Called and then Covered

Acts 2:38-39 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

Calling - a strong urge toward a particular way of life or career; a vocation.

“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you're put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.”  Vincent van Gogh

Once they find what kind of job they enjoy or have fulfillment from, many will say “I have found my calling.”

Finding this “call” can be quite the task.

From an early age, people feel called to be doctors, preachers, lawyers, and many other professions.

Some find this calling later in life.

Often, years of training is spent doing what we think is our “calling” only to have an epiphany and suddenly we stumble upon was we were meant to be doing. 

“The crowning fortune of a man is to be born to some pursuit which finds him employment and happiness, whether it be to make baskets, or broadswords, or canals, or statues, or songs.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson

When it comes to working for the Lord, Dietrich Bonhoeffer said “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” 

Many are called.

Jesus said in Matthew 20:16 “… for many be called, but few chosen.”

Called to God’s Purpose.

Paul said in Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. 

The call is not to specific groups, God calls who He calls.

Romans 9:24-26 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles? 25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved. 26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God. 

God qualifies those whom He calls.

1 Corinthians 1:26-27 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 

There is a call to repentance for every man.

2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 

There is a call to holiness for everyone who chooses to follow after Christ.

1 Peter 1:15-16 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. 

There is a call to change.

1 Peter 2:9-10 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, fa peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the gpraises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

We feel this call from God.

We experience this call from God.

It is what drives us to desire greater things when all we see is despair.

This call from God challenges us to keep going.

It is what pushes us to move forward.

Like a cowboy driving a herd of cattle across miles of difficult terrain, the called of God hear the crack of the whip from God’s calling and move forward.

God will never make anyone follow Him. 

He calls and then waits for a response.

Once we accept God's call, it becomes like the wheels of a locomotive that never loses power. Always driving, always pushing us forward. 

Relentless.

David accepted this call of God. not when he was standing before Samuel being anointed as King, but when he was forced to sleep in the fields with the sheep.

Don’t be confused today, the calling of God is first to God’s will then to God’s purpose.

It is God’s will that we repent.

It is God’s will that we surrender.

It is God’s will that we live Holy.

It is God’s will that we give of ourselves to others.

David was anointed King of Israel by God years before he was ever anointed King by men.

After Samuel anoints him king David has to return to the field and sleep with the sheep again.

The calling to be God’s anointed kept David humble during that time. David not only submitted to God’s calling but also to God’s covering.

David submitted himself to his father, and then to King Saul.

David didn’t complain when he had to return to the sheep.

David didn’t mention his calling when facing the lion or the bear.

David didn’t mention his calling when Jesse told him to deliver cheese to his brothers on the battlefield.

David didn’t bring up his calling when Saul told him to wear his armor. 

David didn't bring up his calling in front of Goliath.

David didn’t bring up his calling when he sat at Saul’s table and had to dodge javelins.

Too often we answer yes to the calling of God and no to the covering of God.

The calling is never to go uncovered in our lives.

An uncovered calling is reckless.

An uncovered calling is dangerous.

An uncovered calling is selfish.

An uncovered calling causes confusion in us.

An uncovered calling only seeks position and promotion.

An uncovered calling cannot take instruction.

An uncovered calling will not hear the voice of reason.

An uncovered calling rejects the counsel of wisdom.

An uncovered calling demands tolerance but refuses repentance.

Yes, God called you.

Yes, God loves you.

Yes, God wants to use you.

Yes God has a purpose for you.

But are you covered?

Are you willing to return to the smelly sheep when you should be living in the palace?

Are you covered by God and man?

We say “God called me to be …” and then we give way to living however we want with no restraint, blaming our actions on God and expecting men to accept and encourage them. 

Will you sit at someone else's table and not proclaim your dominion over them?

Can you give credit for what God has done to God and to the people God used?

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven't yet come to the end of themselves. We're still trying to give orders, and interfering with God's work within us. ”  A. W. Tozer

We are trying to be called and not covered.

To be covered by God is to be completely surrendered to His will and purpose.

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. 

Philippians 1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

David was given the chance to prove who he was when God allowed Saul to enter the cave David was in while Saul was chasing him.

The Bible says David’s men told him now is your chance to kill Saul. 

1 Samuel 24:4 And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the Lord said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.

The men around David just repeated what God had already spoken to David.

They encouraged him to kill Saul.

We must be careful who we have in our “corner”.

We must be careful of the counsel we are receiving. 

If at any time that counsel provokes us to put our covering in danger we no longer need that counsel.

Immediately after David cuts Saul’s clothing he feels regret.

He is reminded of who Saul is and who it is that put Saul in that position.

He is reminded of his love and respect for Saul.

He is reminded of his covering.

This covering is not about a hierarchy of positions within an organization.

It is love one for another. 

It is respect for each other.

It is understanding that my submission is more about love and respect than anything else.

David was never pronounced King by men until after Saul’s death. 

You may have a call from God and most likely you do, but it will only come to pass through the covering of men.