WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:05.280 Let's say the phone rang one day and you thought 2 00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:07.519 this is an interruption or it's going to be bad news. 3 00:00:08.119 --> 00:00:10.560 But somebody who's calling to tell you had just inherited 4 00:00:10.599 --> 00:00:14.160 fifty million dollars, you would not want to miss that call. 5 00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:19.879 What if God called you? Let me give you a 6 00:00:19.879 --> 00:00:23.239 little tip. When God calls, you do not use call waiting. 7 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:28.800 When God calls, you do not put it on the 8 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:32.719 answer voicemail. When God calls, you do not let it 9 00:00:32.840 --> 00:00:35.119 ring and ring and ring and ring. Pick it up 10 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:39.359 on the first call. When God calls you. Now, the 11 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:43.079 Bible says you have already been called. You have been 12 00:00:43.159 --> 00:00:47.399 called according to His purpose. A couple verses down from 13 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:50.280 that verse Romans eight thirty, it says this, look here 14 00:00:50.280 --> 00:00:56.240 on the screen. Those that God predestined he also called, 15 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:00.880 and those he called he also justified, and those he 16 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:05.719 justified he also glorified. The Bible says, you have been 17 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:08.400 called by God. What does that mean? The word in 18 00:01:08.439 --> 00:01:11.920 the Greek is the word callao k a l e 19 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:16.319 oh calaioh. It's almost like calleaioh call, and the word 20 00:01:16.359 --> 00:01:20.920 calaoh means God is calling you, and it's used about 21 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.280 one hundred times in the New Testament over one hundred times, 22 00:01:24.719 --> 00:01:27.799 and most of the time it's talking about your assignment 23 00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:35.000 in life, your purpose in life, your mission in life, 24 00:01:35.920 --> 00:01:37.799 the reason God created you. 25 00:01:38.040 --> 00:01:41.400 It is called your calling. Now. 26 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:43.599 The first thing we learned from God's word is this, 27 00:01:44.040 --> 00:01:49.159 my calling is a gift from God. My calling is 28 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:53.079 a gift from God. I don't earn it, I don't 29 00:01:53.120 --> 00:01:57.319 deserve it. I don't work for it. I don't bargain 30 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.519 for it. I don't barter for it. It's just flat 31 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:04.519 out gift of God's grace. It is His present to me. 32 00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:08.840 When He created me, he called me, and it's all 33 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:13.840 by grace. Galatians chapter one says this, God, by his 34 00:02:14.000 --> 00:02:18.240 grace through Christ, has called you. 35 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:20.560 To become his people. 36 00:02:21.240 --> 00:02:23.800 The fact is grace is that God knows all the 37 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:25.680 things I've done. And even when I was thumbing my 38 00:02:25.759 --> 00:02:29.479 nose to him and rejecting him, God was saying, I 39 00:02:29.520 --> 00:02:32.280 love you, I love you, I love you. Now your 40 00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.560 calling is actually a part of your salvation. The calling 41 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:40.360 to Christ is also the calling to your purpose. Two 42 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:44.639 Timothy one nine says He has saved us and called us. 43 00:02:44.800 --> 00:02:47.919 Notice they go together, saved us and called us to 44 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.879 a holy life, not because of anything we've done, but 45 00:02:51.919 --> 00:02:57.479 because of his own purpose and grace, His purpose and 46 00:02:57.520 --> 00:03:02.080 his grace. So God gives me a calling in life 47 00:03:02.159 --> 00:03:04.120 simply because He wants to give me a calling life. 48 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:05.960 I don't deserve it, He just gives it to me. 49 00:03:06.120 --> 00:03:08.800 Now circle the word purpose on that verse, because that 50 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.479 leads us to the second. 