Today on Bold steps with Mark job, we're learning what it means to be chosen.
God's been working all your life to set you up for his purposes. All. You fought him at times, but God has been involved in bringing you to the place that you would respond to him all of your life. God has been involved way in advance.
Welcome to today's edition of Bold Steps with Mark job. Mark is the senior pastor of New Life Community Church in Chicago and president of Moody Bible Institute. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Earlier in the week, we began a new series called When You Believe Everything Changes, and we've been learning about what it means to take your place in the Kingdom of God. Yesterday we learned what it means to be blessed, and today marks going to show us how and why
we've been chosen. So if you have your Bible handy, turn to Ephesians one to hear Mark job with today's bold steps.
So he has given us every blessing in the spiritual world. Number two, write this down. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us. So not only has he blessed us, and it talks about our position. He's chosen us and it talks about our destiny. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world, to be holy and blameless. Hold on a second. Did you just read what I. What I read? That God chose you before the world was
even created. Hold on, hold on, hold on. What does that even mean? That before you were even a glimmer in your father's eye, God had chosen you. That God chose you before your family name even existed. Before your grandfather or great grandfather, or great great grandfather, or great great great grandfather before your Aztec ancestor, or your Viking ancestor from Europe was even around. God had already chosen you. Before there was a world before Adam and Eve, before
light was separated from darkness. God, in his foreknowledge, already knew that you would exist. God, in his foreknowledge, already knew your name. God, in his foreknowledge, already knew what you would look like. God knew how you would be. And God chose you before. Way before there was even a you to be chosen. Because God had a destiny
and a purpose when he chose you, even before you existed. Wow. Now, I know some people say in their testimony, they'll say, I found God, and I know what you mean by that, but can I tell you? Bad expression. First of all, God was never lost. And you didn't find God before you ever thought of finding God, he had already chosen you. Way before. Before you ever decided to follow him. He had chosen you and knew you would follow him way before. Oh, I know that'll mess with your mind a little bit. Oh,
I know that's hard to think about. But it speaks to our destiny. And it says. And he chose us before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless. He chose us to be separated unto himself and to live a certain kind of life before we were ever born. He had a purpose and a plan for our life. And if that doesn't really stir you up, think about this, he says. And in love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with
his pleasure and his will. In love he predestined. To Predestine means that not only did he choose you, but he predestined you in advance to live and walk for him even when you didn't know him. You say, well, pastor, I don't understand how God could do that. Well, let me explain it this way. And the church is divided at times by two thoughts. One is in those of you that have been around the church, church at large, what I'm talking about understand one is what's called Calvinism.
Have you heard of Calvinism? And one and the other is what's called Arminianism. Calvinism emphasizes the sovereignty. And the grace of God. Arminianism emphasizes the choice of man. And there's been a debate down the last 500 years. Is it more that we are choice to follow God, or is it more God's choice to choose us and cause us to follow him. And there's been entire denominations that have risen out of those that believe. It's more the
choice of man and other denominations that believe that. More, it's the choice of God. I believe that it's both. God is all sovereign, and he chooses his in advance before we choose him. He chooses us. But I believe that doesn't relieve us from the responsibility of choosing him as well. Let me give you a crude illustration of this. Let's just suppose that I knew the future. That I had a clear insight into the future. I would know who is going to win the Super Bowl this year.
I would know if I had that. And here's the thing. If I knew who was winning the Super Bowl, then I would choose the winning team always, right? Because I know if I was into horse racing, I would know what horse, the name of the horse that would win the race, and I would choose the horse in advance. That would win the race, because I know already who's
going to win that race, right? Because I'd have foreknowledge. Now, even if I did know who was going to win the Super Bowl, when that team wins the Super Bowl, it doesn't relieve them from the responsibility of hard work and the training that they have to have to win. They still have to work hard. They still have to do it. Just because I know and choose them in advance doesn't relieve them from the responsibility of working hard
to win. Are we clear on that? God has chosen you in advance, and God knows that you'll be a son and daughter of his in advance, but it doesn't relieve you from the responsibility of responding to the voice of God and the call of God when he calls you unto salvation. The Bible says that he desires that all men would be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth. But not all men will be
saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. But God already knows the fact that you're here, and following Jesus does not surprise God. He knew already when he connected you to a believer that would invite you to hear the gospel already. Oh, God's been working on you way before you were aware that he was working on you. Oh, you thought someone invited you and you heard the gospel and a friend, and you thought it just happened in
the last few months. No, no no, no. God's been working all your life to set you up for his purposes. All your life, he's been involved in working. Oh, you've resisted him at times. Oh, you've fought him at times. Oh, you've pushed away from his plans. But God has been involved in bringing you to the place that you would respond to him all of your life. God has been involved way in advance. And then it says, listen, he's predestined us to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ
in accordance with the pleasure of his goodwill. Not just chosen us, but adopted us. Listen, when you're adopted, you're given all the full rights of sonship. All the inheritance of a son or a daughter has been given to you. He sealed you with his name. He said, you are mine. I'm not ashamed of you. All that is mine is yours. All my inheritance is yours. That's what God has done for us. He's chosen us before the foundation of the
world to be adopted into his sonship. And then it goes on to say, look at what it tells us in the next verse. Listen, it says in him you have redemption through his blood. The fourth point is you are redeemed. That speaks to your transformation. Listen to me well. To be redeemed means that he's bought you with a price. He's removed a debt from you, and he's released you to walk in freedom. When God redeemed you, it means that when God redeemed you, that God paid a price
for you. God bought you. Bought, bought us from whom? He bought you from the slavery of sin. He bought you with the blood of Jesus Christ. It was the blood of His Son that he paid for your ransom, and he bought you. And with that same blood he washed you and cleansed you. And now he sets you free to live fully for him. That's what redemption means.
