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morning Mary's Baptist Church and visitors a warm welcome this is your first time to attend we certainly extend our greetings to you and trust me I get to know you after the after the service and welcome back to to all the regulars we had a very good annual general business meeting last night and the Lord blessed as we chronicled the year past and look forward to the year to the year ahead and we just rejoice in the the good that God has done to us as a local church in regards to any other announcements only one announcement that is that there is a hymn sing tonight after the evening service so if you desire to to sing a little bit more for about a half an hour after the morning service you're welcome to join us up in the fellowship hall where we will sing for for about a half an hour or so well please turn in your Bibles to begin worship this morning to Isaiah chapter 61 Isaiah chapter 61 as our call to worship and we'll read the entire chapter of Isaiah chapter 61 the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings to the poor he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted excuse me to proclaim Liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to those who are bound to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn to console those who mourn in Zion to give them beauty for Ashes the oil of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they may be called the trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he may be glorified and they shall rebuild the old ruins they shall raise up the former desolations and they shall repair the ruined cities the desolation desolations of many generations strangers shall stand and feed your flocks and the sons of the foreigner shall be your Plowman and your vine dressers but you shall be named the priests of the Lord they shall call you the servants of our God you shall eat the riches of the Gentiles and be in their glory you shall boast sorry and in their glory you shall boast instead of your shame you shall have double honor and a set of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion therefore in their land they shall possess double everything ifs are everlasting joy shall be theirs for I the LORD love justice I hate robbery for burnt offering I will direct their work in truth and will make them make with them and everlasting covenant their descendants shall be known among the Gentiles and their offspring among the people all who see them shall acknowledge them that they are the prosperity whom the Lord has blessed I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my god for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation he has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornament and as a bride adorns herself with jewels for as the earth brings forth its bud as the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations amen one response to that please take take your your red Trinity hymnals we're going to sing some 89 Psalm 89 the first 16 verses to a to a familiar tune I'd ask you to please stand you you amen please be seated well let's go to God in prayer let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come into your holy presence this morning through your son the Lord Jesus Christ were grateful father for the the privileges are us together as the church here at free grace baptist church and part of that to elect church part of that that church that that does surround this whole earth to bring praises and adoration and friend and and great two great worship to you this day how we praise You Father that you bend your ear that you hear the praises of your people that you are well pleased to to acknowledge that that we are your children and that you are our God we praise You Father for years son the Lord Jesus Christ and for that perfect righteousness that that the Lord Jesus Christ is and and was when he lived upon this earth he was he was obedient and in all things according to the law and he died a perfect life and something that we could not ever hope to do how we praise You Father that His perfect righteousness his perfect death was an atonement for our sins so that we would not have to agree would not have to die for our sins we praise you that his perfect righteousness has been imputed to us that we are right with you because of the Lord Jesus Christ and Lord how we pray your blessing to be upon our meeting time this day the Lord you would be well pleased to sanctify us according to truth this day as well we pray that you would prepare us for the week ahead cause us Laura to to to grow in grace grow in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ growing the Word of God and be sanctified by your word we thank you Father for it we praise you for the fact that you have given to the church elders and and you've given to them the gifts through your Holy Spirit to teach and to preach your word and so Lord we pray that that that gift might be evident here that in this place this day that you would bless our pastor bless pastor Butler give him unction give him help from on high giving your spirit father to to declare boldly your word here in this place this day we pray that they that the Word of God will go forth that you would be pleased to give to us your holy spirit bless that word and prosper that word here in this congregation that we might be sanctified that we might be that we might grow in our love for you in our and in godliness we do pray Lord for any amongst us here in this day that known that know nothing of the grace of God in their life how we pray load this would be a day where they would have a reckoning with you where they would meet with you through your son the Lord Jesus Christ do that to do that inner work father we know that salvation is of the lord it is not of man it's not of man's cleaning words it's not of man's winsome ness but rather it is through your son the Lord Jesus Christ that any man is saved and so let me pray that the Spirit of the Living God might come upon hearts and minds and and individuals this day and that you would be pleased to save for all of eternity those those here in this place that that know nothing of a saving grace Lord we ask your blessing this day to be upon upon missionaries that we are familiar with missionaries that we seek to support around this world we thank you for the good report we had several weeks ago concerning Daniel Perez and and hot Neal Perez in Cuba Lord we thank you for the good work that is going on there in that place and they will gather this day in various places across that island in various churches to bring praise to you and we just rejoice in that father we rejoice in the work the good work that is going on there we pray that you would continue to prosper that work protect that work protect Daniel as he is under a constant threat from authorities we pray Lord that you would be pleased to to bless the Word of God as it goes forth in that island this day we pray that it would be for the conversion of sinners for the sanctification of saints just as what all the things we pray for ourselves we pray for those churches and those congregations and bless the work as it's as its proclaimed from pulpits there in the island Lord we ask your blessing upon the church in seatac as they have lost their pastor recently we chose to take him home to be with yourself to enjoy his heavenly rest and how we pray Lord that you would be pleased to in due time give to them a new pastor a new elder a new teacher there in that place that that would come along and Shepherd that flock we do pray for colleen and for the whole congregation as they as they still grieve the loss of of their pastor and husband and friend and teacher we pray load that you would in due time bless that congregation with another elder and that they might be that they might be biblically ordered as a church and that you would be pleased to bless the word as it goes forth there in seatac that it might that it would continue to be a faithful Church declaring your word faithfully from the place that you would place them in where we ask your blessing this night or this day to be upon the persecuted Church around the world as well we recognize father that the whole world is not as we enjoy it where we do enjoy peace where we do enjoy that that blessedness have been to meet together on harassed and unmolested by the governing authorities lord we pray for churches for for your people in places where they do not enjoy those luxuries where they don't enjoy those freedoms Lord they are your people they are you're the apple of your eye and so Lord we pray that you would be pleased to bless them and keep them this day protect them cause them to not forsake the assembling together as is the habit of some but in that that they may they meet want to meet with with one another all the more as they see that the day of Christ drawing near Lord bless those congregations bless those small beatings those large meetings and we do pray that they would be that they would bring much praise and honor and glory to you and we pray that would not always be this way but that you would bring down those those