Stay Chosen | Pr Janaronson Nagarajah

You're listening to a message to go from as church. We hope this message

will light up your day. Matthew twenty two. We're going to read from

was One all the way to worse fourteen. Let's go. And Jesus answered

and spoke to them again by parables, and said, now Verse one,

Jesus spoke to them. There is a group that Jesus was addressing, and

these are the pharisees. These are the religious teachers. Yeah, so Jesus

is addressing them. Verse two. The kingdom of Heaven is like a certain

king who arranged a marriage for his son and sent out his servants to call

those who were invited to the wedding. And they were not willing to come.

Everyone say out when the king gives out a command, these are an

invitation, right, It's actually is not an option. You know. They

took it as an option. And they told the king, you invited me

for my wedding, sorry for your son's wedding, but I'm not coming.

So the first group, yeah, was fault. Again. He sent out

other servants saying, tell those who are invited, see, I have prepared

my diner, my oxen, and fatted cattle are killed, and all things

are ready calm to the wedding. But they made light of it and want

to say out. And when there are ways, one to his own farm,

another to his business, and the rest seized. His servants treated them

spitefully and killed them. Very violent group of people here verse seven. But

when the king heard about it, he was furious, which king would not

write, and he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers and burn up

their city. Then he said to his servants, the wedding is ready,

but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore, go into the highways,

and as many as you find in hye to the wedding. So those

servants went out into the highways and gathered together all home. They found both

bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when

the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man, and

one say, a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

So he said to the men, or in other words, he said to

him, friend, how did you come in here? We doubt a wedding

garment? And he was speechless. Was thirteen. Then the king said to

the servants, bind him hand and foot, take him away and cast him

into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gesting of teeth. I want

to say this together was fourteen, and stay along with me, For many

are called, but few are chosen. Many are called, few are chosen.

So in Jesus spoke this parable. He spoke directly to the Pharisees.

Now who are these pharisees? These are religious teachers who opposes Jesus's teaching,

who doubted Jesus, who has ill intention towards Jesus, who are judgmental towards

Zenus because they clothed within themselves a spirit of self righteousness, a spirit where

they think they are a birth society. They know the truth, but they

didn't leave the truth. These are people who are supposed to teach the law

of God with compassion, but they did not. Right. They had a

very critical spirit. They focused more on rituals and religion more than the spirit

of the commandment. Right. So when you read the Gospel, you see

that Jesus often confronted them as well. He called them brute of white pers

You Hippocrates and the least goes on religious teach us. Back then, they

were blinded by their hypocrisy, self righteousness, and jealousy. So in this

parable, there are a couple of characters here right. The first character is

the king. Second character is the King's son. You and I would know

that this parable basically refers to the King as our father. God is referred

to as Christ. It's only be good and sign. Bible say he said

in John three sixteen. For God so loved the world that he gave his

only be God and Son. Wholsoever believe in him shall not perish, but

have everlasting life. For God, They're not send his son into the world

to condemn the world, but that in his son the world might be safe.

Now, a couple of characters here also the servants. The servants went

out to the first group went out to, the second group went out to

the third group. The servant. Here, as you read your Bible,

you will know that across generations, God raised up prophets, especially an Old

Testament, to speak to his people, to tell them that they are to

return back to God. They are to leave out God's commandment. And we

know that back then the Israelites they also did a lot of humful thing to

God's prophet. Someone was killed, some of Stone, etc. So servants

are the prophets. In fact, Jesus when he spoke this parable, he

is also likened to be one of the servants that offered the invitation for people

to come to the wedding. The first guest, obviously, these are the

Pharisees who have rejected Jesus. That's why they rejected the king. No,

I'm not coming to your son's wedding. These are also the Israelites. The

Israelites basically they don't acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah. Right. The second group

those that the servants went to, the highways and byways, people like you

and me. The gentiles who are the gentiles. The gentiles are basically the

non Jews and also the outcasts of Israelites. So there are people in Israel

who believe in Jesus. Just that These are people who are often being oppressed

by the Pharisees. These are your people whom the Pharisees will call them senors,

text collector, prostitutes, etc. But yet Lord invited them to come

for this banquet. So this is a context of the parable and the character

in love. Now, as you read the Book of Revelation, you would

realize that God is also preparing for a great banquet, a wedding face in

heaven. That's why as we partake in holy communion earlier, there's the worst

that says you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes. So as Christian,

we believe in the second coming of Christ. Jesus is coming back, all

right, and when he comes back, the Bible says that there will be

a great banquet. Turn to the Book of Revelation, chapter nineteen. We're

gonna read from verse six to nine. So in Revelation chapter nineteen, when

his revelation basically is the last book in the Bible. In case you are

still flipping around, is it in the beginning of the beginning of Genesis?

Okay, so the last book in the Bible is a revelation, and we're

gonna read from chapter nineteen, verse six to nine. And I heard who

is I here? Is basically the apostle John So when he was exiled in

the island of Patmos in Greece, and Lord came to him in revelation,

so he wrote down. So the Book of Revelation is a prophetic book of

what will transpire towards the end time. Paving the way for Christ to come

back. Right, So he says say verse six, and I means John

heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of

many waters, as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying a la Luia for

the Lord God Omniporton rains Omnipotton basically means all powerful, for the all for

the Lord God Omnipotton rains. So when John heard this sound, basically there

were a sea of people around. You probably have been to stadiums before,

either in a football match, concert, black being co play anyone now you're

going co play? Oh so sad? Anyway, I'm not going j chow

wherever. You guys probably who have been to a concert seeing a concert before.

Imagine in heaven is multiplied by infinity times. So the sound is like

many waters, like thunders and all. So John in this region he heard

this, it must have. When he says, let us be glad and

rejoiced and give him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come. Now

you realize that the lamb here is a capital L signifying Jesus Christ, because

he is the perfect Lamb of God that was slain for you and me that

we have atonement through his blood. So communion is about remembering Jesus his body

which was broken for you and me, and it's blood that has washed us

thoroughly clean. That's why he is the Lamb of God. And his wife

has made herself ready. Wow, Jesus got wife. The wife here basically

is the church. The church is the bride of Christ. And as a

bride, we gotta be ready for his return. We gotta be ready to

meet him. One day was it? And to her it was grunted to

be a read in fine lenin, clean and bright, for the fine lenan

is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, right,

blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.

And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. So

remember in the parable we read earlier, many are called, but few are

chosen. So it was a parable of a wedding revelation gives us a picture

of a wedding to come. Topic for today is straightforward, stay chosen.

You and I we got to stay chosen. To be chosen is a choice.

The character that I wanted to focus on today is the man with no

government. The king walk around, saw a man without a government, asked

him, friend, where is your goverment? It says that the man without

a government was found to be speechless. How many of you when you have

done something wrong and someone confronted you, Yeah, really speechous, like because

you know he's wrong. There's no need to argue, no need to give

excuses. Wrong is wrong. So this man was found in that position.

You see. It was a custom in back then in the Ease, very

Christianity, it's not a religion, but from the West. Often people have

this thought that Chriscente was birth in the west. Jesus came in blonde,

blue eyes, and no, Chrisinite was birth very much in the eastern area,

right, So back then there is a custom in the East for king

to provide ropes or garments for his guests. So these wedding garments were a

sign of grace freely given and receive the goverment. Are usually expensive that the

king invite you to attend the wedding, and you are of certain class in

society, probably we can't afford it. So the king releases the garments to

the guests to be worn during the wedding so you don't have to purchase it

from the king. Is a sign of grace. It is to be freely

received because it's freely given and varying. It is a sign of respect to

the king and his son. It is also aligning towards the king's authority.

That means you're willing to submit to the King's authority, all right, following

me so far? So you and I will know that in our walk with

Jesus, making excuses can be very easy. To be honest, it can

be very easy to make excuses of why I don't want to do my quiet

time, why I don't want to be active in church, Why I don't

want to be active in discipleship, Why I don't want to be active in

evangelism, Why I you know, I find it difficult to grow my faith?

