The Chosen - Part A

All say later on Ephesians 1.

You were chosen for the foundations of the earth before you were born before God put planets in and the biosphere. Although we know in the physical world Godhead my God shows you the feeling of being chosen especially for two to be really fulfilled today on connect with Skip Heitzig talks about how God chooses you and calls you to a new way of life.

The greatest joy fulfilled that we want to tell you about a resource that will help you grow your relationship with God as you apply his word in real life 19 pandemic is constant reevaluation of priorities like choices and the path forward this question to my want half-life here Skip I think with some thoughts on priorities that we all want a life with a happy ending a life marked by growth life marked by productivity and refreshment and God's touch of blessing and prosperity and maturity. Here is our special offer for this month. For those who support outreach daily… I Skip class playlist messages on significant sums stomach 2022 biscuits daily… And they're both our way of thinking of you when you get $30 more to help more people connect with God's part, 819 to 88 or go online to connectwithskip.com sample from skip, you pursue him. When you pursue holiness, happiness tags along: 892 1888 to give or does it connectwithskip.com John chapter 15 height starts today's there really is a psychology chosen word when a competition. Something goes on in the human brain where the pleasure centers of the brain are flooded with chemicals like dopamine and serotonin. In other words, you walk away from the experience of being chosen feeling really really good and to be chosen is to be valued by somebody is to be appreciated to be esteemed to be regarded as important, but to be chosen by the living God is the most ultimate experience. You could ever have a mean for the God of the universe just to take note of you, let alone choose you to be part of his plan and purpose is the most epic concept and that's what I want to talk about today.

Now the whole idea of God making a choice has for some reason become a point of controversy. Believe it or not, God choosing selecting pre-determining we call that election for God to choose people for salvation is upsetting to some people I don't know why it is because I kinda figured this way will why shouldn't God be able to do what he enables his creation to do if he makes you with the ability to choose. Why can God have that same power you get the option to get up in the morning or not.

Stay in bed, if you'd like. You choose what you get to eat for breakfast.

You choose what you're going to do during the day you choose Reagan and Mary were you going to live what occupation you're going to have the rest of your life.

You get to make all those choices, why can't God choose whom he wants what he wants when he wants and he does, whether we like it or not.

Last time I checked these throughout the Bible, making all sorts of different choices sees choosing Abraham to leave the Chaldees and formulation the nation that is formed.

He calls my chosen people. I've chosen you out of all the people on the face of the earth when it comes to the supernatural world there are fallen angels and their angels who did not fall, whom God refers to as elect angels indicating God is made a choice before all of that happened. Jesus himself is referred to as the chosen one. Peter said he is rejected by man, but he is chosen by God the father and then one of the great titles that you and I get to bear.

So we are God's chosen believers, and perhaps the one section of Scripture to find it here in our text, but the other important salient section of Scripture that talks about God choosing us is found in Ephesians chapter 1, we just read a few verses to this Ephesians chapter 1 verses four through six. Just as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will know what you read in John chapter 15, where Jesus says to his own disciples in an upper room in their very disquieted at this point they're very discouraged because of some of the news that he is told them that he is leaving Jesus. I think Charlene's in almost I'm picturing alike with his with his hand cupped over his mouth on test. Let me let you in on a secret you didn't choose me I chose you and I have appointed you now they've course remember the day when they did choose him. When they did leave their nets behind when they did make it very cognizant choice to put the past behind them and follow this rabbi, Jesus said, actually, let me let you in on the real story.

You are chosen which you need to understand when we talked about God choosing us and and God electing us for salvation. He doesn't do that fatalistic lay or mechanistically were were like robots and we don't have any choice at all. In fact, we do.

There is a cooperation of God's choice and our choice, not a competition between the two. They work in tandem together. In fact, in John 316. He said for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. So there is an element of human will, human volition human choice or the time Jesus stood in front of Jerusalem. He said Jerusalem Jerusalem, how often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks but you were not willing what I want to show you in John chapter 15 arena. Look at verse nine down to about verse 17. I want to highlight for you three choices that God has made concerning those of us who are saved three choices.

We are chosen for friendship. We are chosen for fullness and we are chosen for following one of explain each of those and drill down just a little bit. We are chosen for friendship. Let me take you to verse 13 of John 15, where Jesus said, greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants for servant does not know what his master is doing, but I have called you friends for all things that I heard from my father I have made known to you, you did not choose me, but I chose you stop right there. Did you just hear how Jesus put that you didn't choose me I chose you now, that's not normally how it works normally friends choose each other. If there to be friends. So this is our solicitors and encounter first encounter between two people. There's three possibilities. Scenario number one. Two people meet each other. Let's say it's me and another guy we meet and right after that we don't like each other. I like his personality. He did like my breath.

