God Chose You!

 

Intro: Do you remember your sense of wonder when you first saw the Milky Way at night, blanketing the heavens with an endless ocean of sparkling lights?  Do you remember laying under the shade of an Oak tree in the summertime in rich green grass, and watching the white fleecy clouds drift by?  I remember imagining various clouds having the appearance of ships, cars or different animals.  I remember the first time I saw an elk herd not 50-yards from me as I hid behind a large rock, and my sense of wonder at their majestic beauty as they grazed in the mountain meadow.  I remember the day I watched my beautiful baby boy being born, and how looked like a California raisin.  I watched them gently bathe him in warm water and hand him to his mother to hold.  I was awe struck at the beauty and wonder of it all, and this great miracle of life our Creator has given us.

What are the chances of our existence today?  Have you ever asked yourself what the odds are of you coming into existence?

According to one author, the odds are astronomical.  In an article posted on Huffingtonpost.com under a section called THE BLOG (06/16/2011 03:58 pm ET Updated Aug 16, 2011) titled “Are You a Miracle? On the Probability of Your Being Born” By Dr. Ali Binazir, Binazir provides some startling statistics.

“The probability of your parents ever meeting is about one in 20,000, and the probability of your parents’ chance meeting resulting in kids is about one in 2000.”   Stay with me.  Binazir then goes on to say “So the combined probability is already around one in 40 million — long but not insurmountable odds.”  I decided to check and see what the odds are of winning the “lotto.” There are many varieties, both national and state.  The California State Lottery at calottery.com states the odds of winning the “MEGA Millions” lottery is about 303 million to one (4/3/2018).  Maybe the odds of our being born aren’t so astronomical after all?  Let me provide you with some more information before you pass judgement.

 

Benazir says that the “probability of the right sperm meeting the right egg are one in 400 quadrillion.” (!)  Okay, does that sound like astronomical odds yet?   Wait, we’re not done yet.  He also says that the “probability of every one of your ancestors reproducing successfully (based on 150,000 generations), is 1 in 10 to the 45,000 power, and the probability of you being born is one in 10 to the 2,685,000 power.” (!)  Do you give you a rough idea of what that means Benazir gives an analogy of this last statistic as follows:

As a comparison, the approximate number of atoms in the known universe is 1080.

So what’s the probability of your being born? It’s the probability of 2.5 million people getting together — about the population of San Diego — each to play a game of dice with trillion-sided dice. They each roll the dice — and they all come up the exact same number — say, 550,343,279,001.

Think about it.  I don’t believe we think about the astronomical and staggering odds that were stacked against our coming into being.  We should never lose our sense of wonder and awe of our Almighty God and Creator, and that you are His miracle!

Sermon title: GOD CHOSE YOU!

SPS: Today we will talk about five wondrous things! 

We know that are birth into this world is an astounding miracle from God.  But out of all the children born on earth, God chose you!  He decided that He wants you to be among the firstborn of God! Out of billions of people that have lived and died throughout human history, GOD CHOSE YOU!

 

1.     Perhaps God chose you before you were born.

King David

(Psa 139:13)  For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb.

(Psa 139:14)  I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well.

(Psa 139:15)  My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

(Psa 139:16)  Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.

Jeremiah

 

(Jer 1:5)  "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations."

John The Baptist

(Luk 1:11)  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

(Luk 1:12)  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

(Luk 1:13)  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.

(Luk 1:14)  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

(Luk 1:15)  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.

Jacob

(Rom 9:6)  But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel,

(Rom 9:7)  nor are they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, "IN ISAAC YOUR SEED SHALL BE CALLED."

(Rom 9:8)  That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

(Rom 9:9)  For this is the word of promise: "AT THIS TIME I WILL COME AND SARAH SHALL HAVE A SON."

(Rom 9:10)  And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac

(Rom 9:11)  (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls),

(Rom 9:12)  it was said to her, "THE OLDER SHALL SERVE THE YOUNGER."

(Rom 9:13)  As it is written, "JACOB I HAVE LOVED, BUT ESAU I HAVE HATED."

 

John Ritenbaugh points out in the Forerunner Commentary that while these personages are all famous, we need to remember God does not show partiality.  We are of the same Spirit and Family as they are, and every part of the Body of Christ is important.

 

Nothing we have done earns us grace or salvation.  God created us for His purposes, and those purposes are wondrous!

 

2.     God chose you and brought you out of captivity!

(Jer 29:11)  For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

(Jer 33:3)  'Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.'

(Rom 6:15)  What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

(Rom 6:16)  Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?

(Rom 6:17)  But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.

(Rom 6:18)  And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.

 

 

 

3.     God chose you to glorify Him!

 

(1Co 1:22)  For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom;

(1Co 1:23)  but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness,

(1Co 1:24)  but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

(1Co 1:25)  Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

(1Co 1:26)  For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.

(1Co 1:27)  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

(1Co 1:28)  and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are,

(1Co 1:29)  that no flesh should glory in His presence.

(1Co 1:30)  But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption—

(1Co 1:31)  that, as it is written, "HE WHO GLORIES, LET HIM GLORY IN THE LORD."

4.     God chose you to be a temple of His Holy Spirit!

(1Co 3:16)  Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

(2Co 6:16)  And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM. I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE."

 

(Eph 2:17)  And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.

(Eph 2:18)  For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

(Eph 2:19)  Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,

(Eph 2:20)  having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

(Eph 2:21)  in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord,

(Eph 2:22)  in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

 

5.     God chose you to bless you with wonders beyond your imagination!

 

(Psa 16:11)  You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

 

(1Co 2:9)  But as it is written: "EYE HAS NOT SEEN, NOR EAR HEARD, NOR HAVE ENTERED INTO THE HEART OF MAN THE THINGS WHICH GOD HAS PREPARED FOR THOSE WHO LOVE HIM."

 

(Rom 6:22)  But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.

(Rom 6:23)  For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

(Eph 1:11)  In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,

 

Conclusion:

 

 (Mat 18:3)  and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

(Mat 18:4)  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

 

I hope that today you can renew your wonder, that you will meditate on God’s wonders small and great, and that you do not lose your joy even when things seem to be unbearable and remember the wondrous things God has done for you, and especially the indescribably wonderful future He has in store for you!

 

A recap of the five wondrous things:

 

1.     Perhaps God chose you before you were born.

2.     God chose you and brought you out of captivity!

3.     God chose you to glorify Him!

4.     God chose you to be a temple of His Holy Spirit!

5.     God chose you to bless you with wonders beyond your imagination!

Remember the article I cited in the introduction titled “Are You a Miracle?  On the Probability of Being Born” by Dr. Ali Benazir?

I will close with this quote by Benazir: “A miracle is an event so unlikely as to be almost impossible. By that definition, I’ve just proven that you are a miracle.

Now go forth and feel and act like the miracle that you are.”