We All Have Callings

Texts, NRSV: Ephesians 4.11-12, 1, 4

We’re going to look at the second part of what we discussed last week (FAQs About the Calling), in the beginning of Ephesians 4.  Ephesians 4 is one of those chapters that a lot of people skip over.  They see words like calling and minister, and they think it’s only for a certain group of people.

But Ephesians 4 is really like roller skating in elementary school and junior high.  When I went roller skating at this age, it was usually on Christian Night, and there weren’t a lot of girls to skate with when it came to the Couple’s Skate.  We have a lot of guys wearing Man Buns these days, but back then all the girls were wearing Pentecostal Buns, and I really wasn’t attracted to that.  So I didn’t Couple’s Skate.  But after Couple’s Skate, the DJ would say, “This is an All-Skate.  Everybody skate.  This is an All-Skate.”

That’s what Ephesians 4 is.  There’s only a little bit that deals with the minister, and then there’s a hook right afterwards that says the minister can’t do ministry without empowering the saints to do ministry (Ephesians 4.11-12).

At the beginning of the chapter, Paul is talking about calling.  Again, the word calling is something we apply to ministers.  Paul uses it in a unique way, speaking of all of us, as our God-given vocation.  Paul has all of us in mind when he’s speaking about our callings.

VIDEO: We All Have Callings

Paul is not just speaking to ministers.  He’s speaking to everyone.  Here’s a central thought:

We all have callings.  We just need to remember the call in our every-day.

The term for call is referred to a couple times in Ephesians 4.1

I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

First of all, Paul says I “beg,” or “beseech” (KJV).  The word is similar to the word for the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is called to our side.  This word means to call you to my side, parakaleo, to call to one’s side.

Paul is not speaking to us from 2,000 years ago, reaching out and calling to us, as he might be to certain leaders in the New Testament Church.  So could it be that the Holy Spirit Himself is actively reaching out to us, begging us, calling us?  It’s actually the Spirit who is always calling us.  The question is, are we listening?

Secondly, “you have been called.”  The word kaleo, to be called, is a shortened form of the verb.  In this particular case, it means we are the ones being called.  It’s more passive.  We are the receivers.  We are the ones who yield to the calling.  There is no real beginning or end to this particular type of verb in the Greek.  It’s just there.

It’s as if God is always there, He’s always called you, and you’re just tuning in with your radar to His signals which have always been firing.  We are receiving something that has been spoken forth from all eternity.

It’s as if God’s hope and dreams.  It’s as if His callings speak to us through time.  He whispers to us endlessly.  I believe He does that to every man and woman He’s ever created.  It is our choice be receivers or not.

That’s what Paul is saying here with this language.  I’m calling you and you must be called.  You must receive it.

This is the same term in Ephesians 4.4

There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,

“You were called,” is basically the same term,  but verse 4 ends with another phrase.  It says “your calling.”  Calling is different.  It’s a noun.  It basically means a divine invitation.  Something has happened.

God has called you and it is a calling.  The calling has passed the point of verb.  It has passed the point of the giving verb, or the responding verb.  The verb is now a noun.  It is solid.  It is something that is here.  It is tangible.

You have got to the place in your life where you have internalized the Holy Spirit’s divine invitation.  You no longer question whether or not you can put your hand to the plow and work for the Lord in the fields.  You have internalized it and you know that every good work that you put your hand to do is of God.

You have internalized the invitation.

You have taken the call and you have made it your own.

We all have callings!  We all have callings! Are we listening to the Holy Spirit?  God is always calling.  We can always hear and receive the call.  But at some point, the calling must become real.  The calling must become accepted.  The calling must become more than a verb.  It has to become a noun, something etched on the heart of our souls. 

We all have callings.  We just need to remember the call in our every-day.

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* adapted from JVI, Walk Worthy of the Call, 07.23.17

Drawing Near to God

Texts, NIV (1999): James 4.8; Isaiah 29.13; Matthew 15.7-9; James 4.8-9

James 4.8: Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Video: Drawing Near to God

We are commanded.  James is using the imperative tense.