Whatever it might be. We just mutually don't like each other, probably a friendship is not going to occur as a result of that encounter. Scenario number two. I meet a person I genuinely like him. I think we could get along, but he didn't like me.

Once again friendship is probably not going to be the result. But if two people meet each other and there is a mutual fund is a mutual affection a mutual understanding.

That's the basis of a friendship. It's never one-sided, but here it is. So Jesus said you didn't choose me I chose you, and he mentions here.

I chose you for friendship now for first of all, nobody could ever say that unless he was God. I mean I would go if you go you can choose me, but I'm I'm gonna let you be my friend may only God could do that and so this really speaks to us of his position. He has a greater rank, greater importance, greater influence because of his position as Jesus as God he can make that statement. It was like that with famous people or political people, somebody who is highly influential. They have to be very careful who they can allow in their circle of friends because people can take advantage of them and so typically the way it works. If somebody's like a king or a prince or a president or a rockstar is so like you can walk up to that person say you know what I think we could really be good friends that they kinda have to let you win. I read an article a while back about Mariah Carey that she has in her house or I should say in one of her houses or actually one of her mansions. She has a level floor where she allows people who are friends but not really close friends just okay friends there there allowed at that level. But they can go to any of the other levels where she really hangs out. God says Jesus said, I have chosen you. So this speaks to us of his position also. This speaks to us of his election and I want to kinda drill down on this idea of predestination just briefly and election when Jesus said, I have chosen you. I think he has in his mind the idea of salvation. That's how salvation works. God sovereignly makes a choice and I wanted take you down to verse 19 because it elaborates just a little bit verse 19.

If you are all of the world. When you see that word here is not talk about the globe. The continents and oceans and things exist to speak about the system of this world the values of this world are opposed to God.

If you are of the world, the world would love its own yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you, so here's Jesus saying all the people that live on this globe and are a part of the world system. I have picked you out of that to be on my team and then Paul will say later on in Ephesians 1, you were chosen before the foundations of the earth.

So before you were born before God put planets in and the biosphere. Although we know in the physical world. God had you in mind, God shows you. Unfortunately, throughout church history. This become a talking point a debating point a dividing point even where you have on one side the ardent Calvinist who emphasizes divine election apart from human choice. That's why the ardent Calvinist rarely does true evangelism, because after all of God can make the choice is going to happen. You can do anything about others and get saved. On the other hand you might have the Arminian who will emphasize human choice over and above divine election. I say both are true, why argue over that fact you know that right. You know, the two things can be true at the same time as Oliver.

This is true, therefore nothing else is true know there's a lot of things true at exactly the same time and is true that God makes a choice and predetermines them pretty relaxed. But it's also true that you must make a choice and God will cooperate with your choice. So instead of arguing over this. Let the tension remain.

It's okay that God chooses and it's okay that you and I have to choose is like a suspension bridge. The reason the bridge stands is because you have two opposing forces holding it together. By the way Jesus put both of those two realities into one single verse. Listen to what he said this is John chapter 6, verse 37 all the father gives me will come to me that's divine election and the one who comes to me that's human choice.

I will by no means cast out so think of it this way. If a person is drowning somebody on the shore throws a rope. The rope itself cannot save anybody that the presence of the role being there won't help anyone.

The person drowning must make a choice to grab a hold of the rope, but a person grabbing a hold of the rope won't necessarily save that person. There has to be somebody on the shore pulling the rope to safety. So think of it that way instead of debating over it. God by election draws us, we buy our own choice.

Grab a hold of the rope now somebody was able to. It's just not fair that God should choose someone to be saved, implying that he chooses. Others not to be so Dutch is not fair because maybe I didn't choose me, you know, I can prove to you today that God's chosen herself choose him today make a choice to follow Jesus go all in today make that choice and you will discover that he is already chosen you for.

It's really that simple. It's not fair.

I don't know, to do that okay will maybe are not chosen will software within chosen.

The idea that God knows in advance is to be saved and because he's got to make a pretty elected predetermined choice does not take away the fact that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord can be saved so speaks of his election. Also, when Jesus said you didn't choose me, but I chose you. It speaks to us of his affection, his love, you know, God knew all about you before he chose you and he still chose you.