governing authorities those individuals who who hate you and seek to get at you through your people the Lord they would that they would be changed that you would bring those govern governing authorities down that you would raise up godliness in their place and we do pray that that there would be a just a just a revival of your churches everywhere around this earth where God has proclaimed we pray he might be proclaimed faithfully and without persecution we do pray where we ask your blessing be upon some of the members in our church who who are dealing with various and and sundry issues we do pray Lord for those who are sick we think of the new Feld's we do think also of of the van shakes Fran as she deals with with situation her house of Avenel husband Lord to give her patients we do pray for for all those who who are affected in some way through sickness and they are grieving this day through circumstances in their family Lord we pray that you would Minister to each and every one cause cause damn Lord to be able to praise you this day and bring their praises before you whether they are at home or whether they here in this place we pray that your spirit might might be with each and and do bless we do pray Lord we ask your blessing upon those who are pregnant this today as well that you would that you would strengthen both baby and mother we thank you rejoice in in a little little Tom who was who was born this past week we rejoice in that and pray that mother and son would be doing well and we look forward to father to all the children in due time being born healthy and strong and well and being brought into homes that would love them and bring them up in the fear and the admonition of the Lord we do pray so Lord bless us this day we seek we seek an audience with you we pray that you would be praised you would be honored you'd be glorified and we thank you for your son the Lord Jesus Christ and his precious name we pray now amen well please turn with me in your in your game blips the larger him in book to him number 429 429 it will be it will be plumb to a different tune that the work please stand be seated and turn with me your Bibles to excuse me Matthew chapter two Matthew to as we read through the New Testament so Matthew chapter 2 beginning verse 1 will read the entire chapter now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the King behold wise men from the east came to Jerusalem saying where is he who has been born of the Jew King of the Jews for we have seen his star in the east and have come to worship Him when Herod the King heard this he was troubled and all Jerusalem with him and when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born so they said to him in Bethlehem of Judea for thus it is written in the in the prophet but you bethlehem in the land of Judea are not the least among the rulers of judah for out of you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel then Herod when he had secretly called the wise men determined from them what time the star appeared and he sent them to Bethlehem and said go and search carefully for the young child and when you have found him bring him bring him so and when you have found him bring back word to me that I may come and worship Him also when they heard the King they departed and behold the start which they had seen in the East went before them till it came and stood over where the young child was when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy and when they had come into the house they saw the young child with Mary his mother and fell down and worshiped him and when they had opened their treasures they presented gifts to him gold frankincense and myrrh then being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod they departed for their own country another way now when they had departed behold an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream saying arise take the young child and his mother flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him when he arose he took the young child and his mother by night and departed for Egypt and was there until the death of Herod that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the Prophet saying out of Egypt I've called my son when hit sir then Herod when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men was exceedingly angry and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts from two years old and under according to the time which he had determined from the wise men then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet saying a voice was heard in Ramah lamentation weeping and great morning Rachel weeping for her children refusing to be comforted because they are no more now when Herod was dead behold an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt saying arise take the young child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those who sought the young child's life are dead then he arose took the child and has been his mother and came into the Land of Israel but but when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod he was afraid to go there and being warned by God in a dream he turned aside into the region of Galilee and he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets he shall be called a Nazarene well we certainly great spiritual warfare was going on in this chapter in that spiritual warfare was spoken of in Revelation chapter 12 which you may want two in the afternoon this afternoon or sometime refer to because it certainly describes well the kind of the behind-the-scene spiritual warfare that was going on but we see in Revelation 12 that there was total victory and we see that in here in this chapter of course to that there is total victory when when the the enemy of Christ our enemy seeks to attack seeks to harm the church seeks to hurt his people there is victory for his people and revelation chapter 2 chapter 12 certainly flushes that out in fact Revelation chapter 12 a kind of Surrey describes the Jesus the the child was that was snatched up that's the words that the revelation talks about he was snatched when the dragon was before the woman Marion another verse in Revelation chapter 12 describes how the will and in that case the church was was out of the Serpent's out of the Serpent's reach so we see you know price was snatched up he was out of the out of the reach of the serpent and so we see nothing but victory here for the church we'd seen nothing but victory for the Christian we have nothing to fear certainly first Peter 58 tells us that your enemy the devil has certainly prowl was about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour but devour he will not so I trust that we can get great great encouragement from this from from this chapter in Matthew great encouragement from the verses that come after 1st Peter 58 how are we to defeat Satan were to resist him that's it just resist resist the devil and he will flee from you stand firm make me and God will make us strong God will make us steadfast and initially in verse in referring to Christ prophetically it was out of Jeremiah the Prophet speaks of in verse 6 who will shepherd my people Israel that's the Lord Jesus Christ spoke of as a tiny baby but that tiny baby would grow up and Shepherd his people and so he's still the same Shepherd today he's the same shepherd who is protecting his people who is snatching us from the devil sub from the devil's clutches who was able to keep the devil out of the Serpent's out of the Serpent's reach so he is a devil he's a very real devil but he's a devil on a leash and i always think that's a good image for us to have in our mind he said he's a leashed devil and he can't harm the people of God beyond beyond what what what the what the Lord God allows him allows him and I think there's a great comfort there's great comfort in knowing that this Christ who came in Matthew two went on and lived the devil as much as he sought to to to upset the the apple cart is that were here he sought to to get in and destroy through Herod this this Christ price was not to be hurt price was not to be harmed and so we two who live in the New Testament age we're not to be harmed by the devil he is God's devil doing gods bidding and there's great comfort encouragement is knowing that he will Shepherd us that he will protect us that we have victory through the Lord Jesus Christ well let's go to God in prayer task is blessing upon these things our loving Heavenly Father we again come before you and we rejoice father than the fact that you are the great the Lord Jesus Christ was the great Victor God God's plans were not thwarted in the coming of Christ that gave me a Christ the the the the the 30 years that Christ lived upon this earth Satan tempted him Satan sought to destroy him yet he did not and the Lord Jesus Christ offered up his life as an atonement for our sin at the appointed time and now he and he was buried at four he was buried and rose again and all for our glorification all for that that we might be able to join him one day and follow in those steps so Lord we thank you for the comfort we thank you for the total victory that the Lord Jesus Christ had and he is our Savior he is the one