Obstacle or Opportunity?

October 27, 2013
Obstacle or Opportunity       NOTES NOT EDITED
Romans 14:1-12

SIS: This particular holiday offers the perfect backdrop to display the Light of Christ’s love to the world!

As dark and sinister as this holiday is with all the references to

witches, goblins, ghosts, and gore, it is actually one of the most holy days of the church.  About 1200 years ago (835 AD) the RCC declared November 1^st to be a holiday to honor all the unnamed saints in the church.  It was called, All Saints Day.  October 31^st, the eve before All Saints Day was called “All Hallow’s (Holies) Eve.”  It was shortened to hallow’s e’en – hence, Halloween.  So, the word itself is associated with something good, not something evil.  So, is it OK for a Christian to participate in Hallween?

Let me begin with a short history of this holiday that is celebrated by

thousands of children all over the world.  There is ABSOLUTELY NO DOUBT that this holiday was originally part of something evil and satanic – more correctly, pagan.  October 31^st is the last day of the pagan year.  November 1^st is a day set aside by pagans (nature worshippers) in Ireland and Scotland to honor the god, Samhain (sawan).  Samhain was the “god of the dead” (the Grim Reaper).  Druid’s who were the priests in this pagan religion served Samhain as a god.  It was a Druid belief that on the eve of the new year that all manner of evil spirits (ghosts, goblins, feeries, witches and elves) came out to harm people.  People would dress up as these spirits so that the spirits would be tricked into thinking they were one of them and would not harm them.  To appease these spirits you would have to leave food (treats) on the doorstep.  There is absolutely no doubt that this ancient, pre-Christian celebration is evil and celebrates evil.

About 325 AD.  as a matter of policy, Emperor Constantine legalized Christianity – he in fact declared all people of the kingdom to be Christians.  This meant that all manner of evil crept into the church as these new “christians” (little “c”) entered the church but kept there pagan practices.  It created a lot of trouble for the church.  Especially, the worship of Samhain and the Druids. 

To counter these pagan practices the church instituted their own holidays to coincide with the pagan holidays.  It was hoped that this would deter Christians from participating in the pagan celebrations.  This is how the church approached three major pagan holidays– Christmas, Easter, and Halloween.  The pagan counterparts for Christmas and Easter were overshadowed by the Christian celebrations and they drifted into the dust of history.  All Saints Day was not as successful and many of the pagan influences of October 31^st remain to this day. 

Halloween is here to stay.  It was brought to our country by Scotch/Irish immigrants and has been celebrated since about the early 1800's.  The Irish sometimes call it I “Pooky Night,” because one of the mischievous spirits making the rounds on this evening was called “pookah.”  So, what is a Christian supposed to do about this day of the year?  Is Halloween and “obstacle to faith,” or an “opportunity for faith.”  I think that the Apostle Paul has some words of wisdom that may be helpful for us today.  Stand with me as we read from Romans 14:1-12:

14 Accept  anyone who is weak in faith,  ^a but don’t argue about doubtful issues. ² One person believes he may eat anything,  but one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,  and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,  because God has accepted him.  ⁴ Who are you to criticize  another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able  to make him stand.

⁵ One person considers one day to be above another day.  Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.  ⁶ Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.  Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;  and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.  ⁹ Christ died and came to life  for this: that He might rule over both the dead and the living.  ¹⁰ But you, why do you criticize your brother? Or you, why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before the tribunal of God.  ^{q 11} For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God. ¹² So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

As you decide how you will deal with this holiday there are

three considerations you should keep in mind:

1.  Consider the OBSTACLE Halloween poses (vv 1-7)

Halloween poses serious questions concerning matters of conscience.

