From Clocker Valley in County Tyrone we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us as Gospel Minister the Reverend Peter McIntyre is here to let the Bible speak and preach Christ in all his fullness. Today I would like to talk to you about the Great Refusal and we read about this in Matthew chapter 22 verses 1 through to 8. So let's read the passage first of all. And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son, and sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bitten. Behold, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage.' But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise. And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard their wrath he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers. and burned up their city. Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. We know that God will bless the reading of his word to our hearts. It is always a very serious matter to refuse If you refuse an invitation, if you refuse a friendship, if you refuse to speak to someone, well, sometimes it's the right thing to do. But great care must be taken before we actually refuse. And in some cases, it's always wrong to refuse. In many ways it goes against the grain. It's not easy to say no. Those people that find it very easy to say no, well, there's something wrong with that individual. The simplest thing in the world, the most natural thing in the world is to avoid the risk of offending, of being misunderstood, is to say yes. Of course, we say no when principles are at stake, and that needs to be done. Sometimes we regretfully say no because circumstances are thrust upon us that we cannot control, and whenever that happens, a true friend will understand. but there are times when it's wrong to refuse, always wrong to refuse. Here in Matthew chapter 22, the Lord uses a parable to expound and explain the great refusal. This is the greatest refusal of all. Those who will not accept Christ as their one and only Saviour, this is a tragic refusal of the highest and the greatest proportions. And while this parable talks about people that were invited to a wedding and they refused, The real lesson is there are people who are invited to Christ, the Saviour, and they refuse. You must always say yes to Jesus, and whenever you say no, that is the great refusal. In the first place, let's think about the privilege for the refusing. These people in Matthew 22 were invited to a royal wedding. Now weddings are exciting. Whenever a wedding invitation lands, there's a thrill about that. There's an excitement about that. It's a day that is anticipated. Chosen to come to a wedding because the guests are always chosen. And the king sent out this message. All things are ready. All things are prepared. Come to the marriage of my son. And like fashion, you today are invited to come to Christ to make Him your Saviour. God has made all things ready. He has planned out a way of salvation. He has sent His Son into the world. Jesus Christ has provided this way of salvation at the cross and through His resurrection. And now He sends messengers to tell you to come and accept the invitation. Accepting this invitation is to experience peace in this earth, is to experience glory in the next. That great event, the marriage supper of the Lamb, awaits when all of God's people will be gathered around the Blessed Saviour. All things are ready. This is a privilege. You're hearing the Gospel today. You're being taught that you're a sinner. You're being taught that there can be real hope in this world through Christ and therefore you are invited on the authority of God's Word as an ambassador for Christ himself. I plead with you. Come to Jesus Christ. Accept that you're a sinner. and embrace him as your saviour. Let's also think about the person who was refused. The person who was refused was the king's son. Now he was the future heir. The king loved his son. He wanted a wedding that would befit the love that he had for his son. By their refusal, these people refused not only the king, but his son. By refusing salvation, you refuse Christ. You're not refusing the message of a church or a preacher. We're only the messengers. You're refusing the one that conveys this message through the church and through the preacher and through the evangelist by refusing the gospel invitation, by refusing to accept that you must be saved, that you must be saved now. You are refusing Christ himself. And He loves you as no one else has ever loved you. His hands and feet were pierced for you. No greater refusal than this. But still, the people would not come. They had this great privilege. They said no. And you have this privilege, coming to Christ. But you say no. Why? Let's think about the patience towards the refusing. the people who refused they said no and so the king he kindly sent more servants he was so patient this was typical of israel in the old testament they refused the prophets he sent more prophets god sent more prophets eventually he sent his son In the history of the church, God raises up preacher after preacher, denomination after denomination. He doesn't give up. He continues to plead. Perhaps it's been the history of your life. You had parents who taught you the gospel, Sunday school teachers who told you you had to be saved, youth leaders, friends at work, you've had pastors, you've heard the word on several occasions in several ways, but still you say no. But still other meetings have come, other opportunities have arisen, This radio broadcast has come your way. You're listening through a podcast. The years have slipped by, but still God is pleading. He has spoken once, twice. He has spoken again and again. God has been so patient. That's how he is with us. That's