When God Calls

All Christians are called to serve the Lord Jesus as missionaries. A missionary is sent, and all Christians are sent. All are drawn into Christ, and all are sent out by Christ to live in the world as witnesses to Christ. Therefore, wherever the Lord God places us, we are sent by Him with the Gospel.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

Every member of the body of Christ must play a role in the Great Commission to make more disciples. Each has a specific mission to accomplish with people from every group and ethnicity on earth. People from every corner of the world must come to the Father through the Son. The disciples must become like their Master (the Lord Jesus Christ), living in a servant relationship with Him (Matthew 28: 20a). The discipleship command involves at least two key things – baptism and obedience. The public baptism is evidence that we believe in the Lord Jesus and have made a commitment to follow Him. It declares our position in the eternal family of God. Our primary work in taking up the commission is the cooperative mentoring process of discipleship (Acts 18:24–28; Hebrews 10:25 & Hebrews 13:7).

The Confrontation

Every recorded calling begins with a bizarre happening, a unique experience, an awe-filled moment, a confrontation with God. The form varies, but the encounter with the Presence is the same: Moses encounters the angel of God in the flaming fire of an unconsumed bush (Exodus 3:2); Gideon is beating out wheat in the wine press to save it from the Midianites when the angel of the Lord appears to him (Judges 6:11b-12a); Esther’s challenge comes by way of Mordecai’s public mourning (Esther 4:1-4); Isaiah’s confrontation happens in a vision (Isaiah 6:1-2); Jeremiah’s is in the word of the Lord; Ezekiel’s is in both the word and in visions ( Ezekiel 1:1-28); Mary’s is the appearance of the angel Gabriel (Luke 1:26-27); the Great Commission happens upon the mountain in Galilee (Matthew 28: 16-17); and Saul is covered in a blinding flash of light from heaven (Acts 9:3). You and I have had or will also have our moment of confrontation with the Lord God for the mission. We probably will be busying ourselves with menial activities when it happens, but we should nonetheless stay alert to listen and hear it.

The Introduction

Soon after the confrontation, the Lord introduces Himself: Gideon is assured of God’s presence and identified as a valiant warrior (Judges 6:12b); God calls out to Moses and warns Him to take off his sandals for standing on holy ground (Exodus 3:5); Isaiah hears the voices calling out to each other in recognition of the presence of God (Isaiah 6:3 & 5); Jeremiah is told how he was set apart as a prophet even before birth (Jeremiah 1:5); Ezekiel sees the radiance around the glory of the Lord (Ezekiel 1:28); the angel Gabriel declares Mary as the favoured one (Luke 1:28); to the apostles, the Lord Jesus reveals His absolute authority (Matthew 28:18); and to Saul, the Lord identifies Himself as the persecuted one (Acts 9: 4-5).

The Commission

Our first duty is to listen to God and then follow whatever it is that God calls us to do. We do not set the agenda for the mission; we listen to what the world around us is crying for and ask what we can do to help. The Lord God will guide us on what to do. But we must listen so that we know why He is calling us. The mission is specific to each one: Moses was to bring God’s people the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3: 10); Gideon was to be a military leader to save Israel from the hand of Midian (Judges 6:14); Isaiah was to bring hope and justice to an exiled people (Isaiah 6:8); and Esther was to risk her life to save her people (Esther 7: 1-10); Mary was to bear a son even though she was consecrated to being a virgin (Luke 1:26-56); the apostles were to go and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19), and Saul was to accept the Lord Jesus and proclaim Him to the whole world (Acts 9:15-16).

Objection to the Unexpected Task

All those who get the call in some way object to it. Mostly because it comes with an unexpected task. Some feel insecure to enter uncharted waters or leave their comfort zone. Moses felt unworthy (Exodus 3:11), lacking in knowledge (Exodus 3:13), lacking in eloquence (Exodus 4:10), and even begged God to send someone else (Exodus 4:13). Gideon thought of himself as the least experienced, considering his family status and his birth rank (Judges 6:15). Isaiah thought of himself as a man of unclean lips, unworthy to speak for the Lord (Isaiah 6:5) and unsure of completing the given task (cf. Isaiah 6:11a). Jeremiah thought he was too young to know how to speak (cf. Jeremiah 1:6). Ezekiel was afraid to speak the word of God (Ezekiel 2:6, 8). Mary wondered how a virgin could give birth without knowing a man (Luke 1:34). I am not sure the apostles raised any objection, and I suppose blinded Saul did not object given that he received his sight back (Acts 9:18).

