We are primarily called to Someone

Os Guiness, in his book The Call, defines calling like this: 

“…the truth that God calls us to himself so decisively that everything we are, everything we do, and everything we have is invested with a special devotion and dynamism lived out as a response to his summons and service (emphasis mine).”  

We are called to a person. We are called to the person of Jesus, the Lord of all that exists, and the King over all kings on the earth: 

“For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together (Colossians 1:16–17).” 

He is the one who will stand to judge all people, “And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead(Acts 10:42).” And he loves us so. “For God so loved the world…(John 3:16).” 

We emphasize these things because he is infinitely worthy of ALL our affections and ALL our allegiance because “from him, through him and to him are ALL things (Rom. 11:36).” Our call to Jesus is for our ALL to be his, that is to love him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul, ALL of our mind, and ALL of our strength. The apostle Paul said, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord (Philippians 3:8).” And it is clear that my finite, pitiful ALL is given to receive his infinite ALL, 

“For all things are yours…the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s (1 Corinthians 3:21–23).”

So, we are primarily called to Someone. “The key to answering the call is to be devoted to no one and nothing above God himself.”

Oswald Chambers stated,  “Beware of anything that competes with loyalty to Jesus Christ. The greatest Competitor of devotion to Jesus is service for Him…The one aim of the call of God is the satisfaction of God, not a call to do something for him.” This is the primacy of our calling.

We are called to be sent

The second aspect of this calling is directly connected to the first: Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” (John 20:21) Jesus said in a number of ways that because of the Father’s great love for the world, he had been sent into the world so that the world might be saved through him (John 3:16-17). Jesus is the first apostle of our faith (Heb. 3:1). Jesus was sent into the world to display the fuller revelation of who God is, the image of God that had been kept a mystery until the fullness of time. This revelation would manifest the love and tender mercy of God that would bring salvation to the world (Titus 3:4).  He also named twelve apostles to be sent as he was sent, to proclaim to all nations the forgiveness of sins in Jesus, to plead for reconciliation to God in order“to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works (Titus 2:14).” These twelve had witnessed the resurrection and ascension of Jesus and were filled with his life through his Spirit to follow Jesus in seeking out and saving those who were lost. They were sent to make disciples (a purified people, possessed by Jesus, zealous for good works) of all nations.

To have an apostolic calling is to have something of this compulsion pumping through our veins. To be owned by Jesus, to be filled with his Spirit, to have in our possession the good news of Jesus will compel us to go to those without the knowledge of Jesus. We will go with the message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation to God through his cross and his resurrection. We will be unashamed of this message, knowing that it is the power of God for salvation to all who believe (Rom. 1:16). We will embrace Paul’s logic of Romans 10: How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (vv. 14–15). We will be those who long to have beautiful feet.

The exhortation to be unashamed of Jesus and his message is essential to an apostolic calling. The apostle Paul said “But I am not ashamed, for I know in whom I have believed….” He had encountered Jesus in such a powerful way that Jesus totally turned over his life. He had glimpsed (maybe more than a glimpse) what Jesus described as his coming “in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”  There will be such glory revealed to us that the sufferings and humiliation of following Jesus in this present age cannot compare with it. Therefore, Jesus says that if we are ashamed of him, his words, and his ways in this adulterous and evil generation, he will be ashamed of us when he comes again in the glory and majesty and power of his father to forever reign upon the earth. Instead of entering the joy of our Master, there will be the terror of eternal judgment. Know in whom you have believed. He is the one from whom, through whom, and to whom are all things and we belong to him.

To simplify it for our use in InnerCHANGE, we look for  pioneer leaders who are:

  1. People who know in whom they believe and desire to yield ALL to him. They have been bought with a price and they are no longer their own. They are devoted to no one and nothing above God himself.
  2. People filled with the life and love of Jesus who are compelled to try and do what it takes to bring about the worship of Jesus among the nations (make disciples). For InnerCHANGE, this is specifically among those facing poverty and marginalization, who are often considered last or least in our world.
  3. People with courage who will take initiative and embody the “power of perhaps” – “ Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come, and let’s cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised men; perhaps the Lord will work for us, because the Lord is not limited to saving by many or by few! His armor bearer said to him, “Do everything that is in your heart; turn yourself to it, and here I am with you, as your heart desires (2 Sam. 14:6-7).” Either as a leader or follower they carry the conviction that “perhaps the Lord will work for us,” and they live with faith and courage in their obedience to Jesus to go where he sends them for the purpose of making worshipers – obedient disciples – among the nations.