Missions – Call Of God
God knew us and called us even before He formed us in the womb. It is a profound thing to live confidently in the call of God, and each of us has the opportunity to do so. God also created us with free will. Pastor Dale teaches that God created humanity with a will so that love can be fully expressed. Without it we would be mere robots. The call of God is often in tension with the will of humanity. Jonah, for an example, heard the call of God but ran in the opposite direction (Jonah 1:1-4). Living confidently in God’s will requires us to both hear, and faithfully obey, His call on our lives.
Read: Jeremiah 1:1-9
Discuss
Share a couple of things (hobbies, activities, etc.) that you are confident undertaking. What made you confident in those areas? What are some things that you are not confident in and why?
In our reading, why do you think Jeremiah was so hesitant to answer God’s call? If you could audibly hear the word of God and His calling for you, how different might your reaction be compared to Jeremiah’s?
Pastor Dale teaches that by taking small steps of obedience, we can be confident that we are living in God’s calling. How does taking a small step of obedience help us know we are living in God’s calling?
Read Jeremiah 1:4-5 and Galatians 1:15-16. Can you identify a similarity between God’s calling for Jeremiah and Paul? Did Jeremiah and Paul each earn their calling?
Read Ephesians 2:8-9. Nothing we can do will be enough to earn God’s grace. Therefore, Pastor Dale teaches us to be in the ‘receive-it’ zone rather than the ‘earn-it’ zone. Why do some people get stuck in the ‘earn-it’ zone?
Unlike Jeremiah, who clearly heard the word of the Lord, we must be able to discern God’s calling for us. If you are confident you are living in His calling, how did you discern it? If you are yet to be confident, which of these five modes of God’s guidance do you practise or pay more attention to?
– Compelling Spirit: the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
– Commanding Scriptures: God has already revealed what you need to do in the Bible. His guidance will be consistent with what Scripture tells you.
– Counsel of Saints: consultation with people within your community.
– Common Sense.
– Circumstantial Setting: God speaks to us through our circumstances. He may open doors and close doors.
Respond
There is an individual calling upon every life. Before God formed you in the womb, He knew you and called you. The challenge is that you need to get over self-disqualifications and step into the calling. You can start by embracing God’s love and receiving His grace upon you. Seek His word and the Holy Spirit. Take a small step of obedience, keep the faith, and be ready to find out what He is calling you into.
Missions – Part 2
Pastor Dave Lawton reminds us that although we expect hope and new life from God, we want to avoid the wilderness, despite the hope that comes with it (Isaiah 43:18-19). Jesus said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favour has come.” (Luke 4:18-19.) As Jesus’ disciples, we are called to follow in His footsteps and be missional to those around us. How can we do this? There is a slogan, ‘simply obey Jesus’. We are not called to stay in the pews but to go out and share the good news with the broken and oppressed. Jesus promises that He will be with us, He will stand by us.
Read: Isaiah 43:18-19, Matthew 28:18-20
Discuss
Read Isaiah 43:18-19. How does this passage speak to your heart?
Have you ever experienced God make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, a miracle in your life or in the life of someone you know?
Read Matthew 28:18-20. What does it tell us about how we should go about the task, what we should teach, and who we should rely on?
What is one thing you can do as a group to go to the neighbourhoods and nations? What prevents us from doing this? How can we overcome this?
What would you say is the difference between a churchgoer and a disciple of Jesus? What would you call yourself? Why?
Do you feel equipped to share your faith? If not, how can you intentionally develop in this area?
If you do feel equipped, how can you encourage others to be more confident in evangelising?
Respond
Take a step of faith and be more intentional this week. Seek out people of peace and expect God to be at work in some of your family members, colleagues, friends and neighbours. Pray to encounter people of peace, listen to their stories, and then be ready to tell your own testimony. Let us all go in Jesus’ name with His authority to be and make disciples.