Chosen for Life

Sunday, September 28, 2025
Pastor Jojo Ma

44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him. 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles. 47 For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district. 51 But they shook off the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Does God, before time, choose us for faith --- or does He choose us because of our faith?

Augustine: “God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe.”

I.          Hear the Word
II.        Chosen for Life
III.       Filled with Joy

I.         Hear the Word
44 The next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

It was God’s Word that moved them to come, that stimulated their interest. Is this true of you? Do you come to church each Sunday because you want to, you long to, you cant wait to, hear the Word of the Lord?

46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you.”

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord.

49 And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.

It is through the Word of God, and the Word alone, that the Spirit moves in people’s lives and opens their hearts to believe.

II.        Chosen for Life
48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what was spoken by Paul, reviling him…50 But the Jews incited the devout women of high standing and the leading men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

Augustine: “God chooses us, not because we believe, but that we may believe.”

Patrick Schreiner: “The message is to be proclaimed to all, but only some are appointed to respond.”

His choice, before time, will bring about our faith, in time.

Eph 1:4-6 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace.

Charles Spurgeon: “I believe the doctrine of election, because I am quite certain that, if God had not chosen me, I should never have chosen Him; and I am sure He chose me before I was born, or else He never would have chosen me afterwards; and He must have elected me for reasons unknown to me, for I never could find any reason in myself why He should have looked upon me with special love.”

Justice is getting what you deserve. Mercy is not getting what you deserve. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve.

“God intentionally designed salvation so that no man can boast of it. He didn’t merely arrange it so that boasting would be discouraged or kept to a minimum. He planned it so that boasting would be absolutely excluded. Election does precisely that.”

48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord, and as many as were appointed to eternal life believed.

III.      Filled with Joy
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

The Christian life is one that is meant to be filled with joy --- joy, the simplest form of gratitude.

Charles Spurgeon: “To me, it is one of the sweetest and most blessed truths in the whole of revelation, and those who are afraid of it are so because they do not understand it. If they could but know that the Lord had chosen them it would make their hearts dance with joy.”