Content as Called
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
A.
Live fully for God …
I. No Matter the Circumstance You Find Yourself In (vv. 17, 20, 24)
I. No Matter the Circumstance You Find Yourself In (vv. 17, 20, 24)
Your Calling
Calling is your conversion
The moment that you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you accepted God’s calling on your life
God knew exactly what He called you out of and what He was calling you into. In Ephesians 5, Paul has just finished explaining that no sinful person has any place in the kingdom of heaven, so he says “do not be partakers with them …”
8 for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light 9 (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. 11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
Called out of darkness into marvelous light
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
Your circumstances at the time of your conversion, or your circumstances presently, do not dictate your ability to faithfully accept the calling God has placed on your life.
What does it look like to faithfully accept this calling?
Your Walk
Accepting Christ’s calling is entering into your Christian walk with Christ.
Your walk with Christ begins the moment you accept Him as your Lord and Savior.
So what is Paul saying?
Don’t wait!
Wherever you find yourself at the moment of your conversion …
Whatever circumstances you currently find yourself in …
Whenever God calls you …
Walk with God faithfully PRESENTLY. Walk with God faithfully NOW.
A Message for Everyone
This is the same message Paul teaches in all the churches
To remain
To walk
To abide
In every church Paul tells them once they are saved, they belong to God, and they are able to give full allegiance to Him in every aspect of their life.
Now, if the situation or circumstances God saves you out of are wicked or sinful, absolutely don’t remain in that.
If God saves you out of some sort of addiction or lifestyle that is sinful, this isn’t your confirmation that you can just “live for Jesus in that life.”
But that doesn’t mean God can’t use you in that area.
I have good friends who were steeped in drug addiction, gave their life to Christ, and now view what they came from as a mission field that God has uniquely called them to serve.
The Corinthians Christians need the same reminder we need today:
Whatever your current circumstances, live fully for God presently.
Why?
We Don’t Like Our Circumstances
No matter where you are at in life, odds are there’s something you wish you could change.
Raised in a different environment
Be a part of a different marriage
Have a different job
Live in a different place
Have different opportunities
The problem is we condition living for the Lord based on our current situation:
Singles — When I get married, then I would give myself fully to God.
Marrieds — If I was only single and didn’t have the responsibilities of marriage, then I would give myself fully to God.
Students — Once I am finished with school and find a job, then I will give myself fully to God.
If my marriage was different, then I would give myself fully to God.
If I had a different job, then I would give myself fully to God.
If I lived in a different place, then I would give myself fully to God.
If I had different opportunities, then I would give myself fully to God.
Jesus says serve me NOW.
I know what I called you out of.
I know what I called you into.
I have uniquely gifted you and positioned you to handle the circumstances you currently find yourself in.
I have given you everything you need pertaining to life and godliness (2 Pet. 1:3).
The LIE that if all the circumstances were different you would be able to worship God better is a lie from the pit of hell.
It’s a lie that satan loves because it allows us to keep moving the marker.
It’s a lie that satan loves because it’s one more day he keeps you from giving yourself fully to Christ, and that often turns into many more days.
Once I make enough money, then I’ll start giving to the church.
Once I feel financially established in my marriage, then we’ll have kids.
Once I reach a point where I am comfortable, then I can worship God.
Before I went to college, I knew that God was calling me to ministry.
The problem was I had no interest in going into the ministry.
So I conditioned it. I essentially told God, “After I go to college, get a degree that I feel will financially support my family, then I’ll think about going into the ministry.
And I was miserable.
Looking back, I know that if I would have never reached a point where I said, “It’s enough, I’m ready, I’m content.” I would have just continued to move the goal post further and further.
satan says, “Sure, worship God, just do it tomorrow.” The problem is tomorrow isn’t a guarantee.
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”
We have been given today and Jesus says, “Worship Me TODAY. Worship Me no matter the circumstances.”
Well I don’t like my circumstances.
There is no better time to serve God than when you find yourself in circumstances you don’t like.
