Can You Explain It?

The title of my sermon today is, Can You Explain It? Can You Explain It? A lot of stuff I can explain. I can explain a good part of the Bible. I can explain a good part or most part of construction. Other things I can explain that I have done in my life. But I want to ask you if you can explain what Matthew 22 and verse 14 means when it says, Many are called, but few are what? Do you know what that means? If someone asks you? A poor schlub out here walking the streets. Not called. Not chosen. What does it mean? Can you explain it? Why? Why would God say that? That many are called, but few are chosen.

The word's called. Do we understand what the word called mean? Do we understand chosen? I understand because in my high school, there was hard-court basketball outside and everybody played a lunch, or many people did. Many came there. I played on the team, played inside after school was over with. But there was a young man there on the hard courts, and I only knew his first name. His nickname was Rabbit. Rabbit was an incredible basketball player, one of the best out on the hard courts. I went out to play because I wanted to get better. Because you play out on the hard courts, there's no referees. So it's literally no autopsy, no foul. So you became hardened. Rabbit just happened to be better than most. And I happened to be chosen because there would be three up and three down. You win, you stay up, you lose, you go have another team. I got chosen by Rabbit to play on his team one time. And then I got chosen a couple other times because Rabbit loved to shoot, and he could shoot. He never saw a shot he didn't like. But Rabbit liked that I set a good pick, and I knew the pick and roll. So it was a privilege playing on his team because you won most of the time. I barely got a shot off at any game because it was Rabbit's team. But I did know what it was to be chosen because he had the choice of 50 guys standing there to get in line to play ball. And so it didn't mean something even though I was not anywhere near good as Rabbit or any of the guys on the sidelines. Second Timothy 1 verse 9. Second Timothy 1 and verse 9. Paul tells Timothy that God called us with a holy calling, not just, oh, I want you to come over here. But it is a holy calling. Hagios. It's something that sometimes we take for granted. I don't need any fanfare. I'm not done yet. So are we privileged in our lives to have been called and then to be chosen? And do we know that? It was Peter who said, second Peter 2 9. Oh, sorry, first Peter 2 9, that we are a chosen generation, a special people, a royal priesthood, is what Peter said. But a chosen, it should carry a lot of weight. Well, sometimes we get bogged down in life and forget what that's all about.

Like you go with me to Ephesians. The book of Ephesians, Paul is writing to church he spent the most time with, lived there. But in Ephesians 1, let's get back to it. Ephesians 1 verse 4, he says just, and he's talking to us just as much now as he did the church in Ephesus, but he says just as he chose us in him before the foundations of the world, he chose us before the foundations of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in agape, agape love. So some people may say, well, I don't know why I was chosen. It just says right here, it has something to do with having agape or being able to have agape, to not only have it but show it. Unconditional love, that's hard for a lot of us. But it is something that he lays out to them.

Go with me one more place. Well, you don't have to go there if you want, but if you do. John 15 and verse 16. John 15 verse 16, that last night, physical life on earth, Christ tells them that you didn't choose me, but God chose you. I chose you. So you didn't choose me. For some of us that think we just stumbled upon God's truth, and we can say, oh, it's a miracle. It's not. He just said it's not. He looked down. He called, and he chose. And as one theologian said, he chose to call you, and that's what he did. I'd like you to go with me to Deuteronomy 7 and verse 6. Deuteronomy 7 verse 6. The heading over my chapter says, a chosen people. That's not talking about us. That's talking about the children of Israel. Who did what? They rejected. They rejected God when He wasn't in the flesh, but He was way up here and spoke to them through the prophets. They basically rejected Him for thousands of years. Then He shows up in flesh, and they did what? Still rejected Him as a nation, as a whole. So God just rebooted. Said, I might have a different plan.

