Called to Ministry
Text: Ezek 2:1-10
Intro: Know how to be used of God.
KNOW WHO YOU ARE (v1) “And he said unto me, Son of man,”
Lumps us all together on the same level
Psalm 8:4-5 “What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? 5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.”
KNOW HOW TO STAND (V1) “stand upon thy feet,”
Stand in faith 1 Corinthians 16:13 “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.”
Stand in holiness Galatians 5:1 “Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.”
Stand in Battle Ephesians 6:13 “Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
Stand fast upon the Word 2 Thessalonians 2:15 “Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.”
Know How to Hear (1) “and I will speak unto thee.”
- In GEN. 8:15 God spoke to Noah and a people were saved from destruction
- In Gen 12 God spoke to Abram and a holy nation was born
- In Exodus God spoke to Moses and a nation was delivered
- In the Gospels God spake to the world thru His son and salvation was provided
- In Acts God Spoke to Peter and the Kingdom was open to the Gentiles
- Today God speaks to You by His Spirit and His Word – WHAT DO YOU HEAR!!
KNOW WHERE YOU ARE SENT (3) “I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation..”
| Noah, called to build a ship | Gen. 6:14 |
| Abraham, called to leave his home for a strange land | Gen. 12:1–2 |
| Joseph, called to exercise spiritual authority over his brothers | Gen. 37:5–9 |
| Moses, called to free Israel from Egyptian bondage | Exod. 3:1–12 |
| Aaron, called to become Israel’s first high priest | Lev. 8:2 |
| Joshua, called to lead Israel into Canaan | Josh. 1:1–9 |
| Gideon, called to defeat the Midianites | Judg. 6:11–16 |
| Samson, called to defeat the Philistines | Judg. 13:24–25 |
| Samuel, called to replace Eli | 1 Sam. 3:1–14 |
| Saul, called to be Israel’s first king | 1 Sam. 9 |
| David, called to be Israel’s finest king | 1 Sam. 16 |
| Solomon, called to serve God as did his father | 1 Kings 3:1–14 |
| Elijah, called to preach judgment against sin | 1 Kings 17:1–4 |
| Elisha, called to be the successor to Elijah | 2 Kings 2:1–13 |
| Ezra, called to teach the Word of God to the returning Jews | Ezra 7:6–10 |
| Nehemiah, called to build the wall around Jerusalem | Neh. 2:18 |
| Esther, called to save her people from extermination by the Persians | Esther 4:13–16 |
| Isaiah, called to become God’s greatest prophet | Isa. 6:1–13 |
| Jeremiah, called to be a prophet to the nations | Jer. 1:4–10 |
| Ezekiel, called to be Israel’s watchman on the wall | Ezek. 3:10–27 |
| Daniel, called to interpret dreams | Dan. 2:19–23 |
| Hosea, called to marry a harlot | Hosea 1:1–2 |
| Jonah, called to warn Nineveh about coming judgment unless it repented | Jon. 1:1–2 |
| John the Baptist, called to prepare the way for Christ | Luke 1:76–80 |
| The rich young ruler, called to sell his goods and follow Christ | Matt. 19:16–21 |
| Matthias, called to take the place of Judas Iscariot | Acts 1:23–26 |
| Stephen, called to function as a deacon and evangelist | Acts 6:5, 8–15 |
| Philip, called to function as a deacon and evangelist | Acts 6:5; 8:5–8 |
| Saul, called to become the church’s first missionary-evangelist-pastor | Acts 9:15–16; 13:1–2 |
| Barnabas, called to help Paul | Acts 11:22–30 |
| John Mark, called to help Paul | Acts 13:5; 15:39 |
| Silas, called to help Paul | Acts 15:40 |
| Timothy, called to help Paul and later pastor a church | Acts 16:1–3 |
| Apollos, called to be an evangelist and pastor | Acts 18:24–26 |
KNOW WHAT YOU ARE (5) “… yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them”
Eze 2:5 “And they, whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,)”
- The Success of a prophet / preacher does not depend on the response of the people
- Concern for the relationship to the people (desire to be liked) will ruin the ministry of the preacher.
- Problem of the end times -2 Ti 4:3,4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
Know Your message - Eze 2:7 “And thou shalt speak my words unto them”
Progression of your call
- Verses 1 & 2 – The man is passive and God is active
- Verses 3, 4, 5 – The man is commanded into action
- Verses 6 & 7 – God encourages the man
- Verses 8, 9, 10 – God equips the man