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Godly Calling

Sermon: Specific Instructions

I begin this sermon by listing a number of individuals from the Bible and showing how each received specific instructions.  I mention Abraham, Moses, Joshua and Paul.  I then say:

Paul began many of his letters with the words, 

“Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God.”

All these people received specific instructions, a specific calling. 

Why should we think that it should be any different now, in these end times?

My purpose today is to show all of us that our calling is specific and that God has specific instructions for each one of us.

I encourage each of us to….Find, embrace and perform our calling.

Today we will define what a calling is. Then we will look at what we know about our calling. After that we will look at some scripture that talks about the mystery of our calling. Finally, we will get down to some specific instructions.

Later in the sermon I read Ephesians 4:1-3

Ephesians 4:1-3
 1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,
 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

I then say:

So God wants us to walk in His calling. Moreover, God wants us to walk Worthy of our calling.
 
 The calling includes qualities as lowliness, meekness, longsuffering and love.
 
 Verse 3 says “Endeavoring to keep the unity” That implies that we must put forth a diligent effort to keep the unity of the Spirit. WHY??
 
 Because it is by the power of the Holy Spirit that we have the strength to put in that diligent effort.

Later I read Philippians 3:14 which says, “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  I then say:

The prize is eternal life and the Kingdom of God. The more we meditate on these things the less apt we are to focus on worldly elements.

Toward the end of the sermon I read Galatians 5:22-26 which are the scriptures speaking to the fruits of the Spirit.  I then say:

These fruits of the Spirit are those Godly principles I was talking about earlier. Our calling BEGINS with becoming like Christ, that is, to enter into the Salvation Process of continually invoking Godly principles. We invoke them with and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time we invoke a Godly principle…people see Jesus Christ. Notice verse 25 again…
 
 “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. There is that word “Walk” again.
 
 This is the training ground of your calling BEFORE God opens the door of your specific mission…your specific personal instructions.
 
 Now this is the most important statement of this sermon…
 ---NOT EVERYONE THAT IS CALLED WILL ENTER INTO THIS TRAINING GROUND OF THEIR CALLING.
 ---NOT EVERYONE THAT IS CALLED WILL CHOSE TO INVOKE GODLY PRINCIPLES.
 ---NOT EVERYONE THAT IS CALLED MOVES TOWARD PERFECTION AND BECOMES LIKE CHRIST.

I follow those statements with the reading of the parable of the marriage where some are called to the marriage but make light of it.  Some even kill the servants who were sent out to call people to the marriage [Matthew 22:6].  That passage ends in the verse that says, “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

I end the sermon by saying:

Take possession of your calling, be those that are chosen.

Carry out your Specific Instructions.

Stablishment

Sermon: Stablishment

I begin this sermon with a reading of 1 Peter 5:10.

1 Peter 5:10
But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

What does this verse mean when it says “make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.”?

What does God mean, “after I have suffered for a while”? What, I have to suffer a little?  Why must I suffer?

Why is God referred to as the “God of all grace.”?  Why is this phrase all-important to this verse?

Why is God including in this verse the statement that we are being called unto His eternal glory?

Today, we will explore all these questions as I encourage all of us to something called Stablishment.

I then read 1 Peter 5:10 again and say:

This single verse is perfectly written.  It contains 7 perfect phrases or parts.  Put all together they express great truths about God, Christ, and the Salvation Process.

Later I say:

So through trials, persecutions and tribulations God:

Stablishes you:  Turns you to a right direction.

Strengthens you:  Confirms you in spiritual knowledge and power.  The Word of God strengthens us.  God through His Word strengthens us.

Settles you:  God lays the basis of your existence, that is, your foundation and in doing so justifies you.

In other words, God uses trials to turn us in the right direction.  Through God’s Word we gain spiritual knowledge and power to withstand the trial, understand the direction God is taking us and to ultimately justify us in the Salvation Process, which IS the foundation.

I then give several scriptures that support and confirm each concept brought out in 1 Peter 5.  I then say:

What all these verses do is to verify each phrase of 1 Peter 5:10.  Moreover, they repeat the concepts of the verse, taking us from…

1] Godly inception—coming up with His plan.
2] His calling us.
3] Taking us through the Salvation Process.
4] Allowing trials and tribulations to direct us and build strength and character in us.
5] Putting us on a foundation of full spiritual maturity.
6] Finally taking us into the Kingdom of God.

I end the sermon this way:

So stay immersed in the Word of God.  Keep this verse close in your heart.  Keep moving forward in the Salvation Process.  Do this and you will be part of God’s…
 
                        Stablishment

Holy Spirit

Sermon: Summon Forth

I begin the sermon this way:

For some time now we have been talking about the Salvation Process.

We have been learning how to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit.

We have even discussed the definitive verse that describes the Salvation Process—2 Corinthians 3:18.  In that verse we learned about moving from glory to glory as we become like Jesus Christ.

Never in our discussion have we specifically focused on the Key Element that makes the Salvation Process possible……the Holy Spirit.

It is the element that makes possible our becoming just like Christ.

I then ask two questions:

1] Who in the Old Testament had the indwelling of the Holy Spirit?
2] How did Jesus Christ invoke the power of the Holy Spirit?

I then say:

My purpose today will be to answer these two questions as we encourage each other to …

                FOLLOW CHRIST

To follow Jesus Christ, we must learn to invoke the power of the Holy Spirit like He did.

In the first part of the sermon, I answer the first question and list all the Old Testament individuals who had the Holy Spirit of God, such as, Joseph, Joshua, Samson, David, Daniel and Job.

I then answer the second question, “How did Jesus Christ invoke the power of the Holy Spirit.

Here, I go through several scriptural examples of Christ invoking the power of the Holy Spirit.  In each example I state that He was doing these things then and surely, He is doing them now through us.  I end the sermon this way:

Clearly Jesus, as head of this church is giving us this power today and we shout out a warning to the world.

All these things we have shared are examples of Jesus invoking the Holy Spirit of God.

Follow Him!!

The Holy Spirit is yours for the taking…just like it was for Jesus Christ, so follow Him and do what He does…

SUMMON IT FORTH

Godly Calling

Sermon: Summons – Part 1

I began this sermon with a dialog:

Several years ago I was back east giving a Bible study to a pretty good sized crowd.  At one point, another minister took over and I went out to the lobby of the meeting hall and encountered an individual leaving the meeting early and wow, was he in a huff.  All I heard him say out loud to himself was, “No minister is going to tell me what to believe!”

I have been thinking about what he said all these years and I have come to an astounding conclusion.  He is absolutely right.  Ministers do not tell you what to believe or think.  Ministers do not tell you what to do.  Ministers preach the Word of God.  God is the one telling you what to do and believe.  God telling you what to do and what to believe began, of course, the day He called you to repentance, baptism and the receiving of the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands.

The subject for today is Godly Calling.  Know your Calling.  Stay with your Calling.

I marvel at the times I am contacted by members in the Body of Christ who do not fully appreciate Godly Calling.  It is one of the most neglected and least understood elements of the Word of God and the Salvation Process.  How can we give diligence to make our calling and election sure if we are not clear what Godly Calling is?

I often hear individuals informing me what church they are going to attend.  Some say that all the churches of God are the same or that any Sabbath-keeping church is fine.  Still others relate they float around to a number of different churches of God.  One individual told me he rotates between seven different churches.  Another told me he was going to attend for one year with each of the major groups.  Is any of this biblically justified?  Do these decisions reflect the will of God?  Absolutely not!

Where in the Bible can you show servants of God and firstfruits making a wide variety of choices?  Once one is called out of the world and into the Salvation Process, they belong to God and are used to carry out His will.  They are referred to as servants of God, slaves to Jesus Christ or soldiers in God’s Army.