we worship this day here in this place and so Lord we pray that in the preaching our to follow that the Lord Jesus Christ would be lifted up that you would be well pleased to glorify that same Christ we read up here in Matthew to glorify him through the preaching and we pray the Spirit of God might I might attend the preach word here in this place this day saving boys and girls saving adults as saving any and all who who come in not knowing Christ not knowing this Savior not knowing victory over over over their own sin how we pray that you would be pleased to bless this hour now and come we pray in Jesus precious name amen well please turn with me in your hymn books to him number of 240 240 and I'll ask you to stand and then we will begin the preaching hour after the singing of this him 240 and please turn with me in your Bibles to Matthew chapter 22 Matthew 22 as we return to our exposition of Matthew's Gospel I'll read the section that we're going to look at this morning and then we'll pray and then just remind us of the context and what's going on at this particular point in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ revealed in Matthew's Gospel beginning in chapter 22 at verse 1 and jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding and they were not willing to come again he sent out other servants saying tell those who are invited see I have prepared my dinner my oxen and fatted cattle are killed a fatted cattle are killed and all things are ready come to the wedding but they made light of it and went their ways one to his own farm another to his business and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them but when the King heard about it he was furious and he sent out his armies destroyed those murderers and burned up their city then he said to his servants the wedding is ready but those who were invited were not worthy therefore go into the highways and as many as you find invite to the wedding so those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found both bad and good and the wedding hall was filled with guests but when the king came in to see the guests he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment so he said to him friend how did you come in here without a wedding garment and he was speechless then the king said to the servants bind him hand and foot take him away and cast him into outer darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen a man let us pray father we thank you for the word of God and we pray now for the Ministry of your Holy Spirit jesus said apart from him we can do nothing and that includes understand scripture so we pray the spirit would calm and lead us and guide us and direct us nor father I pray that the spirit would open hearts to receive the truth of God's Holy Word we ask that today would be the day of salvation that there would not be those in this mint in this place that continue unwilling or indifferent to the to the preaching of the gospel that there would not be those who violently opposed the truth as it comes to them we ask God that in your sovereign grace you would teach men women boys and girls to fear you the living in the true God we pray that today you would grant grace in terms of faith and repentance so that sinners may turn from their idols to the true and the Living God and would know the joy of being found in Jesus Christ we asked he would forgive all of us now for all of our sin and unrighteousness she would cleanse us in the blood of the land wash away anything that would darken our understanding and keep us from receiving your truth god help us to take these things to heart may it affect us for good and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well remember we're in the Passion Week the last several chapters of Matthew's Gospel basically involve one particular week and here particular specifically Jesus is in the temple notice in chapter 21 at verse 23 it says now when he came in to the temple so this is the Tuesday of the passion week on Tuesday night he will give the all of it discourse that is recorded in Matthew chapters 24 and 25 so Jesus has a busy day on this particular Tuesday now there are eight confrontations going on between the Lord Christ and the religious leaders note specifically in chapter 21 verses 23 to 27 there is a question concerning Jesus authority Jesus then responds with three parables and then there are four confrontations we are in the third parable the parable of the wedding feast remember in chapter 21 we saw the parable of the two sons and then the parable of the wicked vine dressers and basically each of the parable parables concerned the same thing the religious leaders who have opposed the Lord Jesus Christ and those who follow those leaders have brought on the very judgment and wrath and fury of God Almighty now if you use the McShane calendar in your bible reading and you read Luke 14 this this morning Luke 14 verses 15 to 24 is very similar to our passage but it's a different context it's a different situation and most likely Jesus as in as an itinerant preacher would use the same analogies would use the same metaphors would use the same parables and stories but he would give them different meaning in the content in the context in which he spoke so this is a different particular setting and context than what you find in Luke 14 now having said all that let's look specifically at this parable of the wedding feast and it does in many respects go along with what we considered last week in Isaiah 55 and that was purely accidental on my part I didn't think that 55 went with Matthew 22 and still till I started doing the work this week on Matthew 22 and see saw how closely joined together Isaiah 55 and Matthew chapter 22 are this is a very sobering passage of Scripture I hope that you were sobered by the him that we sang before we looked at this the fact that God is going to judge the living and the dead the fact that all of us will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ to give an account of deeds done in the body whether good or evil all of us will go into the joy and bliss and glory of heaven or we will go into the terrors and the punishment of hell and this passage describes that in some detail so let's look at three things this morning as we consider this particular parable first the subject of the parable and secondly the teaching of the parable it's under the teaching that will see three things the subject of the parable I've already stated the setting Jesus is in the temple it is the Tuesday of the Passion Week and his audience are the religious leaders note specifically in verse 28 of chapter 21 but what do you think a man had two sons he gives the parable note verse 33 in chapter 21 here another parable note chapter 22 verse 1 and jesus answered and spoke to them again by parable so you see these three parables are closely joined together they are spoken to the same audience the religious leaders who are apostates who have rejected our Lord Jesus note the subject of the parable verse to the kingdom of heaven is like we see that in Matthew chapter 13 we see it as recently am in Matthew chapter 18 verses 23 verse 23 jesus spoke concerning the kingdom of heaven in this particular parable it's not this the kingdom of heaven is like this king or his son or the prophets and apostles the whole situation that is in view here is like the kingdom of heaven and then the identification of the parties involved the kingdom of heaven is like a certain game obviously that would be God the Father and this King arranged a marriage for his son this would be the Lord Jesus Christ the servants who go to invite the persons to come to this wedding feast are the prophets and the apostles and there are two invitations that are given and that's what will bring us now to the teaching of the parable three things we ought to appreciate here first the invitation of the first guests versus three to six secondly there is the invitation of the second set of guests in verses 8 to 13 and then the conclusion of the parable in verse 14 so that's an overview let's look first at the invitation of the first gas notice verse 3 he sent out his serve to call those who were invited to the wedding now typically in the antic in antiquity they sent out two invitations to a wedding the first wasn't like our save the date but it was sort of like that there's an event this in this case a wedding feast and it's going to be at this particular time frame and then the second invitation would rally those who had been invited and say it is on you need to come you need to respond to this we see that in verse 3 sent out his servants to call those who were invited so they had been invited previously the hour had now arrived so the servants are sent out to invite those who had been invited notice the refusal verse 3 we'll look at that in more detail in a moment and they were not willing to come now know what the King does in verse 4 he describes the wedding feast in more detail and I think this highlights for us the goodness of God it highlights the patience of God because what's at stake here in this particular instance is that when these persons are invited to the wedding