14 Accept  anyone who is weak in faith,  ^a but don’t argue about doubtful issues. ² One person believes he may eat anything,  but one who is weak eats only vegetables. ³ One who eats must not look down on one who does not eat,  and one who does not eat must not criticize one who does,  because God has accepted him.  ⁴ Who are you to criticize  another’s household slave? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand. For the Lord is able  to make him stand. ⁵ One person considers one day to be above another day.  Someone else considers every day to be the same. Each one must be fully convinced in his own mind.  ⁶ Whoever observes the day, observes it for the honor of the Lord.  Whoever eats, eats for the Lord, since he gives thanks to God;  and whoever does not eat, it is for the Lord that he does not eat it, yet he thanks God. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.

In some matters of faith, there are no definitive answers.  I think

this is true in regard to the matter of Halloween.  I read several sermons and articles on this matter in preparation for this sermon.  The majority, I must say, were very much against any participation in the activities of Halloween at all.  One writer said, “To me it makes no more sense for a Christian to participate in Halloween as it would be for a Russia to celebrate the 4^th of July.”  I think it is very clear why someone would say this about Halloween.

It is ABSOLUTELY A PAGAN celebration that predates Christianity.  It is definitely a time of year that is overrun with evil themes.  Horror films will clutter the airways and blood, guts and gore will be a major theme in many costumes. 

Halloween is rooted in pagan, satanic rituals.  Of that there is no doubt. So, it would seem to be a slam-dunk as far as answering the question: “Should a Christian celebrate Halloween?” 

The answer is a resounding: NO, or is it a resounding YES? It is a “matter of conscience” according to Romans 14.  How we regard

this day is up to each individual family.  There is Scriptural support for having nothing at all to do with this day.  There is Scriptural support that justifies “locking the door, turning out the lights and refusing to answer the door-bell.”  This is absolutely a justifiable position in regard to a day so clearly associated with pagan worship.  The Bible says,

“Avoid every kind of evil.”  (1Thess. 5:22).   Eph. 5:11 says, “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather, expose them.”

There are many other Scripture passages that would justify the position that a Christian should have nothing at all to do with Halloween.  The evil associated with Halloween poses an OBSTACLE that could justifiably prohibit any Christian from participating in any way.  But, is there also Scripture that would suggest ways in which a Christian could participate in this holiday – or perhaps Scriptures that suggest a Christian SHOULD participate in this holiday in some way that is redemptive in nature?  I think this is another CONSIDERATION Christians face in regard to Halloween:

2.  Consider the OPPORTUNITY

We can be light in the darkness.  The theme of this message is simply this: Halloween offers the perfect backdrop against which we as Christians can display the Light of Christ’s love.

Have you ever noticed how a jeweler displays his fine, expensive

wares?  Most often, fine jewelry like diamonds and precious gems, will be displayed on black velvet.  The black backdrop accentuates the shining brilliance of a diamond or fine piece of jewelry.  The darker the backdrop, the brighter the piece of jewelry shines.

I think a Christian can look at Halloween as just such an opportunity.

Against all the blackness of the celebration, the Light or Christ will shine even brighter.  This is something I think we as Christians in the 21^st century must consider.

In fact, this type of “cultural engagement” is exactly what Paul

has in mind.  Look again at verse 1.  Literally it reads:

Accept  anyone who is weak in faith,  ^a but don’t argue about doubtful issues.

In modern translations like the NIV, the train of Paul’s thought is

somewhat obscured.  What we call chapter 14, is actually an extension of Paul’s thought in the preceding chapter, verses 11-15.  What has been designated as 14:1 begins with a small, yet important, word.  That is the conjunction, “de,” or in English, “but,” or “therefore.”  Paul is describing in chapter 13:11-15 how we should “engage” the darkness of our culture.  Look at those verses:

11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. 12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 

Paul is instructing the Church to be forceful (put on armor) and engage the darkness in the culture around us.  The darkness, though it presents some danger, is the perfect backdrop against which a Christian can and should display the light of Christ.  In Chapter 14, Paul is giving us the freedom to engage the darkness of our culture, rather than seek to escape from it. 

What Paul is teaching, I think, is this: rather than run from the darkness all around us, like Halloween, we should put on the armor of light,and bring the gospel into our communities.  Paul dismisses disputes over the reason for the darkness, but rather dispatches the church into that darkness as “warriors of light wearing the armor of Christ.”   Cursing the darkness is no solution to the darkness–
lighting a candle is.  Keep your finger here in Romans and join me in a few other Scriptures that speak about letting our faith shine in a dark world.

