Tuesday, June 7 & 21, 2022
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
THE BIBLE IS A LOVE STORY – we’re not headed for death. Headed for marriage!
Matthew 22:1-14 (The Parable of the Wedding Feast) – And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son…”
It all begins with bridegroom (cha-tan – the one who joins himself to you). Three of the Gospel writers recorded Jesus calling himself the Bridegroom because it was integral to who He is:
Matthew 9:15 – And Jesus said to them, “Can the friends of the bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast.”
We’re born to be the ka-la – the bride. Always longing, trying to marry ourselves to something (drugs, money, etc.) if we do not recognize our cha-tan.
Ephesians 5:25-27 – Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
THE PARABLE OF THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS IS THE KEY TO WHO WILL BE TAKEN TO THE WEDDING AND WHO WILL BE LEFT FOR THE WAR:
Matthew 25:1-13 – “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.
11 “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12 But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH IS THE PICTURE OF A 7-DAY JEWISH WEDDING FEAST
Father chooses a bride (Hebrew word ka-la which means “to complete,” and “daughter in law”) for the Son. The son, them goes humbly to her hometown to meet with her and her parents at the city gate. In front of all onlookers, he offers her a marriage contract, or covenant, stating the price he will pay for her (EVERYTHING HE OWNS).
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ARE THE PROPHETIC PICTURE OF THE JEWISH MARRIAGE CONTRACT: THEY ARE NOT LAW—THEY ARE LOVE!
First 4 are where God Almighty says, “I love you over all the other nations in the world. So please:
Command 1: Don’t have any other lovers, no statues, no pictures
Command 2: Don’t take my name in vain (our name). I’ve given you my name, so don’t bring shame to us and don’t misuse it.
Commands 3&4: Find time to love me and get to know me for who I really am.
The next 6 commands listed on the contract can be summed up like this: love our family so we can all get along and live together.
The Ten Commandments were a wilderness wedding and if you look in Chapter 19 of Exodus, you’ll see where the entire nation said, “I DO” in one accord.
Just like that, the bride to be accepts the gift and agrees to the terms and conditions. To approve the marriage covenant, they have a glass of wine and are pronounced man & wife in front of all watching. (Jesus first miracle was to make wine at a wedding—a foreshadowing of His true purpose)
Matthew 26:27-29 – Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
The groom immediately goes back to his father’s house to build a house onto his father’s for his bride.
John 14:2 – …in my fathers house are many mansions…I go to prepare a place for you
Hebrews 3:3-4 (TPT) – But Jesus is worthy to receive a much greater glory than Moses, for the one who builds a house deserves to be honored more than the house he builds. Every house is built by someone, but God is the Designer and Builder of all things.
She does not know when he will be back.
Revelation 3:3 – I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.
The bridesmaids (virgins) get the bride and themselves ready for his return every day and remain in their wedding clothes through each night. They are always ready as they don’t know when he’ll come.
Revelation 16:15 – “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”
A wedding feast was the biggest thing going in Jesus’ day. Everyone wanted to be there. The whole town knows a wedding is about to take place and if they want to be included, they have to be prepared.
Revelation 16:9 – Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’”
When the Groom finishes building the house, the Father inspects it. While the house may be perfect, the Father now has to prepare for the feast. Wine, food, musicians— everything must be put in place. Only the father know when these arrangements are finished and He tells His son “Now is the time. Go get your bride.”
Matthew 24:36 – “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.”
The Bridegroom dresses as king with a crown. They journey at night in a torchlight procession to get his bride. He and his groomsmen usually go at night night to surprise the bride and “steal her away” from her parents.
2 Peter 3:10 – But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night,
As they pass blowing trumpets, those in the village who are prepared join the wedding party.
1 Corinthians 15:52 …in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
It is up to YOU to receive your invitation to the wedding feast:
Hebrews 3:1 (TPT) – And so, dear brothers and sisters, you are now made holy, and each of you is invited to the feast of your heavenly calling. So fasten your thoughts fully onto Jesus, whom we embrace as our Apostle and King-Priest.
When they arrive at the bride’s home, the groomsmen put the bride in a special chair that they carry on their shoulders. This is called “the Catching Away” as the “fly” her back to the groom’s home for the feast.
1 Thessalonians 4:17 – Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
If you are not in the wedding party when they arrive at the father’s house, the door is closed an nobody gets in for 7 days
Matthew 7:21-23 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’
The Bride and the Groom drink a cup of wine—their second cup as the first was at their first meeting (the proposal and initial marriage contract). This is their seal of agreement to be one forever, united in every way.
The two cups:
- The first cup is the cup of sanctification which Jesus gave His disciples at the Last Supper (on Passover).
- The second cup is the cup of Judgment – this is the cup Jesus asked the Father to take away in the Garden of Gethsemane. He drank it for us so that when we drink that cup in heaven, our very presence there is the fulfillment of His “tasting death” for us!!
The choice to be the Bride of Christ is yours!
In the ancient Galilean wedding tradition, if the girl said no to the boy who was asking for her hand in marriage, she had the right and the option to keep all that he offered. The Bridegroom runs the risk of going away empty-handed. Again, this is a picture of Jesus giving His life for those who refuse to accept His love and all that he offers. Matthew 22 talks of this:
Matthew 22:1-14 (The Parable of the Wedding Feast) – And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
SEVEN DAYS – SEVEN YEARS – THE WEDDING SUPPER OF THE LAMB
I CANNOT TELL YOU THE HOUR, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE DAY!