WHEN JESUS CALLS, CAN YOU BE COMMITTED TO BE CHOSEN

WHEN JESUS CALLS, CAN YOU BE COMMITTED TO BE CHOSEN

Hard truth, deep hope. Many are called, but few are chosen—because commitment costs. Are you denying yourself, carrying your cross, and following Jesus when it's inconvenient? Would you rather chase the world and lose your soul? 

Chapter Markers
- 0:00 Many Called, Few Chosen
- 2:10 Commitment As The Difference
- 4:20 Desire, Deny, Take Up Your Cross
- -8:30 - Suffering, Sacrifice, And Tribulation
- 12:40 - Lose Your Life To Save It
- 16:30 - Profit And The Price Of A Soul
- 19:30 - Ashamed Of Jesus Or Bold In Faith
- 23:00 Loyalty In Small Things And Hard Times
- 26:30 - Live Worthy To Hear “Well Done”

Chapters

• 0:00 Many Called, Few Chosen
• 2:10 Commitment As The Difference
• 4:20 Desire, Deny, Take Up Your Cross
• 8:30 Suffering, Sacrifice, And Tribulation
• 12:40 Lose Your Life To Save It
• 16:30 Profit And The Price Of A Soul
• 19:30 Ashamed Of Jesus Or Bold In Faith
• 23:00 Loyalty In Small Things And Hard Times
• 26:30 Live Worthy To Hear “Well Done”

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

When Jesus calls, can you be committed to be chosen? When Jesus calls, can you be committed to be chosen? You and I we are familiar with this verse in Matthew chapter 20, verse 16. It states, So the last will be first, and the first last, for many are called. How many are called? Many, many are called. The Bible states that God desires everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Jesus Christ came on this earth for everyone, but not everyone wants Jesus in their personal lives. It says, For many are called, but few are chosen. How many are chosen? Few. And you and I, we are privileged to be among the few. For you to be chosen, child of God, I'm here to tell you that it takes commitment. That is the difference between those who are called and those who are chosen, and the difference is commitment, and we're gonna look at Mark chapter 8, verse 34 to 38. When Jesus calls, can you and I be committed as a church to be chosen to lift up Jesus this year 2026? When Jesus calls, can you and I be committed to worship God? When Jesus calls, can you and I be committed to be chosen to go out and evangelize and bring the lost souls into his fold? If you look at Mark chapter 8, verses 34 to 38, this same account we can find it in Mark chapter 16, verse 24 to 28. Also Luke chapter 9, verse 23 to 27. But let's just focus on Mark chapter 8, verses 34 to 38. I'm gonna read and then we're gonna break it down. Then I'm gonna explain why, when Jesus calls, only few are chosen. We're gonna learn that today. Also will be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with the holy angels. Child of God, you might be called, but you're not committed to be chosen. For you to be chosen, first of all, you have to be called. Some of us we want to be called and be chosen, but we have no commitment. You see, the call here is salvation. Salvation is a general call for the Jew and the Gentiles. Okay, but the chosen are those who accept and believe in the Savior. So the call is salvation. That is the call, the entire package of salvation extended to the entire human race. The difference between you and I, as believers versus the unbelievers, is that we are the chosen generation, we are the chosen people because we choose to believe in the Savior, and that calling and you being chosen comes with commitment that Jesus requires from you and I. So you didn't call yourself, I didn't call myself. Jesus initiated the calling. Look at it in verse 34. It says, When he had called the people to himself, with his disciple also. So you and I, as servants of God, as ministers, we are also called along with the people. So you cannot be chosen if you're not called initially by Jesus. You don't initiate the calling, Jesus has to draw you close to himself. When Jesus is lifted up, he is the one that will take the initiative to draw man and woman unto himself. You and I, the reason why we're in church, the reason why we worship God is because Jesus called us, and Jesus chose us, including his disciples. He called, no discrimination. Those who are ministers, those who are members, Jesus call them. So if you leave church because of the pastor, if you leave church because of another member, if you leave church for any other reason, then indeed Jesus did not call you unto himself. Because when Jesus calls you unto himself, he promised us that he will never leave us nor forsake us. People can come to church for community reasons, but are they coming to church because of Jesus? So Jesus is calling us as a church unto himself because when he calls you unto himself, he will never forsake you, he will never disappoint you. No matter what you're going through, Jesus will stay with you. Now look at the commitment for you and I to be chosen. Look what it says, whoever desires to come after me. So now he has called. Now for you to be chosen, number one, you have to have a desire. You have to have what a desire. Because