MISSION POSSIBLE - PART 1: “Mission Accepted”
GOD QUALIFIES THE CALLED
Hebrews 13:20-21, “Now may the God of peace—
who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus,
the great Shepherd of the sheep,
and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood—
may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.
May he produce in you,
through the power of Jesus Christ,
every good thing that is pleasing to him.
All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.”
God will provide. We can trust that if He calls us to do something, that He will supply whatever we may need to accomplish it. Just asGod equipped Jesus to be our Savior, He will equip us to do His will and bring glory to His name.
Philippians 2:13, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”
Paul understood what it meant to be called. When God calls us to do something for Him, He is calling us to do those things in His strength, not our own. Our responsibility is to be ready to receive the call and to obey when it comes. God can be trusted to not only give us the provision, but to give us the desire to do the work that pleases Him.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
Scripture is one of the tools God uses to equip His people. Paul reminded Timothy in his letters of the importance of Scripture to equip and prepare, as well as correct us. Scripture is the inspired Word of God, so we can trust that in its pages we will find the correction and instruction to do every bit of what God is directing His people to do. The Bible was not just a word for Israel, it is THE WORD for always!
Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
God has a plan for every person He calls to Himself. Through Christ, He has made us new. His plan is to use us here on earth to be His light in the dark. We can trust God’s good plan.
GOD IS CALLING, BUT ARE WE LISTENING? HE CREATED US TO DO GOOD THINGS THROUGH HIS STRENGTH IN US, NOT IN OUR OWN POWER. IF WE COULD DO WHAT HE IS CALLING US TO ON OUR OWN, THEN WE WOULD NOT NEED GOD. DEPENDENCE UPON HIM MAKES OUR FAITH REAL SO THAT OTHERS SEE EVIDENCE OF THAT AS WE FULFILL OUR CALL.
Isaiah 46:4, “I will be your God throughout your lifetime—
until your hair is white with age.
I made you, and I will care for you.
I will carry you along and save you.”
Just as God spoke to Israel through Isaiah to tell them He would always be with them, He is speaking those same words to us today. He is our God for now and for always. He made us, will care for us, carry us and save us. As He does, He will also equip us to do His work.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
God called Abraham to be the father of Israel, His chosen people; He likewise calls us today. As He shepherded and defended Israel; He will shepherd and defend us as we walk out His call on our lives.
Read Isaiah 41:1-20.
God alone does the calling. What is this passage speaking to you about how God will meet you in His call? Through Isaiah, God implores Israel to not be afraid but to trust that God is present and ready to help us through His power. Re-read Isaiah 41:10. Discuss your thoughts with your small group.
Is there something that God is calling you to today that scares you? What steps can you take to walk in obedience, trusting that He will equip you for the work He is calling you to do? Take some time to journal your thoughts in a prayer, asking Him to reveal more through Scripture as you step out in faith.
There are many examples of ordinary people in the Bible that God called to do extraordinary things. David is one of them. Instead of falling into fear, David walked in faith that God would provide all he needed. He was not a stranger to fear, but instead of dwelling in fear, David sought direction and encouragement from God. We have evidence of this throughout the book of Psalms.
What is your first reaction when you face circumstances that seem beyond your own strength as you walk in your call? Is there a better way that you could respond? Read Psalm 23.
How do you think David was able to write Psalm 23 and keep his eyes on God while being chased by Saul? Would your first response be to go to God in a similar situation? Why or Why not? What else is God speaking to your spirit through this passage? Discuss with your small group.
Using Psalm 23 as a guide, take some time to write your own psalm as you think of something in your life where you are being called to fully rely on God’s strength and equipping to see you through. As you pour your heart out, ask God to direct you to other passages of Scripture that will meet you where you are and speak His truth to your soul. Next, put that truth in to practice and declare that You can do hard things in God’s strength.
The Holy Spirit spoke through Paul in his letter to the Ephesians to give instruction on how to use the tools that God has provided us as we walk out His calling.
Read Ephesians 6:10-18.
How prepared are you to put on all the armor of God each day? Which piece of armor are you best at putting on, and which one is most difficult for you? What is one way you can think of to improve your use of the item of armor that is most difficult for you to wield? Discuss with your small group and try to go through each piece of armor and write ideas on how to use them best.
Select one passage of Scripture either from the message (sermon notes available on the Anchor app) or from Deep Dive that made an impact upon you. Write it down, post it where you can see it daily and commit to memorizing it. Take a minute to ask God what He wants you to glean from that passage, and then when He answers, step out in obedience as you walk boldly in His call for your life.
