Plan for: Thanksgiving | Advent | Christmas
God's call on our lives is unstoppable and His purpose remains unquenchable, even in the face of discouragement, and we must persevere in our faith.
Good morning, church family! Today, we are going to dive into a message that I believe is relevant and important for all of us, especially in the times we're living in. As Charles Spurgeon once said, "By perseverance the snail reached the ark." So let us persevere in our walk with God, trusting in His unchanging call and purpose for our lives.
Our key Scripture for today comes from Jeremiah 20:9, which says:
"But if I say, 'I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,' his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot."
Would you please join me in prayer as we ask God to guide us through this message?
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your Word and the wisdom it holds. As we delve into this message today, we ask that You would open our hearts and minds to the truth about Your unstoppable call, the fire of discouragement, and the unquenchable flame of Your purpose. May we be encouraged and strengthened by Your Word, and may we feel the fire of Your presence burning within us. In Jesus' name, we pray, Amen.
So, let's get started.
God's unstoppable call speaks to the truth that when God has a plan and purpose for our lives, nothing can stand in the way of that calling being fulfilled. It is a testament to the sovereignty and faithfulness of God, who works in and through us to accomplish His divine will.
Throughout Scripture, we see God calling individuals who may not have seemed like the most qualified or capable candidates for the job. Take, for example, the story of Moses. Moses was a man who had fled from Egypt after committing murder, and he was living as a shepherd in the wilderness when God called him to lead the Israelites out of slavery. Despite his past and his own feelings of inadequacy, God chose Moses and equipped him with the necessary tools and abilities to carry out this monumental task.
This same principle can be seen in the lives of believers today. God often calls us to tasks and ministries that may seem beyond our capabilities or outside of our comfort zones. However, when we trust in His calling and rely on His strength, we can be confident that He will equip us with everything we need to fulfill His purpose.
Pastor, here would be a good place to share a personal story about a time when you felt God's unstoppable call, even when it seemed impossible or unlikely.
Another aspect of God's unstoppable call is the persistence with which He pursues us. In the story of Jonah, we see a man who tried to run away from God's call on his life. Jonah was instructed by God to go to the city of Nineveh and preach against its wickedness, but instead, he boarded a ship headed in the opposite direction. However, God's call on Jonah's life was unstoppable, and He pursued Jonah through a series of events that ultimately led him to fulfill his calling and preach to the people of Nineveh.
This persistence can also be seen in the parable of the lost sheep, where Jesus describes a shepherd who leaves his ninety-nine sheep to search for the one that has gone astray. This parable illustrates the relentless love of God, who pursues us even when we try to run from His call on our lives. As believers, we can take comfort in the knowledge that God's call on our lives is not easily thwarted or abandoned. He will continue to pursue us and draw us back to His purpose, even when we try to resist or ignore His calling.
In the life of Joseph, we see a young man who was sold into slavery by his own brothers, falsely accused, and imprisoned. Despite these seemingly insurmountable obstacles, God's call on Joseph's life remained steadfast. Through a series of divinely orchestrated events, Joseph eventually rose to a position of power in Egypt, where he was able to save his family and many others from famine.
This truth is echoed in the New Testament, where the apostle Paul writes in Romans 8:28, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Even in the midst of trials and hardships, God's unstoppable call remains at work in our lives, using every circumstance to shape us and mold us into the people He has called us to be.
Furthermore, in the life of Peter, we see a man who, despite his impulsive nature and tendency to make mistakes, was used mightily by God to spread the gospel and build the early church. After denying Jesus three times, Peter could have easily believed that he had disqualified himself from God's call on his life. However, Jesus restored Peter and continued to use him in powerful ways, demonstrating that God's call is not dependent on our own abilities or worthiness.
This truth can be incredibly encouraging for believers today, as we all have weaknesses and shortcomings that may cause us to doubt our ability to fulfill God's call on our lives. However, when we remember that God's call is unstoppable and not dependent on our own strength, we can find the courage to step out in faith and trust that He will use us despite our imperfections.
Throughout the Bible, we see individuals being called by God at various stages of their lives, from the young shepherd boy David to the elderly Abraham and Sarah. This demonstrates that God's call on our lives is not restricted by our age or the amount of time we have left on this earth. Instead, He can use us at any stage of our lives to accomplish His purposes and bring glory to His name.
As believers, we can take comfort in the knowledge that when God calls us to something, He will provide everything we need to fulfill that calling, and nothing can stand in the way of His divine purpose being accomplished.
Discouragement is an experience that many believers face at some point in their walk with God ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO