WEBVTT - The Secret to Freedom and Confidence – Part 2 0:00:00.840 --> 0:00:03.800 Today on Bold Steps with Mark job, we're learning how 0:00:03.800 --> 0:00:07.000 to be clear and confident about God's call for our life. 0:00:07.560 --> 0:00:10.639 When the church begins to discover the power of the 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:14.840 Spirit of God, when you start realizing I have a gift, 0:00:15.040 --> 0:00:18.880 it's united to the bigger mission that we have together, 0:00:18.880 --> 0:00:22.640 and people rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then 0:00:22.680 --> 0:00:26.960 watch out world, because the church has just awakened. 0:00:40.280 --> 0:00:42.879 God places a call in everyone's life, so why do 0:00:42.880 --> 0:00:45.680 some people understand their purpose right away, while it takes 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:48.720 other people a long time to get the revelation? Well, 0:00:48.720 --> 0:00:51.400 that's the topic Mark we'll address today. Welcome to Bold 0:00:51.400 --> 0:00:54.040 Steps with Mark job. Mark is senior pastor of New 0:00:54.040 --> 0:00:56.840 Life Community Church and the president of Moody Bible Institute 0:00:56.840 --> 0:01:00.440 in Chicago. I'm Wayne Shepherd. As we move forward, our 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.760 series is when you believe everything changes. Mark will be 0:01:03.760 --> 0:01:06.000 taking us to the book of Ephesians, chapter three to 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.640 explain the secret to freedom and confidence. We started this 0:01:09.640 --> 0:01:12.120 message yesterday, so if you missed the first part, you 0:01:12.120 --> 0:01:16.080 can listen online at Bold Steps. All right. Now let's 0:01:16.080 --> 0:01:19.760 get into today's message. Here's Mark Jobe with bold steps. 0:01:21.800 --> 0:01:25.920 Your revelation of of a topic of something fuels the 0:01:25.920 --> 0:01:29.880 fire for your mission. Other people may may know that 0:01:29.880 --> 0:01:32.760 marriages need help and there's a lot of marriages in trouble. 0:01:32.760 --> 0:01:35.880 But if you have a call to help marriages out, 0:01:35.880 --> 0:01:40.360 you will have revelation about marriages and understand the severity 0:01:40.360 --> 0:01:44.399 of the problems and marriages. And that sense of understanding 0:01:44.400 --> 0:01:47.880 will fuel your mission to do something about marriages that 0:01:47.880 --> 0:01:54.520 are in trouble. Whatever, whatever your mission is, you'll have 0:01:54.560 --> 0:01:58.720 understanding into the nature of the problem that you're addressing 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:02.290 that will fuel the fire to help you accomplish your 0:02:02.290 --> 0:02:05.610 mission better, and other people just won't get it. They'll 0:02:05.610 --> 0:02:09.530 look at you and say, huh? What? Oh, this is 0:02:09.530 --> 0:02:12.050 real big. You're all excited about it. They're like, okay, 0:02:12.050 --> 0:02:14.410 I don't get it. Why? Because they don't have the 0:02:14.410 --> 0:02:17.329 same call that you have, so they may not get 0:02:17.330 --> 0:02:19.850 it or may not be as impassioned as you are 0:02:19.889 --> 0:02:22.450 about it. Paul was in a passion to preach the 0:02:22.490 --> 0:02:25.570 gospel to the Gentiles, and the other Jewish believers were 0:02:25.570 --> 0:02:29.530 like Gentiles. Why should we worry about them? But but 0:02:29.570 --> 0:02:34.570 he had a special call and revelation to them. Number 0:02:34.570 --> 0:02:43.489 three write this down. Empowerment. Look at verse seven. I 0:02:43.490 --> 0:02:47.810 became a servant of this gospel by the gift of 0:02:47.810 --> 0:02:53.890 God's grace given to me through the working of his power. 0:02:54.850 --> 0:02:58.769 Although I am less than the least of God's people, 0:02:59.050 --> 0:03:01.730 this grace was given to me to preach to the 0:03:01.730 --> 0:03:06.650 Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain 0:03:06.650 --> 0:03:09.930 to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages 0:03:09.930 --> 0:03:13.930 past has been hidden in God. I love this about Paul. 0:03:14.250 --> 0:03:19.370 Paul is saying I became a servant of this gospel. 