Mt. 5:16  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Eph. 5:8  For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

2 Cor 4:6  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

The Christians of Paul’s day knew what it meant to live in the midst

of all kinds of pagan darkness.  Rome was well-known for its excesses and its tolerance for almost any religious practice in the world.  The meat sold in most markets in Paul’s day were first used as sacrifices to idols.  Paul’s instructions come against the black backdrop of paganism – not that much different with what we see at Halloween, today.

Halloween is proof positive that our world needs light!  Halloween does not need to be an OBSTACLE to sharing our faith but may be a great OPPORTUNITY for sharing our faith.  This brings me to my third consideration:

3.  Consider the OBJECTIVE of participating in Halloween (7-8)

⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.  ⁸ If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

We must concentrate on the WAY we participate, not the DAY.

In the matter of Halloween, as in living the Christian life in
general it is all about our OBJECTIVE – that is, our PURPOSE.  We
should live our lives in such a way as to demonstrate without question that we are “children of Light;” servants of the Most High God.

Verse 6 talks about some who eat meat and some who don’t. Verse 6 talks about some who regard one day as the right day of worship and some who regard another day.  Paul was probably talking about the various “feast days” that Jews observed, but that Gentiles did not.  Paul’s admonishment to them on these NON-essential matters applies also for us in our day in regard to how we treat Halloween. Paul does not say which group is right.  What Paul emphasizes is not the DAY, but the WAY that a person worships.  Paul talks about PURPOSE.

Our purpose or objective should be to “honor God in all we do.”  As

Paul says, “if we live, we should live to the Lord and if we die we should die to the Lord.”  IT’S ALL ABOUT HIM – NOT US! 

Our whole purpose in life – whether at Halloween or any other day – should be to point out to as many people as we can that there is a judgement coming.  The ghosts, goblins, witches, and gore that seems so innocent at Halloween points to the reality of what awaits someone who dies without accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  We should use Halloween (and every other day) as an opportunity to warn others of the judgement to come.  That is our “objective.”  Look at verse 11:

¹¹ For it is written: As I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will give praise to God.

The Christian’s objective at Halloween should be to help others

prepare for the coming judgment.  Rather than “lock our doors, turn out the lights, and ignore the children ringing our door-bell,” we should seek to use this day as an OPPORTUNITY to be “light in the darkness.”  With that objective in mind let me give you some suggestions on how to BE LIGHT AT HALLOWEEN TIME.

1.  First and foremost, have nothing whatsoever to do with anything that promotes evil or the occult (things involving witchcraft, etc.)

2.  As you put candy in the bags of children, also put in some information about our church.  We have some flyers printed up that you can take with you today and use tomorrow.

3.  Dress your children in Biblical costumes.  Get them to tell their friends why they don’t dress in costumes with “evil” themes.

4.  Play Christian music really loud and decorate your home with       Christian themes

5.  Get a pumpkin and carve a “cross” in it.  The candle can represent      Jesus as Light of the World.

6.  Most importantly: PRAY!  Use this as a time to offer special prayers against the evils of our community: drugs, alcohol, etc. Pray for each home you visit. Be ready to give a witness to your faith.

7.  Be creative and come up with more ideas.

I hope you will take these considerations and do what you feel in your own heart will bring glory to God.  Halloween is not going to go away.  As Christians, we must address the issues.  The evil that is “up front” at Halloween is very real.  The darkness in our world is very real.  We need to share our light.

One of the pagan traditions as I mentioned earlier was to dress up

like one of the evil spirits so that they would not recognize you and harm you.  I see too many church folk that are doing that today.  They are talking like the devil, partying like the devil, and wearing a Christian costume to church once per week thinking that they are going to fool God.

