For many are invited, but few are chosen

Matthew 22: 1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. 4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ 5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man was speechless. 13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” NIV

They refused to come

This can be referring to the Jews at the time,
But it can also apply to us today. Its God’s plan that all should be saved, that all should be at the marriage supper of the Lamb.
There are those that God has always desired that they would come.

But there are those that simply refuse to come.

They say “No”, rebellion, maybe hate God?

Maybe anger, because of some experience that they made God responsible for?
Maybe even for what happened to someone else
Many refuse because they know nothing about God and are afraid.

They paid no attention – make a living and a career

Ignored, were too busy to take notice * These are usually people who say “I believe in God and when time allows I will follow him” But right now I am too busy.

I’ve got to make a living, food on the table, vacations, kids, etc…
I’ve got a business to run here no time for such things.

These in themselves are not a problem, just when they become a priority above God in our lives.

Seized his servants mistreated and killed them.

This is a radical reality that some are even so antagonistic that they will attack and destroy the work and the servants of God.

The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

IMORTANT: It wasn’t how worthy they were to come, they were already invited, but it was their refusal to come that made them unworthy.

Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.

All the people they could find, both good and bad,

Here we can see it is not the condition of the man, but his willingness to come.
Here we can see the goodness of God.

Not wearing wedding clothes (what does this mean?)

He didn’t really come for the wedding.

He showed his disrespect for the Bride and groom
He maybe just came for the food? (The benefits)
I think he was telling us that there will be those that are here physically but not with their hearts, that there will be the religious but there will be no heart change. No life change.

So we see three groups

Those that do not come
Those that come (like they are)
Those that appear to come but don’t really enter in.

You are invited to do something great for God. God has you here ion Prague for a season, but he also has you here for a REASON. His ways are higher than our ways.

I am asking you to come and discover all that God has placed inside you for his glory and his kingdom.

This is another meal that we are invited to, we can say NO, we can ignore it, or we can come with our whole hearts as we are and lastly the worst choice is we try to come without a wedding garment on.

We come but not really.

1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. NIV

Let’s take the cup and the bread today and dedicate ourselves again to this covenant.