Confusing Things Christians Say - Week 6 - The CORE - Pastor Mike Novotny
Confusing Things Christians Say
Week 6 - The CORE
Pastor Mike Novotny
Hello, everyone. Welcome to week number six, of “Confusing Things That Christians Say” it's so good to have you here today. So… holiday weekend. Traditionally one of the lowest attended weekends in the whole church here, but you're here, which is super sweet. We have people who've traveled here from Virginia to join us for worship. People were coming from all over the Valley. We even have a young family here in the front row. Who is what an 18 foot water slide waiting in your backyard right now, but they came here to worship Jesus. So put your hands together for everyone who's making Jesus a priority. We're wrapping up the sermon series “Confusing Things”. Christian say we're trying to take on those common phrases that pop up in the church or in Christian conversations. Just slow down a little bit. Let's unpack them with an open Bible to see what they mean and how they apply to our lives. So we're gonna wrap it up today's faster. Michael said, talking about the call back, God has our lives. About the time that I got my driver's license, I experienced a single day that changed the whole direction of my life.
Ever, since I was a little kid growing up in school, I only had two plans. One was to become a professional soccer player. And if that didn't work, I was going to become just like my dad and just like my big brother by becoming a Badger. I was gonna go to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to become a Wisconsin Badger. Just like my dad did many years ago just like my older brother Chris did. And I was gonna major in business just like my father did, a business man. Just like my older brother Chris did a businessman. That was always my plan until sometime in the middle of my high school years. One day, changed everything about my life.
I was sitting in bed. I was reading the Bible. I was in Mark, chapter 8 and I came across that these words that Jesus spoke, “What good is it, if a person gains the whole world? But gives up their soul.”
Now, I heard and read those words before, but there was something about those words on that day, that like smacked me in the deepest part of my heart. I started just a fast forward process, all the people who were chasing temporary things and giving up the eternal gift that Jesus offered it. I thought a friends and family members who were all about school and education and jobs in a relationship, and marriage, and kids, and making money and traveling, all good things. But because of those things I had forgotten about the best thing. The thing that lasts forever. What good is it? If a person gets everything this world has to offer, it gives up the return of the soul and their relationship with Jesus.
As I thought about those words, a thought popped into my head and into my heart that I'd never thought or felt before.
I should become a pastor.
I should tell as many people as I can is like a full-time job. That is good as all the things of this life can be. What Jesus offers you is infinitely better, I should plead with this world to not give up their soul. But instead to seek first, the kingdom of God, and the love that we find in his son, Jesus.
And that moment I went from being a businessman badger. To the steps that led me right here to becoming a pastor. Actually crazy coincidence. I had no idea how to become a pastor. So went to my church. The next Sunday, I walk right in the entryway doors and what is waiting? But a sign up sheets to tour a Bible college. And I said to my Pastor, what's that? And my Pastor said, well, that's where you go if you want to be a Pastor, And I told my Pastor, well I want to be a Pastor and my Pastor said, since, when do you want to be a Pastor? And I said, since first day. And so, I signed up, I dropped my roommates for UW-Madison. I went to a school where I knew no one, I met a young woman named Kim. We were married after graduation two daughters later 16 years into ministry. Here I am. It was that one day that one passage were something changed within me and changed the whole course of my life.
Now, I tell you that story, not just to remind you that the word of God can do crazy things in your life. Sometimes it's one devotion, one passage, one sermon, God, can change your mindset, change your hearts, through the power of his word. I love to talk about that but instead today, I want to ask this simple question on that day. When I read the words of Jesus did God,
Call me.
Somehow my bedroom with that open Bible was the Holy Spirit moving, guiding, leading me to a new that God have a plan and a future for me was that the moment he invited me to a whole different kind of life.
And about you.
Are there moments when you just, I don't feel different. See, things, different and idea. Pops into your head. A passion pops into your heart. Can you say that? That's God. Calling you the Christian church, we hear people say that a lot. In fact, I just heard it a few days ago from a member of our church. We felt like God was calling us. I felt like God was calling me to be a missionary. I felt like God was calling me to foster care. I feel like God is calling us to adoption. I feel like God is calling me to quit my job and pursue my passion. I feel like God is calling us to live in this city to live in this neighborhood to do this work to pursue this thing. Christian. Say that a lot.
