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What

in the World Does God Want me to Do? Gods Calling for the Christian A Talk by Nick Hill Today in this talk I will be talking about calling. If we examine Scripture, we notice different calls that God invites us into. 1. The Call to Salvation In Matthew 13 Jesus taught in the parable of the sower that the hearing of the call to repent and believe in the gospel is necessary in order for a person to become a Christian. Paul says in Romans 10:17 that faith the faith that saves that unites someone to Jesus and which brings forgiveness and right standing with God comes by hearing, the hearing of the word of God. But not all those who hear the Word of God are saved. This is obvious as we look out on the history of the world, but also as we see the different responses to Jesus and the apostles. When the same gospel call is made, some are hostile, others are indifferent, and still others receive what they hear and trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. For example, when Paul preached to the Epicureans and Stoics in Athens in Acts chapter 17, some of them mocked him when he talked about the resurrection of the dead, some said that they would like to hear him on another occasion, while other became believers (Acts 17:34). What makes the difference between those who receive Christ and those who do not? Is it wealth, personality, race, gender? No. When we look at the lives of those who became Christians we see that they come from various backgrounds and not one common factor. Some Christians were rich (Luke 19:1-10), and some were poor. Some were free (Gal 3:28) and others were slaves (1 Pet 2:18). There were young and old, men and women, Jews and Gentiles. So what makes the difference? The Bible teaches that besides this general call to repent and believe in the gospel, that there is a further
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call from God which itself brings a response of repentance and faith and the start of a relationship of following Jesus as King. This call is called the effectual call. Jesus himself speaks about this call in Matthew 20:16: Many are called, but few are chosen. If you are a Christian today, it is not because you were smarter than others to chose Christ or because you are gifted or for any other reason. It is solely because of grace. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3:6 that I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. If you are not a Christian today, Jesus invites you to trust in him alone for forgiveness of your sin and rebellion against God and to start walking with him as your king. When you do so, you are freed from the bondage of sin, are clothed with the righteousness of Jesus Himself, and are adopted into Gods family. This effectual call to salvation is real and is beautiful to see. I have seen it over and over again in different peoples lives. especially University students. It happened to one proud, sexually immoral, rich, brilliant young man in the 300s by the name of Augustine. This is how he described his experience in a prayer to God: How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose! You drove them from me, you who are the true, the sovereign joy. You drove them from me and took their place, you who are sweeter than all pleasure. (Confessions IX, 1.) 2. The Call to Holiness and Fruitfulness 1Thessalonians. 4:7 says For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 1Th. 4:3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification 2Tim. 1:9 says He has saved us and called us to a holy lifenot because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. Eph. 2:10 says For we are Gods handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
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God saved us to transform us into the image and likeness of Jesus Himself. God has given us His Holy Spirit to make us holy. Galatians 5 says: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. We are not saved by our good works, but every Christian is saved to good works. This brings joy to our lives and glory to God. Jesus said: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. 3. The Call to Work Right from the beginning of the Bible we see the value of work. In Genesis 1 humanity is given what is often called the cultural mandate, to multiply, to work, to cultivate. Even after the fall of the world into sin, God renews this cultural mandate in Genesis chapter 9: Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. When someone is effectively called to Christ, they usually are not called to leave their everyday situation, but to remain in their situation and to live out the gospel in that situation. For example, if you come to Christ as a third year engineering student at Waterloo, does that mean you quit school right away and go to Northern Mongolia to be a missionary. Probably not. The Bible affirms that while the creation is fallen, it is still good and work is good. The New Testament states that Lydia was a seller of purple cloth, Zacchaeus was a rich man, and Cornelius was a centurion. Did they quit their job right away? No. They remained in their jobs and Christ transformed their work and their lives in their current situation. It is not Biblical to think of those who work in business as less than those who work as full time missionaries. Both are callings by God. Both are holy work. Colossians 3 says Whatever you do, work at it with
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all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. In 1520 Luther wrote An Open Letter to the Christian Nobility of the German Nation In this letter he attacked the prevalent idea that the Roman Catholic clergy were a special class of people, a spiritual estate while all other people fathers, artists, princes, etc. were a temporal estate. He affirms that each person has a calling and vocation from God. This is what he says: A cobbler, a smith, a farmer, each has the work and office of his trade, and yet they are all alike consecrated priests and bishops, and everyone by means of his own work and office must benefit and serve every other, that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, even as all the members of the body serve one another. This attitude that missionaries or clergy are more special than other people is still with us, even in the evangelical world (heirs of the Reformation). This is illustrated in the following story: Are you Steve Saint? the man asked me. Are you the son of the famous missionary who was martyred with four others down in South America? I acknowledged that I was Nate Saints son. Oh, and where are you a missionary? I did not know what to say. I wasnt a missionary. I was a businessman. My wife and I were raising our four children to be God followers. We were active in our local Christian church where we served as leaders of a growing youth group that met in our home. We were living below our means so we could help support others to go to the ends of the earth. And I felt sure that I was right where God wanted me, confident that Ginny and I were doing what God had called us to do. When I told my inquisitor that I was not, in fact, a missionary but a businessman, he looked puzzled. Then, as my answer sunk in, he answered with obvious disappointment, Oh, Im so sorry. Now, years later, people just like that man come up to me on a regular basis and ask me if I am Nate Saints son. Then they tell me that they
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have heard that I am a missionary working with the very people that killed my dad. A look of wonder comes over them, and they say things like, Oh, were so proud of you. Why so proud now and so disappointed then. (Story taken from M. David Sills, The Missionary Call). 4. The Call to Evangelism What is the state of the world outside a relationship with God? The Bible describes unbelievers as spiritually lost, blind, dead, enslaved and headed for an eternity without the God who loves them in a place of eternal suffering and torment. A sign of a genuine Christian is their broken heart for unbelievers. We have the heart of Jesus as described in Mark 6:34: When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision and Samaritans Purse, used to pray: Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God. Romans 10 says the following: Rom. 10:13 for, Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Rom. 10:14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? Rom. 10:15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! Rom. 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. Unless people hear the gospel they can not be saved. It is the call of every Christian no matter where they live to share the gospel.
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Charles Spurgeon said the following: If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for. 5. The Call to Missions One-third of the planets population of over two billion people has never head the gospel. And of that number, over 50,000 die daily, separated from God forever. This is deeply sobering. This reality should keep us up at night and break our hearts. Every Christian is called to help fulfill the Great Commission. Jesus said the following in Matthew 28: 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. The Great Commision is not a suggestion, but a command. The Christian who does not obey the great commission is disobeying God. But how are we to obey the Great Commission? Should every single Christian quit their job and go to the unreached people groups of the world? No. Who would send them, support them financially, pray for them? As Rom. 10:15 says: And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? DISCUSSION QUESTIONS How then do I know whether I am called to go to the mission field or to where? Or when should I go? How do I know if I am called?

As we seek to obey Gods word, as we get to know God better, he will change our desires to align with his. He will make us wiser. Our heart will break for what his heart breaks for. We will have a burden for the world that he loves. God then uses our backgrounds, interests, experiences, friendships, etc. to shape our day to day steps and the future of our lives, including our call to the mission field. There is much freedom in this. Augustine said: Love God and do as you please. NEXT STEPS 1. Read about the Need (the newspaper, books, etc.) 2. Meditate on the commands of Christ 3. Get to know God in a deeper way 4. Get to know and love Gods Word more 5. Pray for the nations; use a book like Operation World. 6. Go on a project; consider a one year stint after university; see which people God puts on your heart 7. Continue to seek to grow in the character of Jesus as you walk in the Spirit 8. Observe how God has made you and how he could use your spiritual gifts and talents to help fulfill the Great Commission 9. Seek the wisdom of godly people who know you well Both senders and goers are needed. John Piper has said: There are only 3 kinds of Christians when it comes to missions: zealous goers, zealous senders and the disobedient. Our moto should be: Ready to go, but willing to stay. God is love , God is soverign, God is gracious and God loves you. You dont need to worry or have anxiety about what God wants you to do. You can have rest, confidence, fearlessnesss, joy, and excitement as you anticipate the future. As 1 Cor 2:9 says: What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him
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