The Risk Takers

THE CALL

Genesis 12: 1 - 9 August 13(pm)

Bethany Church of the Nazarene, Rumford, Rhode Island

Matthew 9:9-13

Once upon a time there was a good man. He had a good family. He had good connections. He was living in a reasonably comfortable manner. He was abreast of the latest modern technology. His life was not in crisis. But deep in his heart there was the nagging uncertainty, the question he could not put into words:

"IS THIS ALL THERE IS TO LIFE?"

Then one day this good man became aware that Almighty God was talking to him. Just how this awareness came about I cannot tell you. But God was saying, "Well, no, as a matter of fact THIS isn't all there is to life! And if you are willing and obedient, I will show you exactly what your heart is seeking!"

That day Abraham had a decision to make. He had to decide what one thing was absolutely the most important thing in his life. The way the story puts it: God said, "I want you to LEAVE...your country...your people...your father's relatives. Above all, I ask you to LEAVE your right to say what is right and wrong!" I want YOU to come and walk with ME! And if you DO, I'll bless you far beyond anything you can possibly imagine!" SO ABRAHAM STARTED A TREMENDOUS ADVENTURE. NOW NEARLY 4,000 YEARS LATER WE ARE STILL LEARNING FROM HIS FAITH.

SOME QUESTIONS

Does God still call people like He did Abraham?

To answer #1: [Does God still call individual people?]

My 'message' is "yes:" Abraham's call IS A BASIC THEME OF THE WHOLE BIBLE! The story of Noah— the Exodus— right through the whole Bible— to Jesus calling the disciples— the message is DARE TO LEAVE WHAT UNSPIRITUAL, UNGODLY, UNBELIEVING SELFISH WAYS TELL YOU— "Leave the prison of your self-made gods— come away from a Scripture that YOU edit and cut and pick and choose and stand in judgment over— leave the bondage of "what so-called sophisticates might think," — AND STEP OUT ON A JOURNEY OF FAITH WITH ME!

How would God get your attention if He wanted to speak to you?

My personal testimony is "yes:" I know you would expect an evangelical Christian minister to answer in the affirmative. I am certain, convinced, sure, that God spoke to me when I was living selfishly and out of fellowship with Him. He spoke to me by both love and fear; by what I might call "Behold the goodness and the severity of God" (Romans 11:22)

To answer #2 [How would God get your attention if He wanted to speak to you?]

  1. To hear God speak, we might just have to be listening! God can't teach us anything if we already know it all! Wes Tracy wrote these words a few years ago:

    Aren't you tired of trying to be a classy sophisticate who knows all about things timely– progressive education, career enhancement, political correctness, next season's fashions, and the done thing? . . . Some who take the name of Christ seem owned by their ambitions, chained to a success formula, enslaved by the hunger for prestige— diseases they have caught from our sinful culture. They fill up the ranks of the Christian jet set.

  2. To hear God speak there must be faith— an element of TRUST. Trust in WHO is speaking is ALL-IMPORTANT!

    In every purely human decision we consider very carefully all the factors and then decide which way to go. And that is only common sense. But when it comes to the deep satisfaction of the heart, and we hear God begin speaking, we have to choose— make a decision— on just HOW important God is to us.

    Abraham started out not knowing at first where he was going– only Who he was going with (see Hebrews 11:8.) The "common sense" thing is to say, "God— let me see what You have in mind, then I'll say yes or no" — That works for everything and everyone except God.

    Romans 12: 1,2 says "Present yourselves to God for His service and then He will let you know what is his good and acceptable and perfect will!"

    So to really hear God speak is a matter of trust!

How can we respond to a call from God in THIS VERY MOMENT?

To hear God speak we may well have to go against the current of what is accepted as Christian by many evangelicals. We have to choose to take SELF off the throne, and seek God's face for Himself alone!

