Are You Called?

This post is taken from a recent sermon given by my husband. The topic is the call of God to Jeremiah the prophet, and our own calling. You might want to read Jeremiah 1:4-10 before you begin.

Jeremiah says that the Word of the Lord came to him. Whether this was in a vision or a dream, we can’t tell. But it was evidently real enough that Jeremiah never doubts what it is. It would seem to me that, as Christians, we also should be attuned to God’s calling in our lives. None of us know in advance when the Lord might put a new thing, a different thing, on our hearts. Like Jeremiah and Isaiah, David or any of the Apostles, we need to be attentive to God’s work within us.

The Lord tells Jeremiah that he had been consecrated by God before he was born. Many people would read that and say, yes, something really special and unique was taking place there, so it’s not strange to think of the consecration of a baby in the womb. It was Jeremiah, chosen prophet of the Lord, who was being consecrated. But friends, I want to suggest to you that what was happening at Jeremiah’s conception was indeed special, but it was not unique.

You see, God has consecrated all of those whom He has predestined for salvation so that the work of the Church might be well done. He has consecrated the pastors and the deacons, and the workers in the kitchen, and the Sunday School teachers. He has consecrated those who mow lawns, pay bills, and those who hear His Word and strive to live out the message in their lives. When we turn to Paul’s description of the importance of the Body of Christ in the great work of calling the world to the true faith, we see the confirmation and guarantee of this truth–all are called, all are consecrated, and all are needed. So Jeremiah’s consecration was not unique. The only unusual thing about it was the task to which he had been called.

More to come tomorrow ….

For more about God’s calling see:

Your Dream. God’s Plan. by Tiffany Smiling — Book Review

What Am I Here For?

What’s Your Vocation?