Introduction

Good morning, family of faith. It is a joy and an honor to stand before you today, not because of who I am, but because of who we are in Christ. We are gathered here, not as perfect beings, but as flawed vessels, chosen by Christ. And in this truth, there is an overwhelming beauty and an awe-inspiring grace.

We are not here because we have it all together. We are not here because we are without sin. We are here because we are chosen, called, and loved by a Savior who sees us not for our imperfections, but for our potential in Him. We are here because in our weakness, His strength is made perfect.

In the words of the esteemed Charles Spurgeon, "We are too prone to engrave our trials in marble and write our blessings in sand." Yet, it is often in our trials, in our weaknesses, that we truly encounter the grace of God.

Commonality

As we look around this room, we see faces of all kinds. We see people from different walks of life, different backgrounds, different experiences. Yet, we are all here, gathered under one roof, united by one common thread - we are chosen by Christ. This is not a random selection, but a divine choice. We are chosen not because of our merit, but because of His mercy.

We are all flawed, yet we are all chosen. This is the beauty of God's grace. It does not discriminate. It does not favor the strong over the weak, the wise over the foolish. It is available to all, regardless of our past, our present, or our future.

Now, let's turn our attention to the Scripture. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul shares a profound truth. He tells us that God's grace is sufficient for us, for His power is made perfect in our weakness. This is a radical statement. It turns our human understanding of power and strength on its head. It tells us that in our weakness, in our imperfection, God's power is made perfect.

This is not a call to be weak, but a call to acknowledge our weakness. It is a call to admit that we are not perfect, that we are flawed, that we are in need of God's grace. It is a call to surrender our pride, our self-sufficiency, and our self-righteousness, and to embrace our dependence on God.

In 1 Corinthians 1:27, Paul goes even further. He tells us that God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world to shame the strong. This is a radical reversal of the world's values. It tells us that God's ways are not our ways, that His thoughts are not our thoughts.

This is humbling. We can recognize that our wisdom and strength are nothing compared to God's. We can trust in God's wisdom and strength, rather than our own.

Finally, in 2 Corinthians 4-7, Paul reminds us that we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. This is a powerful image. It tells us that we are like jars of clay, fragile and breakable, yet holding a treasure of infinite value.

With God, we are allowed to be vulnerable. Our value does not come from our strength or durability, but from the treasure that we hold. It is a call to trust in God's power, rather than our own.

Christ's Chosen

As we continue to reflect on the characteristics of those chosen by Christ, we find ourselves drawn to the paradoxical nature of this calling ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO