It is a delight for me to be
back here with you. Thank you, Bobby, for that hymn. Thank you very much. Delilah,
thank you for playing for her. That's the definition of salvation. I'm his. He is mine. And marriage. The whole book,
Song of Solomon, is about the love of a husband for his wife,
and that's a picture of Christ and His churches. I am His, and
He is mine. That's salvation and that's marriage.
I believe this message this morning is fitting for the occasion,
not only worshiping our Lord, but what's about to take place
afterward. Look with me at Matthew 22. The
Gospel of Matthew chapter 22. The Lord is telling a parable about
the marriage of the king's son. How fitting is that that we look
at this this morning. Marriage for the king's son.
Let's go ahead and read the first 14 verses. It says, Jesus answered
and spake unto them. These were some Pharisees. He
spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven
is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son,
and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to
the wedding, and they would not come. And again he sent forth
other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, behold,
I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and my fatlings are killed,
All things are ready. Come unto the mariner." And they
made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, another
to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants
and entreated them spitefully and slew them. But when the king
heard, he was wroth. And he sent forth his armies
and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. Then
saith he to his servants, the wedding is ready, but they which
were bitten were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highway,
and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those
servants went out into the highways and gathered together, all as
many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was
furnished with guests. And when the king came in to
see the guest, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment.
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou hither not having
a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said
the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him
away, and cast him into outer darkness. There shall be weeping
and gnashing of teeth. Many are called, but few are
chosen. Now the story here our Lord is
telling is the marriage, verse 2, the marriage, a certain king
which made a marriage for his son. This is what salvation is
all about. This is the gospel of how God,
before the world began, purposed to have a people for his son,
a kingdom, a spiritual kingdom, of people who are married to,
united to, in love with His beloved Son. God made everything for
His Son's glory, for His Son. And if there's a lesson to be
learned here in this, verse 14 is it. For many are called. He concluded by saying, many
are called to this marriage, but few are chosen. Now, if you are here this morning
because you've been called and you believe and you receive and
you love the truth, you love this salvation of the Lord, you
love to hear this gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, if you're
here because you If you worship, want to worship the Lord Jesus
Christ, you're here for thanksgiving to God for choosing you, for
calling you, for bringing you, for sending Christ to die for
your sins and be made sin for you, you might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. If you're here to worship the
Son, if you're here out of love and thanksgiving and appreciation
to God's Son, Oh, how blessed you are. How blessed you are. In Revelation 19 it says, Blessed
are they that are called to the married supper of the Lamb. Brother
Larry asked me last time I was here to come and perform this
ceremony, this wedding. It was such a high honor. for
him to ask me to do that. Now, it's a blessed honor and
a privilege to be here with you, but for him to bestow that honor
on me, well, it was just a great honor for me to do that. How
much more how much more those that are called to the marriage
supper of the Lamb of the Lord Jesus Christ. If you're here,
you know how many millions of people, persons, right now are
gathered together in a religious assembly who don't know why Christ
came, don't really care, they do it out of duty, out of habit,
in a ceremony, because it's the thing to do, to be seen, or to
go hear the music, or to go to be entertained, and all that,
and have no clue about the gospel of Christ. You know how many?
Most people. Many are called. Most people
hear the truth. Paul even said this, have they
not all heard? Yeah, barely. They've all heard
it. But few have been chosen. That's his elect. That's his
people. They've been chosen to understand who Christ is, why
he came. Understand like that woman that
was brought to him. He brought her to him, didn't
he? You said there wasn't going to be a Bible study this morning.
