Every summer we take the boat out on the lake, trying to see if we can catch some fish for supper. Certain times of the year you will usually have better results fishing for certain kinds of fish. On a specific day I can remember casting out our lines for sunfish. After tipping our hooks with a worm, we would cast it into the lake, and nearly always within 10 seconds you would have a fish on your line.
Fish after fish we will pull in, but many of them are too small to eat so we throw them back into the lake. But every now and then you will hook a nice big one which we will then throw into our live well to take back home for dinner. And then we would do it again. Overall we might catch 100-150 fish, but we might only keep the 15-20 that are big enough to eat. And that is like what this study is about today.
“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Another similar example: millions of people will go and buy lottery tickets, each one of them hoping to win the big prize. But out of those millions of people, how many of them actually win? One or two, maybe three. Not very many, is it?
Read this parable that Jesus taught in Matthew 22.
“And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
For many are called, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:1-14
You can go all the way back to the book of Genesis for another example. It doesn’t say exactly how many people were on the Earth in Noah’s time, just that the entire world was filled with evil continually. When the Flood came and the waters rose upon the Earth, how many people were saved from destruction? Just 8. Out of the entire world, just 8 were saved from the Flood.
One more time, the Earth is headed for destruction, this time by fire.
The Earth and all of the evil works in it will be destroyed, and those who do those evil works will be cast away into hellfire, and away from the Heavenly Father. Our God is a meciful God and He is patiently waiting for people to repent of their sins, but eventually their time will run out and it will be too late. Noah built the Ark for 100 years, and for 100 years God waited and spared the Earth. But as the Bible says, the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and people will be caught unawares, and it will be too late.
“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.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,
Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” 2 Peter 3:9-13
There are currently over 7 billion people on this Earth, and counting, not to mention the billions that have come before. How many will receive God’s gift of eternal life? Few.
“Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” Luke 13:24
Strive to enter in. Strive means to make great efforts to achieve or obtain something. Paul compares it to someone running a race, and how many people might run a race, but only one will receive the prize. Eternal life is our prize. It is the reward that awaits the faithful, true followers of Christ.
Prepare yourself so that you are one of those few, and prepare today!
In Christ,
Andrew
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