He picked you. Anyway, so when Jesus said to his disciples around that table that night. You can choose me I chose you.

Do you think he knew in advance with those disciples were going to do and letting him down. You think went when Jesus, for instance picked Peter. We subpoena follow me.

Do you think that Jesus knew that Peter was in it and I am or did he not know that you know are not. He knew he knew he does that happen the day he walked up to Judas is a Judas I want you to follow me. You think Jesus knew the Judas is to betray him for 30 pieces of silver.

He knew he knew when he got a James and John on his team. He think he knew that they wanted what it one day want to nuke a Samaritan village just eliminated because they like the Samaritans. He knew all those things yet yet we are chosen anyway. Charles Spurgeon of fun with this idea. He said it's a good thing God chose me before I was born, he surely would not have picked me afterwards so we are chosen for friendship another choice. God is made concerning us that we are chosen for fullness what he has in his mind as a full life, not just existence not just survival but arriving go to verse nine.

Let's go back to stories dip into the paragraph there is the father love me. I also have a love you abide in my love abide means remains stay in continuing abide in my love.

If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy may be full. That's the idea fullness. The word is playing Rocco and the means to beef filled to the brim to the max is used in Scripture when you fill a vessel to the very top. It is used of a human being. When that person is filled say a person is full of leprosy. It means he has the disease, to the extent that he is dominated by it. So when Jesus talks about joy and fullness of joy Celica service motion of and kinda happy today. Things are going my way. It's something much deeper and more profound than that. It's the kind of reality that permeate your life and controls your Outlook that's fullness of joy listen to it in the amplified Bible. I have told you these things, that my joy and delight may be in you and that your joy and gladness may be full measure complete and overflowing. Now here's what's amazing in the upper room discourse which is John chapter 13 1415 and 64 chapters, Jesus gets his disciples around a table in an upper room has the last supper and says these four chapters in that discourse. In that speech he gives over supper. He tells them the kind of news that is is breaking their hearts right now. He told him I'm leaving you I'm leaving you and I'm going back to my father's house, and they were discouraged they would be despondent and he knew it.

And yet there were three emotions that Jesus speaks about in the same speech that he said they could have. They should have in one day they will have three emotions.

The first is peace, John chapter 14 is at peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you not as the world gives. I give it to you.

Peace number one number two love in these chapters, he says I love you. The father loves you.

We both love you together on to reveal my love to you love one another, so peace and love. And then now joy. I speak these things to you that my joy might be with you and that your joy would be fall so peace love and joy. While he says I'm leaving and you can it really be bummed out.

You can and you will one day have peace and love and joy and last time I checked that's exactly what the world is craving today. If you ask a person what you want in life or to give you the standard answer. I just want to be happy what you want for your kids.

I just want them to be happy you drill down on that answer, and what they really mean is if I could only find inner peace if I could only find true love. And if I can only find lasting joy Jesus said I'm promising you all three of those things you are chosen for fullness to hold that thought for a minute.

Sadly, throughout Christian history. Christianity has not been noticed, seen, regarded as a joyful experience. So much so I told you this a few weeks ago when I announced to my friends that I was following Jesus. Now a couple of said oh I'm so sorry to hear that because they figured that Jesus would take joy out of my life rather than inject joy into my life and think of how Christianity has been represented over the years.

Clergymen traditionally throughout history were black. That's like the color of morning black robes.

The music was largely sounded like funeral verges not really happy things the voices of many preachers ordered do and rode a guard. Should you. Whatever you do, do not last really serious stuff. Oliver Wendell Holmes on if you know that name Oliver Wendell Holmes went on to become the associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States of America, so he will. He had a law profession at one time he was thinking about being a clergyman preacher, but he said this, I would've entered the ministry. If the clergyman I know didn't look and act so much like undertakers who wrote those rules but certainly not Jesus. Certainly not the New Testament, it is time to overturn that by joyful Christianity. That's that's remarkable fullness of joy. It's my personal joy.

I'm giving it to you and you can remain in it and remain in your constant experience that Skip message from the series now Street to Skip to share how you can keep this broadcast going strong connecting you and many others to God's truths. The world highly value self satisfaction and instant gratification, but God calls us to different way of life, one that focuses on loving and serving others. That's why we freely share these biblical messages to encourage and strengthen you to live the life God has called you to. But we need your help to keep these messages coming to you and others right now you can give a gift to connect others to God's word.

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