WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.679 One of the most beloved verses in the Bible is 2 00:00:04.759 --> 00:00:08.919 Romans eight twenty eight. So verse you've probably heard many, many, 3 00:00:08.960 --> 00:00:12.000 maybe hundreds of times. It's one of the great promises 4 00:00:12.039 --> 00:00:14.199 of the Bible, and it says this at the top 5 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:20.879 of your outline, we know that in all things God 6 00:00:21.440 --> 00:00:25.719 works for the good of those who love him. And 7 00:00:25.839 --> 00:00:28.399 usually we stop right there, we leave off the second 8 00:00:28.399 --> 00:00:31.239 half of the verse, and we say, what a great promise. 9 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:33.679 We know that in all things. 10 00:00:33.520 --> 00:00:36.039 Not just the good things in life, but even in 11 00:00:36.119 --> 00:00:39.079 the bad things, the ugly things, the terrible, the tragic 12 00:00:39.119 --> 00:00:43.240 things of life. In all things, God works for the 13 00:00:43.280 --> 00:00:45.600 good of those who love Him. Doesn't say they're good. 14 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:47.520 There's a lot of bad in life. There's a lot 15 00:00:47.520 --> 00:00:49.600 of bad things happening in your life, not all things 16 00:00:49.600 --> 00:00:52.640 that happen to your good. But God says all things, 17 00:00:52.759 --> 00:00:55.439 God works them together for good. 18 00:00:56.119 --> 00:00:59.280 He can bring good out of even bad for those 19 00:00:59.359 --> 00:00:59.920 who love God. 20 00:01:00.439 --> 00:01:03.280 And usually we stop the verse right there. But the 21 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:05.719 rest of the verse says this, We know that in 22 00:01:05.760 --> 00:01:07.840 all things God works for the good of those who 23 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:11.959 love Him, who have been called circle the word called, 24 00:01:12.319 --> 00:01:17.719 who have been called according to His purpose and circle 25 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:21.799 the word purpose, circle called and circle purpose, and draw 26 00:01:21.799 --> 00:01:27.000 a line between them because calling and purpose go together. Now, 27 00:01:27.040 --> 00:01:28.599 if I were to say to you, what do you 28 00:01:28.680 --> 00:01:31.760 think of first when I say the word call, make 29 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:35.719 a call, get a call, be called, you think of 30 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:40.439 a telephone and maybe they calling out for pizza, you know, 31 00:01:40.519 --> 00:01:44.319 something like that. When I have to be honest with you, 32 00:01:44.359 --> 00:01:47.400 a little true confession, as your pastor, I don't like telephones. 33 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:52.120 I never have because telephones to me represent two things. 34 00:01:52.519 --> 00:01:56.879 Number One, they represent an interruption. And maybe they don't 35 00:01:56.959 --> 00:01:58.599 seem like an interruption to you, but if you were 36 00:01:58.599 --> 00:02:01.920 a pastor, you would be on call twenty four hours 37 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:02.439 a day. 38 00:02:03.239 --> 00:02:04.599 Like doctors are. 39 00:02:04.840 --> 00:02:07.439 I get calls twenty four hours a day, often in 40 00:02:07.480 --> 00:02:10.280 the middle of the night, and so when the phone rings, 41 00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:14.919 it usually means it rings when I'm busy or I'm relaxing, 42 00:02:15.479 --> 00:02:20.240 or I'm studying, or I'm sleeping, or I'm talking with 43 00:02:20.319 --> 00:02:25.599 somebody else or whatever. But it represents the interruption. The 44 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:27.680 second thing reason I don't like it is because in 45 00:02:27.719 --> 00:02:29.319 my case, it often. 46 00:02:29.199 --> 00:02:30.960 Or normally means bad news. 47 00:02:32.120 --> 00:02:36.680 Somebody's calling and tell me about somebody's just died, somebody's 48 00:02:36.719 --> 00:02:39.680 just lost a loved one, somebody's gone been rushed to 49 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:41.759 the hospital, somebody's just found. 