"God's Purposeful Plan For You: God's Calling” Series

1. As God is working all things together for our good and His glory, there is a goal he has in mind… a single purpose.

• Nothing is wasted by God as He uses it all to grow & mature us.

• The Bible says we are being conformed into the image of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) 18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

God’s plan of salvation is wonderful, it’s awe-inspiring.

• IN verses 29-30 there are 5 doctrines we are looking at.

• #1 - God’s foreknowledge.

• Since God is omniscient and knows all things, we can trust Him in difficult times because nothing takes Him by surprise!

• We don’t’ have foreknowledge, but God does.

THEN WE LOOKED AT THE DOCTRINE OF PREDESTINATION:

• God has predetermined the destiny of all who’ll believe in Him.

• There is this tension between the free will of man and the sovereignty of God that inspires us to trust Him all the more!

• Today, we look at God’s CALLING

GOD’S CALLING is wonderful… We believe because He called.

• The Lord has chosen us and drawn us to Himself. That’s calling.

• Flip over to John 6.44-45

• Those that are called are those in whose hearts the Holy Spirit works to lead them to saving faith in Jesus.

NOTE: We couldn’t be saved unless the Lord had drawn us to Himself, revealing Himself to us, revealing our sinfulness to us.

THERE IS THAT IDEA OUT THERE that if a person really wanted to know God they could.

• It’s NOT entirely true. You could want to know all your life but unless God chose to reveal Himself to you, U never would know.

• God can only be known if He chooses to reveal Himself.

• Flip back to Romans 1:20-23

YES, there is the revelation of God as Creator… but you can’t know God personally through that.

• Yes, there is the revelation of God through your conscience, as you realize there are things that are good and are bad.

• And yet still, there is NO personal connection.

In order to know God personally, He has to personally reveal himself to you! He has to call.

• Fortunately, God has done that through Jesus Christ!

• God spoke & created the world, but not enough to know Him.

• But the Word became flesh and dwelt among us…

• This is God’s explanation of Himself.

• We have the full revelation of God in Christ!

THE CALLING OF GOD HAPPENS 2 WAYS.

• There is the INTERNAL CALL & the EXTERNAL CALL.

THE INTERNAL CALL OF GOD is the sovereign, convicting and convincing work of God in a person’s heart.

• Flip over to John 16:5-11

• CONVICTION OF SIN. RIGHTEOUSNESS & JUDGMENT.

CONVICTION OF SIN. WHY? Because of the small little things that are done everyday? No.

• Because they DO NOT BELIEVE IN ME!

• The only unforgivable sin is the blasphemy of the HS.

• The Holy Spirit’s ministry is singular and real simple.

• He glorifies Jesus Christ, drawing people to Him.

• The sin that will condemn a person to eternal separation from God is not believing in Jesus.

• So that the blessed gift of eternal life is found by faith!

CONVICTION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS.

• Because I go to my Father.

• That’s after His death… after His resurrection…. And ascension.

WHEN the religious rulers scourged and hung Jesus on that Roman Cross, they were making a statement.

• They were saying for all to hear, this man is UNRIGHTEOUS!

• But Jesus demonstrated that He was indeed RIGHTEOUS!

• AND the HOLY SPIRIT bears that witness every single day!

THE HOLY SPIRIT CONVINCES the world that Jesus lived the perfect life and died in our place.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

NOTE: THE world has its own form of righteousness.

• Do you know what that’s called? YES, SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS!

• As you’re sharing the gospel with a friend, a co-worker, talking to them about their sin & need for Jesus…

• Most if not all respond with something like, “Why are you telling ME this, I’m a good person! You know me.”

• But really, they are just saying they believe they live up to a standard that they have made up.

Romans 10:3-4 (NKJV) For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.