God’s Calling To Service – You’ve Been Drafted! Series

Sermon Brief

Date Written: June 19, 2014

Date Preached: June 22, 2014

Where Preached: OPBC (AM)

Sermon Details:

Series Title: A Series in 1 Corinthians

Sermon Title: God’s Calling to Service – You’ve Been Drafted!

Sermon Text: 1 Corinthians 7:17-31 [ESV]

TEXT:

Essence of the Text: Paul challenged believers in Corinth to bring glory to God by serving Him where they were, not based on where they came from.

Essence of the Sermon: We are challenged to bring glory to God thru serving Him where we are!

Main Question(s) of the Sermon: Where am I called to serve God?

Applicable Objective of the Sermon: The hearers will know:

Paul taught it did not matter what your religious background was…you are called by God to serve God and bring Him glory!

Paul taught it did not matter what the situation or circumstance was in your life…you are called by God to serve God and bring Him glory!

This morning I want you to be able to answer these 2 questions:

1) What does the this truth from God’s word mean for ME personally?

What does it mean for our fellowship here at Oak Park Baptist Church?”

Introduction – v17

“You’ve been drafted!” is something very few people get to experience these days. AND it is a much different experience NOW than it was 40 or more years ago. Today it is about being selected by a professional sports team to play professional sports and it is possibly the most exciting time in the life of the one who has been drafted!

When we think about being drafted, we think about be selected because of what we can do, because of our talent, because of our skill or knowledge of the game… but what does it mean to be ‘drafted’ by God?

Paul says here in this passage that we have been ‘called of God’. What do you think it means to be ‘called of God’?

I believe we can answer that question by looking to Scripture. The Bible uses the Greek word ekk-leh-see-ah and this word is translated as ‘church’ but it can be defined as those who gathered together or 'the gathering of believers'. Peter tells us that the church is a 'gathering' of holy people, using the Greek word hagg-ee-oss which means to be set aside or called out or the called out ones. So we can surmise here that the “church” (which is YOU) is a set aside people who are called out or ‘drafted’ by God Himself to assemble and do His will!

This means, as believers, God called us OUT of our old life… OUT of our sins… OUT of our broken world…and He has called us TO a life of purpose in His kingdom. But, personally what does being ‘called out’ by God REALLY mean? For YOU, for ME? For US as a body of believers here at Oak Park Baptist Church…

The National Football League (NFL) has its annual draft of eligible college players every spring and each NFL team has the opportunity TO DRAFT the available college players!

When a player is ‘drafted’ it means that the team makes the decision to ‘call them out’ and so they step to the podium and ‘call out’ the player’s name they desire! This gives the player an invitation to join try out for their team… and ONLY their team!

Being drafted the player is being invited into the NFL, but not just the NFL but more specifically for THIS particular team! They are called out by this team to come and play for this team and also to serve in THEIR city!

The drafted player takes on the ‘identity’ of that team! A player drafted by the New Orleans Saints, becomes a New Orleans Saint! He is in the NFL but his identity is with the team who drafted him…the team who called out his name!

Once drafted NO longer are they identified by where they came from but their identity changes to the team who has ‘called them out’!

Now while this illustration is NOT perfect, the same is basically true for believers… In this passage, Paul tells us that believers are “called out” by God, but he stresses that God has called us TO somewhere and like the player who is drafted…we take on the identity of the One who has called us out…

However, if God calls you out… that calling is for you TO serve in a fellowship of believers! You’re identity is in Him, but you are called TO a place of service! You are called to serve at a local fellowship of believers… in OUR case – Oak Park Baptist church!

We have to understand this does NOT mean our fellowship is above kingdom plans… but what it DOES mean is that God called us here to this fellowship and that THRU this fellowship God will use us for His kingdom and for His glory.