Thank you. Thank you, Jennings and Macy. Thank
you, choir. It's now time for children's church.
We have any kids six and under? For the rest
of us, we will be in Matthew. Matthew chapter
15. Matthew chapter 15. Verse 32. Just one verse
today to start with. I don't want you all to
get too excited. I think we're going to get out
of here quick with just one little verse. Matthew
chapter 15, verse 32. We'll read the verse, then
we'll pray. Now Jesus summoned his disciples
and said, I have compassion on the crowd, because
they've already stayed with me three days and
have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them
in the way hungry, otherwise they might collapse
on the way. Let us pray. God, we come to you
this morning and we thank you for your good words.
I pray that your Holy Spirit would be among us
today. I pray that you would help us to be free
of the distractions and the worries of this world.
I pray, God, that you would help me to preach
your word in a way that brings glory to you.
God, I pray that you take away any fear or any
pride that I have today, that your Holy Spirit
would just help me to recall the things that
you would desire for me to say today. I pray
that if there are any in this room today, God,
that are hungry, that they would come to you
and that they would be filled this morning. I
pray that you would meet us where we are today
and that every word that is spoken be for your
glory and your kingdom. In Jesus' name I pray
it. Amen. I'd like to share with you a story
this morning, if I may, for a few minutes. There
once was a king of a wonderful kingdom. a kingdom
so vast that it stretched as far as the eye could
see in every direction. The northern part of
the kingdom was the old city, with buildings
of old that had a certain rustic charm. The north
was home to the kingdom's vineyards, which created
some of the finest wine that you would ever taste.
On the western part of the kingdom lie the coastline.
pristine beaches and quiet coastal communities.
It was home to the fishermen of the kingdom who
constantly searched the depths for some of the
finest catch of the sea. The eastern part of
the kingdom was the largest part of the kingdom.
It was home to a group of nomads. They constantly
roamed the land that was full of rolling hills
and majestic snow -capped mountains. moving their
herds from pasture to pasture. And finally, there
was the southern part of the kingdom. The southern
part of the kingdom was the kingdom's crown jewel,
for it was there that stood the king's palace
and all of its grandeur. And the southern part
of the kingdom stood beautiful trees, trees that
were almost perfectly straight and stood so tall
that it was as if they reached into the heavens.
Meandering through the southern kingdom was a
mighty river, which meant that the southern kingdom
was perfect for planting gardens, of which the
kingdom did, and produced many great fruits and
vegetables. One day the king was traveling throughout
his kingdom and recognizing the beauty of all
of his land when suddenly he was struck with
an idea. The king said to himself, I have the
finest of wine, the delights of the sea, the
fattest of cattle and gardens so green. From
the north to the south, from the west to the
east, from the abundance of my kingdom, I desire
a great feast. So the king returned to his palace
with its long halls and its many wings. He gathered
his servants and he told them his plan. And soon
the word spread throughout the land. By the decree
of the king, from the greatest to the least,
the king says, prepare for me the feast of all
feasts. The king established the date. The feast
would take place on the fifth day of the seventh
month. This brought some fear to the people of
the kingdom, for the date was only three months
away, but nevertheless there was great excitement
in the land as everyone prepared to bring the
king their best. Everyone got to work. The vineyard
farmers to the north picked their most exquisite
grapes to make the finest wine that would ever
touch the king's lips. To the west, the fishermen...
continually searched the depths for the finest
fish of the sea. In the east, even the nomads
were excited. They picked out their most choicest
of cattle that had grazed in the luscious of
pastures and would provide the most tender of
meats. Certainly, they thought, it would be the
best that would be at the feast. The gardeners
in the south were happy because the timing was
perfect. That was just about the time that all
the crops would be ready for harvest and they
were going to pick the freshest of the fruits
and the vegetables that would surely please the
king's palate. After a couple of months had passed,
the time of the feast was approaching. All of
the kingdom began to make their way to the south.
From the north, from the west to the east. From
the greatest to the least, everyone headed south
for the most exciting of things as they went
to prepare a feast fit for a king. As the people
arrived, the king's servants began to get the
food and they began to prepare for the feast
that would soon be upon them. The king sent word
to the carpenters in the land. for them to construct
a table that would be worthy of such a feast.
And so the carpenters approached the woodsmen,
and they chopped down the finest of the trees
that the southern kingdom had to offer, trees
that were so large that it was as if the whole
earth quaked as the trees would hit the ground.
The craftsmen got to work constructing a marvelous
table. A table that was so large that it took
250 men to move it into the palace courtyard.
The table was an astonishing 500 feet long. The
table was made of the finest of woods. Two -thirds
of the way down the table were wings that extended
off of each side of the table to make sure to
have enough room to hold all the excess of food
that had been brought. The wavy grain of the
wood had a certain sheen that glowed in the midday
sun. The legs of the table and the edge of the
table were adorned with hand -carved images of
animals and fruits and sea creatures, all of
which would be represented at the great feast.
