Your Calling I never really thought landline phones would ever be replaced by cell phones, but here we are just a few short years from then, without a hard-wired phone either at home or the church. As wonderful as it is to take the phone with you pretty much anywhere and utilize all the handy features of wireless, there has also been a great increase in accessibility to unwanted phone calls. I’ve gotten to where any phone call that doesn’t have a recognized id will just be ignored and sent to voicemail. Every week I actually have several of these calls, but because I don’t answer or do anything with them, they have no influence on me. Until I am persuaded that a call is worth responding to, it will be for me as if it were never made. Though it is my call, until I choose to answer and respond to it, there will never be fulfillment of its sender’s intent. There is a multi-destination call that has gone out to all of mankind. It is an invitation to come and walk in the presence of the Lord. For every one who answers that call with honoring movements, there is provision of ability, strength, and provision to do what is needed to fulfill its bidding. Every call comes with its own assignment, but with a common purpose – edifying and building up the body of Christ by responding to the passion of His heart. As this becomes the inspiration and motivation for life, there will be much validation of its authenticity in the holiness, love and power it produces. Treasuring and caring for the call has a very sure impact and effect. While one call may seem to be of greater importance than another, though, it is never for the purpose of exalting the one who is called, as it never magnifies the vessel above its Contents. For each who has this as their driving passion, to know and complete the full potential of their calling from God, there is powerful provision of strength and ability to lift Him up for others to be drawn to. These are the ones who are chosen, not to just have a call, but to know and portray its vision. Notes A Call: Invitation or beckoning Call’s Care Enabled ability Vocation of life Fulfilled purpose beyond self Everyone’s call Matthew 22:2-14 2 He illustrated the reality of heaven’s kingdom realm by saying, “There once was a king who arranged an extravagant wedding feast for his son. 3 On the day the festivities were set to begin, he sent his servants to summon all the invited guests, but they chose not to come. 4 So the king sent even more servants to inform the invited guests, saying, ‘Come, for the sumptuous feast is now ready! The oxen and fattened cattle have been killed and everything is prepared, so come! Come to the wedding feast for my son and his bride!’ 5 “But the invited guests were not impressed. One was preoccupied with his business; another went off to his farming enterprise. 6 And the rest seized the king’s messengers and shamefully mistreated them, and even killed them. 7 This infuriated the king! So he sent his soldiers to execute those murderers and had their city burned to the ground. 8 “Then the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, yet those who had been invited to attend didn’t deserve the honor. 9 Now I want you to go into the streets and alleyways and invite anyone and everyone you find to come and enjoy the wedding feast in honor of my son.’ 10 “So the servants went out into the city streets and invited everyone to come to the wedding feast, good and bad alike, until the banquet hall was crammed with people! 11 Now, when the king entered the banquet hall, he looked with glee over all his guests. But then he noticed a guest who was not wearing the wedding robe provided for him. 12 So he said, ‘My friend, how is it that you’re here and you’re not wearing your wedding garment?’ But the man was speechless. 13 “Then the king turned to his servants and said, ‘Tie him up and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be great sorrow, with weeping and grinding of teeth.’ 14 For everyone is invited to enter in, but few respond in excellence.” (Many are called, but few are chosen) Honoring the Call Galatians 3:27 (NLT) 27 And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. Romans 13:13-14 (NLT) 13 Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. 14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don’t let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires. Enabled Ability 2 Peter 1:3-11 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Vocation Romans 11:29 (TLB) 29 For God’s gifts and his call can never be withdrawn; he will never go back on his promises. Philippians 3:14 14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. Fulfilled Purpose beyond self 1 Peter 2:9 9 But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world. Overview: There are 5 areas of calling development: invitation, care, ability, vocation, purpose. Everyone has been given a call or invitation to come experience new life in Christ. When our calling is treasured, it will be cared for by holiness and godliness. Confidence in the Lord’s presence from honor of His call enables ability to glorify Him. Calling becomes the vocation of life as it is cherished and developed. We have been brought out of darkness into glorious light with a purpose of showing His glory. Prayer: That You would call me to Your side to live in holiness with purpose is so amazing. I humbly come to submit my whole life to knowing and developing my treasured calling for Your glory. Fill me with this revelation and equip me by Your power to show Your light to a world in darkness. Declarations: I have a call from my Designer and Creator to come walk with Him in newness of life. As I respond to this call by drawing near to His holy presence, I choose to care for it by yielding to the holiness and godliness of His Holy Spirit. There in His presence I am empowered by His promises with ability to develop in and fulfill the full potential of my calling. This calling has become the vocation of my life that determines and has priority over every choice I make. I commit myself daily to preparation of my calling to be chosen for effective kingdom service in glorifying God.