Matthew 22 verse 1. And Jesus answered and spake
unto them again by parables. What is a parable? A parable
is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. It's an earthly illustration
that our Lord uses to teach us heavenly truth. And our Lord
who spake the world into being by his word, our Lord who is
wisdom, holiness, majesty, is pleased to come down on our level,
think about it, and illustrate for us divine things in language
we can understand. Paul said, I went to the third
heaven. I heard things impossible for me to utter. But our Lord
Jesus Christ is the one who uttered those things there that Paul
heard. But he came down here in the flesh and talked to us
about sheep and shepherds. We understand that. He talked
to us about birds. Not a sparrow falls to the ground
without your father. He talked to us about lilies
of the field. Solomon in all his glory was
not arrayed like one of these. He talked to us about fathers
and lost sons, prodigal sons. He talked to us about husbands
and wives and children. Oh, for a teachable spirit, oh,
for a willing heart to take advantage of our Lord's instructions In
words, at least here, I can understand. And he says in verse 2, the kingdom
of heaven, the kingdom of God's dear son, the kingdom of glory,
the kingdom of God. Don't try to differentiate between
the kingdom of God and the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of
his dear son. These are not three different kingdoms. This is his
kingdom. Don't waste your time like that.
just sidetracked you from what he's about to say. And preachers
do that, and people do that, and it's Satan's divisive tactics
and wiles to take your name off, your heart off the message, to
get you sidetracked on some unanswerable, inscrutable question. There was
a certain king, kingdom of heaven, like a certain king which made
a marriage for his son. This king is going to honor his
son, his only son. Here's the heart of the whole
matter. He's going to honor the Son. Jonathan Edwards, who pastored
many years ago up in the Northeast, and pastored a church. He was a very well-known preacher
and well-known writer and a great servant of God. And when he left the church,
because of a problem there, he demanded a regenerated church
membership. And the people of the community
in the church wanted a community church that recognized everybody
as a member of the church in the covenant, whether they were
saved or unsaved. So he left the church and became
president of Princeton University. He was an outstanding writer,
preacher, teacher. Jonathan Edwards, one of the
great preachers. Maybe you remember from high
school a sermon. I see you men nodding your head.
Sinners in the hands of an angry God. Jonathan Edwards. He wrote
a book entitled The History of Redemption. The last chapter
of that book is entitled The Great Design of God in Redemption. The Great Design of God in Redemption. And he gave five things. You'll
be interested in this, you may want to write them down. Number
one, God's grand design in redemption is number one, this is not in
order now, of importance. The important one is the last
one. But God's going to number one, put all enemies under his
feet. He's going to put all enemies
under his feet. Anything that's an enemy, God,
his glory, his holiness, his purpose, his majesty, he's going
to put it under his feet. You find that in 1 Corinthians
15. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 24. Then cometh the end, when he
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, this is speaking of Christ,
even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule all authority,
all power, for he must reign till he hath put all enemies
under his feet, and the last enemy that shall be destroyed
is death." That's God's design. Everything. There'll be a kingdom
in which nothing will enter in it, worketh or maketh alive.
All right? Secondly, he will restore all the ruins of the
fall. That's what he says over here
in Romans chapter 8. The 8th chapter of Romans are
several verses that are dedicated to God's purpose in restoring
this earth to its original creation and design. Perfect. He says here in Romans chapter
8, verse 18, that the sufferings of this present
time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be
revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of
the creation, now that's that word creature, the things that
God has made, the earth, the heavens, the earth, the plants,
the animals, the creation. The expectation of the creation
waited for the manifestation of the sons of God. By the was
made subject to vanity, subject to Adam's sin. Not willingly,
the creation didn't have anything to do with Adam's sin. Adam's
sin and the judgment fell on him and the creation. But by
reason of him who has subjected the creation to vanity in hope,
God has subjected the whole earth to the cause and to the effect
of Adam's sin in hope. Now read on. Because the creation
itself also shall be raised from the dead. Also shall be delivered
from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of
the children of God. Because we know that the whole
creation groaneth, groaneth, every earthquake, every shaking
of this earth, every tidal wave, every groanings of death and
sin and the fighting of animals and the warring that's going
on. It groaneth to gather in pain until now.
