| Your God Given Mission (Part 3 of 'God's Call') |
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| Written by David Charlton |
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Scripture Jeremiah 1:1-10 The words of Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, 2 to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. 3 It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, and until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah, the son of Josiah, king of Judah, until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month. 4 Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, 5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." 6 Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." 7 But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. 8 Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."
Summary and Purpose
Summary: If you are a repentant believer in Jesus Christ, then you have a specific God given mission for your life. God created you for a specific purpose. Your God given mission will support the overall mission of the church. The overall mission of the church is summarized in the great commission (Matthew 28:19-20) and great commandment (Matthew 22:34-40). In other words, God has a specific mission(s) in mind for you that has something to do with spreading the gospel through word and deed.
God will reveal to us what He’s doing or what He’s about to do. Once we recognize what God is doing or about to do, we join God in His work. This becomes our God given mission. This mission may last a short time or it may last a lifetime.
During the times when we don’t discern a specific God given mission, we continue to develop our relationship with God through Bible study, prayer, fasting, worship and service. We also take advantage of everyday opportunities to share the gospel in word and deed.
Agreeing to embark on a God given mission will involve risk, sacrifice and making adjustments in your life. Yes, God may ask you to go to Africa. God can do big things through those who trust and obey Him.
Purpose: To help the members to eagerly embrace their God given purposes.
The Sermon
I. Every Christian has a God given mission
1. If you are a repentant believer in Jesus Christ, you have a God given mission.
2. Your God given mission fits in with the overall mission of the church · As an Army Officer, I was trained to give my troops the mission of the unit two echelons above. For example, as a Platoon leader I would give the mission of the company and battalion. That way, each soldier could act on his own in support of the overall mission if he became separated from the unit. · In a similar way, we Christians must understand the over all mission of the church. That way, we can conduct our daily lives in a manner that supports the church’s mission.
3. The over all mission of the church – We follow the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission · Great commission: Spreading the good news of Jesus (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 1:7-8) · Great commandment: Love God, neighbor and self (Matthew 22:37-40 and Matthew 25:31-46)
4. God has a specific purpose in mind for you that has something to do with proclaiming the gospel in word and deed.
II. Jeremiah 1:4-10 – An example of God calling a specific person to accomplish a specific Mission
1. This calling to Jeremiah can also be taken as a calling for each of us · Jeremiah called to be a prophet – to proclaim God’s word. · As followers of Christ, we are called to proclaim God’s word – refer back to the over all mission of the church · We can read Jeremiah 1:4-10 as if is addressed to us personally · Jeremiah 1:4-5 as if it’s addressed to me: Now the word of the LORD came to me, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE], saying, 5 "Before I formed you, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE], in the womb I knew you, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE], and before you, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE], were born I consecrated you, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE]; I appointed you, [PUT YOUR NAME HERE] a prophet to the nations."
2. Let’s break this passage down · Jeremiah 1:4-5 - Now the word of the LORD came to me saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations." – Before God created you, He already knew how He wanted to use you to further His kingdom. You were created for a divine purpose · Jeremiah 4:6 – “Then I said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." – The excuses we make to do what we want rather than what God wants · Jeremiah 4:7-8 – “But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a youth'; for to all to whom I send you you shall go, and whatever I command you you shall speak. 8 Be not afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD." – The Lord is with us. The Lord works through us. This takes away any excuse we may have · Jeremiah 4:9-10 – “Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth; and the LORD said to me, "Behold, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." – The Lord leads us to say what needs to be said. His word through us is powerful. We just need to trust Him.
III. So, if we each have a God given mission, how do you discern your God given mission?
1. Go back to last week’s sermon (20 March) · God is always at work · God reveals to us what He’s doing or about to do · God’s revelation of what He’s doing or about to do is His invitation to join Him · This becomes our God given mission
2. Our God given mission may last a short time or it may last the rest of your life. · God may give us multiple missions throughout our lives · God may give us one big mission that will last the rest of your life
3. What do we do when we don’t discern a specific God given mission for our lives? We patiently wait for the Lord to give us a mission. This waiting, however, is an active waiting. While we wait, we do two things: · We continue to develop our relationship with God through Bible study, prayer, fasting, worship and service · We look for opportunities in our daily lives to follow the great commandment in order to fulfill the great commission.
IV. Accomplishing your God given mission involves risk, sacrifice and making adjustments in your life.
1. Risk: Jesus said, “"If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18-19)
2. Sacrifice: Now when Jesus saw great crowds around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go." 20 And Jesus said to him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man has nowhere to lay his head." 21 Another of the disciples said to him, "Lord, let me first go and bury my father." 22 (Matthew 18:18-22) But Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
3. Making adjustments to your life: “Immediately they left their nets [They left their livelihood, their primary means of support. It was a drastic change in careers.] and followed him [Jesus].”
4. Yes!!! God may call you to go to Africa!!!!
5. Answering my call to become a pastor involved risk, sacrifice and adjustment · Risk: Had to leave the Army and later the Department of Juvenile Justice. These were my primary means of support. How would I pay my bills and provide for my family and pay for seminary? · Sacrifice: Sacrificed the higher salary of an Army Officer and security of being a state employee in a job I was really good at. · Adjustment in life: Had to leave a promising Army career and then leave secure career as a Juvenile Probation Officer (JPO)
V. Conclusion
1. God rescued you from sin in order to use you to expand His kingdom on earth.
2. God has a mission in mind for you.
3. Will you accept whatever mission God has in mind for you? No matter what the cost? |
