You Are Called

Welcome to Gateway Churches Podcast.

Wherever you're tuning in from, we hope you're encouraged by today's message.

I don't know who is more excited about me being here, me or my Puerto Rican mother.

Okay?

Let me tell you why.

Uh uh she loves this house.

She loves the worship that comes out of this house, she loves the ministry that comes out of this house.

And in fact, it's okay.

We're gonna tell on ourselves and confess our trespasses.

I'll confess from my mom.

But my dad told my mom, who watches Pastor Robert every Sunday as she's getting ready for church before she goes to daddy's church on Sunday.

And so my dad says, Are you watching a righteous crush again as she is getting ready for church?

So, Pastor Robert, my mom and dad love you and send their greetings as well.

But when I told my mom very excitedly that Pastor Robert invited me to come and delve into the word of God, I was shocked, but she was more shocked.

And she said, Better BB, why did Pastor Robert invite you?

And I took a beat and I was like, uh, rude.

But then I said, Mama, it's because I'm called.

And I have come on assignment because that statement isn't just for me.

That statement is for you.

And then I feel basic and then rudimentary or elementary.

Some of it it might be a revelational word of encouragement, but for others, it might feel just as simple as a reminder.

But woman of God, you are called.

Man of God, you are called.

The title of today's message is simply, You are called.

When I was praying about what to bring today, we had a wonderful time at Pink, and I was a little naughty.

We had fun though.

Jesus forgave me.

It was fun, it was fun.

Jesus fixed it, bless the Lord.

But what I really loved is that I knew that we were gonna be here together, and I was wrestling about what I should bring.

The message that God was in putting on planting, planting on my heart was words that didn't ring true in my life, and so I sensed it was a holy hunch that God wanted me to speak to those that might feel like they're in a season of inadequacy, a season of ineptitude, a season of not feeling like they're enough, or just a plain season of being tired.

Maybe that is you, maybe you've felt that in the past, maybe you're feeling that now.

Do you want some good news, church?

I have some good news all throughout the scope of scripture from Genesis to Revelation, God has used very tore up from the floor-up people to bring him glory.

So if that is you today, you are in the right place.

I love that we don't have to go to a church that says that you have to be perfect and pretty and polished to be able to be used by God.

No, all throughout the Bible, in the scope of biblical characters, there are those that felt inept, those that felt underqualified, those that didn't feel like they were called, and yet, yet, they stepped into what God was calling them to do, and God used them for great and impossible things.

I've come very simple with this uh this charge that God is looking for people to empower to do what he's called them to do.

Back that up with scripture, Bianca.

I'm glad you said, because in 2 Chronicles 16, 9, scripture very clearly says that the eyes of the Lord wander to and fro to see whose heart is loyal to him.

Why?

So he could show himself strong.

Do you know that my generation is looking for leaders to follow?

Do you know that my generation and the generation beneath is looking for those that are walking with integrity, walking with boldness?

They don't have to be perfect, polished, and pretty, but they have to be bold.

They have to step into what God is calling them to do.

In fact, there's some research coming out of Berkeley in California Promised Land.

And Berkeley research that's coming out is that leadership is at a decline.

87.8% of people say that they want somebody who can lead them.

But only 20% of people say that they have identified as being a leader, and only 8% of people identify as a leader right now.

So in a world that is dying for people to rise up, to walk on paths that no one has ever paved, to go to places that people have never gone.

This is our invitation for the church to stand up and rise.

This is not the moment for us to backfoot.

This is not the moment for us to cower.

This is not the moment for us to be afraid.

You are called, so lead.

You might be sitting here thinking, I'm tired.

I'm I'm just a mom, I'm just a student, I'm just a manager, I am just filling the blank, I'm just this.

No, you know what you just are?

You are just a child of God, and that is more than enough.

So whether you are leading one, 100, 1,000, or 1 million people, you're a leader.

So lead well.

If you're still not convinced, scripture is very clear that we are called to lead people to Christ.

So guess what, baby boo?

You are a leader.

Turn with me in your Bibles to Judges chapter 4.

Judges 4 · chapter mention

We got a lot of verses to go through, but I promise it's gonna be fun.