You gave one. But that woman was brought to
the Lord. That was his bride. See, the Lord didn't come to
marry a beautiful woman. He came to marry a forlorn woman,
an adulteress, a harlot. That's who he came for, sinners
like that woman. When he told her her sins were
gone, she was thrilled, like Brother Larry said, thrilled,
her heart rejoiced in her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nobody
else was there rejoicing, but she was. Because that's one of
His chosen, that's His elect, that's His bride, that's who
fell in love with Him. That's what this gospel is all
about. Those whom Christ loved, whom He called to come to Him,
to hear about forgiveness of sin, and they fall in love with
Him, and they worship the Son. Marriage of the King's Son. Many
are called, few are chosen. Chosen, most people don't like
the sound of that word. God's people do. That's who God
calls them, the elect of God. That's who Christ calls them,
His elect. God's people know if He hadn't chosen them, they
would never have chosen Him. He said in verse 2, the kingdom
of heaven is like unto a certain king who made a marriage for
his son. Now there is a kingdom. There is an unseen kingdom that
men and women cannot see. It's an unseen kingdom. It's
a spiritual kingdom. People don't believe it because
they can't see it. But our Lord said that things that are eternal
are unseen. The things that are seen are
temporal. But God has an eternal kingdom. a spiritual kingdom. It's a vast and glorious kingdom. It's the kingdom of God. Scripture
says it's the kingdom of heaven. It's the kingdom of his dear
son. That's what he calls it. That's who he's given the kingdom
to, his son. It's his son's kingdom. And it's
made up of people that worship his son, that love his son. It's
his bride. If you're going to stay for the
wedding, it's because you love this man and love this woman.
in honor to them and they've honored you and calling you.
Well, that's what the whole kingdom of God and of Christ is all about. Those who God has given a love
for his son and they count it the highest honor. It's called
a high honor. It's called a holy calling. It's
called a heavenly calling to be brought to the marriage of
the king's son. God made everything for his son. creation was made for the glory
of God's Son, who was daily His delight with the Father from
the beginning. A certain king is God. God is
king. God reigns and rules. The Lord
God omnipotent reigneth. You know, this generation knows
very little about a king, do they? I don't know of a king. They're going to maybe make Charles,
Prince Charles, king in England. He won't reign over anything.
Parliament will tell him what to do. A king, though, back in
the days of old, was an absolute sovereign. He did according to
his will. No one told him what to do. He
did what he would because he would. Sovereign, that's sovereignty. It means all power, all authority,
nobody over him. That's the God of the Bible.
That's the God who reigns and rules. The Lord God omnipotent
reigneth. Does God reign? Absolutely. And it says, Scripture says,
and he has sent his king, Christ. Psalm 2 says, he has set his
king on his holy hill of Zion. The Lord Jesus Christ reigns
and rules over everything. Barnard used to say, over everything
that writhes or wriggles. Everything is absolutely under
the divine, the sovereign control of Jesus Christ. You say, I don't
believe that. Well, it's so anyway. And I'm glad. God's people are
glad, aren't they? Glad. They rejoice. There's a
passage over in the Revelation that said, God, the people rejoice
that God had taken unto himself this reign and rule over everything. And it says that the people of
the world were mad. They didn't like it. Well, like
it or not, Louie, that's the way it is. Thy God reign. You're smiling. You must be one of the called.
