Called Out
Notes
Transcript
No Excuses
No Excuses
Therefore I, the prisoner in the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received,
Calling, leading, ministering, living out our faith. All of these things matter. Sometimes Christ followers tend to compartmentalize. Gifting and Calling are words that we use, many times to sound more spiritual but if we all got down to complete honesty we would, at times, find that what we mean when we say gifting and calling is actually talent and desire. Don’t get me wrong, talents and gifting’s many times go hand in hand. And as everyone who has started out working at 16 knows it’s good to enjoy and desire to do the work you do. But it’s important that we understand a few things about the Gifts God gives, the Calling he gives, and the mandate we have as people who claim to follow Jesus.
Paul in this first verse is telling the believers in Ephesus that they have received a calling, He is not differentiating, he is not saying this part of the letter is just for the leaders, or the ones that have been in the faith for a while, he isn’t talking about this special group of only leaders who are called to be pastors or shepherds or however you want to say it. Paul is making it clear. Every person that has named him as the one they are following is called. Sometimes we use verses out of context to justify not accepting the fact that as a follower of Christ we are called to something more, or we use these words of Jesus way out of context to prove that it’s pastors that are chosen everyone else gets a pass.
You know the one I mean many are called but few are chosen but if we dig down into that original language we find that it may not actually say what we want it to say.
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
This set of verses and the story Jesus is telling is all about the fact that God has made it possible through Jesus that everyone has a shot at redemption, at the blessings that come from a relationship with him. Many are invited or called. However there is still a rsponsibility of the guest to be prepared and to do what they are suppoed to do In this case to be wearing what a person would wear to a wedding. Some scholars think that it’s likely that when the king opened the doors to the people not normally invited to such occasions, they provided them with the proper attire and yet this one man chose to not change. He was called to come into the feast, but chose not to accept the gift of the King.
See nothing to do with the calling that Paul is talking about. But what is this calling?
Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive. Above all, put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. And let the peace of Christ, to which you were also called in one body, rule your hearts. And be thankful.
Basically we are supposed to be like Jesus when we deal with each other, but also we are supposed to be like Jesus when we deal with people who are still stumbling around looking for hope.
One of my favorite stories of Jesus is found in John 8:1-11. (woman caught in adultery.) I’ve talked about it several times but it’s, to me anyway, one of the best pictures of how Jesus sees us and shows compassion kindness humilty gentleness and all that stuff to everyone. That is what we are called to. We are called by Jesus to be like Jesus and commissioned by Him once we have realized he is what we need.
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
We have the what now the how
We have the what now the how
It’s easy to know what to do, sometimes the How is where we get tripped up.
(cleaning the sensor on my camera story and the excitement when I figured it out. )
Just like I finally got down to an tutorial after of course trying to figure it out on my own we have a set of instructions on how to live out that calling .
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
Lets define these words real fast.
Humility is the quality or state of being humble so lets define humble so we can get it.
1hum•ble \ˈhəm-bəl also chiefly Southern ˈəm-\ adjective
hum•bler \-b(ə-)lər\ ; hum•blest \-b(ə-)ləst\
[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin humilis low, humble, from humus earth; akin to Greek chthōn earth, chamai on the ground]
(13th century)
1 : not proud or haughty : not arrogant or assertive
2 : reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission
Gentleness which of course is the quality or state of being gentle so yeah…lets look at gentle
1gen•tle \ˈjen-təl\ adjective
gen•tler \ˈjent-lər, -təl-ər\ ; gen•tlest \ˈjent-ləst, -təl-əst\
[Middle English gentil, from Old French, from Latin gentilis of a gens, of one’s family, from gent-, gens gens, nation; akin to Latin gignere to beget — more at KIN]
(13th century)
1 a : belonging to a family of high social station
b archaic : CHIVALROUS
c : HONORABLE, DISTINGUISHED; specifically : of or relating to a gentleman
d : KIND, AMIABLE — used especially in address as a complimentary epithet 〈gentle reader〉
e : suited to a person of high social station
2 a : TRACTABLE, DOCILE
b : free from harshness, sternness, or violence
3 : SOFT, DELICATE
4 : MODERATE
Then we have patience…i’m sure you know where this is going so we will just assume the whole quality or state of and jump right to the root word.
1pa•tient \ˈpā-shənt\ adjective
[Middle English pacient, from Middle French, from Latin patient-, patiens, from present participle of pati to suffer; perhaps akin to Greek pēma suffering]
(14th century)
1 : bearing pains or trials calmly or without complaint
2 : manifesting forbearance under provocation or strain
3 : not hasty or impetuous
4 : steadfast despite opposition, difficulty, or adversity
5 a : able or willing to bear — used with of
So there it is. This is how we are supposed to walk worthy of this calling we have received and of course the lynch pin is doing it all with love.
