Trunk or Treat 2023

These photos were taken before the madness kicked in.  We were excited to host so many guests this year (300 was a guess, and it was a reasonable guess!).  Apparently, people were parking in adjacent subdivisions and walking over because our parking lot did not have enough space.  Kudos for doing that.  We also ran short on cider and candy and had to make an emergency run for more supplies.  Still, I had not heard about any complaints from our guests.

Many thanks to the members of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church who donated items and volunteered their time.  This was a great event!

And in case anyone was curious, there were 444 M&Ms in the jar.  Congratulations to Raniya N. who won with a guess of 452.

All Saints' Day Remembrance -- Call for Names

 CALL FOR NAMES -- ALL SAINTS' DAY REMEMBRANCE

               Every year, we remember the names of loved ones who have died in the Christian faith, praising God for the mercy he has had upon them and thanking God for preserving them in that saving faith throughout their life.  Normally, the names of these departed souls are recalled in a prayer on All Saints' Day, which is November 1.  Since Good Shepherd does not have a specific All Saints' Day service, we transfer our observance of All Saints' Day to Sunday, November 5 which will include this prayer and these remembrances.

               Members of Good Shepherd who have been called to eternal rest this past year are automatically included.  Members of Good Shepherd, you may also submit the names of your own loved ones who have died in the Christian faith between November 13, 2022 and November 4, 2023.  When submitting these names, please include:

          1. the name of the deceased
          2. your name
          3. how he/she was related to you
          4. the dates of his/her birth and death, if known

               All names submitted by Wednesday, November 1 will be listed in the bulletin.  Names may still be submitted as late as Sunday morning but will not be printed in the bulletin.

Names can be submitted to: welsnovi@aol.com 

               The prayer is here:

PRAYER FOR ALL SAINTS’ DAY

M:          Almighty God, today we recall with thanksgiving those saints who were taken from us in the Church Militant and carried by the angels to you and the Church Triumphant.  Especially, we give you praise for our departed family and friends who have gone before us in faith and all those who are in our hearts and minds this day:

               (The names of those who are to be remembered are read).

               To these, you have granted eternal rest this past year.  We thank you for giving them new life in Christ while on this earth and for sustaining them in true and saving faith throughout their life.  We praise you for finally giving them the fulfillment of your promises of salvation and eternal life.  Strengthen and sustain us in this saving faith so that we may also join with the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven in joyful praise, peace, and rest forever; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Cong:    Amen.

Sermon -- 21st Sunday after Pentecost (October 22, 2023)

DANIEL 1:3-21

YOU HAVE BEEN SET APART FOR THE KING’S HONOR.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The prophet Daniel was among the first of the Jews to be exiled to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar.  Daniel and his companions—perhaps more familiar to us by their Babylonians names Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—were among the nobility.  They are described as young (perhaps late teens), good looking, and with an aptitude for wisdom and learning.  Nebuchadnezzar was no dummy.  He recognized people who could serve him in his government.  So, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were conscripted into the king’s service.  They were set apart from the exiles for the king’s honor.

     Even though they were taken far away from Jerusalem and its temple, these four youths knew that they were set apart by the Lord, too.  God had set apart the whole nation of Israel for the purpose of the Messiah coming into the world through them.  To keep them set apart from the nations around them, the Lord had given specific laws which directed their culture, their worship, their clothing, and their diet.  The exile which began with Daniel and his friends and culminated in the destruction of the temple was the consequence of Israel turning from that covenant.

     Although they were exiles, Daniel and his friends still held firm to that covenant.  They were determined to remain set apart for the Lord’s honor and to serve him faithfully.  They were willing to endure a lot from the Babylonians as long as they remained faithful to the Lord. 

     For three years, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were to be trained in Babylonian literature and learn the Babylonian language.  They did this, knowing that the Lord can still be honored in a different language.  They learned Babylonian history and culture, knowing that God’s mercy is not based on one’s homeland.  If they were to stand in the king’s palace, it is entirely possible that they would have been castrated and made eunuchs.  While they were in no position to refuse it, they did not need to fear losing God’s favor over it.  If they were castrated, they knew that God can still be honored with a maimed body.  They were set apart for the honor of King Nebuchadnezzar as servants in his pagan government.  They were still able to honor the King of kings in this vocation.  But there was one area where they drew the line.