Most people are cricking their teeth, I don't like that. Oh God, this is salvation isn't
it, for God to bow the knee. Every knee will bow and every
tongue will confess someday that he is Lord. People, idiots, religious
people say make Jesus Lord. God hath made this same Jesus
whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. You don't make him
Lord, he is Lord. Salvation comes when He lets
you know that He's Lord. He bows your knee, that He causes
you to confess with your tongue, you are my Lord. And gives you
a heart to love that He is. That's salvation. My King and
my God. A certain King. That's why I
dwell on that, because He certainly is King. Not because men led
Him, but because He is. I am that I am, He said. I am King. And he made a marriage
for his son. A marriage for the son. His only
begotten, well-beloved son, Jesus Christ the Lord. God purposed
to have a bride for his son. Now, marriages of old used to
be arranged by the parents if they were, well, nearly all of
them were. But especially by royalty, didn't
they? A king over here in England,
a king in Spain, got together and the king in Spain had a daughter
and the king in England had a son and they decided let's keep these,
let's join our kingdoms and our families together and we'll betroth
our children to one another and it's going to happen. They're
going to get married, doesn't matter if that woman wants to
or not. That's the way it's going to be, isn't it? Betrothed. Will
God Almighty Purpose this marriage to his son before the world began
and chose a people to be married to his son and Christ would come
to this earth and Lay down his life for them paid the price
of their redemption And his blood would be shed for the remission
of their sin not everybody but for his bride priest is elect
and then the Holy Spirit would come through the preaching of
the gospel, what I'm doing right now, what your pastor does Sunday
after Sunday, and call them out. The Spirit of God will quicken
them, give them an understanding, open blind eyes, open deaf ears,
give them a new heart to see their need of Christ, and they'll
believe, they'll repent, they'll call, they'll come to Christ,
and they'll be united forever to Him. What God had purposed
before the world began is gonna happen. And I'm glad people say,
well, if they're only elected to be saved, then what does it
matter? Why preach? Why this? Because it's the means
that God has chosen. Preaching doesn't save. The gospels
save. The Spirit of God moves upon
them. Christ saved. The blood of Christ saved. But
it's the means. It's the way he calls out his
people. And his people, Christ said, my sheep will hear my voice
and they're going to come to me. The Spirit of God's gonna
move on them and they're gonna love Christ and fall in love
and repent of their sin. And they're gonna come willingly.
It's not like they're dragged. Thy people shall be willing in
the day of thy power. They fall in love with him, drawn
with cords. Christ said, all that the Father
giveth me shall come unto me. They said, no man can come unto
me, except the Father which hath sent me draw them. And how he
draws them is with cords, cords of love, the cords of a man. That is, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And draws them. And they come willing, don't
they? Grateful, like this woman came in sorrow over her sin. And then when he said, your sins
are forgiven, she was so grateful. And she's married to him. She's
married to him now. And Christ is the faithful husband
who said, I will never leave thee or never forsake thee. Listen
to this in Hosea. Hosea chapter two, verse 19. Our Lord says of his people,
I will betroth thee unto me forever. Yea, I will betroth thee unto
me in righteousness. and in judgment, and in loving
kindness, and in mercy. I will even betroth thee unto
me in faithfulness, and thou shalt know the Lord. Like Adam
knew his wife Eve, Christ knows, becomes one with, enters into
his bride, and the two become one. And what God joins together,
no man can or shall put asunder. That's the gospel. Isn't that
good news? God purposed it. Say, I don't
like that. Well, I do. Do you? Do you? Those who like it are the betrothed. Those who love God's sovereign
election are the elect. Those who love this sovereign
call are the called. Those who love that Christ is
all in salvation are his beloved bride. They're kept women. And they love it. They love it. You're looking at a kept woman.
All the people of God are his pride. They're all his pride. Brother Marvin, astonishingly,
you know, Brother Marvin and his son, Gabe, he's preached
here, I believe, isn't he? I think. No? Well, anyway, Marvin
has. But his son and my daughter are
now married. And Brother Marvin and I arranged
that. We did. Didn't we, Mindy? We did. They're married, aren't they?
Seriously, but when they were children, we'd go on vacations
together, our families, and I loved his son so much, and they loved
our daughter Hannah, and Marvin and I talked about it, and I'm
sure Linda and Mindy talked about it. Wouldn't that be wonderful
if they got together? So Marvin and I arranged it. That's what God has truly done. If left up to us, none of us
would love his son. None of us would come to his
side. Will you take my son? No! That's what happened. Many are called. Go back to our
text here. Look at the marriage. It said
that they were bidden to the wedding. Now, bidden doesn't
mean invite. It's not an invitation. Kings
never invite people to do anything. Would you like to? Kings give
commands, don't they? The Psalm of David said, Thou
hast given commandment to save me. I'm so glad or I wouldn't
have come. This bidding is the proclamation
of the gospel. Preachers of the gospel don't
invite people to accept Jesus as their personal Savior. Preachers
of the gospel command men everywhere to repent. Preachers of the gospel
declare this message, he's your king, you better bow. That's what preachers of the
gospel do, it's a proclamation, it's a declaration, it's not
an invitation. It's a declaration, a proclamation,
it's bidding. What if it were an invitation?
