Mike Bickle delivers a powerful sermon on Jesus's final public message to Israel, focusing on the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22. He emphasizes that the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding arranged by the Father for His Son, inviting all to participate in this grand love story. Bickle warns against indifference and hostility towards God's invitation, urging listeners to respond wholeheartedly to the call of the Bridegroom King. He highlights the importance of loving God with all our hearts and recognizing our identity as the Bride of Christ, called to a deep relationship with Him. Ultimately, the sermon calls for a commitment to engage with God's heart and to invite others into this transformative relationship.

This is, uh, the context is Jesus's final public message to the nation of Israel. What's happening is in Matthew chapter 21, 22, 23, for three chapters, he's entered into Jerusalem. He's giving his, he's in the temple. He has one final message that is three parables, then an open rebuke to the Pharisees. It all kind of brings to get comes together as one big final statement that he's making openly publicly to the nation of Israel, then he goes to the cross a few days later. So if Jesus had one last message, what would it be? Well, we know it's Matthew 21 to 23, three parables and an open rebuke to the Pharisees, but really a warning to the people not to be pressured or duped or imitate what those Pharisees were teaching, because it was contrary to what was on his heart. Well, I'm going to look at one of the three parables because it's all tied together as one message. And my guess is this is Jesus's favorite message right here in Matthew chapter 22 is my personal opinion. He comes before the people again. And he's in the temple, the multitudes are there, the Pharisees are there and he's, and they're, they've already determined to kill him and he knows it. And he's going to die in a couple of days. So he's talking to the, to the multitudes, but he's looking at them. I'm imagining every few moments. He looks him right in the eye, completely unintimidated by them and their threats of murder, which they carried out verse two, Jesus stands. He goes, let me tell you what the kingdom of heaven is like. And he stands before the people. He said, it's like a king arranging a marriage for his son. That's why I think this is his favorite message. My father is the king. I am his beloved son. I am here on assignment because my father has a plan. He's arranging a marriage, a wedding for me. And I have an eternal companion. It's a corporate people called the body of Christ, my bride. So he stands before them knowing this is his final message. And he gives the declaration. He gives the invitation himself. Says here, let's read verse two again. The kingdom of heaven is like a king who arranged a marriage for his son. From ages past, the plan is in the father's heart. Verse three, and the father or the king sent out messengers, servants. He sent out people with the message. And the father has been sending out people with the message for 2,000 years with this clear message. But it was brought together most concisely right here in this parable. And the messengers are to call the nations to invite them to a wedding. Not just to witness a wedding, but to actually participate. Because the wedding is not just the bridegroom's wedding, it's the bride's wedding as well. Although she's not highlighted here. The whole focus of this parable is it's the father's plan. The father sends the messengers. The father takes action. The father is committed to this reality, is one of the primary messages of this parable that Jesus is making. Now, what I want you to catch here is verse 37. It's a few moments later, but it's the same context. The whole message probably didn't take very long to get the three parables, the open rebuke, and here he's talking. And one of the Pharisees challenges him, tests him. What's the great commandment? And of course, he wants to declare this commandment. And he says in verse 37, you shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart. But the part I want you to notice is this declaration to love God with all of our heart is connected to the parable of the announcement that the kingdom is really a marriage affair. It's a wedding. It's a grand love story that was planned from the father's heart. Let's look at paragraph B. The father arranged the marriage. This is an arranged marriage. The father set it up. Meaning there's no power in heaven or hell or on the earth that can stop it because it was arranged by the most high God who has all authority. The eternal purpose for creation is understood in this declaration right here. God's eternal purpose for creating the heavens and the earth and the human race. He wants to enjoy a family and he wants to provide an eternal companion for his son, an equally yoked bride that will rule with them and they would enjoy relationship and deep partnership and love forever and forever. And beloved, this is the reason that you exist. This is what was in the father's heart when you were conceived in his heart and you were redeemed for this reason. The father is raising up a prepared bride for a worthy son. The book of Revelations 19 tells us the bride is prepared. Before the second coming happens, the body of Christ will go through a tremendous season of transformation. The greatest historic outpouring of the spirit revival. In the context of great pressures together is going