But Ye Are a Chosen Generation
God is calling out a select body from the church to be His bride and win the world for Himself.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the concept of being a chosen generation, illustrating how God calls a select group from within the church to be His bride, prepared for His coming. He draws parallels with Gideon's story, where God reduced Gideon's army from thirty thousand to just three hundred, highlighting the importance of courage, prudence, and purpose in God's selection process. Simpson encourages believers to ensure they are part of this 'out and out' group that God is preparing to win the world for Himself. The message calls for a deeper commitment and readiness among Christians to fulfill God's mission.
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Have you ever thought about the strange way in which God is calling a people out of a people already called? The word ecclesia, or church, means called out, but God is calling out a still more select body from the church to be His bride-those especially prepared for His coming. We see an illustration of this in the story of Gideon. When first he sounded the trumpet of Abiezer there resorted to him more than thirty thousand men; however, he was instructed by God to reduce the number. A first test was applied, appealing to their courage, and all but ten thousand returned home.
But there needed to be an additional elimination, and so a second test was applied appealing to their prudence, caution and singleness of purpose, and all but three hundred were refused.
With this small but select band, Gideon raised the standard against the Midianites. Through the power of God he won his glorious victory. So in this present day the Master is choosing His three hundred, and by them He will yet win the world for Himself. Let us be sure that we belong to the "out and out" people.
Sermon Outline
- God's Select Body
- Illustrated in the story of Gideon
- A select body from the church
- Prepared for His coming
Key Quotes
“So in this present day the Master is choosing His three hundred, and by them He will yet win the world for Himself.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We should strive to be part of the 'out and out' people, fully committed to God's will.
- God is looking for a select body of people to accomplish great things through them.
- We should be prepared to face additional tests and challenges in our walk with God.