Five Reasons God Calls Us

WESTSIDE BAPTIST CHURCH

PASTOR: TERRY VAUGHAN

SERMON TITLE: FIVE REASONS GOD CALLS US

“For God so loved the world , that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:16-18

TEXT VERSE: ISAIAH 65:12-14 “THEREFORE WILL I NUMBER YOU TO THE SWORD, AND YE SHALL ALL BOW DOWN TO THE SLAUGHTER: BECAUSE WHEN I CALLED, YE DID NOT ANSWER; WHEN I SPAKE, YE DID NOT HEAR; BUT DID EVIL BEFORE MINE EYES, AND DID CHOOSE THAT WHEREIN I DELIGHTED NOT. THEREFORE THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL EAT, BUT YE SHALL BE HUNGRY: BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL DRINK, BUT YE SHALL BE THIRSTY: BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL REJOICE, BUT YE SHALL BE ASHAMED: BEHOLD, MY SERVANTS SHALL SING FOR JOY OF HEART, BUT YE SHALL CRY FOR SORROW OF HEART, AND SHALL HOWL FOR VEXATION OF SPIRIT.”

The thought that God laid on my heart was, “When God called, He didn’t get any answer.” I wonder were you available when God called? The biggest mistake we make as Christians is not being available when God calls. I try to compare it to when we go home. The first thing we want to do is run and see who left us a message on the answering machine. I don’t believe God leaves messages. I believe He wants you there when He calls. God speaks to everyone of us. Not only Christians but to the Lost. People need to learn to take heed to the voice of God. More so for Christians because Jesus said, “I am the good Shepherd and I know my sheep and they know my voice and they follow me.” Christians ought to be able to follow God in everything they go to do. They ought to know the difference between God’s voice and the Devils voice. I know the devil is a deceiver and sometimes he can plant a pretty picture and we have to watch out for that. I believe the number one important thing for Christians to do is to pray, seek God’s will in our life and seek God’s face. So many times we just want to get down and pray just one time a day or a couple times a week. But we ought to go around on our knees in prayer all the time without ceasing. Asking God to bless the church, the people, our families, to save the Lost. But so many times we want to do everything else and leave out the prayer. Let me tell you how you can hear God better--Pray more! I found that out a long time ago. The more you pray, the better you can hear God.

In this verse God said He called and nobody answered and he spake but they did not hear. Is He speaking to you tonight? I wonder is He calling upon you tonight? I thought about some things in the word of God that God laid on our heart. Different reasons why God calls us. But before we go there I want to share HEBREWS 12:25 “SEE THAT YE REFUSE NOT HIM THAT SPEAKETH. FOR IF THEY ESCAPED NOT HIM THAT REFUSED HIM THAT SPAKE ON EARTH, MUCH MORE SHALL NOT WE ESCAPE, IF WE TURN AWAY FROM HIM THAT SPEAKETH FROM HEAVEN.” He spoke to them here on earth. He spoke to his disciples and they followed him and everytime he spake they were there with him and they heard him. They understood him and knew what He wanted. As they began to follow him they began to grown and prosper. That’s why it’s important to come to the house of God. There’s a lot of Christians in the world today that aren’t even accquainted with the Lord Jesus Christ. They don’t know a lot about Him but He knows everything about you.

Now I want to turn to Matthew. I’ve got about five reasons why God would call you. You children can listen to this just as well as the adults can. A lot of the men and women God spoke to were young. I remember reading about one of the Kings in the new testament that was around seven or eight years old when God called him. Little David was young when the Lord called him. He did a great work too and you know why? Because he heard God. What about the Apostle Paul. He was a very young man on the road to Damascus when He heard God. A lot of the people that day said they heard a voice but they didn’t see the man.