This is a command from the Holy Spirit to “Come near to God,” or to “Draw near to God” (NASB).

James is hinting at a couple of other predominant passages.  Isaiah prophecies as the Lord’s mouthpiece:

Isaiah 29.13: The Lord says:
“These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.

Now go down the timeline a little bit in Israel’s history.  A young preacher stands up who’s drawing crowds in the thousands, and many are wondering if He’s the Messiah.  He quotes Isaiah in Matthew 15: 

7: You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8: “These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9: They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

It is believed that James is referring to both Isaiah and Jesus.  The issue is that double-mindedness gets in to the way we do life.  Double-minded people can worship with their lips, but never draw near.  Their worship is nothing more than a show.

So what’s the solution?  Isaiah and Jesus really state the solution, but it’s in the negative form.  James states it in the positive form.  James is saying, be free of duplicity, be free of hypocrisy in your worship and in your Christian life!  Bring it together under the Lordship of Christ and draw near to God!

How do we draw near to Him?

The focus isn’t on a formula for approaching God.  James is not giving us a D-I-Y Manual.

James 4  8: Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  9: Grieve, mourn and wail.  Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

We like following instructions don’t we?  Put in a little bit of effort, follow the instructions, and results just magically appear.  In the Christian life it doesn’t work that way.  Otherwise we would find ourselves attaching our affections to the formula instead of to God.  We would rely on our own effort instead of on the grace of God.  James is not saying, follow this formula step by step.

James is saying, do whatever it takes to get to God!

Change your lifestyle!  If the work of your hands has become evil, cleanse your ways!  If your heart has become divided, purify it with a single intent to serve God!  If you are caught up in sinful pleasures, repent and cry out for forgiveness!

Draw near to God, at any cost!  Draw near to God!

When the desires of this world divide you . . . Draw near to God!

When the wisdom of this world ensnares you . . . Draw near to God!

When the love of this world entices you . . . Draw near to God!

And when you draw near . . . He will draw near to you!

*adapted from JVI, Simplicity of Lifestyle, 10.09.14

On Praying Together

Texts, KJV: Acts 2.41-42; Matthew 18.18-20; Acts 4.31 (Matt 6.9-13; Luke 11.2-4; John 17)

Featuring the sketches of Cruz

Last week I explored Lent and Fasting in Dialogue with a local Associate Pastor, Christopher Jarvis.  This week, I would like to continue with another key ingredient to Christian seasons like this, Prayer Practices.  I will address only one key question.  Do we maintain a private devotional life versus corporate prayers when we gather with others?

When I speak on corporate prayer, I generally get pushback in 3 areas:

1) First, there are Scriptures that speak of praying alone

I agree, but I have to point out that these Scriptures are usually in reaction against the outlandish public prayers of the religious leaders in the days of Christ.  Also, we should bear in mind that there are more passages related to corporate prayer in the NT than to individual prayer, or personal prayer.

2) Another point of contention is that when we gather to pray, shouldn’t we be doing something more, like taking action?

I must admit, I have struggled with this at times.  For four years, I have been part of a group of pastors who meet weekly for prayer.  In those first few months, I thought, “This is great, let’s storm the city!”  Over time, I began to realize that the end is not something that our combined prayers produce.  The end is our combined prayers.  That’s all.  As the Body of Christ, we must learn to pray together.

3) A third area of pushback is generally a very valid one

Some of my parishioners over the years have had genuine fears of group settings for various reasons.  As ministers, we should be sensitive to these real issues, and accommodating in any way possible.

Call to Action: Consider ways to pray together with other believers in this season.  Attend special services in your congregation, make family prayer commitments, visit community prayer events, attend a Good Friday Service, etc.

Acts 2.41-42: Doctrine, Fellowship, Breaking Bread, and Prayers (see note 1).  What is the Church known for?  Luke seems to be showing us things that the Early Church (EC) is known for. Do we keep on continuing steadfastly in the mission that God has called us to? How do we share our time and our lives?

i. The EC made the church a place of prayer

The word prayers means prayer, but it can also mean a place for prayers.  We want to have a private devotional life, but the EC also has ways of praying together in community.

ii. There is power in praying together

Matthew 18.18-20: You don’t need more than 2-3 to have church.  You don’t need more than 2-3 to have a prayer meeting.  You don’t need more than 2-3 to agree together to get your prayers to be answered.  You can pray together and God will show up.