and they refuse to come that brings dishonor to the key it is a sign of great dishonor and as well disobedience to the command that the King issue now I've had several children get married and I've always been honored when persons that are friends of mine come to the wedding it's a sign of Honor to the person that they are that you're special enough to them that they will attend your particular event so you see in the first instance when this invitation goes out to call the persons who had already been invited to attend this particular fees they were not willing to come now certain Kings might be liable to say well forget them then if they are not willing to come to this grand event that would honor me and fulfill the command that I have given then I'll just cut them off and destroy them right away but this King doesn't do that notice what he does in verse 4 he says again he sent out other servants saying tell those who are invited see I have prepared my dinner my oxen and fatted calf or kill cattle are killed and all things are ready come to the wedding this is just like in the parable he tells previously not the Lord sends his servants the prophets to Israel he calls upon them to respond to him and they reject those prophets they stone them they seize them they beat them they murder them and then the Lord God of Israel sends his son the very heir to the throne he says certainly they'll receive him certainly the lawn or him but no they seized him and they destroy him as well this underscores the patience and the goodness of God that patients and goodness though we must notice does run out if you are testing and trying and rejecting the patience and goodness of God there is a time when that will run out when it will be no more again rehearse the song we sang in number 240 there will be sinners on that day unprepared to meet him because they were unwilling in this life they refused and rejected the one who called in the overtures of his gospel and I see in verse for something similar parallel to Isaiah 55 what is God through the Prophet do in Isaiah 55 he says ho everyone who thirsts let him come let him drink you who have no money come by and eat not only a water but bring or you're able to purchase wine and milk and everything that satisfies then he asks the question to these people he says why do you spend your money for that which is not bread why do you spend wages on that which does not satisfy and then he says listen to me incline your ear to me and i will tell you and he says come to me and you'll have abundance come to me and your soul will live come to me and you'll have the forgiveness of sins come to me and i will pardon you abundantly you see God the Lord through the prophet Isaiah is showing his heart he's showing his goodness he's showing his patients he's showing his kindness and he's bidding centers to come and the same thing is true in this case this invitation had gone out to real and they were told to respond on such-and-such a date the day had come the things were made ready and the persons refused to come so the Lord God said more servants and he said tell them there's fatted calves tell them there's all sort of delicacies tell them that we've got a banquet tell them that we've got a buffet tell them that there's good things for everyone and notice the response of the persons at this particular time there are three ways that Israel had responded to the invitation that this certain King had issued and I submit that these are the three ways that men women boys and girls respond to the invitation today the first place they're unwilling imagine that the king of heaven and earth calls you to come to him and feast at his table and what do you do no I don't want to I'm unwilling so what the Prophet Jeremiah spoke to concerning Israel when the Lord God says they turn the back to me and not the face I've used that illustration before don't you love it parents when you're approving your children and I'm being sarcastic and they turn their backs on you that is the height of disrespect that is wretched if you're a child here that has ever been tempted to turn his or her back on your parents don't do it but that's what sinners do to God it turned their back they're not willing they're not willing as Paul says in Romans chapter one to retain the knowledge of God and their thoughts they want to cast God out they are unwilling but as well sinners are indifferent this call goes out through God's prophets and apostles in Old Covenant Israel and what happens persons are indifferent notice what verse 5 says but they made light of it and went their ways one to his own farm another to his business they made light of it can I just encourage you this morning when the High King of heaven itself the creator of all things seen and unseen the governor over all his creatures and all their actions when that God issues you man do not treat it lightly do not resist it do not reject it and do not refuse it in the first instance they're unwilling these ones are indifferent they don't care this isn't their priority this isn't what matters and it says that one went or some went to other farms and other to their businesses those are legitimate pursuits it's not wrong to have a farm you'll never come to this church and hear a sermon on how wicked it is to own a farm you'll never come to this church and her not hear a sermon on how wicked it is to own a business those are legitimate pursuits but look at what happens when those legitimate pursuits trunk the word of the living and true God we're in a bad place Bruner says that legitimate occupations become sinister when they become preoccupations they're indifferent to the command of the king they're indifferent to the reality that this is a time to honor the king and to celebrate the marriage of his son and instead of going and responding and giving that honor and praise and glory they're indifferent they'd rather do their business they'd rather do their farms they just shrug it off JC ryle puts it this way he says open sin may kill its thousands but indifference and neglect of the gospel kill their tens of thousands you see I think that's probably where a lot of people find themselves today there's a third category will look at in just a moment and certainly those persons are alive and well today but it's these first two places that I think most people are at they're unwilling God the Lord has commanded you to believe the gospel and repent but you're unwilling you say but I thought you were a Calvinist bastra thought you were reformed I thought you held to the 1689 London Baptist confession of faith yes God is sovereign God does predestined knob does choose God does elect that same God in his song the Lord Jesus cry to approve the religious leaders of his day and he said you are not willing to come to me that you may have everlasting life this same Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 23 is going to lament over Jerusalem because he wanted to gather together her children as a chicken gathers together her chicks but you were not willing so yes on the one hand god is absolutely sovereign but that does never argue against your responsibility before him check your Bibles read the scriptures and understand these things you will perish and end up in hell for not being willing for being indifferent for being more preoccupied with your business or your farm then the Lord God you see that's how wicked we are brethren a good pursuit farming and business but if we put that as our priority to the neglect of the Lord God when He commands us to come and sup at this feast you see the problem there this is why Jesus says if you don't hate your parents if you don't hate your parents and and and follow after me you're not worthy of me Jesus is not teaching rejection of the fifth commandment talking in terms of priority same with Matthew 633 seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then these things will be added to you it's a matter of priority and this applies equally to the unbeliever and the believer I tried to prosecute this last week do you spend your wages on that which does not satisfy believer do you have a saving interest in the Lord God most high and yet he's fifth or sixth or seventh on your priority list is there a hobby is there a pursuit is there a business or a farm that's more valuable and more precious than time with the Lord God most high and unbeliever what do you have in your life what do you have in your existence that is more excellence than excellent than communion with the living and true God what more what of what is there have more value than to have the forgiveness of sins do you want to sing that some day and mean it my sin oh the bliss of this glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more praise Lord praise the Lord for anybody here blood-bought they know that there is nothing more blessed than to be able to sing that and mean it it's great to have sin forgiven isn't it my sin oh the glorious thought my sin not in part but the whole it isn't just a tone for fifty percent of our sin and send us upon our way he doesn't just atone for ninety-nine point nine percent of our sin and send us up on our way the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin and in this we greatly rejoice so what is there in your life that is far more important than seeking this God than responding to this wedding feast why do you spend money for that which is not Brett why do you take your wages and purchase those things which do not satisfy in Isaiah's day he might have said to the people why do you bow to bail why are you bowing before Moloch why are you casting your riches before ashra why is it that these idols have captivated your hearts and in our own day we might say this all same things are not bail not Astra it's not Moloch but it's money it's acts it's drugs it's whatever it is that trumps this relationship with the Lord God most high so you see the patients the kindness the mercy of the King in this instance and you see the lawlessness of rebel sinners they're unwilling they're indifferent but as well they're violently opposed this reminds us of the previous parable when these men to whom the prophets were sent sees the prophets and they say stole them that they murder them notice what we have here in verse 6 in Matthew 22 and the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them they arrogantly miss treated these servants isn't that terrible I mean just think of them just think of the scene for a minute you're a father your sons getting married and you send outwitting wedding invitations do you mean with various responses persons are just unwilling don't want to go it's going to throw it away no RSVP no and decency no no you know basic social grace they just throw it away they're unwilling so you send back your invitation through your servants and they say you know we've got more important things that honor the king and his son we've got businesses to tend to and we've got farms to tend to interesting that business owners and farmers can find persons to man the shop when it's time for holiday though isn't it this would be offensive to a king this would be offensive to the to the son that is to be honored at this feast but just imagine if you sent this invitation out through your servants and they beat your servants they spitefully treat that they arrogantly abuse that this is the history of Israel isn't it what happened to Isaiah history tells us he was sawn into what happened to Jeremiah he's treated like a common criminal and lowered down into a pit what happened to Mike I'll when he stood before a haven't told the truth he got a slap on the face prison and bread for the rest of his life this is the history of Israel they're unwilling they're in different but they're violently opposed now you may not be violently opposed today but if by God's grace you don't close with Jesus it's probably not going to get better probably not going to get more soft towards the things of Christ you need to consider this now notice under this heading the invitation of the first guests the King punishes verse 7 but when the King heard about it he was furious so that's the interesting thing for the unwilling the indifferent and the violently opposed they don't think the Kings watching they don't think the King pays attention you may be here this morning unwilling indifferent or violently opposed we can't tell that about you we don't see that under the surface we don't know your heart we don't know you're staying in fact you might be able to fool the persons that are closest to you you don't look on willing you don't look indifferent you don't look violently opposed you can't fool God the King knows what's happened the King knows that these invitations were rejected and refused the King knows that his servants have been mistreated the King understands and sees with pinpoint accuracy in fact this King knows you better than you know yourself that really should terrify you I don't think any of us have ever even begun to consider just how bad we really are God sees us in all of it that's what makes it amazing that he pardons iniquity abundantly but if you were here this morning unwilling or indifferent and violently opposed take notice of verse 7 the King saw the King new and the king was furious so what does the King do he does what was already specified notice in chapter 21 after Jesus told the parable of the wicked vine dressers Jesus asks the question in verse 40 therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes what will he do to those vine dressers they said to him he will destroy those wicked men miserably and leased his vineyard to other vine dressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons notice in verse 43 therefore I say to you the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it you see the Lord Christ is consistent with this particular parable he illustrates in verse 7 how the key does destroy those wretched men wretchedly he does demonstrate how at least visibly this kingdom will transfer from Old Covenant Israel to the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ it comes visa V the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 now some will say well it doesn't say that it certainly does notice in verse 7 when the King heard about it he was furious and he sent out his armies destroyed those murderers and burned up their city that is precisely what took place in AD 70 when we get to the all of it discourse we'll see that in fact in Luke's version of the Olivet discourse in Luke 21 the Lord Jesus says when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies then know its desolation is near the Lord Christ is telling these people via parable what he will develop later on that evening via prophetic word in the Olivet discourse RT France says the phrase their City thus depicts the devastating result of the failure of Jerusalem's current leadership you know I wonder if this is another reason why Paul tells us in 1st Timothy to that we ought to pray for kings and those who are an authority because if leaders are wretched wicked vile evil rebellious persons God's wrath comes down perhaps this is what Paul has in mind in 1st Timothy to pray for these men that you may lead a peaceable and quiet life see there's no peaceable in a quiet life when the Roman armies converge upon Jerusalem when the Roman armies destroy the temple when the Roman armies slaughter multitudes of Jewish people there's no peace their brethren we need to pray for our leaders yes for their well-being also for the good of the land in which we dwell France says Jerusalem is now no longer God's city notice that verse 7 when the King heard about it he was furious and he sent out his armies destroyed those murderers and burned up their city Jerusalem was the City of God wasn't it when solomon ascends the throne over all of Israel and in Jerusalem he SAT upon the throne of Yahweh yet the Lord God Christ specifically here says its heirs Jerusalem is now no longer God city but there's in the community as a whole is implicated in the rebellion and its punishment as had so often happened in the past when Israel sin had to the city's destruction by invading armies this is nothing new this happened in the eighth century BC this happened because the northern tribes continued impenitent against your way so God sends the Assyrians to destroy them this happened in the 7th century bc i'm sorry the 6th century BC when the southern tribes of Judah rebelled against God so God dispatches whom he calls my servant Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to destroy Judah and here the measure of their guilt has been filled up and in accordance with the curses of the Covenant the Lord Christ as the god man is telling these persons that judgment will come upon them but in this instance the kingdom will actually be taken from them and it will be given to a new nation and it will be a Jew Gentile Church made up from every tribe and tongue and people in Asia and they will bear fruits consistent with it spurge and comments on verse 7 7 this way he says in these terrible words the siege of Jerusalem the massacre of the people and the destruction of their capital are all described the Roman Emperor thought that he was sending his armies against the Jews but he was unconsciously working out the eternal purposes of the Most High God even as the kings of Assyria and Babylon had been in the olden time they were the instruments by which the Lord had punished his rebellious people you see what's happened here we have lost this sense of the judgment of God in this particular passage this parable as a whole tells us not only of this temporal judgment but it tells us of his eternal judgment so we'll see in a moment when we get further on in the text but this is crucial that we do not forget this how often do we simply serve a scripture for beneficial tips for our lives how often do we look for scripture to make us a complete an or woman to make us a fulfilled man or a fulfilled woman how often do we treat the scriptures as if those books chicken soul for the soup are actually accurate do you know that the Bible is not chicken soul for your chicken soup for your soul it is the message of salvation by Jesus Christ salvation from what from the wrath of God the judgment and fury of God in this instance a temporal