Saturday, August 15, 2015

Start Time: 6:00 AM

End Time: 8:30 AM

Title: The Chosen

Scriptures: John 15:1 - 16

God’s Message/Promise/Commands:

Many are called but few are chosen...

This was originally mentioned by Jesus in a wedding, which tells me that God has called all of us and chose all of us too but to be chosen requires a response...so the ball is really on your hands.  Have you responded?

There is no question that God has chosen us...

Even at the beginning, He has set us apart...Jeremiah 1:5 says,

“Before I shaped you in the womb,

    I knew all about you.

Before you saw the light of day,

    I had holy plans for you:

A prophet to the nations—

    that’s what I had in mind for you.”

So God has chosen us...no doubt about it, but it doesn't end there...to complete the process of being chosen or the fulfillment of the promise of God as the person He chose, you need to respond. 

Like for example, out of the many women in the life of one man, he choses you.  But if you don't respond or if you said no...then you will no longer be his chosen woman to marry...because to be chosen requires the chosen person to respond and say yes too.

It's the same to be chosen with God, if you say no, it doesn't change the fact that God chose you but if you do not respond to God or if you say no, then you will no longer be the chosen.

It's either God will find someone else or He will pursue you until you say yes. 

Like Jonah - God pursued him

Like Judas - God replaced him

Good thing God does both.

I learned that in responding to God, there is a process flow that comes naturally when we say yes to His calling and I realized that the only thing we need to do is to...

STEP 1 - REMAIN IN HIM

John 15:1-4

“I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken. Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with me."

- to remain in God is a daily choice; every day we should choose to remain in Him.  It's so easy to get side-tracked with all the things in life and that's why every day, we should decide to remain in Him.

Just like a couple, there are a lot of beautiful men and women, even other distractions like work, yourself, fun, etc...but every day, the person choose to remain with the person he/she loves.

- this requires commitment, which means it demands priority in our lives.

Remember we are a spirit in a body and not the other way around, so our spirit is the focus of who we are.  And our spirit needs the Lord, so it is important to feed our spirit first even before we feed our physical bodies.  So make time for God each day... make Him a priority and commit to it!

STEP 2 - CHANGE

In verse 3, God said, "You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken." (The Message)

"You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you."(NIV)

When we remain in God, change comes naturally.  We can't be with God and remain who we are.  He loves us so much and He will change us.

Philippians 2:13 (easy to read version)

"Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it."

-So God Himself, will change our hearts and minds to obey His purpose.

-Obedience is a result of intimacy with God!

Just like a couple, you learn to like what the other person likes because as you spend time together, you become one!

STEP 3 - BEAR FRUIT

God said in John 15: 16

 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you."

When we remain in God, change comes naturally and obedience to God becomes a result.  And when we obey God, bearing fruit is a natural outcome.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6-7

"I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plants, but God made you grow. It’s not the one who plants or the one who waters who is at the center of this process but God, who makes things grow."

Bearing fruits come naturally when we remain in God and obey because it is God who make things grow.  So if you analyze this clearly, our main role in life is really to just remain in God.  Becuase He will cause us to change and obey Him and when we do that, He will also make things grow and make us fruitful.  Hallelujah!

STEP 4 - REQUEST GRANTED

John 15:16

 “You didn’t choose me, remember; I chose you, and put you in the world to bear fruit, fruit that won’t spoil. As fruit bearers, whatever you ask the Father in relation to me, he gives you."

- Is is only when we remain in God that we are change by Him, that we bear fruit, and ultimately, for our requests to be granted

- by this time, our requests will be aligned to God's plan because He has changed us to be ONE with Him.

So to be chosen, you need to respond to God...to respond to God, you only need one thing...REMAIN IN HIM.  How?  DEVOTIONAL!