You are Chosen
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We find ourselves in the middle of our 40 Days with Jesus from writers of the series The Chosen, while I am participating in a Chosen Bible Study with the First Hopkinton Church over Zoom during my lunch hour on Wednesday afternoons. So much is going on with this series, which just finished up season 2 I believe.
How many of you have watched the series in its entirety? How many have seen just 1 season? How many have seen at least 1 episode? Would anyone care to share their thoughts on the series?
This morning, I want to talk a little bit about what it means to be called or chosen. We are going to start off in the Old Testament this morning, the book of Isaiah. Now, if you have seen the first episode, you have Omar and Mary Magdalene talking. Mary is scared and Omar asks what they do when they are scared, and between Omar and Mary, we see that they speak the words of Adonai from the prophet Isaiah, specifically, Isaiah 43:1,
1 But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
Fear Not. How hard of a concept for us. Fear surrounds us, we fear loss, we fear failure, we fear not being loved. We fear loneliness, darkness, natural disasters. We fear the unknown. I even think, that we may even fear God’s calling.
By the time of Isaiah, the people had a lot to be afraid of. In Israel’s past, the Hebrews had been enslaved to Egypt, saw conquering nations of Assyria and the new threat of Babylon. 12 tribes gathered to create one nation of Israel, to let people get in the way and cause a split into 2 separate kingdoms.
One of the many people that God called was Moses, who was raised as a prince of Egypt, but was Hebrew by blood came to know God after being exiled for killing an Egyptian that was beating a Hebrew slave. The first time he came into God’s presence with the burning bush, God told him to go and bring His people out of Egypt. The very first time…and Moses was not having it. We see Moses saying he was not an eloquent speaker and begged for God to call on someone else.
Exodus 4:10,
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”
Here is a man, that was schooled as an Egyptian prince. I am sure he had the finest teachers and would have been good at public speaking. I am sure Moses was afraid of what God was calling him to do. Going back to Egypt after what happened, freeing the Hebrews and leading them all to a new land. That is a lot to take in.
Look what God follows up with in verses 11 and 12, Exodus 4:11-12,
11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
God was not asking Moses to do this alone and unequipped, God was going to be there right with Moses. God was choosing Moses, to go and free God’s chosen people from slavery, to build a nation.
With all that Moses went through for his people, we can see in Acts what the Israelites thought of Moses later on, Acts 7:22,
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
Moses still had some issues after they left Egypt and was kept from the Promise Land, but he followed his calling. Moses did what God had chosen him for.
This is a nation, that if they had just followed God, they were unstoppable. Some of the stuff that God asked this nation of Israel to do, to show their faith, may seem odd, but when they followed through faithfully, miracles would happen. Take Jericho for instance. Who would have thought that circling the city with the ark of the covenant and troops, with trumpets blazing would knock the walls down? But, Joshua and the Israelites followed God’s instructions, and the city fell.
If we go back to Isaiah, his life spanned 4 kings of Judah and his 55-to-60-year prophetic ministry presented the hope of salvation to the people of Judah in the reigns of the kings Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
By the time of Isaiah, the people had a lot to be afraid of. The nation of Israel was split into 2 kindoms and they did not really get along, saw conquering nations of Assyria and the new threat of Babylon. Kings that strayed from their God and allowed worship of other pagan gods. King Hezekia changed things, following God and banning this pagan idol worship. Because of Hezekia’s faithfulness, God added an extra 15 years to his life, and delivered him and Jerusalem from the Assyrian forces.
But now, when Isaiah spoke in chapter 43, we have the Babylonian forces that will come and take the city. In this passage, God is telling the entire nation, to not fear, to know the nation is claimed by God. Even though they have not been faithful to Him, He will be faithful to them.
Last night Pastor Harold told me if I was talking about the Judahizers, to make sure I didn’t say Judy’izers, as that may upset her. So, I am making sure I tread lightly here.