And all these are all to pretty very bluntly excuses, right. Why

is because when you look at this man, right, the garment was given

to him. He could have just put it on like anyone else. Why

he did not, and there was no reason given. It's very hard to

determine why he didn't put on the garment. I concluded by just this one

fact he chose to disrespect the king. So this parable stands as a symbol

and warning to you and I to take heed on how we prepare our appearance

before God. One day we should prepare self to meet Jesus. The question

I often reflect daily as I grow older and older. I'm quite all actually

next year not all? But midway Truler, is am I ready to see

Jesus? Yeah, honestly I'm not. I'm not because there are things He

have asked me to do I haven't fulfilled yet, and I don't want to

be found in his presence saying that, Lord, you know you asked me

dudia. Actually I didn't prepare prepare to see Jesus? Is it? God

is patient without excuses? Really? God is right patient. Maybe in this

parable, the King wasn't patient, But you and I know that God is

full of loving kindness and is patient. Is mercy and yours forever while we

leave. It is a time of grace, But there is also a time

where it will come to a point where our excuse us can cause us not

to be chosen. This man disqualify himself from being chosen. You and I

shouldn't disqualify ourselves because staying chosen is a choice, and staying chosen basically means

is staying in the righteousness of Christ. So the government here represents grace.

It also represents the righteousness of Christ. Let me elaborate further. Yea.

In Isaiah sixty one, verse ten, he says, here, I will

greatly rejoice in the Lord. My soul shall be joy fool in my God.

For he has clothed me with the garments of salvation. He has covered

me with the rope of righteousness. So the Boy of Revelation there will be

a wedding. You can only be present in the wedding if you have the

robe of righteousness, which only Jesus can give true the salvation we know in

the bow of efficient it says that we are all saved by grace, true

faith in Jesus. So salvation you don't work your way, You just got

to receive it from God. Now, why is it important for us to

be rope with the rope of righteousness and garments of salvation. Because in Isaiah

sixty four, verse six, he says, we are all like an unclean

thing, and all our righteousness are like filthy wrecks. We all fade as

a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have takenness away.

God's standard of righteousness is Jesus. Let men tell me that as I'm actually

quite good one. I don't steal, I don't rob, I don't kill,

I don't murder, probably cheat an exam, but probably I don't do

a lot of bad things. And you may think that you are very righteous

compared to your friends, or you may think that you're very righteous compared to

some of your family members. But I may remind you that self righteousness is

not righteousness at all. Self righteousness is pride. Pride itself is sin.

So our righteousness, no matter how good we think we are, the Bible

says that our righteousness are like filthy wrecks before him. We all know that

all have fallen shot of the glory of God. All of us are sinners,

including me. So no one can stand boasting to say that their righteousness

are like white linen Romans, Chapter three. In Romans chapter three, verse

twenty one, it says, but now the righteousness of God, apart from

the Law, is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the prophets.

Even the righteousness of God true faith in Jesus Christ to all and all who

believe. From there is no difference, for all have seen and for short

of the glory of God being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that

is in Christ, Jesus, whom God sent forth as appropripitiation by his blood

true faith, to demonstrate his righteousness. Because in his forebearns God has passed

over the scenes that were previously committed to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness,

