21-Day Growth Challenge | Day 20: "Called of God" Part One, "Your Corporate Calling"

Friday, January 22, 2010 Bryan Hudson 0 Comments

Key Verse
1 Corinthians 1:1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother, 2 To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:  3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Insight
The things that are most important to a believer in Christ are rooted in God's purpose and in our calling. We have both a corporate calling as well as a personal calling.  The corporate calling speaks to the "big picture" or to the larger plan of God for the ages, including our time. The personal calling speaks to our specific assignments, relationships, and Biblical values.

Regarding our corporate calling, we relate together as the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. The New Testament Scriptures show us seven realities of our corporate calling:
1. As a Temple (structure/worship) Eph. 2:20
2. As a Household (family/accountability) Gal. 6:10
3. As a Body (function/relationship)  1 Cor. 12:13
4. As a Bride (covenant/intimacy/adornment)
5. As Bread (process/nourishment/life for others) 1 Cor. 10:17
6. As a Nation (identity) 1 Pet. 2:6
7. As an Army (strategic action/order/authority) 1 Tim. 2:3

The Greek word for “church” is ekklesia which is derived from two root terms; 1)  ek, meaning “out,” 2)  klesis meaning “a calling.” Taken together, ekklesia essentially means, “called out ones.”

Regardless of whatever else we may do in our lives, whether in career, in society, or in any other arena in this world, it is necessary to embrace our higher corporate calling. You are an ambassador for Christ. You are a member of the household of faith. You are salt and light in this world. You are part of God's pre-destined plan, together with your brothers and sisters in Christ.

We should also consider antithetical perspectives of God's church. We are not a:
1. Carnival: A place of thrills and chills, or of temporary pleasures and superficial delights.
2. Shopping center: A place to congregate near the latest fashions
3. Beauty salon: A place to pamper the outward man
4. Country club: A place for recreation among the elite

1 Corinthians 1:26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;