to result in a prepared bride. The delight of the father. A prepared bride for a worthy son. There it is, summed up. One short sentence, the purpose of creation. God's grand plan of history. God's grand plan of all of human history. But this is what makes sense of your life. This is what makes sense of how he's leading you. I mean, I like God to lead me so my life is easier. He's leading me so I'm more prepared for my ultimate purpose. To be part of a prepared bride for a worthy son. Well, let's go back to verse 37, the commandment to love God with all of your heart, because I want you to understand, remember, the parable of the kingdom being like a wedding. Then the next thing that happens, I mean, right after that is the exhortation. The prophetic exhortation of the first commandment to love God with all of our heart. Paragraph C. What's happening is that Jesus is actually referencing what Moses said. Moses was the great teacher in the eyes of the nation of Israel. In that hour of history, they were so focused on Moses. And he goes, well, let me tell you what Moses said. Deuteronomy six, probably the most, one of the most well-known passages in Israel. Deuteronomy six, the exhortation. You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart. I mean, what a remarkable exhortation and understanding about God's heart. God wants love with all of the heart more than anything. He wants us to love him with all of our heart because he loves us with all of his heart. He wants this mutuality, this, this relationship, enjoying one another in love forever. That's what's in his heart. That's the kind of God we serve. Well, God gave it to Moses as an exhortation. He says, tell the people this Deuteronomy six. Little while later, you got upgraded from an exhortation to a prophecy. Right here in Deuteronomy 30, when you read the whole context, it's talking about in the last days, there's one generation. God says that in the last days, when I gather Israel back from all the nations, I'm going to pour out my spirit. I'm going to do something unique. I'm not going to just exhort them to love me, but this is for all the people of God, you and Gentiles alike. This promise is as I'm going to circumcise their heart and they will love me. I'm going to touch them powerfully by the spirit in a way unique in history. And he prophesies in Deuteronomy 30 through Moses, my people will love me with all of my heart, all their heart. So here's Jesus standing before Israel very last time, public ministry, public ministry ends after this, after this is ministries now private to the disciples for the next couple of days. Then he goes onto the cross. He looks over Israel, the people in the temple, here's his utterance. He doesn't say Israel, you ought to love me. It's more than the exhortation of Moses, Deuteronomy six, it's the prophecy. I just picture him closing his eyes because the Pharisees don't really grasp who he is or what he's doing. And he says, you shall love the Lord, your God. It's a declaration of their destiny and the certainty of it. Beloved, we can prophesy over the body of Christ. You shall love the Lord, your God. This is God's commitment and zeal to our destiny to walk in wholehearted love. This is what the gospel is about paragraph D now is Jesus is making known that the kingdom of God is like a wedding. It's like a marriage. Now this is technically something Israel knew. Because it was spoken a number of times by the old Testament prophets. I have a several verses written there in paragraph D the prop Isaiah said it, Hosea said it, Jeremiah said it, Ezekiel said it, but the leadership of the nation never emphasized it. So it was in the word of God. It was recorded in the book, in the scripture, but never emphasized by the leaders. So here the great leader of Israel, Jesus, he goes, well, I'm going to emphasize it. My final message, I'm going to declare to you what I'm about and who you are to me. I mean, I imagine that Hosea chapter two was in Jesus's mind. I mean, I imagine Jesus in his prayer time, father, I'm going to go into Jerusalem. I'm going to give one final message. Jesus is getting his message preparation. You know, he's getting his hand out already. Well, you know, he's saying, father, can I say it to them? Hosea said it. Isaiah said it about me. Can I say it with my own mouth one time to the nations? The only time he ever said it, look at Hosea says in that day, that's talking about the generation of the Lord returns. Hosea two is the people of God will call the Messiah, my husband, not only my master, but the people of God will see the Messiah, not only as a king, they serve, but as a bridegroom, they love, they will see the Messiah desires relationship, not only service. They will say to him, you are my husband. Not only you are my leader, my master, he is our master. He is our leader. He is our beloved king forever, but there's more than service. There's more than work. There's more than a mandate. There's more than something to do. There's a relationship to engage in and to enjoy and to give our all to. So Jesus, I have picture him in the preparation for this final moment, public ministry, father, I'm going to the cross. As you know, in a few days, I want to say it myself one time to Israel. I pictured the drama of what's going on, beloved. Hey, we know this. We say it all the time, but it's easy to get familiar with the terminology and the idea, but not to actually engage our heart in it because it's weak and broken human beings and in our, in our