Sermonette: Called, Chosen, and Faithful
#1893-PMs
Clyde Finklea
Given 12-Sep-26; 22 minutes
description: In a world marked by war, injustice, corruption, and spiritual deception, biblical prophecy points to events preceding the return of Jesus Christ. II Thessalonians 2 identifies two key developments: a great falling away from the truth and the revelation of the man of sin, empowered by Satan to deceive those who reject truth. Amid the scattering of God's Church and increasing trials, believers must remain spiritually vigilant. Revelation 17:14 describes Christ's followers as "called, chosen, and faithful"—a progression from responding to God's calling, through repentance and conversion, to steadfast endurance. II Peter 1 emphasizes developing faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, endurance, godliness, brotherly love, and love. Being called and chosen is only the beginning; remaining faithful to the end is essential for entering God's Kingdom and sharing in the first resurrection.
transcript:
If you remember what Martin started off with his sermon this morning, you, you're going to see a little connection here. I'll begin now. I think, I think we all can agree that we live in a world that's torn by wars. By injustices and corrupt governments that are run by these self-seeking, self-centered politicians. And who are like little spoiled children as it says in Isaiah 3:4. Ours is a world that's polluted also by darkness that's coming over this world. It's called, and we are looking at these demonic powers and through, through this prince of the power of the air that's inspiring this world man perverse and distorts what is good and wholesome. And in the process what he's doing is he's taking takes people further and further away from the truth. Um, the news is, when you listen to the news, it's filled with what we might call the fruits of discouragement and despair, seems to always be bad news. And besides all of this, the Church of God has been scattered, and many brethren we loved and fellowship with over the years have, have vanished from our lives and And many of them have given up on the faith, and that was once in them, and they were returning to this world. And our trials and our persecutions to me seems to be intensifying. And so that means that our faith is being severely tried. So what we have gone through during the course of this 21st century are events that are built to the point of what I refer to and and what I think is the setting the stage for the fulfillment. Um, of the prophecies of this Bible, just like the fulfillment of this day of the feast of Trumpets and the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, because most of these prophecies, prophecies do involve things that are related to, to our time and the, the times that are immediately ahead of us. I was going to begin in, in I Corinthians 15, but I want I was just going to read a couple of scriptures today. I'll just kinda paraphrase it for you cause I think Martin touched on this this morning. Uh, the apostle Paul describes there that when the seventh trumpet blows, and that was in I Corinthians 15:51 and 152, by the way. Um, when the 7th trumpet blows that the dead in Christ shall rise first, and then those that are, um, of us that are alive and remain will be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with Him. From that time on brother, we will be with Him, and we will be like Him, and we will no longer be suffering in this flesh, and we will be with Him and, um forevermore and rule with Him. And he is doing that millennial reign for 1000 years. So let's begin, let's begin over 2 Thessalonians. Let's see what Paul had to say to the Thessalonian, Thessalonian brethren. In II Thessalonians chapter 2, and we will just pick this up beginning in verse one. II Thessalonians 2:1. Where it says, now we beseech you, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him. Uh, that should not be quickly shaken in mind nor nor be troubled neither by spirit nor by word, nor by epistle, as if from us saying that the day of Christ is present. Uh, it seemed to me like he was having a little bit of issue there. Somebody's got some stuff stirred up with these people, and they were beginning to believe that Christ is going to be coming at any time. He said, do not let anyone deceive you by any means, because that day will not come unless, I just want to pause right there just a minute. He said that day will not come. Unless Unless what the apostasy come first and the man of sin be revealed, that son of perdition, the one that Satan himself will possess, will do all these wonders and all that stuff. Now, let me read that to you from the New King James, cause I, I know most, I'm reading from the American, I mean, the faithful version. And and I know most of y'all probably have the new King, King James, which says let no, no one deceive you by any means, for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, that's, that is the son of perdition or the son of destruction. Now, the apostle Paul clearly says right here that Jesus Christ would not come at any moment. Uh, there was, there were some, I guess, who were shaken and thought that the day of Christ was, was at hand, and that Christ might come back any moment. But Paul says, let no man deceive you by any means, because that day shall not come unless So There are things that must happen before Christ returns. Now, um, we need to know exactly what, what's, let's notice what exactly sets things in motion, this final sequence of events. Uh, before, before the return of Christ. He says that day shall not come unless there be or there comes a falling away in the aposta first. Now the word falling away is translated into Uh, the new King James. Uh, those two words are, are translated into English, but they come from one Greek word, and that Greek word is, um, is apostasia, and it means a departure from the truth, a falling away from the truth. And for those of us um that was back in the Worldwide Church of God days, we witnessed a large falling away from the truth. So the apostasy. Has really