WEBVTT 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 This podcast is the Ministry of Grand Parkway Baptist Church. 00:00:02.799 --> 00:00:06.320 For more information on our church, please visit grandparkway.org. 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:08.640 Now I like to worship. 00:00:09.279 --> 00:00:14.480 And so you if you, you know, I like to throw my hand up sometime. 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:17.359 And I got one of somebody. 00:00:17.600 --> 00:00:18.079 Somebody. 00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:18.960 That's what I'm talking about. 00:00:19.120 --> 00:00:20.879 My God in the mo, worshipper's hand. 00:00:21.199 --> 00:00:22.800 That's what I like to do, you know. 00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:28.320 I I like to worship because God has done some things in my life. 00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:36.880 And if you know that God has done some things in your life that you couldn't have accomplished without him, that'll make you worship, won't it? 00:00:37.280 --> 00:00:39.840 It makes you throw your hands up, it makes you say thank you. 00:00:39.920 --> 00:00:44.320 So if anytime you want to do that, just do that and let's just worship and praise God. 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:45.520 Can we do that? 00:00:46.479 --> 00:01:00.719 We're going to continue as Pastor Neil has led us, and I'm grateful for Pastor Neil inviting me to come out and uh and work with you, uh, work with him and uh and being in his pulpit this Sunday to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with you. 00:01:01.039 --> 00:01:05.680 And we'll be reading uh and our the pew, I'll be using the Pew Bible this morning. 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.359 It's page 827. 00:01:07.760 --> 00:01:17.040 Uh we'll be going back to the parables, Matthew chapter 22, verses 1 through 14 is what we're going to be reading from this morning. 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:24.719 And if you turn there with me and if you'd stand with me for the reading of that gospel, it's on the page 827. 00:01:27.359 --> 00:01:28.000 Matthew. 00:01:29.200 --> 00:01:31.439 The book of Matthew, chapter 22. 00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:32.719 Are we ready? 00:01:35.040 --> 00:01:48.799 And again, Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 00:01:49.040 --> 00:01:59.040 Again he sent another servant saying, Tell those who were invited, see, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:00.799 Come to the wedding feast. 00:02:00.959 --> 00:02:06.560 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business. 00:02:06.719 --> 00:02:11.039 While the rest seized the servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them. 00:02:11.280 --> 00:02:16.879 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 00:02:17.120 --> 00:02:23.599 Then he said to his servants, The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. 00:02:23.759 --> 00:02:29.280 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:37.919 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they could find, who could be found, both bad and good. 00:02:38.319 --> 00:02:40.960 So the wedding was filled with guests. 00:02:41.120 --> 00:02:47.039 But when the king came in to look at the guest, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment. 00:02:47.199 --> 00:02:52.240 And he said to him, Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? 00:02:52.479 --> 00:02:54.000 And he was speechless. 00:02:54.240 --> 00:03:05.680 Then the king said to the attendants, Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness, in that place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 00:03:06.159 --> 00:03:09.919 For many a call, but few are chosen. 00:03:10.479 --> 00:03:12.000 That's the word of God. 00:03:13.280 --> 00:03:14.560 You may be seated. 00:03:16.560 --> 00:03:22.960 Would like to give an outline on some key words that are key in this particular text. 00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:32.639 And it's four points that we want to look at carefully as we move and progress through the text. 00:03:33.919 --> 00:03:34.879 The king. 00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:38.560 The king in the text represents God. 00:03:39.599 --> 00:03:48.159 He is the one that's calling for the banqueting, sending out for his people to come to the banquet. 00:03:49.280 --> 00:03:52.479 The bridegroom is Jesus Christ. 00:03:53.039 --> 00:03:58.159 He has prepared this banquet, this celebration for his son. 00:03:59.520 --> 00:04:01.759 The bride is the church. 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:03.840 The bride is the people. 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:11.280 The feast, the feast items are the gospel. 00:04:11.919 --> 00:04:14.719 That's what's on this particular table. 00:04:16.480 --> 00:04:19.920 And the king has sent out a word. 00:04:21.360 --> 00:04:26.639 He asked his servants to go out and invite all his people. 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:32.079 Initially, he was talking about his chosen people. 00:04:33.920 --> 00:04:44.160 I'm sure some of you have read this text, probably all of you have read this text, and he was primarily talking to his chosen people to come to the banquet, right? 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:53.920 And he said that he sent them out and he told them to come to the banquet, for the table had been set. 00:04:57.439 --> 00:05:02.639 And before I go further with that, I want to stop just for a brief moment. 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:11.519 The song that was being sung, that pass me not, that really speaks to my heart. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:13.360 That's one of my favorite. 00:05:14.160 --> 00:05:19.199 I don't think that the musicians knew anyway that that was one of my favorite songs. 00:05:19.839 --> 00:05:21.199 Pass Me Not. 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:28.160 And the reason that it's one of my favorite songs is because I don't want him to ever pass me by. 00:05:29.600 --> 00:05:36.079 If you've been delivered from something, then you know what that's like to be passed by and to be looked over. 00:05:36.399 --> 00:05:54.079 If you've been delivered through something and you don't want to revisit that and you have been blessed to encounter and to have a relationship with God, then you, as I would understand that in the center of my heart, I don't want him to ever pass me by, ever, ever again. 00:05:55.519 --> 00:05:57.199 Don't pass me by. 00:05:58.399 --> 00:06:03.600 Let me give you a little history on the on the on the nature of that song, the origin of that song. 00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:12.079 And I do understand, and I'm glad to hear, I know you this church primarily engages in doing restorative justice ministry over at Caravance, is that right? 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:14.160 At the Caravans Unit. 00:06:14.319 --> 00:06:16.319 Some call it prison ministry. 00:06:16.560 --> 00:06:17.920 Ministry is ministry. 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:20.560 It doesn't matter if it takes place under a tree. 00:06:20.639 --> 00:06:23.759 Uh a lot of it take place in H E B when you when you go shopping. 00:06:23.920 --> 00:06:24.720 Am I right about it? 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:28.399 Some of y'all might be in Kroger down there trying to evangelize to somebody. 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:29.279 Am I right about it? 00:06:29.360 --> 00:06:33.600 You don't call it Kroger Ministry, you just call it Jesus Christ Ministry, you know. 00:06:33.680 --> 00:06:37.360 But some folk like titles and they like to put names on things, you know. 00:06:37.439 --> 00:06:42.319 And sometimes those names they can either ascend people or they cause people to withdraw from it. 00:06:42.399 --> 00:06:47.120 You know, ministry is Christ's ministry, and it does not matter where it takes place. 00:06:47.360 --> 00:06:53.680 Matter of fact, it's gonna take place in the parking lot when somebody gets out of here today, because you're gonna be telling somebody about Jesus Christ. 00:06:53.839 --> 00:06:57.279 On your cell phone, you're gonna be telling somebody about Jesus Christ today. 00:06:57.360 --> 00:07:00.879 You're gonna tweet somebody today and tell somebody about Jesus Christ. 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.759 You're gonna follow me on Facebook and tell somebody about Jesus Christ. 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:11.040 It doesn't matter where it happens, just long as Jesus Christ makes it happen and allows it to happen. 00:07:11.199 --> 00:07:11.680 Amen. 00:07:12.800 --> 00:07:13.759 Mm-hmm. 00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:17.199 That was this church. 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:19.680 They went in to do worship in a prison. 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:21.279 And this is a true story. 00:07:21.439 --> 00:07:30.079 They went in to do worship, and they invited the inmates to come out to the worship service, and most of them went, but that was one on this particular block. 00:07:30.160 --> 00:07:30.959 He didn't want to go. 00:07:31.040 --> 00:07:35.279 And some of the other farmmates, some of the inmates, they were saying, Why don't you come on go worship with us? 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:36.879 And you know how some folk be. 