Purpose FULL - Divine Calling, Part 2

If there is one area that Christians long to know about, it's discovering our purpose. Why are we here? The purpose-driven life sold almost 30 million copies for a reason. We all want to know, God, what's my purpose? Well, stay with us.

That's what we're going to explore today. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge is an international discipleship ministry motivating Christians to live like Christians.

I'm Dave Druey. Now, most of you know that Chip's our regular Bible teacher, but for this series, he's turned the mic over to his son, Ryan Ingram, who's the lead pastor at Awakening Church in San Jose, California. Now, in just a minute, Ryan picks up in his series Purposeful by continuing to walk through God's three basic callings for every believer.

As we learned last time, we can't begin to grasp God's unique purpose for our lives until we first understand and practice these general truths. Now, before we begin, let me encourage you to use our message notes while you listen. They include a brief outline and all the supporting scripture Ryan references. To download these message notes, just go to the broadcasts tab at livingontheedge.org.

App listeners, tap fill in notes. Well, if you have a Bible, turn to Acts chapter 13 for part two of Ryan's message, Divine Calling. The second calling and clear calling of our lives is we're called to faithfulness.

We're called to faithfulness. You know, it's interesting when you read through Acts and it's so, it's kind of hard because we miss it is we don't realize like you can flip a page and like years have gone by, you know? So Paul's in Damascus, right? He actually spent three years in Damascus, but it's one sentence in Acts. And he spends three years in Damascus and then he travels back to Jerusalem. And when he goes back to Jerusalem, everybody's still afraid of him. Even after three years, they're like, we don't trust this guy. We don't know this guy.

And I love it. Barnabas, he's a son of encouragement. He's the only one that goes to Paul, puts his arm around him, and he actually brings them up to the apostles and brings them into community and into fellowship. And then the apostle Paul saw then he starts preaching in Jerusalem. And I mean, some people are getting upset in the city and they want to kill him now.

These are people that we would call friends then. And so the disciples don't really know what to do. And they set him off to his hometown of Tarsus. Now from chapter nine to chapter 13, where Paul and Barnabas are called out, the amount of time is 13 years. A 13 year span and 10 of those years was spent in Tarsus. He goes back.

And think about this. The guy who would one day pen much of the New Testament, who would plant hundreds of churches, spends a decade. Spends a decade. And what's he doing? Well, the reality is we don't really know what he's doing because it's called the silent years. We have nothing recorded.

Here's what we know. He worked the family trade. Because we know he was Paul, he couldn't help but share about Jesus. And he was just faithful with what was in front of him for a decade. See, we're called to faithfulness. We're called to be faithful for what's in front of us. And we struggle with this today.

Two big things, I think. One is we have a Google reflex, right? Today, if I don't get it next day, this is awful. This is the worst thing ever.

Why? Because we're used to, if you Google it, you get it. Whatever you Google, it's instantaneous. And that's how we think our Christian walk in formation is, is just Google it.

No. It's about process. It's about formation. God is so concerned about who you are and forming you into Christ. And he will take his time. He is not in a hurry. You might be in a hurry. You might be wanting to get on with your life.

And he says, you know what? It might take a decade. And that isn't a waste, by the way. Those 10 years were not a waste for the Apostle Paul. They were forming him. And we complain. I felt we, me in the quitted.

And oh, what a waste. Could it be? Could it have been? Would you look at it with different eyes that in that he is forming you and longs to use those years powerfully in your life? The other reason I think this is hard, it's not just the Google reflex for us, but we have Instagram envy, don't we? Isn't it so hard when you're looking around and seeing everyone else live their best life, post their filtered reality, and you compare where you're at, how you're progressing with who and others are doing around you, right?

Well, they just got that job or they just are moving here or they just had that kid or they just got this house. And we just compare nonstop. See the calling on your life is faithfulness. Okay, I'm going to God, if I'm faithful with what you put in front of me, you're saying that is more than enough.

That's doing what you've called me to do. First call to Jesus, faithful, what's in front of me? Faithful, what's in front of me?

In fact, Jesus would say it this way. Whoever's faithful in a very little thing will also be faithful and much, or whoever's unfaithful or unrighteous in a very little thing will also be unrighteous or unfaithful and much. What is the faithful little that he's putting in front of you? What is the faithful little for your life that he's placed in front of you that it's easy to look ahead when I get there, then I'll do this. When this happens, then I'll, and you go, no, be faithful with what is in front of you. Maybe it's in your marriage and you're looking like when she finally does this or when he does this and God's going, no, you be faithful. Be faithful in your singleness. Well, when I get this, you know, be faithful right here with what he's put in front of you.

It is not waste, it's formation. Be faithful in your work. This job is so hard.

I mean, come on. My boss is a jerk. Whatever you do, whether in word and deed, do it all into the name of the Lord Jesus. And so I'm going to be faithful in this job, not because I'm presenting something for this person, but I'm going to work as unto the Christ, as unto the Lord.

Could I present it to you? See, we're called to be faithful. Those silent years were not wasted years, but formational years. You see, it's your decisions that you make in obscurity that will shape your destiny. See, we want to be able to rise to those big moments, but those are done and formed in those obscure moments when no one's watching, in the hidden places, when you're faithful in your daily walk with him, when you're just getting up in the morning and you're just going like, I just want to know you.

I want to spend time with you. And the little day by day and it's forming the ever forming of Christ in you. I remember when I started out in ministry, someone once said to me, Ryan, you be concerned with the depth of your ministry. Let God be concerned with the breadth of your ministry. In our culture, in our day, we're so focused on the outcome or the product or renown or being a somebody, and God's not real impressed with that.

You focus on the depth. Let God be concerned about the outcome. Let God be concerned with the product.

Let him be concerned with the fruit. Three clear callings for you and I today. We're called to Jesus. We're called to faithfulness. And finally is right in our text today, Acts 13, we're called to fellowship. Their specific call, by the way, wasn't them just hanging out by themselves and had a great idea.

Man, I just think this would be the coolest thing ever. Nothing wrong with that. Their specific call came out of engaging in fellowship with one another. You had these guys, what were they doing together?

If you had your Bible open, you can read it. What were they doing together? Worshiping and fasting. They're worshiping.

See, we like to be connected, but community takes it deeper. Fellowship takes it even deeper. That you're sharing your lives and that you're sharing your lives in such a way that you'd be shaped more into the life of Christ. Like when we get together, when we hang out, they're like, do you walk away wanting to be more like Jesus with the people you're hanging out with?

You go like, wow, I just was with them and my heart just, I want to be more like Jesus as a result. That's fellowship. See, we're called to fellowship. In fact, the author of Hebrews says it this way, and let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.

Think about your friends. Think about people that you hang out with and would you consider like, how can I spur you on? How can I encourage you towards love and good deeds? Not giving up meeting together as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another all the more as you see the day approaching.

Called to Jesus, called to faithfulness, and called to fellowship. Here's something that I see a lot. Is I see a lot in our, you know, after isolation and we have a hyper individualistic society and culture, and so it's about me, it's about my thing, and I'm going to kind of figure it out. I got to figure it out all on my own.

And by the way, Gen Z, you're, by statistic, the most lonely generation. We don't want that for you. That's not God's design for you. You don't have to figure it out on your own. It's why the community of Christ is here. But here's what I see on major decisions or figuring out God's specific calling for your life. I see people do this all the time.

They've never asked or been in fellowship with one another, and they come up with an idea, and here's what they say to me. You know what I mean? God called me to do blank. And you know what I say? Well, fantastic.

That's amazing. I might be thinking in my head, that sounds dumb. Did you really think this through? But if God called you to do it, if you heard from Jesus, who in the world am I to say differently? Isn't it interesting how we use these terms, but it actually cuts out the very feedback or the wisdom that we need? See, fellowship, when you're with a group of people, they get to see your strengths.

They get to see your weaknesses. You've been journeying together. You've been worshiping together, and then you are invited in that they begin to discern with you God's call on your life. You know, when we were planning awakening as a church, I've shared this many times, we never wanted to plant a church, and I never wanted to lead a church. It was in fellowship where this became clear that this was God's call on our life. Steve Clifford said, okay, would you go at least do this church planter assessment thing? And he saw in me and the elders at awakening saw in us something that we couldn't see in ourselves, and we're really trying to discern what's next. And we had Godly community like walking alongside. He said, go do this, you know, church planter's assessment thing.

I'm like, I didn't even know that existed. And it was intense. It was five days from eight in the morning till eight at night. They did these battery of exams and personality profiles.

They had two clinical psychologists that you met with. And I mean, it was all day. I remember one day at some point we're supposed to preach a sermon.

This is how out of it I was. I didn't even know we're supposed to do that. And we have these guys that like their entire dream is to plant churches. They came with their, you know, bulletins and their PowerPoint for the sermon.

I'm like, I got to write a couple down notes down for sermon real quick on this thing. And what we were was in, there's 22 assessors, there's about 20 couples, and they had to come to a unanimous decision on every single couple. And we were so honest, we were so open, every struggle we had, everything in our marriage, everything, we're just like, here it is.

We're not even sure we're supposed to do this. But we wanted to hear from God. And they spent the night over every single couple and all 22 had to come to a unanimous decision. If they didn't, they got on their knees and prayed for literally a half an hour over that couple and then circled back. And it was either yes, no, or not yet. Quite literally that Friday morning, we sat down with a couple of those assessors expecting them, how the week went for them to say no.

There is no way. It's fantastic. I'm glad God, you were clear, you know. And these two assessors said, you know what? We believe God has called you to plant awakening as a church. You're called to do it now and that you'll be highly effective for the kingdom. I gotta tell you, Jenny and I, we were bawling like babies because it felt like this moment in Acts 13 where there's a group that with the Spirit directing and praying together and discerning the will of God and speaking in and sending and commissioning and oh, that we would do that for one another and that we would surround one another.

And it's not like it has to stay in this isolated over here, but in your small group as you're trying to discern a major move, you're trying to discern whether you should get married or you're trying to discern, you know, a job change and you go, would you fast and would you pray and would we move together with the Spirit? That is the life that God's inviting us into. See, there's three clear callings.

And when we live out these clear callings of Jesus, we then begin to experience and know his specific calling for our life. You see, 90%, roughly 90% of God's will or calling on your life is revealed in God's Word. We obsess over the 10% and God, would you show me? God, would you show me who to marry? God, would you show me where to work? God, would you show me where I need to move? God, would you show me what I need to do? And God's going like, I've showed you so much.

If you just start doing what I'll show you, then I'll show you what you need to know. How do you discover God's calling for your life? Center your life on Jesus. Be faithful with what's in front of you. Be faithful with what's in front of you.

And engage in Holy Spirit-directed community. Where are you? Where are you? And as you're taking notes, what is your next step?

Write it down. I haven't centered my life on you, Jesus. It's been a drift. Or, man, I haven't been in community. I've been in isolation. I need that faithful thing.

Oh, man, that got me. Write it down and take your next step. Lord Jesus, thank you so much for today, your grace, for your Word. Thank you that you are clear with us, that you lead us, that you speak to us, and that you're working and moving. And your will and your ways are not a mystery, but you have revealed them openly. God, would you give us the courage to take the next step with you to become who you've called us to be and to live out your purpose in our lives?

In Jesus' name, amen. You're listening to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Ryan Ingram has been our guest teacher for this program, Divine Calling, from his series Purposeful. Chip and Ryan will be here with us in just a minute to share their application for this message. Have you ever thought to yourself, does my life matter, or what am I here for?

If you've wrestled with these tough questions, well, this series is for you. The lessons we're learning from Ryan really speak to the deep desire inside all of us to know that we matter and that we're here for a unique reason. Our hope is that this series will cause you to live your life centered on Jesus. Let me encourage you to get plugged in with this series and get everything you can out of Ryan's messages.

For more information about Purposeful, Discovering God's Calling on Your Life, just go to livingontheedge.org. And if you have to miss a message, catch up anytime with the Chip Ingram app. Chip, in the last year to 18 months, we've all been through a lot. Some have made it through way better than others. Now, as you think about it, is there a common thread that sustained believers? I mean, something that's allowed them to not only survive, but actually thrive through this difficult time?

Dave, it's actually very simple. There's many, many, many Christians that are very sincere and they're in. I mean, they're in. They love God. They pray to receive Christ. They're in the Bible now and then. They're trying to be a good person.

They're kinder than the average person. But here's the deal. They're not all in. They haven't made that big shift from, Lord, I love you and sort of on my terms, to that Romans 12 one moment of full surrender. And what I can tell you is it is a scary moment, but it is that moment of surrender, of going all in, that allows the power of God to give perseverance and perspective and answers to prayer. Well, Chip, that sounds like something we know could be, but unless we know how, it's hard to take that step. What are we doing to help people who are ready to say, okay, Lord, I'm ready to follow you.