     “The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank” (Daniel 1:5).  These daily rations were part of their three-year training.  King Nebuchadnezzar did not want to have scrawny, malnourished servants in his palace.  He wanted his servants to be robust and good looking, which made his kingdom look better.  “But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's food, or with the wine that he drank” (Daniel 1:8). 

     We might think, “What’s the big deal?  Who cares what you eat?”  But this was a matter of being set apart as God’s Old Testament people.  In his Law, God had decreed that certain foods were clean and others unclean.  Drinking wine was not forbidden.  There were many vineyards and winepresses in Israel.  Every dinner table had wine (watered down, especially for children).  So, apparently, Nebuchadnezzar’s wine had something in it that was forbidden.  One tradition suggests he added blood, and consuming blood was forbidden by God.  So, Daniel and his friends were willing to put up with a lot for the honor of Nebuchadnezzar, but they would not do anything to disobey or dishonor their true King, the Lord.  They were determined to be set apart for the King’s honor.

     Now you have also been set apart for the Lord’s honor.  You were baptized into his name and cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  The Holy Spirit dwells in you and marks you as the Lord’s.  Through Jesus, you have been set apart from sin, death, and the devil.  Your sins have been paid for by the death of Jesus.  Your death has been overcome by the resurrection of Jesus.  And Jesus has crushed the serpent’s head so that the devil cannot harm you or claim you.  You have been freed from all of these, and they cannot harm you.  In addition, you have been set apart for good works.  By your good works, you honor God and serve your neighbor.

     You have been set apart for the King’s honor.  You are God’s people, and you are called to be godly people so that your status as God’s people is not merely a title, but also demonstrated in your every day living.  Like Daniel and his companions, we are able to endure inconveniences and even suffering because we know that our salvation rests upon divine promises.  We know we have been set apart for glory, even if we must endure humility now.  But like Daniel and his companions, we also draw the line on what we will do.  As St. Peter once testified when he was on trial for his actions, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  We do not allow ourselves to do what God forbids, no matter what kind of authority commands it.  And we are compelled to hold to what God demands, no matter who says that we are wrong to do so.  That is what it means that we have been set apart.  We are set apart from the sins which condemn, and we are set apart for the good works that honor God.  For, we are set apart for the King’s honor.

     The chief of the eunuchs was understandably concerned at Daniel’s request to refrain from the king’s food and wine.  If he presented the youths under his charge malnourished and scrawny, he would pay for it with his life.  So, Daniel proposed a trial period where he, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego would eat vegetables and drink only water.  God blessed these faithful Jews with good health and appearance so that they could continue to be set apart for his honor.  And they were able to do this without bringing dishonor to King Nebuchadnezzar.

     What’s more, God blessed them with great wisdom and understanding so that they could honor King Nebuchadnezzar with faithful service that benefited him and his kingdom.  Nebuchadnezzar may not have honored the true God, but they would.  The government they served in may have been corrupt, but they would be honest in their service to it.  Nebuchadnezzar may have devoted himself to worldly glory; Daniel and his friends would serve for the good of the Babylonian nation, but their glory remained the kingdom of God.  They were set apart for the King’s honor, and they were devoted to the honor of the King of kings, the Lord.

     Worldly powers change over time.  The Babylonian empire is long gone.  That land, modern day Iraq, does not have the same power as Nebuchadnezzar exercised.  The United States was completely unknown to Nebuchadnezzar.  Whether or not he would have been impressed by our nation and its leaders, who knows?  The people who live under our government are often unimpressed by our leaders and their actions—or inactions, as the case may be.  Because we are bothered by corruption, by questionable laws, by immoral behavior, or by legislation which promotes wickedness, we might draw the conclusion that it is our God-given right, perhaps even our obligation, to dishonor or disobey our governing authorities. 

     St. Paul has an entirely different take on that.  He wrote, “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.  …Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed (Romans 13:1-2,7).  St. Paul wrote these words when his governing authority claimed to be his Lord.  That honor, St. Paul did not give.  But he did recognize his governors, even if they were blasphemers, as worthy of obedience and honor for the sake of the God who establishes governing authority.

