Many Are Called, But Few Are Chosen

Do you like receiving invitations, brethren? Open up the mailbox and pull out the mail, sort through it, and you see what is clearly an invitation. Darla and I have received a lot of invitations over the years from friends and family, and our favorite invitation, at least I'll speak for myself, is wedding invitations.

To just open the mailbox and to see that invitation, it's always exciting to know that when you pull that out of the mailbox, it's pretty identifiable. If you've ever received a wedding invitation in the mail, it's usually pretty identifiable right away when you pull it out of the mailbox. There's a certain look about it. Maybe there's fancy prints on the cover.

You just kind of open that flap and you see that gold, that silver foil inside, and it's usually a heavy envelope. There's a number of contents inside to that invitation. When you open it up, you admire a picture. It's the bride and the groom-to-be. It's an engagement picture, a very happy couple that are soon to be wed.

You read the invitation, which is usually printed on a very fancy cardstock, kind of a heavier type paper cardstock. Again, that fancy print and a certain type font. It's a very identifiable thing. Most of the invitations that we've received over the years generally say the same thing. You're invited. You're invited. Isn't that a good feeling? Isn't that a good feeling to open that card up to see that beautiful picture and to read those words? You're invited. It's a sighting to receive an invitation such as that. Almost immediately, for us, our reaction is to check the calendar. Because there's a date on that card. You're invited. There's these big festivities that are going to take place. Go and check the date on the calendar. If it's open, very quickly mark down wedding. If it's not open, you suddenly look at it and go, how can I shift around what's sitting in that spot? Because this is such a wonderful thing. Inside as well, as you sort through, is usually this little card that says RSVP. Send us your intended response. Please respond immediately. Because usually, a lot of times, there's a wedding feast, there's a dinner, there's some sort of activity that's included with this gathering. They like to know, okay, how much food to prepare, how many guests are coming, how many chairs to set up. So we respond. We respond to our confirmation and our intention to come and join in on that very festive occasion. I was putting this together this week. My mind flashed back to a wedding of some friends that I attended. They're actually here today, some guests. We attended their wedding. What I recall was, if you didn't move quickly from the parking lot into the building, you were likely freeze to death. I don't remember how cold it was that night, but it seems like it got down to like minus 20 that night for a low. It was very, very cold. Was it February? January night. I remember that. I remember going home and we put hay out on the ground for our Icelandic horses because it was so cold. It was like 20 below zero. Don't ask me why, I just remembered that. When I thought of wedding invitations, I thought of the coldest wedding I'd ever attended. But it was a joyous event, right? Just wonderful to come together. Who would resist such a thing? Who would neglect to respond to such a thing? I have some questions for us to consider. Maybe just imagine this in your mind. Can you imagine someone receiving a special invitation, a wedding invitation such as that in the mail, and looking at it, knowing what it is, and just simply tearing it up? Just rip that up and discard it in the trash.

Can you imagine someone disgusted by the invoice or the invite? It's like, what are they inviting me for? Why would I want to go to that wedding? Again, discarding the invitation. Can you imagine someone looking at the invitation with the recognition of the people involved, knowing who had invited them, knowing the man and the woman in the picture, knowing their parents, understanding the relationships, maybe it's a long-time relationship, and yet deciding they had better things to do with their time than to be inconvenienced with an activity such as this? You know, check the calendar, and there's more important things going on than this wedding. Can you imagine the host of the wedding, out of a desire to have the guests attend? I want you to be there actually sending out messengers to personally deliver the invitation, and if you urge their participation, please come. We're making ready, only for the messengers to be killed. For carrying such a message. Could you imagine someone actually showing up to such a beautiful wedding feast, but not honoring the one who invited them because of the manner in which they showed up? You know, showing up there, not honoring the significance of the event, by the way, in which they presented themselves. Maybe how they were dressed, how they were conducting themselves at that occasion. The Bible describes such responses to a wedding invitation that is sent out by a king. And it takes place in the form of a parable of Jesus Christ. And the lesson that Jesus Christ would like to have us to learn is both sobering and enlightening. And before we actually read through the parable, I want to jump to the concluding verse, because there is a summary statement and the conclusion to which Jesus Christ was sharing this parable. Let's go to Matthew 22 and verse 14 to begin today.

