"A Dinner Invitation. Are You Coming?"

Title "A Dinner Invitation"

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>Introduction: Jesus is having supper. Someone says, "Won’t it be wonderful when we are having supper with you when you come into your kingdom." Jesus gives this parable.

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>In this parable you will find five reasons why people neglect the invitation to come to Christ. At first we will look at the flimsy excuses given, and then we will lay open their hearts to the truth!

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>Three excuses are given, 1. I have to go and look at some dirt. 2. I have to go and plough in the dirt. 3. I have to live my life long enough until I become dirt! That is not exactly what they said, but that is the essence of what they said!

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>I want you to also note, that if anyone had an excuse not to accept the invitation to the supper, it would have been the halt, the blind, and the lame. But they came!

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>Let me now share with you the five reasons why people reject the invitation to come to Christ:

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>1. They did not know who the certain man was.

>Jesus begins the parable with "there was a certain man." Of course, this certain man is God, but the people in the story do not know that. Most people think of God as "the man upstairs." They do not know God. God is just that "certain man."

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>2. They did not know how great the banquet would be.

>The supper mentioned is the great Marriage Supper of the Lamb! Can you imagine the glory of this celebration? Jesus will be exalted on his throne. The angels will offer the special music. The table has been set!

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>3. They did not know that they were to be the honored guest.

>Those who accept the invitation will become apart of the gentile bride, the Church! We are to rule and reign with him. A marriage banquet is given for the purpose of honoring the bride and the groom. Crowns will be given. Those, who accept the invitation to attend the supper, will be the honored guest!

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>4. They did not know how urgent the invitation was.

>Herein do I place the blame on the servants. As you read through the text, you will see the urgency of the invitation extended by the servants. At first they listen to the excuses, then they help the halt, the blind, and the lame, to overcome their excuses, and finally they are told to ?compel? those on the hedges and the highways of life to come to the banquet. The idea of the word "compel," means, ?don?t give them enough time to come up with an excuse!

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>5. They did not know the consequences of refusing the invitation.

>This point directly relates to the last point, if you knew that someone?s house was burning down, you would not wait for them to comb their hair and brush their teeth! You would usher them out of the house before they had the time to ask you the question "what was the matter!"

>Note that the "Certain Man" in the text was angry. Also note that those who were bidden to come to the marriage supper and rejected the invitation, would never taste of the supper.

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>The Bible teaches there is a literal burning Hell for those who die without Christ.

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>Our Mission, the mission of the Church is:

>"TO LET THEM KNOW!"