The Calling Of God

Q: What does the Bible say about God's calling?

The Bible teaches that God calls individuals to fulfill His purposes, which cannot be accomplished through human effort alone. In Judges 6, we learn that God is the one who does the calling, whether it is to salvation or to ministry. The call is not based on human qualifications but on God's sovereign choice, as seen in the call of Gideon, who was the least likely candidate according to worldly standards. This highlights the biblical principle that God chooses the weak and foolish things of the world to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27), ensuring that the glory belongs to Him alone.

Q: How do we know if we are called by God?

You will know you are called by God if the calling is effectual and leads to the production of spiritual fruit in others. The assurance of God's calling involves the effectual nature of that call. If God has truly called you, your message will resonate with the hearts of those you minister to, leading to genuine conversions and spiritual growth. In 1 Corinthians 1:26-28, Paul emphasizes that not many wise or noble are called, but God chooses the weak and despised things. This reflects that the success of a calling relies not on the individual's ability but on God's presence accompanying them in their ministry. When you witness the impact of your words, you can have confidence in your calling.

Q: Why is God's unchanging nature important for Christians?

God's unchanging nature assures us of His unwavering faithfulness and promises throughout history. The immutability of God—'I am the Lord, I change not' (Malachi 3:6)—is a foundational truth that provides stability and hope for believers. It means that God's character, promises, and plans remain constant regardless of our circumstances. This truth is vital for understanding His continued mercy and grace throughout history, as He repeatedly demonstrates His faithfulness to His elect. The assurance that God does not change encourages us to trust in His unending love and grace, knowing that He will fulfill His promises as He has done since the beginning.

Q: How does God call those to ministry?

God calls men to ministry through His sovereign choice, often selecting those the world least expects. The calling to ministry is a divine act where God chooses specific individuals for His purposes. In the case of Gideon, he was the least in his family and from a poor tribe, illustrating that God's choice is often contrary to human standards (Judges 6:15). This is a common biblical theme, as seen throughout Scripture where God calls the humble and weak rather than the strong and wise (1 Corinthians 1:27-29). The effectiveness of their ministry therefore rests not on their abilities but on God's power and presence with them. When God calls, He equips and confirms the calling through the impact of the ministry on others.

Last week we looked at verses 1 through 10 of Judges chapter 6. My subject was on this, a repeat performance. In other words, God is doing again what he did before. And that's the case with men since the world's been. God doesn't change. I'm the Lord, I change not. That's what he says. He does the same thing, and he does it over and over and over. And the reason he does it over and over and over, because we need it done that way. Everything we hear, we need repeated time and again. It never gets old.

And this is what he says about his self-changing not. He said, therefore, you sons of Jacob, that's God's elect, are not consumed. That's what keeps you from being consumed by yourself and this world and false religion. They'd swallow you up in a heartbeat if it wasn't for that, but God doesn't change.

And history is his story. That's what history means, his story. It's the story of God and what God's doing. It's the story of God's redeeming grace manifested to ungodly sinners over and over again. And what is accounted in this book of men and women receiving the mercy and love of God is a work that's been going on since the beginning of time, ever since the fall of man.

And God's repetition of mercy and grace is not to be seen as an encouragement to us to sin. Well, if God's going to save us, then we'll go sin all we want to. No, you don't understand anything at all about the grace of God if that's what you think. Salvation is being delivered from sin, not encouraged to continue in it. It's not an encouragement to sin, but it's an almost unbelievable act of kindness and compassion. The sinner in whom God begins a work is astounded that God would even speak to him, because the first work of God is to convince you of sin.

Once you understand what you are and who he is, The vast difference between you and him leaves you in such a belittled state that you can't hardly believe that he'd even talk to you, let alone say, who am I? That's what he said. Who am I that thou should show such mercy to such a dead dog as I am? He couldn't believe that he was seated in the palace eating with the king, dressed in royal apparel. That's the believer. That's the believer. And that's what this repetitious work is all about. He continues to do this, continues to manifest his love.

Religion has love shown one time on the cross, and then it's all up to you. God doesn't leave anything up to you. If he did, you'd be destroyed. The last thing in the world you want is for God to turn you over to yourself. But he doesn't do that. He intervenes in the lives of chosen sinners and makes them to see his grace in Christ.