his kindness and that's his long-suffering. I pray that this will not be the case, but if your soul is lost forever, it will not be because of opportunity. Let's think about the persistence of the refusing. These people grew increasingly bold. They made light of the invitation. They did not make light of their farms and their businesses. These things came before the king's son and the wedding invitation. They said, we have this to do, we have that to do, we have this to attend to, we have that to attend to. They had their reasons. They had their excuses and still They said no. They put things that were relatively minor before that which was of immense value. The story is told of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor. He gave an order that when he died he would be buried seated upright as a king. The Gospels were between his knees, the sword was beside him, the crown was on his head, the mantle was upon his shoulders. He was buried as a king 180 years later. In the year 1000 AD his tomb was reopened. He was still wearing that crown and a bony finger was pointing to the verse, What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul? The crown was there, the sword was there, the gold was still there, but the skin had faded away to bones. What worth was it, if he had all these things, but lost his soul? Prestige, power, legacy meant everything to him, but it was worthless in the light of eternity. Why will you not come to Jesus Christ? Is it because of pleasures that you want? Is it because of friends you are afraid of losing? Why will you not come to Jesus Christ? Could it be that you're placing such a priority upon the things that don't really matter before that which is of immense value? Your precious soul. Don't make light of the Word of God. Don't make light of Christ. Don't make light of eternity. Don't make light of the frailty of life. Don't take time for granted. These servants These people who were invited, they became even more intense in their opposition. They started to beat, they even killed the servants of the king. Israel eventually crucified Christ, opportunity after opportunity, but they put Christ on the cross. This world has persecuted, attacked and vilified the people of God. The people of God who present the great message of hope for a dying world. What about you? Perhaps you have been increasingly hard. Perhaps you don't want to hear the message of salvation. Perhaps in all of your pride you try to say, I don't need that message. Once perhaps you were concerned and now you are concerned no longer. And the truth is you would crucify Christ if you had an opportunity today. You want your sin before Jesus Christ, still you say no. Understand that you are in grave danger. He that being often reproved, the Bible says, he hardeneth his neck, he'll suddenly be cut off and that without remedy. Come before that day dawns. Let's also think finally about the punishment for refusing. What happens if you die refusing Christ? Your soul will be lost forever. In hell, there will be the judgment day because you would not come. You would not come and you will forever remember the opportunities. And still you said no to Jesus Christ. The great refusal. There's no refusal. More criminal in this, more awful in this. More ungrateful than this. There are things in life that you would not miss, but yet you refuse to miss out on God's salvation. How is this? The story is told of Philip Brooks. Philip Brooks was the writer of The Christmas Carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. He was, of course, a devout Christian. He was an Anglican bishop in America. He was dying. As he was dying, in common with other people who faced death, he didn't want to see anybody. want his friends to come, wanted to be alone as he faced death. But he received a request by one who knew him who was a well-known atheist. His name was Robert Ingersoll and Robert Ingersoll had written so very much about Atheism wrote against Christianity. And he came to see Philip Brooks and he said, how is it, he said, that you're allowing me and I don't share your faith. And you prefer that I should come instead of your friends that are Christians. And Philip Brooks said, it's very simple, my other friends, I will see them one day. I know where they're going, but I know that you will be separated from me for all eternity. That's a paraphrase. And he pleaded with anger soul to come to Christ. Dear friend, I plead with you today to come to Christ. I plead with you as if this was the last time you will ever hear the gospel. As if this was the last time that I could ever share this message with you. I plead with you. Don't lose your soul. Don't lose your soul. Accept this invitation. Jesus said, come unto me. I will give you rest. I thank you so much for listening. you've been listening to Let the Bible Speak. If we can be of any further spiritual help, or if you would like to receive some free gospel literature, we invite you to write to us. Our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak, Rev. Peter McIntyre, 13 Willand Crescent, 5 Mile Town, County Tyrone, BT75OQL. That's Let the Bible Speak, Rev. Peter McIntyre, Thirteen, Willand, Crescent, Five Mile Town, County Tyrone, BT75, OQL. You may hear Mr. McIntyre preach each Lord's Day here in Clocker Valley Free Presbyterian Church at 11.30am and 7pm. For further information you may phone us at 028 8952 1611. 028 8952 1611. We assure you of a very warm welcome at all the services and look forward to having you visit with us. Thank you for listening today. May the Lord richly bless you, and don't forget to tune in on this same station at the same time next week, when once again we turn to the scriptures and let the Bible speak.