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The Beatitudes Of Jesus *3 Scripture: "Come, follow me...and I will make you fishers of men...when He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and He began to teach them" (Matt 4:19; 5:1-2) Introduction - Today is Youth Mission Commitment Sunday. We want to look at the subject of making both youth and adults available to answer God's call to full-time Christian service in God's Kingdom. I. The Challenge of Reaching Today's Youth A. Why are fewer young people considering full time service? 1. The Church's loss of influence in society 2. Damaged leadership 3. The lack of opportunity B. We must create opportunities where young people can listen to and consider God's call 1. "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, `Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8) II. The Concern of God For the World A. Every time God has called a man or a woman into full time service, it has been because that person has seen what God sees, they've heard what God hears, they've felt what God feels about a specific problem that needs His touch. B. Examples of this truth in scripture 1. The call of Moses (Exodus 3:7-10) 2. The call of Gideon (Judges 6:12-16) 3. The call of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:1-8) III. The Call of God to Full-Time Service A. God's Call is both definite and divine 1. People sometimes waver from following His call. 2. "But if I say, "I will not mention Him or speak any more in His name," His word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot!" (Jeremiah 20:9) 3. There is no higher calling in the world than the calling to the full-time Christian ministry! 4. My own journey in following God's call B. Scriptures to consider 1. God has determined "the times set for us, and also the exact places where I am to live." (Acts 17:26) 2. "All the days ordained for me were written in God's book, before one of them came to be." (Psa 139:16) 3. "The word of the Lord came me, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you" [for your task]. "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, `I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid...for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord. Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth." (Jeremiah 1:4-9) 4. "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, `Whom shall I spend and who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8) Conclusion - What is it that is driving you to do what you do? Is your passion to make a buck? Or is it to make a difference? Northland Community Church Oct 15, 1995 SNC-125 GOD'S CALL-- DEAL WITH IT! The Beatitudes Of Jesus *3 Scripture: Matt 4:18-20, 5:1-2, Isaiah 6:8 SNC-125M You know, there are an awfully lot of things in life that require taking a risk. There is no gain, there is no progress, there is no achievement for God, unless someone is willing to take a risk. You know, I heard the story the other day about the guy whose wife had a cat. And he just hated this cat. It was always crawling around on his legs, and getting hair all over his pants, and scratching him. And just hated this cat. Well, his wife went away to see her mother-in-law for a week. And so while she was gone, this guy took the cat out and threw it out of the boat in the middle of the lake and drowned it. Got rid of the cat. His wife came back the next week and asked "Where's the cat?". "Honey, the cat must have been lost. It ran away. It's gone. Oh no, she said." And she wept and wept and she was so grieved that the fellow finally said, "Look honey, I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll put in the newspaper a thousand dollar reward for anybody that can find the cat and bring it back home. " His wife was so elated at his generousity and she hugged him and kissed him. But his friends saw the ad in the paper and said "My goodness, you shouldn't do that. Somebody may find that cat and it's gonna cost you a thousand bucks." But the man said "If you knew what I knew you could afford to take a risk." Now that wasn't a risk at all. But what I want to talk about today is filled with risk. I want to talk about the subject, "God's Call--Deal with It!" You know, as a child growing up in church, I remember hearing my pastor talk about God's call, but I never heard him preach on it. But this is a theme that was vital and dear to the heart of Jesus when he was on earth. And it is a theme that is crucial to the on-going work of His Kingdom all over the world. Today is Youth Mission Commitment Day all over the world, in 11,500 churches. Pastors have been encouraged all over the planet to talk to their congregations on the subject of the "The Call To Full Time Christian Service." And I would like for us to briefly look at three different areas related to this theme. #1, Notice with me, the Challenge we face in Reaching Today's Youth. #2, Notice with me, the Concern of God For the World, and #3, finally, I want us to look at the Call of God to Full-Time Service. First of all, I want you to just think with me about the challenges we face in reaching Today's Young People and exposing them to the possibility of serving the Kingdom of God on a full-time basis. Fifty to one hundard years ago, being a minister of the gospel was quite a socially acceptable thing to do. Religion departments were some of the largest in liberal arts and church related colleges across the country. Today, all of that has changed. Denominations across America are all experiencing a vacuum of people who are considering a call to serve the Lord full-time. As men and women across America retire from the ministry, we are finding a severe shortage of young people with burning hearts who will take their place. Why is that? Why the shortage of young people today entering full-time Christian service? Why the shortage of young people to be pastors and evangelists and teachers and missionaries and youth workers? Why the shortage of young people who will become the next generation of Christian leaders to impact our planet? I would like to offer you three basic reasons this morning why we face the shortage we have. #1, is the Church's loss of influence in society. I believe that many young people do not consider the Christian ministry because they have never observed their Church making a real difference in their world. If the Church is going to nurture and raise up young people who will tackle the spiritual challenges of the 21st century, the church today must be filled with adults who practice what is preached. What is not lived in one generation, will not be believed in the next. I think the second reason we face a shortage of young people considering the Christian ministry today is #2, because of damaged leadership. Today in America we are still recoving from what has been an immense loss of respect for spiritual authority. This damage touches every part of our culture. Leaders in government, leaders in business, leaders in the arts, it seems like there is a shortage of ethical integrity in every area of society. People in leadership today no longer seem to be sorry for sexual misconduct, they no longer seem to be sorry for cheating, they no longer seem to be sorry for steal- ing, they no longer seem to be sorry for lying. People don't seem to be sorry for what they do that's wrong. They only seem to be sorry they get caught! And then many times their peers have the audacity to suggest that a person's ethics really does not affect their ability to do their job. That attitude continues to creep more and more creeping into the different parts of our society. But what was most tragic in the 1980's was whenever it starting creeping into Christianity. The Jim Baaker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals, I believe, have caused many young people, to look at other callings, hoping to discover "something I can give my life to." You can mark this down as a law. With the church flounders with her sense of mission, capturing the imagination of young hearts does not occur. And then the potential young champions for the cause of Christ in the 21st century start marching to the beat of the wrong drum. And as a consequence, for them, all too often, "making a buck" replaces "making a difference." The third reason why we face a shortage of those preparing for full-time service to Christ, is not just the church's loss of influence and because of damaged leadership, but #3, and probably most important, is simply the lack of opportunity to respond. When was the last time you heard a pastor stand and give a passionate plea for young people to consider serving Jesus full-time? In an article on this subject, Steve Green, pastor from Pasadena, CA puts it, "Sometimes we assume that the Holy Spirit will disclose His will to those [He chooses,]...in spite of them having...few opportunities to hear the call articulated." Green says, "That's why we must create opportunites that are specifically designed to convey the word of God in Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, `Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' Opportunities to convey the word Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matt 4:19, "Come, follow me...and I will make you fishers of men." The whole sermon on the mount was devoted to teaching these people whom Jesus called. And many gave their lives to full-time Christian service. You see, only as people are given the opportunity to hear God speak this word, can they respond as Isaiah responded, "Here am I, send me!" Can they do what the disciples did. When they left their boats and followed. The challenge of reaching today's youth must include the church giving opportunities to respond to God's call. Secondly, I want you to notice with me, not just the Challenge, but the Concern of God for the world. Without exception, every time that God has called a man or a woman into full time service for Him, it has been because that man or woman has seen what God sees, has heard what God hears, has felt was God feels about a specific problem in the world that needs His touch. Look at the call of Moses. We are told in Exodus 3:7-10 that God saw the sufferings of His people, He came down to deliver them, and He picked Moses to help Him do the job! Look at the call of Gideon. We are told in Judges 6:12-16 that God saw the oppression of his people from the Midianites, He came down to save them, and He picked Gideon to help Him to the job! Look at the call of Isaiah. We are told in Isaiah chapter 6 that King Uzziah had just died, and that God saw the people of Israel were in desperate need of someone to speak for Him. God met Isaiah in the temple. It was a divine moment for the making of a divine call. For it was in the temple that day, that Isaiah heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And his heart was ready, and his spirit was willing, and his response to the call of the Almighty was this, "Here am I. Send me!" I'll go, God. Count me in! Everytime, every time, without exception, every time that God has called someone into full time Christian service, that someone has ultimately been seized by God's concern for the world." Seeing what God sees, hearing what God hears, feeling what God feels. Without exception, their heart has become immersed with the problems of the planet and they sense that God is calling them to help Him solve it! To find that need and fill it. To find that hurt and heal it. To find that problem and solve it. They sense the heart of God has been poured into them, and they cannot do anything else in life except follow the call! The prophet Jeremiah experienced God's call in the Old Testament. It was definite call and it was a divine call. You say, Larry, did he ever waver from following that call? Yes, he did. But ultimately he couldn't stand it when he did. And this is what we read that he wrote about His own faith journey. It's found in Jeremiah 20:9, "But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a burning fire, shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot." Jeremiah had a definite call. He had a divine call. He knew that it came from above. And on this Youth Mission Commitment Day, where all over the world, in 11,500 churches, pastors are challenging people to consider the call to full-time Christian service. And on this Sunday, I want to remind you all this morning, that there is no higher calling in the world, that the call to full-time service for Christ. To be a medical doctor is a high calling indeed, to be a surgeon is certainly a noble profession, to be a nurse and care for hurting and the helpless, to be an accountant, to be a finan- cial planner, to be an engineer, to be a teacher, to be a full-time homemaker, to be a public servant, a lawyer, a politician, to be the manager of an office, or to be a business owner, the list could go on and on. All of these and hundreds more are commendable professions. But there is one profession, folks, that stands unique and different from them all. In my view, it is the highest calling in the world. It is the call, full-time, to speak for God, to the world. There is no higher calling. There is no higher profession than the Christian ministry. No, the chances are good you'll never make a lot of money. No, the chances are good you'll work long hours, with lots of people problems and people challenges. Chances are good you'll carry a heavy eternal responsibility. But think of it. The privilege of speaking to people, for God! As you consider your future, what is it that is driving you to do what you do? To become what you are becoming? Is your passion to make a buck? Or is your passion to make a difference? I think one of the best ways to be exposed to the call to Christain service, is simply to give an opportunity to individuals to share their own. And so today, let me share my call with you. Before age 19 in my life, I never thought 2 seconds about the ministry. That is the honest truth. I grew up in a Christian home. My father was a plant manager for Rockwell International, and my passion in life was to become a Certified Public Accountant, make a million dollars before I was 40, then retire, live off my investments, and serve the Lord with the last half of my life. That was my plan. However, my plan was not God's plan, and something had to give. It did. And I'll never forget some of the events that started taking place in my life. I got into a gospel singing group that travelled to churches on week-ends. My whole motivation for getting into the group was certainly not the ministry, but simply to develop my people skills. And I wanted to travel. I choose travelling on the week-ends over playing basketball, because by then it had dawned on me I wan't going to make it to the pros. And it was through the influence of that gospel singing group, travelling to churches, opportunites to speak with younger teen-agers about Christ, and also a class I took at the college entitled, "The Church at the End of the 20th Century." All of that culminated on January 15, 1976 with me throwing myself across my dorm room bed and crying out to God saying, "Lord, if you want me to preach, I'll preach." I was still in the accounting field. And at the time, I had no idea what I was getting into. I was at the top of my accounting class on mid-term finals. But what began gradually within me, planted by God, just continued to grow. I asked God again and again that if what I was feeling was not from Him, it was His job to shut the doors and take away my growing desire. But He never did, it just kept building and building. And I stand before you this morning still following that desire, and as your pastor, being definite in myself, of a divine call. It was no surprise to God that Northland Community Church would begin here in the Northland of Kansas City. It was no surprise to God that He would lead Denise and I to pastor it. The Bible gives us a powerful truth in Acts 17:26. There the Bible says that God has not only determined "the times set for us, but also the exact places where we are to live." As I follow Him moment by moment and day by day, I can have the confidence that my life
is following the plan that He has in mind for me. And as I follow Him, I will accomplish
everything He has in mind for me to do. As I yield my will, it is His job to Listen to what the Bible says. In Psalm 139:16, the Bible says that "all the days ordained for me were written in God's book, before one of them came to be." The fact that God calls people into full-time Christian service is not a surprise to God. He knew, while I was still being carried in my mother's womb, what I would be. I can identify a lot with the prophet Jeremiah, who had lots and lots of misgivings about entering the ministry for God. Let me just share with you what he felt. Jeremiah 1:4 and following, "The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you" [for your task.] "Ah, Sovereign Lord," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child." But the Lord said to me, "Do not say, "I am only a child." You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid...for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the Lord."Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, "Now, I have put my words in your mouth." What is your passion for your future? I challenge you, with your life, don't just to make a buck, make a difference! You say, Larry, why would you teach this kind of a message? Because every now and then, the church must create opportunities specifically designed to convey the word of God in Isaiah 6:8, "Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, `Whom shall I spend and who will go for us?" As people are given the opportunity to hear God speak this word, can they respond as Isaiah did, "Here am I, send me!" |