THE CHOSEN

Why Are We Here? #1

Pastor Brandon Cross

Woodland Church

Sunday July 5, 2026

MAIN TEXT:

(Matthew 22:8-14, NLT) “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

MAIN IDEA:

The “church” is called by God out of the world and away from sin. We are chosen through God’s sovereign grace and mercy as we accept His invitation to true worship and righteousness, acting as a “special possession” or “holy nation” set apart for His purpose. While many are called, few are chosen.

1.  THE CALL

(Matthew 22:3, 8-10, NKJV) “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come… Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ So those servants went out into the highways… And the wedding hall was filled with guests.”

• Action: The call represents an invitation by God to understand His plan, repent, and receive forgiveness of sin and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

• Universality of the invitation: God does not restrict His grace; the offer of salvation is open to all who are willing to come.

• Purpose: The call is to gather us out of darkness, old ways of life and old communities, into God’s light/hope of redemption in Jesus Christ.

APPLICATION:

God has provided us the opportunity to respond to invitation to come out from under our “lost” condition and into His plan for us. We need to respond and accept by readily repenting and submittingto His lordship over our lives by doing what He says and sacrificially serving others.

2.  THE DANGER OF REJECTING GOD’S CALL

(Matthew 22:3-7, NKJV) “and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.”

LOOK AT THE PATTERN OF ISRAEL’S REJECTION OF GOD’S PLAN

• Initial Rejection: The King sends his servants to call the invited guests, but they refuse to come. (Verse 3)

• Second Call: The King graciously sends more servants with news that the banquet is ready, but the guests ignore the invitation and prioritize worldly distractions. (Verse 5)

• Hostility and Violence: The most rebellious guests seize the King’s servants, mistreat them, and kill them. (Verse 6)

QUESTION:

What are some ways we “mirror” Israel’s rejection of the invitation or call today in the Church?

• Prioritizing Self Interests

• Indifference to the Gospel: APATHY!!!

APPLICATION:

We need to be careful not to allow ourselves to prioritize ourselves, our comfort, our way of life, etc… over surrendering to Jesus and trusting Him to meet our needs. We need to adopt an eternal mindset over all the daily cares through our relationship with Him and the power of the Holy Spirit.

3.  THE NECESSITY OF THE “WEDDING GARMENT”

(Matthew 22:11-13, NKJV) “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

• The Wedding Garment: True worship and righteousness are more important than rigid adherence to human tradition or legalistic questioning. (Verse 11)

• We need to guard against resistance to true transformation.
• We cannot come to God on our own terms.
• Genuine repentance and transformation are essential.

(Romans 12:1-2, NLT) “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

APPLICATION:

The “entry fee” to God’s eternal plan for us is a life transformed and surrendered to Jesus as Lord; also known as true worship and righteousness. This requires a repentant and humble heart.

CONCLUSION:

(Matthew 22:14, NKJV) “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

MAIN IDEA RECAP:

The “church” is called by God out of the world and away from sin. We are chosen through God’s sovereign grace and mercy as we accept His invitation to true worship and righteousness, acting as a “special possession” or “holy nation” set apart for His purpose. While many are called, few are chosen.

• God’s sovereign election for salvation for those who accept it willingly. It’s up to us to choose wisely!

• Jesus gave us a reminder to not only hear and accept God’s call but to embrace it with a sincere, transformed heart! 

• We are chosen based on god’s grace and mercy, not human merit.

CALL TO ACTION:

1. Ask ourselves if there is anything in my life that God is calling me out of so that I can be more devoted to Him and His mission.

2. Repent of anything that I have placed in front of Jesus and His calling. Anything that is a distraction to being more like Him and representing Him.

3. Purposefully each day commit to “repentance and alignment.” Ask God to show me how I can better submit to Him.