Chosen and Trained

Have Multiple Costumes to wear (Policeman, Fireman, Doctor, Etc.)

Introduction

Everybody grab your Bibles and turn with me to Ephesians Chapter 4.

Tonight, you’re gonna hear two words a lot. the word Chosen and the word Trained. And how these two words can change the way that we understand the Christian life.

So i want to encourage you to really be present tonight. Stay focused and don’t talk amongst yourselves, because you never know. You may be distracting someone who needs this message tonight. So let’s all be present!

Illustration

Several Years ago, we had taken a group of students to New Orleans for a Student Missions week. The Lord worked in some awesome ways, and by the time we got home we were exhausted. So I dropped the students off at the church with their families, and went straight home. As i got closer to my house, i noticed a cloud of black smoke coming up from what looked to be really close to my house. I pull onto my street, and see that it’s blocked off, and firetrucks are everywhere. The fire is towering over my house, firefighters are running through my yard. My heart sank….

I jumped out of my vehicle and ran to my yard. The fire was coming from my next door neighbors house. Their car had caught on fire in their garage, and now the whole house was ablaze. As the firefighters ran in and out, sprayed water, and managed it the best they could. I noticed a firefighter, whom i knew, across the yard. He and I locked eyes. He shook his head, answering my non-verbal question of if the home was salvageable. It was a total loss. The family lost everything.

I thought back on that moment this week while i was preparing, and i asked myself the question. Why do I trust firefighters? Why do I trust EMT’s? Doctors? you name it.

I don’t know most of them. I don’t know their background, training, or values.

Until we get to know them, it’s really the uniform that we trust. Their uniforms tell us that they are different than we are. Their uniforms tells us that they have been Chosen and trained in such a way, that they are uniquely suited to react to situations in ways that we are not. A firefighters is chosen and trained to enter into extremely dangerous situations with a calm that makes no sense. EMT’s are Chosen and trained to treat and care for people while seeing things that cause many of us to be sick. Doctors are Chosen and trained to understand the human body in ways that us regular folk just can’t.

We don’t know these people, but we know their uniforms.

And it’s in these uniforms that we often find comfort, peace, and answers.

Exegesis

Now, I’ve beat the firefighter example to death, so let’s use an EMT. EMT’s are the people who are in Ambulances and/or Firetrucks who care for people who have bad accidents, wrecks, etc. They are awesome!!

But imagine if an EMT is called to respond to a terrible wreck, get’s there and chooses not to help because when they were a kid they thought blood was gross.

In that moment, The EMT is Living their Past Life.

They Have been Chosen and Trained to overcome this fear, yet they CHOSE not to do so.

You may not realize it, but as Christians, we have been Chosen and trained, to live Holy Lives and to Share the Good news of Jesus with those around us!

When we Accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we begin the training process.

The most difficult part is that:

We as Christians are supposed to:

Leave behind our old Life

Listen to Paul’s words in Vs. 17-19

Ephesians 4:17–19 ESV

17 Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. 19 They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

The Christian Life is not easy, but it is so worth it!

Paul tell’s us that when we become Christians, we can’t live like we used too anymore. That would be like living two lives. Like trying to be both a Criminal and a Policeman, both a Doctor and a patient, both Darkness and Light.

He tells us that it’s because of our stubbornness, our arrogance, and our desire for the temporary pleasures of our old life that keep us chained, and unwilling to leave it behind.

but When we keep going back to our old way of life, we’re lying to God and we’re lying to ourselves.

You see, before we became Christians, we were lost. We were searching, we were living in ignorance. We did not know.

God had Chosen us, but we hadn’t accepted the invitation, gone through the training, and put on the uniform.

(Take off Sweatshirt - PUT ON UNIFORM NOW)

But When we ask Jesus into our lives and He saves us from our Old Sinful selves, We take off our old life, because We’ve been gifted a new self. A new community. A kind of armor. We’ve been given our Uniform, and We would be foolish to go backwards.

It’s like having all of this gear, and running into a fire without it. Foolish.

That’s why we came to Jesus in the first place, because the Old life wasn’t what we wanted. It was painful, it was depressing, it was unfulfilling.

but that life keeps trying to pull us back.

It’s because of this that every single day, we must make the decision to:

Live in our New Life

Ephesians 4:20–24 ESV

20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

I heard a story recently of a two team sniper unit, who had just made it to their deployment. They were highly trained and ready to go to work. They were about to go on their first mission when one of them received a letter from back home, saying that his wife had left him and taken everything. That man was deemed combat ineffective, because his mind wasn’t right. He wouldn’t be able to complete his mission.

Satan knows that he can’t take your salvation away, but he can make you combat ineffective.

he can cause your mind to be so filled with anxiety, hurt, anger, greed, and wants that you become distracted from the ONE TRUE MISSION. Follow Jesus and taking His name to the nations.

We have been Chosen and Trained for the mission. We have the Uniform that we need to run into the Flames of this broken world to guide people out. To guide people to Salvation. To Guide people to Jesus.

But he wants us to doubt, remove the Uniform of Christ and go into the Flames of this world and burn, believing we’re having fun. Believing that we’re happy.

We’ve been called to put on the Uniform of Christ, and to join the Mission. Not just sit and watch.

Imagine if i had shown up at that fire next to my house, and see one or two fireman running into the fire. Trying to stop it, while the others just sat on the side of the truck in their uniforms, and watched.

That’s what we’re doing as Christians when we aren’t in the mission and are instead choosing to live our old lives.

When we claim Christ, but don’t act like it.It does two things.

1) It takes you out of the fight. And We desperately need you!

2) It sets an poor example to the world as to what a Christian is supposed to be.

Every Christian is either leading people to Jesus or away from Him. There is no in between. Be the Example!

Application

That’s great… but how do we do that?

In order to experience the fullness of Christ, there are certain things in our lives that change over time.

Replace Lies for the truth

Ephesians 4:25 ESV

25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

The Truth may be hard, but it’s always easier than living in a lie.

In a world that says there is no truth, show them the Jesus is Truth!

Replace Unrighteous Anger with Righteous Anger

Ephesians 4:26–27 ESV

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

Develop self control.

Many of us are far to comfortable to act poorly outside of the church and on social media.

Sure, things are gonna make us made, but the world can see Jesus in the way that we handle ourselves through difficult situations. Or they can just see someone acting like they would.

Replace Stealing with working and giving

Ephesians 4:28 ESV

28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.

Be people of Integrity. In every aspect of our lives. Dishonesty is self serving, we must think about the Kingdom!

Replace Corrupt talk with Edifying talk

Ephesians 4:29–30 ESV

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

We should be a source of encouragement and truth, not Division and pain

Always remember what momma always said. “If you ain’t got nothing nice to say, then don’t say nuthin.”

Replace Bitterness and Rage with Kindness and Forgiveness

Ephesians 4:31–32 ESV

31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

As God in Christ Forgave you. When people wrong us. When people do hurtful people things. We have to remember that there was a time that we did hurtful people things to God. And He forgave us. So how can we justify withholding forgiveness and Kindness from those around us?

Chosen and Trained

Anyone who has been saved by Jesus. All Christians, far and wide, have the same uniform.

It says, I belong to JESUS!

Be who you are saying you are.

And don’t allow for the Enemy to manipulate you into acting like your old self.

Wear it well.

Be the Chosen and the Trained

If your still living in that anxiety, hurt, anger, greed, self driven life. You can ask Jesus to save your life, and make that life, your old life, and put on the uniform of Christ this evening.

Come find any one of us tonight, if you want to do that!

For the rest of us. Let’s pour our hearts out to God tonight. Making a commitment to put on our New Self each and every day.

Pray

Aidan Recognition and Prayer time

Before we go. We have someone who deserves our thanks and recognition.

Over the past year and a half, Aidan Clevenger has served with our student ministry faithfully. He has gone above and beyond what was expected of him. He has invested in each one of your lives, whether you realize it or not. He cares for you, He cares for this church, and most importantly He cares about the Kingdom of God.

So tonight, we are both excited and sad to send him out. Tonight is his last one Wednesday with us. He’ll be here next week for the Christmas party, but then he goes to start his new position as the Youth Pastor at First Baptist Church of Winfield, AL.

As a way of closing for us. I would love for us to come forward, lay hands on Him, and pray. Praying for him in this new season of life.

Pray.

Make sure to tell Aidan how much you appreciate Him before y'all leave tonight.

Christmas Party is next week, in the ROC.