Good morning and welcome. This is Sunday, October eleventh, two thousand twenty-six. You are tuned to the live broadcast of a service for the worship of God, which is coming to you from the sanctuary of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond, Virginia. A live audio stream is available at the Grace Covenant website, which can be found at grace-covenant.org. Just select the radio button, then listen live.The.
The. The. Oh. Oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh.
Oh. The. Oh, oh, This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Good morning, and welcome to Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
This Lord's Day. We welcome all who come to worship with us. Those who are in person, those who listen on the radio, as well as those watching on live stream. We greet you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. At this time, I would like to turn your attention to the announcements.
Please follow along as I highlight a few. Do you love great music? Then you are in for a great treat. Christine Anderson, Kate Tibbets, and Sharon Miller, also known as the Tam Trio, will perform a free concert today at 3 p.m. at River Road Presbyterian Church.
Come out and enjoy this great free performance. Join us also on Wednesday night for Wednesday night supper at 6 p.m. for food, fellowship, and a program. This week we will hear from Roberta Smith, who will tell us all about the Crop Hunger Walk, which is fast approaching. That will be held on November eighth.
So take a night off from cooking dinner and come and dine with us on Wednesday. The Stewart Circle Parish Council is starting a Joy Circle Ministry. A free weekly gathering for neighbors living with early to mid-stage memory loss, and for the family members who care for them. Once a week, participants will spend time in music, art, and conversation with trained volunteers, while care partners take a break or join a concurrent support group. If you are interested in joining the Joy Circle as a volunteer or a participant, contact me here at the church.
My email is jw.sidnor at gcpcrva dot org. Finally, let us remember to keep one another in prayer, especially those on our congregational prayer list. We know that prayer changes things. If you have a prayer request, please fill out the card in your bulletin, and you may place that on the plate during offering, or you may put it in the prayer box in the narthex. Let us remember to pray.
Now we will prepare our hearts and minds to worship the living God. On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food. A feast of well-aged wines, and He will destroy the shroud that is cast over all peoples, and swallow up death forever. This is our God. We have waited for Him, so that He might save us.
This is the Lord who we have waited. Let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation. Thanks, Peter. Once again, welcome to the live broadcast of a service for the worship of God, which is coming to you from the sanctuary of Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church. At sixteen twenty-seven Monument Avenue, in Richmond, Virginia, this is the one hundred third year of radio ministry at Grace Covenant, and today's broadcast is number five thousand two hundred sixty-six.
This morning's sermon, entitled "The Danger of Indifference," will be delivered by the Reverend Calvin H. Sitnor, the fourth. Assisting in the service today are Quint Revely, liturgist; Chris Martin, director of music and organist; the chancel choir, and the Reverend Joanna W. Sidnor, co-pastor. Our opening hymn is "Ye Servants of God, Your Master Proclaim," which is number four hundred seventy-seven in the Presbyterian Hymnal.
And let us all be happy tonight. For all we have, all we've done, all our friends, we need the dawn. These endless dreams. We know that nothing is able to separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore, let us, in freedom, confess the wrong we have done, with the prayer of confession printed in the bulletin.
Eternal God, in every age. You have raised up men and women to live and die in faith. Forgive our indifference to your will. You have commanded us to speak, but we have been silent. You have called us to do what is just, but we have been fearful.
Have mercy on us, your faithless servants. Keep before us faithful people for to follow.
So that by the power of your Holy Spirit, we may grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to the praise of your Holy Name, Amen. Hear the good news! Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. Thanks be to God.
Please be seated. At this time, children ages three through six are invited forward for children's chapel. They will be at the back of the fellowship hall for pickup immediately after worship. Also invited forward youth ages seven through twelve for youth chapel, and they will return after the sermon. We also have childcare for babies and kids up to age three available in room one hundred and one.
Praise God for our children. Holy Spirit, pour out upon us wisdom and understanding, that being taught by you in holy Scripture, our hearts and minds may be opened to receive all that leads to life and holiness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Old Testament reading Psalm one hundred six, one through six, nineteen through twenty three. Listen for the word of the Lord.
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever. Who can utter the mighty dogs of the Lord, or declare all His praise? Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. Remember us, O Lord, when you show favor to your people.
