 All right, so here we are, Matthew chapter 22. We're going to be looking at a parable. Traditionally, it's simply referred to as the parable of the wedding feast. And so let's begin reading together here in Matthew 22. I'll read the parable to you, give you an introduction, begin to give some insight into what is taking place and then move to an application and conclusion. Beginning at verse 1 Matthew 22. Matthew writes, 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 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, cast him into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth for many are called but few are chosen. So we're going to be looking at a very cheery parable today. As we know the context of this, let me lay a foundation and we'll look at the context. Jesus has been challenged by Jewish leaders concerning his ministry and as we have earlier seen they had approached him to question him about his authority. We saw that in chapter 21 at verse 23 when they said, by what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority? And so they're questioning him about his authority and so his response to their question is that he begins to give parables and so in verses 28 through 32 we saw that he gave the parable of the two sons. He had said that there was a man who ordered his sons to go to work. They were to go into the vineyard. One said, I go and did not go because he relented and then later on went. The other said, one said, I will not go but he relented and later went into the vineyard. The other said, I go and chose not to go. And Jesus was pointing out that there are those who say they're obedient to God but in fact are denying him by their work. So they say, well I go or I'm obedient and they were speaking of them as being the Pharisees. And then there are the other ones who say I will not go but later on reconsider. And they repent and they actually go to work for him. And he said these are represented by the tax gatherers and the sinners, the harlots. And so he said that these people who though at first they refused to go, chose to go, they're the ones who really represent what it means to be born again. And the ones who say that they're obedient but in fact are simply saying that, well that's the religious leaders in the nation of Israel. He used this parable in order to point out that it's not just what you say but what you believe is actually going to be demonstrated by what you do. And because these people were claiming to have relationship with God but were not obedient to him, these were people who were excluded from the kingdom of God. Then he went on to give another parable. We saw it in verses 33 through 46, the parable of the evil vine dressers. And we concluded that by looking at the fact that the parable revealed that the Lord was removing authority from the Jewish leaders and was investing that authority in the body of Christ or in the church. So now in chapter 22 we have another parable. It's called the parable of the wedding feast. So let me lay a foundation. Let me give you a context to know. Because we know that up to this point Jesus has spoken of the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. And obviously this would appeal to the large portion of those listening to him as he spoke. You see, Jesus consistently confronted the religious leaders and he exposed them for what they were. He exposed their legalism. He exposed their holy spirit, quenching hypocritical traditions. We saw how that he had entered into the temple and he dealt with their religious prophetry. He consistently challenged their interpretation in teaching a scripture and on numerous occasions he went so far as to actually call them hypocrites. So this kind of activity where Jesus was doing this kind of thing and teaching these kinds of things. Well this activity was attracting many people who were in agreement with him. At the same time Jesus was showing great love and compassion for those who were hurting. And as we've gone through Matthew we've seen how he heals the blind. He has healed the crippled. He has cleansed the leper. He has fed the hungry. And not only has he done these marvelous works and miracles but he was preaching a message. A message of a gospel. A gospel that revealed the compassion of God and an invitation that actually welcomes people to have fellowship with the Lord. That activity was well known that he was opening up the door to heaven to those that others were rejecting and he was castigated for it. In Mark 2.16 it said when the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors they asked his disciples why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners? Because they considered themselves to be too righteous to have relationships with people like that. So Jesus spoke with eloquence and Jesus spoke with clarity and he taught and he proclaimed the kingdom of God and his authority was clear and his authority was unique. His words were gracious and his words were powerful. Now the prophet Isaiah in chapter 50 verse 4 of his book says this the Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by morning he awakens my ear to hear as the learned. You see his lack of what they would call formal training and his lack of credentials was overwhelmed by the power of his speech and it amazed those who listened to his words and it amazed those who witnessed his works. In Matthew 13 we saw at verse 54 how it says he had come to his own country he taught them in their synagogue so they were astonished and said where did this man get this wisdom in these mighty works? So the Lord Jesus Christ was a man above all men eloquent and powerful, majestic and filled with sobriety and yet compassionate and holy and still approachable and the people were amazed. So