Sin is always accompanied by captivity, oppression, and death. Hard times. Hard times. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. It's a continual thing. He don't know it. See, here's what men don't understand. If you're in false religion, you're under the wrath of God. This is the wrath of God on you. You haven't taken a step up, you've taken a step down. You haven't been delivered from sin, you're in captivity. This is the wrath of God. He delivers us from those things. Oh, thank God for His mercy endureth forever, His love from which His people can never be severed from, and His grace that can still save sinful rebels and call them out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Now, this morning I want us to look here at Judges concerning the calling of God. In its context, it has to do with the calling of a judge. In the picture that he's given us, or symbolically in the Old Testament, he's talking about the calling of a pastor. But it has to do with God's calling, no matter what he's calling.

There's five things I want us to see in verses 11 through 40. The text is too lengthy to read, so I'll I'll commit that to you to read it. You should have already read it. I hope you have. But I want us to see, first of all, who does the calling. And then secondly, who's being called, how is he called, the purpose of his calling, and the success of his calling. So let's begin with this. Who does the calling?

Worldly religion says God has so structured his church that committees are formed who pick and choose men and have set in place seminaries and places to teach men and prepare them for the ministry. And some of you may feel a strong desire to preach or maybe just a willingness to do so, and that's a good thing. I wouldn't discourage that at all, but that's not God calling you to the ministry. There's not a believer alive who wouldn't be willing to speak for Christ if Christ would open that door.

In 1 Timothy 3.1, Paul writes, this is a true saying. He said, if a man desire the office of a bishop, of a pastor, he desireth a good thing. That's a great thing. It's a great thing. And this whole religious generation believes that preachers are men who can't do anything else, and so they preach. That's totally opposite of what's actually going on.

And it's unfortunate that this is true in a lot of situations, but it's not so in the kingdom of God. What is true is that that man that he calls to preach could do anything else but preach and totally depended on God to enable him to do that. How shall you preach except you be sent?

That's what the Lord said. And here's the truth of it. Our God calls men to do what cannot be done. Our Lord taught his disciples this lesson with the rich young rulers. They brought to him a man with great potential. This was a godly man. He was a man who obeyed the law his whole life. He was clean as a hound's tooth. He came there. He was willing. He was rich. He was successful. And he was well known. I mean, you talk about a man with some potential, this rich young ruler, and they brought him, just no doubt, swelling up inside by what they found, this prize that they were going to bring to the Lord. And Christ sent him away, throwing up his hands in disgust. And they looked at one another and they said, well, who then can be saved? If God's not going to use this man, who could he use?

And our Lord, knowing their thoughts, they didn't say it out loud. They were just thinking it to themselves. And the Lord, knowing their thoughts, said, with man, it's impossible. It's not unlikely, it's impossible. God's calling you to do what can't be done. With man, it's impossible. But with God, God said, you stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. And Israel stood still.

And God did, through Moses, he did what nobody can do. He split a sea. Now Moses could have sat around for the next 40 years trying to figure out how God was going to do this. He would never have come up with the Lord splitting a sea. But that's what the Lord did. He called him to deliver this people and caused him to do what stretched out that staff. Could that staff split a sea? Absolutely not. But it did. It did because God went with him. Our God does the calling. Calling to salvation, calling to the ministry, calling to trials, calling to everlasting life.

He does the calling. And he does the calling because he's the only one with the wisdom to do it. He does the calling because he's the only one with the power to do it. And he does the calling because he'll have all the glory of it. And he does the calling because he runs the show. He's in charge. Our God does the calling. All right, here's the second thing. Who does he call? Who does he call?

Oh, this may shock you, but God always selects the last man on earth that this world would recommend. Always. Gideon responded to God's call in verse 15. He said, oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am least in my father's house. Nobody would have surveyed the predicament and recommended Gideon for the job. God called Gideon because he was the least.

And then when he came out with that big thousands of followers, you know what the Lord said? You got too many men. Chopped them down to 300, going up against thousands. I mean, they were like grasshoppers in the land is what it says. They were everywhere. But God gives him 300 men and tells him how to do it, and it was successful.

He always picks the least. You know, when the prophet came down to anoint the king in Judah, came down to Jesse's house, Jesse brought all of his sons to walk before the prophet except David. David wasn't even considered, was he? Who did God anoint? David.

