Recognition

Waiting for a giant, dramatic calling can feel spiritual, but it can also keep us passive. We sit on our hands, hoping for a microphone, a title, or a once-in-a-lifetime assignment while the holiest work of our lives is already happening at the dinner table, in a marriage, on a job site, in a classroom, or in a simple conversation with a friend who is barely holding on. We explore a different way to think about calling: commission as recognition, the Spirit opening our eyes to what God has already entrusted to us. 

We ground that shift in Scripture and in a deeply practical theology of everyday discipleship. Colossians tells us that whatever we do can be done in the name of Jesus and unto the Lord, which breaks the false line between sacred and secular. If we are the temple of the Holy Spirit, then God’s presence moves with us. That means workplace ministry is real, parenting is kingdom stewardship, friendship can carry healing, and marriage can become a visible testimony of grace through forgiveness and sacrificial love. We also talk about why heaven values faithfulness more than fame, and why ordinary obedience often becomes the loudest sermon. 

Near the end, we ask pointed questions that make this personal: where has God already entrusted you with influence, what “ordinary” assignment have you underestimated, and what could change if you lived like God can show up at any moment. If this message helps you see your life as a kingdom assignment, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find it.

Transcript

Bulletin Notes And Scripture Reading

0:05

And if you have a bulletin, great. If not, you'll need access to one for something we're going to do at the end of the service. Acts chapter 20, verse 22. And see now, this is Paul speaking, but I also speak this. I go bound in the Spirit to Malawi, Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen there. Except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying the chains and tribulations await Paul, and they're worth it if they face us. But none of those things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I receive from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. This is the word of God for the people of God. Amen. May God add his blessing to the reading of the words. You may be seated.

What Recognition Really Means

1:18

This message is titled Recognition, and it has several meanings. Recognition can be when you recognize something. I have a sense of recognition about it, or a sense of awareness about it. It can also be when someone is recognized for a job well done, they get recognition. Someone who might be famous is seen on the street, you get some recognition that way. There's a lot of different ways to use the word recognition, but we don't often use it in the context which I'm going to use it today. And that is the recognition of something that is already being done. We just don't recognize that we're doing it. And we're going to get into that this morning. Now, this series, Lead Your Life. The reason you might think if you followed with us, or even if this is your first sermon, we've been talking about having a vision that God gives us, a bleedable vision, one we're willing to die for, to endure at any cost. Now, a lot of times when we talk about vision, people think about this great big thing that somehow God's going to ask us to do, and it's going to be the thing in your life or the purpose in your life. And for many years that's how I used to think about it. But this journey of surrender, formation, vision, cost, endurance, obedience, and kingdom purpose isn't just about one great thing. Today we arrive at the final movement of this series, which is commission. But

