Welcome to Ontario Community Church, where we are encouraging, equipping, and engaging lives for Christ.
I'm Pastor Patrick Daly, and each week I share sermons that balance the grace and love of Jesus Christ with the truth of the Word of God.
Together, we'll explore Scripture using observation, interpretation, and application.
This helps us discover practical ways to live out our faith every single day.
Let's dive in together into God's Word.
Well, good morning, everyone.
It is great to be here with you as we are almost done with January of 2025.
Didn't that just fly by real quick?
I don't know about you. I feel like I blinked, and it was just here we are at the end.
Today, we're doing a message titled, The Invitation.
If you want to turn your Bibles and be proactive, go ahead and do so.
You can turn on your ESV Pew Bible.
It's going to be page 983.
It is the parable of the wedding feast.
But before we begin here,
when was the last time,
I don't know if my handwriting is visible to be seen here,
when was the last time you received a letter or an invitation to a birthday party?
Maybe the last time you received an invitation to a wedding.
You think of the last time that happened.
When we get these invitations,
this is just an example.
It's not an actual party,
but it's a representation of what we're going to go over today.
And I want you to think for a moment how exciting it must be to receive an invitation
that someone thought with intentionality
to invite you to a birthday party,
to a wedding anniversary,
or a wedding celebration.
Maybe it's some sort of,
someone got a promotion.
Maybe it's something completely different.
Or maybe it's a baby shower.
We can think of all these events where we receive these invitations.
Sometimes they're really simple.
Or sometimes they're very over the top and fancy.
I know we've gotten those before.
And the feeling that we have when we receive an invitation
is something that is something that's significant.
Maybe it's that milestone celebration.
Did you feel nervous the last time you received an invitation?
Maybe you felt excited that someone did think with that intentionality,
with you.
And what I want us to think about
when we think of these different emotions that we have
when we receive different invitations,
let us think of the greatest invitation that we have,
and that's to come to the feast.
Or in this case, it is to come to the wedding feast.
Because God invites us,
as we can see here as a realistic example,
God invites each and every one of us to come to the feast,
to taste and see that the Lord is good,
or just as Jesus said in the Gospel account,
to come and see.
Let us turn to Matthew 22, verses 1-14,
whether that be your ESVP Bible or your Bible of choice,
your mobile device.
And we see that Jesus is telling a parable
about a king who sends out invitations.
So let's read together.
And again, Jesus spoke to them in parables,
saying,
Would they come?
They would not come.
And again, he sent other servants, saying,
Tell those who are invited,
See, I have prepared my dinner,
my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered,
and everything is ready.
Come to the wedding feast.
But they paid no attention and went off,
one to his farm, another to his business,
while the rest seized his servants
and treated him shamefully and killed them.
That's a pretty drastic scene here,
if you think about it.
Killing the messengers here.
The king was angry,
and so he sent his troops
and destroyed those murderers and burned the city.
Then he said to his servants,
The wedding feast is ready,
but those invited were not worthy.
Go therefore where?
To the main roads,
and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.
And those servants went out into the roads
and gathered all whom they found,
both what?
Good and bad.
So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in
to look at the guests,
he saw,
and this is interesting,
I always thought this was a very interesting part of the parable.
He saw there was a man who had no wedding garment.
He just invited everyone to the feast,
and there's this guy who has no appropriate clothing.
And he said to him,
Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?
And he was what?
He was speechless, right?
Then the king said to his attendants,
Bind him hand and foot,
and cast him out into the outer darkness.
In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
It kind of ends, really.
You're like, what just happened here?
You have all these people at the wedding feast,
and there's this one guy there,
doesn't have the proper clothing,
and you just throw him out, right?
But we'll see in just a moment here.
Cast him into outer darkness.
In that place there will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
I've always, even as a kid,
I never liked that kind of imagery, right?
The gnashing of teeth.
And verse 14, it ends by saying,
For many are called, but few are chosen.
And I want to go to this next slide here,
because when we're reading this specific parable,
like many parables,
you'll find, first off, there's a list here,
and second off, I was very thorough in my notes.
Full disclaimer, you'll see probably the most footnotes references
I've probably ever done in a sermon before.
And we're not going to go through all the footnotes.
That's for you in your own study.
But the thing that we find here
is that there's the king that represents God.
And the wedding banquet represents the kingdom of heaven.
Then we go on to the Son, Jesus Christ.
And the servants, which represents most specifically the prophets,
but also later the apostles.
Remember how there was mentioning of the murders that happened?
Think about that.
The invitation then is an invitation to come to the wedding banquet,
to come to salvation.
And it's very important to note,
we see that this wedding feast
is a representation of the biblical account.
The entire narrative,
all jam-packed into a few verses here.
The first invitation is a representation of Israel
to the people of God.