Who is the last man? Here's Saul, this big giant of a man, he's a huge in stature. Man, he's standing up on the hill and his knees are knocking together over this big giant. David is the last one. They laughed at him. He said, who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God? And they laughed at him. He couldn't even hold the shield and the spear. It was too heavy for him. He went down there with a sling.

God always picks the least, the least expected. That's who God's going to choose and use. Oh, the Lord will never use him. Yeah, no doubt that's the one he's going to use. That's the one. And what about the circumstance they were in? Men and women all under sin, dead in sins. By nature, children of wrath, even as others, none that understandeth, none that seeketh after God. And to what are we called? We're called to begat sons and daughters unto the Lord.

Paul said, I've begotten you through the gospel. That's what he said. That can't be done. That's exactly what I'm saying. God calls a man to do what can't be done. Just in case man with glory in it, he won't even use the strongest and best of men. He picks the least. We're called to reverse men's lives, turn them around 180 degrees around. We're going to turn them completely around and go in the other direction. Reverse their lives and turn them around and see what can't be seen and hear what can't be heard, to be shepherds and stewards of the manifold mysteries of God. And Paul said, who's sufficient for these things? Nobody. Nobody. That's my point. Nobody's sufficient for it. And that's why we're so dependent on his call.

Man, the last thing in the world you want to do is stand before men as a pastor, a teacher, preacher, evangelist. The last thing you want to do is stand before them and God not be with you. It's a disaster. Preaching is not just standing before men and talking about the Bible. Preaching is standing before men as an ambassador of Christ.

He that heareth you, heareth me. Think about that. This is all of God that this person is ever going to hear. Now you let that settle in your mind and heart. He said, now then, we are ambassadors of Christ as though God did beseech you by us. We pray you in Christ's stead be you reconciled to God.

And I'll tell you who God calls less than the least. That's what Paul said. I'm less than the least of all saints. And that is the confession of every preacher I've ever met. Listen to these verses over in 1 Corinthians 1. For you see your calling, brethren.

What did he just tell them? Please God, through the foolishness of preaching, to save them that believe. And he said to the Jews, it's a stumbling block. And to the Greeks, it's absolute foolishness. But unto us that's being saved, it's the wisdom and power of God. And here's his next statement.

For you see your calling, brethren. He's talking about every man called to life in Christ, and in particular to those who would preach the gospel. And he's also talking to everyone anywhere called of God to do anything. You see your calling, brethren?

How that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God, the God who calls, but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. I don't know how many times I've been told that. Where's his diploma? Where's his degree? I'll tell you what Paul told the Corinthians. He said, I don't need a letter from you or to you. He said, you're my paper in whose hearts this gospel rang true. You're my letter written not with ink, but with the spirit of the living God.

God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty and base things of the world, and things which are despised hath God chosen Yea, and things which are not to bring to naught things that are. Why? That no flesh should glory in his presence. That's why.

David wasn't even considered by his father as a prospect for God's anointing. Mocked and laughed at when he went down to defeat Goliath, Joseph was hated and sold into slavery. And who would have thought Ruth would have married Boaz? Abraham was called out of idolatry.

Jacob was called to prove the election of God. He was the heel grasper. He was the dealmaker. He was always wanting to do something behind his back. And he said he did this to establish the election of God, and it's according to him that calleth, not according to men's work.

That's what we're talking about, the calling of God. God calls men who have nothing to offer and gives them all they need to fulfill their calling. The Lord said to Paul, who saw his infirmity too great to perform his calling, and he said, my grace is sufficient, Paul. It's sufficient. Whatever was wrong with his eyes, it must have made him appear almost you couldn't hardly look at him. Our God does the calling, and he calls the last person men would even consider. And then thirdly, let's look briefly at how they're called. In our text, it says God sent an angel.

Angels, Hebrews 1.14, are all ministering spirits. sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation.

When John's talking about false prophets and prophets sent of God, he calls them spirits. Spirits. Because God puts his spirit in them. And they testify according to his wisdom, his gospel. But they're all ministering spirits sent forth to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation.

And except in the case of the apostles and prophets, God usually sends a messenger. He sends a messenger. In this particular case, the angel, I believe, is the angel of the covenant, which is Christ himself. But regardless of who the messenger is, angel or man, he's perceived as the messenger of God.

