ARE YOU CALLED?
EPH. 4:1-16 4/20/08
INTRO: A FRIEND SAID SOMETHING TO ME SEVERAL MONTHS AGO ABOUT HIS SPIRITUAL GROWTH OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS FINALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT IT IS TO BE “CALLED” AND THAT NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THIS TRUTH. HE SPOKE WITH LOTS OF WISDOM WHEN HE SAID THOSE WORDS AND WHAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS MORNING IS A DEEPER LOOK INTO THE INSIGHT THAT HOLY SPIRIT HAS REVEALED TO THIS MAN.
WHAT IS IT TO BE CALLED BY GOD? GODS CALLING ON A PERSONS LIFE IS THE REVELATION THAT MY LIFE IS NOT IN MY CONTROL NOR AM I THE MASTER OF MY OWN LIFE.
WHO IS CALLED BY GOD? GOD, TO COMPLETE HIS KINGDOM, CALLS EVERY CHRISTIAN. EVERY ONE!
HOW DOES GOD CALL SOMEONE? JESUS SAVES THEM!
WHAT IS EXPECTED OF SOMEONE WHO IS CALLED? USE THE GIFTS AND TALENTS AND ABILITIES GOD HAS GIVEN YOU TO BRING GLORY TO HIM, HIS SON AND HIS WORD. THIS IS MOSTLY DONE THRU THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE BRIDE OF JESUS THE CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD. FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THAT WOULD BE US!
LETS SEE WHAT WE CAN FIND OUT ABOUT THIS CALLING AND HOW IT WORKS THIS MORNING. FIRST ….
I. YOU ARE CALLED V1
“LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF THE CALLING YOU HAVE
RECEIVED.”
A. EVERY CHRISTIAN IS CALLED 2 THESS. 2:13-14
“HE CALLED YOU ….. THAT YOU MIGHT SHARE IN THE GLORY OF OUR
LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
TO BE CALLED IS GLORY WORK AND ALL ARE CALLED
B. EVERY MEMBER A MINISTER – OF SOME KIND!
ILL: IN REAL LIFE CHURCH IF YOU’RE GOING, TO BE A DISCIPLE YOU
MUST UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE A MINISTER. WE ALL HAVE A
MINISTRY. MEN – WOMEN – CHILDREN – YOUTH – ADMINISTRATION –
MISSIONS – WORSHIP – FELLOWSHIP – TEACHING AND DISCIPLING –
MENTORING - SERVING OTHERS IN SOME MINISTRY.
IF YOUR NOT GOING TO ACCEPT GODS CALL TO SHARE IN, THE GLORY OF JESUS CHRIST THEN YOU WILL NOT BE FULFILLED IN THIS CHURCH. GOD IS CALLING EVERY MEMBER TO SAY YES LORD I WILL ACCEPT YOUR CALLING ON MY LIFE.
II. YOU ARE GIFTED FOR YOUR CALLING V11
V11 “GAVE” = CALLED
V12-15 WHY GOD GIVES GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
V16 “…AS EACH PART DOES ITS PART.”
EACH PART OF THE BODY IS CALLED!
MOST OF YOU, MAYBE ALL, HAVE NEVER BEEN IN A CHURCH, WHERE YOU WERE NOT ONLY ALLOWED, BUT ENCOURAGED TO SERVE GOD AS HE HAS CALLED AND GIFTED YOU TO SERVE. I WANT YOU TO ASK YOURSELF A QUESTION, WHAT IS THE ONE THING THAT HAS BURNED IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD HAS “CALLED YOU TO DO? WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR SERVING GOD? THAT DREAM IS YOUR CALLING? GOD HAS GIVEN YOU THE GIFTS AND ABILITIES TO DO THAT WORK, BUT YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED HIS CALL,. FOR SOME IT IS BECAUSE OF FEAR OF FAILURE,SOME OF YOU HAVE NOT ACCEPTED THIS CALLING BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE MODERN CHURCH. NO MORE! REAL LIFE CHURCH IS GOING TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT DREAM COME TRUE.
WE WILL NOT DO IT FOR YOU BUT HELP YOU TO DO IT. V12
III. YOU ARE CHALLENGED TO BE CALLED AS ONE V2-7
REAL LIFE CHURCH WILL TAKE ALL OF US, CALLED TOGETHER, USING THE
GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT AND THE TALENTS AND ABILITIES OF GOD IN US, TO
BE WHAT THE LORD WANTS US TO BE. WE WILL BE ONE WITH CHRIST BECAUSE
THE BIBLE SAYS WE ARE AND WE MUST BE ONE WITH EACH OTHER IF WE ARE
TO BE THAT CHURCH JESUS WANTS US TO BE.
V7 “TO EACH OF US GRACE HAS BEEN GIVEN AS CHRIST APPORTIONED
IT.” GRACE IS NOT FOR US, BUT FOR US TO GIVE TO OTHERS, THEN THE
ABOVE VERSE WORKS!
YOU ARE CALLED, GIFTED AND CHALLENGED, HOW ARE YOU GOING RESPOND TO GOD NOW?
PRAY
TODAY I TELL YOU THAT THE LORD IS CHALLENGING EACH OF US TO MAKE A DEEPER, HIGHER COMMITMENT TO A REAL CHRISTIAN LIFE THAN WE HAVE EVER MADE BEFORE.
GOD HAS CALLED US ALL. IS THAT CALLING TO THIS CHURCH? TO BE PART OF THIS GREAT WORK HE IS DOING IN OUR COMMUNITY? IF IT IS THEN EACH OF US WILL BE EXPECTED TO USE THE GIFTS, THE LORD HAS BLESSED US WITH TO DO OUR CALLED MINISTRY WITHIN THIS CHURCH BODY.
YOU WILL BE CHALLENGED TO MAKE THIS YOUR SPIRITUAL FAMILY AND THIS WORLD YOUR SPIRITUAL MISSION FIELD. IF YOU’RE HERE, TODAY GOD IS CALLING YOU. HE IS CALLING YOU TO A HIGHER AND DEEPER LEVEL OF LIVING IN CHRIST THAN YOU HAVE EVER HAD BEFORE! ARE YOU READY TO SURRENDER YOURSELF TO HIM AND ACCEPT HIS CALLING, RECEIVE HIS GIFTS AND MEET THE CHALLENGE OF GROWING GODS KINGDOM THRU THIS CHURCH?
I AM READY. COME AND LETS PRAY OVER YOUR CALLING?