     You have been set apart for the King’s honor, and part of honoring the King is to honor the government which he established.  God appoints every government to maintain order and to punish wickedness so that we can live in peace.  Even if you are convinced the government is wicked, it does not entitle us to be wicked.  Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego presented themselves before a pagan king to serve in his pagan government.  This they could do with a clean conscience.  They would not, however, violate God’s word.  And if they had to, they would willingly suffer the wrath of an earthly king rather than incur the wrath of the King of kings.  They put into action the words of Jesus: “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's” (Matthew 22:21).  Since Caesar’s authority comes from God, Caesar is owed his share of honor.  But there is no greater power and authority, no other Savior than the Lord.  You have been set apart to honor this King above all.

     The glory of our Lord is not that he holds all power and can do whatever he pleases.  We do not worship the Lord just because he is almighty.  It is true that the Lord can do whatever he pleases.  We marvel that it pleased the Lord to redeem sinners.  He does not despise us, but came to deliver us from our sins.  These include our sins against the authorities God has established.  It is easy to get upset and condemn leaders for their actions.  But you do not suffer God’s wrath because someone else is corrupt.  You will not be judged for the immoral or criminal behavior of another.  And even if our governing authority passes a law which blatantly opposes God’s word, you and I will draw the line, knowing that we will not obey such laws.  We may face the wrath of courts for this, but we retain God’s honor for standing firm in his word.  And if one of us should suffer for retaining the Lord’s honor, let’s be sure that we all stand firm in his word and behind the one who suffers for his faithfulness.

     You have been set apart for the honor of the King.  It is the Lord’s honor that he has delivered you from sin, death, and hell.  It is the Lord’s joy that you are his redeemed people and that you are being restored to the image of God.  Since we are the people of God, we will serve him and hold fast to his word, both in our confession and in our actions.  And we look forward to the glories of his everlasting kingdom—for that is what we were set apart for.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Update from Good Shepherd (October 19, 2023)

Greetings!

REGULAR SCHEDULE 
     Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
     Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM.
     Divine Service -- Sundays at 10:00 AM.
     Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM 
     For a calendar of events and meetings, click here.

TRUNK OR TREAT -- the event

          On Sunday, October 22 from 3:00-5:00 PM, we will invite our community to join us for our Trunk or Treat event.  We hope to have many fun, themed cars to visit.  In addition, we will have lawn games, a pumpkin patch (one free per family, first come, first served), cider, donuts, and various other activities.  We also hope to have a raffle (prize yet to be determined).  The event is free and open to all.  Invite friends and join us for the day.

TRUNK OR TREAT -- the prep

          In order to be prepared for our many (hopefully) guests for our Trunk or Treat, we will need people to contribute items and to participate on the day of the event.  Check out this Sign Up Genius page to indicate where you can help out.

          NOTE: We are in need of more cars to welcome our guests and to make this a memorable event for them.  We need a minimum of ten cars.  Please sign up at the link above and join us for a fun afternoon!

          This is a great event both to meet our community and to connect with each other.  A chili lunch will be served at about 12:30 PM, allowing people to attend church and then to stay for the set up of the event.

FALL EVENTS

          These events serve both to unite our own members better and to connect with people from our community. Look for ways that you can help out to make each event a success. Let’s make the most of the opportunity for each event.
          OCT 22 -- Trunk or Treat (3 – 5 PM)
          NOV 5 -- Presentation on how a Christian may deal with Anxiety (6:30 PM)
          DEC 3 -- Church Decoration (after church)
          DEC ? -- Christmas for Kids (TBD)
          DEC 6,13,20 -- Mid-Week Advent Dinners (6:00 PM)
          DEC 24 / 25 -- Christmas services

NEW VIDEO FOR GOOD SHEPHERD

          Here is a video to introduce people to Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Novi. Feel free to share it as much as you can.
          Shout out to Kaitlyn Cole for her work on its production!

