Understanding Your Call - Part 1

Welcome to the intense podcast for entire family for Thursday, October 13 ever had one closely with the Lord as you embrace a new understanding of your call at the following when you think about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Which of these two words come to your mind first. Be honest which one comes in month was about walk up to you and said the US to the question tell me about your relationship to Christ in one word.

Which of these two words would be the first word that comes to your mom believer of follower believer of follower measures that will be a fall you got to be a believer. That's true but which one of those words comes to your mind first. Now all of us have that call upon our life what we like it or not ecology to be saved.

But he also call you something else so I want us to consider a number of things and I want to come down this last verse, which is oftentimes so totally misunderstood when Jesus said no one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God. What in the world is at me. So we come in to that so but almost -2, three things at first always negative whole idea of the nature of God's call upon your life and that call. According to what Jesus said is threefold. Primarily, first of all, he calls us to himself.

He says come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest, that he calls us to him. The receiving is our personal saving to accept his forgiveness and redemption and to be freed and liberated from trying to work their way into heaven. That's why he says take my yoke upon you, because it's easy. It's a matter of trusting him and he says you have you'll find rest in your soul. Not trying to work yourself up in the salvation.

The second part of is called is he gives is in the John chapter 15 verse: he says abide in me, and his word that simply means this that is with this Olympus to see him as the source of all of them need separate sort of the source of restaurant that we have and went to live our lives depend upon the Holy Spirit to enable us to live out our life to be obedient to him and to walk in his ways and develop a relationship with the third thing he says is follow me as we see in our passage and many other passages when Jesus spoke so think about this Jesus said, come unto me, he said, abide in me, he said, follow me.

He did not say, come unto an organization or cause God's call upon your life in my life is a personal relationship with a person not to be religious not did not necessarily concerned about denominations, whatever they may be, but a concerned about a personal relationship with him went to follow him, not a cause, not an idea, not an organization that some principle but it's a personal coming to me abide in me and he says here of course. In this particular passage he says follow me now when you think in terms of that you think in terms of the title. How does that relate to me in what does that mean to me personally, to him. If you believe ERD had trusted him as you say, abiding in him is something most people oftentimes will go through life and miss that is not our strength and our wisdom but resting and living in trusting and abiding.

That is, depending upon him in such a fashion that he becomes the enabling power to live out this holy and godly life that he's provided for is now when you and I follow him.

We choose to follow him. We choose to follow this call upon our life is what happens. It affects every single person every single person every single part of your personhood. For example, it affects your attitude. It affects your conversation.

It affects your actions, your conduct in affects your character defects your relationship should affect your decisions. A person cannot be a follower of Jesus Christ without it affecting every single part of your be when you become a follower of him, it affects every single part of being so naturally the question that arises is this what you mean by following him simply this to follow what it mean for example days which Jesus walked those who followed him went with him. Guided by him and did what he said do when you and follow Jesus Christ. What do we do. We also are guided by him and we do it what he says do when he says do it and the way he says do anywhere. He says doing so, following him is very simple somebody's as well but but that's when he he live. Jesus Christ is just as real today as he was in those days he gives justice clear guidance.

The days he did in those days we have the right and the privilege and the power to follow him clear guidance, going where he says go doing what he says do when and how he says doing so, following him is not an option for a believer following him is a command following him as an expectation following him is his plan and his purpose for a life not simply to be saved but to follow Jesus.

If somebody says do you tell me about your relationship to Jesus Christ. Don't say to them, llama, believers say to them, follower of Jesus Christ.

You will only follow somebody you believe in and that you trust.

So when you think about the nature of this call. It's a call to salvation is a call to abiding and it is a call to follow him. Now one of the requirements requirements or real simple.

I didn't say they were easy as that. They were simple. What is it required of us to follow the Lord Jesus Christ will first of all it requires of us to trust you will not follow someone you don't trust you will not follow someone you don't trust you won't do it. You may try everything in you will rise up, you won't follow somebody don't trust will somebody's as well had about learn the trusting is real simple is how you learn to trust you.

