PLEASE COME TO THE WEDDING…
Faith Baptist of Zephyrhills
Oct. 27th, 2021
Hi Bride!
Do you like weddings? Do you enjoy attending big joyful celebrations? Did you know that a King is planning the biggest, most beautiful and elaborate wedding of all time? He is. And did you know that you are invited to come! You are. In case you have not received your invitation, this is it! Will you be there? Who would not want to be at a royal wedding!
Weddings are one of the grandest celebrations. As a pastor, I have had the privilege of participating in many weddings. I love weddings. Some have had just 3-4 present and others hundreds, but the radiance of the bride and the joy of the groom is the same. When Jennifer and I were married in 1990 (at the age of 14, lol), seriously I really had turned 19 the week we got married; we sent out hundreds of invitations to our friends and family. Over 350 people came!
It was close to standing room only at our country church. We were so thankful for all of the love and support from our family and friends. It was a little overwhelming, but amazing! And even though it was a very hot on that July 21st evening, and the church had no AC, there were nothing but smiles on our faces. It was a joyous occasion. The highlight of our life! The only down side may have been the reception that followed. While we wanted everyone present, we could not afford to feed a full meal to a large crowd, so we offered some finger food along with cake and ice cream. Now looking back, I wish we could have offered a nice meal. But our resources were very limited, and we were ready to say “I do”.
One thing about royal weddings, there is an unlimited amount of resources available. No expense is spared. In our next message on “The Stories that Jesus Told”, we are going to learn about the wedding feast that God is planning. Just try to Imagine that! You can read about it in Matthew 22:1-14. There is a similar story recorded in Luke 14:15-24 where a wealthy man invites his friends to a great supper. It is a little different, but it is very similar.
Here are the Main Points:
1. A grand celebration is planned by a wealthy man for his son. (no expense is spared)
2. A Big Feast is prepared. (the best meat cuts from the fatted cattle and oxen)
3. Invitations are sent out to close friends. (people who knew the man)
4. His friends stand him up. They make common every day excuses for not coming. (things to do, places to go and people to see)
5. A Second Invite is extended to the Friends, to no avail. (please come!)
6. A much broader Invite is extended to strangers & disadvantaged people. (go out into the highways and byways and invite everyone)
7. All of the seats are taken. (the hall was full)
There is a lot of great truth in this simple and common experience. We are going to learn a little more about weddings, suppers, invitations, excuses, and God’s plan in it all. Hope you can join us at 9:30 am on Sunday!
As you pray, please keep those listed on the attachment in your prayers.
Thank you for praying for my healing. It means a lot. It has been 3 weeks since my accident, and I am doing well. The ability of the human body to heal is an incredible thing.
FYI: I have faced my fears. At first just the sound of a grinder gave me PTSD. But since I used a few power tools and even a chain saw this week, don’t tell my Dr. The scar/graze on my face will be a very vivid reminder to me and others of my “brush with death” and that life is a gift we never should take for granted. Our time on earth is ultimately in His hands. And we need to make the most of it.
Here are some important things to be aware of and praying for:
1. Small group bible studies begin this Sunday at 11 am. There are two to choose from.
2. We want to purchase solar panels for our church. We need about $25k to do 1/2 and $50k to do them all. Please pray about helping with this project.
3. We are collecting food items for a BIG Thanksgiving food distribution 11/17-20.
4. We are getting quotes on new lighting for our parking lot and playground.
5. We could use some help putting our church Christmas float together.
6. We will begin having two Sunday services on 12/19. 9:30 inside. 10:45 outside.
In His Gracious Grip,
Pastor Mike