Discover Your True Self - You are Called, Part 1

Whether you know it or not you have a call. You may have not thought about exactly those words that God has a unique plan and purpose and is not a secret. In fact, you have the potential to make a difference in ways you never imagine that today stay with welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with shipping survival picture this international discipleship program written should seriously discover your true self into this program.

He begins by suggesting you pull out his notes. These are his message notes that show is outline all the extra help.

See what you have as you listen and study along to get them just click listen now LivingontheEdge.org or tap fill in the notes on the what you're doing that. I'll let you know that were coming down to the last couple of programs in the series. So if you missed any of them along the way. The chipping revamp is a great way to catch up or listen again. Well let's get going show in Georgia now for his message. You are called from Ephesians chapter 2.

I'd really like to start a little bit differently.

If you would pull out your notes and go to the back page to start at the very end and there's two missed beliefs there and I want to share these because these perhaps are the deepest missed beliefs that both myself and my wife has had in a season in our life missed believe number one is that I am not wanted or needed by anyone. My life has no purpose or meaning I'm a victim of an unfair, uncaring world. That brings me pain for 1/2 years before I met my wife she believe that with all of her heart. Many of you know her story. She came from a very difficult home life abandoned by an unbeliever who went someplace else with another woman that he been seeing for years so too little babies.

No money broke in her heartbroken and she believe that in dangerous emotions and thoughts went through her mind that apart from those two little babies. She probably would've not stayed around.

She felt so hopeless. Some of you know what that feels like their scary thoughts. The second missed believe the significance and meaning come from success in life. I will be happy someday when my relationships, career and finances reflect my success and accomplishments.

Many people get very hopeless when after working for years and years and years and years. That doesn't happen in my case my upbringing actually helped in a few ways.

My Marine father and workaholic tendencies by 12. I had very clear, written goals, I mean I was going to get a basketball scholarship and have great grades and I would date a very pretty girl and I graduated and I did all three and I sat at a party afterwards and a good friend turned to me and said you must be very happy and I had an experience that I never had my life because I'd already set the new set of goals and there was like a wave of emptiness in my soul that I thought know I'm not really happy at all. I thought these things would bring it.

It didn't. I had by that time drifted away from church questioned God and prayed a prayer on the way home God if you exist you better reveal yourself because life makes no sense.

Why live likes meaningless.

All the people I love will die before I die and accomplishing things is not what life's about the life's a crapshoot, and I think I said something little bit stronger, which probably was not very reverent if you open your nose to the front page now I want to talk about this dangerous emotions and how do you deal with those dangerous emotions. It's hard it's hard to give one emotion I chose a word that it's kind of vague but I think you'll get it. The actual dictionary definition comes close its next angst is a feeling of deep anxiety but it's not worry its dread it but it's unfocused. It's hard to identify. It's the sense of frustration and apprehension with the general state of the world and your own future is just coming, look at all this political stuff. Look at all this racism. Look at all the suffering. Look at all this evil look at all the terrible things happening and what about me and you just often get very discouraged and then depressed but angst has some emotional cousins thoughts start going through your mind, meaninglessness, feeling like my life doesn't have any value or significance. That's where Teresa was no value is no use me being here thoughts like purposelessness out that an aim or goal or plan. Life is pointless.

It's senseless that was me. Why do this. And then there's times where you just get hopeless of there's despair, despondency, and here's the core belief somehow you start thinking it'll never get better a happier day change is never going to happen and when you lose hope.

That's when horrendous things happen and are happening like never before.

I have a an article in my notes here from the CDC suicide across the board has skyrocketed in the last decade and they did a study to say is it education is at families and support. Why are people killing themselves in a secular study said it's the lack of religion and the lack of meaning that there is a God and there's something more than you angst is real and by the way, lest you think this is about suicide.

Every person has moments in dips I like to read the Psalms because David is a man after God's own heart and he's dancing in one Psalm here and praising God and God is awesome and then he's down here in the Valley: why have you forsaken me you just take me out and I'm so mad and I'm so discouraged and he's clinically depressed, so all I want to say is this isn't about someone else out there.

