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Home Sermons 2011 'God wants you!' (Part 1 of 'God's Call)
 
'God wants you!' (Part 1 of 'God's Call) PDF Print E-mail
Written by David Charlton   

Scripture

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
 
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel."

  Summary and Purpose

Summary: God loves all people and calls all people to repentance and faith. God does this because He loves us and wants a relationship with us. God’s call on our lives doesn’t depend on how well we lived our lives. It depends on God’s unconditional love for us. This means that God is calling you!!!!!! No matter what you may have done in the past, God is calling you. How will you answer?

Purpose: To help the congregation realize that God calls all people to repentance and faith.  

The Sermon

I. Introduction: Getting picked last

     1. Do you remember how teams were chosen when you were a kid?

  • A group of kids are about to play kick ball, soccer, football, baseball or whatever.
  • Two captains are selected
  • The two captains take turns choosing their teammates.
  • Inevitably, it comes down to the last kid chosen. It’s almost always the kid with the least amount of athletic ability. Nobody wants that kid on his team. He’s chosen only because there’s no other choice and the kid knows it.
  • Have you ever been that last kid chosen?  I have. I knew it meant that I wasn’t really worthy.

     2. Jesus has a team, called the church. Jesus is the team captain.

  • No one is chosen last to be on this team.
  • Everyone is chosen first to be on this team
  • All are invited to be part of this team because Jesus loves everyone.

     3. God is calling you!!!!!

  • God is not calling you to be on His team based on your past performance
  • God is calling you to be on His team based on his unconditional love for you
  • It doesn’t matter what you may have done in the past, God is calling you.

     4. May people have a hard time believing God is calling them.

  • They think, I did this or I did that, how can God love me? Why would God want me? God doesn’t really want me. I’m beyond redemption.
  • This is a lie from Satan.
  • The fact of the matter is, God wants you.

II. God desires everyone to come to repentance and have faith in Jesus

     1. Second Peter 3:8-9 – “But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord
         one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is
         not slow about his promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you,
         not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
  • At the time this was written, people were expecting Jesus to return within a few years. After many years passed by people began to ask, “What’s taking Jesus so long? Why do we have to wait so long for Jesus to return?”
  • Peter answered that question with this verse.
  • In this answer, Peter gives 2 observations: 1) What may seem like a long time to us is actually very short to God because God lives in eternity and 2) Jesus will not return until everyone has the opportunity to repent and come to faith.

     2. This demonstrates that God is calling all people because He loves everyone.

  • Not everyone will say yes to God’s call but God does call everyone to repentance and faith.
  • How have you answered God’s call?
III. The fact that God calls all people to repentance and faith was the basic message of
     Jesus’ ministry. In Mark 1:15, Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of
     God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel.” Let’s break this verse down.
     1. “The time is fulfilled…”
  • With the coming of Jesus Christ, the decisive events necessary for our salvation will be played out.
  • The time for salvation is now. It’s always now.

     2. “…and the Kingdom of God is at hand…”

  • With the coming of Jesus Christ, we can begin to experience the Kingdom of God here on earth
  • The Kingdom of God is not just a place we go when we die. It’s a reality we can experience right here right now.
  • God invites everyone into this Kingdom.

     3. “…repent and believe the gospel.”

  • Anyone can enter the Kingdom of God and have a restored love relationship with God
  • The person just has to repent – sincere desire to change. Wanting to turn from a sinful, self-centered life to a loving, God-centered life.
  • The person has to believe the gospel – To believe is to trust. The gospel refers to the good news that the life, death and resurrection of Jesus is sufficient to pay the penalty for our sins. With this trust, you are able to accept God’s offer of forgiveness. So, believing the gospel is trusting that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins and receiving God’s offer of forgiveness.
     4. Anyone who repents and believes can enter the Kingdom of Heaven. That
         includes you. God wants you.

IV. Conclusion

     1. God wants you!!! He’s calling you to repentance and faith so He can have a love
         relationship with you.
  • Have you said yes to His call?
  • If not, what are you waiting for?
     2. If you already said yes to God’s call, have you told others that God is calling
         them? If not, why not? Why keep this good news from others?
 
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