And not only they, but people also. Us also who have the first
fruits of the Spirit, we groan within ourselves waiting for
the adoption that is namely the redemption of our bodies and
the redemption of this earth. God Almighty has designed to
put all enemies under His feet and to restore this creation.
You talk about beauty. You've never seen it, I've never
seen it, like we're going to see it. this earth. The earth
shall overflow with the righteousness of God. Then thirdly, he's going
to put evil people and evil creatures and evil demons and even evil
devils and spirits where they'll do no more harm. He's going to
put them where they'll do no more harm. Turn to Revelation
chapter 21. He's going to put all enemies
and devils and creatures, where they'll do no more harm. They've
done a lot of harm, they're doing a lot of harm, and they will
do a lot of harm until he puts them away. In Revelation 21,
verse 5, he that sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things
new. And he said to me, Write, for
these words are true and faithful. He said to me, It's I'm Alpha
and Omega, the beginning and the end. I'll give unto him that's
a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. And he
that overcometh shall inherit all things, these things. And
I'll be his God and he'll be my Son. But the fearful, the
unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the whoremongers,
the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone. This
is the second death. God's going to rid his heaven
and earth of everything evil. And then fourthly, God's grand
design in redemption is to gather together all his elect. He'll send his angels to gather
his elect from the four winds, the four corners Turn to Ephesians
1, they gather together all things in Christ. In Ephesians chapter
1 verse 6, verse 9, Ephesians 1 verse 9. Having made known
unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure
which he purposed in himself. Then in the dispensation of the
fullness of time, the fullness of time, that's what we're waiting
on, the fullness of time. That's what this earth waited
on for years, in the fullness of time, God sent his son. Now
in the fullness of time, he's going to send him back, send
him back. I'll come again, he said, and
gather you to myself. All right, in the fullness of
time, he might gather together in one. all things in Christ,
which are already in heaven, and which are still on the earth,
even in him. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him
who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Number five, and here is the
heart of the matter. The grand design in redemption
is to put all enemies under his feet, to restore the ruins of
the fowl to perfection, to put all evil creatures where they'll
do no more harm, they won't be heard from again. And to gather
together his elect in one, in Christ Jesus. And the great and
grand and glorious design above all is to honor the Son. Honor the Son. Let this mind
be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who thought it
not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputation,
took upon himself the form of a servant, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God has
highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name,
that is, the name of Jesus, every knee will bow, and every tongue
will confess. that he is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father. Father, Christ prayed, now glorify
thy Son, glorify me, honor the Son. He that honoreth not the
Son, honoreth not the Father that sent him. But that's his
grand and glorious design, to honor Christ. You see, that's
the song of heaven, unto him. Every knee bows, every tongue
confess, unto him who loved us, washed us from our sins, in his
own precious blood, unto him all preeminence, all glory, all
honor, all tribute, all praise, unto him who reigneth forever. Turn to Hebrews 1. This is the grand design of God
in all redemption, is to honor the Son. This certain king made
a marriage to honor his son. God hath in these last days spoken
to us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things,
by whom he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory,
the exact image of his person, and upholdeth all things by the
word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sin, sat
down on the right hand of the majesty on high, being made so
much better than the as he hath by inheritance obtained a more
excellent name than they. Unto which of the angels said
he at any time, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee.
