Now, we are looking at a parable that Jesus Himself shared with us. This word is an example of the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus told us, “The Kingdome of Heaven is like this.”

As we come to church and lead a life of faith, what we desire most is to go to Heaven. Receiving God’s help on this earth is important, but if we do not go to Heaven, it is truly a miserable thing. Going to Heaven is our final destination and the greatest reason for our faith. God helps us on this earth, and in a sense, this is “evidence” that we can go to heaven. Even now, God is helping us and will continue to help us so that we may enter into Heaven. That is why we all long for the Kingdom of Heaven today.

However, there is no one who has been to Heaven yet. Right now, there is only one person there. Jesus Christ, whom we believe in and follow, is the “only human” now in Heaven. Of course, there are also countless angels there. Some people may say, “I heard that someone went to Heaven and came back.” But that is simply their own personal experience. It was a spiritual experience, such as a vision or a dream. In reality, no one has actually been to Heaven and returned.

Jesus wanted to introduce the Kingdom of Heaven to the people, but no matter how much He explained it, they could not easily understand. That is why He spoke to them in parables. Here is that parable once again: The Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son.

A father’s love for his son is truly amazing, isn’t it? Since I am in charge of Chinese ministry, I often get to speak with those in our church who have come from China to Korea to work hard and earn money. Many of them send all their money back to China without spending a single penny on themselves. Some don’t even buy their own meals, eating only what their company provides. When I ask what they plan to do with the money they’ve saved so diligently, they say it’s for their sons—to buy them a house and a car when they get married. And because of that, those sons have now graduated from university, gotten married, and are living very well.

In this way, even people try to give everything they have for their sons. How much more, then, would God do for His? God loves His Son. He loves Him with the same love with which He loves Himself. God is the same. That is why we are looking at this parable today.

If a king were to throw a wedding feast for his son, how magnificent would it be? The king would surely want many people to come. Not only did he prepare a grand feast for his son’s joy, but he also prepared the best food and the best gifts, making every possible preparation to delight his guests. The father’s heart was filled with excitement. He decided exactly whom to invite and sent out the invitations. Since it was a king’s invitation, it wouldn’t have been given to just anyone. High-ranking officials, the wealthy, and distinguished guests were invited.

But they said they wouldn’t come. They just didn’t show up. In those days, a feast wouldn’t just end in a single day; it could last for several days. Yet, the invited guest were not coming. Why wouldn’t they come? They said they had to go to their farms, tend to their fields, or take care of their business. Of course, those are all important things. They felt they couldn’t come because they had to make a living and run their business—things they considered too important to set aside.

So, the king sent other servants once again. He thought to himself, “Perhaps the first servants didn’t explain it well enough. I should send others to be even more polite and clearly describe all that has been prepared.” The servants went out and explained again, “The king invites you to join him! A truly wonderful feast is ready. The oxen and fattened cattle have been prepared, and everything is set. We ask that you come and share in this feast!” But even then, they still refused to come.

There were another people as well. They had long held a grudge against the king, and they seized his servants. Can you imagine what they did? They muttered, “The king is holding a wedding for his son? We are out here starving, yet he’s celebrating with all this fattened food?” In their bitterness, they beat the servants and went as far as killing them. They murdered the king’s own servants. When the king heard this, how do you think he reacted? He was furious. Instead of celebrating a feast, he was filled with rage. He sent out his army, tracked down those murderers, and destroyed them all.

After all this, the king thought to himself, “This cannot be. Since those who were invited refused to come, the wedding cannot be empty. I will fill it with people!” So, he gave another command to his servants: “Go into the highways! Go where the people gather, and as many as you find, invite them to the wedding.”

The servants went out into the highways and cried out, “Come! Come to the wedding feast of king’s son! A great banquet is prepared!” They were told to bring everyone—both bad and good, without exception. Whether they were murderers, thieves, or the poor, it did not matter. The king’s command was to bring all people. So the servants went out and gathered all whom they found, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Because of this, even the lowly, who normally could never have dreamed of attending a royal banquet, were able to take part in the feast. Anyone who was willing, went.

However, despite this great invitation, there were those who refused to go until the very end. Some might have said, “Don’t mock me! Why would a king invite someone like me? A high and mighty king would never invite a lowly, idle person like me from the streets! I won’t even dream of going, for fear of being driven away or beaten.” They simply did not believe the word.

Those who did believe, went. And those who did not believe, stayed. In this way, it was each person that chose to go. The king threw the doors wide open, saying, “Anyone may come!” But in the end, each and every person had to make their own choice.