51 00:03:10.120 --> 00:03:11.319 Thing we learn, and is this. 52 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:17.039 I am called for God's purpose, not mine, but God's. 53 00:03:18.159 --> 00:03:22.159 You were made by God, and you were made for God. 54 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.759 And until you understand that, life's never gonna make sense, 55 00:03:26.319 --> 00:03:28.360 and you're gonna get bored, and you're gonna get frustrated, 56 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:30.680 you're gonna have all kinds of difficulty because you don't 57 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:34.560 understand you were made for God. Here's the third principle. 58 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:38.919 Number three. God chose my calling before I was born. 59 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.360 You need to know that as we get ready to 60 00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:45.520 go in to live your calling the next six weeks. 61 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.520 My calling is a gift from God. I'm called for 62 00:03:48.599 --> 00:03:53.240 God's purpose, not mine, and my calling was before I 63 00:03:53.319 --> 00:03:56.120 was born. God chose it. Let me show you some 64 00:03:56.240 --> 00:04:02.400 verses on this. Galatians chapter one, verse fifteen, Paul says 65 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:08.120 it pleased God in his kindness to choose me and 66 00:04:08.479 --> 00:04:12.120 call me even before I was born. 67 00:04:13.319 --> 00:04:14.520 What undeserved mercy. 68 00:04:15.879 --> 00:04:21.000 Here's another example, Jeremiah Jeremiah, chapter one, verse five. Before 69 00:04:21.040 --> 00:04:25.040 I shaped you in the womb, I knew all about you, 70 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:29.439 before you saw the light of day. I had holy 71 00:04:29.560 --> 00:04:34.000 plans for you. God called you before you were even born, 72 00:04:34.079 --> 00:04:36.480 and the Bible says God uniquely shaped you. You are 73 00:04:36.519 --> 00:04:39.600 a custom made baby. Now there's a fourth thing that 74 00:04:39.639 --> 00:04:41.959 the Bible teaches us about your calling, and it is this. 75 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:45.439 This is a big one. My sins and my. 76 00:04:45.480 --> 00:04:50.279 Mistakes don't change my call. Oh I'm so glad for 77 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:56.959 this one. My sins and my mistakes don't change my call. 78 00:04:57.040 --> 00:05:00.879 God's call for my life. It doesn't matter how messed 79 00:05:00.959 --> 00:05:04.360 up your life has been, whether you messed it up 80 00:05:04.639 --> 00:05:07.079 or somebody messed it up for you. No matter how 81 00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:11.240 screwy it got, how difficult it became, no matter how 82 00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:15.319 many dumb decisions you've made in the past, it hasn't 83 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:18.879 changed God's call on your life at all. The call 84 00:05:18.959 --> 00:05:21.720 that God gave you before you were born, the call 85 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:24.279 that God gave you when you were saved and reaffirmed 86 00:05:24.279 --> 00:05:30.519 when you were saved, is a calling that God says. 87 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:29.680 It's there forever. 88 00:05:30.920 --> 00:05:34.839 It's a permanent calling, and God doesn't change it. 89 00:05:35.399 --> 00:05:38.439 Now. A good example this, of course, was Paul. I 90 00:05:38.439 --> 00:05:38.959 mean he was. 91 00:05:39.079 --> 00:05:47.879 Paul was a pretty rude dude in a crude mood before. 92 00:05:45.360 --> 00:05:46.680 He became an apostle. 93 00:05:47.160 --> 00:05:49.959 God called him to be an apostle, and in one 94 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:56.519 Timothy Chapter one, Paul says this, by calling me into 95 00:05:56.560 --> 00:06:02.439 his service, Jesus has judged me trustworthy, even though I 96 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:10.399 used to be a blasphemer and a persecutor and contemptuous. Mercy, however, 97 00:06:10.519 --> 00:06:14.519 was shown me because while I lacked faith, I acted 98 00:06:14.560 --> 00:06:18.360 in ignorance. I love that phrase, the honesty there. While 99 00:06:18.399 --> 00:06:21.160 I lacked faith, I acted in ignorance. 