natural strength, you know, we get distracted easy. So we can learn the terminology without engaging our heart in the reality, but the reality is so magnificent because I was preparing for this. I go, yes, I know this. I can picture one day in the resurrection. We step over that line. We have resurrected bodies. We're face to face with the king. We're talking to each other. Here's what I'll say to some of you. I'll say, oh, I taught this for years. I had no idea of the magnet. Oh, I wish I would have taught it clear. I wish I'd have laid hold of it deeper, more consistently. He is a bridegroom king. I am his beloved. Oh my goodness. I should have made it more clear and insisted on it more, more regularly. Well, what is the message? Paragraph E just real short, just so you could just get it as a soundbite. He is a king with power. Yes. But he's a bridegroom with desire as a king, the king message. He has power. He has dominion. He has a mandate to conquer every sphere of society to conquer all of his enemies. He has a dominion mandate. He has authority. He has commands. He has commissions. That's what a king has. But as a bridegroom, he has desire. He has relationships. The bridegroom message is about Jesus's emotion. Not, you know, Jesus, not only doesn't just have commands, he has emotions. He doesn't just have power. He has desire, desire for people. The bridegroom message is about his beauty. He's not just beautiful inside. Jesus in his resurrected body is so magnificent and stunning in his appearance and all of his qualities, the way he thinks, the way he feels, but the way he looks and the way he acts and the power he has, this is the man that we are worshiping this morning. The man we talk about the man we decide to obey in our private life. When everything is telling us not to obey, this is the man transcendent beauty, this is who he is. This is the bridegroom message is the revelation of his beauty, but it's also the revelation of his commitments. It doesn't just ask us to obey and to work. He says, no, I've made commitments to you. Very deep commitments. The message would be abandonment. I've committed my heart to you. He says, I've committed my home to you. I mean, the new Jerusalem, my sources tell me is a really, it's cool city. We're going to live in his city with him. The new Jerusalem is coming down to the earth. Oh my goodness. He'll share his throne, his throne. Lord, you need us to rule. Now I don't need you to rule. I want you to reign with me. I wouldn't have it any other way. I want my beloved bride at my side reigning forever with me. I don't need her to, I want her to, but the bridegroom message is also our response. It's not enough to be awestruck by his beauty and his commitments and his emotions. We want to respond because to see who he is and how he feels about us awakens something in us back. Again, the message is abandonment. The message is abandonment. Let's look at paragraph G Jesus leads by love. You can see it in Matthew 22 because in Matthew 22, the passage we're locked, we're focusing on here. The first parable, my father has arranged a wedding, a marriage. My father has sent out messengers. My father is going to respond to those that refuse this grand plan. My father's going to take action. My father's deeply committed to this because he knows how much I love my bride and he wants my bride to love me. My father is in this. So Jesus lays out the father's plan and then a few moments later he says, now I want you to love me with all of your heart. He first shows us his desire and knowing it will awaken in us desire back to him. I mean just the layout of the chapter sets that forth. I love this quote from Bernard of Clairvaux 12th century in France, one of the great leaders of the body of Christ in that hour of history. He says, he won me over entirely by giving himself entirely to me. I mean, what a statement. That's the message of Matthew 22. He won me over entirely by giving himself entirely to me. He wants me to be his companion forever, his eternal companion, his bride. Oh, how can I do anything but give my all is what Bernard of Clairvaux would say. Well, let's look at the parable a little bit. Roman numeral two, verse three, the father, the king, he sent out his servants. Now notice the message. The servants were to call those who were invited to a wedding. That's remarkable. Jesus says, I want the message to be clear. And God's been raising up messengers all through history. The message is clear. Jesus said here it's crystal clear, but for 2000 years, the gospel message, the gospel of the kingdom that has several elements. As we looked at the other day, there's several elements to the gospel of the kingdom. And one of them is this personal connection and the benefits and the privilege of who we are to him individually, though the bride is collective, but individually we are part of the bride. We respond to him in this deep and personal way that moves our heart. I'm not talking about emotional ism, but I'm talking about a relationship that's anchored in hearts, fully engaged his heart with us and our heart with him. He sent out his messengers. He's been sending them out. All of you are his messengers. He's got millions of messengers in the earth. They are to invite unbelievers to a wedding. That's a new idea. Again, Israel technically knew this was true because the prophet said he's a bride group, but they hadn't connected the dots for 2000 years. We've had fantastic preachers of the gospel, great revivals for 2000 