At the head of the table sat the king's chair.
However, it looked more like a throne than a
chair, with its back so tall that it would stand
six feet above the king's head once it was seated.
The table was set and the time was drawing near.
Soon the day would be upon them. And as the sun
arose the next day, the day of the feast had
arrived. The crowds of the kingdom began to gather.
Every soul in the kingdom was there to witness
this great feast. They got there early and they
all got their place and it wasn't long until
the king's servants began their work. At sunrise,
the table began to be set. The food was brought
out one by one. All in the crowd looked on and
they smiled as they saw their contribution placed
on the table, knowing that surely the king would
be pleased with what they had brought. The table
was set with the fruit being closest to the king,
followed by the vegetables and then the seafood,
finally the meats at the end of the table. A
few feet off to one side of the great table was
a bronze vat sitting on a wooden stool that held
hundreds of gallons of the finest wine the North
could produce. For five hours the table was set
until finally... It was time for the feast to
begin. The king's herald approached. All hail
the king of our wonderful kingdom. The king came
dressed in his finest attire. The crowd watched
expectantly. The king walked to the table and
began to inspect the feast, but he remained silent.
Oh my, the crowd thought. Is the king disappointed?
The king continued to walk up one side and down
the other side of the table looking at the feast,
never saying a word. Now the king knew the greatness
of his kingdom and he was even quite aware of
the greatness of his subjects and what they could
do. But even the king was amazed at the feast
that had been prepared. The king went to his
chair and took his seat. All watched quietly,
anxiously, waiting for the king to take his first
bite. However, before the food ever touched his
mouth, the king paused. Oh my, the crowd thought.
There was silence. The only sound that could
be heard was the light brushing of the wind that
went through the leaves on the trees. It was
a silence that only lasted for a few moments,
but it felt like an eternity for the crowd watching
on. The king motioned for one of his servants
to come over. Oh dear, the crowd thought. Soon,
the servant went and talked to the carpenters.
the carpenters to the woodsmen, and soon they
all left. The crowd was confused. Too afraid
to leave, they all stood there, waiting and watching
in the silence. An hour passed, and they could
see the king's servants approaching from a distance.
They were carrying something, but they couldn't
quite make out what it was. The crowd that was
closest to the king could faintly hear the king
saying, Hurry, hurry, the sun will set soon.
Hurry, hurry, it's already noon. As the servants
approached, the crowds could see that they were
carrying chairs. They were quite basic, and the
crowd could tell that they were hastily made,
but for two hours the king's servants continued
to bring chairs and place them on both sides
of the table until hundreds of chairs were set.
Once the last chair was set, the king rose to
his feet. From the north to the south, from the
west to the east, our kingdom from its abundance
has provided us with this great feast. But a
feast this large cannot be eaten alone. So therefore,
by the command of the king, from the greatest
to the least, I invite all of you to join me
for the feast of all feasts. And shock! Nobody
moved. The king left from the side of the table
and began to take his servants one by one and
seat them at the table. Eat, eat, he exclaimed.
The king walked alongside the table and approached
the crowd. Come, come, he shouted with glee.
And finally a young boy darted. For the fruits.
Then another for the meats. And slowly but surely.
The whole crowd began to make their way. To the
table. Everyone in the kingdom. From the north
to the south. From the west to the east. All
ate together from the great feast. The woodsmen.
With the carpenters. The carpenters. With the
fishermen. the fishermen with the servant, all
in the kingdom ate of the great feast. It was
a feast that had never been seen before. The
people ate into the night. There was singing
and there was dancing. As one person would leave
the table, another one would approach the table,
and all would continue to eat until they had
eaten their fill. At midnight, all the food was
gone and the last person had eaten of the feast.
All in the kingdom had eaten that day, all but
one. The king had gone without. But nevertheless,
the king was full of joy that day. knowing that
he had fed all in the kingdom, even though the
food of the great feast had never touched his
mouth. Now listen all from the greatest to the
least, from the north to the south, from the
west to the east. Find you may a feast fit for
a king, but it's a rare thing to find a king
fit. For a feast. Ladies and gentlemen, Jesus
has prepared the table for us today. From the
abundance of His kingdom, Jesus invites us to
come today. Jesus saw the crowds in Matthew chapter
15 and he looked on them with compassion because
he knew they were a people who were hungry and
a people who needed to be fed. And Jesus was
a worthy king who said, I will give all, everything
I have to feed the people. In the story of Jesus
feeding the 4 ,000 in Matthew chapter 15, Jesus
provided a miracle that day to feed the people.
