live a life worthy of the calling that you have received. Eph. 4:1 I believe that people have become very confused on this subject of the call.

Transcription

1 The Call To Leadership Roles Matthew 1 Englewood Baptist Church Sunday morning, April 22, 2012 Open your bible to Mark 1. Last week, we launched into a study entitled The Call. Week one, we discussed the general call that comes to all Christians. We are all called to give God the glory in our daily lives. So Paul says in Ephesians 4, live a life worthy of the calling that you have received. Eph. 4:1 He says that to the whole church. Not just the pastors. Not just the deacons. Not just the missionaries. Every member of the body of Christ has a calling to give God the glory every single day. Now, is there more in the Bible on the subject than the general call to Christian service? Is everybody called in the same way? What do pastors mean when they say they were specially called to preach? What do missionaries mean when they say they were specially called to Uganda? What do Sunday School teachers mean when they say, God called me to begin this new class. Is this a biblical concept or just a Christian cliché? I believe that people have become very confused on this subject of the call. Why? One reason is because we throw this word around in a variety of ways. Call is a popular word. A sophomore basketball player is called up to the Varsity team. A reservist in the military is called to active duty. A citizen is called for jury duty. Baptists call for the question in a business meeting. At the square dance, an instructor calls. A football announcer calls the game from the press box. A tennis match is called off because of rain. A loan officer calls in a bad loan. Your honest friend calls a spade a spade. And at 5:00, you say to your secretary, I m calling it a day. So this word, call it can mean a lot of different things. But what does it mean when we say, God called me to this or to that? Three questions I want to handle today: Does God still call people to leadership roles? (and if he does, then) Who does God call to leadership roles?

2 How does God issue the call to leadership? So let s begin with the first question: Does God still call people to ministry leadership? The answer to that is ABSOLUTELY YES. Look with me at Mark 1:16. In this passage, at the beginning of Mark s Gospel, Jesus begins calling out key leaders for His kingdom. V.16 Jesus asks Peter to put down the profession that had previously dominated his life. Every morning, year after year, month after month, week after week, day after day, Peter had known nothing else but fishing. The man had given his life to the boat and the nets. Jesus walks up and calls out to him: Drop what you re doing and follow me. It was not enough for Peter to remain a Christian fisherman. Now let s be clear. Jesus wants all fisherman to become Christians. But he wants most fisherman to keep on fishing and to give Him the glory through their fishing career. But not Peter. This was a distinct call to a position of leadership. This call would require his complete and total focus. I ask you is it possible that He has been nudging and preparing YOU for a focused position of leadership? Is it possible that Jesus designed you to lead others in some significant way? Have you even considered it? Because I can tell you this he still calls people to positions of leadership. Do you see this? It s my wallet. It belongs to me. There are two ways for me to hold it. I can hold it like this (clenched fist) or I can hold it like this (open hand). When it comes to your plans, your dreams, your future you must always hold it like this (open hand). This says (clenched fist), you can t take it from me. This says (open hand), Lord, not my will, but thy will be done). That s the way you must think about your major in college, your ambitions in your career, your dream house, or your dream job. Make the goal and go for it, but keep the hand of surrender always open. Because God still calls people out from their well-planned pursuits. Peter s life of fishing had officially concluded. Now Flip over to Matthew 1. We saw the beginning of Mark s gospel. Now we see the beginning of Matthew s account. It starts with the begats. So and so begat so and so. The lineage of Jesus. This the family tree that God purposely put together, the human beings that were sovereigly placed for higher purposes. Each of these persons was handed a significant role in the inauguration of the Kingdom. Now you look at this list closely and you will think, What does so and so begat so and so and so and so begat so and so have to do with me?