that He might be just and be justified of the one who has faith

in Jesus. So the wedding of the Sun obviously is Jesus. Is Jesus

who will made us righteous blindness. I need your help. You will be

my mic stand. I purposely bring two courts today to do illustration, Okay,

testing testing right, Thanks sir Yah. God can use anyone amen to

be a mic stand Amen. So Bibara says that the king offered the government

to the wedding guests. Isaiah, we read that our righteousness are like filthy

rights. Right. The government is given freely. You and I know that

our life are very different. We have challenges, secret scenes that we are

all dealing with. We have passed, perhaps that we are not proud about,

background that we're not proud about, and one of these are all clothed

in our own rope. Every condemnation is here, every guilt is here,

every hurt is here, every offenses is here. When Jesus comes into our

life, what it does is that he will take away our Now you can

become my hanger. It's asking us to take away our rope, even if

you feel that. You know, that's around saying. When I was young

until now, I've been honoring to my parents, I've been honoring to my

friends. I'm actually very good. One again, God's standard of righteousness is

Jesus. So what we're doing is we have to put on the rope,

the cloth, the garment of salvation, and the rope of righteousness. Okay,

don't take it backhind any of my court Ah. You see you and

I know that when Adam sinned, when Adam and Eve sin the first animals

sacrifice was made. God took a ram, slaughtered it and make a covering

of Ram for Adam. And if so, when we are clothed with the

righteousness of Christ, his righteousness cowards our shame, cowards our nakedness, cowards,

things that we're not proud about. His righteousness cowards. He cowers our

past, and his rope speaks about the future that He has promised us,

which is in God calling me so far so in First Peter Chapter one,

eighteen to twenty, knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver

or gold from your aimless conduct, received by tradition from your father's but with

the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot He

indeed was four ordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in

these last times for you. So why the garment of salvation, why the

rope of righteousness is expensive? You cannot afford it, I cannot afford it

is because it can own be made available to you through the precious blood of

Jesus. It's only through the blood of the Lamb that is Jesus. So

grace to me is purchase with the blood of Jesus. Grace means we don't

deserve it, but He chose to give his life for you and me,

so that today we are no longer close in condemnation, but we are close

in His righteousness. So We need to stay chosen. We need to stay

in the righteousness of Christ. Don't be like the first guest where they make

light of it. They attended to their own business, they attended to their

own farm. They rebel violently. Not coming to the wedding is also equal

to rebellion. Not wearing it also equals to rebellion. What is the righteousness

of Christ? To me, it's basically the standard of God. We should

often put on the standard of God that can only fulfill in Jesus. You

see. Remember, Yeah, to be chosen is to remain in the righteousness

of Christ. To be chosen basically means is to consistently put on your garment.

You put off your garment. You are called, but you're not chosen.

So when you have the righteousness of Christ, what it does is you

enter into the presence of God. When you have seen in you, you

cannot enter into the presence of God. The righteousness of Christ attracts God's presence.

Seeing hinder God's presence. So if I were to put on my own

role, if I were to put on my own role, I cannot enter

into God's presence because I have my sinful nature. I have things that I

am not proud of. And when I turned to God, he can't turn

to me. He had no choice but to turn away. But when I

put on the righteousness of Christ, I believe in a sacrificial death. When

I turned to God, God sees me because he sees Christ in me.

He sees his righteousness, Christ righteousness in me. His righteousness cowers me from

my pride because to put on his real righteousness, who requires me to deny

myself follow after him. His righteousness cowers me from my own self glory his

righteousness. When I put on speak about humility. So we are called to

take away our filthy garment, put on Christ so that we can enter into

His presence. Stay here for wanna. Okay, praise a lot God,

two hands. So number one, when you have the righteousness of Christ,

you enter into His presence. Number two, God often will answer your prayer.

Let me rephrase. It's not often. God will always answer your prayer.

When you put on the righteousness of Christ. God doesn't answer your prayer

because you are righteous. God answers your prayer because of the righteousness of Christ

in you. So there's no point I'm tasting God. There's no point serving

twenty five hours a day in exchange that God, I serve you so much.

Therefore you have to answer my prayer. There's no point giving your last

ring it to God in exchange for him to answer your prayer. God answers

your prayer when you choose to put on the righteousness of Christ in you.

I can't catch your let's helping you. You go to the gym enough,

okay? Some chapter and forty three was one He says, hear my prayer,

or Lord, give ear to my supplication. In your faithfulness, answer

me and in your righteousness. So when God answers your prayer, he's answering

in his faithfulness. And is it your righteousness? No, it is in

his righteousness. So remember, if I cover my own rope, I can

approach God. Neither can I approach him through prayer, because seen hinders our

prayer from being answered Christ, the righteousness of Christ. Thank you so much,

Lightness, because our prayer to be answered. So to be chosen is

to be real, is to remain in the righteousness of Christ, abiding in

Him. Second Corinthians, Chapter five, verse twenty one says, for He

made him who knew no sin to be seen for us referring to Jesus that

we might become the righteousness of God in him. So remember today, when

God sees you, and if you follow Christ wholeheartedly, he will see Christ

in you. He will answer your prayer because of Christ. So we need

to respond to God's invitation to the banquet. Don't give excuses, like,

Lord, I can't overcome this sin. I can't overcome this offenses in my

heart. I can't overcome this unforgiveness in my heart, this bitterness, this

jealousy, this conveciousness. Make no excuses. God has given you more than

enough power to overcome every shackles that is holding you back, every power that

seeks to cause you to think that you cannot overcome. Jesus has overcoming all.

It's overcome everything. So why is receiving the righteousness of Christ important?

Is God's standard of righteousness? You'll stay committed to the call. Honor God

who calls you, Honor God who chose you. You've got to stay chosen.

You gotta recognize your need for righteousness. You need to align to God's

word. You need to leave out his word. You need to be the

word of God. Two people around you when you walk daily in repentance.

Repentance. We all know this right. It's not an emotional thing. Repentancy

is not feeling sorry. Repentance is consistently and daily making that decision to deny

our fleshly desires and to follow God, to put on the mind of Christ.

You guys know the Lord's prayer. I believe the Lord's prayers should be

said daily. Why it is because it says our Father, who is in

heaven, Hello, would be done in your kingdom. Come, Your will

be done on earth as it is in Heaven't give us this day our daily.

He didn't say weekly, he didn't say yearly, he didn't say monthly.

So it tells me that a Lot's prayer it's supposed to be pretty daily.

And then if for this says forgive us of our sins, as we

also release forgiveness to others. So repentance is supposed to be daily. So

how do we abide in the righteousness of God? How do we abide in

Christ? Before I take my flight to Nila? A faith in Him,

a faith in his works. For your salvation, we are all saved by

grace. Galatians Chapter two, Verse twenty to twenty one. What's twenty to

say is I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who

live, but Christ lives in me, and the life which I now live

in the flesh, I leave by faith in the Son of God, who

loved me and gave himself for me. Amen was twenty one. I do

not set aside the grace of God, For if righteousness comes through the law,

then Christ in wain. Righteousness can only come true Christ. A faith

in Him. To truly know what grace is is to know God's law and

how far we have fallen shot. No one can fulfill God's law except Christ

alone. How do we abide in Christ's righteousness is to also walk in the

transformative power he brings in your heart. If you have been following Jesus for

many years, I hope and I pray that every one of you will have

attested the money of before and after. Before I was field with rage and

anger towards my family. But today, by the grace of God, I've

reconsulted and I have released forgiveness. Before I suffered from anxiety depression. I

can see myself in a worthy manner. But today Christ has given me that

confidence in Him, that I see myself as worthy in Him. We all

should have a testimony of the transformative work of the Holy Spirit in us.

If not, why do you believe in Christ? Do you only believe in

Christ because you want to get to the wedding, which is heaven. Even

if you think you can enter into the wedding, do you have the rope

of His righteousness? We believe in Christ because we believe that He forgive us

of our sin and him he has that transformative power to cause us to rise

a birth our circumstances and to allow him to change us inside our How do

we know we're abide in Christ and his righteousness. We serve others selflessly.

We don't live a life that is self centered. We live a life that

is Christ centered, community centered, and church centered. We share the Gospel,

and we make disciples, and of course, above all, we grow

spiritually. So if I go, I just want to emphasize this point,

put on the righteousness of Christ in heaven. I believe the banquet is ready.

You and I need to remain chosen. Don't deny Christ, don't put

away Christ, don't put Christ aside. Christ should always be your lumber one

now your family, not your boyfriend or your girlfriend, like your studies,

like your career. Christ should always, always, always be number one in

our life. We hope you've been blessed by this message. For more information

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good week, a hit for you. God bless