MOVING ON TO OUR HIGHER CALLING
(delfin l. corona)
Listening to the media in the last few days: the threat of volcanic eruption in the Philippines, current conflict in the Middle East - Israel against Lebanon that brings many Overseas Filipino Workers to a place of misery, the heat wave in New York, the increasing momentum of human depravity and corruption in all corners of the world, and more…, only confirm what the Word of God declared several hundreds of years ago: this world is not getting any better! The unfolding of each new day brings more deposits of trouble and layers of darkness add up each tick of a second.
In pessimism the secularists drop their heads and surrender life to fate. Mustering all courage some can manage to say: ‘come what may!’ blinded by the god this age that cessation of life in this world would mean the termination of all evil and their present sufferings; or at best, annihilation of all forms of life. The weak in “fate” resort to committing suicide in the same sort of blindness.
In optimism, on the other hand, the People of the Word with their heads lifted up thanksgiving and worship to our Almighty God, possess a vision that sees light beyond the thickest cloud. While it is true that this world is doomed to death, it is our fundamental belief that in the midst of darkness, at the height of the highest evil that Satan can do, a ray of that Heavenly Light at the appointed Day of the Lord that the Father alone knows when, will break through the darkness to usher in the second coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords who will establish His Kingdom on earth forever and ever. What a day will that be!
In the intervening time, before that Glorious Day, the purpose of God for the church, individually and collectively, must prevail and must be given our first concern. Therefore, the challenge is for us to “MOVE ON TO OUR HIGHER CALLING” – to prepare the world for His eminent return.
What does it take to do that? May I suggest four steps in parallel to the experience of Ezra in the Old Testament. (Ezra chapter 7:1-10).
1.Spiritual preparation – Ezra prepared his heart, v10
2.Mental preparation – Ezra studied the Word of God, v10
3.Practical preparation – Ezra obeyed the Word of God, v10
4.Institutional preparation – Ezra created a system of imparting the Word of God, v10, 6
Ezra – means help, by calling he was a scribe
1.The "scribe" who led the second body of exiles that returned from Babylon to Jerusalem in B.C. 459. He is the author of the book of Scripture which bears his name. He was the son, or perhaps grandson, of Seraiah (2 Kings 25:18-21), and a lineal descendant of Phinehas, the son of Aaron, 7:1-5
2.A Scribe – is a person who takes the duty of studying, multiplying copies of, and teaching and preaching the Word of God.
In detail, note: “THE STEPS TO FULFILL THE HIGH CALLING OF GOD”
I. SPRITUAL PREPARATION - Ezra prepared his heart, v10
Prepare – (Heb) kuwn meaning to be firmly establish, stable and ready. It also speaks of being securely determined to accomplish.
Ezra acted wisely in preparing his heart.
1.The heart - the center of life
•Pr 4:23 – out of the heart comes the issues of life
•Pr 27:19 – a man’s heart reveal himself
2.God can stir up a man’s heart towards doing good and eventually fulfill God’s purpose,
•1:1-4 – God placed a desire in King Cyrus heart
•1:5-11 – God planted a holy desire in the heart of many Hebrews to return to Jerusalem
3.Man’s heart can be influenced by the force of evil and hinder God’s purpose:
•Ezra 4:1-3 – Satan set up the people to compromise
•Ezra 4:4-5 – Satan slandered the people to the King
Without God…
•Gen 6:5-6 – man’s heart is continually evil
•Jer 17:9 – man’s heart is deceitfully wicked
4.The danger of unprepared heart
A man in the ministry without heart preparation will pose danger
•Will build his own kingdom not God’s Kingdom
•Will preach for his reputation not for man’s salvation
•Will establish his name in the guise of preaching the gospel.
•Will be legalistic in ministry approach, not easy to work with, insubmissive,
5.But there is good news: God is able to change our hearts – and He is not finish with us yet
•Mal 4:6 – God can soften our hearts
•Pr 21:1 – hearts of kings are in His hands
•Ezek 36:24-30 – man’s heart can be changed, empowered, established, enriched …. But this takes a lot of preparation:
II. MENTAL PREPARATION - Ezra prepared to study God’s Word
The value of study: (Develop the habit of studying God’s Word)
1.Studying is choosing the right tool to use in a given situation of need.
2.Studying sharpens our cutting edge.
•In three days given to cut a tree, it is a wise thing to do to use two days to sharpen my cutting edge.
•If I had only three remaining years of ministry I would use two of them studying. Donald Grey Barnhouse
3.Studying is preparing the right menu for the right occasion.
