“Career is what you’re paid for, but a calling is what you’re made for.”
- Bob Shank
Posts Tagged ‘calling’
Career vs. Calling
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008When God Calls…
Sunday, May 18th, 2008Podcast: Download
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NOTE: The audio for this message didn’t get recorded on the day that I preached it but I preached it again to our Master’s Commission Students and this is the recording that is posted.
INTRODUCTION
Today I want to talk about “When God calls…” I think it is an appropriate subject to talk about in light of how God has brought my wife Kerryanne and I to Waterloo and to WPA. We’re going to be looking at the story of Gideon this morning because it is a story that has popped up frequently in our journey the past few months and when I asked God what He would have me share with you today it surfaced once again.
The subject of God’s calling is one that we talk about when we want to know what God’s direction is for our life. However when it comes to God’s call, it’s important that we realize that it is not just related to the big things in life, you know like who we marry, our career, where we live, being parents, our ministry, or what we do in church. Those things, of course, are really important and it is good that we seek God’s direction for them, but God’s calling is more often related to the little things in life – the person you hear about who doesn’t have any food, or clothing; the person you work with pouring out their sad story and the Holy Spirit prompts you to offer to pray for them; the single mother you hear about who’s working three jobs to help support her and her family and her lawn is getting out of control because her lawnmower’s broken and even if it was fixed she just doesn’t have time to get it done – the Holy Spirit prompts you to get a crew together and get it done; or what about when you’re sitting down watching a television show and it takes a hard left and goes into material you just know is something you shouldn’t be watching. You see, God’s calling is often more related to the small choices we make in life that when you add up contribute to where God wants us to be!
As I’ve already mentioned we’re going to look at Judges 6 for the introduction to the story of Gideon and when God called Him to do something incredible….
(PRAY and then Give background of story (Judges 6:1-10))
- The Israelites had done evil in the eyes of the Lord and for 7 years they were given into the hands of the Midianites.
- The Israelites went into hiding to avoid the oppression of the Midianites.
- Whenever the Israelites planted their crops they would be invaded, and the crops and all the animals would be destroyed.
- The power and might of the Midianites was overwhelming to the Israelites.
- Eventually, the Israelites became so impoverished that they cried out to God for help.
- When the cried out the Lord sent a prophet who said (vs 8-10), he sent them a prophet, who said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I brought you up out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 9 I snatched you from the power of Egypt and from the hand of all your oppressors. I drove them from before you and gave you their land. 10 I said to you, ‘I am the LORD your God; do not worship the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you live.’ But you have not listened to me.”
- Then in verse 11 we’re introduced to Gideon where the Angel of the Lord drops in on him…
Here we have Gideon, threshing some wheat in a winepress probably out of fear for the Midianites even discovering that he has wheat – and so he is working here in secret.
[Give brief overview of story - narrate it - highlight the transformation of Gideon from a reluctant believer to a mighty warrior.]
Today I believe the Holy Spirit wants to teach us through the story of Gideon about how God leads us into the plan He has for our lives and how calls us in not only the “big things” but also in the “little things” of life.
Let’s begin by looking at the first words the angle spoke to Gideon. He greeted Him by saying,
When the angel of the LORD appeared to Gideon, he said, “The LORD is with you, mighty warrior.”
Judges 6:12 (NIV)
Here’s the first point I want to make about when God calls…
GOD MEETS YOU WHERE YOU ARE, BUT HE CALLS YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE TO BE.
God meets you where you are…
- Notice where Gideon was – threshing wheat in a winepress to hide from the Midianites. Gideon was really not in the place we would think a significant spiritual event would occur was he? But when you think about it, not many famous Biblical characters were in some tremendous spiritual hotspot when God met them…
• Abraham’s father Terah just died when God called Him to leave his country, his father’s household, and take off for a destination unknown with the promise that God would show him it on the way.
• Jacob was fleeing for his life from the fury of his brother (whom he had cheated out of a birthright) and was asleep when God appeared in dream and called Him.
• While Joseph was a small boy God called to Him in a dream.
• Moses was an exile from Egypt, had made a new life for himself in the desert with a wife, a family, and a growing business as a shepherd. He was out shepherding the sheep when God called to Him from a burning bush.
• Saul was out looking for his donkey when God sent the prophet Samuel to Him to pronounce God’s calling Saul to be a King.
• David was taking care of sheep when God called Him to greatness.
• Esther, was busy being the queen of a mighty empire when God called her to put her life on the line and save her people.
• Elisha was ploughing a field with oxen, when the prophet Elijah came up to him and conveyed God’s call to succeed him as prophet to Israel.
• Nehemiah was a cupbearer to the King of Persia when God called Him to rebuild the temple.
• Peter and Andrew were busy cleaning their fishing nets when Jesus called them to become fishers of men.
• Matthew was collecting taxes when Jesus called out to Him to follow.
• Zechariah was up in a tree when Jesus called Him to a new life.
• A prostitute was drawing water from a well when Jesus called her to drink of the living water.