If you've never had one of these windows you will so what's God's antidote before you turn the page. Let me ask you the question that always ask in the series is what apart from Christ. Do you use to medicate more sedate your sense of angst. What you do when you feel like life is senseless what you do when you get discouraged and depressed.

What you do when you just feel like hopeless to eat you work more you drink prescription drugs, sex, what, what addictive behavior.

Everyone deals with it neat guy first time here between services and had a book and is joining a group in the well this is your first time here and you joining the group. He said you said what things I never knew church before, but my wife and I came in as I listened I realized many look to me because I'm an alcoholic but everything you talk about. I get and if there's help about that I wanted so I'm gonna get involved said Goodman.

What years is he refusing to. We all have stuff. But if you identify yours if you'd be willing to be honest is privately with God, then the antidote is really going to make sense turn the page.

What is God's antidote to angst, meaningless purposelessness. What you do with those feelings. When you feel absolutely insignificant and there is no hope. Number one. Remember the hope of your calling circle the word hope, remember the hope of your calling it in chapter 1 verse 18 Paul prayed this says I pray that God would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation into who he really is a true knowledge and an experiential intimate knowledge of him, and then the very next verse he says. I also pray this was a different word for no this fact. I pray that your eyes would be enlightened of your heart that you would know as a fact, the hope of his calling, and what he was really praying was what we just been learning what's the hope of your calling your chosen here accepted by God to matter what anyone says your adopted you have a father you redeemed your infinitely valuable you been purchased by the blood of Christ.

Your sealed your amazingly secure by the Holy Spirit in your empowered the same power that raised Christ from the dead actually dwells in you. That's what it means to be called. That's who you are. When God sees you. He calls you, son.

He calls you daughter and all that is on your notes in that page that I just said it's true of you. He wants you to see yourself as he dearly loved chosen valuable secure son of God, daughter of the most high God.

And when you ponder that when you remember that it makes a big difference. This idea of being called is a little foreign I think 21st century Christians in soy if you definition here out of the theological dictionary call is one of the biblical words associated with our salvation Edwards got a hold you to himself, and you responded in faith in both Hebrew and Greek call can be used in a in a sense of naming in a biblical thought to give a name to someone bestows an identity would you put a box around identity. Your identity is not your work. Your identity is not your looks, your identity is not your family, your identity is not your money. It's not your ZIP Code. It's not what other people think God has called you, you have an identity son, daughter, beloved secure and notice it goes on when God is the one who bestows names the action is almost equivalent to creation and I give you passage there from Isaiah 40 it says where he calls the stars out one by one numbered God spoke and billions of stars and galaxies came out. Guess what spoke he spoke to you and you turned in response and you said yes I do fall short. I'm not perfect. I need help I need forgiven and an empty hands of faith, he said, Lord Jesus come into my life and he did. And just like he spoke creation. He spoke re-creation so that your new person.

The old things are passed away. Now how do you experience that that's what the Christian life is all about so one you remember the hope of his calling. Second is to really ponder to reflect on the magnitude of your calling, would you put a box around magnitude I here's here's the me this is just for me. I don't think we get it. I don't think we grasp what's really true of us. But as you do all those issues that we face that were challenged with all those ways that we respond that we know aren't healthy, but we keep doing they dissipate in our time together has what I want to do I'm gonna start low brief review and then from chapter 2 to the end of chapter 3.

I'm gonna show you five specific ways that God has called you here's here's my goal. I want you to see them magnitude of what's true of you that you are called and I want to get to soak into your head and dripped right down at your heart you will come home, number one, you are called into a new relationship. He chose you before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. You are called not to religion you didn't get called to morality using get called to duty. You can get called to come supposed to do this and supposed to do that you will call to our relationship. You were called into a relationship with Jesus. A person a real person who walked on the earth for a person who really cares about you and knows you and loves you on the very last night Jesus was at a vineyard, and he was preparing his disciples, he says, no longer do I call you slaves as a slave doesn't know what his master doing, but I've called you friends, because all the things the father has revealed to me. I have made known unto you. You do not choose me, but I chose you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit you germane so that you can ask whatever you want and the father will give it to you.