Commission As Recognition And Sending

2:55

not merely commission into ministry positions or mission trips. Although, yes, that will happen today. But today is about recognizing the recognition that God has already entrusted every believer with influence, responsibility, relationships, opportunities, and kingdom assignments. That means each one of us has those in our life that we influence or have responsibility in our life that we may not have understood that that was a trust from God. Some of the holiest callings in life never appear on a platform or a stage publicly recognized. They happen like this, around a dinner table, in your workplace, inside a marriage, inside friendships, in parenting, in conversations with others, or in just having ordinary day-to-day faithfulness. Today is about being commissioned to live intentionally wherever God has placed you in your life. This series wasn't about inspiration, having this big dream alone, although some of us have those things. It was about transformation of the world for Christ. You see, there are people who recognize that God sends them in every walk and area of their life. Those folks live differently because they understand what God's trying to do. So they live intentionally with what they say and do. And they have this kind of missional mindset that every moment can be a moment God shows up. God can do something in this moment. And then everyday obedience. They understand that that matters. Here's the truth. Every place you can be can be holy. Every place you are, no matter where it is, can be holy. So the Bible tells us about the moments of our life, and in Colossians chapter 3, verse 17, it says this whatever you do. What do you mean, whatever I do? Anything, no matter what it is, walking down the street, shopping in Walmart, whatever you do, in word or deed, do it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Giving thanks to God, the Father, through him. So you do it in the name of the Lord, no matter what you're doing. So there's a sense that God is in, whatever you say or do. And the other verse in Colossians 6 verses down says, whatever you do, same words, do it heartily, do it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord. Not for others, not for men, not trying to please anybody, but doing it in the sight of God, looking for God to recognize and understand you do it for Him. So you do it in the name of Jesus, unto Jesus. Very simple process, right? Can be. Throughout history, the kingdom of God has advanced through people who are surrendered, available, and willing to go where God leads. Some go across oceans. Some go across streets, across the room. Some stand on big stages and platforms. Others serve quietly behind the scenes, necessarily doing the organization and the detail work that other people aren't good at. It doesn't matter where you're placed, all obedience, doing it under the Lord matters. It makes a difference. So commission is recognition and sending. Even if that sending is to continue to do what you're already doing. So today is not about creating callings, it's about recognizing them. God has already entrusted many things to you. You may not know it, but you're going to understand that here shortly. And today we're going to acknowledge that your influence matters in those areas. Your obedience to God matters as you do that. Your faithfulness to God matters and your faith. Your relationships, wherever you go, they matter. And your service to God and for others matters. Commission isn't saying, oh, now you finally matter because you were commissioned to do it, and before then it wasn't anything. Commissioning rather is saying what God has already entrusted to you is holy. Carry it intentionally. Listen, this is how you can understand this logic. We are not being commissioned to go to missionaries because we decided we're going to go to missionaries today. We've been working at this for quite a while. And when I decided to go two years ago, I wasn't commissioned to go then. I didn't even know I was going. Commissioning is recognizing what God has already called you to do. Not what you're going to be doing because you think it's a good idea, but because you've said yes.

Stop Waiting For A Big Calling

8:49

Many people think they're waiting for this big thing, this big calling, and you're already standing inside one. You already have one. One of the greatest misconceptions in the church is the idea that calling belongs to only a few people. A lot of people have asked me over the years, during ordination process and through the years, what was your call to the ministry like? Like, like pastors are the only ones that get that. Let me tell you something. There are people in this very room today who have a calling on their lives that will never preach a sermon. But they'll live one. They will definitely live one. Some people think, well, pastors are called, missionaries are called, deacons are called, ministry leaders are called, but not everybody's called. Well, the Bible says many. Who soever will be are called, actually. And they think ordinary believers aren't called. And so we spend our lives waiting for some dramatic assignment, thinking that's going to give us this idea of what our life was really all about, until then we're just waiting for it to start for some reason. And we overlook the holy responsibilities already sitting in front of us. Some people are waiting for God to call them across an ocean and ignoring the people in the very same room. They won't even cross the room to make a difference. Some are waiting for a microphone, a platform, to be heard while neglecting the ministry that's already present in their own home. That's already there, they can do. Some are waiting for a title. This is who you are, this is your title, now you matter, while ignoring the influence God has already placed in their life. Scripture repeatedly shows us something very important. God works powerfully through ordinary assignments, surrendered to him. David's just tending sheep. Goes to the army's front line. He's not a king, he's not anybody of notoriety, but he says, I'm going to go after this Goliath guy, and then I'm going to go back to work. He's just a boy. He wasn't a great person. And people knew who he was. They said, Go home. You're too little, don't try. He said, I'm just going to do what God asked me to do here, and then I'm going back home. You know, it's funny. It's funny that he gets so much notoriety, and all he was doing was just trying to get rid of a nuisance. He wasn't trying to be famous, but he's well known for Goliath. Don't know too many who don't know about him. So sometimes we are thinking we're waiting for a big calling, whatever it is, while overlooking the opportunity that's day-to-day in front of us.

