Call to Missions

Call to Missions There is a lot of confusion about this subject, causing poor decision-making, wrong choice of personnel, apathy in some and misguided motivation in others. What is the right way to be thinking?

Key Questions Need Answers • Where to go to school, major, seminary? • Who should I marry, and when? • Is God calling me to full-time service? • Is God calling me to the pastorate, teaching, mission-field and which mission board?

Call – Is it Audible or Subjective? • If Audible • There has been no confirmation of such in 2000 years! • Paul’s companions heard a noise and saw a bright light around them at noon • If Subjective – individualistic – personal – internal (mental) then it can be either… • Genuine • Imaginary • False from a seducing or false spirit

Seducing Spirit • Motivated through pride, lust for power, control, or fame • Objective is to destroy others through false teachings, immorality, legalism and divisiveness. • Evident when challenged, responds in anger, lashing out, critical, vengeance seeking with end result of destroying people

Imagination – wanting it to be • Motivated through sincere desire for impact in the kingdom, significance or allusion of personal capabilities • Objective range from sincere desire to serve and help in greatness to personal importance or aggrandizement • Response when challenged of hurt, bitterness, self-rejection of others and God

Genuine “call” “I cannot not do it, if I cannot stop thinking about it” Jan Fanning • Motivated to serve and benefit others without concern for personal benefit (Phil 2:3-4), consumed with showing gratitude to the Savior and passionate about pleasing Christ by finishing what He started. • Objective is to build up others, extend the knowledge of His Word and see groups of believers bonding in local bodies of churches everywhere • When challenged or corrected he response is to learn to be wiser, thankful for the rebuke, patient, trusting other leaders and non-defensive

Evidence to be examined • Biblical Evidence • Workmanship Evidence • Spiritual Maturity Evidence • Experience and Training Evidence • Acceptance by Churches Evidence

Biblical Evidence of the “call” • “Call” (kaleo) used 148x in NT (additional 70 related terms from the same root) • Called to eternal life: • 1 Tim 6:12, “Take hold of the eternal life to which you were calledwhen you made your good profession in the presence of many witnesses” • 2 Thess 2:14, “He called you to this through our gospelthat you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” • 2 Pet 1:3, “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by His own glory and goodness.” • Rom 8:29, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…and those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified…” • The term is used in 3 different manners in the NT:

1) Used by Jesus as summon or Invitation • Parable of the Great Banquet (Luke 14:16-25) occurs 9x. • He gave an Invitation to come to repentance, faith, salvation and service • He came to call sinners, not the righteous! (Mat 9:13) • He gave an invitation to enter the kingdom of God (Matt 22:2-14) • He summoned his disciples to follow Him then told them to later do likewise with their disciples

2) Call is used as a restrictive doctrinal concept • God’s gracious work to bring a person to faith and salvation • Sometimes rejected: Isa 66:12, “…for I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen…” • Christians are called the “called” (Rom 1:6-7; 8:28; 1 Pet 1:15; Jude 1) • Not only have heard God’s summons in the Gospel, but have responded in faith

3) Call to a specific function or office – Three uses in the NT: • God’s call of Paul to be an apostle (Rom 1:1; 1 Cor 1:1) = Special Revelation • God’s call of Barnabas and Saul to their first evangelistic tour to Gentiles (Acts 13:2) = Special Revelation of leading • God’s call to Paul and team to take the Gospel to the Macedonians (Acts 16:9-10) = Deduction from a dream as a leading • Are these normative or the exception?

Analysis of the biblical “call” • Means of communication was divine revelation • Christ called Saul to be an apostle in audible voice (Acts 26:14-20) • Paul argues in 1 Cor 9:16-18 that he was not the NORM, but an exception • He was forced into the ministry (“under compulsion”“against my will”) while others were volunteers • Elders were “not under compulsion” but to serve “voluntarily” (1 Pet 5:2) Note: None of these calls were communicated through INWARD IMPRESSIONS

Analysis of the biblical “call” • Command in Acts 13:2, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them,” is from the Holy Spirit to the church – not to Paul! • Either God spoke audible (Lk 9:35) or through prophets • Macedonian call (or “leading”) was communicated through a vision (Acts 16:9-10) to men already in an evangelistic ministry

Few are Called • Each vocational call was given to certain few individual at specific times for unique tasks • Only at critical junctures in early stages of Church did God intervene supernaturally • To commission a worker • To point in a specific direction • To stop going in a specific direction – w/o giving a correct direction! (Acts 16) • Never is this promised or required to be the NORM for all believers who want to serve God

Call is Unsought! • In every case the special call of God is unsought and unexpected • It is rare and involved special strategic circumstances

Call to ministry has a low emphasis in NT • The vocational call is rare and never suggested or required of all believers • Outside of the 12 and Paul (perhaps Philip) there is no indication that a special call or divine intervention/revelation occurred! • Yet the notion persists that it is necessary for everyone!