already begun. You've got to be in the truth. Before you can fall away from the truth. I think Clearly the first half of this verse. Uh, they already, it's already occurred. Now, I do not know that it's been completely fulfilled yet. I think there may be more yet to come because in Matthew 24, remember, Jesus warns us that the love of many would wax cold and fall away from the truth and not in, and not continue in the faith. But I mean, those people did, um, their love has waxed cold, I would imagine. And and they, they have fallen away from the truth. God is, God has removed, at least they probably think they have something, but God has taken it away. That's their understanding. I know this because I run into several of them occasionally and they They do not even know when a holy day comes. Anyway, Anyway, so that day should not come unless there come an apostasy and that man of sin be revealed. We know that these two things have to occur, and we know that the fall has already started, or maybe already, maybe that was it. I do not know. In II Thessalonians verse, let's look at the 2 and verse 4. So the, the, the guy of sin, the man of sin, or man of perdition, whatever you call him, the one who opposes and exhausts himself above all that is called God or that is an object of worship so that he comes into the temple of God and he sits down as God proclaiming himself as God. Now, he goes on to tell them, he said he was trying to remind them of something, said, do you not remember that when I was still with you, I told you these things? How did they so soon forget? I do not know. I do not think I would have forgotten that. Maybe I would have, but anyway, Paul said, I told you these things. He said, and now you understand what is holding him back in order for him to be revealed in his own time. And what was holding him back apparently was the falling away, that large falling away from the truth. In verse 7, it says, for the mystery of lawlessness is already working, um, only there is one who is restraining at the present time until it rises out of the mist. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and will destroy with the brightness of his coming. Now, even the one who's coming is according to the inner workings of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders. And we know from Revelations that Revelation that the, that false prophet is going to do, Satan is going to possess him and he is going to do a lot of Perform a lot of miracles, even bringing fire down from, from heaven. So there is going to be a lot of, a lot of signs and stuff, and this is going to be Uh, a very trying times for, um, the people of God. Because remember Christ said even the very elect. To be deceived Or if possible, could be received. So let's hope that's not possible. But we know that some will be. All right. uh. Verse 10, and with all the deceivedness of unrighteousness in those who are perishing. Now, the reason they are perishing because they did not receive the love of the truth so that they might be saved. And for this cause, God will send them upon them a powerful deception that will cause them to believe the lie. So that all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but who took pleasure in unrighteousness. Now When Christ returns, And the dead in Christ rises first, and those of us that are alive remain will be caught up with them in the air. Christ is coming down here to the earth. Uh, to destroy and he's going to come and stamp out, um, the Satanic kingdom. You know, there is really only two kingdoms when you look at it spiritually in a spiritual sense. There is the kingdom of God, and of course, there is the kingdom of Satan. Remember when Satan took Jesus and during the temptation. When he took him on the high pinnacle, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world. Do you think he was showing him Greece, Iran, or somewhere like that? Well, when Iran then had been Persia. Do you think he was showing him those nations? No. He was showing him his kingdom. Spiritual kingdom And he is, he is the ruler of that kingdom. He is the ruler of this world. Now it says who are those that are with him? Those that have risen up in the clouds to meet him. are going to come down with him as he stands on the Mount of Olive on this earth. So who are they? How are they described? Well, Martin mentioned this also in his sermon. This one always amazed me how these things blend together, especially on holidays. Uh, turn me over to Revelation 17. And Revelation 17 now, we will, we will start over there on verse, in verse 12, pick it up there. 17 and verse 12. And, and the 10 horns that you saw are 10 kings who have not received the kingdom yet, but shall receive authority as king for one hour with the beast. Now we've heard this before, um about these 10 kings. If you will if you will reference this with Psalm 83, you'll see there is a list, there is a conspiracy going on. There is a list of 10 Muslim nations. that are with and it says they are with Assyria. Now who Assyri is, that's debatable. Uh, different people have different opinions as to who the Assyrians really are. But, um, anyway, he said these all have one mind and should give up their power and authority to the beast. Now I've thought about this a lot and I'm thinking, how are they going to receive um their king authority as king? If you look at the UN the United Nations, you're probably going to find out eventually that the United States and probably, probably the UK and, and Israel probably going to get not going to be a part of the UN. And I imagine it's probably going to be taken over by the Muslims. And so they, they may received 10 authority as kings over 10 regions of the earth. I do not know, or, or in the Middle East, I'm not sure. But anyway, it's only going to be for a short period of time anyway. But they do get their power to the beast. All right. In verse 14, where I'm really going, going to see this is what I want you to look at. And these will make war with the lamb. And the lamb, but the lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords and King of kings, and those who are with him are called and chosen and faithful. Now these terms to me describe the conversion process and the Christian's relationship with God. See, people that are called Um We know that from John 6:44 that God draws people to Christ. Uh, and God's word is, is spread all over the place, you know, as we see from the sower the parable of the sower and the seed, where people hear God's word. See, God invites a person to understand, and but they have to respond to the truth. And that's what those would be the call, the ones that do respond. Now the chosen, this is the, a person who responds to that calling. is actually repentant and converted and is accepted by God. And the faithful is the person that remains loyal. And has a great love for the truth and endures as Christ said until the end. So the lesson is that receiving God's calling is only the beginning. You see, the calling. And the choosing and being baptized and receiving God's spirit. Not enough. It's only the beginning. You must continue by living uh faithfully. You, you know, the scriptures talks about many I think Jesus has mentioned this many times in the Gospel, many are called and few are chosen. So we know that the word of God, the call, the message has gone out and impacted, I do not know, maybe millions of people. who are on the face of the earth and maybe even right now. Uh, we do not know how many has heard the, the message of God to some extent or, or another. But have never responded to it. Many were called, and there have been many that have heard a call to repentance. There were those that actually Repented And responded by repentance and by you know, Uh, getting baptized and having hands laid on and receiving God's spirit. They have been out of those many that I've heard to call a few, and there is only been a few memory said that only a few were chosen. Um, this word chosen also, by the way, and elect, the word chosen and elect, it's the same word in degree. So that's to be the elect or the chosen. So when you read that, you'll know. So that all the world, that's all the word election means really is that those have been chosen. So when it talks about the fact of this great religious leader working signs and miracles, Uh, that are so impressive that if, if it were possible, it would deceive the very elect. are the, the, that's the very ones chosen of God, chosen of God to have their minds open to understanding the truth of God, chosen of God to have an opportunity of being part of the first fruits, the ecclesias of, of Jesus Christ and the first resurrection. I have the opportunity. Now, let's turn to 2 Peter. And we will begin to kind of wrap this up a little bit and sum it up. 2 Peter. Uh, chapter 1, verse 3. Where he begins with according as as divine power has given us. Given to us all things pertaining to life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and virtue, through which He has given us the greatest and most precious promises that through these you may become partakers of divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And for that very reason, having applied all diligence, besides add to it, he, he goes what I, this is what I refer to as the conversion, conversion process. He draws us to Christ, we have to add to that faith. He's the one that actually supplies the faith to begin with, and the truth and the knowledge, and then we have to add to that virtue and then we have to have the knowledge, the knowledge of the truth and, and getting to grow and know Jesus Christ. And to that we have to have self-control and self-control, endurance, endurance, godliness and godliness, brotherly love and to brotherly love, the love of God. You see that it all comes down and boils down to, we have to continue to grow and produce the fruit of God's love, all the way down to the end. There cannot be no stopping. Um If you do, sometimes we do get a little neglectful. And if we do, we need to, we need to repent and get going again. And because if you stop, then you may begin losing. Um That love of God or quenching his spirit or so on. For if these things he says exist in you, exist and abound in you, they will cause you to be neither lacking effort. nor lacking fruit in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But the one in whom these things are not present is spiritually blind. And we know who we, who's called the spiritually blind, that Jesus called that too in the, in the letter to the churches, the lay of the sin. They're so so short-sighted that he has forgotten that he was purified from his own sins. You see, he was, these people were baptized. They, they have a, they were drawn to the truth, they were called, and they were chosen. But they did not remain faithful. He says for this reason, brethren, be even more diligent to make your calling an election. Remember that's the same as chosen, calling an election, sure. How do we do that? By doing what Peter is saying here, be diligent and continuing to grow in God's grace and in His love and knowing Him and growing near to Him and continually, you cannot ever stop growing and producing that love because he says, if you are doing these things, you will never fall at any time. I think that's pretty good news if you could keep going. But if you stop, if you stop doing these things, he says, you, you, you're spiritually blind, blind. And we know what happens to them. All right, um, And then he says in verse 11:4, in this way, and this is really good news, you will be richly granted an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. If, and I've always loved going through these scriptures because if we do these things, he says, you will never fall. Because, because, you see, to hear the call. It's not enough. It's not enough to be called. And respond and be chosen. Of God And stop growing Just because you're called and chosen doesn't mean you're going to be in that first resurrection. What did it say? You have to remain faithful because it is the call. The chosen And the faithful. That will be in that resurrection.
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