• A man named Saul was on his way to Damascus to persecute and kill Christians when Jesus appeared and called him to serve Him as an apostle to the Gentiles and a church-planter. Saul had his name changed to Paul and He became one of great instruments of God in building the early Christian church.
There’s so many more people I could draw your attention to but did you notice, that these Biblical characters are from many different “walks of life” and were called by God?
God meets you where you are when He calls you. In what you are doing, in your daily life. It is not necessary for you to be perfect, or have it all together, in order for God to call you. He chooses the time, the place, and the means of calling and meets you where you are. One of my favourite verses in the Bible is Romans 5:8,
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 (NIV)
So God meets you where you are…
…but He calls you to where you are to be.
Notice how the aol greets Gideon, “The Lord is with you, Mighty Warrior” (vs12) Okay, hold on a minute, let’s recap the situation Gideon is in……is he really a MIGHTY WARRIOR? Give me a break! Master Hide and Seeker perhaps, but surely not a mighty warrior! Here’s the thing though, although God met Gideon where he was – He had in mind what Gideon could become. God does that – again we could go through the Bible and highlight different examples of that (refer to list if time). Hear me folks, God meets you where you are – He doesn’t always wait until you are in the optimum spiritual moment, He doesn’t wait until you are perfect – no, God meets you right where you are, but then, He always calls you to where He wants you to be.
Here’s the thing… God always calls us to something greater and something better. It doesn’t always necessarily mean a change of location, or a change of our career BUT it does always mean moving towards becoming more like Him. To becoming the vessel and instrument of His great purposes. Sometimes this means something huge but more often it means simply obeying and doing something small.
Gideon’s response:
- Notice at first that the name the AOL gave him didn’t even seem to register with Gideon. Why?
* Gideon knew he was a mighty warrior and it was just a restatement of fact. Didn’t mean much.
* Gideon was thinking…”if you think I’m a mighty warrior fine, ha! But I know the truth…”
* He didn’t even hear it because he was still processing the first five words… “The Lord is with You” I think this is the more likely reason, witness the next verse…
But sir,” Gideon replied, “if the LORD is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our fathers told us about when they said, ‘Did not the LORD bring us up out of Egypt?’ But now the LORD has abandoned us and put us into the hand of Midian.”
Judges 6:13 (NIV)
In other words, Gideon was looking at the circumstances of the Israelites and the situation they were in (no doubt including his position in the winepress)- He was looking at where He was – and was voicing his thoughts – “if God was really with us we wouldn’t be in the place we are right now”
Don’t you sometimes feel that way when life is throwing you a hardball and you’re in one of those places where everything just seems to be working against you and nothing is going right and then someone comes up to you and says these words, “Just remember the Lord is with you”. And we start thinking a little bit like Gideon here, “Oh come on! If he’s really with me then why am I dealing with this, why am I going through this, why am I not seeing God’s power in my life then?” Something I’ve noticed, and I don’t know any other believers here have noticed this too, but something I’ve noticed is that whenever I’m in the very beginning of transitions in my life tends to be the time where I feel like God is the farthest away. You ever feel like that?
Here’s another observation. God tends to call us when we are in the place of humility and brokenness. Or he will humble us and then call us (eg. Saul -> Paul)
Listen carefully to God’s response to Gideon:
The LORD turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?”
Judges 6:14 (NIV)
First, God had called Gideon, “Mighty Warrior” and then here God elaborates why He called Him that – it’s because He is choosing to use Gideon to save Israel from the Midianite problem. Here’s the cool thing. Gideon asked, “If God is really with us then why are things the way they are and where are the great things that God can do” – God answers, “I am about to do something great by rescuing from the Midianites, and I’m going to use you, because I am sending you.” Here’s the thing…we look at our situation and our circumstance in our lives and we wonder where God is when all along He is with us and about to work through us in this particular moment to resolve the perfect outcome – all it takes is for us to recognize His voice.
Here’s another lesson about the call of God:
God calls us to what He has already prepared/equipped us for!
Out of all the possible people He could have chosen, God chose Gideon for the task of leading the Israelites to victory over the Midianites. Notice God said, “Go in the strength you have!” One of the greatest promises we have as believers is the reality that our lives have purpose and that God has prepared us and equipped us as a unique creation for the specific and amazing things He wants to do through us! Your interests, your strengths, your personality, your experiences are all things that contribute towards what it is that you are wired to do!
One of my favourite verses of the Bible and one that you’ll probably hear me quote a lot is found in Paul’s letter to the church of Ephesus,
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
Repeat that last line with me, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do” what? “to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” When did God plan these good works out? In advance. And who are we? God’s workmanship… Amazing!
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
God said to Gideon, “Am I not sending YOU!” God dropped by to talk to this man in a winepress because God’s desire for this task was unique to Gideon! But let’s not get the emphasis mixed up here. God said, “Am I not sending you?” God’s calling in your life is unique and even though He has prepared us and equipped us for the task our own strength will never be enough to complete what He’s called us too… in fact, the funny thing is, the things God asks us to do sometimes seem a mismatch for what we’re really good at! Certainly Gideon recognized this for his situation when He said,
“But Lord,” Gideon asked, “how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family.”
