Children’s Sermon

Matthew 22:1-14

God’s Invitation

Have you ever received an invitation?

An invitation is a special way of asking “would you like to?”

Would you like to come to my birthday party? (That’s a kind of invitation, isn’t it?)
Would you like to come over and play?
Would you like to go to the movies?

Do those sound like invitations you’d like to receive? (Me too!)

But receiving an invitation is really just the beginning, isn’t it? It’s nice to be invited, but then we have to accept. Birthday parties are only fun if we actually GO to them, right?

So a successful invitation has two parts: one person makes the invitation and (we hope) another person accepts it.

As I read this week’s Gospel lesson – which tells the story of an invitation – I couldn’t help but think about the ways that the Bible is like an invitation. Think about that for a minute.

God uses the Bible to speak to us about kindness and forgiveness…about sharing and love. And in that way, it’s like an invitation from God. But just because the Bible says these things doesn’t mean that our work is done…in fact it’s just beginning!

Like other invitations, we have to accept God’s invitation in the things that we do – and the ways that we live. God has laid out a path…but it’s up to us to follow it. Will you accept God’s invitation this week?

Good. Let’s pray.

Dear God,

We know that you have invited us into your presence. Help us to accept your life-changing invitation by living lives of love and caring.

Amen.