50 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:43.080 Out a cancer test. 51 00:02:43.319 --> 00:02:45.280 And as a pastor, of course, I deal with people 52 00:02:45.319 --> 00:02:49.319 in pain literally every day of my life. And so 53 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:52.000 when the phone rings, I'm not thinking I wonder if 54 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:57.599 I just won the lottery. First place, I don't use 55 00:02:57.639 --> 00:03:02.080 the lottery, which you shouldn't either. By the way, if 56 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:03.400 you want to do the lotter, here's what you do. 57 00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:06.680 Come outside and just give me the money, okay, because 58 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:08.680 you're not going to get anything out of it. I 59 00:03:08.759 --> 00:03:10.360 might as well put it to use and use it 60 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:14.479 for the peace plan. But but you know, let's say 61 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:17.960 the phone rang one day and you thought this is 62 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:20.560 an interruption or it's going to be bad news. But 63 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:22.280 somebody who was calling to tell you you had just 64 00:03:22.360 --> 00:03:26.000 inherited fifty million dollars. You would not want to miss 65 00:03:26.000 --> 00:03:32.120 that call. What if God called you? Let me give 66 00:03:32.159 --> 00:03:34.560 you a little tip. When God calls, you do not 67 00:03:34.759 --> 00:03:40.840 use call waiting. When God calls, you do not put 68 00:03:40.840 --> 00:03:44.560 it on the answer voicemail. When God calls, you do 69 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:46.759 not let it ring and ring and ring and ring. 70 00:03:46.800 --> 00:03:50.479 Pick it up on the first call. When God calls you. 71 00:03:51.080 --> 00:03:54.960 Now the Bible says you have already been called. You 72 00:03:55.080 --> 00:03:59.360 have been called according to His purpose. A couple verses 73 00:03:59.360 --> 00:04:02.479 down from that, Romans eight thirty, it says this, look 74 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:08.599 here on the screen. Those that God predestined he also called, 75 00:04:09.560 --> 00:04:13.240 and those he called he also justified, and those he 76 00:04:13.560 --> 00:04:16.920 justified he also glorified. Now that's a lot of big 77 00:04:16.959 --> 00:04:19.000 theological words, and we're going to cover some of those 78 00:04:19.000 --> 00:04:21.759 in the weeks ahead. But the word I wants to 79 00:04:21.759 --> 00:04:24.199 focus on as we begin live your calling is that 80 00:04:24.240 --> 00:04:29.079 word called. The Bible says you have been called by God. 81 00:04:29.120 --> 00:04:31.560 What does that mean? The word in the Greek is 82 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:35.439 the word callao k a l e o calaioh. It's 83 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:40.800 almost like calleaioh call, and the word calaoh means God 84 00:04:40.879 --> 00:04:44.160 is calling you. And it's used about one hundred times 85 00:04:44.160 --> 00:04:47.360 in the New Testament, over one hundred times, and most 86 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:51.959 of the time it's talking about your assignment in life, 87 00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:58.879 your purpose in life, your mission in life, the reason 88 00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:04.199 God created it is called your calling. Now in purpose 89 00:05:04.279 --> 00:05:06.480 driven Life forty Days of Purpose, we looked at the 90 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:10.879 word purpose, but actually the word calling, which refers to 91 00:05:11.199 --> 00:05:14.120 the same thing, is used ten times more than the 92 00:05:14.120 --> 00:05:17.920 word purpose in the Bible ten times more to refer 93 00:05:18.000 --> 00:05:22.519 to your assignment, your purpose, the reason you exist, why 94 00:05:22.680 --> 00:05:25.480 God made you, What on earth am I here for? 95 00:05:26.279 --> 00:05:27.920 And in the next six weeks we're going to look 96 00:05:27.920 --> 00:05:30.240 at why am I alive? And what am I supposed 97 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.319 to do with my life? And if forty days of 98 00:05:32.360 --> 00:05:36.800 purpose was kindergarten, now we're moving a step up and 99 00:05:36.839 --> 00:05:42.199 we're going into the advanced class on God's calling on 100 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.160 your life. Now, the Greek word is the word caleao 101 00:05:45.279 --> 00:05:48.319 for calling. The Latin word is another word you've heard 102 00:05:48.360 --> 00:05:51.160 of for calling, and it is the word vocation. 