University of the Word
1. Write down what does the “Call of God Means to you
Call: To shout; talk loudly;
summon; convoke; a claim; vocation
[Calling: One’s vocation]
There are several applications of “call” in the New and the Old Testament
Let examine three specific applications of the word “call” in the New Testament
There are several
applications of “call” in the New and the Old Testament
Let us examine some:
1. Noah knew his
call/destiny was to build an ark, rescue his family, and begin a new world.
2. Abraham saw a vision
of a promised land, a nation, and all nations blessed through him.
3. Moses knew he would
be the deliverer of the Hebrew nations.
4. Jeremiah understood
his call to be a prophet to the nations
5. John the Baptist
knew that God gave him the job of being the forerunner of the Messiah
6. Peter understood his
call as the pillar of the church and the apostle of the Jews.
7. Ezekiel knew his
call was to be a prophet.
8. Used by Jesus (Matt
9:13; Matt. 22:2-4; Luke 14: 16-24)
“summon” or
“invite” – Call to sinners to enter the Kingdom of God
9. Used by Paul (Romans
8:28-30); Eph 1:11
To describe God’s
gracious work with a sinner whereby He effectively brings that person to faith.
Theologians called this “effective grace” or “efficacious grace”
in contrast to “common grace” which is given to all man, but rejected by
many Church was referred to as in v.28 as “THE CALLED”.
That means those who heard the good news and responded in faith.
The call to a specific
function or office. A few instances
are:
A.
God’s call of Paul to be an apostle (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1)
B.
God’s call of Barnabas and Saul to be the church’s first missionaries
(Acts 13:2)
C.
God’s call to Paul and his companions to take the gospel to Macedonia
(Acts 16:9-10).
Various Scriptures using the term "Call" or
"Called"
Romans
8:30-"And those he predestined, he also called;..
1 Corinthians
1:2-"
1 Corinthians 1:9
"God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son..
1 Corinthians
1:24-"but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, ..
1Thes
2:11-12-"… to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom
and glory." (NIV)
II Th
2:13-14-"But we ought always to thank God for you. He called you to this
through our gospel
Hebrews
3:1-2-"Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix
your thoughts on Jesus..
1 Pet 5:10-"And
the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory…
2 Pet 1:3
2 Pet
1:10-"Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling
and election sure.
Jude 1:1-"Jude,
a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called,
who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:"
Trying to figure out what the call of God is - and what
that means for us - oftentimes can be confusing.
We focus on what we can offer rather than what God
can do through us.
“The whole issue is, ‘What is God leading us
to do?’ and ‘What does God want of us in life?’”
OUR PRIMARY CALLING: Love God
We as followers of Christ have a call to Share the love of God, to be salt and light, to be disciple of Christ, to make more disciples. Until we understand that this is the primary purpose of all believers it makes no sense to seek out a specific call.
OUR SECONDARY CALLING: To serve Him (Isa. 49: 1-7)
How can you determine secondary calling?
Seek the Lord/Listen to His voice
What do you enjoy doing? (Gift, ability, mindset, personality).
What are your talents?
What is your desire/passion: What do you like to do or could not live without doing?
What do others want you to do? What are others blessed by in your life?
Is God producing fruit as a result of your obedience to this call?
1. A personal call (He called you by name)
2. A covenant call (your part; God’s part)
3. A Kingdom commission
Our Next Study: The call of Ezekiel; Read Ezekiel 1