The Ones God Calls Series

OPEN: Several years ago, in London, England the city was besieged with complaints about London’s mass transit system. It seems that the city’s buses tended to drive right past bus stops even though there were customers standing in line waiting to be picked up.

Called upon to explain their actions, the London Transit Authorities released the following statement which has become infamous with public relations departments everywhere. It read:

“It is impossible for us to maintain our schedules if we are always having to stop and pick up passengers.”

APPLY: (pause)… What was wrong with that statement?

Answer: They got their priorities confused. They thought their job was to keep a schedule, when in reality, their job was to pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations. Because they got their priorities confused, they failed to do that/ for which they were created.

I. What were you created to do?

What did God have in mind when He saved you? (pause…) Ephesians 2:10 tells us that when we were saved we were “created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.” In other words… God has something in mind for you to do when He saved you. He saved you to do “good works” He’d prepared ahead of time. But what did He save you to do?

Some people mistakenly believe that God’s purpose in their lives is for them to come & fill a pew every Sunday morning - and that is what they are satisfied doing. They have no intention of doing anything more. That reminded me of a poem I once read:

ILLUS: Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,

"We need someone to teach a class, now who will take this task?"

Then God sat down beside me there and said, "Son, that’s for you."

"But, Lord, (said I) to stand before a class is one thing I can’t do.

Now Bill would be the man to call, there’s nothing he won’t do.

I’d rather hear the lesson taught from here upon my pew."

Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,

"We need someone to lead the songs, Now who will take this task?"

Then God sat down beside me there and said, "Son, that’s for you."

"But Lord, (said I) to sing before a crowd is one thing I can’t do.

Now Brother King will do the job, there’s nothing he won’t do.

I’d rather hear the music played from here upon my pew."

Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,

"I need someone to keep the door, now who will take this task?"

Then God sat down beside me there and said, "Son, that’s for you."

But I replied: “saying things to strangers, Lord, is one thing I can’t do.

Now Tom can talk to people, Lord, there’s nothing he won’t do.

I’d rather someone come to me and greet me on the pew."

As years just seemed to pass me by, I heard that voice no more.

Until one night I closed my eyes and woke on heaven’s shore.

’Twas four of us together there to face eternity.

And God said, "I need just three of you to do a job for me."

"O Lord,” I cried, "I’ll do the job, there’s nothing I won’t do."

But Jesus said, "I’m sorry, Friend, in Heaven there’s no pew."

You see, it’s possible for us to confuse our priorities. There are tasks to be done – and if you and I don’t do them they may not get done.

Now just like the schedule WAS IMPORTANT to the Transit authority in London, so also, going to church IS important for us. But that’s NOT our main priority. Our main priority should be serving Jesus.

II. Some might say – but I’m too busy to serve God right now

Now… I can appreciate that concern.

ILLUS: When we handed out our “ministry sheets” last Sunday, one man handed his in and his wife said “Now before you go signing him up for anything – you be sure to talk to me 1st.”

Why would she say this? Because this is a busy man. And he loves to serve God.

She wasn’t objecting to his being involved in the church… she wanted to make sure he didn’t burn himself out.

We don’t want to burn anybody out. We don’t want to have a FEW people “doing everything in the church. BUT, we do want everybody who can to be doing “something” in the church.

And being too busy with other things in life isn’t really a good excuse…

ILLUS: Back in 1985 Pulpit Helps had the following article written by a preacher:

Recently I approached a member of our church for help in one of our programs. Her reply was: "I do not have the time to give." When I heard her say this I tho’t of the following lines I’d read somewhere: