The Invitation

Sunday, October 12, 2008
Preacher: Pastor Kendra Mohn


Isaiah 25:1-9
Philippians 4:1-9
Matthew 22:1-14



Audio sermon link: http://fileresource.sitepro.com/filemanager/74/filecollections/422/6FD5C5F3-975A-69FE-90F3-A6EB7636E5AC.mp3

Pastor Mohn began by admitting this is a very difficult text. You’re hoping for good, reassuring news. You’re left asking, “Will I be one of the chosen few?”

Well, if you hang in there …. there is good news, but you’ll have to work your way through it. And it’s all about God’s invitation. The people made light of it. We made light of an invitation for which God did ALL the preparation. He had a robe in waiting, as was the custom for wedding guests and the guests refused the hospitality of the Host of Hosts. Remember last week when Pastor Johnson asked us if we’d ever been rejected … and what ti felt like? All dressed up and no one wanting us?

We are asked to do nothing more today than accept this most gracious invitation …. but, as Pastor Mohn concedes, there is a breakdown in trust, and with it, a lot of questions.

With the invitation outstanding, the people devoted themselves, instead, to idolatry. We placed out best, 1st efforts toward idols. We, as human beings, are good at finding other things to place our trust in. Sadly, we only often turn to God, as the Prodigal Sons, after the idols don’t deliver the goods.

The overriding question is “Where is God in all this?”

And the questions begs an answer, but receives none.

Look at the text from Isaiah where the people praise God for making of the city a heap of ruins. Pastor Mohn bemuses the notion of God being praised for destroying something?? And then the realization that what they are perhaps praising is not the destruction, but rather what God is replacing it with. Pastor Mohn thoughtfully shared the notion that it’s possible that with the destruction of one thing comes the room for creation of another, the story of the seasons, the circle of life, th closing of one door putting in motion the domino effect of events that open another door. God is busy in the details.

So where do we place our trust? We seem to want, crave a guarantee … that if we turn from these rather attractive looking idols,that it’ll somehow be made worth our while.

There is a book titled “What the Best College teachers Do” by Ken Bain in which he describes an intriguing aspect of teaching. When students (who are humans themselves) find themselves presented with a concept at odds with their interpretation of the world, they are VERY reticent to give up their false model without some guarantee that the newly offered goods are worth the trade. They seem to want a guarantee. Often, however, they must be willing to give up one to afford the free hands to grab the alternative. We, not only as students but as humans, suffer the same lack of trust.

Isaiah’s message is to Not Worry …. We are all called to help rebuild the mountain and set the table for everyone, even the undeserving prodigal sons coming down the road toward us. We are all called to be part of the rebuilding of a better place to replace the heap of a city that once was, but is now to be better. The “peace that surpasses all understanding” in Philippians is the fuel for that building, the courage to live that life of a disciple “without guarantees”, a trust and acceptance that what is to come will be better than what we are giving up to make room for it.

In Ken Bain’s book, he is careful to point out that in order for students to take the turn and “accept a new model of the universe and how it ticks”, they must do two things: they must care that their previous ways were somehow incorrect, and they must receive tremendous levels of support in order to transition to a new paradigm.

In Philippians, Paul is promising us that God will provide said support in “guarding our hearts and our minds”. He is saying to us all, “Come away from your idols and I will walk the road back with you, providing the peace that surpasses your understanding, providing safe haven for the uncertain journey to a place where we can live without fear, rejoicing at The Table prepared by the greatest host of all time”.

Here’s a robe for you … come now to the wedding feast!