October 21, 2007

A pastor preached a sermon about heaven and the wonderful things that are in store for us there.  That week he received two letters from children in his church.  A nine year old girl wrote, "I hope to go to heaven someday, but make it later rather than sooner."  But an 8 year old boy had this to say, "I would like to go to heaven someday, because I know my big brother won't be there."

That little boy is not alone.  Throughout history Christian people have indicated that heaven would be populated by those who agree with them or are agreeable to them, while hell would contain those who they don't like. Some have tended to limit heavens glory to those of their own particular sect or denomination.  I know I told you about the guy who died and went to heaven.  St. Peter was leading him around, showing them all the mansions with all the different rooms.  But, then they came by one room; the door was closed and Peter motioned for the man to be quiet. 

"Sh-Sh-Sh."

After they were a distance away the man asked him about this.  "Why was the door shut and why did we have to keep quiet."

"Oh," said Peter, "that is where the Christian Reformed people are.  They think they're the only ones here."  (Of course, we could insert Baptist, Lutheran, or whatever instead of Christian Reformed; but, I think you get the point.)

Because of that history, many in the church today and many pastors have put a bigger emphasis on the love of God.  And we've rightly warned people that we must not judge others as to their eternal salvation.  That's God's job.  And I think that this has been a comforting message to many Christians who worry about friends or even family members who have drifted from the faith or maybe who never had an opportunity to come to the Lord.  I have told those who are concerned about this that God is more loving and more just than we could ever be.  And that we have to trust him to do the right thing.

But, then, what do we do with verses like verse 14 of our scripture?  Jesus summarizes his parable about those who will be saved with these words,

¹⁴"For many are invited, but few are chosen

And there are other scriptures that are similar Matthew 7: 14, where Jesus says,

"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Or consider a similar statement, Luke 13: 14

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to."

What's going on here?  Why would our Lord Jesus say that many will be lost eternally and only a few saved?  But, isn't God love?  That doesn't sound very loving does it?

As we try to make some sense of this, let's zero in our scripture.

Many are invited...few are chosen

Many are invited.  Our English are translations of Matthew's original Greek gospel.  The word he used is klatoi, which is also translated "called."  God's call for salvation and blessing goes out to many.  That was always his intention.  Remember his promise to Abraham, Genesis 12:3

"and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah,

In the last days the mountain of the LORD'S temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.

Remember the vision that John saw in Revelation,

⁹After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands

In fact, listen to the reason Peter gives as to why our Lord has waited so long to come back.

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance

When John 3: 16 says, For God so loved the world that's exactly what it means.

And so the call to salvation goes to many around the world.  Why not all?  Why only many?  God didn't tell us.  Nor did he specifically tell what will happen to those who have not heard.  We must leave them in the hands of a loving God who always does what is right.

But, maybe if it wasn't for the second part of our verse it might be easier for us to accept that answer.

But, few are chosen.  Many are invited, but few are chosen.

The Greek word Mathew used for chosen is electoi derived from the verb eklego That is the same verb Paul used in when he wrote in Ephesians 1: 4- 6

For he chose [exlego] us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.

If God's love is really as wide as the world, why did he only choose a few?  I don't know. But, one thing the Bible tells us is that our entire salvation is the result of his love that we don't deserve and the loving choice he made long before the world began.  And we cannot take credit for any of it.

When I was young there was a bumper sticker some Christian people used to put on their car.  It said, "I found it"   Do any of you remember that bumper sticker?  That bumper sticker really wasn't very Biblical.  According to the Bible, we didn't find God, he found us.   He chose us.  In humility we must say what Paul said in Ephesians 2: 8,

⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-⁹not by works, so that no one can boast

And because it is all dependant on his love, none of us are ever too far gone that his love cannot reach us. 

Now at this point I was tempted to talk about some pretty despicable characters I have known who have come to know and love Jesus.  I've talked about some in the past.  But, the Lord didn't let me do that this morning.  Instead he reminded me of a sermon my dad told me about, a sermon he heard when he was at seminary studying for the ministry.  R.B. Kuiper was the preacher.  His sermon was about the love of God.  Kuiper had a very distinctive voice.  I still hear my dad imitate him.  "Gawd can sa-a-ve a murdera.  Gawd can sa-a-ve a prostitute.  Gawd can sa-a-ve a low down dirty sinna.  And Gawd can e-e-ven sa-a-ve a minista." 

("God can save a murderer.  God can save a prostitute.  God can save a low down dirty sinner.  And God can even save a minister.")

God can even save a minister.  And somehow he saved this one.

Well if it's all of God, then I guess the die is cast and there's nothing we can do about it?  Right?  Wrong.  The Bible also teaches that we have a role to play-- that we are responsible. That becomes clear when we look at the parable and see who the chosen people are and who they are not.