0:03:19.850 --> 0:03:23.330 I am the least of the least qualified for this. 0:03:23.450 --> 0:03:26.170 I couldn't do this on my own. I have no 0:03:26.169 --> 0:03:29.730 power to accomplish this. But it's God's grace that gives 0:03:29.730 --> 0:03:34.450 me power to make sure this happens. Listen to me. 0:03:35.730 --> 0:03:39.010 Your personal, unique mission that God has called you to. 0:03:41.130 --> 0:03:46.690 Chances are that you're absolutely unqualified to fulfill it. Totally 0:03:46.690 --> 0:03:50.730 overwhelmed in seeking to make it happen, because it should 0:03:50.730 --> 0:03:54.170 be something that's bigger than you that you could not 0:03:54.170 --> 0:03:59.890 accomplish without the supernatural empowerment of God's grace in your life. 0:04:01.140 --> 0:04:03.060 Because if you could do it on your own power, 0:04:03.060 --> 0:04:06.060 it would be glory to you. But you realize I 0:04:06.100 --> 0:04:09.660 can't do this. It's way bigger than me I need God. 0:04:09.700 --> 0:04:12.420 I need his grace. It's his grace that gives me 0:04:12.420 --> 0:04:16.140 power to do that. Then it's glory to God. Because listen, 0:04:16.140 --> 0:04:18.659 this is what Paul said. When I am weak, then 0:04:18.660 --> 0:04:23.180 I am strong. God's grace is made perfect in my weakness. 0:04:23.220 --> 0:04:25.780 Do you understand that? That most of the things that 0:04:25.779 --> 0:04:30.420 God calls us to do, we are ill equipped, uneducated, unprepared, 0:04:30.420 --> 0:04:34.420 and under-resourced to be able to accomplish most of the 0:04:34.420 --> 0:04:37.980 things that God calls us to do. We depend heavily 0:04:38.140 --> 0:04:43.539 on God's grace to make it happen. And if you 0:04:43.540 --> 0:04:46.500 think that you're prepared and qualified to do what God 0:04:46.500 --> 0:04:49.020 has called you to do, then you probably haven't landed 0:04:49.020 --> 0:04:52.620 on your mission yet. Because usually your mission is way 0:04:52.620 --> 0:05:00.540 bigger than what you have the power to accomplish. Paul says. 0:05:02.380 --> 0:05:06.740 I am the least. And even though I am the least. 0:05:07.980 --> 0:05:10.099 God has prepared me. You look all through the Bible, 0:05:10.140 --> 0:05:12.740 by the way, and you'll find stories of God calling 0:05:12.740 --> 0:05:15.180 people to do things that they could not do on 0:05:15.180 --> 0:05:19.380 their own power. God called Gideon to liberate the people 0:05:19.380 --> 0:05:22.180 of Israel. God called a mighty warrior when he was 0:05:22.180 --> 0:05:24.060 afraid and didn't know what to do and never been 0:05:24.060 --> 0:05:30.020 trained militarily. God called Moses to speak on his behalf, 0:05:30.020 --> 0:05:34.300 and Moses said, I don't know how to speak. God 0:05:34.300 --> 0:05:38.140 called Peter to lead the church, and he was just 0:05:38.140 --> 0:05:43.220 a fisherman. God called David to lead a nation and 0:05:43.220 --> 0:05:46.060 to be a warrior. And he had never really fought, 0:05:46.060 --> 0:05:48.860 didn't know how to use a sword, and he was 0:05:48.860 --> 0:05:52.860 the least of his brethren. God called Jeremiah the prophet, 0:05:52.860 --> 0:05:56.620 and he said, I'm too young. Normally when God calls 0:05:56.620 --> 0:06:00.380 us to do something, we feel like we don't have 0:06:00.470 --> 0:06:03.029 what it takes to do what God has called us 0:06:03.029 --> 0:06:06.070 to do. And what I want to say is that 0:06:06.350 --> 0:06:11.790 is okay, because on our own power you can't do it. 0:06:11.790 --> 0:06:16.270 But with God's grace, you have the power to accomplish 0:06:16.270 --> 0:06:19.590 the things that he's called you to do. It's God's grace. 0:06:20.550 --> 0:06:31.710 God's grace. Number four. It tells us in verse ten 0:06:32.950 --> 0:06:39.190 his intent was that now, through the church, the manifold 0:06:39.190 --> 0:06:42.750 wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers 0:06:42.750 --> 0:06:46.990 and authorities in the heavenly realms according to his eternal purpose, 0:06:46.990 --> 0:06:51.029 which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. And in him, 0:06:51.029 --> 0:06:53.309 and through faith in him, we may approach God with 0:06:53.310 --> 0:06:58.150 freedom and confidence. Number four, the fourth word I want 0:06:58.150 --> 0:07:01.950 you to understand is the word community. Unity. Listen to 0:07:01.950 --> 0:07:06.110 what it says in verse ten. His intent was that now, 0:07:06.710 --> 0:07:13.990 through what I didn't hear you through the church, the 0:07:13.990 --> 0:07:20.350 manifold wisdom of God should be made known through the church. 0:07:21.110 --> 0:07:24.710 You see, the way it works is this you have 0:07:24.710 --> 0:07:28.110 been called, you have a mission, you have a gift. 0:07:28.110 --> 0:07:31.870 But it's all connected to the body of Christ. It's 0:07:31.870 --> 0:07:33.710 all connected to the church. You're a part of a 0:07:33.710 --> 0:07:38.430 community of faith. You're not disconnected. You're connected. And whatever 0:07:38.430 --> 0:07:43.150 gift God has given you, he empowers through the church. 0:07:43.470 --> 0:07:47.190 And your gift is used with other people's gifts that 0:07:47.190 --> 0:07:50.230 are used. And when everybody is using their gift, then 0:07:50.230 --> 0:07:54.550 the church becomes this mighty, powerful force of transformation that 0:07:54.550 --> 0:07:59.070 God is working in. When, when when everybody's using their gift. 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:04.560 Now hear me well. Often the church is unhealthy because 0:08:04.600 --> 0:08:08.640 oftentimes what the church is, is like, well, it's like 0:08:08.640 --> 0:08:12.120 going to a football game. There's how many people in 0:08:12.120 --> 0:08:18.680 a football team out on the field? There's 11. So 0:08:18.680 --> 0:08:22.160 there's 22 people out in a football field that desperately 0:08:22.160 --> 0:08:27.160 need a rest, and there's 40,000 spectators that desperately need exercise. 0:08:32.720 --> 0:08:36.240 The spectators are sitting there with their beer and their 0:08:36.240 --> 0:08:39.880 popcorn and their pot bellies saying, come on, go harder, man, 0:08:39.880 --> 0:08:44.600 those lazy bums. You're sitting on the chair. These guys 0:08:44.600 --> 0:08:48.640 are down there sweating and breathing hard, and we're all 0:08:48.640 --> 0:08:51.360 like coaches on the sideline. Tell them what to do 0:08:51.360 --> 0:08:53.920 and how to do it, and bemoaning the fact that 0:08:53.920 --> 0:08:55.719 they're not into it as much as they should be 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:59.920 into it. But in reality, the church at times looks 0:08:59.920 --> 0:09:04.840 like a football field. The church at times has this 0:09:04.880 --> 0:09:10.920 incredible potential of people, and normally there's a few people 0:09:10.920 --> 0:09:17.160 down in the field going. I'm tired running around trying to, 0:09:17.200 --> 0:09:19.679 carrying the ball, doing the work. And and the great 0:09:19.679 --> 0:09:22.640 majority of the people in the church tend to be spectators. 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:26.360 You know why? Because the great majority of the people 0:09:26.360 --> 0:09:30.280 in the church have not discovered that they have gifts 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:36.559 that they can, that they're empowered. They have not discovered 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:40.120 that they're players in the game to that God has 0:09:40.120 --> 0:09:42.560 called them just as much as he's called the pastor, 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.120 the worship leaders, the Sunday school teachers as well, that 0:09:45.120 --> 0:09:48.360 everybody has a call, that everybody has a gift, that 0:09:48.360 --> 0:09:51.840 we're all connected, and that when everybody in the body 0:09:51.840 --> 0:09:54.760 begins to discover the gifts that we have and we 0:09:54.760 --> 0:09:57.679 begin to use the gifts that we have, then the 0:09:57.720 --> 0:10:03.810 church becomes the place where God manifests his glory and power. 0:10:03.809 --> 0:10:06.850 And that's why Jesus said of the church that the 0:10:06.850 --> 0:10:10.250 gates of hell would not be able to withstand or 0:10:10.250 --> 0:10:13.650 prevail against the church of the Living God. In other words, 0:10:13.650 --> 0:10:17.290 all of the gates of hell cannot stop the power 0:10:17.290 --> 0:10:20.730 of a church that's been unleashed with the power of God, 0:10:20.730 --> 0:10:23.490 the power of the spirit, and everybody using their gifts. 