In today’s sermon we are looking at a story about a man who had an awe-inspiring vision of God and then surrender to serve the Lord. When we draw near to the living God, the encounter can be life-altering,’ particularly if we humble ourselves and listen with the intention of being obedient.
You may encounter three common ways God calls people while reading the Word, praying, or entering into worship:
1.) Principles – God offers wise maxims for living and serving well. For example, the command to love your neighbor as yourself. Or, to draw near to God and he will draw near to you. What principles can you think of from the bible that God may be calling you to obey?
2.)Tasks – God calls people to specific tasks frequently. In today’s story, Ezekiel was called to prophesy to the nation of Isreal. God may call you task as grand as calling a nation our on their sin, or as small as calling your neighbor to check on her. Perhaps, God is calling you to a specific way of volunteering in your church or community. What task do you feel God may want you to accomplish?
3) Repentance – God calls us to turn our lives around. The word repentance literally means to travel in one direction and then turn and go in the opposite direction. This type of call is a call for a renewal of your character. In what is God wanting you to transform your behavior or character?
All of these can be intertwined. For example, the principle to love your neighbor as yourself may come to your attention. Then, you happen to catch yourself that same day gossiping about someone. In the midst of gossiping, you find yourself called to stop. Afterward, you realize just how often you are talking about people when they are not there to defend themselves. So, you decide this is a common behavior that needs to change. You commit to banish gossip from your behavior and instead be somehow who is direct and or encouraging.
The handout that was distributed during worship can be accessed via this blog post on Rev. John Arnold’s blog: https://thepracticaldisciple.com/are-you-hearing-these-three-calls-to-action-in-scripture/
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