Do you hear the Call? Are you ready to answer?

 A call implies that we hear a voice from beyond ourselves, beckoning us to listen and respond.

Have you ever wished God's call was as simple and straightforward as a phone call. What would it be like to have the cell phone ring with God on the other end? That would be pretty exciting, wouldn't it? I don't suppose that's too likely to happen but you never know how God speaks.

As Christians we can have the confidence that God is present and wants to be in communication with us. God is the one who initiates our relationship. Over and over in scripture we see God reaching out to his people. Jesus demonstrated that God is like the shepherd who goes after lost sheep. Just like Jesus calling the disciples on the lakeshore in Galilee, God initiates the call.

It's the same truth that we find in Romans 8:28-30: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. Calling people is a vital part of God's work in the world

There are many different biblical examples of call which show many possibilities.

* It may be a call to leadership, as in the case of Moses.

* It may be a promise of protection regarding her descendants, as in the case of the slave women Hagar.

* It may be a prophesy of things to come, as in the case of the boy Samuel.

God is at work everywhere around the world. You can join in service for him at any time.

If you have a sense that God is calling you to a particular ministry, feel free to tell me or someone else about it. Or if you have a sense that God is calling someone else, give them some encouragement.

[Have the cell phone ring]. (To the congregation: It's God!) "Yes, I thought it might be you. Pause. Oh, yes, I'll be sure to tell them that. Hang up.

God says all of us should be on the alert for a call from him at any time. He loves you and he's going to be in touch. And when he calls, be sure to listen and respond.

* It may be a call to missionary proclamation, as it came to the unwilling prophet Jonah.

* It may be an invitation to motherhood, as in the case of the young virgin Mary.

* It may be a call to disciple making, as it came to Peter and Andrew, James and John from Jesus.

* It may be a call to conversion, as it came to Saul on the road to Damascus.

Each of these persons heard God's call in very specific yet different ways. All of them heard the voice of God in some dramatic fashion.
As I read the scriptures I get the strong sense that God calls every person in at least two ways.

1. There is the call to salvation. For some it comes quietly over a period of time. For others it comes powerfully and dramatically. Link to personal stories

2. There is the call to serve God, to minister in the name of Jesus in the church and in the world. Like the call to salvation, this call takes different shapes for us.

Does God call every Christian into ministry today?

Yes! But each of us will experience this call differently depending on the spiritual gifts God has given us. We will also experience it quite differently depending on our family, the congregation of which we are a part, our gender or even age.

How do we hear God's voice?

How can we be sure that it is God speaking and not simply our own desires expressing themselves? How do we find confirmation from others for God's call to ministry?

* Inner call is like God in the heart, speaking to us. It comes through the Holy Spirit.

* Outer call is the confirmation of others who know us. In the case of a call to pastoral ministry, we confirm the call of individuals through the vote of a church or through the credentialing process of a conference.

God is at work everywhere around the world. You can join in service for him at any time.

If you have a sense that God is calling you to a particular ministry, feel free to tell someone about it. Or if you have a sense that God is calling someone else, give them some encouragement.

God says all of us should be on the alert for a call from him at any time. He loves you and he's going to be in touch. And when he calls, be sure to listen and respond.