Judges 6:15 (NIV)
Students of the Bible will recognize that this is a pattern that God repeated through history – let’s go through that list of people that I’ve already mentioned…
• Abraham’s father just died
• Jacob was a liar and a cheat
• Joseph didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut, and was sold into slavery by his brothers
• Moses was a murderer and not a good speaker
• Saul kept losing things
• David was the youngest of his family
• Peter was a hothead and spoke before he thought,
• Paul was kind of ugly, and was kind of mean to Christians…
• ** or share about the Cooledges
Why does God do this? Listen closely, because God wants us to experience His power at work through us. He wants us to know that He is with us. God’s response to Gideon began with,
The LORD answered, “I will be with you…
Judges 6:16 (NIV)
I will be with you Gideon, I will be with you He says to you as He calls you as well – and friends, that makes all the difference in the world.
OPTIONAL (as an aside – and is not on a ppt slide)
The apostle Paul understood the significance of this with an incredible revelation from the Spirit of God,
7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (NIV)
Next I want you to draw your attention to the second half of God’s response to Gideon, let’s read the whole verse together again, verse 16:
The LORD answered, “I will be with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together.”
Judges 6:16 (NIV)
…and you will strike down all the Midianites…what? Together
God’s calling always involves working with others (the “together”) in community to accomplish Kingdom purposes.
A major component of God’s calling is always the “together” part. This is something that I could devote a whole message to but I want just simply highlight this, and focus on this:
A lot of grief could be avoided in your life if you remember that it’s not meant to be done alone. Often times in the Christian church we spend a lot of time talking about what we’re saved from (and it’s good to be reminded about) but not nearly enough time talking about what we’re saved for. We’re not only saved from the penalty of sin, the destination of hell, and the finality of death. But we are also saved to an incredible relationship with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and the creator of the Universe. And finally, We are saved for life in community with our God and Saviour and the building of His kingdom together with other citizens of heaven. This kingdom is something that becomes a reality in the midst of people who are living out God’s unique calling for their lives that fit’s like “pieces of a puzzle” with what God is doing through each and every citizen of His kingdom.
The apostle Paul understood this when He used the metaphor of the body to describe the church of Christ…
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
Ephesians 4:1 (NIV)
From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:16 (NIV)
Sometimes, (and often in the small things God calls us too) we can’t see how what we do makes a difference. But your obedience to God’s call in combination with everyone else’s faith-filled response is all part of God’s purposeful plan. No matter how insignificant you may feel your part to be, in the purposes of God – everything has significance. Remember that when God calls…we’re in this together
OPTIONAL – (NOT ON PPT SLIDE)
17 Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. 18 Please do not go away until I come back and bring my offering and set it before you.” And the LORD said, “I will wait until you return.” 19 Gideon went in, prepared a young goat, and from an ephah of flour he made bread without yeast. Putting the meat in a basket and its broth in a pot, he brought them out and offered them to him under the oak. 20 The angel of God said to him, “Take the meat and the unleavened bread, place them on this rock, and pour out the broth.” And Gideon did so. 21 With the tip of the staff that was in his hand, the angel of the LORD touched the meat and the unleavened bread. Fire flared from the rock, consuming the meat and the bread. And the angel of the LORD disappeared. 22 When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he exclaimed, “Ah, Sovereign LORD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
Judges 6:17-22 (NIV)
Here’s Gideon, he’s been threshing wheat in a winepress because of the threat of the Midianites. He knows that if he gets caught he’ll probably die and the food will be gone that his family needs. It seems like there’s no way out for this situation and that God has abandoned them. Then all of a sudden, this person appears and says the Lord is with Him (and calls him “Mighty Warrior” no less). Says that he’s going to be the one to lead the Israelites in battle against the Midianites. Go to war, so to speak. You know, bloodshed, the risk of dying (and the odds are kind of stacked against them – or at least on the surface). Then, when Gideon brings an offering to test if this is really a message from God, this person lights up the offering with fire from his staff and all of a sudden Gideon realizes that he has been in the presence of God.
But the LORD said to him, “Peace! Do not be afraid. You are not going to die.”
Judges 6:23 (NIV)
Then Gideon builds an altar,
So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace. To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6:24 (NIV)
Okay, hold on a minute here, what did Gideon name the altar again? “The Lord is Peace”. Interesting choice for a name wouldn’t you say? Here’s the thing…
Obeying the Call of God for your life brings peace.
Gideon rightly understood, that in spite of the circumstances of God showing up in His life – in spite of the where God was meeting Him – in spite of where God was calling Him to be – in spite of how difficult obedience to this call would be and the cost of obeying – God had promised Gideon He would be with him and friends when God calls and you obey you are with Him who is peace. God does not abandon those He calls and in His perfect will and direction, chaos may be swirling around you but you still know His peace. A peace that “surpasses all understanding” as the apostle Paul put it… a man for whom obeying the call of God led him into places where He was beaten, scorned, wrongfully put on trial, imprisoned, whipped, and shipwrecked.
