Assignments from God

Good morning! It’s great to be worshipping with you today!

INSERT ANY PRAYER REQUESTS FROM THIS WEEKEND

One of the things that can cause a little angst with Christ-followers is the whole idea of getting an assignment from God.

On the surface, we think we are ready for whatever He asks us to do, and we want to be available. But deep down, I think most Christ-followers are a little anxious - and maybe even a bit scared - about the prospect of God tapping us on the shoulder to get in the game and get more actively involved in serving our Savior.

Today, we are going to look at a very famous passage of Scripture - Acts 2:1-42 - but we will be doing so through the lens of the truth God shares about His assignments in the passage and the encouragement God gives us for when He next gives us an assignment!

Are you ready to dig in? Let’s pray...

Acts 2:1-4

Acts 2:1–4 NASB95

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

Wouldn’t this have been a scene to watch in person? Goodness gracious! To be there to watch fire descending and alighting on the mouths of the disciples…to hear them start speaking in other languages…to see the look of wonder on their faces! What a moment!

In fact, it was a pivotal moment in the life of the early church. If you’ll recall from last week, before Jesus ascended into Heaven, He told His followers to wait until they received power from the Holy Spirit before they began to fulfill the Great Commission He had given them. And so they waited together in Jerusalem, praying to be ready for whenever that promise from Jesus would be fulfilled.

And here it was - the very thing Jesus promised would happen, unfolding before their eyes. They KNEW that this was a special moment…and while the Scriptures don’t indicate it directly, I have to believe that they were experiencing a mixture of nervousness and excitement! I mean, it’s not every day that you have a tongue of fire approach you from the ceiling of the room you are in!

But I would like us to take a step back for a moment and look at what has happened through the lens of receiving an assignment from God, for there is a key truth here in this passage we can take to heart:

God’s assignments will require His EQUIPPING.

This is crucial for us to understand and latch onto. Any time God gives us an assignment - ANY TIME - we will need His supernatural equipping for the task. And in order for us to be equipped by the Lord for the assignments He gives us:

It requires us being surrendered to His will. - This is the mental state of the disciples as they gathered together, waiting on what Jesus had promised. When it comes to being prepared for an assignment from God, we cannot approach that pretentiously or pridefully. It’s important that we are open to whatever assignment God gives us - nothing can be beneath us or viewed as a waste of time. If we start feeling those thoughts coming on, it should be a yellow flag for us that we are likely not truly living surrendered before Jesus.

In order for us to be equipped by the Lord, it also requires that we are obedient to His direction. - This is an important step as well that we sometimes forget. We might be surrendered before His throne and even open to anything He asks us to do…but then it’s almost like we want Him to take a “hands-off” approach, letting us just take care of His assignment the way we want to - and in our own strength. Brothers and sisters, please know that simply isn’t the way God works. He is always involved in every detail of our lives - and when He gives us an assignment, He will almost always give us direction on how we are to complete the assignment. If we want to be equipped by Him for the task at hand, we need to be willing to be obedient to His direction.

Lastly, being equipped by God for anything requires that we are filled with the Holy Spirit. - This is a truth that cannot be overstated in importance. God has made us to need Him and to need the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish what He asks of us. It may not involve tongues of fire descending from the ceiling in order to accomplish His assignment…but it will require the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because when the incredible results happen following God’s assignment, you and those around you will realize that the results didn’t happen because you are so amazing and talented, but because God gave you the strength and ability to do it…and people will be pointed to Jesus in the process.

We need His equipping for the assignments He gives, AMEN?!?!

Acts 2:5-13

Acts 2:5–13 NASB95

Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? “And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

Have you ever heard some strange sound that literally interrupted what you were doing and caused you to go look for its source?

As we consider the events of this day, sometimes we forget that what happened to the disciples was accompanied by a sound - one that could be heard above the hum of the crowd. Those who were living in Jerusalem at the time congregated together, looking to better understand the source of whatever sound they heard…and then they started hearing the followers of Jesus each talking in their own heart languages.

In response, this passage indicates that most of the crowd were “bewildered, amazed, astonished, and perplexed” - although there were a few who simply mocked the disciples, accusing them of being drunk.

