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Aug 06, 2017

Take Action

Take Action

Speaker: James Gallaher

Category: Sunday Morning

God has called us to share Him to our neighbors and co-workers. Sometimes we don’t feel the confidence to tell others or we are waiting for something to move us. We just have to knock on the door or start the conversation trusting God to work through us.

Opening Scripture:
Matthew 11:7-11   As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Not doing what God has called you to do based upon the fact that no one around you is doing it is what I call substituting the “me” calling for the “we” calling.

Imagine some are saying to the pastor that they have been talking to God and He gave them a burden for a specific area. Then they say that they think “we” should do it. We are all for doing thing together, but I have found that we will never be effective in the “we” calling until we are effective in the “me” calling.

We sometimes find ourselves running to the Father explaining to Him that someone isn’t doing their part, that I would be more effective if they would get on board.
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Genesis 3:12   The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”

Adam was the first one to point that finger. Deception will always try to point the finger. Jesus cares about your calling, because you cannot fulfill someone else’s calling. The more distracted I become with your calling, the less committed I am to mine.

When I do finally focus on my calling, I look for the easy path to fulfillment. We allow the difficult to determine the direction. We want success without sacrifice. We want outcomes before we overcome.
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Recently, in speaking with a young man in need of a job, I was surprised when he told me he felt like the Lord was calling him to management, not the restaurant service job that needed people.

The problem was he thought it would be given instead of earned. He wanted success without a sacrifice.

You may laugh, but every day we drive by that neighbor or sit by that co-worker, and we are praying that God will us us, but we still haven’t knocked on that door or started that conversation.

We wait for the opportunities instead of earning them.

We want to receive the glory, but we aren’t willing to go through the fire to get it.
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I remind my son continually that everything you do or will be called to do in this life, will be hard, at times it will be lonely, but it will be worth it.

At times, we want to quit. Don’t! You will want to find an easier way. Don’t! Dig deep and remember your calling.

There is no greater calling today than your calling! It’s specific, personal, challenging, and at times lonely, but it’s worth it.

What’s standing the way? For most people, it’s confidence. You are worried about your circumstances. Don’t keep thinking about your failures.
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Matthew 11:11   Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

You look in the mirror and see the failure: divorce, adultery, depression, anger, addiction.
You see yourself as the least, but God is GREATER!

I know that God is not beyond causing or forcing action upon my failure to produce His good result.

Romans 8:28   And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Sometimes God uses our bad decisions to aid in someone else’s destiny.

The same thing you believe disqualified you might just be the thing that qualifies you to tell that person who needs of grace how to receive it.

That’s the calling, isn’t it?
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So what make even the least of these greater?

Christ is in you. You are the temple of the Holy Spirit. John prophesied about the temple, but you became it.

You are called to be a Christ follower for the purpose of inviting others to be Christ’s follower.

How Jesus works that out in your life is personal, specific, and challenging, but it will always involve building a bridge between what is living and what is dead.

Your calling will increase your interactions this week. Who is that person and what will you do when the opportunity comes?

You still struggle with confidence, but you can’t see greater when all your failures have only produced a feeling of lesser.

God wants to pass out calling to you. Grab hold of it. Put your confidence in it. We have to do it.

You are commissioned to bless this community with the power of the Spirit through your work and witness.