And it's a pretty exciting thing to think about isn't it?
That somehow, if you could hear that call, that comes from above that, God would have this specific thing that he wants you to do. That God wants to take all these plans that you have and just like shift you to a new life where, you know, you're stepping into the plans and purposes of God, that what you do is like written in his book as some divine higher calling. That's exciting to think about that. God just think he has for me as a specific call upon your life.
But when examining that today, because that's kind of a confusing thing that Christian say, because how do you know
Like how do you know when you're passionate about something? If that's just your heart? Or it's the heart of God.
How do you know when you feel interested in something? Whether it's a major or a new city, or a business, or a non-profit, or working with children? How do you know that that's literally coming from up there? And not just in here? Can we say with all absolute confidence that we have a call from God?
Now that's the question I want to wrestle with today.
Up and I had a lot of work to do to try to answer that question. Remember, I'm trying to figure out. If something is Biblical I open up, this Bible search engine on my computer. I open the search bar and just type in all the related words and hit enter and I see what happens. Because when I do that then I know it's not our church tradition. It's not just contemporary Christian culture like this is what the word of God says and so that's what I did I typed in the words call calls called calling into my Bible search engine and I hit enter and I did not realize how much homework I was about to get myself.
754 Bible passages used the words: call, calls, called or calling. I read all of them for you. You're welcome. It overwhelms me. I thought about quitting about six times. I needed an extra cup of coffee, but I got it from pastor's number one to pass his number seven hundred and fifty four. And necessary to pray and process. I want you to grab a pen because here's what I discovered.
Discovered in the Bible. When we talk about this subject, there are four key things that you need to remember. First of all, there's a caller
Normally that's God. The God who's calling?. The God, who is speaking. Sometimes Jesus would call out to the crowds when he would preach. Sometimes Jesus would call someone by a name, when he would give them a brand new identity, sometimes a call wasn't an invitation to something, right? So there's a call or God, Seconds, there are the call.
The people that Jesus was speaking to. The people who were receiving this name or this invitation from our heavenly father, the caller would speak to the call. And he would do so third with a calling,
There was the act of speaking. Literal message that he was giving, he's not a silent God, but the caller is calling to the call. And finally, there was the call itself.
The content of the message. The actual name that Jesus was calling a person after reading 754 Bible, passes ever use of the word call or calling in the Bible. I learned that the caller is calling with a call.
Is that less confusing? All right Amy yeah let's stand a break. Oh like okay, here's a there's a lesson confusing way to say that God is speaking to you. With a specific message.
It's not just zipping his lips and making you guess about the most important parts of life. God is the kind of God who calls to the call. There's a calling and it contains a call to a specific message that God has for you.
And here's the cool part. As I thought about that, what messages does God speak? When he speaks to us I found that in these same passages the call of God answers. The two most fundamental questions that all of us are asking. Who am I? And what should I do?
At the end of the day. Who am I? Am I a person that matters? Am I person that's worthy? Is there any points of living like, who am I And what I do. I don't want to waste my life, just scrolling on social media. Bingeing, the next years, I'm gonna do something that matters to God. I want to show you in the next few minutes. That all these passages about God's call will answer. The two biggest questions that exist in your heart, who are you? And what should you do?
I'm gonna call this the capital C call to a Christian identity. And a lowercase call. To Christian activity, who you are? What you should do identify and activity, let me break down that big Call and that small as we open together the word of God.
So let's start with that. The first question, the capital C call. Who are you? What is your identity? I found passages like this one in the book of Romans.
The apostle Paul said to all in Rome who are loved by God and say with me called to be his holy people.
