Can you hear me now?
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Intro
Intro
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From 2002 to 2011 Paul Marcarelli better known as the Verizon “test” guy made the phrase, “Can you hear me now?…good” famous. Verizon was advertising themself as having the most reliable far reaching cell phone service across the whole nation. Which is interesting because the Marcarelli is now the spokesperson for t-mobile/sprint.
While working as a staff member at Nosoca Pines Ranch summers 2008-2012, our running joke among many of us who had a verizon phone was, “Can you hear me now?…nope” because it seemed Nosoca was indeed one of the few verizon dead spots.
Now-a-days the newest smart phones, especially the latest iphones are advertising speeds of 5G. Now I have no idea what that means other than that call clarity should be great and download speeds very quick.
I know that many of us when we are seeking God’s special calling for our lives, would like crystal clear clarity, with 5 speed, yet as I talk to many teens and young adults alike it appears the clarity of God’s plan for their life couldn’t be worse. I really shouldn’t limit that to young people. I know many of you out there want to fulfilling God’s calling in your life but you may not be sure what that looks like, or maybe you have felt like God has been silent on the matter.
If God has been teaching me something the most in 2020, it has been patience, and relying on God’s timing. I have prayed for a lot of things this year and most often His answer seems to never be no, but often “not yet.”
Today I am intending for us to explore together in the Bible some examples of God’s calling in people’s lives. I will also share a little bit of my own personal testimony of his calling in my life, and throughout this message I hope for us to answer 3 important questions: change slide
As Christians, What is God’s calling for each us?
How can we distinguish between our own will and God’s will for our lives?
How can I find certainty I have answered God’s calling for my life?
My prayer is soon, when God asks us, Can you hear me now?, we’ll say Yes Lord!, and He’ll reply, “good.”
Before we go any further, lets take a moment to pray.
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I don’t think anyone here would disagree with me when I say, not everyone is called to serve as a pastor. The same as not everyone is called to be a teacher, or nurse or doctor, or engineer, or scientist. I have a good friend who approached toward the end of our college experience. He says, “Ross, I am seriously considering switching my major to theology, and becoming a pastor.” Now, hearing this had me overjoyed. He was a guy who had had his life turn a full 180 degrees, from partying, experimenting with drugs and alcohol and lust filled living. Because of amazing parents and mentors in his life, he finally realized he was living far outside the bounds of what God had wanted for his life. And so as he is telling me he is thinking about becoming a pastor, all I wanted to do was affirm this calling, but something stopped me. He was only one year behind me in school, he was very close to completing his degree already. So I told him, ya know, you don’t need a degree in theology to attend seminary. Why not complete your current degree and if you still feel God is calling you to the work of pastoring, you can still follow that plan and then you will be even more well rounded than me! I didn’t want to see him go further into debt through student loans than he already was. It turned out, he would learn later, while he didn’t become a minister in the pastoral sense, he did discover his calling was to minister to high school age kids in our academy system, teaching Bible, coaching sports, and deaning.
God has many ministry calls beyond pastoral work. In fact I would suggest you can be a more effective minister in your inner circle without having the title pastor attached to you. He can use you most when you embrace your God-given gifts
I am honored to have my retired military father in law here today. A few years back he answered a very unique call in his life. After a family move back to PA to be closer to his wife Linda’s family, he was struggling to find a long term job. Now Craig has always enjoyed singing and performing. Maybe on his next visit I’ll get him to sing for you all. Either way after not hearing back from a retirement center about a singing opportunity, he got a call out of the blue that they’d like for him to come perform and entertain the residents. It was in this visit he felt God was opening a door for him to find fulfillment by bringing joy to the residents of assisted living and nursing homes. Our family has gotten to come and see first hand as Craig has been able to sing a mixture of gospel, folk songs, patriotic medlies, and even some Elvis Presley. In each performance he takes a moment to glorify God even inviting residents to give their lives to him.