Matthew 22 and verse 14. This is, again, the lesson that Christ is conveying by this parable, and it's the topic we'll discuss today.

Matthew 22 and verse 14. Jesus said, And that's the title for the message today as well. Many are called, but few are chosen. I'd like to explore what it means to both be the called and the chosen, because, brethren, those two things aren't exactly the same thing. They're actually stages in a progression, but I think sometimes we tend to lump being called and being chosen into the same category of meaning when actually they're related, but again, they're two different stages in a progression of where God is leading, ultimately what He has set before us of His kingdom. But again, there's a difference between being called and chosen. And Jesus Christ said that many are called, but few are chosen. So let's explore that concept today. First question we need to address is, what does it mean to be called? What does it mean to be called? Here, the Greek word that Jesus used for called is kleitos, K-L-E-T-O-S. It means called, invited, a summons. It's the invitation that has gone out. It's like that wedding invitation being sent out that says, we want you there, you're invited. It's an invitation, a summons for your presence. It's desired. That word's most often used to refer to the hearing of the gospel message of the kingdom of God. It's an invitation, again, that's extended through that gospel message. The message is, the kingdom is coming, you can be a part of it, repent, believe in the gospel. It's a summons, is an invite to partake in that kingdom, and that word, kleitos, called, is often used in reference to the gospel message. Now, word help study says that this word, kleitos, means a divine calling, or to be divinely called, and it focuses on God's general call. They say, in effect, it's the call, the invitation that He gives to all people so that all can receive His salvation. Now, we understand all in their time, but it's that divine calling that goes out from God, ultimately unto salvation for those who would accept the invitation and the calling and respond appropriately. In the Scripture, this calling is an invitation that's intended to incite action, as in the one who receives it, their presence, their response is being requested. And Jesus used the word to express the fact that there is a special divine calling that has gone out to many, but only few are chosen. Many are called, but few are chosen. It's an interesting parable, and with this in mind, let's walk through the parable here in Matthew 22. Let's go back to the beginning of the chapter in verse 1 and kind of look at the parable that Jesus told leading up to this lesson. Matthew 22 and verse 1, And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables. And He said, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.

So right off the bat here, we have the understanding that this parable is a reference to things pertaining to the kingdom of God. You know, it's a parable, it's a story, but Jesus said, This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. And so we need to keep that in mind as we read through this, understanding that the context of the parable is to that of God the Father, who is the king, extending an invitation.

Again, verse 2, The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding. It says, And they were not willing to come. That's interesting. They were not willing to come. You know, it's a pretty bold thing to refuse this calling. It's coming from the king.

You know, I've refused invitations before. I've refused callings before, you know, the telemarketer calls and says, How would you and your wife like a dinner for two at Clinkerdaggers? Doesn't that sound wonderful? Well, it does sound wonderful, but what's the catch? Oh, there's no catch. Just a presentation, some properties that we have available you might like. No, thank you. Right? There's a calling, there's an invitation that I don't necessarily respond to, but hear a calling from the king. An invitation. What if you received an invitation to dine with the president at the White House? That kind of bumps it to a little higher standard, I would hope.

But again, this is what the king has sent out. So this refusal here is actually a personal rejection of the one offering the invitation. And it's saying, I have no regard for the event, for the person who is inviting. There's really no regard here for the king, otherwise it would have been acted upon. And it says, they were not willing to come. Verse 4, again, after this rejection, again, he sent out servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, see, I have prepared my dinner, and my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready, come to the wedding.

We've made ready, we've killed the animals, we've cooked a dinner, it's going to be a wonderful feast, please come. Verse 5, but they made light of it, and they went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. So again, they thought they had better things to do than to respond to this calling and this invitation. I've got work on the farm, I've got a job, we've got a family vacation planned.

Whatever it is, that's a priority. They went about their way, and they didn't esteem the king or the invitation as important. Verse 6, it says, and the rest, all right, his servants, they went out. Let me back up to verse 5 again, pick the context. They made light of it, went their ways, went to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. Killed them. That's even bolder than just saying, no, we're not going to attend.

They seize the servants, and they actually take their life. These people who are delivering this message from the king. So can you even imagine something like that taking place? And this would have been shocking to those who heard Jesus telling this parable that the king summons you, and you killed the servant of the king. And, you know, this wasn't an punishment he was inviting you to. This was a festive wedding invitation.