But look, it says here, I mean, this, can you imagine being told this when you were out in the desert about to go into the Promised Land? Because this was a sermon. As a matter of fact, I intend to give that sermon, because the book of Deuteronomy is three sermons. The last month of Moses' life. This is what He taught them. So here's what He told them before entering the Promised Land. For you are a holy people to the Lord your God. Didn't care what other people thought of them. Didn't care that the other nations hated them. Didn't care about any of that. He said, for you are a holy people to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you. You are to be a people for Himself. Wow! Some people say, well, you're nothing special. We aren't except that this make you special. God in you makes you special. Without God in you, you're just a bunch of bones and flesh and 74% water. But no, He says this. You are to, you are to be a people. God has chosen you to be a people for Himself. A special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. Wow! That, that should have floored them. Everybody should have gotten up off their chairs, off their seats, and fell down before God. Because of what was said right there. But yet, in a matter of no time, they didn't care. They rejected. They rejected God. They didn't want to be His chosen people. Have you ever met someone who rejected being God's chosen people? I have. They just turned and walked away. Didn't care. Too much trouble. Too much pain. I didn't get my way. I didn't do this. This is, this is what happened.

Can you explain it about chosen? There are five writers who understood this word about chosen in the Bible. Think about them. Five writers. Who mentioned chosen?

Somebody's calling. Should I answer?

What if I choose not to answer the call?

I don't know. Prophetus genie sitting in the back. Is this what you were waiting for when God called you? For you wanted a phone call from God? No. No. I certainly didn't. I didn't really want to be called. I had better things to do than be religious. I didn't want to follow in my parents' footsteps because then it's just your parents' religion. But God did call us. And thankfully, you're here today because He called you. And you answered the call. You didn't say, don't. Don't care. But isn't that what the Bible shows that most do? Because it says, many are called, few are chosen. There is an importance to this message today. When someone calls you, we usually know who it is. Most of the time, thankfully, today, we do on this because it says, scam. And so those are people I don't know. But somebody will call me and I'm like, I know who they are. And I know if I want to answer or not.

But to get a call is to get an invitation. We've all gotten them, haven't we? Invitations to a wedding, invitations to a grand opening that I used to get back in Murfreesboro. Grand opening of this business, this building, and so forth like that. And I had the choice to go or not to go. Just like God has called people and they have the choice to answer that call. Most of you in this room can remember when that call happened. A lot of times it's something that happened in our life. Where the light comes on. I did. The lights came on.

Chosen. I talked about Rabbit and his basketball team. When I played Babe Ruth League, I was chosen in a draft. By the Indians. When I was 14, 15 years old. Had all these teams and they were all named after professional teams. Well, the Indians were one of the worst teams in the major leagues at that time. And our team was no different. We were one of the worst. Really, really bad. 16 games, full wins. But I was chosen. I wasn't very good. Compared to the other teams, our team wasn't very good. But I got to where this cotton uniform had Indians across it. I was so proud of that uniform. Not proud every time we got beat. But I belonged to the Indians. Brethren, God has a set of clothes. He describes as linen. That'll be our uniform. White. Pure. And it's probably going to be on there forever. It'll never wear out. You'll be part of his team because you were chosen. Just like I was. Unless you decide, you don't want to play anymore. My only embarrassing time was that I never showed up for the last game. Played 15 games. But the last one, I was so tired of losing that I just didn't show up. Didn't even return my uniform. I had to come out to our farm and get it. Because I chose. I chose to walk away. I chose not to be apart. We also have that right. You have the right to walk away. And many have. I just can't do it. It's too hard. I could lose a job. I could lose a mate. I could lose my family. I could lose all this. You choose. But to God, He gives us that chance. I'm going to turn to a scripture. He will heal. Now, a very important scripture because Paul thought it very important to lay out to these people that understood that all around them were many gods. They even had an emperor who considered himself a god. And they were going to have to make a choice. Would they continue down this path? Or would they walk away? So he tells them, if you will turn with me to Romans 8, one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, Romans 8 and verse 30. Romans 8 and verse 30, New King James version says, Moreover whom he predestined. Whoa, predestined? We're going to teach predestination. Yes, because it says that. What are we predestined to? Predestined to be called. Predestined to be called. He knew us before we were even born. I don't know how, but I don't have to. He knew Jeremiah. Didn't he say that to Jeremiah? Before you were what? Formed in the womb, I knew you. And knew he was going to be a prophet from those little kids' age. So it says, Moreover whom he predestined, these he also called. And that's us. So he thought about. Now, how did he go? He could have, but for some reason, he didn't tell us. He just requires faith on our part that he knows what he's doing. And we sometimes ask him ourselves, really? Some of the problems I've gotten, you called me. Do you know what you're doing? But hey, he does. He's putting together a team. A team. That will be a team for eternity. And the rewards? It's going to be better than winning four ballgames, as I did a year. And you know, I thought about it because the year before I played Babe Ruth League, I played for another team in another division. And we were 12 and 1. Man, we were good. We lost our first game and then won 12 in a row. Oh, who's just having a ball? And I figured out later the next year, I wasn't used to losing. And I didn't like it. And I quit. I tell you that because neither one of us can quit. We can't quit just because we lose sometimes. We can't quit no matter what. The rewards are too high.