God will not be fooled.  If the Light of Jesus Christ is not burning in

your heart through the Holy Spirit, then you can expect to spend all of eternity celebrating Halloween – only, you will be on the “trick” side, not the “treat” side.  If you die without accepting Jesus Christ, you will not escape judgement – you WILL spend eternity in the abode of demons – the place the Bible calls hell.

You can escape that fate by accepting Jesus Christ today. Don’t spend eternity in a Halloween nightmare. Come to the light – so you can share the Light.

Halloween presents us with either an obstacle,or and opportunity – faith makes the difference.

<<end>>

You Are Invited

October 19, 2014

You Are Invited

Matthew 22:1-14                     NOTES NOT EDITED

SIS— If we respond passionately and enthusiastically to the invitation of God we will experience the unimaginable blessings of God—both here and now and in eternity.

What is the largest church in the world?  According to the Guinness Book of World Records it would be The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace of Yamoussoukro in Cote d’Ivoire (or the Ivory Coast) of West Africa.  It would have to be a large church just to have enough room to fit its name across the entrance!  This church holds a massive crowd of 18,000 people.  The Ivory Coast is a poverty stricken area and this church has been described as, “a pearl rising out of the surrounding squalor.”  This church covers 322,917 sq. ft. and rises at its highest point 518 feet.  In laymen’s terms it would be considered, “ginormous.”  It was the lavish attempt of the former dictator to memorialize himself. Most people would consider a $300 million church in an area where the average annual income of $650 per person to be extraordinarily self-indulgent.  The fact that this church is nearly empty every Sunday only accentuates the wasteful nature of the project.  It is estimate that less than 350 people attend with any kind of regularity in this church that holds 18,000.  One thing we can know for sure is that the former dictator, Felix Houphouot-Boigny, had a “Go big or go home” view of life.  I agree that the former dictator went way to far in his “go big or go home” approach but I also think that so many churches in America don’t “go big enough.”

Boigny was benevolent and effective leader allowing the Ivory Coast to experience an unusual time of prosperity.  He was a “big thinker.”  I don’t know his relationship with God but I do know that in a way, this benevolent dictator was like God.  Boigny went big.  God Always Goes Big! A favorite verse says, “For God so loved the WORLD!” That’s a God-sized target! That’s a God-sized mission.

Yet, consider the American church in general.  One of the major problems of the church in America is that, for the most part, we are “little thinkers.” We don’t think big thoughts. A sermon that too heavily taxes the mind is considered dull, or uninspiring.  A pastor’s continual call to wade into faith a “little bit deeper,” can become annoying to many members content to swim in the shallow end of the pool. 

As an example, consider that in the 1950’s and following there was a “church building boom” in California (and other places). Thousands of churches were erected with the average seating capacity of 150. Today, most of those churches have an average attendance of less than 75%. We had a “little vision” and we have tapped about half of it. What if we had built 300 seat auditoriums; or, 3000 and only maxed out at half? My point is that when we “think small” we accomplish even less! I’d rather aim for the moon and miss it by a mile than aim for nothing and hit is dead center. It’s not too late to start “thinking big.” Maybe you are old with more water under the bridge than you want to admit. Maybe your bridge is even washed out.  Don’t stop “dreaming.” Don’t give up on what time you have left. Ask God to give you a “Big Idea” and see what happens.

Our text today, like many others in the N.T. portrays God as the Great Inviter, inviting us to join Him in His glorious mission of loving the world and reconciling the world unto Him.  It is an invitation reminiscent of an invitation to a Grand Party where the feast and festivities are beyond anything one could imagine. 

So few, however, respond to God’s invitation.  They persist in rebellion and activities of self-gratification.  Life is full of activity and nearly devoid of meaning.  Let’s think deeply about the invitation God is making to any that would respond.  We read about this in Matthew 22:1-14.

READING

1.  FIRST, CONSIDER THE INVITER (vv 1-4)

“The kingdom of heaven  may be compared to a king
who gave a wedding banquet for his son.

Jesus is speaking in a parable.  A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning.  It is different from a myth or allegory in that it involves real, every day experiences.  In this case the event or experience is a wedding banquet, quite common in this time as it has been throughout time.  The King represents God.  We know this because the verse tells us the story is to be “compared to the kingdom of heaven.” 

One of the most significant revelations about Yahweh, the God of the Bible, is His inviting nature.  He is depicted from the Book of Genesis on as a God who initiates contact with man.  It is so common that it would not be possible in our short amount of time to list all the verses that show God’s inviting nature.  One of the most beautiful to me is Isaiah 55: 1:

 “Come, everyone who is thirsty, come to the waters;

and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come,

buy wine and milk without money and without cost!

“Come, come, come” unto me.  Three times in this verse God invites man to partake of heaven’s glory and goodness.  This is God’s nature.  He is an inviting God.  He is an initiating God.  He has everything, lacking nothing, and He desires to share it with man.  That’s Who Yahweh is.  That is His very nature.

God’s inviting nature is emphasized in verses 2-4.  Look at verse 4:

⁴ Again, he sent out other slaves, and said, ‘Tell those who are invited: Look, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

The intenseness of God’s desire to share Himself and His bounty with man can be seen with the adverb that begins the sentence:  “again.”  The response to the initial invitation was sparse to none.  The people just didn’t care that the king was inviting them to a grand banquet.  Many kings throughout history have demonstrated that such a slight to the king would result in imprisonment or death.  Yet, this king who represents Yahweh doesn’t lash out in anger, but reaches out with an even stronger invitation.  He adds a description of what awaits those who respond:  the king has brought out the very best of his herd, “the fatted cattle” and every detail has been attended to in preparation for this great feast.  If this were a Godfather movie we would say that the king is “making us an offer that can’t be refused.”  But, sadly they did in fact refuse.  Verse 5 says, “But they paid no attention and went away one to his farm, another to his business.”

God, the Great Inviter, still does not give up.  Verse 9 records one more attempt by God to reach out to man:

Therefore go to where the roads exit the city

and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’

God has never given up on inviting man to have fellowship with Him.  However, the same God that passionately desires “everyone” to enjoy the banquet is also a holy God who will punish iniquity—both in eternity and also here on earth.  His justice and wrath are as real as His love and mercy.  Look at verses 6-7:

⁶ And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them. ⁷ The king  was enraged, so he sent out his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned down their city.

For today, let me focus on the primary focus of God as the Great Inviter.  You are invited to share in God’s glory.  If you accept, you will be treated to an eternal banquet of glory.  If you refuse . . . well, then God will “burn down your city!”

2.  Second, let’s examine the INVITATION

First, as we have mentioned briefly, the invitation of God is PERSISTENT.  He pursues us relentlessly hoping that we will freely and passionately accept the invitation.

Second, God’s invitation is COMPREHENSIVE.  God’s invitation covers the whole spectrum of life here on earth, as well as of course, life after earth—or, eternal life.  Too often we as Baptists in our passion to see people get saved, we give an inadequate or incomplete invitation.  We do not believe that simply saying a few words at the end of a church service, even when those words are moved by deep emotion, constitutes what it means to be saved.

What I mean is that it is not enough simply to want to accept Jesus as Savior.  Who in his (or her) right mind would not want to be saved and avoid going to hell for eternity.  That’s a “no-brainer.”  Yet, far too many people few salvation as a sort of “fire insurance policy” that kicks in after we die, but lies dormant in a drawer while we are busy going about our lives. 

(1) Of course, there is the most important invitation, the invitation to ETERNAL LIFE.  Nearly every people group in the world has a translation of the Great Invitation found in John 3:16:

¹⁶ “For God loved  the world in this way:  He gave
His One and Only  Son,  so that everyone who believes in Him

will not perish but have eternal life.

This is God’s gateway into blessing.  This is not about where our lives with the Lord “ends”—that is eternal life—so much as where it begins.  Eternal life begins when we are saved, not when we die.  From the moment a person responds to the salvation invitation, that person is spiritually changed.  There is no way to overstate the importance of responding to God’s invitation to be saved from sin and spared eternal punishment in hell.

(2)  God’s invitation also encompasses an invitation to WORSHIP.  Worship is a greatly misunderstood concept.  It does not primarily refer to any particular activity like singing, clapping hands, raising one’s hands, or even dancing.  There are a multitude of expressions of a worshipful attitude throughout Scripture.  Worship expressions spring from a worshipful attitude.  Really the invitation to worship is an invitation to enjoy God’s presence.  When we express our attitude of worship we actually experience the Presence of God on, in, and with our lives.  Consider the Tabernacle of the Israelites.  This movable building became the “house or dwelling place” of the very presence of God.  Nearly half of the Book of Exodus chronicles the building of the Tabernacle and associated articles of worship like the table of showbread, lampstand, and most importantly the Ark of the Covenant.  This Tabernacle was also called the “Tent of Meeting” because it represented the very Presence of God in the lives of the Israelites as they worshipped God in the wilderness.  Notice how Exodus ends with God inhabiting the meeting place of His people:

^40:34 The cloud covered the tent of meeting,
and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

There is much more to be said about the Tabernacle but it was a “Tent of Meeting” where Israel experienced the very Presence of God represented by a “hovering cloud” over the Holy of Holies, or third partition of the Tabernacle.  Regardless of what particular activities may be involved, worship means entering into the very Presence of God.  God’s invitation is an invitation to WORSHIP.

(3)  God’s invitation is an invitation to SERVICE

v3:  “He sent out His slaves . . .”

Look again at verse 1 of chapter 22.  Once more Jesus spoke to them in parable.  The verse begins with the adverb, palin.  It means, “again,” or as the HCSB translates it, “once more.”  This word serves as a conjunction connecting the parable of the wedding invitation with the two parables before in chapter 21:  the parable of the two sons and the parable of the vineyard.  In all three parable there are two main characters—a ruling master and various servants.   The servants include two groups—one who serve obediently and others who do not.  In the first parable the father, or master said to go work in the vineyard.  One son went.  One son didn’t.  In the second parable the slaves do the master’s bidding but the tenant farmers rebelled, killed the vineyard owners slaves, and kept the harvest.  They even killed the owner’s son.  In the third parable we again have slaves obediently delivering the master’s invitation and various groups failing to respond for various reasons.  The outcast group responded and attended the banquet.  A significant aspect of these parables is that God’s invitation to salvation and worship is also an invitation to service.  There is much more truth to be mined in these verses, but that is a basic truth we must get, especially from the third parable of the Great Invitation.  The invitation to salvation and worship is also a call to service.  God will deal justly, and harshly, with those that either do not respond at all to His invitation, or who respond to salvation and worship, but not to service. 

The third parable adds an additional character that represents those who try to “sneak into the party so to speak.”  This man represents those who want to get into the party on their own terms (v11, dressed improperly).  We cannot get into heaven dressed in the rags of our own self-righteous acts.  Religion does not prepare you properly for salvation, worship, and service.  The custom was for the person putting on the wedding feast to provide garments for his guests.  God only can “fitly dress us for heaven” in the garment of His grace.  Self-righteous works will only dress you for destruction.  Look at v 13:

“Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot,  and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God is the Great Inviter.  The invitation is both persistent and comprehensive involving salvation, worship, and service.  There is a third aspect of this invitation we must consider:

3.  The INVITEES

In this parable we have “two guest lists” mentioned.  This parable is very similar in this regard to the one in Luke 14.  The first guest list is mentioned twice (verse 3 and again in verse 4).  You might call this the “list of preferred guests” or maybe even “VIP’s.”  Now, don’t stretch the parable to its breaking point suggesting that God shows favorites.  Indeed, the Bible says, “Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,  ³⁵ but in every nation the person who fears Him and does righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts 10:34-35).