Ask them, you've asked people, you've talked to people you've
worked with, they're people you know, your family, huh? Would
you like to come worship? No! Won't do it. They all, it says in verse four,
tell them what you're bidding, behold, I have, verse three,
they were bidden to the wedding and they would not come. They
would not come. Didn't Christ say that? You will
not come unto me I heard message after message
after message after message after message as a young rebel and
I would not come to Christ. You have people you know that
you talk to, they just will not come. Why? Because they don't
love God. Man doesn't love God, doesn't
love Christ. He loves himself, he loves sin.
You know why people don't come to Christ? You know why people
don't want to come and worship God? God's not in their thoughts,
Romans says. God's not in their thoughts.
You'd not like to retain God in their knowledge. I like my
life fine. I don't need God. God who clothes us, who feeds
us, who waters us, who protects us, who gives us, what do we
have we have not received? It's our reasonable service,
isn't it, to worship God? Isn't it our reasonable service
to come here today and thank God for everything He's done
for us? You know, there are 168 hours in a week. 168 hours. 167 for us. Can we give one hour
apart to come and thank you, Lord, for hell. Thank you, Lord,
for my home. Thank you for my job. Thank you for this. Thank
you for that. God's people principally come and thank you for your mercy.
Thank you for your grace. Thank you for sending your son.
Thank you for I'm not in hell. One hour. Depravity. The truth, the gospel, tells
us how man is dead in sin. Dead in trespassing sin. Nothing
proves depravity more than that. Men and women will come to do
anything. You advertise a bluegrass singing,
this building is not big enough. You advertise some kind of...
Here it is. You can put a sign up in your
yard. Chunk for sale. and you can sell the most useless
junk, you burn it all, all the flea markets in the world, burn
it all up and nobody misses a thing. Trash, junk, garbage. But put
a sign up in your yard, yard sale, and you can, they're like
flies. They come to it, don't they?
Well, put a sign up and say, we're going to preach the unsearchable
riches of Jesus Christ. We're going to declare our great
God what things He's done for us. Come! Take your little hand forward. But bless God, John, we're here,
aren't we? Huh? And that was me. I'd have gone to the yard sale
before I'd have come here about Christ. Was that you? I don't
know most of your background, but that was me. I don't want
anything to do with that. Here's my salvation. But God, Rich in mercy for his great love
wherewith he loved me. Quickened me, chose me, called
me. I'm here today because he sovereignly
drew me. Lester, you're here because God
chose you, not because you chose to, but he chose you. Man, oh man. I never get tired of telling
this. It's my story. This is our story.
To God be the glory. Great things he hath done. That's why we're here today.
We're here to hear about the marriage of the king's son. Hopefully,
maybe, somebody, wouldn't it be something if the Lord would
marry somebody in here to him this morning? He sent his servants to call
him. Tell him. They would not come. Over in
Luke's gospel, it says some, one of them said, well, I've
bought me some land. I've got to go see that. I bought
dirt. I'd rather go see about dirt
than worship the Son of God. Another fellow said, I've got
some cattle. I've got to go see about them. Another one said,
I'm married. I've got a wife here. She just
doesn't like that. Besides, she wants to go to Walmart
today. And you don't have time for my
son. You think God loves everybody?
Think again. You don't have time for my son.
