For the Sake of a Higher Calling

Phil. 3:7-8, 13-14

1. I Am Unworthy

How many of us have recieved a call from someone who dialed the wrong number lately?

It’s funny how when you answer the phone and you tell them they have the wrong number they sometimes act like it’s your fault.

It is almost like I have to apologize that I am the wrong person, or I have to say I’m sorry, but you have the wrong number.

What is even more annoying is when I answer the phone and it is a recorded message saying that my auto warranty has expired. I usually ignore strange numbers, but those guys are using my area code now.

If a telemarketer calls me and I answer, I can quickly realize that this conversation is a waste of time, and what they are selling is of no value to me.

And when i realize that what they have is worthless to me, i am ready to hang up the phone.

I remember when I was a teenager and I began to feel the Lord calling, and initially I doubted that it was real because all i could think of is how inadequate I felt.

All i could think of is that I didn’t have the voice, the charisma, the talent or abilities to do what I felt God calling me to do.

I thought that my weaknesses would be too overwhelming for God to use me.

I felt that what I had to offer was of no value.

You find in Exodus 3 that when God began to call Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, the first thing that Moses said to God was, “Who am I.”

Who am I that you would call me to do such a great thing?

You find that in ch. 4:10-12 that Moses tell God, “I am not eloquent, I wasn’t eloquent then, and i am not eloquent now, but I am slow to speech and have a slow tongue.

Moses said Lord I have been out of Egypt for 40 years. I have been out of touch with the Egyptian language and out of touch with the Egyptian culture. How can you use a man who can no longer speak with them?

Moses said I had this weakness in the past, and i still have this weakness now!

But God tells Moses in v.11-12, “ Who has made man’s mouth? Who has made the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth!

Even when we are weak God shows His power. He is the strength in our weakness.

It does not matter how we feel, it does not matter what people may say, what matters is that we pour what we have into the Kingdom of God, so that He can be glorified.

1 Cor. 1:26-29 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:

27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;

28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are:

29 That no flesh should glory in his presence.

That’s why 2 Cor. 4:7 says that We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

When the oil was poured out of the vessel, the vessel would be tossed away.

The vessel itself held little value, but the oil that was in the vessel was full of value.

I’m not worth much on my own, but there is a treasure on the inside, and my desire is to pour it out because there is a higher calling on my life.

I want to pour it out so that God can receive all the honor and the glory.

2. What is the High Calling

1. A Call for Salvation

Acts 2:38- After Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, the people were convicted and they asked what shall we do?

Repent- turning away from sin. In the NT repentance is always associated with turning away from sin and being converted. repentance and conversion go hand in hand. Salvation does not happen without a real conversion.

Baptism in Jesus Name- Baptism means to be immersed with water and to be buried with Christ for the remission of our sins. It is still necessary to be baptized and to be baptized in the only saving name of Jesus!

Infilling of the Holy Ghost- Ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Every time in the book of Acts, when the Holy Ghost fell, they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave the utterance. When we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we are filled with the same power that Jesus crushed the enemy with. We are filled with that same resurrection power that overcame the grave! If it was necessary to be filled with the Holy Ghost then, it is still necessary for salvation even today.

2. A Call to Declare the Gospel

A familiar call takes place in Mt. 28:19, Jesus commands the disciples to Go and Make Disciples of all nations.

While the word “Go” in the Greek is a present participle, and the verb phrase “make disciples” is imperative.

But in a context that demands that this ministry is to extend to “all nations,” the word “Go” still holds imperatival force.

A Higher Calling demands that we declare the gospel in everywhere!

1 Cor. 4:3-4- If our gospel is hid, it is hid to those who are lost, in whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them who don’t believe, unless the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. A Higher Call demands that we do not hide the Gospel.

When Paul is writing to the Ephesians about the armour of God and he mentions prayer and supplication in Ch. 6, he says in v.19, “Pray for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may make known the mystery of the gospel. The call demands that we Declare the gospel boldly!

You find in Acts 2:16 that Peter reaches back into OT prophecy and says But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.

Acts 2:39- For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

My wife and I have a child that is on the way, and it is my responsibility to make sure that my child knows the truth.

We need now more than ever, men and women to stand up and declare the truth in their homes.

To declare the gospel in their families.

If the Lord tarries and Bro. Patterson and Bro. Harrellson are no longer around, It is up to my generation to take a stand for the truth, and to continue to declare it across this pulpit from generation to generation.

A higher calling demands that we declare this gospel beyond our generation!

3. A Call to Live it

It is not enough to only declare the gospel, but we must also live it.

Eph. 4:1-I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

There is a balance between profession and practice.

Lowliness (Humility)- In classical Greek, Humility was a derogatory term suggesting low mindedness, but in the gospel humility was used to stand against the high mindedness of the world. Phil. 2:5-8- Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Paul says that Jesus was the very essence of God, He was in fact God manifest in the flesh, and he deliberately limited His power and knowledge when He became man. He took on the form of a servant, and He subjected His self to a death of crucifixion. As God, he could have asserted all the rights of deity; but as a man He forfeited His right to manifest Himself visibly as God in all His glory and power. He was human, but he was sinless. He humiliated Himself by descending and embodying as a man, and He emptied Himself of all self interest. Jesus was full of humility, and a higher call requires that we set in a place of lowliness.

