The Importance Of Knowing And Serving Your "CALLING" (Part 3): The 5 Needs for Calling to Thrive

So when God gives you a revelation of this, this is how your children

will be. This is how your son will grow up to be. This

is how who your daughter will be. I just be honest with you.

I don't have time for personal dreams because God has got too many dreams for

me already. And the reason why we fail in our calling is because we

go by our own strength, we go by our own wisdom. We go

to a seminar and we think we know it all. No, it's the

spirit of God that enables us. We are called to be Christians, Praise

the Lord. That's why we're here, called to be children of God.

What and how have you lived there? Some of us are married, we're

called to be husbands wives. How have we lived that? Some of us

have children, We're called to be dead and moms. How have we become

dead and moms to our children? Some of us are blessed to be bosses?

How good have we been bosses to our staff and to the people that

God has brought into our care? Servers have called to be leaders? How

well have we led? I want to bring you through five needs for calling

to thrive. Five needs that you must have that you must consider for calling

to thrive in your life. Number One, Calling needs concentration. Calling needs

concentration. You know, we are very destructed people. There was an old

writer who wrote something and I saw it, and it's a quote, and

I think he made so much sense. He said, the goal of the

devil is to create so much noise on the earth that you will find it

hard to hear the voice of God. Don't you love that? It's so

true. He doesn't even have to get you to not believe God. Say

that Jesus didn't come to die on the cross. He doesn't because you know,

a lot of these things that the devil does or says, we won't

believe it anyway. But it's not about those big ticket things. Jesus is

not Lord. He didn't die on the cross. Those are big tickets.

He just needs to create so much noise, so much noise, so the

not just so the devil send his demons. Demons don't need to do anything

else. Don't don't even spoil that the theology, because some of these Christians

are so strong in the theology, so strong in the doctrine, they would

definitely will rebuke you when you say Jesus christ is not long. They will

rebuke you. And you don't want to be rebuke in Jesus name, because

you would definitely be rebuked and you'll definitely be cast out. No, just

go around, take some pots and pants, plan playing back. You just

go around those Christians and you just oh, oh you iPhone. Sorry,

I didn't want to go into that black black lin. You know what iPhones

every year change and if you are the time that race after chase after this

kind of things are blaglag right COVID ninety Louday louday because the Christians are not

distracted yet distract them, you know, selle, you know the four letter

word seale one sale after the other. Yeah, after you got sale fifty

percent there you got best buys right, and then you know you got children

okay, then one child client, two children, three girls. The whole

house is now tops TV right now you are games, you know new games

PS right now? Five six coming. No, I'm telling you I can

I prophesy, Can I prophesy? Can I prophesy? PS? Six?

And the Christians chess create enough noise so they can't hear God's voice Proverbs Training

ninet eighteen. Oh I don't know how much time I'm going to spend on

this, but this is so important now. I pray God help me because

I don't want to over well, you know, over spend my time on

this. But this is I'm so lately especially, I'm so convinced about this

scripture. Where there is no revelation or vision, people cast off, restrain

or people perish. But happy is he who keeps the law. And this

is what I'm talking about. When you have a calling in your life,

you're focused, you're concentrated, and so there's a reason why you say I

will do something and I will not do something. And when you say I

will not do something, it's because of vision. Because I see that my

son or my daughter when he or she goes to another person's house, they

will behave They will know what to do, they will know what's right.

I have a vision for my child. And because I have a vision,

that's why a lot of people say no this modern their parenthood is to let

the child do anything they want. I want to tell you again, if

you let your child do anything they want, you have no vision for your

child. A parent and a leader that has vision will always exercise restraint.

But when your company and when your family has a vision, you will always

exercise restraint. And the beautiful thing is when you say no to something you

know is because you want to achieve that vision. Everybody, Okay, do

you therefore have a clear and compelling vision? I put that dot dot dot

because for your life, for your health, for your children, for your

church, for your cell group, for your company, it must be clear

and it must be compelling. Number Two, commitment. Calling needs not just

concentration focused my commitment. That's that's where we come back to efficients for or

one to three. I therefore, the Prisoner of the Lord beseech you to

walk worthy of the calling with which you were called prisoner of the Lord.

I want to revisit this again. You're so committed, right that you are,

You're going to have to say to yourself, you know, I can't

just do anything I want. I'm committed as a leader is what I do.

This is what I don't do. I'm a prisoner. I don't do

my will. You know, guys, I've been praying for years. I

said, God, you don't have to give me any dreams. I don't

need any dreams. And so how you're go what what do you mean?

I said, because God has got dreams for me, and you know,

God's dreams are enough for a lifetime, so I hardly ever have any dreams.

I confess to you. People call me a dreamer, and people call

me one who continue his dream Oh got it Sunday you got a football academena

suddenly, or clinic Sunday you got a linette's a suicide prevention er, and

then suddenly got check, you got the community la and no never ending.

But I'm telling you right now, not one of them will my own personal

dreams. I just be honest with you. I don't have time for personal

dreams because God has got too many dreams for me already. So a prisoner,

the next Slight says is one who's chained. Are you chained to the

Lord, chain to his vision, his dreams, his desires? Are you

rooted? Are you saying, not my will but yours be done? Or

are you saying, not your will but mine be done? What is your

anthem in life? A la lujah? I'm excited to serve the Lord.

I am, and I'm talking when I say this. Some of you my

thing. Oh he's very arrogant, but I want to tell you in all

humility, that's been my life for the last at least fifteen years, when

I caught a glimpse that God's dreams are bigger than mine, and I only

have time for his dreams. But you know, when you fulfill his dreams,

he will also fulfill yours. So surrender your dreams to the Lord.

You know, talking about routing. A lot of Christians woul understand the power

of rooting and being rooted, and therefore we always move in our feet anyway

we want to. But you know, a tree, you don't see it

running across the field. Love, Christians are trees with legs, you know

what I'm saying. But you know why trees grow and trees bear fruit,

not because they are running from one church to another church. No matter what

happens they route. They say, Finally, even though it's not a perfect

church, I choose to root. I change myself as a prisoner of the

Lord, because the promise in the next scripture says, those who are planted

in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the cause of the Lord of

God, of our God. They shall still bear fruit in all age.

Oh I'm hearing those with a little bit more age to your number and number

to your age, saying amen, praise God, because of course we want

that. You know, when I went around starting churches in the early days,

all young people, campus students, young people from the schools caught the

community is so different. Someone else laughs at the back there, cause the

commune is very, very different because we have older youth. And my wife

looked at me and said, hey, what's God try to tell us.

God is trying to tell us to revive the older ones, you know,

because you're not done yet and God is not done with you. There is

a promise for the old. Huh. The Bible is not political correct an

see, uh, they shall still bear fruit in older age. All is

older, but there's a promise for the oil. You bear fruit though,

they shall be fresh. Oh do you know it's very hard to get fresh

things these days. This is the promise of God, you will be fresh.

So how you could be tired today and like, oh, you know

I need a holiday, right, But the Bible doesn't say a holiday.

It says plant yourself in the house of the You know why so many Christians

these days are very tired after holidays because it's not the holidays only, it's

the planting of yourself in the house of God. And these are not the

words of your pastor Kennochine. These are the words of God. I want

to bear food with my old age, and the answer is to be planted,

be rooted, be a prisoner of the Lord. Can or not?

Character calling means character. I therefore, the prison of the Lord. Beseech

you. Besiech means what I ask beg with urgency fervency, I beg you

to walk worthy, balancing the scales of the calling with which you will call,

with all loneliness and gentleness, with long suffering, bearing with one another

in love, and daring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond

of peace. You know what what worthy means. If you don't know that,

I explain to you there in red. It just means balancing the scales,

meaning like this, meaning like this are God has already given you a

calling. Let's let's say this is my right my left hand, and God

has given you this calling. The calling is from God. The calling doesn't

minimize, maximize, The calling doesn't have h one like, for example,

oh this baby calling. Anyone here got a baby calling. You're waiting for

your calling to grow up. No, a calling is mature, completely intact

when it came from God. So if the calling is like this, this

high, you are called to be a pastor. You are called to preach

the gospel. The calling is high, and so what the Word of God

is telling us to do is to walk worthy of that calling means rise to

your calling. The calling will never be a baby calling. You will be

a baby Christian, but the calling will never be So when you receive from

the Lord, it is a full intac calling and you are to discover your

calling. You are to grow into your calling and one day match up to

your calling. And what matches up to your calling is character, character,

because the Bible says what worthy means. Balancing the scales means ah, if

that if this was a scale and that was high, I've got to make

sure that I come up to level with my calling and so that the day

will come when it's balanced. I've got to measure up and match up to

my calling, which is my character. A pastor asked me recently because he

said, wow, pass a Kendeth. It seems that you are commissioned pastors

in ex church quite like, you know, we've never seen him before.

And this person said, in our church, we have to go to Bible

school. That are a lot of stuff. So I had to explain to

this pastor. I said, a pastor, I want to explain to you.

What God told me is to commission leaders in this church who are ready.

And then he said, yeah, but pass acadeth. Uh, that's

going to Bible school for three four five years is part of being ready.

I say, yes, I agree. I'm not arguing with you, but

can I tell you this? And this was the sentence I want you to

hear, I say, pastor. This was in Penang, say pastor,

I've seen more leaders fall not because of the lack of knowledge of scripture,

because scripture you will continue to learn for the rest of your life. I've

seen them fall because of the lack of character. And so in this church

in Acts, I told the pastor in Penang, we look out for people's

character first, because learning the scriptures is a lifetime and if you think that

you can do it in three years of seminary, you must be kidding.

And yet we base our calling based on three years of seminary. And the

real test is character. The real test has always been character, and you

need the character to measure up to your calling because too many people have fallen,

not because of knowledge or lack of it. It's always been because of

integrity. You know, honesty, humility. Are you with me? Character?

So your character or the right form will support your calling for the long

haul. That's what the next slight says, your character or having the right

form will support your calling for the long haul. Number four Comforter, Oh,

I don't think I need to preach too hard. Comforter means the Holy

Spirit. And the reason why we fail in our calling is because we go

by our own strength, we go by our own wisdom, We go to

a seminar and we think we know it all. No, it is the

spirit of God that enables us. Zechariah for six. So he answered and

said to me, this is the word of the Lord to zero. Bebel

not by my nor by power, but by my spirit. Somebody say,

amen, you and I are going to measure up to our calling. Not

because we are so smart or so strong. No, we need the whole

Spirit. And so I call all of you draw closer to the Holy Spirit.

Want more of him, speak more in tongues. Really, if you

have the gift of tongues, pray more in tongues. Why are you so

quiet? You know, pray more in tongues. In fact, maybe set

yourself a goal five minutes a day praying tongues. You know, I'm trying

to set ten minutes, you know, in my prayer time or raba kashanda,

because I get edified. You know, I'm aware of the Holy Spirit

and he's he's aware that I need him. Next next scripture says, but

the Helper John fourteen twenty six, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will

send in my name, He will teach you all things. Wow, how

good is that? Is there anything you need to know today? How you

should live your life, how you should be a better husband, how should

be a better wife, how should be a better parent, How you should

be a better son and daughter to your parents. He will teach you all

things and bring to your remembrance all things that Jesus said to us. The

Helper will do that every Okay. And that's that's the reason why I think

a big reason why people don't measure up to their calling, it's because they

don't have the help of the Holy Spirit. They don't even depend on him.

We want to depend on the Lord more and more on the Holy Spirit.

Somebody say amen, And this is the easiest of all five and yet

the hardest. Easiest and yet the hardest. Why because you can be called,

but until you choose the calling, even if it's from my Angela,

even if he came down from heaven. Stand in front of you, Oh,

Michael, oh Gabriel, and this is what the Lord has called you

to be to do. It's still a choice, yes or no. And

God wants us to make a choice. That's why Matthew twenty two, verse

fourteen says, many a call, but few are chosen. I tell you

why. It's not because God chooses us or not many times, if not

all the time. We actually make the choice ourselves. You know, I

told this to some of my leaders once upon a timer, because through the

years, I think I've been an employer now for quite a few years.

I started being an employer at twenty five with my first staff, and now

we have thirty three staff in the church office and another close to sixty staff

for our school, et cetera, et cetera. So anyway, from seventy

to eighteen ninety staff and through the years, you know, people have come

in and gone out. I've recognized this, and some of you with employed

people, are you recognizing that people are Yeah, so let's call when they

first started the job. But they're calling. They were called into the job,

they had the offer letter, and then through the years, don't know

what happens. Some will do very well and some will not, and some

will actually be dragging their feet to work. And then you say, hey,

why are you so late that today? Yeah, I know, woke

up late, la, sorry la boss, sorry La. I won't do

it, agala. And then late another time, late another time? Why

are you still late? Uh? You know, my football team last nighter

lost, you know, or my football team last night wardler, you know,

and I was celebrating with my friends. Okay, okay, forgive you

know. And you know how hard it is a in normal companies, okay,

in church, very hard now, very hard to release somebody, you

know, very hard to even scold somebody from Monday to Friday. Abastad.

I don't know. I'm sure you understand this. A staff to scold the

staff and then to preach on Sunday. Let's start Jesus loves you very hard,

I tell you very hard. But the truth is a before you are

even given the letter of warning or finding the letter of releaser, you already

chose. Many of us already chose her to be released. We choose by

our action. We choose by our unwillingness to come early to work. We

choose by our attitude. We choose by us not being able to work with

our teammates, not being able to be a team worker, team player.

We choose, and people are nobody was a sack you. Nobody was.

But you know every day you're saying, choose me. I want to go,

I want to be late again. The word choose me, sack me?

You know? Come on, why haven't you sacked me yet? Choose

me? Hello? Can you can you see it? I'm totally uh.

You know I had no regards to your to your authority. Choose me?

Come on, why you haven't given me the first warning that they choose me?

I have tomorrow. I'll come relate again. Choose me? Do you

understand? Do you understand? So many God calls everyone, God calls all

of us. But you know, we choose every day by our attitude,

by our unwillingness, by our stubbornness. You're saying, choose me, God,

I dare you to choose me, choose me and take me out of

the equation. I don't think you do it because you're a good God.

You are a loving God, so you never sacked me. Choose me.

So many are called, but fear are chosen because we have already chosen to

not be included just by our actions. We hope you've been blessed by this

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week ahead for you. God bless