Spirituality is MORE than self-fulfillment. God's way is what we are made for— but it is a way of spiritual discipline that does not have happiness or deliverance or becoming fully human as its final goal— though these may well be by-products. Spiritual fulfillment begins when we realize GOD ALMIGHTY WANTS US TO COME AND WALK WITH HIM ON A JOURNEY WHERE ONLY HE KNOWS THE WAY!

Responding to #3 [How can we respond to a call from God IN THIS VERY MOMENT?]

WE HAVE TO CHOOSE WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IN OUR LIVES. I BELIEVE GOD STILL SPEAKS, AND THAT HE HONORS THOSE WHO WILL STEP OUT IN FAITH AS ABRAHAM DID.

ONE MORNING for my devotions I opened my Bible to read and get ready to pray. The passage was 1 Kings 3, and I got as far as verse five (5) where God is speaking to the newly crowned Solomon. He, God, tells Solomon "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

I stopped. I thought. Honestly, now, what one thing would I ask of God if I knew for certain that He would grant me that one thing, and I did not know if He would grant me anything else. What one thing is most important to me?

First I thought "You, Lord, You tell me! You decide for me!" That sounds very pious, but somehow it did not let me off the hook. I felt prodded. No — what really is the most important thing?

I was pleased that I didn't think about big bucks, or a palatial retirement home or material things— at least not "up front," but only after a long reflection— reflection that these were "way down the list." I confess I did think of things like not ever wanting to come down to old age and be a burden to myself and others. I thought of what a pleasure it would be to be able to write and speak and teach for years to come.

Do you know what I finally decided was most important?

When I was about six years old— this scripture from 1 Kings brought back a memory I hadn't thought of for a long, long time— when I was about six— a little boy evangelistic singer traveling almost year round— a store owner - I can still dimly see the store— a sort of hardware or Western Auto-type store with wide aisles— anyway, the owner took us— Mother, Dad, and me— to this store after church one night— opened the store, turned on the lights— and said to me,— maybe six years old— "You can have any one thing you want in this store!"

I walked up and down the aisles looking at bicycles and lawn mowers and garden furniture and clocks and house supplies and car radios, items big and small— expensive and relatively cheap. I never would have such an opportunity again— although at that time I was totally unaware of the values, unaware of what my dad might need, or my mother.

This is a true story. I picked up a little wind-up toy car, a little painted car, made in Japan, worth less than a dollar in 1937. I'm not even sure why I remember so well except I think my father was so disappointed I didn't at least pick out a scooter or a bike– but as I recall I was thinking it wouldn't fit in the car anyway. I could have had any one thing up to many times the value of the thing I chose. But that was that— and what would you expect from a six-year-old?

Do you know what I finally decided was most important?

IF WE ANSWER GOD'S QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU IN ANY LESSER WAY THAN SAYING FROM OUR HEARTS "I WANT TO BE WHERE YOU ARE! I WANT TO WALK WITH YOU!" WE ARE LIKE THAT SIX-YEAR-OLD BOY IN THE TOY STORE. WE WALK OUT WITH STUFF WHEN GOD WANTS US TO HAVE IT ALL!

WHENEVER THERE HAS BEEN A LIFE THAT HAS COUNTED FOR GOD IT HAS BEEN THE SAME STORY ALL OVER AGAIN. Different centuries . . different countries . . different situations, but the same God– the same call.

The journey won't be easy. It never is. Shallow spirituality, and greed and lusts and cheap grace will try to take us off the track. But they lead only to emptiness. Until we have God we are empty if we are millionaires! And if we are in God's company we have everything if we are shipwrecked or in prison or going through family trauma or whatever!

As Thomas Kelley wrote in his great little book, A Testament of Devotion: About God's way, he says,

Its joys are ravishing,
its peace profound,
its humility the deepest,
its power world-shaking,
its love enveloping,
its simplicity that of a trusting child ...

It is the life and power of Jesus of Nazareth.

Prayer

Hymn #552 O Master, Let Me Walk with Thee