THE ONES GOD CALLS (1 OF 4)
by Jeff Strite
Scripture: Matthew 4:18-22
This content is part of a series.
The Ones God Calls (1 of 4)
Series: Serving Jesus
Jeff Strite
Matthew 4:18-22
OPEN: Several years ago, in London, England the city was besieged with complaints about London's mass transit system. It seems that the city's buses tended to drive right past bus stops even though there were customers standing in line waiting to be picked up.
Called upon to explain their actions, the London Transit Authorities released the following statement which has become infamous with public relations departments everywhere. It read:
''It is impossible for us to maintain our schedules if we are always having to stop and pick up passengers.''
APPLY: (pause)… What was wrong with that statement?
Answer: They got their priorities confused. They thought their job was to keep a schedule, when in reality, their job was to pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations. Because they got their priorities confused, they failed to do that/ for which they were created.
I. What were you created to do?
What did God have in mind when He saved you? (pause…) Ephesians 2:10 tells us that when we were saved we were ''created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.'' In other words… God has something in mind for you to do when He saved you. He saved you to do ''good works'' He'd prepared ahead of time. But what did He save you to do?
Some people mistakenly believe that God's purpose in their lives is for them to come and fill a pew every Sunday morning - and that is what they are satisfied doing. They have no intention of doing anything more. That reminded me of a poem I once read:
ILLUS: Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,
''We need someone to teach a class, now who will take this task?''
Then God sat down beside me there and said, ''Son, that's for you.''
''But, Lord, (said I) to stand before a class is one thing I can't do.
Now Bill would be the man to call, there's nothing he won't do.
I'd rather hear the lesso ...
Series: Serving Jesus
Jeff Strite
Matthew 4:18-22
OPEN: Several years ago, in London, England the city was besieged with complaints about London's mass transit system. It seems that the city's buses tended to drive right past bus stops even though there were customers standing in line waiting to be picked up.
Called upon to explain their actions, the London Transit Authorities released the following statement which has become infamous with public relations departments everywhere. It read:
''It is impossible for us to maintain our schedules if we are always having to stop and pick up passengers.''
APPLY: (pause)… What was wrong with that statement?
Answer: They got their priorities confused. They thought their job was to keep a schedule, when in reality, their job was to pick up passengers and deliver them to their destinations. Because they got their priorities confused, they failed to do that/ for which they were created.
I. What were you created to do?
What did God have in mind when He saved you? (pause…) Ephesians 2:10 tells us that when we were saved we were ''created in Christ Jesus to do good works that He prepared in advance for us to do.'' In other words… God has something in mind for you to do when He saved you. He saved you to do ''good works'' He'd prepared ahead of time. But what did He save you to do?
Some people mistakenly believe that God's purpose in their lives is for them to come and fill a pew every Sunday morning - and that is what they are satisfied doing. They have no intention of doing anything more. That reminded me of a poem I once read:
ILLUS: Once upon a pew I sat and heard the preacher ask,
''We need someone to teach a class, now who will take this task?''
Then God sat down beside me there and said, ''Son, that's for you.''
''But, Lord, (said I) to stand before a class is one thing I can't do.
Now Bill would be the man to call, there's nothing he won't do.
I'd rather hear the lesso ...
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