When the Call Hits a Wall

This evening the message is going to be a bit different… we are going to look at an aspect of ministry that we do not often speak about. Yet it is a reality that many have faced in ministry and if you haven’t faced it yet… there is a strong likelihood that one day you will.

The message title is “When the Call Hits a Wall.”

The calling we are speaking about is our God-given calling. I truly believe that every believer has a calling on their life. This calling is given by God to accomplish a certain task or minister to certain people. This calling can take on many shapes and sizes but this we can be sure of regarding the call:

God will call and confirm. The calling is spoken by God and is confirmed as God would see fit.

For me, that confirmation has come through spoken word of other people. I have had people randomly speak into my life… people who had no idea I was looking for confirmation.

Only one time has God spoken to me through a dream. This took place several years ago. it was vivid. It was timely. And… it revealed to me dangers that were ahead for our family if changes did not start to take place.

When accepted and applied by faith, the calling of God will compel the believer to be about the plan of God no matter what.

There have been days in ministry when all I had to lean on was the calling on my life. I knew God had placed me where I was and I knew that God would help me where I was.

The call will ALWAYS line up with His Word and truth.

God will NEVER call a person to do something that is contrary to His Word. God, through His faithful followers, is working to build His kingdom. He has a plan and He will never send workers to do anything that goes against His plan. As Christ said in Mark 3:24

Mark 3:24 NIV

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

I’ve had many people throughout the years give God the “credit” for things He had nothing to do with… things that were not biblical and things that driven by the person’s self interest only.

When it comes to the call, if it came from God, it will line up with the ways of God. It is up to the believer to make sure they are really hearing from the Lord and to make sure that what they are “hearing” lines up with His Word.

God will not call you to sin. God will not call you to gossip. God will not call you to build your name or your fame. God will not call you to fight darkness with darkness, but rather to fight darkness with the light of Christ.

It is my prayer this evening that all of us are striving to live out the call God has placed upon our lives! I pray that your calling is clear, confirmed, and aligned with Scripture. But what happens if or when… that call hits a wall? What happens when the ministry God has called you to is not received by those He called you to reach?

This might sound funny at first… and I am certainly not suggesting a person abandons the call of God at the first sign of resistance. If that were the case, no one would be in ministry today!

As we continue our series First Church, we come to a story in Acts where Paul’s ministry to the Jews hits a wall.

Hitting the wall simply means can go no further. It is NOT a wall that Paul could tear down. It was a wall that the Jews built to keep from receiving the gospel truth. Paul had arrived in Corinth and was working with Priscilla and Aquila as a tentmaker. On the Sabbath, he would go to the synagogue where he would teach both Jews and Greeks. After Silas and Timothy arrive, Paul devotes himself to testify to the Jews that “Jesus was the Christ.” We see what happens in Acts 18:6-8

Acts 18:6–8 NIV - Anglicised

But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshipper of God. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptised.

Wait a minute? Did Paul just up and quit His ministry to the Jews? Did his frustration get the better of him? Did he take an easier route to avoid the opposition and abuse being given by the Jews?

Absolutely not. In fact, I would argue that Paul had very little to do with his deciding to go only to the Gentiles. I would argue… God closed the door on that ministry.

When God Closes the Door...

In times of prayer, specifically when seeking direction or praying for another who is looking for direction, you will often hear me say these words, “God, open the right door and close the wrong doors.” It is a prayer asking God to make the path clear.

In Paul’s case, God closed the door on his ministry to the Jews. Paul had done noting wrong. He had remained faithful to the call. As he traveled to city after city, Paul began his ministry in the Synagogues. this ministry certainly was not without fruit. Yet in Corinth, God closed the door. On the outside someone might say that Paul’s calling had hit a wall. He could go no further.

So with that in mind… did God just give up on the Jews in Corinth? Absolutely not. The Word of God is something that cannot be forced into a person’s life… it must be received. The Word was met with opposition and abuse… God simply led Paul to move on.

Moving on is not easy. Moving on can be difficult at times. This is especially true regarding the call of God. As we take on the call of God we also take on the heart of God: All people matter to Him. God desires for no one to perish. So when a person or group rejects the gospel message… it can be hard to move on knowing they will perish in their rejection.

That is why is is critical to the mission that YOU REMAIN until God closes the door.

When the ministry to the Jews in Corinth hit the wall, God closed the door… Paul walked in continued obedience.

Look at the words spoken by Paul carefully. When he spoke to the opposition he said in verse 6, “I am clear of my responsibility.” This indicates that God released Paul from his ministry to the Jews.

Again, God was not giving up on these people. However, they had heard the Word, they listened to Paul’s testimony, and they rejected the truth. This is NOT the response that had hoped for… but it was THEIR CHOICE nonetheless.

Paul had finished this race that God had set before him. He was faithful to the call until God clearly released him from the call.

Remember I said that we are not to walk away from the call at the first glimpse of opposition or struggle? Our faithfulness to to the call of God CAN NOT be based off our emotional outlook of the situation. God has called us to engage in spiritual warfare.

Some days, the victory comes easy. But other times we find ourselves deep in the trenches. Regardless of the circumstance, God expects us to continue in the call… to be faithful to the call.

Consider this: When Jesus sent the twelve disciples to do ministry throughout the area, He gave them clear and precise instruction in Matthew 10:14-15 Verse 14 of that chapter instructs the disciples what they should do if they are not received well.

