Title: The Called Missionary
called missionary
Text: Isaiah 49:1-7 * Hymns 323 (Totally 355)
Mr. Linquisit's life was very ordinary. But he was faithful. A life bearing fruit was not a life that required special devotion and determination, but a life of faithfulness that did the best that could be done in one's position.
A priest passed away recently. It is said that he made this confession while the pain continued. “I am not afraid to die. Because they go to God the Father. I am only sorry that I am not able to fulfill the mission given to me.”
There are three kinds of workers in all work. The first are those who work for themselves, the second are those who work for work, and the third are those who work for God. Then, those who have truly become workers for God feel a sense of duty, saying, “I am a life born on an errand.” Such a person is called a missionary person. Sosa is the company's little messenger. A secret messenger is an emissary. God's messenger is an angel. A special messenger is the special envoy. An urgent messenger is a courier. The king's messenger is the magistrate. The public messenger is the construction. The servant on the errand is the messenger. A disciple on an errand is an apostle. The person on the errand is a lion. So what is our mission? It is an errand from God. God's messenger. God's messenger is to die for the Lord and live for the Lord.
Kier Kegaard wrote in his diary when he was 22 years old as a seminary student at the University of Copenhagen.
“Even if the whole world collapses, I cannot hold on to this one and let it go. I must find my mission in which I can live for this and die for this.”
What is “this” for us Christians? Get an answer from Paul.
‘But I do not regard my life as precious in any way if it is to complete the course I will run and the mission the Lord Jesus has given me, that is, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace’ (Acts 20:24).
“If we live, if we die for the Lord, we live for the Lord, and if we die, whether we live or die, it is the Lord’s” (Romans 14:8).
'If I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast about. For if I do not preach the gospel, woe to me. If I do this voluntarily, I will have a reward. 1 Corinthians 9:16, 17)
Do we have this mission today?
The Apostle Paul expressed his mission in three ways as he ascended to Jerusalem. First, the road to run. Second, it is from the Lord Jesus. The third is not to regard even life as precious. It was said to ‘bear witness to the gospel of God’s grace’. Because the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. And it is also a way to build the kingdom of God. So, the apostle Paul was able to devote himself to 'the preaching of the gospel for the kingdom of God' just like Jesus.
Everyone has a different mission, but the goal is the same. It is the kingdom of God and the gospel. So we like holiness more than happiness, and we're more excited about mission than fun. The family is the mission, the job is the mission, and the church is the mission. Let's run and run again with an apologetic heart until the kingdom of God comes there through the gospel of grace. It won't take too long.
There is no physical way to ascertain exactly whether or not we personally have been specifically called. The only confirmation of the calling comes through faith in God. Only the Holy Spirit who dwells in your heart confirms your call.
The Bible tells us that God has called “people of negative qualities,” such as the foolish, the weak, and the despised. Moses was an 80-year-old shepherd when he was called. When David was called, he was a little boy as a shepherd, Joseph a slave, and Daniel a captive. We find many examples that show that God uses even negative aspects when calling important people.
Faith in God's calling also breeds calling. Many great men of faith throughout history have been motivated to do their missions by the belief that God has called them to a special calling. On May 24, 1738, Methodist founder John Wesley suddenly felt his heart warm as he recalled being rescued from the flames of a fire in his youth. At that moment, he came to believe that the Lord had raised him up for the vocation of “reform” in the rapidly secularizing Church of England. The point here is that when a person is truly conscious of his vocation, he begins to unleash his hidden potential. Only faith can ignite your potential and maximize your life.
“I am pressing toward the goal for the reward of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Today’s text is “The Song of the Second Servant” in the book of Isaiah. It is a prophetic proclamation of Jesus who will come as the light of salvation and an exhortation to us. What kind of beliefs should God's servants live by?
First, we are all missionaries called by God. The saints must believe that “the Lord has called me from the womb, and has remembered my name from the blessings of my mother” (v. 1). Since it is God who has called me, the missionary must live according to the will of God who called me.
Second, God gives strength to the saints. In today's text, the prophet sings, "God has become my strength" (verses 4-5). The mission is not to do it by my own strength, but by the power of God. I hope you will depend on God who gives you strength to carry out your mission today.
Third, the mission of the saints is to reveal the glory of God. God said that he would become a light to the Gentiles as well as the Jews through him and extend the grace of salvation to the ends of the earth (verse 6). Although the missions of the saints are diverse, all missions have a common purpose: to reveal the glory of God. I hope that you will live today, revealing the glory of God. Then God will reward you for all your hard work. If we properly carry out our mission of light, God will exalt us, not in the sense of success, but in the level of God.
Saints! Today, I pray that you will be faithful to the mission entrusted to you by the Lord's call.
* Prayer: The Lord who called us and gave us a mission! Help us not to neglect the mission and responsibility of discipleship. Even if it is a small mission, please do it faithfully Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly, as to the Lord and not to men. And, in season or out of season, always strive to spread the gospel, rebuke, rebuke, and exhort with patience and teaching in all things. Let the light of life be revealed today by following the Lord who came as the light. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.
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