Typical Ordination or Mission board Examination: • Conversion experience • Call to the Ministry • Doctrinal positions

Yet No Reference to Call in Ministry Qualifications! • Must be a believer, part of the “church of God” he is to shepherd (Acts 20:28) • Must be a Man (1 Tim 2:12-14) • Husband of one wife (1 Tim 3:2) • Manages his household (1 Tim 3:4) • Must have the ability to lead and teach • Leadership demonstrated in family with children (1 Tim 3:4; Tit 1:6) • Able to teach and exhort in sound doctrine positively • Able to refute negatively those who contradict (Tit 1:9; 1 Tim 3:2)

No Reference to Call in Ministry Qualifications! • Must have godly desires (3:1; 1 Pet 5:2) • Instead of waiting for an inner voice- man should cultivate an inward godly heart to serve God sincerely and willingly as a VOLUNTEER • The “desire” must come from man – not because he was told to do something! • Must manifest spiritual maturity • Negative requirements: not new convert, not given to wine, not pugnacious • Positive requirements: above reproach, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, gentle, peaceable, free from love of money (1 Tim 3:2-3) and godly reputation outside church

Persistent emphasis on call • Most insist on a “call” experience to assure continuance in ministry when discouragement comes. • With dubious scriptural support and attempts to interpret highly subjective feelings there seems little foundation for a life of hardship and discouragement • How many never perceived such an experience, then gave up pursuing the ministry? • Warning to be certain of your “calling”before obeying the Great Commission!!!??? • Better to look for a reason why one should not go or serve in the ministry than waiting on a feeling to do so

How did NT men normal get into the ministry? • Stephen – chosen by the church (Acts 6) • Philip – chosen and started evangelizing (Acts 8) • Barnabas sent by home church to help another church (Acts 12) • Barnabas sought out Saul (Acts 12) • Church sends Barnabas and Saul on an evangelistic journey (Acts 13) • Paul appoints elders in every church (Acts 14) • Paul thinks it a good idea, “Lets go back,” to return to visit the churches (Acts 15:36)

How did normal NT men get into the ministry? • Church chooses 2 men, Judas and Silas, to join Paul’s church planting team (Acts 15) • Paul refuses to take Mark because of immaturity, but chooses Silas (Acts 15) • Paul wants to take Timothy because he was “well spoken of” (Acts 16) • Luke joins Paul’s team in Troas (Acts 16) • Gaius and Aristarchus were Paul’s “traveling companions” (Acts 19) • Paul was accompanied by Sopater from Berea, Aristarchus and Segundus from Thessalonica, Gaius and Timothy from Derbe, Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia

The Master’s Way • Men entered the ministry as disciples of a mentor – just as they did with Jesus! • Decisions made on the basis of how best to fulfill God’s revealed will in the most effective manner possible at that moment • When God wanted something else He could be trusted to intervene.

Ministry Fit is more important • Eph 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” • Salvation is the fusion of God’s Spirit within our being resulting in regeneration, spiritual gifts and His ability to communicate with our spirit especially through convictions (Jn 16:8) • Best to ask “Why shouldn’t I go?” (Isa 6:8, “Here am I, Lord. Send me!” • SHAPE

SHAPE of God’s “workmanship” • S – Spiritual Gifts • H – Heart desire • A – Aptitude or Talents, skills • P – Personality • E - Experience

Is willingness enough? • Implies the need for a command to get started • Implies the Scriptural Mandate is insufficient to act upon • Implies that one can do whatever he wants until God intervenes with a significant voice • Implies that people going to hell is insufficient motive to act upon

Why not go? • The revealed command: “Go and make disciples of all nations” [ethne](Matt 28:19-20) • We’ve all been commissioned • How can I best contribute to world evangelism? • The Evident Need: 7 billion with only 11% evangelical/protestant Christians • 24,000 people groups but 10,000 have no way of hearing or knowing the Gospel -- Some will soon become extinct • 4,000 are sizeable and 1,700 are being worked • 2,300 are strategic UPGs to reach to finish the commission • 2.2 billion UPG population • Provision: God has given His people the strength, resources, insight, technology, gifts to do the task: if you’ve got the ability, why not?