The first invitation implies VIP status in the sense that these would be people who would expect to be invited to the party, even if they had no intention of going—which they did not.  This list of invitees represent the majority of mankind—those who give little or no thought to God, or worse, act in hostile disobedience to Him (see verse 6).  The Bible tells us that this is how most of mankind thinks in regard to personal sin (Proverbs 21:2):

All a man’s ways seem right to him,
but the Lord evaluates the motives.

Why are so few people getting saved?  Well, certainly members of Jesus loving churches are not doing enough to get the Word out.  But, there is another reason many will not get saved.  Most people don’t value salvation because they don’t really believe they are lost.  Look how these kind of people act when invited to God’s banquet:

^22:5 “But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the others seized his slaves, treated them outrageously and killed them.

The response to a gospel invitation can range from total apathy (“paid no attention, or too involved in the business of life”) to outright
hostility (“treated God’s servants outrageously and killed them).

That’s list one of which the Bible says in verse 14:  “For many are invited but few are chosen.”

Now, there is a second “guest list” of invitees mentioned.  Verses 8-10 give us a shockingly different “guest list”:

⁸ “Then he told his slaves, ‘The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.  ⁹ Therefore go to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.’  ¹⁰ So those slaves went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good.

A similar parable in Luke 14 describes this “guest list” more illustratively:

21 Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in here the poor, maimed, blind, and lame!’

Let me say something shocking that came to me as I studied these passages in Matthew and Luke.  The thought that I believe God put in my mind was this:  a church that is not filled up with the undesirables of the world is probably empty of the Presence of God.  I wanted to delete this as I typed it into my notes.  It makes me feel uncomfortable.  Most churches I’ve been in have been pretty much occupied by “respectable folks”—folks that smelled good, looked good and most importantly “gave” good!  But, the respectable people of this world for the most part reject the gospel.  Why would someone who drives an expensive car, wears and expensive suit, dines each night at an expensive restaurant be convinced when someone tells them how much the “need Jesus.”  In their eyes, they need nothing. That’s how most of the people on “guest list one” respond to God’s invitation—they don’t.

Now, when you don’t drive an expensive car, but you live in one that barely runs, and when you don’t have a decent pair of shoes, let alone an expensive coat, and you not only don’t dine out at expensive restaurants but you “eat out of garbage cans,” then it is a little bit easier to see your “need.”  The gospel throughout history has always found its best soil for growth among the common people, the regular folks, those that have a sense of brokenness in their lives.  Nobody ever gets saved who does not first realize he or she is lost.  Nobody ever gets fixed who does not first realize they are broken.

I think we at the church may be working on the wrong “guest list.”  Perhaps we ought to take a look at this “second guest list” and then recall what is written on the Statue of Liberty:

Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!

The greatest nation in the world was built on the backs of those who had little standing in the world.  We, the Church, would do well to remember that our Statue of Liberty is the Cross, and God invites all to share in what His Son accomplished on our behalf.

We began this message talking about the largest, most extravagant church in the world, the The Basilica of Our Lady of peace of Yamoussoukro in the Ivory Coast of West Africa.  It will hold 18,000 people but for the most part it is practically empty come Sunday.  We can’t fault the man who commissioned it for his lofty vision.  He was a “big thinker.”  We could use a few more big thinkers who are also “big doers.” 

If we are honest, our church is not doing much better.  We can seat 160 easily and we have about 80 or so.  We certainly have more room to grow than we have any right to brag!  Could it be we are working off the wrong “guest list?”  Could it be that if we sincerely and sacrificially responded fully to God’s invitation, including service to others as well as salvation and worship for ourselves, that we would fill up God’s House?

Perhaps this message has made you uncomfortable for one reason or another.  Are you are like those who rejected the invitation.  Perhaps you are too busy with your own affairs to be concerned about God’s affairs.  Only you can answer that question, but know that the answer you give will have eternal consequences.

Are you saved?  Do you sense God’s Presence on and with you as you worship?  Are you serving where the sanctuary “exits” (v. 9)?  The answer to all these questions have significant consequences.  If we respond passionately and enthusiastically to the invitation of God we will experience the unimaginable blessings of God—both here and now and in eternity.

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