God is not forcing you. The relationship that God wants with you is not by force, it has to come from your heart, it has to come from your desire. Even when you look at the Old Testament, when people offer sacrifices for their sin, the Bible states they have to do it willingly. The Bible stated that you and I we should love God with all our hearts. So God is looking for your heart. Remember when Jesus gave a feedback to one of the churches in Revelation, He said, You have lost your first love. Go back to your first love. Child of God, the reason why we come to church at times our prayer is dull, our worship is weak, is because we have lost our first love. God wants to build a relationship with you based on love. God wants this church to have a loving relationship with Him. We can do all the singing, we can do all the preaching, we can do all the prayers, but God is saying, I want the church to have a desire, a yearning, a feeling of wanting Him. God is not gonna force Himself on you. If you don't want Jesus, He's not gonna force Himself on you. He wants a desire from you. He says, If anyone desires, anyone desires to come after me. That's all you have to desire to come after Jesus. That is your part that you have to play, and then look what it states. So when you have that desire to come after Jesus, this is the hard part that most of us as believers we don't want to do. The Bible says, Let him deny. So this is part of the commitment for you to be chosen. Number one, desire Jesus, number two, deny yourself. Say no to yourself, say no to your own will, say no to your own desires, say no to your own plans, say no to your own ambitions, say no to your own agendas, and say yes to Jesus. That is what it means to deny yourself, you're rejecting yourself. You know what? I am putting God before myself, and that's what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross. He denied himself, he denied himself from heaven so that he can come down and save us. So if you want to be a disciple, if you want to be a child of God, Jesus is asking you and I as a church to deny ourselves. And then number two, let him take up his cross, not the cross of Jesus. You know, we can never take the cross of Jesus. Let him deny himself and take up his cross. Some translation will state let him bear his own cross. So you have to take your cross daily, child of God. What does that mean to take up your cross? It means that at times you're gonna suffer. At times Jesus is expecting you to sacrifice yourself because that's what the cross signifies suffering and sacrifice. So this Christian walk is all about suffering and sacrifice. That is part of carrying your cross, child of God. Take your own cross, take it up. I am not gonna take your cross for you, I'm not gonna bear your cross for you. Don't expect your pastor to carry your own cross. Take your own cross, however, God designed it for you. Take your own cross. Yes, the Christian walk is gonna be hard. You and I, 2025, as a church, we face so many challenges, but here we are, we are standing. That is part of taking the cross. Taking the cross. Look what it says in Acts chapter 14, verse 22. Just to emphasize about taking the cross, it says, Strengthen the souls of his disciples, exalting them to continue in the faith and saying, We must we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. How God, hey, child of God. The Bible states that the kingdom of God suffers violence, and the violent take it by force. If you want your breakthrough, if we want expansion in this church, we have to be violent and we have to take it by force. So, we as believers we have to go through many tribulations in order for us to enter into the kingdom of God. Look what it says in First Thessalonians chapter 3, verse 3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions. For you, for you yourself know that we are appointed to this. I know this is not the type of message you guys want to hear. You guys want to I bless you, God will favor you. But child of God, but this is what Jesus is saying that if you want to be chosen, you have to deny yourself and you have to take up your cross. Part of taking up your cross is that you have to go through trials and tribulations, and the Bible says, We are pointed, our God, we are pointed to this. Heartbreak is part of the Christian life, rejection is part of the Christian life, betrayal is part of the Christian life, hopelessness is part of the Christian life, persecution is part of the Christian life. We are so lucky that we're in Canada where we're not persecuted for our faith. Now, can you imagine? So, we oh God, we are so comfortable with our faith, but we are in the last days where if you're not able to stand for your faith, you easily leave your faith. So I believe the Lord is trying to prepare you and I that the end time is coming, things are gonna be very hard. I know this is not the message that we want to hear. We have to go through afflictions, we have to go through pain. We have been appointed for this. This is part of taking up