Thank you, Brother Joe, for taking on the extra workload tonight. It's much appreciated. I want you all to hold your place there in 1 Samuel 3 and turn to Philippians 3. This is the passage where I'll actually take my message from and come back to 1 Samuel in a few minutes and look at it. or read the first 14 verses. Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed, is not grievous, but for you it is safe. Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.

For we are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus. and have no confidence in the flesh. Though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more circumcise the eighth day of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and Hebrew of the Hebrews, as touching the law of Pharisee, concerning zeal, persecuting the church, touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.

But what things were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things and do count them but done that I may win Christ and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith, that I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead. Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect, but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that, for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Now this is a message that has kind of been on my mind, on my heart for quite a long while. And when I first started working on this, I had a bunch of passages in my mind, a bunch of different verses with the thing of this high calling of God, which by the way is going to be the message title tonight, the high calling of God here in verse 14. And I had a lot of passages in mind with that calling in mind. And I soon realized once I started studying and putting this together that probably the best I'm going to do is an overview of this subject because it's truly a massive subject when you get to looking at all the scriptures that relate to it. So I kind of got to the point where instead of scratching the surface, maybe I'm just going to rub it a little bit. and give you an overview of this subject. First, it always helps to define what you're talking about.

So what's a calling? This high calling of God, what is a calling? Well, there's several different definitions I've got here, and there's a noun. It's a strong urge toward a particular way of life or vocation. It's a cry or a summons to attract one's attention. And it's an order or appeal for action to be taken or for one to be present. And as a verb, it's the action of causing or inciting these things. Now these are all helpful, but the overriding sense of this word in this verse is a commandment. It's a definite commandment. This is a calling which commands and compels obedience And it's not a calling which the hearer has the option to accept or reject. Now, it may be that you've heard the term general call or general calling used before, so let's look at that.

And I think it's maybe not the best of terminologies, but that also depends on the context of its use. Now, it's totally false to propose that God is calling all men generally unto salvation. And it's then up to them to accept or reject that equally broadcast call to be saved. This is just the religion of decisionism or free willism, where man's the final determinant of salvation and God just merely throws it out there and makes an offer.

Romans 9.16 is very clear on this. So then it's not of him that willeth or of him that runneth, but it's of God that showeth mercy.

It's been said that if the Lord Jesus had not cried out, Lazarus, come forth, but simply come forth, that all the dead everywhere would have risen and come out of their graves. He called specifically and effectually to one soul. However, there's a sense in which the Lord does generally call or reveal himself to all men. First, he calls or reveals himself in creation.

Turn to Psalm 19. Psalm 19. It's the Psalm of David, and we'll just read a few verses here. Beginning with verse one, Psalm 19, the heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line is gone out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world. Go back to Philippians.

Now Romans 1 says that the invisible God may be known or is made manifest by the things that are seen, that is, creation itself, proving that he is and that he is all glorious and all powerful, the almighty God. Life itself is invisible, yet the undeniable proof of it's all around us. We see it all around us. Showing forth the existence of God as creator and the giver of life.

Therefore, through that revelation, men are responsible to worship and seek after God. And secondly, he calls or manifests himself generally, if you will, through the natural mind and the conscience. that all men are given, and by which they act, however imperfectly, either as individuals or as a society, which, according to Romans 2, shows the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another. Therefore, men are responsible to worship and seek after God. Thirdly, he calls generally, by that which is especially relevant to this gospel age, the complete canon of scripture, the Holy Bible, which we have in our hands this evening, which includes the open public and the miraculous events surrounding Jesus of Nazareth's birth, his life, his crucifixion, his death, his burial and resurrection, and by the subsequent proclamation of the gospel message concerning him through these events and through his own recorded words and deeds and miracles, all of which conclusively prove him to be the God-Man, the Son of the Most High God, and the exalted Redeemer Savior, Savior of an elect people out of fallen humanity, sinful humanity, by the sacrifice of himself.

Paul told Agrippa, this thing was not done in a corner. It was done for the world to see. Turn to Acts 17. Acts chapter 17. Now this is Paul's message to the Athenians on Mars Hill. in which he first sets forth one God, revealed as the creator of all men, and therefore rendering void the worship of any and all other deities of men's concoction. Let's look at verse 30 and 31.

