WHO DOES GOD CHOOSE?

February 24, 2024

For many are called, but few are chosen.

INTRODUCTION

We have heard the parable of the guest invited to the wedding feast. This parable represents the gospel offer and the entertainment it meets with. Remember the parable of the vineyard represents the sin of the rulers who persecuted the prophets, it shows also the sin of the people, who generally neglected the message, while their great ones were persecuting the Messengers. The gospel preparations are here represented by a feast which a king made at the marriage of His son, such is the kingdom of heaven, such the provision made for precious souls, in and by the new covenant. The king is God, a great King, King of Kings. The marriage was made for his son, Christ is the Bridegroom, and the Church is the Bride. Many were invited to the wedding, but not many were ready to come. The master of the feast ordered the servants to go and invite all kinds of people to the wedding. Look with me in Mathew 22:9,10. “9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.” In verse 14, the Bible says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Many are invited. God calls many to come. Yet, few are chosen. Few are selected; one interpretation of this is “Many are called, but few are qualified.” For example, have you ever wanted to play on a certain football team? Two captains are chosen. The two captains then begin to select their players. You say, ” Pick me! ” What a disappointment to not get chosen. When people are selecting players for teams, they are looking for certain qualities – speed, skill, teamwork, etc. Do you want God to choose you? Do you want to receive a special assignment from God? You must understand that many are called, but few are chosen or selected. Throughout the Bible, we see God making choices. We see God choosing certain people to do special assignments for Him.

God chose:

  • Noah – to build an ark
  • Abraham – to be the father of many Nations.
  • Israel – to be His special people and treasure
  • The tribe of Levi – to minister unto Him
  • Aaron and his sons – to be His priests
  • Moses – to deliver His people out of Egypt
  • Joshua – to lead them into the Promised Land
  • Gideon, Samson Samuel, and others – to judge His people
  • Saul – to be the first king of His people
  • David – to take over and promised his kingdom would be forever
  • Daniel – to reveal many prophecies to His people
  • Isaiah, Jeremiah, and others – to prophecy His truth
  • 12 apostles – to continue His ministry on earth – “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.” John 15:16.
  • Paul – to bear His name to the Gentiles.

Who does God choose? Why does God choose someone? We don’t know why God makes all the choices He makes; God doesn’t see things as man sees them. We can learn much about who God chooses by looking at the people in the Bible that God chose or did not choose. These truths can help us to live in such a way that we are qualified for God to choose us.

Today, I want to share with you 6 truths about who God chooses. Turn to Psalm 78: 67-68,
“67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim: 68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.” God refused the tribe of Ephraim; He did not choose Ephraim. Why? Read Psalm 78:9-11. “9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle. 10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;” 11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.” They were armed. They had their weapons. The day of Battle came, Yet, they turned away from the fight.

(1) God does not choose those unwilling to fight

We are in a spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12, “12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” WE ARE IN A BATTLE. We are soldiers of Christ. We are to fight the good fight of faith. We are to advance God’s kingdom on this earth. If you want God to choose you, you must be willing to fight. For example, it is easy to become focused on the things of this life; money, career, possessions, pleasures, comfort, etc – to become so entangled with the affairs of this life that we stop fighting for the One Who chose us to be His soldiers. One songwriter said, “It’s a battlefield, brother …”.

“Ephraim, you have your bows. You have your armour; Now go fight the battle. You are preparing to serve God; You are getting the training you need to serve God effectively. Now go fight the battle and engage in warfare.” “Rescue the perishing, care for the dying, and snatch them in pity from sin and the grave” Lift the fallen, preach the word FIGHT.

If the ministry is simply a job to you, you are in the wrong place. If you don’t want to get in the fight, you are in the wrong place. If you don’t want to intercede for others, you are in the wrong place. If you don’t want to give your all, to give your sweat, blood, and tears, you are in the wrong place. God does not choose those who are unwilling to fight.

(2) God does not choose complainers

The children of Joseph complained that the land given to them wasn’t large enough. Turn and read with me: Joshua 17:14, 17a. “14 And the children of Joseph spake unto Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto? 17 And Joshua spake unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, Thou art a great people, and hast great power:”. Joshua told them, if the land is too small for you, then go conquer more area” (verse 15). They said they couldn’t go to the valley because the Canaanites who dwell there had chariots of iron. In verse 16; the tribe of Ephraim thought it wasn’t fair, they should have been treated better. They deserved better. They were great people. They weren’t satisfied with what was given to them and they complained about it. God does not choose complainers!
Some other examples from the Bible. The Israelites in the wilderness complained and murmured. For this, they would not go into the Promised Land – God said, You will all die in the wilderness – Numbers 14:29.

