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• Who I am
• Review
  • 1-11, the Prologue
  • Last week, Tony talked about being the church on mission.
  • This begins God’s commitment to restoring shalom (relational peace) with those He created.
  • This involves a call to action.
• Preview
  • When God calls
    • It’s a PERSONAL call—it’s from HIM to you!
    • It’s a PURPOSEFUL call—it’s for HIM and His glory!
    • It’s a CHALLENGING call—it requires HIM and His strength to live it out!

1. God’s call to Abram is a PERSONAL call—it’s from God to Abram.
   1. Gen. 12:1-4
      1. “The LORD had said to Abram”
         1. Who called? God!
         2. “had said”
         3. God’s call brings blessing
2. God’s call to Abram is a Purposeful call—it’s for God and His glory!
   1. Object of blessing?
      1. BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING!
      2. God blesses us so that we can bless others
   2. Purpose of blessing
      1. Again, not an end in itself
      2. But, again, not just to feel good about myself
      3. Challenge of blessing others
         1. Prideful selfishness
         2. Fear
3. God’s call is a Challenging call—one that requires God and God’s strength to live out
   1. Instead, we need to seek to get past our selfishness and fears.
      1. We must mover past “What I can do.” And move on to “Doing what I can.”
      2. BUT
         1. It’s the “but’s” in our lives that keep us from being committed to God and what He’s called us to do.
   2. The task (missio dei) is clear from both Genesis 12 and Matthew 28.
      1. In response to worshiping God, they heard Jesus’s Great Commission
         1. 4 all’s
         2. All means all and that’s all means.
      2. So they went, right? No!
         1. Unfortunately, they did not go… at least, not immediately.
         2. Acts 1:8 > Acts 8:1
         3. We don’t know why they didn’t go immediately. But we could imagine that fear might have been a part of it.
         4. What about today? What keeps people from acting upon God’s call to be involved in reaching the world for Christ?
         5. Here at LEFC, we currently have two couples who are responding to God’s call to GO and serve cross-culturally. I asked them how they have pushed forward in spite of the challenges faced in doing so.
            1. Family 1
               
               1. “Moving forward in obedience to God's call is not just a decision, it is a daily process. It comes with earnestly seeking God to provide our very next step and relying on His strength to follow Him one step at a time, over and over again.”
            2. Family 2
               
               1. “God gave us the option, now or later. From there we asked our questions and felt His peace. As we started to plan, we felt His purpose.”
      3. So what CAN you DO?
         1. Being involved in reaching the world for Christ takes different forms.
         2. Ways to be on missio Dei
            • Go
            • Pray
            • Give
            • Send/Mobilize—encourage others to Go
            • Learn—read more about missio Dei (e.g. books in our library)
            • Welcome—e.g. working with refugees
         3.  Questions:
            • Which of these is most important? (trick question)
            • Which of these would be most difficult for you?
            • Which of these is God asking of you?
              • What CAN you DO?
              • I Th. 5:24—“The One Who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.”

Wrap up and Conclusion

• My call to China. Head then heart after going on survey trip
• Review
  • When God calls
    • It’s a PERSONAL call—it’s from HIM to you!
    • It’s a PURPOSEFUL call—it’s for HIM and His glory!
    • It’s a CHALLENGING call—it requires HIM and His strength to live it out!
  • In what ways CAN you be involved in God’s heart for reaching ALL the world?
  • What will it take for you to get off of your CAN to DO what you can?

Benediction

• Galatians 3:7-9
  • ⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham.⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”^[d] 9 So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
• If you have not yet received this blessing of becoming a part of God’s family, why not today? Jesus died for you. Your faith in what He has done to pay for your sin will bring you into a restored relationship with God.
• If you have not considered what God would have you DO for His kingdom, are you willing to ask Him?