THE CALL

A call - come and be part of something different, as per . [Slide]

John 1:43 NIV

The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”

We can define call as an action that comes in a number of differing ways . [Slide x2 ]

Jeremiah 1:4–5 NIV

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

,. [slide x3]

Isaiah 6:1 NIV

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:6–8 NIV

Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Then we have the call on the road to Damascus .

[ Slide x 2]

Acts 9:3–6 NIV

As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Jesus calls Philip with the simple words “follow me” Philip then seeks out Nathanael.

Nathanael is a skeptic at first, asking the question about Jesus coming from Nazareth. Yet in the personal encounter with Jesus who describes Nathanael’s Character and in doing this he describes Nathanael as guileless he is not referring to him as sinless Jesus is focusing on Nathanael’s sincerity , and his enlightened dedication to God.

He is describing a man who is looking to understand Gods perspective and agenda not a human understanding.

Jesus response to Nathanael’s confession of faith infers a allusion to Jacobs ladder .

Genesis 28:12 NIV

He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

Jesus is saying in effect that if you follow me you will become conscious that where i am and my disciples are is the very presence of God, the veritable doorway to heaven.

In .

Revelation 3:20–21 NIV

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.

This is a call made by Jesus to us

The first part of the calll asks that we will make a movement, to get up and go to the door in order to open it.

The second part of the call asks that we will invite Jesus to come in.

The third part of the call is to sit at the table and share a meal with Jesus.

The most important social statement that could be made to a person was in the invitation to come and share a meal. If a visitor was invited to share the main meal with a family it was considered the height of good manners.

Jesus having been invited not only accepts the invitation to eat with us he then breaks bread with us.

Remember the two on the road to Emmaus .

Luke 24:30–32 NIV

When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

Here we not only have a good shepherd who cares for us we have one who calls to us and wishes to supp with us.

The Call of Jesus is firstly to us as individuals and then as a community

There seems no earthly reason

Brian Hathaway

Smith Wigglesworth

THERE IS A HEAVENLY ONE

Question : what is your call, do you know it?