Kerwin Baptist Church Daily Broadcast

Welcome to the Kerwin Baptist Church broadcast today. My question for you this year, as we've begun the year, is being able to not let thou stir up, rekindle the gift of God. Then pastors have tried, not just pastors, preachers have tried to do that for years.

It's not our job. Normally when we convict people, they'll make very temporary changes and decisions. But when God gets a hold of your heart, that changes everything. And then obviously today we're going to be dealing with verse 9. Today we're dealing with the fact that being persuaded that God is able, it reminds me of my calling. It reminds me of my calling. Well, you know, you were called to be a pastor.

You're right. And you were called also. You might not have been called to be the pastor of this church. At least if you are, we got a problem. And you're probably more spiritual than me, so I'll just resign.

But odds are you are. But God called me to do this, but God's called you to do things too. And when we are aware and persuaded and convinced that God is able, that reminds me that I have a calling. And if we don't think God's able, now think about this, and I want you to use your brains this morning. If I'm not convinced that God is able, why would I listen to his call if I don't think he's able to do everything? He might not be able to support me to do what he's called me to do. So if I doubt anything about God, I would tend to doubt everything about God. And so I have to be persuaded that he's able. And when I am, I'm reminded of my calling because if I'm convinced God's able to do everything, then if he's called me, I believe he's able to give me the strength to do it. Because God has called every person.

We're going to talk about this in a minute. Look at verse 9. And I love this phrase, before the world began. Remember we dealt with at the end of last year how that Christ had as much to do with creation as God did. And we've never thought, of course we showed you the verses. But that Christ created the world just as much as God did.

And the Bible says here that this purpose that God has, his purpose, his grace, it was literally given to us before the world began. Wow. Let's pray. Lord, we love you. I pray you bless us as we continue to deal with the subject that you are able. It changes our lives. In Jesus' name we pray.

Amen. Number one, we have a calling that began at salvation. You know, before he even says that God's called you with a holy calling, he makes this statement in the very first part of the verse, who hath saved us and called us. So do you and I, we must realize this, that our calling began at salvation. Get this phrase, and I don't ever tell you you ought to write something down, but you ought to write this down.

Because I thought of it and it's brilliant. We're not talking about humility today, we're talking about God's ability. Listen to me. Get this, when you called upon God, God immediately called upon you. The moment you put your faith and trust in Christ, God called you.

Isn't that great? I call on God and immediately he calls me. I want you to see this verse, Romans chapter eight, you're familiar with it obviously.

It's right after the most famous. He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his son. That means we've already been called to be conformed to the image of Jesus. Now notice this, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, that's us, them he also called. And whom he called, us, them he also. So if he saved us, he's called us, and he's already predestinated us to be conformed to the image of his son.

When you got saved, you got called. When I was in high school, there's a lot of phrases that we said in high school that were cool then. They're not cool now. We were the generation that started calling cool stuff hot. That's cool, man. Our generation said, that's hot. Well, was it cool or is it hot? You know, next generation is gonna be, hey, that's lukewarm, man. I guess that's where it's heading next. I don't know. But there's a lot of things we said, but we used to, we play basketball and stuff, but somebody make a move, we go, you got schooled.

It's real brilliant, isn't it? Well, when you got saved, you got called. You and I got to understand that. God did not save us and sit us. God changed us and called us.

It's a challenge. If you are convinced I'm able, I want you to know I've already called you. So you're not gonna do what I've called you to do if you're not convinced that I'm able. So our calling started at salvation. Just this phrase, who hath saved us, that means this, if God was able to save you, don't you think he's able to give you the strength to answer his calling? For some reason, the hardest part of everything was salvation. He had to give everything, die on the cross, and if he did that, why would we ever doubt that he could do anything else? But we believe in him enough to get saved, but then we think, well, I just don't think I can do such and such. Well, if he could save you, surely he could support you.

Does that make sense? The Bible says he that hath begun a good work in you will perform it under the day of salvation. Number two, we have a calling that began at salvation.

Number two, we have a calling that is based on being set apart. He didn't say who hath saved us and called us with a calling. God gets a little more specific. He says who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling. What does the word holy mean? Set apart. So God says that my call began the moment you got saved, but my calling is based on the fact that I'm asking you to be set apart, to be different from the culture and the world. Oh, I got one amen out of that. What a wonderful, thank God.

I guess maybe I'd have to be running about 3,000 to get about three of them. People get nervous when you say holy or set apart. We all know where it's heading, don't we? Now listen to me. I'm just giving you the Bible. This isn't a preacher getting on you. Brian, you just said amen, and I remembered you're here this morning. I got his email. It's good to have brother Brian here from Greece, and God has saved him. Safe trip in this week.

It's good to see you, Brian. Thank God he says amen, all right? Look at this verse, 2 Corinthians chapter six. Please look at this.