But again, the reality behind this parable is what he's telling them, the refusal of the invitation. Because in actuality, you see, God sent his prophets. There is a reality here, a parallel. God had sent his prophets to the people of Israel and Judah for centuries, said he not, calling for a response from them, calling for repentance. Be reconciled to God. Obey his ways.

Forsake your idolatry. Turn to God and live. This is what God had sent his messengers to deliver to his people for centuries. And what happened? You know, what happened to Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and many of the minor prophets? What happened? Well, they were abused and they were killed at the hands of those to whom they were sent to bring that invitation of reconciliation back to God. So that was certainly true of the past. It was true for Jesus Christ's day as well. He came preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, preaching reconciliation and harmony with God.

And they took the messenger of the king and they killed him. Right? This invitation. They killed the messenger. The point is, when you receive this invitation, you have a choice to make. They had the choice to make. How are you going to respond? Again, verse 5, made light of it.

Verse 6, they treated him spitefully. They killed them. Verse 7, but when the king heard about it, he was furious. He sent out his armies. He destroyed those murderers, burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, the wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

So there's a worthiness factor that's involved here because the calling went out. And the invitation was extended, but the fact is the lack of positive response from these individuals, because of that, they were actually counted not worthy to attend. It wasn't like they could just dart in the door at the last minute after what they had done.

They were no longer worthy of this invitation. Verse 9, therefore go to the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding. So the servants went out onto the highways. They gathered together, all whom they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. Again, I want to remind us that Jesus Christ is likening this parable to the kingdom of heaven. He says this is what the kingdom of God will be like in terms of its establishment here. All right? So they went out, they brought in these other guests who weren't the original invites.

The invitation had gone out, but because it was refused now, it was spread to others. Because those who had rejected the king's calling were no longer worthy. Jesus Christ, here in parable, is describing the offer of the gospel message unto salvation. You think about, again, when you come back to the physical people of God by covenant, the nation of Israel, the nation of Judah, they had rejected the offer that God made to them through His messengers.

And they rejected Jesus Christ. He came to the law sheep of the house of Israel. He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. They were rejecting what God sent, killed His messenger. But God in His mercy would allow that rejection to be an occasion for the gospel message to be extended to the Gentiles as well. The wedding hall would be filled. Even those who God had invited it to, His people, His covenant people had rejected, it would be full.

The wedding would take place, even if those who were originally invited weren't there. Verse 11, it says, You know, it wasn't much you could say. You didn't show up at a wedding without a wedding garment.

You didn't disrespect your host or those who were being married without being properly prepared at the wedding. You didn't think you could just sort of skip out on what the preparation would be and just kind of slip in unnoticed at the last moment. There was actually an expected standard of response that goes along with an invitation from the king. And this person just sort of slipped in the door.

Over the years, I've played golf poorly a few times. I actually took golf and PE at college and tried to pick it up once or twice after that. And it's usually a random invite that I sort of eventually get my arm twisted into. And so I say, okay, and go out and sort of give us something to laugh at. So I've only played two or three times over the last 20 years, but it's kind of fun. But I do so poorly.

It's not my chosen sport by any means. But the times that I have gone out to play golf at a nice golf course, the point is there's a dress code. You know, you don't just walk out on the course and t-shirt and blue jeans and start playing golf. You know, they're not going to open the facility to you. Most places that I've been, there's this collared shirts and no denim rule that applies. Right? Because of the occasion where you're going. Or, you know, if it's a black tie dinner somewhere, you're not going to show up, you know, dressed under another standard. So if you're going to go showing up playing at the golf course under inappropriate attire, they're not going to let you participate.

That's what's happening here at this wedding. This man obviously didn't esteem the importance or the significance of the event, in order to the esteem, the importance, or significant of the king who invited him. Again, those things were minimized in his mind. And in this parable, the garment represents the spiritual preparation that's required for all those who will be chosen by God.

You want to be not just the invited, but you want to be one of the chosen, and you're going to show up out of dress, out of attire, for what the king has expected. Some may respond to God's calling at a certain level. They may even have a desire to be in his kingdom. You know, they may even show up at the door waving the invitation. Look, I've got an invitation. Let me in the door.

But what did Jesus Christ say? In Matthew 7, 21, he said, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father. You know, well, I've got an invitation. Isn't that enough? No, it's not enough. The preparation, the attire, how you're presented, how you present yourself, ready for the wedding, is a part of this process as well. You need to adhere to the proper spiritual dress code in order to gain admission to the kingdom of God, the wedding that God has prepared for the future.

Verse 13, again, he's speechless. What can he say? Verse 13, And the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, take him away, Cout him into outer darkness, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for many are called, but few are chosen.

And so, brethren, to be called means to have the invitation to participate in the kingdom of God extended to you. The calling went out, the invitation went out, the messengers took that invitation from the king. It's a summons, it's an invite to be a part of what God has planned for you as part of his eternal family, okay? But to be chosen goes beyond simply being called. It starts with being called, but there's a distinction between those who are called only and those who are chosen.

Those who reject the invitation from the king, and in this parable, the ones that, you know, lightly esteemed it and even killed his servants that came to them, they were called. They'd received the invite, the invitation had gone out, and it had gone out to many. They rejected it. To be among the chosen is a different category than simply being called because the chosen are the next step in the process. It is those who have responded properly to the invitation that the king has extended.

Many are called, few are chosen. The Greek word used by Jesus Christ here for chosen is eklektos, and it's spelled E-K-L-E-K-T-O-S, eklektos, and it signifies being chosen out, being selected out of a group. And eklektos is used 23 times in the New Testament in the original King James Version. It's translated elect 16 times. You know, for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. It's chosen, it's elect. So 16 times it's translated elect, 7 times it's translated chosen.

And again, the concept of the calling is particularly important because it carries with it the notion that those who are invited are welcomed. There's the desire for them to come and to attend, but they have a choice to make as to if or how they will respond. Are they going to accept that invitation? Are they going to accept it with joy and, you know, get dressed up, be prepared, arrive at the wedding, show up, and participate?

Are they going to toss out the invitation? Or maybe even are they going to try to slip in the door at the last minute without having their garments perfected? God extends a calling for His kingdom to many people, but each one's response determines whether or not they will become a part of the chosen or part of the elect.

And this is important because I think we sometimes think that God's calling goes out to simply a very small sliver of people. You know, that it's only a limited, very, very limited number of people who receive a calling from God, a very exclusive group of people. And that's not actually fully correct.

Again, Jesus said, many are called. The message goes out. The invitation goes out. And the chosen, though, are the ones who are the few, who are the select, the ones who respond in a way according to what God has called them to be. And so in the parable, the wedding feast, the invitation went out to many. Many did not respond for various reasons, and it even fell on one individual who did desire to respond, but it was not according to a way that was appropriate in the eyes of the king. He said, you know, I'll respond, but I'll respond on my terms. Sure, I'll show up. I'll show up just how I want to be. You know, come as you are. Come as you are, Christianity isn't what God has invited us to and is not what the chosen are selected from.

God has determined that many will receive the calling to this way of life. The invitation would go out to many, but the parable shows that only a few will respond, and it is the few who are the chosen in this age. The parable of the sower. Let's look at that from the same perspective. Matthew 13. Again, how broadly is this calling spread out? Well, it is spread out, however broadly the Father determines it will go out, but Jesus said it goes out to many. Matthew 13, beginning in verse 3, says, Then he spoke many things to them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went out to sow. So we're talking about a farmer here who has seed. He's going out to throw his seed out onto the ground to produce a crop, to produce fruit. Sower went out to sow, and he sowed, and some seed fell by the wayside. The birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places where they did not have much earth, and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun rose up, they were scorched because they had no root, and they withered away. Some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Jesus is saying, okay, everybody listen up to what I have to tell you here. Let's go to the explanation of this, verse 18, Matthew 13, verse 18. Therefore hear the parable of the sower. It says, when anyone hears the word of the kingdom, the word of the kingdom, right? We're talking about the gospel message and invitation that's going out. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received the seed by the wayside. And so again, the gospel message goes out. And it's one of the means by which God extends that invitation to mankind through the message. All right, kingdom is coming, repent, be baptized for remission of sins, receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. You can be a part of this kingdom. The invitation that goes out and part of the way that God extends that invitation through mankind is through the preaching of the gospel. And the parable here is that the seed gets scattered broadly, but a lot of it falls on ground that just simply it goes to waste. The growth doesn't happen. The fruit isn't produced. It's not all ground is suitable for God's calling at this time. Verse 20, it says, but he who received the seed on the stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy. Yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while for when tribulation or persecution arises, because of the word, immediately he stumbles. You know, there's great joy. Open the mailbox. There's the invitation.