In the times of this ignorance God winked at. but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained, whereof he hath given assurance unto all, in that he hath raised him from the dead. As to the gospel set forth, it began being set forth by the Lord himself, slaying animals and making coats of skin to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve, the innocent sacrificed for the guilty. And it's been with men through the ages, in type, in picture, and in shadow, and in prophecy. And it's even now with us by the full revelation of His Immaculate Person, the Lord Jesus, His mediatorial sacrifice on Calvary's cross for an elect people.

And it's preached unto men's ears as it always has been, So that as Romans 1 says, they are without excuse. Men are responsible to believe, worship, and seek after God as He reveals Himself, especially in His written Word. And yet, by nature, they glorify Him not as God, neither are thankful. Romans 1, 21. That's us by nature. Let's look at a good Old Testament Let's consider Pharaoh in the days of Moses and Aaron.

Here's a man who ruled over a great prosperous nation. He wanted for nothing, but he was a possessor of vast wealth. He had all power and authority in Egypt and had at his command what was likely the greatest army of the day. He could have been a wise and a benevolent monarch. bestowing blessings upon all in his kingdom and leading in the worship of the one true God.

He had access to this very same gospel that we know through those that he chose to enslave and oppress, Israel, the chosen nation of the Lord. He could have availed himself of that gospel, but instead he hardened his heart against the God of Moses and against his chosen nation. He received at the Lord's hand great temporal mercies and revelations of himself. including the presence of his gospel word. He was confronted with the authority of the word of the Lord on many occasions by God's own messengers and witnessed the power of the Almighty and the plagues that were visited upon Egypt because of his refusal to submit himself to God.

Nevertheless, he rejected all. He reveled in and abused his power over others and he chose to worship Ra and other gods of his vain imagination, even thinking himself to be a god. And in his arrogance, he perished. He also was without excuse. Now we can rightly conclude from this example, it's not the Lord's might or his punishments or his threats of condemnation that turn a man's heart to him and to salvation.

Romans 2.4 plainly declares that it's the goodness of God that leadeth thee to repentance. It's not his anger and his wrath. Though called upon to bow down and humble himself, Pharaoh never knew of nor experienced the high calling of God. Let's bring it up to modern day terms. Let's consider in our little community here the many thousands of people who drive by this house of worship every day.

The majority of whom live in this very city or in this tri-state area, and yet, who seemingly take no notice or heed to the scriptures that have been posted on the message board out front for years, for decades now. That board cries out that the word of God is revered in this place, since there's never been anything but his written word found there. Man's philosophies and cutesy sayings aren't found on that board, and yet, That doesn't seem to pique the interest of the passers-by or cause them to want to investigate what's believed and preached in this place. And by all these other means that God reveals to himself, thereto without excuse, I mean, you might even consider the prevalence of the Word of God even in the written form. You can't even check into a motel that the Gideon's Bible's not in the nightstand drawer. the Word of God is around us. And though called upon to seek after the Lord through His Word and its presence being made apparent, most will never know nor experience the high calling of God, for it is not sent to them."

Now, let's bring that home. Let's consider even ourselves as believers. Apart from the intervening grace of our Lord, We'd have been in the company with Pharaoh, with this world, stubbornly rejecting Christ our Lord and His salvation, and ignorantly passing by His Word like they do on this road every day, and driving mindlessly ahead on the road to perdition.

Now let's go back to this passage in 1 Samuel 3. Now this high calling of God, though it's always effectual, is not always immediately discerned or understood by those called. This is a good example here, Samuel. Here we have a young Samuel that's called by the Lord three times while he slept, yet he misinterprets the call each time.

And I find here a bit of a picture of us by our nature. Perhaps you can see a little bit of yourselves in this. I can do that myself. In our natural and unregenerate state, we're at rest, slumbering through life in our sin and at peace in our condition, content in whatever refuge we've made for ourselves.

But the Lord calls and troubles our sleep. So perhaps we rise and apply ourselves to the world in all its distractions and temporary satisfactions in order to reestablish some form of restfulness. Solomon concluded that these things ultimately are a vanity and vexation of spirit. Well, the Lord calls again and troubles our sleep and there's no peace. So that maybe we arise and run to religion to ease the nagging conscience. And for a time we return to our bed of false rest and peace. But the Lord calls again and troubles us once more.

