Hello and welcome to Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davey. I'm your host, Scott Wiley. Just before Stephen's message today, I want to make sure you know that he has a monthly magazine called Heart to Heart. If you've not seen it, we'd like to send you an issue for you to preview it for yourself. Give us a call at 866-48 Bible or visit wisdomonline.org.
Now here's Stephen. This isn't a little postcard. You know, for a few churches, this was extensive. Desperately needed revelation for thousands upon thousands of Christians who were feeling like they didn't belong anywhere, and what are they supposed to do about it? What would you say to them?
How would you encourage? Value. Peter is saying, You might be an outsider as it relates to the kingdoms of this world, but you are an insider as it relates to the kingdom of God. Just a few weeks ago, an anti-terrorism bill passed both houses of the Russian parliament. Signed in the law.
It's labeled anti-terrorism. But uh Believers on the inside are referring to it as an anti-missionary law. The bill severely restricts Any unsanctioned religious activity by any religious organization, with one exception, no surprise, the Russian Orthodox Church. Which is closely aligned with the government, and for many decades, really the enemy of the gospel. According to the Slavic Gospel Association, This anti-missionary or so-called anti-terrorism bill.
Will demand that the gospel can only be preached inside the walls of a registered church building. In a facility rented by a registered church, and only a message preached by a pastor or a church leader. who has obtained official state-sanctioned identification. Everything outside the registered church performed by an unlicensed church official will bring heavy fines. And you can read them.
and uh potential punishment.
So, as we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ who are praying for safety, and wisdom, and direction, and guidance. Keep in mind that 90% of the evangelical churches in Russia meet in homes. Not in Sanctioned church buildings. And homes. Because during communism, churches weren't allowed to own property.
Except for the Russian Orthodox Church. Even in post-communist Russia. Local churches have been unable to receive permission to purchase property or build buildings.
So, this law is effectively going to pave the way for the government to shut down 90% of the evangelical efforts, at least. public efforts in Russia. And it requires the citizens of Russia to report any violation. The door that has been open. In that Former Soviet Union is beginning to creak and groan as it swings shut, and the church in that part of our world.
We'll once again adapt. to secret meetings. And Underground churches. And I understand that they have kept the underground press in Ink and they never put it away. They saw it coming.
And quiet, careful. Winsome. Joyful. Faith and trust that attracts curiosity. And and inquiry And openness As God wills it.
Through their testimony. If you broaden your prayer for the gospel worldwide according to the voice of the martyrs. Every month on average around our world, 322 Christians are killed because of their faith in Christ. 300 or 214 churches and church properties are destroyed every month. Seven hundred and twenty-two acts of violence are committed against Christians without legal.
Recourse. such as beatings, abductions, rape, forced marriages. Prison Frankly, the church Around the world, and we really need to focus on the church around the world, we get to centered on the church here. is experiencing far more violence. Than safety, far more antagonism than appreciation, far more.
threats and abuse and ridicule, then agreement. And respect. That the church worldwide is experiencing what Jesus Promise they hate me and they're going to hate you. Being maligned and mistreated. Isn't new.
In fact, really around the world it's normal. And we have just been sheltered for these brief years. From what is normal. But if it sounds like some of it is moving a little closer to home. Where it's becoming increasingly difficult to verbalize your Christian conviction without being sent to sensitivity class at your company or your school.
Where to disagree with the moral depravity of your co-workers. Invites open rebuke, in fact, potentially the loss of your job. Whereas one teacher told me in one school district, you are now being told, or she is, to no longer refer to your children as boys and girls because that will pressure them while they're in the midst of determining whether that they're going to be a boy or a Girl. It kind of sounds like you've been sleeping, and surely you're going to wake up, and it's just a bad dream. Again.
We've awakened to A new normal for us. Our brothers and sisters around the world, in many different ways, forms, and fashions, have been experiencing. The loss of protection and the loss of appreciation. We have awakened to this. In fact, one of the ways to know just how far along we are relates to the definitions of what we believe.
as opposed to the cultural norms. If you want to know where we are at this juncture in American church history, and by the way, I am filled with a sense of anticipation. for the opportunity. Uh before us. Because the church can now realize In a fresh new way, the opportunity to bear witness in a culture that no longer pretends to believe what we believe.
And you know, the mask is just going to come down. It's no longer going to be comfortable or advantageous to be among us. I think it's a wonderful opportunity. For us. Because we will be seen as clearly distinctive.
