Theo 116: Call To Ministry Flashcards
God extends a special call to those he chose to serve him in gospel ministry.
Romans 1:1
“Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus,
called as an apostle, set apart
for the gospel of God.”
Romans 1:14-15
“I am under obligation both to Greeks
and to barbarians, both to the wise
and to the foolish. So, for my part,
I am eager to preach to gospel to you also
who are in Rome.”
1 Corinthians 9:16
“For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing
to boast of, for I am under compulsion;
for woe is me if I do not preach
the gospel.”
Galations 1:15-16
“But when God, who had set me apart even
from my mother’s womb and called me through
His grace, was pleased to reveal His Son in me
so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles,
I did not immediately consult with flesh and blood.”
1 Timothy 2:7
“For this [gospel] I was appointed
a preacher and an apostle (I am telling
the truth, I am no lying) as a teacher
of the Gentiles in faith and truth.”
What is THE CALL from God?
“A call is a profound impression from God that establishes
parameters for your life and can be altered only
by a subsequent, superseding impression from God.”
Dr. Jeff Iorg, President of Gateway Seminary
in Is God Calling Me?
2 kinds of calls
- General Call
2 Timothy 1:10-11 - “through the gospel, for which
I was appointed a preacher and an apostle
and a teacher.”
- A specific call
Acts 16:9-10 - “A vision appeared to Paul in the night: a
man of Macedonia was standing and appealing to him,
and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ When
he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go into
Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach
the gospel to them.”
God calls people in three ways.
A sudden experience (Exodus 3:2-4; Acts 9)
A reasoned process (Acts 19:8-10)
By the promptings of godly people
(1 Samuel 16; Acts 13:1-2)
The call: Sudden Experience
The angel of the Lord appeared to him in a
blazing fire from the midst of [a]a bush; and
he looked, and behold, the bush was burning
with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.
(Exodus 3:2)
As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching
Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around
him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to
him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who
are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are
persecuting,but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you
what you must do.
(Acts 9:3-6)
The Call: A Reasoned Process
And he entered the synagogue and continued speaking out boldly
for three months, reasoning and persuading them about the
kingdom of God. But when some were becoming hardened and
disobedient, speaking evil of the Way before the people, he
withdrew from them and took away the disciples, reasoning daily
in the school of Tyrannus. This took place for two years, so that all
who lived in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks.
(Acts 19:8-10)
- A logical assessment
2 Timothy 1:7 - “For God has not given us a spirit
of timidity, but of power and love and discipline
[or, sound judgment].”
- A growing desire
1 Timothy 3:1 - “It is a trustworthy statement: if any
man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work
he desires to do.”
Delight yourself in the Lord;
and He will give you the desires
of your heart. Psalm37:4
- An inner peace
Colossians 3:15 - “Let the peace of Christ rule
[or, acts as umpire] in your hearts, to which indeed
you were called in one body; and be thankful.” - An evaluation of circumstances
1 Corinthians 16:8-9 - “For I will remain in Ephesus until
Pentecost; for a wide door for effective service has opened
to me, and there are many adversaries.”
2 CORINTHIANS 2:12-13
Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord,
I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my
brother; but taking my leave of them,
I went on to Macedonia.
REVELATION 3:7
And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write: He who is holy, who is true, who opens
and no one will shut, and who shuts
and no one will open, says this
The Call: Promptings of others
