The King Throws a Party [Part 1]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. You can't even wrap your mind around the vastness of creation, much less the vastness of God. He reigns, I tell you, he is a king, and he is supreme and awesome and holy, holy, holy.

There is no one like God. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series that we've called The Top Ten from Pastor Alan, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina in the first 10 years of Pastor Alan's radio broadcast ministry. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now, a digital copy of The Top Ten from Pastor Alan Wright. This digital download can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries, or if you prefer, we do have a CD album available. Your choice as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org, that's pastoralan.org, or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. We'll tell you more about it later in the program, but right now let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. You ready for some good news? The kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace, and joy, and the Holy Spirit, according to Romans chapter 14. The kingdom of God consists of righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. I want to tell you today that when Jesus had opportunity to explain to his followers what the kingdom of God is like, he chose as one of his primary examples a wedding party, the biggest party they knew of in the Middle East, and he said that's what the kingdom of God is like. When I was in seminary, I took an evangelism class, and we were given many different assignments. One of the assignments was we were supposed to go and share our faith, share the gospel with a complete stranger. I had shared my faith, of course, sometimes with family and friends before. I was kind of shy, and I wasn't the kind of person to go up to a complete stranger and talk to him about the gospel.

In my mind, I saw it as pushy, and I saw it as uncomfortable, and it wasn't something that I was accustomed to doing, and so I did what I would usually do in such a situation. I put it off until the last minute, so I was putting off and dreading this moment where I had to go and find a helpless victim, I mean a stranger, I mean a person that I could go and tell all the gospel to and get my assignment done, and then I was supposed to write down, you know, what happened. I waited till the last moment, and it was actually due the next day, and I was out playing some tennis, and I said, I've got to find a stranger somewhere and share the gospel or else I'm going to mess up this assignment, and so there was a poor person there that also had finished playing tennis. I went over and cornered them at the tennis fence where they couldn't get away and blurted out the four spiritual laws and laid the gospel on them really quick and kind of walked away and said, I'm glad that's over with, and a person I shared with had something in common. They were glad it was over with also. Years ago, Becky Pfeffert said that Christians and non-Christians have this in common when it comes to evangelism.

They are both uncomfortable with it, and for so much of my life, that's the way I thought of it. I thought, you know, this is not very attractive to me to think of going up to strangers and basically telling them they better hurry up and accept Jesus lest they go to hell. That just didn't seem like the kind of thing I wanted to be doing in my everyday life, and I come today to Matthew chapter 22, which is an amazing story that Jesus tells that is about the kingdom of God, because as we're thinking about missions throughout this month, we're thinking along the theme of He reigns, of the kingdom of God. The message of the gospel is a message of the kingdom. Jesus came, and when He came, He did not just announce that He had arrived as the Messiah. It wasn't just announcing that there was good news. He was announcing a particular message to change your way of thinking.

That's what repent means, for the kingdom of God is at hand. In other words, He was saying that there is an invisible kingdom. The king has a domain, and the king is God, and that he has come inaugurating this kingdom, and that anyone who trusts in Christ is part of this kingdom, and that God is supreme over all, and so the kingdom message is on my heart and mind these days, and so I got to thinking about this king, and if you think about God as a king, you can envision God as the one who is supreme and powerful and awesome, and that He is, for He is so vast and infinite that it cannot be understood by the human mind. In our prayer time this morning, Kelly was just marveling. We were talking about the all of God, and said there is a machine that was put into space that's traveling to the edge of our solar system, and it's getting close now, traveling thousands of miles an hour.

It's about now getting close to the edge of our solar system, but it's taken it 34 or 35 years to get there, and this is how big our solar system is, just a regular little star in the midst of so many solar systems and one galaxy in the midst of so many. You can't even wrap your mind around the vastness of creation, much less the vastness of God. He reigns, I tell you. He is a king, and He is supreme and awesome and holy, holy, holy. There is no one like God, but when you look at the image of God as king and you read along through the gospels, you'll come to Matthew chapter 22, and you will be stunned to realize that this is a king who not only reigns over all, but is a king who likes to throw a party, and we come to Matthew chapter 22 to learn something about the king who throws a party. Matthew 22 verse 1, and again Jesus spoke to them in parable saying the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son and sent his servants to call those who are invited to the wedding, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants saying tell those who are invited, see I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything's ready.

Notice that. I've done everything necessary for the party. Everything's happened. All the provisions made. Come to the wedding feast, verse 5, but they paid no attention and went off. One to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants the wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.

And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. And he said to him, friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. And the king said to the attendants, bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen. Everything about this whole story is surprising. It is just loaded with surprises for Jesus's listeners in his day, and it is loaded with surprise for us as we read this story.

Let me tell you why. Number one, it's surprising, at least it is to me, I think it was everybody else who heard the story, it's surprising that Jesus would compare the kingdom of God to a party. To a party. I grew up in a formal liturgical church in my childhood. Nothing wrong with formality or liturgy, but in my particular situation it didn't feel very life-giving. And I grew up in this church as a kid, and we would go to church, and what I'd be thinking about was how quickly could we go home from church?

If you would ask me as an eight-year-old boy, for example, what word would you describe, would best describe what church is like? I could have spent all day coming up with words, and I could assure you that one of those words would not have been party. I knew what it was like to go to a birthday party. Church was not a birthday party. It was altogether different.

Let me see where the comparison might go. Parties, well, it was an honor to get invited to somebody's birthday party. It was like a privilege, and you felt like a special guest, and you were honored. Church to me just felt like something you had to do. Parties aren't if it's a good party.

It's not like you got to do this or else. Parties are a special privilege. That's not the way church felt. Parties were places where there was lots of laughter, and church to me felt somber, or at least heavy, or at least I had to be really quiet, or else mom would pinch me really hard. You know, I mean, that doesn't happen at parties where if you talk somebody pinches you. Parties are place where you celebrate.

I hope I didn't put that on the video my mom's watching this morning. Parties are places where you celebrate. Celebrate.

You're not worried about you making too much noise, or you're not doing things right. You're just celebrating, and church I just felt like it was the place where you thought about everything that was wrong with you. Parties you give, and you receive presents. Church you give, but you do so because your preacher made you feel guilty. Parties you relax. Church I felt you tighten up, and this is what I felt. A party is a place where you just feel so good when you leave in church. I can't believe how many people come to an old church, and the biggest thing they say when they leave is, I just feel the first time in my life I feel better when I leave church.

I'm like, really? I mean, that's just such a testimony about how much the church hasn't been like a party. Think of the best party you've ever been to. Think of the best party. I'm not talking about that frat party where you threw up on your roommate afterwards. That's not fun. I don't care what you got. That's not fun.

I'm talking about a real party, a good party, a party that was celebrating something, a big party. What's the best one you've ever been to? That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. When you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month, we want to give you Alan Wright's top 10 CD album or digital download.

Are you ready for some good news? Make your gift today and discover God's grace afresh with Alan Wright's top 10 of the first decade. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries.

This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Alan Wright Ministries. Now these are the final days this offer is being made available to you this month. Call us at 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860 or come to our website, pastorallen.org. Today's teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. Best one probably that I have experienced in my behalf was what my wife did on my 40th birthday. My wife's a big into celebration and 40th birthday was approaching and she she hadn't mentioned much. She said she wanted to take me to Ryan's restaurant where we go for special occasions. We go there every winter and eat and then go to the Nutcracker Ballet with the tradition that we've done almost every year of our married life. And I like it. I like the I like the food. I like the place.

I like the memories. We celebrated many birthdays and anniversaries there. It was there that Ann slipped a little present across the table one evening. I opened it up and it was a little pair of booties and she let me know that she was expecting our second child.

It's just been that kind of place. So she said I want to well take you to Ryan's for your birthday. And so I was looking forward to it. We went and I went to the back room where we had sat before and stepped back there and the room was full of family and friends. A number of whom who had flown in from distant places to come and be there for my 40th birthday party. And we had scallops wrapped in bacon as an appetizer and we had prime rib and we had laughter and joy.