And again, I'll be to him a father, and he'll be to me a son. And
again, when he bringeth the first begotten into the world, he said,
Let all the angels of God worship him. Worship him. And of the angels, he saith,
who maketh his angels spirit, and his ministers a flame of
fire, worship the Son. But to the Son, he saith, thy
throne, O God, is for ever and ever. A sceptre of righteousness
is a sceptre of thy kingdom. Well, there'll be a marriage. There'll be a marriage supper
of the Lamb. The eternal King of Kings is
going to honor the Son. But you can't have a marriage
feast without people. If no one comes, you can't have
a marriage feast. You can't have a feast with nobody
to dine, can you? It must be a willing, loving
people. The Father's going to honor the
Son, and everybody who comes is going to honor the Son. It's
going to be a marriage supper. Let's read about it in Revelation
19. It's going to be a marriage, and it's going to be a great
multitude. There's going to be some people
there. You can't have a feast and marriage supper if no one
comes. To honor the Son, there must be a rejoicing multitude. The King's Son, the birth of
this King's Son. Verse 6 of Revelation 19 says,
I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude. He said
in another place which no man could number, as the voice of
many waters, as the voice of the mighty thundering, saying,
Hallelujah, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Let us be glad and
rejoice and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb
is come. The wedding is ready, the marriage
of the Lamb. And his wife, he's going to have
one. She made herself ready, and to
her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean
and white. She didn't buy it down here in
one of these stores where you girls get yours. That's not good
enough. I don't care what you paid for
it, it's not good enough. This bride is going to be robed
in a garment made by the Son of God himself. fine linen, clean
and white, the righteousness of the saints. He said to me,
are you right? Blessed are they which are called
to the marriage supper of the Lamb. He said to me, these are
the true sayings of God. And I fell at his feet. Let's
read on. There's going to be another feast too. I fell at
his feet to worship him, and he said, Don't do it, I'm a philosophical
servant of thy brethren, and have the testimony of Jesus.
Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
And I saw, here comes the bridegroom, I saw heaven open, behold a white
horse, he that sat upon it was called Faithful and True. In
righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes was a flame
of fire, on his head were many crowns. He had a name written
that nobody knew but himself. He was clothed with a vesture
dipped in blood, his name is the Word of God. And the armies
which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed
in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth went a sharp
sword, with it he should smite the nations, rule them with a
rod of iron. He treadeth the one press of
the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God, and he hath on
his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings,
Lord of Lords. He really is our only King, regardless
of what anybody says. Jesus Christ is the King of Kings,
Lord of Lords. That's written indelibly, everlastingly
in heaven. Verse 17, going to be another
feast, I don't want any part of this one. I saw an angel standing
in the sun. He cried with a loud voice, saying
to all the fowls that fly in the midst of the heavens, Gather
yourselves together to the supper of the great God, that ye may
eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh
of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and them that sit
on them, and the flesh of all men, free in bond, both small
and great. That's another feast that I don't
want any part of. that marriage supper. Now, I'm
interested. Let's go back to our text. And
we see the first call. There are three calls here. So
verse 2, Matthew 22, you have it, and the king of heaven is
like a certain king made a marriage for the son. Now, no question
who's going to be honored here. And he sent forth his servants
to call them where were bid into the wedding, and they wouldn't
come. I'm going to consider this in three parts, as I believe
our Lord is teaching. From Adam to Moses, there went
forth a call. He said, come to the wedding.
And they didn't hear it. They wouldn't come. Oh, a few
did. Abel heard him. Abel brought
the lamb, looking to the marriage of the lamb. Enoch heard him. Enoch walked with God, and was
not, for God took him. One day he just walked on into
heaven. So he walked with God by faith. Faith in whom? Christ Jesus. That's right. Enoch
heard, he came. Noah, Noah heard. Noah was the eighth person, eighth
prophet. And he heard. But his day didn't
hear. Noah was a preacher of righteousness.
Noah preached all the time he was building the ark. He preached
and warned them of the wrath of God, warned them of the wrath
of God against sin and the mercy of God in Christ. He was a preacher
of righteousness. In fact, Paul said in Hebrews,
the same Spirit preaches to you, went and preached to them in
Noah, the same Spirit of Christ. Job lived before Abraham. And Job's the first book in the
Bible. And Job heard, he says, I know my Redeemer lives. I know
he lives. But they didn't hear. God destroyed
the whole world. God destroyed the whole world.