ADULT BIBLE CLASSES

SUNDAYS at 9:00 AM. We are studying St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians.
          10/22    Ephesians 4:17-32       Living as Christians – Fleeing the Darkness; 

                                                                  Walking in Light (part 1)

          10/29    Ephesians 5:1-21        Living as Christians – Fleeing the Darkness; 

                                                                  Walking in Light (part 2)

          11/05    Ephesians 5:22-33      Living as Christians – Vocation: Marriage

WEDNESDAYS at 6:30 PM. We will be studying the life of Joseph: Humbled and Exalted Servant of God's People.
          Oct 25    Standing before the sovereign king and judge (Genesis 44)

          Nov 1      God’s people preserved (Genesis 45-46)

          Nov 8     Forgiveness: Not deserved but freely given (Genesis 50)

          Nov 15    The hope of the resurrection (Genesis 49-50; Exodus 13:19)

CHURCH COUNCIL HIGHLIGHTS (October)

>    Bob W. has been busy setting up a company to plant trees around our berm.  There are several proposals which range a great deal in price.  We will be alerting our members to these proposals soon to determine our best course of action.  In addition, Bob W. and David K. will be moving some of our burning bushes and replanting them, as well as some lilacs, in the vacated spaces in our church yard on Saturday, October 28, 8:00 AM - Noon.  Helpers would be appreciated.

>     We have made some headway on a new LED sign for the church.  There is a proposal to use our current sign base and frame, and there is a proposal to move the church sign so that it faces 9 Mile Road in both directions.  This would involve a new base and is quite a bit more expensive.  We are arranging a demonstration of what this sign would look like so our members have an opportunity to see it before we make such a large expense.  We will discuss our options at an Open Forum on November 19.  More information can be attained by speaking to people from Church Council.

>    We will be looking into a method for people to give offerings through an app on their phones.  When we get this service set up, we will provide more information.

DID YOU KNOW????
          Nobody wants to talk about the ugly subject of pornography, but it is unfortunately something which more people struggle with than we’d like to admit. Many people, perhaps too ashamed to confess their struggles publicly, can find relief through this online source which will help them fight their fascination and/or addiction to pornography. Take a look at https://conquerorsthroughchrist.net/ . Feel free to share this website so others can be freed from the snares of porn.

GOOD SHEPHERD ON YOUTUBE
          Services are uploaded to YouTube each week. Feel free to share the videos. Here is the service from Sunday, October 1: (214) Good Shepherd Novi, Divine Service, October 1, 2023 - YouTube.  (Services on October 8 and October 15 had corrupted files.  It is best to come and be present!)

REGULAR OFFICE HOURS
          The pastor will try to maintain regular office hours are Monday – Thursday, 9:00 AM - Noon. To ensure the pastor’s availability, it is best to make an appointment. He is available by phone or text (248-719-5218). You may also email (welsnovi@aol.com), but the response may be slower. 

DO YOU LIKE US?

          Look for Good Shepherd on Facebook. Then “LIKE” us for updates and other postings. Be sure to share posts with friends.

SHARE THIS POST!
          We desire as many as possible to rejoice in the Gospel which we proclaim and confess. Share the information from our weekly email blast, links to our web page, and even to the pastor's blog to let others know that we have a space in our congregation for them!

In Christ,
Pastor Schroeder

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REGULAR SCHEDULE
DIVINE SERVICES are on Sundays at 10:00 AM.
Sunday School -- Sundays at 9:00 AM
Adult Bible Class -- Sundays at 9:00 AM
Bible Matters -- Wednesdays at 6:30 PM

GOOD SHEPHERD’S WEBSITE
www.GoodShepherdNovi.org

PASTOR SCHROEDER’S BLOG
www.LutheranSubject.blogspot.com 

A Pastoral Concern -- Israel, Hamas, and God's chosen people

As if on cue, the conflict between Israel and Hamas has triggered many Christian teachers and churches to prepare for the final moments of earth.  Are these the final moments?  I pray that they are.  The older I get, the more often I pray, "Come, Lord Jesus."

However, there are many misguided people who equate the modern nation of Israel with God's covenant people of the Old Testament.  This blog post would run WAY too long to sift all this out.  So, I alert you to the following resources (scroll down) to address some of the statements that are being made about Israel and the final days--statements, by the way, which were also made in 1990 and Desert Storm, and in the 2000's with the Persian Gulf War.  I truly believe these books were already written and await a Middle East conflict to hit publication.

The short answer to who are God's chosen people?  Just two verses:

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.  Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy (1 Peter 2:9-10).  God's chosen people the people whom Jesus Christ has redeemed, the Church.  It is not based on bloodline, heritage, borders, languages, or even eras.  

