t appreciate the blessing. Because of their unwillingness, don’t deserve to come.

God then invites everyone. That is where we are today. We are on a mission to invite all.

Over the last few weeks:

Come and See Changes You so you Go and Tell

View Everyday Conversations as opportunities to bring people to Jesus.

View social gatherings, parties, and your home as assets to bring people to Jesus.

View family relationships as opportunities to bring people to Jesus.

Understand the Invitation

Self loathing to God loving.

It is not God’s desire for you to sit and think about how imperfect you are. It is not God’s design for you to constantly see your sin replayed on a screen in front of you over and over again. And the truth is that focusing on your sins so much that you never spend anytime loving God might be distracting your heart changing. The ones who were experts in righteousness were not born again, yet they were experts in good at looking the part. So stop focusing so much on what you don’t like

The sooner all of us make the shift from self loathing to God loving the better we will be able to accept the invitation and live for God.

Gatekeepers to Gate Openers

It is not up to you to wonder if that person is ready to accept Jesus! Invite. (Addict. Gay. Straight. Old. Young. Criminal. Politician. Tax Collector. The cultural Christian. Or Average Guy/Gal that doesn’t do much wrong.) If they aren’t born again they aren’t born again. Don’t rule them out because they aren’t living right. When the kingdom of heaven started inviting the pagans, gentiles, and all cultures of the world, it changed everything. It tells us that GOD CAN CHANGE any sinner into the person God designed them to be. We are called to invite them and let God take care of the conviction and changing their hearts. If we never invite, it is like we believe God can’t change them.

So let’s invite! We do the hopeful, optimistic, loving thing and offered the kingdom of heaven to them.

Junkmail trashers to Invitation Openers

Life is so busy like the mailbox. Let’s take the time to go through our mail to listen for God.

Conclusion:

Invited: Come up to the circle of God’s people KNOWING God wants you to be part of the kingdom of heaven. Know that you may not always get the warmest reception from God’s people, but that GOD still wants you part of HIS KINGDOM. The point is will YOU RESPOND! Sometimes they don’t’ know what they are doing to make you feel that way. That doesn’t make it any easier, BUT still answer God’s invitation. You won’t regret it!

The Inviter is God and He calls us to invite others. He didn’t die on the cross and rise from the grave for our lives to not change. So when we Jesus said come and see to us it changes us into people that go and tell. We have great opportunities to use our small talk, social gatherings, and family relationships to bring people to Jesus. When the opportunities come…Be ready to make sure you body language and circles have room to join… and actions that tell NEW people they are welcomed into God’s kingdom.

If God has brought some change that needs to happen in your life, PLEASE RESPOND TO GOD TODAY. If you need them, Altars are open. For you to do what the song says. If God convicts….will you come broken to the feet of JEsus to be mended and healed.”