0:10:23.490 --> 0:10:25.530 Someone better get excited about that. 0:10:31.370 --> 0:10:34.370 You're listening to Bold Steps with pastor Mark Jobe, and 0:10:34.530 --> 0:10:37.170 I'm so grateful for those of you who listen each day. 0:10:37.170 --> 0:10:39.890 And for those of you who become bold partners. Mark, 0:10:39.890 --> 0:10:42.210 we cannot neglect the fact that God has called some 0:10:42.210 --> 0:10:44.490 listeners to really get behind it and and catch the 0:10:44.490 --> 0:10:45.850 vision for what we're doing here. 0:10:45.890 --> 0:10:47.570 And when we are able to do. 0:10:47.570 --> 0:10:50.650 What we do because of our bold partners. And these 0:10:50.650 --> 0:10:55.089 are people that simply say, I love this program, I 0:10:55.130 --> 0:10:58.290 believe in this message. I want other people to hear. 0:10:58.290 --> 0:11:03.370 So I'm giving a monthly donation. Automatic monthly donation, no 0:11:03.370 --> 0:11:06.890 matter what the size it is to support this ministry 0:11:06.890 --> 0:11:09.530 and we are so grateful for our bold partners. 0:11:09.570 --> 0:11:12.450 Yeah, anyone who runs a budget, a monthly budget knows 0:11:12.450 --> 0:11:15.250 how important it is to know what's what's going to happen. 0:11:15.290 --> 0:11:17.410 You know, to have some basis and to have these 0:11:17.410 --> 0:11:20.250 bold partners give it a monthly basis is so encouraging. 0:11:20.450 --> 0:11:22.650 Here's a note from a listener in Illinois. This is 0:11:22.650 --> 0:11:25.450 by way of reporting back to our bold partners. My 0:11:25.450 --> 0:11:27.089 name is Brian. I just want to thank you from 0:11:27.090 --> 0:11:30.170 the bottom of my heart for turning my life to Christ. 0:11:30.330 --> 0:11:33.170 Your program has really helped me use logical thinking and 0:11:33.170 --> 0:11:35.650 the Word of God to finally get my life back 0:11:35.650 --> 0:11:39.370 on track. Even though I may still struggle with some things, 0:11:39.370 --> 0:11:41.610 your program is always a way to keep me on 0:11:41.610 --> 0:11:45.090 track with what God's loving plan has in store for me. 0:11:45.410 --> 0:11:47.970 Thank you so much pastor Mark and the entire Moody 0:11:47.970 --> 0:11:50.970 Crew for all your work. May God bless you. 0:11:51.010 --> 0:11:54.890 Hey Brian, what a great testimony that's so encouraging. 0:11:54.929 --> 0:11:59.250 And we are happy to come alongside of you and 0:11:59.250 --> 0:12:03.980 encourage you. Stories like Brian are coming in left and 0:12:03.980 --> 0:12:06.380 right from all over the country, and so we're so 0:12:06.380 --> 0:12:09.260 grateful for the power of the word and the partnership 0:12:09.260 --> 0:12:10.579 of our bold partners. 0:12:10.580 --> 0:12:12.380 You can give a gift of any size as a 0:12:12.380 --> 0:12:14.420 bold partner each month, or if you want to give 0:12:14.420 --> 0:12:17.180 a gift of $30 or more each month, you'll receive 0:12:17.220 --> 0:12:20.300 a 50% discount on everything and I mean everything in 0:12:20.300 --> 0:12:23.460 the Moody Publishers catalog. Check out our Bold Partner program 0:12:23.460 --> 0:12:27.860 at Bold Steps. Radio.com. Now back into the Word of 0:12:27.860 --> 0:12:30.740 God as Mark brings it here to us on bold steps. 0:12:35.940 --> 0:12:39.260 It was his intent was that now, through the church, 0:12:39.260 --> 0:12:42.780 the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to 0:12:42.820 --> 0:12:45.060 the rulers and the authorities. This is talking about the 0:12:45.059 --> 0:12:50.460 spiritual world, that when the church is united and people 0:12:50.500 --> 0:12:55.180 begin to embrace their call and use their call, that 0:12:55.179 --> 0:12:59.620 it speaks volumes to the spiritual world. When the church 0:12:59.620 --> 0:13:04.100 is united and the church is pursuing its call, then 0:13:04.100 --> 0:13:07.140 what it begins to say is we are united. So 0:13:07.140 --> 0:13:10.460 therefore we have influence. We are united and filled with 0:13:10.460 --> 0:13:13.420 