The Call Of The Natural Life

The call of God is not a call to serve Him in any particular way. My contact with the nature of God will shape my understanding of His call and will help me realize what I truly desire to do for Him. The call of God is an expression of His nature; the service which results in my life is suited to me and is an expression of my nature. The call of the natural life was stated by the apostle Paul—“When it pleased God . . . to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him [that is, purely and solemnly express Him] among the Gentiles . . . .”

Service is the overflow which pours from a life filled with love and devotion. But strictly speaking, there is no call to that. Service is what I bring to the relationship and is the reflection of my identification with the nature of God. Service becomes a natural part of my life. God brings me into the proper relationship with Himself so that I can understand His call, and then I serve Him on my own out of a motivation of absolute love. Service to God is the deliberate love-gift of a nature that has heard the call of God. Service is an expression of my nature, and God’s call is an expression of His nature. Therefore, when I receive His nature and hear His call, His divine voice resounds throughout His nature and mine and the two become one in service. The Son of God reveals Himself in me, and out of devotion to Him service becomes my everyday way of life.

Lord, Your Word comes so quietly and allpervadingly—“If any man serve Me, let him follow Me,” and, “If any man serve Me, him will my Father honor.” Take me as Your servant in this sense.

But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: (Galatians 1:15, 16 KJV)

The Voice Of The Nature Of God

When we talk about the call of God, we often forget the most important thing, namely, the nature of Him who calls. There are many things calling each of us today. Some of these calls will be answered, and others will not even be heard. The call is the expression of the nature of the One who calls, and we can only recognize the call if that same nature is in us. The call of God is the expression of God’s nature, not ours. God providentially weaves the threads of His call through our lives, and only we can distinguish them. It is the threading of God’s voice directly to us over a certain concern, and it is useless to seek another person’s opinion of it. Our dealings over the call of God should be kept exclusively between ourselves and Him.

The call of God is not a reflection of my nature; my personal desires and temperament are of no consideration. As long as I dwell on my own qualities and traits and think about what I am suited for, I will never hear the call of God. But when God brings me into the right relationship with Himself, I will be in the same condition Isaiah was. Isaiah was so attuned to God, because of the great crisis he had just endured, that the call of God penetrated his soul. The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.

“Let me hear Your voice”—that is my prayer. I am willing beyond all my expression to hear You, to perceive You, to be thrilled with Your presence.

Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. (Isaiah 6:8 KJV)

Let Us Keep To The Point

My Utmost for His Highest. “. . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . . .” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest—my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point—He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only—my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.

My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death—it makes no difference!” (see 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide—for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.

Lord, the range of Your power, the touch of Your grace, the breathing of Your Spirit—how I long for these to bring me face to face with You. Forgive my tardiness; it takes me so long to awaken to some things.

According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20 KJV)

How to know God's Voice

Have you ever been confronted by someone who said something like, “God told me to tell you”? Such statements often are followed by a “word of knowledge” such as, “If you only had more faith, you would be healed.” Or, perhaps, “If you were living right, you would not have lost your job.”

Someone, with compassion clothing his or her words, might even say, “God has told me that He doesn’t mean for you to be unhappy. He would never want you to stay in this miserable marriage; He wants you to be happy.” Or, “God has told me He wants you to be healthy (or wealthy or prosperous or problem-free).”

Such words spoken by sincere people within our circle of Christian friends can put us into a tailspin of emotional devastation and spiritual doubt. It is especially traumatic and confusing when those words are uttered by someone in a position of religious leadership.

How can you and I know which voice speaks the truth, which voice is authentic? Learning to recognize the voice of God is critical, not only for our own peace of mind but also for developing a personal relationship with Him and for living a life pleasing to Him. Yet how can we be sure the voice we hear is His? Jesus answers that question using the illustration of the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep.

 

Read John 10:1-10

THE AUTHENTIC VOICE IS BIBLICAL

What does God say about the importance of determining which voice is authentic among the cacophony of voices clamoring for our attention? See Deuteronomy 18:18-20 and Galatians 1:6-9.

What event in John 9 revealed that the shepherds, the religious leaders of Israel, spoke with false voices as Jesus describes?

In John 10:1-5, what are some of the criteria that Jesus gave for determining a false shepherd? A true shepherd? Give a practical application for each criterion.

THE AUTHENTIC VOICE IS PERSONAL

According to John 10:3-4, what is the basis of the relationship between the shepherd and his sheep?

In the parable Jesus gave, who is the Shepherd? Who are the sheep? What is the Shepherd’s voice today? How do we, the sheep, hear His voice? Give an example of a time when you have heard the Shepherd’s voice.

According to John 10:5, why do the sheep run from the false shepherd? Give an example from your own life.

What is absolutely necessary if you and I are to discern between the voices of the true and the false shepherds?

How does the reaction of the religious leaders in verse 6 reveal their identity as false shepherds?

THE AUTHENTIC VOICE IS POWERFUL

What is the Good Shepherd able to do that the false shepherd cannot? See John 10:7-10.

