WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN THE CALL COMES?

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   In the past, God personally called individuals.

 

B.   He still calls people today, but He does not literally speak to them.

1.    He calls them through His Word.

2.    He calls them by means of the church.

3.    He calls them through various works.

4.    He calls them through opportunity (providence).

 

C.   This morning we want to ask a question:  “What Will You Do When the Call Comes?”

 

I.             GOD HAS CALLED PEOPLE IN THE PAST

 

A.   Three Calls:

1.    Abram (Gen. 12:1)

 

Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee.

 

2.    Moses (Exo. 3:10)

 

Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

 

3.    Mary (Luke 1:30-32)

 

And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary:  for thou hast found favour with God.  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt be call his name Jesus.  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest:  and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.

 

B.   Questions:

1.    Can you imagine being the recipient of one of these calls?

2.    Can you imagine hearing the voice of God? or, the voice of an angel of God?

3.    Can you imagine being asked to do the things these individuals were asked to do?

4.    Do you think these individuals experienced surprise, fear, or confusion?

5.    How would you have answered these calls?  (NOTE:  We all want to believe that we would have done exactly as Abram, Moses, and Mary did.  Don’t we?)

 

II.           DIFFERENT TYPES OF CALLS

 

A.   The call to a position

1.    Moses was called to a position:  deliverer and law-giver of Israel (Exo. 3:10)

2.    Saul of Tarsus was called to a position:  to become an apostle of Jesus (Rom. 1:1)

 

B.   The call to a work

1.    Noah was called to build the ark of gopher wood (Gen. 6:14).

2.    Nehemiah was called to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem (Neh. 2:3, 5).

C.   The call to obedience

1.    King Saul was called to utterly destroy the Amalekites (1 Sam. 15:3).

2.    The young prophet was called to prophesy unto king Jeroboam (1 Kings 13:1-3).

 

D.   The call to sacrifice

1.    Abraham was called to offer his only begotten son Isaac (Gen. 22:1-2).

2.    Esther was called to go in unto the king which could have cost her life (Est. 4:8).

 

E.   The call to believe

1.    Sarah was called to believe that she would have a child in her old age (Gen. 18:11-15; Heb. 11:11).

2.    Mary was called to believe she would have a child by the Holy Spirit who would be the Son of God, the Redeemer of all men, and the anticipated King of the Jews (Luke 1:30-32).

 

F.    The call to give

1.    The children of Israel were called to give in order to build the tabernacle (Exo. 35:29).

2.    The Macedonians were called to give to assist the poor saints in Jerusalem (2 Cor. 8:1-2).

 

G.   The call to worship

1.    David (Ps. 122:1)

2.    The first century church who gathered to break bread on the first day of the week (Acts 20:7)

 

H.   The call to evangelize

1.    The twelve were called to take the gospel to the entire world (Mark 16:15).

2.    Paul and his company were called to come over into Macedonia (Acts 16:9).

 

I.     The call to fight

1.    Gideon was called to fight the Midianites with an army of 300 men (Jud. 6:14).

2.    David was called to fight the giant named Goliath (1 Sam.17:32).

 

J.    The call to wait

1.    The children of Israel were called to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord (Exo. 14:13).

2.    The beheaded saints under the altar were commanded to wait upon the Lord (Rev. 6:10-11).

 

K.   The call to help (assist)

1.    Bezalel and Aholiab were artisans called to help in the fabrication of the many parts of the tabernacle (Exo. 31:1-2).

2.    Timothy was called upon to assist Paul in learning about the state of the church at Philippi (Phil. 2:19).

 

L.    The call to holiness

1.    The Corinthians were called to be holy (2 Cor. 7:1).

2.    The Christians of the dispersion (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

 

M.  The call to salvation

1.    Saul of Tarsus was called to go into the city of Damascus in order to be instructed as to what he must do to be saved (Acts 9:6).

2.    Cornelius was called to send men to Joppa to fetch Peter who would tell him and his house words whereby they could be saved (Acts 10:5-6).

 

NOTE:

Every individual listed above answered the call of God. 

Only two of them, King Saul and the young prophet, failed to answer God’s call properly.

Would you have answered these calls of God?

God calls us today to do things for Him.  Are you answering those calls?

 

 

III.         QUALITIES NEEDED TO ANSWER GOD’S CALL

 

A.   A person must be ready.  By this, we mean that a person must be prepared (Paul, Rom. 1:15).

 

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to your that are at Rome also.

 

B.   Willing (The Macedonians, 2 Cor. 8:3)

 

For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves.

 

C.   Humble (Josiah, 2 Kings 22:10-11, 19-20)

 

Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the Lord, when thou heardest what I spake against this place.

 

D.   Obedient (Saul of Tarsus, Acts 26:19)

 

Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision.

 

E.   Trust (Abraham, Jam. 2:21-23)

 

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?  Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?  And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:  and he was called the Friend of God.

 

F.    Commitment (Esther, Est. 4:16)

 

Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day;  I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law:  and if I perish, I perish.

 

G.   Focus (Nehemiah, Neh. 6:2-3)

 

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.  But they thought to do me mischief.  And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down:  why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

 

H.   No excuses (Moses, Exo. 4:14)

 

And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses…

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   In the introduction of this lesson, we noted that God is still calling individuals today.

1.    He calls us through His Word.

2.    He calls us by means of the church.

3.    He calls us through various works.

4.    He calls us through opportunity (providence).

 

B.   What do you do when these calls come?

1.    Worship

2.    Bible study

3.    VBS

4.    Works of the church

5.    Evangelize

6.    To give

7.    To help

8.    To fight the good fight

9.    To help

10. To be holy

 

C.   NOTE:  The calls of God are not always calls to exalted positions and mighty works.  Sometimes the calls are to small, simple responsibilities or promises that are important at a particular place and time.