He is wasting his argument like this down. God is my friend he called you to friendship, not weight, duty, guilt, stuff second, God calls us to a new purpose.

You are his workmanship right here his tapestry your his masterpiece. Your his unique all the people all the world there is no one like you. There's no DNA like yours. It's not just the physical DNA. You are his masterpiece.

He's created you exactly the way he wants you and he's created you to fulfill something that no one else can do it quite like you because no one else is you. But notice is not just who you are.

He created you to what to say. Do could works which he is prepared for you this is that a last minute thing he prepared from you from the foundations of the world that you should literally walk in them or live in the here's what I want to do in your notes on should write the word general and then under that that I want to write the word specific because you you you called to a general-purpose a new purpose of good works right. You're called to love God and to love people that Jesus in that same moment, with his disciple said by this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and that your fruit should remain. What's the fruit. The fruit is your character as as as you allow Christ to live his life in you and through you. You become kinder, more loving, more patient list envious less arrogant, more generous, you begin to think and act and to speak more and more and more like Jesus. His goal is to make you like it that's the fruit to love God and to love people and that's for everyone, so that your light so shine before men, that they want the glory. Father God in heaven.

They see your good works, see how you live and that's general that's for all of us that he also has a specific good work you to walk. Imagine if you will. This colossal huge puzzle of the body of Christ all over the world and there's this piece of the puzzle that is you and at your gifts and your passions and your back on your history and your hurts and your struggles and even your failures and all those things are put in to make you a unique you and you fit and you do something in a way that helps people in a way that no one else can quite like you I call it your holy ambition's very specific you pursuant God makes it clearer and clearer and clearer that Connie sagrada was going to the tech world for a lot of years.

In 2008. She started a camp called Sam S a.m. science art in math. She goes into the neediest neighborhoods in places where people in this area have never heard about God and she recruits these volunteers and friends and for a week.

They teach art and science and math and their parents are like yeah but they also teach God's word and they make it really, really fun and they do it for a full week and they do it at a cost with a never turn anyone away in her first year there's like you know hundred kids in the back of the parking lot will now hundreds of kids and then her holy ambition to help these kids and she just gets so excited is completely volunteer run and she said you know when I discovered that's what God wants me to do. My heart leaps when I see kids we caught them. They never heard of Jesus.

They never heard of the Holy Spirit that never ever opened the Bible and then I watch God work in their life and they want to tell the parents in my holy ambition is about teaching God's word in a way real life change really happens in soot Living on the Edge we created these family devotionals that they are like a three or four minutes. An actual little movie and it's for kids like five to about 15 and you show this movie and it will highlight either God's holiness or justice, or an attribute so she shows a video and all this is can we watch another one can you watch another, when can we watch that one again and what happened was God moved in ways like never before. I don't know. I don't know what you think will make you happy.

I will tell you this, when you discover your unique purpose and you begin to give your life away and he uses you in the spirit of God takes the grace of God through the PVC pipe of your just ordinary life and do something it changes people. I will tell you there's no drug like it.

I do young galley between services, because I'm from San Diego so good to have you know why I came up here just one got some business but I just came I came to go to church. I said why and this is not true but understood what you meant. You saved my life you save my marriage.

And you say, my family and I had to look at you in the face.

I said, how did that happen.

