4. The Wedding Feast Matthew 22:1-13 Nature of the Kingdom.
Three ways NOT to respond.
How to respond.

5. Context
Matthew 21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them.
Matthew 22:1-2 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,

6. The Nature of the Kingdom
Matthew 22:2-3a 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast…
The Father desires to share his joy.
Reality is wilder than the parable. (see Revelation 19:6-9)

7. Three ways NOT to respond
Matthew 22:2-3 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, 3 and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
Apathy vs. 5
Anger vs. 6
Arrogance vs. 8-13

8. Apathy
Matthew 22:4-5 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,

9. Anger
Matthew 22:6-8 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.

10. Arrogance
Matthew 22: 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.

11. He confused an invitation with approval.
Arrogance
Matthew 22: 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.”
He confused an invitation with approval.

12. God must love everything about me.
Confusing Invite with Approval
True
God is love (1 John 4:8)
I got an invite (Matthew 11:28)
God must love me (John 3:16)
False
God must love everything about me.

13. The Invitation Specifies Attire
Mark 1:14–15 14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
All three rejections: apathy, anger, and arrogance expect God’s Kingdom on their own terms.

14. How to Respond to an Invite
Matthew 22: 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.

15. How to Respond to an Invite
2 Corinthians 5:21–6:2 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

16. Come to the Table
1 Corinthians 11:23–26 23 For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.