Walk Worthy of the Call
Intro: Thank you for the opportunity share with you today. It is humbling to speak to pastors. During my childhood and teenage years I learned love pastors, missionaries, and evangelist. Growing up in a pastors home had its pros and cons. One of my favorite things as a pastors kid was sitting around the table after service with great men of God. Men like Don Brankle, B.H. Clendenon, Tom Trask, my favorite was missionary Charles Greenaway. My great love for pastors continues to this day. My best friends are pastors, my hero’s are pastors. I am who I am today because of men of God like you. I love speaking to my flock, but I consider it a great honor to share with you today. I want to talk with you for a few minutes about this calling God has placed on our lives.
A survey was recently done as one group set out in search of the perfect pastor. Many people responded, and today I want to share the results with you. According to this study, the perfect pastor…
• Preaches his sermons in exactly 12 minutes
• Frequently condemns sin but never upsets anyone
• Works from 8:00 a.m. until midnight
• Serves as the church janitor and lawn keeper
• Makes $100 per week, wears good clothes, buys good books, drives a nice car, and gives $50 per week to the church.
• Is 28 years of age, and he’s been preaching for 30 years
• Is wonderfully gentle and handsome
• Gives of himself completely but never gets too close to anyone lest he be criticized
• Speaks boldly on social issues, but must never become politically involved
• Has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and spends all his time with senior citizens
• Makes 15 calls daily to visit church members, visits the shut-ins and those in the hospital, spends all his time evangelizing the uncharted, and is always in his office when needed
• Prepares three or four inspiring lessons weekly from his lengthy hours in the study.
We all know that many times people have unrealistic expectation upon us. Sometimes the unrealistic expectations drive us crazy. However it is important to know we have a high calling, and much is required of us.
Eph 4:1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
In order walk worthy of the call, there some thing we must know about the call.
I. We are called by God
Colossians 1:25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness.
A. Of the 13 Epistles we know Paul wrote 11 of them begin with terms such as, “Paul a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the Gospel of God”
B. We did not just choose an occupation, but God chose us and called us to a high calling.
1. I am amazed God would call someone like me. How humbling it is to know God would choose someone like me for such an important mission.
2. To know that the creator of the universe chose me shows me that God believes in me. God has never called anyone to something they aren’t capable of doing.
- sometimes I feel incapable, I don’t think I’m smart enough, sometimes I think God someone else would be better for this job.
- I was called into the ministry at the age of 17, My very first lesson was my call wasn’t about my talent it was simply allowing God to use me.
*Illustration:my first message
3. Knowing God has called you will keep you going when you want to quit.
II. It’s not enough to know how great our calling is, now comes the hard part… To walk worthy of the calling.
A. We must realize that living a life worthy of the call has more to do with who we are than what we do.
1. James Hamill, the late great pastor of First Assembly in Memphis in his book Pastor to Pastor says it like this.
“ There are two great essentials in genuine Christianity: “I have” and “I give,” “I possess” and “I share” “I possess” that is my experience. “I share” that is, communicating my experience.
I cannot share something I do not possess. I can not teach until I have been taught. I can not impart power until I have received power. I cannot assist others in a right relationship with God until I have a right relationship with God.”
2. It is not our mission to get more members, promote more programs, to get bigger offerings. Our mission is to lead people into a consciousness of the presence, power, and purpose of God. We cannot do this if we are spiritually dry.
A man in the church choir couldn’t sing. Several people hinted to him that he could serve in other places, but he continued to come to the choir. The choir director became desperate and went to the pastor.
“You’ve got to get that man out of the choir,” he said. “If you don’t, the choir members are going to quit. Please do something.”
So the pastor went to the man and suggested, “Perhaps you should leave the choir.”
“Why should I get out of the choir?” he asked.
“Well, five or six people told me you can’t sing,” answered the pastor.
“That’s nothing,” the man snorted, “At least 50 people have told me that you can’t preach!”
3. What was the reason that the position of deacons were created? It was so the apostles could devote there time to pray and study word.
B. It requires total commitment
1. Total commitment means pledging one’s self completely to a Person or a cause.
2. Let me once again quote the book Pastor to Pastor. Pastor Hamill says,
“ I am convinced that the chief ingredient for success in the ministry is commitment. The chief factor in church growth, both spiritually and numerically, is commitment. Without commitment on the part of the pastors and the people, little or no growth can occur, numerically or spiritually.”
He goes on to say
“Take a look at Christian history and you will discover that the people who made a mark for God and for good in the world were those whose commitment was unlimited, who brought themselves, their will, their actions, into submission to God.
C. God has a right to expect total commitment. He gave it.
Well I have only scratched the surface of what it means to walk worthy of the call.
We also must consider things like character, family, finances, mentoring, servant hood/humility, and so much more.
I close with this…
1 Samuel 13:1414 …the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people…."