It is a peace that sustained Gideon later on when he gathered the assembled motley crew of men, all 32,000 of them, ready for battle against a better equipped and more numerous Midianite army of over 100,000 men. A peace that sustained Gideon when God directed him to send 29,700 of those men home leaving just 300 to go into battle. A peace that dwelt with Gideon and these 300 when they rushed into the Midianite camp and God gave them victory.
Friends, when God calls, it may be tough and it may be difficult but “IT IS ALWAYS WORTH IT!”
CONCLUSION
I want to finish with this quote:
“Make no mistake about it, this drama and this Kingdom’s agenda is at the center of the meaning of cosmic history and your own individual story. Like a grand conductor who calls in the flutes at just the right time, your Father has brought you into the Cosmic Symphony at your unique place in time and space so you can be a vibrant outpost in your sphere of influence. In short, you are here to be an apprentice of the Lord Jesus to learn how to live your life well as part of God’s broader purposes. This is your calling, this is your destiny, this is your only chance to have a life of genuine, full human flourishing.” - J.P. Moreland, Kingdom Triangle (Zondervan, 2007)
PRAY and CONCLUSION:
Maybe some of you here today really don’t believe in this God stuff or put your faith in Jesus Christ – maybe you are here because you’re just checking things out or because someone invited you – I want you to know that God is calling you to Him this morning. God’s first call is always into relationship with Him. The first words God spoke to Gideon were, “The Lord is with you”. Do you know that God wants that for your life today?
The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.
Revelation 22:17 (NIV)
Won’t you heed His call to you today?
Maybe some of you are stuck in a rut. You know that it’s time for things to change and the Holy Spirit has pricked your conscience for some time – I want you to know that God has been calling you. You know what it is – maybe it’s something significant like a change in career, or to give up something that isn’t good for you. Maybe, it’s to offer your gifts and abilities to help someone in need or to serve His church. Maybe, it’s to do something in your place of work that will be an act of service to Jesus. I don’t know what it is but today you can choose to heed the call of God in your life. You’ve been restless, and discontent and without peace. Don’t let the difficulty or the weirdness of the call put you off any more – remember God is meeting you where you are, but He’s calling you to where He wants you to be. Won’t you heed His call to you today?
Then there might be some of you who are in the place you know God has for this season, you are heeding the call of God, let this message encourage you and reassure you even in the times where it seems like nothing is happening that God placed you where you are for such a time as this. We’re in this together – your part is an important component of God’s purposes for His kingdom. Rest in the peace God gives you for being obedient to His call. Continue to rely on His strength for accomplishing the purposes He has called you to. And be ever vigilant for His voice as He leads you forward.
A Worthy Call
Sunday, August 5th, 2007Podcast: Download
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INTRODUCTION
Today I’m continuing the series I’ve been preaching on the call of God. Recap:
- 1st message: I spoke on how God chose to have a unique, personal and real relationship with us. Because this relationship is unique for each one of us, God does not deal with all of us in the same way.
- 2nd message: I shared two important truths about the call of God that point to where it begins. First, “The Call of God isn’t so much about what He wants US to do FOR Him but more importantly about what HE wants us to do WITH US. Second, “The Effectiveness of God’s calling in our life depends on our response”.
- 3rd message: Our greatest struggle isn’t knowing what God desires of us; it is choosing to be obedient to God and His call in my life!Today’s message begins with this statement, “The Call of God is a Worthy Call!”…there are a lot of things that we do in life but there is no greater thing we could do than fulfilling what God’s plan is for our life!! And the message I am trying to get across is that God has a calling for every single person. As I’ve emphasized over and over in this series “All are called!” There is a purpose for your life. There is a reason why you are who you are. There is a significant reason for living. Until you know that purpose, until you embrace your life in Christ, until you live His life everything you do, everything you say, everything you experience will feel like it’s missing some ingredient, some component that would make it right.
One of the first things I notice in the text I’m preaching from today is Paul urging the Ephesians to live a life worthy of the calling they had received. In other words, God’s calling is valuable so make your life count – let your life be a testimony to the worthiness of God’s calling. It is not a trivial thing, it is not a temporary thing, it is not a tasteless thing – the call of God should be a primary guiding force in your life because as Christians, Jesus Christ is our life!! Paul recognized this when he described himself as a prisoner for the Lord.
In our text then this morning, Paul describes what constitutes living a life worthy of the calling you have received. In doing so we gain some further insight into understanding the calling of God for your life.
Fulfilling the calling of God results in unity among God’s people (vs. 2-5,11-12)
It is the primary nature of God’s call to promote unity among God’s people. Paul writes elsewhere that Christians are to be “ministers of reconciliation”. If you think God has called you to be served by other people then I think you’re reading a different Bible than mine. If you think God has called you to a place of more significance and value than another person then I think you’re reading a different Bible than mine.
The call of God is fundamentally the same for every single one of us.
At first you may think I’m contradicting myself because I know I have said at other times that God’s call on each one of us is unique. But these statements while seemingly oppose each other are actually different facets of the call of God.
We may all have different roles or parts that God wants us to play in His plan and His plan for each one of us is unique and based on how He has created us (as illustrated by Paul’s reference to how God gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers) BUT the fundamental call never changes… What is the fundamental call for every single one of us?
4 There is one body and one Spirit– just as you were called to one hope when you were called– 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Ephesians 4:4-6 (NIV)
Paul says, “just as you were called to one HOPE when you were called”… What is this “one Hope” that Paul is talking about? Hope here refers to a “favorable and confident expectation” having to do with the unseen and the future. It is confident in that this is something based on assurance of fulfillment rather than wishful thinking. This is the difference between Paul’s use of the word here and how it is commonly used today. When people use hope in a sentence what they are usually really saying is I’m not sure that this is going to happen but I sure wish that it does. Don’t we always say that before sitting down to fill out our income tax return or send off our tax information to the accountant? Come on, secretly aren’t we saying to ourselves, “I hope I get a nice refund…?” This is not how Paul is using the word hope. Using hope in this way is simply saying, “I’m not sure that I’ll get one, and in fact I probably won’t but I wish I would”. To take this analogy further – “hope” as Paul is using it would be better expressed in this context: After doing the calculations or receiving the news from the Accountant that the government owes you a refund, you say to yourself, “I hope the refund comes soon.” There, your hope is a confident expectation – there is no doubt you’ll receive the refund – you just haven’t got it yet. This is the nature of the Hope that Paul is talking about.
So if Paul is talking about a favorable and confident expectation here – and remember this is the fundamentally same call every single one of us have – then what is the expectation Paul is talking about? Clues that answer this question are scattered throughout the early letter’s to the church:
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Romans 8:22-25 (NIV)1 Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness– 2 a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, 3 and at his appointed season he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior,
Titus 1:1-3 (NIV)17 Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. 18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 20 He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. 21 Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
1 Peter 1:17-21 (NIV)24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25 I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness– 26 the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. 27 To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:24-27 (NIV)Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope,
1 Timothy 1:1 (NIV)
With these clues taken from these scriptures and others in Paul’s writings we learn that this confident expectation he is talking about here is…
Centered on Christ
Anytime Paul talks about this “hope” it is connected with the person and activity of Christ. He is the source for our hope, He is the fulfillment of hope, He is the continuation of hope. To the mind of Paul, apart from Christ there is no hope. In other words our future and our lives is wrapped up in the complete work and person of Jesus Christ who is Saviour and God. That is why the fundamental call that joins every believer together is the call to Christ. He is our hope. In this sense we also learn through Paul’s writings that this hope is…
Both something obtained and something yet to come
Paul frequently refers to this hope in the sense that what we hope for has already been obtained and yet is still to come. The “what” that He is talking about is life in Christ. Specifically a life that is complete, whole and full of the glory of God. In one sense this hope is fulfilled in the believer who places His life in God’s hands and trusts in the truth and validity of His word. In one sense this hope is fulfilled in the person who has willingly surrendered their lives to God and yielded control over to the one who created them.
In yet another sense there is the understanding that yes, we are made whole by Christ. Our sins, our failings, or selfishness are taken care of by the cross but yet there is still a process of becoming more like Him – even though we are assured as Paul wrote to the Colossian church of the mystery of Christ in us. There is the understanding that we hope (that is eagerly, and confidently look forward) to that day when we are no longer hampered by the failings of our flesh and the sinful mind. Where we are totally and completely whole in Christ.
This how the call of God is fundamentally the same for every single one of us.
The call of God will always lead you to a place of service. (4:11-12)
to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
Ephesians 4:12 (NIV)
Humility, gentleness, patience, bearing with one another in love are all qualities of a servant. It is in the place of a servant that we are of the greatest use to God. Those who serve God will always find themselves at some point serving people! Remember the greatest commandments Jesus mentioned were to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength and the second is to love your neighbor as yourself. Such love can only be found in the heart of a servant.
A quick way to evaluate whether something is indeed what God is calling you is to ask yourself if it involves serving.
It is the nature of a heart that serves to be in unity with other servants. This is why the call of God promotes unity among God’s people. We are all in service of the King together – we are all serving each other and the people God calls us to. There is no room for disunity, and for petty squabbles over recognition, reward, and pride in the Kingdom of God. Those things only lead to disunity.
Fulfilling the call of God results in maturity among God’s people.
If we had a church with a body of believers who were all seeking and fulfilling the call of God in their lives then you would have a church of unified, maturing Christians.
Ephesians 4:12-13 (NIV)
12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
What is maturity according to Paul? “Attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” It is reaching the place where Christ lives through you. It is attaining that place where people are attracted to Christ by how you live! It is living out the Hope that I talked about earlier.
