A Series on God’s Call to Ministry
Luke 4:14-21
(Use the link below to read the verses.)
[Preface: How do you know what your calling
in life is? Will you know from a big bang experience? Or will it come quietly,
almost imperceptible? Will you be inspired by the stories of a visiting
missionary; or a book that opens your eyes to the needs of a specific people
group; or from your own life experience? This series is about God’s call to
ministry for your life; what it means or doesn’t mean.]
One plus one is
two; two plus two is four; three plus three is six. You get the idea. It’s
basic math. You start with addition, go to subtraction, elevate to
multiplication and take a quantum leap to division. You have to master the
basics before you jump into analytical geometry or calculus. A foundation must
be laid.
The same is true
with regards to your faith. You start with a simple concept… “Jesus loves me
this I know, for the Bible tells me so”. Then you move on to a more mature
understanding… “For God so loved the
world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever
believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” A foundation
is laid in order to develop a fuller understanding.
I believe the same
principle is true with regards to our calling to ministry; at least it was for
me. God’s call on my life took years before I began to follow it; understand it;
and owned it. He brought people, circumstances and experiences into my life
that were well beyond the realm of just being coincidental.
He took a simple,
specific desire of “using basketball to reach black inner city boys for Christ”,
and grew it into a twenty-five year career of full time ministry.
When Jesus went to
the synagogue in his hometown of Nazareth, he stood up and read the following
prophecy from Isaiah.
18 “The
Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” NIV
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free,
19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” NIV
Following the
reading, he sat down and said, “Today
this scripture is fulfilled”. By making this statement, he was claiming to
be the expected Messiah.
This passage helped
me in my understanding of the calling God had given me. Not that I saw myself to
be Jesus; but as someone who had been called to bring the message of hope,
freedom and salvation to those who needed to hear it.
What is your call
to ministry?
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