Our Calling

How many of you have heard that God has given us, as Christians, a calling to bear his witness to the world? To be a light in a city of darkness. To preach the gospel to those who have never heard it?

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."                      -Matthew 28:18-20

So many people have heard this verse which is commonly called The Great Commission. Missionaries are often called by this verse. To go and make disciples of all nations. They hear that and want to go to Africa, China, Japan, South America to share the gospel. Which is GREAT! But I myself have never felt the calling to do mission trips or ministry in a foreign country. For a long time, when I was younger, I thought that I must have been a bad Christian because I didn't want to go to the countries that have not heard the gospel.

If you know me, then you know that my heart is for intercity schools, specifically in Atlanta. I want to teach chemistry and I want to get an investigative bible study going in those schools. Something that people who are curious or have no knowledge can come and ask questions without being surrounded by tons of people who already know the answers. This is what I know that God has called me to. This morning in my time alone with God, I was reading in Ezekiel and felt affirmed in my calling.

You must speak my words to them, whether they listen or fail to listen, for they are rebellious.     - Ezekiel 2:7

Over the summer at STP, this verse would have been very helpful. We are to speak the gospel and the WORD OF GOD, not my words, but His Word. It doesn't matter if they listen to us or fail to listen but the fact that we obey Him.

You are not being sent to a people of obscure speech and difficult language, but to the house of Israel--not to many peoples of obscure speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand. Surely if I had sent you to them, they would have listened to you. - Ezekiel 3:5-6

This was so affirming to hear. God doesn't send all Christians to people of a foreign country. In fact, it says that those people are more willing to listen because their hearts have not been hardened towards God and the gospel. People in America, especially in the South, have heard of the love of God for the most part. There are a few who have never heard but with a church on every street it can be difficult to avoid.

In Gatlinburg, during evangelism, the hardest thing to figure out was how to share with "cultural Christians" or those who have heard the message but don't practice or actively and daily walk with Jesus. It made me happy to realize that even Ezekiel who was a great prophet was not promised to have all people listen to him. In fact, it was quite the opposite.

I just love the way God speaks to me through the Old Testament. He keeps giving me revelation and transformation, not just information for head knowledge.