The Chosen | Sunday, October 5, 2025

Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles: Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot who also became a traitor. (Luke 6:12-16)

How does a life become worth imitating? It begins not with worldly success, but with answering Jesus' call to follow Him.

"Imitate Me" — A Life Worth Following

Recently I had a sweet conversation with a young couple just starting out in life, about 19 years old. They're trying to figure out how to navigate adulthood, whether they might marry and someday begin a family. In the course of our conversation they said, "We look at you and your wife, and we really hope that someday we can get to where you are." For the first time, I was the person someone wanted to follow. It made me feel old—my oldest son turns 17 at the end of this month.

When I was 19, I started teaching the junior high ministry here. Early on I came across a passage in 1 Corinthians 4. I still have the notes; I taught it at a youth camp in December of 2000 when I'd just turned 21. Paul writes:

I do not write these things to shame you, but as my beloved children I warn you. For though you might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Therefore I urge you, imitate me.

I remember telling the group, "I hope someday I'll be able to say, 'Imitate me.'" At 21, I didn't feel I had the credibility. In Philippians 3:17—my favorite book in the Scriptures—Paul says, "Join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern."

Not Everyone Can Say "Imitate Me"

It isn't merely about living more years. There are plenty of people who've lived long lives who would say, "Don't make me your role model." I remember a basketball player in high school who explicitly said, "I'm not your role model." But Paul could say, "Imitate me."

We live in an influencer culture. Six out of ten Gen Zers aspire to be social media influencers. What are they saying? "Imitate me. Follow my pattern." Some of them may influence people in a very narrow band—financial success, business, health, marriage. But peel back the unedited layers, the parts not on TikTok and airbrushed, and you often find the rest of their life is a mess. They can offer a five-point plan to financial independence, but the grand picture isn't imitatable.

When I was in my early 20s, I wasn't looking for people with mere financial success. I was looking for people with a well-rounded life—faithful to their church, their spouse, their family, and their work. They succeeded by the values and virtues found in Scripture. One man stood out: Mark Surrell, one of our elders, who ended up being the best man in my wedding. He's at least 20 years older than me, and I looked at his life and said, "That's where I want to be." He could have said, "Imitate me as I imitate Christ," and I sought to follow his pattern.

The Wonderful Life Christ Has Given

I am far from perfect, and I still wrestle with the perceived arrogance of even saying "imitate me." By the world's measures of success—even ministry success—I haven't amassed a mega-church, built a major investment portfolio, published a book, or produced a viral video. I will definitely never produce a hit song.

But I live a wonderful life. I have a wife who loves me and four kids who still like me. I have a house that blows me away. When Andrea and I first married in 2006, we had nothing—we lived in an 800-square-foot granny flat with her 125-pound St. Bernard. When I met her, I made about $30,000 a year, and she thought I was rich. We thought we'd never afford a house. We saved, and we signed our loan documents on her birthday, October 1, 2008—the day the market collapsed. We drove to Countrywide Mortgage in LA, signing under a Friday deadline, wondering how we could possibly afford it.

Now I look at my life—the church family, the work God has given me, the doors He opens, the places He sends me, our bills paid, our future invested in—and it blows my mind. I'm completely convinced I have what I have because of Christ and the principles of faith and faithfulness He has taught me from His Word. My parents didn't handle money well; they filed bankruptcy when I was in high school. I didn't have a good example, so I learned to manage money from the principles of Scripture, which became the basis for the Faith and Finances class I've taught here. My wife became a nurse practitioner the hard way—CNA, LVN, RN, BSN, then NP—and we paid the debt the entire time. Faithfully applying what the Scriptures teach is an amazing thing.

Worldly Wealth Without Christ Is Empty

I know people with ten-figure net worth—a billion dollars or more—who have experienced every kind of worldly accomplishment but possess a fraction of the fulfillment, joy, love, peace, and hope I have in Christ. I wouldn't trade what I have for what they have, because they aren't taking it with them. Elon Musk just reached $500 billion in net worth this week, but it won't go with him when he dies. I hope he comes to know Christ.

Christ died with nothing—naked, gasping for air on a cross—and said to the thief beside Him, "Today you will be with Me in Paradise." Either He was delusional, or He knew something our culture does not. The Apostle Paul died as a martyr, beheaded for his faith, penniless. Yet in his final letter he wrote:

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

All the Striving Comes to Nothing Without Christ

All the striving in our culture—the corner office, the golden play button, the fully funded 401(k), the vacation house, the first-class tickets, the private plane that has replaced the Mercedes-Benz as the status symbol—is for nothing if at the end you die without Christ.

Consider Mr. Beast. Yesterday he released a video he recorded ten years ago on October 4, 2015, addressed to his future self. At the time he had 8,000 subscribers and said, "Hopefully in ten years I'll have a million." Today he has 453 million subscribers—and he gave everything to get them. Ten years ago he'd just graduated from a Christian school and talked about Jesus on his channel. He's no longer a follower of Jesus, but he got the subscribers.

You can attain all those things and still find yourself humming, "I can't get no satisfaction," or "I still haven't found what I'm looking for." Many who finally grasped what they chased found only pain, sorrow, disappointment, and disillusionment—self-medicating because along the way they lost their spouse and their kids. So how do you find fulfillment in this life and a future to look forward to in the next? No one starts out at the end. There's a process to get there.

Jesus Intends to Call, Choose, Name, and Appoint

That brings us to Luke 6:12. The first point: Jesus intends to call, choose, name, and appoint individuals unto His mission. Each word is drawn straight from the text. He called His disciples, He chose twelve, He named apostles, and Mark's account says He appointed twelve. I couldn't think of a better title than "The Chosen"—the name of a series many have come to faith through. This is the moment Jesus' team was chosen.

How did Jesus do this? First He went into a mountain alone and continued in prayer all night. That's challenging—I don't recall ever praying all night. If I had, I'd probably have been like Peter, James, and John falling asleep in Gethsemane. What He's doing is not haphazard; it's intentional.

And from whom did He choose? From the disciples. We tend to think of Peter, James, and Thomas as the disciples, but they were called out from a much larger group—at one point numbered at seventy. The word "disciple" means student or pupil.

From Seeker to Hearer to Follower to Learner

There's a progression. It starts with being a seeker—looking for something different, something better, answers to questions, solutions to problems. Then they move from seekers to hearers, often through a friend or family member. In John's Gospel, Nathanael asks about Jesus, "Can anything good come from Nazareth?"—as if to say, "Can anything good come from Escondido?" And Philip says, "Come and see." Those words may be exactly what you need to say to a friend you've been praying for. It's been said that eight out of ten people invited to church will say yes. Sometimes we just need to say, "Come and see."

Then they moved from hearers to followers when they heard Jesus say, "Come, follow Me." We saw that in Luke 5 with Peter, Andrew, James, John, and Matthew. But not everyone followed. In Mark 10, a young man had the corner office, the fully funded 401(k), the whole deal. Jesus told him to sell everything, give to the poor, and come follow Him—and he went away sorrowful because he had great possessions.

As they followed, they became learners—disciples, pupils, engaged listeners seeking to obey. Jesus frequently spoke in stories, and they were the head-scratchers who came to Him asking, "What did that mean?" From seeker to hearer to follower to learner. And then, after praying all night, Jesus called out from these learners those who would be apostles—messengers, individuals sent with a message as witnesses.

The Mission Is Accomplished by Those Who Show Up

For nearly twenty years I taught at a Bible college up in Murrieta, including classes on church planting and pastoral ministry. In each one I'd teach this second point: The mission of Jesus is accomplished by those who show up. Two simple words: show up. Ministry isn't about extraordinary ability as much as consistent availability—being available, reliable, dependable, and sometimes adaptable.

That's how I ended up in ministry. I showed up here at about 15 years old. Pastor Tony invited me to be discipled—a nine-week course we never finished because we'd just talk and he'd take me to Costco to shop for events. They couldn't get rid of me. They still can't.

In 26 years of vocational ministry, dozens of guys have told me, "I want to do what you do." I'm always glad to hear it, because Scripture says he who desires the office of a leader desires a good thing. You know what I tell them? Show up. You know how many actually show up consistently? Not many.

But one stands out. About ten years ago Pastor Mark introduced me to a young man, about 22, who wanted to go into ministry but had no opportunities at his church. I told him, "Show up Sunday at 6:00 a.m." He did. I said, "Follow that guy—follow Pastor Mark." And he did, every week, for weeks and weeks. Then he married that pastor's daughter, became a pastor, and now they have pastor's kids. His name is Garrett. He showed up—not with extraordinary ability, but with a willingness to work.

Jesus Has a Purpose for Everyone Who Shows Up

I'm not saying everyone is called to pastoral ministry—I don't believe that at all. But here is point three: Jesus has a task and a purpose for everyone who shows up, including you. That purpose likely involves your giftings, talents, abilities, training, experience, and even your sphere of life—your neighborhood, family, and work.

Mark 3 says Jesus appointed twelve—for what? "That they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach." They were appointed apostles, but they weren't ready to be sent yet. So He called them first to be with Him. Look at what immediately follows in Luke 6:17:

And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people... who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases... And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all.

He would later send Peter, James, and the rest to preach, heal, and cast out demons—but that comes chapters later. For now, they watched Him preach and perform miracles.

Jesus Prepares, Equips, and Empowers

Point four: Jesus prepares, equips, and empowers those He appoints. That's what He does as we spend time in His presence within His body, the church, committing to follow Him into service—even something simple like handing out bulletins. The first things I did here were fold bulletins and answer the front-desk phone at 16: "Calvary Chapel Vista, smiles, how can I help you?" People would ask, "Can somebody pray for me?" and I'd say, "I could pray for you"—I was 16, and they had no idea.

Does everyone who begins finish? No. One of them was Judas Iscariot, who became His betrayer. Nor does everyone experience great earthly benefit—many of these men experienced difficulty, trouble, and persecution. But those who hear, heed, and follow Christ's call will find what He came to give: "I have come that they may have life, and that more abundantly"—not just here and now, but eternal life.

Jesus would say, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it." For what does it profit a man to gain 453 million YouTube subscribers and lose himself? When some apostles said, "We've left everything to follow You," Jesus answered:

Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or parents or brothers or wife or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who shall not receive many times more in this present time, and in the age to come eternal life.

Where Are You in the Journey?

So where are you today? Maybe you're just beginning at the seeker stage, looking for something better, and someone said, "Come and see." Now you're here, beginning to hear. I'd encourage you to become an active, engaged hearer—not just of what I say, but of what the Scriptures say. Get into the Scriptures, because as you do, you'll hear Jesus say, "Follow Me." Then you face the same choice Peter, Andrew, James, John, Levi, and the rich young ruler were given. One chose not to follow.

When you begin to follow, you discover what Paul discovered. As Saul of Tarsus, he pursued worldly endeavors in his own strength—his flesh. Then he met Christ and said:

But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ... that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ... that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection.

His hope was not in this world. Those who follow Christ inevitably become messengers. Jesus appointed them to be with Him and to go preach. As you spend time with Jesus, you'll become a messenger—and sometimes the message is simply "Come and see." Then He empowers you by His Spirit to become a witness: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8).

That word "witness" is the Greek martus, from which we get "martyr." That's not to say you'll be martyred—few are in our time and place—but many have been throughout history. Stephen, the first martyr, preached the gospel and was stoned. As he died he said, "I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." When he breathed his last in this life and his first in the next, I believe he heard Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord."

The vast majority of us will never be called to die for Jesus as Stephen did. But we are all called to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. Most people will never attain the million subscribers, the private jet, the ten-figure net worth, the C-suite job. But in Christ Jesus, every single one of us can find the abundant life Jesus offers and eternal life in Him. And hopefully someday, when we see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God, we will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Amen.

Closing Prayer

God, thank You for the Scriptures, and thank You that You intend to call, choose, name, and appoint us to Your mission. You have a mission for us right outside these doors. Every person here this morning has a mission field You've appointed them to, to be witnesses of You. I pray that You would enable and empower us by Your Holy Spirit. Give us boldness, and help us to live after the pattern of faith and faithfulness we see in Paul and Timothy and in many other men and women throughout the last 2,000 years of church history. Let us follow their example by Your enabling power, that You would be lifted high and glorified. God, do a work in us by Your Word and by Your Spirit. We ask this in Jesus' name, and all those who agreed said, Amen.