act he destroys the city he said well I don't hear much about this read your Bible read Josephus the Jewish historian he records in great detail what happened in AD 70 it was not pretty ladies ate their children because of the famine like they had during the Babylonian captivity persons were slaughtered in mass because of the wrath and the fury and the judgment of God you see you need to understand that you need to get that in your heads you need to come to grips with that reality to be an unbeliever to be unwilling to be indifferent to be violently opposed means you're on the wrong side when it comes to the day of judgment it means that God the Lord will mete out visit you with great punishment and in this respect verse 7 is a description of a war that occurred in the first century people died city was burned the temple was destroyed but in many respects that would be a walk into the park as to what the final day will be when sinners will stand before their God you need to get that I'm all for having a happy life don't leave here this morning saying Butler doesn't want us to be happy I do I want you to be happy man happy women happy kids well-adjusted profitable human beings decent contributors to society and what not Butler wants you to be clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Butler wants you to go to heaven not hell that's the notice the second or the invitation of the second guests vs 8 to 13 we see in many respects the trajectory of gospel movement in the first century it's not strictly chronological the Gentile mission didn't begin after the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 when we read the book of Acts we see that it was going on right after the Great Commission they took seriously that mandate to go therefore and disciple the nation's they took seriously our Lord's words when we get to the book of Acts that's what we find they are evangelizing they are testifying they're telling people about the Lord Jesus both Jews and Greeks so it's not strictly chronological but it certainly follows the trajectory that we find in redemptive history notice the indictment concerning the first guests Jesus says in verse 8 in the parable then he said to his servants the wedding is ready but those who were invited were not worthy they were not worthy it's an interesting passage it ought to remind us of acts 13 when Paul and Barnabas are preaching in it in a synagogue in pasilla and Antioch and the Jews reject what Paul is preaching the Jews want nothing to do with Pauline apostolic preaching the Jews are blaspheming the Jews are revolting against him and Paul makes this statement says then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said to these unbelieving Jews it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turn to the Gentiles that's the movement in the parable the Jews is the covenant people of God had resisted their God the Jews as the covenant people of God had rejected their certain King the certain King brings the son of his love on the sea this certain King invites these Jews to participate in this messianic feast these Jews refused through their unwillingness through their indifference and through their violent opposition so what does God say he says to the disciples go the Gentiles and Jews as well doesn't move strictly in ethnic lines the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is made up of jew and gentile notice that very specifically what Paul says it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turn to the Gentiles and then they cite Isaiah 42 in Isaiah 49 for so the Lord has commanded us I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth so you see this movement in the parable see what's happening the Lord Jesus in this parable is giving them a glimpse of what is to come the parable of the of the wicked vine dressers pretty much consolidates upon Old Covenant Israel in the time of the prophets but we've moved to the time of Christ and not only profits but apostles this is what happens in the book of Acts doesn't it what happens to Paul when he goes to Sag augs do they say yeah you're right Jesus is the Messiah no they reject him they oppose him they judge themselves unworthy of eternal life so what do Paul and Barnabas do they turn to the Gentiles they cite Isaiah the prophet 42 and 49 which underscores to us that this is the plan of God it's not like this is somehow a mistake or a plan B or God didn't see this coming this is the way it was purposed in Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed that's fleshed out the rest of the Bible to the point where we get to the new test and we see it's a Jew Gentile Church it is made up from every tribe tongue people in Asia all to worship our great God that's the movement that's what's happening and in verses 9 and 10 the King gives instruction to his servants therefore go into the highways and as many as you find invite to the wedding so the church should look like isn't it not what the church should look like we need to invite we need to testify we need to say there's a certain key who's ordained a wedding face and it's an honor of his blessed son come taste and see that the Lord is good evangelism and missions are absolutely crucial to the church in the parallel in Luke for not the parallel strictly but in the same sort of idea the language of our Blessed saver is compel them to come in and it doesn't mean by force we're not Muslims we're not chopping heads off to make disciples for the kingdom of God we compel them through preaching we compel them through prayer we compel them through being nice to them we compel them through our good works we compel them in the means or using the means by which God has commanded you see that's what's happened here Jerusalem the City of God the city rather of Old Covenant religion has been destroyed the gospel command is to go and take this message to every creature preach it all over the earth and then notice the servants do what they're told but quite like that too what part of go don't we get what part of go don't we understand what part of shine as lights in a crooked / and perverse generation holding forth the word of truth do we stumble with we just need to be obedient we need to be these sorts of servants we need to be like the Apostles and we need to tell people about Jesus notice so those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found both bad and good the bad and good there ought to be sort of consistent with what we saw in the kingdom parables in Matthew 13 the gospel call goes forth what happens within the church there are weak and terrors when the gospel call goes forth it's like a dragnet being cast out into the sea when that net is pulled back in there's good fish and there's bad fish you see here's what I think Jesus was doing in this particular parable he wants to one the church as well it's got a message not only for Old Covenant Israel visa vie these religious leaders that will taste the wrath and fury of God in AD 70 but he also has a message for the church as a whole from then on out you see not everybody who receives the invitation will enter into the feast we'll see that in just a moment with this man who has no wedding garment you see there are those who profess there are those who say they're part of the church there are those who say they do want Jesus but they're bad they have no faith they have no belief they have no relationship with God through our Lord Jesus Christ so these disciples these apostles the church through the age goes and throws the net out and drags it back the church through the age takes that seed and casts it for and why the church through the age sees not only we but also tears the church throughout all the age is told that the angels of god most high will deal with the tears and we'll deal with the bad fish on the day of judgment so go back to our text notice the examination by the king at the wedding hall I've noticed this as well when I've been at receptions or I have been you know it's been my children the parents walk around and they need people and they say it's nice that you came it's it's a blessing that you've shown us this honor in this kindness and and been willing and and not been indifferent and certainly not been violently opposed we really appreciate that and we we like it that you're here with us so that's what this King is doing but the verb suggests that he's scrutinizing he's examining he's looking things up he's sizing things up and he spots this man who doesn't have a wedding garment on now commentators suggest that the King would have provided the garment he didn't have that garment therefore he was an impostor or a faith the evidence doesn't suggest that that that was the case it probably wasn't that the Kings always provided the garments was probably you cleaned up before you went to a wedding feast but you didn't wander in and your most dirty clothes you wore white clothes whatever the particulars are this man was not fit this man was not properly attired this man did not have what was essential to be at this wedding feast no the King examines the King says verse 12 friend how did you come in here without a wedding garment now