What should we do when God calls us to something extraordinary?

As Christians, at some point in your life God will call you to do something that is irrational. Often there will be push back from those in our life who see the world and what we think it should be like. In the first book of Psalms we see David struggling with that same concept. 

In Psalm 1 he was reflecting on what it means when God calls us to do something that seems irrational to the rest of the world. From being a simple shepherd boy to king, David knew what an unrealistic calling looked like. In this chapter, David recalls Noah being called to build an ark. God called an ordinary man to do something extraordinary, a story David knew well. The reference shows the development of who David is and what his relationship with God is. 

It reads in the first verse of the first chapter, “Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers…”.

When God calls us to extraordinary things, the first thing we have to do is determine our proximity to God. This verse outlines what we can’t let happen, but often do. None of us wake up and say we want to join the unrighteous. What happens instead is, we find ourself walking in cadence with the world to avoid seeming irrational. 

Right out of the gate, this psalm is calling us to not walk with the world. God is saying that you don’t have to answer all the questions, you just need to stand up and be an example of what He has done in our lives. In that witness, you will find righteousness. The further our proximity to God the more we find ourselves stumbling like Psalms 1:1.

“The man who is blessed delights in the Lord,” Pastor Shane Stanford said. “Those who find righteousness don’t get closer to the law, but closer to Jesus.”

To hear the full sermon, listen at one of the links above.

About Christ Church Memphis
Christ Church Memphis is church in East Memphis, Tennessee. For more than 65 years, Christ Church has served the Memphis community. Every weekend, there are multiple worship opportunities including traditional, contemporary and blended services.