Throughout these past few months in Africa, I have been reminded and taught about the concept of being c a l l e d . As a missionary, I speak to a lot of people about how God “c a l l e d ” me to the World Race or “c a l l e d ” me to the mission field. I think, we easily confuse this idea and try and specify the call to a particular skill set. For example, when people refer to themselves as being c a l l e d to care for kids. “I love kids, so I must be c a l l e d to care for children.” Or for me, my skills include graphic design, so I would say, “God c a l l e d me to be a graphic designer.”
This idea is interesting, not wrong, just unintentionally missing the main point. It’s also a dangerous thought to have running in your mind that could limit what your fullest redemptive (in God’s hands) potential could be. Along with this, you could be allowing footholds of pride and superiority to be built in your mind, or the opposite, feeling inferior or insecure from thoughts of comparison to someone’s “called … -ness.” How this could manifestly look is, being too afraid to share the gospel with someone because you’re “not called to be an evangelist ” or expecting a certain position at the church or community group because you’re a called leader. We are abusing a term that God generously and lovingly chose us to follow.
Let’s not get caught up on the negativity and let’s go to the book of Mark.
You Are Called ..
.. Not were called
.. Not called for a better reputation
.. Not called to be better than everyone else
.. Not called to get things for yourself.
You Are Called
.. Presently, daily by the Spirit to be with Him
.. By Jesus. He choose those who he wanted.
It’s our duty to respond.
Mark 3:7-15
Mark reveals the heart of the Son of God, Jesus, as He establishes a new community. A new community He called and purposed. A new community, He, as their Rabbi, revolutionarily chose and handed responsibility to. I highlighted the passage before the appointing the 12 disciples section, because I believe as a gifted and intelligent writer as Mark was, He intentionally reflects the desperate crowd to His new and unexpected 12 mates. The massive multitude of people from all different regions and culture backgrounds are literally crushing Jesus trying to receive their healing. The disciples: the fishermen, the law makers, the rebels, the traitors and tax collectors in contrast are chosen to be with, to bear with one another, to have relationship with, to do life with, and learn from Jesus. They were chosen and handed authority to preach and to cast out darkness and advance the God’s Kingdom throughout the world. The crowd followed Jesus for their needs, the disciples followed Him for the needs of others.
You could say this was God’s design for us from the beginning. By looking at Genesis 12, God is establishing a new covenant with Abraham. A promised partnership from God to be with him. Just like God calls Abraham to: “Go from your country ..” God calls us to: leave our comfort and what we’ve known. God says, “I will make you a great nation,” and in comparison, He promises to make us victorious with influence. Here’s is the part of the covenant that we can easily miss: God vows to bless and make Abraham’s name great SO THAT, he, (Us) will be a blessing. The promised inheritance is given to God’s people but with purpose. We as God’s people can easily take for granted the goodness of what God gives us and forget the responsibility we were destined for. We were meant to bless others and to multiply the blessings to others. This is the plan, this is the design. God created us to have a love relationship with us, SO THAT, the change that happens on the inside of us from being with him, reveals God’s heart through us to the world. This is the redemptive program God set into motion. The program to restore God’s glorious earth back to its original perfected intention before sin and darkness corrupted the beauty and the righteousness.
This plan can be seen all throughout scripture. Look at the two main commandments Jesus instructs his followers to abide by: 1 Commandment: love the Lord with all your heart, mind and soul. (It’s about a who before a what) 2.Commandment: Love your neighbor as yourself. And even, the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, Iam with you always, even to the end of the age.”
In conclusion, we are called with purpose. Not for our own best interest or to be a better person, but to be a blessing to those around us. We are to influence and be an atmosphere changer by the way we love and serve others out of a state of being blessed ourselves by God who chose to reveal himself through us.
Our New Purpose: Be with Him and Go with Him.
Bill Swan, one of the directors of World Race recently spent a week with my squad in South Africa. He spoke from Galatians about walking in step with the Holy Spirit. We are a free people, made free from Christ set in forward motion to walk abiding in Christ. As we walk with Him, we will not gratify the desires of our human nature (Galatians 5:16) that is opposed to the Spirit. Efforts of the flesh are manifested through acts, such as, anger, jealously, strife, divisions etc. The writer of Galatians, Paul, writes as we be with and go with the Spirit there is a result. A fruit that is presented. A fruit that can be cultivated by abiding. The fruit being the Fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. It’s important to realize that the Holy Spirit changes us, it’s not our efforts to be more patience or good to others that changes us. Transformation happens from abiding with the Spirit. Freedom happens when we release the condemnation we hold over ourselves to be better, we are already found worthy by the Victor.
John 8:31-32
“If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 15, depicts a life with Christ, abiding in Christ is vital. We must choose that life or the result is spiritual death. “Apart from Christ we can do nothing.” What life can begin to look like when the Vital Relationship is loosing life:
1. We begin to allow rules replace discernment from the Holy Spirit. We lose sight of Jesus.
2. We begin to take guardianship of what’s right and wrong. We lose sight of Jesus.
3. We become quick to criticize and slow to compliment. We lose sight of Jesus.
4. We begin to wish people were more like us. And we place ourselves on a pedestal. We lose sight of Jesus.
5. We begin to allow our authority to shift from Life-giving Text to traditions. We lose sight of Jesus.
6. We begin to allow issues to become more important than the person. We lose sight of Jesus.
7. We begin to hold ourselves to a higher standard then Jesus. We lose sight of Jesus.
Transformation is Necessary.
When His Spirit transforms us to be like Him, our hearts and His heart are aligned, the vision is clearer on how to love like Jesus (2 Cor 3:18) and His Spirit transforms the world through us. A life aligned with Christ, allows love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control to flow through us. The result, we become effective vessels in God’s redemption plan.
Maybe we all know this. Are we living daily changed by the power of His life-giving, kingdom flourishing life? Have we made today about us or those around us?
A life with Christ can begin to look like this:
We live wisely, with effectiveness in God’s kingdom – “The fear of the Lord is instruction to wisdom and humility comes before honor..” Prov 15:33
We live bearing fruit, with effectiveness in God’s kingdom – “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:8
We live abiding in truth, with effectiveness in God’s kingdom – “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32
We live to love others. We live humbly, exalting and honoring those around us, with effectiveness in God’s kingdom – “Whoever is great among you must be your servant .. The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve…”
We live righteously by grace and forgiveness.
We live to produce new life, with effectiveness in God’s kingdom.
We live not for personal reputation but out of Gods reputation.
We live not having to be right but because we have be made righteous by the only judge.
We live for God through Jesus so others can come to know Him. “Our Sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” 2 Cor 3:6