Out of all the people and nations in the world already established, like Egypt, God chose the Hebrew people to be His chosen people. He called them to be His and blessed them, and claimed them. God may have had to punish them for straying from their path, but He always stayed faithful. So, here in Isaiah, we see God choosing and claiming a nation as His.
If we jump forward several hundred years back to where the show “The Chosen” takes place, we see Jesus calling his first disciples. Matthew 4:18-22,
18 While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
One reason I like the series, is it gives us a little more about some of these people that traveled with Jesus. It gives them a little more character than what we read about them in the Bible. Shows us how much some of these people gave up in order to follow Jesus’ calling. The scripture mentions that they just dropped their nets to follow Jesus, but what we didn’t see in this passage, was that Simon had a wife and mother-in-law at home. Simon had to leave them at home in order to follow Jesus. I will say, that Mark does discuss Simon’s wife and mother-in-law after he is called to follow Jesus, and that is we need to look at the life of Jesus through the eyes of all 4 of the Gospel writers.
I’m not saying that Simon did not talk to his wife about this, but how many of you would be willing to give up what you have to follow someone you just met? Because that is what they are doing. These were not people that highly regarded by the people either. Fishermen, a tax collector, which you cannot get much lower in the peoples eyes. When Jesus met Mary Magdalene, she was possessed by 7 demons. These are not people that you would consider worthy to follow Jesus, being the Son of God.
It had nothing to do with being worthy, and everything to do with grace. If the disciples had considered themselves worthy, then the focus would have been on them instead of God. These disciples that Jesus called, were chosen for a purpose. They listened and learned from Jesus. Jesus sent them off on their own for a time, but He had made sure they were equipped to handle the job. Mark 6:7-13,
7 And he called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8 He charged them to take nothing for their journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in their belts— 9 but to wear sandals and not put on two tunics. 10 And he said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you depart from there. 11 And if any place will not receive you and they will not listen to you, when you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.” 12 So they went out and proclaimed that people should repent. 13 And they cast out many demons and anointed with oil many who were sick and healed them.
Jesus called and equipped the chosen people he needed to keep and expand His ministry after he ascended to sit at the right hand of the Father.
So far, I’ve talked about an entire nation that was chosen by God, a select few that were chosen by Jesus to learn and be equipped in order to carry out his ministry, but may be wondering about the rest of us being chosen.
Mark has the answer with Mark 16:14-16,
14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
First off, we see where Jesus was not happy that some of the disciples did not believe the stories of Jesus being alive, but we see the charge given to them. Jesus did not tell the disciples to go and share with a select few. Jesus told them to go into all the world and proclaim the gospel.
We are all chosen, it just depends on if we accept it. Are we accepting Christ, putting our faith in a risen Savior, or are we turning our back on Him?
We all have different roles. Some are chosen to preach, others chosen to teach Sabbath School. Maybe you feel chosen to help keep the church clean, maintain the equipment, lead us in music.
We are all chosen to spread the gospel. Once we accept the fact we were chosen by God, we take on the role of knowing we need to share our hope in the risen Savior in order to make sure others know they have been chosen as well.
God is a just God. Jesus did not die on the cross for a select few, he died on the cross for all the sins of mankind. God wants everyone to have the opportunity to accept his love and grace, but He knows not everyone will. But how will others hear about it if you are not sharing with others. The Great Commission was not just for the disciples, but for everyone.
As we are chosen, we are equipped. We accept Christ as our Savior and the Holy Spirit comes upon us. Acts 2:38, says,
38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26 shows why this is important,
26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
The Holy Spirit is to guide us, and teach us. We are equipped for what God has chosen us for. This morning, take some time to think about whether you are doing what God has chosen you for? Or are you telling God that you do not speak eloquent enough.
We can go back to the parable of the talents in Matthew 25. Are you investing your talents wisely, or are you burying them? You will be blessed by doing what you are chosen for beyond belief.
As I mentioned before, I ran from what God had chosen for me to do for over 25 years. He has a way to keep after you until you finally give in, and say, “Yes Lord, whatever you need of me I will do.”