And the second invitation,
remember what the verse said,
to everyone good and bad.
The second invitation then is to all people.
And then we have the guests,
all who responded.
Isn't this interesting?
And we think for a moment that there's finally the wedding clothes,
Christ's righteousness.
When we think of how we become Christians,
we put on the new clothes, right?
The new identity in Christ.
Think about that.
It's as though you're putting on the wedding garment for this great feast.
Do you realize that when we look at the entire biblical account,
it's a love story between God and his people,
and it goes all the way until there's the wedding feast,
there is the amount of time where eventually not enough time will happen,
and there will finally be judgment representing what's happening in this great wedding.
Just like how we,
some of us may know,
and this is,
it's simple,
but it's complex.
When we think of Christ being the bridegroom and the church being the bride,
the representation of the marriage that will happen.
Do you see it?
And then finally you have outer darkness,
which is the final judgment.
And you'll see in your notes here,
that section,
if you want to pull out your notes real quick,
that Jesus speaks in parables,
which are simple stories revealing deeper spiritual truths.
The king God prepares the wedding banquet,
for his son,
Jesus Christ.
The king's servants,
the prophets and apostles invite guests,
Israel,
the people of God,
but they refuse.
Okay.
A second invitation shows God's patience,
yet some guests make excuses,
and others kill the servants.
Do you see how it's kind of showing the whole narrative within scripture?
The invitation then is opened up to anyone willing to come,
both good and bad.
It shows that the gospel invitation is greater than the first invitation.
And one guest is found without wedding clothes,
which symbolizes the lack of Christ's righteousness,
which is no different than when we find,
Lord,
when did we,
when did you ask,
when were you hungry,
and we didn't feed you?
Right?
In those verses where it says,
Lord,
and God said,
the Lord,
Jesus says,
I never knew you.
The difference between authentic and inauthentic faith,
those that truly believed in Christ,
and those that didn't.
And this is a parallel with that.
So,
symbolizing lack of Christ's righteousness,
in other words,
it's a works-based system that he followed.
He is speechless.
He is shocked at the fact
that he gets called out.
The improperly clothed guest is cast out into outer darkness,
and this foreshadows the final judgment
to those who lack true salvation.
And then finally,
many are called and few are chosen,
shows that the invitation is available to everyone.
And so this goes into,
what can we learn from this?
Right?
We can see here,
as I mentioned,
it's part of the narrative of Scripture.
It shows to,
what we can learn is that God's invitation
is for the good and the bad,
as it were.
We think about it,
we need to see that this invitation,
just as I showed the letter,
salvation is free for all who believe.
And it's the question
of whether or not you are going to respond
to the invitation or not.
So we have to think
that every moment and every day of our lives
is an opportunity for us to respond to God's invitation,
come to the Lord,
and respond to it.
We then also have this idea
that we must wear the right garment,
Christ's righteousness.
So what does it mean?
Do I need to change my clothes
and just put on a coat and tie,
or I need new jeans or some shiny shoes?
What does that mean?
We're talking about that
when we believe in Jesus Christ,
we put on the new self.
There's a verse that's in Revelation,
blessed is the man who washes his robes,
representing how sin gets washed away
by believing in Christ.
And that kind of imagery
is the kind of imagery we can think of
when we are putting on the new self,
talking about transformation
that comes from the Lord,
being restored unto Him,
being reconciled unto Him,
and realizing it's not about the shirt that I wear,
but it's about whether I believe in Jesus Christ or not.
And upon that belief,
when you put on the new self,
are you going to grow in Christ?
Are you going to act upon what you are learning?
That's the question that you have to think about.
We cannot...
It also goes to show us,
when we look at the man
that didn't have the proper clothes
and the people that did,
is that it has to do with,
are you relying on your own works
or your own merits?
Or are you trusting what has been done for you?
In a simplistic way,
it would be said,
what can you do
versus what has been done for you?
And we believe as Christians
that Christ died on the cross,
He was buried,
and He was raised on the third day.
It was in accordance of the Scriptures
to fulfill the prophecies
and to show it's not about what we can do,
it's about what has been done for us.
And we respond by receiving that invitation, right?
We respond to the invitation,
being saved by grace through faith.
We need the new clothes that God provides,
and it's the putting on of the new self.
And I want you to ask yourself for a moment,
what does it look like
to put on the new self?
Realize there is inner transformation
when we think of the attributes of the new self.
Laying aside the former things
and the former darkness,
the sin that once existed,
all of these things.
How many of you have had that one shirt
or that one pair of pants
you just refuse to get rid of?
Right?
Think of it like that.
You got to get rid of it.
You got to move on to what,
in this, in the spiritual sense,
I have them too.
The one that God provides.
And to put on the new self
is to exhibit Christ-like qualities.
Living and loving like Jesus.
Sharing in the gospel and your testimony.
When we studied Colossians,
there are specific attributes.
When we think of our Advent season,
we think of the peace that surpasses all understanding,
the inexhaustible, inexpressible joy,
the love that comes from Christ,
the hope that's in Him.
That should shine for others to see.
Right?
Just like that song.
Hide it under a bushel?
No.
I'm going to let it shine.
And then we go into that next point,
which says that rejecting God's invitation
has consequences.
It's just like rejecting any invitation.
Right?
Are you going to go to the birthday party or not?
You know?
I get it.
Sometimes we don't like the people who are there,
so we reject it.
But when we think of spiritual matters,
when we're thinking of this invitation to salvation,
you have a choice
on whether or not you're going to respond
or not to respond.
That is a decision that only you can make.
And I pray that if you haven't responded to the Lord,
that you will.
That you'll respond to this invitation.
Because we don't know how long our life will be.
So take every moment and think for one moment or one day.
Do you believe in Jesus?
Do you follow in His footsteps?
Have you responded to the invitation?
Have you put on the wedding clothes?
Are you ready to partake in the feast?
I mean, when we think of a feast,
it sounds like a wonderful time.
If you guys can ever think of those commercials
where it shows a Thanksgiving
and the turkey looks just right.
You've got that fancy cranberry sauce,
the mashed potatoes.
You guys are going to probably be hungry in this, right?
But you get that image, right?
Of a Thanksgiving celebration, right?
Now, we think of that being like a feast in the physical world.
But in the spiritual world,
it's something that's in abundance.
And then finally, it says that many are called
and few are chosen.
Now, we must keep in mind that the call for salvation,
to be chosen is to respond to that invitation.
Response involves receiving this gift of salvation
and living it out.
Let us have not just faith,
but a living and active faith.
Let us be like the soil that receives the seed in the ground,
but let us grow having those deep roots
and growing to the point where we bear fruit.
It helps us understand.
Learning these parables helps us understand
the simplistic, but the deep truths of how our God works.
Isn't it remarkable?
We can look at plants that grow in the ground
and think of how we should be like a plant
and grow and be cultivated.
Much like when we ever,
if you ever go to a wedding celebration,
a reception,
you can think of this parable
about the invitation.
And ask yourself,
have you, again,
have you responded by receiving salvation?
Are you living out your faith?
Let your light,
the light of Christ,
shine for others.
We now go to the next,
which is the application.
And it's how can I apply
and live out these verses?
And it's very important.
No matter where you're at
in your life journey,
I pray that you come to know
who Jesus Christ is.
That you receive that gift of salvation.
And upon receiving that gift of salvation,
may you grow in him.
And may you be moved
to do good in the name of Christ.
And so here we see
there are specific
people.
Maybe you identify with one of them.
Maybe you have been invited
and you haven't responded.
Maybe you identified with the unwilling.
This is a call for you to,
if you're either of those,
to respond to the invitation.
If you have been invited,
respond in faith.
If you have been unwilling,
let this be a call for you
to be open to receive
that free gift of salvation.
Let's face it.
There are many people
who have been invited.
Have they all responded?
And there are some people
that are unwilling.
Even for us as Christians,
we should pray for those
who are unwilling.
For a changing of the mind.
A softening of the heart.
Much like how we were praying
earlier
for these terrible things
that happen in the community.
We have got to pray
for the hearts
and the minds of those
that do
naughty or evil things.
Right?
I can say that as a parent.
Right?
Don't be naughty, kids.
We pray for hearts
to be changed.
And so,
for the invited
and the unwilling,
it is respond
to the invitation.
No matter what
your background is,
even if you've said no
up until this point,
you can still respond.
Don't wait
until it's too late.
God welcomes you
to his feast.
And ask yourself
the question then,
what if today
is the day
that you respond
and say yes
to the Lord?
What if you say yes
to God's invitation
and trust in him
for salvation?
Well, then,
there's the gathered
and the unworthy
to return
to the banquet.
Some of us
have been gathered.
We might have walked away.
Some of us
have been unworthy.
I want you to know,
specifically,
it doesn't change
God's ongoing invitation
for your life.
God's call
for your life.
Like I've mentioned before
and I'll mention again,
man
will fail you.
People will fail you.
But God
will never fail you.
And our faith
should be much stronger
and much deeper
than what man does.
We place our trust
in the living God,
the firm foundation
for our lives.
And so,
perhaps you identify
with one of those two.
Remember,
when we read that,
it is the good
and the bad
that we're invited.
Think about that.
The good
and the bad
were invited.
Maybe it is time,
maybe you identify
or maybe you know someone
that it's time
to step back
into
the body of Christ.
To step back
into church.
Maybe it is time
to ask God
for healing.
