Misfit for God

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no Ignite the following week

Opening

Tell a personal story about a time when you felt weird, awkward, out of place, etc.

In 1 Samuel 8 we see Israel, God’s people, asking to be like the nations around them. They felt the same tension of wanting to fit in that many of us feel today.

(Give context on Israel and Samuel

1 Samuel 8:1–20 NIV

When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as Israel’s leaders. The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba. But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice. So all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah. They said to him, “You are old, and your sons do not follow your ways; now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.” But when they said, “Give us a king to lead us,” this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will claim as his rights.” Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking him for a king. He said, “This is what the king who will reign over you will claim as his rights: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. Your male and female servants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, but the Lord will not answer you in that day.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. “No!” they said. “We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.”

Israel’s desire to be like the nations around them caused them to demand a king. However, God wanted them to be different. He had set them apart. He wanted them to be misfits for Him!

My hope today is that you would choose to be a misfit for God.

The definition of a misfit is a person who is not comfortable with their surroundings, or whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others.

We as Christians should feel like misfits.

We should feel uncomfortable with our surroundings.

We should feel uncomfortable knowing that we live in a world that operates contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ.

We should feel uncomfortable at some of the conversations we hear as we walk our school hallways.

We should feel uncomfortable knowing that people around us are buying into the lies of society (appearance, money, popularity, etc.).

We should feel uncomfortable that there are people in this world who have yet to hear the truth about Jesus.

We’re going to look at three misfit principles that can encourage you to choose to be a misfit for God today.

Misfit Principle #1: Obedience Is Greater Than Belief

A tragedy in youth ministry today is that students may have been called to believe, but not to obey.

Again, we’re looking for those who are all in with being misfits.

Misfits don’t just believe in God, they obey God!

Misfits don’t just believe in Jesus, they follow Him!

Misfits don’t just seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit; they live out the fruit of the Spirit!

If you are going to grow you have to turn your belief into obedience.

Just believing in Jesus Christ does NOT make someone an authentic Christian.

If that’s all it took, Satan would be a big one!

Like James 2:19

James 2:19 NIV

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

Throughout Scripture, we read about obedience.

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21).

“So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” (Luke 6:46).

“They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household’” (Acts 16:31).

Remember, belief is the starting point. If you want to be a misfit, you have to believe and obey!

It’s important that we seek God with an attitude of “Yes, Lord!”

even before He asks the question. Could you write “Yes, Lord!” in the middle of a piece of paper, sign the bottom, and then say to Jesus, “Fill in anything You want, Lord. My answer is already yes”?

Partial obedience is not enough.

Clean Drink VS Dirty Drink

Obedience is an all or nothing thing!

Misfit Principle #2: Behaviors Match Values

Remember the second definition of a misfit:

A person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others.

A misfit’s behavior and attitude set them apart.

A misfit’s behavior and attitude make them different and special.

A misfit’s behavior and actions match what they say they value and believe in.

If we are honest, this is a real battle for many of us.

We say we believe in Jesus and we value following Him, but our actions and behaviors don’t say the same thing.

They actually reveal that we value other things above our relationship with Jesus.

James 1:22–25 NIV

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

A misfit’s behavior shows what he or she values.

Misfit Principle #3: Set Apart for a Purpose

God called Israel to be set apart, and He desires that we are set apart in our own lives.

He didn’t just set Israel apart for no reason. His purpose has always been to point people to Him!

Israel was consumed by the desire to be like everyone else. God’s desire was for them to be misfits.

God told Abraham that all nations on earth will be blessed through his offspring, the Israelites.

God intended to set Israel apart so they could point the nations to Him.

Jesus told us the same thing in Matthew 5:14–16

Matthew 5:14–16 NIV

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

We are set apart for a purpose, and that purpose is to point people to Jesus Christ!

CLOSING CHALLENGE/APPLICATION:

Will you choose to be a misfit for God?

Romans 12:2 in The Message version: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking.”

I think many of us could say, “That’s me.” Maybe you think you’ve become so well-adjusted to the culture around you that you fit in without even thinking about it.

That’s the opposite of a misfit, right?

Romans 12:2 continues, “Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

ALTAR RESPONSE: Challenge students to make the choice to be a misfit for God.

Have a commissioning moment at the altar or in small groups where they can make a commitment, and leaders can pray for them and send them out!