Respond to Sunday, April 7, 2019
“Remember to Dress Up” | Matthew 22:1-14 | Pastor Enoch Chan
Truth: Your rejection of God will lead to His rejection of you. The parable of the wedding feast is not addressing external enemies of Christianity, but the internal worship of Christians. The king in this story got stood up, yet was patient. The people were indifferent, and even hostile, so the king responded appropriately, in wrath, which makes sense and is necessary.
Response: How do you become a Christian who is “head over heels” about your Savior? You love God in such a way that you don’t just serve, but you sacrifice. Do you serve in a sacrificial manner or in a convenient manner? If you don’t understand the wrath of God, you don’t truly understand the magnitude of God’s grace. Meditate on the wrath of God until it grabs hold of you.
Truth: Indifference to God is rejection of God. You may have made a profession of faith and even be baptized. On paper you recognize Jesus as king, but if his kingship in your life goes no further then you are rejecting God.
Response: What is your mind and heart occupied with? School? Career? Family? All of these are good things but do you remember that God has better things to occupy your heart? Are these good things keeping you from the better?
Truth: Hostility to God is rejection of God. You may be engaged during the sermon, but if you are not listening for the sake of obedience then you are listening for reasons to humiliate, shame, and argue anyone who dares question your sin.
Response: Do you read and hear God’s word for your own selfish purposes? Do you look for things in God’s word to defend a sin in your life?
Truth: Coming to God on your own terms is rejection of God. This is the focus of the parable. It is when you come to God with your own terms by saying, “I don’t want to dress up.” The gates of the kingdom are not open to the unrepentant. Christian growth means that you have fewer and fewer terms.
Response: Are you aware of what your terms are? If so, burn your terms. Or, do you have no idea what are your terms? If so, give full permission to a spiritually mature person to tell you what they discern about your terms. Then, burn those terms. You won’t regret it. The best dish is yet to be served.
Family Response
Truth: Why was the one man cast out of the wedding feast? Because he refused to wear the gift provided by the king. Wearing the clothes provided by the king covered each individual guest with the king’s abundance and the king’s provision. Refusing to wear the covering provided as a gift by the king was to tell the king, “I just want to get your fancy food and party, but I don’t want anything to do with you. I don’t want you to be my king.” Jesus told this story so that the people listening could understand that only God provides the way for them to be with God, the One True King. Jesus is the covering given by the One True King. In John 14:6, Jesus says it this way, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
Response: Here’s a way less spiritual illustration of what happens here, but many of you and your kids can relate to it. When I go to Chuck E. Cheese’s, there is a time when Chuck E Cheese comes out and offers everyone free tickets. If they drop what they’re doing and follow Chuck, they get free tickets. If they don’t follow Chuck, no free tickets. Can you and your kids think of some other examples?
Prepare for Sunday, April 7, 2019
Pray for the Church
- Leaders in worship: Pastor Rickey Primrose, Brandon Ramey & the Worship Music Ministry.
- God will meet with us through His word and by His Spirit, lead us to worship Christ and grow in Christ-likeness.
- God will help us to be a church of zeal and hope, passionate about ministry and confident in His promises.
- God will make us more passionate about and obedient to His mission of leading people to trust and follow Christ.
Prepare for the Message
“High Standing Demands Low Serving” | John 13:1-20 | Pastor Rickey Primrose
On Easter Sunday we will begin a series walking through the book of Joshua called, “Seizing the Promises of God.” Begin praying and reading through Joshua in preparation for that series. This Sunday our Lead Pastor, Rickey Primrose, will bring us a message from John 13:1-20, titled, “High Standing Demands Low Serving.” Take time this week to read through this text of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. Consider the following questions as you read. What is the significance of the Passover meal? What did Jesus know as he prepared to eat the Passover Meal with his disciples? Does what Jesus did in serving the disciples have a greater impact because of what he knew? How does seeing Jesus serve and love his disciples help you to understand how you are called to serve and love people in your life?
Music for Sunday
Victory In Jesus
by Eugene M. Bartlett