Great joy at receiving that word, that gospel, that invitation, but a little bit of resistance, a little bit of opposition. Well, maybe something else is more important today than that.

Verse 22, so now he who receives the seed among thorns is he who hears the word and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becomes unfruitful.

But he who receives the seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it. He who bears fruit and produces some 100-fold, some 60, some 30. The good ground is where the chosen are found. Right? It's the place where the seed is received, where it's nurtured, where it's planted deep. It springs up, his roots go down deep, and it produces a crop. Some 100-fold, some 60, some 30. So this is what God is looking for. He's looking for those first who will receive the invitation with joy, who will rejoice in the understanding and the knowledge of what they're being invited to, what the kingdom is, who will receive it with joy knowing who the king is, who's extended that invitation, who is his son going to be married to.

Right? They receive it with joy. Those who respond correctly will be the chosen of God.

Now again, as we consider this, it's important we understand who is the one who actually extends the calling.

Because we participate in the gospel, but who actually extends the calling?

John 6, verse 43. Hear the words of Jesus Christ, John 6 and verse 43, jumping into the middle of the context. Jesus therefore answered and said to them, Do not murmur among yourselves. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. I caught that portion of Mr. Lafferty's sermonette. He explained that the Father draws.

You know, God by his Spirit, before it's indwelling, God by his Spirit works with individuals and can reach out and kind of toggle them, get their attention, help to give them a desire to pursue this way. Right? God draws the individual. We don't have that power. God knows who he will draw in his timing and how he will do so. But no one can come to Christ unless the Father who sent me draws him, Jesus said, and I will raise him up at the last day.

Verse 45 is written in the prophets, and they shall be taught by God. For everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. Not that anyone has seen the Father, except he who is from God, he has seen the Father. Jumping down now to verse 65, again, he reiterates the point.

And he said, Therefore I have said to you that no one can come to me, come to Jesus Christ, unless it has been granted to him by my Father. So clearly, the invitation extends out from God the Father, and he miraculously works with that individual, draws that person, helps to give them that compulsion and desire for a relationship coming to Jesus Christ in that way.

Okay, God works with that response. Now, in John 14.6, Jesus states that no one comes to the Father except through me, which also shows us that the reconciliation to God doesn't happen apart from coming under the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Okay, and coming under his, again, sacrifice through covenant. Christ is our Savior and our High Priest, and so what we find is the Father and Son work together in this process of salvation. They work together, and they allow us, actually, to play a part as well.

Even though God initiates the calling, he allows the church to participate in helping to extend that calling. It's the Father's calling. It's of the Father, it's from the Father. The Father draws the person, but he allows the church to participate in this extending of the calling and the sending out of the invitation. As I mentioned in one of my other messages recently, the invitation to the kingdom of God goes out through the preaching of the gospel message. I talked about the everlasting gospel that was in place from the beginning of Genesis through Revelation. The gospel is not a new thing.

It is perhaps the message that went out with it has changed somewhat over time as Christ came, and now you respond for a certain way into a reconciled relationship to God. But the good news of what God is doing and that you can have a relationship with him has gone out from the beginning. I say there's a difference between being a light and preaching the gospel, because I think sometimes the thought is, okay, and as I've mentioned, we're to be an example for the gospel message.

We're to be a living gospel. As then when people look at us, they're to see God's way in action and the fruits of it and what it will look like in action. Jesus said, be a light to the world that they would glorify your Father in heaven. And so as a light, we show forth the fruit of the gospel at work in our life, but it's different than preaching the gospel.

Preaching is actually preaching and is given unto those whom God has called to preach. But we also back up that message through our light, through our example, to show that, yes, indeed God's way works. And the gospel is true. But I don't want us to be confused in terms of the difference between being a light and example and preaching. And both have their place.

The message that the church preaches today is the same one that Jesus Christ preached when He walked the earth during His ministry. And I just want to take a minute. I covered this in a previous message, but let's just remember what the core message was that Jesus brought. Because you remember He said, I speak to you the words my Father gave me to speak. What were the words He spoke? Mark 1, verse 14.

Mark 1, verse 14. This is the calling, the invitation of God, and it's being expressed here by Jesus Christ through the gospel message. Mark 1, verse 14. Now, after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching.

He was a light and example. Let's notice, though, He was preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. That sounds like an invitation to me.

And invite a calling to make a change in your life, and you can participate. It's just as the king sent out messengers to deliver the message, deliver the invitation, deliver the calling. God continues to do so. He was doing so here with Jesus Christ, who spoke His words. Repent and believe in the gospel. So those who would repent, because they received that message with joy, and who would exercise faith in the gospel message, then become the chosen. Because the response is, now they enter into a covenant relationship with God. Right through repentance, through baptism, through the receiving of the Holy Spirit, and they become the chosen. It's different than simply the called. It depends on the response. Romans 8, verse 13.

What do the chosen look like? What does it reflect in their life? Romans 8, verse 13. It says, For if you live according to the flesh, you will die. That's how everybody was going, apart from the invitation and response. It says, But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. And so what we find is there is a real and an apparent change that takes place in the lives of those who would respond to that invitation and become the chosen of God. Upon repentance, baptism, the laying on of hands, they enter into a covenant relationship with their Father in heaven, and He extends His Holy Spirit. And they are the chosen. They are called the sons of God. Verse 15. For you did not receive the Spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption or sonship, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God, and if children then heirs, heirs of God, enjoin heirs with Christ. If indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. And again, so then, what we find is those possessing the Holy Spirit of God, the ones who have responded to the invitation, and they are the chosen of God. They're the ones who have their name written in the Book of Life, and they are the ones whom Jesus Christ has not ashamed to call them brethren. They were the called. They responded. They became led by God's Spirit. They became the chosen. Let's notice the apostles, Peter's reference to those who responded to the king's invitation. 1 Peter 2 and verse 1. 1 Peter 2 and verse 1. These are those, the good ground, right? Those who received the seed and responded. 1 Peter 2 and verse 1. Therefore, laying aside all malice and deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby. If indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious, coming to Him, speaking of Jesus Christ in this case, coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious. What you'll notice is that Jesus Christ Himself falls into this category of the chosen. He was sent for a specific purpose which He fulfilled. He was God's anointed. And it says He is now this living stone rejected by men, but chosen by God and precious.

The Bible says we're to imitate Him. Verse 5, He says, you also, you and I, as living stones are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. Therefore, verse 6, it is also contained in the Scripture. Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect. Remember, I said that word elect is the same word in the Greek that's translated chosen. All right. God laid in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious. And He who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe He is precious, but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone. And a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. They stumble being disobedient to the word to which they were also appointed. And so Peter here states that Jesus Christ is precious. Right? He's precious to God, but he also says He must be precious to us as well.

Now, unfortunately, since the time of Jesus Christ, and as the Scripture shows continuing all the way up until the return of Jesus Christ, there have been and will continue to be those who are offended over Him, over His message, the gospel they brought, who He said that He was. And to them, Jesus has become a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. And the point is, He must not be to the chosen.

Right to the chosen, God said He would be precious. He is elect of God. He is chosen.

And to us, He must be precious, just as He is to our Father in Heaven. Verse 9, He says, But you, this is now speaking of the church, you and I, those who have God's Spirit, you are a, notice, chosen generation.

To those whom receive Him, He is precious to them. You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light, who are once not a people, but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

It's those who have responded to the calling of God and embraced the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. They're not just the called. They didn't just receive the invitation and toss it into the garbage can. They responded. They received the Spirit.

And God says those people are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and His own special people.

And again, it's not a reference to those who received the invitation only.

Remember, many are called, few are chosen. But I'll just say, the chosen have to be very careful that they don't wear that around as a badge of pride.

Because it's not. You know, I am the chosen. You know, look at me. We're the chosen. You know, you have to be careful with that. It is not a badge of pride.

Being chosen, rather than, is actually a badge of humility. It's a badge of humility because those who God works with at this level are those who have the humility to recognize that apart from Him, they're broken. Right? They're nothing.

The chosen are individuals who see their calling for what it is. That God, in His grace, intervened upon a failed existence.

Maybe we don't like to think of ourselves that way, that before God and Christ intervened in our life, we were a failed existence. How were we failed? Well, the wages of sin is death.