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:38.720 You know, I don't want to go down there. 00:07:38.800 --> 00:07:46.959 They they they they be jumping, you know, you know, some folk talk about Christians, you know, they talk about us, you know, they holy rollers and all that stuff, you know. 00:07:47.439 --> 00:07:49.040 That you know that's what they get. 00:07:50.560 --> 00:07:52.720 They be all over you and stuff. 00:07:52.879 --> 00:07:55.519 Okay, all over you. 00:07:56.480 --> 00:08:06.959 Throwing their hands all up and stuff like that, you know, throwing their hands all up like that, and and and and talking about how awesome this and awesome that, you know. 00:08:07.600 --> 00:08:08.800 Well, that's good. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:10.720 That's good. 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.079 You know why that's good to me? 00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:17.199 Because it reminds me I used to be one of those people. 00:08:17.680 --> 00:08:31.920 But when Christ came into my life and turned my life around, I saw the benefit of why those people were throwing their hands up and jumping up and down to serve Jesus Christ and tell Jesus Christ, thank you for coming into my life. 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:34.159 You need to come on, go with me this morning. 00:08:34.320 --> 00:08:35.519 This is not the first service. 00:08:35.600 --> 00:08:39.840 See, the first service when you're a new preacher and you're at a new church, you kind of have to break the ice, get used to the folk. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:51.279 But the ice has been broken, so it's coming off, and I want y'all to come on and go with me and worship with me this morning because somebody in here ought to be glad that he didn't pass you by. 00:08:52.320 --> 00:09:01.519 They went in to do that worship service, and that was a woman, she was singing this particular song, and he, you know, he could hear the worship service, you know, from his from his cell. 00:09:01.600 --> 00:09:05.200 You know, see, God has a way of getting to you when you don't even want to get to him. 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:09.279 He knows how to get to you, he knows how to reach you. 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:22.879 And he he was down there in his cell, he didn't go with everybody else, you know, and he was they were worshiping in that chapel, and that lady got up and started singing that song, pass me now, oh gentle savior. 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:32.879 And that song from her voice, from her heart, that song must have had legs on it because it went to his cell block, knocked on the door, and let him and he went in. 00:09:32.960 --> 00:09:34.799 And you know what the prisoner started doing? 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:44.799 He said that he stuck his hand through the bomb and was letting them know, keep on singing and keep on preaching because I don't want the Lord to pass me by again this morning. 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:53.279 Good God, somebody pass me not, oh gentle Savior, and hear my humble cry. 00:09:54.320 --> 00:09:56.240 While thou the calling. 00:09:57.039 --> 00:09:59.919 That's what he was doing this morning in this text, right? 00:10:00.080 --> 00:10:01.279 That's what he's doing this morning. 00:10:01.519 --> 00:10:02.879 Said that he sent a word out. 00:10:03.039 --> 00:10:06.000 He was calling for his people to come to the banquet. 00:10:06.159 --> 00:10:10.879 I set a table for you, and it has a top chef spread on it. 00:10:11.519 --> 00:10:13.279 I'm talking about one of those top chefs. 00:10:13.440 --> 00:10:14.399 You know what I'm talking about. 00:10:14.559 --> 00:10:15.360 Beef welling. 00:10:15.519 --> 00:10:19.840 You know, if we think about it in terms like that, you know, it's beef welling down there. 00:10:20.080 --> 00:10:22.960 Might have some shrimp and all kinds, you know, good stuff. 00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:26.320 Now, this wasn't the type of food that we eat, though. 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:28.960 This gospel feast. 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:29.919 Uh-huh. 00:10:30.080 --> 00:10:34.240 See, it this wasn't the type of food that that nourishes physically. 00:10:34.480 --> 00:10:37.279 This was what we would call soul food. 00:10:42.399 --> 00:10:42.960 Uh-huh. 00:10:43.840 --> 00:10:44.480 Uh-huh. 00:10:45.679 --> 00:10:50.399 See, Jesus was breaking off soul food when folks thought that he wasn't. 00:10:50.639 --> 00:10:53.120 Jesus knew what it was to feed the soul. 00:10:53.360 --> 00:10:57.919 Jesus knew what soul food was for a whole lot of us knew what it was. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:02.320 And he said, God said, I'm setting a banquet. 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:07.440 And I want you to go out and tell my people to come to the banquet. 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:10.879 Tell them that the table has been set. 00:11:11.279 --> 00:11:14.720 He wants them to know that he has some good dishes laid out for him. 00:11:14.960 --> 00:11:17.919 Said that he took his best fatted calves, you know what I'm saying? 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:21.279 And slaughtered them and laid them out on the table. 00:11:23.519 --> 00:11:33.200 He took his best, using the calves, the fatlings, using them to symbolize, I've got some choice items on the table for you. 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:35.600 And you can't get them. 00:11:36.000 --> 00:11:38.240 You can't get them at TJ Matthew. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.159 Don't go to Marshalls because they don't carry. 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:49.600 I know Walmart beats everybody with prices, but it's not on their shelves either. 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:51.120 Mm-hmm. 00:11:51.759 --> 00:12:00.879 You see, the gospel preparations that are referred to in the feast were prophesized in the book of Isaiah, chapter 25, verse 6. 00:12:01.039 --> 00:12:02.399 Go read that sometimes. 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:08.159 It'll tell you that the gospel feast is really speaking to the gospel preparations. 00:12:08.320 --> 00:12:11.279 There are things on the table that you can't buy. 00:12:12.480 --> 00:12:13.279 You can't do that. 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:16.559 You can't get them down at neither one of those stores. 00:12:17.519 --> 00:12:19.279 God is excited. 00:12:20.080 --> 00:12:21.360 You got a banquet. 00:12:21.759 --> 00:12:22.480 Go with me. 00:12:22.559 --> 00:12:23.279 Come on, go with me. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:24.399 You see the table? 00:12:25.279 --> 00:12:25.919 Just picture that. 00:12:26.159 --> 00:12:27.360 That's pretty piano. 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:29.919 Just picture it like that's a table. 00:12:30.799 --> 00:12:33.360 And on it is the gospel preparations. 00:12:33.519 --> 00:12:37.360 We're gonna get to what's on that table, those gospel items in a few minutes. 00:12:37.600 --> 00:12:38.639 But the table is set. 00:12:39.039 --> 00:12:40.879 Imagine, you know, going to the table. 00:12:41.039 --> 00:12:44.000 And the table has been prepared. 00:12:44.320 --> 00:12:46.240 I can see them when they were setting that table up. 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:46.879 Can't you see him? 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:47.679 Go with me now. 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:48.720 Can you see him? 00:12:50.000 --> 00:12:51.919 This is God's table. 00:12:52.240 --> 00:12:56.960 This is God's celebration for his son, the bridegroom. 00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:00.080 And he's sending for us. 00:13:02.720 --> 00:13:04.080 He's sending for us. 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:14.159 Now, initially the call went out to those that was invited, but those that was didn't invite those that were invited, they decided that they wanted to go and do something else. 00:13:14.399 --> 00:13:19.039 Even though this was written a whole long time ago, does this sound familiar today? 00:13:19.360 --> 00:13:21.200 When it comes to going to church? 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.480 When it comes to going, as you said, Bible community? 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:26.320 Is that kind of familiar? 00:13:26.480 --> 00:13:30.480 Some folks sometimes figure out ways not to go and worship. 00:13:30.960 --> 00:13:32.960 I don't want to go to church today. 00:13:33.440 --> 00:13:36.080 I don't want to go to Bible, you know, today. 00:13:36.559 --> 00:13:38.000 I don't feel like going today. 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:39.279 I've got to go do this. 00:13:39.440 --> 00:13:44.480 One said that the farmer went to tend to his farm, another businessman went to take care of his business. 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:51.759 You know how the daily rigors of life pressure us into doing things that we can perhaps wait. 00:13:53.759 --> 00:13:55.600 They were disobedient. 00:13:57.120 --> 00:14:00.080 There's no merit in disobedience. 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:07.519 And that's the one thing that God calls us to do is to cause us, He calls us to obedience. 