WEBVTT 00:00:01.600 --> 00:00:04.080 Welcome to the Awakening Church podcast. 00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:08.960 We pray this message encourages you and provides the hope and light of Jesus Christ. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:10.720 Thanks for tuning in. 00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:15.919 Well, today we're kicking off a brand new series called Purposeful. 00:00:16.399 --> 00:00:17.039 Purposeful. 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:18.399 Why don't you say that with me? 00:00:18.640 --> 00:00:19.760 Purposeful. 00:00:20.480 --> 00:00:25.839 Like, how do you live like a life full of purpose? 00:00:26.079 --> 00:00:27.920 You know life's big questions. 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:30.960 You wrestled with them at one point, or maybe you're wrestling with them. 00:00:31.039 --> 00:00:34.880 You know the question of existence, why am I here? 00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:41.280 The question, you know, of meaning or significance, does my life matter? 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:45.200 The question of purpose, what am I here for? 00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:54.719 And isn't it true that for many of us, this last year probably shook the foundation of many of those questions? 00:00:54.960 --> 00:00:56.560 Like, why am I here? 00:00:56.719 --> 00:00:57.439 What's going on? 00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.479 I don't even understand what's happening in the world. 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.280 And does anything matter at all? 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:05.519 And we're talking about purpose. 00:01:09.920 --> 00:01:14.560 Like life was put on pause, but last year was, quote, canceled? 00:01:15.200 --> 00:01:17.439 Like what happens in the middle of that? 00:01:17.599 --> 00:01:21.120 Or for some, you felt like your purpose was lost. 00:01:21.439 --> 00:01:26.879 Because so much of your life was built around what you did or who you were around. 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:30.480 And then all of a sudden those things were stripped away. 00:01:30.959 --> 00:01:37.840 Whether it was the approval of people or success in your job, and now you're looking around and going, like, why am I here? 00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:40.480 What is really going on? 00:01:41.519 --> 00:01:46.000 And then I think a lot you just kind of felt like this is just purposeless. 00:01:46.400 --> 00:01:48.719 What's the point of it all? 00:01:49.120 --> 00:01:57.120 And the question is, how do we actually live a life, and can we live a life full or filled with purpose? 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:13.039 Now, what's incredible about the gospel and the writings of Scripture is God's word just begins from the very pages of the Bible saying that you are filled with purpose. 00:02:13.199 --> 00:02:14.319 I mean, just think about this. 00:02:14.479 --> 00:02:23.840 This is in the first couple pages of the Bible in Genesis where it says that you are created in the image of God. 00:02:24.719 --> 00:02:27.520 Like you're, I'm looking at image bearers. 00:02:28.080 --> 00:02:44.800 I'm looking at ones who have intrinsic value and worth, who is not an accident, who is not a mistake, one who has been intentionally carefully designed and placed on purpose. 00:02:45.120 --> 00:02:47.919 I like how Dallas Willard says it. 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:56.400 He says that you are an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God's great universe. 00:02:56.560 --> 00:02:58.719 Have you ever thought about yourself like that? 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:00.319 I mean, think about that. 00:03:00.479 --> 00:03:01.759 That's who you are. 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.159 You're an eternal being. 00:03:05.759 --> 00:03:08.560 You will go on forever. 00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:13.520 And you have an eternal destiny in God's great universe. 00:03:13.680 --> 00:03:17.439 There's a point to it all and a point to your life. 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.319 And so, what does this mean? 00:03:22.800 --> 00:03:26.240 First, it means that you were made on purpose. 00:03:27.360 --> 00:03:29.520 Don't miss this because some of you need this today. 00:03:29.599 --> 00:03:31.439 This is the reason God has you here. 00:03:31.759 --> 00:03:34.400 You were made on purpose. 00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:40.240 You're not an accident, you're not a mistake, you're not a waste of time. 00:03:40.879 --> 00:03:47.199 Whatever those thoughts that have been rattling around in your mind are alive from the pit of hell. 00:03:48.240 --> 00:03:52.479 You're made on purpose, and as a result, you're made for a purpose. 