But in any case,
I want you to know
that God loves you.
No matter what
people have done
or what people
are doing
or even what people
will continue to do,
God is our constant
and he will never
abandon you.
So come to the feast.
Return to the banquet.
And then finally,
for the guests
and the unprepared,
we can think of
what that means, right?
Those who are wearing
the wedding clothes
and those that are not.
Examine your garment.
It is the call
for us to not
to rely on our own works
or on our own merit
to save us.
It is what Christ
has done for us
and us responding
to that.
To be clothed
in righteousness,
to be clothed
in Christ,
to put on that new
identity,
that new self.
It is saying yes
to Christ
and believing in him
and be saved.
Sometimes
we get too much
into the groove.
Sometimes people
forget
that it's about
us believing in Christ.
Sometimes we
focus more on
rituals
or we focus more
on routines
rather than
who Christ is.
And I pray
that doesn't happen
to any of us.
let us focus
on the death,
burial,
and resurrection,
the power of the gospel,
the transformation
that comes from him
rather than just
rules and regulations
because there is
freedom
that is in Christ.
Think about that.
Sometimes it's good
to examine
your garment
and especially,
most especially
if you're unprepared.
Maybe you've been
invited
but you didn't
really get it.
Maybe you didn't
realize that you
do have to believe
in Christ.
Maybe you were
told something
contrary that
you know,
it's about how
much money I
donate,
it's about how
many times I
pray,
how many times
I read certain
literature and
books.
No.
It is about
what Christ
has done for you.
I pray
that if you
identify as a guest
or unprepared
and you do
examine your
heart,
examine your
garment,
that you do
have a genuine
and authentic
faith in Jesus.
And then finally,
for the servants
and for the chosen,
it's to extend
the invitation
to other people.
When we think
about this,
just like the
king's servants
went out into
the world,
we too are
called to go
out and to
invite others
to the wedding
feast.
And I want you
to really think
about that.
Maybe you identify
with the servant
or the chosen.
Let us tell
our friends,
our family,
even our
neighbors,
about the
invitation to
the feast,
that they too
may come and
see that the
Lord is good,
or that they
may experience
his love
and hear from
the word of
God.
I pray that
if you are a
servant or you
identify with
the chosen,
that you will
extend that
invitation to
others.
Ask yourself
then the question,
who do I know
who has not
been invited?
Or who do I
know maybe
has been
unwilling?
This is a
question that
you can answer.
Think of those
who are in
need.
Think of those
who are yet
to be invited
or those that
maybe they just
need you to
show up.
Be present
with them.
Be authentic
with them.
Not saying
go in,
guns a-blazing,
you know.
It's all about
relationships.
It's all about
that.
We cultivate
healthy
relationships.
So who do
you know
that needs
to hear
of God's
invitation?
Only you
can answer
that.
And in all
of this,
I want us
to remember
this parable
of the
wedding feast.
The king
wants to put
on a
wedding feast
for the
son and
sends out
all these
invitations
which shows
the old
covenant,
how it was
with the
Old Testament,
with all
the laws,
but yet it
was rejected.
And then the
invitation happened
where it was
for all people
good and bad.
May you
receive that
invitation.
May you
respond by
saying yes
to Jesus
Christ.
And upon
that,
may you
grow and
be like
the chosen
and like
the servants
to extend
the invitation
to others.
Let's pray
together.
Lord and
Heavenly Father,
we thank
you that
we've had
this opportunity
for us to
go over
this amazing
and well
connected
section of
verses from
the Gospel
of Matthew.
I pray,
Father,
that our
minds are
open to
you,
our hearts
are open
to love
like you
and that
we will
be transformed
in knowing
you,
growing in
you,
and doing
good in
your name.
I pray,
Father,
for anyone
who may
have been
invited but
hasn't responded
yet.
I pray that
there will be
a response.
I pray for
those who
might feel
unworthy or
they might
have left
the feast
as it were.
May they
return.
to the
table.
And I
also just
pray that
there will
be healing.
There will
be restoration.
You are the
God of
miracles and
just as this
parable has
shown how
connected
everything is
within the
context of
the biblical
narrative,
we pray that
we can receive
this parable,
that it will
help us grow
in you and
motivate and
move us to
act upon it.
Let lives be
transformed.
Let minds be
changed.
Let hearts be
softened.
Let growth
happen here.
And let us be
moved to live
and love like
you.
It is in the
name of
Jesus Christ
that we pray
and we all say
together,
amen.
Amen.
Thank you for
listening for this
week's message from
Ontario Community
Church.
I pray that you
are encouraged and
strengthened in your
walk with Christ.
For more sermons and
resources, visit
OntarioCommunityChurch.org.
May God bless you as
you live out his
grace and truth
every single day.
God bless you as