Matthew 22:1-14

Matthew 22:1-14
“You Can Come As You Are – -
But You Can’t Stay As You Are”
October 5, 2008
Communion

This fall we are looking at some of Jesus’ teaching from the Gospel of Matthew.
We began by looking at Matthew 18::15-20 – and saw how Jesus teaches us to deal with conflict – while walking in love.
We then looked at looked at Matthew 18:21-35 – and saw how Jesus teaches us to forgive others – and how we can do that. Then we look at Matthew 20:1-16 – and saw an amazing story about the amazing love and grace of God. Today we turn to Matthew 22:1-14 – and will see how God invites us to come as we are – but not to stay as we are.

Listen to the word of God

Is the kingdom of God a “Come as you are party” – - and if so, can you stay as you are after accepting and experiencing the love of God?

These are the questions addressed by our gospel lesson for this morning.

Maybe you’ve heard the story about the boy who – on his birthday – was outside playing – - and heard his mother calling him to come inside. He figured that his mother never called him unless she wanted him to do something like clean his room or some such chore — so he decided that it was his birthday — he had no intention of doing chores — and he would just hide in the garage until she gave up on finding him.
Well — little did he know that his mother had planned a surprise birthday party for him — and all his friends were gathered inside waiting for the guest of honor to appear.
He also didn’t know that his mother noticed him slipping into the garage — and figured out what he was doing.
Instead of going into the garage after him, she went inside and held the party without him. He missed his own party because he wouldn’t respond when his mother called.

The parable Jesus tells in our gospel lesson for today is something like the story of the boy who missed his own party — although in the parable it is a king who gives a party – a banquet – and calls the guests to come and enjoy the feast. For various reasons, however, the guests make excuses and refuse to come to the feast. They quickly find that this was not the correct response to make to the knig’s invitation – - for he orders that all who refused his invitation be killed and their cities burned.
The invitation is then opened to any who will come to the feast and quite a motley crew ends up at the feast — the good and bad — all gathered together in the banquet hall and ready for the feast to begin.

OK — we can presume that the parable is over.

Outsiders are brought in — the good and the bad are gathered together – - God’s gracious invitation has been issued to all and some that we would never expect to be in the kingdom are there — while others we expected to see nowhere to be found. End the story here – Jesus – and you have the perfect parable about the gracious invitation of God for all to come to His feast — His kingdom.

But – - Jesus does not end the parable.
There is more.
Much more.
In fact, the main point has yet to be made.

One of the guests — one of those who has accepted the kings gracious invitation – is thrown out because he is not wearing a wedding robe.
What a silly thing to quibble over.
The king has invited all to his feast – - then starts making demands.
What’s the point?
What’s Jesus trying to say here?
Could it be that Jesus is trying to make us take a hard look at how we respond to God’s gracious invitation to be a part of His kingdom?

God says to you:
“Come as you are!”
But – when you hear God’s invitation to be a part of His glorious kingdom — to come as you are — how do you respond?

Do you refuse to be a part of the kingdom — much like those who refused to come to the feast in the first place?
Are the things of the world more important and more appealing to you than the things of the kingdom of God?

Many refuse to be a part of the kingdom of God – - like those in the parable who refuse to come to the feast.
The things of the world are more important to them. They don’t have time for the things of God. They are too busy making money — buying things — no time now for God.
Maybe later.
What a mistake that is!
What happens?
The same thing that happened to those who refused the invitation to the feast.
Destruction.
Destroyed lives.

You don’t hear about these things much any more.
We don’t like to talk about them.
We don’t like to talk about or hear about judgment. It’s a word we shy away from.
We don’t like to talk or hear about God’s judgment on sinners. We’d much rather talk about or hear about God’s love.
But friends — we overlook God’s judgment at our peril.

God may be a God of love — but God is also a God of judgment. We can not take His love — or His gracious invitation — too lightly — like those who made up excuses for not attending the banquet — or we may find that we may have gained the whole world — but lost our souls.

Or maybe you take God up on His gracious invitation to come as you are into His kingdom — but the fact that you have done that make no difference in how you live your life. A lot of people are that way. They take God up on His gracious invitation — but it doesn’t really matter to them that they have done so. They may make some surface changes to their lives – - but nothing drastic.

