Good morning!  And thanks for answering the call of the Holy Spirit to be here this morning.  Imagine for a moment your presence here is an encouragement to the rest of us.  Imagine for a moment if everyone but you decided to resist the call of the Spirit on the same Sunday. You’d wonder why you didn’t get the memo.  You’d feel abandoned and you’d probably think twice before you took that risk again. Let’s all stand up.  Now turn to the people around you and say “Thanks for coming, you blessed me by being here this morning!”

 

Next time you see those that aren’t here, tell them that you missed them at worship and it wasn’t the same without them here!  When God calls us to faith, he doesn’t just call us to himself, he calls us into a community of faith.  That’s where we learn patience, forgiveness, servanthood, cooperation and lots of other stuff we would never learn if we weren’t called into community together.  So, thanks for coming and committing yourself to being with the family!

 

This morning we begin a 4 part sermon series on Christian vocation.  The word vocation literally means to be called forth or called out for a special and divine purpose. God has not only called us into existence, he has called and gifted each on of us into a particular and unique service in the world.  We will never experience the joy, passion, meaning God intends for our lives until we understand what God has called us to do – our Christian vocation.

 

I’ve divided this study into 4 sermons I’ve called the call, the task, the power, the priority.  We’re going to look at the call of Jonah and the call of the Jesus in Mark 1 to get a handle on it.

 

So here we go. Jonah 1 “The word of the LORD came to Jonah, so of Amitti: “Go to Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” 

 

Jonah was a prophet, that was his occupation.  An occupation is what occupies our time. But an occupation is not necessarily the same as a vocation.  Vocation is a call from God for a particular purpose beyond ourselves. Jonah received a call from God to go to Nineveh.  An occupation may involve doing what I want to do. But a vocation always involves answering God’s call to do what God wants me to do. 

 

With that in mind let’s jump over to Mark 1:14 and look for signs of occupation and vocation.  “After John (the Baptist) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come”, he said, “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good new!” 

 

What was John the Baptist’s occupation?  He was a prophet. What was his vocation, his calling from God?  Prepare the way for Jesus and then get out of the way. 

 

Here’s a tricky one.  What was Jesus’ occupation – not working in his father’s carpentry shop.  Being God.  What was his vocation – his calling from his Father?  To proclaim the good news and to give his life on the cross as a ransom for the world.

 

How about the first disciples?  “As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a new into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me, “Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men. At once they left their nets and followed him.”  At once they left their nets and followed him.”  Mk 1:16-18

Their occupation was fishing.  Their vocation became following Jesus.  What would that mean for them?  Jump ahead to Mk 8:34-35 “Then Jesus called the crowd to him along with the disciples and said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.” 

 

Let’s look at some other stories of calls or vocations in the Bible. How about Moses?  He had an occupation first as a prince of Egypt and then as a sheep herder.  But then God called him from the burning bush.  Remember how Moses responded?  He lays out this stream of excuses, finally he says, “Lord, find somebody else”  But the Lord doesn’t let him off the hook.

 

The Lord gives him a vocation, a calling, to be the leader through whom the LORD would deliver his people from their slavery in Egypt.  Moses didn’t choose the job, God called him to it.  It wasn’t easy, but God gave him the strength he needed. And God has called you as well. What’s your vocation, your calling from God?

 

Jeremiah didn’t choose his vocation either.  He complained that as a result of being faithful to the calling God had given him, he had become like a lamb led to slaughter.

 

Jonah was a prophet. That was his occupation. But then the LORD called him to go and preach against Nineveh.  He tried to run away because we learn later, he knew the Ninevites would repent and God would relent on the disaster he had planned for them. 

 

Jesus struggled with his vocation as well. He prayed in the Garden, “Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me, never the less, not my will, but Thy will be done.” 

 

You can choose your occupation, but your vocation will choose you.  You can answer it or resist it, but you cannot choose it.  Jesus said, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.”  John 15:16