Hello my name is… Outer Calling

Give Online: Tithes & Offerings

Catch up on our series HERE

Hello My Name is…

(Part 4 – Outer Calling)

Good Morning… Welcome back to Jesus Church

We are so glad you are with us – In a journey (part 4)

• Talking about identity & calling… and I feel this is an intense series
  • But such a needed point of focus (In our world & the church)
  • The tough part: As we push for things that bring change
  • It can make it uncomfortable
• As we look at Jesus – He was all about getting 2 the uncomfortable
  • I remember the conversation he has w/ the woman at the well
  • He offers her eternal life (Zoe)

Def of Zoe

Life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, in the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Jesus, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and life everlasting

• This is what the NT authors go on 2 explain as “Identity in Christ”
  • Your identity in Christ is real & genuine life
  • Which the last 2 weeks we have explored
  • That we are to identify with who we are becoming (future you)
    • Not who we were or even who we currently are
• And Jesus uses this concept in many of his teachings
  • It is called the “here but not yet” of the Kingdom of God
  • Where at times Jesus talks of the kingdom as being here now
  • But other times that the Kingdom is still coming
• In the same way… the kingdom that we possess and identify with
  • Is here now – We experience in bits & pieces… identify with it
  • But its fulness will be experienced with the return of Jesus
    • When we are made new… sin wiped away… live in eternity

But in this story things become uncomfortable very quickly

Jn 4:15-18

• And 4 us to walk out the journey of self-discovery/identity/calling
  • Must get to the place where we look at what we don’t want to
  • We identify that “shadow area’s” of our lives
  • Expose them to the truth… and allow God to heal us of them
• You cannot be healed of something u refuse to acknowledge exists
  • And the call of Jesus is for us to have life more abundantly
  • That only happens on committing to the road of self-discovery
  • And not quitting when things get hard

Last week & this week we’re looking at calling

• And my calling to follow Jesus is a 2 part journey (inward/outward)
  • Last week we started by looking at our INWARD CALLING
    • That is who we are becoming in Christ
    • It’s the transformation of our identity and character
  • This week we are going to look at our OUTWARD CALLING
    • And when we talk about calling… this is what most think of
    • What we do with our life… it’s the idea of vocation

So if u have your Bible turn to Gen. 2

This is where our story begins and God starts to tell His story

• In Gen. 1 – God creates us in His image (ultimately our identity)
  • Because how we find out who we are…
    • Isn’t by looking at our emotions
    • Nor is it by looking at what the world says we can be
    • Or what the world says we should be
  • We find our identity in God because we are made in His image
    • So Genesis 1 tells us that we are image bearers
    • Made in his likeness… his nature… his favor… his order
    • To be generous… creative… compassionate… just
• Also shows us that we aren’t just image bearers… Kingdom carriers
  • We carry His authority
  • God says in V.28 “Let the rule or have authority over creation”

Then it goes into Gen. 2 – Pick up as we think on Identity/Calling

Gen. 2:7-8

• Breath (ne-shamah) – means spirit/soul… God brought life 2 ur soul

Gen 2:15

• So we have this picture of God breathing life into humanity
  • Then he entrusts humanity 2 to carry on what He had started
  • To engage in the work He began
• And that’s God’s goal for all of us as believers
  • Job not 2 come to church and do something spiritual on Sunday
  • His goal is that we come alive in/thru his presence
    • And then bring life to every environment that we enter
    • Whether it’s a café or a Walmart or a workplace
• So regardless of your job… gym… favorite place to eat
  • Your calling is to bring God’s life into that environment

Now what does that look like to bring the kingdom to our environment

We see in V.15 that humanity is coming alive – and is given work to do

• And the work God gave wasn’t a punishment… or confinement
  • He brings us there to put us on assignment
  • There’s something about being Fully His/Fully Human
  • Requires us to be placed in an environment where we can work
• And at this point – Work not about earning (God not paying Adam)
  • It’s a process of discovery/creativity/learning where…
  • Adam expresses what God has put in him 2 world around him
• So God actually brought Adam to work – Really powerful imagery
  • God takes and places Adam in his workplace…
    • How many times do I think: Gotta bring God 2 work today
    • Which really makes me think I have a choice…
  • But the reality is… God brings me to work…
    • He is involved and excited about the work that you do
    • He wants to partner with us in our work

4 Things God does in our workplace

As we walk out Calling/Identity

1 – God makes us His partners

And that is our identity… we aren’t just servants/sons & daughters

• We get to be partners – And we have to learn how to be that
  • And 1 of the places we get to engage that is in the workplace
• Which means he sends us to our place of work
  • There is no holy divide b/w ministry and industry activity
  • We are called to advance the kingdom thru local church or job
  • In God’s mind… no difference in where that happens
• We have to stop seeing a sacred divide & start seeing divine design
  • That God set you up… formed those things for you to work thru
    • Work is where we encounter God
    • Where he calls out of us what he’s put in us
    • Where we discover what God shaped us for in our reality

So work is more than just a social contribution to society

• It is a place of spiritual formation – Spiritual growth & discovery
  • Bible says to love ur enemies… glad it didn’t say work collogues
  • B/C bless those who curse you… lie about you… want bad 4 you
  • That’s much harder when you have to see them everyday
• I’m really good at not sinning for the first 13 seconds of the day
  • I can do really well until I get into my kids school drop off line
  • And then you take it into your work… that’s a whole new level
  • Something about our vocation – Advances spiritual formation
    • Its a gateway… pathway
• So our workplace isn’t a place of his absence but his presence
  • And we should expect to encounter God at work
  • My cousin is a doctor… he gets to pray with patience b4 surgery
    • He gets to usher in the Kingdom of God in his vocation
    • How sad if he thought that could only happen on a Sunday
  • When I was working for Sprint… so many people can in livid
    • Because u know – Its my fault their phone fell in toilet
    • But that type of outburst rarely is rooted in phone anger
    • And u can do full on Jesus sessions while fixing a phone
• But it’s expecting the presence of God in every moment of my life
  • And somehow we want to separate our work from our faith
  • But my prayer is that what has been separated would be united
    • And there wouldn’t be a distinction b/w work & ministry
    • Every one of us is a co-worker in Christ…

I think one industry that really gets this is athletes

• I think back to when Tim Tebow use to do his TD prayer [PIC]
  • Saying: God – You gave me the power to do my job well today
    • I did my job for your glory… and I want everyone to know
    • It is you who gives me the ability to do my work well
• Or Steph Curry who scores 63 & point to God after each basket
  • Here is a picture of his post after a mind blowing game
  • And he always wears a bracelet that says: In Jesus name I play
• We see lots of athletes get this… from boxers to soccer players
  • Love soccer players… score a goal and sprint to the corner
    • Rip off their shirt – Reveal a “Jesus Saves” message
    • And then slide 30 feet on their knees thru the grass
  • I’d love to see how that could translate if you’re an accountant
    • Balance a perfect spreadsheet: No grass but wheeled chair
    • Wheel that chair around the office
  • Or a teacher has their entire class “ACE” a test
    • Start running around ur class – yelling & screaming
    • Red marker up in the air
• But truth is… your job is filled with just as much of the glory of God
  • As the best worship set or sermon you’ve ever experienced
  • Because God is in the ordinary of our workplaces
  • And this is what Identity & Calling look like in the workplace

Here is what the Bible says about it…

Rom 12:1

Rom 12:1 (Message)

Here is what I want you to do. Take your ordinary, everyday life, your eating, sleeping, going to work like, and put it before God as an offering. This is your act of worship.

2 – Not only partners but God lets us DREAM

I love that God didn’t give Adam instructions on how 2 work the garden

• He placed him in the garden… didn’t micromanage him at all
  • Wouldn’t u love a job where you can make it whatever u want
  • God not box him in: I think he wanted 2 see what he would do
    • God loves ingenuity… just look at complexity of universe
    • And if we are made in his image… ingenuity in us too
• He is longing to see what we will do with what he put in us
  • Some want God to tell them everything… how boring for God
  • He loves to see what YOU will create with what he’s given you
  • That’s why he created us to grow and learn
• A lot of times we pray/say stuff like: God all of you and none of me
  • But honestly that prayer is the last thing God wants
  • But God had that before he made you… all of him/none of you
  • But he created you b/c he wants it to be all of him IN all of you
• In every area of ur life… he gives imagination/ideas… unique to you
  • To be human is to have a dream running thru ur veins
  • It’s not just to be breathing but to be dreaming
    • And how we can bring life to the environment around us

