RTW October 25
The Wedding Guests
The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.
Matthew 22:2
My Takeaways
Something Old
Three types of guests
- Those who were invited but didn’t come.
- Those who weren’t invited, came, and acted appropriately.
- Those who weren’t invited, came, and acted like they wanted to act.
Something New
The king’s invitation was rejected, and they murdered the messenger… exactly what happened to Jesus. (The major event of his son’s life. They rejected the message. They killed Jesus.)
Something to Do
Be a “good” party guest.
Sadly enough, more often I am the guest that accepts the invitation but show up and act inappropriate!
My behavior is not always in line with that of a believer and the older I get and should be wiser and spend more time with Christ the better I should be behaving!
Something to do
I have accepted the invitation
, now ACT APPROPRIATE!
I am finding this is my behavior and I stop and think what is wrong with me and my love and joy of years gone past? I love your accepted the invitation, now ACT APPOPRIATE!
I think the guest who showed up without proper clothes is someone who “pretended” to accept Christ. I don’t think it is the immature carnal Christian… because Jesus says he will be thrown to (hell).
…….it is so beautiful that the Lord meets everyone of us right where we are!
Praise His name!!
Amen
Love this part from Beyond Heaven’s Door by Max Lucado, “Unless something happens, Danny will be the man in the parable, the one without the wedding garment. The wedding garment, you see, is the righteousness of Christ. And if Danny faces Christ wearing his own decency instead of Christ’s goodness, he will hear what the man in the parable heard: “‘You are not dressed for a wedding.’ . . . So the king told some servants, ‘Tie this man’s hands and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain’” (Matt. 22:12–13).”
My Takeaways: Come to the Table
Something Old: I read more parables today. Three seemed to ring a familiar message. The story of the two sons: whoever comes to Jesus must truly want to listen and obey, not merely pretend to. The story of the evil farmers: the human heart is extraordinarily wicked. The story of the wedding feast: To be a true believer in Christ one must not only accept the invitation, but come to commune with Him. The wedding garment is given through the righteousness of Christ, but it has to be put it on. All three centered around the same theme: God’s final invitation has come in Christ. I have to come to the party. By studying God’s Word, praying for guidance and seeking His will for my life and living out that will as best as I can, moment by moment and day by day I can accept the invitation.
Something New: After reading today I couldn’t help to think of the song by Sidewalk Prophets, “Come to the Table.” Listen to it on You Tube. I did and it had a whole new meaning for me today. Below are the lyrics that I felt were worth sharing.
We all start on the outside
The outside looking in
This is where grace begins
We were hungry, we were thirsty
With nothing left to give
Oh the shape that we were in
Just when all hope seemed lost
Love opened the door for us
(Chorus)He said come to the table
Come join the sinners who have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior now
Sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Come meet this motley crew of misfits
These liars and these thiefs
There’s no one unwelcome here, no
So that sin and shame that you brought with you
You can leave it at the door
And let mercy draw you near
(Repeat Chorus)
To the thief, to the doubter
To the hero and the coward
To the prisoner and the soldier
To the young, to the older
All who hunger, all who thirst
All the last, all the first
All the paupers and the princes
All who fail you’ve been forgiven
All who dream, all who suffer
All who loved and lost another
All the chained, all the free
All who follow, all who lead
Anyone who’s been let down
All the lost you have been found
All who’ve been labeled right or wrong
Everyone who hears this song
Just
Come, come to the table
Oh eh, come join the sinners you have been redeemed
Take your place beside the Savior
Just sit down and be set free
Oh come on
Just sit down and be set free
Come to the table
Come on now
Come to the table
You’re welcome here
Something To Do: Pray that I don’t get so distracted with my worldly life that I neglect my time with Jesus.