Sermon Central
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What You Were Called To...
Contributed by Chad Garrison on Mar 2, 2009 (message contributor)
Summary: This was a message that God gave me for our church in a time of transition that was a reminder of God’s Call and Mission for our church, but applies to all God’s Children.
What you were called to…
This past week I had the privilege to attend our Foursquare National Convention in Houston. For me personally it was great time of renewal and reaffirmation. If you remember correctly we were supposed to begin our “Foundations” series today. Well on the last night of the convention, it became very apparent to me that God was saying wait just one week.
He was saying wait, because over the course of the past month God, has been reminding me of “Our Call”, and even the direction we as a church body are to walk in.
Jude 17-23 (NLT)
But you, my dear friends, must remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ said. 18 They told you that in the last times there would be scoffers whose purpose in life is to satisfy their ungodly desires. 19 These people are the ones who are creating divisions among you. They follow their natural instincts because they do not have God’s Spirit in them. 20 But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit, 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love. 22 And you must show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. 23 Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others, but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.
I chose this passage today, because I feel like within these verses lie the very call that God has placed on this church body from it’s early days, and that this call is still very apparent today!
1. To Train Up
Jude 1:20 (NLT)
But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit
Upon entering full time ministry as your senior pastor, the first thing I did was throw up. Second was seek God’s wisdom and direction for the church.
A. Personal Growth
2 Peter 1:3-9 (NIV)
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
Listen to what this passage is saying: We have what we need through Christ, now we need to increase in Him.
8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
When we neglect this important first step, we are worthless, mouth-breathers who are adding to the noise pollution of this world. So we are purposed in encouraging spiritual growth through God’s Word, Worship and Prayer.
B. Each Other
Faith Fellowship Mission Statement
It is our mission to serve God by bringing people into a relationship of worship with Jesus that is passionate and genuine allowing them to grow in fellowship, maturity, ministry and a lifestyle of evangelism.
Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone. 15 See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people. 16 Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus. 19 Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. 20 Do not scoff at prophecies, 21 but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away from every kind of evil.
We are here to encourage one another, and to serve and serve with one another!
Doing Church as a Team!
C. The Next Generation
Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NLT)
And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. 6And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. 7Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. 8Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. 9Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