100 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:21.920 You know what I'm saying. 101 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:24.480 Then I did a lot of dumb stuff growing up. 102 00:06:25.839 --> 00:06:27.720 How many of you would admit I did a lot 103 00:06:27.759 --> 00:06:30.000 of dumb stuff growing up? Okay, I did a lot 104 00:06:30.000 --> 00:06:35.839 of Okay, that's apostle training. Okay, congratulations, Okay, do you 105 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:41.279 know what Paul was? Paul was a terrorist before he 106 00:06:41.319 --> 00:06:43.800 became an apostle. He was a religious terrorist. He was 107 00:06:43.839 --> 00:06:46.560 going to people's homes, dragging him out in the street, 108 00:06:46.800 --> 00:06:49.920 throwing him into jail, killing people. He was a murderer, 109 00:06:51.759 --> 00:06:53.759 God said, Paul. That didn't change the call that I 110 00:06:53.800 --> 00:06:56.399 had for you from the day you were born. I 111 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:59.560 had a plan for you, and even the bad stuff 112 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:03.079 fits into the plan. The fact that I love most 113 00:07:03.120 --> 00:07:06.560 about God is that he never wastes anything, and he 114 00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:07.639 fits it all into. 115 00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:11.839 His plan, even my sin, even the. 116 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:15.160 Stupid decisions that I've made that I will regret the 117 00:07:15.160 --> 00:07:17.360 rest of my life. God says, you know what, I'm 118 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:19.399 going to even put that in the plan. We'll make 119 00:07:19.439 --> 00:07:23.120 it work. I can bring all things can work together 120 00:07:23.519 --> 00:07:26.959 for good for those who love God, who are called 121 00:07:27.439 --> 00:07:28.480 according to His purpose. 122 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:29.600 I can fit that in there too. 123 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:32.920 And not only can God say, your sins and your 124 00:07:32.959 --> 00:07:36.720 mistakes don't change your calling. The sins of other people 125 00:07:36.759 --> 00:07:41.839 against you don't change your calling. Some of you may 126 00:07:41.879 --> 00:07:46.040 feel a little bruised, a little battered, a little beat 127 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:49.240 up by the world. Maybe you had somebody who was 128 00:07:49.319 --> 00:07:53.040 unfaithful to you. You had somebody walk out of your life. 129 00:07:53.079 --> 00:07:57.759 You had somebody be but betray you, reject you. Some 130 00:07:57.839 --> 00:08:02.040 of you have been molested, some of you have been raped. 131 00:08:02.480 --> 00:08:06.879 I'm sorry, I am, but you know what, that did 132 00:08:06.920 --> 00:08:10.040 not change one bit of your value. And that did 133 00:08:10.079 --> 00:08:13.360 not change one bit of God's call on your life. 134 00:08:14.040 --> 00:08:16.279 It has not changed. 135 00:08:17.399 --> 00:08:23.079 You are still God's workmanship, God's masterpiece created in Christ 136 00:08:23.160 --> 00:08:25.959 Jesus to do good works. And you know what, God says, 137 00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:28.519 you know what, I can even take the ugly stuff 138 00:08:29.240 --> 00:08:31.120 and I'll take the stinger out of it, and you 139 00:08:31.160 --> 00:08:33.240 know what, I'll even bring good out of it in 140 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:38.720 your life if you'll let me. The Bible says, my 141 00:08:38.879 --> 00:08:41.639 sins and mistakes don't change God's call. I want you 142 00:08:41.720 --> 00:08:44.960 to write this down on your outline. God has no 143 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:46.240 Plan B for me. 144 00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:49.320 A lot of. 145 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:51.279 People think, you know what, I really screwed up on 146 00:08:51.360 --> 00:08:53.679 that one. Therefore I gotta live with Plan B the 147 00:08:53.720 --> 00:08:56.159 rest of my life. No, you don't, It's part of 148 00:08:56.240 --> 00:09:01.360 