It says. And he redeemed us through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the richness of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
You're listening to Bold Steps with Mark Jobe. A message he's titled Take Your Place. While we're pausing today's program right now to remind you that it's not too late to download the Bold Steps app. You can hear Mark's bold and engaging teaching anywhere you go, and utilize a wide array of Bible study resources and new content from Mark. When you download this app to your favorite smart device. All the instructions for setting up the app can be
found on bold steps. Well, Mark, we have listeners all over the country listening in a variety of ways, and I see you have a comment from Arizona.
Yes. This is Brenda who says, thank you truly for being bold in your preaching and walk with the Lord. I listen every evening in surprise, Arizona. Brenda, thank you for that word of encouragement. Surprise! Arizona sounds like a great place to visit. I've never been there.
Surprise. All right, here's one from California. Thank you for your messages. I listen on my way to work at 4 a.m.. I get so much out of them. Thank you for making the Bible so understandable and relatable. God bless you and your ministry. That comes from a K wave listener in Santa Ana, California.
Yeah, big shout out to K Wave in California. We love getting messages and emails and words from people that are listening in California. And yes, we do air twice, one at 4 a.m. in the morning and I always wonder who's listening.
But there are.
A lot of people that get up for work at that.
Time, and then again in the evening on K wave. Well, it's so encouraging to hear from our listeners, but have we heard from you? You can reach us through our website, Bold Steps. Org or check us out on Facebook or Instagram as well. Bold steps radio. All right, end the pause. Let's get back into today's message with Mark.
Listen, God did not only choose you, but he cleans you up and loved you enough when he chose you. Listen, you weren't a sinner that chose God. God looked at you in your sin and chose to love you and clean you. When you hated God, he still loved you. When you sinned against God, he still reached out to you when you were full of hatred and bitterness in our sin. God still loved and reached out to us
the grace of God. And then lastly it says, And he made you, and he made known to us the mystery of his will according to the good pleasure which he purposed in Christ to be put into effect, when the times will have reached their fulfillment to bring all things in heaven and earth together under one head, even Christ. Listen, he has made known to us the mystery of his will.
For thousands of years before Jesus Christ came, people knew that God had a plan, but they did not know what we know today about the plan of God to change us and save us. In the Old Testament, they slaughtered lambs and took their blood and sprinkled it at the altar. They did not know that this was symbolic of the Lamb of God. That would be that would shed his blood on a cross. They didn't know it.
When the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt for 400 years, 400 And God chose to set them free out of slavery, he brought Moses, and he sent plagues against the Egyptians. And the final plague was that the angel of death would go throughout the camp of Israel, and the Egyptians, and the firstborn of every family would be slaughtered, except if they took a lamb the night before.
A lamb with no spot or wrinkle. And if they killed the lamb and took the blood of the lamb, and they put it on the doorpost of their house, then when the angel of death came, the angel of death would pass over their house, and the firstborn would not die. What was that all about? That was just symbolic of Jesus hundreds of years before Jesus came. It was saying, there's a day that will come when a lamb would be slaughtered. The wrath of God still falls
upon those that don't know him. But if you're able to take the blood of Jesus Christ and sprinkle it upon your life, then the wrath of God when it comes to your house, the wrath of God will see not your sin, but will see the blood of Jesus Christ and will pass over your life, so judgment will not come upon you. When Jesus sat with his disciples to partake of communion, he took the bread and he took the cup. He was celebrating the Passover. And he said to them, this is my blood, and this is
my body that's given for you. Hundreds of years before, people did not even understand and know what they were doing, but it was all pointing. It was a mystery. It was pointing to Jesus and the sacrifice of Jesus. It was the mystery that's been revealed to us. You know what Abraham did not know. You know what Moses did not comprehend. You know what Jacob did not even fully understand. You know what Adam and Eve could even just dream about?
You know what, Noah only understood vaguely. We know now what they only had a shadow of before because it's been revealed to us. We've seen it. We have more understanding than what they had. Listen to me well. I
want you to hear me really well. That means that today, a prostitute from the streets of Chicago that's lived 35 years in prostitution could walk into this place, having been a junkie and prostitute, having sold her body full of resentment, having all her kids taken away by by by DCFS, having the lines in her in her arm to indicate where she has been. She could walk into a meeting like this today. Like this today. And she could hear the message of Jesus Christ. The message of hope that changes,
delivers and cleanses. And she could respond to that message in brokenness of heart. Raise her arms up to God and say, God, I have sinned against you. I've sinned against your holiness. Today I need forgiveness. I need the blood of Jesus to come and wash me. I receive him as my Lord and Savior. Listen to me well. She could come in after years and years and years, after years and years and years, and she could experience the forgiveness and the washing of the blood of Jesus.
And if the wrath of God came upon her, God would no longer see her sins or her background. He would see only the blood of Jesus Christ that makes her a woman of dignity, value, and beauty and purity
before God Almighty. And if that former prostitute were to walk out of these doors, having lived 35 years that way and only lived an hour in her new saved position, and she were to go to Archer Avenue and be struck by a bus and die that day, after 35 years of a prostitute and only one hour of knowing Christ, I would not have a doubt in my mind where she would go. She would go directly to the presence of Jesus Christ. She would go directly to the presence
of God. Why? Because her salvation is not based on what she has done or not done. Her salvation is based on what Christ has done for her, washed her, and cleansed her. That's why I love the gospel of Jesus. That's why I love the message that he brought, the good news that there is hope for all. That's why it's about him and not about you. That's why it's about grace and not about works. That's why it's about hope and not about condemnation. That's what it's about. Relationship
and not religion. That's why it's about Jesus and not about you. That's the gospel. The gospel of hope. Some of you are hearing the gospel presented maybe for the first time, or maybe you've heard it, but you've never taken a step yourself. Practically every Sunday I have the opportunity of sharing the gospel with people. And this past Sunday, I prayed with a young man who came forward with tears in his eyes, living with his girlfriend for several years,
three children. But he finally understood the gospel and he said, I want to give my life to Christ and soon get baptized.
And so yeah.
Yeah, beautiful thing to see other people coming to Christ for the first time. And so if you're listening to this message and you say, pastor Mark, I have never made a commitment to follow Christ. I've been around the church, or I feel like God has been drawing me and pulling at me. I've seen signs. I've I've maybe had dreams or had people speak to me, but I know I need to make that decision. Then if you're ready for that, I would like to pray with you right now,
wherever you're at. And so if you're ready to give your life to Christ, then I'd like for you to pause. And I'd like you to pray with me. It's not about the magic of a prayer. It's about the decision to, in faith, surrender your life to Jesus. It's about a decision. Pray with me. Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner. I know that you've been drawing me, calling me, reaching out to me. I'm tired of running. So today I stop. And I finally surrender my life to you. I turn away,
repent from how I've been living. And today I say that Jesus. Only you can save me. Come wash me, cleanse me. Today I choose to follow you in Jesus name. Hey, if you've made that decision and are serious about moving forward in your walk with God, I'm going to encourage you to do two things one. Jump on our website at Bold Steps radio.org and click on my next steps because I explain it a little bit more and give you some material to get started. And I want to
challenge you. If you're not a part of a Bible believing local church, find a church. Start attending. Get involved. Get in a Bible study. Tell the pastor someone in the church, hey, I just gave my life to Jesus. I need to grow.
It's vitally important to act on the step you just took and that decision you just made.
Yeah, you're just a baby, Christian, but you need to plug in with other believers so that you can grow in God. God bless you.
Alright. Thank you Mark. And if you'd like to share Mark's message of salvation with a friend who might need to hear it, head over to our website at npr.org. Click the connect tab and go to the My Next Step in Faith button. There you'll find a specially prepared video from Mark, and we'd love for you to share this message of salvation with someone today. This daily program and the resources we offer are made available in part
because of the generous partnership with listeners. We're grateful for our bold partners, those who give a financial gift each month. And if you'd like to join with us in this endeavor, we'd love to partner with you. You can become a bold partner today by signing up online at Bold Steps. Or by calling us at 800 835 six A6600 39. You can also send a one time gift in the mail by addressing your envelope to bold steps. 820 North
LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. When you write to us, be sure to ask for our current bold step gift. Last month, we offered the book titled Lies Girls Believe to help young women in your Life. Now we're excited to present the companion resource Lies Boys Believe. Designed to address the unique challenges boys face, together, these powerful resources equip an entire generation to stand firm on God's truth.
Unlike traditional books that may not hold a boy's attention, Lies Boys Believe is specifically designed with young men in Mind is filled with engaging illustrations and some fun puzzles, interactive challenges and graphic elements that appeal to boys visual learning style. And it makes discovering truth and adventure rather than a chore. This thoughtfully crafted, bold step gift will
keep boys engaged while imparting life changing biblical wisdom. Today, we'd love to send you a copy when you give a gift to support this ministry. Just go to Bold Steps org or call 800. And that's all the time we have today. I'm Wayne Shepherd, inviting you to join us again tomorrow. When Mark explains what it means to be a true and authentic follower of Christ. It's a message titled, what you know will Change You. And you can hear Thursday here on Bold Steps with Mark Jobe.
Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry of Moody Bible Institute.