No matter what, I'm all in. Dave, we've actually developed something that has been one of the most exciting things I've ever done in my life. It's called Daily Discipleship with Chip. And right now we're going through True Spirituality, Romans 12. And it's not a Bible study. It's not me teaching at people. It's me meeting one-on-one individually and mentoring people. It's walking through the barriers to surrender and how to study the Bible. And I speak never more than 10 minutes. And then I give them 10 minutes with a very clear outline to do some digging on their own.

And it's just for 17 days. At the end of it, what I see is people develop a habit. People walk with God on their own. And what I have seen is people learn to go from in to all in because their view of God gets bigger.

They can trust Him more. Life changed. Things that were barriers for years, whether addictions or struggles or relationship issues, over and over and over, I watch God melt those away.

Dave, maybe you could take a minute and why don't you tell them how they can get connected. Thanks, Chip. Well, we're so excited to share with you this new Daily Discipleship with Chip True Spirituality, based in Romans Chapter 12. Our heart behind this video series is to really help you dive into God's Word and discover how to more intentionally live out your faith. For 17 days, you and Chip will walk through what true spirituality looks like and how you can put these truths into practice. If you're looking for the next step along your faith journey, let me encourage you to be a part of Daily Discipleship with Chip True Spirituality. Pre-register for this study today and we'll send you our friend Lance Witt's devotional based on Romans 12 called Leave Ordinary Behind at No Cost. Sign up now while this offer lasts by going to LivingOnTheEdge.org or by calling 888-333-6003. Again, that's 888-333-6003 or go to LivingOnTheEdge.org. App listeners, just tap Discipleship.

Now, here's Ryan and Chip to share some application for this message. Ryan, as you wrapped up this message, you pointed out that 90% of God's calling on our lives is revealed in Scripture. And in turn, you said we tend to obsess with the remaining 10%. What has helped you the most in overcoming that tendency? And if there's one or two things that you could help our listeners, I mean today with overcoming that tendency in their lives, what would you say to them? Well, first, I want to say that we all want to know the 10%.

That's normal and that's natural. We all want to know who will we marry? Is this the right job? Should I change careers? Do I move here? Why should I go here or there?

We all want to know the 10%. And so first, that's absolutely normal and natural. In fact, yesterday, I spent time with a good friend that's in our church who's a college admissions coach.

Why? Because my daughter is a junior in high school this year, and now we're living in this. You know, what is God's will in this next season of life for our daughter? And we're taking time to plan and to think it out and to pray together and to look around.

Okay, God, what are you doing here? And it's incredibly fun and scary all at the same time. Now, what has helped me in leaning in to the 90% over the 10% is one incredibly famous and familiar passage. And I think because it's so familiar, it's easy to dismiss it or just kind of overlook it, but it's incredibly powerful. It's Jeremiah 29 11, and it's a word of hope to a people who've been displaced and exiled from their home, the Israelites in Babylon, about God's will for their life. And if you're familiar, you know, it says, God says, For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. It was a number of years ago as I just was sitting with that passage and wrestling with the unknowns, one of a, you know, should we plant a church or not, you know, and all the big things is this God's will. And I was just drawn back to this passage again. God, you know the plans and your plans, man, they're good and for my well-being. And so I want to get to know you and the good you have for me. And as I get closer to you, then I'm going to lean into the plans you have for me. Here's how I said it back then. I don't know the future, but I know the one who does know and that is enough for me.

I don't know the future, but I know the one who does know and that is enough for me. I think the picture then is a kind of like a dad taking his kids on a trip. And you know, years ago, we surprised our kids with a Disneyland trip and got them in the car right after school, put them in and just started driving and they had no idea where we were going. And yet they trusted me.

Why? Because I'm their dad and they know I'm taking them somewhere and we told them it's going to be awesome. And that's the picture for us with the 10% is we're in the car. We don't necessarily know where we're going, but dad's driving.

So enjoy the ride. And the problem for a lot of us, isn't it true, is instead of resting in the father's direction, we want to take control of the will. I don't know the future, but I know the one who does know and that is enough for me. Now, we don't often read the next verse Jeremiah 29 12. It says, then you'll call on me and come and pray to me and I will listen to you and you'll seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. That 10% should lead us then to the father's heart and searching after him and in him we find our rest. Just before we close, would you pray for those who are responding to Ryan's message today?

There's always a spiritual battle when we feel prompted to draw near and obey God. Thanks for taking a minute to do that. And if there's a way we can pray for you, would you let us know? Call 888-333-6003 or email chip at livingontheedge.org. We'd love to hear from you. Well, until next time for everyone here, this is Dave Druey saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.