Today we are continuing our sermon series going through the Gospel of Matthew.

Introduction:

Have you ever heard a Christian say they were called by God to do something, and wondered what they meant by it? Or maybe you’re curious if God is calling you to do something. Today we’re looking at a passage of Scripture where Jesus calls His first disciples. By taking a look at this part of God’s Word, we can learn what it looks like to be called by God.

Different types of calls:

1. To have a relationship with God, and be changed by Him
John 6:44, 2 Pet. 3:9, John 3:16-17, Rev. 3:20, 2 Tim. 1:9, 1 Pet. 2:9, 2
Cor. 5:17, Ez. 11:19, Matt. 28:19-20

2. A general calling towards something
Rom. 1:1-2, 6, Gal. 1:15, Jer. 1:4-5, Is. 49:1, 1 Cor. 12:7

3. Specified callings towards something
Acts 22:17-21, Gen. 6:22, Jonah 1:1-2, Luke 16:10


Important things to keep in mind about our callings:

1. God often calls us right where we’re at
Matt. 4:18-19, 21, 9:9-13, Ex. 3, Judges 6:11-27, 1 Sam. 9, 16, Amos 1:1, Luke 2:8-21, Acts 9

2. Your calling is unique to you
Matt. 25:14-30, 1 Cor. 3:5-11, 7:17, 12:4-7, Rom. 12:4-8, 1 Pet. 4:10

3. When we are called, we are to act faithfully immediately
Matt. 4:20, 22, Luke 16:10, Deut. 28:1, Acts 5:29, Luke 11:28

4. Being faithful means leaving what you have
Matt. 4:20, 22, 16:24, Luke 9:23-27, 14:25-27, Mark 10:17-22

5. Your call isn’t about you, it’s about God’s Kingdom
Matt. 6:33, Col. 3:2, Heb. 5:4, 13:5, Rom. 11:29

Getting Started
Have you ever read or heard about this story before?
What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
What questions have you wrestled with about God’s calling in our lives? Have you ever seen an example of someone being selfish about a calling? If you’re going through these questions in a small group, share about what you felt like God has called you to before, and how you responded.


Diving In
Read Matthew 4:18-22 again. In first century Jewish culture, the student would typically seek out their teachers. In this passage of Scripture, however, Jesus calls His disciples. Read John 6:44 and think about (or discuss) how it applies to Jesus calling His disciples, and how He calls everyone of us.

- Read 2 Peter 3:9. God’s Word makes it clear that God’s Will is that everyone will have a relationship with Him, and everyone has the free will to either choose to accept or deny Jesus as their Lord and Savior. How did God call you to have a relationship with Him? What circumstances did you go through before you had a relationship with God? Who did He put in your life that helped you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior? If you haven’t accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, what’s stopping you?

In Matthew 4:18-22, Jesus calls His first disciples as they are working their normal job. As we read through Scripture, we see God doing this over and over, calling people as they are going through their normal life (for examples see, Matt. 9:9-13, Ex. 3, Judges 6:11-27, 1 Sam. 9, 16, Amos 1:1, Luke 2:8-21, and Acts 9). When Jesus calls them, He uses the skill set that they have as fisherman, to help them understand what He’s calling them to do. Has God ever used your experiences or skill sets to help you to understand how you can build up His Kingdom?
- What giftings have God given you that you have used to build up God’s Kingdom?
- What giftings do you have that you haven’t yet used to build up God’s Kingdom? What’s stopping you from using those gifts for God’s glory?

Read Romans 12:4-8. Throughout Scripture, God calls different people to do different things. Have you ever struggled with comparing other believer’s gifts with your own?
- What do you think is the root cause of comparing other’s giftings with your own? '
- What can you do instead of comparing other’s gifts with your own?

Read Ephesians 2:10 and Matthew 6:33. Oftentimes, it is a temptation to make our calling all about us. Our position, our influence, what we can accomplish. However, our calling is never to be about us, rather about God, His Kingdom, and His glory. Have you ever struggled with making your calling more about you than God?
- How can you make sure that your calling stays in line with God’s Will, instead of building yourself up?

Applying the Scripture
What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture? How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord? Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?

CHURCH FAMILY NEEDS: Pray for Katy, as she recovers from her wrist surgery. Pray for Carolyn Dodd and what’s going with her thyroid. Pray for Jerry Jamrozy, who has bone cancer.

MISSIONARIES: This month pray for the Mishkins.


FAMILY OF THE WEEK: Each week we’ll pray for a different family in our church. This week pray for the Savillls

HILLSIDE HAPPENINGS: Pray that the church would continue to stay unified under Christ. Pray for our livestream and for the people joining us there. Pray for Casa Del Alfarero, the Spanish-speaking Missionary Church 5 minutes from our building.

CURRENT HAPPENINGS: Pray for the war in Israel.Pray for the war in Ukraine.

Attendance
In-person on 1/21: 39
Online views (through 1/): 7

Giving
Online (1/1/24-1/7/24): $55, (1/8/24-1/14/24): $265, (1/15/24-1/21/24): $355

In-Person on 1/21/24: $265 for general, $60 for missions

Total general needed weekly to meet budget: $1623

Ladies, mark your calendars for the regional denominational retreat! This year, it is happening on Saturday, March 2nd, at St. Mark Missionary Church. Please see Tammi for more details.

This is a great time to join a small group! Joining a small group is a great way to grow in your faith. There is a small group that meets on Sunday mornings, at 9:30am, and men’s and women’s groups that meet every other Tuesday evening. For more information, please see Pastor Josh.

Our Samaritan's Purse boxes all went to Mexico this year! They were shipped out at the beginning of December. Thank you to everyone who had any part in packing a shoebox. It isn't too early to start thinking about starting for this year. If you need ideas, please reach out!

If you do not receive our weekly emails, announcements, and prayer requests, please join our email list! You can do so by going to hmcworship.com/im-new

TECH: Our worship team is looking for someone who would like to run sound and/or slides. Please see Pastor Josh.

WORSHIP TEAM: Would you like to help out on the worship team? Please see Carolyn Dodd for details.

PRAYER GUIDE: Will you be in prayer for Hillside? Prayer guides are available at the welcome counter. Also, if you would like to be a prayer advocate, please see Pastor Josh.

MAINTENANCE TEAM: Would you like to help out on the maintenance team? We need help inside and outside the building. Please see Jeff Soule for details.