interpreters wonder what that wedding garment the early church fathers taught it was holiness in other words to be at this wedding feast you must be a holy man woman boy or girl Agustin taught that it was love that was the wedding garment the certain King sees this loveless man and says how did you get into my kingdom Luther not surprisingly taught that the wedding garment was faith faith in Christ Calvin thought that it was faith and works because you can't have one without the other Gil whom I quite love says that it's the imputed righteousness of Jesus it's hard to read this and not get that right because it sort of combines everything else if we have the imputed righteousness of Christ will be holy if we have the imputed righteousness of Christ will be lovely loving not lovely lovely too maybe our mothers and God because he's so nice but we will have that love if we have the imputed righteousness of Christ that means we have faith because that's the hand by which we receive it and if we have the imputed righteousness of Christ they'll be good works right I think Gil is on to something Spurgeon sort of brought it all together this way he says the wedding garment represents anything that is indispensable to a Christian so for spurge he said all of the above it's always a safe answer right all of the above the wedding garment represents anything that is indispensable to a Christian but which the Unruh nude heart is not willing to accept steve lawson read the prophet Isaiah and in Isaiah at the outset of worship and in Isaiah 61 10 I think it moves along this way this wedding garment imagery the Prophet says I will greatly rejoice in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my god for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation he has covered me with the robe of righteousness as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments and as a bride adorns herself with jewels it's beautiful so let's just kind of bring this to a conclusion here the Jews were unwilling we're indifferent and violently opposed to this certain King what does he do he brings judgment and he brings punishment and then he dispatches his servants to go into the highways and in the byways and compel them to come in he sends the church on that missionary enterprise to gather the people of God from every corner of the earth to notice that not everybody who names the name of Christ not everyone who shows up at this particular feast is clothed in the righteousness of Christ now note what the King does is the warning to the church brethren don't think these things can only happen to Old Covenant Israel don't think that judgment is confined to the Old Testament don't think that this is something far removed from where we live and move and have our being it is important for us as we were reminded this morning to examine our hearts to see if we are engaged simply in formality are we just about externals do we say the right things and go to the right places and yet there's no power of godliness in our lives this is an indictment upon those who Paul says will punctuate the last days in 2nd Timothy 35 they hold or they have a form of godliness but they deny its power you see it's not me you need to impress it's not your Scouts you need to impress it's not anybody you need to impress it's Christ you need to believe on Christ you need to come to notice what the King does so before that notice notice the response of the guy without the wedding garment he was speechless what can he say the king is on mission the king is omnipotent the King knows all he can't defend himself at this but well I really do have a garment on somebody stole my garment I've been framed I you know got knocked out of them he's speechless what should you take away from that that if you continue unwilling you continue in different you continue violently opposed and you're called to account on the day of judgment you're not going to have 15 things to say in your defense you're going to be speechless this always reminds me of Romans 319 the Apostle says that now we know that whatever the law says it says to those who are under the law that every mouth may be stopped in all the world may become guilty before God it's terrifying picture isn't dead King execute King execute judgment this time not temporally but eternally then the king said to the servants verse 13 bind him hand and foot take him away and cast him into outer darkness there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth that is the punishment of hell and I know that this is an affront to many people and our own day and many people within the church how that are good God ever sent you know poor sinners into hell and our poor sinners they're unwilling to come to the Lord Jesus Christ they're indifferent to the very invitation that God extends and they are violently opposed to those things that come to them through gospel preaching they're not poor sinners they're rebels against the majesty of God most I and this is a fit and appropriate punishment in judgment you see the God who is described by John as love he's a God of justice a god of Wrath a god of righteousness in fact that song we sang Psalm 89 describes Jehovah's throne says that righteousness and justice of the foundation of your throne what must a righteous or a just God do to rebel sinners you see instead of being shocked at verse 13 be shocked that there's ever mercy to be had with Spurgeon who said a woman comes to him and says from Romans 9 and Malachi the prophet you know I struggle with Jacob I love that he saw I hate it doesn't seem right that God hated esau Burton said I struggle with Jacob I loft we struggle with the RAF and the judgment and the fury and the anger of God were the people that would say to a to a criminal court judge in our own day prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law you take that pedophile you take that child molester you take that rapist and you punish them and yet when we have cosmically transgressed against the living and true God through unwillingness through indifference or through violent opposition we want to actually call into question the Justice of God and we want to actually suggest that this just doesn't seem fair we have sacrificed our right to try and arbitrate as to what is fair or not when we sinned in Adam this is the legitimate punishment that comes upon those who reject this invitation by this certain King to feast at the wedding supper of his side now notice the conclusion verse 14 if there was a list of the top 10 Bible verses that are commonly misunderstood verse 14 might be on there for many are called but few are chosen just read a few things concerning this verse the statement does not mean that only three people will be saved if we are going to be hyper literalists isn't this what few means if I say a couple I think of two if I think of some or I say some that's four or five I don't know I don't know that this is in concrete anywhere like two plus two is but but few typically suggest three if you were brought up in a different home and it suggested for that's okay too it doesn't mean that many are called but few are chosen can't mean that can it three people are saved for people are saved which even then would be an amazing feat an amazing testimony to the grace of God the statement should not be used as the battle cry for hyper-calvinism well the text says many are called but few are chosen so we ought never to expect anybody ever getting saved hyper-calvinism is right no that's not what it means the statement does not contradict other passes at passages of Scripture it's intriguing in Matthew chapter age Jesus talks about Gentile inclusion into the covenant promises of God he says many will come from east to west and they will sup with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of God in Matthew 26 when the Lord Jesus inaugurates the the New Covenant in his blood he says this is my blood which is shed for the remission of sins for what for many well Jesus didn't you say in verse 14 it's few there's no contradiction in Scripture brethren the statement does not invalidate the reality that the wedding hall was filled with guests wasn't it in this second group of invitees the wedding hall we are told conspicuously was filled with guests now there was one man in there without a garment it wasn't that there were 99 men in there without garments and one who was perfectly clothed the statement makes an ethical impression it is not a prophetic declaration in a helpful essay called are there few that are saved based on Luke 1323 BB warfield Heights highlights the difference between what is an ethical impression or prophetic discourse Jesus is not teaching with verse 14 how many persons are going to populate the New Jerusalem he is impressing upon his hearers the reality that do not be unwilling do not be indifferent do not be violently opposed if there has to be a literal application of verse 14 to this parable it certainly would apply to the first group of invitees unbelieving Israel right Jesus comes to his own John one night and his own received him not there is that warning to us today that many are called through the preaching of