up to this point Jesus was the champion he was the champion of the common people and multitudes began to follow him they gladly heard what he had to say they marveled at his works and as they considered him their champion in that they were right because he was their champion he was a voice on their behalf but one of the things that we'll see in this parable is beyond being their champion they needed him as Lord and Savior and this they did not completely understand and this not all received as truth. You see as long as he spoke against what they were against they cheered him and that's the way it is today as long as someone is saying what somebody else already believes they cheer them he says it the way I feel it I'm glad that they say that I'm glad that they do that as long as they say things that are already believed by the people listening they're in agreement but what happens is sometimes what is being said will cut against what you already believe and that's where the problem begins these common people were hearing him gladly Jesus has been speaking against the religious leadership of Israel he's referred to them in very strong terms and he's dealt with the things that they've done like cleansing the temple and all in a way that only caused the ordinary folk in Israel to rejoice and say oh indeed he's doing what needed to be done finally we have somebody you know what is it draining the swamp finally we have somebody who's doing what we want done finally right? I think we can understand to a degree the sentiment of this we can understand to a degree why people would say yes Jesus is doing the work by now it should have been done and I'm glad somebody's doing it and as long as he's doing the things that they want they're in agreement with him but now he's given a parable that actually well it's going to put them on the spot it's going to make them have to make a decision and we'll see that in just a moment you see this parable is going to reveal that they're not truly with him and their initial reception of him will be changed to their rejection of him we'll see that in this parable so I'll read again at verse 1 read to verse 6 and get into the study refreshing your memory 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 repaired my dinner my oxen had 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 the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them so we see verse 2 is speaking of the kingdom of heaven and Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son so what we begin in this parable with is a picture of what would be called the ultimate celebration what could be more opulent than a wedding celebration that was paid for by a king now I don't know if you know this or not you probably do but in the event that you don't I consulted with the almighty google and I asked Mr. Google or Ms. Google or whatever you want to call Google what is the average cost of a wedding in the United States and the average cost is $32,641 $32,000 and I can't help but think about my wedding you know our wedding dinner Kentucky Colonel now that was for the guests because I'm a roller I took Marie to the San Clemente Inn for an overnight stay and I thought I didn't know San Clemente Inn was inland at all I thought it was on the beach and so I said make sure you give me a room facing the beach and they had a kind of puzzled look at it and I said okay whatever you want so you know in the morning we had one honeymoon night and in the morning I stood there by the drapes because I made sure that they were closed because I wanted Marie to see the majestic view of the ocean and I said honey look at this and I swung the drapes open and there's a man walking his dog I mean that was it I mean when we got there our wedding dinner was Jack in the Box I splurged I got shrimp she got a hamburger and some fries and then we went to Crestline a friend of mine lent us his cabin and we stayed there for one or two nights and she was mad at me because she had to cook dinner on the second night of her honeymoon because we couldn't afford to go and buy meals anywhere else and so she's been mad at me all these years and I just wanted to announce I'm leaving her I'm sick of it no more I'm grateful but I mean that's what it was I mean we had a wedding in my parents backyard and I got chairs a hundred chairs for guests and I got it from a place called Chapel of Memories that is no longer in existence it was a mortuary and we got these chairs and we put them out and that was our wedding my tuxedo was a brown suit the only suit I had and I had platforms and she wore clogs I mean it was don't tell me I don't have class that was our wedding so when I read and I see that the average cost of a wedding today is over $32,000 I think that's an amazing amount of money now some of you have spent more perhaps some of you spent less that's the average but we're not talking about us we're talking about a king and that's why Jesus uses this illustration because he's not referring to the average person he said something about the kingdom of heaven being like a certain king who arranged a marriage and so when you think of what a king would do that's the whole point so I was again talking to Google and I said to him what is the most expensive wedding on record and so Prince Charles Lady Diana when they married their wedding cost $115,000,000 yeah $115,000,000 but Trump changed because a sheik by the name of Rashid married Princess Salamah in 1979 and a five day official holiday was declared all over Dubai and the ruler himself went from village to village on his horse to feed everyone a hall equivalent to a stadium was built especially to accommodate 20,000 guests the wedding cost more than $137,000,000 for a wedding now $137,000,000 $115,000,000 $32,000 Jesus is making it very clear this is the wedding for a king a king's son and so what he's doing is he's illustrating the honor of being invited to such a wedding and so when you look at verse 3 and it says he sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding this gives to us some insight that these are those who had received previous notification this would be what would be called the confirmation but what Jesus wants to point out in verse 3 is all of those who were invited notice were unwilling to come so it's their unwillingness to use to illustrate how incredibly blind they are who in their right minds would refuse to come to a royal wedding feast a royal wedding feast would have the best food, the most popular guests and the prestige that was attached to it would be mind boggling I mean imagine you know we're Americans and we're not caught up with royalty and all of that at least I'm not I'm not caught up with royalty and all but there are still kings those who are queens in monarchs in countries Spain still has a king and there are other England obviously has a king and they have the queen and all they still have that, they have monarchies and so we really don't relate real well to those things most of us were Americans simply because we didn't grow up under that kind of prestige or that kind of sense even today in England there is a statement that all good things are derived from the queen did you know that? all good things are derived from the queen it's from her beneficence and all of that that's still part, I heard that yesterday that's a quote from yesterday that's still going on today in England that all the good things that we have are actually derived from the queen I mean that's a monarch, we don't understand it but if you were under a monarchy and you were an ordinary person and you received this invitation like Willy Wonka did you get this invitation to go you know and you would show it to your friends I was invited to go to the wedding of the king's son, that's what Jesus is saying it was an honor and a prestige the best food the most celebration and the most prestigious guests, all of that and so that was quite an honor but beyond the fact that it's an honor it was unforgivable it was an insult to refuse the invitation and no one would do such a thing because it was not only an honor it was also an obligation because if the king invited you to come to the marriage of his son you had better attend the writer of Proverbs in chapter 20 verse 2 said a king's wrath is like the roar of a lion he who angers him forfeits his life so it wasn't something that you'd say I don't want to go I got other things to do and that's the whole point that Jesus is making here in the parable it was not only unwise it could be very costly and so they were not willing to come verse 3 verse 4 so again he sent out other servants saying tell those who are invited see I have prepared my dinner my oxen, fatted cattle are killed all things are ready come to the wedding but they made light of it went their ways went to his own farm another to his business so in spite of the rude response the king demonstrates incredible restraint in patience you see the normal response to that kind of behavior would have been instant death in Luke 19 verse 27 Jesus puts in the words in the mouth those my enemies who would not that I should reign over them bring here slay them before me that would have been the normal response of the king they don't want me to reign over them they don't want to do, then bring them here and I have them put to death and so it was a very dangerous thing but he says in verse 4 come to the wedding but instead of responding they are completely apathetic about the invitation they completely disregard all they took him to prepare they just don't care when he says I have prepared my dinner oxen and fatted cattle are killed all things are ready come they just don't care they have apathy they are apathetic concerning it they could care less about the king's honor they could care less about his feelings they could care less about the cost less about the cost and so they are apathetic it says in verse 5 they made light of it went their ways the rest seized his servants treated them spitefully and killed them while the other ones were not apathetic they were antagonistic they seized his servants arrogantly and insolently abused them and they killed them and contempt for the servants would have been considered contempt for the king we have those kinds of responses today by the way to the gospel we know that there are people who when they hear the message of Jesus they will smile at you and they will say I appreciate that you have faith in God we all need faith in God and all but by you saying to me that I need to get right with God through Jesus Christ well that's your opinion that's your belief I respect it state and so they're apathetic about it they're indifferent to it it doesn't matter to them and there are others who are downright antagonistic to the message of the gospel they don't want to hear a message of repentance they don't want to hear a message of faith in Christ they don't want to hear about having a change of life or moving in a new direction they're not concerned about any of that and they will respond with hostility as well as arrogance to that invitation and so Jesus is highlighting this and as he does so let's look at a couple things in this parable and develop another layer because we'll see that there are some elements to this parable one we see obviously that the king that is being spoken of here is God we know that the son would be Jesus and we would know that the invited guests would be Israel because Israel had been invited to the wedding and the wedding was God's blessing to Israel you see during the time of Christ the Jews believed that when Messiah came a banquet would be given for God's people when you look in the Old Testament book of Isaiah in chapter 25 verses 6 through 8 it reads on this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples a banquet of aged wine the best of meats and the finest of wines on this mountain he will destroy the shroud that infolds all peoples the sheet that covers all nations he will swallow up death forever the sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth the Lord has spoken and so the people of Israel were expecting this kind of thing it was associated with the Messiah we know that the servants that are being spoken of are the prophets it would be the prophets that had come and had given the invitation all the prophets including John the Baptist and even Jesus in his prophetic ministry the invitation came through his preaching and through his teaching it was intended to invite people to fellowship with the Lord again the apathetic guests are people who are too busy to think about or respond to the Lord they're not necessarily mean they just don't care they're busy thinking, notice with me they're thinking of their daily needs they're not considering the future they're like the children playing in a mud puddle unable to imagine a Hawaiian beach for them the mud puddle is just fine and so it's an apathy it's an indifference you've been invited come to the wedding feast no, I've got to work I've got to take care of my own concerns thanks for the invitation but no thanks now the antagonistic ones well they represent a variety of ways of thinking also they may have lifestyles that are directly confronted by the teachings of Scripture and they don't want to hear it now again we see that today we can see that not only with our friends but we can see that as a general cultural thing here in the United States we can see that we can see that there are people who believe that their lifestyles are just fine and they don't need to change a single thing and this message of the gospel isn't something that we need as a matter of fact I don't appreciate you saying that I need to change the way that I live if you don't think that's true all you need to do is ask yourself the question were the women were marching recently if you just stood there and said you know come to faith in Jesus Christ and God will do a wonderful work in your life do you think they'd all rallied around you say oh you know these are the words of life I really want what you have to offer no you'd have had the intellectual greats like Madonna and others exposing their the depth of the way that they think you would have had anger there are some that you can speak to who are you know apathetically indifferent they'll say well you know fine it's good for you but there are others who are hostile because they believe that what you say is a lie and they are angry about it there are those who have false religious or philosophic teachings that they're caught up in they don't want to hear about Jesus being the only way there are some who are antagonistic towards believers because they've been hurt by religious people others who think that it's anti-intellectual anti-science and so there's not just a rejection there's an open hostility and that's what Jesus is speaking about there are many people who are indifferent to the claims of Christ but there are quite a number of people many of them have talk shows on radio or on television who are constantly not just indifferent they are angry they are antagonistic and they're portrayed here as the ones who show violence to those who are bringing the faith of Christ they're not simply opposed to they are downright hostile to God they not only reject his invitation through the gospel but they do everything they can to oppose it to stamp it out even killing or harming God's messengers when you look at this notice with me that the king showed great patience and he actually invited the guest twice in Romans chapter 2 verse 4 the question is asked do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance when you think about how many times you rejected his invitation when you think about in your life how long you lived when you finally heard the gospel but the first time, second, third maybe the tenth time you still rejected it how much patience God has had with you how much patience he had with me you know when I got saved at the age of 20 I thought 20 years is a long time but I know people who have resisted God who have gotten saved in this church who got saved at the age of over 80 years old 80 years of hardening themselves against Jesus Christ 80 years of resisting and God was so patient with them how old are you if you're unsafe today that's how patient God has been with you that's how long he's waited for you he gave the invitation neither you are indifferent to it at this moment or you've been downright hostile but God chose his patience in 2nd Peter 3 verse 9 it says as some understand slowness he's patient with you not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance well as this is taking place notice verse 7 it says when the king heard about it he was furious he sent out his armies destroyed those murderers burned up their cities so his armies represent the troops that are to go out and bring justice and the Lord does use armies we know in the Old Testament when you study the Old Testament you'll see in the book of Isaiah for example in chapter 10 verse 5 that God used the Assyrians against the nation of Israel in Jeremiah 25 verses 8 and 9 you see that God used Babylon to bring justice and judgment on the nation of Israel God does use armies to bring justice and Jesus is simply saying that the nation is going to