Troubles that repose. Typical response might be, well, I'm not doing enough. So there's a redoubling of efforts to do more good works and to get more faith, thereby ensuring undisturbed sleep. But this is the sleep of the dead, as Ephesians 2 speaks of.

Well, what's the problem here? I draw your attention to verse 7 for the answer. Verse 7 of 1 Samuel 3, Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord revealed unto him. Well, the question might be, you mean this has to be revealed? Absolutely. This is the same way it is with all of us by nature.

The Lord deals with each of his elect in a manner befitting our individual needs. and according to His purpose, through our life's experiences and our trials and our joys and our sorrows, to prepare us to meet Him in His word. Romans 8, 28 declares that all things work together for good to those whom the Lord calls savingly. All things are a part of, or in support of, this calling, nothing being separate, disassociated, or without purpose in the exercise of it.

I guess you could say that our calling began from before the foundation of the world. But then, in the fullness of his time, he crosses our path with the gospel of his grace in Christ Jesus. And he sends an Eli with some wisdom and some understanding in the word to instruct us.

How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher, says Romans 10.14. And it's through the hearing of the gospel message preached that the Lord's Spirit irresistibly compels us to lie down in our place, in the dust, waiting upon the Master as our only hope of life and salvation. And in that day, the Lord comes once again in grace and stands close by as He did with Samuel, and calls again to that prepared and open set of ears and that open heart of that same prostrate sinner, who can only reply, speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth." Now this is the gospel call, the high calling of God. What happens then? What's the purpose, the end result of this call?

Look at verse 21 of this passage in 1 Samuel. And it says, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel in Shiloh. That being a place, the meaning of that is a place of peace and security, and that being Christ here. You could say, for the Lord reveals Himself to Samuel in Christ. How did He do that? By the Word of the Lord.

1 Corinthians 1.21 tells us, It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

And again in Romans 10.17, So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

So by this preached word, the Lord reveals himself to the wretched sinner as holy, unapproachable and just. And the sinner to himself as corrupt and hopeless, having offended God and his law and deserving of eternal condemnation. Desperately needing someone to intervene for him and being incapable of helping himself. And it's the gospel that introduces that sinner's heart to the Lord Jesus as that help, who by the sacrifice of himself in the sinner's stead, satisfied God's inflexible law by receiving the just sentence of death upon himself, which the sinner unquestionably earned. And the Savior well deserves and receives from that same sinner all praise and thanksgiving and honor and worship as Lord and Redeemer. Now, ultimately, this is the story of every believer on Christ Jesus, though our journeys both before and after hearing his call are seldom, if ever, the same. Let's go back to Philippians 3.

Now, in verse 14, why is it that he describes this as a high calling? Or in what ways is this a high calling? The word here denotes, just to do a short word study, it denotes that which is above or upward. And interestingly as well, it has a primitive connotation of in the room of, substitution, or requital. required or being defined as a compensation or repayment for a service, benefit, or injury. So for this message, I've listed 10 ways in which this is a high calling, though maybe many more that would be applicable. But it's a high calling, first, because it's a high calling because of Him who is calling.

Now this is the Master Himself, the Son of the Most High God. the one by whom all things were made and by whom they consist. He's the mighty God, the everlasting Father, and the Prince of Peace. Christ called before the multitude in Matthew 11, 28, it's the same today as it was then. Come unto me, all that labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. And by the way, this is not a general call. It's intended for a very specific people. It's for those who are heavy laden, and burdened with sin.

He who calls is the one into whose hands the Father has given all things and all authority, both in heaven and earth. Because of his successful ratification of the covenant of grace, by the sacrifice of himself as substitute and redeemer of those, the Father gave him to save, even before the foundation of the world. It's a high calling because of what He's calling us unto. He calls us unto newness of life and unto a resurrection and a new body and an eternal life, but the call is first and foremost unto Christ Himself. He says, come unto Me for rest. It's not come unto your baptism or your profession or your good works or your moral character or your church attendance or any other thing, but Him alone.