the Spirit of God. So therefore we reign. We are 0:13:13.420 --> 0:13:15.660 united and filled with the Spirit of God. So therefore 0:13:15.660 --> 0:13:19.459 we have power to change things. When the church is 0:13:19.460 --> 0:13:23.740 asleep and people have not discovered that there's unity within 0:13:23.740 --> 0:13:26.020 the body, and that all of us have our gift 0:13:26.020 --> 0:13:29.300 when the church is asleep, it also sends the message 0:13:29.300 --> 0:13:37.179 we are powerless. We are victims. We have little chance 0:13:37.179 --> 0:13:44.580 of changing anything. We are spectators. We are captivated within 0:13:44.580 --> 0:13:48.300 four walls and do nothing outside of those four walls. 0:13:48.900 --> 0:13:52.740 When the church is divided and the church has not 0:13:52.740 --> 0:13:56.540 understood the gifting, the people in the church have not 0:13:56.540 --> 0:14:02.030 understood the gifting. Then the church becomes anemic, weak, concentrated 0:14:02.030 --> 0:14:05.750 within its own walls. When the church begins to discover 0:14:05.750 --> 0:14:09.350 the power of the Spirit of God, when you start realizing, 0:14:09.350 --> 0:14:14.469 I have a gift, I have a mission. It's united 0:14:14.470 --> 0:14:18.190 to the bigger mission that we have together, and people 0:14:18.190 --> 0:14:22.510 rise up and start fulfilling their mission. Then watch out, world, 0:14:22.510 --> 0:14:34.670 because the church has just awakened. And Paul says in 0:14:34.670 --> 0:14:37.870 verse 11, according to his eternal purpose, which he accomplished 0:14:37.870 --> 0:14:41.070 in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith, 0:14:41.230 --> 0:14:46.630 we may approach God with freedom and confidence. I ask 0:14:46.630 --> 0:14:49.550 you therefore not to be discouraged because of my suffering 0:14:49.550 --> 0:14:53.910 for you, which is your glory. Paul was trying to 0:14:53.910 --> 0:14:57.030 tell them is, hey, rise up! You are the church 0:14:57.030 --> 0:14:59.310 full of the power of God. You have gifts. You 0:14:59.310 --> 0:15:02.040 have a mission. You can do things. You are the 0:15:02.040 --> 0:15:07.280 manifestation of God's presence here on earth. Let me tell 0:15:07.280 --> 0:15:10.440 you why I'm a pastor. I never grew up wanting 0:15:10.440 --> 0:15:13.680 to be a pastor. Some people do. Some people from 0:15:13.680 --> 0:15:15.520 the age of two, they say, I'm going to be 0:15:15.520 --> 0:15:18.640 a pastor. I know that I never did. Never wanted 0:15:18.640 --> 0:15:22.160 to be a pastor. Never really saw myself as a pastor. 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:29.880 Thought I'd be a pretty lousy pastor, actually. I remember 0:15:29.880 --> 0:15:33.440 the turning point for me where I decided I was 0:15:33.440 --> 0:15:38.040 actually studying. I was in college, and I had gone 0:15:38.040 --> 0:15:42.040 away to work at a hotel in France, in southern France, 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:48.680 working as a dishwasher, cleaning rooms. I was about 17, 0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:56.640 18 years old, making money, and, um, I wasn't sure 0:15:56.640 --> 0:15:59.000 what I wanted to do. I wasn't positive of where, 0:15:59.000 --> 0:16:00.960 what I wanted to do, what I wanted to throw 0:16:00.960 --> 0:16:05.960 my life into. And, and, um, I remember getting a 0:16:05.960 --> 0:16:08.680 hold of a book by A.W. Tozer called The Knowledge 0:16:08.680 --> 0:16:10.480 of the Holy. I was trying to figure out what 0:16:10.480 --> 0:16:12.600 am I going to do with my life and what 0:16:12.600 --> 0:16:14.320 do I want to do? I mean, I knew I 0:16:14.520 --> 0:16:17.480 was a Christian and I knew I, I was going 0:16:17.480 --> 0:16:20.040 to somehow do something with my life, but I didn't 0:16:20.040 --> 0:16:22.880 know what career or whatever I was going to pursue. 0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:26.560 And I got Ahold of this book by A.W. Tozer 0:16:26.560 --> 0:16:29.720 called The Knowledge of the Holy. The whole book is 0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:34.400 about knowing God that you can never quite comprehend the 0:16:34.400 --> 0:16:38.040 magnitude of God with your finite mind, that God is 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:41.760 bigger than what you could ever know or fathom or imagine. 