TOPIC:‌“Lost In the Woulds”

                  by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap

 

TEXT:‌Matthew 22:1-14

 

‌‌“and they would not come” (22:3)

 

‌Robert Browning, the famous British poet, once wrote these words: “God pity all poor souls lost in the dark.” It is a terrible thing to be lost. Lost in a crowd. Lost at sea. Lost in a big city. But that is nothing compared to the spiritual lostness of a human soul. It was the Apostle Mark who wrote: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).

 

‌Memories have a way of rushing back into our thinking. I remember a time in the 8^th grade when I gave my first book report before the entire class. I was so afraid of this school assignment that I stayed home from school for two days. When I finally did give my book report it was about two boys who got lost in the woods of the White Mountains of New Hampshire.

 

‌I believe there is a spiritual parallel to the story I gave before that class. There are many people today who are lost in the WOULDS of life, constantly going around in circles, but getting absolutely nowhere. Saying, “ I WOULD, but.”

 

‌Tonight as a starting point, I want us to look at the words found in the parable of the marriage feast regarding a certain king who planned a wedding for his son. We read these words in verse 3: “And sent forth his servants to the wedding, and they WOULD not come.” The NIV has it: “but they refused to come.” For this message I like the KJV.

 

I.

 

‌Consider, to begin with, that some people are lost in the WOULDS‌of WRONG CHOICES. We go now to that part of Scripture when Jesus was being interrogated by Pilate, the Roman governor for the regions of Samaria and Judea. We read these words in Matthew 27:15: “Now at that feast the governor was accustomed to releasing unto the people a prisoner, whom they WOULD.”

 

‌Now here before us it was the governor's custom to release one Jewish prisoner each year during the Passover celebration. It could be anyone they wanted. This year there was a notorious criminal in prison by the name of Barabbas. He had taken part in a rebellion against the Roman government. Both Pilate and the crowd had a choice to make. Jesus or Barabbas? A robber or a Redeemer? The sinless Christ or the sinful criminal. Which one was it going to be?

 

‌In doing whatever was necessary to maintain his position as governor . . .