God’s Call

I have started the Methods of Preaching class and the first thing we are discussing is God’s call to the preacher. We are looking at four passages one of which is Isaiah 6: 1-10. If only we had that vision and we could see God, feel the temple shaking, smell the smoke and hear: “whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”. I dare say that not anyone of us have seen or heard it and yet we must have heard it; my students heard a call or they would not be in this school. God’s call will become clearer as we go through the other three passages. 1Peter2:9-10 “but you are a chosen people”, belonging to our God. Why choose us? Why these students in my class? Why am I teaching here? Why? So “that you (we) may declare the praises of Him who called you (us)out of darkness into His wonderful light”. God’s call is about His mercy to us. Ephesians 4:10-12: God calls us to “one hope, one faith, one Lord, one baptism, one God the Father of us all”and then he equips us to serve Him. He gave apostles, and now gives us prophets, pastors, evangelists, teachers, and church leaders. We all are prophets, priests and kings. As in God’s call to Isaiah so God’s call to all of us has a purpose; “so that the body of Christ may be built up”,in “Unity, in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God”. In other words; “maturity, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of God”. That seems to us to be an unattainable goal but in Christ we attain it. Praise God! When God calls and He calls all of us in many different ways and to many different tasks. He calls so that we glorify him. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 gives us the basis for our call and task;God’s Word. “All scripture is God breathed”. We begin with ourselves because the Word is “useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness” for all of us. “So that the man/woman of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” We hear the call of Jesus in our hearts by the power of the Holy Spirit and by the power of his Word we are “thoroughly equipped for every good work”.