Help us when you deliver them, that we may see the prosperity of your chosen ones. That we may rejoice in the gladness of your nation. That we may glory in your heritage. Both we and our ancestors have sinned. We have committed iniquity.
Have done wickedly, they made a calf at Horeb and worshipped a cast image. They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. They forgot God, their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt, wondrous works in the land of Ham, and awesome deeds by the Red Sea. Therefore, he said he would destroy them. Had not Moses, his chosen one, stood in the breach before him, to turn away his wrath from destroying them, the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God. Quint, thank you for that powerful reading. The gospel reading comes from Matthew chapter twenty-two, verses one through fourteen. Listen again for the word of the Lord. Once more, Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.
He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come." Again, he sent other slaves, saying, "Tell those who have been invited, look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen, and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet." But they made light of it and went away. One to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burned the city.
Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet." Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad.
So the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." For many are called, but few are chosen. The word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Let us pray. O Lord, open our hearts and minds by the power of Your Holy Spirit, that as Your Word is proclaimed today, we may hear what You are saying to us today.
Now let the words of Your servant's mouth and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing. In your sight, O Lord, our rock, in our Redeemer, through Christ, Amen. Amen. The sermon title this morning is "The Danger of Indifference." French philosopher Denis Diderot once said, "It is very important not to mistake hemlock for parsley, but not at all so to believe or not in God." Notice the skepticism, but don't miss the deeper problem: profound indifference. Diderot was saying poison versus food.
That means, and that matters right now. But God, that doesn't affect my afternoon. Indifference neither supports nor opposes. It neither likes nor dislikes. It neither loves nor hates.
Their response is a shrug. Oh well. The 18th century atheist Diderot shared the same dismissive spirit as the elite religious leaders. Yet they stood at opposite ends of the spectrum and reached the same conclusion: God's invitation is irrelevant. Diderot rejected God through skepticism.
The Pharisees rejected God through self righteousness. This is the third of three parables in which Jesus confronts that cold heart head on. He exposes the hidden tragedy of looking at God's invitation and deciding it's not worth their time. While this passage speaks to religious leaders, pastors, and elders today, it speaks directly. To everyone, whether you are a silver-haired saint, new to the faith, or the Holy Spirit is moving in your heart today, God's invitation is personal and should not be ignored.
Jesus paints a picture using the story of a king hosting a grand wedding, celebrating a son. The king sends out. His servants to call those who were originally invited only to find out that they simply refuse to come. The parable portrays the religious authorities not as people who couldn't attend, but those who wouldn't. Can you imagine someone rejecting a wedding invitation?
Weddings are times of great joy and fellowship with family and friends, and extending an invitation reflects deep trust. And relationship. If someone refused a wedding invitation, we wouldn't keep silent. We wouldn't invite them over and over and over again. But in the parable, we find Jesus for a second time, in an even more personal way, declaring that all the preparations are complete and that the king has spared no expense.
Especially saying. To those who opposed him, there is a seat for you. How much more personal could it be? All that remains is for them to come and join him for the amazing feast, which symbolizes the invitation to the kingdom of God. If someone prepared a banquet of that magnitude just for us, we would drop everything to be there.
This meal presentation reminds me. Of the Lord's invitation to the great feast in Isaiah chapter twenty-five verse six, on this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. Jesus joyfully says, "Come to the wedding. Your presence in the kingdom of God will be greater than you can imagine." For some, God's personal invitation can feel like junk mail—something that is to be discarded or irrelevant or to be set aside.
However, with God, the invitation is trustworthy. God sends divine invitations. They are personal because He knows us and He knows our names, and they are urgent, requiring an immediate response. You see, Jesus invites us to His table. Still, they rejected God's invitation, and Jesus points directly to the crux of the problem.
But they made light of it and went away. And to one, his farm; another, to his business. While the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. Spiritual apathy leads to opposition to God's grace. Notice that Jesus does not say they openly opposed the king or that they were confused about what the king desired.
They simply valued other things more. In other words, they didn't care because of their personal priorities. The king's feast could wait. Outright rebellion is easy to identify, but a heart that is occupied, too distracted, too comfortable with the things of God, can be just as far from the kingdom. And difference never happens overnight.