103 00:05:52.079 --> 00:05:53.680 You've heard of that a vocation. 104 00:05:54.240 --> 00:05:57.560 Vocation comes from the Latin word vos vosera. 105 00:05:58.360 --> 00:06:00.839 It means to speak at me, to call. 106 00:06:01.040 --> 00:06:04.240 We get the word voice, we get the word vocal, 107 00:06:04.839 --> 00:06:08.920 vocalized comes from the word vocation. It is your calling. 108 00:06:09.079 --> 00:06:12.920 So your vocation and your calling are the same thing. Now, 109 00:06:12.920 --> 00:06:16.680 here's the problem today, the word vocation has been so 110 00:06:16.839 --> 00:06:21.199 reduced and so minimized to just mean my job, my career. 111 00:06:21.839 --> 00:06:26.120 Your calling is not your career. I'm going to explain 112 00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:29.000 that in detail in the weeks ahead. But your calling 113 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:33.439 is not your career. Your calling is far far far 114 00:06:33.639 --> 00:06:39.120 far far far far more significant, far larger, far more 115 00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:43.759 all encompassing than your career. So your vocation is misused 116 00:06:43.759 --> 00:06:45.480 when you say my vocation is my job. 117 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:46.839 No, you have a job. 118 00:06:47.079 --> 00:06:50.199 But your vocation is your calling in life. And we 119 00:06:50.399 --> 00:06:54.879 are going to study that. The Bible, this book is 120 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:59.560 the story of God calling people, and the whole Bible 121 00:06:59.639 --> 00:07:05.279 is about God calling Noah, God calling Abraham, and Abraham responding, 122 00:07:05.519 --> 00:07:09.639 God calling Moses for a purpose in life, and Moses responding. 123 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:16.279 God calling Nehemiah, who was a builder. God calling Isaiah 124 00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:20.240 and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and Hoseiah and Joel, 125 00:07:20.480 --> 00:07:24.480 and God calling David, and God calling Solomon. In the 126 00:07:24.519 --> 00:07:28.639 New Testament, God calling Peter and Paul and Mary. And 127 00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:35.439 if you laughed at that, you are incredibly old. Okay, 128 00:07:35.720 --> 00:07:37.439 some twenty something Peter, Paul, Mary. 129 00:07:37.480 --> 00:07:39.519 I don't get it. I don't get it. 130 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:45.600 Okay, God calling Paul, and God has a call on 131 00:07:45.680 --> 00:07:48.439 every person's life. Now, as your pastor, my prayer for 132 00:07:48.480 --> 00:07:50.279 you is going to be this verse there on your 133 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:58.040 outline Ephesians chapter one. My prayer is that light will 134 00:07:58.079 --> 00:08:01.560 flood your hearts. You know when we sing that song 135 00:08:01.639 --> 00:08:03.360 open the eyes of my heart. Lord, you know that 136 00:08:03.439 --> 00:08:07.240 song that's from this verse, that's from this verse. My 137 00:08:07.399 --> 00:08:10.600 prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that 138 00:08:10.680 --> 00:08:16.639 you will understand the hope, the hope that was given 139 00:08:16.680 --> 00:08:21.439 to you when God called you. Now understand the calling 140 00:08:21.480 --> 00:08:23.839 on your life. When you understand you, when you understand 141 00:08:23.879 --> 00:08:27.720 your call in life, is going to give you incredible hope. 142 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:30.000 And he says, I want you to understand that. He says, 143 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:32.799 when you do, when you understand God's calling on your life, 144 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.759 then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be 145 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:47.159 yours together with all of God's people. He said, when 146 00:08:47.200 --> 00:08:51.519 you know your calling, you understand, then you discover the 147 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:56.320 incredible blessings that you've been missing out on. The reason 148 00:08:56.360 --> 00:08:59.000 I'm so excited about the next six weeks together. 149 00:09:00.240 --> 00:09:03.879 To take you to a whole another level. 150 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:08.919 To understand the glorious blessings that God wants to do 151 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.120 in your life. Now, what we're going to do today 152 00:09:12.480 --> 00:09:15.080 is I'm just going to introduce this subject and give 153 00:09:15.080 --> 00:09:18.639 you an overview of eight things you need to know. 154 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:21.679 I'm going to summarize one hundred different verses on calling 155 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:24.159 in the Bible, and give you the eight things you 156 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:27.440 need to know about your calling in life and why 157 00:09:27.480 --> 00:09:28.600 we're going to do this together. 158 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:43.559 Do you ever wonder if your life really matters or 159 00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:46.759 what on earth you're here for. Pastor Rick wants to 160 00:09:46.840 --> 00:09:49.519 let you know that God has a good plan and 161 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:53.320 purpose for your life. In his best selling book, The 162 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:57.360 Purpose Driven Life, he lays out a simple, life changing 163 00:09:57.480 --> 00:10:01.159 roadmap to help you discover and live it. This book 164 00:10:01.240 --> 00:10:05.200 has transformed millions of lives and it could transform someone 165 00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:09.519 you love. And great news it's been updated for today's generation. 166 00:10:10.039 --> 00:10:13.679 This edition includes a video introduction and audio teaching from 167 00:10:13.720 --> 00:10:17.799 Pastor Rick for each chapter, and two powerful bonus chapters 168 00:10:17.799 --> 00:10:20.799 on the biggest barriers to living a purpose driven life. 169 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:23.600 As you go through this book, you'll uncover that your 170 00:10:23.679 --> 00:10:27.879 deepest meaning and fulfillment doesn't come from success or status, 171 00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:31.240 but from understanding and living out the purpose that God 172 00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:34.759 created you for. Request your copy today. When you give 173 00:10:34.799 --> 00:10:38.360 a gift to help daily Hope share the Gospel around 174 00:10:38.360 --> 00:10:42.840 the world, it's our way of saying thanks. By the way, 175 00:10:43.480 --> 00:10:46.720 this month, only any gift you give will be matched 176 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:48.960 up to one hundred thousand dollars. 177 00:10:54.200 --> 00:10:56.879 So let's look at eight things I need to know 178 00:10:57.759 --> 00:10:59.320 about my calling in life? 179 00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:02.399 Why God put me here on earth? Write these down. 180 00:11:03.039 --> 00:11:03.559 Number one. 181 00:11:04.080 --> 00:11:05.879 The first thing we learned from God's word is this, 182 00:11:06.320 --> 00:11:11.440 my calling is a gift from God. My calling is 183 00:11:11.480 --> 00:11:15.360 a gift from God. I don't earn it. I don't 184 00:11:15.399 --> 00:11:19.600 deserve it. I don't work for it. I don't bargain 185 00:11:19.679 --> 00:11:22.440 for it. I don't barter for it. It's just a 186 00:11:22.480 --> 00:11:26.320 flat out gift of God's grace. It is His present 187 00:11:26.519 --> 00:11:30.639 to me. When He created me, he called me, and 188 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:34.919 it's all by grace. Galatians Chapter one says this, God, 189 00:11:35.600 --> 00:11:41.879 by his grace through Christ, has called you to become 190 00:11:42.240 --> 00:11:45.120 his people. Now circle the phrase by his grace. What 191 00:11:45.399 --> 00:11:51.720 is grace? Grace is undeserved kindness. Undeserved kindness. It's when 192 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:55.159 God gives you what you need, now what you deserve. 193 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:58.200 If we all got what we deserved, we wouldn't be here. 194 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:02.200 The fact is, God says, I give you what you need, 195 00:12:02.279 --> 00:12:04.519 not what you deserve. Grace is the fact that God 196 00:12:04.600 --> 00:12:07.080 knows every dumb mistake you're going to make in life, 197 00:12:07.200 --> 00:12:10.440 and he still chose to create you. He knew all 198 00:12:10.480 --> 00:12:12.200 the times you were going to disobey him. And he 199 00:12:12.240 --> 00:12:14.919 still chose to create you. That is the grace of God. 200 00:12:15.639 --> 00:12:18.159 The fact is grace is that God knows all the 201 00:12:18.200 --> 00:12:20.080 things I've done. And even when I was thumbing my 202 00:12:20.120 --> 00:12:23.879 nose to him and rejecting him, God was saying. 203 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:25.639 I love you, I love you, I love you. 204 00:12:26.240 --> 00:12:29.519 Now your calling is actually a part of your salvation. 205 00:12:30.360 --> 00:12:33.919 The calling to Christ is also the calling to your purpose. 206 00:12:34.480 --> 00:12:38.120 Two Timothy one nine says He has saved us and 207 00:12:38.440 --> 00:12:41.679 called us. Notice they go together. Saved us and called 208 00:12:41.759 --> 00:12:46.000 us to a holy life, not because of anything we've done, 209 00:12:46.120 --> 00:12:51.080 but because of his own purpose and grace, his purpose 210 00:12:51.399 --> 00:12:56.000 and his grace. So God gives gives me a calling 211 00:12:56.039 --> 00:12:57.960 in life simply because He wants to give me a 212 00:12:58.000 --> 00:13:00.080 calling life. I don't deserve it, He just gives it 213 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:02.399 to me. Now circle the word purpose on that verse, 214 00:13:02.679 --> 00:13:05.039 because that leads us to the second thing we learn, 215 00:13:05.240 --> 00:13:10.600 and is this, I am called for God's purpose, not mine, 216 00:13:10.799 --> 00:13:15.240 but God's. I'm not called for God's God's I'm not 217 00:13:15.279 --> 00:13:18.080 called for my plan in life. I'm called for God's plan. 218 00:13:18.879 --> 00:13:23.039 God did not make you for you. You think God 219 00:13:23.120 --> 00:13:26.240 created you just to live a selfish little life of 220 00:13:26.399 --> 00:13:27.279 self centeredness. 221 00:13:27.279 --> 00:13:29.159 It's all about me, me, me, me, me. Are you 222 00:13:29.240 --> 00:13:29.679 kidding me? 223 00:13:31.000 --> 00:13:31.080 No? 224 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:34.960 God didn't make you for you. You were made by 225 00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:39.440 God and you were made for God. And until you 226 00:13:39.519 --> 00:13:42.759 understand that, life's never gonna make sense, and you're gonna 227 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:44.679 get bored, and you're gonna get frustrated, you're gonna have 228 00:13:44.679 --> 00:13:47.480 all kinds of difficulty because you don't understand you were 229 00:13:47.519 --> 00:13:52.120 made for God. I am called for God's purpose. God's 230 00:13:52.159 --> 00:13:55.320 calling is about his plan for my life, not my plan. 231 00:13:55.720 --> 00:13:58.840 His dream for my life, not my dream. His purpose 232 00:13:58.879 --> 00:14:02.120 for my life, not my purpose, or my parents' purpose, 233 00:14:02.200 --> 00:14:04.759 or my boyfriend's purpose, or my husband or wife's purpose, 234 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:07.799 is for God's purpose for my life. Now, a good 235 00:14:07.840 --> 00:14:10.639 example of this is the story of Jacob and Esau. 236 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.759 In the Bible, they were twins. There was a guy 237 00:14:13.759 --> 00:14:15.600 in the Bible named Abraham and he had a son 238 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.879 named Isaac, and Isaac had two sons who were twins, 239 00:14:19.320 --> 00:14:23.840 Jacob and Esau. Now, in those days, the firstborn child, 240 00:14:23.879 --> 00:14:27.240 particularly the firstborn son, got all of the credit, got 241 00:14:27.279 --> 00:14:30.440 all of the glory, got all of the love. The 242 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:33.480 firstborn son was the one who he would inherit the 243 00:14:33.559 --> 00:14:38.720 family inheritance and it's like you're special. Number one, you're great, 244 00:14:38.759 --> 00:14:40.639 and number two, Oh, we're glad you're here too. 245 00:14:41.799 --> 00:14:44.919 It was kind of like aside. And God didn't like that. 246 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.000 And in the case of Esau and Jacob, Esau was 247 00:14:49.000 --> 00:14:51.200 the firstborn son, and God said, you know what, I 248 00:14:51.320 --> 00:14:54.480 have a calling for Esau's life and I have a 249 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:58.080 calling for Jacob's life. But just because I want to 250 00:14:58.120 --> 00:15:00.720 do this, we're going to reverse it. And I'm choosing 251 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.720 Jacob to get the blessing of the firstborn son, even 252 00:15:03.759 --> 00:15:07.480 though he was born second. And he told this to 253 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:11.559 their mother, Rebecca, before she even delivered. In Romans chapter nine, 254 00:15:11.559 --> 00:15:15.600 it says this before the two boys were born, God 255 00:15:15.639 --> 00:15:18.600 told Rebecca, the older will serve the younger. Now, that's 256 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:22.320 exact opposite of culture. And this was before the boys 257 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:24.879 had done anything. In other words, they didn't deserve it, 258 00:15:24.879 --> 00:15:28.000 they hadn't merited anything good or bad. God said this 259 00:15:28.159 --> 00:15:31.240 so that the one chosen would be chosen because of 260 00:15:31.360 --> 00:15:36.120 God's own plan as his purpose. He was chosen because 261 00:15:36.159 --> 00:15:40.600 he was the one God wanted to call, not because 262 00:15:40.879 --> 00:15:46.080 of anything he did. I'm fortunate that I learned my 263 00:15:46.279 --> 00:15:49.879 call in life at a pretty pretty young age. I 264 00:15:49.919 --> 00:15:53.519 hadn't done anything, I hadn't deserved anything. I certainly wasn't 265 00:15:53.519 --> 00:15:56.399 worthy of any kind of call. But I learned what 266 00:15:56.440 --> 00:15:58.480 I'm going to be teaching you in the next six weeks. 267 00:15:58.759 --> 00:16:01.679 When I was sixteen years old old, I was actually 268 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:05.879 working at a camp in northern California, up in the 269 00:16:05.919 --> 00:16:07.200 mountains and the Redwoods. 270 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:09.559 And one night I went. 271 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:11.000 Back to my cabin and I got down on my 272 00:16:11.039 --> 00:16:13.080 knees and I said, God, I don't understand it all, 273 00:16:13.080 --> 00:16:16.320 and if you're there, don't I just I want to 274 00:16:16.360 --> 00:16:19.519 trust you, and so God, I need to know what 275 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:23.279 you want to do with my life. And I prayed 276 00:16:23.279 --> 00:16:26.200 a prayer that night and said, God, I'm signing my 277 00:16:26.320 --> 00:16:28.360 name on the check. I don't even know what the 278 00:16:28.519 --> 00:16:31.519 amount is, but I'm saying to you, I'm yours, and 279 00:16:31.559 --> 00:16:33.039 I'm going to serve you the rest of your life, 280 00:16:33.039 --> 00:16:35.759 and I'm going to fulfill the calling you have for me. 281 00:16:36.840 --> 00:16:38.600 And I prayed that prayer, and as soon as I 282 00:16:38.639 --> 00:16:40.720 finished praying that praier, do you want to know what's happened? 283 00:16:42.000 --> 00:16:42.360 Nothing? 284 00:16:45.519 --> 00:16:48.679 No angels came down and flapped their wings. There's no 285 00:16:48.879 --> 00:16:53.039 blinding light, no thunder, no lightning. My hair didn't turn 286 00:16:53.120 --> 00:16:57.480 white like Charleston Heston. You know, it's like nothing happened. 287 00:16:58.240 --> 00:17:01.679 But that was the turning point in my life when 288 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:05.559 I recognized God's write and call on my life. 289 00:17:06.079 --> 00:17:07.279 And from that moment on. 290 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:12.119 I became by vocational, which means I would have a 291 00:17:12.240 --> 00:17:15.279 job in which I would put food on the table, 292 00:17:15.480 --> 00:17:17.240 and I would have a job in which I would 293 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:20.319 pay all my bills, but I would also have a calling, 294 00:17:20.519 --> 00:17:23.720 and my career and my calling might match sometimes but 295 00:17:23.880 --> 00:17:26.960 might not match other times, because my calling was from 296 00:17:27.000 --> 00:17:29.559 God and the career was just how I was making 297 00:17:29.599 --> 00:17:32.960 a living at that point. Career makes a living, calling 298 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:36.440 makes a life. And so from that point on, I 299 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:40.839 was by vocational the rest of my life, and I 300 00:17:40.880 --> 00:17:42.920 did a number of different jobs even though I had 301 00:17:42.960 --> 00:17:45.799 this call on my life. At one point, I was 302 00:17:45.839 --> 00:17:49.279 a dishwasher. At one point, I was a cook. At 303 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:52.079 one point, I was a lifeguard for three years. At 304 00:17:52.119 --> 00:17:55.400 one point I worked in a butcher shop that was. 305 00:17:55.319 --> 00:17:56.079 A whole lot of fun. 306 00:17:57.240 --> 00:18:00.599 At one point, I picked fruit, I picked the grapes, 307 00:18:00.599 --> 00:18:03.400 and I picked pairs. At one point, I was an 308 00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:07.759 editor of a magazine. Another point, I taught college. I 309 00:18:07.799 --> 00:18:11.200 actually taught college. One point, I was a youth pastor, 310 00:18:11.720 --> 00:18:14.279 and then for the last thirty years I've been a pastor. 311 00:18:14.960 --> 00:18:18.240 My job has changed many, many, many times, but my 312 00:18:18.400 --> 00:18:23.160 calling has never changed. Regardless of what my job was, 313 00:18:23.519 --> 00:18:27.319 you have a calling that is unique to your life. 314 00:18:27.519 --> 00:18:31.319 The Bible says in Ephesians two ten, for we are 315 00:18:31.440 --> 00:18:36.880 God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works. 316 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:39.039 In other words, were made for a purpose to do 317 00:18:39.079 --> 00:18:43.359 good works which God prepared in advance for us to do. Now, 318 00:18:43.559 --> 00:18:45.920 this verse is filled with some important truth, so let's 319 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:48.519 look at it. Versus says, we're God's workmanship. 320 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:48.920 Circle. 321 00:18:48.960 --> 00:18:51.680 That word, the word there in the Bible, in the 322 00:18:51.720 --> 00:18:55.680 Greek is the word poem. It's the word we get 323 00:18:55.960 --> 00:19:01.680 poem from. You are God's poem. You are God's work 324 00:19:01.680 --> 00:19:06.880 of art. You are God's craftsmanship, workmanship. Many translations of 325 00:19:06.880 --> 00:19:12.799 the Bible translate this. You are God's masterpiece. He said, well, 326 00:19:12.799 --> 00:19:15.079 I don't think I'm much of a masterpiece. Well, then 327 00:19:15.079 --> 00:19:18.039 you don't realize how much value God has put in 328 00:19:18.079 --> 00:19:20.839 your life. He said, well, I'm not a masterpiece. I'm 329 00:19:20.920 --> 00:19:24.200 pretty beat up piece of junk. You're not junk. Jesus 330 00:19:24.240 --> 00:19:28.200 didn't die for junk. If you look at Jesus on 331 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:32.039 the cross, arms outstretched and his nail pierced hands, and 332 00:19:32.079 --> 00:19:36.000 he's saying, this is how valuable you are. This is 333 00:19:36.039 --> 00:19:40.480 how valuable I'm You're valuable enough to die for. You're 334 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:44.319 not junk because God doesn't create junk. Jesus doesn't die 335 00:19:44.359 --> 00:19:46.880 for junk, and the Holy Spirit doesn't live in junk. 336 00:19:47.240 --> 00:19:52.480 You are a masterpiece. You're God's masterpiece. But it only 337 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:55.720 shows when you fulfill your calling. If you try to 338 00:19:55.720 --> 00:19:57.640 be what somebody else wants you to be, you're going 339 00:19:57.720 --> 00:20:03.039 to miss it and your your true greatness won't come out. 340 00:20:03.759 --> 00:20:07.880 You are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do 341 00:20:07.960 --> 00:20:12.599 good works. Those good works are your contribution to the world. 342 00:20:12.720 --> 00:20:15.200 You were not put on this planet just to breathe 343 00:20:15.240 --> 00:20:18.279 and take up space and die. You weren't put here 344 00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:22.200 to simply be a consumer. Oh there's a new kind 345 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:24.799 of makeup, I think I'll get that. Oh there's a 346 00:20:24.839 --> 00:20:27.240 new clothing, I'll get that. No, you were put here 347 00:20:27.240 --> 00:20:31.079 to be a contributor, to make a contribution with your life, 348 00:20:31.200 --> 00:20:36.119 and the Bible calls your life contribution, your good works. 349 00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:39.920 It's part of your calling. And here's the cool thing. 