The Higher Calling…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 45:22

Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

• A calling; not as one would suppose
• It has nothing to do with someone’s vocation, or natural abilities
• This calling is not a tangible thing; you can’t touch it; smell it; see it
• But, you hear it in your heart

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light

• No one is going to send you an application; no one is going to ask if you’d like the job
• You’re not going to be begged or pushed along; this calling is not for the faint of heart, nor weak of spirit; this calling takes work and dedication
• The masses of the day we live in would have us believe we can take this calling lightly; we would be duped into believing that we didn’t have to live the life, only that we profess it; But that’s not what God called us to!

1 Thes. 4:7

For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

• Its appalling to think of the thousands of people that will not hearken to God’s word; we live in a day when pleasures have taken precedence over the power of God; it is a day when children are toting guns to school and internet churches thrive on the laziness of our untoward generation; we will not be judged by any man, preacher, or church, but by the word of the Lord!!

John 12:48

He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.

• Many will reject the call because of what it entails; many will choose hell rather than living the life now;

Acts 2:17

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, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

• For those who heed the call, there are treasures laid up in heaven; it’s not by our fleshly works that we are saved, but by obedience to the Lord Almighty!

1 Tim. 6:12

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

• This calling is yours!
• Lay hold o it, make it your own.
• Take a personal stake of ownership in the work of the church.

Philip. 3:14

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

• The work you put into this calling is an eternal nest egg.
• The commitment you put into this calling now is netting Heavenly stock on the other side!

2 Tim. 1:9

Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began

• God has called us, not because of how perfect we were, but because of potential HE saw for HIS purpose in our lives.
• HE always knew you, and you DO have a purpose in the church.

Matthew 20:16

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

• Don’t be disheartened. God can have revival with or without us…..

Just DECIDE that you won’t allow that to happen!

Make this calling your own!

The Essence of Faith

 

 

 

What is faith?

• Heb 11:1 (KJV) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
• Faith is believing in something that you can’t touch with your hands, or that you cannot control or influence
• Webster’s
  • “Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.”
• Faith is the hope of something better than anything we can know here
• Faith is the belief that there is something more than can be proven beyond the shadow of reasonable doubt

 

Is there evidence for faith in Him?

We are creatures that want a sign. So what signs has He given? The list is endless…

• Physical signs
  • The Creation
    • Romans 1:20 (KJV) For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 
  • The Word (an eternal testimony)
    • Matthew 24:35 (“…my Words shall not pass away…”)
  • You and I, witnesses for the faith of others
    • 2 Corinthians 3:2 (“Ye are our epistle…known and read of all men…”)
• The Spiritual Sign: The Holy Ghost
  • Isaiah 28:11 (Stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people…”)
  • Acts 2: 1-4, 12-13, 16-17
  • Acts 10:44, 46
  • John 3:5-8 (The Holy Ghost tongues are the sign to you and to everyone around you!)

 

What does faith do for us?

• It provides everything we need in life…
  • David said: Psalms 37:25 (KJV) I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.
• It brings deliverance through prayer…
  • Jesus said: Matt 21:22 (KJV) And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
• It makes God happy with us…
  • Paul said: Hebrews 11:6
• More importantly, with faith comes the reward of Eternity with our Savior, Jesus Christ
  • Matthew 24:46 (“Blessed is that servant…so doing…”)
  • Matthew 25:21 (“Well done, thou good and faithful servant…”)

So faith is great, but where does it come from?

• Are you born with it?
• Do you earn it?
  • The answer is, no. Roman 10:17 says… (“…Faith cometh by hearing…”)
• So according to the Word, faith comes by the Word, through a personal experience with the divine.
• Luke 24:28-32 (“…our heart burn within us…”)

Faith is in the burning heart…

• This Biblical principle of a burning heart is not confined to one example, but it is a theme that god plays out all through His Word. Let’s go back to Exodus…
  • Exodus 3:1-5
    • This single, burning bush set in turn a chain of events in the life of Moses that has changed the world! The sign, the burning bush, began in Moses a work of faith that brought deliverance to God’s people and took them into the promised land, and has even shaped our experience and faith today.)
• Fast forward to John the Baptist…
  • Matthew 3:1-2, 11 (“…He will baptize you with fire…”)

 

 

What does faith require of us once we have it?

• Action
  • James 1:22 (“…doers of the Word, not hearers only…”)
  • James 2:17 (“…Faith without works is dead…”)
• Submission to allof the Word
  • 2 Peter 1:20-21 (KJV) (“no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation… holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”)
  • 2 Timothy 3:16 (“all scripture is given by inspiration of God”)
• Spreading the good news!
  • Luke 24:47 (KJV) (“…repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations…”)
  • 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) (“…be ready always to give an answer…”)

 

 

Is there faith besides that in God?

• Yes! There is the faith in ourselves through Christ Jesus!
  • Philippians 4:11-13 (“…all things through Christ…”)
  • Matthew 17:18-20 (With the Spirit of the Lord, we can do anything for Him!)
  • Dan 11:32 (KJV) (“…but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.”)

 

Faith in others…

• There is a faith that has been taught to us by the example of our Master on so many occasions in the Word.
• It is the faith and hope that we have for others…
  • Job 14:7 (“…hope for a tree…”)
    • Galatians 6:1 (“…if a brother be overtaken…restore…”)
  • Matthew 18:12-13 (“…rejoices over the one…”)
    • These scriptures teach that we must lay aside the many things that seem so important, in search of a lost soul.
• A story…
  • God has decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of it’s wickedness. But one man, one helpless, individual, powerless man, stood in the gap for thousands of lost souls.
  • Genesis 19:23, 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32
    • The point is that Abraham kept pushing!
      • Luke 19:10 (KJV) For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
    • The lives of the lost matter more than anything else! It is the purpose of the church!