In our culture, but just to ask your coworkers about some definitions, just, you know, for fun, say, hey, define for me God. Define Sin. Define sacred scriptures. Define The family. Define Marriage.
Define gender. Define Judgment. Define Eternity. And then hold on to your hat. Because not many are going to agree with your definitions derived from Scripture.
And I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again: we are not living in a post-Christian world anymore, we are living in a pre-Christian world. Or we have to begin with the definitions of God and the scriptures. We have, by the way, in the midst of it, the promise of our Lord who said, He's going to be with us. Until the end of the age, and evidently the age isn't over. We're still here.
And our end goal remains the same. It is the exaltation of Jesus Christ. And the completion of the church. Made up of every tongue, tribe, and nation. And we get to do the same thing that Jesus did, and the apostles did, and the church in the first century did, because they lived in a culture that defined God as.
Many Defined the origin of life as your guess. To find sacred scriptures or whatever they viewed to come in terms of any kind of revelation from God as sort of saying the same thing. That to find a future judgment as an attempt to just provide a scare tactic. that to find marriage as a short-term contract. And the Roman women, one philosopher said from the first century, dated the years by the names of their husbands.
That defined bisexuality as the norm. That defined truth as whatever you'd like. to believe. You know, welcome to the first century. Say hello to the 21st century.
Say hello, church, to um The growing tension of living so obviously between two worlds. The world we live in Where we work and bless and warn and testify and pray for between this world and the world to come. I can't think of a better time. to hear from a letter that addresses this kind of culture. And by the way, let me just sort of set the stage.
We're still sort of introducing. This, so don't turn there yet. When Peter wrote his letters Persecution. was not empire-wide. Keep that in mind.
It wasn't sanctioned yet by the Senate of Rome. The lions haven't been brought in their cages. Yeah. But it's growing. It's rumbling.
It's random, it's brutal at times. The Christians are losing. Any kind of legal recourse, they're losing privileges and rights. Even as this letter opens, the signs are all there. The marginalization has begun.
Death threats would be common.
Some have already died martyrs' deaths. Many of them have lost everything they've owned.
Sort of like the Jews in Germany during the years leading up to the Holocaust when their shops were boycotted and vandalized. where their personal rights were being erased. Where they were identified by the star to prove that you're really not of us. You don't belong here. Targeted for mockery and violence.
It would be only really just a a matter of time. You need to understand in the context of 1 Peter that when the church had begun just thirty years or so earlier in Jerusalem, the Roman Empire regarded the church as a sect. of Judaism. Just a part of Judaism. Among all the pagan religions in the Roman world, Judaism was the only legal religion not required to offer annual sacrifices honoring the deity, the emperor.
but they were allowed to offer prayers. on behalf of the Emperor. And so long as the Christians were viewed as a sect, Within Judaism They were under the umbrella of a religious exemption. But when the Christians, and by the time you get to Acts chapter 20, we don't think often of the courage of these believers. Because by the time you get there, they're abandoning the synagogue and it's Sabbath worship, and they're beginning to worship on the day Christ rose, the Lord's Day, we call it.
They called it that first. And what they're doing is they're identifying themselves as different from Judaism. and they are voluntarily removing themselves from the umbrella of that exemption. and protection. And with that, their protection would eventually end.
It'll become illegal to be a practicing Christian. Just as it is in many countries today, for instance in Islamic countries where to convert to Christianity is a death sentence. It's illegal.
So, by the time you read the opening words of this letter that are just as current for our generation. The believers have been uprooted, they are unwanted, they're being rejected, they're preparing for even more waves of persecution, which will indeed come.
Now Let me ask you. When you face ridicule, When um You're mocked. When you perhaps experience a taste of persecution in some form or another for your faith, I mean, your instincts tell you either to flee. Or to fight back. It's one of those, right?
Flee or fight? You've lost your job because of your faith. I mean, you've worked for everything and now it's up for grabs, and it's not right, and it's not fair. And maybe you want to say, hey, wait, wait a second, this is my country, and I'm older than you, which means I was here before you were. To defend yourself, to lash back, to get even is our.
natural reaction. And it was theirs in this chapter. And Peter writes to them to cause them to gain composure. And find hope and joy in the truth that He is going to reveal to them. And to us.
And he does it in the most interesting way. The first thing he does, if you'll turn to 1 Peter in chapter 1, is he sort of acknowledges, so to speak, their pain. He he identifies. with their suffering. He refers to them a couple of different ways.
