Phillip Phillips and Jessica Sanchez: Two Idols – One Chosen

A year ago Phillip Phillips was a student at a technical school, working at a pawn shop.  A year ago Jessica Sanchez was a high-school student in California.  Last summer they made it to an American Idol audition and were chosen from more than 100,000 other contestants, to go to Las Vegas.  In Las Vegas, they competed with that select group and eventually were chosen to be part of a group of 24 finalists.  Those two young people worked and sang their way into the top 12 and now, Phillip Phillips stands alone, as this year’s American Idol

What must it be like to wake up every morning for months and months, hoping for something that will change almost everything about your life?  What was it like for Phillip to wake up this morning and know that millions of people chose him.  Two years from now, I hope he is happy that he won.  There won’t be very many places that an American Idol will be able to sit and eat a hamburger, talk to a friend or just watch a movie.  But for now, I’m sure it just feels wonderful to have been chosen.  Phillip Phillips can look in the mirror today and say, “I won.”

I hope you can too.  The word “chosen” is used in Scripture 121 times.  The Israelites were told they were a “chosen” people (Deuteronomy 7:6).  Joshua reminded that same group of people that they had chosen to serve the Lord (Joshua 24:22)  In 1 Samuel 16 a young man named David was chosen to be a king.  And the day you became a Christian the Lord chose you, to be his adopted child with an eternal inheritance.  You can look in your mirror today and say, “I won.”  Phillips was chosen as an American Idol.  He will tour with the rest of the top twelve this summer, singing to sold out arenas filled with cheering fans.  There will be a recording contract, Hollywood invitations and appearances on any number of television programs.  His picture will appear all over the internet for many years to come.  What does being the chosen child of God mean to your life? 

The answer is found in Colossians 3:12-17.  “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.  Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Christians are God’s chosen people.
1.  You can know that you are made to be holy and that you are dearly loved.
2.  Wear your faith on “the outside.”  Be compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient.
3.  Hold each other up and forgive each other – because that is what God does for you.
4.  Let God’s love for you, and through you, be the glue that holds your witness together.
5.  Let God’s peace rule you – you were called to be peaceful.
6.  Look around and be thankful.  When is the last time you looked Jesus in the face and told him how grateful you are for what he has given you?
7.  Let the message of Christ impact others.  Teach people how great it is to be saved, chosen and loved by the God of the universe.
8.  And whatever you do, do it for Jesus, and his glory – thankful for the chance to serve him.

You will probably never be an American Idol.  But if you are, can you get me a ticket to the finale?  I don’t have a chance to get there on my own.  I didn’t have a chance to get to heaven on my own either.  But, because of Jesus, I am royalty.  My dad is a king.  My name won’t be on the front page of a newspaper today, but it is written in the book of life, in heaven.  I am chosen.  Are you?

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