When your life reflects the life of Christ then you are mature. Yet the external evidence of maturity is the natural outflow of what happens internally. Maturity is when you are “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (Romans 12:1-2). It is when your heart’s desires are prompted by the desires of God’s heart. It’s when what you believe lines up with God’s word. It’s when your motivations for what you do are sparked by the prompting of the Holy Spirit.
When you fulfill the call of God for your life you are taking a step towards maturity in your faith. People who are sure about the calling of God in their lives and are obedient to what He is asking them to do will not be swayed by the temporary offerings of this world. A church of such people will replicate and grow as God works through them to bring others into His family.
I like what Paul writes in the next few verses,
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Ephesians 4:14-16 (NIV)
conclusion
So after saying all this how do we live lives worthy of the calling we have received?
Ephesians 4:3 (NIV)
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
1. Recognize that God has called you!! And that His calling on your life is unique!
2. Believe that the call of God is something valuable.
3. Recognize that while the calling God has place on your life is unique, you are also part of a body of believers with a fundamentally unified call.
4. Evaluate what you are doing in light of what Paul says about God’s call…
- Do you contribute to the unity of the church? (humble, patient, bearing with one another in love)
- Are you leading people to Christ (knowledge of the Son of God)?
- Are you confident and certain in what God is telling you to do?
5. Be obedient to the call of God for your life!
God’s Resolution
Sunday, December 31st, 2006Podcast: Download
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INTRODUCTION
Have you ever wondered what people exactly mean when they say that they have a New Year?s Resolution? I have! In the dictionary resolution is defined as the act or process of resolving, the act of solving and determining or deciding on a course of action. Plain and simple, it means to find a solution to a problem and decide to put that solution in place. So, when people say they have a New Year?s resolution, they plan on fixing a problem in their life. This sounds like a good idea to me. I have even tried to keep a few New Years Resolutions, and do you know what? It doesn?t always work! I don?t know about you, but I have found that trying to change something in my life, is not always in my control!
Often times there is a wide gap between what we think are possible resolutions we should make for ourselves and what others think?
There was a couple who were sitting with a marriage counselor for their first session and the good doctor asked them to identify what seemed to be the root of their problems. The wife responded, ?It all started when we thought it would be cute to think up each other?s New Year?s resolutions? (Houston Post, 12/31/91, quoted in Autoillustrator.com, NEW YEAR?S RESOLUTIONS/FAULT FINDING.)
And there is even the wider gap between the resolutions we make and the ones that we actually follow through on.
I was thinking about this whole concept of New Year?s Resolutions and it struck me that a lot of our resolutions are centered on bettering ourselves. Think about it. Most of the resolutions we make are more about the all important me ? and improving, or trying to improve, the quality of life for ourselves. And yes, these goals we set are often good goals ? goals that would be admirable and often lead to a better quality of life not only for ourselves but for those around us as well.
But then, as the year rolls around isn?t it funny how when those resolutions become empty shells we often shift the blame to someone or something else for it?s unfulfillment! And then it?s so easy to say, ?Next year will be different!?
As I pondered all this, a question kept popping up in my mind, ?What about God? What is His resolution for my life?? Indeed, as I thought about it, I realized that no matter what resolution I made for the New Year ? if it wasn?t centered in his desire and plan for my life then it would amount to nothing. Yet, if my resolutions are founded on the instruction of the Holy Spirit then I can find strength and resolve in the Lord?s completing those resolutions through me in the New Year!
Then I started to think further about what God?s resolution is for my life. I quickly found that this is a question that isn?t easily answerable. I mean, it?s not like God was spelling out a list for me that took me from A-B outlining what his specific desires were for me in the next year. Certainly a good place to begin looking would be in God?s word ? but then it?s easy to be overwhelmed with the number of commands and instructions found within. ?be holy?, ?do not lie?, ?give generously?, ?be pure?, ?be righteous? ? how can I be all these things? And then I think to myself, ?okay, if this is what God wants then I resolve that this year I will?? But then we?re right back to the cycle of making the resolution and then breaking it. In fact looking back upon previous year?s you often find this cycle repeated over and over again. Sometimes it seems better to resolve nothing in order to gain something.
Then I realized something that really caught my heart, my mind, and my attention. Sometimes what is on the surface is not always revealing of the whole picture. All these ?commands? and ?instructions? found within the Bible are not the ?resolutions? God wants us to make but the fruits of the resolution God Himself has made found in the lives of those who have discovered and embraced it. What is this resolution God has made? It is a resolution that runs all through the Bible, surfacing clearly and distinctly in only a few places ? yet it permeates every theme, every character, every story, and every truth found within.
One of the places where this resolution surfaces is found at the end of our text today from Ephesians 1:3-10 (which was read this morning). I would like to repeat verse 9 and 10 to you.
Ephesians 1:9-10 (NIV)
9 And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment–to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
PRAY
God?s resolution is that all things in heaven and earth will be brought together under one head, Jesus Christ. This resolution had also surfaced in a conversation between a man, named Abraham, and God in Genesis 17:7-8,
Genesis 17:7-8 (KJV)
7 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.