the cross. Whatever happened to Jesus will happen to us. I know no one is responding, it's okay, it's hard message. I understand. I know you guys want to hear, oh God bless you. But this is what the Lord has put in my heart to tell the church we have to deny ourselves because you see, for us to be chosen, God demands sacrifice and struggle and suffering. We want the crown, but we don't want the cross. Jesus Christ didn't just get the crown like that. Remember when the disciple asked him, two of them, John and John and James, we want to sit with you in heaven. Let my brother sit on the right and my other brother sit on the left. Jesus said, Can you drink up the cup? Sometimes we want the church to be big, but Jesus is asking us if he's gonna entrust us with thousands of souls, with millions of souls. Do we have what it takes to handle different personalities? Do we have the spiritual capacity and the power to deal with evil forces? We want to be big, but we don't want to go through the process of being big. God doesn't operate like that, there's no shortcut for greatness. Jesus Christ didn't take any shortcut for greatness, he went through the cross for him to attain the crown of glory. We have been appointed for this, child of God. I'm not saying that we're gonna suffer for the rest of our life. No, child of God, we're gonna live in heaven, a place of bliss, a place of happiness, a place of joy. But in this world, the Bible said, in this world, we will have tribulation, but we should shear up because he has overcome the world. Child of God, now he says, number one, we have to deny ourselves. Say no to yourself, say no to your own agenda, say no to your own plan, say yes to Jesus. Number two, take up your cross daily, be at it, it's your responsibility. Take it up by yourself. It's a process of pruning, it's a process of purification, it's a process for God to work in you. Problems are intended for our growth, problems are intended for God to show Himself. I went through problems for the past two years. Believe me, what I went through, oh my god, the revelation that I received about God, what I went through in the past two years of my life of difficulties, I saw God like never before. Now, nobody can tell me about God because I have tasted, I have experienced God by myself in the midst of affliction, severe mental anguish, emotional anguish. At times you want to kill yourself, you want to take your own life because the pain is so much. Now, an opportunity for you, child of God, to see if you truly believe in this God that you call upon. The Bible says, Let him follow, let him follow. That's another part. Take up your cross. Sometimes when we're taking up our cross, we want to stay back. No, Jesus, no, I didn't sign up for this. I didn't sign up for suffering. No, no. I thought that I'm gonna buy cars, I thought I'm gonna have houses, I thought I'm gonna become successful. Now you're telling me to go to Japan, telling me to go to Africa to do mission work. I know I didn't sign up for this. Lucky, I didn't sign up for this. No, Jesus, I didn't sign up for for suffering. I didn't sign up for this. I sign up for greatness. That is part of following. In difficult times, Jesus is saying, Follow. That's what we have done in this church. In our affliction, what are we doing? We are following in our trials. What are we doing? We are following. Amen. Now, Jesus compares our lives with the world. He's saying that whoever loses his life. No, let me go back to the first point. He said, Whoever desires to save his life, you see, we want to save our life, and we can save our life in many ways by working, having plans, having agendas, having all the things that we want in this life. There's nothing wrong about that, but Jesus is saying that if you desire to save your life, or to find your life, or to seek to save your life, or you love your life, you will lose it. Jesus is saying that different different translations. If if you desire to save your life, or to find your life, or to seek to save your life, or to even love your life, you will do what you will lose it. When I read this this morning, I'm like, no, this is this is this is hard. I said, God, this is hard. This is what I've been taught to love myself. He said you will lose it. But now, look what is look what is look what it states. He said, But whoever loses his life, he who hates his life in this world. Wow, for whose sake? So he's not saying that you should lose your life for foolishness, no, because some Christians they will take this out of context. No, he's not saying that you should lose your life in sin. No, he's not saying that you should lose your life in an abusive relationship. No, that's not what Jesus is saying. He's gonna give us the instances when you should lose your life. Look what it says. It says whoever loses his life, he who hates his life in this world, for whose sake? My sake. For Jesus' sake and for the gospel. Whoever loses his life for my sake, it could be physical death, it will happen, child of God. That's just a