1 Peter chapter 1 and verse One To those who reside as Aliens. That doesn't mean they're from another planet. This first term alien could be rendered. You might mark into your margin the word foreigner. It refers to them as strangers.
in their own country. Uh And they would have immediately responded just with that opening phrase, yeah, Peter, you got it. You know how we feel. Man, do we ever feel like strangers in our own country? And what's happening?
It's how we feel. The term rendered alien is a term that refers to a temporary resident. A traveler whose stay is sort of marked by Months. Or even days, maybe. A brief year or two.
In today's world, And you may be a resident foreigner from another country. Our CFO was for years a citizen of Canada. And we never let him forget that. We had a lot of fun with with him.
Now he's a dual citizen. But if you travel to another country, you know you're going to get your visa, you're going to have your passport, you're going to get a stamped, you're going to pack a bag or two because you're not really going to stay long. You may be going to a place where you can't drink the water and the food's a little iffy. And so, if you're like me, when I travel, I eat a lot of rice. and a little butter.
And I've only gotten sick once. Because I ate a salad, I know. I know. But it was at a Denny's restaurant downtown. I don't know where it was, in the Honduras.
Thought it'd be safe. Bad idea. But you're going to be in a place where you know you don't really fit in perfectly. Things are different. That's how they were feeling.
in their country. Depending on how hospitable that place is, you're traveling. with your passport, that'll sort of affect Your delight. in that stay By the way, I couldn't help but think about the fact that you are probably, without even knowing it, hosting. International students Who've had their visas stamped and they're now attending Shepherd Seminary.
If uh you're new to our our church We started Shepherd Seminary, we birthed it, it's on our campus as our church planting initiative to train a generation of servant leaders. And it's been exciting. In fact, I'll tell you that we had convocation this weekend as the year. Uh commenced and um We watched it grow. We have 140 graduates now and A dozen countries and twenty some states serving Christ.
And we have the largest incoming student body this fall. In fact, the largest incoming international. student body. And we met them on Friday, those that were here, and had them stand. And they were introduced, and it was just wonderful to see students coming from other countries here to prepare.
And uh to go back. from countries like the Philippines. Vietnam. England Argentina. And Montana.
And we had a few from there. This is all new. Going to learn how to drink sweet tea. In fact, that's a graduation requirement. We'll fix them before they leave.
So be alert to those around you. You don't know who you're hosting and and your hospitality can affect The delight of their stay, the privilege for us to invest in their lives.
Now, the term Peter uses for alien or foreigner also indicates. That these people had no legal protection. or personal individual rights. They're alone. And they feel it.
And the words of that little chorus that was popularized about 50 years ago or so would probably ring really well in their ears. This world is not my home. I'm just what? Passing through. The second term Peter uses here in verse 1.
For them. He writes, to those who reside as aliens, Scattered, this is a compound noun, has the nuance of scattering seed. Mm-hmm. It was also, by the way, a technical term. The diaspora, the dispersed.
ones. It was referring uh technically to the Jewish exiles who were dispersed. scattered among the Gentile nations where they were always in the minority. But Peter here drops the definite article and uses it as a metaphor, not to refer to the scattered Jews. In his mind, he's referring to Gentiles and Jews who now form this scattered community.
called the church. And you will always be in the minority. Scattered like seed. Uh wherever the wind seems to take them, Wherever they can find a place to settle down and survive. It's going to get tougher.
There'll always be In the minority, they'll never feel like they belong. And that's because they don't. They don't.
Now, Peter goes on to tell us where this letter is traveling. I mean, how do you write a letter to scattered people that don't have a P.O. box?
Well, it's a circular letter, and it's going to travel. And he indicates, perhaps, even in the way he rolls out these. Uh nations Where it will travel. He refers to a region, and by the way, the overall region he's going to refer to is modern-day Turkey. Modern day Turkey.
In the New Testament, the geographical term is Asia Minor. or sometimes generally Asia. But you'll notice Paul refers here to Pantius. You're scattered throughout Pantus. That's the far north.
That, by the way, is the home of Aquila and Priscilla. Faithful servants of the church. He refers next to Galatia That's the central region where Paul often traveled. You remember he wrote a letter to the Galatians, that would be these people. He mentions Cappadocia.
That's located in the eastern portion of Asia Minor, modern Turkey. And Jews, by the way, from this region we know from the book of Acts in chapter 2 and verse 9 had traveled to Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost and they heard Peter preach.
