This is excellent! Thank you for it! I didn't grow up UPC, but with a background where I recognize much of the preaching. Even though I haven't heard those exact words preached, I have definitely heard that message in one way or another. Thank You, God, for letting me see. And thank you, Berean, for faithfully putting out Bible teaching with no agenda
4 months ago
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You’ll find the full Got Questions article and full sermon at the links below. Quotations were primarily taken around the 28–30, 37–40, and 54–55 min marks: https://youtu.be/4DV0h3ifmgo?si=zJvowu31VuUH1xR6 www.gotquestions.org/parable-wedding-feast.html
4 months ago | 2
It’s sad because they leave, and they never come back, never come into the knowledge of the truth.
2 months ago | 1
Berean Holiness
I have never heard a sermon that undermines the righteousness of Christ imputed to us more than the sermon I listened to this afternoon.
Preached in 1991 by Rev. Bennie Sutherland, it’s been preserved and shared in the Holiness movement that Nathan and I (Natalie) grew up in for over 30 years. (In fact, I remember, as a teenager, listening to these 1990s sermons on my MP3 player while walking my dog.)
The subject is the parable of the wedding garment, Matthew 22:1–14.
First, as a refresher of the traditional interpretation of this parable, here is a simple summary from Got Questions:
•••
“The matter of the wedding garment is instructive. It would be a gross insult to the king to refuse to wear the garment provided to the guests. The man who was caught wearing his old clothing learned what an offense it was as he was removed from the celebration. This was Jesus’ way of teaching the inadequacy of self-righteousness. From the very beginning, God has provided a “covering” for our sin. To insist on covering ourselves is to be clad in ‘filthy rags’ (Isaiah 64:6)…
“In the book of Revelation, we see those in heaven wearing ‘white robes’ (Revelation 7:9), and we learn that the whiteness of the robes is due to their being washed in the blood of the Lamb (verse 14). We trust in God’s righteousness, not our own (Philippians 3:9).
“Just as the king provided wedding garments for his guests, God provides salvation for mankind. Our wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ, and unless we have it, we will miss the wedding feast. When the religions of the world are stripped down to their basic tenets, we either find man working his way toward God, or we find the cross of Christ. The cross is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).”
—Got Questions, “What is the meaning of the Parable of the Wedding Feast?”
•••
Now in sharp contrast, here is the Holiness Pentecostal interpretation of this parable:
“But don’t forget, my friend, before you leave earth, you had better be in possession of a wedding garment. In Revelation chapter 19, it said it was granted to her, for the fine linen, white, was the righteousness of the saints. This is one wedding garment, my friend, that you make up while you are on earth. God has gave you ample time, ample time, to come up with a wedding garment. Year after year we have waited for His coming. We’re nearer now to the coming of the Lord than we’ve ever been. Have you a wedding garment, my friend?…
“Do you have a wedding garment? Do you know where you’re going? Do you know what it’s going to take to get there? Do you know the Lord’s coming after His Church? But wait just a minute, before you start off to the journey towards heaven, take one last look at your life, my friend, is your life worthy of it being called a wedding garment?…
“It may take us a while to make it. The better it is, the longer it’s going to take. When you just come and get saved, you may have an outline of a wedding garment, but you don’t have a wedding garment, sir. You don’t have a wedding garment, ma’am. What you’ve got is a mere sketch of what you’ve got to have…
“You know God declares to us, it is Holiness or hell. There’s no arguing with it. If we believed it less we could go out and join these liberal churches, and not have to live so strenuous. But we’ve heard the message and we know, it’s Holiness or hell! You gotta be right to make it! You gotta be white to make it! You just can’t play around and make it!…
“I’m a’tellin’ you the Lord’s going to come and somebody’s going to be sorry! Somebody is going to be sorry. Sorry they didn’t take time to make their wedding garment. Sorry they didn’t take time to do right. Sorry they didn’t take time to fix it.
“Outside the gates are dogs, viscous dogs, bite and gnaw and gnash with their teeth. Where, oh pilgrim, is your garment? Is it well with your soul? Have you checked it out lately? Are you close to having it done? Only perfect will pass. Only perfect will pass… When He looks at you in that position will He say, ‘Take him away?’ If He was to come tonight and look over this corner you would be absolutely speechless if He said, ‘Take him away’ ‘Me, Lord? I’ve been saved 27 years. Me, Lord?’”
—Rev. Bennie Sutherland, 1991
•••
Make your wedding garment.
Come up with your wedding garment.
You only have a sketch of it at salvation.
Is your life worthy of being your wedding garment?
Only perfect will pass.
With preaching like this, it’s no wonder people leaving hyper fundamentalism say they never understood the gospel…
#AnotherGospel
4 months ago | [YT] | 17