Moreover, whom he predestined, these he called, and whom he called, these he also justified. Justified. Justified means made right with God. I can't be made right. I can't make myself right with God. I can't go and say, oh, I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Oh, I'll go do this and I'll, oh, let me work it off, God. He can't do it. No human can do it. That's why Jesus Christ came. And we are justified in Him. We're justified by Him. That chosen part becomes so important. We are. Justified when we turn our life over to Him, and then He starts living in us, and we start being more and more Christ-like.

The only problem is it takes a while. Wow. For some of us, 10 years, 20 years, 30 years, 40 years, 50 years. Yes. But we are justified. So we have called, predestined, here. And then we have called. That's our chance to not answer. But if we answer, then we get to be chosen because we're justified by Christ, not by our lives, not anything we do.

We're justified by Him and us. And then it says, Whom He justified these, He also glorified. We're not glorified yet. Not there. When we're changed in a moment, in twinkling of an eye, we'll be glorified. Talks about that many places. So this is God's progression for humans. Predestined? Okay. Some, I can't, I wouldn't stake my life on it as I don't, but it's almost as if there are people who are predestined to be called a thousand years from now.

Why wouldn't it be? I mean, you see that why He, there's no reason if He doesn't, there's no reason in His second resurrection, is it? None. But it's like, okay, and because God is so fair, His justice is so complete that He knows when it's best for my grandmother, for my grandfather. Which means I could talk till I'm blue in the face. They're not called. But there is a time that God has.

It even talks about each in His own order. We've got an order now. This is the way He does. God's progression for humans. Okay, let's go to our Scripture. Turn to Revelation 17, verse 24. No. See? You're listening. Not asleep. I had a couple even texts and emails where somebody was reading.

Alright, Jeannie, did you understand my kung fu? You didn't understand what I was thinking about. Revelation 17. Now, let's go to verse 12, because this is the end time. This is propelling us to this big day. Our big day. Okay? In Revelation 17, verse 12, it said, And the ten horns which you saw are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority from for one hour, by one hour, short period of time, as kings with the beast. These are of one mind, and they will give their power and authority to the beast.

Most of us can understand that. But then, guess who gets to show up? These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. Conquer them! It's not even close. For He is Lord of Lords and King of Kings. Who are the Lords? We will be! So He says, who are the kings? The King of what kings? Us! Royal priesthood, a chosen generation. Holy people! This is us! And those who are, what does yours say?

With Him. With Him. That means we come with Him. We are part of His team, His army. And we put down the 10 kings of the beast and all authority on earth. We win. We win. We don't lose. It's not like being on a baseball team that can be beat. We can't be beat!

So we come. As it says, as it says, and those who are with Him are what? Called. Chosen. Except there's a different word this time, isn't there? Faithful. This is after we are already glorified. See, we're not coming with Him because He's coming from up there. Right? We're about to see that.

So we're already glorified. We meet Him in the air, right? Wherever we will be with Him. So here we come down with Him, and it is because we are called, chosen, and what we need to be right now. Right now. Between now and this moment. Faithful. That's it. Faithful. Are we? Can we be? We all lose faith occasionally. I do. I've got to go get her back, and I know the source of where to get it from.

And I know when it's my problem, and now somebody can blame on Mary. Or blame on someone else. Faithful.

Those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. You want to see what happens just before the conquering? Let's go over. Two chapters. Revelation 19. Revelation 19. These are the called, chosen, and faithful, and this is what happens to them. Verse 7. Verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. We're ready. We're faithful. Anybody want to marry somebody who's not going to be faithful? No.

