YOU'VE BEEN INVITED TO A WEDDING, WE NEED YOUR RSVP!

Matthew 22:8  "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

We've all gone out to our mail boxes to find an invitation to a wedding.  Be it for one of our family members or a friend, it is always exciting to be invited to a wedding.  I love going to wedding and seeing the bride with her beautiful dress from Kleinfelds in New York, the bridesmaids all dressed up and of course the groom and the his team of men, all dressed up in their finest suits.   Cascades of flowers fill the church to overflow and music is gently floating in the air like a soft puffy cloud.  Tears stream down the parent's face as daddy walks his little girl down the aisle to meet the man of her dreams.  Everyone is happy and love fills the air as the bride and groom say their vows to love each other until death do them part.  They place rings on each of their fingers symbolizing their eternal bond together.   Their hitched!  Married!  Husband and wife!  Family members, friends, acquaintances and even strangers line up to greet the happy couple.  Kisses and hugs are shared by everyone and there is not a dry eye in the place.  Now it's time for the real celebration to begin.  A banquet, a feast like no one has ever seen before is included in this celebration.  There will be music and dancing, for all who attend this banquet.  It's a party!  we gather together to rejoice in the union of this man and this woman in holy matrimony.  

Can you imagine what it would be like to through a huge banquet like that and have no one come?  Impossible!  Not in today's world a free food, dance and wine?  Why would people not come?  It's hard to imagine but sadly this is so true.  You see we have all been invited to the banquet of a lifetime.  A feast that pales in comparison to every other feast ever held on this planet.  The likes of which none of us have ever seen or even dreamed of.  The banquet is eternal life.  The invitation has been sent to you by God Himself.  It is an engraved imaged and sealed with the blood of His Son Jesus Christ.  This invitation is open to everyone.  Race, creed or religion, it doesn't matter.  Pastor, priest, homeless, prisoner, ex-convict, stay at home mom, computer geek, or business professional, you all have been invited to be a part of this banquet.  Come as you are.  No dress code at this banquet.  No formal attire required.  You do to have to bring a present, you are the only present He wants.  In fact He has a present for you, if you chose to attend.  Eternal life!  In the above verse, Jesus was saying that He has invited many, but none chose to come to the wedding feast because they chose not to come, they didn't deserve to come.  Yes that may sound harsh, but why wouldn't anyone accept an invitation to eternity for free?  The good news is you don't deserve to be invited to this banquet, but you have been.  It's free!

The invitation is in the mail, it is an invitation to a majestic feast the magnitude like no one has ever seen before is waiting for you.  All you need to do is accept the invitation.  He is waiting for your RSVP.  Will you accept His invitation?  I did!  It was the best decision of my life.  It's not complicated, no forms to fill out, no postage stamp needed.  All He requires is you saying yes to Jesus  Christ.  You see I am the bride of Jesus Christ.  He is my groom who has gone ahead of me to prepare a place for me in eternity.  Yes on Earth I am married to Jerry, but eternally I am married to Jesus.  I said yes to the invitation I received.  Will you?  As a Catholic we were never taught to verbally accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It was never really talked about, but in the mass it is repeated over and over again that Jesus is our Lord and Savior.  Okay let me go out on limb here.  This may tick some people off but I truly (my opinion) feel that unless you verbally confess with your mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you will be missing out on the banquet.  Believing it is one thing, saying it takes this banquet invite to a whole new level.   What is so difficult in saying this?  Why do some religions feel it is unnecessary?  Jesus said for us to confess that He is our Lord and Savior with our mouths.  So if we believe the Bible is true, than why do some religions chose not to do this?  

Matthew 22:14 "For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Listen, we have all been invited to be a part of God's family through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Whether you chose to accept the invitation or not, that is your choice ad your free will that was given to you by God.  But I will tell you this, that although I grew up knowing Jesus was my Savior, but when I stood up in a crowd of over 15,000 people and verbally said out loud that Jesus Christ is my Savior, my life changed, my heart changed, my words changed and I changed for the better.  We are all invited to be a part of this banquet Jesus Christ died to give us, why not be a part of it.  Believing is one ting but saying it speaking it out of your mouth is something beyond description.  Many are invited, but few are chosen.  Are you willing to be a part of the banquet?  Are you willing to step out of your comfort zone and everything you were taught and proclaim that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior?  I was chosen by God through the blood of Jesus Christ to be apart of this banquet and I do not regret that decision at all.  It was the best invitation I ever said yes to!  If you have never verbally accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, I ask you to do it today.  Don't let another day go by without accepting this invitation that has been hand engraved for you.  Repeat after me.

Jesus Christ, today I am accepting the invitation you have given me, I accept you as my Lord and Savior.  Come into my life and my heart today.  I believe that you died so that my sins may be forgiven.  I believe that you have given me the promise of Eternal life.  Send your Holy Spirit into my heart so that I may be changed and transformed, in Jesus name I pray, amen.