00:14:08.720 --> 00:14:14.240 Go tell them I said I want them to come to the table, and they decided to go do other things. 00:14:14.879 --> 00:14:17.840 He didn't sin for them once, but he sinned twice. 00:14:20.080 --> 00:14:21.919 Not once, but twice. 00:14:22.240 --> 00:14:28.480 Now, when I was growing up, I can remember, you know, I mean, you know, we it was a lot of us. 00:14:31.679 --> 00:14:34.879 You know, he could have started a small congregation with us. 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:36.720 It was nine of us. 00:14:38.240 --> 00:14:40.799 Small congregation, that's a small church, ain't it? 00:14:42.559 --> 00:14:44.159 And we were poor. 00:14:45.519 --> 00:14:47.279 But we ate together. 00:14:48.080 --> 00:14:49.679 We ate together. 00:14:50.159 --> 00:15:01.840 And when one of my sisters, maybe some of you all had some siblings in your family, they would come out and they would call you, you know, and they'd call and they'd say, Mark, it's time to come to dinner. 00:15:02.879 --> 00:15:04.559 It's time to eat. 00:15:04.799 --> 00:15:10.159 Somebody would call for, you know, calling maybe your sister, your brother, it's time to come to come and eat. 00:15:10.720 --> 00:15:24.080 And if you were playing basketball or baseball or something, you know, you didn't respond too quickly, you know, so you kept hitting, and the next thing you know, you played two more innings and she came back again, and then it says, We fixed it to get ready to eat. 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:25.039 You need to come now. 00:15:25.120 --> 00:15:27.519 And then she put on it, Daddy said come. 00:15:27.679 --> 00:15:34.240 If daddy said come, if she said daddy, daddy said come. 00:15:34.879 --> 00:15:37.440 That took a whole different meaning, didn't it? 00:15:37.840 --> 00:15:40.159 It took a whole different meaning. 00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:49.679 And if you disobeyed the word of daddy, that's almost well, in fact, that's worse, that's just like disobeying the word of God. 00:15:50.399 --> 00:15:53.600 And the reason I'm saying that is because he said it twice. 00:15:54.080 --> 00:15:56.720 He said, go tell them, like he gave them an order. 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:00.960 He gave them an order the first time, but the second time he was really explicit about it. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:05.360 You know, he he was vehemently about it, he was profoundly about it. 00:16:05.519 --> 00:16:15.759 Go tell them that I want them to come to the banquet because this is a celebration for my bridegroom who is my son, and this is the celebration of the church, my people. 00:16:16.720 --> 00:16:18.879 And I want you at the table. 00:16:19.440 --> 00:16:24.960 But again, they refused to be obedient to the word of God, and they would not come. 00:16:25.279 --> 00:16:29.759 They chose to do other things, and it made him angry. 00:16:30.639 --> 00:16:31.919 It made him angry. 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:42.080 As a matter of fact, the Bible says that some of the servants that he sent to tell the people to come to dinner, to come to the banquet, some of them beat the servants up. 00:16:42.320 --> 00:16:46.720 Some of them beat them up, some of them slayed them, some of them killed them. 00:16:47.360 --> 00:16:50.720 That's what they did to God's ministers, to God's servants. 00:16:50.879 --> 00:16:53.360 They beat them up and some they killed. 00:16:55.360 --> 00:16:58.320 So he decided, he says, I tell you what, told his servants. 00:16:58.559 --> 00:17:00.000 I tell you what, I can see them. 00:17:00.159 --> 00:17:01.120 Can you see them? 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:02.399 The servants. 00:17:02.879 --> 00:17:09.759 You know, they probably came back to God and probably, you know, probably, you know, this is me and God right here having a conversation. 00:17:09.839 --> 00:17:10.640 I'm a servant. 00:17:10.799 --> 00:17:12.160 I'm one to win our time. 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:16.079 You sent us down there twice. 00:17:20.000 --> 00:17:22.720 And uh ain't coming. 00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:27.759 In our language, we would say something like this, the especially, you know, and we would say something like this. 00:17:28.000 --> 00:17:29.359 They ain't having it. 00:17:30.799 --> 00:17:31.599 Am I right about it? 00:17:31.680 --> 00:17:32.160 That's what I mean. 00:17:32.319 --> 00:17:33.359 They ain't having it. 00:17:36.400 --> 00:17:37.519 They ain't coming. 00:17:37.839 --> 00:17:39.200 You know, they ain't they ain't coming. 00:17:39.279 --> 00:17:43.440 Some of them got some, some, some of them, some of them gave us some choice words down there now. 00:17:46.960 --> 00:17:48.079 He said, Okay. 