And so we could not achieve the purpose for which we were created, which was to be children of God in His kingdom. So this was a failed existence apart from the intervention of God and Christ, that life might spring forth.

And so we should never begin to look at our calling as a badge of pride, as in, you know, I was something so wonderful that God needed me. No, the point was we so desperately needed Him. But we needed to be at the place in our life that we could recognize it apart from pride and respond.

Let us pause words in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 26.

1 Corinthians 1 verse 26. The point, brethren, this has always been about our need for God.

1 Corinthians 1 and verse 26. Paul says, Those aren't the ones who are called in great numbers. Verse 27, he says, But God has chosen, the foolish things of the world, to put the shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to put the shame the things which are mighty, and the basings 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. And notice why. Why would God choose the weak, the foolish, the beggarly things of this world? Notice why, verse 29, That no flesh should glory in his presence, but of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, that as it is written, He who glories, let him glory in the Lord. You know, if you want to glory in something, you glory in the fact that of myself I'm nothing, but God is everything. Right? We glory in Him.

Our Father seeks meekness in those He calls out of the darkness into His marvelous light. He seeks a humility and a willingness to change, and He's looking for those who have the perspective in their life that they can see the invitation for what it is, not just a great feast, but that they are in a desperate need for what the King has to offer. And they will respond. They must respond. But again, it is a choice. A choice we all have to make. Those who respond are the ones He has called His chosen. They are not the many in the world right now, but rather they are the few. Many are called. Few are chosen. So as we conclude today, I want to briefly introduce one more element to this. I said it's a process, right? Called, chosen. There's one more element. We're just going to briefly introduce here because it's critical to our Christianity, and it must be in place. If we are going to endure to the end and receive what it is that God has extended to us in this invitation. Revelation 17. Revelation 17 here describes 10 kings, and we'd be given power and allegiance. At the end time, they'll turn that power and allegiance to the beast. You're going to have this unified army, this group of nations at the end time, and this alliance is going to oppose Jesus Christ at His return. And what the Scripture shows is that Jesus will easily defeat them. But I want to draw your attention to the middle of the context here and to notice the description of those who will accompany Jesus Christ at His return. Revelation 17 and verse 14, breaking into the context, it says, These will make war with the Lamb. Well, who's the Lamb? He's the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Jesus Christ, the one who comes on the white horse to make war. These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them. For He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are, notice, called, chosen, and faithful. Called, chosen, and faithful.

Jesus Christ said that many are called, but few are chosen. And what we find here is that being chosen is not the end of the level of commitment. You know, you made the baptism of commitment, you have a covenant relationship with God, you're the chosen, no other action required. That's not true.

It's not just the called and the chosen that will endure to the end, unto eternal life. It is possible to respond favorably to the invitation. Right? To respond to the calling, to become baptized, to receive the Holy Spirit, and to be counted among the chosen. That is fully possible, and we would hope that that is where we all stand in the eyes of God today.

But it is also possible to fall away from that special standing once again, if our endurance falters.

If we don't have what it takes to endure to the end, if we choose to stop putting God first, brethren, there's a problem.

Because those who will be there at the return of Jesus Christ are the called, the chosen, and the faithful. Those who endure to the end, putting God first, valuing the invitation.

Recognizing who the King is, who has extended it, and the value of being participants in that wedding. Let us never take for granted the blessing of receiving God's calling and receiving that drawing, that desire from God, to respond to it by His mercy. Let us endeavor to faithfully endure unto the end. By doing so, we will be counted among the firstfruits who will stand before God, the Father. At the wedding to His Son, Jesus Christ. In that day, the bride, who is the Church of God, the chosen, the faithful, and to the end, that day they will be arrayed in the appropriate garment for the occasion, won't they? They're not going to slip in the door without a wedding garment. Lord, Lord, open to us.

Right? I don't know you if you're not prepared, He says. But in that day, the bride, who stands before the Father, becomes married to the Lamb, the Bride of Christ. Again, they will be arrayed in the proper garments. It will be fine linen, clean and bright. Which is what? The righteous acts of the saints. This is how we live our life continually in response to God as the chosen. We will come to understand the fullness of the saying, Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. Brethren, many are called, but few are chosen. And it is indeed a blessing to be among the chosen. And we seek to be among the chosen, those people of God who endure faithfully to the end. The called, the chosen, and the faithful. Have a good Sabbath.