Matthew 10:14–15 NIV

If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.

Everyone is to be given the opportunity to choose Jesus. Everyone is to be given the opportunity to receive the Lord as their Lord and Savior. BUT THIS HAS TO BE A PERSONAL CHOICE. As stated before, the gospel cannot be pushed into a person’ s life, it must be accepted and received by that person.

Jesus released His disciples from any town or home that heard but rejected the truth. But this release did NOT come until the gospel had been presented and a choice had been made. There was a work to be accomplished and many who needed to hear the message. Give all the opportunity to choose for themselves and be ready to move on should the answer be… no.

If given the cold shoulder, if that person or place chooses to reject the gospel truth… they have made their choice. Move on and continue to be faithful to the call placed on your life.

And never forget… in your obedience, a seed was planted in the heart of that individual. They may reject the message today, but tomorrow might be a different story. Never underestimate what God can do through His Word.

And never stop praying for people to receive. God can soften the hardest of hearts. God can do more than we could ever dream about doing. we never know what God may have up His sleeve! You planted the seed, God may bring the next person along who is going to nurture that seed. God is the keeper of the redemptive plan… we get to be a part of it. But God is calling the shots.

That is why it is so important to make this point: THE CALL OF GOD IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR WHAT YOU CAN DO. THE CALL OF GOD IS ABOUT WHAT GOD CAN DO THROUGH YOU AS YOU WALK IN FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

If the call hits the wall, and God releases you to move on… be obedient. Do not leave the harvest field, but do not be stopped in the work either. Continue as God would lead you to go.

Church, you can be sure that when God closes the door, He opens a new one for you to walk through.

…He Opens a New Door.

Look again to our main text. Paul was released from his ministry to the Jews and was immediately reassigned to reach the Gentiles. We see this transition in verse 6. Acts 18:7-8 show results of Paul’s faithfulness to the call.

Acts 18:7–8 NIV

Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.

Just because one door was closed didn’t mean that God was not on the move! But this move of God might have been missed had Paul not moved as instructed by the Lord.

Paul didn’t stop ministering out of frustration regarding what happened. Paul continued and walked through the door God opened before him. Paul was entering into new territory. Thus far, his ministry always started in the synagogues… on familiar ground. But now his ministry focus has shifted. His ministry has now changed.

With change can come uncertainty. With change can come… apprehension. ith change can come… fear. And yes… Paul himself experienced these feelings as this change was taking place. Acts 18:9-10 reveals this truth.

Acts 18:9–10 NIV

One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.”

During this season of change, the Lord speaks to Paul and I cannot help but believe this was in reflection to what Paul was feeling. Jesus addresses three different issues.

Number one - Fear. Jesus speaks to the fear that Paul was feeling in that moment. His words - “Do not be afraid.”

Taking on a new ministry direction or having the call of God change can be a bit… unsettling at first. A person might begin to run the “what if” statements in their minds. For Paul, he might have been asking, “What if the Gentiles reject this message like the Jews did?”

Fear is the number one killer of faith. I can be a difficult emotion to overcome. But church… so long as we remain faithful in our walk… faithful in our call… WE HAVE NOTHING TO FEAR.

Number two - Stay the course. Stay on mission. Jesus’ words, “keep on speaking, do not be silent.”

The work might have changed but… there was still work to be done. God was NOT done with Paul. The Lord spoke encouragement to him, the Lord urged Paul to stay the course.

Sometimes when things don’t work out like we expected, it can bring us down emotionally. Our morale might get low… our motivation might be hindered. The Lord would say to us in such times, “Stay the course. keep on speaking. DO NOT BE SILENT.”

Number three - You are not alone. Paul must have felt isolated in the moment. Jesus spoke to his feelings saying, “I am with you.”

This phrase was not speaking to the fact that God is everywhere. This phrase was speaking to the circumstance directly. The Lord was with Paul as Paul remained faithful to the call.

Paul was not running this race alone. JESUS WAS WITH HIM. And while the Lord is always present, we also know that he is faithful to the ones who remain faithful in him.

As Paul stepped through that new door of ministry opportunity, Jesus was there leading him in this new direction. Stay faithful to the call. Stay faithful to the course laid out before you.

When God Calls...

When God calls, I pray we will answer. When God calls I pray we will remain faithful to that call until the Lord releases us of that call. When God opens new doors, I pray we will follow Him through.

But church… this is a choice. This is a decision. This is something that our mind will try to weigh against things like comfort and convenience, profit or pro bono.

As we walk according to the call that God has placed on our lives, we need to do so with two clear understandings.

The call is not about you. The call is about what God can do through you as you walk in faith and obedience.

Jesus will walk with you in this calling. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. You have nothing to fear so long as you remain faithful to the Lord.

And when doors close, do not become discouraged for God already has the next steps in line. Trust in Him and follow His direction. As He opens new doors… will you follow His lead?

And that’s where I want us to pray this evening. As God opens doors… as He makes the calling clear… will you follow His lead?

As a member of the body of Christ, we all have work to do. The church is the extension of Jesus’ ministry until He comes and this means it’s all hands on deck. No exceptions.

What is God calling you to do? Where is God leading you to go? will you be faithful to the call that God has placed upon your life?

Prayer - Lord, I will go where you lead me to go.