How does Jesus’ claim disqualify the pluralism of our day? See John 10:7.

Give phrases from the following verses that confirm the uniqueness of Jesus’ claim: John 1:1-3, 9, 14, 18; John 3:2, 15-18; John 14:6; Acts 4:12.

Serve Like Christ

Rick Randazzo

READY:

“…just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life—a ransom for many.” –Matthew 20:28

SET:

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, hockey was my sport. And as seasons went by, I started getting recognized for my ability. In high school, I played on multiple teams, winning two national championships and a gold medal at the Empire State games. My senior year, I captained my team to a perfect 40-win season, which resulted in the National Junior B Championship.

Though, as I look back, I find myself asking, “Was I the leader that my teammates and coaches deserved? Was I following Christ’s example of how He led His team of disciples here on earth?”

Jesus Christ was the perfect example of a servant-leader, and He illustrates this for us throughout the Gospels. As you read in the verse above (Matt. 20:28), Jesus didn’t come to be served Himself; He came to serve and to give up His life. Let’s think about that for a moment. Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to serve others. The King of the universe—the one who sits at the right hand of the Father (Matt. 22:44)—came to earth to serve instead of being served Himself. Pretty humbling.

Over the years, I have come to realize that I would have been a better teammate and leader if I would have spent more time serving my teammates and coaches like Christ. Serving others shows them how much we love them, and moreover that Christ loves them. By leading as a servant, we are being obedient to what Jesus has instructed us to do through His Word and His example.

GO:

1. How do you serve your family, coaches, teammates and friends?
2. How do you serve your enemies?
3. What are some new ways to serve those on your team?

WORKOUT:

Mark 12:31
Luke 23:32-34
John 13:1-17

OVERTIME:

Christ, help me to humbly serve and give of myself for the benefit of others. Amen.

Move those Chains

Jimmy Page (adapted from WisdomWalks Sports)

READY:

Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.” – Hebrews 11:6

SET:

Every time my family goes to a Baltimore Ravens football game we get caught up in signaling and chanting “Move those chains!” on each Ravens first down. You might think, ‘big deal … they moved the ball ten yards.” But first downs lead to touchdowns.

The player or team that practices, prepares and performs with the most consistency generally outplays their opponent. And when we “move the chains,” we create and sustain momentum. Consistency leads to excellence and is fueled by self-discipline.

What we do today determines who we become tomorrow. Moving the chains simply means that you will consistently do what it takes to reach your goal. It means doing the little things. It means doing the hard things – even when you want to quit, even when you don’t feel like it and even when you can’t see the results.

As competitors, we know how to train consistently and put in the practice time necessary to get better. Shortcuts and compromises don't work. But do we apply that same diligence in our spiritual life? Do we train ourselves in godliness? Or are we hit-and-miss? If we continue to pursue God and spend time seeking Him daily we will become more and more like Jesus.

God rewards us when we seek Him. A consistent life leads to both internal transformation and external influence. So let’s strive to take action and do the little things that lead to excellence. Let’s move those chains!

GO:

1. As a competitor, what is your level of training consistency? Spiritual consistency?
2. What are you willing to sacrifice to pursue consistent time with God?

WORKOUT:

Luke 9:23-24 
Proverbs 2:1-5

OVERTIME:

Father, I pray that You would give me a powerful desire for consistent time with You. Help me to dig into Your word daily and carve out regular time for study and prayer. Amen.

The Love Win

Dan Britton (adapted from WisdomWalks Sports)

READY:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”–1 Corinthians 13:4 (NIV)

SET:

On June 26, 2010, thousands gathered at a memorial service to honor the life of legendary coach John Wooden who passed from this life to the next. Wooden’s purpose in coaching was not only to make better players, but better people. For him, greatness was found in loving his players. He knew that his #1 job was to love them unconditionally.

That is The Love Win – coaches love players and players love each other. It’s a powerful principle that can transform a team and possibly transform all of sports. If coaches would coach their players like Jesus loved His disciples, sports would be transformed instantly! Once coaches set the standard, it’s the players’ turn to love each other. When you create a culture of love, it replaces distrust, bitterness, envy, anger and jealousy.

Paul defines The Love Win for players: “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not conceited, does not act improperly, is not selfish, is not provoked, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” –1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Players love each other by speaking words of encouragement. They believe the best in each other. They get excited when their teammates succeed. Everyone takes responsibility for their own effort. Putting love in action is a picture of Jesus. Let’s make The Love Win our goal to show the world that sports can be different.

GO:

1. How can a coach love his or her players? How can athletes love their teammates? List out three specific examples for each.
2. How can you make your goal The Love Win? Pray and ask the Lord to show you how love can transform the world of sports. Let Him show you specific ways.

WORKOUT:

I Corinthians 8:1
1 John 2:10 
1 Thessalonians 3:12
Philippians 1:9-11

OVERTIME:

“Lord, I am asking for a heart of love so that I can love unconditionally. Teach me how to love others. Amen.”