fact. It could be your home, your husband, your wife being separated from your wife, being separated from your husband. That is part of losing your life. Something that is so precious to you, something that can take the place of Jesus. It could be losing people in church that you depend upon. It could be losing your mansion, it could be losing your job that you depend upon. For the sake of Jesus, because you want to serve Jesus, you want to pursue Jesus and the gospel. Now, look what is what Jesus said. What would happen? You will save your life. So for you to oh God, for you to have your life, you have to lose your life. Does that make any sense? We live in a world that teaches us that you have to live for yourself to save your life. Whereas Jesus is the opposite, lose your life for the gospel, lose your life for Him. Guess what? You will save your life, and that's exactly what He did for us. So Jesus is not doing something that He that He didn't do, He lost His life for you and I. So you and I we can have life. And He's asking us to do likewise. He says, You will save your life, you will find your life, you will preserve your life, you will keep it for eternal life. Child of God, I'm here to encourage all of us that if we lose our lives for Jesus, for the work of God, sacrifice, it doesn't matter who's here, who's not here. This is part of losing your life. You're losing your comfort. You would have been at home watching Netflix and chill or watching Bully Hood movies like me in your own comfort. But you have a commitment. That's why I said many are called, but what makes the difference between you being chosen is commitment. It takes commitment to come, even when it's cool, when the weather is bad, it takes commitment. Those who are chosen, they're committed. Nothing stops them. No weather, no friend, no money, nothing stops them. Now, look at the sad thing that Jesus said. What will it profit a man if he gains the old world and loses his own soul, and he himself destroyed or lost? So Jesus is trying to lay an emphasis that is either you live for me or you live for yourself. If you're gonna live for yourself, you're gonna lose your life. If you're gonna live for me, you're gonna have your life. He said, What would it profit you? You spend your entire life pursuing your professional career, your business, nothing wrong. Don't get again. I'm not saying that you don't do business, you don't work, but Jesus said that seek his kingdom first because his kingdom will last. Everything that we're doing, you're gonna die and leave all your wealth, you're losing your sleep just for money, and then it says, Okay, that's not enough. What would it again a man in exchange of his soul? What would you exchange? What would you exchange for your soul when it's time for you to go? Jesus is saying that it's time for you to go. What are you gonna tell Jesus? Oh, Jesus, I need more time to make money, I need more time to pursue my career, but it needs an exchange of your soul. Yes, yes, this is Judas that was with Jesus, Acts chapter 1, verse 18 to 20. Now, this man purchased a field with the wages of iniquity. Wow, Judas wanted to gain the whole world. Acts chapter 1, verse 18 to 20. This is Judas, a clear example. He said, Now this man, they didn't, oh my god, they even referred to him as this man. Now this man purchased a field with his wedges of iniquity. Oh my god, purchased his own death, and falling headlong, he burst open in the middle, and all his entrance gushed out, and it became known to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, so that field is called in their own language, Hakadama, that is filled with blood. This is the man that wanted to gain the whole world and lost his soul in a terrible way. This is the man that saw Jesus because of money. We can compromise in ministry because of money, we can compromise Jesus because of him, because we're a small church, so we start making funny changes in church to attract people. We change our music, we change our dress code, we change our preaching. No, I don't want to be part of that. Let's preach what is in the word of God. If people are gonna applause, fine, if they're not gonna applause, it's okay. We're in the end time where this the messages that are out there, it's all about prosperity, but it's not about righteousness, it's not about love, it's not about grace, it's not about salvation, it's not about eternity, it's not about denying yourself, taking your cross, and to follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Judas was with Jesus, he saw Jesus because of money. Look at his end, that's what we're reading. A field of blood purchased his own death with the wages of iniquity. For it is written in the book of Psalm, let his dwelling place be desolate. You see, when you live a life without Jesus, you live a life of desolation. When you live a life without Jesus, your life is vanity. Ask Solomon, have you read the book of Eskosiasis? This man attained everything pleasure with women. He had women, he had wealth. Nathan, he had wealth, he he had education, he had wisdom. Everything that you and I we needed. This man, Solomon, possessed at the end. He says, Vanity upon vanity, grasping after the wind. He said, In the conclusion of life, obey God, fear God, and obey God. That's all that matters, child of God, and now, not only that, Jesus is saying that for whoever is ashamed, do you know that we can be ashamed of Jesus? We don't want people to recognize us that we are with Jesus. We are ashamed to tell people that, oh, I am a born-again believer. I remember when I first gave my life to Jesus in college, talking to these young ladies. I don't want them to know that I'm a believer because I want to act cool, I didn't want them to know that I'm a church boy. I disown Jesus because I want to fit in, I want to be accepted, so we can be ashamed of Jesus when we are with our friends, when we are in our community gatherings, even when we are with our family members, we cannot talk about Jesus. How does it feel? But Jesus is not ashamed of you, brother. Jesus is not ashamed of you, sister. He says, For whoever is ashamed, you feel embarrassed about Jesus, you feel embarrassed to talk about Jesus in your class, you feel embarrassed to talk about Jesus in your workplace because they'll call you psycho. Child of God, you are ashamed of the person that laid down his life for you. Wow, it says, For whoever is ashamed of me, ashamed of me, and not only that in my words, you are ashamed of Jesus as a person. You don't want you don't want people to see that you associate with Jesus, not only that you sometimes you don't even carry your Bible with you. No, it looks funny because you don't want people to see that. Wow, this guy, this woman is a fanatic for Jesus. God, God feels bad when you're ashamed of him. Peter, Peter, deny Jesus. Peter, deny Jesus. Jesus knew that Peter was going to deny him. He said, Peter, you deny me three times. And then he asked Peter, Peter, do you love me? Three times. Look what Jesus said. You are ashamed of me and my words. But look at Paul and I love Jesus. Romans chapter 1, verse 16. It says, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes for the Jews first and also for the Greek. The reason why you are ashamed of Jesus is because you have not tested the love of Jesus. The reason why you are ashamed of Jesus is because you have not experienced Jesus. Child of God, when you experience Jesus, when you experience his love, when you experience his embrace, when you experience his care, you will forsake everything else. Nobody else means so much to you. Even money does not mean to you because you have Jesus. You are ashamed of him because you don't know him. That's why you're ashamed of him. Paul said, I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. Why? Because it is the power for salvation. If you know the worth of Jesus, you will go out there and tell everyone that you come across that you need to give your life to Jesus. The reason why we are ashamed to share Jesus is because we have not tasted Jesus, we have not experienced Jesus, so we have nothing to share, we have nothing to say, our lives don't even reflect his goodness. No of me, his prisoner. Sometimes we're even ashamed of our pastor, of our ministers. We're ashamed of our pastor because she looks funny, or she does not have money, or he does not have money, or they don't live in a fancy home, but they sacrifice and pray for your soul. You you have cars, you have houses. You see, the way we measure success and the way God measures success is different. Some of you will be you'll be you you'll be you'll be baffled. You will see a man that have attained to the highest level, but when he gets to heaven, you will see his mansion. Oh God, hey, people that you might think that ah, they don't have nothing in this life, but when you get to heaven, you'll be shocked, you'll be shocked. Invest in the things of God, that's where your your wealth is, that's where the the the your real wealth is. He says, I am not ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me, his prisoner. Wow, but share with me in the sufferings of the gospel according to the power of God. You see, we as believers we have deceived ourselves. We go to churches that are successful, we go to churches that are big, but we are ashamed to come to small churches, we are ashamed to associate with local pastors, we are ashamed of small churches, we think that small churches don't have the power of God, we think that big churches that's where God is. But child of God, you'll be surprised, you'll be surprised. Paul said, Don't be ashamed because I'm suffering, don't be ashamed of your pastor, don't be ashamed of your minister because they are suffering, because they're going through tribulations. Stand with them, stand with them, be faithful with them, be loyal with them. Remember when Jesus was in the garden crying out, he took three of his disciples because oh my god, he just wanted them to be with him, he wanted to see if Peter, James, and John can be faithful, can