Announcements
- Discipleship Class this Tuesday, November 19 at 6:30-8:00pm in room 150/151 "Conversation Quadrant: Engaging the Lost Through Intentional Conversations"
- Young Adults group in room 150/151 on Thursday, November 21 at 6:30pm
- Women's Teachings & Tea this Saturday, November 23 from 9:00-10:30am in the cafe
- Operation Christmas Child shoebox collection is happening (bring boxes by November 24)
- Christmas Decorating Sunday, November 24 after 10:45 am service
- Turkey Bowl at 9am on Thanksgiving morning (waiver forms necessary; can be printed and filled out ahead of time from online PDF)
- Community Church Family Thanksgiving Thursday, November 28 at 4pm RSVP by November 20 using the QR code in the bulletin or signup sheet at the Welcome Center
Sermon Notes
Matthew 22:1-14
I. The banquet is ____________(v. 1-7)
A.____________of the King (v. 2-6)
1.____________(v. 5)
2.____________(v. 6)
B.____________ of rejecting God (v. 7)
II. The ____________ is served (v. 8-13)
A.____________ invitation (v. 8-10)
B. An ____________ found out (v. 11-13)
III. A poignant ____________ (v. 14)
Going Deeper
- Dan Doriani provides the context of Matt. 22:1-14:
“When Jesus enters Jerusalem with public acclaim and follows this with a
symbolic judgment of the temple and its leaders, the leaders challenge
him in return. They tell him to silence the children who praise him and ask
by what authority he acts. Jesus, recognizing these as signs of a broader
rejection of his mission, replies with three parables.” Matt. 22:1-14 is the
third parable. Read it.
Read the previous parable (Matt. 21:33-44). Compare and contrast with the
wedding banquet parable (Matt. 22:1-14). How are these parables different?
How are they similar? What is Jesus saying about the religious rulers? - Read v. 5. They reject the king because of indifference. Douglas
O’Donnell warns us: “Don’t let your occupation preoccupy your soul. Don’t
lose your life by making a living.” How might our work distract us from
the Kingdom of God? - Read v. 6. Dan Doriani says: “The disinterested guests portray the
many Israelites who ignore Jesus and his announcement of the
kingdom. The hostile invitees signify the Jewish leaders who hate Jesus
and plot his death. So the parable depicts the rejection of Jesus, a
rejection that is disappointing in some ways and outrageous in others.”
In what ways have you been indifferent or hostile toward God? - Read v. 7. Is this troubling to you? Why? Dan Doriani says: “Without
repentance, sinners taste God’s wrath.” Go deeper by reading
Ex. 32:11; 2 Chron. 24:18; Ezra 8:22; Pss. 59:13 ; 78:59; Jer.
7:20; Rom. 1:18; 12:19; Eph. 5:6; Rev. 14:10.
Verse 7 foretells the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. Throughout the
Bible we see God use foreign armies as His instruments of judgment (see
Prov. 21:1; Isa. 10:5-11; 44:28-45; 45:1; Jer. 25:9; Dan. 4:17).
Douglas O’Donnell: “We live in a culture that gets so angry with the notion
of an angry God, who thinks a God of justice to be unjust, who hates the
idea of a loving God being wrathful. Our kinder, gentler culture thinks
they want, as C. S. Lewis put it, ‘not so much a father in Heaven as a
grandfather in Heaven—a senile benevolence.’” Do you agree? Why or
why not? Is a God of wrath troubling to you? - Read v. 8-10. What does the king do? R. T. France says:
“[This parable] speaks of people who do not live up to expectation and so
lose their place of privilege, to be replaced by a more surprising group; the
first are last and the last first.”
Dan Doriani says: “If God calls ‘both bad and good,’ his invitation has no
terms or preconditions. There is nothing one can do in order to obtain an
invitation to the feast.” How is this good news? - As believers in Christ we are to put on the new self. Read Colossians
3:12-14. What are we instructed to put on? How will you apply this today? - Read Matt. 25:31-46 Parable of sheep and goats. How does this parable
relate to Matt. 22:11-13?
Craig Keener says: “Professing Christians who insult God’s grace by
presuming on it, failing to honor his Son, will be banished to outer darkness
and weeping with gnashing of teeth (Matt 8:12; 13:42; 24:51; 25:30).” - John Calvin says: “There is no point in arguing about the marriage
garment, whether it is faith or a holy and godly life; for faith cannot be
separated from good works and good works proceed only from faith.” - Frederick Bruner says: “True faith in God’s imputed righteousness
moves believers to want to be righteous personally—not as a basis for
standing before God (only Christ can give that), but as an evidence of
wanting to please the Father who was gracious enough to invite. The gift
of the Holy Spirit, given with faith, moves believers to want to be holy.”
Do you want to be holy? How is that desire applied in your life? - Douglas O’Donnell says: “Every disciple who openly professes Jesus as
Lord (“Lord, Lord”) will stand before the King and Judge. Jesus Christ will
have judicial robes on. The question is, will you have the proper attire?”
Do you have the righteousness of Jesus? If you have never received Jesus
as Savior and Lord you can pray right now and ask Him to forgive you,
come into your life and save you for eternity!