Do what he tells you to do and watch the results you do what he tells you to do and you watch the consequences. You do what he tells you to do and you watch the fallout of that in the end, it doesn't take very long to realize when you not trust him. He's always faithful to keep his word in promising that he'll handle the consequences of our obedience to him so therefore we learn to trust and if you not going to follow him. We must trust and so when I think about people who, for example who don't time you think about being a believer, and following Jesus Christ, you made the tell me that you cannot trust the Lord Jesus Christ with 1/10 of your income when you trust in him with your whole salvation following Jesus means more than just believing who he is and what he is and what is promised. Following him means I trusting not only does it mean I trust him at second. That means I will obey following Jesus means I'm going to obey him. That means I want to do and not just want to I will choose. I will endeavor to do what he says do when he says do it and I will endeavor to do it in the way in which he says to do it if I'm going to follow him. If I'm a true follower of Jesus will endeavor to say yes I will when it's difficult yes I will when it's not popular.

Yes, I will wind it may cause me suffering a heart ache and pain. Yes, I will. The third thing is this, I will serving that is if you go to follow Jesus you going to serve him. If anyone serves me, he must follow me and where I am there, my servant will be also.

If anyone serves me, the Bartolome listeners. If anyone serves me, he must follow me. You can serve yourself you conservatives. But if you're not going to follow Jesus.

We will be servants and all the Scriptures is what he says if anyone serves me, he must follow me, which means that followed was a service. Believers are not necessarily service to spectators and observers, not necessarily service but follower was serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

So ask yourself the question, am I really and truly serving the Lord in some fashion, some witnesses said it. You have to decide what God wants you to do and how I want you to do it now.

What's the price tag of all this solicitors be honest, it's not easy listen. It's not easy to follow Jesus is not easy is a struggle and that the apostle Paul certainly struggled in his following the Lord anybody who genuinely desires the fall of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Trusting him, obeying him and serve him you going to have struggles you going to have temptations you gonna have trials you gonna make mistakes you gonna falter a time when not talking that being easy that once involved may be easy, as far as the steps but when it comes down to living it out is not easy to be a follower of Jesus. So let's think about what's the price tag of following Jesus number one and we don't like this at all.

None of us like this self-denial is one of self-denial. Now we all like what we like and we want what we want and usually we wanted rather soon. Listen what Jesus said in Mark chapter 8 he says in verse 30, 40, some of the crowd with his disciples and he said to them if anyone wishes to come after me, that is to follow me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me now did not himself deny himself, and II don't think personnel don't think that anybody who really follows Jesus will be able to go to their life without denying themselves, denying themselves of what watch this carefully. This does not mean that everybody denies himself of the same thing because all of our lives are different.

That means maybe denying yourself of something some objects some desire some relationship, some intimacy, some object that you set your heart on sometimes God requires of us to did not ourselves.

It doesn't mean to denies ever the truth but to deny ourselves of solicitors of what ever God requires us to lay aside in order to do his will for our life.

You see the Christian life is far more precise and exact and we just want to put in some general term with you as long as I believe in him and trust him for my salvation. Try to live a pretty good life know here what is the feast on the following is a price to self-denial and oftentimes that's also followed by a sacrifice sometimes and went to lay some things down. But I'm down beside doesn't fit God's plan for your life at this moment of what I was going on in your life sacrifice would set sometimes that sacrifice is the ultimate sacrifice we have the word of God written as it is the covers of this book we call the word of God because multitudes of millions of people sacrifice their life all the way back from Jesus time to this present time and their people today who still laying down their lives every single moment in this life. In the days culture because of their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. It cost some people, the ultimate sacrifice. The issue is that following him does require self-denial and sacrifice. It also sometimes requires suffering and that does not mean, for example, physical suffering, though that's oftentimes a part of a person's life. Listen what Jesus said again in this eighth chapter of Mark. He said he some of the crowd to visit with his disciples and said limit anyone wishes to come after me, must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me that taking up the cross. The cross is the symbol of suffering, but it is a symbol of suffering for the cause of Christ. It has to do with suffering because of your relationship. You willing to say to someone else on the follower of Jesus Christ as they will forget it if it means suffering, heartbreak, orbit means something something else in life we did because we are followers because that's our call upon our life.

