When God Calls

Why Are We Here?

You and I were saved to serve God.

Ephesians 2:10 For we are God's workman-ship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

A saved heart is one that wants to serve.” “You are not saved by service. You are saved by grace. But you are saved for service. A saved heart is one that wants to serve.”

“Let our light shine before men that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16)

The Great Commission “Go into all the world and make disciples…” (Matthew 28:19)

Isaiah

Isaiah 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died…

To Be Faithful in Ministry You need: 1. Clarity We need to see what Isaiah saw

“Your view of God is the most important view you have, and to the extent your view of God is distorted… to that extent your life is out of focus.” Dr. Borror Seminary Professor

…I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying.

3 And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”

What makes God, God?

Holy, Holy, Holy

Matthew 6:9 Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

To be holy means to be “set apart”

“God is Great, God is Good, and we thank Him for this food.”

God is great

Exodus 15:11 Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?

Isaiah 40:25 To whom will you compare me? Or who is my equal?’ says the Holy One.

1 Chronicles 16:23-36 23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. 24 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples. 25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise…

1 Chronicles 16:23-36 26 For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens. 27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place… 36 Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.

God is good

God is set apart from sin 1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him is no darkness at all.

4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.

To Be Faithful in Ministry You need: 2. Cleansing We need to feel what Isaiah felt

“Our wisdom, in so far as it ought to be deemed true and solid Wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” John Calvin

Confrontation 5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”

Matthew 23:25-28 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Matthew 23:25-28 27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.

Matthew 23:25-28 28 In the same way, on the out-side you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wicked-ness.

Confession and Comfort You experience God’s grace up close and personally

6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”

To Be Faithful in Ministry You need: 3. Commissioning

God sees us for who we are in Christ!

8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” 8 And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

Conviction Amos 7:15 - But the LORD took me from tending the flock and said to me, 'Go, prophesy to my people Israel.' 16 Now then, hear the word of the LORD.

Conviction Galatians 1:1 - Paul, an apostle — sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father…

Compassion 1 Corinthians 9:22-23 - I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel…

How to Persevere in your Faith Clarity - we go on because we see clearly Cleansing - we go on because we are changed Commissioning - we go on because we are called