Choosing Sides

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Luke 5:1-32

 (Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%205%3A1-32&version=NIV,NLT

[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.]

Growing up, when we were going to play a pick-up baseball game, teams were chosen by using a bat. The two captains decided who chose first when one would toss the bat for the other to catch. Then they would grab the bat, hand over hand, moving up the handle. Whoever could grab the last piece of bat, got the first choice.

Of course, the whole idea of choosing a team was to pick the players who would help you to win. So you picked who you thought was the best player available. It makes perfect sense, and is a great strategy for winning. It’s the same strategy that all the professional sports teams employ when drafting players; they are choosing sides.

However, Jesus didn’t seem to use this strategy when calling his disciples; when choosing his team.

Consider the interactions that he had in chapter 4. First, he called four fishermen to follow him. On the surface this doesn’t seem like a bad choice. After all, they were business men who ran their own businesses. No doubt they could bring that experience to the ministry of Jesus; along with their hot temper and impulsiveness.

Next he healed a leper, but did not call him to be a disciple. Instead, Jesus sent him to go see a priest, according to the Law, and to not tell anybody. This seems like a real missed opportunity. After all, a healed leper would have a tremendous testimony to share with others.

Then he healed a paralyzed man who was dramatically lowered through the roof of a private home by four of his friends. The text states that Jesus healed him, “because of the faith of his friends”. And yet, he did not call even one of them to be his disciple.

Finally, Jesus called Levi, a tax collector, to follow him. Tax collectors were notorious sinners because they were Jews collecting exorbitant taxes from other Jews with the blessing of the Romans.

Choosing sides… Jesus seems to be following the pattern of his Heavenly Father who called imperfect sinners to faith. In the following passage, Jesus explained why he called who he called, particularly with reference to Levi.

²⁹ Later, Levi held a banquet in his home with Jesus as the guest of honor. Many of Levi’s fellow tax collectors and other guests also ate with them. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and their teachers of religious law complained bitterly to Jesus’ disciples, “Why do you eat and drink with such scum?”

³¹ Jesus answered them, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do. ³² I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners and need to repent.”           NLT

The thing is, Jesus wasn’t trying to choose sides to build a winning team; he wasn’t trying to add notches to his evangelism belt; he wasn’t even trying to build a massive movement. What he was trying to do, was to call those to follow him who knew they were sick; who knew they were sinners; who knew they needed help.

Using the link below, listen to the words of the song, “Come to the Table” by the Sidewalk Prophets. It describes just who is invited to follow Jesus.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXXxLwxfo0U

What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Luke 2:41-52

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke%202%3A41-52&version=NIV;TPT

[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.]

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

At the age of five, I wanted to be a cowboy. At thirteen, I decided to become a geologist. At twenty-four, I wanted to work with inner city kids. At fifty-two, I wanted to be an insurance agent. At seventy, I want to retire.

What did Jesus want to be when he grew up? A carpenter like his Dad? Or, the long awaited Messiah? And how did he finally realize that he was the Son of God and that his purpose was to save the world? Did an angel tell him? Or, was it like his cousin John when Luke wrote, “…the word of God came to John”.

We know very little about Jesus as a child. Did the other kids make fun of him because he was born out of wedlock? Did his Mom and Dad tell him about the supernatural circumstances that surrounded his birth? Did he sit in the synagogue school and daydream about being the Messiah someday?

What we do know is that at the age of twelve, Jesus seemed to have a very real sense of who he was. The following interaction took place when Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem while his parents thought he was with them on the caravan returning to Nazareth. Instead, three days later, they found him in the Temple.

⁴⁸ His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?” ⁴⁹ Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?” ⁵⁰ Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant.           TNT

More important than knowing what you want to be when you grow up, is knowing whose child you are. 

This question brings back many memories of Saturday mornings when my Dad would go to the bank and take me with him. As we walked into the bank, everybody knew that I was Dwight’s boy!

