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Called To Greatness—Jeremiah 1:4-10; John 15:16

Introduction:

It is because I am called that I am committed. God calls you to greatness and the fervency of that call draws you into that commitment. It might be more obvious because I’m a Pastor that I’m called because the fruit of my calling is more visible. But I want to tell you today that you have been called to greatness for such a time as this.

A lot of your success or lack thereof in this season of your life is predicated on how you see yourself. If you don’t see yourself how God sees you, you will not have the proper insight or foresight to position yourself in the place where God would have you to be. You may miss your opportunity to serve if you don’t see yourself as significant, and you will start to define yourself by your (circumstances) and not (second chances). My assignment is to awaken the call of God in you and push you into this “New Season” fully charged and ready to serve God in excellence.

“Before I Formed Thee In The Belly”

The text says, “before I formed thee in the belly.” This points to God’s knowledge and power; God Omniscient and Omnipotent (all-knowing, and all-powerful). Here God is letting us know that just as He formed the young prophet, He formed us, and God doesn’t make any junk. God knows and always knew all things; and He knew everything before it happened. He knows the answer before you ever ask the question. The questions we have about life, why we’re here, why He allowed things to happen, God already knows. This is why we need to come to God and not people because He knows us better than anyone else. Just like the young prophet, God knew you before you were born and before your parents gave you a body. The only thing that is subject to time is the physicality of our human experience. Here lies the contradiction in that we live in a decaying, depreciating house, but you are alive in that house (there is something priceless and precious in these flesh houses). You were in the God’s mind before you were in your mother’s belly.

I Knew Thee:

God tells Jeremiah “I knew thee;” He is saying to the young man that it’s not the outside of you that I knew, I knew you in the spirit before I gave you a body. For God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in the Spirit. In fact, your conception and birth was the deep calling the deep. Your body is just the manifestation of the call. If you are here then God has a purpose and plan for your life.

a. One of the side effects of being pulled out of the mind of God into this temporal realm is that you don’t remember your relationship with God until He calls you. Somewhere deeply imbedded in the call you start to get flashbacks and glimpses of who you were in God and what you had before your entrance into time. The Bible helps us to remember who we are and what we have been called to do. Through the Word of God and the ministry of the Holy Spirit God brings back to our remembrance of who we really are. Our existence extends beyond this earthly walk, it goes beyond the grave. The more you recognize who you are the less you want to be who you were.

“And Before Thou Camest Forth Out Of The Womb I Sanctified Thee,”

Out of the basis of that foreknowledge He predestined you for greatness even in your mother’s womb. Because He (sanctified) set you apart before you were ever born you had unrest in certain environments.

• He preapproved your rejection on all levels.

• He preprogramed your course so that you wouldn’t go past the depravation of the hog pin.

• He predestined your steps so that you wouldn’t get too entangled in the intricate web of sin and deceit.

• He prepared a way of escape for you in the temptations you went through.

• He prescribed the level of intensity in your pain so it wouldn’t destroy you.

• He prayed for you that even though you were being sifted you would be converted.

• He preempted the plots and plans of the enemy that though weapons formed they wouldn’t prosper.

• He pronounced His love for you by sending His only begotten Son to die for you before you ever stepped foot in this world.

That’s why when you thought you were going down for the last time, strength not your own raised up in you and caused you to stand when you felt like falling; (Oh it is Jesus in my soul). Don’t be destroyed when people leave or hurt you because they all have a predetermined roll to play in your life (they leave a legacy or a lesson). Understand when the scene has ended, their role has also ended. All of these things work together for your good because you love God and are “called according to His purpose;” with the purpose of being conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus.

“And Ordained Thee”

Being ordained by God is the hinge to the text. He can foreknow and predestinate me and I not know it. The foreknowledge and predestination was all done in the mind of God; the call to greatness can’t be done independent from me. The call is when He brings into time what has been done in eternity (John 15:16 "ye have not chosen me, but i have chosen you"). When He calls you that is a point where you are involved because you have the choice to answer or try to ignore Him. Your “gifts” are all presented to you at your call. You are introduced to the “real” you for the very first time when God calls you and stands you face to face in His presence.

You Are Great:

You need to tell someone that you are greatness because you survived the great mess. The transcendental ideology of the text is your significance. If He called you, you are significant. He never takes time to prepare something that’s not significant. The attraction to the call overrides the contradiction of the call. This attraction is like an itch you can’t scratch, a desire you can’t fulfill, a craving you can’t quite satisfy (hunger and thirst for righteousness). What we do is search for that significance we feel deep down on the inside of us. The itch is coming out of our spirit and we try to satisfy it with our body. But when God calls you, you will eventually lose fascination with people who are fascinated only with your body. Sometimes we go through so much until we struggle with the notion that God can use us like He uses others. But God sent me here to tell you that everything you have been through has been to prepare you for what God is going to do through you in this season. Your past trouble is your current testimony for your future glory.

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