be judged we know that in AD 70 that the armies of Rome came and destroyed Jerusalem so the Lord does use armies to bring about his will on occasion now when this is taking place in verse 8 he said to his servants the wedding's ready but those who were invited were not worthy and as many as you find invite to the wedding so those servants went out into the highways gathered together all whom they found both good and 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 he was speechless he said to the servants bind him hand and foot take him away cast him into outer darkness there will be weeping in the nation of teeth for many are called but few are chosen so again verse 8 the wedding's ready those who were invited were not worthy how could they be worthy when they responded in such a way Israel rejected the invitation so others are now invited to come and that's why in verse 90 he says go into the highways and that's why he was blind remember when we were looking earlier in Matthew in chapter 10 how that Jesus had sent his men out to preach but only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel now the invitation is for everybody so this parable in this invitation is actually foreshadowing what is called the great commission the commission that Christ gave to the church to reach the world with the gospel in Mark 16 verse 15 he said to them this is all creation and so this is foreshadowing this great commission and the invitation is intended to draw all people so what did they do verse 10 they went out to the highways and they gathered together all both bad and good now when it says they gathered both bad and good the thought behind that is simple it's everybody needs to receive the invitation whether or not good or whether or not you appear to be bad because man has a tendency of making judgments based on the outside appearance we have a tendency of thinking bad people look bad and good people look good when I got saved at the age of 20 as a hippie I didn't wear shoes you know I had my long hair I was a hippie and so when I would share with someone in my early days and I had this long hair and bare feet the American culture at that time rejected that they were much more open to the idea that if you really were a Christian you'd have very short hair you'd wear a suit and tie they really were more caught up with the outer appearance they still are to this day they still are to this day you know if you got the tattoos you got and you love the Lord people still have a tendency of saying you can't possibly be a Christian because you got look at your skin is all marked up look at those holes in your ear you know and your nose your eyelid your lip your belly button your big toe I mean you're holy we judge on the outside man judges on appearance God looks at the heart and there are people today that still do that they'll look at some cult member because they're clean cut and they're so all American and they'll say that's got to be a Christian because they look good on the outside then there are others that are just to have a rough exterior and you'll say oh man they can't be saved yesterday I had an opportunity to speak to some men at a men's retreat and I shared with these men and at the end of the first teaching I talked twice at the end of the first teaching I was standing on the stage and these rough looking guys came up the stage and I said oh Jesus help me no they big dudes thick big thick dudes and they came walking up to me and they said no they said can we take a picture with you I said yeah and there's these big old guys that's holding on to me one big old guys holding on and he's whispering in my ear how much he loves me and stuff and I'm thinking this is the gospel this is the gospel this one fella touched my heart I got tearful over it I don't believe I will right now but he was quiet he was an older man probably in his late 70s and I could see him walking with a cane and he's a good sized man and he came walking up the stage where I was talking to these other guys and this guy you can tell just by looking at him this man lived a rough life you can tell and he came up the stage area and I saw him at the corner of my eye and he waited there with his cane until the other man left he walks up to me didn't say a word he just puts his arms around me and held me tightly and didn't let me go and I'm used to guys you know I'm affectionate this man didn't let me go he held on tightly and took my wallet no as he was holding on as he held me he didn't say a word not a word not a single word he just held on to me turned around and walked down that stage he was a gospel God takes rough lives hurt lives destroyed lives I am not kidding when I'm telling you if you saw those guys who were up there telling me how much they love me and listen to me on the radio if you saw them on a street corner in front of a liquor store you'd go around you wouldn't even go into the store you wouldn't even know who loved Jesus and that's what the gospel does the gospel changes lives we need to remember that that's the invitation that's the invitation that's the invitation and so there are some that appear good and there are some that are obviously bad you know Paul made it very clear when he was writing in 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 24 he said some men's sins are clearly evident preceding them to judgment but those of some follow them later what are you saying while you see some guy walking down the street and I don't know where this came from they have a brown paper bag so they think all of us don't know what's in it well he's drinking that Dr. Pepper you know and their sins are clearly evident the guy drinks he's an alcoholic some people they're known for having bad tempers their friends know