Visit Jesus would never require us to lay down anything that is good for us and that the timing is right. He never called any kind of sacrifice unless it was the added benefit in his glory. He would never call upon us to suffer unless it was for reason they would bring him glory and honor and oftentimes we have the idea that if we really believers and we are being obedient to God and his or we can expect we can expect God to bless us financially, we can expect him to bless us emotionally relationship we can have all, ways we expect him to bless us, but sometimes suffering is involved in. People who believe that you can name it and claim it and if you pray enough and have enough faith that there be no suffering, no heartache, no pain, no sickness. Everything is going to be absolutely fantastic. Have you ever read the New Testament. Honestly, they made ready but not honestly. Jesus does not promise me all the prosperity and all the healing and all of this and all that I will godly people suffer physically godly people suffer in different ways. Listen to what he says in turn this passage in first Peter he will first Peter is written the people who suffering and all kinds of persecution and heartache and listen what he says.

Beginning in the second chapter he says beginning in verse 20, what credit is there if when you when you sin and harshly treated you endure it with patients. A slight organ of credit for that is your sending but if when you do what is right and you suffer for you patiently endured.

This finds favor with God. Think about this and asking this question had you rather find favor with somebody of favor with God. You won't favor the people who favor you today may not even like you tomorrow but when God favors you. God doesn't save you to dance you had it God's favor is continuous because he knows our heart, we make a mistake.

Three.

Falter times you may be fearful at times to say when you intuitively, but you know what deep in your heart he knows that.

But if you keep on doing that you got a problem this is what he says in verse 21 for you been called for this purpose that is suffering. Listen to this. Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in his steps. Verse 35 now watch this. Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the Gospels will save you know what is at me listeners. Whoever wishes to save his life is what that means. That means whoever chooses to walk in a way that satisfies their own self interest rather than God's interest is going to be a loser.

Or you may think you saving your life or the truth is you end up losing when you choose a pathway in a direction in life. It's other than God's will for your life. He says you gonna lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake. Father, I lay that down to walking away. He says that person saves her life that is we find ourselves in a position to be blessed by Almighty God to be something that's going to be self-denial.

There's going to be sacrifice. Now for the rewards of doing all that well. This is look at a passive scripture because her in and in Matthew chapter 19 McGinnis from a Matthew chapter 19 to 27 verse.

The disciples who were always going to be obedient to Jesus and on the other hand they want to be on one of the right. One of the left and also they were natural and normal enough. I'm glad this is in the Bible because every once in a while they got the flesh is what they said will now what's in this for us it's a will, nobody walking with Jesus would say that what they did listen this 27 verses then Peter said to him, behold, we have left everything and followed you. What then will there be for us modern-day language what's in this for us. Followers of Jesus who understand that call upon their life get beyond what's in it for me. What's in it for the praise and honor and the glory of God's will is what Jesus said and Jesus said to them, truly I say to you that you have followed me, that is easy.

I agree you have followed me in the generation of the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you also shall sit upon 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel.

That's what he said it was thing to them that is an everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for my namesake will receive many times as much and will inherit eternal life is there will but I haven't left my brother, my sister, my father, my mother much are not on the farm. So what about me. That has nothing to what he's talking about is this whatever you denied yourself. Whatever you sacrificed in whatever way you suffer them. He said many times over, is God going to rewards you and bless you listen emphasize that you can inherit eternal life. Now those blessings and rewards available limited to when you not and go to heaven. No you know what God gives us.

God gives us and blesses us with what I watch this carefully you listen, you must say amen amen is when he blesses us with. He blesses you and me with what he knows what he knows was satisfied converting contentment and joy and peace and happiness in life and if you knock it is look beyond what you and I can see we can see what he sees is what we say God do it your way, do it your way and your time. Don't pay any attention to my impatience.

Forget what I asked Wallace, have it your way.

If we could see what he sees.

That's what all of us to be.

Say and so when we think in terms of that future award.

There is no way you can you that there's no way you could ever begin to evaluate from God's viewpoint. The reward that is yours faithfully listen faithfully worshiping serving him, giving being a part of something that reaches people all over the world is know why Jim evaluate thank you for listening to understanding your calm.

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