DATE: 11th October, 2020
THEME: OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S CALL
SCRIPTURE READINGS
Isaiah 25:1-9
Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14
Psalter: Psalm 23
Prepared By: Osofo Yaw Dodd
INTRODUCTION
God has created every individual to fulfil a specific purpose in life. God knows what that purpose is and how we can achieve it but we often make choices based on our perceived priorities that are contrary to God’s will. OUR PRIORITIES IN LIFE DICTATE OUR CHOICES AND OUR CHOICES DETERMINE THE OUTCOME OF OUR LIVES.
Our choices are often between alternatives that appear equally attractive but lead to entirely different results for “there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death” Pr. 14:12. Adam and Eve made the choice to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil rather than the fruit of the tree of life. Their choice affected not only their own lives but also affected ours for in Adam “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”. (John 3:16) God continues to give us the opportunity to change our destiny by making the right choice “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”. (Rom 6:23). “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). All that we need for our salvation is to make the right choice and accept Jesus Christ as Lord in obedience to God’s call.
THE CONTEXT
The king in the parable sends his servants out to find other guests to come to the wedding celebration. As they gather themselves together, the king notices a man in the company who does not have on a wedding garment. This man is cast out of the wedding celebration.
These verses paint a picture of salvation. You see, the Lord intends to fill His Heaven with the redeemed from the earth. Only those who have a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ will be admitted into God’s Heaven!
As we look at the events of this parable, those who are saved by grace will meet yonder in Heaven and be dressed in white at the Marriage of the Lamb. It seems to me that, garment is of utmost importance if one will gain access to heaven. You must be dressed properly before you can be admitted to the wedding of God.
BODY
I. THE CALL OF GOD
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:14
The call of God is threefold:
- He has called us to repentance: Repentance is essential to forgiveness, unless you repent, you can’t be forgiven. Repentance is not just giving God lip service, it is more than “ oops, sorry God” True repentance is when you give all your sin to God. Repentance is a deep sorrow for the sin you have committed, it is when you realize that you are a sinner and you are not worthy of the grace that God has shown you.
- He has called us to dedication: We as Christians tend to be dedicated to our jobs, our spouses, our children, our homes and even our churches. We show dedication each and every day in different parts of our lives. But we neglect God and don’t think twice about it. We neglect Him in our prayer lives, we neglect Him in our church attendance. It seems like we tend to treat God like a spare tire, we only call on Him in an emergency. God deserves our total dedication, and He demands our total dedication.
- He has called us to service: We are all called to serve God in one aspect or another. He has called me to preach, He may have called you to another ministry, but rest assured He has called you. He has called each and everyone of us to SERVE Him. He not only has called us to serve Him, but to serve each other.
II. THE AVAILABILITY OF THE GARMENT
▪ It Is Available To All – The king sent his servants into the highways, literally the “wide places or plazas”, to gather together all that they found. He wasn’t concerned about their character, about their past, about their social standing, about their abilities, about their popularity, or any other consideration. He just wanted whoever would to come to the wedding celebration. This is a picture of what the Lord has done for us in His plan of salvation. God’s plan is available to whoever will come.
▪ It Is Available By Invitation – Notice that the king sent out his servants to invite people to the wedding. Again, this pictures salvation. While anyone can be saved by the grace of God, before anyone can be saved, they must be called by the Lord, John 6:44; 66. You can only be saved when the Lord is dealing with your heart.
III. THE ACCEPTANCE OF THE GARMENT
It was common in weddings involving the wealthy to provide each guest with a white wedding garment. When the guests accept the invitation, they would be given their garment, and they would then wear it to the wedding when the day arrived. This is a picture of salvation! The day a person accepts the Lord’s invitation to Jesus, that person receives a robe of righteousness.
a. It Is Received By Faith – The way to get the wedding garment is by simple FAITH. It is given to those who place their faith in Jesus alone for salvation, Eph. 2:8-9.
b. It Is Totally Free – This garment cannot be purchased at any price. It is received only when faith in the Gospel message has been exercised. You see, it matters not how much money or resources a person has, nor does it matter how little one has. ALL THAT MATTERS IS FAITH!
c. It Is A Proper Fit – The wedding garment given by the Lord is a perfect fit every time! It fits the young and the old, the big and the little, the rich and the poor, the short and the tall. God’s wedding garment fits every life perfectly.
Salvation is a perfect fit for everyone. No one was ever made worse off by receiving Jesus Christ! No life was ever ruined by a personal relationship with King Jesus.
d. It Is Approved By The Father – Notice, the king came in and saw a man without the wedding garment. He was forced out and rejected by the king. The garment was a requirement to be in the presence of the king and to attend the wedding.
IV. THE ABILITY OF THE GARMENT
a. It Changes One’s Appearance – In our modern weddings, the bride does her best to stand out from everyone else at the wedding. However, in ancient times, everyone looked the same at the wedding. They all wore the same type of garments and they were all identically dressed.
So it is with salvation! When a person comes to Jesus to be saved, He changes them completely: externally, internally and eternally!
b. It Cover’s One’s Appearance – When these people were found, probably some were dirty, others may have been beggars dressed in rags, some may have been wealthy and were dressed in all the finery that money could buy. But, whatever their appearance when they were called, when they put on the wedding garment, it covered everything! Gone was the filth, the ugliness and the rags. All that could be seen was the white, cleanness of the wedding garment.
V. THE ABSENCE OF THE GARMENT
After the guests arrived for the wedding, the king saw a man who had no wedding garment. This event produced 3 great reactions that need to be considered.
▪ Will Produce A Showdown – When the king saw the man without a garment, he confronted him about it.
▪ Will Produce Shock – When the man saw that he was not hidden from the king, the Bible says that he was speechless! That is, he made no excuses for his condition and he offered no apologies. The bottom line is that when he was confronted with the truth, there wasn’t much that he could say about his condition.
▪ Will Produce Shame – The man in the parable was cast out into outer darkness. This is a picture of Hell! Every person who leaves this world clothed in their sins and not in the righteousness of Jesus Christ will spend eternity in Hell. There will be no greater shame than being forever cast away from the presence of the Lord. WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN YOU DIE?
CONCLUSION
PRECIOUS ONE! Are you dressed for the wedding? You say preacher, “How do I know?” It all depends on what you have done with Jesus. If you have never received Him as your Savior, then you are lost and must be born again. Are you ready for the wedding? You can be, but you must be dressed in Jesus and His righteousness alone. WILL YOU COME IF THE LORD IS CALLING YOU?
PREPARED BY
VERY REV DR. SAMUEL DUA DODD
CALVARY METHODIST CHURCH
ADABRAKA-ACCRA