Every Ordinary Place Can Be Holy

11:54

I guess maybe it's because we divide the sacred parts of our life from the ordinary parts. Like this is the holy place, and over here this is not holy place. Like some people go to work and they act like all their co-workers, then they get out of there and go to church, and they act like all the church folks, and it's a completely different mindset in both places. Sometimes we get caught up in the culture rather than letting the culture get caught up in us. So we divide life into flesh and spiritual or regular life and God time. But in the kingdom of God, surrendered living makes every ordinary place holy. A workplace can become a mission in a ministry zone. Well, they don't let talk like the people in church. They don't act like them. Perfect! God's got you at the right place. You can be the one. Well, I don't know how to do that. Well, maybe you never thought you were supposed to. Maybe your dinner table can become a time of discipleship, inviting friends, family, neighbors over, and just sharing the good news that God has changed your life. Next conversation could be some encouragement. A friendship might have a moment of healing in it. Your home might be a witness to not just your children, but to whoever comes in. I know a lot of folks who struggle with this balance of holy and not holy. And there's a lot of different places like that. I um I guess maybe I started the tradition in my family, and maybe one of my older sisters did. But I used to work at Walmart. My sister uh used to work in Walmart, then she worked at Sam's Club, one of my older sisters, and now she's working at Amazon. I don't know if that's a step-up or what. But I was working at Walmart and I was in a garden center, the one on Hinkleville Road there. Usually it's the Christmas stuff, the seasonal stuff, that one when you're going into onto the right, that big room there. Well, I was in there one day in the summer, and I was up on a ladder on the top shelf, right? When you walk in there, there's some shelves, and we got a stock and move stock around, and I'm up on the ladder, and and I'm thinking, God, uh I'm kind of high up here. I've never had this perspective at Walmart before. And he says, Well, praise me. I said, What? So I started praying and praising God in my heart, and I felt God's presence. And I went, huh? God's even at Walmart. Who knew? That's sometimes not a very godly place. But I want to share with you that God can make any place holy. He can show up at any given time. He's not limited or restricted. And the more we make ourselves aware of that and give him access to show up, the more he will. Yeah, that's right. Katya worked at Walmart. Johnny worked at Walmart. James works at Walmart still. He made it longer than any of us. So it's a family tradition in one way. But what I want to tell you is any place you work, God can show up. You can't limit the presence of God. Even if your place is a most ungodly place on earth. Psalm 139 says, even if I'm in the depths in the pits of hell, Sheol, God, you are there. No matter what kind of job you have, God can show up. He's not limited just because it looks bad. That's what I'm trying to say is God can be anywhere at any time. God may not be calling you to a stage, to a country, to a pulpit, to a public thing, but he doesn't need you to if he's got you in a place where you can serve him already.

Faithfulness Beats Fame Every Time

16:15

Just because you live a life that is not recognized in society does not mean that God isn't using it or can. It doesn't mean you are insignificant for the kingdom of God. The world celebrates visibility. Fame sells, you know. But heaven values faithfulness more than anything. A mother praying faithfully over her children matters. A father leading with integrity his family matters. A friend who comes along and gives encouragement to someone who's struggling or having a problem. This matters. Someone at work who reflects Christ, even if it's you, or someone else in your workplace, or where you've worked and they reflect Christ back. That matters. A believer serving quietly matters because sometimes a loudest sermon is one never spoken. Never underestimate what God can do through you, even in a regular, normal, everyday moment. You carry influence because you carry Christ. Think about that. We sometimes talk about holy places like the temple in Israel. They called it holy. Do you know why that temple was considered holy? It wasn't because it was where Abraham sacrificed Isaac. Or tried to. It wasn't holy because of that. That was, you know, notoriety. But one day a year, on the day of atonement, the holy presence of God will come into that most holy place and be in that temple and holify it, for lack of a better word, make it holy with his presence. So that whole place where he was made the entire temple holy unto God. When God's presence was there, it was holy. When it wasn't, it was a recognition that he can make it holy. What's that got to do with us? The Bible says you are the temple of the Holy Spirit. That God lives in you, and because he's in you, you are holy. I'm not a temple. The Bible says clearly, you house the Holy Spirit, that makes you a temple for God. Christ is alive in you. You are holy. You are a holy place. It sounds a little awkward to say, but you can say it. I am a holy place. God says you are, and you are. But we don't always understand that, what that means for our lives. So the question isn't, well, do I have influence? It's rather, how am I stewarding the influence God has already given me? What am I doing with it? Because your words matter, your presence matters, your faithfulness matters, your character matters, your integrity and your consistency matters because people are watching. They're watching how you respond, how you love, how you lead, how you endure, how you forgive, and how you live. And with Christ in you, you are different. I had an opportunity many years ago to have a couple of different people do an inspection at my property. One was a well-known business leader who had a lot of business in the community, and the other was a well-known Christian who didn't have as big a business. First guy comes in, does the inspection, looks at it, and says, I can do it for this amount. He's lowering the amount of work that needs done to get a lower price than the other guy. The other guy comes in, and the whole time he's praising God. As he's looking at my property, he's got a song in his heart. He's singing to the Lord as he's inspecting my property. And I'm going, I I have no idea who he is for real well, but I know he's a believer. I know he knows who he loves, and I know he's not afraid to show it in any circumstance. And he gave me a price much better than the other man because he wasn't chasing a dollar. He was trying to chase helping people, knowing that God blesses those who bless another. It's a different philosophy than trying to catch a dollar, is trying to catch a blessing for somebody, isn't it? But there's a difference between the two. And if you're one of those folks who's like that person in your workplace or wherever you go in your life, people are going to notice it because you live it. It's not because you're better, it's because you choose to honor God in all you say and to do it unto Him, not unto people.

Parenting As Serious Kingdom Stewardship

21:35

If you're a parent, that's kingdom work, y'all. That is kingdom work. Raising children is not merely to survive them growing up or to get them out of the house alive. It's discipleship, it's stewardship, it's shaping hearts and souls. Believe it or not, your children are going to learn from you how to live life. Life, whether it's a good example or bad, they're going to learn it. I pray that you're allowing God to be in you as a good example. You go, well, all I want to do is get them grown up, get them out of the house. Let me tell you something. Until you're gone and they're gone, your kids are still going to need you. They're still going to call. Doesn't mat. I was in my 40s and I was calling my parents. I don't know what to do about this, Dad, Mom, what do I do about? I was in my 40s and they still had to raise me. You think I'm kidding? Some of you know. Yeah, I got kids calling me at old age. I call my parents still. If my parents were still alive, I would still call them and ask for some advice. I would still ask for their help. I would. So parenting is work. Let me tell you something about parenting, why it's so important. Children are desperate for truth, for stability in their life, consistency, routine, schedule matters, love, guidance, and spiritual leadership. Many parents underestimate the weight of their influence and if it matters if it's for God or not. Many underestimate that. But I want to tell you a story. I may have shared this with you, I don't remember. But last September I told the kids on my school bus that I was having a birthday that day. And they uh because you know, guess who's having a birthday today? And they guessed everybody but me, so I finally said you're a bus driver. And two boys at Elmone Court, you all know Elmwood Court is uh projects, the kids don't have much, and what they have, they ain't giving it anybody. And these boys, getting off the bus, hand me their lunch money. Their lunch money. And I said, you can't do that. And they said, we have to, we love you, and you love us. And it's your birthday, so we want to do this, so please take it. And they would not let me give it back. Listen, their life is not normal. They are taught, and be my not normal, I mean normal to my standards and things like that. I don't understand how they live. I don't know what it's like, but I do know this that the little they have, they don't want to give it to somebody they don't know or trust. And they're taught in the projects, don't trust the white guy. Don't trust anybody. But they knew love. They knew I loved them. Children understand when you love them, and they open up and they play with those who spend time with them and care for them, and and and they receive that as love language. That's how children communicate is with your time and noticing and recognizing them. I didn't tell those kids I loved them. They knew it. I have told them since. You understand, children recognize when you love them and love them well. Even when they've never experienced it in their life. Parenting matters. Loving children matters. Doing this playground matters. It's a way to say we love you.