years of church history. However, there has been a profound absence of this part of the message. I mean, I've studied certainly not all the great revivals, but I've looked at their messages and there's a, there's a curious absence of this in the messaging of the great revivals of history. I say, Lord, what, why? I don't have the big answer. There's always a few groups here in there through 2000 years that have proclaimed it, but it's not been universally proclaimed though. This was Jesus's final definition of the gospel. An invitation to a wedding. It's not the only definition, but it's the one that he, his last message. Again, I think he saved the best for last inviting them to a wedding. I think the Holy Spirit, it's clear in revelation 22 that there's one generation. The Holy Spirit is going to universally emphasize this reality and that's the generation of the Lord returns. You can see that in revelation 22, the body of Christ is in unity and agreement with the Holy Spirit in her bridal identity, the spirit and the bride crying out in intercession, come Lord Jesus, the spirit and the bride crying out in mission crying out to the lost. Come to the bridegroom. When it says the spirit of the bride say, come, there's a vertical. They're crying to Jesus. Come bride groom. And the spirit of the bride bride is crying out horizontal. They're crying out to the nations. Come to the bride groom God. That's what the Holy Spirit will be emphasizing. And beloved, this is happening. All of the nations last 10 or 20 years. This message has been awakened all throughout Asia and Africa and Latin America. It's growing fast. It isn't dominant, but it's millions are now engaging in this. It's a sign of the times. But from Jesus's point of view, this is core messaging of the gospel of the kingdom. The gospel of the kingdom is more than escaping hell. I love the message of not going to hell. I'd love it forgiven fully forever, freely. You can't beat it. Free forgiveness forever and escape from hell. But the core message about the gospel is what we're, that we're called to something remarkable, not just we avoid something terrible. That's good, but we're called to something glorious. That's the core message. And incidentally, and gloriously we avoid something terrible. The gospel message has often been reduced to get out of hell. Again, I like that part that needs to be part of the message. The gospel message is reduced to, if you say yes to Jesus, you'll have more friends. He'll bless your circumstances. Give a little bit more money, get healed here and there. Okay, good. That's good. And that is biblical. Gospel message. You'll have a ministry. You'll have something to do. You'll have relevant purpose. God will anoint you. And you'll go out and touch people and they'll give meaning to your life. You don't live aimless. That's important. Beloved. I want to get out of hell. I want more friends and more money and more health. And I want some. I don't want to live aimless. Those are good. Those are components. the core message we are invited to a wedding we're participating with the bridegroom King as his beloved forever that's the message that we're calling unbelievers to enter into and I don't mean every time we say it we got to give the whole thing and they're like what are you talking about I'm supposed to kiss God I mean what do you mean I don't mean you lay it out every time you mention anything to an unbeliever about the gospel we can hit those other components but we never are content with one of those components being the dominant message that the unbeliever walks away with now get if you have a five-minute conversation you can't say at all that's not what I'm trying to say but as we carry the message we want to live it we want to interact with God I went more than forgiveness and blessing and friends and a meaningful impact on people I want to interact with his heart and I want to call people to those other things but to interact with his heart beloved that is what Jesus is contending for on his final public message to the nations not just Israel this goes down in history as his final message to the nations of the world here it is recorded in Matthew 22 Jesus if you had one more message what would it be he goes read Matthew 22 that's my that's what I would say if I had one more message well the verse 3 says they're called they're sent out to invite people to a wedding but many were not willing now this group that's not willing of course it's true of all the nations he's looking at the Pharisees because it says it three four times and in Matthew 21 to 23 which is this whole context of his final message at the temple he's speaking to the multitudes they're odd they're Wow he's healing people Wow then he's looking at the Pharisees he's completely unintimidated by their unified threats of murder and they have the authority of the state behind them he's completely unintimidated by them he knows who he is so he looks at them and he says the messengers went forth invited to the wedding but they were unwilling he looks him right in the eye and they're like boy they're they've never met a man that's so impossible to intimidate verse 4 again Jesus continues with the story the father the king sent out messengers servants he goes here's the message make it really clear let there be no mistake about it tell those that are who are invited I have prepared my dinner my oxen are killed all the preparations are done for the marriage supper of the Lamb the sacrifice will be offered in a