Acts 4.31:This beautiful prayer is recorded in verses 24-30.  In Matthew, Jesus says 2 people are a quorum to get something done in the Spirit-realm.  In Acts 4 a number of people come together to pray, and it is so powerful that God literally sends an earthquake to shake the building where they’re assembling.  The power of God is manifested in a miraculous way.

iii. Do we miss something by not praying together?

The verb prayer indicates an on-going prayer, in verse 31.  They are filled and the house is shaken while they are still praying.  “It would seem from these passages that, in addition to the initial experience of being filled, there may be subsequent fresh fillings from the Holy Spirit” (J. Rodman Williams, see note 2).  We need to be consistently praying in the Holy Spirit.  We also need to be consistently praying together.  Are we missing a blessing by not sharing time together in prayer?

iv. When we pray together we learn how to pray

Jesus teaches his Disciple how to pray the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6.9-13; Luke 11.2-4).  Jesus prays for His Disciples in John 17, one the most magnificent prayers of His that is recorded.  It’s all about the unity Christ has with the Father being shared among the Disciples.  So there’s something powerful about us joining together in prayer.

. . . Are we being challenged to grow in our prayer life?

note 1: Adapted from Rev. Jared V. Ingle, Marks of the Spirit-Filled Community: Prayers (sermon presented during Worship Service MT. ZION F.W.C., Traverse City, MI, June 12, 2016).

note 2: J. Rodman Williams, Renewal Theology: Salvation, the Holy Spirit, and Christian Living (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1990), 202.

On Righteousness in Context

 

. . . a brief word study on righteousness

Texts, KJV: Romans 14.17; 2 Corinthians 5.21, 6.14; Proverbs 14.34

Rev. Jared V. Ingle: On Righteousness in Context*

i. The nature of righteousness is often a topic of scholastic dialogue.  Kevin Kinghorn shares the two classical Christian views.  Imputed Righteousness is credited to us.  Imparted Righteousness means that we are made righteous (“Sanctification As Taught by John Wesley,” presentation for Asbury Theological Seminary: Basic Christian Doctrine, 2017, p. 57).

ii. If we approach the NT with the question of WHAT righteousness is, we may get caught up in these historical dialogues as well.  What if we start with the question of HOW the word is used?  In the NT, righteousness if often referred to in one of three ways or contexts that help us understand the term.  Take about 12 minutes to see a brief word On Righteousness in Context.

Romans 14.17

iii. God never intended for the Church just to be a group of individuals, but a Kingdom in action; strong in the Holy Spirit; transforming society; establishing Righteousness, Peace, and Joy.

iv. Individual RIGHTEOUSNESS

2 Corinthians 5.21

• We think of right-standing with God, but it’s personal plural – us . . . we.

Stanley Horton states: “He [Holy Spirit] helps us win victories over sin, giving us power to yield ourselves to God in obedience and faithful service” (What the Bible Says About the Holy Spirit, Rev. ed., Gospel Publishing House, 2005, p. 195.

v. Relational RIGHTEOUSNESS

• I take my stand and help to establish others

2 Corinthians 6.14

• Separation from sinful relationships
• My RIGHTEOUSNESS is only self-righteous until I help others live right

vi. Societal RIGHTEOUSNESS

• Righteousness can be translated Justice: it is to impact society

Proverbs 14:34

• Society is impacted by our walk with God
• Remember the Super Friends?
• We may not have superpowers, but we’re empowered by the Holy Spirit

Righteousness: a community of believers literally changing their world

 

* Adapted from Rev. Jared V. Ingle, “Spirit-Filled Community: Righteousness, Peace, and Joy,” (sermon presented at the Easter Worship Service MT. ZION F.W.C., Traverse City, MI, March 3, 2016).