Chapter 1
CALLED BY GOD
(Galatians 1:1)
Let us begin our study with prayer,
Dear Heavenly Father,
Holy Father we come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father please open our ears to hear Your Word. Please open our eyes so we can see the things You are teaching us. Father, please open our hearts to receive and accept these teachings. Father God we ask this for Your holy Name's sake.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
We begin our study by reading the first verse of the Apostle Paul’s salutation from his letter to the Galatians.
Galatians 1:1
"[1] Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead-"
To set the foundation for this study let us particular attention to Saul’s statement that he was not sent to preach the Gospel from men or by man. As we will see later, the truth of his statement is verified by the fact that initially Saul was on a mission to extinguish Christianity. He was responsible for the imprisonment of Christians and even consented to the stoning of Steven (Acts 7:58-60). Thus, neither he or any Christian or group of Christians would even think of the idea of Saul preaching or teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Given the above foundation for this study we will,
1. Review God’s call to Saul/Paul.
2. Explore the manner in which God will call His people to Him.
3. Discover the application for you and me.
4. Summarize the message or point of this study.
With the above introduction in mind we begin with a,
REVIEW OF GOD'S CALL TO PAUL
Before we begin reading about the conversion of Saul it is noted that Saul was his Hebrew name that meant “asked for.” Since Saul was also a Roman citizen he was also identified by his Roman name of Paul, which means “little.”
HIS CONVERSION
In order to do this, let us read from,
Acts 9:1-22
"[1] Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest [2] and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. [3] As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [4] He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?" [5] "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. [6] "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do." [7] The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. [8] Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. [9] For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. [10] In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. [11] The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. [12] In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight." [13] "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. [14] And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." [15] But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. [16] I will show him how much he must suffer for my name." [17] Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." [18] Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, [19] and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. [20] At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. [21] All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" [22] Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ."
Let us notice the following verses,
1-2 … Notice that Saul, being a devout Jew, was determined to stop the spread of Christianity.
3-6 … It was God who called Saul.
10-12 … It was the Lord who told Ananias to meet with Saul’
13-14 …Paul's reputation of being antagonistic to the Christians was widely known, even to Ananias.
15 … Paul was a chosen instrument of God to preach and teach, both the Jew and Gentile, about Jesus Christ.
18 … After Saul’s conversion he was baptized into Jesus Christ.
20 … At once Paul began to preach, that is he started to fulfill his call.
21 … The people were amazed. Here, the one who was against the Christian faith was now preaching it.
As we reflect upon the above doesn't it bring home the truth of the following Scripture?
2 Corinthians 5:17
"[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
With the above in mind, let us now review,
HIS MINISTRY AS AN APOSTLE
We find that Paul's ministry or task was,
GIVEN TO HIM BY JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF
We not only saw this from our reading about Paul's conversion, but let us also read how clearly Paul understood that it was Jesus Himself who called him to this task. To do this we go to the following excerpt from Paul’s farewell address to the elders from Ephesus. It is interesting to note that at this time he was returning to Jerusalem knowing that he would be facing tribulations and imprisonment. For this study the Scriptures of interest is in,
Acts 20:24
"[24] However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
We also find that Paul’s ministry was,
CONFIRMED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT
To see this let us first see how the Holy Spirit confirmed Paul and Barnabas' ministry through the church's elders. To do this let us read what transpired,
At the Church in Antioch
This is given to us in,
Acts 13:1-3
"[1] In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. [2] While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." [3] So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off."
We also find that the Holy Spirit bore witness to Paul’s Apostleship through
Signs and Wonders
We find this given to us by reading an excerpt of when Paul was defending his apostleship to the church in Corinth.
2 Corinthians 12:12
"[12] The things that mark an apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great perseverance."
Now with this background let us reread from the verse which is the theme for this study. Specifically,
Galatians 1:1
"[1] Paul, an apostle--sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead--"
As we reflect upon the above doesn't it provide us with we a deeper sense of the authority and seriousness of the letter we are about to study?
However, let us not stop here. Let us explore further this whole issue of God's calling. To do this let us begin with the following,
Question: Is this unique? Was Paul the only one called by God?
To find out, let us now explore the general topic of,
GOD'S CALLING
As we review the Scriptures, we find that God has called all His people either.
Privately
Or
Through His servants
Let us now begin this portion of our study by reviewing some examples of how God has called His people
PRIVATELY
We begin with two examples from,
THE OLD TESTAMENT
Our first example is how God called.
Moses
To read how He did this we go to,
Exodus 3:1-10
"[1] Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. [2] There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. [3] So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight--why the bush does not burn up." [4] When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." [5] "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." [6] Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God. [7] The LORD said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering. [8] So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey--the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. [9] And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. [10] So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.""
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Moses was tending a flock. In other words, he really was not seeking out the Lord.
2 … The Angel of the Lord, within a burning bush, appeared to him.
7-10 … God chose Moses to go back and save Israel from their bondage. In other words it was not something Moses volunteered to do. In other words Moses was called by God to do it. To expand upon this a bit let us recall the reason Moses was living as a shepherd in Midian. Specifically, to save himself from being killed by Pharaoh he had fled from Egypt to Midian (Exodus 2:11-15).
Our second example is,
Ezekiel
Ezekiel's call by God is recorded for us in,
Ezekiel 1:1
"[1] In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God."
And now let us go and read from,
Ezekiel 1:28-2:3
"[28] Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice of one speaking."
"[2:1] He said to me, "Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you." [2] As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me. [3] He said: "Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day."
Notice it was God who called and sent Ezekiel.