For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring (Romans 9:6-8).   Not every Israelite was a believer; therefore, not every Israelite is saved.  On the other hand, everyone who believes in Jesus as his or her Savior receives the benefits of Jesus' saving work.  Therefore, just as St. Paul says, the true Israel is the Church. The true children of Abraham are those who believe the same promise Abraham believed.

For a brief chapel devotion written by me which merely grazes the topic, look here.

For a more extensive review and critique of this issue, click here for an Issues, Etc. podcast.

Sermon -- Chapel at Michigan Lutheran Seminary (October 18, 2023)

The following was preached at Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw for their morning chapel.

ROMANS 11:1-6

Our God Invites Unworthy Sinners to Participate in His Blessings.

In the name + of Jesus.

     With the war that is going on between Israel and Hamas right now, you can plan on hearing many Christians talk about our obligation to defend Israel because they are God’s chosen people.  Now, there may be political reasons to defend Israel.  But many claim that we have a divinely ordained duty to support Israel, and to fail to do so is rebellion against God.  Let’s consider the Scriptures so that we do not put our trust in words that God did not say.

     To start with, it is true that Israel was God’s chosen people in the Old Testament.  But the question needs to be asked: Chosen for what?  The Lord answers for us.  He told Abraham, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:2-3).  The blessing upon all the earth is fulfilled by the Messiah who came through Abraham and his offspring.  That is what Abraham was chosen for.  That is what Israel was chosen for.  They were God’s chosen people through whom the Messiah would come into the world.  When the Lord acted to crush nations who threatened Israel or even when God sent nations to oppress Israel, the reason was the same: To defend and protect the Promise.  Every act of God, no matter how violent, had this motive behind it: Don’t mess with the Promise!

     Now fast forward from Abraham to Jesus.  Jesus is the promised Messiah who was long foretold.  He preached to the people of Israel so that they would benefit from the Promise and Jesus’ fulfillment of it.  While some believed and rejoiced, many did not.  Jesus had told a parable to issue a warning to any who rejected him.  He compared the kingdom of heaven to a king who had prepared a wedding banquet for his son.  Many who were invited spurned the king and his son, even killing those who were sent to gather them in.  Jesus rendered the verdict: “The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city” (Matthew 22:7).  The Lord did this in 70 AD when the Roman army destroyed the temple and burned Jerusalem.  The chosen people rejected the Messiah for whom they were chosen.

     So, the Lord turned to the Gentiles.  And it was not long into the New Testament era that the Church become less Jewish and much more Gentile.  All that leads into St. Paul’s question in our reading.  “I ask, then, has God rejected his people?  By no means!  For I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin.  God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew” (Romans 11:1-2).  The Lord did not banish the Jews from the kingdom of God.  They abandoned God’s promises, rejected Jesus as the Messiah, and forfeited his blessings.  This grieves the Lord; for he does not want anyone to perish but to come to the knowledge of the truth—or in the case of the Jews, to come back to the knowledge of the truth.

     God invites unworthy sinners to participate in his blessings.  That means you and me.  You are now the chosen people of God—chosen in Christ who set apart you from sin, death, and the devil, and who set you apart for good works which honor God and serve your neighbor.  You and I were chosen by God’s grace.  We did nothing to curry God’s favor.  We are not chosen by God because we are worthy; we are chosen because God is gracious.  By grace, God showed brought you into his kingdom to receive his benefits.  God invites unworthy sinners to participate in his blessings.

     That is how it has always been, and St. Paul acknowledged that.  Paul himself was proof that God had not rejected the Jews.  Paul was “an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin” (Romans 11:2).  But he was chosen by grace, as all are.  Abraham came from a family of idolaters; still, God chose him.  The tribe of Benjamin was almost completely wiped out for their wickedness; yet God spared some.  Paul was a persecutor of the Church; yet God chose him.  God invites unworthy sinners to participate in his blessings.

     Your story is probably not so dramatic.  Odds are, you grew up in a Christian home and have never known anything different.  If so, God be praised.  But it is still God’s grace.  You did not choose where you were born.  You did not choose parents who believe that a Christian education is worth every cent of tuition, room, and board they are paying.  Yet, God placed you there for your eternal good.  All this is God’s gracious work for you.  By grace you have been saved.

