The Call of Christ

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This is a message based on several different passages of Scripture which speak about Jesus calling people for different reasons, ending with the call to discipleship.

Written Excerpts:

The Call of Christ

Mark 8:34 (NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

Introduction:

Will Rogers said, “We can't all be heroes because someone has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by.” (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/follower.htm)

Dr. S. I. McMillen, in his book None of These Diseases, tells a story of a young woman who wanted to go to college, but her heart sank when she read the question on the application blank that asked, "Are you a leader?" Being both honest and conscientious, she wrote, "No," and returned the application, expecting the worst. To her surprise, she received this letter from the college: "Dear Applicant: A study of the application forms reveals that this year our college will have 1,452 new leaders. We are accepting you because we feel it is imperative that they have at least one follower." (http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/f/follower.htm)

The Lord knows that we need good leaders. But it may be just important to have good followers – that is, people who know who to follow, why they’re following, and then faithfully follow with diligence and passion.

Each day we are getting nearer to Easter and the celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead. We’re still traveling through the season of Lent and hopefully seeking personal revival and spiritual renewal as we meditate on the suffering that Jesus went through for our salvation. I hope that you are practicing some form of fasting or self-denial and praying for Christ to be more real and more personal to you than ever before.

All during the earthly ministry of Jesus He engaged people by calling them to Himself for all kinds of purposes. In the verses we read earlier in the responsive Scripture reading we heard about Jesus calling people for different reasons.

      To hear and understand His teaching (Matt 15:10);

      To stand as an example of simple humility (child) (Matt 18:2-3);

      To come and be healed of physical infirmity (Mk. 10:49; Lk. 13:11-12);

      To repent of sins (Matt. 9:13);

      To become one of the 12 Apostles (Lk. 6:12-13) and

      To follow Him and learn His ways (Mk. 8:34).

Every one of these calls from Christ were very special to each of the people that received them. My message today will briefly touch on the calls these various individuals received, then concentrate more time on the final call mentioned in the earlier Scripture reading– the call to follow Him.

1. The General Call to Listen and Learn.

Matthew 15:10 (NKJV) When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:

The context here is a scene in Galilee when a group of religious elders came from Jerusalem to apparently “evaluate” this popular rabbi and teacher. Their question related to the “tradition of the elders.” Jesus’ response takes them back to the commandments of Moses.

After showing their hypocrisy by putting tradition ahead of biblical commands, Jesus calls the people (multitude) to gather around Him and listen. He calls them to Himself in order to offer information that will benefit them spiritually.

Jesus calls all of us to listen and learn. He doesn’t expect blind followers – but He teaches truth for the searching heart.

2. The Call to Model Humility

Matthew 18:2-3 (NKJV) Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, "Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus literally called a child to come over to Him so He could teach a lesson using the child as an illustration.

I don’t think I am stretching the story out of context to say that Jesus’ call to that child and His following lesson is a call for everyone to be a model of humility.

3. The Call to Be Healed

The next two references we read had to do with people being healed of physical diseases or disabilities.

Mark 10:49 (NKJV) So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. Then they called the blind man, saying to him, "Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you."

Story of “Blind Bartimaeus.”

Luke 13:11-12 (NKJV) And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."

Jesus healed dozens and dozens of people during His earthly ministry.

I’m glad Jesus calls people for healing. These cases were for physical healing, but Jesus heals all kinds of illnesses. If you’ve ever experienced His healing, whether physical, emotional or mental, you know you’re never the same.

4. The Call to Repentance

Matthew 9:13 (NKJV) But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance."

Jesus is quoting from Hosea 6:6.

The brief explanation of this passage: Jesus had been criticized by the Pharisees for eating and socializing with tax collectors and sinners. His mingling with them caused Him to be ceremonially unclean according to the rules of the rabbis.

(Tyndale Commentaries) The difference between Jesus and the Pharisees lies in their conception of priorities in the will of God: for the Pharisees the first priority is obedience to regulations, for Jesus a mission to people. A healer must get his hands dirty.

Jesus calls sinners to repentance; not the self-righteous. Aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t require you to get your life all together before He called you?

He didn’t require me to get everything in order; everything clean and pure; everything true and right, everything under control… No, He called me when I was a sinner. He called me to repent and He gave me the grace to surrender to His loving grace and the power of forgiveness.

5. The Call to Apostleship

Luke 6:12-13 (NKJV) Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. ¹³ And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles:

This Scripture speaks about two “levels” of disciples – a larger group of followers, and the 12 Apostles.

(Tyndale Commentaries) This will be a group of people who had attached themselves loosely to him. A disciple was a learner, a student, but in the first century a student did not simply study a subject; he followed a teacher. There is an element of personal attachment in ‘disciple’ that is lacking in ‘student’.

God does specifically call some people to specific ministries and vocations and callings.

(Tyndale Commentaries) The preceding incidents have shown that his enemies were increasing. One day they would kill him. What was he to do? Characteristically Luke tells us that he prayed. Then he chose a little band of men who would carry on his work after him.

These twelve men represent the total of his administrative machinery. Some of them were clearly outstanding men, but on the whole they seem to have been no more than average. Most have left very little mark on church history. Jesus preferred to work, then as now, through perfectly ordinary people.

6. The Call to Discipleship

Mark 8:34-35 (NKJV) When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

The final call we’re looking at today involves a general call that goes out to everyone – deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. This is what we usually refer to as a “Call to Discipleship”

The call to repentance is vitally important. Jesus preached repentance as the path to the Kingdom of God. Luke 13  ... except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

After repentance comes the new birth that Jesus described to Nicodemus.

But Jesus is not simply interested in “handing out tickets to heaven.” He is seeking followers. He is seeking people who will not only believe in Him and trust Him for their salvation, but they pledge to be a learner and follower.

In closing, let us stand and sing the hymn:

Wherever He Leads I’ll Go