Phil. 3:14 "The High Call of God"
by Rev. Mark Hiehle
Have you ever said something that was taken the wrong way? You said a word that you thought would be clearly understood but somewhere in the translation a different meaning came out? That is one of the problems with the English language. Words can have more than one meaning. For instance, I can tell my wife that I love chocolate cake, I love my dog and I love her. She could ask the question, "Which does he love more, the dog or me?" In the Greek language there are three different words for love. There is an "eros" or physical love expressed by a husband and wife. There is a "phileo" or brotherly love that is expressed by friends. This is where the city of Philadelphia gets its name - the city of brotherly shove (just a joke). And there is "agape" or unconditional love. This is the kind of love our Heavenly Father has for us. It is not a love based upon performance or with strings attached. "I love you because you do this or that for me..." or "I’ll love you if ..." God simply loves us as we are for that is one of His characteristics and nature.
Another word is the word "call." This word is what I want to share with you this morning. Much like the word "love," the word "call" can have many different meanings.
You can:
call back - as in return a call or recall something as in tires
call for - as in summon someone
call in - a debt or to check your messages
call off - your dog or from work
call up - the Marines or someone on the phone
call down - a speaker
call around - just for fun
call on - a friend or pay a visit
call into being - as in creation
call into question - to raise doubt
You can make a call :
the umpire makes a call behind the plate - you’re out!
the kind you use when hunting deer, turkey or duck
the kind a bird makes
a game due to bad weather
to predict a pool shot - 8 ball in the corner pocket
forcast the weather - it will be partly cloudy today with a high in the 80’s
demand to see anothers hand of playing cards
but my favorite call is when I’m called to dinner!
"Call" is the most common verb in the Bible. It represents over 20 Hebrew and Greek words. As I prepared for this message, I found that the Biblical word "call," fell into 4 catagories.
1. To speak out in the way of prayer
"Call on me, and I will answer thee." - Jer 33:3
"Whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." - Rom 10:13
2. To summon or appoint
"I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the earth." - Jer 1:15
"I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners..." - Matt 9:13
3. To name a person or thing
"...and God called the light day..." - Gen 1:5
"...the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God." - Luke 1:35
4. To reveal God’s will or desire
"I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." - Eph 4:1
"To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints." - Rom 1:7
In Philippians 3:14, Paul states his desire and goal. Paul’s statement should be ours as well, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." This word translated "high calling" is only found in the Bible here in this verse. Literally translated it means "to be filled up to the brim." Just like a glass filled with water to the very top, so Paul wants to be filled up to the very top with all that God wants for him in Christ. As I did my study, there are four areas of calling that God desires for us. I heard a seminar speaker say that you always need to let people know an overview of any speech you are about to give. The reason he said, was that people can endure just about anything if they know it will end. With that in mind, the four areas of "calling" that God gives to you and I are, Holiness, Intercession, Godliness and Hearlding. Each of these calls is in the form of an acrostic for the word HIGH.
Holiness
1 Thess 4:1-7 tells us that we are to be pure.
2 Tim 2:19-24 tells us that purity and holiness is what God uses. Do you want to be used by the Lord? Then you must be committed to holiness and living a life of purity. Notice verse 19 carefully. The Lord clearly tells us that "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness." As a believer, you can not continue to live as you did before coming to Jesus, there must be a change. Paul put it this way in Galations 5:16-23, you must live by the Spirit and not after the desires of the sinful nature. He then clearly lists some of the acts of the sinful nature beginning in verse 19. Do any of these acts sound like what takes place on a regular basis in your life, in your home or in your church? If the answer is yes, the only conclusion you can make is that you are witnessing acts of the sinful nature. It is carnality at work not the behavior of someone who is Spirit lead or filled. On the other hand, Paul also gives a list of what to expect from a Spirit filled life beginning in verse 22. Can I ask you again, does this list typify you, your home or church? If so, it is because the Spirit is at work and in control. Are you fulfilling the call to holiness? The answer is in your actions.
Which list do you see taking place in your life? Are you living by the Spirit or do you see carnality?
Intercession
The second call is to prayer. Jesus said in Matt 21:13, "My house shall be called a house of prayer." Prayer is simply communication and communion with God. Our Heavenly Father wanted a personal relationship with you so much that He had His son die on a cross so that that relationship come happen. You are so important to God and so desired by God that He gave up His only son so that you could know Him and He could commun with you. It is through prayer that we talk with our father. It is through prayer that we express our love to Him. It is through prayer that we come into His presence. The price that was paid in order for us to come into His presence was precious, but that is how God thinks of you - precious. As the hymn writer as stated, "Oh, what peace we often forfit, oh, what needless pain we bear. All because we do not carry, everything thing to God in prayer." Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount, not if, but when you pray. Jesus expected us to pray for he know that in prayer we find peace, perspective and power. It is in prayer that we have communion with God.
Godliness
The third call is to Godliness. What is the difference between holiness and godliness? Holiness is who we are, Godliness is how we live. 2 Peter 3:11 says, "What kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives." Godly living is what witnesses most to people as they see how we deal with life. One of the things that Christians have that the world wants is peace. True peace that surpasses all understanding. The Bible speaks of three kinds of peace that we have. The first is peace with God. Before we came to Christ, we were enemies of God. We were at war over who desired control over our lives. Peace with God comes through surrender. It happens as we ask God to forgive us of our sins and to take control. (Rom 5:1 and Isa 53:5) The second kind of peace is a peace from God. This is the peace that Jesus told us He would give us in John 14:27 and 16:32-33. This peace comes through a switch, from living after the sinful nature to living for the Spirit. It comes by the power of the Holy Spirit at work in your life. The third peace is the peace of God. This is what other people see when they watch your life. The peace of God gives you an inner calm, security and confidence in the midst of the storms of life. The peace of God is refered to in Phil 4:7, Col. 3:13-15 and Deut. 20:1-4. This peace produces stability in your life that people cannot explain away. The world understands happiness because they can be happy when things are going well. But when trouble comes, they lose their happiness and it is replaced by fear and anxiety. For the Christian, who has the peace of God, they have joy. Joy that is not based upon happenings but upon the understanding that God is in control. It is the joy of the Lord that allows us to live above our circumstances and still have joy even though everything around us might be falling apart. This is what godliness is all about. Living in full dependance and relience upon our Heavenly Father. Having peace with God, which came by surrender. Living by the peace from God ,which came by switching our focus off our ourselves and onto the Spirit and having the peace of God. A peace that gives us stability in knowing that God is with us in a life full of trouble.
Hearlding
The final call is a call to hearld the truth. As people watch us live out our faith, they want to know three things. 1. Is it real? 2. Does it work? and 3. Are you injoying it? We are called to be the salt and light of the world. We are not to be silent or unseen but rather visible and impacting. If we are silent, it literally says to others either - it is not important or we agree with what they believe and do. Like Paul in Romans 1:16, we should stand tall because we too are not ashamed of the gospel, for we know that it is the power of God unto salvation. We should use every opportunity to let people know that God loves them and their lives can be changed. Just like the man who was asked, "Is that seat saved?" He replied, "I don’t know about that seat but let me tell you what happened to me." If we would simply stand up, we could tell people the best news they could ever hear. That they can have peace with God, receive a unique peace from God and live in the peace of God.
Are you fulfilling the high call of God in your life? Are you a messenger of peace or war? Is what you have with God real? So real others want what you have? Are you able to be used by God becuse you are Spirit led? Jesus said, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God.