     And now, you are facing a world which does not care much for the Bible.  They mock what you believe.  They are confused that you do not partake in wicked behavior which is celebrated by others.  Some are even appalled that you don’t go along with them.  Right now, you have the benefit of daily chapel services among Christians who share a common confession.  But the day will come—perhaps at college, perhaps in employment—when you may feel like you are the only one who believes in Jesus and lives according to his word.  You are not alone in this.

     St. Paul wrote, “So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5).  You are Jesus’ chosen people.  The Lord always preserves a remnant who knows that Jesus lived and died for sinners—not because it was owed, but because it was needed.  You know that Jesus conquered death for you—not because you deserved it, but because he is merciful.  You know that heaven awaits—not because you are better, but because you are loved by Jesus. 

     God invites unworthy sinners to participate in his blessings which were secured by Jesus and given by him.  It is not a deal that God has made with you; it is a promise that God has given to you.  So you are the true Israel, the people who benefit from God’s grace, who have been entrusted with the Promise.  You are God’s chosen people.  Chosen for what?  For the forgiveness of sins, a new, godly life, and salvation.  By grace, you have become God’s chosen people.  By grace, the Lord will sustain you through word and sacrament.  There is no other grace. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon -- 20th Sunday after Pentecost (October 15, 2023)

MATTHEW 22:1-14

THE LORD PREPARES BOTH THE FEAST AND THE GUESTS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son” (Matthew 22:2).  And that is exactly what it is.  The Lord God, King of the Universe, has sent his Son to save everyone in the world from the guilt of sin and the penalty of its punishment.  More than save us from a damning judgment, the Lord also summons us to a sumptuous banquet where we get to rejoice and feast in his presence forever.  For God does not just tolerate the world.  God loves the world.  Therefore, he sent his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 

     God loves his creation enough to redeem sinners rather than damn them, and to reconcile us to himself rather than forsake us.  He loves his creation enough to restore all things and to make them new again.  The glory that awaits us is a grand banquet.  The Lord proclaimed, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9).  And so, it is not just a parable.  “The kingdom of heaven [is] a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast” (Matthew 22:2-3).  

     In the Old Testament, the Lord had chosen Israel to be his favored guest.  While salvation was not limited to the Jews, the Lord worked through them because the Messiah would come through them.  The whole reason Israel was set apart by God was for the sake of that Messiah.  For years, the prophets foretold that the Messiah would come.  They called the straying back to the Lord and repeated the invitation to the feast.  For years, the people waited in hope.  Then Jesus came to them.  He called the people to himself so that they would benefit from his saving work.  He was eager to welcome them into the heavenly banquet.  The Lord had both prepared the feast and summoned the guests.  Sadly, they all had reasons to ignore the invitation.

     If you were invited to a State dinner at the White House, odds are you would go.  Even if you hated the president, you would likely go.  It is no small thing to be the guest at a State dinner.  Now, understand this: This was the king’s invitation.  A king carries far more authority than a president.  Our presidents are accountable to the laws of the land.  A king is not.  He is supreme, and his word is law.  So, refusal to heed the king’s invitation goes far beyond an insult; it is treasonous.

     The king invited honored guests to a banquet for the crown prince.  The king had alerted the guests; they knew that this banquet was coming.  Then the king summoned his guests: “‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready.  Come to the wedding feast.”’  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” (Matthew 22:4-6). 

     The guests who had been invited did not go off to commit crimes or plot wicked schemes.  They just didn’t care.  For the most part, they went back to their jobs.  They had busy schedules.  They would not give up their time for the king.  Their time was dedicated to making money so they could pay their bills, put food on the table, and maybe make their homes a little nicer and enjoy their families.  I don’t think we would call any of that evil.  But the king was going to supply everything they needed at his wedding feast.  They would eat from the king’s table.  They would be surrounded by royal splendor.  They would enjoy the company of their families and friends.  And best of all, they would bask in the kindness and generosity of the king.  But they despised the king and his banquet.  Some even rejected it with violence.