I've got that app I been listening for five years and you know what I don't know else can happen today. Here's what I can tell you I'm a fulfillment I can't kid me. I mean, are you may like this just like this, like, 28-year-old struggling with relationship. I got to be a part I really know how works I got to be a part of it what there's not enough letters or zeros or portfolios or likes or schools to my kids you get in, or nice cars or second homes or remodeled this that could ever compare that. Can I tell you something God called you to a relationship and then he called you to a new purpose government pursuant listening to drip. You are called series discover your true self, how to silence the lives of your past and actually experience who God says you are chip will be right back with this application but before you is I hope you'll take a second to go online or tap share and encourage others to join us for this series to know we all struggled with doubts about self worth and value, but the facts about who we are change when we put our faith in Jesus chips teaching from the book of Ephesians to help us understand who we are as believers in Christ explains the nature of the new creation. We become and how to leave old things and doubts in the past for limited time resources for discover your true self are discounted and the MP3s are always free to order your copy or to send it to a friend visit us online at http://livingontheedge.org for additional information. Just give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 will now here's chip I want to take just a moment to talk about something today.

It's very important you might engage Living on the Edge and obviously you are you know you may be listening to me on it on an app or radio one place.com or maybe you were in a small group study or you took a course online or maybe even read a book that I had the privilege of writing God and to my amazement, and it humbles me is using Living on the Edge in incredible ways and I just have to say we get testimonies from people about restoration and healing and God using them to help other people and then I want to tell you very very candidly that we are very serious about using the money and the resources that God gives very carefully and very wisely, but I also want to bring to your intention that it actually takes money for airtime in these teams that create these resources and all the things that happen behind Living on the Edge. There's a group of people with costs involved that allow you to hear me or be in a small group or get teaching and and here's who I'm talking to. If you have been helped encouraged. I mean literally blessed by Living on the Edge and you happen to be one of those people that has never given financially to the ministry.

I just want to just pause and say would you consider partnering with us to help us help other people and maybe it's a one-time gift. Maybe it's a small amount that you want to do monthly. I don't know. Here's the here's the deal would you just be willing to say Lord, do you want me to do this, and for some of you, you can't that's fine but just ask that honest question. And if God leads you to give. I will tell you will use it wisely. One vested ministry arena help a lot of people. So thanks for prayerfully considering to do whatever God chose you to do if Living on the Edge is ministering to you and you've not yet become a financial partner.

Would you consider doing that today. It takes a team to do what God's called us to do more inviting you to help us help Christians live like Christians you can give a gift, or set up a monthly donation online at http://livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 1-888-333-6003 app listeners just tap the donate button.

Thanks in advance for your financial support will now here's chip with his application as we wrap up today. I am super excited about what we talked about and where were headed in our next broadcast. Remember the hope of your calling me. That is an amazing thought the fact that the God of the universe has accepted you once you loves. You have made you valuable secure incompetent. Can you imagine what would happen if people begin to see themselves that way and then realize that you are his masterpiece and that he has something for you to do a purpose, a calling that no one else can do quite like you, and it's part your personality and your family background in your spiritual gifts and in your passions and all those things wrapped up in the special package that God calls you that motivates you to want to do or help for take on some project that makes a difference. I actually remember teaching this concept at the church and I wrote a book called holy ambition that helps people got to go from an idea to discover their calling and put into practice. And so we went through that book together, and I remember a guy who had this passion because of his background to get coats for homeless people, and he started with three or four people in his family and then a small group and he shared it with a couple people and before long it was crazy. We had these big bands everywhere in thousands and thousands of coats to homeless people here in the bay area. I member a young gal who who really had had some struggles with mental health and and realize that other teenagers did in suicidal bots and all kind of stuff that people don't want to talk about and so she created this project and helped other people learn. Hey, it's not a stigma.

Here's what I want you to know when you discover your purpose when you discover what you're designed to do. The greatest joy you'll ever experience is not what you get and it's not what other people think it's when God uses you to love other people in our next program working to talk about practical ways to learn exactly how he made you and how you can be a difference maker. Hope you be with me in a great way to stay engaged and connected to chip in Living on the Edge is with the chip and remap. You'll get free access to all of chips recent messages is message notes and much more. Not only that, but it couldn't be easier to call or email directly from the yeah will plan to be with us again next time. And then tell them this is Dave thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge