Your Purpose vs Your Calling

God has designed you for a specific purpose

Scriptures:

• Ephesians 4:1
• Ephesians 2:10
• Matthew 28:19-20
• Matthew 24:14

Introduction

Would it surprise you to know that there are 151,000 books on Amazon about finding your purpose in life?

Rick Warren’s "The Purpose Driven Life" has sold more than 50 million copies worldwide. It is one of the best-selling nonfiction books in history and has been translated into 137 languages

People are looking for purpose

Ephesians 4:1

As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

What’s the difference between a calling and a purpose?

• A calling requires a “caller”

Outline:

• Introduction
• What is Purpose/Calling?
• Confirmation About Your Calling
• Questions
• This Series
• My Calling Testimony

Theory of Evolution

Who here is a descendant of a monkey?

One of the most harmful beliefs that has been accepted by our culture is The theory of evolution

The theory of evolution states that the universe was initially created by a Big Bang

•  scientist have no idea what caused it

Miracles

• Matter from non-matter
• Energy and heat existed before the big bang

The reason it’s so harmful is because the theory of evolution says that there is no creator

When you get rid of the creator you get rid of design

When you get rid of design you get rid of the purpose of the design

And when you get rid of purpose you get rid of accountability to that purpose

Predestined For Good Work

What does the word “angel” mean?

• messenger

Angels are beings in spirit bodies that are known as messengers of God.   Each angel has a mission or an assignment on earth, but their home is in the spirit realm.  

There are a different group of souls that God trusted enough that He put them into flesh bodies and gave them assignments to achieve inside of the earthly realm.   Those souls are you and I...and we each have a mission.

Your birth is the result of something God wanted to do in your lifetime

Ephesians 2:10

10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

The Manufacturer

Where the purpose is not known… Abuse is inevitable

It is possible to do something good… That is wrong for you

if you want to know the purpose of a thing… Never ask the thing

Science can tell you what…but not why

purpose is only found in the mind of the creator of the thing

Only the maker of a thing knows its true purpose… Everyone else is guessing

Example: Chinese Takeout Box

https://youtu.be/WBmyRFs5-3Y?si=QbacuW8ussRuobs5

• Created by an American
• Fredrick Weeks Wilcox 1894
• Paper pail

Analogy: Car Manual

How many of you have read the manual that came with your car?

How many of you have read the manual for your soul?

• The Bible

Read The manual

• The manufacturer knows your parts… Body, soul, spirit
• He tells you what each part can do and how to maximize its performance
• If you follow the manufacturers instructions, you get the optimal use out of it
• There are warnings in the manual
• he has a manufactures guarantees if I maintain it the way he says to do it
• he will cancel the warranty if you violate the manufactures instructions

if you take the equipment to anyone except the manufacturer… You have taken it to an unauthorized dealer

• An unauthorized dealer does not have genuine parts

The world is an unauthorized dealer

1. Manufacturers finish before they begin
2. Purpose exist before product
3. Products are produced for a purpose
4. Your end was established before your beginning
5. your conception is proof that there something finished that you were born to start

–Myles Munroe

What is Purpose/Calling?

Purpose is the reason for the creation of a thing

A calling implies that there was a caller

The Universal Christian Callings

klḗsis (from 2564 /kaléō, "to call, summon") – calling; used of God inviting all people to receive His gift of salvation – with all His blessings that go with it

When used theologically, the word “call/calling” is almost exclusively used in terms of election unto salvation, not to authenticate a spiritual nudge we may have toward a particular ministry or vocation.

The Greek word klesis (“called”), is a rich term that showcases God’s unswerving delight, unconditional love, and unyielding power to forgive.

–Preston Sprinkle

Christians are called to: 

• glorify God
• serve others
• Make disciples

Matthew 28:19-20

19[g]Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20teaching them to [h]follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you [i]always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 24:14

 “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.

The Secondary Calling: To a Specific Purpose

From a Christian perspective, a "calling" is not simply a job or a career, but a divinely inspired purpose for one's life. It encompasses all aspects of existence and is fundamentally rooted in a relationship with God.

–ChatGPT

A calling is God‘s invitation for your participation and the reason for your creation

–Darius Daniels

Some key aspects of this secondary calling include:

• Serving God in the World: A calling can manifest in any profession or role, from a pastor to a parent, a teacher, a carpenter, or a public servant. The purpose is to use one's unique gifts, talents, and abilities to serve others and glorify God (1 Corinthians 7:17).
• A Sense of Purpose: A calling gives a deep sense of meaning and significance to one's work and life. It is the intersection of one's "deep gladness" and the "world's deep hunger," as theologian Frederick Buechner put it.
• Beyond a Career: A calling is not limited to paid employment. It can include roles in the home, church, or community. For example, a person may be called to be a spouse, a parent, or a faithful friend, and these are just as valid and important as a career-based calling.

Biblical Examples of a Calling

The Bible is full of examples of people who were called by God, each for a unique purpose:

• Moses: Called from tending sheep to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 3:10).
• The Disciples: Ordinary fishermen like Peter and Andrew were called to leave their nets and become "fishers of men" (Mark 1:17).
• Paul: A persecutor of Christians who was dramatically called by Jesus to be an apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15).
• Bezalel: A craftsman called by God and filled with the Holy Spirit to construct the tabernacle (Exodus 31:1-6).

In essence, for a Christian, having a calling means understanding that your life has a purpose ordained by God. It begins with the call to salvation and continues as a lifelong journey of discovering and living out the specific ways He has designed you to serve Him and others. It's about recognizing that God has a plan for you, and your response is to live a life of obedience and faithfulness to that plan.

–Gemini

Why vs How

Both mean that there is something in your life that you are supposed to be doing

While often used interchangeably, purpose and calling have distinct meanings, especially within a spiritual or philosophical context. The key differences lie in their scope and specificity.

Purpose is often described as the "why"—the fundamental reason something exists. It's the destination or the end goal.

Calling, on the other hand, is the "how"—the specific, unique way a person lives out their purpose. It's the individual path, vocation, or role that is tailored to their particular skills, passions, and circumstances. While a person's purpose is static, their calling can change throughout different seasons of life. It's the unique journey each person takes to reach the shared destination of their purpose.

We can fulfill our purpose through

• our job
• a volunteer role
• a ministry
• a social responsibility

Calling vs Purpose

• Role: Purpose is the destination; calling is the unique road you take to get there.
• Nature: Purpose is the "why" you exist; calling is the "how" you live out that why.
• Changeability: Your purpose is often considered unchangeable, while your calling can evolve throughout your life.

Disclaimer: We may you the terms interchangeably throughout the series

Confirmation About Your Calling

Your calling is never beyond question. You can't claim it to others the way you quote Scripture to them.  Nevertheless our calling can be profoundly and durably sure in our own heart. It is the work of God to bring our heart to a point of conviction that all things considered this path is the path of obedience. The conviction is not infallible.

Know that your purpose is for the benefit of other people

- it's not to profit you it's to profit others

- if it only profits you it's not from God

- if it doesn't help others it's ambition not your calling

how certain you are that something is your calling is directly related to how clearly you hear from God

Community

We often use the term that someone has been “called to preach“.

The biblical criteria for being qualified for ministry, for instance, is both a desire (1 Tim 3:1) and character traits that can be evaluated by one’s community (1 Tim 3:2-7).

So we can take our feelings to the body and see if they confirm what the Spirit is saying.

Peace

Will you always have peace when you decide to follow your calling?

Contrary to popular teaching…

You will not always have peace about your calling… especially initially

Some people get called a rock bottom, but…

You may be called to leave a comfortable situation

Example: Teddy Matthews

• Young black man who grew up in Maywood, Illinois
• Youth minister at City Point Community Church in Chicago
• felt a calling to serve his hometown of Maywood
• Wanted to help the community become what it was when he was growing up
• founded the Empowerment Academy, a nonprofit focused on youth empowerment, job readiness, and college preparation
• Became chaplain for the Chicago Bears
• Founded Empowerment Church, which originated from a Bible class
• Pastor
• After 8 years he finally saw his dreams coming into fruition

Felt God calling him to go work for his mentor Darius Daniels

He did not have peace about leaving the dream that he had been building for eight years that was just about to reach fruition

Wet Feet Faith

You may not get peace until you step into the river

Example: Layoff

• Layoff: don’t look for a job

Questions

What are some things that can prevent someone from walking in their purpose?

Do you know your calling/purpose?

What happens if you discover your calling after you get a spouse?

This Series

Some of the topics that we will cover in this series are:

1. What is a purpose?
2. How to determine your life purpose
3. Overcoming the obstacles that keep you from pursuing your purpose
4. Spiritual gifts
5. Unique Agitation: How your pet peeves relate to your calling
6. Being an image bearer of God
7. Using your scars to help someone else
8. Seasons
9. Dealing with suffering
10. Fasting

Bible stories

• Moses
• Nehemiah
• Esther
• Dates

My Calling Testimony

God called me to teach

Instructor: Michael Leadon

References:

Your Purpose Is Calling

Dr. Darius Daniels

The power of purpose part one part Dr. Myles Munroe

Monroe global

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE “CALLED?”

Preston Sprinkle