0:16:42.240 --> 0:16:44.160 And that part of our journey is just to get 0:16:44.160 --> 0:16:48.040 to know God. And don't worry so much about what 0:16:48.040 --> 0:16:50.400 you're going to do. Worry about knowing God. And as 0:16:50.400 --> 0:16:52.600 you know God and live for God, you'll end up 0:16:52.600 --> 0:16:56.840 doing what you're supposed to do in God. And I 0:16:56.840 --> 0:17:01.880 remember having that revelation and, and, having that sense of, okay, 0:17:01.920 --> 0:17:03.720 I'm not going to worry as much about what I'm 0:17:03.720 --> 0:17:06.440 going to do, but I'm going to worry about actually 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:10.160 knowing God and living for God in whatever I do. 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:13.840 And it was through that determination. It was through that 0:17:13.840 --> 0:17:18.720 purpose that although I didn't plan on being a pastor 0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:21.560 and didn't plan on coming to Chicago, didn't plan on that, 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:25.800 it was through that experience that actually, when the door opened, 0:17:25.800 --> 0:17:29.080 I found myself saying yes to helping out a little 0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:31.920 church that wanted a pastor. Although I said, I'm just 0:17:31.920 --> 0:17:34.040 going to help you out here for a little bit 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:37.760 because you need to get yourself like a real pastor. 0:17:40.480 --> 0:17:42.040 And I'm only going to help you out for three 0:17:42.040 --> 0:17:46.400 years until you can pay someone a salary and kind 0:17:46.400 --> 0:17:48.520 of get up and going. Then. Then I'm out of here. 0:17:49.400 --> 0:17:51.159 It was a simply, God, I'm going to live for you. 0:17:51.160 --> 0:17:54.520 I prayed for a young woman, uh, this morning, uh, 0:17:54.520 --> 0:17:57.639 that was trying to figure out what college she's going 0:17:57.640 --> 0:18:00.490 to in the university. And I said to her, listen, 0:18:01.570 --> 0:18:05.370 I know that the future can be daunting, but I'm 0:18:05.369 --> 0:18:09.770 going to challenge you to instead of trying to figure 0:18:09.770 --> 0:18:13.450 out all your future, I'm going to challenge you to 0:18:13.490 --> 0:18:16.330 figure out your walk with God and say, yes, God, 0:18:16.330 --> 0:18:19.050 I will live for you now. Yes, God, I will 0:18:19.050 --> 0:18:22.090 do your bidding. Yes, Lord. And as you begin to 0:18:22.130 --> 0:18:25.250 live day by day in his will, what you will 0:18:25.250 --> 0:18:30.330 discover is that your future will be your future will 0:18:30.330 --> 0:18:33.730 end up being the will of God, because you will 0:18:33.730 --> 0:18:36.290 begin to make the right decisions at the right time, 0:18:36.290 --> 0:18:38.689 the right choices, and you'll end up right in the 0:18:38.690 --> 0:18:40.850 center of where God wants you to be, even though 0:18:40.850 --> 0:18:49.450 you hadn't planned it that way. Some of you are saying, 0:18:49.450 --> 0:18:51.930 What's God's will for my life? I just try to 0:18:51.970 --> 0:18:54.610 make a ten year plan and I can't figure it out. Well, 0:18:54.609 --> 0:19:00.619 here's what I know today. Live for God. Trust in 0:19:00.619 --> 0:19:02.420 the Lord with all your heart. Lean not on your 0:19:02.420 --> 0:19:05.780 own understanding, on all your ways. Acknowledge him and he 0:19:05.859 --> 0:19:11.020 will direct your path. I'm not saying it's bad to 0:19:11.060 --> 0:19:15.860 plan plan. But listen, the plans of man aren't always 0:19:15.859 --> 0:19:19.619 the plans of God and God's plan supersede or trump 0:19:19.619 --> 0:19:28.940 the plans of man. And that's the way God works. 0:19:30.859 --> 0:19:33.660 He leads us in his divine path as we say 0:19:33.660 --> 0:19:37.620 yes to God. As we discover our calling and purposes 0:19:38.420 --> 0:19:41.220 as we as we discover what what God has, and 0:19:41.220 --> 0:19:45.220 we embrace what God has and realize that we can 0:19:45.220 --> 0:19:48.900 be used. And here's what I totally understand, and I'll 0:19:48.900 --> 0:19:52.180 close with this. Listen, here's what I fully, fully understand. 