Abraham heard. Isaac, Jacob, several in that time. But generally,
he called them to a wedding, and they would not come. Well,
verse 4. Now watch this carefully. Again,
he sent forth other serpents. He sent forth Moses. Moses wrote
of Micah, I said. He sent forth Aaron. He sent
forth Samuel. He sent forth the prophets throughout
the whole Old Testament. Isaiah, all these prophets. Again, from Moses to Malachi,
2,000 years. The patience and long-suffering
and mercy of God sent forth his men, his prophets, with a message
of his grace. A little clearer, a little plainer
than it was to that first bunch. That's why Moses had more information
than Abel did. But Abel came. Moses had more
information. Samuel, David, these men. Because
God said, tell them what you're bidding, I have prepared my dinner.
He showed it in the Passover sacrifice. That's a dinner at
the Lord's table. Slay the lamb, roast it with
fire, eat it with unleavened bread or bitter herbs, eat it
all, put the blood on the door. That's a pretty good picture. When he lifted up the serpent
and the wilderness, that's a pretty good picture. When he sent the
high priest out onto the in the courtyard to sacrifice the ram
and the bullock and bring them to the Holy of Holies, put the
blood on the mercy seat. He says, I've prepared my dinner,
my oxen have been killed, my fartlings have been killed, my
lambs have been slaughtered, and all things are ready. The cities of refuge are ready.
You don't have to build one, it's ready. Come on in. The Lamb's
slain, you don't have to kill one, he's already slain. I've
already killed my fat ones. All things are ready. Ready. That's right. All the pictures,
shadows of Christ. But they didn't come. Neither
did, listen, he says, but they made light of it. They made a joke out of it. That's
what folks are doing today. Making a joke. The greatest comedians
of the day are the preachers. They think they're called on
to entertain people. They think they're called on to be toastmasters
and masters of ceremony and make jokes and entertain people. They
make light of the gospel. And they went their ways. This
is the three responses. Number one, they made light of
it. Number two, they went their own ways. They had too many fish
to fry and chicken to kill and all these other things. They
went to their farms and they're busy. went to the merchandise,
the attractions of the world, they're just busy with all these
things, busy with everything that won't help them spiritually,
rather contribute to their downfall, their farm, their merchandise,
their play parties and their toys. Boy, we've got a lot of
them now, haven't we? This generation has more gizmos
to take their mind away from God than any generation has ever
lived. Affluence is the greatest enemy of grace. Too busy. I married a wife, I can't come.
I bought a farm, I've got to go see it. I've got this to do. And here's another, the remnant,
the others took his servants and entreated them spitefully.
They're hard on these preachers. They slew them. They killed them. We're not going to hear them,
we're just going to get rid of them. And that's what they did, even when
he sent his son. They said, we're not going to have this man reign
over us, crucify him. Pilate said, shall I crucify
your king? He's not our king. We'll have no king but Caesar. You take this one and kill him.
God got angry. Listen. When the king heard that
all this happened, he was angry. And he sent his armies. The leader
of that army was Titus, a Roman emperor. He destroyed them and
burned up their city. Jerusalem, the world's capital
of religion. Old Titus came in in 70 A.D. and burned it to the ground,
destroyed every holy landmark that they had, everything they
had, burned up their city, blinded them. Even to this day when Moses
is read, they can't see. Isn't that right? That's what
it says. Even to this day. Let his blood
be on us and our children. That will be mighty fine. I'm
going to justify God. Folks can justify who they want
to, but God is true, and every man is a liar. God did what was
right, he always does. The judge of the earth will do
right, and he burned up their city. All right, verse 8, he
said again, we're in another discipline session. From Adam to Moses. They hurried, but they didn't
come. From Moses to Bethlehem, God
showed them the truth in tight picture and shatter, and they
laughed at it, made fun of it. Went on about their rat killing,
and killed his son, and murdered his prophets. So he called his
servants, his Holy Spirit, he said the wedding is ready, it's
been prepared, from the foundations of the world. It's ready. Every placemat has
a name on it. Do you believe that? I don't
just believe it, I know it. If you've ever been to a big
wedding where you RSVP it, let them know you're coming. Let
me know you're coming because we won't open the door if you
don't let me know you're coming. He knows I'm coming and I know
I'm coming. We're both. He put the name on my place and
I wrote and said I'm coming. by grace. Wedding's ready, and
those folks back yonder for 4,000 years wouldn't listen. Now you
go into the highways and the hedges, and as many as you find. Let's turn over to the book of
Luke, chapter 14. And Luke gives a more graphic
picture of the Lord directing the Holy Spirit and his ambassadors
and his preachers and his servants. You see, the Lord's got a purpose.
