The Call
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“The Call”
Genesis 12:1-4
One guarantee in life is that if you don’t like the way things are (or if you do) hang around because they will change!
Change is the one constant that we have in the natural world. We see it all around us. Form the weather to fashion to politics to technology, we see change happening at an alarming rate.
The fact is most people are at least resistant to change. It is often difficult, and it is usually uncomfortable. Even if it’s change that you have personally instituted, change requires learning new things, new schedules, new complaints, and more occasionally that we like, it involves failures.
But we can’t stop change. It is one of the guarantees in life!
With change we have typically have two choices, we either accept it, or we reject it and miss out on the potential blessings it brings or avoid that curses that follow, because in many cases the specific change may not be good, but the only way to know is to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit!
This evening I want to look at a story in the Old Testament that involved a change that was instrumental to changing the entire world.
It’s an easy one to find Genesis 12:1-4
Genesis 12:1–4 (ESV)
The Call of Abram
12 Now the Lordsaid to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.
PRAY
Change is inevitable! It is guaranteed! I said just a minute ago that we have choices. For the past few Sundays I have talked about choices. The Call of God involves incredible change, BUT IT IS A CHOICE!
Like the rest of change in life we can either choose to follow the change willingly, or we can reject it.
In this passage of Scripture God is CALLING Abram to something he doesn’t know, to something he cannot see, to something he cannot even imagine. He is calling him away from riches, comfort, and familiarity.
But with the change comes promise.
But as I have already said, it all requires a choice!
Tonight, I want to show you that we have the same decision, the same choice to make, that Abram faced over 3500 years ago!
The choices and decisions we have to make involve “The Call”
Simply put God has a call on every life. Every person ever born is born into darkness. They are born into sin. God’s desire from the foundations of the world is to have relationship with every man woman and child.
Unfortunately, many turn their back, they harden their hearts, and silence the small still voice that is calling them to salvation.
In Abram’s life we start by seeing…
I. When The Call Came
a. It came in Darkness while Abram’s family was serving other gods. Joshua 24:2-3
And Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Long ago, your fathers lived beyond the Euphrates, Terah, the father of Abraham and of Nahor; and they served other gods. Then I took your father Abraham from beyond the River and led him through all the land of Canaan, and made his offspring many. I gave him Isaac.
b. In his commentary on this passage of Scripture, R. Kent Hughes talked about the 1930’s excavation of the ancient city of Ur. One particular sentence rang out to me pointing to the type of place that Abram was from, “Woolley’s [the archaeologist] discovery of the royal cemetery of Ur with its large cache of gold objects and evidence of human sacrifice attracted travelers from around the world.”[1]
c. In a later paragraph he said, “These treasures of Ur tell us that Abraham’s social and religious context was as sophisticated and pagan and claustrophobic as that of any Babylonian or Egyptian dynasty. Ur was desolate and barren of knowledge of the true God. Ur’s intrusive, lunar religion dominated life from birth to the grave.”[2]
d. Abram’s world was filled with material riches, and spiritual darkness.
e. James Smith points out that, “He was not called because he was better than his countrymen. The grace of God seeks for no worthiness.”[3]
f. Luke 5:32
I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
g. Romans 5:8
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
h. 1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
i. THE CALL TO SALVATION IS A CALL TO MINISTRY
II. How The Call Came
a. “Now the Lord said to Abram,”
b. Repeated at least twice
c. Acts 7:2-5
And Stephen said:
“Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.
d. Hebrews 11:8-10
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he went to live in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God.
These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.
e. We don’t know how God “Said” to Abram.
i. No Burning Bush Story
ii. No Blinding Light
iii. No Visions Like In Chapter 15
iv. No Angels Under a Tree
f. What we do know is that God spoke to him many times in many ways.
g. How Does He Call Us
i. The Holy Spirit
ii. His Word
1. God speaks the decisive word that puts us on the way, the road. The path of life. The Hebrew word for Bible is Miqra (Mikra), a noun formed from the verb “to call” qara (Kara). The Bible is not a book to carry around and read for information on God, but a voice to listen to. I like that. This word of God that we name Bible, book, is not at root a word to be read and looked at and discussed. It is a word to be listened to and obeyed, a word that gets us going. Fundamentally, it is a call: God calls us.[4]
iii. In Prayer
iv. Dreams and Visions
v. Miracles, Signs, and Wonders
vi. Friends, Family, And Preachers
III. What The Call Involves
a. Entire Separation
i. Increasing Levels of Sacrifice Genesis 12:1
Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.
1. Leave Your Country
2. Leave Your People
3. Leave Your Family
ii. Isaiah 55:7
let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
b. Matthew 10:37
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.
c. Mark 8:35
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.
d. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
IV. What Comes With The Call
a. The Promise of Possession
i. “A land I will show you”
1. Arkansas Wilderness
2. Montana Mountains
3. Ocean Front Property in Arizona
b. The Promise of Blessing (5x’s)
i. All the families of the earth shall be blessed
ii. Blessed to be a blessing
1. John 7:37-38
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”
V. What is Our Call
a. Proverbs 31:8-9
Proverbs 31:8–9 (ESV)
Open your mouth for the mute,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
Open your mouth, judge righteously,
defend the rights of the poor and needy.
b. Isaiah 1:17
Isaiah 1:17 (ESV)
learn to do good;
seek justice,
correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
c. Isaiah 58:6-7
Isaiah 58:6–7 (ESV)
“Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
d. Micah 6:8
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
e. Matthew 6:33-34
Matthew 6:33–34 (ESV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
f. Mark 16:15
Mark 16:15 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
g. 1 Corinthians 7:17
1 Corinthians 7:17 (ESV)
Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.
h. Ephesians 4:1-6
Ephesians 4:1–6 (ESV)
I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
i. Philippians 2:1-4
Philippians 2:1–4 (ESV)
So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
j. 2 Timothy 1:9-10
2 Timothy 1:9–10 (ESV)
who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,
k. Hebrews 3:1
Hebrews 3:1 (ESV)
Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,
l. Hebrews 12:1-2
Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
m. 1 Peter 3:15-16
1 Peter 3:15–16 (ESV)
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.
n. 1 Peter 4:10-11
1 Peter 4:10–11 (ESV)
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.
o. Romans 12:1-2
Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
We were all called to Salvation and being called to Salvation means being called to a higher purpose.
We aren’t called called to vocational ministry, but we are all called to do the work of ministry!
[1] R. Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 181.
[2] R. Kent Hughes, Genesis: Beginning and Blessing, Preaching the Word (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 2004), 182.
[3] James Smith and Robert Lee, Handfuls on Purpose for Christian Workers and Bible Students, Series I–XIII, five-volume edition., vol. 1 (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1971), 60.
[4] Taken from Eugene H. Peterson , Practice Resurrection: A Conversation on Growing Up in Christ, Eerdmans.