Plan A. God has no Plan B for me. When 149 00:09:01.360 --> 00:09:03.519 I think about this, I think about Chuck Coulson. Chuck 150 00:09:03.559 --> 00:09:06.120 Colson was one of the most powerful men in the 151 00:09:06.120 --> 00:09:10.039 world in his day. He was assistant to the President 152 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:13.679 of the United States of America, and then he got 153 00:09:13.720 --> 00:09:16.120 involved in a scandal, Watergate, and he went to prison, 154 00:09:16.840 --> 00:09:20.399 and in prison, he found Christ, became a believer, saw 155 00:09:20.440 --> 00:09:22.600 the need for people in prisons to know the Lord. 156 00:09:22.960 --> 00:09:25.440 Started Prison Fellowship, which now in like one hundred and 157 00:09:25.440 --> 00:09:29.320 fifty sixty countries, has blessed millions of people. But when 158 00:09:29.399 --> 00:09:33.399 God created Chuck Colson, he knew he would be going 159 00:09:33.519 --> 00:09:37.720 from the presidency to prison and back out all in 160 00:09:37.759 --> 00:09:39.679 one life. And he said, I'm going to fit it 161 00:09:39.720 --> 00:09:43.399 into the plan. I'm going to fit it into the plan. 162 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:46.360 Number five, the fifth thing we learned about God's calling is. 163 00:09:46.320 --> 00:09:47.679 My calling is permanent. 164 00:09:48.480 --> 00:09:50.879 This is a further extension of what I just said, 165 00:09:51.440 --> 00:09:53.639 and what I mean was permanent means nobody can take 166 00:09:53.639 --> 00:09:56.039 it from you. When you were growing up, your parents 167 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:58.159 tried to probably make you something that you didn't really 168 00:09:58.200 --> 00:10:01.679 want to be, or your girlfriend, your boyfriend tried to 169 00:10:01.759 --> 00:10:03.799 make you something you didn't want to be, or your 170 00:10:03.840 --> 00:10:06.960 boss or somebody in your life. You're always trying to 171 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:11.159 pressure you and conform you to take away your true calling. 172 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:16.039 Your calling cannot be taken from you. Satan can't take 173 00:10:16.279 --> 00:10:19.679 your calling away from you. You can't take your calling 174 00:10:19.720 --> 00:10:22.679 away from you. Other people can't take your calling away 175 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:25.559 from you, and God won't because he says I've given 176 00:10:25.559 --> 00:10:28.639 it to you permanently. The Bible says in Romans eleven, 177 00:10:28.720 --> 00:10:34.240 verse twenty nine. God's gifts and his callings are read 178 00:10:34.279 --> 00:10:39.440 it with me irrevocable circle that they cannot be taken away. 179 00:10:39.480 --> 00:10:43.279 They are permanent. The calling on your life is never 180 00:10:43.519 --> 00:10:46.519 ever gonna change, no matter what you've done, no matter what. 181 00:10:46.399 --> 00:10:47.120 You've messed up. 182 00:10:47.279 --> 00:10:50.279 The expression may change, the timing, the when, the war 183 00:10:50.279 --> 00:10:52.679 of the how, but the calling will not change. You 184 00:10:52.720 --> 00:10:55.279 still have the same gifts God gave you from the beginning. 185 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:57.039 Now, what does this verse teach us? 186 00:10:57.200 --> 00:11:00.759 If my calling is permanent, it means this my job 187 00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.879 is not my calling because your job changes. How many 188 00:11:05.919 --> 00:11:08.559 of you have ever changed jobs? How many have ever 189 00:11:08.600 --> 00:11:11.919 lost a job? How many have ever been unemployed? Yeah, 190 00:11:12.000 --> 00:11:15.360 You're going to have many many jobs in life. Your 191 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:18.559 job is not your calling. Jobs change all the time. 192 00:11:18.799 --> 00:11:20.759 Calling never changes. 193 00:11:29.559 --> 00:11:33.240 Do you ever wonder if your life really matters? Or 194 00:11:33.279 --> 00:11:36.440 what on earth you're here for? Pastor Rick wants to 195 00:11:36.559 --> 00:11:39.200 let you know that God has a good plan and 196 00:11:39.320 --> 00:11:43.039 purpose for your life. In his best selling book, The 197 00:11:43.120 --> 00:11:47.080 Purpose Driven Life, he lays out a simple, life changing 198 00:11:47.159 --> 00:11:50.879 roadmap to help you discover and live it. This book 199 00:11:50.919 --> 00:11:54.879 has transformed millions of lives, and it could transform someone 200 00:11:54.919 --> 00:11:59.200 you love. And great news it's been updated for today's generation. 