He's going to save a people without number, tribe, kindred, nation,
tongue unto heaven. They're going to hear it. He
said, Other sheep I have which are not of this fold, I'll bring
them, they'll hear my voice and they'll come. They'll come. Luke
14, verse 21 through 23. Listen. So the servant came and
showed the Lord these things. And the master of the house,
being angry, said to his servant, Now you go out into the streets
and the lanes of the city and bring in the poor. The poor,
poor in spirit. Folks that have nothing, know
nothing, are nothing. The maimed, maimed in the fog, ruined by
the fog. And the haught, they can't walk,
they're blind, they can't see. You go out, and the servants
of the Lord said, it's done, as you have commanded, there's
still plenty of room. And the Lord said, you go into the highways
and the hedges and compel them to come in. Bid them to come
in, compel them to come in. This is a commandment. It's not
just a bare invitation, it's a commandment. Go bring them in. Thy people
shall be willing in the day of thy power. Thy people shall be willing.
And it says in verse 10, the last line, and the wedding was
furnished with guests, chosen, delivered from their poverty,
captivity, lameness, blindness, deadness, and made to live. And
they come to honor the Son who did it, who by his love and grace
and mercy and blood did it for them. But verse 13, let's see
what this says here. Verse 13, verse 11. But when
the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had
not on a wedding garment. Now, there's just one thing this
wedding garment is. Don't you turn to it, I'll quickly
turn over here. I read a little while ago in Revelation 19, verse
8, and to her was granted, was given, that she should be arrayed,
not in a garment of her choice, and of her making, and of her
sewing, or mama and her sewing bee, but she was arrayed in fine
linen, clean and white, and that fine linen is the righteousness
of God. That's what everybody at that
feast is clothed in, the righteousness which Christ provided and accomplished
by his perfect obedience. But a fellow came in that didn't
have that on. He had on something. And I just
know if he didn't have on something that the Father gave him, the
Lord gave him, he had on something, he got himself. He bound that. He had on something. But he didn't
have on what the Father gave to all the people who were chosen
and called. He had on his own whatever. And the king said, How did you
get in here? You didn't come by faith. You
didn't come by faith. You didn't come naked that you
might be clothed in the righteousness of Christ. You came, you slipped
in. You came in by another door,
you're a thief and a robber." And when he was confronted with
the king's condemnation for the first time in his religious life,
he didn't have anything to say. He didn't go back and talk about
how many years he preached or taught Sunday school. How many
times he tithed and gave his offering, how he fasted and prayed,
not like other men. That Pharisee just rattled on
and on and on. But when he gets in this place, he's going to
be speechless. Lord, did we prophesy? No. Speechless. And we come down to this right
here. The purpose of the wedding is to honor the Son. And those
who are not there to honor the Son are not going to stay. Because
the king said to his servants, you can bind him hand and foot,
and you can take him away, and cast him into outer darkness.
There'll be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Many have been called. From verse 3, he sent forth his
servants. But they wouldn't come. Verse
4, when he said to them, go tell them everything's ready. Then
they lighted up and joked about it. Went on to their arms and
killed his servants. But then turn to 2 Thessalonians. Here's what happened to these
folks. 2 Thessalonians 2. Now this is
just so, because he closed my message with, many are called,
but few are chosen. 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 13,
but we're bound to give thanks for you. Thanks to God for you,
brethren, beloved of the Lord, because God had from the beginning
Chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit
and belief of the truth, whereunto he called you by our gospel to
the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
the marriage supper of the Lamb. He called you by our gospel.
He made you willing in the day of his power. Made you willing.