I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exalt in my God, For He has clothed me with garments of salvation; He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. – Isaiah 61:10 He said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.’ – Matthew 22:12 – 14 There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done’, and those to whom God says in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’ All that are in hell, choose it. Without that self-choice there would be no hell. No soul that seriously and constantly desires joy will ever miss it. Those who seek, find. Those who knock, it is opened. - C.S. Lewis, The Great Divorce Sermon Outline: INSIDERS: The Unwilling, Uninterested and Distracted (vs. 1 – 7) 2. OUTSIDERS: The Willing and Interested, both Bad and Good (vs. 8 – 10) z 3. INSIDE-OUTSIDERS: The Unprepared, Called but not Chosen (vs. 11 – 14) Discussion Questions: In Matthew 21 – 22 we see Jesus become increasingly confrontational with the religious leaders in the Temple (wait til you read Ch. 23!!). In His ministry, Jesus models balance in preaching the gospel, discipling followers, and refuting heresy / corrupt teachers. Which of these three do you spend the most time on? Why? (cf. Jude 3) In the outline of the sermon, who are the Insiders? Who are the Outsiders? And who are the Inside-Outsiders? What does this third category mean? Do you think it is a concern in Canada, or in our church? If Mt. 22:9 – 10 correspond to the Great Commission (Mt. 28:18 – 20), what do these verses teach us about the call on us as Christians to share the good news and invite people to put their trust in Jesus? What does Jesus mean in verse 14 – ‘For many are called, but few are chosen’? Application: As we think about ‘Inside-Outsiders’ does anyone come to your mind? They are inside the church, but perhaps outside of Christ. Pray for them this week and see if God might open up the way for a closer friendship between you.