Live fully for God …
II. Regardless of Your Religious or Irreligious Heritage (vv. 18-19)
II. Regardless of Your Religious or Irreligious Heritage (vv. 18-19)
Circumcision and Uncircumcision
Paul is using two terms that would describe the religious heritage of those in the 1st century church — Jews and Gentiles.
Circumcision was an outward sign of the covenant God had established with Abraham. After God changes Abram’s name to Abraham and tells him what He will accomplish through him, He says this in Genesis 17:
10 “This is My covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your descendants after you: every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 “And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall be the sign of the covenant between Me and you.
The physical sign of God’s covenant, what set the Jewish people apart physically, was circumcision.
The 1st Century Church
As Paul is traveling all throughout the Mediterranean, people of all different backgrounds are coming to Christ.
Now you have Jews — those who are circumcised — in the Church, and you have Gentiles — those who are uncircumcised — in the Church.
The Jewish Christians happen to be circumcised and love the Lord.
The Gentile Christians happen to be uncircumcised and love the Lord.
Paul flips all of that on its head and says, “None of that matters. All that matters is keeping the commandments of God.”
You can imagine why this might have been an extremely difficult teaching for Jewish Christians, because for them circumcision was keeping the commandments of God.
A new covenant
20 And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.
What Christians need is not physical circumcision, but spiritual circumcision
29 But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.
Your Religious Heritage
What you came from does not determine how God can and will use you
If you have a religious heritage, don’t apologize for that.
If you have a non-religious heritage, don’t apologize for that.
Religious
Sometimes religious people feel they can’t fully serve God because they “don’t have a testimony.”
Your testimony is not who you used to be or what you used to do.
Your testimony is what Jesus Christ has done in you, is doing in you, and will continue to do in you.
Your testimony isn’t about you, it’s about Jesus, and that means EVERY person who has come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior has a TESTIMONY.
Non-Religious
Sometimes non-religious people feel they can’t fully serve God because their testimony is too extreme.
They feel out of place in the church. They feel like they don’t belong.
If there’s one place where every person is on equal footing, it should be the church, because we all have one thing in common:
We are all sinners who Jesus called out of darkness and death into marvelous light.
Your past does not define how God can use you.
All God is looking for is SOMEONE who will live fully for Him PRESENTLY, so that through their TESTIMONY OTHERS FUTURES might be changed ETERNALLY.
Live fully for God …
III. Without Trying to Change Your Social Status (vv. 21-22)
III. Without Trying to Change Your Social Status (vv. 21-22)
A Level Playing Field
In the Kingdom of God, in Christ, no one person is more important than another.
Being married is not more important or useful than being single.
Being rich is not more important or useful than being poor.
Being well-known is not more important or useful than being unknown.
Being free is not more important or useful than being a slave.
No matter what your life circumstances are, God can use them to accomplish His purposes.
Paul uses the example of slavery. If there was one condition that someone would desire to change, that’s a pretty good one.
But Paul says, “Were you a slave when you came to Christ? Don’t worry about it! In Christ, you are free!”
And Paul says, “Were you free when you came to Christ? Don’t think it so important, because now you’re Christ’s slave!”
In Christ, the playing field has been leveled.
More Concerned With Christ
As a Christian, you should be more concerned about what Christ thinks about you than what other people think about you.
Don’t worry about what other people think about you.
Don’t worry about what other people say about you.
Stop trying to CHANGE your status to PLESE MEN.
Start LIVING your life to PLEASE GOD.
Live fully for God …
IV. Because Christ Died Fully for You (v. 23)
IV. Because Christ Died Fully for You (v. 23)
I Gave Everything for You
Your calling didn’t start the day you accepted Jesus Christ.
Your calling started before you were born.
Your calling started before your parents were born.
Your calling started before the world began.
Because before God spoke the earth and the billions of galaxies into existence, He knew that salvation would be purchased with with the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.
If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior
Jesus has given everything for you since eternity past.
Now He asks if you will live fully for Him presently.
If you don’t know Jesus as your Lord and Savior
Jesus has given everything for you since eternity past.
Now He asks if you will come to Him and live fully for Him presently.
A Purchase for All
The Gospel is so beautiful and wonderful and simple
16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