Others might have said, “I have too many sins. I have wronged the king and cannot face him.” But the king did not count their past, but they were so pricked in their conscience that they dared not look at the king. Yet, the king’s command was to disregard all of that and just come: “No matter what you were in the past—even if you were my enemy—just come!” And so, the people entered.

But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was wearing slippers and shabby, dusty clothes, with his sleeves rolled up. So the king asked him, “Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?”

Let’s think about this carefully. It is pure grace for an unworthy person to be invited to the wedding of the king’s son. Though that person has no right to be there, he was allowed to join by the king’s favor—it was given freely. If we have been invited, how should we present ourselves? Shouldn’t we dress in clean clothes? When the king said, “Just come as you are,” he didn’t mean we should remain as we were. The right to enter was given by grace, but once we are there, we must act in a manner worthy of that grace. At the very least, we should wear clean clothes! Instead, this man came in the same clothes he wore in the fields, dragging his straw sandals behind him. The king was furious. He commanded his servants, “Cast him out!” and the man wept bitterly outside. Jesus ended this parable by saying: “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

All of us have been invited. We have been invited to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Originally, none of us were worthy of this invitation. Whether good or bad, none of us deserved to partake in the wedding feast God prepared for His Son—that is, the Kingdom of Heaven. We were too wicked, and we were too defiled.

Yet, we have been allowed to enter. Why? Because those who were first invited refused to come. Who were those first guests? They were the people of Israel—the descendants of Abraham, the Jews. They were the first chosen, yet they rejected Jesus. Although God gave them special favor, they only claimed to “love God” with their words. They did not do what pleased Him, and they even hated and killed Jesus, who came to fulfill the work of God.

Therefore, God threw the doors of Heaven wide open and declared, “Whosoever will, let him come!” The good may go, and the wicked may go. Now, the condition for entering Heaven does not depend on whether a person is good or bad. He said everyone is welcome. God has prepared everything so that as many as are willing may enter.

But then, who does it depend on—whether we enter or not? Each person must decide for themselves. Each person chooses for themselves. If we believe, “God has invited me to Heaven,” then we enter. If we do not believe, we do not enter. No matter how much we say, “Believe in Jesus! You must know God!” some people just say, “I’m not interested.” And when warned, “You’re headed for hell,” they even scoff, “Fine, I’ll go to hell then!” You must not speak so lightly. If you had even the slightest idea of what hell is truly like, those words would never cross your lips.

Jesus spoke of how terrifying hell is through a powerful comparison by using the word, “if.” “If your right hand causes you to fall—if it keeps you from heaven—cut it off! It is far better to enter life maimed than to have your whole body cast into hell!” Why such a fearful command? Because hell was never intended for us. It wasn’t built so that God could say, “You sinned, so go to hell!” No, hell was prepared for the enemy of God—for Satan himself. In Hebrew, the very name “Satan” means the adversary, the enemy.

Satan was originally an angel, but he rebelled against God and even killed His Son. Hell was created as a place to send such a being. Therefore, if you continue to listen to Satan and keep God at a distance—if you still belong to Satan—then you cannot help but go with him when he is cast into hell. When I first started my life of faith, I often heard this powerful comparison: Imagine you catch a fish that is full of life, and inside, it is filled with eggs. If you throw that fish into boiling water, the fish dies. What then happens to the eggs? They die right along with it.

In the same way, it is not humans whom God intends to destroy, but Satan. Yet, instead of listening to God, people listen to Satan. If you listen to God, you dwell in His embrace. But many say, “No!” because Satan’s words seem more appealing and more logical. Satan entices people, whispering: “You can be smarter! You can be like God! You can live on your own—you don’t need God!”

Human beings are breathing right now because of God. Our spirits exist, and despite many beings in this world seeking to attack us, we live in safety because of the safeguard God has prepared. Yet, despite this, some still claim, “There is no God!” They even oppose Him while remaining bound to Satan. This is their own choice. But when the time comes, God must cast Satan into hell—and those still within him will inevitably be dragged down as well. God hates for this to happen.

The problem is that most of humanity is listening to Satan; they belong to him. That is why God earnestly commands to us: “Come out of there quickly before I cast Satan into hell!” This is exactly what He is saying to us now. “Get out of there before I throw him into the lake of fire!” This is what evangelism truly is. It is a desperate call for us to believe in Jesus and escape from the grip of Satan immediately.

We can come out if we believe. God says, “Believe and declare you faith! Let your belief become your confession!” How? By being baptized in the name of Jesus. It is that simple. God has already prepared everything for us. He sent His Son to bear the sins of every person and pay the full price for them. Now, as a sacred sign of accepting His grace, we enter the water. We are immersed and raised up in the name of Jesus. He commanded us: “Be immersed and rise again!” Those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but those who refuse to believe will remain with the enemy and perish along with him.”

God does not punish us because He hates us. He must judge the devil, but He sees that people are stubbornly clinging to him, leaving Him no choice but to let them perish. That is why He commands us to come out. He is waiting—holding back His judgment—longing to rescue even one more spirit before Satan is cast into hell.

But there will come a day when the waiting must end. When the time is up, He can wait no longer. Just as a host must close the doors when no more guests are coming, God will close the gates of opportunity when rebellion overflows and no one else is willing to believe. At that moment, anyone still refusing to believe will inevitably be swept into hell along with the devil. This is why we must believe now. If you haven’t yet escaped the grip of Satan—if you are still trying to survive on your own—you must come out immediately. Repentance is admitting this: “I cannot live by my own strength! I can only live by the help of God!”

And we must confess: “I believe that Jesus has paid the full price for my sins. From this moment on, Jesus, I will serve You as my Lord! I was once bound to Satan, but now I will dwell in Christ!”  When we belong to Satan, we listen to his voice; but when we are in Christ, we listen to Him. If you listen to Satan, you follow his nature. If you listen to Jesus, you follow Jesus’ nature.

The nature of Satan is to lie, to kill, to deceive, and ultimately to lead us destruction. Why? Because he himself is destined for destruction. He has no life of God within him. Yet, he is cunning. He makes himself look convincing—so much so that the Bible calls him an “angel of light.” He can appear incredibly beautiful.

Satan whispers, “Let us all become one! Let’s just exclude Jesus. Let’s unite but leave out the Son of God!” But we can never be one with Satan. We choose to be one with Jesus. We will be united in Christ. And when we are, His destiny becomes our destiny. Some people complain, “My fate is so miserable!” That misery belongs to the fate of Satan. But for those who are baptized and dwell in Christ, their old fate is gone. Now, the destiny of Jesus is my destiny. And the destiny of Jesus is Resurrection. It is eternal joy.

Our flesh on this earth will die. But I will be clothed anew. My spirit will be transformed, and I will put on an eternal body. You might ask, “How can such a thing happen?” Yet, Jesus showed us the way first. He rose from the dead. God raised Him up. He came back to life, still bearing the scars where the nails pierced His hands and the spear pierced His side. He showed Himself to His disciples and even rebuked their unbelief, saying, “Believe! At least believe on the evidence of the works themselves! Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed, but if you must see, then look and believe!” After that, the disciples began to spread this news like men possessed. That very message has traveled through the centuries to reach us today.

How can we believe that Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven? To be honest, with a cold, rational mind, I couldn’t believe it either. But there was one thing I could accept when I first encountered Jesus: the words, “You are a sinner.” I admitted it. I confessed, “I am a sinner! I tried to live on my own, but I simply cannot. God, if you truly exist, please meet me!” I cried out, “Jesus, they say You shed Your blood for me, but I want to believe and I just can’t! They say God created the heavens and the earth, but how can I believe what I didn’t see? What am I supposed to do if I just can’t believe it? But if You are alive, I want to believe. One thing is certain—I don’t know where I came from, where I am going, or why I am alive, but I know that I am broken. I am a sinner!” I desperately acknowledged it.

I prayed, “If You are alive, please meet me!” And that was when God met me. How? Jesus made a promise before He ascended to Heaven: “If I go, I will send the Helper to you—the Spirit of Truth! When He comes, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance everything I have said to you. At that day, you will know! You will know that I am in My Father, and you are in Me, and I in you! And when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power! Right now, you may not be able to believe what I am saying, but when He comes, you will believe, and you will know the truth!” Then, the Holy Spirit came upon me. From this point on, it is beyond explanation. You must experience it for yourselves. When the Holy Spirit came, not by my effort, I simply came to believe. Everything Jesus promised was fulfilled in me.

By our own power, we cannot believe. If you say, “I still can’t believe it”—that is only natural. If you say, “I’ll try my best to believe”—that won’t work either. By our own strength, we cannot. How can we believe in the resurrection of the dead? It is only possible by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Then, to whom does the Holy Spirit reveal Himself? Let us pray like this: “I am a sinner! I want to meet God! They say Jesus paid the price for my sins, and I admit—I am that sinner! I want to rely on the merit of Your sacrifice. Please meet me!” Make that prayer. And then, choose to believe. If you can choose, then make that choice. Say, “I will believe and be baptized!” Take the step of obedience. When you are baptized, whether you feel it or not, you have already entered into Christ. Then, the Holy Spirit will come upon you and help you.

