Men’s Prayer - Calling
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Man oh man I am excited to lead men’s prayer
In case some of you don’t know me, my name is Jamie, I’m the Discipleship Pastor here at REVO
But I am also stepping into an exciting new role as church planter
See I felt God call me to plant a church way back in 2015 when I was still in Bible college
I didn’t know what it would look like, I didn’t know what it would take, and I didn’t know how to do it but I knew God was calling me
So I got my Undergrad degree, got my masters degree, and almost have my doctorate degree and I still don’t know what its going to look like, what it will take, or how to do it! HA
But in all seriousness me and my wife Kasey and leaving to plant a church in our hometown Davie County
(“Jamie Davie is a county not a town”, not in Davie its not — you’re either from Davie County or you’re a transplant that calls it “Advance”, or “Mocksville”) LOL
Man I am excited to see what God is going to do in Davie — and if you want to know more about the church plant we can talk after men’s prayer
But today I want us to pray through the idea of calling
Because here’s the reality — we are all called by God
Before we get into the talk though lets spend some time in prayer praising the name of God
Prayer: Lord thank you for Jesus the one that forgives us, saves us, redeems us, and calls us.
We are all called
We are all called
One thing that I find super interesting being in church leadership is how people respond to the work of ministry
There are some people who come up and are fired up to do the work — they are chomping at the bit to get into ministry and get their hands dirty
You know: volunteering at every serve day, on multiple serve teams, leading a rGroup or at least a second chair leader
Then you have people who are almost the exact opposite
For one reason or another they feel unworthy to serve the Lord in ministry
They don’t want to join a serve team, they don’t join an rGroup, they don’t want to mentioned as doing anything — they simply attend
Right off the bat I want to challenge us today that we are called
Listen to what Paul tells us:
11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Paul in Ephesians 4 tells us that the apostles, propthets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers are meant to equip the saints for the work of the ministry
Translation — every single one of us is meant to go and do ministry
Every single one of us is meant to have some type of ministry
He mentions the different titles ultimately to show that anyone that is on staff at a church, who holds any position at all, is meant to help anyone who names the name of Jesus to walk out the calling of their lives
Don’t believe Paul?
19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Jesus speaking to His disciples — a command that is meant to not only apply to the twelve, but also to everyone that hears the message is called to make disciples
Making disciples is ministry — it takes work to be with someone
Peter said it this way when talking about everyone’s calling:
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
We as believers are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation
This goes back to the idea that Israel in OT times was meant to reflect God’s glory and share the good news with others
Deut 6 tells Israel to teach the commands of the Lord to their children, put it on their doorpost, and talk of them when they are in the home and when they walk
Essentially saying that you are now chosen by God, saved, redeemed, loved so go and tell others
So the reality today is that if you name the name of Jesus Christ as Lord you are called
You are called serve, you are called to share the Gospel, you are called to reach the Lost, you are called to make disciples
Everyone of us in this room is called
So here’s the prayer:
Prayer: Lord you saved me for a reason. You changed me so that I can go and serve you. Give me the strength and boldness to walk in the calling you have on my life.
Sacrifice
Sacrifice
I’ve been told “There is never a good time to sacrifice.”
There is never an easy time to time to give up something
The reality is, when we are walking into our calling it’s going to take sacrifice
Jesus told us this:
24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
Jesus tells us to take up our cross and follow Him
The cross is a roman instrument meant for death — not a fancy think we wear around our neck
When believers trusted in Jesus and started walking with them look at what happened:
Zacchaeus give half his money to the poor, and refunded 4 times the amount he stole from everyone
Believers in Acts sold their possessions and give to the poor
Paul and Timothy and Silas and Barnabas and Stephen and Philip left their homes to go and share the Gospel, often to their own detriment
The reality is — walking in the calling God has for us, for you — is going to be costly
Greg Ogden a famous Christian author wrote this:
Unfinished Business: Returning the Ministry to the People of God Purpose or Heart Call
The call of God brings us to the end of our resources so that we must throw ourselves upon the Lord along with other like-hearted people. The call of God is rarely individual. We live out our call with others who share the same heart commitment.
What does that mean? When we live out the calling God has for our life its going to cost us something:
Maybe it will cost you financially
Maybe it will cost you personally
Maybe it will cost you your time
It might cost your talent
It might cost you friends or family
The reality is it’s going to cost you something, so don’t be surprised
It might cost you quitting your job, it might cost you moving
Ultimately its going to cost you your pride and ego and force you to rely on Jesus instead of yourself
Here’s the prayer:
Prayer: Lord I know walking in your calling is going to be cost me. Give me the faith to sacrifice for your calling.
Reward
Reward
So why should we walk in the calling God has for us?
It’s going to be hard, costly, painful
Listen to this parable:
12 He said therefore, “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
Man I love Luke’s parallel account of the parable of the Talents compared to the Matthew account for one specific reason — everyone is given something
10 servents — each given one
How are they judged? What did they do with what was given
How is this relevant to walking in God’s calling?
We’ve all been called
All been given a gospel
All have different talents and abilities
One day we will be judged based on what we do with what God has given us
This is what Paul means when he said:
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,
We are to work out our salvation — WORK
Do it in fear and trembling — in full awe of God
There is blessings that come when we take up our cross, sacrifice, and walk in the calling that God has for us
It’s time we believe that!
Because the flip side of reward is cursing!
Let that sink in — some people in the kingdom will have more than others
I don’t know about you but I want to be welcomed into heaven with “well done good and faithful servant”
I don’t want to hear “you wasted the gifts I gave you”
Here’s the final prayer prompt:
Prayer: Lord allow me to realize that there is consequences to my obedience and disobedience when it comes to walking into your calling. Give me a desire to hear “well done” when I meet you heaven and let that fuel my life.