So whether Christ appears to you or St. Paul, it's not going to make any difference. He's there as an ambassador of Christ, and his words are the same. What he's telling you is the same. The message is not going to change. If Christ himself was here this morning, this message would not change.

And I'll tell you why I think this was the angel of the covenant. Gideon, having seen and heard the angel, feared for his life, thinking he had seen God. And God had already said, no man looks on God and lives. And he feared for his life. He saw God in this angel, whether that was an appearance of Christ, an early appearance of Christ to him or not. Whatever it was, this messenger appeared to him as God himself.

You can read about it in verses 22 through 23 of our text. And the details of this calling may vary, but the power and certainty of it never do. No man is going to attempt what can't be done until he's sure God is with him. Look down at verse 16 of our context. Having stated all of his personal doubts and objections, the Lord says to Gideon, surely I go with you.

Surely you don't think I was going to send you. What could you do? How are you going to save Israel? How are you going to do anything? You can't do anything. It's such foolishness. When a man makes up his mind, I'm going to do this, and goes on his own to do it, he don't realize what he's going to do. He's going to do what can't be done.

And the only assurance you have is that God's going with you. And that's the first thing the Lord told Gideon, to answer his doubts and fears. Surely I go with you. You don't think I'm just going to send you. What good would that do? So brethren, don't judge Gideon too harshly with all these signs that he asked for and things. When you're called to do what cannot be done, you're going to have a lot of doubts and fears and a lot of questions that need answers, and especially the assurance that God is with you.

Now listen to me. Preparation is a good thing. Study is a good thing. Study to show yourself approved of God. That's a good thing. But all the books and writings of men are useless if God's not in it. Huh? You're just going to stand up and monkey see, monkey do. This man said that, and I'm quoting him. I'm going to start quoting Gil and whoever else, Newton, and on and on the list goes. I'm just going to stand up and start quoting Hawker and all this thing, and that's supposed to make it so.

Now, only God can confirm that message in the heart of a sinner, and he's not going to confirm Intellectualism. He's just not going to do it. He's not going to bless it. Paul said, our preaching was not after the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. That's where it goes. The last thing you want to do is stand before a giant on your own, or call out the dead on your own, or exercise the rule of God in the flesh. It'll be a disaster. Now watch this.

God's calling is always effectual. How do I know if God's called me? It'll be effectual. It won't just be words. Those words will connect with the hearts of those you're talking to. If they don't, you have every reason to doubt your calling. All right, here's the fourth thing.

The purpose of his calling. God calls men to minister, not to be ministered to. He calls them to serve, not to be served. You show me a pastor who lays back and just is served by the church and doesn't serve them, I'll show you a man that's not being called to God. You're called to serve, called to minister.

And this calling will require a great sacrifice. Your whole life will be given to this. It's going to be given to this end. Everything in your life will begin and continue and revolve around this calling. I've heard so many say, well, you know, I can't be here because I don't have this, and I don't have that, and I don't have something else. It doesn't revolve around you. It revolves around his calling and his purpose. And your whole life is restructured around that.

And again, let me repeat this as concerning whatever God calls men to do. In Matthew 16, 24, our Lord said to his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. And I know that the first application of this is to salvation, that it's altogether of God and not of you. I understand that. But the principle of this calling is true all the way through every part of your life. It's true. He that would save his life will lose it. He that will lose his life for my sake shall gain it. Is this not what the rich young ruler learned as he walked away in sorrow? He was rich. The Lord told him to get rid of everything he had, give it to the poor, take up his cross, and follow him. And he walked away because he was rich. The purpose behind what God is doing is to manifest his glory and not ours. We're nothing but weakness, ignorance, and sin.

And the Lord is all and in all that he calls. So God does the calling. He calls sinners to repentance, the dead unto life, the blind to see, lepers to be cleansed, and he uses messengers to exercise his calling. And he calls men according to his purpose and grace. And then lastly, let's look at the results of his calling. The call of God always succeeds. They always succeed. Sometimes they're Their gospel's not to call a man to life. Sometimes it's to warn him. It may be the last warning he ever gets. Maybe the last word from God he ever receives. Could be.

The call of God always succeed. Nobody flunks out of God's school. Nobody. And the reason for their success is that God goes with them. Surely, he said to Gideon, I'll go with you, surely. And if God's purpose was riding on us, it'd never amount to anything, would it? But it's not. God's vested the honor of his name and glory under the person of his son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And we're just messengers of him. That's what we do. And beloved, understanding what the ministry is and what we're being chosen to do ought to cause us to question ourselves and our calling. Is the Lord actually speaking to me? And if he is and does, here's what's going to take place. Verse 34. Look at it there in Judges chapter 6. The Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon. How do you know that? He blew the trumpet. What's that mean? That's symbolic of the gospel, isn't it? The Spirit of the Lord came on him and he preached the gospel. That's what happened to Gideon.

On board ship in the Navy, a trumpet's blown over the PA system, calls men to general quarters. They're ready for battle. They go to their battle station. In the Army, it's to call men to the front, announce the charge, or announce a retreat. It's all done by the trumpet, isn't it?

Well, that's the gospel. The gospel's a trumpet. It has a certain sound. is what the Holy Ghost teaches us in the scriptures. Who's going to understand if it doesn't have a certain sound? We know what the sound is. Well, how do you know? By the Spirit of God.

Was it effectual? As soon as he blew the trumpet, everybody gathered behind Gideon. How come? He was a nobody. Yeah, but God went with him. God calls us by his gospel. And when Gideon blew the trumpet, all Israel gathered behind him. And Gideon wanted a sign from God to verify his calling.

And so he went and he prepared a meal out of the scraps. And if you read this text, you're going to find out that the enemy came up on them with all their camels and herds, trampled all their fields. They had no food left. They killed all the calves and all the lambs and they didn't have anything. Gideon, when the Lord came to speak to him, Gideon was out at night threshing a little bit of wheat to make a few cakes of bread. And so he prepares a meal for this messenger. He run in, he killed a kid and he roasted it and he bakes a few loaves of bread and he brought them out to give it to him.

Instead of eating it, the messenger laid it on the rock. What's that? That's Christ, isn't it? So he took what he prepared. God called him and he prepared something. And the messenger took it and laid it on the rock. When he laid it on the rock, the Lord consumed it. That means what he prepared was acceptable in Christ. If God sends a man, his message will be made accepted in Christ and effectual in the hearts of chosen sinners. The Lord will consume it.

He'll use it. He'll use it. Before I quit, let's look at Gideon's fleece. I don't want to leave this subject without talking about the fleece. He lays out a fleece. The fleece is indicative of the sheep. It's not an old rag. It's a fleece. It's the skin of a sheep. And the fleece is a symbol of the old and new covenants.

In the old covenant, the dew of heaven, all God's blessings, that's the dew, all God's blessings. His messengers, his spirit, his will, his revelation, all God's blessings is the dew from heaven. And he laid out this fleece, and under the old covenant, all these blessings fell upon natural Israel. For the most part, it fell on, I know Naaman, and there were a few exceptions, but for the most part, all the dew of heaven fell on the sons, the natural sons of Abraham. So that everybody was convinced that this was God's elect. In the New Testament, all the dew of heaven falls everywhere else except on Israel.

And Israel's left high and dry. What's he telling us? He's telling us that his servant is sent to his people, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. But this man is called with his message to his people. And God's spiritual Israel existed in the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, they were all part of spiritual Israel, and you can read about that in Romans 9. He tells you that.

These natural sons are not the children of God. Our ministry is to the people of God, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile. And our ministry is to go where he calls us and minister in the day that we live in. My ministry is not the same as Gideon's. I'm not fighting a battle in a natural land. I'm fighting a spiritual battle. But I'm still sent to minister to his people.

You see what he's saying here? This is the calling. This is the calling. And I'll tell you how you know you're calling. When somebody comes up to you and says, boy, the Lord blessed my heart with that. When your message makes a connection. And the other thing is when it comes to pass, God will call you. If he calls you, he's going to open the door. He called Gideon, and he filled in all the blanks, didn't he? He provided the people to follow him. He guided him. He defeated his enemies. He used him. His ministry was successful. Oh, I pray that the Lord will teach us something about his word.

The Calling Of God

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's calling?

How do we know if we are called by God?

Why is God's unchanging nature important for Christians?

How does God call those to ministry?

Sermon Transcript

About Darvin Pruitt

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The Calling Of God

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's calling?

How do we know if we are called by God?

Why is God's unchanging nature important for Christians?

How does God call those to ministry?

Sermon Transcript

About Darvin Pruitt

Comments

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