YOU ARE INVITED TO THE GREATEST PARTY EVER

March 22, 2016

YOU ARE INVITED TO THE GREATEST PARTY EVER

Matthew 22:1–14

Katelaine McGee

Central Truth

You have an invitation to go to the King’s party. You accepted the invitation, and now you have to show up clean and spotless. Will you be ready to go to the party?

“For many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matthew 22:14)

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants^{1

22:3
Or bondservants; also verses 4, 6, 8, 10} to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 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.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Footnotes

[1] 22:3 Or bondservants; also verses 4, 6, 8, 10

Imagine that you have been watching and waiting for a chance to go to a king’s palace for one of his grand, majestic parties. He hosts amazing banquets, but only a few people get invited. You are never on the invitation list. But then, he sends out the invites, and the “normal” invitees decide that they don’t want to go. Not only do they reject the king’s invitation, but they also mistreat the king’s servants. The king is not happy.

But then, he invites you. Regardless of who you are, your status in life, or what you have done in your past, you and your friends and family are invited. YOU. CAN. GO!

When the party finally arrives, the only requirement is that you are wearing clean, spotless clothes. You are warmly welcomed to the main event of your lifetime.

You get inside and see the king talking to a man. The man did not fulfill the only requirement to go to the party, which was to be wearing wedding clothes. The king says, “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?” The man is speechless and has no answer for the king. The king throws him out of the palace and into the darkness.

How does this apply to my life? Well, let me tell you. God is the king. He has invited everyone to His party—eternal life with Him. And now, we have a choice:

1) We can reject His invitation and be separated from our King.

2) We can try to go to the party, but not fulfill the only requirement to be there.

3) We can go to the party and be ready to be there.

God requires us to be spotless, washed clean of our sin, in order to go to the party. That’s it. And we have that option through Christ, who makes us righteous by His blood (2 Corinthians 5:21). Our entrance is not based on who we are, our status, or what we have done. It is a personal, individual choice whether we will accept the invitation, trust Christ, and be ready for the party. Are you ready?

1. Why do you think that the man who was not wearing the appropriate wedding attire was kicked out of the party?

2. Think about the three choices: reject the invitation, go to the party but not fulfill the requirement, or be ready to go. Which choice are you making in your life right now?

3. How can you encourage others in your life to “be ready”?