Matthew
Chosen
As Jesus taught about the end times, He spoke of the gathering of the elect
Leading up to this time, Jesus spent a lot of time addressing
Those who thought they were the elect
Jesus addressed the pride and disobedience of the Chief priest and Pharisees
Election is not something we can be proud of
But should be embraced with humility and joy
Like a son who says I am a member of the family
Or, a tenant who is to care for the land
Or, guest of honor who doesn’t show up
Or, guest who did not put on the robe of righteousness
God elects humble believers who live by faith
They are obedient and do God’s will
It is important we know and understand God will gather His elect
The elect are humble, obedient disciples of Jesus Christ
Chosen
“Thy Kingdom Come”,
is the prayer of every believer.
The answer to this prayer will bring…
Conflict, destruction, and the returning of Our Lord and King.
Jesus describes how this prayer will be answered…
"At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24:30-31
There will be a gathering of His elect.
The selected or chosen, His favorite.
Jesus tells three parables in Matthew 21:28 to 22:13.
At the end of the three parables,
Jesus says in Matthew 22:14…
"For many are invited, but few are chosen."
The first parable is about two sons.
One says he will do the father’s will
but does not do it.
The other son says he will
not do what is asked and later repents.
Both are sons.
but Jesus says at the end of this parable…
Tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom first
to demonstrate repentances and obedience
are what the Father is looking for.
The second parable is of a land owner
who chose to rent to some farmers.
The tenants tried to take the land
for themselves and Jesus says…
"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
Matthew 21:43
Renters were rejected because they refused to recognize
the owner’s right and be satisfied with their portion.
They took for themselves
what belonged to the owner.
Matthew 21:33-43
The third parable is a King inviting guests
to His son’s wedding banquet.
Those on the guest list refused to come.
So, the King invited the people
on the street, both good and bad.
One of the invited guests was not dressed
for the occasion and was cast out.
All three parables show an invitation.
But only the humble, and obedient are chosen.
The elect (eklektos) Jesus says …
They will gather his elect from the four winds,
from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew 24:31
To be a son.
To be in charge of God’s possessions.
To be an invited guest…
All would seem to be a place of chosen or elected.
But in all these examples we find disobedience.
Election is not something we can be proud of…
But our position should be embraced with humility and joy.
Like a son who says I am a member of the family.
Or, a tenant who is to care for the land.
Or, guest of honor who doesn’t show up.
Or, guest who did not put on the robe of righteousness.
God elects believers who live by faith.
They are humble, obedient and do God’s will.
It is important we know and understand
God will gather His elect.
The elect are obedient disciples of Jesus Christ.
In the verses leading up to
God gathering the elect, Jesus warns…
"So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel.
Matthew 24:15
What destroys the holy place?
It is disobedience and pride.
Disobedience removed Adam and Eve
from the holy place.
Disobedience on any scale separates.
Whether it is on the grand scale…
Daniel speaks of…
“The Abomination of Desolation”
Or, refusing to do what God asks you to do.
Peter had a lot to say about the end times
and he said this about “election”…
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
2 Peter 1:10-11
When Peter said…
“Therefore”
He was speaking of the verses preceding
that show us how to make our Calling and Election Sure
and receive a rich welcome into the Eternal Kingdom.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
2 Peter 1:5-9
Is this progression of qualities so hard?
If you have been cleansed of your past sins
by the Blood of Jesus…
If you have accepted God’s invitation….
Then in these last days…
Make every effort to add to your faith…
Add goodness, knowledge, self-control,
perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love.
These are the qualities that make you
obedient and effective.
This is how those who want to go to heaven live…
They live as if they are already there.
Scripture Reading
Matthew 24:15-31 NIV
15 "So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel — let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now — and never to be equaled again. 22 If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect — if that were possible. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.
26 "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 "Immediately after the distress of those days
"'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.'
30 "At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