that they'll say walk on eggshells around him he's in a bad mood his sins are clearly evident there are some whose sins are just that way you see them they're addicted they've lost their teeth and you know they're on meth it's evident but then there are others that clean up nicely you know wear the nice clothes have the nice home drive the nice car go on the good vacations go to church on Sunday serve on the board they don't know Jesus they don't have a relationship with him their sins are not clear but they follow after him later and the Lord reveals that but in your name I did these things and Jesus says depart from me I never knew you there was never a relationship between us you had a relationship with your church you had a relationship with people you had a relationship with everything and everybody except for me it's not that I knew you once and I don't know you now I never knew you and so there are those that are looked at as being good you know grandma mama oh she's so good she goes to church she loves us yeah but is mama born again does mama really know she worships in her own way no Jesus said there's one way and that's for him there's only one way and that's for him well you know she's going to trust in a religion and so did the Pharisees so did the Pharisees they prayed they fasted they gave they did it in front of people and Jesus said no no he said you're hypocrites for you say to do this but you yourself don't do it no no and so that's what he's talking about he's speaking about go out there and invite them and the good and the bad he is invited because all people need the Lord because all people are lost without him and so what happens verse 11 it says the king came in to see the guests and there he is looking at all these people but as he's reviewing his guests he sees a man there who did not have on a wedding garment so he said to him friend how did you come in here wearing board shorts oh I'm sorry that's the surfer notes how did you come in here without a wedding garment he was speechless now he was improperly clothed as it says he didn't have on a wedding garment more than likely he thought that the king would accept him exactly as he was and the thought would have been I'm coming in on my own terms whether he likes it or not that's why the king asks the question how did you get in here without a garment and the response he was speechless you see there are people today who are doing that this parable is timeless because the truth is timeless truth is timeless there are no limits to it there are those who are trying to enter it to God's kingdom on their own terms on their own terms as long as I try as long as I do my best as long as I don't do certain things and do other things surely the Lord is going to allow me into heaven if there is such a place I'm not as bad as some people I'm better than most and that's how a lot of people think and that's what's so sad and yet it's not us we do not make that judgment we're not the king who walks up and says how did you get in here so we aren't going to say anything because that's not under my purview that's not what I'm responsible to do but the king on the other hand he has the right to ask and as he's there looking around he sees somebody there and he's improperly attired and actually walks up and speaks to him and says how did you get in here without a wedding garment well, in order to attend the wedding each one was required to have a garment if the man had no garment of his own it would have been provided for him by the host all he had to do is go to the one who was in charge of handing out the garments and all he needed to say is I don't have a garment and they would have provided the garment for him but he refused to humble himself to ask he tried to enter in on his own terms because he thought for sure he'd be allowed in and in this he was greatly mistaken in Titus chapter 3 verses 5 through 7 Paul said he saved us not because of righteous things we have done but because of his mercy he saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit generously through Jesus Christ our Savior so that having been justified by his grace we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life he saved us he washed us and he did so through his grace Hebrews 12 14 says make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy without holiness no one will see the Lord so in order to attend God's banquet you need to be robed properly you need to be robed with righteousness you need to be robed with his righteousness Isaiah 61 10 says it like this I delight greatly in the Lord my soul rejoices in my God for he has clothed me with garments of salvation arrayed me in a robe of righteousness as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest and adorns herself with her jewels he clothed me with garments of salvation he arrayed me in a robe of righteousness see God requires righteousness but it's a righteousness he provides and our own righteousness is not sufficient and that is where an overwhelming majority of humanity makes the greatest mistake instead of receiving his gift they try to manufacture it for themselves and you can't and you know this if I pray real hard and I keep praying and keep praying if I give a lot and I keep giving and giving if I am religiously disciplined and I fast and I do all of those things that are attributed to religiosity then most surely I'll become a good person and I'll be able to enter into the kingdom and what we're saying is we are putting our own robes of righteousness on what we're saying is we think that our own efforts are sufficient and they're not because our own righteousness is as filthy rags and you cannot make your own that's acceptable to him when I was about four years old I was in love I was