We don't wake up faithful one day and turn completely away the next. It drifts in slowly, anchoring itself in a preoccupied mind. Preoccupation masquerades as harmless, but what consumes your mind will eventually starve your spirit. The difficult truth is that indifference and unbelief are close cousins. What begins as apathy hardens into skepticism.
Spiritual death and even active hostility toward God—that is what happened to these religious leaders. Lacking reverence for the King, the invited guests who refused to come and turned on God's messengers naively assumed that they were in no danger.
However, the cost of treating God's grace with hostility is total ruin. As Jesus says, the king was enraged. He sent his troops destroy those murderers and burn their city. Rejecting God's grace leads to isolation and self-inflicting judgment. But glory to God!
His grace does not end with human refusal or inappropriate actions. Christ desires that we say yes to His invitation and that we bring others to join Him. And what he has already prepared for us. Have you seen a believer drift into distraction and indifference? It rarely happens like a sudden storm that shatters faith in a single moment.
Indifference is a slow leak of the soul. My old car. Right outside, my front right tire tends to lose pressure over time.
However, the tire has never been flat. The rim has never touched the asphalt. The sign that I need to add more air is that the car drifts toward the low side tire side, and it's harder for me to keep the car going straight. A field here, a business transaction there. A little extra worry about tomorrow—none of it looks like disaster.
But day by day, our spiritual pressure drops until we realize we've drifted away from God, His church, and His word. Ask yourself today: In what direction am I drifting? What harmless distractions have become? A major preoccupation. Where has the pressure dropped?
The moment you notice the drift is the time to re-anchor, not in your own effort, but in God's grace. While Jesus desires that we embrace His grace, He also extends fresh, enduring mercy and divine hope to all who come. Then he said to his slaves, "The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy." Jesus isn't letting indifference cancel the feast. The wedding is not canceled. The venue hasn't changed.
The wedding is ready. Even though the original guests miss out, the kingdom cannot be derailed. And because those who were invited had other priorities, God offers a new invitation to everyone. Those excluded from honor and privilege, those lacking resources, physical wholeness, or social standing, are now welcomed in. Go therefore into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.
Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad.
So the wedding hall was filled with guests. The very people deemed outsiders became unexpected guests. This new invitation reveals that no one enters God's kingdom because of status or worthiness, but solely by God's grace through faith. When Pastor Joanne and I were in college. On a very very tight budget, we went to Washington D.C.
to visit various venues. As we walked through one gallery, we found ourselves in an incredible space where amazing jazz was being played. We we came upon of the Manhattan Transfer. They were performing. People walked around, and people were sitting at tables and fellowshiping.
We loved the venue. It was perfect. Then someone tapped me on my shoulder, and the usher asked me to see our tickets. I said, "No, we don't have tickets." And just as he was about to explain that this was a ticketed event, a kind elderly couple stepped forward, smiling, saying, "We bought four tickets. Our other guests didn't show up, and we'd love for this young couple to use them and sit with us." Rather than leaving those seats empty, they welcomed two young college students to an event that we had no right to attend.
We received an invitation we hadn't earned for a seat we absolutely couldn't afford. Just as we were about to be turned away, Christ's invitation offers us ultimate joy and purpose. And we have been commissioned to go out into everyday spaces and share the good news of Christ's invitation. As Christ concludes his parable, he turns his warning from missing the feast to an even greater danger: arriving unprepared. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there.
Who was not wearing a wedding robe? And he said to him, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?" And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen." This reminds us. That coming to the feast requires more than just showing up.
It requires a heart prepared by grace. Jesus reveals that the King Himself shows up. He doesn't simply send the invitation and stay away. He comes personally to inspect the guests. Though the servants gathered people from the streets, including the poor and the outcast and marginalized, this man stood out because he refused to wear the appropriate garment for the occasion.
Whether the king supplied the wedding garments or the guests were expected to wear their Sunday best, the point remains the same: this man neglected the provision made for him. He wanted to attend the banquet, yet he rejected the king. He accepted the invitation, yet he refused the transformation. No different from those first invited and refused to come. When the king said, "Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?" the man had no answer.
He had no excuse. Jesus shows that the wedding garment symbolizes the transformation that accompanies genuine faith. It's the new life God's grace creates, and above all, it means being clothed in Christ's righteousness, without which none of us can stand before the King. Revelation nineteen and eight says to the church, the bridegroom of Christ. To her, it has been granted to be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure.