Here’s the thing. If we want to fulfill that calling and commission we were given we need to evidence these traits with love in our daily interactions with people. Sometimes it’s easy to say that we are and have all these things but people on the outside are watching how we treat each other and how we treat those that are exploring what it means to be a follower of christ. They are watching the way we treat people who don't’ know and have a relationship with Jesus, of course they are, but they are also watching how we treat the people around us who believe like we do. (being hurt back in the day) They are watching if we are patient and love each other. I mean really love each other. They are looking to see if we are what we say we are with each other first, because lets face it if we are that way with each other then it stands to reason we will be that way with them when they come in asking the questions, holding their hurt and pain and brokenness and sin in their hands wanting so much to be free.
Getting over ourselves
Getting over ourselves
Christians fight about stupid things and people are watching. They fight about church decor, they fight about seating, they fight about programs, they fight about who they want to help and who needs to help themselves, one of the silliest fights though are what have been called the worship wars. Fighting over music of all things. This happens all the time. It happens as each generation takes their place. Across generations everyone thinks that they have the right way to worship. (expand no instruments, hymns only with every verse, gaither style music, modern worship, post modern worship) People are watching. They want to see us be who we say we are. We need to relize that. It’s why Paul says this.
making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
So how are we supposed to do that. We should get over ourselves, kinda like this small story that has to do with well…worship.
An old farmer went to the city one weekend and attended the big city church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
“Well,” said the farmer. “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang praise choruses instead of hymns.”
“Praise choruses?” asked the wife. “What are those?”
“Oh, they’re okay. They’re sort of like hymns, only different,” said the farmer.
“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.
The farmer said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a hymn. If, on the other hand, I were to say to you, ‘Martha, Martha, Martha, Oh, Martha, MARTHA, MARTHA, the cows, the big cows, the brown cows, the black cows, the white cows, the black and white cows, the COWS, COWS, COWS are in the corn, are in the corn, are in the corn, in the CORN, CORN, CORN, COOOOORRRRRNNNNN,’ then, if I were to repeat the whole thing two or three times, well that would be a praise chorus.”
As luck would have it, the exact same Sunday a young, new Christian from the city church attended the small town church. He came home and his wife asked him how it was.
“Well,” said the young man, “It was good. They did something different, however. They sang hymns instead of regular songs.”
“Hymns?” asked the wife. “What are those?”
“They’re okay. They’re sort of like regular songs, only different,” said the young man.
“Well, what’s the difference?” asked the wife.
The young man said, “Well it’s like this … If I were to say to you, ‘Martha, the cows are in the corn,’ well that would be a regular song. If on the other hand, I were to say to you,
Oh Martha, dear Martha, hear thou my cry
Inclinest thine ear to the words of my mouth.
Turn thou thy whole wondrous ear by and by
To the righteous, glorious truth.
For the way of the animals who can explain
There in their heads is no shadow of sense,
Hearkenest they in God’s sun or his rain
Unless from the mild, tempting corn they are fenced.
Yea those cows in glad bovine, rebellious delight,
Have broke free their shackles, their warm pens eschewed.
Then goaded by minions of darkness and night
They all my mild Chilliwack sweet corn chewed.
So look to that bright shining day by and by,
Where all foul corruptions of earth are reborn
Where no vicious animal makes my soul cry
And I no longer see those foul cows in the corn,
then, if I were to do only verses one, three and four, and change keys on the last verse, well that would be a hymn.”
Silly right, but look at what they both did. They understood the differences but they also realized that they were both doing the same thing, they were both worshiping even if the way it was done was not what they were used to. SO many times in the church we make things sacred that are personal preference and ignore what matters. But if we make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace we will understand that it’s okay to be different as long as we we aren’t compromising on the non negotiable. (see Feb 21 sermon titled non-negotiable if you need a refresher) We need to stop making everyone in the church wrong and ourselves right all the time and realize that we have the most important thing in common. A relationship with the God of the universe, that relationship brings with it that peace that passes all understanding.
Stick Together
Stick Together
There is a reason for all of this of course.
There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope at your calling—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.
We are supposed to be an example to each other of what happens when we are pulling in the same direction, when we realize that God has called us to remember that what binds us is more important and more powerful than the petty things we let separate us. (expound)
This Week’s Challenge
This Week’s Challenge
You will need:
Sheet of paper
Pencil or pen
Envelope
Stamp
Now take time this week to write 2 different notes. One to someone that you have missed in the last year as we have had to meet this way. Write a note of encouragement, of prayer and of welcome and send it to them. Invite them to join you next week either online or in person if that’s possible
Write the second note to a person that needs some light in their life make sure it’s someone OUTSIDE the church and send it. Nothing preachy just and I care about you.