0:19:53.340 --> 0:19:57.659 What makes New life community church a church to be 0:19:57.660 --> 0:20:01.620 reckoned with in Chicago. A church to be reckoned with 0:20:01.660 --> 0:20:06.500 in the spiritual realm is not pastor Mark. What makes 0:20:06.500 --> 0:20:09.899 this church a church that has power and might is 0:20:09.900 --> 0:20:16.060 when the people of God is when the church awakens 0:20:16.540 --> 0:20:21.580 to its calling. And there's literally thousands of people saying, 0:20:21.580 --> 0:20:25.340 I too can be used of God because I have 0:20:25.340 --> 0:20:29.100 a gift and I have a calling. When thousands of 0:20:29.100 --> 0:20:32.020 people are awakened to the reality that they have a 0:20:32.060 --> 0:20:35.140 gift and a calling that God can use them, that 0:20:35.140 --> 0:20:37.859 they also can pray for people and counsel people and 0:20:37.859 --> 0:20:40.340 minister to people, that they have the same Holy Spirit 0:20:40.340 --> 0:20:42.780 inside of them, that some of the people that they 0:20:42.780 --> 0:20:46.100 see up on the platform, that they can make disciples, 0:20:46.100 --> 0:20:49.220 that God gives visions and dreams, that they're a part 0:20:49.220 --> 0:20:52.540 of something bigger, that their gifts can be released and 0:20:52.540 --> 0:20:55.420 unleashed to do the bidding of God. When a church 0:20:55.420 --> 0:20:59.940 begins to discover that when people begin to arise, to that, 0:20:59.940 --> 0:21:03.580 be awakened to that reality, then watch out, because the 0:21:03.580 --> 0:21:06.980 church has just woken up and become what God has 0:21:06.980 --> 0:21:10.220 called it to be a church that is unleashed, full 0:21:10.220 --> 0:21:17.260 of people of God doing the work of God. That's 0:21:17.260 --> 0:21:21.659 my prayer. That's my desire. I don't want to pray 0:21:21.660 --> 0:21:25.940 for everybody and marry everybody and bury everybody and baptize 0:21:25.940 --> 0:21:28.660 everybody and lead everybody to Christ. I have no desire 0:21:28.660 --> 0:21:31.659 to do all that. I mean, I want to do 0:21:31.700 --> 0:21:37.460 my part. I have a desire to unleash you. I 0:21:37.460 --> 0:21:40.020 have a desire to unleash you, to begin to do 0:21:40.020 --> 0:21:43.100 things that you never thought you could do. But you 0:21:43.100 --> 0:21:46.900 have the Spirit of God inside of you. And believe me, 0:21:46.900 --> 0:21:50.379 some of you can do parts of ministry much better 0:21:50.380 --> 0:21:52.780 than I can do it. There are certain parts of 0:21:52.780 --> 0:21:54.780 ministry I just don't. I try not to do because 0:21:54.780 --> 0:21:57.340 I'm not really good at it. I try to stick 0:21:57.340 --> 0:22:00.510 with what I'm good at. But there are some of 0:22:00.510 --> 0:22:02.910 you that do certain things in ministry. Way better than 0:22:02.910 --> 0:22:06.149 I could do those things in ministry. But you haven't 0:22:06.150 --> 0:22:11.270 discovered that that you have the Spirit of God. The 0:22:11.310 --> 0:22:14.869 same Spirit of God that dwells in me is the 0:22:14.869 --> 0:22:17.429 same Spirit of God that dwells in you. The same 0:22:17.430 --> 0:22:20.710 callings of God that I have, or the pastoral team have, 0:22:20.750 --> 0:22:23.670 is the same callings of God, that you have the 0:22:23.670 --> 0:22:27.510 same anointings, the same purposes, the same drive. We're all 0:22:27.510 --> 0:22:33.630 in this together. And there's something powerful about understanding that 0:22:33.630 --> 0:22:37.909 and realizing that and waking up to that, that God, 0:22:37.910 --> 0:22:41.270 you have called us together to make a difference. It's 0:22:41.270 --> 0:22:45.070 the church unleashed by his power and by his might. 