4.Studying is rightly dividing the Word of Truth for the right feeding.
Reasons for studying God’s Word:
1.For Divine encounter – to know Jesus, the central figure of the Scripture
2.For personal growth – God’s Word is milk for the babes, meat for the grown ups
3.For understanding of the seasons and time – like sons of Issachar, 1Chr 12:32
4.For preaching preparation –
•To be ready in season and out of season, 2Tim 4:2
•To get the heart of God into the subject of preaching. In any subject our preaching should reveal the Heart of God to the people.
illustration: early preachers spent hours of study in the deep of the night, meditating, revising, improving, …
Concerning Ezra, Professor Binnie said: "He is the first well-defined example of an order of men who have never since ceased in the church; men of sacred education, who devote their lives to the study of the Holy Scriptures, in order that they may be in a condition to interpret them for the instruction and edification of the church.”
What does it take to have a beneficial study of the Word:
1.Holy desire to know God – Jn 5:39, 2Tim 1:12
2.Consecrated mind – Rom 12:1-2
•Sense knowledge vs revelation knowledge
•acquiring sense knowledge can wear out , Ecc 12:12
•revelation knowledge brings life, Jn 6:63
3.Disciplined spirit – 2Tim2:15
•Be diligent
•Be consistent
III. PRACTICAL PREPARATION - Ezra prepared to obey God’s Word
Obedience is:
•Obedience is better than sacrifice.
•Obedience is an expression of the inner life defined by our relationship with God. Paul said: “Work out your salvation… “
•Obedience is putting the Word into action
•Obedience is wisdom in practice
•Obedience installs us to the place of authority, Acts 20:28.
Illustration: my experience in HLBC
- Honesty in taking exam in music
- God’s faithfulness in transforming me before I passed the exam in Christian Home.
Studying and obeying go together:
•Hebrew mindset: We know nothing until we do what we know.
•Studying God’s Word is one thing, obeying it is another thing;
•Studying God’s Word is like looking at a beautiful palace, obeying it is like living in the palace;
•Studying points you to the door, obeying it is stepping into the door.
•Studying is like scratching on the surface, obeying is like taking root;
•Studying defines our being while obeying is our doing. The being is important and the doing is nothing without the being, but the being is not complete without the doing.
•Studying is knowing our identity in Christ, (study the Scriptures and it will lead you to eternal life), obeying is showing and sharing Christ to other;
•Studying is receiving information knowledge, obeying is putting into operation that knowledge.
•Studying will produce scholars and theologians; obeying will produce servant-leaders. We need people who have both qualities. A theologian with servant heart ledear.
•Studying only makes us hypocrite, the number one enemy of Jesus;
•Studying and obeying will bring integrity.
•Absence of integrity in the ministry will drive the presence of God away;
IV. INSTITUTIONAL REPARATION - Ezra created a system of teaching / preaching God’s Word
•Ezra was basically a teacher and preacher by calling. It is significant to note that the earliest mention of the pulpit occurs in the history of Ezra’s ministry (Neh. 8:4). He was much more of a teacher than a priest.
•Ezra was careful in disposing of his duty - We learn from the account of his labors in the book of Nehemiah that he was careful to have the whole people instructed in the law of Moses;
•Ezra restored and built up the faith of the people by his faithful and unceasing ministry of teaching and preaching of God’s Word. Rom 10:13-15
•Ezra’s long years of preparation and persistence in imparting God’s Word brought revival in Jerusalem
After the ruined wall of the city had been built by Nehemiah, there was a great gathering of the people at Jerusalem preparatory to the dedication of the wall.
In that single moment when Ezra read God’s Word God moved. One short moment… but prepared for years of diligent praying, studying, faithful practice and unceasing ministry of preaching and teaching of God’s Word. It pays to be prepared!
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
The long process of preparation was important for Ezra because as a scribe by calling he personified God’s call for the nation of Israel: To be a depository of God’s Word.
•Israel, individually and collectively, was called to be a depository of God’s Word.
•To be a depository of God’s Word means to receive it, to have knowledge of it, to live by it, to preserve it and pass it on to the next generation. More clearly it means to posses it, study it, to obey and practice it, guard it from error and teach it to the next generation.
The church, individually and collectively has the same calling today: to be a depository of God’s Word.
•The church received the Word – God miraculously preserved His Word from generation to generation, originally from the hands of Israel to the church today.
•The church needs to study it, live by it, preserve it and pass it on, and fulfill the call to “make disciples of all nations”. Mt 28:19 then shall the end come. Amen!