Speaking of calls from unlikely places, i don’t think there is a more unlikely place to receive a call than from a bush that is on fire. A disgraced prince of Egypt of Hebrew lineage, was now living a settled calmer life far away from his troubles. Its possible, now with a family Moses felt God had finally gave his life purpose and meaning, but really had been preparing him for something even greater.
Exodus 3 and 4 depicts Moses tending his father in laws flock when he comes across a bush that is burning but is not burning up.
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When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”
You know rarely God comes to us calling from a bush, but he does often call us by name, maybe through a parent, a church leader, a teacher, or maybe even a retirement center director. Will you answer, “Here I am.”
God tells Moses of his plan for him to go tell Pharaoh to Let His people go.
Moses is understandably afraid, maybe uneasy that he will lose the great life he has built for himself and family he has created. Maybe is just afraid to go back to a place of his greatest shame.
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But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”
Moses proceeds come up with all sorts of excuses.
They won’t listen to me.
They won’t believe you have sent me.
Pharaoh won’t let them go.
I am slow to speech.
None of the things that Moses lists are not valid concerns, but they also displayed a lack of willingness to trust God even if God answered each concern. CHANGE SLIDE
Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 22—Moses
These excuses at first proceeded from humility and diffidence; but after the Lord had promised to remove all difficulties, and to give him final success, then any further shrinking back and complaining of his unfitness showed distrust of God. It implied a fear that God was unable to qualify him for the great work to which He had called him, or that He had made a mistake in the selection of the man.
God makes it clear to Moses, there was no obstacle so great ahead that could not be overcome with his help. Save your lists, I got you.
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Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 22—Moses
A man will gain power and efficiency as he accepts the responsibilities that God places upon him, and with his whole soul seeks to qualify himself to bear them aright. However humble his position or limited his ability, that man will attain true greatness who, trusting to divine strength, seeks to perform his work with fidelity.
Patriarchs and Prophets Chapter 22—Moses
Had Moses relied upon his own strength and wisdom, and eagerly accepted the great charge, he would have evinced his entire unfitness for such a work. The fact that a man feels his weakness is at least some evidence that he realizes the magnitude of the work appointed him, and that he will make God his counselor and his strength.
This brings me back to my first question: change slide
What is God’s calling for each of us as Christians?
Well he is not calling all of us to be a Moses type leader, but he does call each of us no matter the magnitude of the calling that he will equip you with the means to fulfill your calling.
Our friend Kevin Watson shared with me about how a former pastor of this church, Dean Carlisle first asked him to be youth leader. Kevin at the time remembered the man he had been before his conversion. But somehow managed to agree. Without this simple ask, “I’d like you to be a youth leader.” Maybe our church might not have Serendipity. Maybe our church wouldn’t have hosted 12 years of the Alive Youth rally” Influencing the lives of now thousands of youth over the years.
God calls each of us as Christians to go and do what He has asked of us and trust he will equip us to fulfill this call. He also asks us not to squander the talents he has already made known to us. I believe with Moses, God had prepared him as a leader in Egypt, and taught him humility to follow and trust God in the dessert. If he did not go back for his people he would have squandered the gift God had given him to lead.
Hebrews 11 has a nice summary of Moses answer to God’s calling in his life. change slide
By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.
so in summary of question 1. He calls Christians to be willing to go where he leads him and to trust him even more than ourselves.
The 2nd question we must answer is: CHANGE SLIDE
How can we distinguish between our own will and God’s will for our lives?
I may have shared this, I can’t remember. But when I was a student at SAU, I was sitting in Dr. Phillip Samaan’s theology class and he was telling us of a student he had had years ago who had walked into his office seeking advice. Apparently the young man was heartbroken because a girl who was also in his class would not agree to date him. He told Dr. Samaan. “I had a dream, that we were dating, God gave me the dream because He plans for us to be together.” Dr. Samaan, told the young man, “Has he showed her this dream?” The young man said, “well no, but Ive told her its God’s will” Dr. Samaan tells him, “Maybe wait for God to to show her then.”
While this described situation is comical in my eyes, I must say, it is not hard to confuse God’s will with our own.