  • Are you a complainer? Or are you a counter of blessing?
  • Are you a murmurer? Or are you a mediator?
  • Are you a disturber of peace? Or are you a peacemaker?
  • Are you a problem-causer? Or are you a problem solver?
  • Are you a problem finder? Or are you a solution finder?

God does not choose complainers!

In Judges 8:1. Gideon had gone to battle against the Midianites as God had commanded him to. He had 300 soldiers only, and that was how God wanted it. When the Midianites fled, Gideon sent a message to the men of Ephraim to help him by cutting off the escape of the Midianites, and the men of Ephraim did so. Yet, they were angry with Gideon! They vehemently argued with him. Turn and read with me, Judges 8:1, “And the men of Ephraim said unto him, Why hast thou served us thus, that thou calledst us not, when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites? And they did chide with him sharply.”

Jephthah was a judge in Israel. The LORD gave him a great victory over the Ammonites. Rather than Rejoice, the men of Ephraim said, “And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, Wherefore passedst thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? we will burn thine house upon thee with fire.” Judges 12:1. We can see a pattern here with the people of Ephraim. They were an envious people.

(3) God does not choose the envious

What was your reaction when God used someone else to do great work instead of you?
In the book of Esther, Haman was not happy for Esther and the Jews. He plotted against the Jews to destroy them, but God saved Mordecai and, in the end, Mordecai was honoured by the king. In Esther 7:10, it reads, “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king’s wrath pacified.” Here we see that envying someone will bring us destruction and death. What is your reaction when someone else gets promoted? Be happy when others are blessed. Rejoice with them that rejoice. Envy is a cancer that will make you miserable and lead to your demise.

(4) God choose the humble

In 1 Samuel 10:24, the Bible tells us that God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. When Samuel came to anoint him, they couldn’t find him. He was hiding. He was a humble man. Later, Samuel said to Saul, “And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?” – 1 Samuel 15:17. God chooses the humble. God resisteth the proud – James 4:6. God is against the proud; the proud He knows afar off. Moses said, who am I to lead your people? Gideon said I am the least in my father’s house. When God sent Samuel to anoint a son of Jesse to be the next king of Israel – he thought it would be Eliab. God had refused him; God doesn’t choose based on physical height or physical strength – He looks at the heart. God chooses the humble. Stay small, don’t be puffed up, and don’t think too highly of yourself. God chooses the humble. God gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). 1 Corinthians 1:27-29, “27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.”

PRIDE IS THE GREATEST ENEMY OF THE CHRISTIAN


(5) God chooses the one who has a heart for Him

In 1 Samuel 13:14, Samuel tells King Saul, “But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

  • Do you love what God loves?
  • Do you hate what God hates?
  • Do you have a heart for God?
  • Do you hunger and thirst for God?
  • Are you seeking the Lord with all your heart?

Don’t chase after the pleasure of this world!

(6) God chooses the one who has a passion for Him

In Acts 9:15, the Bible tells us that God chose Saul to be a chosen vessel unto Him – to bear His name. Saul was a persecutor of the Christians. Why would God choose Saul? I believe we see the answer in 1 Corinthians 15:9 – 10, “9 For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 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.”

Saul, who became the apostle Paul, had a great passion for God. Even in his strong persecution of the Christians, he was doing it because of his misplaced zeal for God. He thought they were blaspheming God. But when Paul got saved, he changed. He became a zealous Preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ. He gave His life totally for God’s work, and he laboured faithfully and more abundantly than the others. He was beaten, he was stoned, he was scourged, he was put in prison, he went without food, he was shipwrecked, yet he said, None of these things move me (Acts 20:24 – “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”). Wow! Paul had a great passion for God. Do you have a passion for God? Are you persevering through whatever difficulties you face? God uses the one who has a passion for Him. God hates lukewarm Christianity, get on fire for God.

CONCLUSION:

Many are called, but few are chosen.
If you want God to choose you.
(1) Be willing to fight.
(2) Don’t be a complainer.

(3) Don’t be envious of others
(4) Be humble.
(5) Have a heart for God.
(6) Have a passion for God that drives you to work hard for Him.
May almighty God help us to do His will.

Amen!!!