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.599 I'm gonna give you a new set of orders. 00:17:52.160 --> 00:17:54.799 I want you to go on main street. 00:17:55.119 --> 00:17:56.880 I want you to go back, uh-huh. 00:17:57.119 --> 00:17:58.079 I got a main street. 00:17:58.240 --> 00:17:58.640 Me too. 00:17:58.720 --> 00:18:00.319 I got a main street. 00:18:00.559 --> 00:18:04.480 I want you to go down to the main street, the main thoroughfare. 00:18:04.799 --> 00:18:10.000 See, because usually it's on main street, it's the main thoroughfare, you know that where everything takes place. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.279 You can go to whatever you need. 00:18:11.359 --> 00:18:13.279 You need your tires balanced, go get them balanced. 00:18:13.359 --> 00:18:20.880 You need discount tie, you need MTB, you need H E B, you want Kroger, whatever you want, it's down on Main Street, am I right? 00:18:21.039 --> 00:18:23.440 Some things down there that we should not want. 00:18:27.839 --> 00:18:29.039 You get it, yeah. 00:18:29.359 --> 00:18:33.839 On Main Street, he says, I want you to go down there and I want you to invite everybody. 00:18:33.920 --> 00:18:38.960 In other words, they can come to the banquet, they don't have to have an invitation. 00:18:39.359 --> 00:18:44.000 Somebody ought to be glad in here that you don't have to have an invitation to come to God's house. 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.319 Somebody ought to be glad that you don't have to have an invitation to praise God. 00:18:48.480 --> 00:18:54.079 Somebody in here ought to be happy that you don't have to have an invitation to tell somebody about God. 00:18:54.480 --> 00:19:10.160 Somebody in here ought to be happy and tell them and tell somebody I'm glad that have an invitation that I can walk in God's house and I can throw my hands up and I can say hallelujah, I'm saved because I'm a sinner, but I've been within. 00:19:10.400 --> 00:19:13.200 Somebody tell somebody what God has done for you. 00:19:13.359 --> 00:19:16.400 You better tell somebody what God has done for you. 00:19:16.559 --> 00:19:20.799 Raise your hands and tell somebody today when you see them in H E B. 00:19:20.960 --> 00:19:24.319 I know you're going to heat when you're going down that line at Lucas. 00:19:24.559 --> 00:19:30.559 Just when you see that banquet line laid out, think about God's table that he laid out for you. 00:19:32.880 --> 00:19:35.440 I just come to worship God today. 00:19:36.079 --> 00:19:38.559 I just come to worship God today. 00:19:40.559 --> 00:19:42.799 He says, Go and tell them. 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:44.559 Invite anybody. 00:19:44.960 --> 00:19:53.839 The Bible says it says, and verse 10, and those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they could find, both bad and good. 00:20:02.720 --> 00:20:04.960 Because I wasn't always a preacher. 00:20:06.400 --> 00:20:11.759 I grew up in church under my foot grandfather, who was a Baptist preacher. 00:20:13.759 --> 00:20:15.119 East Texas. 00:20:16.079 --> 00:20:17.039 Marshall. 00:20:17.759 --> 00:20:19.599 Country as a hill corn. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:21.039 I am. 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:26.640 All I know how to do is keep it plain. 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:41.200 And growing up with my grandfather in the country, I had a good time. 00:20:42.240 --> 00:20:45.279 My mama, my mama died. 00:20:46.000 --> 00:20:48.079 My mama passed when I was three. 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:54.079 And my daddy was shot and killed when I was six, so I had to go to the country. 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:57.519 And live with my grandmother and my grandfather. 00:20:57.920 --> 00:21:00.400 I was about five or six years old. 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:10.319 And then as I got to be about 11 or 12, my sister and her husband, they came to Marshall and said, okay, we're going to take you back to the city. 00:21:10.559 --> 00:21:12.480 We're going to take you back to Houston. 00:21:12.720 --> 00:21:14.799 And we're going to be a family. 00:21:15.519 --> 00:21:18.240 And I didn't want to go. 00:21:18.720 --> 00:21:20.720 I want to stay with my grandfather. 00:21:20.960 --> 00:21:22.480 I want to stay with Big Mama. 00:21:22.880 --> 00:21:25.839 I said, no, you're going to Houston with us. 00:21:26.000 --> 00:21:27.759 And we're going to be a family. 00:21:29.359 --> 00:21:30.640 And I did go. 00:21:34.240 --> 00:21:43.519 And as I began to grow up, I began to also realize that we weren't a family. 00:21:46.720 --> 00:21:49.279 I began to call whatever that family you told me about. 