Let us now turn our attention to,
THE NEW TESTAMENT
For our example here let us look to the apostles,
Peter, Andrew, James and John
Their calling is recorded for us in,
Matthew 4:18-22
"[18] As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. [19] "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." [20] At once they left their nets and followed him. [21] Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, [22] and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him."
Let us notice the following verses,
18-19 … As it was with Moses, when he was tending the flock, so it was with Peter and Andrew. However, instead of tending the flock, they were busy fishing when God called them.
21-22 … It was the same experience for James and John. Except, God called them, they were busy with their father preparing or mending their fishing nets.
For our second example let us review the call of,
Philip and Nathanael
Their call is recorded for us in,
John 1:43-49
"[43] The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, "Follow me." [44] Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. [45] Philip found Nathanael and told him, "We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph." [46] "Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?" Nathanael asked. "Come and see," said Philip. [47] When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." [48] "How do you know me?" Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, "I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you." [49] Then Nathanael declared, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.""
Let us notice the following verses,
43 … Jesus called Philip to follow Him.
46 … When Philip said he found the Messiah, Nathanael did not believe him. In other words, based upon Nathanael’s understanding of the Scriptures and the society he was living in, Nathanael was not looking for Jesus nor did he believe Philip's witness of Jesus.
47-48 … Let us take note how Jesus really knew Nathanael. In a similar way He also knows you and I.
49 … Nathanael is convinced that Jesus is the Messiah and as we read further in the New Testament Nathanael followed Him.
Question: Are there other ways that God calls us?
Yes, God does and will speak.
THROUGH HIS SERVANTS OR BODY
To see that God will speak through His servants let us first look to the.
OLD TESTAMENT - DAVID'S CALL TO BE KING
For this example let us read how God, through the prophet Samuel, called David to be King over Israel.
1 Samuel 16:1-13
"[1] The LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king." [2] But Samuel said, "How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me." The LORD said, "Take a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.' [3] Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to anoint for me the one I indicate." [4] Samuel did what the LORD said. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They asked, "Do you come in peace?" [5] Samuel replied, "Yes, in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. [6] When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the Lord's anointed stands here before the LORD." [7] But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." [8] Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, "The LORD has not chosen this one either." [9] Jesse then had Shammah pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the LORD chosen this one." [10] Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The LORD has not chosen these." [11] So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?" "There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep." Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives." [12] So he sent and had him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome features. Then the LORD said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." [13] So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … To anoint the person He chose to replace King Saul, God sent His prophet Samuel to the house of Jesse in Bethlehem.
6-7 … Notice that in choosing His servants, God does not look at the outward appearance but what is in the heart.
11-13 … David was not even around when Samuel showed up. David was in the fields caring for the sheep. Samuel asked for David to come from the fields. God told Samuel that David was the one. Then Samuel proceeded to anoint him King over Israel.
For our next example let us look to the,
NEW TESTAMENT - TIMOTHY'S CALL TO PREACH AND TEACH
Timothy's call to ministry is revealed to us in,
1 Timothy 4:12-16
"[12] Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. [13] Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. [14] Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. [15] Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. [16] Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."
Let us notice the following verse,
13-14 … The spiritual gift of teaching and preaching God gave to Timothy was through a prophetic message through the body of elders when they laid their hands on him. Let us notice the similarity of Timothy’s anointing or God’s call as compared to David’s anointing or God’s call. In the case of Timothy, God spoke through the elders; whereas with David God used Samuel.
Now one might say this is fine for the people that are recorded in the Bible, but what about you and me? More specifically, the question is: "How does all this apply to us?"
THE APPLICATION FOR TODAY (YOU AND I)
First of all,
OUR SALVATION IS GOD’S GIFT OR CALL TO US
To see this let us read from,
Ephesians 2:1-9
"[1] As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, [2] in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. [3] All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. [4] But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast."
Let us notice the following verses,
1-5 … While we were dead in our sins, it was God who called us to follow Him. It was He who extended His Grace and Mercy to us. It was He who made us alive with Christ. In other words it is all God's doing.
8 … Our salvation is a glorious unmerited gift from God.
Secondly,
WE ARE CALLED BY GOD TO DO GOOD WORKS
To see this let us now read from,
Ephesians 2:10
[10] For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Notice, those who are born again are His workmanship. We have been created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared before hand for us to do.
It is noted that the works we are to do are the works that will come forth from God the Holy Spirit living within us. To see this let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4-6 … Within the body of Christ there are different ministries, activities and gifts. However, all are from God.
7 … Each born again believer has been given a gift from the Holy Spirit. Also notice that the purpose of these gifts is for the common good. In other words, with the spiritual gifts they have been given, they are called to minister to one another.
We now come to the,
THE MESSAGE, THE POINT OF THE STUDY
The message begins noting that the Bible teaches us that no one was seeking God. None were looking out for His interests. In other words, all were doing their own thing. To see this let us read from,
Romans 3:10-12
"[10] As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; [11] there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. [12] All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.""
Thus we find that,
GOD CHOSE US, WE DID NOT CHOSE HIM
In fact this is exactly what Jesus said as recorded in,
John 15:16-17
"[16] You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. [17] This is my command: Love each other."
And,
GOD PERFORMS HIS WILL IN HIS WAY
To see this, let us read from,
Isaiah 55:8-11
""[8] For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. [9] "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. [10] As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, [11] so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it."
CLOSING
With all this in mind, let us close our study by reading from,
Romans 8:31-39
"[31] What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? [32] He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? [33] Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. [34] Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. [35] Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39] neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Shall We Pray?