Some of them believed, no doubt, and went back to Cappadocia where they established the gospel. Peter then mentions Asia. This includes most of Western Asia Minor. cities you'll read in the New Testament like Phrygia and Lydia. And finally, Peter mentions Bithynia.
It's on the southern shore of The Black Sea, just west of Pontius.
So, this area, and you're going to forget all that that I just said. But what I want to sort of draw in your mind is this little picture, mental picture, that this letter is going to millions of people eventually. In fact, the area that he's writing. Yeah. It is roughly the same size geographically if If you were to start with Texas, and move west all the way and include California.
That's the region. To whom he's writing.
So this isn't a little postcard. you know, for a few churches. This was extensive. Desperately needed revelation for thousands upon thousands of Christians who were feeling like they didn't belong anywhere, and what are they supposed to do about it? But because isn't that the question?
What do you do about it?
Well, I'll tell you what they did best. Pliny. A first century Pliny the Younger, a first century Roman attorney. wrote the Roman Emperor At the end of This century. Here were Peter's writing and And he writes a letter in which he describes Christianity as having influenced all the ages in Bithynia.
He's living in this region. He describes Christianity as having influenced both young and old. People living in the country And people living in the cities Then he makes this interesting statement. He says, so much so is their influence felt that the pagan temples are almost completely deserted. Isn't that great?
What a testimony to the power of the gospel of Christ as it went to these believers that are scattered like seed covering 750,000 square miles. How they must have relished receiving a letter. From an apostle. They're vulnerable, they're without protection from their government, they're uprooted, they're being marginalized and mocked and reminded that they do not belong. That's who they are, that's to whom Peter is writing.
Now, what would you say to them? Don't read ahead. What would you say to them? How would you encourage? Them.
What could you ever say? That could bolster their faith and encourage their hearts. and their spirits.
Well, you would want to say what Peter Says. Notice. Near the beginning of verse 1, to those who reside as aliens, foreigners, scattered throughout Pontius. Galatia. Cappadocia, Asia, Bithynia.
Who are Chosen. Chosen. Chosen. What do you tell somebody who feels like they don't belong to this world? tell them that they have actually been chosen.
for another one. Peter is saying, you might be an outsider as it relates to the kingdoms of this world, but you are an insider as it relates to the kingdom of God.
Now Peter uses a word here that has caused a lot of heartburn. FYI Church History. It still divides believers. It still kindles the fire of debate. Basically.
renders the church Foolish. It's that word there at the end of verse 1, the word chosen. It's from the Greek term eklectos, which gives us our word elect. It refers to the doctrine of election. That word elect or chosen was a word once reserved for the nation Israel.
In fact, most Christians I know don't seem to have any problem with the fact that God chose the Israelites. to be the chosen nation. Rather than, even though they didn't deserve it any more than any other nation, he makes that clear. Even though God then did not choose, The Amalekites. Or the Hittites, or the Jebiazzites, or the Perizzites, or the Moabites, or what I call all those other mosquito bites.
He chose the Israelites. And I don't meet many Christians that have a problem with that. I don't know if they thought about it. They are his elect nation. Moses Informs the nation in Deuteronomy chapter 7: the Lord your God has chosen you.
to be a people. of his own possession out of all the peoples that are on the face of the earth. Peter is going to adopt that phrase and relate it. to you and me. You are a Chosen.
Peculiar, I like that term. 'Cause that's true in that we're peculiar. a people of his own possession. But see, Peter uses the term for scattered believers made up of both Jews and Gentiles who are chosen by God. In fact, he presents this.
This verbal adjective, elect, or chosen as passive, which further highlights. The fact that the believer is the object of the electing action of God. Which is exactly why the writer of Hebrews will refer. to God as the author of our salvation. Hebrews chapter 5, verse 9, that means that God takes the first step.
God takes the initiative. God makes the first move. And he has to. Because we're dead. In sin.
and trespasses. And a corpse cannot move, think, or feel. And he quickens us. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 1. And so we today come because we love him.
Why? Because he first loved. Loved us. 1 John chapter 4 verse 19. No, the apostles aren't reticent or hesitant to deliver this family news.
He tells the church, Paul does in 1 Thessalonians. That, or Second Thessalonians 2, that he always gives thanks to God for. You, he writes, brethren, beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation. In fact, throughout his ministry, the Lord Jesus was pretty clear on this truth of election after. He writes or says things like these that are so clear, you can read them.