00:03:55.520 --> 00:04:00.960 God has such an incredible plan for you, and He's designed you. 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:12.159 And as Christina talked about last week, that you're fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together, and there's a purpose and a plan, and you don't want to miss it. 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:21.920 And the question that all of us wrestle with then is well, how in the world, you know, do I figure out God's purpose for my life? 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:22.639 I get it, Ryan. 00:04:22.800 --> 00:04:23.839 God has a purpose for my life. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:25.600 But what is God's purpose for my life? 00:04:25.759 --> 00:04:26.480 Thank you very much. 00:04:26.639 --> 00:04:29.120 I've been asking that question for decades. 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:35.439 Or better yet, what is God's calling in your life? 00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:39.360 And to be sure, this isn't just a 20-year-old question. 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:51.040 I think sometimes we think about this, like, yeah, I remember asking that question when I was in my 20s, you know, and we wrestle with that, you know, we're wrestling with our why am I here and what is my job and all these sort of things. 00:04:51.199 --> 00:04:54.720 But it's definitely a question in the 40s, by the way, 20s. 00:04:55.040 --> 00:04:56.319 You know why? 00:04:56.639 --> 00:05:00.959 There's a little thing, you may have heard of it, you might not have, it's really not that big of a deal. 00:05:01.279 --> 00:05:04.480 Little thing called a mid-life crisis. 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:12.720 Where people do the dumbest things because they realize one thing. 00:05:13.839 --> 00:05:18.959 The weight of what they've built their life on no longer supports their life. 00:05:20.560 --> 00:05:31.600 And so they're looking for something else to bring purpose and meaning, and maybe it's found in a new car, maybe it's found in a new life entirely. 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:46.959 And then when I talk to those in our church that are in their 60s, 70s, those who have lived life well look back with great contentment and satisfaction. 00:05:48.160 --> 00:05:55.920 But I've also had too many conversations that look back with regret and pain. 00:05:56.480 --> 00:06:01.680 And I wish I would have invested my life differently. 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:08.560 The things I poured my life in, the purposes I thought mattered really didn't. 00:06:09.600 --> 00:06:16.639 So, how do we discover God's calling on our life? 00:06:17.439 --> 00:06:29.600 I want to talk about the divine calling of God, how he discovered it, and give you three specific clear callings of God in your life today to live that out. 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:34.879 And to do that, we're gonna dive back into Acts and Acts chapter 13. 00:06:34.959 --> 00:06:37.920 If you got your Bibles, go ahead and open up there. 00:06:38.079 --> 00:06:45.839 And we're gonna look at a snapshot of where uh Barnabas and Saul get a clear calling from God. 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:53.600 It's this clear calling from God, and out of this, we're gonna unpack three clear callings for God in your life. 00:06:53.920 --> 00:06:54.959 Begins this way. 00:06:55.199 --> 00:06:59.519 Now, in the church at Antioch, there are prophets and teachers. 00:06:59.680 --> 00:07:08.480 Barnabas, Simeon, called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Menae, who had been brought up with Herod the Tetriarch, and Saul. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:16.319 Now notice, while they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart, I don't know why that was my Holy Spirit voice. 00:07:16.480 --> 00:07:16.800 Okay. 00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:24.240 Um, set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the word to which I've called them. 00:07:24.800 --> 00:07:31.120 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 00:07:32.560 --> 00:07:34.079 Don't you want that? 00:07:34.639 --> 00:07:37.360 Like, wouldn't that make your life so simple? 00:07:37.680 --> 00:07:41.279 Like all of a sudden, you're like what? 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:46.639 Timmy, this is my calling for your life. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:49.680 Like, fantastic, that would be great. 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:52.480 Like, Ingram, that is so dramatic. 00:07:52.720 --> 00:07:55.040 I mean, when is that ever gonna happen? 00:07:55.199 --> 00:07:59.839 Yeah, I would love to have the Holy Spirit say, set apart me, and here we go. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:05.680 How do you discover God's calling for your life? 00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:10.160 What's fascinating though is the backstory to this moment. 00:08:10.480 --> 00:08:17.360 What led up and set up this moment that gave Paul and Barnabas their specific calling. 00:08:17.759 --> 00:08:29.600 You see, there is the clear calling of God on your life, his will for your life, that when we live it out, then his specific calling for your life will be revealed. 00:08:30.639 --> 00:08:37.440 And the challenge before many of us is we want God's specific calling without living out his revealed calling. 00:08:39.440 --> 00:09:06.000 You see, I want to give you a little bit of the backstory of Paul or Saul, and a little bit of his background because what you'll see is how God was working to this moment of setting apart for a new season of ministry, and it's what God wants to do in your life, and how he wants to grow and help you become who he's made you to be to live out the purposes for your life. 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:11.919 And so today I want to give you three clear callings of God for your life to live out. 00:09:12.000 --> 00:09:15.840 The first is simply this you are called to Jesus. 00:09:16.080 --> 00:09:18.480 You are called to Jesus. 00:09:19.039 --> 00:09:21.600 Um, this might be, no, it's not might be. 00:09:21.759 --> 00:09:23.279 This is the most important one. 00:09:23.440 --> 00:09:24.879 Lean in with me here. 00:09:25.519 --> 00:09:29.279 If you miss, if we get nothing out of this, get this. 00:09:29.919 --> 00:09:32.720 Now, you remember Saul's story? 00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:34.879 We talked about it Easter Sunday. 00:09:35.440 --> 00:09:38.080 He was traveling on the road to Damascus. 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.480 He was a persecutor of the faith. 00:09:40.799 --> 00:09:52.159 He has a life-changing encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus, and as a result, his entire world flipped, the entire direction of his life. 00:09:53.039 --> 00:09:55.360 His job, in fact, changed. 00:09:56.720 --> 00:10:04.879 He encountered the risen Savior, and it changed everything in his life. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:11.840 See, your first and foremost calling is not to a job. 00:10:12.799 --> 00:10:15.519 Not to your school, to your education. 00:10:16.879 --> 00:10:19.120 It's not even to your marriage. 00:10:21.039 --> 00:10:25.440 Your first calling is to Jesus. 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:32.320 You are called to a person first instead of a task. 00:10:33.440 --> 00:10:37.279 You're invited into a relationship. 00:10:39.120 --> 00:10:40.480 Not rules. 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:48.159 See, for some, you need a life-changing encounter with Jesus this morning. 00:10:48.799 --> 00:10:50.879 I like the way Jesus said it. 00:10:52.559 --> 00:10:56.799 His invitation to you and to me today, he says, come to me. 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:00.240 Like, would you? 00:11:02.960 --> 00:11:05.200 Would you really come to me? 00:11:07.440 --> 00:11:10.080 The invitation's always been open wherever you've been. 00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:14.399 The invitation's always been there, where whatever you've done, come to me. 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:21.600 Come to me, all who are weary and burdened. 00:11:21.919 --> 00:11:30.480 I gotta imagine out of the last eighteen months, we have a church full of weariness and burdens. 00:11:33.840 --> 00:11:38.720 Come to me, and I'll give you rest. 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:48.879 Take my yoke upon you, learn from me, for I'm gentle and humble in heart, and you'll find rest for your soul. 00:11:53.679 --> 00:12:14.639 See, the challenge for us is when we're talking about Jesus being our first calling, is the way we answer that often in real life is it's Jesus plus something else equals my purpose in life. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:31.120 Maybe it's Jesus plus your job, or Jesus plus man, when I marry him, or when I meet her, Jesus plus, you know, when when we're finally able to have kids, or Jesus plus success or upward mobility, or you know, these sort of things. 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:33.200 And it's just Jesus. 00:12:34.799 --> 00:12:36.080 It's just him. 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:41.600 It's your first, my first calling. 00:12:42.000 --> 00:12:47.440 Nothing more and nothing less than simply Jesus. 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:51.679 I like how Rick Warren says it. 00:12:51.919 --> 00:12:58.559 He says, the first purpose of your life or calling is to let God love you. 00:12:59.840 --> 00:13:00.960 Isn't that good? 