few days and it's all paid for I can just see Jesus saying all things are ready but this isn't just a casual statement this is a statement parallel to it is finished he looks at them he goes everything is ready nobody can stop the wedding from being established and fully prepared I'm gonna make the final preparations in my own sacrifice in a couple days that's what he was thinking tell the nation tell Israel tell everybody come to the wedding not just get out of hell good not just get some more friends like that not just get some healing a little bit of money I like that not just have a little bit of purpose so we're not aimless kind of nothing to do a little depressed I like being free from that come to a wedding is the predominant cry Jesus wants clear top of page 2 this bridegroom message this bridegroom paradigm of perspective this is the message we want to be gripped with we don't want to lose sight of this message the prominent overarching theme its core to the gospel of the kingdom being preached all nations the gospel of the kingdom preaching all nations is more than get out of hell for free it's more than that this is core to the gospel of the kingdom this perspective of a bridegroom came it changes the way we present the salvation message changes the way we counsel people changes the way we raise our children changes the way we disciple young believers it affects how we view ourselves we're not just workers we're his bride forever we're not just servants that are doing a task we are doing the task is important but there's more to it than that changes the way we view people changes the way we view holiness changes the way we present holiness holiness is often presented as this necessary dutiful drudgery like okay God's holy that's good we're gonna be holy oh okay it's necessary we'll do it we'll rise up kind of a drudgery that like deny these things and but for him we'll do it that's not how holiness is presented through this paradigm of the kingdom this perspective of the bridegroom and bride the bridal paradigm of the kingdom beloved we're encountering incarnate love awakening love we want to be abandoned to you because you're abandoned us we love you with all of our heart because you love us with all of your heart it's partnership it's relationship we don't work for him we work with him we talk to him every step away around on the way he inspires us he gives us ideas his powers manifest through us even in little bitty measures here and there and we're working with him not for him we're not serving hard and collapsing burnt out but we're serving hard but we're talking and interacting with his heart feeling his pleasure over of the little things we do beloved that is the kingdom of God look at the end of paragraph C Jesus called his messengers the Apostles earlier in Matthew 8 he called them friends of the bridegroom I don't think they understood it he looked at Matthew I mean Peter James and John and well Matthew all of them you know and said let me tell you who you are your friends of the bridegroom a friend of the bridegroom is like a best man at the wedding here's your mandate in ministry you tell the people who I am as a bridegroom King okay how my heart is then you help them remove all the obstacles and hindrances in their thinking in anything that's in the way the devil's accusations so they can respond to my embrace I'm the bridegroom they're the bride you're the best man you're helping the bride and bridegroom connect that's what your ministry is but what happens the ministries whether it's ministry in the church world the marketplace whatever ministry we all are in the ministry the mindset is wait I've labored hard I deserve a little more appreciation I deserve a little bit more honor very nat and human I mean we all understand this I've worked hard I should have a bigger impact than this no it's just no wrong wrong mindset tell them about my heart as a bridegroom help remove the obstacle so they can receive my embrace and return it then fade into the background and I will pay you more than you could imagine I will so overpay you beyond anything you could think of get out of the way get them connected make it about them connecting to me not about them connecting to you and how much honor you deserve and your place and what about you and what about your value no that's not what ministry it's not a place to get your stuff it's a place to connect people to my heart and then fade into the background your friends of the bridegroom that's what he's telling them now I'm sure they kind of with big eyes when yeah awesome I mean I read that I've preached this for years and still I don't always do it well but I then I stop and I go oh wait a second this isn't about how my ministry is received in the honor I get and the impact no that's all second no that's that's not I'm a friend of the bridegroom I'm getting them to believe in him and his bridegroom nature and to remove the obstacles to help them respond and let them Wow and do the will of God and celebrate it wherever it takes them and it won't always take them to a place where they're supporting you it's not about them owing you it's about you helping people connect the whole ministry is set in this paradigm by Jesus and in here in Matthew 22 this parable were focused he says you my servants invite people to a wedding that's what it's about they're not inviting people to their ministry they're inviting people to a wedding it's okay to talk about your ministry as long as it doesn't become the thing that you get obsessed over and how much you're getting back from all that you gave I promise you the Lord will out pay and reward us beyond anything we could imagine for what we've done he'll do it in his time in his way but he'll do a really good job Roman number three well the first part of the parable verses 1 to 4 Jesus talked about the father's commitment he arranged the wedding the father's zeal he sent out messengers now he's going to talk about two responses that people have to the wedding message to the gospel message to the gospel of the kingdom to again it's a facet of the gospel the kingdom is that the whole message there's two groups that he responds to that he describes here verse 5 is the first group this group was passive and indifferent they they said well okay a king wants us to go to a wedding it's his son he's his favorite son okay cool I'm just too busy they don't make any presentation of commitment they just I'm just too busy you know it's cool go to the wedding you guys have a great time look what it says verse 5 they made light of it they were not moved by it they dismissed it and placed it over at the side they were not offended by it they just made light of it just well I'm really busy running my farm and running my business well they didn't run the farm the nations would starve or the nation would starve you gotta run the farm I mean particularly the agricultural society almost you know the so many people were involved in the farming industry you gotta feed everyone gotta be practical and the other guy says hey I got a lot of employees under me I'm running a business but you know if I get carried away with religious stuff my business is gonna get hurt lots of families can get hurt I gotta be practical Jesus is letting them know that's an unacceptable answer to the king who's giving everything besides that when a king makes a summons this is not like a friend inviting you over and you saying I can't make it over time this is a king making a summons and in history when a king gives a summons and you don't come there's consequences but this isn't an ordinary king this is a king that created us this is a king that became a man and died for us this is the king that was to share his entire kingdom with us and he says it's not okay that that doesn't mean anything to you I am the king now I'm going back and forth between the father and the son because the father is the king the ultimate king and the son is the king but under the father's authority they both carry the title this is not okay to the father the indifferent response because are you kidding I gave my son to you to become a man and he died for you he's giving everything to you and I created you and I plan this for you and you're too busy running your farm well I mean I gotta be practical people who gotta eat unacceptable too busy running your business no you don't know who I am and what I've summoned you to and what it cost me to make this available to you I'm not your buddy offering you a social night at my house to watch the football game I am the king who created you who gave everything for you it cost me everything to do this unacceptable that it's passive indifference the next group hostile they're aggressive aggressive hostility they're totally against Jesus the first group says we're not against him we just don't have energy for it it's we got other stuff to do verse 6 the second group they seized God's servants his messengers they treated him spitefully they killed him verse 7 Jesus says let me assure you you don't have to take vengeance to your own hands my father is furious when the nation's his beloved servants in this way and my father will act he has zeal he's not silent he's not passive he hasn't overlooked it he knows exactly what be true stand true in the face of the hostility my father is going to act now he's furious he went out and said his armies you know God doesn't just send his servants with the gospel message to join come to the wedding he also sends his armies and here it says they will destroy those murderers and burn up their cities whoa whoa this is the same king that's arranging the wedding is burning cities like whoa the most offensive thing about God's leadership is the fact that he confronts with judgment everything that hinders love revelation the very end of the age literally cities are burned it's real it's very offensive even in the body of Christ we like the king yeah we like the bridegroom King the bridegroom's a little different but yeah he likes us and he's got power cool but we don't like bridegroom King and judge we don't like the God that intervenes with zeal to confront everything that hinders love so the body of Christ has taken that part of the father or the son and we've kind of tucked it in the corner we're a little embarrassed about it Jesus let me tell you the message of the bridegroom God and the father arranging a wedding there's no contradiction with that message and the father that intervenes decisively with zeal and fury to oppose everything that hinders love that comes against his purpose so Jesus is saying in this what you know down the future body of Christ don't be ashamed of any part of who I am and how I act I am consistent with love Roman number four verse 8 he told his servants well go out now go out to the highways and byways now this is he's looking to the Pharisees again that he's gonna openly rebuke right after this and he's saying go out look at this verse 8 he said go tell here's the message he says it again