And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Now that ought to prove to you right now, my job as a preacher, I'm kind of like legal counsel. It's like you give me a policy or you give me something. You read through that and you tell me what it means. I'm telling you this is what it means. It doesn't mean that I'm perfect at it. It doesn't mean I don't struggle with it.

It doesn't mean that I've got it figured out because I don't. But I'm just telling you this is what the Bible says. What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? Idols shouldn't be in the house of God. And by the way, they still shouldn't be in the house of God. They don't have any business being in the house of an alive God. They don't have any business being in your yard. Listen to me.

Get this. As God hath said, I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God, and they shall be my people. That's the relationship God has with us.

I'm alive. I'm going to dwell in them. They're going to dwell in me.

We're going to have this agreement, this walk together. I'm not asking them to do something that I'm not willing to do, whatever I'm asking them to do. I live in them. I help them. I support them. I'm going to serve them. I'm giving you everything you need to go.

It's a great agreement for us, by the way. But notice this verse. Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith the Lord.

Come out from among who? Well, you've got this group over here with idols and dead idols and dead religion. But you and I serve an alive God. So we shouldn't be acting or participating like they do. Our God is different.

Set apart. That's why our services should be alive. I'm all for being Baptist. That's what I am. And I'm all for being conservative. But I'm not for being dead. I'm just not. I just said snot, didn't I?

Isn't that horrible? Alright, stop yourself, Daniel. Let's go right on. My mind automatically goes.

Number three, I'll get off that one real quick. We have a calling that began at salvation. We have a calling that is based on being a part. You say, well, why is that important, preacher? Because you've got to understand if the call that God's given on your life means that I've got to live a life that's a bit different, that's just part of it. Because we have a living God. People need to see that we have a living God. Number three, we have a calling that is not built on our strength. This was the most exciting point to me. Now I hope you'll still listen to four and five coming.

But this was my most, I love this. God saved us, this verse says. He's called us with a holy calling.

But just in case you're getting nervous, not according to our works. That means our works didn't save us. And our works can't support us.

I love this. You and I looked at, whatever God's called us to do has no nothing to do with our strength. Because our strength fails constantly. God's call has to do with his strength.

You say, why? Because he's an alive God. He lives in me. I dwell in him.

That's how it works. And if I'm not persuaded that he's able, guess what I'm going to do? I'm going to go back on my calling.

I'm not good at talking, I'm not good at this, I'm not good at that, and blah, blah, blah, and blah, blah, blah. And dear friend, I'm here to tell you, your call has nothing to do with what your capabilities are and what your ability or talent is. God loves that, by the way, when you are not able. Because then he can absolutely prove that he's able. Listen to me, I'm not trying to say I know the mind of God.

I'm trying to say I know the individual that is talented enough to do it. That, I believe, scares God because when you are talented enough to do it, you're going to be tempted to do it without him. What scares God is not the people that don't have ability. I believe what makes God nervous is the people that do. Because the people that don't have an ability or talent in that area, that's all God wants. Now God can do it and he'll get the glory for it. Look at this verse, if you would. I could give you many for each of these you know, but 1 Corinthians 1, 25, look at this. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men.

Take that. Look at this next phrase. And the weakness of God is stronger than men. God's weakness, although he doesn't have any, it's even stronger than our greatest strength. The more talent, strength, ability I have, the best I could come up with is still not even as good as the least God could come up with. So God's call is not based on my strength. It's not according to my works.

And you and I should be really thrilled about that. Because that would eliminate a lot of us from God's call. May I say this, God hasn't called everybody to be a pastor. But God has called some. And I worry that in our churches there are young men, teenagers, God wants to be a minister for him. But because it's not cool or I don't like getting blah blah blah blah blah, they never answer that call. What we say for years is hey God hasn't called everybody to be in the ministry. That's true, but he has called some. And it's just as wrong for an individual not to receive the call as it is for an individual to claim a wrong call.

It's worse to do nothing. Number four, we have a calling that believes in God's strategy. Listen to this. God's call, he saved us, he's called us with a holy calling. It's not according to our works, thank God for that. But it is based, notice this verse, according to his purpose. That means I don't get saved by God's grace.

God calls me with a calling and then I go do what I want to do. It doesn't work that way. You're not going to have the strength to do that because that's not God's purpose.

This is the way God works. I'll save you. That's the hard part. And I will call you. And I will not demand or require your strength or ability.

I'll take care of all that. But here's the deal, you have to do it according to my purpose, my plan, my strategy, not yours. Here's what happens. We get saved, God calls, all that's fine, but then somehow in the middle of all that we change to our purpose. And God said that's not the way it works. We are saved and called according to his purpose. Look at this verse.

John 11, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, that's salvation, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. Listen, we got saved, we received an inheritance. We are now in the family of God.

Everybody says. It is no longer about you. It's now about the father. It's according to his purpose, the one that gave us all this inheritance. Our job is to follow him, to do his purpose.

Isn't it amazing how God's word makes everything clear? You have a calling and I'll give you what you need for that calling, but your calling is always based on my will, not yours. That's why you and I, when we take off and do our will and our purpose and then we make a mess, we're like, why did God let this happen to me? I'm trying to serve God.