And so these questions in Rome were loved by God. Well, that's something to call a person. And in the past, when God preached to them, this message, this invitation about Jesus. He called them to not just be good, people are Christian people. But to be holy people, God spoke to them this message, inviting them to believe in Jesus and, and went through faith. They accepted the invitation by the work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. They were called a brand new name. Holy, Instead of just sinful broken, weak human people.
A few pages later, the apostle Peter picked up on that same theme. But you expanded, he said this and first Peter chapter 2, But you believe in Jesus, you are a chosen people. A royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession. That you may declare the praises of the God who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Like you in the darkness, you don't really know who God made you to be. You were lost just living for yourself but God and his mercy, he called you into the wonderful lights of being a child of God. A holy person, someone who believes in Jesus, who sins are washed away and who has the hope of eternal life.
To, who am I and and who are you at the end of the day? It's not. I'm a pastor or I'm a nurse, I'm a mother or I'm a whatever not at the end of the day what Christians can say as we look ourselves in the mirror is that I am a holy chosen loyal saved justified redeemed, child of God, I might do these things. I might have this activity during my day, I might do it. Well, I might fall on my face but I can look in the mirror and not be disappointed, or discuss it because I know who I am. God called me out of the darkness of despair and self-loathing and gave me a new identity. As a Christian, a child of God bought by the blood of his son.
So ready in this way, every Christian from the most mature among us to brand new believers. Every Christian is called to a common identity.
By the grace of God. It's what we share as children of our father in heaven.
Which is why I'm so excited to show you what's under this basket.
I learned once from a really wise pastor years ago that if you want everyone to wake people up, if they look bored during a sermon, just cover something up but they want to see what it is under this basket is probably the coolest Bible research I've ever done. I've shared it, not once or twice, but three or four times here at our church. It is my favorite thing.
A stack of 682 note cards.
Aren't you glad you came to church today? Yes. Remember years ago, I did some research to try to figure out what God calls me. And what God calls you as a Christian based on the names that are found in the Bible. I read through the New Testament from Matthew chapter 1, to Revelation chapter 22 with two highlighters in my hand, I wanted to highlight, you know, every kind of negative honest thing. Hey, you're still a sinner. Jesus said, you know, you have little faces sometimes where we're weak or we're broken. The Bible's honest about our humanity in our sinfulness. I highlighted all those And then I had another highlighter when God calls us. These really amazing things because of Jesus like Peter mentions, chosen royal? Holy God, special possession. I highlighted those two and by the time I got to the end of the New Testament, there was a total of 682 names that God calls Christians. Because here's my big question.
How many names were in each stack?
I don't know what you, but I struggle often with lots and lots of things. Is there something in here? I see all looking. Is there a bat or a bee? Oh man, just when I had your attention now. I lost it.
So my big question was how many negative things does God call Christians who struggle every day with sin? And how many positive things does he call us? Because of the death of Jesus. I mean, if God would say, you know, Mike there's about 600 things I find wrong with you. Hey, but because of Jesus, you're still holy and forgiven, I mean that happy gracious of God. But in my research, I learned that's not how the deck was cut. And I thought, well, you know, we Christians are sinners and saints at the same time. Maybe if God was like, I don't know.
Half and half, that'd be awesome of God to do, but the source of the research said, how crazy would it be if like, God only had 25% bad things to say? But because of Jesus, he saw us as three good to every one bad. Maybe insane.
Which turns out the Bible is better than that. I learned is what I found. That only.
72 times.
Does the Bible say anything bad about Christians? With a new testament, writes to the broken centers in Corinth, or those struggling, with all sorts of stuff in the ancient city of Rome when Jesus. But with this very, very flawed disciples spoke to them, the Bible on occasion, would call them. Things like Paul called himself a wretched man as he struggled against his own sinful nature. But for every one time that God said this nine times six hundred and ten to seventy two, the Bible would call us children of light and the pillar of truth, raised with Christ, a model to all believers. We are free from accusation, children of the promise, spiritually alive in Christ. So we are very dear to God. We've been made perfect by the blood of Jesus. We are his body, a new man, his bride. We are saved and the sanctified, justified, redeemed. holy, royal, chosen and so much more 600 and 10 times to just 72 90% of the time and God looks at Christians. Even Christians were deeply struggling with sin. He identifies them by the amazing things. That Jesus did for us.
