The Called Out

These last few weeks I’ve been talking about some very important concepts: God’s Grace, Our Walk with God, and Repentance. Tonight I want to talk about another very important concept. Let me say, this lesson challenges my socks off!

Ekklesia—refers to a group of people in the New Testament—the group is “the church” –It literally means the CALLED OUT – If you do the church study, you put two and two together, it is a spiritual body that has been CALLED OUT of and added into a saved relationship in Christ.

Being a Disciple of Jesus is Not Part of your life, it is your new life in Christ. The American version of “Christianity” makes it a slice of your life, but that is absolutely unbiblical!

Every Disciple of Jesus is CALLED OUT

• Mark 1:14-20 – what do we learn about the calling?
• A CALL OUT of living for self and of following mere men, an invitation to follow Jesus
• It is a personal commitment by Jesus Himself to a relationship where you are being trained by Jesus
• CALLED OUT to an existence with a heavenly purpose, to live to save souls!
• 1 Peter 2:9-10
• Called out of the world, darkness, and sin
• Called out into a saved relationship with God
• 1 Cor. 1:9; Hebrews 2:11; Romans 8:28-30
• To fellowship with Christ—“brother!”
• To be made into the likeness of Jesus
• CALLED OUT to a very glorious process!
1. CALLED OUT Into the Family Business
• Romans 9:24-26; 1John 3:1
• Hallelujah it makes no difference what race/cultural background we are, whether we’re male/female, how much talent we do/do not have, what we look like, what financial status we have, what sins we have committed…
• God loves us the same and all the same calls us out of lost-ness and to be His children!
• Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:10; 2:19-22
• Jesus reigns on behalf of the called out (Eph. 1:22-23)
• God has called us out and adopted us into His spiritual family (2:1-10)
• He has given us a place in the family (2:10, 19-22)
• Specifically He has given us a work prepared in advance for us!
• Further on Paul’s faith in God’s calling (Galatians 1:15-17)
• Set-apart from your mother’s womb—God created you with a dream in His heart, hoping it would become a dream in your heart that you live out.
• Paul began to realize this and it got him so excited and driven to walk in that dream!
• Are you inspired to rely on God to live out the purpose He created you for?
2. The Walk of the CALLED OUT
• Ephesians 4:1; 1Thessalonians 2:10-12
• As we’ve begun to think about the greatness of His calling, and we think about our forgetfulness, we see the need for the urging!
• Paul urged this because our Lord is urging this
• 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 1:13-16
• Called by the Holy to live holy!
• What does that mean?
• 1 Peter 2:18-25
• We are called to what purpose?
• Live in a manner worthy of Christ
• Walk worthy of the calling in the face of unjust suffering
• AKA “Fellowship of His suffering” – Philippians 3
• 1 Peter 5:10
• We walk worthy in the face of whatever circumstance because we are called by the God of all grace to His eternal glory!
• We are not glorifying ourselves or our country or any great earthly cause—we are called to be all about the eternal glory of God!

Revelation 19:9, 11-13

9Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God." …11I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

• Let’s just get down to the fundamental struggle we all have:
• So often, to one degree or another, we all struggle in our faith—to believe in the nature and depth of His Calling!
• We’re not sure if God has really said what He said—if God means what He means
• We’ve got to see our belief/unbelief for what it is!
• God has called it as He has called it—God has called us as He has called us!
• Jesus is called Faithful and True, His name is called the Word of God
• He is the Almighty—holding all power, all rule, authority
• He reigns for those He has His called (“He will shepherd them with an iron scepter!”) – “He is the Guardian of our Souls!”
• When we believe it as He called it—we believe we are called as He called us…
• His disciples, called out into the family business
• Called to a specific, unique work—He is our Father who looked at us while we were in the womb and designed us for His dream
• When we believe it is as He said…we believe we are ultimately called to walk in a worthy manner, to be all about His eternal glory!
• Treasures reflective of His eternal glory!
• To God be the glory!

 Peter Heins
Campus Ministry Leader