The Reassurance

Every call is accompanied by the reassurance that “God is with us”: Moses was given the Name of God (Exodus 3:12-15), Gideon would defeat Midian as one man (Judges 6:16), Isaiah was to stay the course (Isaiah 6:11b-13), Jeremiah had God’s words put in his very mouth (Jeremiah 1:8), Ezekiel was literally fed the scroll of the Word (Ezekiel 2:8), Mary was overshadowed by the power of the Most High (Luke 1:35), the apostles went out and preached everywhere (Matthew 20:20b), Saul saw in a vision a man named Ananias lay his hands upon him that he may regain his sight (Acts 9:12).

The Confirming Sign

Every mission comes with a confirming sign. Moses performed many signs before the people and they believed (Exodus 4:30). Gideon asked for a sign, and it was granted when the fire came up from the rock and consumed the meat and unleavened bread he had prepared for the Lord (Judges 6:17-21). Isaiah’s guilt was taken away and his sin was atoned for with the burning coal that touched his lips (cf. Isaiah 6:6-7).  The Lord reached out his hand and touched Jeremiah’s mouth (cf. Jeremiah 1:9-10). Ezekiel was handed an unrolled scroll which he ate (Ezekiel 2:9-3:2). Mary’s cousin Elizabeth was six months pregnant even in her old age (Luke 1:36). The Lord worked with the apostles and confirmed the word by the signs that followed (Mark 16:20). Ananias came and lay his hands on Saul and baptized him (Acts 9:17-19).

Be Expectant of the Mission

Each one of us is called by God and chosen to be an active part of the mission of the Lord Jesus. We have been made for a mission. We have gifts and talents that we can use to bless others. They are the platform we need to spread the mission. The challenge is when we hear it but do not embrace the opportunity to embark on a journey of transformation. Getting into a mission is a time of great reflection. It is a voyage of self-discovery. It is a chance to gain knowledge and/or understanding of your abilities, character, and feelings that have remained silent.

The challenge is being expectant of what God has in store for you today. Through prayer and reading the Bible, you open yourself to listen in for God’s instructions for that day. You could approach each day looking out for opportunities to join God wherever God’s already at work through you and others. Like the apostles, just spending time with the Lord and building a relationship with Him could be the invite into the mission. You must make the conscious decision to take a step of faith and join the mission.

Be Ready for Transformation

The mission will certainly transform us. The whole creation eagerly awaits its transformation (Romans 8:19-21). In the Gospels, we find that anyone who encountered Christ had a total reorientation in person and relationships. Also, there was a reconstitution of their identity and the gift of looking at the world in an entirely new way. It is God’s business to transform us and our relationships. When we accept the Call, the Lord Jesus Christ empowers us, orients us, reconstitutes us, recontextualizes us, and sends us with a mission. We acquire new personhoods that are a gift from the community. We get recognition from being part of the community of missionaries. We hope that Paul’s prayer is answered, and Christ is formed in us as we mission (Galatians 4:19).

Always Remember the Mission of Jesus

The Lord Jesus heals physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally wounded people. He came for us all. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him (John 3:17 & John 12:47). When we believe in Jesus, we believe also in the Father; and when we see the Lord Jesus, we also see the Lord God. Jesus is our Light; and when we believe in Him, we do not remain in darkness (John 12:44- 46). Those who do not accept Him by faith cannot be saved (John 3:36), and no one can come to that Father except through the Lord Jesus Christ (John 14:6). The words and the deeds of the Lord Jesus are indeed the very words and will of the Father (Colossians 1:15). He has established the means by which mankind can be saved. In Him, the Name of God is glorified (John 12:28). Our mission is to make Him known; to reach just one more person for Jesus.