201 00:11:59.679 --> 00:12:03.399 This edition includes a video introduction and audio teaching from 202 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:07.480 Pastor Rick for each chapter, and two powerful bonus chapters 203 00:12:07.519 --> 00:12:10.360 on the biggest barriers to living a purpose driven life. 204 00:12:10.600 --> 00:12:13.279 As you go through this book, you'll uncover that your 205 00:12:13.360 --> 00:12:17.559 deepest meaning and fulfillment doesn't come from success or status, 206 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:20.960 but from understanding and living out the purpose that God 207 00:12:21.000 --> 00:12:24.440 created you for. Request your copy today. When you give 208 00:12:24.480 --> 00:12:28.039 a gift to help daily hope share the gospel around 209 00:12:28.080 --> 00:12:31.039 the world, it's our way of saying thanks. 210 00:12:36.759 --> 00:12:39.480 The Bible says God's gifts in his call can never 211 00:12:39.960 --> 00:12:44.240 be withdrawn, so no matter what happens, they're permanent in 212 00:12:44.279 --> 00:12:48.360 your life. Number six very important point. My calling is 213 00:12:48.440 --> 00:12:54.480 connected to others. My calling, my assignment from God in life, 214 00:12:54.519 --> 00:12:59.679 my purpose, my vision, the dream God has for my 215 00:12:59.759 --> 00:13:02.320 life is connected to other people. What I mean by 216 00:13:02.360 --> 00:13:07.039 that you cannot fulfill your purpose in life by yourself. 217 00:13:07.759 --> 00:13:11.039 It is impossible. You can only do it connected to 218 00:13:11.080 --> 00:13:16.480 other people. Calling and community go together. You cannot be 219 00:13:16.639 --> 00:13:19.200 what God wants you to be. You cannot fulfill what 220 00:13:19.279 --> 00:13:23.279 God wants you to fulfill. You cannot enjoy your destiny 221 00:13:23.639 --> 00:13:27.159 on your own. You have to do it connected to 222 00:13:27.240 --> 00:13:32.159 other people. It's like the parts of your body. They're 223 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:36.840 worthless unless they're connected. You have an eyeball, which is 224 00:13:36.879 --> 00:13:40.720 extremely gifted. It has the ability to take light, translate 225 00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:43.519 that to your brain, and you see things. But an 226 00:13:43.519 --> 00:13:47.960 eyeball outside of a socket is worthless. It can't see 227 00:13:47.960 --> 00:13:51.600 anything because it's not connected. You have an ear, which 228 00:13:51.679 --> 00:13:54.480 is an amazing gift of God, where your ear can 229 00:13:54.519 --> 00:13:59.639 take waves, turn them into impulses to your brain and 230 00:13:59.679 --> 00:14:03.840 your b here sounds. If your ear is disconnected from 231 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:08.600 your body, it's worthless. That ear can't hear anything unless 232 00:14:08.639 --> 00:14:12.360 it's connected. You have a hand, and that hand has 233 00:14:12.399 --> 00:14:16.480 an amazing ability to grasp, to write, to fix things. 234 00:14:17.240 --> 00:14:19.440 But that hand, if it were cut off, it has 235 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:24.240 no use. A hand has no power, no talent, no ability, 236 00:14:24.559 --> 00:14:29.320 no purpose without being connected to the body. You have 237 00:14:29.399 --> 00:14:32.840 to be connected to the body to fulfill your calling. 238 00:14:33.080 --> 00:14:37.639 The Bible calls the Church the body of Christ, the 239 00:14:37.679 --> 00:14:41.039 family of God, but it calls it the body, and 240 00:14:41.080 --> 00:14:44.600 we're all members, like a hand, eye, nose, feet, everything 241 00:14:45.159 --> 00:14:48.799 connected to the body. Look at this verse on the 242 00:14:48.799 --> 00:14:52.960 screen Roman's fourteen seven. None of us lives to himself alone, 243 00:14:53.399 --> 00:14:57.799 and none of us dies to himself alone. You gotta 244 00:14:57.840 --> 00:15:01.720 be connected. How do you get connected through a church family. 245 00:15:01.759 --> 00:15:03.919 It's why we talk about small groups all the time, 246 00:15:04.159 --> 00:15:06.639 because in that small group there's a connection there where 247 00:15:06.679 --> 00:15:10.120 you learn from other people. They help you in your weakness, 248 00:15:10.279 --> 00:15:12.080 you help them in their weakness. 249 00:15:12.279 --> 00:15:15.120 Let me show you a couple verses Esians four to four. 250 00:15:16.120 --> 00:15:20.080 We are all one body, circle that all one body. 251 00:15:21.080 --> 00:15:26.360 We all have the same spirit, circle, same spirit, and 252 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:30.279 we have all been called circle that all been called 253 00:15:30.519 --> 00:15:33.360 We're all one body, all have the same spirit, all 254 00:15:33.399 --> 00:15:36.440 been called to the same glorious future. 255 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:36.879 Hope. 256 00:15:37.480 --> 00:15:40.320 It is only in connection, in community that I will 257 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:44.679 fulfill my calling Hebrews three to one. Brothers and sisters, 258 00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:49.480 you are a holy You are holy partners in a 259 00:15:49.559 --> 00:15:52.960 heavenly calling. The other people in your small group are 260 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:57.200 partners in a heavenly calling. We're better together, We're better 261 00:15:57.240 --> 00:16:00.000 as a team. That's why church, you have to be connected. 262 00:16:00.720 --> 00:16:02.799 We'll talk about this morn in the future. Number seven. 263 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:08.519 God empowers what he calls me to do. That's the 264 00:16:08.559 --> 00:16:10.879 seventh thing I need to know about my calling, that 265 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.679 whatever God calls me to do, He's going to empower 266 00:16:13.720 --> 00:16:18.320 me to do. God empowers what he calls me to do. 267 00:16:19.279 --> 00:16:21.320 In other words, if God has given me an assignment 268 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:23.320 in life, He's going to enable me to do it. 269 00:16:23.480 --> 00:16:25.360 He's going to equip me to do it. He's going 270 00:16:25.399 --> 00:16:27.799 to empower me to do it. He's going to strengthen 271 00:16:27.840 --> 00:16:29.720 me to do it. He's going to give me the 272 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:32.679 ability to do it. God would never ask you to 273 00:16:32.720 --> 00:16:34.919 do anything with your life that he doesn't give you 274 00:16:34.960 --> 00:16:35.879 the power to do. 275 00:16:37.480 --> 00:16:39.440 So here's how it works. 276 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:44.840 Once I understand that God has a calling on my life, okay, 277 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:48.039 and I understand that, what I do is I commit 278 00:16:48.679 --> 00:16:52.279 myself to him. And when I commit myself to God's 279 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:56.279 calling for me, God, whatever time I've got left on 280 00:16:56.320 --> 00:16:58.519 this earth, I want to use it to fulfill your 281 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:02.080 calling for me. It's a week, a month, years, or 282 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:07.039 whatever decades. I commit to your calling for my life. 283 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:12.319 God commits his resources to help you do it. He said, 284 00:17:12.319 --> 00:17:14.400 I don't even know what it is. I commit to 285 00:17:14.480 --> 00:17:17.200 your calling for my life. God says, then I will 286 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:21.319 commit the resources what you need to get it done. 287 00:17:21.519 --> 00:17:24.880 Look at this verse Ephesians four to one. I urge 288 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:31.640 you to live the life to which God called you. 289 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:32.160 Now. 290 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.960 Notice the calling is a lifestyle, and you are to 291 00:17:36.119 --> 00:17:40.440 live the life to which God called you. Now here's 292 00:17:40.519 --> 00:17:46.119 my prayer. Second Tessalonius, chapter one. This is why we 293 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:50.880 always pray for you, asking our God to help you. 294 00:17:52.200 --> 00:17:55.359 That's in power to help you live the kind of 295 00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.519 life he called you to live. God says, if I 296 00:17:58.559 --> 00:17:59.880 call you to live this kind of life, I'm going 297 00:17:59.920 --> 00:18:02.759 to help you with the power. We pray that with 298 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:08.720 his power, God will help you do the good things 299 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:13.720 you want and perform the works that come from your faith. Notice, 300 00:18:13.880 --> 00:18:16.000 do the good things and perform the works. That's the 301 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:19.400 good works we were talking about earlier, and God says, 302 00:18:19.440 --> 00:18:21.200 I will give you the power. You can count on 303 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:24.359 God to give you the strength you need. First Tessaloni 304 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:26.640 is five. The one who calls you is faithful and 305 00:18:26.799 --> 00:18:31.240 he will do it. Now, there's one more truth that 306 00:18:31.319 --> 00:18:33.039 I want to cover as we start this week. Let 307 00:18:33.039 --> 00:18:37.160 me review. My calling is a gift from God. I'm 308 00:18:37.279 --> 00:18:42.440 called for God's purpose, not my own. God chose my 309 00:18:42.640 --> 00:18:44.960 calling before I was born, so I didn't have anything 310 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.440 to do with it. My sins and my mistakes don't 311 00:18:48.519 --> 00:18:52.960 change my calling. My calling is permanent. Satan can't take 312 00:18:53.000 --> 00:18:54.640 it away. Nobody else on earth can. 313 00:18:54.559 --> 00:18:55.119 Take it away. 314 00:18:55.519 --> 00:18:59.440 It's irrevocable. My calling is connected to others. I got 315 00:18:59.440 --> 00:19:01.400 to be connected to the body or it doesn't work. 316 00:19:02.519 --> 00:19:04.759 God will empower me to do what he calls me 317 00:19:04.839 --> 00:19:09.079 to do. And here's the last point. There's a prize. 318 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:13.599 There's a prize for living out my calling. And this 319 00:19:13.640 --> 00:19:18.640 is why I'm very excited about this series. There is 320 00:19:18.720 --> 00:19:23.000 a prize for living out my calling. God has promised 321 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:28.240 a reward for those people who discover and live the 322 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:30.440 calling He made them for here on earth, and that 323 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:35.720 reward's going to last forever Philippians three fourteen. I press 324 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:40.799 toward the goal to win the prize circle that to 325 00:19:40.920 --> 00:19:44.279 win the prize for which God has called me heavenward 326 00:19:44.839 --> 00:19:48.759 in Christ Jesus, what is the prize? 327 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:49.559 Oh man? 328 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:52.759 It would take me months to explain all that God 329 00:19:52.799 --> 00:19:57.519 wants to do in heaven for eternity with you, but 330 00:19:57.640 --> 00:20:00.960 let me just say this. The prize is that you 331 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:05.680 get to share in everything God has in heaven. You 332 00:20:05.720 --> 00:20:08.160 get to share in his kingdom, you get to share 333 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:11.240 in his glory, you get to share in his power. 334 00:20:12.279 --> 00:20:15.359 It all becomes yours. You see, life on earth is 335 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.559 a test. Why didn't God just create you and take 336 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:20.440 you to heaven? If you're going there anyway, why didn't 337 00:20:20.519 --> 00:20:22.599 just take you there first? Because He puts you here 338 00:20:22.599 --> 00:20:26.480 on earth to test your faithfulness. And he gives you 339 00:20:26.519 --> 00:20:30.680 a few things and puts them in your care opportunities, relationships, things, 340 00:20:30.680 --> 00:20:32.160 and he says, let's see what you do, and if 341 00:20:32.160 --> 00:20:34.599 you're faithful of the little, then I can trust you 342 00:20:34.839 --> 00:20:37.559 with all of my riches and all of my power 343 00:20:37.559 --> 00:20:40.000 and all of my glory in heaven for eternity. 344 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:42.519 Faithful and little, you'll be faithful much. 345 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:46.799 This is a test, and God is testing to see 346 00:20:47.039 --> 00:20:50.119 if you are going to fulfill the calling he put 347 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:53.680 you here on earth to fulfill. And if you do, 348 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:56.799 then He's going to share with you everything that is his. 349 00:20:57.039 --> 00:20:59.200 This is the most amazing thing. Look at the next 350 00:20:59.279 --> 00:21:06.279 verse one the Salonian is two twelve. Live the kind 351 00:21:06.319 --> 00:21:13.000 of life that pleases God, who calls you, who calls 352 00:21:13.079 --> 00:21:15.400 you to share? And what are we going to share? 