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:06.159 The first purpose and calling of your life. 00:13:06.480 --> 00:13:15.360 And he doesn't say to love God, which certainly that is true, but is to let God love you. 00:13:18.000 --> 00:13:20.320 You know how you let God love you? 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:22.799 You come to him. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:25.600 You gotta come to him. 00:13:27.120 --> 00:13:33.519 Like you have a perfect heavenly father who's eager to hear your voice. 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:40.799 A Savior who suffered and died for you to bring you into relationship. 00:13:41.200 --> 00:13:43.120 He says, just just come to me. 00:13:43.440 --> 00:13:46.639 Would you let God love you today? 00:13:47.919 --> 00:13:59.440 Would you stop putting up the walls, stop putting up the things that that I get it, that you have hurts and you have wounds and you have baggage and you have these things that you just built up and you just like God, I'm just so nervous and afraid. 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:06.159 Okay, okay, God, I'm a little but I'm just gonna come to you and here's my heart. 00:14:07.519 --> 00:14:12.240 And he meets you there every single time. 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:13.919 Our first calling. 00:14:15.279 --> 00:14:21.600 Our first calling is to be is we are called to Jesus, called to a person. 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:26.639 The second calling and clear calling of our lives is we're called to faithfulness. 00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:28.799 We're called to faithfulness. 00:14:29.840 --> 00:14:40.399 You know, it's interesting when you read through Acts, and it's so uh it's kind of hard because we miss it as we don't realize like you can flip a page and like years have gone by, you know. 00:14:40.720 --> 00:14:43.279 Um, so Paul's in Damascus, right? 00:14:43.600 --> 00:14:48.159 He actually spent three years in Damascus, but it's one sentence in Acts. 00:14:49.200 --> 00:14:53.919 And he spends three years in Damascus, and then he travels back to Jerusalem. 00:14:54.000 --> 00:14:58.159 And when he goes back to Jerusalem, everybody's still afraid of him, even after three years. 00:14:58.240 --> 00:15:01.120 They're like, we don't trust this guy, we don't know this guy. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:05.120 And I love it, Barnabas, he's a son of encouragement. 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:14.240 He's the only one that goes to Paul, puts his arm around him, and he actually brings them up to the apostles and brings them into community and into fellowship. 00:15:14.399 --> 00:15:19.840 And then the apostle Paul, Saul, then he's he starts preaching in Jerusalem. 00:15:20.000 --> 00:15:24.879 And I mean, some people are getting upset in the city and they want to kill him now. 00:15:25.759 --> 00:15:28.480 These are people that we would call friends then. 00:15:29.200 --> 00:15:35.519 And so the disciples don't really know what to do, and they set him off to his hometown of Tarsus. 00:15:35.679 --> 00:15:36.879 Now I have a map up there. 00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:37.840 I don't know if you can see it. 00:15:38.000 --> 00:15:39.840 If you want the slide deck, just email me. 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.200 I'd be happy to get that so you can visualize all this. 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:57.120 Now, from chapter 9 to chapter 13, where Paul and Barnabas are called out, the amount of time is 13 years. 00:15:58.240 --> 00:16:03.919 A 13 year span, and 10 of those years was spent in Tarsus. 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:11.679 Paul went home, lived with his mama and his daddy, and was doing the family business. 00:16:11.759 --> 00:16:14.399 I mean, he's the original boomerang kid. 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:17.600 Too many of you are boomerang kids to find that funny. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:20.480 You're like, I'm living with mama, she's next to me. 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:24.639 Don't he went, he goes back. 00:16:26.480 --> 00:16:28.000 And think about this. 00:16:28.639 --> 00:16:38.159 The guy who would let one day pen much of the New Testament, who would plant hundreds of churches, spends a decade. 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:41.279 Spends a decade. 00:16:42.240 --> 00:16:43.600 And what's he doing? 00:16:44.960 --> 00:16:49.919 Well, the reality is we don't really know what he's doing because it's called the silent years. 00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:52.480 We have nothing recorded. 00:16:52.559 --> 00:16:55.519 Here's what we know he worked the family trade. 