And that’s what God sets up for Adam in the garden

• Our vocation is not only a revelation of who HE IS
  • It’s also an expression of who we are
  • And when we do our work to the glory of God… whatever it is
    • We are expressing an aspect of who he is
    • And uncovering who we are

Gen 3:19 (Example in the text of Adam in the Garden)

• Crazy: God brings Adam all animals… What do u we should call that
  • He is waiting to hear what Adam things… wants to know
  • Because culturally when u gave something a name
    • U were giving it an identity (speaking to its design/nature)
    • Even for Adam there was a learning curve
      • Aardvark… Hippopotamus
• Joking around… but man gets to name God’s creation
  • God brought man in to be a part of the creation process
  • Why?? B/C he wanted 2… and it shows his dynamic towards us
    • Not only with Adam – But with you as well

All that seems fun and glorious… but truth is that work can be difficult

• Lived with a family in Olympia… husband works on the railroads
  • One day he came home… cold/nasty day in the Northwest
  • I asked how his day was – He said: Work is a product of SIN!!!
  • His focus was more on Gen. 3 than Gen 2… wasn’t gonna argue
• But in Gen. 3 – Creation enters the great distortion of sin
  • Where work would be marked with thistles and toil
  • That it would become difficult and frustrating
  • And where work is distorted from Gods original designed
• That was never God’s design… God’s goal was always original way
  • So our task as believers is a restoration of that design of work
  • So we go into our workplace and dont complain about our work
    • Language of complaint never belongs on lips of believers
    • It’s just not who we are… God never complains
    • And we are made in his image
• Imagine if God complained… “I’m just so fed up with this”
  • We would think “U have all authority to do something about it”
  • Language of complaint never belongs in life of believer b/c
    • God assigns us the task of redemption of our work
    • And when work is redeemed… you won’t need to complain

TAG: And that leads us to the 3^rd way God works thru us

3 – Cultivator… we grow things from bottom up

We understand that even though things aren’t perfect… not ideal

• I’m going to work this out with God… cultivate with him
  • Believing that we will see life and growth from bottom up
  • And that’s what we do… we shift the environment
  • B/C we have the light of the world – if anyone can do it we can
• When I engage in anything… community or business
  • I should see it for what it can be if God’s hand is on it
  • Not necessarily what it looks like right now
    • God can do anything… change anything… turn anything
• Don’t ever give up on something God has placed you in
  • Just b/c not a desirable appointment… doesn’t mean not divine
  • Like the stock market – Don’t buy stocks b/c where they are
    • You buy because of where you believe they are going
    • God wants us to buy into world around us – Watch it grow
  • Change never comes from the top down..
    • But the inside out
    • Its what we have in us that cultivates change around us

4 – Story tellers… inscribe Gods story thru work we do

We get to release that into our communities and cities

• And we do that… sometimes we have a “God Story”
  • Something God did that can only be blamed on Him
    • You get a WORD of insight… a nudge to pray
    • You answer a prayer no one knew was prayed
  • Ever prayed 4 someone at work… little different than church
    • For some reason the band does magically appear
    • Lights don’t dim and music starts playing
  • And usually in workplace… not another Xian to pray with you
    • You’re just on your own
    • And they don’t know the protocol for being prayed for
    • Sorta ends up like your first Jr. High dance
• And you only get 30 seconds… b/c ur at work and need to work
  • And if you don’t you are gonna get fired
  • So we learn to act in those moments… w/ precision and power

Favorite way we tell His story at work… simply the work we do

• The work we do starts to tell his story (reveal & release his story)

[STORY]

The was a man named George…. Son of a business owner in small town

• Inherited business… started to expand and became very successful
  • So they were able to hire more people
  • But as he got to know his workers (1800’s)
  • He figured out that not many of them had great homes
• So he decided that he was gonna build homes for all his workers
  • And not just track homes… he went above and beyond
  • Instead of paying $1000 pounds… paid $1500 pounds per house
    • Name was George Cadbury (Cadbery chocolate… egg)
    • Creates a village… b/c he’s really good at making chocolate
    • And he does it for the glory of God – Still see it today
    • It’s a testimony of what God does when u listen 4 his voice
• When you go to work (24 hours from now)
  • Be encouraged u are writing the story of God thru what u do
  • Phrase: Don’t just “Live so u can work… but “work so u can live”
    • Almost true… we work so we can bring life
• Work isn’t just the place u get money so u can do what u want
  • That is just consumerism
  • Work is the place we get to bring his life into all areas of culture