the wedding is ready but those that were initially invited are not worthy and he looks right at the Pharisees again it's just small company of men but he looks right at him and he they know he's talking about them he says the wedding is ready but I mean that must have touched him again the wedding is ready beloved what a statement through all of redemptive history in this week this final entry to Jerusalem the cross to the resurrection the wedding is ready everything is prepared it's real it's on it can never ever be undone it's a fact of history the wedding is on Revelation 19 describes the grand marriage supper of the Lamb at the time of the second coming when it's fully manifest and everyone witnesses it beloved we're in we're within reach of that glorious day he says go tell him the wedding is ready but they were not worthy and again he's looking right at the Pharisees and he says so broaden the message broaden the reach of the message go to the highways another passage says the highways and byways as many as God so loved the world whosoever is many as the poor the rich the tax gather the harlot the Jew the Gentile the heathen the idol worshiper everybody whosoever Pharisees are getting mad they don't like this going out to the Gentile thing and they don't like this inviting even the Jewish tax gatherers and harlots and sinners they don't like stick within the religious synagogue system and let's just keep it there Jesus said no as many as as many as you find beloved we don't wait for unbelievers to find us we look for them we don't say well I work there that same office of the building for years they know I'm a Christian and they want to know they knock on my door no we're looking we're finding we're searching we're asking God for natural ways to touch them and interact with them and bring the message to them says as many as you find so God's messengers got millions of sent messengers is a bunch of you in the room right here all of you they gather together all that they found remember there's a searching for the lost again we're not unbelievers are easy to find but we're looking for ways to gain natural relational interaction with them and we're available to be messengers to them but they found good and bad who Pharisees didn't mind good Pharisees wanted them to be Jewish and to be good which meant be in their network they didn't like bad even if they were Jewish and they certainly didn't like bad Gentiles and there's you know I could just see the the scorn in their countenance bad you're gonna invite the bad beloved nobody can out sin the grace of God the greatest sin the most grievous sins as a believer or unbeliever even as a believer if repented of cannot even begin to match the bounty of the grace of God abounding in mercy some people say well that's good for unbelievers no it's for believers to believers slip into really wrong things and the Lord says no you're all invited the wedding hall was filled now this is a hint an allusion to the great prophecy in Revelation chapter 7 where from every tribe and tongue and nation the great revival was coming in Jesus is looking down to the end of the age where the gospel the kingdom goes to every nation every tribe and tongue the Gospel Hall will be filled. Paragraph B, last couple moments here now he goes to a third type of response the first response that was unacceptable passive indifference too busy in the farm too busy the business I don't make any claims of being committed I'm just too busy second hostility we don't like this message third this is a very different one this third one they associate with the people of God but they never ever make a personal commitment they hang out in the context of the wedding hall and they think that well I kind of grew up in the church and I have friends in the church and I network in the church a lot of churches grow because people want to network nothing wrong with that but there's something bigger than that networking's good but what networking is not ultimate a lot of folks think well I'm I go around some of those church gatherings or I'm a member or I grew up in the church and all my Friday church events I went to the men's retreat last year give me a break these guys are probably in the more dangerous position because they have this association and familiarity with the wedding hall but they haven't made a personal heart commitment but they're not aware of it they're happy they're relating to God on their own terms hanging around the people of God Jesus addressed this group earlier in Matthew 7 he says many on that day will say Lord Lord and I'll say depart from me you're not in the kingdom they say what we did miracles we we went to the healing classes we were on the ministry team and he'll say now you hung out with the people of God you socialized with them you networked with them your wife got you to show up at the men's meeting but you never ever said yes from your heart to his leadership to him so verse 11 this is more dangerous because this group doesn't know they're in danger the other groups know that they've said no this group is as unacceptable as the other two it's not because God has a high standard he does but that's not the point he gave so much he created he redeemed he gave his son he shares his his son says I'll share my home my heart my throne you'll reign you'll rule your everything to me I mean not exactly that that's a little overstated you're everything but you mean so much to me and I gave so much to you and it's not okay that you're just hanging around but you never engage with me that's unacceptable to the father and to the son as well so it describes a man who puts on verse 11 the king came in to see the guest he saw this man because remember they went to the highways and byways they brought in everybody he didn't have on a wedding garment verse 12 the king says friend how'd you come in without a wedding garment the man was speech he was afraid intimidated surprised embarrassed and the king says verse 13 bind him hand and foot take him out of here for many are called and few are chosen what it means is the king whenever you get an invitation to meet a king there's protocols and there's different dress that is appropriate to what the meeting this one was a wedding but there's other context in which a king would call and there's protocols but the king makes provision the poor from the highways and byways have come in but they've all got wedding attire he's provided it for them he says I have plenty of clothing to go around it's all free but you got to put it on to come in this guy goes no I'm coming into the wedding on my own terms all those others went to that other room and receive their acquire acquired acquired attire there you go but this guy didn't want to it's no no I'll just come on my own terms I'll relate to you the way I went to the king says wrong answer you got to come to me in a way that has a response is you accept the garments of salvation as a free gift because you acknowledge you cannot earn it there's nothing you can do to earn it that takes humility I need help I'll never ever be able to achieve it I want the robe of righteousness as a free gift that's the beginning but then when we receive the robe of righteousness and I mean this total free forgiveness over everything forever that's not the end of faith some people think if I have faith for that no faith means I receive that and in the context of that I commit to the relationship with the bridegroom and the leadership of the king the bridegroom king I commit to the relationship and I commit to the leadership as an expression of giving myself to him acknowledging that I need a free gift in order to go forward now I gave myself you did to the bridegroom King I gave myself to relationship I gave myself to his leadership but I stumbled thousands of times he says I can handle stumbling but I want the commitment to the relationship that's the only worthy response I'll give you the free garments I'll give you the wedding garments but you got to receive them from me my way and then you need to proceed my way this guy is no I'll come and go as I want I'll relate to you as I want on my own terms and the father says you don't really understand all that I've invested and my leadership in my ways and that's not okay and that guy was as big a trouble as the other two as well then Jesus again he's looking to the Pharisees right in the eye because some of the Pharisees are saying I'm not passive and indifferent I'm committed or I'm not hostile I'm not voting on with the group that wants to kill you but neither am I accepting everything you're saying that Jesus is looking right in the eye and he says no you need to come to me on my terms and not trust in your heritage not trust in your church membership in your upbringing in the church none of that your position as a worship leader and elder none of that you have to respond to me on my terms that's what faith is about then he ends worship team coming up many are called but few are chosen what he's saying many all the nations of billions are invited it's whosoever as many as anyone can come everyone is beckoned everyone's invited billions but few it's only a small percent are chosen you're chosen by simply responding to the free gift that's how you're chosen you say yes Jesus I need the free gift of salvation and in that I give myself to your leadership I give myself to the relationship I'm gonna stumble many times but I'm yours that's what faith is that's what free salvation means Jesus says if you choose to respond that way you're chosen to be in the wedding and anybody can choose and respond to be to the invitation everyone's invited but only a small percent of the human race actually responds in a way they're chosen to enter into the full benefits of the wedding amen and amen let's stand before the Lord Lord here we are before you I want to invite folks to come up they would like prayer some of you have got off of the gospel message and its connection to the wedding the Lord says I want your messenger so I don't ever tell him nobody anything and when I do tell him I never even think of the big picture and you want to realign your heart to the gospel the kingdom I'm gonna invite you to come forward you said Lord I need to be a messenger in the workplace my neighborhood at my home whatever now I didn't do it your way I want to say what you want others of you you say a little bit indifferent or you say no I've been hanging around socializing networking coming around but I'm not sure I'm doing it on God's terms I don't think that much about it about him and his leadership in my private life Lord says you need to do it my way put on the garments in the way that I present them to you beloved it's not too late anybody can commit themselves others of you you need prayer for your body you came here and you said Lord I want you to touch my body I need someone to pray for me you got an issue in your in your family or your heart and you want prayer for I want to invite you to come up as well