For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. Friends, the gospel invitation is free, but it is not casual. Christ welcomes sinners as they are, but he does not leave them as they are. This man wanted the blessing of the banquet without submitting to the king, desiring a place at the table without a new life of the kingdom. The warning is sober.
It is possible to be among God's people, to hear the gospel, and even appear among the guests while remaining unchanged by grace. Mere attendance doesn't matter. Mere association with the church isn't enough. God seeks hearts transformed by His mercy. But there is also great comfort here.
When we stop making light of the gospel and put on Christ by faith, we need not fear the king's examination. We stand before Him not in our own righteousness, but clothed in the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can have full assurance, confidence of our salvation now, and of our welcome into the kingdom to come. That is why Jesus concludes: "For, for many are called, but few are chosen." The invitation goes out broadly, but only those who truly receive Christ and are transformed by His grace are prepared to stand before the King. Brothers and sisters, the table is set, the feast is ready, the king has sent the invitation.
The tragedy of this parable is a parable is not that the grace was withheld, but that it was ignored, despised, or received without a transformed heart. Jesus warns us that treating the gospel with apathy carries eternal consequences. A cold and indifferent heart leads to the exclusion from the king's banquet. But the good news is that Christ not only invites us to the feast, He also provides the garments we need to enter. Through His perfect life, atoning death, and victorious resurrection, He clothes sinners in righteousness.
Therefore, our assurance is not found in the strength of our obedience. But in the perfection of Christ's righteousness, while genuine faith will fruitfully produce a transformed life, our confidence rests in Christ alone.
So, do not turn away from the King's call. Do not delay or remain indifferent. The table is waiting, and the King is calling your name even now. Come to Christ. Receive His grace, put on His righteousness by faith.
For all who are clothed in Him will never be cast out, but welcomed to the marriage supper of the Lamb, rejoicing in His kingdom forever. Amen. If you're able, let us please stand as we sing. Take thou our minds, dear Lord. You are listening to the live broadcast of a worship service at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church.
You have just heard this morning's sermon entitled "The Danger of Indifference," which was delivered by the Reverend Calvin H. Sidnor IV. The congregation will now join in singing, "Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord," which is number three hundred ninety-two in the Presbyterian Hymnal. We'll stand all day long, and in our souls find victory. Our enemies will know salvation.
I bow my head and knees. Take my sad soul and carry me to Thee. And so I must go there, be myself free. I cannot stop. We can't let go of our love.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, we have heard the word and responded with song. Let us now respond by stating what we believe, using the Apostles' Creed as printed in the bulletin. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried. He descended into hell.
The third day, he arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen. Please be seated.
Seated. Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Lord God, Creator of the heavens and earth, Spirit within us, and Lord our Savior who walks beside us, open our hearts and minds as we come before you in prayer. We need your glory in this world. We pray for the manifestation of your holy presence, and we ask that the transformative power of your resurrection life fill our hearts, our lives, and our communities.
We humble ourselves today, O God, acknowledging our sins, our failures, and our shortcomings. Confessing of the moments that we have fallen short of the glory of God, and those times we have failed to do good. We acknowledge that we have chosen our own path, allowing distraction, impatience, and self-reliance to guide our steps. Cleanse us, Lord, and renew a right spirit within us. Our hearts overflow with gratitude for Jesus Christ, who bore the weight of our sins.
We thank you for His life-transforming sacrifice on the cross, where He defeated sin and death, so that we might be clothed in His flawless righteousness, redeemed and made whole. Thank you for calling us to Yourself, for granting us the grace to be known by You, and for entrusting us with the privilege of serving. As your heart, hands, and feet in this world, grant us the peace that passes all understanding, and give us the patience we need to navigate each day. Teach us to live balanced lives, anchored in your presence, grounded in your truth, and walking daily in the freedom and victory of the cross and resurrection. We lift up our world to you, O God, especially places bound by injustice, where hunger cramps stomachs, where opportunities to grow are stifled, and where hope seems fleeting.
