#20 Question: Why are you wanted?

During World War two, thousands of posters proclaimed a simple message, “I want You for the U.S. Army.” This was the government’s effort to get volunteers to fight Naziism. Many responded. What was not clear was the activity required. The volunteers were called on to expend 13 weeks of grueling basic training and then fight in the war.

God also issued several special calls in the Bible that included work to be done. The Lord issued Noah a call for special work, Genesis 6:13-14:

“And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make yourself an ark of gopher wood.”

God is all powerful and could have miraculously constructed the ark. But God assigned this physical task to Noah—no doubt, a test of his faith.

Consider God’s call to Abraham, Genesis 12:1-2:

“Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.”

 God chose a family from which the Savior would come and provide forgiveness of sins. Abraham obeyed.

Moses reacted poorly to God’s call, Exodus 3:2-4:

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

God explained that He was sending Moses to Egypt, Exodus 3:10:

 “Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

Immediately, Moses was reluctant, Exodus 3:11:

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Moses immediately began to give excuses for why he should not go. God explained how He would bless his efforts for success. Finally, Moses asks for someone else, Exodus 4:9;

“But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

God was angry and said He would send Aaron to do the speaking and would provide the blessings necessary for the successful execution of this work.

Isaiah’s answer was better, Isaiah 6:8-9:

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” And he said, “Go, and say to this people: “‘ Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’”

Isaiah was ready to be sent.

Just before Jesus went back to heaven, He issued a special call to His disciples, Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

The work Jesus Was assigning his apostles was to go make disciples. The apostles were to teach the converts ‘all that Jesus had commanded them.’ That means, the new converts were to be taught to also make new converts who in turn would make converts that would also make converts. The result would be an unending chain of new converts making other converts.

What is to be learned from these verses?

  1. This is God’s designated method of getting disciples today. God is all-powerful and could have carried out this activity alone. Instead, He has opted for humans to be His only spokesmen for the conversion of souls.
  2. This call to make disciples and teach all that Jesus taught is still in force today and is the focus of our work for the Lord. We need to be active doing all we can.

Christians are the only oral spokesmen to direct the world to God’s word today. The answer to the question posed in the title is that you are wanted to be active converting the world to Christ.

#messageGod #missionGod #NoahJob #AbrahamDirection #MosesGoEgypt #IsaiahReady #JesusSends #ChristianGo #ChristianConvertOthers #makeDisciples #teachJesusWord #ChristianOralSpokesmen