Monday April 21, 2014

Read Romans 1:1, 8:28-30, Acts 2:37-39

Being “called” by God has a lot of baggage in the Christian world. The term is often misused and abused and even sometimes in contexts that contradict God’s Word and God’s character. People report that God has called them to all sorts of things including murder, destruction and blatant sin.

Witness Moment

When ever you speak to a non believer you have an opportunity to turn that conversation into a spiritual conversation. Ask them what they believe. Ask them about church. Ask them why they don’t believe in Jesus or what they think about Jesus. You’ll be amazed at how often you can share your faith when you ask lots of questions.

We see in Romans 8:1 that Paul, previously known as Saul the Pharisee, was called by God to be an Apostle and that he was set apart, or sanctified in the Greek, for the sake of the Gospel. God’s calling here was person and task specific.

Earlier, as Peter spoke to the crowd on the Day of Pentecost, he clearly and boldly preached the Gospel to them. At the end of his sermon he declared that the Gospel promise is open to all who repent and believe in Christ, for their children and ‘for all whom the Lord our God will call’.

People are irresistibly called as the Gospel is preached. These people who are called by God will be placed on a pathway to glory. God, according to Romans 8:27-39, foreknows certain people. These he predestines. Then he calls them through Gospel proclamation. Those whom He calls He justifies and those He justified He also glorifies.

Take note very carefully the wording of Romans 8:28. God works for the good of those who love Him. We often hear that clearly and loudly. Yet who are those people who love Him? Look at the next part of that verse 28. It’s those who have been called by God. While there are often many types of people in the church for various reasons– what they can get out of it, prestige, healing, relationship and mate finding etc - those who are called love God. God is their number one priority. The relationship is certain. If you are called by God you will love God. One of the sure signs of being called by God is having an inner love for God. Do you have this inner love for God? Do you attend church because you love God? Is God’s calling filling your insides so much that it oozes out as love for God?

Even more so, those who are called by God will seek to find others who are called by God. They do that in the same way that both Paul and Peter did: by preaching the Gospel, knowing that God will call His people through that Gospel message.

Prayer

Use today’s readings to write down prayer points

Adoration:

Discussion Questions for families and groups

1. What is “God’s calling“?
2. How does God call people?
3. Some people talk about God’s irresistible call? What do you think this means?
4. Someone at church says to you that God is calling him/her to leave this church to find another. How do you respond?

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

• Ask the Lord to give you opportunities to preach the Gospel so that His calling can reach more and more people. Pray that you would have the wisdom and ability to disciple those who are called through the Gospel sharing you engage in.
• Pray that God would mature and deepen the faith of everyone in your congregation. Pray too that those who aren’t truly saved would be brought into genuine repentance and faith through the love and grace of God.