And so, I want to tell you if you struggle with looking in the mirror and not being thrilled by what you see.
Don't forget the call of God.
The God who hates sin even more than you do, who sees and remembers more than we do. He has still chosen by the blood of Jesus to call you something new.
If you're just like your pathetic or weak or a terrible parent or useless, man, you email me and I'll send you the whole document so you can read all 610 things that God says about you. If you want to look in the mirror and say, you're such a loser, you're pathetic. You can say that once if you want. Just promise me. If you're Christian you're gonna follow that up with but you're also perfect in a side of God. And loved by our Heavenly Father. And precious daughter of the king you are chosen and holy, you can beat yourself up one time, the Bible will allow that as long as you overwhelm that message with who you are because of what Jesus has done. In over, I'm trying to tell you. Don't miss your call.
Set of whisper, it's not a nudge, it's not some nebulous dream. You wake up and try to remember God wrote a whole book, a bunch of books. He put it into this book so that you could have in paper and pen this comment identity that every Christian shares
Right. So don't be like the that guy from Colorado.
Back in 2021. There was this hiker, who's hiking southwest of Denver? His loved ones knew that he's going to leave and start his hike about 9 am.
Much time came they hadn't heard from him. Early afternoon, mid-afternoon. They started to get worried. It was late afternoon. No answer, dinner came he still wasn't home? Angst all started to sit in. They start to panic.
And we've already heard stories of hikers on the road. Something crazy happens. They slip, they fall. So his loved ones called the search and rescue team and they launched into action. They tracked on this guy's phone number and they called him and his phone would ring, but no one would answer. They called again, he never answered and they called him again, but he didn't answer. They feared that maybe his body had fallen and there was his cell phone, ringing and ringing. And this dead man can pick it sup.
That midnight came three. Am that six? No sign of the man.
Until?
Until 9:30 the next morning. The man showed up. And he wasn't dead.
Apparently you got lost on the trail, you wandered around through the darkness confused as the brain starts doing funny things until by God's grace. He stumbled trying to trail that brought him back to his car and drove him back home and On celebrated, they were assuming the words but of course, they asked the question. Well, the search and rescue team was calling you and calling you and calling you, why didn't you pick up? And the guy said, oh yeah, my phone, kept ringing and ringing and ringing. And his family said,
Well, I didn't recognize the number.
Just remember this guy was lost in the dark and the people who could save him more, literally calling him again and again, and again. And you get where I'm going.
Right. God gave us a whole book, friends. This is just the New Testament. The shorter part of the holy word of God and God is calling. Not just the best Christians. But every Christian he's calling us again and again, and again and again. So that at the end of every day, we would know, good days, bad days. Killing it at work, looking for work. Marriage is amazing, thinking about divorce. We would know who we are because of the work of Jesus. So, don't miss your call. Because the Christ, Christians are called to a common identity as beloved, holy chosen children of God.
But what about the unique call that God has for us?
Yeah, a lot of those 754 passages talk about this, our Christian identity, but others That's something that's a little more distinct.
For example, the apostle Paul some you know he was formerly known as Saul of Tarsus in his opening words to the letter to the Romans, he writes that Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus called to be an apostle.
Probably one day, the Holy Spirit said to God the Father and Jesus his son. We better call Saul.
That's the best I got today. I'm sorry. That's what just happened. You catch that. So he says, I'm Paul a servant of Christ Jesus, every Christian could say that but then he says, I am called to be an apostle, and I'm not an apostle and you're not apostle, there's something you need about the plan and the word that God had for this man. Paul was the same with Jesus. He called to the crowds. He invited everyone to believe and have a new identity, but he only called 12 meant to be his apostles, to be his inner circle. And so, we can say that there's something common
Something. Distinct about the plan in the work that God has for each of our lives.
What is most commonly shown in the modern church? Culture is probably when you think of what I do for a living.