Maybe its the job we want, the person we want to date or marry, maybe its for personal finance. Have you ever had that rationalized with God, “Lord can you see if I have this one thing, it will be so mutually beneficial for us both.”
A verse that always seems to come to mind for me is found in John.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
Sometimes we understand God’s will for our life but not his timing. Church family , we can trust God when he makes promises to us in our lives. And we don’t have to take matters into our hands to fulfill his promises. Meaning we don’t have to go outside the bounds of God’s plan to enact it. We must live in integrity unto His plan.
A prime example of this temptation is found in the life of David.
King Saul had been in pursuit of the war hero David. David had supporters ready to declare him king. David himself knew he had been anointed to be king years before by Samuel himself. When would God make this a reality in his life? change slide
1 Samuel 24: verse 2.
2 Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel and went to seek David and his men in front of the Wildgoats’ Rocks. 3 And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. 4 And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’ ”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (1 Sa 24:2–4). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
David had a chance to take matters into his hands and make reality what had already been promised. This was no dispute in electoral votes. This was God’s newly anointed, being tempted to kill his pursuer. change slide
English Standard Version Chapter 24
Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the LORD’s anointed.” 7 So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
Following this David called out to Saul and told him of what had happened and the chance he had had to kill him. Listen to what he says in verse 12. change slide
May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you.
Maybe your choices haven’t been life or death but God calls us to respond to his promises in the manner of David and trust HIM to keep His promises to us.
To distinguish your will from God’s will is to abide in His words and trust in His promises. One tell sign you are following your own will and not God’s is when you are willing to compromise from God’s ethics. He will never ask you to accomplish his will by a sinful deed or without love in your heart.
With David, God confirmed his calling in his life multiple times over and he will for you as well. He speaks to us in His word, through prayer, and through people in your life.
I had talked about becoming a pastor one day when I was kid. I had watched my dad preach for years and i must admit I wanted to do what he did.
But when I was in Academy I had moment where I wasn’t sure if Pastoring was what I wanted to do or even if God wanted me to pursue this course. Then as a junior our school chaplain and associate pastor of the MPA church Michael Brackett began asking me to get involved in preaching and better yet begin leading worship services throughout our conference. For a young person, having an adult and pastor investing this time in me and helping me identify a spiritual gift God had given me meant everything to me. About a month and half ago, I had the distinct pleasure of helping officiate a wedding along side Pastor Michael for my good friend Derek Young. I was actually a groomsmen but was asked to also step in and say a few words. After the wedding I got to give Michael a huge thankyou for his role in helping decipher God’s plan for my life. I also pray one day I can pay it forward to a young person or to like mentors in my life did for me!
So again to summarize, We know we are following God’s will and not simply our own desires by abiding in His word and patiently seeking His confirmations.
Well that all sounds great, Pastor Ross…but I want to be certain!
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How can I find certainty I have answered God’s calling for my life?
I think that is a question it is difficult for another person, pastor or not, can answer with complete infallibility.
God does sometimes call us outside our zone of comfort. I don’t mean that just simply in the sense of doing things that are outside the frame of “easy.” I mean God sometimes reveals to us a calling that is different than even what our parents envisioned for your life. Many of you hear were not born into the Adventist faith, you made a decision to embrace a change in your life you felt God was calling you into. I imagine for some of you that may have created strain on your family. Maybe you were accused of joining some fanatical cult. You knew that wasn’t true, but it was still a step into unfamiliar territory.
My friends, listen closely living out God’s calling in your life is an act of faith. change slide
Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
There were 2 instances following accepting God’s call to pastoring that had me doubting my call.