3 There is more to this list than meets the eye. This list gives you insight into the kind of people God plucks out for special purposes. Let s look at the different players he picks for the team Who Does God Consider Qualified For Special Roles? 1. He calls unexpected people. Two names are unexpected on this list. Let me point them out to you. Surprising entries. V.2, Judah. V. 6, David. I ll tell you why. In ancient Israelite culture, the firstborn son was highly valued. This was just the way that it was. The first son was the primary heir of the family. He was the chosen one. Destiny had done him good. When the parents passed away, the property was transferred to the firstborn son. There was no question or friction, no family squabble about who was going to care for the estate. He was. He is the firstborn son. It was settled. But what you have to understand is that Jacob had 12 sons. The first was Reuben, not Judah. In fact, Judah was number 4. Why did God pass over these other brothers and put Judah on the bloodline leading to Jesus? Because God can supersede any tradition; he can bypass any birth laws. He had a purpose for Judah and he placed Judah in a strategic spot in his kingdom. God reserves the right to do that. David, the same way. We know David s story quite well. Samuel was sent by God to recruit a king. He was sent to Jesse s house. Samuel looked at the stock of Jesse and immediately thought that this first boy with the big muscles was the one. God said no. Not the firstborn this time. Well, what about this one? Nope. This one? This one? No. This one No. And Samuel said, Jesse, do you have any more boys? None of these is the one. And Jesse said, Well there is that one, but he s the little one of the group, the baby of the family, and he is no warrior. He s a shepherd. And Samuel said, Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives. God had decided a destiny for David. And I say this to you because you might be utterly shocked by the doors that God opens for you in the days to come. God calls people that the world passes over. He calls normal, every day, ordinary people. It is his preferred method. We sometimes have this perception that God puts a silver spoon of leadership in some people s mouths from the time they are born. They were reared in perfect Christian homes, and they had access to the highest halls of education, and they have spiritual advantages over the rest. Sometimes that is the case. Moses is certainly an example of

4 someone who grew up with advantages and privileges. But...most of the time, this is not the case. Most of the time, great leaders come from humble beginnings. You can t predict the people that God will pluck out and put into a prime positions of Christian leadership. He makes those decisions himself and he does consult the seminaries or the Dean s lists. In the Lord of the Rings movie clip that you saw before this sermon, a little Halfling hobbit, Frodo, has received a ring that ruined his life, or so he thinks. This ring has thrust him to a leadership role he never requested. For whatever reason his destiny has fixed, to abandon safety to secure the good of others. Nobody could take his place. It was his. And the dialogue is so rich. Frodo: I wish the ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened. Gandalf: So do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. There are other forces at work in this world Frodo, besides the will of evil you were meant to have [the ring]. And that is an encouraging thought. Why did God put Judah on the list? Only He knows. Why did God choose obscure David as King? It s a mystery. And why would God pick someone like you for a His Purposes? I have no answer. But I know this: he still pulls people from anonymity and obscurity and places them in places of responsibility. Leadership is an assignment from God, and that is an encouraging thought. There are higher forces at work in this world! A kingdom has come! Let me tell you who else God calls 2. He calls immoral people. Three women are mentioned in Jesus lineup Tamar (v.3), Rahab (v.5), and Bathsheba all had shady backgrounds. All three women had a reputation that preceded them and that reputation was not good. Tamar was Judah s daughter-in-law who posed as a prostitute once, dressing in disguise and in seduction she tricked Judah into sleeping with her and making her pregnant. Hardly a candidate for the Who s Who list. Rahab was a prostitute in another city, Jericho. She made one good choice, however, when she chose to side with the Israelites and to shelter the spies. Bathsheba, noted as Uriah s wife in v.6, was David s mistress. She was the biggest mistake of his life. She committed adultery and cheated on her husband to form a relationship with the king. Sleezy.

5 And David even, is listed in the lineage of Jesus, a man who made some dirty decisions in his life, even after he knew better. God includes him in his family tree. And some of you are here today, and you think, God will never call me to a position of leadership because of the impurity of my past! He would never entrust me with any true responsibility because I have taken myself out of that race. I have blown my opportunities. Some of you still struggle with vivid memories of the past previous decisions in darkness. Some of you have secrets from your earlier life that lie dormant, but still very much active in your soul. I want to tell you: God can still use you. Your past cannot be used an excuse to skirt responsibility. If he is calling you, do not ignore the call. Do not dismiss His destiny because something happened 16 or 6 years ago. God is a God of grace. And putting you in a position of leadership might be His way of putting His Grace on Full Display. Do you remember when Jesus made this statement? Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. John 4:44 What do you think Jesus meant by that? Why did the previous prophets of God find it difficult to gain a hearing in their hometown? Because those people knew the prophet before God s call came clearly upon him. Those people knew him when he was immature. Those people knew the backstory. Of course, Jesus had no previous sins in his past, nothing that he was ashamed of. But he was known by many as Joseph and Mary s little boy; they remembered him in diapers. They struggled to see him as anything more. And if God calls you into a public place of leadership, where you are recognized as a church leader, a ministry captain, I can guarantee you there will always be some people in your past who will pop up and say, Noooooooo. You? Really? And they will throw your past up in your face. But it s OK. Do not be dismayed for God picks people with a past, just so he can show his power to shape a future. Do not let the dark years disqualify you from ministry. You re not here to prove something to those people; you are here to prove your trust in God. So trust Him. And move ahead. If he can use Tamar, and Rahab, and Bathsheba, he can use you. 3. He calls inconsistent people.

6 Now, there are two men in the list that were woefully inconsistent. They are considered today as two of the finest leaders in the history of the faith, and yet, if you look closely, they were not always at the top of their game. First Abraham (v.2). Abraham was the father of the Jews, the patriarch with a capital P. From him, came a full nation. God inaugurated his covenant with this one particular chap. And on two different occasions, Abraham passes his wife off as his sister in order to save his own skin. Not just once, but twice, he plays the part of a coward and shrinks back in fear. He s afraid of men. And he s the father of our faith in God? And of course, we have to mention David again. David had some really good days, like when he faced the giant of Goliath. But he also had some sad showings such as the day he almost killed a man in rage a man named Nabal who was disrespectful in many ways. Abigail saved David from his own foolish rage and so she is revered as a wise woman in the Old Testament. David was prone to temper tantrums. Do you ever get down on yourself for your inconsistencies? In his book, Is God Calling Me, Jeff Iorg shares honest thoughts about himself, a seminary president: On my twenty-fifth anniversary in ministry leadership, I wrote a list of insights and conclusions I had learned. One of them was I thought I would be a better man by now. When I started in ministry leadership, I assumed I would make amazing progress in Bible Study, prayer, Scripture memory, preaching ability, and pastoral skills. I thought I would conquer my anger, master personal relationships, and learn to love everyone. I was wrong. My inconsistency in these areas makes me wonder why God continues to use me. --Jeff Iorg, Is God Calling Me? I think this man expresses what we all feel. Our weaknesses are always before us, like the morning sun, they greet us every morning. I should be a better person by now. But look what Paul says to the Corinthians: Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 31 Therefore, as it is written: Let him who boasts boast in the Lord. 1 Cor. 1:26-27, 31. That last line is the definition of worship: boasting in the Lord! And that s what God wants from you and from other people on this planet. He wants us to see Him as the only reason you have survived thus far. He is the hero, and not some charismatic or brilliant person that He was blessed to find.

7 If you deserved a good spot on the team, then you would have legitimate grounds for boasting. But as it stands, you have no business being called a child of God, and no business bearing special responsibility in his kingdom. The only explanation is grace: his calling and equipping of you. God called ministry leaders grow in grace but they never reach perfection. If you are far from perfect, God can still use you. Don t ignore His call because you re inconsistent, or immoral, or obscure. Now, with my time remaining, I want to answer the question: How Does God Call? Through crisis. Through contemplation. Through community. Called Through Crisis Sometimes God appoints a person to ministry leadership dramatically. Moses gets a burning shrub. Saul loses his sight on a street. This was theatrical. Sometimes God calls like that. Dr. Jett was called to be a preacher dramatically. I believe him when he recalls the moment when the Lord appeared at his bedside and commanded him to preach the Gospel. I also believe that I was equally called by God to preach and to pastor, but I never received a What just happened to me? experience. God called me differently but just as definitely. A second way God calls people is through Contemplation. Called through Contemplation Therefore, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, it seemed good also to me to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, Luke 1:3 Those are Luke s word to explain why he wrote his gospel. He does not say that the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, write this down. He just felt impressed to do it. The Lord laid it on his heart and he made a decision that seemed right. At times God calls people into positions of leadership simply by laying it on their heart. And they are asked, Why don t you step up and take on this role? There is a need here! And that person says, it just seemed good to me, it felt right. It was fitting. I thought about it and I felt at peace with it. Called through Community Do you remember when Paul and Barnabbas were worshipping with their church in Antioch? They were sitting in the same service as the others, but the book of Acts records these words:

8 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them. 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. Acts 13:2-3 Why didn t the Holy Spirit speak directly to these men? Why did he speak in the context of a church service? He certainly could have! He chose to use the community of believers to call these two men out, to a new place of servic. Sometimes God prompts other people to give you a signal. Have you ever thought about leading a small group? Have you ever considered going on a mission trip? Has it crossed your mind that you should be a worship leader? After a few people say the same thing, a person starts to wonder if God isn t saying something to him.