God made an invitation to Abraham in Genesis that He has also extended to us today. God said that He would be Abraham?s God. Abraham did not first choose God. God first chose Abraham and offered to be his God.
Later, the descendants of Abraham, the children of Israel, multiplied and were living in Egypt. In Egypt they forgot about their God and worshipped the gods of the Egyptians. As a result the children of Israel became slaves in the land of Egypt. When they finally woke up and cried unto God, God extended to them the same invitation He had made to Abraham: to be their God.
Exodus 6:7 (NIV)
7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.
The children of Israel left Egypt to worship the Lord God in the wilderness and move into the promised land of Canaan where once again they would worship the one true God. However, they had become so accustomed to worshipping other gods that they kept asking Moses to take them back into bondage. God in His great love continued to extend His invitation to be their God and remind them of the things He had done and would do for them if they would only take Him at His word and let Him be their God.
Leviticus 22:32-33 (NIV)
32 Do not profane my holy name. I must be acknowledged as holy by the Israelites. I am the LORD, who makes you holy 33 and who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD.”Leviticus 25:38 (NIV)
38 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.Leviticus 26:12 (NIV)
12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
Numbers 15:41 (NIV)
41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.’”
God emphasized over and over to the children of Israel that He wanted them to be His people and that He wanted to be their God. What a wonderful invitation. But God had already determined that Israel would not be the only recipients of this invitation.
Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
And so the nations have been and are being blessed by the ?seed? of Abraham ? for as we follow the lineage traced in the book of Matthew we find Jesus listed as the seed of Abraham. DISCOVER this morning the invitation that God has placed not only before Abraham but also to every person on this planet through Jesus Christ ? ?I will be YOUR God?!
This, then, is God?s Resolution ? to be Your God. However we can?t stop there. For you see although His resolution ? His decision is to be your God ? His desire is for you to embrace Him as Your God. And God?s resolution will come to pass ? Ephesians 1:9-10 emphasizes that all things in heaven and on earth will be brought together under one head, Jesus Christ ? however, only those who have embraced God?s Resolution will receive the benefits of His desire being fulfilled in their lives.
There is another place in Scripture which talks about God?s Resolution that brings more understanding to this statement. The book of Revelation is a book about the last days and the ?times of fulfillment? that Paul writes about in Ephesians. Without going into any great detail in today?s message about the contents of this book let me summarize it by saying this. There is a day, a time period, a point at which this planet will go through something it has never experienced before and no one will want to be a part of. There will be many catastrophes during this time. It will be a time of great tribulation ? and great suffering and anguish. There is an event that I would like to pick up on in Revelation that has great significance:
Revelation 20:11-15 (NIV)
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
I can confidently say that in the future for every single one of us will be a day where we stand before God and He will either be Our God or not be our God. And for those who do not know Him as their God their destination is grim. But now I?d like to read a few verses found after this time of judgement:
Revelation 21:1-8 (NIV)
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars–their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
This passage in Revelations is what Paul is writing about in Ephesians 1:9-10. Paul is writing about the fulfillment of God?s Resolution ? that He would be Your God. A resolution that only comes to pass in your life as you embrace it.
And this folks is where God?s Resolution is echoed forth in his calling. For He is calling out to each one of you.
Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)
18 I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
Do you know that God has and is calling each one of you? This calling is found in the first part of the scripture read this morning:
holy and blameless (vs 4)
Ephesians 1:4 (NIV)
4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.
Notice the similarity between God?s call here and that found?
Genesis 17:1 (NIV)
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
Deuteronomy 18:13 (NIV)
13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.Leviticus 11:44-45 (NIV)
44 I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy? 45 I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.
Here, in this passage we find the first inkling as to why God emphasizes the need for holiness and blameless ? it is because God is holy and blameless ? let?s read further ?
Psalm 15:1-2 (NIV)
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless ?Hebrews 12:14 (NIV)
14 Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord.
The truth of the matter is that it is only those who are holy and blameless who can approach a holy and blameless God. We find these two words used again in 2 Peter 3:10-14 when Peter refers to the Day of the Lord which we have already talked about.
2 Peter 3:10-14 (NIV)
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. 11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. 14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.
So God?s call to those who would embrace His resolution to be their God is to be Holy and Blameless before Him. The next question is How? And this is answered in verses 5-6.
adopted as sons
Ephesians 1:5-6 (NIV)
5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will– 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
You become holy and blameless by becoming sons of God plain and simple. Isn?t this awesome ? God calls us to be Holy and Blameless in his sight by adopting us as His children! With this adoption comes a wonderful promise as found in Galatians 3:26-29?
Galatians 3:26-29 (NIV)
26 You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27 for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Notice the last verse ? heirs according to the promise. What is the biggest promise God gave to Abraham? ?I will be Your God and you will be mine!?
But this can still leave us hanging a bit ? God?s call to those who would embrace his resolution is to be holy and blameless and this occurs when we are adopted as His sons but then the question is ?How are we adopted as His sons?? The answer is in verse 7-8.
redemption/forgiveness (vs 7)
Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)
7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.
