“You Are Invited!”

​YEAH! Church - Sunday, July 4, 2021

"Stories of Jesus” – Many of Jesus’ stories were meant to explain what God’s Kingdom looked like—what it means to believe in Jesus and what it means to be a child of God. In today’s story, Jesus compared God’s Kingdom to a great wedding feast!

Today’s Lesson - “You Are Invited!”

Video Story:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEbwiQvo5k4 (Saddleback Kids – The Parable of the Great Banquet)

Jesus’ Story – “Parable of the Great Feast”

Matthew 22:1-14, NLT
“Jesus also told them other parables. He said, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. 3 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Engage:
• Jesus described God like a king who is preparing an amazing wedding feast for his son. Who is the son and where is this feast going to be held?
• But all of those first invited refused to come. How did the king feel about having his invitation rejected?
• The king had his servants go out and find anyone who was willing and they filled the banquet hall. What might you think if you got an invitation?
• But one man, even though invited, didn’t even try to get ready for the wedding feast—he just showed up. What did the king do?
• God is inviting all people to join Him in heaven someday, but it isn’t enough to simply say ‘yes;’ we also have to get ready for the party. How do we get ready to go to heaven?

Theme verses:
John 1:12 - “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.”
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Prayer - Thank you, God, that anyone can choose to go to be in heaven with you. Help me to follow your Son, Jesus, and to always do my best to obey Him.
~ Pastor Jane