Marriage And Friendship As Witness

25:41

Marriage's ministry. Oh my gosh. How many folks have ever said, you're right. I'm working on the fruit of the Spirit, and right now it's patience. Gentleness or self-control right now. Y'all ever had to have any of that in your marriage? Exercise any of that? The gift of silence. That's not a fruit, a spiritual fruit, the silent treatment. That's not a spiritual fruit, y'all. But some of us give us that gift of silence, too. But how we love each other in our marriage matters. Our children see it, the world can see it, and how we forgive one another in our relationship matters. Can you imagine being in a house and married to someone and you don't forgive each other? You just hold the grudge all the time, and it's their fault, and therefore I'm not going to forgive them because it's their fault? What kind of witness is that? Marriage can be and must be a visible testimony of God's grace, the humility of the Holy Spirit, faithfulness to God in each other, and sacrificial love each for the other. Meaning, I'm going to do for you and I'll do without because I love you. Our world doesn't always see that. And when they see it, they don't understand it. And maybe you'll be your witness to them of how God loves. Being a friend to someone matters. You can encourage, be in presence. One of the most important gifts for a friend is just listen. Not tell them what to do, how they're doing wrong. Just to listen because sometimes nobody else wants to hear. And you're the friend they chose. To just listen. People are often carrying silent burdens. And God may use that friendship to carry healing, hope, and truth into their life. To remind them they matter enough to be heard. The greatest kingdom work often happens in ordinary places through surrendered people.

Local And Global Mission Field Together

28:09

Some of us may be called in our lives to new territory, to new seasons, to new things. That's where missions, ministry, new obedience, and stepping out are integrated in commissioning. But let me tell you, the kingdom of God's mission is both local and global. It's not one or the other. On our invest sign, we show the areas where God invests in people and where we strive to. It's under this thing, you'll see it when I take the map off. Your home, a workplace, a grocery store, your church, the nation, all of it is God's mission field. This isn't theory. It's not trying to inspire you, it's encouraging you to embody obedience. But here's the thing some of you have never been spiritually commissioned for the very things God already has entrusted to you. Any of these roles father, mother, husband, wife, friend, brother, sister, mentor, caregiver, servant, worker, leader, student, witness, EMT, doctors, nurses. Some of y'all have never been commissioned for any of the roles you play, even though you do them well. And maybe you didn't recognize that everything you do is unto God because you weren't commissioned in that place. And perhaps nobody ever stood before you and said, what you do matters for the kingdom of God. Because it does deeply. No matter what it is you do, do it unto Jesus and do it in the name of Jesus. It will change how you do things.

Questions To Assess Your Stewardship

30:09

So I have a few questions to ask you this morning. As you think about what I've said, where has God already entrusted influence for you? What roles in life do you play? Could be a business owner, family member, cousin, friend, neighbor, any type of role? You have influence there. What ordinary assignment of your life have you underestimated that God could use? Do you sense that maybe God is calling you to live more intentionally in every aspect of your life? Under God in the name of Jesus? What relationships, responsibilities, or opportunities need to become places of faithful stewardship that you've just been putting in time? Not thinking of it as a mission. And what would happen? What do you think God would do if you fully recognize your everyday life as a kingdom assignment? If you lived every moment of your day thinking God's going to show up any moment, I've got to be looking for God and making sure I'm ready. That's all it's all about. Being intentional like that. So what do you think would happen? What do you think God could do if he showed up at any given moment, any place you are in your life, if you let him? If you make room, if you let the Holy Spirit do the work. Is there anything God couldn't do? Do you want to find out? I do. Would you pray with me?

Prayer For Courage And Intentionality

32:08

Father, thank you for entrusting us with influence, with relationships and responsibilities and opportunities that can reflect your kingdom. Forgive us for overlooking ordinary assignments while searching for extraordinary moments. Help us recognize the holiness of everyday faithfulness. Teach us to steward our homes, our friendships, our marriages, workplaces, and opportunities with intentionality and your grace. Give courage to those stepping into new territory, new roles in life, new opportunities. Strengthen those carrying heavy responsibilities. Encourage those serving quietly. And may every part of our lives become surrendered to your purpose. Help us and remind us to faithfully lead the life you have entrusted to us. Unto you and in Jesus' name. Amen. Now you have.