Why Answer?
On the Lighter side:
These are all apparently true statements made by important people...
"I'm not going to have some reporters pawing through our papers. We are the president." -Hillary Clinton commenting on the release of subpoenaed documents
"The president has kept all of the promises he intended to keep." -Clinton aide George Stephanopolous speaking on Larry King Live
"We are ready for an unforeseen event that may or may not occur." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
"It is wonderful to be here in the Great State of Chicago." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
"I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
"The loss of life will be irreplaceable." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the San Francisco earthquake
"When I have been asked during these last weeks who caused the riots and the killing in L.A., my answer has been direct and simple: who is to blame for the riots? The rioters are to blame. Who is to blame for the killings? The killers are to blame."
-Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on the complex social issues behind the Los Angeles Riots
"Republicans understand the importance of bondage between a mother and child. -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle on Republican family values
"It isn't pollution that's harming the environment. It's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
"What a waste it is to lose one's mind. Or not to have a mind is being very wasteful. How true that is." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle at a fundraising event for the United Negro College Fund. He was attempting to quote the line ."A mind is a terrible thing to waste."
"I love California. I practically grew up in Phoenix." -Former U.S. Vice-President Dan Quayle
"When more and more people are thrown out of work, unemployment results." -Former U.S. President Calvin Coolidge
"I don't feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from them. There were great numbers of people who needed new land, and the Indians were selfishly trying to keep it for themselves." -John Wayne
"Half this game is ninety percent mental." - Philadelphia Phillies manager Danny Ozark
"Things are more like they are now than they ever were before." -Former U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower
"A billion here, a billion there, sooner or later it adds up to real money." -Everett Dirksen
"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." -Samuel Goldwyn
"The streets are safe in Philadelphia, it's only the people that make them unsafe." -Former Philadelphia Mayor and Police Chief Frank Rizzo
"The internet is a great way to get on the net." -Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole
"The police are not here to create disorder, they're here to preserve disorder." -Former Chicago mayor Daley during the infamous 1968 convention
"If you've seen one redwood tree, you've seen them all." -Forestry expert Ronald Reagan
"Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas." -Former Australian cabinet minister Keppel Enderbery
"They're multipurpose. Not only do they put the clips on, but they take them off." -Pratt & Whitney spokesperson explaining why the company charged the Air Force nearly $1000 for an ordinary pair of pliers.
"We're going to turn this team around 360 degrees." -Jason Kidd, upon his drafting to the Dallas Mavericks
Illustration: Phone Rings (you stop and make a comment like “Go ahead answer it and I will wait…wait …more phones ring…people start answering.
Today we are honoring Pastor Frank and ordaining him into the Ministry. He has received a call from the Lord to move on toward a new ministry opportunity. So we are going to be talking about “Answering the Call of God on our lives.”
Scripture Text:
Ephesians 4
Unity in the Body of Christ
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.
4There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—
5one Lord, one faith, one baptism;
6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
7But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.
8This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.”
9(What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions?
10He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.)
11It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
12to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.
15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Pastor Frank has chosen to answer the call.
I. The call to ministry and its associated step of ordination is reflected in the following thoughts.
a. Blackaby shares from his book “The Power of the Call” pages 10-14 on a clear picture of what one looks like who is called by God into pastoral ministry:
i. The pastor is chosen
ii. He is chosen by God
iii. He is chosen by God to be His servant
iv. He is chosen by God to shepherd His people
v. He recognizes that God’s people are His inheritance, that they are God’s “special treasure” (Exodus 19:5-6).
vi. He has integrity of heart.
vii. He recognizes that his assignment will require “skillfulness of his hands” (hard work, consistent with his heart).
viii. God calls his servants to be stewards (Acts 20:28-31)
ix. God calls his servants to be spiritual leaders
1. You cannot do Kingdom work with the world’s methods.
2. Genesis 12 – God showed what he would do and what He wanted Abraham to do.
x. The people are your ministry not the means you use to fulfill your ministry.
b. He also shares the requirements of a Spiritual Leader from Matthew 9-10:42:
Matthew 9:35-38:
The Workers Are Few
35Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness.
36When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
37Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
38Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
Matthew 10
Jesus Sends Out the Twelve
1He called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out evil£ spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John;
3Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;
4Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
5These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.
6Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.
7As you go, preach this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven is near.’
8Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,£ drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.
9Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts;
10take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staff; for the worker is worth his keep.
11“Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave.
12As you enter the home, give it your greeting.
13If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you.
14If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.
15I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
16I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
17“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues.
18On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.
19But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,
20for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
21“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.
22All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.
23When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master.
25It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!
26“So do not be afraid of them. There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
27What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs.
28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
31So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
32“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven.
33But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
34“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
35For I have come to turn “‘a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law—
36a man’s enemies will be the members of his own household.’
37“Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;
38and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
40“He who receives you receives me, and he who receives me receives the one who sent me.
41Anyone who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and anyone who receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward.
42And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
c. Here are the qualifications of a spiritual leader:
i. A leader has an absolute sense of urgency (Matt. 9:35-37)
ii. A leader has an absolute priority and commitment to prayer (Matt. 9:38).
iii. A leader is unconditionally related to Jesus Christ as Lord (Matt. 10:1).
iv. A leader dwells with and under Christ’s absolute spiritual authority and demonstrates this in life (Matt. 10:1, 8).
v. A leader is Kingdom orientated (Matt. 6:33).
vi. A leader lives with a clear sense of God-given direction (Matt. 10:5-7, 11-16).
vii. A leader is clearly committed and aware of the cost involved (Matt. 10:17-23).
viii. A leader has a clear commitment to pattern his life after Jesus as the master servant (Matt. 10:24-25).
ix. A spiritual leaders is God-orientated (Matt. 10:26-31).
x. A leader bears an open witness to everyone of the absolute Lordship of Jesus Christ, especially in the atmosphere of the world (Matt. 10:32-33).
xi. A leader must be willing to risk with eyes wide open, unafraid of the opinions of others, ready for spiritual warfare (Matt. 10:34-36)
xii. A leader’s love for God and His Son exceeds all other loves (Matt. 10:37-39).
xiii. A leader lives out a life of unmistakable identity with Jesus Christ and does so with an eye to the day of accountability (Matt. 10:40-42).
Call Frank up to pray for him and to hand him his ordination certificate.
Frank do you agree with all that I just shared about what it means to be an Ordained Minister of the Gospel?
Response: Yes
Frank will you commit to serve God with your whole heart, mind, soul and all your strength.
Response: Yes
In light of these commitment between you and God and this congregation I charge you with this Scripture:
Ephesians 4:1 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Call up elders, staff and board to pray for Pastor Frank.
T.S. - The continuation of the message “Why Answer?” to the Congregation.
Thesis: What’s the calling Paul talks about in Ephesians 4:1? Is it God calling you to surrender yourself to Him! Then you responding to God’s personal call on your life and saying “Yes, Lord! Not my will but your will be done!”
II. God’s call to us is very simple – “Come to me all of you who are burdened and find forgiveness and then receive the gift of holiness!”
a. The idea of the call is one of the most profound of all Biblical concepts because it communicates the idea that God does call people to Him and to specific missions.
i. If you spend any time reading through the Bible you quickly discover that many have been called by God.
ii. Gordan MacDonald states that all calls have similar commonalities and the following information is gleamed from his article “God’s Calling Plan” (Leadership, Vol. 24 page 25):
1. The call originates from the Godhead:
a. God called Abraham
b. God called Moses
c. God called Isaiah
d. God called Amos
e. Jesus called the 12
i. Then He sent them out to the nations.
f. Jesus called Saul changed his name to Paul.
g. The Holy Spirit called Barnabas
i. Nowhere in the Bible did anyone call himself but they were all called by the Godhead and anointed to do the call by the Godhead.
2. Many of the calls of people in the Bible were quite unpredicatable and the hearers were not always very receptive to the call:
a. Gideon – responded to his call with “How can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest, and I am the least in the family.”
b. David – was the youngest in the family.
c. Jeremiah – complained he was too young for this job.
d. Moses said “I cannot speak!”
e. Simon Peter – he was a fisherman not a public speaker.
f. Saul – He was a persecutor of the church and was involved in killing Christians.
3. Biblical calls usually focus on mind boggling, seemingly mission impossible requests.
a. Noah – was asked by God to build a huge boat.
b. Moses – was called to lead over a million people out of the bondage of Egypt the most powerful nation of the day.
c. Elijah - was called to face down a wicked King.
d. Paul – was called to bring salvation to the heathens - the Gentiles!
i. But even though the call seemed impossible the call was so compelling that it gave courage to the one called to perform the God given task at hand.
4. Biblical calls were unique.
a. The calls differed for each individual and for each instance.
b. Some of these people were strange like John the Baptist.
c. Other’s prominent like Paul
d. Some were doctors others were farmers or blue collar workers.
e. Some were criminals
f. Some young and others old.
iii. The truth is if we have lost our faith in the idea that God calls people supernaturally then we have lost touch with the supernatural element of God.
b. The question could be asked today “Does God still call people?”
i. The answer is “Yes” He does.
ii. In Acts 2: we see Peter preaching on the day of Pentecost with the invitation of the call of God to be saved through Jesus.
1. Acts 2: 36-39: 36“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.” 37When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
a. We are all called to acknowledge that Jesus is the Lord and the Savior of the world.
b. God has called to us to accept Him and to obey Him.
c. God called this generation out of love by sending Jesus to die for our sins and to embrace the gift of grace and forgiveness.
d. God is still calling people today to Him – He is calling each of us even today to stay faithful to Him and to serve Him.
i. God wants us to be saved.
ii. God wants us to be delivered.
iii. God want us to be holy.
iv. God wants us to be faithful.
1. Paul reminds us of the call of God to the Corinthians in 1 Corinthians 1:2: “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours.”
iii. Share about your calls from God.
1. The calls in my life:
a. When God called me to be saved.
i. The evening prayer I prayed and the deliverer of God’s call by Thomas the next day.
ii. I had to agree to respond back to God’s call!
b. When Pastor Nate recommended me for the offer for Bible college through Mike McAhan in England.
i. Mike you are called to preach God’s Word!
c. When God spoke to me at work through Adolph and it rang out in my spirit.
i. You are called to become a preacher – Why aren’t you?
d. When I felt the spirit calling me into the ministry.
i. When Kathy and I discussed it on the docks at her work.
ii. The tugging in my heart and the many affirmations from others.
2. The call of God and the Scripture text at Christian Hills when it was time to go.
a. This is the scripture verse that the Lord gave me to share to the congregation that it was time to go: Matthew 21:1-3: 1As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3If anyone says anything to you, tell him that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
3. The return to Christian Hill from New Life:
a. Proverbs 14:4: “Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty, but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.”
T.S. – God still calls today but the issue is will you return His call or not!
III. The second part of the call is God’s admonition to have us return His call.
a. Romans 10:12: 12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
i. The reality is that we also have to respond to the call from God to us. He first called us and now it is our responsibility to call him back.
1. He promises to us that all who return His call will be saved and in essence will be responded too by Him personally.
ii. Share about the e-mail problem I had at New Life - I feel bad that I was unable to e-mail back and respond to these questions from others.
1. Share some of the e-mails:
a. I feel bad that I did not reply but this is why I find it amazing how many do not respond to the call of God on people’s lives. He calls and leaves messages and they ignore the messages from “The Great I Am,” the “Alpha and Omega” and the “Creator” and to them what’s the big deal?
b. The idea of calling on God centers in the concept of prayer.
i. Illustration from Blue Fish TV. Illustrate 4 – Cell phone parody.
ii. Ephesians 3: 20-21 “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”
1. Paul reminds us that God will even do more than we ask in regards to the call He has on us for our lives.
a. The truth is when you are faithful and call on God He will provide more than you could imagine.
i. Luke 11:9: “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”
ii. Mark 11:24-25: “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
iii. Luke 10:2, “He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”
iv. James 1:5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
v. James 4:2, 3: “You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. 3When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.”
vi. 1 John 5:14-15 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
2. We are challenged in Scripture to ask – to call on God for things in life and God will do more than we could have ever imagined.
a. Share the reports from Dr. Dave Nichols in India.
i. The story of the bee’s
ii. The 22,000 plus conversions.
1. Quote from Discipleship Journal Russ Johnston “Faith That Works” May 1981, “Most of us believe God can move mountains. But how many of us believe he will? There’s a world of difference. We believe God can work mightily on our behalf, but we really aren’t sure he will. In Hebrews 11:6 we learn that without faith it is impossible to please God. We must respond to God by faith. The basis for that faith, the verse goes on to say, is who God is—“Anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists.” And who is God? He is love. He is a giver. He is a helper and a provider. He is the Great Physician. He is the Creator. There are hundreds of things God is, and this is the basis for our trust in him.”
b. The key is to call on God not just for salvation but for all dimensions of life.
i. For direction
ii. For wisdom
iii. For miracles
iv. For loved ones
v. For your family
vi. For your church
vii. For your community
3. Psalm 99:1-9:
1 The LORD reigns,
let the nations tremble;
he sits enthroned between the cherubim,
let the earth shake.
2 Great is the LORD in Zion;
he is exalted over all the nations.
3 Let them praise your great and awesome name—
he is holy.
4 The King is mighty, he loves justice—
you have established equity;
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.
5 Exalt the LORD our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.
6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel was among those who called on his name;
they called on the LORD
and he answered them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
8 O LORD our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,
though you punished their misdeeds.
9 Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.
Closing thoughts: Ephesians 4:1 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
Towards the end of the message a single phone rings in the distance.
I respond who will answer the call.
Close with prayer for others – altars open!
