A Father prepares a wedding banquet for his son. Sermon (4) The original guest made excuses to why they could not attend and rejected invitation. Jesus had been invited to a dinner of the Pharisees and as he witnesses the guest coming in he notices two things mainly that all of the guest immediatley went to sit in the seats of honor without being offered those seats. Secondly he notices that all of the guests were freinds of the Pharisee and that they also had the ability to pay the Pharisee

The father does not cancel the banquet but offers invitations to those not on original list.

The master had already prepared the feast . “ My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered and everything is ready “Come to my Banquet. Matt 22:4. Jesus Christ has made provision for the guests to come to the wedding. Rev 5:9.

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One thing that we can all relate to is the preparation and cost and planning of a wedding. A average cost of a wedding today can range from 3,000 to five thousand or more, where many weddings range from 5,000 tp fifteen and twenty thousand dollars depending on how elaborate the location, the food and the number of guests. A R.S.V.P. should be considered a kind gesture because of all of the people that the planners could have invited they figured you as one special enough to come to their wedding. Many will get angry when we do not at least R.S.V.P. and let them know we are coming. Secondly the groom and bride have spent a great deal of money to welcome their guest and make their guest feel special to share this moment with them.

God has gone to great cost to offer you entrance into his Kingdom and share in his wedding feast. “ You were not redeemed with perishable things such as silver or Gold from your empty way of life , handed down from your ancestors , But with the precious blood of Christ a Lamb without blemish or defect. “1 Peter1 : 18-19.

Notice that the master of the feast already made all of the provisions for the guest. Do not bring your potluck dinner to God he has no need fro your provision . We cannot add to what he has already done. ? Eph 2:8-9. “By grace we have been saved through faith that not of ourselves it is a gift of God not of works lest any man should boast.

The master of the feast not only allows the unvited to enjoy the delicacies of the invited but also provides the wedding garments to wear at the wedding.

Application: When you wake up in the morning do you get your face in Gods book before you go to face book and other social media? Do you read the wall Street journal to see how your stocks are doing and not remembering that the Resources you have worked for will not follow you .All our Gold and rubies can not shine for the wealth that God can give us. lets not be foolish like the rich young ruler who considered what he had too much value to sell and follow Jesus. Mark 10:17.

Will you settle for the table scraps and leftovers of this world or will you regard Gods meal as a home cooked meal with all of the trimmings?

Jesus was described as the pearl of great price in the parable in the teaching of Mathew 13:45-46. “The owner went and sold all he had only to purchase this pearl because its value was far more precious than his other belongings.

Do you settle for the fools gold of this world that shines like gold but in reality has no lasting eternal value. ?

‘“ Jesus declares to the Church of Laodicea . Rev 3:17 “You say i am rich i have acquired wealth and do not need a thing .”But you do not realize that you are wretched , pitiful, poor, blind and naked. “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire , so you can become rich and gain white clothes to wear to cover your shame and nakedness.”

‘“ These are they who have come out of the great tribulation , they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.” Rev 7:14.

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White is both a symbol of purity and cleanness. Jesus the groom is coming back for a bride without spot, blemish, or wrinkle. Our garments must be undefiled. The only way to be undefiled is to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. The reason the Saints could rejoice in Revelation 12 Was that they overcame the Devil by the Blood of the Lamb and by the word of their Testimony. Rev 12:11 ““And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.”

Revelation 12:11 NASB95

“And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

When the master realizes one of the guest was trying to enter in without his wedding garments on he was thrust out. as only those properly dressed can enter. Matt 22:11

Matthew 22:11 ESV

“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.

Only those properly dressed will gain access to Wedding all others cast out. The Jews thought that since they were the Children of Abraham that they had free admission to the promises of God . They could not understand the need for a R.S.V.P invitation.

Jesus only accepted those who had a true heart of sorrow and repentance for their sin . He never had time for the proud. He made a teaching directed to the Pharisees “ Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a pharisee and the other a tax collector . The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed “God thank you that i am not like other people robbers, evildoers, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. “I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all i get. “But the tax collector stood at a distance he would not look up to heaven and said ‘God have mercy on me a sinner” “I tell you that this man went out justified before God for all of those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Luke 18:10-14. Those who made excuses and could not come to the wedding feast were like the Pharisee as they did not see their need to attend and they did not count the event as honorable.

Are you properly dressed for admission to the wedding?

The Guests who were unable to pay back the father for his generosity as they could only offer gratitude and praise for the Masters kindness. Rev 5:9 Luke 14: 13 ““But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind,”

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Only those who have experienced a time of failure , oppression and heartache can sing a new song. We must at some time quit singing the same tunes over and over that the world says is happy and fulfilling. The song sung here is a song of overcoming and only those who have experienced pain and suffering can surely know what it is like to overcome, Truly their song is a new song and a happy song. Jesus promises many times joy to those who have suffered. “Blessed are those who mourn for you shall be comforted. Matt5:4. Psalms 126:6 “Promises those who go out weeping bearing a trail of seed will come back rejoicing bearing their sheaves with them. “Only those who are sick need a physician and not those who are well. Mark 2:17. The Jews in contrast complained about those who jesus healed because the Pharisees thought they had no sickness. Cancer patients can rejoice when they are told the words your Cancer is gone. People who have never walked can rejoice like no other when they are healed. Only those who have experienced grief and pain can sing new songs of Joy.

Are you sick today and do you need a physician?

The contrast between the Pharisees and those being healed is evidenced many times in the Gospels. First we see the crowd coming to John the Baptist begging to be baptized and replying to the cries of John to produce fruits of repentance. In the scripture we never see anyone from the Sanhedrin coming to Jesus for forgiveness outside of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimethea. Jesus declares that he had come to help the blind to see and those who seed to become blind. John 9:39. The jew is not present singing the song of the overcomer and those who sins have been blotted out because they thought that they were without sin. In order to be made well by Jesus you must admit you are sick and have need.

What kind of song are you singing these days.?

We should be people of praise. We should have a daily intake of Gods word, and communication with God and we should also include a time of praise. We should crank up our stereo and our car radios and should be the ones blasting the airwaves and not just the gangbangers with their heavy bass boom boxes loud in the gas station pump. We have a real song to sing, We have a real reason to be happy and rejoice. our song is not directed to a American Idol but to a Lamb that has overcame and has allowed us to overcome as well. If you do not like praise worship you will not like heaven to much. In Isaiah 6 :1-3 “We read that Isaiah saw the train of the Lords robe as he sat on the throne and Seraphim covered their eyes from his marvelous sight as they flew around him calling out “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord Almighty the whole earth is full of his Glory”. Isaiah was overcome from such a sight as he declared “Woe is me for i am ruined “ “For i am a unclean man with unclean lips and my eyes have seen the Lord The King Almighty. David declared that one thing he desires and one thing he will seek and ask of the Lord that he may dwell in the house of the Lord all of the days of his life and gaze upon the Beauty of the Lord in his temple. PS 27:4.

Revelation 5:9 NASB95

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

Jesus was the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant that was given to Abraham that from his seed every tribe people and nation will be his descendants. Abraham was to be the father of many nations Gen 15:4 . His descendants were to be as numerous as the stars of the sky. From the Seed of Abraham came the Messiah . This Jesus was the Jewish Messiah and the Gentile savior. It was always Gods will that all” men should come to repentance willing that no one should perish.” 2 Peter 3: 9 “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

There are several teachings in scripture like the story of the Marriage of the Lamb which portray this teaching of Israels rejection becomes the Gentiles invitation. The Apostle Paul describes in Romans 11:17-21 “But if some of the branches were broken off and you although a wild olive tree were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree. “Do not be arrogant against the branches for it is not you who support the root but the root supports you and you will say because of their unbelief and arrogance branches were broken off so i could be grafted in. ‘We who are offered the same blessings must be careful not to have the same attitude of arrogance and unbelief and fail to enter in.

We see another example in Mathew 21;33-41 where Jesus talks about a Land owner (God) who owns a vineyard (Israel) who rented it out to Tenants (Jews) to manage. When he sent servants to come and get some of the fruit from his vineyard the tenants killed the Servants(Prophets) so then he sent the son of the land owner surely they will not kill the son (Jesus) After they killed the son . The landowner in his anger took the vineyard from those tenants and gave it to other tenants to manage (Gentiles) who would produce fruit for harvest time for the land owner. Matt 21:42 “Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

You have been given a great grace and invitation today . “Do you count the cornerstone as beautiful and precious.?

Notice that the one who was rejected and despised is now highly honored and worshipped.

In Revelation 5 this same Lamb was the only one who was worthy to take the scroll and break the seal. Rev 5:9-14

Revelation 5:9–14 NASB95

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.” Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

Notice the one who overcomes in Death and by the demands of sin in now the one who is the overcomer and all his followers and enemies are at his feet. Rev 5:14 “ The twenty four elders fell down and worshipped the lamb. The bride will worship him. Rev 7:9-11 “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,”

Notice his enemies will worship him.

Notice his enemies will worship him. “The Lord said to my Lord sit here till i make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Luke 20:43. Philippians 2:10-11 “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow of those in heaven and in Earth and those under the Earth and that every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God the father.

Conclusion

There is a wedding in heaven.

The original invitees refuse to come.

The invitation has been extended to you.

The groom of the father has supplied all of the festivities and ask us to wear his wedding garments.

Only those with the proper wedding garments are allowed to enter the celebration.

If you want to sing a song of victory of overcoming you must first admit your struggle and failure to be able to sing the song of a overcomer.

Are you going to the wedding feast? will you respond to the R.S.V.P. ? The only way to sing the wedding song is to be cleansed in the blood of the lambs wedding clothes. Today i pray you will receive the fathers invitation to his sons wedding.