I
once read a story about how some pigs lost their mother, but the farmer had a
dog that was nursing her pups. So the farmer just let the piglets nurse with
the pups. After the dog had weaned them, they would still sit up on their hind
legs and beg for food! They may be confused but they are still pigs! They had lost their calling!
Before we
look at the last Chapter of Samson’s life, let’s stop and ask ourselves why do many lose their calling?
Let me offer this definition for “Called”:
To be what you are; all that you do is done to the glory of God.
For
centuries in the church a person’s calling was all they were, however, at some point individuals began
separating their “work” from their “calling.” This is not a concept that comes from Scripture. I do not know exactly
when and where this came from…though I know the idea came from our adversary…however, it is clear when it
began in the USA.
During the Industrial Revolution work became God. In 1920 President Calvin Coolidge
said this:
“The man who builds a factory builds a temple, the man
who works there worships there, and to each is due, not scorn and blame, but
reverence and praise.”
Henry Ford said:
“Thinking men know that work is the salvation of the
race, morally, physically, socially." "Work is our sanity, our
self-respect, our salvation. The day's work is the center of everything."
This is where work and “Calling” were separated. It then became that only
the poor and most sacrificial have a calling; everyone else had a career.
Soon for
many, life could be summed up this way:
"Work
is worshiped, we play at worship and we work at leisure."
What has
been the Cost?
(1) No more heroes: "When God is dead, heroes
are dead"
Now people are well known for being “WELL KNOWN!”
Even if their life is a mess, the young still admire and even copy their life
style.
1 John 2:6 the one who says he abides in Him ought
himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.
(2) Our
relationship with our Maker became private:
Our thinking changed from being open about a relationship with
God to…Polite
people do not discuss politics, religion or sex in public.
John 18:20–21
Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world; I always taught in
synagogues and in the temple, where all the Jews come together; and I spoke
nothing in secret. “Why do you question Me? Question those who have heard what
I spoke to them; they know what I said.”
In the USA morals publicly remained somewhat decent through
peer pressure, but that changed drastically in the 1960's.
When we consider what we are and how should we approach life it
should NOT be called to something BUT to Someone!
That was the secret of Joseph, no matter the circumstances he
knew he was called to God, whether as a slave, a prisoner or a ruler!
Genesis 37:28 Then some Midianite traders passed
by, so they pulled him up and lifted Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to the
Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. Thus they brought Joseph into Egypt.
Genesis 41:38–40 Then Pharaoh said to his servants,
“Can we find a man like this, in whom is a divine spirit?” So Pharaoh said to
Joseph, “Since God has informed you of all this, there is no one so discerning
and wise as you are. “You shall be over my house, and according to your command
all my people shall do homage; only in the throne I will be greater than you.”
Scripture calls us SALT and LIGHT
PROBLEM IS NOT: You are not WHERE you should be.
BUT: You are not WHAT you should be!
Jim
Elliot "We don't need a call
to missions--we need a kick in the pants."
Why is Calling so important?
A. It gives us Focus. We are His saints!
Romans 1:7 to all who are beloved of God in Rome,
called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the
Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:2
To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in
Christ Jesus, saints by calling, with all who in every place call on the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours:
We approach our life with this question: How is what I am
doing going to benefit the Kingdom?
B. It enables us
to Stand Firm!
Matthew 10:28 “Do
not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but
rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Matthew 16:22–23 Peter
took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This
shall never happen to You.” But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me,
Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on
God’s interests, but man’s.”
Philippians 1:27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner
worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain
absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one
mind striving together for the faith of the gospel;
C
Single-mindedness of Purpose
1 Corinthians
9:19–22 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all,
so that I may win more. To the Jews I became as a Jew, so that I might win
Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law though not being myself
under the Law, so that I might win those who are under the Law; to those who
are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but
under the law of Christ, so that I might win those who are without law. To the
weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to
all men, so that I may by all means save some.
Philippians 3:7–8
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for
the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of
the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have
suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain
Christ,
2 Corinthians
5:9–10 Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be
pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so
that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what
he has done, whether good or bad.
Meditation: Do you see your
vocation as something separate from your calling? Do you integrate your life or
compartmentalize it? How can you check on that? Is there someone in your life
that could help you access that? If not, Why?
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