00:16:56.879 --> 00:17:01.200 Because we know he was Paul, he couldn't help but share about Jesus. 00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:06.960 And he was just faithful with what was in front of him for a decade. 00:17:09.519 --> 00:17:15.519 See, we're called to faithfulness, we're called to be faithful for what's in front of us. 00:17:16.720 --> 00:17:20.799 And we struggle with this today because two big things, I think. 00:17:20.880 --> 00:17:24.079 One is we have a Google reflex, right? 00:17:24.799 --> 00:17:26.480 I I ordered some new shoes. 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:30.960 I got this boot on now that when I stand up on this thing, I'm like 6'3, it's awesome. 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:36.240 Um but I don't have a second shoe that's tall enough, so I tried to get one a little bit taller. 00:17:36.480 --> 00:17:38.640 You know how long it's taken me? 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:40.960 It's gonna take a week. 00:17:41.519 --> 00:17:43.920 An entire week to ship a single shoe. 00:17:44.000 --> 00:17:47.519 Well, I got two of them, but uh a shoe to my house. 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:54.480 Now, a long time ago, ten years ago, that would have been awesome. 00:17:54.799 --> 00:17:57.440 Today, if I don't get it next day, this is awful. 00:17:57.599 --> 00:17:59.279 This is the worst thing ever. 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:00.880 Why? 00:18:01.119 --> 00:18:04.079 Because we're used to, if you Google it, you get it. 00:18:04.319 --> 00:18:06.799 Whatever you Google, it's instantaneous. 00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:12.559 And that's how we think our Christian walk and formation is is just Google it. 00:18:13.039 --> 00:18:16.880 No, it's about process, it's about formation. 00:18:17.279 --> 00:18:25.039 God is so concerned about who you are and forming you into Christ, and He will take his time. 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:26.799 He is not in a hurry. 00:18:27.039 --> 00:18:32.960 You might be in a hurry, you might be wanting to get on with your life, and he says, you know what, it might take a decade. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:36.640 And that isn't a waste, by the way. 00:18:37.119 --> 00:18:42.160 Those 10 years were not a waste for the Apostle Paul, they were forming him. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:52.319 And we complain, I put we, me in the equited, about a year, pandemic year, and oh, what a waste! Could it be? 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:53.359 Could it have been? 00:18:53.599 --> 00:19:03.279 Would you look at it with different eyes that in that he is forming you and longs to use those years powerfully in your life? 00:19:03.440 --> 00:19:10.640 The other reason I think this is hard, it's not just the Google reflex for us, but we have Instagram envy, don't we? 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:27.920 Isn't it so hard when you're looking around and seeing everyone else live their best life, post their filtered reality, and you compare where you're at, how you're progressing with who and what others are doing around you, right? 00:19:28.799 --> 00:19:37.440 Well, they just got that job, or they just are moving here, or they just had that kid, or they just got this house, and we just compare nonstop. 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:42.480 See, the calling on your life is faithfulness. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:50.880 Okay, I'm gonna, God, if I'm faithful with what you put in front of me, you're saying that is more than enough. 00:19:51.039 --> 00:19:52.799 That's doing what you've called me to do. 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:56.079 First call to Jesus, faithful, what's in front of me, faithful what's in front of me. 00:19:56.160 --> 00:20:07.519 In fact, Jesus would say it this way whoever's faithful in a very little thing will also be faithful in much, or whoever's unfaithful or unrighteous in a very little thing will also be unrighteous or unfaithful in much. 00:20:07.920 --> 00:20:11.440 What is the faithful little that he's putting in front of you? 00:20:12.000 --> 00:20:17.039 What is the faithful little for your life that he's placed in front of you that it's easy to look ahead? 00:20:17.200 --> 00:20:18.480 When I get there, then I'll do this. 00:20:18.559 --> 00:20:23.440 When this happens, then I'll and he's going, no, be faithful with what is in front of you. 00:20:23.839 --> 00:20:33.279 Maybe it's in your marriage, and you're looking like when she finally does this or when he does this, and God's going, no, you be faithful. 00:20:34.559 --> 00:20:36.640 Be faithful in your singleness. 00:20:37.920 --> 00:20:42.160 Well, when I get this, you know, be faithful right here with what he's put in front of you. 