00:21:52.799 --> 00:21:53.920 Whatever that told me. 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.079 And I ended up running away from home. 00:22:04.799 --> 00:22:07.039 I'm still talking about the text now. 00:22:08.400 --> 00:22:10.720 I'm talking about me, and I don't mind using me. 00:22:10.799 --> 00:22:17.039 I don't mind being transparent in order to convey God's word and God's gospel on just how good He is. 00:22:19.039 --> 00:22:26.160 Because you see, I wasn't one who would have gotten an invitation when they first sent him out. 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:31.519 I was not one of those who would have gotten the first round of invitations. 00:22:34.799 --> 00:22:40.240 I ran away from home and I began to grow up on the streets of Third Ward, Texas. 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:41.359 Mm-hmm. 00:22:41.599 --> 00:22:41.920 Me. 00:22:45.440 --> 00:22:47.599 He got close to it when the writer was writing it. 00:22:47.759 --> 00:22:49.839 He said he told him to go get the good and the bad. 00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:52.640 Clinton Eastwood answered another and said, ugly. 00:22:55.759 --> 00:22:58.799 I was out there among the good, bad, and ugly. 00:22:59.519 --> 00:23:02.559 That was that third round that he was sending word to. 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:12.640 All of y'all can come now because those that ought to serve me and ought to have the right heart, all those that say they have the heart of Jesus Christ, they won't come. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:14.240 So you know what God says? 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:19.920 I'll find somebody that will serve me, and especially those that's been delivered from something. 00:23:20.160 --> 00:23:22.640 Go get those that's just hanging on the street. 00:23:22.799 --> 00:23:25.200 Go get everybody from wherever they've been. 00:23:25.359 --> 00:23:26.720 Go get the jail bird. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:32.480 Because one thing I can tell you about the jailburn, when I set him straight, he's gonna fly right. 00:23:32.640 --> 00:23:33.759 They can tell them that. 00:23:33.920 --> 00:23:34.960 Go get the one. 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:36.480 You better hit me up here. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:39.119 Go get him a hurry. 00:23:39.200 --> 00:23:41.200 Because when I set him right, they'll fire right. 00:23:41.279 --> 00:23:42.720 They say all they want to. 00:23:43.200 --> 00:23:46.319 Go get the one that's tricky that has that drug challenge. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:48.880 Go get the one that's trying to overcome that drug. 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:52.559 Go get the one that's trying to stop smoking that stuff and snorting that stuff up there. 00:23:52.720 --> 00:23:54.240 Get him, get her. 00:23:56.240 --> 00:23:58.160 Go down on Main Street. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:01.119 You know it's not on Main Street. 00:24:01.599 --> 00:24:03.359 Good, bad, and ugly. 00:24:04.400 --> 00:24:05.200 Go get them all. 00:24:05.519 --> 00:24:07.279 Tell them they're invited. 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:10.960 Those that are marginalized. 00:24:12.400 --> 00:24:20.079 Church, you know, they're happy when they get a call that I can go into a banquet hall where I know I wouldn't be invited. 00:24:20.559 --> 00:24:21.759 You know what I'm talking about. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.680 Some of y'all in here know what I'm talking about. 00:24:23.759 --> 00:24:33.599 That I got it, I've been invited to a banquet and at a banquet hall where I know I wouldn't have gotten an invitation. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:44.960 But because he loved me, because he saw my need, because he loved me first. 00:24:46.160 --> 00:24:50.880 He said, go get them and gather them up from everywhere. 00:24:51.519 --> 00:25:01.359 I don't matter what they look like, it doesn't matter where they've been, it doesn't matter what they've done, it doesn't matter what they've been into. 00:25:03.759 --> 00:25:04.799 Does not matter. 00:25:05.119 --> 00:25:06.400 Go get them. 00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:08.559 Now I want to go back to the outline. 00:25:08.640 --> 00:25:10.000 This is the king, right? 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:12.000 This is his banquet, right? 00:25:12.079 --> 00:25:12.480 The king. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:13.759 This is God talking. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:15.359 It's not me talking. 00:25:16.960 --> 00:25:24.880 This was Jesus teaching the people, teaching his disciples, using parables about the kingdom of God and what it looks like. 00:25:24.960 --> 00:25:26.799 In other words, everybody get there. 00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:29.440 Everyone we get, we're gonna all look alike. 00:25:30.240 --> 00:25:32.079 But he'll know who we are. 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:35.759 Because we all be dressed in blah, in red. 00:25:36.880 --> 00:25:38.160 Some say white. 00:25:38.400 --> 00:25:43.359 And some like to talk about the white and getting the robes and getting the shoes and stuff like that. 00:25:43.440 --> 00:25:44.640 Am I right about it? 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:54.480 But God also wants us to know that before you get there, there's some good on this side that I want you to enjoy as well. 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:58.400 Come to the banquet and be saved now. 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:00.559 Get what you need now. 00:26:00.640 --> 00:26:01.920 Don't wait till tomorrow. 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:03.759 Don't wait till next week. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:05.920 Because we don't know the hour. 00:26:08.000 --> 00:26:09.440 Come when you can. 00:26:10.640 --> 00:26:12.000 Come when you can. 00:26:12.240 --> 00:26:15.200 He sent and said, Go get everybody. 00:26:16.799 --> 00:26:19.359 And this ought to be somebody like me. 00:26:19.519 --> 00:26:21.680 I was one of those anybodies. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:22.960 Me. 00:26:24.160 --> 00:26:24.640 Mm-hmm. 00:26:24.880 --> 00:26:26.160 Can I get a witness? 00:26:26.640 --> 00:26:27.119 Thank you. 00:26:27.359 --> 00:26:29.119 For your being, just be candid with me. 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.319 Just be, you know, we don't want to be, you don't have to be shaming here. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:39.839 Just be candid with me because I wasn't always in church, even though that I went to church, but sometimes it was a place I didn't want to be. 00:26:40.559 --> 00:26:44.799 On Sunday, I mean, you know, I grew up in the Baptist church, you know. 00:26:45.599 --> 00:26:48.079 And my grandfather was the preacher, Mark. 00:26:48.720 --> 00:26:57.440 That meant I was in church Monday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday because we down there to cut the grass. 00:26:57.519 --> 00:27:02.720 And on Sunday, you know, man, I was before he even get up. 00:27:02.960 --> 00:27:05.359 I was trying to figure out where to go hide. 00:27:07.519 --> 00:27:10.559 I even had made me a place in a chicken coop. 00:27:12.160 --> 00:27:15.680 You know, in the chicken coop in the country, you have certain hands, they lay. 00:27:15.839 --> 00:27:18.319 You take eggs, you put them on and they lay, you know, they hatch you. 00:27:18.400 --> 00:27:22.720 You know, and that that that row and where I grew up, that row was always in the back of the chicken coop. 00:27:22.880 --> 00:27:27.359 You know, so you go about go around there and get behind that, you know, because it's built up. 00:27:28.960 --> 00:27:30.400 You kind of hide a little bit. 00:27:32.640 --> 00:27:36.000 He might think my uncle brother, I got an uncle, we call him uncle brother. 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:38.000 He might think, brother, come got me. 00:27:38.160 --> 00:27:39.279 That's his boy. 00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:41.920 And uh, I just try to hide from him. 00:27:44.000 --> 00:27:51.119 My grandfather on old coveralls and old big old red bandana he had hanging out his pocket, back pocket, you know. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:55.599 He'd walk in and he'd be out there and he'd walk over the chicken coop sometime. 00:27:55.680 --> 00:27:56.880 He knows where I'm at. 00:27:57.200 --> 00:28:01.519 And I can see him pull that old chicken coop, that old red bandana out of his back pocket. 00:28:01.680 --> 00:28:07.119 He'd pull it out, he'd pop it, he'd wipe his mouth, he'd say, Marvin, come on out. 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:12.559 Because we got to get to service this morning. 00:28:12.720 --> 00:28:13.759 Come on out. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.559 And I said, I don't know, I don't know how this man know where I'm high. 00:28:19.680 --> 00:28:21.359 How does he know it? 00:28:22.319 --> 00:28:23.920 How does he know it? 00:28:24.480 --> 00:28:33.359 The Bible says that when the king came in after the banquet hall had been filled, after they gathered all of the people from all walks of life. 00:28:33.839 --> 00:28:35.359 The sinner as well. 00:28:36.079 --> 00:28:38.799