MINISTERS MATTER

The Four Calls of God - Steve Hill

You can read more outlines like this at: https://www.stevehill.org/about-us/steve-hill.html

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
Matthew 20:16

    The Outward Call. This is the voice of the Shepherd, saying, “Come home.” It happens when the Word of God is preached, the arrows of the Lord pierce the heart, and the Holy Spirit convicts the lost soul. The Bible says, “For many be called, but few chosen” (Matthew 20:16). The truth of this scripture is that few choose to be chosen.

    The Inward Call. This is the deeper call. The first call gets your attention; the second, your adoration. The outward call brings men to a profession of Christ, the inward to a possession of Christ. The outward call tells you who He is; with the inward call He tells you who you are.

    The Forward Call. Once a person has answered the outward call and obeyed the inward call, he is ready to put his heart thoughts into action. It is one thing to tell the Lord that we will go wherever He wants us to go, while it is quite another to actually fulfill our commitment. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” This is the forward call. It’s not optional.

    The Upward Call. This is the final call. Jesus is coming back for a spotless Bride. It is the call the first three are in preparation for. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8).
Don’t miss the upward call.

Joshua 14-15; Psalms 146-147
Jeremiah 7; Matthew 21

ACTS 29 SERIES 4. SUCCESSFUL AND FAITHFUL

Introduction - longer than usual as we talk about knowing the will of God, doing what God has called you to do and highlighting some things from the lives of Paul, Nehemiah and Lydia that made them successful and faithful.

A - Added to the church.
C - Christ at the center.
T - Tests and trials overcome.
S - Successful and Faithful.

Reading the book of Acts reminds us that the early church understood the nature of God. Something that is very, very misunderstood today throughout the world.

The early church knew Him as the Almighty God, Creator of heaven and earth and the One who was faithful to His promises to send the Messiah and now the Holy Spirit.

They knew that He made everything after it’s own kind and that each created thing had it’s own world or domain to live and multiply in.

Birds had the air. Fish had the sea. Animals had the land.

Life in each of these domains reveal a God given instinct built into each creature as they lived and eventually died without a knowledge of God yet fit into His overall design and plan for the planet.

The exception to all this - human beings.

We were the only created beings made in God’s image and likeness.

Our domain, the place we call home, has been flawed since the time of Adam & Eve.

Because of sin, humanity was forced to live outside the realm God intended for him to live in.

God wanted us to live in the realm of His Spirit while dwelling on earth.

God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must do so in spirit and according to the truth He has revealed about Himself.

Global confusion about God is the direct result of being separated from Him and living by our own self-righteousness
We refuse to believe what He says about Himself and how we can be in a right relationship with Him once again.

We refuse to believe His Word on most subjects but especially on salvation.

Ezekiel 5:5 "Thus says the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the center of the nations, with countries all around her.

Self-righteousness is the definition of religion.

We learn that Israel is more than real estate, it is how He wants to be understood.

Nations want to be autonomous and choose their own way, to live according to their own customs and to define God on their own terms.

Israel’s existence is a reminder that most nations, like most people, resist the will of God.

To remove Israel is to remove God’s righteous demands because He chose the Jews to reveal sin, salvation and His Son to the world.

The bible is Jewish. The patriarchs were Jewish. The prophets were Jewish. The  disciples were Jewish. The Messiah was Jewish. The apostles were Jewish. The early church in the book of Acts is Jewish.

He appoints and chooses as He wills.

We come to God as God on His terms not our own.

When we come to Him His way then THAT is a successful person to Him.

Man is incredibly endowed by God to take dominion over the whole earth.

Look at all the amazing accomplishments around the globe that showcase man’s creative genius. His abilities are staggering.

It is not hard to see human pride and the desire for credit in our world while ignoring the One who has given us our talents and gifts in the first place.

Today, it is all about personal success.

Just living life, having fun, making money, climbing both the corporate and social ladders and doing it all without being connected to God, OR if you are connected , living as though His will for your life was optional.

It is your personal responsibility to seek God for His will for your life. No one else can do that for you - no prophet, no priest and no king can call you into God’s plan for your life - only God!

We have the capacity to know God spiritually through a relationship with Him.

No other created being on this planet has that.

THE KING’S DOMAIN IS CALLED THE KINGDOM

It is only when a man, a woman, or a young person is brought into the King’s domain - called the spiritual kingdom, can they find the true success and purpose for their life.

The book of Acts reminds us of the importance of  a relationship with God, with each other, and living out His will individually and within community.