But there was a greater hunger that you and I
have. A hunger in the soul. Of the desire for
our sins to be forgiven. And Jesus provided for
that hunger as well. For he was a king who was
worthy. He was a king who gave everything for
us so that we could be provided for. He was one
who was nailed to a cross so that our sins could
be forgiven. Just as Jesus fed those people in
the crowd of 4 ,000, so Jesus desires to feed
you and I today. Are you hungry? Are you searching?
Are you seeking? Do you want to be filled today?
You can only be filled by trusting in Jesus Christ.
Jesus calls us to eat of His flesh and drink
of His blood, not in a physical sense in John
chapter 6, but in a spiritual sense, knowing
that that's the only thing that will sustain
us. It's the body of Jesus Christ that was nailed
to the cross for us, and His blood that was shed
for us. It is through that that we can be filled.
It is through that that we can receive eternal
life. In Luke chapter 22, There was a dispute
among Jesus' disciples about who is the greatest.
Jesus said this in verse 30, For who is greater,
the one at the table or the one serving? Isn't
it the one at the table? But I am among you as
one who serves. It's a rare thing to find a fit
king for his job. But Jesus was the king who
was worthy of what he did. Jesus said, yes, the
one seated at the table is greater, but he said,
it is my desire to serve you and to give you
an example of how to live. Jesus gave his life
for us so that we could be forgiven. And so it
should be for us that we should follow Jesus'
example of service. That we would serve others.
as Jesus has served us. In Isaiah, we see a beautiful
prophecy. Isaiah chapter 25, verses 6 through
9, is a prophecy about God in all of His glory
and His taking care of all of His people. It
says this, The Lord of hosts will prepare a feast
for all the disciples on His mountain. A feast
of aged wine, choice meat, finely aged wine.
On this mountain he will destroy the burial shroud,
the shroud over all the peoples, the sheet covering
all the nations. He will destroy death forever.
The Lord God will wipe away the tears from every
face and remove his people's disgrace from the
whole earth. For the Lord has spoken. On that
day it will be said, Look, this is our God. We
have waited for Him. And He has saved us. This
is the Lord. We have waited for Him. Let us rejoice
and be glad in His salvation. The Lord of hosts
has prepared a feast in His kingdom. And the
entrance to the kingdom comes. Through Jesus
Christ the King. The table has been set. Your
chair is waiting. And the King invites you today.
From the greatest to the least. Jesus invites
you to attend the great feast. Will you be one
who stands in the crowd? And misses the meal.
Or will you be one who comes to the foot of the
cross to kneel. Jesus has called you today. To
his grace and his mercy. He desires to forgive
your sins. And give you peace and joy and a love.
That only he can. But you must. Accept his invitation.
The king is calling today. Come, come. He shouts
with glee. Will you accept his invitation? Let's
pray. God, we thank you for Jesus Christ. We
thank you that he is a worthy king, dear Lord.
That He was a King that did not come to be served,
but to serve. And to give His life as a ransom
for many. God, we thank You that He has provided
for us and prepared for us everything we would
ever need. Through His death and resurrection,
God, our sins may be forgiven. That our souls
may be filled. God, I pray that if there is one
in this room today that does not know Jesus Christ,
Has never put their faith in them. Maybe they've
stood on the sidelines dear Lord. And they've
seen the greatness of Jesus Christ and his kingdom
from a distance. I pray today that they would
hear the invitation of Jesus Christ. That today
you call them God. That it doesn't matter who
we are. Rich or poor. From the greatest to the
least dear Lord. You call us today to attend.
The feast of eternity in the presence of Jesus
Christ. So God, I pray that if there are any
in this place today who do not know you, that
in this moment, as we're about to have an invitation,
God, that they would repent of their sins, that
they would pray to you now, that they would ask
you to forgive them, that they would come to
you, Lord. God, I pray that there are any today
who made that decision, who are praying right
now, who have put their faith in Jesus Christ,
that as we sing in a moment, that they would
walk forward, that they would come up front,
dear Lord, that we can rejoice with them. And
I ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. As we
stand and sing, if God has spoken to you today,
if you're ready to accept the invitation of Jesus
Christ, as we sing, I encourage you to come forward.
and make that decision now. have repented of
your sins, that you have placed your faith in
Jesus Christ, and that you are ready to follow
Him for the rest of your life. Absolutely. Amen.
Come this way. I want you to turn. Turn this
way. There you go. Cross your arms. Nick, I baptize
you in the name of the Father and the Son. Accepting
Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. Praise the
Lord. So I want to ask Claire to come stand forward.
I want everybody to come hug her neck and hug
Nick's neck. And just tell them that we're proud
of them. And it's great. It's great to see the
Lord at work. So we're going to pray. You guys
just hang out up here. Everybody's going to come
congratulate y 'all and celebrate with y 'all,
rejoice with y 'all. I'm going to ask Brother
Ernest to be a stand by the back door. If you
want to give to that special offering, you can
do that. Thank you all for coming today. Michelle,
would you close us with a prayer, please?