the gospel but that does not mean that everyone who receives the invitation will participate in this great feast so Christ tells of the temple judgment coming upon earthly Jerusalem and that has a significance beyond just the sacking of a city it was a covenantal transformation it was when the kingdom of God was taken from that and given to a nation bearing the fruits consistent with it that is the Church of the Lord Jesus but Jesus goes on to describe the church and the inclusion of Jill and Gentile he says the very self same thing Paul alludes to this in Romans 11 he says that the Jews were cut off because of their transgression he says to you Gentiles us Gentiles do not be haughty but rather fear if he didn't spare that he's not going to spare you either so there's a warning in this passage to each and every one of us to take heed and to consider where we are at before God well in conclusion we see as I've said the warning to the church the church must learn from the practice of the king we must go into the highways and the hedges and compel men to come in missions evangelism these are important things there's a whole host of sinners out there that need to hear the truth of the gospel there's a whole host of people out there that are hell bound there's a whole host of people out there in North America that have no clue whatsoever as to the gospel we assume that North Americans understand and know the gospel have you ever witnessed have you ever started talking to somebody and they say stuff like wow I never heard that wow I never knew that we have moved from that place where we can safely assume that all persons have gone to church or sunday school and have heard the gospel call we have moved from that place and the church's responsibility and duty is to fall in line with the Great Commission and to go therefore and to make disciples to shine as lights or the crooked and perverse generation to hold forth that word of truth Philippians 2 16 as well the church must learn from the pattern of Israel after the Gentiles are included at the wet and the wedding all is filled there is never the less a man who has unclothed listen to rile he says all false professors of religion will be detected exposed and eternally condemned at the last day you may be able to fool me you may be able to fool your parents you may be able to fool your spouse you may be able to fool your family and friends you can't fool God when you're called out on that day and exposed for having no garment no righteousness of Christ no faith no works that result from faith you don't have any of that stuff you're gonna be speechless you're not going to be and say well you just haven't read the data properly God you just don't understand God you can't worm your way out it sure I've mentioned to you before at least one of our five children I always thought should have been an attorney at the arguments and the reasons and the rationale as to why he shouldn't be punished for such and such a an infraction is to say man you should be an attorney you're great at putting together and weaving together arguments 15 reasons why dad you shouldn't punish me why it wasn't me oh you don't buy that well it was me but I was under it you know what there's not going to be that remember the famous oj trial many many years ago now Johnnie Cochran defended OJ Simpson it's interesting later on i think it was in Johnnie Cochran's book concerning the situation he says the price of justice in America is green what did he mean by that I'm not saying I'm my comment has nothing to do with OJ you buy a good attorney you're going to get a good defense you have money to spend you don't get some cheap public defender you're going to get a better defense and you might walk all of that doesn't matter on the day of judgment there'll be no Johnnie Cochran there'll be no point a court-appointed attorney there'll be no one to plead your case or your cause as an unbeliever but for those who are in Christ we have an advocate with the father we have one who pleads our case we have one who died for us we have one who rose for us we have one who live for us we have one who provides for us that perfect atonement so the speech that we will usher forth is praise God and the Lamb who sits upon the throne that's what will fill us on that day terms of the doctrine of God this passage teaches us concerning his patients we saw that the parable the wicked vine dressers as well what does the patience of God mean to you well it means that you're not in Hell presently because that's what you deserve the patience of God means that you are able by his kindness to be under the preaching of the word the patience of God means you have Bibles in your laps you have fathers or mothers who pray for you you have people in your life that are urging you to flee to the Lord Jesus that's the patience of God Paul speaks concerning the patience of God Romans 24 he says or do you despise the riches of His goodness forbearance that means patience and long-suffering more patience not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance you know what you ought to do in light of the patience of God you ought to believe you ought to repent you ought to forsake your sins you ought to come to the Savior and that brings us finally to consider the condition of man that this passage sets forth the state's helpless isn't it the state is hopeless I mean men are unwilling men are indifferent and men are violently opposed how in the world should they ever move from that position to life in Jesus Christ will praise God for His sovereignty praise god for his power praise god for his ability praise god for his word praise god for his spirit because in the mystery of salvation what happens is that this gospel is preached this gospel is read conviction of sin comes persons find out i am the man i have rebelled against god i have defied him i have raised my fist to him i have turned my back upon it i have valued my business or my farm more than him i have been violently opposed to his servants I've been a real jerk to my parents who only wanted me to come to church and hear the gospel all of these things are true the spirit not only convicts us of that but he shows us Christ he shows us the glory and the majesty and the beauty of Jesus he shows us that one who lived in obedience to the law why does Jesus in obedience to the law for himself no it's for us you see we need a righteousness we need a garment so that we can go to the wedding feast and that's what the life of Christ is every step of the way every act of obedience every bit of law keeping satisfies the requirements of this father such that when we by the grace of God believe that righteousness is imputed to us but as well we Christ's death you see we need that righteousness but we need all the muck and the sin and the filth washed away and that's what Jesus does on the cross he doesn't go to the cross because he's a sinner he doesn't go to the cross because he's a criminal he doesn't go to the cross because he's unwilling and different and violently opposed to this certain king he goes to the cross in our place he goes to the cross in our stead he takes the wrath of God for us it's not beautiful that's why it's a good news brethren it's why it's gospel that's why sinners will move from this place of darkness into marvelous light because of what Christ has done what the Spirit of God does do through the preaching and the reading of the word by the power of is well it is of him that we are in Christ Jesus it is of him by the word of truth that we are brought forth so never doubt that if you're outside of Christ today don't say this to pick on you I don't say this to isolate you we were all outside of Christ it's by grace that we are in Christ not because a good works it's not because we we did well on a test or we outperformed our neighbors or friends no it's because God reached down and his mercy and grace pull this out of that dung heap of sin cleansed us in the blood of Jesus gave us this righteousness put this wedding garment on us and said come come to the feast and this same God does that today to all who by grace belief look to Jesus Christ this morning and you will live you will participate in the wedding supper of the I will let us pray father we thank you for your word and we thank you for its consistency we see the parallels with the prophet Isaiah we see what Jesus is doing in this parable and our Father we pray that you'd open hearts today not only here but in other churches in chilliwack we pray that all over the earth today the gospel would go forth powerfully conquering and to conquer and that a great multitude would turn unto the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved go with us now father grant us grace as well to take heed to this passage to take the warnings as we ought to a study and be encouraged by the by the the doctrine of God set forth here and as well help us to contemplate and consider your judgment not only temporally in the judgment upon Jerusalem but eternally in the judgment upon sinners in hell go with us we pray through Christ our Lord amen but we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed you