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

 

Finding Your Calling

How does the world's view of purpose differ from the Bible's?

[Watch the Video]

What is a Calling / Purpose?

Outline:

• Dealing with Suffering
• Searching for Meaning
• Misplaced Identity
• The World’s Solution
• Biblical View of Calling / Purpose
• It’s About God’s Purpose...Not Yours
• God does not call the prepared, He prepares the called
• I am what  I am because of I AM WHO I AM
• God’s calling on my life cannot be accomplished without Him
• Purpose in the Pain

Scriptures:

• Ecclesiastes 2: 3-8
• Ecclesiastes 2:15-17
• 2 Timothy 3: 1-5
• Romans 8:28
• Exodus 3:7-10
• Jeremiah 1:5
• Exodus 4: 1-5
• Exodus 4:10-15
• Exodus 33:14-15
• Luke 22:31-32

One of the main reasons people want to hear from God is to discover their:

• Calling
• Purpose in Life

 The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without purpose

– – Dr. Myles Munroe

Part 1 of 2

• What is a calling?
• Finding Your Calling

Dealing with Suffering

Example: car accident

• you’re stuck in traffic
• “There wasn’t even an accident!”

If people understand the reason for something it makes it more bearable

People don’t hate pain as much if it has a purpose

People will willingly go through pain if there is a reason

• Going to the gym
• running a marathon
• Childbirth

Losing Your Faith in God

Many people lose their faith when they suffer and don’t see a purpose

• Death of loved one
• Loss of job
• Fatal disease
• Global pandemic

How could a loving God allow this to happen?

• If I can’t think of a reason God can’t have one
• If God had a reason He would’ve told me

As Christians we believe

• God is in control
• God can use anything for good

Our Culture and Suffering

Our culture tells us our purpose is to enjoy life and avoid suffering and to do whatever makes you happy.  

Do whatever makes you happy

If you don’t believe in God there is a problem with meaning because the meaning you create for yourself will be too thin to handle suffering.

The secular culture makes you find your meaning in life based on something here which will be taken away by suffering

But if you are a secular person suffering will destroy your meaning in life.

Are we evolved to be happy?

According to evolution,  we are the result of ancestors that won the fight for survival and replication.

• We killed other stuff before it killed us

There are limitations to evolutionary psychology.  You are not evolved to be happy. You are evolved to survive and replicate.   Happiness and fulfillment is not part of that process.   

Religion

• Meaning is outside of this life

Almost every religion helps you locate your meaning of life outside of this life therefore the suffering can help you accomplish your meaning in life

Searching for Meaning

Ecclesiastes 2: 3-8

3I explored with my mind how to stimulate my body with wine while my mind was guiding me wisely, and how to take hold of folly, until I could see what good there is for the sons of men to do under heaven the few years of their lives. 4I enlarged my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; 5I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; 6I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. 7I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds larger than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. 8Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines.

• Solomon had all of the desires of the world
• Solomon had it all

Poem:

I was dying

• To get out of high school and get to college
• To get to finish college and start my career
• To get married and start a family
• For the kids to move out and go to college
• To retire now I’m just dying

Ecclesiastes 2:15-17

15Then I said to myself, “As is the fate of the fool, it will also befall me. Why then have I been extremely wise?” So I said to myself, “This too is vanity.” 16 For there is no lasting remembrance of the wise man as with the fool, inasmuch as in the coming days all will be forgotten. And how the wise man and the fool alike die! 17 So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind.

What’s the Point?

What is the point of it all?

The search for your calling generally comes when you are dissatisfied with your life

When you get to the point that you’re thinking...there has to be more to life than this.

Plateau

You achieved your goal, but it wasn’t rewarding

Scenario 1: Self Focused Victim

• Complain

If they’re not succeeding they know exactly why:

• They’re a woman in a patriarchal society
• They’re a black man in a white male dominated world
• They didn’t have a father
• They came from the wrong neighborhood
• They were raped as a child
• They’re overweight
• They’re not a good communicator
• They’re short
• They’re tall
• They’re too attractive
• They're not rich
• They had a child at a young age
• Men are dogs
• Women can’t be satisfied

He thinks that if he had it he would get the

• Security
• Connection
• Significance / status
• Love

What they look like

• They don’t know that you can control your emotions
• Have addictions or compulsions to cope with the world

When you suggest some action that they can take to fix it..

“ well you don’t understand my case is unique because I…“

“Life is not fair, so therefore it’s meaningless”

Scenario 2: Driven

They have all of the same issues, but they feel like they can do something to fix it

They know that

• They have to work twice as hard as a white man
• Get up 2 hours earlier and go to the gym
• Sleep 4 hours a day and get that degree
• First one into work and last one to leave
• Get an extra degree to catch up
• Make $100K more than everyone else

That means I have to:

• Sacrifice
• Work harder than everyone else

Can often achieve worldly success

• Manager at the company / CEO
• Valedictorian
• Top sales person
• Fit person posting gym selfies everyday  “if I can do it anyone can do it”
• Entrepreneur starting their second business after the first one failed
• Kid from the ghetto that went to the NBA / NFL

Example: Tim Lydon - got books to learn

• Programming
• Tennis
• Dating

Still Not Happy

Realized

• Climbed the ladder but it was leaning against the wrong building
• Celebrity who overdoses on drugs
• NFL players who always has run ins with the laws

They achieved that thing that was keeping them from being happy, but

… they’re still not happy

They used their drive to get

• Significance
• Security
• Admiration / respect of others
• Love

But they’re still empty and unfulfilled

Scenario 3:  White Picket Fence

Followed society’s blueprint

• Went to  school
• Got good grades
• Started a  family
• Had 2 1/2 kids

Live through Kids

• Kids on the honor roll
• Identity is in their kids sports

Live through work

• Coworker who has a family but works late every night when they don’t really need to

In a passionless relationship where they get their significance from what they do outside the relationship

Society tells them that they should be happy, so they silently wonder if there’s more to life

Scenario 4 : Self Aware

Fulfil their own need for:

• Significance
• Love
• Security

Able to give and receive love

Mindful

• Centered
• Grounded

They’ve been healed of most of their wounds from

• Childhood trauma
• Past relationships

They’ve discovered  their true selves.

They’ve discovered that true happiness comes from inside

Quote : Madonna

• Sad is the man whose happiness is dependent upon the permission of another
• You need to learn to water your spiritual garden

Others look at him and say that he’s found true happiness within himself

Misplaced Identity

Song: J Cole

The Bentley is dirty

My sneakers is dirty

But that's how I like it

Story: - dirty sneakers

• Comedian said Scared of black man with dirty sneakers

People base their identity in

• Your achievement
• Your title
• Your possessions (clothes, car, brands, neighborhood)
• School
• Company
• Opinions of others
• Kids achievement

That kind of identity makes you desperately seek for recognition from others.  

Story: Chinese Co-worker - suit at night

Religion

Most religions say you find your source of identity from something that is greater than you and is outside of you.

Having a purpose outside of yourself allows for a more fulfilling life

The World’s Solution

2 Timothy 3: 1-5

 1But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. 2For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, 4treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

• A form of godliness but denying its power

A Form of Godliness

Our current culture actually acknowledges the issue with identity as a problem.

Story: 3 workers breaking up rocks

1. I’m making little rocks out of big rocks
2. Making a living for my family
3. Building a cathedral

Work that aligns with your purpose and matters to you to make the world better

people want their work to give them a pathway for expressing their purpose in ways that makes the world better … a calling

survey

• 21% of people are searching for their calling as it applies to their career
• 31% said they are currently living a calling in their job right now

The religion of millennials is service

--Noel Jones

Passion vs Capability

Your Passion

What is your passion?

Everyone has driving forces that get them up in the morning and dictate their decisions and motivate our behavior.  

What would you do if you knew you were going to die in three months?

What would you do if fear was not a factor?

What would you do if money was not a factor?

Capability

Do what you’re good at

What makes us happy is the feeling of capability.

Economics says that a society functions best when everyone does what they’re best at

Biblical View of Calling / Purpose

God’s Calling

Romans 8:28

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

If you don’t know the purpose of something you will likely use it wrong

story: kid misusing something

You don’t see biblical examples of people going around looking for their calling.

It’s About God’s Purpose...Not Yours

Exodus 3:7-10

7 The LORD said, “I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

8 “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

9 “Now, behold, the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Evolution

• Without a creator there is no design
• Without design there is proof the purpose of the design
• Without purpose you get rid of accountability to that purpose

Jeremiah 1:5

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

God has a plan for you.

God does not call the prepared, he prepares the called

Exodus 4: 1-5

    1Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Moses had a passion for the Israelites

• He killed an Egyptian who was mistreating an Israelite

God is patient with me despite my lack of faith

• Strong faith wasn’t a prerequisite for Moses

I am what  I am because of I AM WHO I AM

Is the sender powerful not the sendee

Exodus 4:10-15

10Then Moses said to the LORD, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.” 11The LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12“Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.”14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 “You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.

It is not about how capable you are

God’s calling on my life cannot be accomplished without him.

Exodus 33:14-15

14And He said, “My presence shall go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15Then he said to Him, “If Your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.

Moses could not have freed the Israelites without God

You just surrender your body to the Lord and see what he does.  

It is my role to obey it is dad‘s role to provide.

If you can do it without God then it’s not your calling

Purpose in the Pain

Luke 22:31-32

31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;

32 but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

• Jesus gave Satan permission
• He says he will be praying for him
• He wasn’t qualified to strengthen his brothers yet

 

Sometimes God preparation packaged in pain

During Shelter-in-place people are complaining

• Lost jobs
• lost a lot of money
• lost a loved one to corona
• I had so many travel plans
• I can’t stop eating
• I can’t work with these kids running around
• I may be doing more harm educating my child than good
• I’m lonely
• Mad at Trump
• Mad at Lysol
• Mad at Obama
• Government is taking our rights
• 5G towers
• Are afraid of dying

I See God Working in Me

I’m not as disturbed during this season

• because I see exactly what God is working on in me

God is:

• Healing me
• Making me into a leader
• Preparing me

Realize the God may be doing something to you before he does something through you

some things that only pain can teach you

Maybe what brings you pain is what God is using to develop you for his purpose

you as an example to suffer well

strengthen brothers and sisters 

Instructor:  Michael Leadon

References

I’m Confused About My Calling | Maybe: God | Pastor Steven Furtick

https://youtu.be/RoxIg6CWAbY

Tim Keller: "Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical" | Talks At Google

https://youtu.be/4uIvOniW8xA

Encounters With God Series Part 4 - Burning Bush

https://youtu.be/M6lgnY3EGaY

There is a reason part three: stop complaining

https://youtu.be/loOW4w4oNVQ

How to Find and Live Your Calling | Bryan Dik | TEDxCSU

https://youtu.be/G2AMSOAvX2s

There is a purpose in your pain

https://youtu.be/YFLWFQNMKzE

How to Find your Calling

https://youtu.be/XL7vOm2uKSU

4 Questions to Help You Find Your Calling | SuperSoul Sunday | Oprah Winfrey Network

https://youtu.be/4Rl0N2W7arw

Extra

Psalms 57:2

I will cry to God Most High,

To God who accomplishes all things for me.