Chosen, consecrated,

called to covenant
and
commissioned

Why?

 Who we are as disciples

of the Lord Jesus
Why we are here and
doing what we're doing
What God is about in us
and among us

Truth 1: We have been

chosen by God.

from my Father I have made

known to you.You did not
choose me, but I chose you and
appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit and that your fruit
should abide; so that whatever
you ask the Father in my name, he
may give it to you. This I
command you, to love one
another.
-

Jn 15:14-17, RSV

for his own possession, out

of all the peoples that are on
the face of the earth.It was
not because you were more in
number than any other people
that theLORDset his love upon
you and chose you, for you
were the fewest of all peoples;
but it is because
theLordloves you
- Deut 7:6-8, RSV

many were of noble birth;but

God chose what is foolish in the
world to shame the wise, God
chose what is weak in the world
to shame the strong,God chose
what is low and despised in the
world, even things that are not,
to bring to nothing things that
are,
- 1 Cor 1:26-28, RSV

Love is a free
choice.

even as he chose
us in him before the
foundation of the
world, that we
should be holy and
blameless before
him
- Eph 1:4, RSV

Truth 2: God consecrated

us to Himself.

Gods own people,that you

may declare the wonderful
deeds of him who called you
out of darkness into his
marvelous light.Once you were
no people but now you are
Gods people; once you had not
received mercy but now you
have received mercy.
- 1 Pt 2:9-10, RSV

Truth 3: God called

us
into covenant
with
Him.

Call

(Lat:
vocare)

The nature of God's call:

It is God's idea, not ours.
It is personal and requires a
personal response.
It is corporate and requires a
corporate response.
It is God who equips us with the
grace to respond.
The call often seems

Covenant

myself.Now therefore, if you will

obey my voice and keep my
covenant, you shall be my own
possession among all peoples; for
all the earth is mine,and you shall
be to me a kingdom of priests and a
holy nation. These are the words
which you shall speak to the
children of Israel.
- Ex 19:4-6, RSV

Ex 20 (the Ten
Commandments)

The covenant meant that

both
God and Israel have to live
in a certain way:
For Israel: to live the moral life
For God: to be faithful to Israel
(in protecting, providing,
governing and being
present to Israel)

Truth 4: We have
been
commissioned
by God.

To be fruitful
that you should go and bear fruit, fruit
that abides.
(Jn 15:16)

hearken to these ordinances, and keep

and do them...he will love you, bless you,
and multiply you; he will also bless the fruit
of your body and the fruit of your ground
(Deut 7:12-13)

Fruitfulness glorifies God.

By this, my Father is glorified, that
you bear much fruit and so prove to
be my disciples. (Jn15:8)

Fruitfulness in:
our personal life (of
holiness)
service and mission

Our response to the four truths:

Gratitude: to Truth 1
Holiness: to Truth 2
Commitment and fidelity: to
Truth 3
Service and mission: to Truth 4

God loves us!

Our response:
To love Him and
to make Him loved!

End of
presentatio
n