The Tension Bridge

Vocation and Calling Big Idea: We have been called BY God, TO God, and FOR God. We should live, breathe, work, play and do LIFE as a response to that calling.

What is Calling?  The truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion, dynamism, and direction lived out as a response to his summons and service.  Simply put: We have been called by God, to God and for God.

What is Calling?  First and foremost to someone not to something.  God is the one what has called us.  2 Thessalonians 2:14  Romans 8:28  1 Corinthians 1:2  This is our primary calling: BY God, TO God and FOR God

What is Vocation?  A divine call to God’s service or to the Christian life  A particular occupation, business, or profession; calling.  More than just work  Our response to God’s call fleshed out in our every day lives.

Joseph  Genesis 39:1-6  1 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there. 2 The LORD was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. 3 When his master saw that the LORD was with him and that the LORD gave him success in everything he did, 4 Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant.

Joseph Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. 5 From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. 6 So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.

Joseph  Joseph went to work  Joseph worked so well that Potiphar saw that the Lord was with Joseph.  Joseph made God known through his vocation.  By: working hard, being trustworthy, having integrity even in the midst of unfavorable circumstances

Joseph  Genesis 39:20-23  20 Joseph’s master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined. But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden. 22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. 23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

Joseph  Again is unfairly treated  Again goes to work and lives out his response to God.  Again finds himself in a position of authority  Joseph worked diligently for the Lord

Joseph  Genesis 39:37-40  The plan seemed good to Pharaoh and to all his officials. 38 So Pharaoh asked them, “Can we find anyone like this man, one in whom is the spirit of God?” 39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one so discerning and wise as you. 40 You shall be in charge of my palace, and all my people are to submit to your orders. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.”

Joseph  Pharaoh knew about God because of Joseph  Joseph was communicating about God by how he worked.  His devotion was first and foremost to God’s greater calling.  Joseph knew that God had called him to be something bigger than himself and He was going to use him ever day whether in a palace or in a prison to fulfill it.

Joseph  “Supposing you went to a Christian book table and saw a biography with the title ‘The Man God Uses’, you would immediately think it was the story of a preacher or missionary. The church has lead us to believe that anyone who could claim that title would be a specialist in spiritual work. But instead, here in Joseph we have a business man — not a preacher, not a missionary, not leading Bible study groups, not distributing tracts. I don’t fault those who spend all their time or part of their time doing those things. But I think it is in many ways easier to serve God in those ways than in the

Joseph ‘real’ world. This is the great ‘short-fall’ today. It is difficult to get Christians to see that God is willing to use men and women in every sphere of life — in medicine, law, business, the arts. Christians have many resources that can bring ‘success’. They have integrity, conscientiousness, a willingness to serve others. Christians, though, are not willing to ‘take the charge’ of secular work as was Joseph. So many Christians are ducking that today. God uses Joseph mightily in so many ways through his effectiveness.” – Dick Lucas, Tape “Tragedy is Not Outside God’s Plan”

The Apostle Paul  Passionate about the advancement of the Gospel  Romans 1:1  Called to be an apostle  Acts 18:3-4  Became a tent maker  1Thessalonians 2:9  Worked hard not to be a burden  So as to not distract from the Gospel message

The Apostle Paul  Colossians 3:23  Encouraged to work hard as working for the Lord  Paul lived out “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord mentality.”  Paul knew what God had called him to.  Because of this he did whatever he could to advance the Gospel whether in prison or making tents.  When we become engaged in our calling we are willing to do anything to flesh it out.

Vocation AND Calling  They are interconnected.  They don’t butt heads or compete but work together  Matthew 28:19  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit  This is our mission and our calling.  Better Questions:  How can I best serve You?  How do You want to use me to advance the Gospel?

What about Gifting?  Understanding how you are gifted is important  Gifting helps give direction to our response  Ben Duell should not pursue playing NFL football  Discipleship helps give vision for our response to God’s calling.

Why the Tension?  We lose sight of our primary calling  We set our sights too low  We replace our “calling” with the American Dream  We are far too easily pleased  We like mud

Why the Tension? "If we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures fooling about with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mudpies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” -- C.S. Lewis -- “The Weight of Glory”

How should We Respond?  Cling more tightly to our primary calling  Remind ourselves daily  Study God’s word  Our Vocations are opportunities to advance the Gospel  Work is no longer just work  It is ministry

How should We Respond?  Each day is Gospel-centered not greed-centered  Paying bills is important  Promotions are important  Success is a good thing  Use those things to advance the Gospel not pursue the American Dream  Think more strategically about those we are around  Become curious about their lives  Share LIFE with them  Ask God to give you a heart for those people.

Vocation and Calling Big Idea: We have been called BY God, TO God, and FOR God. We should live, breathe, work, play and do LIFE as a response to that calling.