A.Much is said by religious people about being called or chosen by God for salvation.
1.Unfortunately, many people misunderstand what it means to be called or chosen, and they wait for something that is not going to happen while overlooking their true calling.
2.They also fail to realize that God’s calling and choosing are not the same actions.
B.In our lesson, we will consider the statement of Jesus in the parable of the marriage feast when He said, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Matt. 22:14).
1.The illustration that the Lord gave in the parable shows how many people fail to take the opportunities that God gives them to obtain salvation.We will consider this in more detail later.
2.This is a sad reality that the Lord has revealed, and it should stand as a warning to each of us “to make certain about His calling and choosing” of us (2Pet. 1:10).
II.FEW WILL BE SAVED
A.In the parable of the marriage feast, those who are chosen to attend the feast represent those who will be saved.Thus, when Jesus said that few are chosen, He was saying that few will be saved.
B.When the Scriptures tell us that few will be saved, it is not to say that the number of saved people will be small, but when compared with the total number of people who have ever lived, it will be relatively few.
C.The Lord asserted that few will be saved on several occasions.
1.Luke 13:22-30
a.The answer of Jesus to the question of “Are there just a few who are being saved?” affirms that many will seek to enter the kingdom and will not.Indeed, many will be left out where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
b.Notice that the passage does not describe a third possibility.Either one will be saved in the kingdom of God, or one will be in torment.No one will cease to exist (Luke 20:38).
2.Matthew 7:13-14
a.During the Lord’s sermon on the mount, He taught that few are those who find the narrow gate that leads to life.
b.Therefore, most people will enter into the way of destruction through the broad gate and will not find salvation.
3.Matthew 7:21-23
a.Jesus said that not even all of those who claim to act in His name will enter the kingdom of heaven.Many will be told to depart from the presence of Jesus.
b.Therefore, we may consider that only a small number of people would even try to act in the Lord’s name, but even a smaller number will actually be recognized by Jesus.
D.There is no joy in acknowledging that few will be saved, but it is necessary that we are aware of this reality.Jesus was grieved by this truth, but He taught it as a warning so that we would be more diligent to seek the narrow way that leads to life.
III.WHY ARE FEW SAVED?
A.Jesus said that many are called, meaning that many have the opportunity to be chosen or saved.So why are only a few of them saved?
B.Consider Paul’s teaching on God’s calling and choosing in 2Thessalonians 2:13-14.
1.Paul wrote that God chose the Christians at Thessalonica “from the beginning.”Some translations read “as first fruits.”
a.This is saying that God chose them to be the first people under Christ, in His church, or in His kingdom.The church of the Lord had begun during the lives of these people.
b.Notice that the church is the group of people that God chose and predestinated to be saved.He did not choose any individual such that his own actions could not affect his own salvation.See Romans 8:28-30.
2.Paul said that they were chosen “for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”This is the only purpose for which God had chosen them.
3.Paul also said the means that God had used to call them to salvation was the apostles’ gospel.
a.God did not use some miraculous means or mysterious calling of the Spirit.He simply used the preaching of the gospel of Christ.
b.Those who are expecting something else to call them to God are waiting for the wrong thing and will be disappointed.
C.Now let us consider these questions:If many are called, but few are chosen, then what is the problem?Does the failure lie in the call, the caller, or the ones who are called?
1.There is no fault in the call, for it is the gospel of Christ.
a.Paul said that the gospel was God’s power (dunamis, “dynamite”) for salvation (Rom. 1:16).Scripture assures us that the gospel has the power to save.
b.The gospel is the story of God’s righteousness and love through the cross of Christ.It tells us exactly what we need to know for salvation, so there is no fault in it.
2.There is no fault in the caller, for He is God.
a.God does not desire for any to perish (2Pet. 3:9), and He has made it possible for the whole world to be saved (John 3:16).
b.Certainly, we know that Christians are charged with preaching the gospel and we can do a better job, but the Lord said that even among those who receive the call, few are saved.
3.The fault lies in those who are called.Their failure to respond to the call of God through the gospel is the reason that few are saved.
IV.WHY DO MANY FAIL TO RESPOND?
A.Many misunderstand the requirements of the gospel call.
1.Many think that a mere acquaintance with Jesus is enough to obtain salvation.They teach that simply claiming belief in Jesus will save a person’s soul.
2.The Scriptures teach that there is more to salvation than simply acknowledging Jesus.Consider again Luke 13:23-30 and Matthew 7:21-23.
a.These people knew who Jesus was, but He did not know them.They had failed to obey.
b.Obedience requires more than just knowing who Jesus is.It requires changing one’s life to do what He says.
B.Others do not consider the gospel call important enough to answer.
1.Such people put other things before the gospel, such as work, entertainment, school, etc.
2.They make excuses for themselves.Consider the parable of the great supper (Luke 14:15-24).
a.The Lord described many people who were invited to the supper but made excuses for why they could not attend.
b.Those who made excuses were not worthy, and they would all be sorry for what they missed.Those who make excuses not to obey the gospel will regret it for eternity.
C.The parable of the marriage feast (Matt. 22:1-4) shows how some are closed-minded or unprepared.
1.This parable illustrates how the Jews rejected the call of God because they had false, preconceived ideas about the kingdom of God.Those Jews who rejected the invitation were not worthy.
2.This also shows how some of the Gentiles who were called did not respond appropriately and came to God unprepared like the man without wedding clothes.These represent those who failed to repent, and they are cast out away from the presence of the Lord.
D.Some have other reasons as given in the parable of the sower (Matt. 13:3-23).
1.Some do not understand the gospel, and the devil takes it away.This is not a reflection on the gospel, but it shows the necessity for study and diligence in the Scriptures.
2.Some receive the gospel with joy, but when persecution arises they quickly abandon it.They give up easily and are not grounded in the truth.
3.Some receive the gospel call, but they allow the cares of the world to distract them and to choke out the chance they had for salvation.
V.CONCLUSION
A.Whatever the reasons are, the fact is that few will be saved.This is not God’s will, but it is the truth.
B.What can we do about it?
1.Be more diligent to teach the gospel and sound forth the call of God.
2.Be mindful of ourselves that we are not left outside knocking and saying, “Lord, Lord.”
3.Heed the word of God through Peter – “Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you” (2Pet. 1:10-11).