At the age of twelve, Jesus needed to be in his Father’s house because he knew, not only who he was, but whose he was; and as a result, he changed history. We need to ask ourselves the same questions. Do you know who you are, and whose child you are? If so, how has that touched the lives of those around you?

What Was God Thinking?

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Luke 1:26-38

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+1%3A26-38&version=NIV;NLT

[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.]

It’s not unusual for a teenager to say “NO”! It’s not unusual for a teen to rebel against the authority of their parents; to try and take control of their own life; to flex their decision making muscles.

What if Mary had said “NO!”? What if she had told the angel Gabriel, “No thanks, I’m only a young teenage girl? I’ve got the rest of my life ahead of me.”? Do you think God had a Plan B? Did He have a short list of young virgin girls to call on?

And why did God choose Mary? After all, she was already engaged to be married. He must have realized how the neighbors would talk; how it would look; how scandalous it would be. What was God thinking?

Then there’s the whole thing about choosing a virgin from Nazareth in Galilee. Why didn’t he choose an up and coming girl from the city; from Jerusalem? Instead, He chose Nazareth where it was said, “Can anything good come from Nazareth”.

The only detail that God seems to have gotten right was choosing Joseph as the engaged husband to be. At least he was a descendant of David. Otherwise… what was God thinking!?!

To say that Mary was afraid, is no doubt a huge understatement. She was in the presence of an angel who was saying things that didn’t make any logical sense. In fact, what he said implied an unimaginable future for her.

Up to this point, her life was all planned out. She would get married to Joseph; raise their family; be a part of the community; and be a support to her husband in his carpentry business. Surprise! God had something else in mind.

³⁰ “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God! ³¹ You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. ³² He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!”   NLT

You probably haven’t had an angel tell you to do something, let alone something that seemed crazy. God works that way a lot. He calls us to do things that we feel totally unprepared to do. But His promise is that He will always be with you; that the word of God will never fail.

When writing this devotional, I made a short list of things that the Lord has called me to do during my lifetime. They include things that I had no logical reason to do; no confidence to do; no experience to do. What was God thinking?

Using the link below, listen to the song by Faith Hill titled, “A Baby Changes Everything”. Then, consider how that baby has changed your life. And, like Mary, remember that “The Lord is with you and that His word never fails”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-y0_wNPSOaw

Baptism by Fire

A Series on God’s Call to Ministry

Jeremiah 1:4-10

 (Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Jeremiah%201%3A4-10&version=NIV;NLT

[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.]

Marriage can be difficult! 

Especially when you’re first married, the battle grounds can take place over such life altering issues as… should the towels be folded in thirds or half; should the toothpaste be squeezed from the middle or the end; should the toilet paper go over or under.

Even though I thought I was ready at the time, getting married was a “baptism by fire” for me. This saying, can apply not only to getting married, but to getting a new job, taking on a responsibility at church or really, anything that involves a significant challenge where you feel unprepared.

Jeremiah faced a baptism by fire as the Lord called him to be a prophet.

⁹ Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said,

“Look, I have put my words in your mouth!
¹⁰ Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms.
Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow.
Others you must build up and plant.”    NLT

Wow! That sounds like a tremendous challenge, if not overwhelming. Predictably, Jeremiah came up with excuses for why he wasn’t qualified. Like Moses, he claimed to not be able to communicate well. He also said that he was too young. The Lord responded in the same way that he did to Moses.

⁸ And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!”          NLT

The Lord also told Jeremiah that he had prepared him for this very job.

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”           NIV

So when you’re feeling like you’ve been thrown into a battle and you’re learning through a baptism by fire; remember this:

The Lord is Sovereign. He has a plan for you and it didn’t just come to him on the spur of the moment. He had it planned out long ago; since before you were born. Your job is to be listening for him to speak. And when he does, don’t come up with excuses, but believe in his promises… “I will be with you; I have prepared you for this time”.