And rejoice and give glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. To her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the... What's the Greek word for saint? Hagios. Same one for holy. Holy. Hagios. Saints. We're holy. Then He said to me, right, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And He said to me, these are the true saints of God. Then we drop down. Drop down, verse 11. Said, then I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse. What happened? Then. So the events that took place in the previous verses, it says, then, after the marriage supper, after the bride is married, then it says, then I saw heaven opened. And behold, a white horse. And he who sat on him was called righteous and true, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like the flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except himself. Why would that happen? Why? There's going to be a pure language. The Bible talks about it in the kingdom of God.

And it's not going to be Hebrew. For all you Hebras, I want to say, oh. No. And no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God. And then 14. And the armies in heaven. Clothed in what? What did we just see the bride clothed with? And then, finally, that's our clothes. I want to see what that linen looks like, because the linen I have, you have to iron all the time. I bet you don't have to iron this. Okay. Verse 14. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him. We shall ever be with him? Followed him on white horses. And out of his mouth goes a sharp sword, and you can read the rest, where the army is totally devastated. There is no army left. It's gone. Gone. Decimated. He's put down everything, and we are called to be a part of that army. That's the greatest team you will ever play on.

Brethren, we are in stage three, and that is faithful. Our job now, we've been called, we've been chosen, but now, can we be faithful? Can we be faithful to the end? That's what we will be tested on. Will we give up? Other people, they've given up. You've known them. Just give up. I always wondered why my father, no matter what sport I played, some I was decent, others I was not good at. But I joined the team, and he never let me quit. He said, if you ever start quitting, you'll be a quitter for the rest of your life. You'll find it's the easy way out. I've known people that know the truth that said, I quit. I don't want to have to deal with it anymore. And they did. But he is right. My father was right. Because sitting on that bench, are going out into the field and playing ball, and here, seeing the ball sell over your head, home run after home run after home run, where they finally call the game because your team's so lousy. I've experienced that, and that was not fun. It was miserable. But it set me up to enjoy victory. And appreciate it when it comes. Because I never saw it. First few teams I play, we won all the time. And I didn't know how the other guys felt. Oh, too bad. Right? I had no compassion, no feeling because we won. You losers. But all of a sudden, you learn so much when you go through adversity and you don't always win. And, brother, that's one of the reasons we're called today. In these last days, we're called so that we know adversity. We know problems. We know problems. Right? Got some health problems? Yes. Right? We've prayed for so many of you. And we've got other issues. You know what it feels like to be victorious. And God says, there comes a day. There's coming a day when we are going to have total victory. And we're going to know what that feels like. Because you know what happens? You know what happens after what I described in Revelation 17, verse 14? We never lose again. We never lose again. We never lose again. Which is day after day, century after century. Millennium after millennium. Nothing but winning. You think that isn't going to put a smile on your face?

There was a boxer. He used to box. He was champion in over 100 fights. He had four different, five different belts. He was known as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters that ever lived. So respected, he was, everybody said he was the best. His name was Roberto Duran. Anybody know who Roberto Duran? No, no, boxers. Yes, great boxer. Won all these titles until towards the end of his reign. In fact, he lost the title. He went up against a boxer. That just totally outclassed him. It's your great Leonard. And in the middle of the fight, the world's toughest man, as they call Roberto Duran, went in his corner and wouldn't come out and said, no, Moss. No, Moss! What's that mean, Ampe? No more. He quit. You know, he was considered one of the greatest of all times. He had a record, all these things. You know, he's not remembered for any of that, but he's remembered by those two words. No, Moss. No more. No more. Rather than God didn't call us to be a Roberto Duran, he called us to finish. To finish the race. During that time, to remain faithful. Matthew 24 and verse 13 says, He or she who endures to the end, the same shall be what? Saved. Saved. It's done. All we have to do, no matter if we're getting pummeled sometimes, no matter if we're that jab Satan has just constantly peppers us in the nose. No matter if we had nosebleeds, no matter what it takes, endure to the end. Because in the end, we win. We win. And it all is in our field of play now. It's all in front of us. And it all comes down to that third part. Faith. Hebrews 11, 6 says, Without faith, it is what? Impossible to please God. God's explanation and plan for us, not for the world right now. For us! For the called. For the chosen. And for the faithful.

When His kingdom comes, and it's coming, let's make sure we're there.