Meekness (Gentleness)- Linked with lowliness is meekness. Meekness is not weakness, but it is power under control. Meekness is gentleness. Meekness is consideration. In the Greek language the word for meekness is used to describe a soothing medicine, it is used to describe a colt that has been broken, and it is used to describe a soft wind. In every case of the word there is great strength and power, but also of restraint. We are called to be lowly and meek.

Long suffering (Patience)- Patience is a virtue of God Himself. When we pray for patience we often get the opportunity to be patient. Patience means being long tempered. It can mean steadfastness in the endurance of suffering, but more often in the NT it is described as reluctance to fight back even in an uncomfortable situation.

Patience finds itself in loving forbearance. To bear with another is literally to “hold him up.” It is to love your brother regardless of his flaws, knowing that we all have our own.

Paul describes these “fruits of the Spirit” because in Eph. 4:3 they bring about the “Unity of the Spirit” which is a result of the believer “walking in the Spirit.”

When we “walk in the Spirit” the “fruits of the Spirit” that are imbedded on the inside begin to work their way outward.

Gal. 5:25- If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

Living in the Spirit speaks to the reception of the Holy Ghost and the transformation of the inner identity.

Walking in the Spirit refers to the outward manifestation of the Spirit’s inner activity.

My desire is that the Spirit would do a work in me that I am transformed from the inside out!

I don’t want to just talk about Jesus, but I want people to see Christ living in me!

I want people to see a difference in me, I want to be able to walk in a room and people see the Holy Ghost active in me!

I want to be holy, I want to be separated from the world.

I want to do whatever it takes for the sake of a higher call!

3. A Higher Call is Not For the Faint of Heart.

Phil 3:7- For what things were gain to me, those I counted loss.

There will be things that we have to give up, things that we have to leave behind.

1. What things is Paul talking about?

Phil. 3:3-6- For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more: Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

He was circumcised, of the tribe of Benjamin, he called himself a Hebrew of Hebrew’s, a Pharisee, a zealous Jew!

He could enjoy all the privileges of being a Jew.

He regarded what he had as profit toward achieving righteousness by the law.

He had the advantages, he made the gains, he was a Hebrew of Hebrew’s!

But then there was a Damascus road experience!

Then he realized that everything that he gained apart from Christ was worthless.

He once trusted his performance, but then he found that he needed Jesus.

He once valued his possessions, but then he saw that they were of little value, he said, “But what things were gain to me, those i counted loss for Christ.”

He goes on to say, “Yea doubtless, and i count all things but loss

“I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung.”

Paul wrote this epistle while being imprisoned.

You see 3 times in the 1st chapter that Paul says the word “bonds.’

In verses 7 and 16 and 17 he mentions being bound, but he also mentions the defence and confirmation of the gospel.

In verse 13 his bonds are in Christ.

Paul a Hebrew of Hebrew’s, making mention of his advantages as a Jew, but then saying that anything apart from Christ is worthless.

Speaking of the privileges, but while being bound for the sake of the gospel saying,” I count it all but loss.”

Why? For the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord.”

Paul, why did you suffer the loss of all things? That I may win Christ

4. What Am I Lacking?

Mt. 19:16-30 speaks of the story of the rich young ruler

in v. 16 he asks Jesus,”What should I do to attain eternal life? What should i do for the sake of a higher call?”

In v. 17-19 Jesus begins to name off certain commandments.

Don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t lie, honour your father and mother, love your neighbor as yourself.

The young man says,” My whole life I have done all of these things. What am I lacking?

5. Give Everything and Gain Christ

Jesus tells him,” Sell everything that you have, give to the poor, leave all that behind for the sake of a something that is better, and come and follow me.”

You find that this young man responded negatively because he had many great possessions.

You see, he had religion down to a tee.

I followed the law check, I prayed today check, I paid my tithes check, i went to church check.

But he never truly got a hold of the heart of God!

You find in v.27 Peter asks,” We’ve forsaken everything and followed you, what shall we have?”

In v. 28-29 Jesus answers,” Everyone who has forsaken everything, for my names sake, shall inherit eternal life.”

You see Paul said,”I suffered the loss of all things!”

Why? “That I may win Christ.

9. And be found in him, not because of my own righteousness, but through faith in Christ, the righteousness that is of God by faith

10. That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable unto his death.

11. If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.

12. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.

13. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Closing

As I’m coming to a close, you find a man in Phil. 2 whose name is Epaphroditus.

He is only mentioned 2 times in the Bible that I’m aware of.

Paul calls him a brother, a companion in labour, a fellow soldier, a messenger to Philipi.

He was not a famous evangelist or missionary.

He was not someone that was spoken of very often.

But V. 27 says that Epaphroditus was very sick, almost to the point of death.

V. 30 says again that he was sick but it also says,”For the work of Christ he was near death, not regarding his own life.”

A man who was not worried about his name being mentioned, not worried about what he could gain or what possessions he had, he was not even worried about his health or whether he would die from his sickness.

He only cared about the work of Christ.

He only wanted to give everything he had for the sake of a higher call.

Open altars

As i open these altars i wonder what would happen if we would commit everything to God.

God I empty myself of everything!

God when i stand before you i pray that i would be emptied because i poured all of myself into the Kingdom for Your glory, so that Your will would be done.

Are you willing to give everything for the sake of a higher calling?