The Ones Jesus Chose

It means something to be chosen by God

Most people don’t realize the significance of this choice.

Luke 9:57–62 KJV 1900

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

Why would God Choose us?

2 Corinthians 4:8–9 KJV 1900

8 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 describes us as

++Troubled

++Perplexed

++Persecuted

++Cast down

2 Corinthians 4:7 KJV 1900

7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Because of this treasure we are

++Not in distress

++Not in despair

++Not forsaken

++Not destroyed

There is nothing by Human standards qualify us to be chosen

Judges 6:12–14 KJV 1900

12 And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour. 13 And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites. 14 And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

Exodus 18:19–20 KJV 1900

19 Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: 20 And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.

Moses’s assignment was to teach

++The word of God

++The way of God

++The work of God

Exodus 18:20 NIV

20 Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave.

We are chosen to hear and obey his word

Matthew 7:24–27 NIV

24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

We are chosen to live a life of holiness

Romans 6:19 NIV

19 I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

Romans 6:22 NIV

22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.

1 Corinthians 1:30 NIV

30 It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.

We are chosen to tell others about Him

Mark 16:15–16 NIV

15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Matthew 24:14 NIV

14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

1 Corinthians 1:26–28 NIV

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

Luke 9:57 KJV 1900

57 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest.

Don’t be Destination follower

Luke 9:59 KJV 1900

59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.

Don’t be a Distracted follower

2 Timothy 2:4 KJV 1900

4 No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

Luke 9:61 KJV 1900

61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house.

Don’t be a Delayed Follower

To be chosen is an expression of God’s Grace & Mercy

1 Corinthians 15:10 KJV 1900

10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

To be chosen is an expression of God’s Love of the world

John 3:16 KJV 1900

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

To be chosen is an expression of God’s Glory

1 Peter 2:9 KJV 1900

9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: