Step Up To a Higher Call

Sept 16, 2007 message by Pastor Rich Doebler

[Opening Skit: Greasy Spoon Blues]

You've probably heard someone say: It's hard to soar with the eagles when you work with a bunch of turkeys. It would probably more accurate if we could admit: It's hard to soar with the eagles when we're nothing but a bunch of turkeys!

Turkeys—even wild turkeys—don't fly much; eagles, on the other hand, soar among the mountain peaks, high above the ground.

Some of you may remember an old TV sitcom about a radio station in Cincinnati. In one episode, the radio crew stages a publicity stunt for a store. They drop live turkeys out of a helicopter over the store's parking lot. The idea was people would come to the store to catch their own Thanksgiving turkey. But the stunt didn't work out well because, domesticated turkeys can't really fly. So the live radio report intended to attract a crowd turned into a disaster report. It's more like a bombing raid—turkeys are plummeting out of the sky, bouncing off cars, feathers flying through the air, people running for cover.

We have often grounded ourselves—settled for a mediocre or substandard lifestyle—when God has called us to something much higher.

We live too low. Even as Christians, even as children of God, children of the King, we live too low. We could live a lot higher; we could live a lot better. But the sad fact is we all live below our calling; we live beneath God's plan for us, below the level we should be on.

Garth Brooks sings: "I've got friends in low places..." And many of us allow people and circumstances or problems and challenges or even our own attitudes to drag us down. We get stuck in low places when God has called us to a higher calling.

You've heard of "dumpster-diving"—where people scavenge through trash bins to eat restaurant leftovers or grocery store waste. If you think dumpster-diving is a bit crazy, listen to this: there's a new reality show beginning this month in England that takes it to the extreme. It's called "Dumped," and it takes unsuspecting volunteers—regular, middle-class people who thought they were joining a "survivor" type of show by being dropped into the wild, into some pristine natural environment. Instead the show drops them into one of Britain's biggest landfill sites for three weeks to see if they can survive by living off the garbage others have thrown out.
[http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/09/02/dumped-uk-television-first/]

That might not be such a big deal for a three-week game show, but what about us? Some people choose a substandard way of life permanently—for the rest of their lives. What about them? They can do better; they have the means to do better; but they just don't care to do better. They don't have the energy or the interest to do better. They'd rather live on this world's garbage than enjoy God's higher call. They'd rather spend their lives doing spiritual dumpster-diving than entering God's banquet hall.

Here's a question: How high are you living? Have you set your sights too low? Have you grown content living beneath God's call? Are you too complacent—satisfied that you're good enough?

We all can do better because we all live below our calling. We live below the purpose and plan God has for us. We have not yet achieved all God has in mind for us. We haven't yet attained the life God intended for his children. In short, we live substandard lives.

We struggle with being human: We are ruled by emotions. We are impatient. We lose our temper. We fight and argue. We are stubborn and defiant. We doubt. Our faith wavers. We may even give up.

Our human weaknesses make us vulnerable. Problems and temptations overcome us far too often. We trip and stumble and fall. Yet our human pride makes us independent. We find it difficult—so hard—to admit that we have weaknesses and problems. We ignore God's help and resources because we don't want to admit how weak we really are.

Here's a challenge: Don't be satisfied with less than what God desires for you. Don't settle for spiritual mediocrity! Don't allow yourself to become content with substandard Christianity.

God has high ambitions for you! Since God calls us to something better, why would we want to live beneath his call?

Eph 4:1 (NIV) As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

You've likely heard the verse that says "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23). We also have fallen short of the call of God! Even after our sins are forgiven, after we've received God's grace, after we've been justified—we still fall short of God's call.

Paul wrote to the believers at Ephesus—Jews and Gentiles—challenging them to step up to a higher call. NASB says: "I...implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."

Before we talk about that calling, let's take a moment to discuss the word "walk." It was used to picture a "way of life"—one's lifestyle or behavior. It's translated in various ways in different English versions of the Bible: KJV: beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called; NCV: live the life to which God called you; NLT: lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God; LB: live and act in a way worthy of those who have been chosen for such wonderful blessings as these; TEV: live a life that measures up to the standard God set when he called you.

The Message paraphrase expands on the metaphor of "walking": While I'm locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere.

A "walk," we might say, is "a journey." But it's not only about where you're going (your destination), it's also about how you're getting there (your behavior, how you choose to live).

When we went traveled to Florida a couple weeks back for my mother-in-law's funeral, we knew where we wanted to go, but we had to decide how we were going to get there. Since there were three of us traveling, we considered driving to save the cost of flying. But it would have been a grueling, hard drive and we would have had to pay extra for gas at $3 a gallon, food, and motels. So we decided it was better to fly. But we still had choices: Did we want to go first class, business class, or economy?

How we "walk"—how we travel in life speaks to the way we live; how we behave. How we travel in life is about our lifestyle as much as it is our destination.

In a sense, Paul was saying: "You've been called heavenward. You've been invited to a great feast. You've been invited to dine with the King! Why would you still want to go spiritual dumpster-diving? Start living up to your invitation!"

This is not just an isolated concept for Paul. He repeated similar statements in his other letters:

2 Thes 1:11 With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. (MSG: that he'll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something.)

Col 1:10 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God...

2 Tim 1:9 ...who has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.

This verse gives us a bit more of a glimpse into what this "calling" is all about. It's about living a "holy" life—a life that is different from those around us. If you've been living like a spiritual turkey, this is a call to start flying like an eagle.

The question is "How?" How do we live a holy life? How do we step up to a higher call?

Most people I meet who are struggling with the way they're living don't want to keep struggling. Some may want to give up, but they don't want to keep struggling. Most want to improve their lives; they want to get off the ground and soar spiritually. They want to live better lives. They want to reach a higher calling. So what are they missing?

Some people say there's nothing you can do. They say that human nature is incorrigible, that human effort is futile, that good works and good intentions cannot accomplish what God's grace alone can do.

Now, I agree that God's grace is essential! But let's stop and think about their conclusion for a moment:

If it were all up to God, then why do some people grow spiritually and others don't? Doesn't God want everyone to be pure? If life change occurs by God's grace, then why are so many people unchanged? Why do many believers seem stuck? Does God give more grace to some than others?

Those who say there's nothing you can do confuse salvation (by grace through faith) with spiritual disciplines.

We cannot save ourselves, but if God's grace means anything, we are called to respond—to be responsible—with our salvation. Salvation and justification are God's work; believing and obeying must be our response—our work.

Five Things We Can Do to Step Up to a Higher Call

1. Believe. Really believing doesn't just happen in your mind. Really believing leads to action. If you place your trust and confidence in God, you don't just say you believe, you do something.

Since the 35W bridge collapsed, how many of you have had second thoughts about other bridges? You're crossing the Bong bridge into Superior, and...you wonder. We know that bridges can fall down. Beams can become corroded; concrete pillars can become weathered and cracked. But you trust that this bridge won't fall down. And you don't just say it, you drive across it. You act on your belief.

[Jesus said] The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent. (John 6:29)

... faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:17)

2. Work. Following God requires effort—you have to expend some energy.

...continue to work ^(a) out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works^(b) in you to will and to act^(b) according to his good purpose. (Phil 2:12-13)

(a) A compound word made by putting two words together: kata (down, against, according to) + ergazomai (to work, labor) à work it out (put into action God's saving work in your lives - NLT; be even more careful to do the good things that result from being saved - TLB; redouble your efforts - M SG)

(b) Energeo (to be at work, to work, to do) à we get our word "energy" from this word. God puts his energy into us so we will have the resources to put energy into following him. (Be energetic in your life of salvation... That energy is God's energy, an energy deep within you - MSG)

...make every effort to add to your faith... (2 Peter 1:5)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved... (2 Tim 2:15)

...it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God (1 Tim 4:10, NASB)

...make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (2 Peter 3:14)

3. Exercise. It's not enough to expend energy—we have to practice doing the right things; we must be disciplined to develop our skill.

You can waste energy and get nowhere. If you're stuck, spinning your wheels, it doesn't do any good to rev the engine faster. You'll burn up a lot of gas and only dig yourself in deeper. You can push the accelerator all the way down; you can get your wheels smoking. But if you're stuck, all that energy is only being wasted. You're going nowhere.

Some people are like that in their spiritual lives. They're busy. They're active. They're doing a lot. But they're getting nowhere because they're doing things for the wrong reasons, they're motivated by guilt or by pride, and their efforts aren't connecting with their deep spiritual need. They're spinning their wheels.

[Paul wrote] All athletes practice strict self-control (NLT)... NIV: strict training. ...Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly (NLT: I run straight to the goal with purpose in every step); I do not fight like a man beating the air (NLT: a boxer who misses his punches). NLT: I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. (1 Cor 9:25-27)

...discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things... (1 Tim 4:7-8, NASB)

Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing... (Phil 4:9, NLT)

4. Be sold out. Become a fully devoted follower of Christ.

Man's love letter: I'll climb the highest mountain; I'll swim the deepest ocean; I'll cross the hottest desert, just to be by your side. P.S. I'll be over tonight if it doesn't rain.

That's the way some people commit themselves to Jesus: I'll do anything for you, Lord, if it doesn't rain...if it's not uncomfortable...if it's not inconvenient...if it doesn't cost me anything. To step up to a higher call, we must be sold out. We must be fully committed—willing to sacrifice and give our all.

...Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Cor 15:58)

5. Don't waste God's grace. Grace is given freely; but we must allow it to work within us.

A businessman was late for an important meeting and couldn't find a parking space. As he frantically circled the block, the man got so desperate that he decided to pray.

Looking up toward heaven, he said, "Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking space, I'll go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life, and not only that, I'll give up drinking."

Miraculously, a parking space appeared. The guy looked up again and said, "Never mind. I found one."

When God shows up, we'd better realize it. To step up to God's higher call, we must give God's grace the room to work in our lives.

As God's fellow workers we urge you not to receive God's grace in vain. (2 Cor 6:1)

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. (1 Cor 15:10)

... because God was so gracious, so very generous, here I am. And I'm not about to let his grace go to waste. (1 Cor 15:10, MSG)

In the courtyard of a quaint little church in a French village stood a beautiful marble statue of Jesus with his hands outstretched. One day during WWII a bomb struck too close and the statue was damaged. But the people loved their statue and though it was not the work of a renowned sculptor, they gathered the pieces and put it back together. The cracks in it were like scars and made their beloved statue even more beautiful. But there was a problem—the hands of the statue could not be found. "This won't work," some said. "What's a Jesus without hands? Hands with scars, yes, but we can't have a Christ without any hands." They were about to replace the statue completely when someone got an inspired idea...so they inscribed a line on a brass plate and attached it to the base of the statue. Years later someone saw the inscription and expanded it to this poem:
    I have no hands but your hands to do my work today.
    I have no feet but your feet to lead men on the way.
    I have no tongue but your tongue to tell men how I died.
    I have no help but your help to bring men to God's side.
                [Robert Schuller, Self Esteem, pp 102-103.]

When we allow God's grace room to work in our lives, we answer God's call to something higher. When we allow God's grace room to work in our lives, we become God's grace reaching out to others. When we allow God's grace room to work in our lives, we begin to soar spiritually.