In who? Verse 5 tells us who ? In Christ, we have redemption through his blood?
God?s resolution is that He would be Our God. It would have been impossible if He had left it at that. When He made that statement to Abraham He followed up on it by telling Abraham what to do in order to make that possible (see Genesis 17:9). God established his covenant with Abraham and the Israelites by giving them the law that they could follow to show that they embraced His resolution. Through Moses, God set up a sacrificial system which necessitated the shedding of the blood of ?clean? animals to bring the forgiveness of sins for those who offered the sacrifices. Because sin demanded death it was only through the smoke of the sacrifices that the Israelites could know God?s favor by having their sins covered by the blood of the sacrifices. This would give them the appearance of being holy and blameless before God. It was their faith in the sacrifice that made this possible.
But this system of the law was set up merely to show how impossible it is for man to measure up to God?s standards of holiness and blamelessness. Truly, it is only by God?s grace that forgiveness of sins can be obtained and thus the fulfillment of God?s Resolution realized. And it is into this arena that the well known verse John 3:16 comes to mind.
John 3:16 (NIV)
16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
It was through the blood of Christ shed on the cross that the grace of God is released to all who will receive it. His sacrifice, ?once and for all? made possible not only for the forgiveness of sins, but also our adoption as sons and thus us not only appearing but being holy and blameless before God. Do you know what that means? It means that for those who embrace God?s resolution for their lives you ARE HOLY AND BLAMELESS before God. He doesn?t look at you and say, ?O look at that wretched creature?, He looks at you and says, ?Come here, my child?!
CONCLUSION
Many of us begin the new year with different resolutions that often by year end leave us feeling defeated and hopeless. But this year I invite you to discover or rediscover the Resolution God has made. The language Paul uses in this passage found in his letter to the Ephesians emphasizes that God chose us first. He called us to HIS OWN purpose and grace. It is his resolution to be our God AND our Father! BUT it is a resolution that will only be fulfilled when we embrace it.
Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV)
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.
PRAY
To those who don?t believe in God:
- whether you believe in God or not is moot ? the fact is, God believes in you and wants to be your God and wants you to know His love in your life. There will be a day that all of us will face where your unbelief will be brought up short as you realize that He exists. This moment will be the most fearful moment of all eternity as you are confronted with the realization that He is not your God and He doesn?t recognize you as one of His. To you I say right now, there is nothing to lose by believing in Him and embracing His resolution and receiving the gift of His son Jesus Christ. But you have everything to lose if you fail..
To those who aren?t sure what to believe:
- many faiths and many different positions have probably floated around your heart and your mind. But you?ve probably discovered that there seems to be no faith that is more demanding than this one. It seems there is no other faith that claims to be the ?only way to salvation?, or contains such a seemingly narrow and rigid view of God and Heaven. And then, you?re probably not even sure you?d like to believe in a loving God sending someone to hell. To you I shout the wake up call. Hell is not a creation of our loving God but a necessity for a sinful Evil. God does not choose hell for anyone ? He chooses that all would be with Him in eternal life ? that?s why He went to such GREAT lengths and sacrifice to make this possible. It is our OWN choice or LACK of choice that condemns us to hell. Why does a loving parent tell their child not to play on a busy road? Or why is their the concept of Law and Order in a Free society? The point is that with the entrance of sin into the world there needed to be a plan for the dealing and healing of sin ? and sin can only be dealt with by destroying it so that the healing of it?s effects may take place. This view may seem narrow and may appear rigid ? and it is so ? but that doesn?t mean it isn?t right. On the day of judgment the only words that will ensure you life are, ?I am one of Yours Lord, I am your son through Jesus Christ? Don?t waste another moment, study the word of God ? not books about the Bible ? not what others say about it ? but study it yourself. Everyone who enters into a serious study of the Bible in an attempt to discover God find Him and find Christ. Don?t wait ? embrace God?s resolution for your life.
To those who nervous or scared or afraid of what this next step will bring:
- Don?t be nervous, don?t be scared, don?t be afraid. Be reassured ? God loves you! No matter what problems you bring ? no matter what past you bring ? not matter what you bring ? come to God and let Him be Your God. Know that for those who embrace His resolution for their life Paul writes,
Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)
38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
To those who are Christians who feel distant from God:
- Don?t let your feelings get in the way of the truth of your status in God?s eyes. You are his child! And just as children go astray sometimes, we too are apt to do this. But the fact remains that in a loving way God will bring us back to Him and even now He is doing that. Don?t run away from the discipline of God but embrace it ? for He is your Father and He is Your God!
To those who have embraced God?s Resolution for their life and are Christians in name and belief and are serving Him wholeheartedly and with joy:
- Let this message be a challenge and a reminder to keep in your heart of the fact that God has made you his own. Let it be an encouragement that it is through His work of grace and mercy that we are His children (not by anything we can do). And let it be a motivation to express God?s resolution to all we come in contact with so that they too can come into a wonderful relationship with Jesus Christ.