God is seen in Acts equipping the saints so they could make a living while calling us them to live for Him.

Not either or but both and.

Acts shows us that many people choose the broadway over the narrow way of life.

They are born, live, multiply and die without ever seeking His plan for their lives.

Families pass on what they have received. If they knew the Lord, then the children would be given the opportunity to know Him and His Word so they could seek His plan for their lives.

If they didn’t know the Lord, then families would pass on what they thought was important in life. Health. Education. A good job. Great partner. Marriage. Children. Satisfying career. Benefits. A pension. Live to a ripe old age. Die happy but lost eternally.

FOUR IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER

1. Why were you born?

2. What purpose will your life serve while on earth?

3. What is God’s plan for your life?

4. How are you living out His plan for your life?

When you are living in the King’s domain, your spiritual lights are on and you now understand what you have been missing and what it means to live for God.

Living for God will help you enjoy success in life while being faithful at the same time.

Paul understood the supreme importance of living for God.

Philippians 3

For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh— 4 though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. 7But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Acts 20:24

“But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.”

He knew the importance of keeping the main thing, the main thing.

He was successful and faithful because he chose to live for God while earning his living as a professional tent maker.

Nehemiah 1:11

“O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man."

He was successful and faithful because he chose to live for God while earning his living as a government employee.

The Life of Lydia

Lydia proves herself successful and faithful because she chose to live for God while earning her living as merchant and business woman.

Acts 16:13-15, 40

13And on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15And after she was baptized, and her household as well, she urged us, saying, "If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay." And she prevailed upon us.

In between the invitation by Lydia and the actual meal at her home, they went to jail for casting a devil out of a woman with a spirit of divination, they were at the center of a riot, were beaten, put in the local jail and locked to stocks yet continued to praise the Lord and had the honor of leading the jailer and inmates to Jesus.

40So they went out of the prison and visited Lydia. And when they had seen the brothers, they encouraged them and departed.

What are the challenges of worldly success?

There is an addiction more subtle and more powerful than either drugs or pornography.
It’s older than prostitution, more prevalent than alcohol, more addictive than cocaine.
It doesn’t discriminate between male and female, black or white, young or old, rich or poor.
Its strength is greater than all other addictions combined and it’s as rampant in the modern Church as it is in the world.
It leaves the body unscathed but destroys the soul.
The vast majority of people addicted to it have little if any understanding of its power or perils - what is this addiction?

It is success outside the will and purpose of God for your life!

Churches and ministries measure success by the crowds, the money coming in, the size and influence of the ministry, the number of programs or staff but none of that reflects transformed lives that can be measured by what Jesus told us to do. Go and make disciples.

Success is making disciples.

Faithfulness, is doing it for a lifetime.

Luke 12 Jesus reminds Peter of the blessing upon those servants who are doing what He asked them to do when He returns. Doing is the operative word here!!!!!

I think that is the definition of SUCCESS in the Kingdom of God.

ACTS 29 SERIES 3. TESTS AND TRIALS OVERCOME

The Book of Acts is filled with tests and trials in the lives of God’s people from chapter 1 to chapter 28. Very much like today for Acts 29 people.

Here is a quote from David Wilkerson...

“As I look back over fifty years of ministry, I recall innumerable tests, trials and times of crushing pain. But through it all, the Lord has proven faithful, loving, and totally true to all His promises.”

I would say “amen” to that as well after 30 years of ministry.

The call to an Acts 29 lifestyle for us today is a call that leads to an ever-increasing maturity in both the fruit/character and gifts/deeds of the Spirit.

Max Lucado says, “Who knows the path better than the One who made it? And who knows the pitfalls of the path better than the One who walked it?”

Trusting God is about living by faith no matter what you face each day. Tests and trials will often reveal you to you.

For example: Learning to walk the Christian life we need to ask ourselves, “What is driving us? What are those inner motivations?”

Scripture is filled with men and women who were either motivated by the love of power or by the power of love. This is where life’s main tests and trials will be worked out.

The love of  power even in the Christian life focuses on our desire for God to profile us.

The power of love focuses on others and what God can do through our lives.

There is a balance of fruit and gifts of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word.

Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

Wisdom. Knowledge. Faith. Healing. Miracles. Prophecy. Discernment. Tongues. Interpretation. 1 Corinthians 12:8-10

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.” Galatians 5

“All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as He wills.” 1 Corinthians 12

Through the tests our character is formed.

Through the trials our reputation is born.

If you will invite Him into your tests and trials, He will make sure your life is a wonderful adventure - called the wobble (walk) of faith.

