'WHEN GOD CALLS' — Jeremiah 1:4-10

(S1) — Job you would never want to do?

Dirty jobs — Septic tank technician, pig slop processor, crime scene cleaner, animal castrater, bat guano collector...

(S2) — Series — The most difficult job — Prophet — Faced fear, intimidation, chased down, ganged up on, lied about, isolated, excluded, denounced, and in some cases—killed

Jeremiah 11:18-19 “Then the Lord told me about the plots my enemies were making against me. 19 I was like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I had no idea that they were planning to kill me! “Let’s destroy this man and all his words,” they said. “Let’s cut him down, so his name will be forgotten forever.””

Their words were God’s condemnation, warning, pronounce of sin and judgment

Jeremiah’s call…to be a prophet to the nations — a people who were far from God Jeremiah 1:10 (NLT)

Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow..

How would you like that job? While most are not called in the way Jeremiah was…his calling can give us the confidence to follow God’s leading and live into his purpose for your life — Every follower of Jesus has one — Are you living into God’s calling?

BIBLES — NOTES — PRAY

What does it mean to be called?

(S3) — To hear from God...

Jeremiah 1:4 (NLT)

The Lord gave me this message

To hear a specific direction for your life, that is rooted in the purpose of God

My calling — began long before I was a pastor —

Problem — We think God’s call is meant for Pastors…Missionaries...All followers of Jesus are called by God...

(S4) — Charles Stanley — Calling as a Three legged stool

SALVATION — SANCTIFICATION — SERVICE

Romans 1:6 “You are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ.”

All followers of Jesus are called by God...

2 Corinthians 5:17-20

The importance of Jeremiah’s call will help us understand the need to follow God’s call for our own life..

His specific call was to the service of bringing the words of salvation to a people who were refereed to has broken pots…A nation headed for a time of judgement — (40 years)

Destruction of the temple — Taken into captive by the Babylonians — Exile for 70 years

Jeremiah 52:27-28 “So the people of Judah were sent into exile from their land. 28 The number of captives taken to Babylon in the seventh year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign was 3,023.”

Jeremiah knew Judah’s destiny, because they were not changing their ways and the importance of his call...

Plane headed for a crash landing and you could do something about it, would you?

Sometimes it feels like the world around us is like a plane spiraling downward out of control...

Your call is important! It has a purpose — people are in need of saving — God can uses you...

Boy who prayed his grandpa would know the Lord

Confidence to follow your own call when you hear God’s voice…five things about Jeremiah’s call

(S5) — First notice…

I. God’s call is INTIMATE

Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)

“I knew YOU before I formed YOU in YOUR mother’s womb. Before YOU were born I set YOU apart and appointed YOU as my prophet to the nations.”

Notice the use of you — God’s call is personal — Specific to Jeremiah — Goes back to before Jeremiah was...

Value of life — both inside and outside the womb. You are not God’s afterthought — neither is that unborn child

Isaiah 43:1 “But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you. O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have called you by name; you are mine.”

God uses Jeremiah's personal self — forming him — to readiness...

God knows you...Just as my calling was specific to me…so is yours to you…

Your DNA is God’s road map…hoping you will follow...You have a God-given purpose — God has it in mind even before you were even born...

(S6) — God’s call on YOUR life is intimate — personal

II. God’s Call is IRREVOCABLE

Jeremiah 1:6–7 (NLT)

“O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you.

God your calling me? “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!”

God doesn't take excuses and I had lots of them...

‘Hound of Heaven’ — Pursuing God

Good leaders don’t take excuses when they see potential in someone — coaches — mentors — teachers — pastors —

Romans 11:29 “29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn.”

Jeremiah could try to run from it...the need was greater than his excuses.

(S7) — God’s call on your life is irrevocable....

III. God EQUIPS the Called

Jeremiah 1:8–9 (NLT)

8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth!

Jeremiah was not left to himself to figure it out. God would provide by his presence and protection — His ability to do it.

It can feel lonely following our call — It can be hard

Sometimes it’s hard to see God working when we see only our inabilities — Jesus is there in our weakness. When we question our abilities

Jeremiah cam form a line of priests — yet he didn't feel equipped to do it...

All the times I didn’t feel I had the abilities — not smart enough —

(S8) — Don’t look at your abilities first...

IV. God’s Call will be DIFFICULT

Jeremiah 1:10 (NLT)

10 Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

It will be the hardest thing you ever do...Jeremiahs call would not bear intimidate results…he had to trust in God’s greater purpose...

If your truly going to surrender your life to jesus…then you got to get out of your own way. This is way bigger than I am...

Teacher — Because you are here today…someones life is going to be affected...

The value of a persons calling is not always found in results, but in the person whom God is working.

It means standing up for what we know and believe to be true — STAKING OUR FLAG TO THE MAST

“In 17th century nautical battles colours (flags) were struck (lowered) as a mark of submission. It was also the custom in naval warfare to direct one's cannon fire at the opponent's ship's mast, thus disabling it. If all of a ship's masts were broken the captain usually had no alternative but to surrender. If the captain decided to fight on this was marked by hoisting the colours on the remnants of the ship's rigging, that is, by 'nailing his colours to the mast'.

...choosing to follow Jesus is the hardest thing you will ever do!

Call to ministry — Kevin —God ‘Is there anything else you can do? School/Papers/Every week — Peoples problems — conflict management —

(S9) — If your following God call and it seems easy, then maybe your not where you should be...

V. God’s call has ONE purpose

Jeremiah 1:10 (NLT)

Others you must build up and plant.”

...Bringing people to himself

Jeremiahs willingness to surrender himself fully to the purpose of God — was for the benefit of others…went way beyond one nation at one time…to you and I...

2 Corinthians 5

(S10) — When God calls it will be

INTIMATE — IRREVOCABLE — EQUIPS — DIFFICULT — ONE PURPOSE

It’s always for SALVATION — SANCTIFICATION — SERVICE

Are you living into the call God has placed on your life?

We only have to do two things — LISTEN — RESPOND

When god calls, how will you respond?