And my son came from glory down to this cesspool of iniquity
for the likes of sinners like that, that don't deserve it,
to do what he did on Calvary's tree for unworthy wretches and
rebels. And you don't have time for my
son? God says, I don't have time for you ever again. I'm done
with you. But here we are. Here we are. Who's we? Who are you? Who am I? Who am I? What is my house that you brought
me here, David said, huh? Oh, you see your calling, brethren,
and not many wise men at the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble called, but God hath chosen the weak things, the foolish
things, things that are not. Are there any kings in here this
morning? Anybody with noble blood? Anybody? I don't see one hand
raised. Any doctors and lawyers in here
this morning? Louie, I know you. Terry, I know
him. Bruce, nah, ain't close. Paupers, beggars, and thieves! To God be the glory. He said in verse 4, look at it,
he said, tell them that are bidden, he said, I've prepared my dinner,
my oxen, my family, my kiln, and all things are ready to come
unto the married. This gospel, oh my, this gospel is about a
finished work. This gospel is a salvation that's
completely, 100% performed, finished by the Lord Jesus Christ. That
he did it all. About a righteousness provided,
about a salvation that is completely worked out for his people. You
don't have to do a thing. Just come, just bow, just believe.
People say, I don't like that. I like my righteousness better. And made light of it. When the
king heard, verse 7, he was wroth. He sent forth his army and destroyed
those murderers. And he said in verse 8, the wedding's
ready. There is going to be a marriage.
There is going to be a marriage. There is a marriage right now.
It's filling up. Marriage suffers filling up.
It's full of people right now. Not completely full, yet there's
room. Thankfully. There's going to
be a marriage. And it says they, verse 8, the
wedding's ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.
Who's worthy? Who's worthy? Nobody's worthy. I'm not worthy. You're not worthy.
We're not worthy to hear this message. I'm not worthy to tell
it. He's worthy. We'll be singing
throughout eternity about his worth. He's worthy. He's worthy.
They that are bidden are not worthy. So here's how his bride
comes to be. Verse 9. Go therefore in the
highways, and as many as you find, bid them to the Mary. As
many as you find. You're not found unless you're
lost first. You've got to be lost to be found. You've got
to be blind to see. You've got to be deaf to hear.
You've got to be dead to be raised. As many as you find. He sends
his servants through the preaching of the gospel. God has blessed
you with a faithful servant, preacher of the gospel. And if
your children, your grandchildren, your neighbors, your relatives
are going to be saved, it's going to be through the preaching of
the gospel. And if he's going to save them here, it's going
to be through that man. That's a faithful servant right there.
You're so blessed. This community doesn't think so. Nah. Ain't
nothing to that. God does. That's who he sent.
And they made light of his servants from the beginning. They made
light of all of them. Killed all the prophets. Killed all
the apostles save one. And if it were lawful, they'd
kill his family. But no, God has a people. And
they're gonna come if you're one of them. How blessed you
are. How blessed you are. Well, he said, bring them in.
Verse 10, the servants went out in the highways and they gathered
together as many as they found, he said. They found them, both
bad and good. Wait a minute, preacher. Ain't
nobody good. Well, that's right. That's what
the scripture said. But they think they're good. They're self-righteous. And not too many Pharisees say
that. There are some. I bet you to say some of you
were in religion before, weren't you? And that made you a Pharisee. a self-righteous Pharisee, a
goody, you know, you thought you were something, didn't you?
And you first heard the gospel. Bobby, was that you? I don't
know. But when he first heard the gospel through whoever it
was, and he told you you was a sinner, you probably thought,
I ain't no sinner. But God, if you're chosen by
him, he's going to tell you you're a sinner. And you're going to
find out, though you think you're good, I'm no good. I'm wretched,
miserable, poor, blind, and naked. Then there's the bad. Really
bad, gutter dweller. My sister and I were opposites.
I was the prodigal son. My sister was the role model.
My sister's the one every man wanted his son to marry, okay? I'm the boy that nobody wanted
their daughter to marry. It takes the same grace to save
either one of them. God had to make her realize she's
a wretched sinner. God had to make me realize that.
Same grace. Gather them together. We're gathered
by the Spirit of God, by the Gospel. We're found by the Spirit
of God, by the Gospel, and brought to this marriage of His Son.
And the wedding is furnished with guests. It's not our right. We're a guest, aren't we? It's not what we're worthy of.
We're a guest. You know, modern marriages, they
send out... I hope y'all didn't do this.
I don't think you did. I didn't get one of these invitations. I don't
think. But it said, you know, the right honorable so-and-so
requests your presence at the marriage of our most honorable
and glorious daughter. That's not what God does to sinners. God commands them to repent.
God sends out this bidding, this gospel call and says, I have
a son. And He's altogether lovely to
me and I made this whole universe for Him. Come. And those that won't come, He
says, cast them out. Those that do come, come because
He called them, because He made them come. Salvation's up in
the Lord. Why do you say all this, preacher?
Because it's so. Because God gets the glory. If
you have an interest, you're here this morning out of an interest
in God's Son. Oh, bless God. And you know,
this is what we're going to be doing throughout eternity. Some
people think, you know, pulling teeth to get
people to come worship. Well, you don't want to be in
glory. You don't want to be in heaven. That's all we're going
to be doing. One fella didn't came in, didn't
have this wedding garment on. What's that? That's a righteousness
of Christ. People rather work up something
they hear. I like what I'm doing, what I've
done for God. God said, cast him out. And he says in verse 14, in closing,
many are called the pure chosen. Many are called. Haven't they
not all heard? Yea, barely. Many are called. and found the poor, the maimed,
the blind, the half, the lame, the no good. Those, like he said,
had nothing. And he provides them with the
wedding garment. He provides them with the wedding
garment. And they're so glad because they wore rags. They
came in with rags. And like Bartimaeus, they throw
that away. That old religion, that old profession of faith,
they're righteous. They throw that away real quick
and come running to Christ. Oh, give me. That's what he said
to that prodigal son. That's the first thing. When
the prodigal son came home, the father said, bring the best robe.
And do what? Offer it to him? No. Put it on
him. God's people. Louie, you're nodding
your head again. Look at there. He's wearing one.
He said, I don't see it. Oh yeah. That's those that love
the righteousness of Christ. That's what they do when they
hear about it. Yeah, that's my comfort. That's my dress. That's
my beauty. That's my hope. That's my salvation.
Why, the world says, I don't believe in that. You know, this wedding is a great,
high honor and a privilege. Blessed are they that are called
to the marriage supper of the lay. We had a young lady in our
church that married Brother Cody Groover's son, Austin. And they were married in Lexington,
Kentucky by Brother Todd Niber. And Mindy went down there, and
I couldn't. I had to preach the next day on Sunday, okay? So
they had this wedding, two believers, and that's the only true marriage
there is. We're about to witness two believers being married.
That's a wonderful thing. A wonderful thing. There is no
real marriage outside of that. But anyway, I watched that marriage
of that young lady and Austin Gruber on live streaming. They had it on live streaming.
I sat at home. Saturday afternoon, and I watched
that. And I saw my brother. I saw Mindy on there. I saw Brother
Todd, my brother. I saw brother after sister after
sister. This marriage, you know, a wedding,
a marriage is a wonderful thing. It's a festive thing. It's a
happy occasion. It's a joyous occasion. You know
of anything you enjoy more in a wedding, unless you're performing
it, anything you enjoy more than a marriage. It's a happy occasion. When I was watching, everybody
was so happy. Everybody was so joyful. Everybody was so festive. There was people I loved. Steve,
I wasn't there. I wasn't there. And it hit me
like a ton of bricks. Oh, Lord. I mean, I have felt
this sinking feeling. I felt so alone. I felt like
I was falling down in a hole. I thought, oh Lord, don't let
me miss the marriage supper with the Lamb. Our Lord even said that. He said,
you're going to see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all of them
seated down, and these publicans and harlots seated with them,
and you're going to be left out in the sun. And he'll call, whosoever
shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. And he'll
call by the gospel of my mouth. Oh, may the Lord make you and
I, his bride, his precious bride. Do you know him? Do you love
him? Are you gonna be there? If you are, it's gonna be by
his grace. Oh, blessed be his holy name.