Listening for the Call

Last Sunday’s sermon was about the call of God. The idea of receiving a “call” from God is frequently associated with a special mission or task given to an individual (think Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.) and there certainly are many who heard the call and responded (a quick read of Hebrews 11 proves this). The scripture says that “The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God” (Psalm 14:2). Since God desires that all mankind would be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (I Timothy 2:3 & 4), it should come as no surprise that God “calls” many to him.

One of God’s servants, Samuel, was called by God during a time when the “word of the Lord was “rare” and there were “not many visions” (I Samuel 3:1-9).  Samuel did not recognize God’s voice because, as the scripture says he “… did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him” (I Samuel 3:7). This demonstrates a principle of truth, that faith and knowledge of the Lord are needed to appreciate his call. God may draw someone to him in order that they might come to know him (John 6:44) but being drawn is not the same as being called. 

Samuel for instance was already ministering before the Lord under Eli (aka ‘being drawn’) when God called him. Today we would say a person must be “born again” (John 3:5; Acts 2:38-39) before they might be able to recognize God’s calling on their life. In I Corinthians 12: 4-6 we read “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” Like his gifts, so too his call, they are both “irrevocable” (Romans 11:29).  

Consider the following verses that address our being called as a people of God:

·       Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

·        I Corinthians 1:9:  “God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

·       I Timothy 6:12: “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

·       II Peter 1:10 & 11: “…make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things (verses 3-8), you will never stumble, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ”

In Christ we share a common calling concerning a number of things. A few examples - we are called to:

·Love the Lord our God (Mark 12:30); 

·Devote ourselves to “the apostles' teaching and to fellowship,
to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42)

· Be “salt” and “light” (Matthew 5:13 & 14) & to “walk in the light…” (I John:17)

· Make “every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3)

· Develop “the fruit of the Spirit, live by the Spirit and keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22 & 25)

· Love our brothers and sisters (I John 4:21)

· Do good (I Peter 2:15)

Maybe the greatest charge concerning our calling is found in II Thessalonians 1: 11 & 12:  “With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

                                                            

Lord,

Give us ears to hear, ready hearts to respond and steady feet to follow after you when you call. 

Amen. 

For more information concerning call, calling & called: Dictionary of New Testament Words).

Pressing On Required

On Mother’s Day I expected the sermon where I attended church to be about mothers, motherhood, and the servant nature of mothering or something along those lines.  It wasn’t that exactly. Although every woman entering the sanctuary of the church was given a single red rose – and Mary the mother of Jesus was mentioned in the context of the sermon, there was not a lot said specifically about motherhood. To my listening ear it was a reminder that both in life and our faith one can expect to undergo difficult times and perseverance will be required.  The subject could is best summarized in the word “suffering “.

This was not typical fodder for Sunday morning sermons the exception being at Easter when the focus is on what Christ suffered. Suffering is not a topic of general conversations either unless there is a personal connection. Even if we do not know someone personally who is presently coping with a life changing event we cannot claim to be oblivious to the fact that huge numbers of people suffer daily around the globe. The fact that it is not present in our immediate world does not mean we have been granted some special immunity.

We like winners as we equate winning with success. The “problem” the minister said is that we “narrowly define what success is in our culture and it does not include those who suffer”. Christians, he said, equally seem to “prefer churches that are joyful, faithful and fruitful” (i.e. successful) to those that are “struggling through difficult times, upheaval and sorrow”.  I imagine most of us would agree with this assessment.

The truth is none of us is prepared for when life takes a sudden turn and no one suffers and remains the same (Romans 5:1-5). Jesus is said to have “learned obedience by what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). We would be helped to remember in our hour of distress that Jesus is our wounded healer and by his stripes we are healed (I Peter 2:24b). During such times—we have to keep on believing, keep on trusting, keep on praying and keep on keeping on-or as the minister put it, “We must keep on pressing on”.

Amen!

              

Framing the Frontier

This past Sunday, in the small church that I attended, I sang some familiar songs, prayed with others for our governmental leaders, took the Lord's Supper and listened to a sermon. What I ‘heard’ had to do with the ‘frontiers’ even though the minister never spoke that word.  A frontier is that area or a place where the known meets the unknown as an undeveloped territory, an unknown civilization…etc. So how does this apply to one as a Christian?

The first frontier is personal. It is the territory where the truth of one’s spiritual condition comes under the light of God. Conviction and repentance of sin, confession of faith, and acceptance or rejection of God's truth and Jesus as Savior occur in this hidden place. This is the frontier of being born again into the life of being a son or daughter of God by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). There is nothing wishy-washy about this frontier. Jesus said that one is either ‘with him or against him’ (Matthew 12:30). There can be no moving on to the second frontier until this one has been conquered. 

The second frontier exists within the church, which is the “body” of believers (Ephesians 5:23) with Christ as its "head" (Colossians 1:18).  Once one is a born again believer, one becomes a member of the body. The church has two parts to its frontier. There is the part that faces inward and is about helping its members grow and mature in Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). The other frontier is what faces outward, the work the church does in the world to advance the kingdom of God. The church in addressing these frontiers fulfills both what Christ prayed for (John 17:20-23) and the great commission (Mark 16:15).

The third frontier is spiritual as well. This is the frontline that all Christians face. These are the cultural phenomena and trends of the day that are counter to the principles and truths of God and therefore are the weapons of the adversary. The issues may be initially controversial but soon are woven into the fabric of society and made manifest as the new norm. Anyone questioning or challenging them are seen as being politically incorrect and unsympathetic to the plight of the current campaign of misaligned truths and its subjects. Such issues are ever present and seem to erupt with regularity and despite their oft nebulous qualities and chameleon behavior they are concrete and have an immutable presence that leaves one feeling forced upon. In this context it is worth recalling Ephesians 6:12: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

To put it in terms I heard Sunday, ‘anything that removes God from the planet or results in a blurring of the lines and brings into question what has long been understood and known to be true’ qualifies as a frontier for the Christian. There is no returning to the world of yesteryear and we should not question if a mistake has been made concerning the time and place are now living in, rather they were preordained by God (Acts 17:22-31). The question is will we rise to the challenges of the time and be willing to go the frontline of the frontier?