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:45.279 It is not waste, it's formation. 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:47.119 Be faithful in your work. 00:20:49.599 --> 00:20:51.759 This job is so hard. 00:20:52.160 --> 00:20:53.920 This I mean, come on. 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:55.839 My boss is a jerk. 00:20:56.240 --> 00:21:00.079 Whatever you do, whether in word and deed, do it all into the name of the Lord Jesus. 00:21:00.240 --> 00:21:08.880 And so I'm gonna be faithful in this job, not because I'm presenting something for this person, but I'm gonna work as unto the Christ, as unto the Lord. 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:10.640 Could I present it to you? 00:21:11.839 --> 00:21:14.000 See, we're called to be faithful. 00:21:14.160 --> 00:21:18.880 Those silent years were not a waste, wasted years, but formational years. 00:21:19.119 --> 00:21:24.559 You see, it's your decisions that you make in obscurity that will shape your destiny. 00:21:25.839 --> 00:21:38.720 See, we we want to be able to rise to those big moments, but those are done and formed in those obscure moments when no one's watching, in the hidden places, when you're faithful in your daily walk with him. 00:21:39.839 --> 00:21:52.160 When you're just getting up in the morning and you're just going, like, I just want to know you, I want to spend time with you, and the little day by day, and it's forming the ever forming of Christ in you. 00:21:52.400 --> 00:22:01.680 I remember when I started out in ministry, someone once said to me, Ryan, you be concerned with the Depth of your ministry. 00:22:02.160 --> 00:22:05.759 Let God be concerned with the breadth of your ministry. 00:22:07.279 --> 00:22:18.000 In our culture, in our day, we're so focused on the outcome or the product or renown or being a somebody, and God's not real impressed with that. 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:22.079 You focus on the depth. 00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:24.559 Let God be concerned about the outcome. 00:22:24.799 --> 00:22:26.799 Let God be concerned with the product. 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:29.759 Let Him be concerned with the fruit. 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.279 Three clear callings for you and I today. 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:34.480 We're called to Jesus. 00:22:34.559 --> 00:22:35.839 We're called to faithfulness. 00:22:35.920 --> 00:22:41.440 And finally, it is right in our text today, Acts 13, we're called to fellowship. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:50.480 Their specific call, by the way, wasn't them just hanging out by themselves and had a great idea. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:22:54.960 Man, I just think this would be the coolest thing ever. 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.880 Nothing wrong with that. 00:22:57.359 --> 00:23:04.400 Their specific call came out of engaging in fellowship with one another. 00:23:05.200 --> 00:23:07.920 You had these guys, what were they doing together? 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:09.279 Tell me out. 00:23:10.480 --> 00:23:12.720 If you had your Bible open, you can read it. 00:23:12.960 --> 00:23:15.039 What were they doing together? 00:23:19.119 --> 00:23:20.720 Praise God for one of you. 00:23:20.880 --> 00:23:22.240 Absolutely. 00:23:23.839 --> 00:23:25.759 Worshiping and fasting. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.200 Thank you. 00:23:28.160 --> 00:23:29.680 They're worshiping. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:35.839 See, we like to be connected, but community takes it deeper. 00:23:36.559 --> 00:23:38.799 Fellowship takes it even deeper. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:46.799 That you're sharing your lives and that you're sharing your lives in such a way that you'd be shaped more into the life of Christ. 00:23:47.759 --> 00:23:56.480 Like when we get together, when we hang out, that you're like, do you walk away wanting to be more like Jesus with the people you're hanging out with? 00:23:57.200 --> 00:24:04.640 Do you go like, wow, I just was with them and my heart just it was, I like want to be more like Jesus as a result. 00:24:05.039 --> 00:24:06.480 That's fellowship. 00:24:09.519 --> 00:24:11.680 See, we're called to fellowship. 00:24:11.839 --> 00:24:14.319 In fact, the author of Hebrew says it this way. 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:21.200 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:23.279 Like, think about your friends. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.680 Think about uh people that you hang out with. 00:24:25.759 --> 00:24:29.519 And and would you consider, like, how can I spur you on? 00:24:29.839 --> 00:24:33.839 How can I encourage you towards love and good deeds? 