     If you have not picked up on the warning already, here it is: We also have daily pursuits that consume our time and attention.  They are usually not evil.  Our schedules are filled with obligations for work, for chores, for sports, or for study.  The devil does not need to seduce you with wickedness to draw you away from the words of your King.  He takes what is good and convinces us to elevate it above God.  This is idolatry.  We become distracted so that we don’t read our Bible.  We don’t ponder our Lord’s words.  We don’t come to Bible study.  We don’t say our prayers.  We brush it aside by saying, “I just don’t have time.”  While it sounds noble to be so busy, it is a lie.  We always make time for what matters.  Somehow, we do find time for scrolling through social media or binge watching TV series.  But if we don’t make time for it, our confession is this: It doesn’t really matter.  It can be skipped, and it will not be missed.  Repent. 

     “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son” (Matthew 22:2).  Many refuse to heed the King’s words and forfeit his good graces.  Nevertheless, the King is determined to be gracious.  “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” (Matthew 22:8-10). 

     The Lord prepares both the banquet and the guests.  He seeks out from all over the world people for his wedding banquet.  And he is not picky.  The invitation did not depend on whether people were rich or poor, if they were locals or foreigners, or even if they were crooks.  The King invited everyone to the wedding feast for his Son.

     The Lord prepares both the banquet and the guests.  It does not matter what your past has been or what marks are on your record.  You are summoned to the wedding feast.  In fact, as members of the Church, you are not merely guests; you are the Bride of Christ.  “The kingdom of heaven [is] a king who gave a wedding feast for his son” (Matthew 22:2).  The Son of God has betrothed himself to the Church.  As a faithful Groom, Jesus made himself accountable for all the debts which have been wracked up by his beloved.  We owe God obedience because he is our Maker.  But we have not given God what we owe.  We have incurred an insurmountable debt.  Jesus assumed the responsibility for our failures.  And then he paid the debt we owed.  By his sufferings and death, Jesus paid the full price for our sins and cleared us of charges.  This is how Jesus has prepared us for the feast of heaven.

     The Lord has prepared both the feast and the guests.  All are brought in the same.  We do not bring a contribution for the feast.  The Lord has done everything; we receive it due to his gracious generosity.  And what is more, the Lord has prepared the guests, too.  The servants went out to the distant roads to bring people into the wedding banquet.  Those people were both unaware of the feast and unprepared for it.  They would have had their grubby clothes which were stained with dust and mud from the fields and the roads.  The king, of course, knew that.  So, the king not only summoned them, he also provided them with garments appropriate for the wedding banquet. 

     St. John got a glimpse of the heavenly feast in Revelation.  He saw the multitudes there and noted, “I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…  ‘These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.  They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).  You and I do not stand before the Lord with righteousness of our own.  We are not righteous.  We owed God righteousness, but we have not given it.  Therefore, our perfect Groom not only covered our debts, he also clothes his Church with his own righteousness.  You and I have been washed in the blood of the Lamb.  We are been purified of all guilt.  We are clothed with Christ, and therefore we are pleasing to God the Father.  The King rejoices that we shall feast with him in glory.

     There was one guest, however, who had rejected the wedding garments.  “(The king) said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’  And he was speechless.  Then 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’” (Matthew 22:12-13). 

     We don’t know why the man refused the wedding garments that were given to him.  He had no excuse to offer.  But we can guess what his excuse was because such excuses are still made today.  People presume that merely being nice is enough to appease God.  Maybe you’ve seen the poster or bumper sticker that says, “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.”  Of course, people should be kind, but just being kind is not enough to please God.  God’s command is not, “Be nice,” or “Be kind.”  It is “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).  This holiness is bestowed upon is in holy baptism.  For, this is what the Lord says: “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27).  This is the garment of salvation that covers you and presents you before the Lord as holy.  This is the blood of the Lamb which purifies you from all unrighteousness.  To refuse it is to stand before the king without the wedding garment.  And to stand before God without the righteousness of Christ results in being cast out of the wedding feast.  For, apart from Jesus, there is no forgiveness, no salvation, and no hope.

     But the Lord prepares both the feast and the guests.  Jesus has not only invited you to the feast, he has chosen you for his own.  He gives you everything you need to partake in the heavenly feast.  And to assure you of your place, he lays out before you the heavenly feast already now.  Here, the Groom feeds his Bride so that she can live and thrive.  Here, at the Lord’s table, we receive nourishment to sustain us until we enter the feast that has no end. 

     The King has prepared a wedding feast for his Son, and you are his honored guests—the holy things for the holy ones.  Rejoice in the goodness of the King; for, he rejoices over you.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.