So fun, in fact, it's gonna be Old Testament fun.

Okay.

There's a character in the Bible that's gonna give us a character sketch on what it means to be called and what it means to be leader.

What it means to be a leader.

This this character is not only strong, but sensitive, not only powerful, but prophetic, not only responded to the call of God upon their life, but reclaimed the identity entitled to the children of Israel.

Now, in the Bible, there are amazing characters, beautiful characters who've taught us how to be brave, who've taught us how to be bold, who've taught us how to war, how to be smart, how to heed the voice of God.

But this character, this character encompasses all of those attributes.

And she's a woman.

Let's go, let's go.

Today we're talking about one of my favorite Bible characters, and her name is Deborah.

We're also gonna look about, uh, learn about some amazing characters that we see in the scope of this story.

But I want to, for a moment, highlight this mighty woman of valor.

In chapter four, we see the who, and in chapter five, we read about the how.

In chapter four, Deborah goes into battle with her brother in arms, and his name is Barack.

And in chapter five, we see that they document this amazing song together.

It's a modern twist on Jay-Z and Beyoncé, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, because I know my audience here in Texas, okay?

But around the world, you put in this amazing, dynamic musical duo.

They make some good music together.

Now it's time to dive in and discover these amazing characters.

You should be in Judges chapter four.

If not, the verses are on the screen.

Now, Deborah, hashtag boss babe, a prophet, the wife of Lapidoth, was leading Israel at the time.

So note for a second, we're nerds and Bible scholars that she has something going on outside of the house, and she has something going on inside the house.

Verse 5, she held court under the palm of Deborah between Rama and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided.

Now, we could read this and not think twice, but this was a mighty woman of influence.

This woman had had credence about her and credibility about her.

Now, this is a tall order in 2024, but back then this would have been considered absolutely impossible.

Why?

Well, women had no intellectual property, they couldn't go to school, women were not educated, or women had no property rights, and in many cases, women were demeaned, they were not esteemed, in many cases, they were devalued.

And so the simple fact that she was a judge and people sought her wisdom was amazing.

In fact, there is no other female judge in all of scripture.

Ooh, she is bad.

But she was also a prophet.

So she was a judge and she was a prophet.

Who what is a prophet?

A prophet is someone who divinely hears from God and speaks to God's people.

A prophet is someone who hears from God and speaks to God's people.

She was entrusted to be the mouthpiece of God.

Now we can compare her to the political prowess of a cross between uh Condoleezza Rice and Hillary Clinton.

She has the polished prose of a Joyce Meyer or a Beth Moore, the prophetic power of a Joan of Arc or a Christine Cain.

There is no other book in the entire book of Judges who bore the title Prophet and Judge.

In fact, there's only two people in all of the Old Testament that bore that title, prophet and judge.

Prophet and judge.

And the and who are they?

Samuel and Moses.

This woman is bad.

We can't get around it.

She was a leader.

This woman had authority, not in one, but in two offices.

She was a married woman.

Scripture includes that her husband's name was Lapidoth.

But what was very fascinating, Bible scholars, word nerds, stay with me.

Usually in scripture, a woman's name is listed after her husband's.

In this case, her name was listed before her husband's, meaning that her identity was uniquely her own.

And it was simply mentioned to establish her marital status.

But who I think is an unsung hero in this passage is Lapidoth.

Because what kind of man had the confidence to encourage his wife to step out to do what God has called her to do and to serve God's people this way?

What confidence and love did he possess to enrich the soil of his wife's heart?

In the words of salt and pepper, what a man, what a man, what a mighty, mighty good man.

Yes, he is.

Let me take a minute or two to get much beshect to Barack, alright?

Now, there is no mention.

I gotta be on good behavior.

My mama's gonna watch this.

There's no mention of children.

Now, this is fascinating because in this society, motherhood established your status.

It was your legacy, it was your security plan, it was an inheritance, and yet nothing was mentioned.

Whether she could not have children, or her children were not mentioned, whether by choice or by circumstance.

As we go through this passage and as we peel back the letters, I want us to pay careful attention to the characters in this story, because it might challenge the assumptions around who we think our leaders, who we think are called.

Because what you are born into doesn't determine what is in you.

What you are born into does not determine what is in you.

It's been said before, God cares more about your destiny than he does about your history.

And this narrative begins with a woman and ends with a woman.

But I want to humbly submit to you that it doesn't matter your gender, your ethnicity, the color of your skin, the thigh gap that you may have, the bank account, your marital status.

I am declaring to you that God wants to use every man, woman, and child to reach every man, woman, and child.

The question isn't whether or not he wants to use you, the question is whether or not you are willing to step into, to accept the belief that I am called and God has called me to do something great for him.

What I proffered to you today, based on biblical history, is that our girl Deborah had to overcome some things.

I bet, I bet in the course of her life, there were people who told her that she couldn't, that she wouldn't, that she shouldn't.

And yes, she did.

I resonate with her story.

Because so many times, even in this season, there are people that are finger wagging or saying, you can't, you won't, you don't, you shouldn't.

What about you?

Who has been a voice in your life that has said that you can't do this, you shouldn't do this, you're not equipped to do this, you're not called to do this.

We like Deborah need to overcome some barriers of unbelief or some obstacles that have been set before us by people or maybe even the enemy that is thwarting you from stepping into what God has called you to do.

We need to stop saying things for what we are not and start believing in who God is.

So in Judges chapter 4, uh verses 1 through 3, there's some details that are there.

Judges 4 · chapter mention

There's a judge that was leading before Deborah.

His name was Ehud.

He was a good judge.

And the reason why I say his name correctly is because a prayer request of mine that I have prayed since I was eight years old, I discovered that it came to pass.

I prayed to God for so many years.

Please, God, please, God, I want to be chosen.

I'm always on the outside.

Please, God, make me a Jew.

And I found out that I am 1% Jew.

I am Jew-ish.

So, shalom, Gentiles.

Today we're talking about my great, great, great, great auntie, Deborah.

Okay?

So Ichud was a good judge and he led God's people well.

But when he died, he kicked the bucket.

The people of God, they ran amok.

They were turning up and going crazy.

Well, during that time that of chaos, the king, uh the king of Cana came and oppressed the children of Israel.

They were led by an army captain, and his name is Sisera.

And not only is Sisera leading the largest known army during this time, he's also retrofitted his men and weaponry ready for battle.

And this is where we pick up in verse 3.

Because he, Sisera, had 900 chariots fitted with iron and had cruelly oppressed the Israelites for 20 years, they cried to the Lord for help.

Who is Sisera?

Ooh, Sisera was evil.

He was a human trafficker, he would rape and pillage and abuse the lands that he would conquer.

He we get a glimpse of his evilness in chapter five.

But there's a detail that I don't want us to miss.

If you brought your own Bible, go ahead and circle 900 chariots.

If you didn't bring your Bible, but you are sitting next to someone who did bring their Bible.

I believe in biblical graffiti because I'm from East LA, okay?

So circle it for them and remind them 900 chariots.

Now, why did the Bible include this detail?

People are always like, wow, Bianca, you're so dramatic.

I'm not dramatic.

The Bible's dramatic.

And if you think the Bible's boring, you're boring, boo-boo, okay?

It's how you read it.

I've shared this so many times before, but I believe that Texas is gonna understand me.

I was raised by a God-fearing, amazing woman of God.

I would go to my grandmother's house and I would get educated on real love.

In fact, how I understand the interpretation of the Bible is because I would sit there with my grandmother at night and we would watch her shows, soap operas.

But when I say soap operas, you're thinking of Young of the Restless, One Life to Live, General Hospital.

But this is my Puerto Rican grandma, so we watch novellas.

And so, just to let you know, if you watch a novella, it is next level crazy.

In your American soap operas, a scene would include a fair-skinned, blonde-haired woman with a spelt waist and thighs that definitely didn't touch.

She's gonna look at her forlorn lover and say, But John, I don't understand.

Please don't leave me.

And in a novella, a com a woman flies in with backcombed hair, 10 pounds of makeup, eyelashes so big that when she blinks, you feel it through the screen, and she screams, Juanito, no sepa me, I'm gonna.

Then somebody runs in, shoots Juanito, you find out that Juanito's her secret baby daddy, and you're like, oh my gosh! That's how I read my Bible.

So there's 900 chariots.

And to add to the drama in 1 Samuel chapter 13, verses 9 through 11, it tells us the Philistines overtook the children of Israel.

1 Samuel 13:9–11

They killed the blacksmith, they jacked all the iron, meaning they had no weapon.

And I want to back that up because in Judges chapter 5, verse 8, scripture includes that there was no shield, there was no sword.

Judges 5:8

This is drama.

But I don't want to make this feel far away.

Because though this text was written in antiquity, it speaks to us in modernity because maybe today you can empathize with that same pressure.

Jesus, I am oppressed, oppressed, depressed.

I'm tired, I'm sick, I'm broke, I'm alone, I'm frustrated, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired.

I feel like there is an army against me, and I have nothing to fight back with.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, Call to me and I will answer you.

Jeremiah 33:3

And he does.

The end of that verse that we just read, it said that they cried to the Lord for help.

In verse 4, we read that Deborah is leading God's people.

You know what's awesome to note?

She didn't campaign for this position.

She didn't say, Deborah for judge, vote for me.

No, it was God who appointed her.

And how do we know that it was God who appointed the judges?

In Judges chapter 2, we are specifically told that God was the one who appointed the judges.

Judges 2 · chapter mention

Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, the Lord was with the judge.

And as the Lord was raising up judges and leaders then, he's raising up leaders today.

God is beckoning you and calling you to lead and reminding you today you are not too old, you are not too young, you are not too light, you are not too dark, you are not too poor, you are not too rich, you are not too tall, you are not too short, you are mine, and I have chosen you.

Will you step into what God is calling you to step into?

Because, child of God, you're called, so act like it.

Look at verse six.

She sent to Barak, son of Abinoam from Kadesh and Neftali and said to him, The Lord, the God of Israel, commands you.

She's telling him what to do.

Go take with you 10,000 men of Nephtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabar.

I will lead Siserah, the commander of Jaban's army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.

Now, pause for the cause, because theologians believe that Barack was one of the mightiest warriors in all of Hebrew history.

He was so good at his job that he actually finds himself in the Hebrew Hall of Faith as one person who was so good at what they did.

But there's something that's interesting here, and we're going to discover that Barak wanted Deborah to go with him.

When Deborah has this conversation with Barack, this is the opposite of shaming or nagging.

Deborah is encouraging him.

I have a word from God for you.

You're supposed to go, and the Lord will deliver Sisera into your hands.

My goal today is simply to be Deborah, to tell you, go today.

The Lord will fight for you.

Now, there's a difference between calling out and calling up.

In our society, we love to call people out.

We love to cancel people.

That is trash.

You know what we as the church of Christ is called to do?

We're called to call people up, raise up to the person that I know that you are, that God says that you are.

She wasn't shaming him, she was inviting him to rise.

She was flourishing in her leadership and so confident in what God had told her that she had that same confidence for Barack.

And I want to be very careful because sometimes when I hear people talk about Deborah, it gets me angry.

Like they they kind of demonize Barack and shame him for not doing what God has called him to do.

But how many of us walk around not obeying God when he clearly tells you to go do something?

It's so easy to look at scripture and say, I can't believe Barack didn't do that.

What are you not doing that God has called you very clearly to do?

You know what?

Some credit to Barack.

He is outnumbered four to one.

And these characters are not far from us today.

There are men in this room who know that God has called them to take control of their family.

There's men in this room who are called to go to the missions field.

There's men in this room that are called to invest and help other people invest their finances.

There are men in this room who are gonna are called to do certain things, and there's women in these rooms that are called to step into boardrooms or adopt that child.

There's women in this room that are called to start that business, and yet out of fear, out of timidity, out of cowardice, we don't think it's for us.

And here we see this beautiful working relationship between a powerful woman and a strong man, a level of grace and truth, a reciprocity, a mutual respect.

She's speaking truth in love.

Look at verse 8.

Barak said to her, if you go with me, I'll go.

But if you don't go with me, I won't go.

Certainly I will go with you, said Deborah, but because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the Lord will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.

So Deborah went with Barack to Kadesh.

Now, if we stop here, it's safe to assume that Deborah is talking about Deborah.

Because Deborah is the type of woman, like she is bad.

In my mind's eye, she works in a corporate 100 job, she's sitting in this C-suite, she has power suits and goes on power walks and has power lunches and makes PowerPoint presentations.

I mean, and yet God is gonna show off using the most unlikely candidates.

Why?

Because God wants to be shown strong for those whose hearts are loyal to Him.

You are called, He'll make up the rest.

And some theologians, let me just pause on this for a second.

Some theologians believe that God used a woman because no one else was available.

Personally, I find it really fascinating when people have that aspect.

So wait, wait, just so we're clear, are you saying that the God who created the universe, that the God who caused the sun to rise and the moon to dip, the God who caused the sea to crash up gently against the sand of the shore, the God who led the children of Israel out of 400 years of oppressive slavery, the God who provided manna and quail for them, the God who provided water from a rock, that God couldn't provide one man for 20 years.

Just so we're clear, just so I understand, what I am going to safely assume is that God does not care about your gender, he cares about your willingness and your desire to serve him.

In this passage, there are a couple things I want us to hold on to with some practical handles, because it's one thing to be like, I'm called, now what do I do?

So using the life of Deborah and Barack, I want to pull out some truths.

If you're the note taker, I want you to jot down this.

Called people speak grace and truth.

Called people speak grace and truth.

Now, in these scriptures, we see the indecision of Barack.

Oh no, if you go with me, I'll go, but if you don't, and it's contrasted with the confidence of Deborah.

She reminds him very clearly, God has called you, now go to battle.

But because of his fear, the victory is not gonna go to him, but to a woman.

Now, Deborah got a word for Barack and spoke it.

And he was hesitant.

This was the prime moment for him for her to berate him, to make fun of him, to call him, you know, like, what are you a was?

God has already spoken.

But she doesn't.

She speaks the truth in love.

Side note from a woman, two women in this room.

Be careful with how you speak to men.

Their ego is fragile.

They have good hearts, but you have to be careful.

And I'm not just speaking about spouses, how you speak to your coworkers, how you speak to your sons, how you speak to your cousins, how you speak to your father.

We have to be very careful with our language because scripture is very clear clear that we have the power to cause life or to bring death, to tear up or to build, to build up or to tear down.

Rick and Rick Remix.

We have that and the power of our tongue.

I want us as women to lead the charge within the church, to be kind and strong, to speak the truth, but in love.

I want to focus on, I got one amen from the Pentecostal over there.

I appreciate you, sis.

Thank you.

I want to focus for a second on Deborah's leadership.

She was the kind of leader that inspired confidence in those that were around her, inspired their confidence to fulfill the destiny that the Lord had set before them.

But Rock needed more than an inspiring speech.

He needed to know that someone was gonna have his back.

In some sense, he was borrowing hope from Deborah.

That's the kind of leader I want to be.

That's the kind of pastor I want to be.

That's the kind of wife I want to be.

I want to look at people who the world has turned aside and say, God has called you.

Now let's look at the list of people who God has used to prove to you that you're called.

Now it's one thing to say, God be with you, but it's an entirely other thing to say, I'm gonna stand with you until we see the goodness of God in the land of the living.

And this church, what I know about this church is that we're not just gonna run our mouth because talk is cheap.

We're gonna show up, we're gonna war for people, we're gonna pray for people, we're gonna believe in people.

And that's point number two.

Called people, trust in something bigger than themselves.

Deborah had that kind of confidence in God.

She gladly agreed to go to battle with Barack.

When I get to heaven, I want to know like, was she on a hill and like praying in the spirit?

Or was she down with like a sword and a shield or a spear?

I mean, what where was she?

Because in my mind's eye, like, she's a prophet and she's a judge, but she is out there thug life.

Like she's got brass knuckles, like out with the Canaanites.

I don't know, maybe that's just me.

Okay, all right.

In verses 10 through 13, though, of Barak, we read, rounds up his troops, and Deborah goes with him, and and and and Sisera rounds up his 40,000 troops, and and they're about to face off.

And we pick this up in verse 14.

Then Deborah said to Barak, go.

This is the day the Lord has given Sisera into your hands.

Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?

Rhetorical question.

Rhetorical question.

So Barak went down Mount Tabar with his 10,000 men following him.

At Barak's advance, the Lord routed Sisera and all his chariots and army by the sword, and Sisera got down from his chariot and fled on foot like a little baby.

Barak pursued the chariots and army as far as Harashesh Hagioim, and all Sisera's troops fell by the sword.

Not a man was left.

Sisera, meanwhile, fled on foot to the tent of Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.

Just as God promised, God did.

And I believe that when God gives us a promise, nothing can thwart it.

There is not a man on earth or a demon in hell that can stop the plan of God for your life.

So when God says victory is ours, victory is ours.

We don't have to walk around oppressed by our enemy.

Pick your head up, child to God.

You're called, you're anointed, you're chosen.

Now step into what God has called you to do.

You don't have to live oppressed by your enemies.

We can have authority over the things that have had authority over us.

The greatest enemy we have is Satan, and he is called the father of lies.

I told this to the women, but it bears repeating.

Satan's tactic is to remind you what you're not, to keep you from knowing who God says that you are.

Satan knows your sin, and he got.

I did it again.

Picky, pick it, remix.

See, Satan knows your name, and yet he chooses to call you by your sin.

It is God who knows your sin intimately and still calls you by your name.

You're a child of God.

So wherever you are, whatever arena that you're in, whatever office or cubicle that you were in, remember, you are called.

Let me prove it to you.

Look at verse 18.

Gile went out to meet Sisera and said to him, Come, my Lord, come right in.

Don't be afraid.

In my mind's eye, in the BIV, the Bianca International version, she's from the South.

Because she has that spirit of hospitality.

She said, Oh, sure.

Come on in, my Lord.

Come right in.

Don't be afraid.

You got whooped.

Bless your heart.

Because we all know, bless your heart means you sure are stupid.

Mm-hmm.

And he says, I'm thirsty in verse 19.

Please give me some water.

She opened up a skin of milk, gave him a drink, and covered him up.

Stand in the doorway of the tent, he told her.

If someone comes by and asks you, is anyone there?

You say, No.

Ly, dirty dog.

Look at verse 21.

But Jael, Hebrew's wife, picked up a tent peg and a hammer and went quietly to him while he lay fast asleep, exhausted.

See, I told you she was southern.

She got that hood in her.

She drove the peg through his temple into the ground and he died.

Look at verse 22.

Come, she said, I will show you the man you're looking for.

So he went in with her, and there laid Sisera with a tent peg through his temple, dead.

She looked at Barack and said, nailed it!

Ha ha.

I don't know, I don't know.

I think.

See, Sisera made the fatal mistake of telling Jael to lie for him.

She's not a fool.

She's not a fool.

The Bible is not explicit as to why Jael killed Sisera, but as I'm taking a look at the text, I want us to creatively fill in the blank.

I don't want us to make stuff up.

This is assumption.

But she's seeing Sisera and his troops all go this way, and she knows there's a battle brewing, and she sees one homeboy run this way, and then when he gets to the door, she says, he tells her, lie from me.

Now, she knows the children of Israel are blessed.

I don't got time to get into this, but basically her husband's cousin was like part Jewish.

It's a whole thing.

They're Southern, I told you.

Okay.

And I put myself in her shoes.

If you know me, I love to throw parties.

I have I have a love for hospitality.

And what I will say is if you come to my door and you're a child of God, I will open the door, I will feed you food.

No matter what is in my refrigerator, I'll whoop you up a wonderful meal to the glory of God.

But if there is somebody that's coming to my door and has threatened my people, I love Jesus, but I will cut you, okay?

Because you can take the girl out the ghetto, but you can't take the ghetto out the girl.

This is what is going on here.

Sisera messed with the wrong chick.

So just so we're all pacing, the commander of the largest army in that region was not taken down by a prophetic judge.

The commander of the largest army in this region was not taken down by a military soldier.

The commander of the largest army was taken down by a stay-at-home mom.

Which is point number three, call people look different.

Who were the leaders in this passage?

All of them, because they led in what God called them to lead, in God called them to do.

See, Deborah gave a word to go to battle.

Barack was the one who went to battle, and Jael, she finished the battle.

And all the characters brought glory to God.

In the words of my daddy, whether you work in the White House or the warehouse, God has a plan for you.

And I say that to you, not as some corporate CEO or millionaire philanthropist.

I still view myself on rare occasion as that little brown girl from the hood of East LA, born to immigrant parents, illiterate to the age of 12, morbidly obese, struggling to read or write or spell.

Statisticians would have put me in the highest category of failure.

My dad and mom were in ministry, which basically meant we were so poor, we were just Poe.

We couldn't afford the OR.

Like it was it was rough.

We shopped in thrift stores and bargain bins before it was cool.

Like I had to suffer going through that.

But I came to a point in my life where I had to choose to believe in the promises of God.

I had to choose to believe that God had called me to big, important, and powerful things, whether that is raising my two stepkids or opening up and preaching the gospel at Gateway.

I'm leading a church and I have to be reminded that I'm called no matter my circumstance.

And what Deborah did for me, I want to do for you.

Has not God told you that his presence has gone before you?

Has God not told you to be strong and courageous and that the battle will be his?

There are businesses to be started, there's children to be adopted, there's medical cures to be discovered, there's churches to build, so I want to, I have to, I get to tell you and yell at you with love.

You are called.

So act like it, which is the last point.

Called people must be willing.

You're called.

Are you willing to step into what God has for you?

As we close out our teaching, I want you to take a look at Judges chapter 5, verses 2 and 9, and I want you to circle the words that appear in both of these verses.

Judges 5:2

When the princes of Israel take the lead, when the people willingly offer themselves, praise the Lord.

My heart is with Israel's princes, with the willing volunteers among the people, praise the Lord.

Are you willing?

Are you willing to let the Holy Spirit speak to you wherever you are and have the willingness to step into what He's called you to?

Do me a favor, Church.

Will you bow your head?

Will you close your eyes?

Why do we do this?

It's simply because there's so many distractions in life, and sometimes we just need to close our eyes to focus.

I believe that the Spirit of God spoke to Deborah, and I believe that the Spirit of God can speak to you.

After a message like this, as simple as it was.

I pray that this reminder unlocks a part of maybe your calloused heart, your unbelieving heart, your wounded heart, your broken heart, your orphaned heart, and let the Spirit of God speak to you in here now.

What is God asking you to step into?

And for those who are maybe here for the first time or listening online and joining in all of our different campuses in the United States and around the globe, maybe this is the first time that you're hearing about a God who rescues, loves, and saves, a God who has called and destined us and fashioned us with purpose.

If you're here today and you've never said yes to Jesus at any of the campuses, on podcasts, on YouTube, on demand, or live, I'm gonna give an invitation for salvation, and we don't have a whole lot of time, so you gotta respond fast.

Well, if you have never said yes to Jesus, I'm inviting you today, friend, to make the best decision of your life.

If you're here today and you've never heard the gospel message of a man named Jesus who loved you so much, he died a gruesome death on a cross on Calvary, but he loved you so much and had the power to not only die on a cross but resurrect from a grave to forgive you of your sins and promise you new life.

If you've never heard about this man named Jesus and want to receive him as your Lord and Savior, today is the day of salvation.

Or maybe at one point you were walking with God, but you've turned your back on God.

Today is the day to come back.

If that is you, I'm gonna count to three, and you're gonna boldly raise up your hand every location online.

One, by raising your hand, you're saying, I want Jesus as my Lord and Savior.

Two, by raising your hand, you're saying that my mistakes, my failures, what the Bible refers to as sin could be forgiven in three.

The same spirit that resurrected Jesus from the grave will live in me if that is you.

One, two, three.

Will you raise up your hand?

God bless you, God bless you, God bless you.

All of our campuses, there's someone who can see your hands.

We are praying.

Spirit of the living God, I pray for every single person who is making this decision.

As they make this decision, and campus pastors walk them through this choice decision.

I pray that you bless them.

Remind them, God, that they are called, they're anointed, they're chosen.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Thanks for joining us today.

If you'd like to connect with us, text Connect to 71010 or visit gatewaypeople.com.

We hope you have a great week.