353 00:21:15.559 --> 00:21:21.079 Who calls you to share in his own kingdom and glory. 354 00:21:21.759 --> 00:21:24.920 That's amazing that for eternity God will share his kingdom 355 00:21:24.960 --> 00:21:29.079 and his glory if I live out my calling it's 356 00:21:29.079 --> 00:21:31.519 hard to even explain this, get your wrap your head 357 00:21:31.519 --> 00:21:31.920 around it. 358 00:21:32.000 --> 00:21:32.960 So let me just say, like this. 359 00:21:33.279 --> 00:21:37.039 Imagine on Broadway in New York City, a giant marquee 360 00:21:37.240 --> 00:21:40.720 lit up at night with bright lights, and it says, now, 361 00:21:40.799 --> 00:21:50.119 starring for eternity Jesus Christ co starring your name, you 362 00:21:50.200 --> 00:21:54.559 will share in His kingdom and glory. Now you got 363 00:21:54.599 --> 00:21:59.240 my attention. Now I'm interested in fulfilling my calling. 364 00:21:59.480 --> 00:22:01.599 I don't want to get tea and go. Did you familiar? 365 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:05.680 I didn't even know I had one. Well you do. 366 00:22:06.920 --> 00:22:10.400 And if you fulfill your calling in life and you 367 00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:12.880 do what God, you make the most of what you're giving. 368 00:22:12.880 --> 00:22:15.799 God says you're going to share in My kingdom in 369 00:22:15.839 --> 00:22:17.079 glory forever. 370 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:22.839 Are you interested in that? I am? I am. 371 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.839 That is a big time prize that goes on and 372 00:22:26.920 --> 00:22:33.920 on forever. Now, we talked earlier about answering the phone 373 00:22:34.119 --> 00:22:37.240 if God called. The fact is God has already called. 374 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:41.440 He's already called you. That phone has been ringing in 375 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.240 your life since the moment you were conceived. 376 00:22:44.640 --> 00:22:49.359 Are you going to pick up the phone it's been ringing. 377 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:53.119 God's call for you has been ringing from the point of. 378 00:22:53.039 --> 00:22:54.519 Your conception. 379 00:22:56.119 --> 00:22:59.559 And something you've just been ignoring it ring ring, ring. 380 00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:05.599 I mean, God said, I'm not hanging up. Will you 381 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:09.920 pick up the phone and today say I'm going to 382 00:23:09.960 --> 00:23:14.000 begin to discover, develop, and live the call that God 383 00:23:14.039 --> 00:23:17.440 made for me. That I will learn what on earth 384 00:23:17.440 --> 00:23:19.720 am I here for? And I will spend the rest 385 00:23:19.759 --> 00:23:23.839 of my life learning to do that. Now, I'm going 386 00:23:23.920 --> 00:23:26.039 to pray for you. In just second, We're going to 387 00:23:26.079 --> 00:23:29.880 pray a prayer blessing. But you got to make the decision. 388 00:23:29.920 --> 00:23:33.519 Am I going to answer God's call? Let's vow for 389 00:23:33.559 --> 00:23:42.640 prayer as we close, pray this prayer in your heart, 390 00:23:43.680 --> 00:23:47.559 your God. Thank you that you created me, that I'm 391 00:23:47.559 --> 00:23:51.240 not an accident. Thank you that I've been in your 392 00:23:51.359 --> 00:23:56.799 care even before I was born. Thank You that you 393 00:23:56.920 --> 00:24:01.319 not just created me, but you have called me. You 394 00:24:01.400 --> 00:24:04.519 have a purpose and assignment for my life. I'm not 395 00:24:04.640 --> 00:24:08.519 here just to waste time. Thank you that you called 396 00:24:08.559 --> 00:24:11.920 me for your purpose. I want your plan, not mine. 397 00:24:13.720 --> 00:24:16.359 Thank you that that plan began from the moment of 398 00:24:16.359 --> 00:24:20.960 my birth. And even though I made many mistakes, and 399 00:24:21.039 --> 00:24:23.920 I've sinned a lot, and other people have hurt me, 400 00:24:24.240 --> 00:24:25.759 it hasn't changed my call. 401 00:24:25.839 --> 00:24:26.319