Again — sometimes we take God too lightly.

We may accept His gracious invitation — but not let it truly make a difference in how we live.
And again — we do this at our peril — just as the one at the feast without the proper robe.

It’s like the man walking down the street who sees a sign in front of a church that reads:
“Prepare to meet God!”
The man stops in front of the sign – - looks at his reflection — takes off his hat — smoothes his hair — straightens his tie — and — thus prepared — he thinks — to meet God — goes on his way.

Could it be that that is the mistake Jesus is illustrating in the one at the feast who is thrown out because he is not wearing a wedding robe?
Could it be that these are the ones who respond to God — but then do not let God make a difference in their lives — and remain as they are?
Could it be that being a part of God’s kingdom requires more than just saying “Yes” to the invitation?
Could it be that it means changing your life — letting Christ make a difference in how you live your life?
Could God’s invitation mean being accepted “as you are” — but not staying “as you are”?
Could it be that God invites us to “Come as you are” but not “stay as you are?”
Yes — in fact it could be that indeed!

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.
You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

When she was a teenager, Sally had a “Come as you are party” — her dad went around and “kidnapped” her friends at 6:00 in the morning — and brought them to their house. Of course, they came in their bathrobes — nightgowns — pajamas — their hair in curlers — and so forth. All was well until that afternoon at 2:00 when everyone returned to their homes — embarrassed to be in their bathrobes — nightgowns — pajamas — hair in curlers — and so forth — at that time of day. The party was such a hit that it wa remembered in the “twenty years ago today” column in her hometown newspaper several years ago.

God’s kingdom is a “Come as you are party” — everyone who will accept the invitation is included — but the difference between God’s kingdom and Sally’s party is that in the kingdom of God we can “come as we are” — but we can not “stay as we are.” We must let Christ change our lives.

The person in Jesus’ parable at the feast without the wedding robe had not done that. He had come as we was — bu he had stayed as he was. In God’s kingdom, we can come as we are — but we can not stay as we are.

It’s a “Come as you are — but don’t stay as you are” party.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

Most of you know that this past week I was at the National Church Transformation Pastor’s Conference in St. Pete’s Beach, Florida. We talked about a lot of things – and I got a lot of practical ideas about leading a Church through transformation and revitalization. The main point I learned, however, is that Church transformation only happens when the Church leaders and members commit to having their lives revitalized – transformed – and changed by Christ. I will share a lot of different ideas with you in the very near future – but here is the starting point –

If we are going to be transformed as a Church, we are going to have to be transformed as individuals.
If we are going to be a Church that serves God and makes a difference for God in the community and the world, we are going to have to be people who serve God and make a difference for God in the community.

The first step is to let God make a difference in your personal life, then share that with the Church – the community – and the world.

Amy Vanderbilt is definitely no theologian — but some of her pointers for good etiquette are quite helpful. Vanderbilt insists that — when you are at a party — you follow the lead of the host.

Indeed, as part of God’s great banquet — the kingdom of God – - we need to follow the lead of our host — our host being none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus accepts us as we are — but then can change us.
In our lives we must show the changes Christ can make by repenting of our past and letting Christ change us.
We must show Jesus’ love in our lives — we must show that we are a part of the kingdom of God by letting the kingdom of God completely change us. Putting on the robe of love and righteousness by reaching out to those in need — in the simple ways and also in the more difficult ways.

Indeed, in responding to the invitation of Christ we can “Come as we are” but not “stay as we are.”

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t say as you are.

Let Christ change your life.

Follow Christ’s lead in how you live your life.

Not doing so is just as risky as not accepting Christ.
Not letting Christ change how you live brings the same results as not accepting Christ’s invitation.
Not letting God change your life and make a difference in what you say and do will get you in the same place as those who never accept the invitation at all.
Come.

Come as you are — but don’t take it lightly.
Let your life in Christ change you. That is the only way for salvation.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.

Flannery O’Conner wrote a story entitled A Good Man Is Hard To Find. In this story, one of the characters makes the statement:

“If Jesus really did all He said, then there’s no other response to make
but to throw away everything and follow Him.”

Indeed, that’s the only way to respond to God.
That’s the response to make to the God’s gracious invitation.

Throw away everything — and follow Him.

You can come as you are –
But you can’t stay as you are.
Amen.