Our Calling...

Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes,
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ–their Lord and ours (1 Corinthians 1:1-2)

These first two verses of 1st Corinthians were the basis for what Dr Samuel Ong shared in church today. I think I had better start bringing a pen and a notebook to church again so that I can take down sermon notes. I had to crack my brains to try and remember what the points were. When we look back at Saint Paul’s calling, we can see these three things:

It was a divine call
St. Paul acknowledged that it was by the will of God that he was called; hence, his call was a divine call. It is always God who calls us, whether in spectacular or unspectacular ways.

He was first called into a relationship with God
Before Paul was called to be an apostle, he was first called into a relationship with God. This is a call to all human beings. It is a call to be sanctified and to enter into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

He was then called to be an apostle
God brought Paul out of the world into a relationship with Him. God then sends him back into the world as an apostle. This is God’s call to all Christians into a particular ministry and role in the body of Christ.

‘Servanthood’, ‘moving on’, ‘calling’; these words have been the theme for the past week. The sermon today has only confirmed the whispers that I have been hearing in my heart lately. The more I hear, the more I am certain that this is God’s still, small voice. As God slowly gives me a little nudge here and there, these thoughts come to mind – Why now? Why at this time? Why only after 7 months?

The answer came crystal clear to me. I hadn’t been listening. Ever since graduation, I have strayed further and further away from God, and I knew it. Without the CF and any sort of community in church, it seemed like a recipe for disaster. I seldom prayed; I almost never took time to listen to God. I felt weird whenever people around me talked about God. I never talked much about God. I could sense that my character was going down the drain. I lost my patience easily, became stingy and selfish. I knew what was happening in my life. I tried and tried to claw my way back, but failed miserably.

I am glad and eternally thankful that God has restored me and has continued to work in my life. That is why I found the book of Nehemiah so close to my heart as we were studying it. It is an account of the unfolding drama of the restoration of the nation of Judah. Step by step, God was using Nehemiah to restore the nation and bring them back to Him. The past months have been a story of God’s work of restoration in my life. I thank God for my friends in SK who have played a part in this restoration by being my Bible study and accountability partners. After calling me back into a personal relationship with Him, I can now hear His voice calling me again. It is a call to be His servant. It is a call to move on…