00:24:34.079 --> 00:24:40.559 Not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, or a pandemic caused us to do it. 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:43.200 But we got to re-engage. 00:24:44.000 --> 00:24:51.839 We gotta re-engage, but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day approaching. 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:58.480 Called to Jesus, called to faithfulness, and called to fellowship. 00:24:58.720 --> 00:25:01.440 Here's something that I I see a lot. 00:25:02.400 --> 00:25:14.960 Is I see a lot in our, you know, ice after isolation, and we have a hyper-individualistic society and culture, and so it's about me, it's about my thing, and I'm gonna kind of figure it out. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:16.480 I gotta figure it out all on my own. 00:25:16.559 --> 00:25:22.240 And by the way, Gen Z, you're by statistic the most lonely generation. 00:25:23.920 --> 00:25:25.839 We don't want that for you. 00:25:26.240 --> 00:25:28.640 That's not God's design for you. 00:25:29.039 --> 00:25:31.920 You don't have to figure it out on your own. 00:25:32.160 --> 00:25:35.119 It's why the community of Christ is here. 00:25:35.839 --> 00:25:42.480 But here's what I see on major decisions or figuring out God's specific calling for your life. 00:25:43.279 --> 00:25:45.519 I see people do this all the time. 00:25:45.759 --> 00:25:51.839 They've never asked or been in fellowship with one another, and they come up with an idea, and here's what they say to me. 00:25:52.079 --> 00:25:52.880 You know, right? 00:25:53.759 --> 00:25:56.240 God called me to do blank. 00:25:57.279 --> 00:25:58.799 And you know what I say? 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:00.480 Well, fantastic. 00:26:00.799 --> 00:26:02.319 That's amazing. 00:26:02.720 --> 00:26:05.680 I might be thinking in my head, that sounds dumb. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.720 Did you really think this through? 00:26:09.200 --> 00:26:18.079 But if God called you to do it, if you heard from Jesus, who in the world am I to say differently? 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:24.960 Isn't it interesting how we use these terms, but it actually cuts out the very feedback or the wisdom that we need. 00:26:25.279 --> 00:26:30.079 See, fellowship, when you're with a group of people, they get to see your strengths, they get to see your weaknesses. 00:26:30.160 --> 00:26:38.720 You've been journeying together, you've been worshiping together, and then you are invited in that they begin to discern with you God's call on your life. 00:26:39.359 --> 00:26:50.319 You know, uh when we were planting awakening as a church, I've shared this many times, we never wanted to plant a church, and I never wanted to lead a church. 00:26:50.880 --> 00:26:57.839 It was in fellowship where this became clear that this was God's call on our life. 00:26:58.400 --> 00:27:08.799 You know, it was nine years ago this fall, uh, Steve Clifford said, okay, would you go at least do this church planner assessment thing? 00:27:09.039 --> 00:27:19.359 And he saw in me, and the elders at awakening saw in us something that we couldn't see in ourselves, and we were really trying to discern what's next, and we had godly community like walking alongside. 00:27:19.440 --> 00:27:22.319 He said, Go do this, you know, church planner's assessment thing. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:24.640 I'm like, I didn't even know that existed. 00:27:24.960 --> 00:27:30.079 And we we we went to this church planner assessment thing, Majig, and it was intense. 00:27:30.240 --> 00:27:33.519 It was five days from eight in the morning till eight at night. 00:27:33.599 --> 00:27:41.359 They did these batteries of exams and personality profiles, they had two clinical psychologists that you met with, and I mean, it was all day. 00:27:41.440 --> 00:27:44.960 I remember one day uh at some point we're supposed to preach a sermon. 00:27:45.039 --> 00:27:46.319 This is how out of it I was. 00:27:46.559 --> 00:27:51.279 I didn't even know we're supposed to do that, and we have these guys that like their entire dream is to plant churches. 00:27:51.359 --> 00:27:56.559 They came with their you know bulletins and their PowerPoint for the sermon, and I got my mole skin. 00:27:56.880 --> 00:28:01.680 I'm like, I gotta write a couple down notes down for a sermon real quick on this thing. 00:28:02.079 --> 00:28:10.720 And what we were was in there's 22 assessors, there's about 20 couples, and they had to come to a unanimous decision on every single couple. 00:28:10.960 --> 00:28:15.119 And we were so honest, we were so open, every struggle we had, everything in our marriage, everything. 00:28:15.200 --> 00:28:18.400 We're just like, here it is, we're not even sure we're supposed to do this. 00:28:19.119 --> 00:28:21.119 But we wanted to hear from God. 00:28:21.599 --> 00:28:28.400 And they spent the night over every single couple, and all 22 had to come to a unanimous decision. 00:28:28.640 --> 00:28:34.480 If they didn't, they got on their knees and prayed for literally a half an hour over that couple and then circled back. 00:28:34.559 --> 00:28:38.400 And it was either yes, no, or not yet. 00:28:38.640 --> 00:28:45.920 Quite literally, that Friday morning, we sat down with a couple of those assessors, expecting them how the week went, for them to say, no. 00:28:46.880 --> 00:28:48.160 There's no way. 00:28:48.799 --> 00:28:49.279 Fantastic. 00:28:49.359 --> 00:28:51.759 I'm glad God you were clear, you know. 00:28:52.720 --> 00:28:56.160 And these two assessors said, you know what? 00:28:56.960 --> 00:29:01.200 We believe God has called you to plant awakening as a church. 00:29:01.359 --> 00:29:05.200 You're called to do it now, and that you'll be highly effective for the kingdom. 00:29:06.880 --> 00:29:13.039 I gotta tell you, Jenny and I, we were we were bawling like babies. 00:29:13.440 --> 00:29:17.279 I'm a crier at my wedding, it was snot everywhere, it was bad. 00:29:18.640 --> 00:29:22.319 But my wife's not a big crier, and she was bawling too. 00:29:22.640 --> 00:29:42.000 I mean, we were just bawling because it felt like this moment in Acts 13 where there's a group that with the Spirit directing and praying together and discerning the will of God and speaking in and sending and commissioning, and oh, that we would do that for one another and that we would surround one another. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:59.279 And it's not like it has to stay in this isolated over here, but in your small group as you're trying to discern a major move, you're trying to discern whether you should get married, or you're trying to discern, you know, a job change, and you go, would you fast and would you pray and would we move together with the spirit? 00:29:59.519 --> 00:30:03.119 That is the life that God's inviting us into. 00:30:03.839 --> 00:30:06.160 See, there's three clear callings. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:18.319 And when we live out these clear callings of Jesus, we then begin to experience and know his specific calling for our life. 00:30:18.720 --> 00:30:25.200 You see, 90%, roughly 90% of God's will or calling on your life is revealed in God's word. 00:30:27.200 --> 00:30:31.119 We obsess over the 10% and God, would you show me? 00:30:31.200 --> 00:30:32.240 God, would you show me who to marry? 00:30:32.319 --> 00:30:33.279 God would you show me where to work? 00:30:33.359 --> 00:30:34.720 God, will you show me where I need to move? 00:30:34.880 --> 00:30:36.799 God, will you show me what I need to do? 00:30:37.119 --> 00:30:39.839 And God's going, like, I've showed you so much. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:46.079 If you just start doing what I'll show you, then I'll show you what you need to know. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:50.880 How do you discover God's calling for your life? 00:30:51.200 --> 00:30:53.119 Center your life on Jesus. 00:30:53.759 --> 00:30:56.079 Be faithful with what's in front of you. 00:30:56.799 --> 00:31:03.440 Be faithful with what's in front of you and engage in Holy Spirit-directed community. 00:31:04.079 --> 00:31:04.799 Where are you? 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:07.359 Where are you? 00:31:07.440 --> 00:31:10.720 And as you're taking notes, what is your next step? 00:31:12.400 --> 00:31:15.039 Write it down before you leave today. 00:31:15.359 --> 00:31:19.440 Okay, what I haven't centered my life on you, Jesus. 00:31:19.680 --> 00:31:22.480 It's been adrift, or man, I haven't been in community. 00:31:22.559 --> 00:31:23.920 I've been in isolation. 00:31:24.240 --> 00:31:25.839 I need that faithful thing. 00:31:26.000 --> 00:31:27.279 Oh man, that got me. 00:31:27.599 --> 00:31:32.240 Write it down and take your next step. 00:31:32.640 --> 00:31:37.839 Lord Jesus, thank you so much for today, your grace, for your word. 00:31:38.559 --> 00:31:50.960 Thank you that you are clear with us, that you lead us, that you speak to us, and that you're working and moving, and your will and your ways are not a mystery, but you have revealed them openly. 00:31:51.279 --> 00:32:03.039 God, would you give us the courage to take the next step with you to become who you've called us to be and to live out your purpose in our lives. 00:32:03.279 --> 00:32:05.039 In Jesus' name. 00:32:05.519 --> 00:32:06.160 Amen. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:10.079 We hope you are blessed by this message. 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:15.279 Please subscribe to our podcast for access to every episode as they're uploaded. 00:32:15.519 --> 00:32:17.839 And hey, we'd love to connect with you. 00:32:18.000 --> 00:32:23.920 Take a next step by filling out our virtual connection card at awakeningchurch.comslash card.