Sermon Tone Analysis

Answering God’s call...

Answering God’s call…

, [1] “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

[2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

[3] Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

[1] Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

[2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

[3] Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

[4] So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

[5] When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews.

And they had John to assist them.

[6] When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

[7] He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

[8] But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

[9] But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

[11] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”

Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

[12] Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

[6] When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.

[7] He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

[8] But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

[9] But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him [10] and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?

[11] And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.”

Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

[12] Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.”

says, [10] Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.

[11] For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”

The clear command is to “make your calling and election sure,” or, as another translation puts it, “make every effort to confirm your calling and election.”

A believer’s “calling” is God’s drawing him or her to salvation.

Peter alludes to this calling earlier in the same chapter when he speaks of God “who called us by his own glory and goodness” ().

A believer’s “election” is God’s selection of him or her to be saved from before time began.

God is the one who calls and elects, so the believer’s calling and election are already “sure” from God’s point of view; therefore, the command for believers to diligently make their calling and election sure must refer to the believers’ point of view.

God wants us to have assurance of our salvation, and the best way to do that is to be pursuing godly virtues and actively growing in the Christian life.

Look at , [5] “For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, [6] and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, [7] and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.”

This passage lists godly qualities that believers should add to their faith.

Those qualities are the “these things” of verse 10, and through them we are urged thereby to “make your calling and election sure.”

And in doing “these things,” we will never stumble and are promised “a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom.”

On the surface seems to affirm that one’s salvation depends on having the qualities listed in verses 5–7.

On closer inspection, however, it becomes apparent that Peter is addressing those who already have “faith,” which he lists as the first (and foundational) quality.

Also, Peter presumes that some of those who did not demonstrate these qualities had in fact been saved, for “whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins”

().

So what does this mean?

Well being cleansed from past sin does not automatically mean a person will grow in goodness, knowledge, etc., but, if he or she doesn’t “possess these qualities in increasing measure” as seen in (verse 8), then he or she is spiritually narrow-minded and forgetful of God’s grace.

Those who grow ever more like Christ will be “sure” of their calling and election.

They will know they have eternal life,

, [13] I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.”

These believers will be living testimonies of the power of God to change lives.

Now in our passage this morning it also deals with the calling of two men, Barnabas and Saul.

They call is to be set apart for the ministry of God, sent out to proclaim God’s Word and also to silence the devil and those who would oppose the church.

Why?

Because God has called them to the ministry.

Has God called you to ministry?

Though all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls certain persons to serve the church as pastors and other ministers.

Writing to young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirms this

, [1] “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”

Likewise, it is a high honor to be called of God into the ministry of the church.

How do you know if God is calling you?

First, there is an inward call.

Through His Spirit, God speaks to those persons He has called to serve as pastors and ministers of His church.

The great Reformer Martin Luther described this inward call as “God’s voice heard by faith.”

Those whom God has called know this call by a sense of leading, purpose, and growing commitment.

Charles Spurgeon identified the first sign of God’s call to the ministry as “an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work.”

Those called by God sense a growing compulsion to preach and teach the Word, and to minister to the people of God.

This sense of compulsion should prompt the believer to consider whether God may be calling to the ministry.

Has God gifted you with the fervent desire to preach?

Has He equipped you with the gifts necessary for ministry?

Do you love God’s Word and feel called to teach?

As Spurgeon warned those who sought his counsel not to preach if they could help it.

“But,” Spurgeon continued, “If you cannot help it, and you must preach or die, then he is the man.”

That sense of urgent commission is one of the central marks of an authentic call.

Second, there is the external call.

We Baptists believe that God uses the Senior Pastor, others in leadership and even some of those in congregation to “call out the called” to ministry.

All of these must evaluate and affirm the calling and gifts of the believer who feels called to the ministry.

As a family of faith, we should recognize and celebrate the gifts of ministry given to its members, and take responsibility to encourage those whom God has called to respond to that call with joy and submission.

These days, many persons think of careers rather than callings.

They are looking for affirmation and accolades and really have no true affection and adoration for the things of God and the privilege of serving Him.

The biblical challenge to “consider your call” should be extended from the call to salvation to the call to the ministry.

John Newton, famous for writing "Amazing Grace," once remarked “None but He who made the world can make a Minister of the Gospel.”

Only God can call a true minister, and only He can grant the minister the gifts necessary for service.

But the great promise of Scripture is that God does call ministers, and presents these servants as gifts to the church.

Consider your calling.

Do you sense that God is calling you to ministry, whether as pastor or another servant of the church?

Do you burn with a compulsion to proclaim the Word, share the Gospel, and care for God’s flock?

Has this call been confirmed and encouraged by those Christians who know you best?

God still calls ... has He called you?

Let us pray…

“A true Christian lives and labors on earth not for himself but for his neighbor.

Therefore the whole spirit of his life him impels him to do even that which he needs not do, but which is profitable and necessary for his neighbor.”

― Martin Luther

Answering God’s call… means being set apart.

, [1] “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

[2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Now the text tells us, “Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers…”, effective and strong churches always have godly leaders, and the church at Antioch was not exception.

God has always put a premium on spiritual leadership.

, [1] “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

[2] Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, [3] not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

[4] He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, [5] for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

[6] He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

[7] Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

[8] Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.

[9] They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.