Notice that those who were first invited to the wedding banquet rejected the invitation.  It's important to get a little background here.  Jesus was preaching to Jewish people.   Many years ago prophets had foretold about a son of David who would come and bring about a kingdom that would cover the whole earth.  Listen to these words from Isaiah 9,

                For to us a child is born,

            to us a son is given,

            and the government will be on his shoulders.

            And he will be called

            Wonderful Counselor,^„T Mighty God,

            Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷              Of the increase of his government and peace

            there will be no end.

            He will reign on David's throne

            and over his kingdom,

            establishing and upholding it

            with justice and righteousness

            from that time on and forever.

That day for many of the Jewish people would be the day of salvation. (In fact, we can find much about the fullness and richness of salvation by studying what the Old Testament prophets wrote.)  In this parable Jesus told the people that the day of salvation they were waiting for had arrived and he was the promised king king.  But, many of the Jewish people and their leaders, instead of celebrating his coming, rejected him.  And he predicted that eventually they would kill him.  These were the ones who were first invited, but refused to come.

Now these people saw themselves as God's chosen people.  They pointed to the promise God had given to Abraham to be a God to him and to his children (Genesis 17). They were Abraham's children they said.  And some looked with disdain on the rest of the world-the Gentiles, figuring that they had no place in the kingdom.

However, Jesus said that because who thought they were chosen rejected him God would reject them.  They who were first called would not be chosen.  Being chosen meant they must receive him.

John put it this way,

He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹²Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God

But why was it so necessary to receive him?

John later explains in John 3: 18

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

To reject Jesus is to remain in sin.  And there's one thing a loving God hates, and that's sin.  He hates the corruption in his world and has promised to destroy it.  That's why he sent his Son Jesus.  He suffered hell so that all who receive him in faith wouldn't be destroyed there.  But, you must receive him.  You can't just say, "I'm one of God's chosen people, or I'm elect, or I'm baptized, or I'm part of a church.  Great! You heard the call.  But, if you are one of the chosen you must confess you are a sinner and believe with all your heart that Jesus paid for your sin.  You have to make a decision.

So, who did go to the banquet? 

Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.' ¹⁰So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Who are these people?  We find in Matthew 21 and throughout this gospel that these were the people that many saw as not chosen:  the tax collectors who cheated their own people and worked for the oppressive Roman government the immoral prostitutes, the poor and sick who were seen as cursed by God; the Gentiles-the non Jews--- those were not blood descendants of Abraham.

The church of Jesus Christ is growing today.  Thousand upon thousands are coming to Christ. And where is this happening?  China, Korea, India, Africa, South America.  There are few pianos, organs, guitars, drums, but in these places people enthusiastically worship God for hours at a time. Meanwhile, church growth in the United States is flat and churches are increasingly emptier.  And in Europe churches are empty and many look with disdain on Christians and the Christian faith. 

Yet, receiving Jesus is more than saying at one time in our lives, "I believe, "  And it's more than attending church.

¹¹"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. ¹²‘Friend,' he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

¹³"Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Listen to Paul words from Colossians 3: 12- 14

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved,  clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

The God who hates sin, didn't save us to continue to live lives he hates.  He saved us to live like his beloved children.  Chosen people understand that and try to live that way.  No we don't do it perfectly.  We struggle.  But it is only as we struggle that we know his forgiving grace and the power of his Spirit within. 

But, isn't God love?  We began by pondering the question, "How can a God who invites many and chooses only a few be loving?"  In the end, there is no easy answer to that question.  Yes, we can give certain theological answers, but they are not all that convincing.  In Jesus' parable who were the only ones that understood the kings gracious love?  Only those who accepted his invitation and were at the banquet.

There is no substitute for experience. 

A couple of weeks ago I asked my catechism class if they understood my sermon.  And one of them volunteered this,

"Great beginning.  Great ending.  But, you lost me in the middle."

I guess I have to keep working on my middles.  This morning we considered a difficult parable and a difficult statement of our Lord.  And I even spoke about some difficult things like the relationship between God's sovereign choice and our responsibility.  And maybe I lost you somewhere in the middle of all that.  But, whether I did or didn't, the Lord has laid on my heart to leave you with one thought.  And that is: "There is no substitute for experience."  I can explain all about God's love.  But, you can't know really know God's love unless you answer his call, receive Jesus and clothe yourselves with him and his righteousness.  As the hymn writer John Newton put so many years ago,

"Through many dangers, toils and snares I have already come.  Tis grace that brought me safe thus far.  And grace will lead me home"

Let us pray.

"Heavenly Father, I pray that out of your glorious riches you might strengthen us with power through your Spirit in our inner being, so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith. And I pray that, being rooted and established in love, we may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that we may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."  For Jesus sake.  Amen.