The parable of the royal wedding invitation in Matthew 22 illustrates twelve characteristics of the Gospel Call:
1. A Divine Call: Although the Gospel comes to us through the mouths of His servants, it is the Sovereign God who ultimately issues the invitation (v. 2)
2. A Well-timed Call: Just as wedding invitations are issued when everything is in place, so the Gospel invitation comes when God has everything in place, ready, and waiting (4).
3. A Personal Call: A person (God), calls people (us), to a person (His Son). It’s not a call to a system, or a philosophy, or an experience, but to a person, the Son of God (2).
4. A Doctrinal Call: Although it’s a call to a person and not just to some facts, the person is defined by facts, by propositional truth. You need to know something about the Son to want to come to His wedding (2)
5. A Generous Call: Look at what God has prepared in His Son – Rich food for the hungry, cool water for the thirsty, deep joy for the sad, warm company for the lonely, full forgiveness for the guilty (4).
6. A Gracious Call: Look at who God invites. He sends his servants out to the highways and byways, to call as many as they can find, “both good and bad,” implying that the “good” still need the Gospel and the “bad” can still have the Gospel (9-10)
7. A Wide Call: God does not just call the elect, but as many as His servants can find. The question, therefore, is not, “Am I one of the elect?” but, “Am I one of the human race?” If so, I’m invited (9).
8. A Sincere Call: God does not send out invited hoping people do not come. Look at the repetition, the passion, and the persuasion in His invites (2,4,10).
9. A Patient Call: He invites again, and again, and again.
10. A Simple Call: “Come to my Son’s wedding (4).” What’s so complicated about that? Why do we complicate it so much then?
11. A Solemn Call: Unlike most invitations where a refusal does not carry too many consequences, continued rejection of God’s invite eventually results in divine punishment (7).
12. A Successful Call: Although many refuse and reject, many do accept. The wedding is furnished with guests and there are no empty seats (10).
Are you coming?
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