be loyal to him. But when it's time for him to be crucified, they all ran away. Guess who stayed? Women, women are very faithful than men. I'm not gonna lie, women are more committed in the things of God than men, but they all escaped. The mother of Jesus Christ stood with him because she she received a revelation, and finally, but whoever denies me before men, not only are we ashamed of Jesus, we deny Jesus before men. We pretend as if we don't know this Jesus. How do you deny Jesus? Only you know. How do you say no to Jesus? To deny means to say no. When we are calling you to come for practice, you say no. When we are when we know that you have the gift of God in you, we want you to participate, to get involved. You say no. That is denying Jesus. That is denying Jesus. There are ways we can deny Jesus when we disobey his word, we say yes to ourselves, but we say no to Jesus. Let's be very careful. We deny him before men, we pretend as if we don't know Jesus. We come to church, hallelujah! But when we're at work, we're different people. Have you noticed that? When we're in church, we are so spiritual when we go to work. Ah, you know, we play hill song, gospel music. I caught myself one day, man. I was in my office and I was blasting in tongues, playing some instrumental in the background, and the tenant came into the office. I turned it down. I said, Ah, why should I turn this down? This is my office, this is my space. You're coming into my space. I can understand if I come to your space and then you tell me to turn off the volume, then I can do that. But you are coming to my space, and this is my space. You do what I want you to do. But I turn it down because I'm like, This is not a church setting. No, you are you are the church, it doesn't matter where you find yourself, you are the church, and then to conclude, it says, The Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his father with his holy angels. Oh my god, if you if you're ashamed of Jesus, the day when Jesus will come in his glory. You see, life is very funny. We don't like to associate with poverty, we don't like to associate when people are suffering. We don't, we don't, we don't, but we want to associate when there's success. But guess what? You're a user. You don't want to associate with the cross of Jesus, but you want to associate with the crown of Jesus. That's why Jesus said that the day when I will come in my glory. Oh my god, oh when I will come in my glory with my angels, my fans, I am gonna be ashamed of you. I am gonna be ashamed of you. I'm gonna pretend as if I don't even know you. That's why Jesus said that day, many oh Jesus, I cast out demons, I did this. He said, No, I don't know you, you're not coming. Right here, this is our domain in heaven. That is Jesus' domain. You cannot tell Jesus anything, he can choose to accept you, he can choose to reject you. He says, Not only I'll be ashamed of you because you're ashamed of me. Guess what? I will also deny you before my father because you deny me before men, I will also deny you before my father. These things they are raw. We are reading these. This is child of God. Jesus can actually deny you, Jesus can actually be ashamed of you. I know we don't want to hear these things, it's in the Bible, and then what happens when you're not called? When you are called, but you're not committed to be chosen, you're not worthy of Jesus. You're not worthy of Jesus. Why? Because you don't want to take your cross, you don't want to follow Jesus. If you don't take your cross, you don't follow Jesus, you're not worthy of Him. He cannot use you, He cannot entrust His wealth to you. You see, sometimes we want the blessings of God, but God is testing your heart, He will test your heart in small matters, He will test your heart in difficult times to prove you to see if Nathan, you're real and if you're real. We as a church, we are being tested to see if we are real in the midst of adversity, in the midst of us being small, are we still gonna worship God and preach as if there's thousands of people in this place? Or are we only gonna be doing all those funny, funny things? Give our best dance when we see a multitude of the crowd. No, Jesus is not looking for multitude, he's looking for people who are committed to him. Child of God, let's give our all before I close. As a church, it doesn't matter. Let's give our all for Jesus, do your best dance for Jesus, preach your best messages for Jesus. Come to church, do whatever it is that you're doing for Jesus. That is part of you being chosen, so that you are worthy of Jesus. That day when he comes in his glory, be like, Oh, I'm so proud of you, Musumba Edict. I'm so proud of you, Musumba Philip. I'm so proud of you, Anna. I'm so proud of you, Gloria. I'm so proud of you, Elder Jane. I'm so proud of you. You know, when we get to heaven, he will he will be ashamed of some, he will deny some. But you know what he's gonna say to us? He said, Well done, my faithful servant. Well done, my faithful servant. Well done, my faithful servant.