John 6:44 is one text. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. You're viewed as a gift of the Father to the Son. You're the bride. You're the gift of God the Father as a bride to the Son.
who will one day have the marriage supper of the Lamb with us. When the gospel was preached after the resurrection and the early church began to evangelize the world, Luke records the following. This is a sermon preached by Paul. More than likely, Barnabas chimed in. And here's what Luke said: He said, Following the sermon, the Gentiles began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord.
And as many as had been appointed to eternal life, Believed.
Now you might be saying, but Stephen, it says, you know, we're chosen according to the foreknowledge of God.
So he just kind of knew what was going to happen. But just know that foreknowledge is his action known to him prior to any time we could conceive of. It's not just he saw. In fact, he'll use that term to relate to Jesus being foreknown in his sacrifice. It isn't that God the Father saw Jesus becoming obedient.
Oh, and since you're going to do that, we'll just go ahead and ordain you to die. Oh, no. It's part of his intention. Another sermon, I'm sure you'll pack the pews to get in on that one.
Now, let me just keep a couple things in your mind here, because I want to stop with this word. The writers of Scripture don't Answer all the questions and all the issues that naturally cluster around this. Doctrine. In fact, they don't even really try to harmonize. the sovereign election of God with human will.
They just deliver the truth of both of them. They just deliver it as two sides of the coin that relate to our salvation. They don't try to harmonize the eternal decree of God's. Electing love with In his initiative with our repentance and our faith and our belief and that prayer that you may have delivered to God whereby you say, I was at that moment saved, and that would be true. That would be an attempt.
Perhaps this is why they don't do it. to harmonize an eternal truth that comes from Eternity passed. How far back is that? Eternity passed. That's a long time.
Back there. And that's God's perspective. and harmonize that with any with with a an earthly truth. You have the heavenly truth of the eternal decree of God happening before the worlds were ever fashioned. With this earthly truth, from our perspective, we understand our will.
We understand the gospel we believe. And the moment we did, our eyes were open. We understand the decision we made to believe the gospel and trust Christ. We get that part. That's easy.
But we believe the Godward side of it because the Bible simply reveals it. And clearly teaches us that we were chosen by God before we were even. Born. And we can't. Understand that.
God chose us. in eternity past. That's divine election. We chose God. In a moment of time, that's human will.
acting on God's gift of faith and his initiating work toward us. And by the way, the Bible makes it clear that both of those perspectives are absolutely necessary for salvation. To overemphasize one distorts the gospel. That would lead the elders of the church William Carey belonged to to say to him when he said, I want to go to India to deliver the gospel. They said, Sit down.
If they are elect, they will believe. You don't need to go. Salvation involves Both. In fact, as the scriptures roll out the truth and the doctrines that we believe, the scripture tends to emphasize one at some point in time and the other at another point in time. And it's been my practice that when I get to a verse that emphasizes one, I'll emphasize it.
And when I get to the other one, I'll emphasize that. But salvation involves both of these. Incredible truth.
So let me give you an illustration. Here's Paul and Silas. They have just finished a duet concert. in the jail. And they're singing.
It's midnight. And an earthquake takes place. They've been preaching and they've been singing. And the jailer evidently has been listening in. He's gotten enough of it to know the gospel and what it means.
The earthquake loosens all their chains. None of them wave. The jailer rushes in and he says to Paul and Silas, Sirs. What must I do? to be saved.
It's interesting to me that Paul did not respond.
Well, listen, if you're asking that kind of question, it's proof you're among the elect. Don't worry about it. No, the Apostle Paul responds, believe, trust in, the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. I find it interesting that Paul also did not say to him, believe in the Lord Jesus, because you are already saved. He said, believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be.
At that moment, Saved. Takes both. Truths. Maybe you're wondering How do I know if I'm one of the elect? How do I know if I've been chosen by God before time?
Again, I mean, didn't Peter say to the believer, make your calling And election sure, 2 Peter 1:10. He did. We're going to get there. In another century. But at any rate, you need to understand Peter is not asking.
you to feel sure about it because maybe you're saying I don't feel sure. How do I make my election sure? I don't feel sure. Peter didn't tell you to feel sure about your election, but to make your election sure. It has nothing to do with how you feel.
Because that's like this. It has everything to do with who you believe in. And what you're trusting. And you can make your election sure by trusting in Christ. alone.
The question is. Have you? Have you? Have your eyes been opened to the gospel? That demands you repent as a sinner and trust in Christ alone.
God has to do that. And if that's happened to you and you've responded in faith, You're one of the elect. Charles Spurgeon, the great pastor-teacher in London during the mid-1800s, often spoke on the doctrines of grace and He was a prolific author as well. And in one of his books I read some time ago. I turned down the page because I knew I'd get to this text and I wanted to read it to you.
And uh even I read it uh several weeks ago. Uh let me just kind of work through it. I think uh his balance And wisdom will be encouraging. Here's what Spurgeon, who was, who loved to be known as a. a man who believed in election.
Here's what he wrote to his congregation. He said this: Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 1, verse 4: For we know, brothers, loved by God, that he has chosen. You.
Now many persons want to know of their election. Before they look to Christ or trust in Christ. But election cannot be known that way. It can only be discovered By looking to Jesus. If you desire to ascertain your own election, Well, this is how you shall assure your heart.
Do you consider yourself to be a lost sinner?
Well, go straight away to the cross of Christ and tell Jesus so. And tell them that you have read in the Bible, whoever comes to me, I will never drive away. Look to Jesus and believe in him, and you shall make proof of your election. For as surely as you believe, you are. Elect.
If you will give yourself wholly to Christ and trust him, And you are one of God's chosen ones. But if you stop and say, well, I want to know first whether I am elect. You do not know what you're asking. Leave all curious inquiry about election alone. goes straight to Christ.
And hide in his wounds. And you shall know your election. The assurance of the Holy Spirit will be given to you so that you will say, I know whom I have believed. And I am convinced that he is able to guard that which I've entrusted to him.
So go, Spurgeon writes, and put your trust in him, and his answer will be. I have loved you. from everlasting past. Spurgeon ends with this profound yet simple and wise statement. He writes: There will be no doubt about his having chosen you when you have chosen.
have chosen Hill. Also, keep in mind that Peter is bringing up the issue of election as an encouragement. You're thinking, really? Not for them to start heated debates or create doubt, but to cause them to thank God for this amazing miracle of His grace that is only being revealed to us in His Word. And here's the practical application of the doctrine.
These scattered Christians had every reason to believe that perhaps God wasn't in control. Or that somehow they had kind of slipped off the divine radar system of heaven, or that God lost track of them, or worse yet, that He no longer loved them. That this was a short-term affection. That he no longer cared for them. They would be able to look at their own lives like you can look at yours, and I can look at mine and say, well, there are just plenty of failures.
I can understand why God would. Start with somebody else. There are plenty of doubts. Plenty of misgivings. Plenty of sin.
Maybe God was finished with these scattered believers who are saying, well. Perhaps he's finished with us. And Peter informs them here that they were chosen by God to be the people of God as if to remind them that if before the creation of the world God had chosen them, he was not going to lose sight of them now. It is from eternity past to eternity future. He hasn't lost sight of them.
And he hasn't lost sight of you. Either. If he opened your blinded eyes, to believe the truth of the gospel. He isn't going to stop loving you. Until eternity future comes to an end.
And it never will. You are not an accident. You are a divine Choice. That's reassuring. Especially when you're scattered.
and your world has been turned upside down. That everything about you As you study the Bible, from your conception, which requires. The appointment of God. To your birth. to your new birth.
To every ability you have as you were formed and made, to every disability God invested in your body, to everything about your past and your present and your future. It's all according to God's sovereign plan. Nothing is missed. And lavish grace and incredible divinely initiating love opens your eyes to see it as truth and you believe and you choose him because he chose you. And you know he chose you because that's the only way you would ever choose him.
You love him because he first loved you. You.
Garrison Keeler, not exactly the best theologian, but a good storyteller. He recalled in one story, and I thought about this text as I read this story: this childhood. pain of being chosen last. for those baseball games, you know, after school. He said the captains are down to their last grudging choices.
They choose a slow kid for catcher.
Someone to stick in the outfield where nobody hits the ball. And they choose the last ones. Two at a time. Yeah, you and you and you and you. Because it makes no difference.
to the team. And the remaining kids are bartered.
Well, if I take him, you gotta take him.
Sometimes I would get chosen as high as the sixth choice. But usually Much lower. Just once I hoped Daryl would pick me first and say, Him. I want him. A skinny kid with the glasses and the black shoes.
You, come on. Garrison Keillor ends by saying, but I have never been chosen with much enthusiasm. Beloved, let me tell you, as hard as it is to imagine. God just didn't choose you. He chose you with Enthusiasm.
I want you. I want you. Can you imagine how much this truth would be an encouragement to these marginalized? Unappreciated. Misunderstood.
Fearful. displaced mistreated Christians? Rejected By the World. Chosen. By God.
Forever.