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8

Wobbling means letting God be God and not trying to make Him fit into our plans.

Wobbling means we don’t really know where we are going or what we are doing most of the time but we trust Him to lead our steps.

A good attitude statement when you wake up each day.

Another day, another adventure!

In the first talk I mentioned that the initial evidence of being filled with the Holy Spirit was not tongues but trouble.

Life in the Spirit is what we have been called to live. That is the testimony of the Book of Acts. It is filled with tests resulting in dynamic testimonies.

Even at the end of Paul’s missionary journeys he finds himself in a shipwreck then while onshore gathering sticks for a fire he is bitten by a snake.

Every test leads to another testimony.

Here are six major areas God continues to unfold for Joyce and I as we seek His will for our lives today, as we did 30 years ago.

Thanks & Acknowledgment to Mark Batterson and his book ‘Wild Goose Chase’ that reminds us that the Author and Perfecter of our faith wants to write His story through each of our lives every single day.

Mark contrasts the lives of animals at the zoo compared to those he saw on a trip to the Galapagos Islands.

Caged or Free? A marked difference in their behaviour.

Joyce and I chose 30 years ago to live the faith life as fully as we understood. We wanted to start living the life we were being invited into.  We had no idea what that was at the time, we just kept saying yes Lord.

Test # 1. Responsibility - be responsible where needed but be most responsible to say yes to His invitations. “Lord is this Your will now?” This affected everything. Our careers, job security, benefits, pension. Our families. Our future plans. We put everything into the hands of the Holy Spirit and let the adventure begin.

We have enjoyed pursuing God and the passions He has placed within our hearts and lives for over 30 years.

We really didn’t know His faithfulness until we stepped out in faith believing.

We continue to learn that stepping out in faith brings great reward.

Test # 2. Routines - these are important but not at the expense of what He may be leading you to do. Routines can reduce your life to being predictable. The adventure is gone. Life becomes boring. We didn’t want to simply make a living - we wanted to make a life that was worth living. To live with passion. Success was not enough, we wanted to live significant lives.

Our relationship with Jesus has always been as early adopters of what the Spirit has been doing.

It has brought us great blessing and driven us to our knees.

We are still learning to love spontaneity, to embrace the unpredictable and trust His leading our lives.

Test # 3. Assumptions - I’m too young. I am not qualified. I haven’t been to Bible School. I’m not ordained. I can’t speak in front of people. I’m not smart enough, not gifted for that. God wouldn’t do that for me. At times we weren’t giving the Holy Spirit much room to be creative when our assumptions and excuses limited what He wanted to do.

We now say “Lord you can do whatever You want, whenever You want and with whomever You want, starting with us.”

Thank God we don’t have to be good enough, smart enough or experienced enough - He is all that and more.

Test # 4. Guilt - Satan loves to neutralize what God is trying to do by pointing out our past. We had a past. He wanted to keep us looking back. Why? It would stop us dreaming and prevent our exercising faith to move forward. Satan wanted to stop the grace of God that was now at work in us.

His amazing grace has enabled us to forgive ourselves and each other and to dream His dreams.

To be filled with the spiritual energy to advance His kingdom.

Every time Satan reminds us of our past, we remind him of his future.

It works every time.

Test # 5. Failure - The Holy Spirit wanted us to know that our marriage and relational failures could be turned around for good. Little did we know at the time that He wanted to use them to rebuild our lives and launch the ministry of Lifecentre. The DNA here is that He takes broken people Humpty Dumpties and puts them back together again. What we saw as tests failed became the building blocks of where He was leading us into His preferred future for our lives.

We have been able to deal with our failures redemptively by believing God to make all things work together for our good.

To move us forward on His chosen path for us even though it meant we didn’t always know where and why He led us that way.

We still don’t understand delays.

Denials are not no but what are they Lord?

The biggest test was being challenged to simply enjoy the journey - no matter the test or trial.

Test # 6. Fear - So many people live defensively. Bored. Looking forward to the weekend. God was calling us to live on the offensive. To embrace the adventure of being led by Him while facing our biggest fears. I watched him renew my marriage and family. I marveled at what He did in providing for us when we left the government (Jehovah Jireh) and the security it offered. I saw Him bless our parents when our actions had offended them. We know the best thing that ever happened to us was trusting Him in each test and trial. Thank you Jesus!

2 Peter 1:5-8

For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

PRAYER

FATHER, thank You for the tests and trials of our lives that are meant to reveal Jesus alone as our strength, to establish new spiritual priorities, to develop us as  disciples, to grow our leadership skills, to prepare us to serve, equip and empower others, and to model a life that is learning more and more what it means to be an Acts 29 follower of Jesus.

MARK BATTERSON'S 'FINDING YOUR VOICE'

As I read Mark's blog today, ( Evotional.com ) I heard myself saying a resounding 'yes' to what he was writing. Maybe it is because I am older now and understand where he is coming from. Here is the blog in it's entirety. Enjoy!

Finding Your Voice

One dimension of the journey toward authentic leadership is finding your voice. In other words, finding your niche, your groove, your unique contribution to the kingdom. I think many of us start out parroting others. We sound like someone else. Over time, however, we find our preaching voice or writing voice.

As a person goes through puberty, the voice deepens as the voice box enlarges. I think leadership is like that. The longer you lead the deeper your voice gets. Think of it as gravitas.

One part of finding your voice is identifying your life themes. C.S. Lewis said, "Every life is comprised of a few themes." Over time you identify those unique God-given convictions that drive you. For example, there are ways of doing church that no one has thought of yet. That is one of my themes. A life theme isn't something you know. It's something you ooze out of your pores. It's not something you define. It's something that defines you. It's more than head-knowledge. It's a gut-conviction.

Another part of finding your voice is getting out of your comfort zone and getting into your confidence zone where you have the courage to say some things that you know might step on some toes. If you want to see people dance, you've got to shoot bullets at their feet every now and then! Finding your voice is having the courage to offend. It is saying some things that you know will cause people to say, "You didn't just say that." To which we respond, "Oh yes I did."

BEING CALLED IS LIFE-CHANGING

Anyone who serves in full-time ministry, depending on God for their salary and needs to be met, must have a firm conviction that Jesus called them.

Many today have the desire to serve but not the calling. They are the ones who end up frustrated and unfruitful with a negative attitude towards the ministry.

You don't approach ministry like you do a job you apply for. You do not choose to be in the ministry and others cannot push you into it. Ministry is an irrevocable personal call from God to your life that is eventually confirmed by your peers.

The call is life-changing. Nothing will be the same again! You can quit a job but you can't quit a calling and live a fulfilling life again - ever!

Being called is like being pregnant - you either are or you're not!

While it may seem strange at first, the evidence of your calling starts to be seen by you and others. During this season, God will direct your steps towards personal health so you can be a healthy minister with a healthy ministry. Remember, ministry is simply an overflow of your inner life in God.

This is now the time to seek out a mentor. To enjoy walking with someone who has real ministry experience and can give you hands-on-training. This is the Jesus model of discipleship. Making disciples who can make disciples!

With the call comes the peace of God for your obedience and the planting of vision deep within your spirit. Your task now is to seek out the steps needed to fulfill His will for your life and ministry. This part always comes in bits and pieces.

He will grace you with what you need to accomplish His call. Rest in this reality. The right personality, natural and spiritual gifts, even special people who will come in and out of your life for certain seasons.

A word of caution here - God calls, people don't. There will always be those who love you and those who hate you and those who are just indifferent to you. Get over it early.

The call will establish and root you in God's plan for your life no matter what you have to face this side of heaven.

Your calling expects that you will become a life-long learner. A person of prayer. A student of God's Word. Willing to exercise your gifts. Growing relationally. Thinking bigger than you are. Fasting regularly and living life as a worshipper who enjoys God's Presence in all you do.

Ministry is equipping others by serving them in the way mothers serve their families - creatively and consistently with love as the motivator!

At Mission O, Ministers Matter!

Mission O is a monthly gathering of ministry leaders from the National Capital Region. We build friendships over breakfast and share our spiritual life together. Our meetings conclude with personal prayer and ministry to each other. barry@missiono.ca

11. A SURE CALLING

In the book, '15 Characteristics of Effective Pastors' Kevin Mannoia and Larry Walkemeyer make a strong argument that pastors are not only called but there are principles that will make them more effective.

I would like to highlight those 15 characteristics over the next series of blogs and ask us, as pastors, to review our own effectiveness, or as Jesus would describe it as our fruitfulness in ministry.

Effective pastors have a deep conviction that their work is an obedient response to God's divine purpose for their lives.

They pursue ministry with confidence, quality and a tenacity that portrays God's grip on their souls. They are held in the lock of love.

Calling is a continuing and dynamic work of God, confirmed by the Church and renewed through the activities of ministry.

Do you have a sure calling as a minister? How has that helped you in ministry?

At Mission O, Ministers Matter!