350 00:20:40.680 --> 00:20:44.200 We all have different good works. Your contribution, your good 351 00:20:44.200 --> 00:20:46.599 works are going to be different than my contribution. My 352 00:20:46.680 --> 00:20:49.240 good works and my contribution good works are going to 353 00:20:49.240 --> 00:20:50.880 be different than the person sitting next to you. 354 00:20:51.480 --> 00:20:52.440 And God makes us. 355 00:20:52.359 --> 00:20:56.000 All different, gives us all different callings so that everything 356 00:20:56.000 --> 00:20:57.119 in the world gets done. 357 00:20:58.400 --> 00:20:59.359 It's all a part of it. 358 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:04.279 God workmanship created to make a contribution, which God prepared 359 00:21:04.359 --> 00:21:07.480 in advance. Circle That prepared in advance for us to do. 360 00:21:07.759 --> 00:21:10.559 That means a long time before you thought of it. 361 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.400 God had thought of your calling. In fact, here's the 362 00:21:13.440 --> 00:21:18.039 third principle, Number three. God chose my calling before I 363 00:21:18.160 --> 00:21:21.839 was born. You need to know that as we get 364 00:21:21.880 --> 00:21:23.759 ready to go in to live your calling the next 365 00:21:23.759 --> 00:21:26.960 six weeks. My calling is a gift from God. I'm 366 00:21:27.000 --> 00:21:30.400 called for God's purpose, not mine, and my calling was 367 00:21:31.240 --> 00:21:34.759 before I was born. God chose it. Let me show 368 00:21:34.759 --> 00:21:38.799 you some verses on this. Galatians chapter one, verse fifteen. 369 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:44.759 Paul says, it pleased God in his kindness to choose 370 00:21:45.039 --> 00:21:51.160 me and call me even before I was born. What 371 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:56.799 undeserved mercy. Here's another example, Jeremiah. Jeremiah chapter one, verse 372 00:21:56.839 --> 00:21:59.960 five before I shaped you in the womb. 373 00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:01.720 I knew all. 374 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:05.799 About you, before you saw the light of day. I 375 00:22:05.880 --> 00:22:10.359 had holy plans for you. God called you before you 376 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:13.359 were even born, and the Bible says God uniquely shaped you. 377 00:22:13.359 --> 00:22:17.240 You are a custom made baby, Isaiah forty four, Verse two. 378 00:22:18.559 --> 00:22:22.720 I am your creator. You were in my care even 379 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:25.799 before you were born. Now, this is going to be 380 00:22:25.839 --> 00:22:27.599 our memory verse this week, so I want you to 381 00:22:27.599 --> 00:22:30.960 look at it in detail. It says three things. First, 382 00:22:31.000 --> 00:22:32.640 it says I am your creator. 383 00:22:32.720 --> 00:22:33.400 What does that mean? 384 00:22:33.519 --> 00:22:39.079 It means you're not an accident. You were uniquely chosen, 385 00:22:39.279 --> 00:22:43.480 created and called by God. He said, why is it 386 00:22:43.599 --> 00:22:46.319 important for me to not think I'm an accident? Because 387 00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:48.160 if you think you're an accident, you're going to live 388 00:22:48.240 --> 00:22:51.720 like it, and you're going to accidentally just kind of 389 00:22:51.759 --> 00:22:55.160 go through life without any purpose, without any direction. You're 390 00:22:55.160 --> 00:22:58.960 not an accident. I am your creator. You're not an accident. 391 00:22:59.640 --> 00:23:03.079 You in my care. That means you're deeply loved. You 392 00:23:03.160 --> 00:23:05.720 were in God's care when you were in the womb, 393 00:23:07.200 --> 00:23:09.799 he says, even while you were growing inside your mother. 394 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:15.000 You realize this is why abortion is wrong, because that's 395 00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:17.799 not a fetus in that mother. That's a baby that 396 00:23:17.880 --> 00:23:21.880 God has already numbered that baby's days. Chose that baby 397 00:23:21.920 --> 00:23:27.880 to be born. Accidental parents, yes, accidental babies. No. God 398 00:23:28.039 --> 00:23:31.880 chose to create and call you before you're even born. 399 00:23:32.720 --> 00:23:35.079 So you weren't a fetus before you were born. You 400 00:23:35.119 --> 00:23:39.319 were a baby already chosen, already called, and already created 401 00:23:39.720 --> 00:23:43.920