‘God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.’ - Ephesians 1:4
Brothers and sisters, well it’s nearly here guys, it’s not long now until England take to the field in the Euros Final. Tonight 11 English players will walk out onto the pitch of the Olympiastadion IN Berlin. Those 11 players have been picked, they’ve been chosen by the manager, Gareth Southgate to represent the country. Did you know that there are 26 players in the England squad, 285 English players in the Premier League, and 27 million English men in England… which means that if you’re an English man you’ve got a one in a million chance of being chosen to be in the English football team. In other words the likelihood of being chosen is tiny… and that’s just getting into the squad, let alone being one of the 11 actually on the pitch. That’s the bad news for today, but there is also some great news. As a Christian you’ve been chosen for something far better, far more important, and far far more long lasting. If you’re a Christian you have been chosen by God to be in His kingdom.
This week, on Thursday we had our 2024 Confirmation service. 16 people were confirmed into God’s church. They have been chosen by God. How do we know? It was in our second reading (Ephesians 1:3-10), it said:
‘God chose us in him before the creation of the world’.
George, Daisy, and Alfie you were chosen by God. Jack, Emma, and Abi you were chosen by God. Georgia, Isla, and Anna, Leo, Evelyn, and Luke, Lucie, Scarlett, Max and Carlyle you were chosen by God. Out of all the people God could have picked, out of all of the people who might have been confirmed it was you, and only you, who were chosen. You are special, you are wanted, you are loved by God. Now, we might look at these lovely people all dressed up in their dresses or suits, and think well, of course. However, ask their parents, or ask Carlyle’s wife and daughter, and I’m guessing they don’t always look so perfect. Confirmation candidates, you are chosen, you are wanted, you are loved, as you are. You know you’re not perfect, you know you get grumpy, say mean things sometimes, do the wrong thing at other times. You’ve been chosen, not perfect you, not you before your mistakes, you as you are now! We aren’t chosen because we are good; which is great news because then we won’t be dropped when we mess up. You were chosen not because you’re amazing, but because Jesus is! And God has chosen you for a purpose.
Now when it comes to the England team we know what their purpose is, we know why they have been chosen: to win the Euros. Jordan Pickford the goalkeeper has been chosen because he is great at keeping the ball out of the net; which we’re going to need if we’re going to win the Euros tonight. Harry Kane and Ollie Watkins have been chosen because they are great and putting the ball in the net; which we’re going to need if we’re going to win the Euros tonight. It’s clear why they have been chosen… but what about our confirmation candidates? Why have they been chosen, what’s God’s purpose for them? Our second reading tells us:
‘God chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.’
Holy just means set apart, it means we’ve been chosen for something special. The English players have been set apart just for England. Harry Kane, Ollie Watkins, Phil Foden, can’t walk out in a Spanish shirt this evening… no they are set apart for England. Our confirmation candidates have been set apart for God, to live their lives for Him. You are meant to be different, now you’re not just like everyone else! Noe you’re special because you are God’s, you belong to Him. And you’ve been chosen to shine! Friends, there is a song we sing at school, which reminds us of this, as God says:
‘Shine! From the inside out, That the world will see You live in me.’
Those who were confirmed on Thursday—and all Christians—have been chosen by God to shine. To show the world by how you live and what you say that God is real. God has chosen you for a purpose to shine for Him, and, in return in the words of our next hymn, by being confirmed you said on Thursday:
‘O Jesus, I have promised, To serve Thee to the end.’
You’ve been chosen… and now it’s time to go and shine, to show that God lives in You. So, George, Daisy, and Alfie; Jack, Emma, and Abi, Georgia, Isla, and Anna; Leo, Evelyn, and Luke; Lucie, Scarlett, Max and Carlyle… what’s one way, today, that you will choose Him back? How will you live set apart, live differently because you’re chosen by God. Those chosen to be in the England squad will choose to get up early to go for a run, to eat healthy foods, to train really hard, so that tonight they can shine on the pitch. How are you going to shine in the world now you’ve been chosen by God? Maybe you will choose to say: ‘Today, I will take time in prayer’ or ‘Today, I will be careful in what I say, I will try to say only kind things’ or, ‘Today, I will go out of my way to help someone in need’ or, maybe like the disciples in our Gospel reading you will say, ‘Today I’m going to share what I know about Jesus. I’m going to do these things not to be chosen by God, not so that He will pick me, wonderfully, He already has! No, I’m going to do these things because God has chosen me, because now I am His. You’ve been chosen, so now it’s time to shine. Amen (from Fr Mike).