And in Him we're called unto all spiritual blessings as concerns heavenly matters which are high above us. It's a high calling because it's a loving calling. Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. Therefore, with loving kindness have I drawn or called thee.

Jeremiah 31.3 1 John 4.10 Herein is love, not that we love God, but that He loved us. and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. All of the grace and mercy of God, all of creation and providence, all of His eternal will and purpose in salvation through Christ Jesus are results of Him setting His love upon a people and undertaking to bring them unto Himself. It's a high calling because it's a gracious calling. Let's look at Ephesians 2. Just a few pages back, Ephesians 2. Familiar passage. Begin at verse 4 of Ephesians 2.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved. and hath raised us up together and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. All of salvation and its attendant blessings are totally unearned and unmerited on the part of the recipients, but they're instead freely bestowed upon them due to the immaculate person and the completed work of the Lord Jesus wrought out on Calvary's tree. It's a high calling because it's a righteous calling.

The Lord God cannot call and admit into his presence one who's tainted with sin. His law and justice will not allow it to be so. Sin shall have no place in His kingdom. Hence, the need for the Lord Jesus to take upon Himself our flesh and live under the law and be tried in all points that we are tried, yet without sin, and to go to the cross as our substitute and representative, receiving in Himself all the punishment and wrath of the Father against our sin, even unto death. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Now, Christ having paid the debt we as sinners owe to the law, and having established for us and imputing to us an everlasting righteousness, God is now just to justify and call us into his kingdom and his presence. There's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. It's a high calling because it's a holy calling. It's a calling of separation. The Lord commands, be ye holy, for I am holy.

We're called out of this world, sin, false religion, the wiles of the devil, and out of darkness into his marvelous light, 1 Peter 2.9. It's a high calling because it's a free and a promise calling.

But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation. You shall not be ashamed nor confounded, world without end. Isaiah 45, 17. And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Isaiah 35, 10.

It's a high calling because it's an eternal calling. Our God does nothing that is not eternally purposed and with eternal consequences. Though it may be worked out in time, and it's beginning and ending hidden from our sight and from our understanding. And it's a high calling because it's a continual calling.

The believer is continually called through the written word and the gospel preached to come unto Christ, to unreservedly cast both life and soul upon Him for safekeeping. Jude speaks of Him that's able to keep you from falling and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory. And Hebrews 12 encourages us to run the race that's set before us looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. And finally, it's a high calling because it is, according to verse 14 of our text, it's in Christ.

God could never have called any sinner unto salvation but for the Lord Jesus' successful cross work. His people, the church, were from all eternity, loved in Him, chosen in Him, sanctified in Him, made righteous in Him and are therefore called, enlightened, given faith, preserved, and ultimately glorified in Him through His victorious mediation for them and in their stead. The whole of salvation and all that God has for elect sinners resides in the Lord Jesus Christ with absolutely no contribution from the sinner. Let me repeat Ephesians 2. For by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. It's not of works, lest any man should boast."

Now, we have here in Philippians 3, in this passage, the effect on the heart and mind and the motives of one who's been called by the grace of God, this high calling. The Apostle Paul here likens his life to running a race. which could just as well apply to each of us. We're all running a race, perhaps at different distances, but all having a very definite finish line. He states in verse 14 that he's expending all his energy toward being the victor in this race and to winning the prize. Not that his effort should be in whole or part the commendable cause of his winning, but rather that's the result of the high calling creating within him a most earnest desire to obtain the prize.

So what's this prize that he so diligently aspires to? In verses three through six, he lists a number of things that he formerly considered the prize. His lineage and his upbringing, his lofty position in religious circles, his unwavering allegiance to religious dogma and doctrines and his works on its behalf. These were the things he prized and that in his unregenerate mind, he thought would obligate God to receive him on his own merits.

But after the Lord Jesus called him on the Damascus road and brought him down and by revelation of himself taught him the true gospel of salvation by grace, without his works of the law, Paul has to acknowledge the utter worthlessness of these former prizes in his salvation and thus his singular commitment to the prize of verse 14 and to the winning of it.

But let's look at this a little bit closer. I don't see this as saying that the prize is the high calling of God. Truly we do prize the calling. But it's not salvation, it's unto salvation. Well, you might say, I don't see the distinction or the difference. Well, let me ask you this. When you're called to a meal, are you then instantly filled and your appetite sated? Well, no, of course not.

It's necessary to prepare for the meal. You gotta wash up, go to the table, give thanks, and actually sit down and partake of the meal. Eat the food to be nourished and satisfied. Well, so it is spiritually. The Lord must call us and prepare us to partake of spiritual food.

Well, back to the prize. What is it? Verse 8 tells us in no uncertain terms. Now the prize goes to the winner, doesn't it? Verse 8 tells us the prize is Christ himself. That I may win Christ, he says at the end of verse 8. That I may win Christ. Herein is salvation. This is the pearl of great price. This is the one who calls, come unto me. Paul, having been by grace enabled to hear this high calling, he's now made willing to surrender all that he has that he may win Christ.

And though there's much that's of value to us in this life, it all pales in comparison to the Savior and the excellency of the knowledge of him and his word. And further, he desires in verse 9 to be found in Him as His surety and representative and mediator and to be reckoned righteous through the exercise of God-given faith in Christ Jesus and His completed cross work as His only hope of salvation. In verse 10, he reiterates his desire to know Him. The Lord instructs us in Matthew 11, 29 to learn of me and you shall find rest unto your souls. Turn over to 1 John 5. 1 John 5, verse 20. And we know that the Son of God has come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. And he desires also to know the power of his resurrection. Turn to Romans 6. What is the power of his resurrection? What's that involve? Romans 6, beginning in verse 3.

Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life, that baptism that unifies, that unity.

For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Now skip down to verse 8. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him. Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more, death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once, but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise, reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. That's the power of his resurrection.

Romans 4.25 tells us that he was raised again for our justification.

And Ephesians 1 expands further on that thought by announcing that all spiritual blessings are found in him. This is the power which flows from his successful substitutionary work on the cross. That finished work which having pleased and been accepted by the Father as we read in the Acts that he raised him from the dead as evidence of his acceptance. That we are accepted in the beloved and we shall also in him freely receive all things. What a blessing.

Likewise, Paul seeks to gain knowledge of Him even through the tribulations of this life, which draw us closer to Him and prepare us for the inevitable demise of this body of death. He determines in verse 11 to obtain all blessings, including eternal life, regardless of the means of providence or by whatever difficulties he must endure to achieve it. And though yet imperfect in himself, in verses 12 and 13, his great endeavor still will be to lay aside all past prizes and strive with all his might to win his race and obtain that one prize which is manifested in the high calling of God in Christ. Now, you may ask, how might I know that God's calling me in this way? I'll close with this answer in the form of some questions.

First, do you still labor under your heavy load of sin and guilt before God? Where then do you seek relief? Or, more perfectly, from whom do you seek relief? Do you seek relief in self through the performance of good works and activities? some vain attempt to keep the law and the commandments of God in order to produce your own righteousness, not yet knowing that all your righteousnesses are as filthy rags before Him? Or do you now forsake all your works and all your law-keeping and all your religious activities and heritage as being inherently sinful before a holy God and cast yourself, body and soul, upon the Lord Christ as your only hope of salvation and final glory.

Are you as those in Matthew 7 who present themselves as acceptable before God by virtue of their own self-described wonderful works and their religious service? They discounted the Lord's wonderful works, didn't they? Or by the virtue of anything which you think provides you merit before Him. Is that how you present yourself before God? Or are you as the leper who bowed down before the master and worshiped and acknowledged him as Lord with the admission, if you will, you can make me clean.

We sang it this way in the opening hymn. Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry. While on others they are calling, do not pass me by. Lord, don't pass me by. This indeed is the fruit of the effectual high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So I beseech you, friends, hear this call, hear his call, and come to Christ now, this minute, while it's yet today, and take his yoke upon you and learn of him, and you will, with all his ransom church, find rest unto your souls. Lord, we give you thanks for gathering us here this evening, and I pray that these poor words would go forth in some power, given the power that you've given me to speak them. May they be edifying to your people, and above all things, giving glory to God the Father, and God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. In our Lord Jesus' most wonderful name, amen. ♪ you you you