Oh no, you might be doing some good things, but deep down it was your purpose and your will. And then we want to blame God that he allowed it to happen. Could you imagine what God puts up with from us? Just what I know God has put up with for me, I would have squished my head like, well you know like, just like that.

Like a bug. I would be so sick of me, so frustrated and impatient with me, but God's mercy is never ending. Last, number five, we have a calling that is backed by God's supply.

Notice what he says. Who saved us, called us with unholy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and what? God's riches at Christ's expense.

Notice the next phrase at the very end, which was given us by Christ. That's exactly what grace is. It's all the things that God has that Christ and through Christ we now have available to us. Everything God has, we have access to now through Christ. That's what grace is. So when God calls me and God leads me to do things in my life and I don't have the ability, I don't have the talent, I have access to every bit of God's strength because of Christ. That means my calling is already backed. Supported, taken care of by God.

Whatever he calls me to do, he's already got it covered. Now I know, I probably haven't mentioned it for years, but I got out of college and I went to preach in revival meetings in California. God opened the door almost the whole summer. And I was preaching out there in California and didn't know what the Lord wanted me to do with my life. Had a church in here in Lewis, Delaware. It's right there on the water right near the Cape May Ferry and different things.

Beautiful town. And there was a church up there that I was thinking about going to be the assistant pastor and the pastor wanted to retire there soon after. And you know, I thought maybe that was it in the middle of all this and I'm preaching out there in the summer, didn't know. I'm done Bible college and then Brother Joe out of the clear blue happens to call me and remember me from a while back just coming through on a Sunday and of course God had that whole plan and when I said, Brother Joe, I'd love to come work here and different things and I came up here and moved into this very corner house and I've been here maybe a week or so and then I scheduled our first youth activity and I did not know the area well. So our first youth activity was, I'm trying to think that whatever the bowling alley is on Akron Drive in Winston. Northside. Boom.

Let the kids know right away. I gotcha. Fill the cooler up with Dr. Check Cola, you know. Now I never did that by the way.

I was always a name brand soda guy to our teens. Anyway, you don't do Dr. Check or anything, right Frank? Okay. He learned that.

Now at least make the kids know we love you. Here's real Mountain Dew. Not, you know, whatever they call it. Anyway, I'll never forget this. That night you had a driver, Brother Lewis Coker.

I don't know if any of you men, Brother Lewis, they had to move away and he was my bus driver for that first youth activity and we were taking the kids bowling and I was there at the house and this is my first one. You know, and I've been through college so I knew it all. I knew exactly what to expect.

They really prepare you for everything. Every scenario. It's all covered. I got down on my knees.

Put my elbows on that bed. Just began to cry. I said, God, I have no idea what to expect. I don't even know if anybody's gonna show up. God, you've called me to do this and you've called me to do this here. You're gonna have to do it. You know, there's a lot of water under the bridge.

Last night, late at night, dark, I walked pew to pew in this entire building, praying for everybody sitting on every seat. You know why? Because I still don't have the strength and I still don't have the ability and I still obviously don't have the talent. But my calling is not based on my strength. My calling is backed by his supply.

And I would be an idiot to do it without him. Dear friend, what God's called you to do, I don't know, but he has called you to do something. And he will supply. Obviously you know what verse I'm going to as we close. Philippians 4 19.

But my God. Shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory, here we go again, by Christ Jesus. Lord, I love you today. I thank you for all that you've done. Thank you for our people on a kind of yucky day.

We have a full house. God, may you continuously remind us that you have called us, so we need to do something. But that whatever you've called us to do, you've already got it covered.

You've already backed it and supported it. You've got an endless supply of whatever we will need to do it. As long as we just keep it according to your will and don't branch off to our old flesh and our own desires. If we'll just stay there, you've got this covered. Because we're persuaded.

We're convinced that you're able. God, would you do a work in hearts tonight? Lord, may our people never feel that the pastor is trying to call them. That the pastor is trying to convict them. Or even that the pastor is trying to change them.

Lord, I've got so many things in my own life, I can't figure out why would I think that I could do that. But Lord, I pray that you would get that knowledge into the hearts of our people. That you have called them. That you have changed them. That you are the one that convicts them. And what they do, they have to do it for you and no one else. And if they do, you're able. You're able to give them what they need. You're able to direct them and part the waters of the Red Sea if you have to.

Wetland. You're able to turn a rock into water. You're able to do anything.

May we never forget that. You're able to do anything. You're able to do anything.

You're able to do anything. Thank you for listening today. We hope you received a blessing from our broadcast. The Kerwin Baptist Church is located at 4520 Old Hollow Road in Kernersville, North Carolina. You may also contact us by phone at 336-993-5192 or via the web at kerwinbaptistchurch.com. Enjoy our services live and all our media on our website and church app. Thank you for listening to the Kerwin broadcast today. God bless you. Thank you.