Jesus spoke to us in parable about the Kingdom of Heaven, but today, we know the reality of Heaven beyond the parable. We belong to that Kingdom. Though our flesh dwells in this world, our spirits are citizens of Heaven. Therefore, while our bodies may be subject to the laws of this world, our spirits are governed by the Law of Heaven. And because we live under Heavenly Law, we have the authority to command the resources of Heaven right here.

This is why we live without fear. We do not tremble at the thought of lack or starvation. Why? Because we are under Heavenly Law. The Law of Heaven declares: “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and do not worry about what you will eat or what you will wear.” Think about it—would any father let his child starve? God says, “I will take care of everything, so don’t worry! Today’s worry is enough for today. You—you’ve been worrying about things three years from now, haven’t you? Drop that habit once and for all! If you have something to eat today, be satisfied and give thanks. I will feed you again tomorrow!” We who believe are the witnesses of this. Because we are fearless, we live as we do what we desire. We serve God with all our hearts. If we declare, “I will preach the gospel regardless of who supports me,” we find that God provides our every need. If we say, “I will study for the glory of God,” then even if the tuition is nowhere to be found, we simply go.

Let me tell you a story. Once, I saw a young man sitting outside near the church office. I happened to pass by, so I started a conversation. As we talked, I found out he had already graduated from university. So I asked, “What are you doing these days?” He said he was working a part-time job. “Why are you just earning pocket money instead of getting a real job?” I asked. He told me he had dropped out of graduate school and was now planning to go to seminary. “Then why aren’t you going to seminary right away?” He answered, “I have to save up for tuition first.” I asked, “So, how much have you saved? Is it going well?” He said, “Not really.” “Have you even saved a thousand dollars?” I asked. He replied, “I haven’t even reached five hundred dollars yet.” At that rate, when on earth would he ever get to seminary?

So, I pulled out three dollars and said, “Go to the seminary right now, buy the application form, and bring it back!” So he went and bought it. I sat him down and said, “Fill it out!” And he did. “Now, go and submit it!” He went and submitted it that very day. But he worried, “But I still don’t have the money.” I told him, “Just submit it first! In the Kingdom of God, you don’t do things because you have the money. You just do them. Once your heart is set, God provides the means. I will plant a seed as a sign that God will give you much more later.” Then I gave him fifty dollars. “This is for your tuition! Don’t spend it anywhere else! Consider your tuition paid by me!” It’s like “priming water”—you know, the water you pour into a pump first to get it started? I told him, “I’m giving you this priming water. The rest will follow!” He applied, and just two months later, in March, he entered seminary and eventually graduated. Where do you think that money came from? He didn’t earn it himself. Somehow, the money appeared, and he finished his studies well. I even heard that someone he didn’t even know stepped in to pay for him.

It is true. There is a world of difference between those who live by the laws of this world and those who live by the Law of Heaven within the will of God. Since we already belong to Heaven, we are living according to its laws.

Therefore, our only true concern now should be this: “When I stand before Heaven, will I be wearing the proper wedding garment?” Since we are destined for Heaven anyway, shouldn’t we arrive dressed in the right clothes? So, what is the wedding garment? What is the most fundamental garment we must wear? The Scripture says: “Clothes yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ!” To be baptized and to become one with Jesus—that is the most basic, essential garment of all.

Now that we are clothed with Christ, when others look at us, they should see Jesus! It is not enough to barely be saved. We must be able to reveal Jesus to others, just as He did. We must ask: “What did Jesus do? What does He care about? What is He doing right now?” We must align our hearts with His. Though our maturity may vary, our hearts must be set on this! If you have the assurance of salvation, you must strive to become more like Him and do the works that He did. There is a profound difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who still belong to the world. You have been invited! Therefore, wear your wedding garment well and be ready for the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Word has been proclaimed: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ!” From this day forward, may you come to know Him more deeply and reflect Him more clearly. I bless you in the name of Jesus that whenever people see you, they will exclaim, “Truly, you are a part of Christ!”

God our Father, we thank You for Your immense grace, for inviting us who were truly unworthy to Your Kingdom. Grant us a steadfast faith to believe in the marvelous glory we will enjoy in Heaven, and fill our hearts to overflowing with joy and gratitude. Lord, help us not to stop at merely being recipients of Your grace. Since we have been invited to the glorious wedding feast of Your Son, help us to do our absolute best to prepare for that day. May our lives reflect the dignity of those called by You. We pray all these things in the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.