in love with Bernadette Bernadette and I asked her to marry me and she said yes and so I knew even at the age of four that when you get married you ought to have a tuxedo on so I told her I said well if we're going to get married I said remember this is funny that I would remember that I can't remember my own address but I remember this I need to have a tuxedo because I'd seen these movies with the men and they were always in tuxes and all so she said I'll make you one and I said great and so I came over because her mama was one of my mom's dearest friends as a matter of fact Bernadette's cousin goes to this church and I mentioned her by name once thirty years ago and I talked about Bernadette and all and her cousin walked up to me at a gas station and I didn't know her at that time her cousin walked up and said you know how you mentioned Bernadette I said yeah she goes that's my cousin so she's still with us as a matter of fact she works for us her name's Debbie and her cousin's Bernadette so she knows Bernadette she knew Elle and Dulce and all of that she knows that that's her relatives and so Dulce I came and I said that was her mom's name and so I said where's my tux? so Dulce said Bernadette has been sewing one for you alright so Dulce comes out with four pieces of black cloth that have clumsily been sewn together it was a rag and I remember looking at this saying that's not a tux you know that's junk I'm as four years old already knew the difference you know what that's what you're offering God you throw this rag on and God says no no no no you mean your momma might have thought that's cute your momma probably would have told you to go on American Idol because you got a great voice too she lied to you twice but that's what we're offering the Lord and that's the point really Jesus is looking and he's saying where's your wedding garment listen if you didn't have one it would have been provided all you need to do is humble yourself and it would have been given to you because I provide it for those who have a need that's the point if I try and go before the Lord in my own righteousness it does not work because God's standard of acceptance is perfection not measuring myself to some other sinner because we both fall short of the glory of God all have sinned fall short of the glory of God there's none righteous no not one so if I'm standing before the Lord in my own righteousness the response is going to be swift and it's devastating you see righteousness comes by faith in Jesus Christ not just simply saying I believe there is a Jesus Christ but a relationship with Jesus Christ in Romans 3 21 and 22 it says righteousness from God apart from the law has been made known to which the law and the prophets testify this righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe and there's no difference in 2 Corinthians 5 21 God made him God made Jesus God made him who had no sin to be sin for us a sin offering for us so that in him the righteousness of God that's the garment that is necessary to be there if I go in with my own righteousness like Isaiah said it is filthy rags and so when he says what's going on here how'd you get in here he was speechless then verse 13 the king said to the servants find him hand and foot take him away cast him into outer darkness he's going to be outside if you will outside of the heavenly city he will not have the joy and the festivity of such an event when you look in Revelation 22, 15 it simply says outside are the dogs those who practice magic arts the sexually immoral the murderers the idolaters and idolaters and idolaters and idolaters the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood outside they're not welcome inside and so by refusing God's righteousness he was cast into outer darkness so many hear the invitation but few receive it for salvation the invitation goes out to all but not all receive it and somebody said I believe his joy is to choose his judgment the invitation continues perhaps there are some even in this room right now I'm certain there are who are either indifferently apathetic or outright hostile but the invitation still goes out and there may be some in this room who actually are relying on their own goodness or their religious training a philosophy that they embrace as a child that they've never released in which everybody really ultimately goes to heaven because there's not really very many who are that bad see again remember the standard is perfection if you measure yourself and your goodness by some other man you will always find some other person that you're better than see the question isn't whether I can be better than another person I could bring somebody up here and they could have every outward appearance of being somebody who lives a very sinful life and I could stand next to them and I could say which one of these two do you think really is a better person I could do that of course anybody can me or this person here and then some say well you know you probably are better but what happens if I'm standing here and Jesus stands next to me which one is the better person well any person who would know the better person Jesus the evil person that one there David see so I know that I know that I know that my righteousness isn't sufficient that's why I said God be merciful to me I'm a sinner that's why God said I will be merciful I forgive you of your sins I cleanse you from your unrighteousness you are now in my son and you creation all things are passed away behold all things have become new because of Jesus Christ not because of my righteousness but because of his and that's the point that Jesus is making and the invitation goes to all but not all receive it perhaps he's speaking to somebody right now the invitation is to you receive it