This a bunch of Bible patches that talk about the sacred calling of ministry. That when you represent the word of God to the people of God, that's not just not a job, a higher and fire kind of thing. That's a divine call that comes from above
I'm super tempted to explain that. That can be kind of confusing, you know, how did you get here, pastor? Mike, did you show up and say I'm the pastor? How does a person become a pastor? Is that work the call system, or sometimes of the pastors? Maybe it calls other churches and teaching. How does that all work? They take me about a 50 minute tangent to explain that. I'm not gonna take a lot of time today, but I did leave a couple of Bible passages in the bulletin if you want to explore that. Whole person like me first has a desire to serve. Then we have to check the boxes of the qualifications to serve so we don't miss represent the church or the name of Jesus. Then there's a group of people who, in a very, very flexible process, you know, invite us to become and serve them with the Word of God. So if you want to dig into that, there's some passage there. But I don't want to talk about what I did today. It's that I want to talk about you.
Do you like me and like Paul? Have a unique call upon your life.
That those old questions can you say that you've been called to be a parent or called to be a nurse or or called to foster a child or called to make music or be an artist? I read all 754 uses of the word and I think the biblical answer is
No.
I can't find a passage that says because there is a desire or a longing or an interest in doing A or B or C. That is God with divine authority. Calling you to that desire, or the human heart is just too messy. And two subjective to know that because I feel it or I wanted or an interested in it, that must be God. I know it's very cultural these days. They say well God's leading me God's calling me but the Bible just doesn't choose to speak in that way.
But don't be discouraged because what the Bible actually says in my opinion is so much better.
Let me show you one example from first Thessalonians chapter 4, The word of God says, for God did not call us to be impure. But to live a holy life.
God has a call for every Christian a very unique call and here it is to live a holy life.
When you step into a space into a room, into a car, into a church, into the lobby after church wherever you are, there is something very, very unique and there is a higher calling upon you in that moment and that calling, according to scripture, is to live a holy life. To be as much like Jesus, as you can in those moments because no one else will be in that situation except You.
You know, some people think only if we like adopt six kids, or we preach Jesus, in some jungle over on some mission trip, that's the call of God. Actually, the Bible is so much better because every Christian in the scriptures has a calling and it is to bring maximum Jesus to the moment in which they're in.
So, for example, how many of you drop the church today? At least one other person in the car? All right, when you get in the car after church, I'm not going to be in the backseat. But you will be in that car. And the way that you speak to the person in the car with you, the way that you listen like Jesus would to the person the kindness and compassion and patience moments when you're kind of annoyed perhaps by that person but you don't respond with annoyance and anger. But instead with love and compassion, that is a holy call that comes from above, you will make that person's day better or worse based on how much you are like Jesus. God is called you, the passage says to live a holy life.
Some of you have little kids in your home filling diapers. That bunch you, when you smell that diaper,
I'm talking to you too gentlemen. That is a holy calling from God. All right. Well, you don't act. Like you didn't smell it. So someone else takes care of it, but you jump into action with tenderness and compassion and service. And you serve the people with the dirty work of being parents, that is literally the holy life that God has called you to when you go to school. And there's the kid who just, you know, doesn't fit in since by himself. Couple of days until the school year is done and you like Jesus, going to the margins and the outcasts, and you sit down. And you speak and you listen.
That is a holy calling and that work matters. I will not be there at your school. 99.9% of our church family will not be there at the table but you will be there. Now, you bring maximum Jesus to that moment, that is the higher calling that God is placed on your life. When, when you're dating someone, you get married and you learn what their love language is, do they want words or physical touch? Or they want time or gifts, and you prioritize, speaking that love language that that's literally, the calling that God has given you and that work matters. So so so much
When you go to work and the boss doesn't have to worry about you,
We don't add stress to the burden of leadership because you show up on time, you do your job, you talk to people. You're frustrated with instead of talking about people that you're frustrated with, not an easy thing to do. That's a holy calling that comes from God.
When marriage is in a fairy tale,
And you're struggling and thinking or speaking about a separation, but And said you double down on your effort to show love and respect and serve and try to breathe the life of Jesus into something. That's barely hanging on.
That matters just as much as a sermon that I preach.
The Bible would say to you do not think that there's just a tiny percentage of people who have some higher calling. God is called every Christian to live a holy life.
So, please write this down, yes, every Christian is called to a common identity, but the second thing is true. Every Christian is also called to a unique activity.
It's from God. And it's just for you.
My daughters will only have one biological father. Have a call. My wife only has one husband. That's my call to shepherd you. Well, with grace and truth is my call to love the guy who walks in front of our church. Well that is a call. Every moment where you bring maximum, Jesus is a call that comes from God.
500 years ago. Most Christians, forgot that fact.
If you love church history, you might know the back before, the days of the Reformation, lots of people thought that if you were a priest, a pastor, or a monk, or a nun, if you preached or taught the Word of God or spent all your days in prayer. Oh, that that was some sacred beautiful thing. But if you are a farmer shovel and stuff in the field, Or milk made stupid down under a cow. Or cobbler. Fixing a lopsided shoe or a blacksmith hammering away like a sweat through the day. Well, Not sacred about that.
Until a very stubborn and passionate German man, rose up in the 1500s, his name was Martin Luther and he said nine.
That's not true. He had read the Bible and he was restored to the Christian church. What some people now call the priesthood of all believers and he heard that phrase. Those are just trying to say that. If you think only priests have an important job, you need to know that. God first Peter chapter 2 calls every Christian, a royal priesthood, people who have close access to God, who bring sacrifices of a holy life. What the average person does on the dirty streets of the 16th century Germany mattered as much as what was happening in the churches of that time. Was just said, if you make shoes, you don't need to write a Bible passage on the bottom. Doesn't make you a Christian worker, make a good shoe. But people be comfortable as they serve and slave away at their jobs, that is a high calling
Be the farmer. Who does the hard work that grows the food? That is the answer to the prayer. Our father in heaven, give us today our daily bread that is a higher calling. And if I was over here today, he'd say the same thing to you. Like, go be a nurse. And nurse people. Well, that's a higher calling. Copy your mom. Get on the floor and play with the blocks. It's a sacred calling go make the food in the factory to feed the people of America with frozen pizzas and it seems small. But for some busy people, that is a higher calling. Whatever you do when you do it to the glory of God and live a holy life, you have stepped into the unique activity that God has for you.
The two questions, every human needs to answer. Who are you? And what should you do?
And the call of God is the answer.
You've been called some beautiful things because of Jesus. And you've been called to do good. Works with God has prepared in advance for you to do.
And believe it today, author JRR Tolkien Who created the Lord of the Rings series? Once rode, a really short story about a man who thought his life didn't matter.
He was an artist. In this grand, glorious dream that he was gonna paint this grand and glorious tree. It was gonna catch everyone's attention, make them gas, and be impressed by his work. And the man started to paint after he made his original sketch. He painted one leaf.
And then life distracted him.
He was kind of a needy neighbor who needed a lot of help. And so he put down the paint brushes. He paused his work and he went to service neighbor. And then serving his neighbor took longer than he thought. So he kept serving his neighbor itching to get back to the great purpose of his life. Then one thing after another happen we got distracted and got distracted. Never actually picked up the paintbrush until the day that he died with one leaf of his giant tree painted.
As the story goes, the man was on a train that was taking him to heaven.
Has use on his way to heavenly glory. He looked outside the window and these beautiful landscapes. And what did he see right there? His tree.
The exact tree that he had dreamed of in his mind except it was bigger and greener and more beautiful and he got off the train and he looked close. And what was there municipality for every person in heaven to see.
The one leaf.
What he thought that he had missed.
Having did not miss.
What he thought was falling. Short heaven, did not see the same way.
And those of you who are wholly and chosen and royal because of Jesus, our own reminds you that God says the same thing.
Step into that room. That's the school that houses that car. Whisper to yourself maximum. Jesus live a holy life. It might seem small to you. But one of you will find out, it is not small to God.