0:22:53.070 --> 0:22:56.350 Learning to answer God's call for your life. That's today's 0:22:56.350 --> 0:22:59.310 topic from Mark Jobe here on Bold Steps. Mark. I 0:22:59.350 --> 0:23:01.510 love what you said to those who know God's call 0:23:01.510 --> 0:23:03.070 for their lives, but what do you say to those 0:23:03.070 --> 0:23:05.030 who feel like they're not doing enough? Or maybe they 0:23:05.030 --> 0:23:06.790 feel like they've missed God's call? 0:23:06.910 --> 0:23:09.670 Yeah. You know, I would say, first of all, rest 0:23:09.670 --> 0:23:13.750 in God's grace because our calling is never about striving 0:23:13.830 --> 0:23:18.149 to achieve or to earn the merit of God. That's 0:23:18.150 --> 0:23:22.870 been done for us. We serve in our calling, uh, 0:23:22.869 --> 0:23:25.390 because we love God, not because we're trying to earn 0:23:25.390 --> 0:23:26.270 the favor of God. 0:23:26.270 --> 0:23:28.109 And there's always time in God's plan. 0:23:28.430 --> 0:23:31.510 There is. And you know Moses. Think about this. Moses 0:23:31.510 --> 0:23:34.950 was 80 years old when he finally discovered his calling. 0:23:34.950 --> 0:23:37.310 So some of you have some time in your life. 0:23:37.869 --> 0:23:40.510 Maybe we have time. Who knows? Thank you, Mark, for 0:23:40.510 --> 0:23:43.350 such a great message today. Well, if you just pray 0:23:43.350 --> 0:23:45.550 that God would show you your next bold step, we'd 0:23:45.550 --> 0:23:47.949 love to hear from you. You can find us online 0:23:47.950 --> 0:23:51.070 at Bold Steps org. You can email us at Bold Steps. 0:23:53.230 --> 0:23:55.270 You can also call us and leave a recorded message 0:23:55.270 --> 0:24:04.040 over the phone by dialing 312329 2011. That's (312) 329-2011. And 0:24:04.080 --> 0:24:06.680 of course, as always our mailing option. Send your letter 0:24:06.680 --> 0:24:12.680 to Bold steps 820 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 606 ten. 0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:16.000 Before we wrap up today, I've got a question for you. 0:24:16.040 --> 0:24:20.080 Who are you, really? When someone asks, tell me about yourself. 0:24:20.080 --> 0:24:23.359 What do you say? Well, the world often assigns us labels. 0:24:23.359 --> 0:24:25.720 As followers of King Jesus, we've been given a brand 0:24:25.720 --> 0:24:28.480 new identity. And that's why we're excited to offer you 0:24:28.480 --> 0:24:31.720 a new 15 day devotional from the desk of Mark job. 0:24:31.920 --> 0:24:34.880 It's titled More Than a Label Discovering Who You Are 0:24:34.920 --> 0:24:38.720 in Christ. In this powerful new resource, Doctor Job takes 0:24:38.720 --> 0:24:41.159 you on a journey through God's Word to reveal the 0:24:41.160 --> 0:24:44.840 truth about your identity in Christ. Through this devotional, you'll 0:24:44.880 --> 0:24:48.600 uncover who God created you to be, why your identity matters, 0:24:48.600 --> 0:24:51.080 and how to live out your true purpose in calling. 0:24:51.520 --> 0:24:54.199 This exclusive new resource is available to you with your 0:24:54.240 --> 0:24:57.960 donation of any size to support this ministry. So whether 0:24:57.960 --> 0:25:01.000 it's a single donation or a faithful investment. As one 0:25:01.000 --> 0:25:04.200 of our monthly bold partners, request your copy of More 0:25:04.240 --> 0:25:09.280 Than a Label when you give today at Bird-stamps.org. In 0:25:09.280 --> 0:25:12.360 the meantime, why not subscribe to our new Bold Steps app? 0:25:12.400 --> 0:25:16.000 It's your one stop destination for powerful and encouraging sermon 0:25:16.000 --> 0:25:20.000 content from Mark Jobe, available in both video and audio formats. 0:25:20.040 --> 0:25:22.159 And whether you're at the gym or walking through the 0:25:22.160 --> 0:25:25.119 grocery store or commuting to work, you can take bold 0:25:25.119 --> 0:25:28.400 biblical teaching with you wherever you go. Download the app 0:25:28.400 --> 0:25:31.520 today and stay connected to truth that transforms. Head to 0:25:31.520 --> 0:25:33.439 your favorite app store and look for the Bold Steps 0:25:33.480 --> 0:25:36.320 app today. I'm Wayne Shepherd. Join us tomorrow when Mark 0:25:36.359 --> 0:25:39.280 turns to the book of Ephesians, chapter three to show 0:25:39.280 --> 0:25:42.119 us what the greatest power in the world is, and 0:25:42.119 --> 0:25:45.480 we'll see you next time on Bold Steps with Mark John. 0:25:46.720 --> 0:25:49.760 Bold steps is a production of Moody Radio, a ministry 0:25:49.760 --> 0:25:51.320 of Moody Bible Institute.