Call: June 25, 2010

Today's Word for Friday June 25, 2010

CALL

DEFINITION

Announce, proclaim, summon, designate, characterize, utter loudly, to call to a duty, a divine summons, an occupation or vocation.

SCRIPTURE

"I Paul and my companions of faith here, send greetings to the Galatian churches. My authority for writing to you does not come from any popular vote of the people, nor does it come through the appointment of some human higher-up. It comes directly from Jesus the Messiah and God the Father. I am God commissioned." Galatians 1:1, from the message translation.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE

In the above verse the apostle Paul is referring to his call from God. When he wrote this letter to the Church at Galatia and then later to Timothy he wrote as one called by God by the commandments of God and of Jesus. Paul had a personal encounter with Jesus so he knew he was called by Jesus Himself and that he was an apostle by Christ's authority.

In the first chapter of I Timothy Paul gives Timothy a challenge that is relevant for us today. Paul is a compassionate apostle writing a beloved son in the faith to warn and instruct the people to keep "the faith" by keeping sound doctrine.

We are also a son of Paul in the faith so what he writes to Timothy is written also to us. He gives a strong but warm and tender greeting, "Timothy, my own son in the faith: grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord."

Paul is not only an ambassador of God to Timothy but also a father, fathering him as his son in the faith. Paul gives to Timothy in I Timothy chapter 1 several details about his call from God to preach the gospel.

As believers we all receive our call from God as to how we are to serve Him. For some it is a call to preach, a call to be a missionary, a call to be a teacher or a call to be in Christian ministry. For others it is a call to be a mother, a call to be a prayer warrior, a call to be an electrician or a call to be in business. But whatever it is, we are all called by God and we need to prepare ourselves for the call given to us. This preparation demands daily work. We must daily as believers communicate to God through prayer and listen for God's direction and leading by reading His Word.

God called Paul to be an apostle, one who is sent out or sent forth. An Apostle is a representative of God, an ambassador, an envoy, a person sent out to represent God0.. Three things are necessary and true about being an earthly ambassador or an apostle of Jesus Christ. First, he represents and belongs to the one who sent him out. Secondly, he is commissioned to be sent out. Thirdly, he possesses all the authority and power of the person who sent him out.

Paul goes on to say that he was an apostle by the command of God. He was under orders and under obligation to be a minister of Jesus Christ. He was also an apostle because of God our Savior. God is the source of our salvation and this is our message: We are all sinners and the penalty for our sins is death, but we can be delivered from sin, death, and the judgment to come because Jesus paid the penalty. Paul wanted to serve Christ because he acknowledged that Jesus was his Savior and Lord. No matter what call God has given us in life, we should desire to serve Him because He is our Savior and Lord.

Paul was also an apostle because Jesus Christ was his only hope for a life in heaven for all eternity. Man hopes for all kinds of things mainly because he lacks them and desires them, not because he needs them. The hope we need is to be found in Jesus. Paul preached that Jesus is our hope and that when we put our hope and trust in Jesus, we become complete and satisfied in Christ Jesus because we have absolute assurance of eternal life.

Just as Paul and Timothy were called of God, you as a believer in Jesus have been called of God. Do you know you're calling? Are you working daily in fulfilling your calling as God leads and directs you to do? Now is the time to listen to and apply to your life what Paul has to say and then ask God for His leadership in your life.

LEARNING
Our memory verse for this week is found in II Timothy 3:16.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.

PRAYER

Our prayer is that we may be sensitive to Your call in our lives. Thank You that we know beyond any doubt that when we become Your child that You call us to be Your representative. May we represent You today in such a way that we bring glory and honor to Your name.