Break through in a mighty way with your justice, your peace, and your abundance, Lord. We pray for those impacted by hurricane. Isaiah's and tropical storm Rachel for families facing destruction, loss or displacement. Grant strength to the first responders. Wrap your comforting arms around those who are suffering and provide swift aid, restoration, and hope in the wake of the storm.
We pray for victims of the earthquake in Panama on Friday. We pray. For the victims of violence, especially the mass shootings that killed nine, including two children, in Erie, Pennsylvania, bring healing and let your light break through the darkness. Lord, we pray for our country and all who are in it as we approach the upcoming elections. Remove pride and self-seeking motives from those seeking office.
Fill their hearts with your Holy Spirit. And lead our elected official officials to serve their communities faithfully, with integrity and humility. Bless our local community of Richmond and all who give of themselves to serve it. Guide their steps, Lord Jesus. Bless each member of this congregation, and all God's people, and keep your hand of protection over us.
Walk closely with those in need. Bring your healing touch to the ill, and reassure each of us of your unfailing and unconditional love. Lord, we pray for families today. We give you thanks for households that are whole and healthy, where love abounds, grace flows freely, and relationships grow together in your truth. Yet our hearts ache for families torn apart.
Or strained, we bring before you those fractured by abuse, trauma, divorce, or marital conflict, and those weighed down by addiction, financial strain, or mental health struggles. Bring your divine healing, reconciliation, and restoration to places of brokenness. Surround each person with your protective care. Break cycles of pain. And grant the wisdom to seek help and to offer forgiveness.
Remind every family member that in you, no situation is beyond redemption, and no heart is beyond your reach. Lord, we pray for all who mourn. Be their refuge and constant presence in their grief. Draw near to the broken-hearted. Hold them in your tender care.
And mend their hurting hearts with your comfort and peace. Bless those traveling over this holiday weekend, Lord, and grant them time for rest, renewal, and reflection. Anoint us this day, O Lord. Anoint our hands, our feet, and the work ahead of us. Be with us as we continue to worship and sing to your glory.
And as we pray together, the prayer you taught your disciples how to pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. No one gives oneself freely and willingly to God's service unless, having tasted the Father's love, that one is drawn in love and worships God in return. As recipients of the abundant life in Christ, we now offer our gifts to God. As the ushers pass the offering plate, please place your attendance cards, prayer requests, and offerings on them.
For those worshiping at home, we encourage you to continue your financial ministry by mailing your offering, sending it through your bank, or giving online at www.dot.grace-covenant.dot.org. Forward slash, give hyphen online. Please give as the spirit leads you. Hallelujah, sing praises to the Lord. Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah.
Oh, oh, Oh, oh, Praise God for blessings old. Praise God for gifts beyond. Praise God for leaders we hold. Praise God for strength and more. Ever-present God, with this offering we present also ourselves, all that we have been, all that we are, all that we shall become, in our resolve to walk in Your way.
Accept us and our offering. We pray for Jesus' sake. Amen. As we continue to stand, let us sing Him, three fifty nine in the blue hymnal. More love to Thee, O Christ.
All unto Thee, all unto Thee, we give our all and sing. All unto Thee, this is our earnest plea. All unto Thee, all unto Thee, all unto Thee. All unto Thee, all unto On eternal rest, grant we our desire, we will not rest. We shall persevere, on our high street.
All of me, all of me. And shall I make a prayer, pray to my grave, pray to my grave? Our light, our strength, our victory. This day's praise shall be all the praise we boast. Our God.
Please join us in the social room immediately following the worship service for fellowship and refreshments. Go out into the world with hearts fully awake to the majesty of the King's invitation. Do not treat the grace of God as a casual thing. Nor let the routine noise of daily life dull your ears to His call. Clothe yourself afresh in the righteousness of Christ.
People of God, hear now these words of blessing: the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit. Be with you. Amen. The. The.
For the past hour, you have been listening to the worship service at Grace Covenant Presbyterian Church in Rich. Virginia, please join us again next Sunday through our radio ministry or in our sanctuary at sixteen twenty-seven Monument Avenue. Your announcer today has been Gary Flake, and the audio technician was John Miller, with assistance from Ethan Revely. This service streams live and can be accessed through the Grace Covenant website, which is grace-covenant.org. We now return you to the Truth Network on WLES five ninety AM and ninety seven point seven FM.