And from the reaction of the crowd, there is a subtle truth that we can take to heart when it comes to us fulfilling assignments from God:

Fulfilling God’s assignments doesn’t require others to UNDERSTAND or APPROVE.

Of course, there will likely be some people in your circle who get excited and are incredibly supportive of you living out the assignments God gives you.

But likely, you will encounter people who simply don’t understand - especially if they are not followers of Jesus themselves. They will be confused and bewildered and perplexed. They may even try to talk you out of doing what God has called you to do.

And some may even start deriding you for your decision to follow Jesus and pursue His assignment.

When that happens, please know that you don’t need others to understand or approve of you taking steps of faith and obedience to fulfill God’s assignment for you. You are ultimately not accountable to them. Of course, there can be wisdom in heeding the counsel of others, especially if those from whom you are receiving that counsel are solid in their faith.

Proverbs 15:22 NASB95

Without consultation, plans are frustrated, But with many counselors they succeed.

Proverbs 11:14 NASB95

Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Proverbs 12:15 NASB95

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Proverbs 19:20 NASB95

Listen to counsel and accept discipline, That you may be wise the rest of your days.

All that is true and wise and important. Yet, it’s important to remember that people can be fallible. They can fall victim to their own emotions or prejudices or preferences, and those things can influence what advice they give. So listen to what others say, but ultimately remember that you do not need others to understand or even approve for you to fulfill God’s assignment. AMEN?!?!

Acts 2:14-42

Acts 2:14–42 NASB95

But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. “For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel: ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says, ‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind; And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, And your young men shall see visions, And your old men shall dream dreams; Even on My bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit And they shall prophesy. ‘And I will grant wonders in the sky above And signs on the earth below, Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. ‘The sun will be turned into darkness And the moon into blood, Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come. ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. “But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. “For David says of Him, ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence; For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken. ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted; Moreover my flesh also will live in hope; Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades, Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay. ‘You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’ “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. “And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. “This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. “Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. “For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. “For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

As we consider this passage, this final truth emerges...

God’s assignments will produce GOD-HONORING results.

This is super-important to remember.

The best outcome of fulfilling God’s assignment should always be for God to be honored…for Jesus to be magnified…for people to be convicted in their hearts about their need to be made right with God.

If our goal when we live out God’s calling is to receive praise from other people and to be acknowledged for a job well-done, then our priorities are out of whack.

That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t show appreciation to those who are living out their faith. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t encourage each other and let others know that we see God working in and through them. In fact, Scripture reminds us...

Romans 14:19 NASB95

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.

But our goal should be for God to be honored in and through our lives, and for Jesus to be magnified in and through our lives. If someone sees me and - because of how God is working in my life - they are convicted about something and then turn in repentance about that thing…and then give thanks to God for reaching out to them and loving them enough to convict their hearts about that thing…that’s AWESOME!

Remember, both the assignment AND the result of the assignment are up to God. Our part in the process is to simply be obedient to fulfill the assignment and then trust Him with the outcome. And when we do, we can trust that God-honoring results will take place!

By the way, it should be mentioned that the size of the result is not what determines its value and whether God is honored in the process. Here in this passage, we see 3,000 people repented of their sins and began a relationship with Jesus. But keep in mind this parable Jesus shared, as recorded in the Bible:

Luke 15:3–7 NASB95

So He told them this parable, saying, “What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? “When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. “And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

This morning, I saw Katie Noles post a meme that seems so appropriate…I just have to share it here.

SHOW THE MEME FROM KATIE

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=4606846825999351

Maybe, as we are talking about all this today, you are realizing that you are like that sheep who has gone astray. Maybe you have lost your way and have become stuck.

Cry out to Jesus. He is the Great Shepherd. He will gladly come and meet you right where you are and forgive you of your sin, if you are willing to repent of it and trust Him.

Maybe you are like the sheep in the meme…Jesus has come to get you unstuck, and you have jumped right back in the hole. Don’t worry - Jesus loves you and will come to your rescue again.

Maybe there’s some other step of faith God is calling you to take. Maybe there’s a specific assignment from Him that you have really afraid to say “YES” to, but you know now that He’s got this and you are ready to take that step of faith and obedience.

Are you ready to surrender to Jesus and fulfill the assignments He has for you? Are you ready to embrace Jesus as your Savior and Lord?