Tag Archives: predestination

Chosen – Matthew 11:25-30

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“All things have been entrusted to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son desires to reveal him. Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:27-30, CSB).

Do you remember when you were in school and you divided into two teams to play a game at recess or P.E.? Probably the most popular or most athletic kids were selected to be the team captains and pick the players for their respective teams. I never was the most athletic or most popular kid in school, so I never got picked first and always worried that I would be picked last!

In Matthew 11 John the Baptist had been arrested and incarcerated by Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee. John sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the coming Messiah. Jesus sent John’s disciples back to report what they heard and saw of Jesus’ ministry: “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news, and blessed is the one who isn’t offended by me” (vs. 5-6).

Jesus proceeded to extol the ministry of John the Baptist to His disciples and the townspeople that were listening to him and then denounced their unbelief: “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon!’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners” (vs. 18-19).

Jesus then offered a public prayer for those disciples and townspeople still listening to Him.“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and revealed them to infants” (vs. 25).

Next, Jesus made a declaration that I have read many, many times but this time His words seemed to transcend my theological viewpoints and pierce my heart. It was like I was a kid back on the playground and we were choosing up teams and Jesus picked me to be on His team!

Jesus is like the recruiter for God’s team because He knows whom the Father wants on the team. And for whatever reason, God only knows, Jesus chose me for the team! Weary and burdened me! Gripey, grouchy me! Lazy and untalented me! Angry, intolerant me! Anxious and inconfident me.

Nevertheless, Jesus picked me!

Prevenient grace? Predestination and Free Will? It doesn’t really matter what theological camp I come from.

Because Jesus picked me!

And, I don’t have to adhere to some theological viewpoint to make Jesus’ team. Jesus knows what the Father’s will is and the Father has entrusted Jesus to carry out that will.

Now, I’m on the team and I’m practicing to be a better team player.

Perhaps in these posts I can help some of you new recruits as you practice to become better team players….

The Lord has called you.… (Isaiah 54:6, CSB)

Role Player – Genesis 20-21:6

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“The Lord came to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had promised. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the appointed time God had told him” (Genesis 21:1-2, CSB).

In basketball not every great player is a starter. You have players who come off the bench who are great defensive players, great rebounders, great ball-handlers or great 3-point shooters. These players may not be the stars of the team but you can’t be a championship team without great role players.

After the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, Genesis returned to the story of Abraham. Genesis 20 is devoted to God’s rescue of Abraham’s wife, Sarah, from the harem of King Abimilech.

Abraham had continued his travels around the Promised Land and settled for a while in the region of the Negev. The Negev is a desert region in southern Israel. Abraham obviously had a large entourage and a large number of flocks so when he entered the region he likely requested permission from the king to encamp there.

In making his request Abraham told King Abimelech that Sarah was his sister, not his wife. While it was true that Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister (Genesis 20:12), Abraham omitted the part that she was also his wife. Abimilech took Sarah into his household (or harem) as one of his wives, possibly to seal the deal.

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What Is God Like? Fortune Teller – Luke 22:34

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“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me.'” (Luke 22:34, NIV).

At the Last Supper Jesus warned His disciples that He was going to be taken into custody and killed and that some of His followers would lose faith in Him. Impetuous Peter declared to Jesus that He would never be disloyal.

Then Jesus notified Peter that a few hours in the future–before the day was over–he would deny being a follower of Jesus not just once but three times!

You know the rest of the story. Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s future happened just as Jesus foretold.

What’s significant about this story for this discussion is that it reveals to us something very important about the character or nature of God: God knows the future!

If God knows what would happen six hours in the future, then why wouldn’t He know what will happen six days or six months or six years or even 6,000 years in the future?

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God’s Favorite Child – Ephesians 1:5-7

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Favorite-Child“He predestined us to be adopted through Jesus Christ for Himself, according to His favor and will, to the praise of His glorious grace that He favored us with in the Beloved. We have redemption in Him through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace”  (Ephesians 1:5-7, HCSB).

I have two brothers and a sister. Growing up, my mother sometimes told me that I was her smartest and best-looking son and that I was her favorite. I must have believed her because I still think I’m smarter and better looking than my two brothers!

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