And then she gave me this big scrapbook and it was a collection of blessings and encouragements that mentors and teachers and friends from distant places had sent in to just encourage me and gave me the book to look through and feel a sense of honor. And that was some that was a party that was a party going a year and a half ago to Papua New Guinea and watching people get the Bible for the first time in their language having raised their pigs in their gardens in order to celebrate and dance down the beach in their native garb. That's a party. There there have been some good parties. Think about the best party that you've ever been to and probably the best party you've ever been to doesn't compare to a wedding party in ancient Palestine. Even if you were poor you would scrape together everything you had so you could celebrate for at least a week. The bride and the groom are treated like king and queen that week they are they are even if they're not from a royal family it feels like royalty and this is the time to kill the fatted calf. This is the time in which you show hospitality to every friend and family member that you have and you celebrate and you celebrate and just when you feel like you can't keep celebrating you're so you're worn out with celebration you keep on celebrating that's the kind of party and this is a party note that a king is throwing so this isn't a poor person throwing this party this is the king who has all the resources of the kingdom he's throwing a wedding party for his son that's the party that's going on and Jesus says if you want to know what the kingdom of God is like you ever been to a wedding party you know the best celebration you ever go to where all the wonderful foods and fruits and choice drink and fellowship and celebration well that's what the kingdom of God is like but it's not just like any old party it's like the king of the universe has thrown the party that's what the kingdom of God is like that's a big surprise to the somber Pharisees and it's a surprise to a lot of people who have grown up in religious environments some who have been raised in church and have no concept of what the kingdom of God is really like for at its essence it is a place that is filled with righteousness and joy and peace so that's a surprise number one the second surprise is not just that it is the kingdom of God's a party but the second surprise is that the people who come to the party see what happens the king sends out the invitation to noblemen aristocrats people who are accustomed to the royal court and they refuse they don't come now this is shocking who turns down a king's invitation to his son's wedding party who doesn't want to go to the palace for the prince's big party i thought the cinderella story was about everybody wants to go to the party who doesn't want to go this this should stop and arrest your attention right here isn't it amazing jesus telling the story about the kingdom behind you saying that some people are invited to it and say and say no are you kidding me the only two reasons one the people are busy and they're working some to his farm some to his business the text says and others said just got mad and they disdained the king and despised the invitation and rose up and killed the messengers so there were two reasons people didn't come either they were consumed with their work or they were consumed with their hatred of the king there's only two explanations that are here you'd have to be completely preoccupied with your own work and your own endeavors or you'd have to be completely repulsed by the king completely rebellious to the point you'd be treasonous and say nobody is going to tell me what to do even if it's inviting me to a party when people reject god there are basically two reasons you reject god like the prodigal son we call him the younger son who went off to a faraway land and squandered his inheritance and wild living it was rebellion said i don't want to live with my father i don't want to be here i want to do it on my own or you're like the older brother who said that he'd been slaving for all those years in the field working working working and when the father pleaded with him to come into the party he refused to come in he was more concerned with his own work in other words there are two ways that people reject the celebration of the kingdom of god and one is a preoccupation with your own attempts at righteousness you could call this religiosity or such a pride that rejects any sovereign leadership over your life and you could just call that rebellion so the king has sent out this invitation and it's just amazing that anybody would say no honestly the more that honestly the more that i walk with god and the more that i take delight in the beauty of the gospel and the offer that he has made to us having come to die in our place and love us with an everlasting love and infuse us with his holy spirit who bears fruit in our lives of love and joy and peace and patience and goodness and everything good you could ever imagine i i just wonder who would not want that celebration in there who would not want the grace of god it's shocking to me and so it's surprising people say no they don't come and so the party is too important to just cancel because nobody comes the king is going to celebrate this is very important theological point god loves you and he wants you celebrating in the kingdom of god with him for all eternity he loves the whole world he would that all would be saved but you must also understand this that the kingdom of god and the celebration for eternity of what god has done and jesus christ is going to go on with us or without us that what you might as well realize is that there is this great party that's going on and you are invited to come into it but it is so important that god's going to make sure that the party goes on you see we said he says i've done everything he sends a second invitation to the aristocrats and he says he goes back to him says no first they invited they said no he said go back just tell them i've killed the fatted calves the oxen have been slaughtered the fruit has been imported the cheeses are in place the choice wine is ready to serve the minstrels have been hired the plans have been made all the arrangements are there everything is in order won't you come you don't even have to do anything but just come i've already done all of this i've already accomplished this this is the heart of god this is what god is saying he said i have already come to the world i've already died for your sin i've already bled for you i've already made a place for you i've already prepared for you just please come see it's the heart of god it reminds me of when jesus is being celebrated and the children and and and and and disciples are gathered hosanna hosanna and and the religious ones say tell these to be quiet and jesus i'll tell you if i if these get quite the stones will shout out because the party's gonna happen alan wright in today's message the king throws a party from the series alan wright's top 10 the life-changing message of good news has been taught over radio from Alan Wright Ministries for quite some time now and god has used every one of those messages but some broadcasts have really hit home in special ways in gratitude of more than a decade of radio we have assembled the most powerful best loved messages from each year of the first 10 and put them together in one special album when you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month we want to give you alan wright's top 10 cd album or digital download are you ready for some good news make your gift today and discover god's grace afresh with alan wright's top 10 of the first decade the gospel is shared when you give to Alan Wright Ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support when you give today we will send you today's special offer now these are the final days this offer is being made available to you this month call us at 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 or come to our website pastor alan.org in the victorious life we realize that we are nothing without him but he's given us every power when your life switches from being preoccupied with your own performance and shifts over to being preoccupied with the grandeur of christ's performance yeah when your life shifts away from always asking the question how am i doing have i done well enough how are people thinking of me and instead it shifts to what has christ done how well has christ done see what that does is it moves you away from preoccupation with self to preoccupation with the grace of god the question is not are you worthy or have you accomplished and do you have something to brag about that's just not the question anymore god wants you to feel great about yourself he wants you to have tremendous inward esteem but the question is not whether you've done well enough real gospel living means that's just not the question the question is has christ done well enough and the answer is he's done perfectly and that's the gospel visit us online at pastor alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free find out more about these and other resources at pastor alan.org that's pastor alan.org today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries