“My Calling,” by Pastor Arnie

“Also I heard the Voice of the Lord saying,

Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?

Then said I, Here am I: Send me.”

Isaiah 6:8

INTRODUCTION

The Lord calls people and individuals in different ways: He called Noah out of a totally depraved generation. He called Moses out of the midst of a burning bush? He called Samuel in the middle of the night. And he called Elijah through a still small voice.

He talks to His people in so many ways: He talked to Abraham through a vision; He talked to Jacob from the top of a ladder that reached to Heaven; He talked to Balaam through a donkey; He talked to Jonah through a big fish. He spoke to my friend Cathy during a Bible Study meeting. And He called me to the ministry through a regular Sunday worship service preaching at our church.

The Lord is calling His people for a ministry that He has prepared for them. It may be preaching the Gospel, leading a church, writing a book, or many other various ways—but it will always be for His glory!

But the question is, how do YOU respond to His call, my dear Brother and Sister in Jesus? What is your answer? Will you heed the call? Will you commit yourself to Him? That’s what I did… That’s what my friend Cathy did… That’s what Isaiah did! And I would like to encourage those who are reading this to do the same.

When a king of Israel died, the prophet of God, Isaiah, saw the King of kings sitting on the Throne. He saw a great vision that led him to a deep commitment to God and His work!

HE SAW THE LORD

Isaiah 6:1-4 “In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly.

And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of His glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”

1. He saw God’s holiness… the seraphims cry, “Holy, Holy, Holy” which express how holy is our Lord by repeating it three times which means that His holiness is in a superlative degree. Nothing can compare!
2. He saw God’s Sovereignty… the whole earth is full of His glory! Nothing is equal to it! He created all things for His glory! Revelations 4:11
3. He saw God’s power who enabled the door posts to be moved! What power!

HE SAW HIMSELF

Isaiah 6:5-7 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I [am] a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.

Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which  he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.”

In His despair he cries, “Woe is me!”

Without the Lord, all of us are miserable, helpless, hell-bound! 

Isaiah 43:11 “I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no saviour.”

He is undone!

Even our righteousness is as filthy rags in the sight of God.

Isaiah 64:6 “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)

He has unclean lips!

Our Lord Jesus said to the religious leaders, “…for out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh.” (Matthew 12:34) His heart is unclean, so his lips are unclean. And so are we!

 He was cleansed!

We cannot make ourselves clean. Only the Lord can cleanse us if we admit our sinfulness and acknowledge His love and grace and forgiveness.

HE SAW THE NEED

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying,

Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Isaiah 6:8a

HE ANSWERED THE CALL

He made himself available to the work of the Lord without hesitation or questions, and the Lord used him mightily!

“Then said I, Here  am I; send me.” Isaiah 6:8b

Then I heard my Pastor extend the challenge, “God is still calling servants today! I have volunteered myself before, but my time is running out. I need someone that I can pass the baton. Who will it be? Are you?! Would you take the baton?!”

My heart was beating so fast! I knew God is talking to me. So, I talked to Him in my heart, and as my eyes being wet with tears, and my seatmates wondering what happened to me, I said quietly, “Here I am Lord, send me.” “Pastor, I will take the baton…” and from that time, until today I never regret that I made that decision.

The Lord is still calling today. There is an even greater need of servants, labourers into His harvest, as it is still plenteous. (Matthew 9:37) We cannot underestimate what the Lord can do with one willing worker who answers the call. We have tremendous opportunities in sharing the Gospel with the lost world, especially in this age of technology. Are you one of God’s willing volunteers? Will you answer the call? Will you say, “Here I am Lord, send me.”