“The Table: A Place to Belong” – Find Your Place at the Table!
September 24, 2023
***The Table in our series is a metaphor for the Kingdom of God…
• “Find Your Place… in the Kingdom of God.”
• “The Kingdom of God… Where Family is Valued.”
• “The Kingdom of God… Where Faith is Built.” And on and on…
It’s important for us to begin the series by answering two questions: What is the Kingdom of God? And, how do I find my seat?
Matthew 22:1-4 (NIV)
Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
The Jewish Wedding Ceremony…
• When a couple wanted to marry… they were betrothed (contracted) into marriage by their parents.
• Then the couple would go separate ways… the Bride to prepare herself for her groom, the Groom to prepare his home for the bride. (do you hear something familiar in this?)
• When the Groom was finished preparing his home for his bride, he would show up to the bride’s house (at any moment) and the wedding celebration would commence… usually lasting up to seven days!
• What season is the church, the bride of Christ in currently? Preparing ourselves for the sudden arrival of our Bridegroom, so we can be taken to the eternal home he is preparing for us!
These First Invited Guests are the Jewish people…
Romans 1:16 (NIV)
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.
But the Jews refused the first invite… so a second invite was sent.
Matthew 22:5-7 (NIV)
But they paid no attention and went off – the one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
So the King opens up the invite to other guests…
Romans 22:8-10 (NIV)
Then he said to his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.” So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
WHO HAS A SEAT AT THE TABLE?
WHAT AM I GOING TO WEAR?
Matthew 22:11-14 (NIV)
But when the King came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. “Friend,” he asked, “how did you get in here without wedding clothes?” The man was speechless. Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” For many are invited, but few are chosen.
Titus 3:4-7 (NIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.
Isaiah 64:6 (NIV)
All of us have become like one who is unclean and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags…
Those who believe they will gain entrance to the feast, will take their place at the table because of their own merits… “what I’m wearing is good enough”, will come to find out it isn’t the case. Your seat at the table requires receiving the robe of righteousness… the gift of grace and mercy, provided by God the King, through the sacrificial, atoning work of the cross of Christ, His Son!
“Many are invited, but few are chosen…”
Prevenient Grace – Grace that precedes… Grace that prepares… The Invite!
Once you have embraced the Invite… you become the chosen! “Many invited, few chosen, or accept the invite”. “Narrow the road to life… few find it or choose it.”