The first time I was in my senior year at Southern about to graduate with my bachelors in theology. Now when you are senior in theology, it is a stressful time because everyone is attempting to find employment with a conference. In the fall the school of religion invites conferences to come and conduct interviews with prospective candidates to come serve as intern pastors following graduation or immediately be sent off to Andrews University for Seminary training. That year only three conferences came to conduct interviews. I was incredibly nervous. I dressed up in my best and only suit I owned. I was so afraid to say or do the wrong thing, I forgot to just be myself, and it showed. That evening I received no call backs for a second interview. To make matters harder, one of my best friends in my class received not one call but all 3 conferences wanted to hire him. I felt sick, while I was genuinely happy for my friend, I began doubting if God had a place for me in ministry. But after feeling downhearted for a couple days and finally taking time to pray, I understood God wanted me to patient. I decided to get pro-active while I attempting to be patient. I began collecting email addresses of conference presidents and ministerial directors. I sent my barely one page resume which included all my years of summer camp counseling, Dorm RA, and Adventist Book Center stock boy work experience on it to 13 different conferences. Amazingly out of those 13 conferences, 11 responded. Of those 11, 6 told me they wanted to interview me, and of those 6, 3 wanted to interview me in within the next month and shared with me their intention to hire. However, before those interviews even happened. My home conference, the Carolina conference (who had not been present at those original interviews) called me and expressed their desire to interview me, which followed with what I took as a major confirmation in God’s calling in my life. They wanted to sponsor me to seminary with the intention of hiring me as a pastor following me spending a couple snowy winters in Berrien Springs, Michigan.
I must admit, by the time I completed my studies in Seminary. I was pretty tired of school. I had spent 6 and half years studying and training to be a pastor between my undergrad and graduate degrees. I felt I was ready to pastor, and anything must be better than writing yet another 15 page research paper or studying for another greek or hebrew exam. Pastoring would be the easy part.
It was about 3 months into pastoring in Boone and Banner Elk, NC, I started to allow doubts to creep into my 25 year old head. I was in a place I wasn’t familiar with with people I wasn’t sure if I had their trust or confidence in yet. I was also lonely, not yet married. Everyone was older than me and had more life experience than me. One Sabbath I was discouraged at my delivery of a sermon, and then a few hours later, I got a phone call confirming it wasn’t my best. God, did one of us make a mistake?
I ended up having a heart to heart with God, where it was the first time I actually cried tears while I prayed. God sent me answers and confirmations from different individuals I wasn’t expecting to get them from. It was getting some very sound advice from a couple of my elders whom I consider mentors to this day, it was a family I that went from mistrusting me to allowing me to study with their kids for baptism. I found as I invested in the youth of these churches, people were more forgiving of me still figuring out what I was doing as a pastor. In the Boone church in particular, we went from having no youth program to an active pathfinder and adventurer club of over 35 between the groups, a collegiate small group ministry that had between 10-15 members. While i developed a love for ministering to both young and old alike, it was hear when I had been questioning my calling as pastor, to where God revealed to me a call to lead young people and the joy it is to see youth and young adults make decisions for Jesus. Seriously, those of you out here who have worked with kids, whether it be as a teacher or a youth leader, you know it can be extremely challenging, yet one of the most rewarding things to see when they choose Jesus.
I went from doubting my calling to now praising God for not giving up on me and giving me the privilege it is now to serve as youth pastor. I am living out my dream because God put the right people in my life to confirm my calling but also encouraged me to step out in faith whether I was 100% sure this was God’s plan or not. I just had to trust God that He would be with me, and you know what, he has always provided me with everything and everyone I needed.
So again in summary, if you want certainty you are following God’s will, you have to step out in faith. Every Bible hero I have, had to step out in faith. Every personal hero of mine, my Mom and Dad, at the top of this list, have shown me what it means to step out in faith. My older siblings have a lot of experience in this as well. You take a leap of faith, you just may find that certainty you are looking for.
closing,
My friends I don’t know what your individual calling is. I don’t know how crystal clear your connection has been as you hear His call. but I do know God wants you to be a good steward of the blessings He has given you and gifted you with. change slide
As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
By living out your calling in Christ you are glorifying God. What a great reward in itself that is.
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Church family I want each of you to know God is working hard to get in touch with you. He wants to make that connection with you. If we will do our part to answer, there is no cell phone connection that is stronger than when you are connecting to Jesus. Lets sing about him now,
our closing song is “To God be the glory.”