Let us begin with a survey of questions.  I sent an e-mail to you earlier to be ready with a piece of paper numbered 1-24.

The purpose of this survey is for you to find out just how deep God is involved in your life.  That is, we want to discover what is involved in your calling.  My overall inquiry here, for each question is, “Does God have anything to say about each of these subject areas?”  Does He offer commands, admonitions, guidelines, principles, morals or etiquette in any of these areas?  Therefore when I ask you the question whether you are the one who decides what it is you wear, I am not asking you about  deciding what color to wear or necessarily whether it will be a coat as opposed to a sweater, but whether there are any biblical admonitions that would speak to what you wear and how.  Let us begin.  These are, “Yes” or “No” questions.

Are you the lone decision maker here or does God have something to say about:

1] What you eat?
2] What you drink?
3] What you wear?
4] What you do for a living or career?
5] Where you live and for how long?
6] Where you travel?
7] What you do; what actions you take?
8] What you watch, read or listen to?
9] Who you will have for friends?
10] With whom you fellowship?
11] Where you fellowship?
12] How you treat your family?
13] How you treat your spouse?
14] How you manage and spend money?
15] How you manage your possessions?
16] How you pray?
17] What you believe?
18] How you worship and when?
19] What you do on Holy Days?
20] How you study the Bible.
21] Are you the one who decides to keep the Law and Commandments?
22] Is God only concerned with your spiritual life?
23] Is God concerned with your physical, mental and emotional life? 
24] If you answer was, “Yes” to question 23, then to what extent is He concerned in each of those three areas?

The answer I am looking for here for all twenty-four questions is, “No.”  You are not the lone decision maker.  Your Holy Calling is to Almighty God in all areas of your life, without exception.  You have been given a summons by God and the primary command on that summons is that you will live by every word of God [Matthew 4].

I then say:

God has summoned you to both Salvation and the Salvation Process.  In that process are many sub-processes that speak to each and every area noted in the 24-question survey in which you just participated.

I then give a series of scriptures speaking to all 24 questions and confirming that God, indeed, is involved in every one of these questions.

I then make a statement and back it up with two scriptures:

We are bought with a price and become God’s property.  We no longer have the free choice the world has. Our lives are forfeit for Christ.  We follow commands, take directions and go where He says to go. 

For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. –1 Corinthians 6:20

Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God. –1 Corinthians 7:23-24

I then say:

Every aspect of our life is Godly Calling.

I end the sermon by saying:

So go now and fight that good fight of faith to which you were called.

It’s all about Godly Calling.

Note: In Summons – Part 2, I devote the entire sermon to the subject of Fellowship and there is very little in the way of quotes by me.  I spend much time in our doctrine on Fellowship.

 

Be like Christ
Be like God

Sermon: Tantamount

I begin this sermon by giving you the definition of the word, “Tantamount.”

Tantamount
Equivalent, as in value, force, effect, or signification: be equivalent" Dictionary says, "see equal."

I then say:

So what does the Bible have to say about these words, "Tantamount", "Same" and "Equal?"

What does God want us to be equal to? Is He demanding that we be like Him? In what ways does He want us to be like Him? Is God commanding that we be kind of like Him, similar to Him or exactly like Him? If true, does the Bible give any indication of how we are to be like Him? In this sermon, we will answer these questions as I encourage all of us to be like Him.

Be like Christ.
Be like God the Father.

In the sermon, I refer to Mark 11:22 where Jesus tells the disciples to, “Have Faith in God.”  I then give commentaries that speak to the meaning of this admonition.

I then say:

The meaning here is profound. Our faith must transcend the idea of God giving us a measure of faith by the power of the Holy Spirit by having us see the situation through God’s eyes and mind. This is how you “Have the Faith of God”. Your confidence must approach the confidence He has. After all, God, through Christ is our example. We are to be like Christ and like God. This is what Jesus is saying in verse 22.