1 Corinthians 1:26
“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called.”
Paul reminded Timothy that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. That was His purpose, His passion, and what He labored diligently towards. After the resurrection, Jesus called His church to be involved in this same purpose. He commissioned men to “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel.” This is the greatest of all vocations and carries with it the highest honor. Charles Spurgeon once wrote, “If God has called you to preach do not stoop along the way to become a king.”
God intends for the work that began with Christ, and was carried out by the Apostles, to continue today through His church. Jesus is still commissioning men to go into the world and preach the Gospel, “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.” John 17:18
But who are these men? What is Jesus looking for in those He selects to take the Gospel to the world? Paul wrote, “For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called”(1 Corinthians 1:26). In order to reach the world, God is not looking for the most gifted of people, but is simply looking for those who will be faithful to Him, and respond to the call.
One of the struggles every Christian faces, is the reality of our own limitations. The moment we surrender ourselves completely to Christ, He begins to call us to serve Him; often calling us into service that makes us quite uncomfortable, and causes us to realize our weakness. Paul reminds the Corinthians this is on purpose. God is not looking for the mighty, or noble, but for the weak, base and foolish. There are many reasons for this, not the least of which is, God can. What I mean is, our weaknesses do not weaken God, nor do our limitations, limit Him. You may have heard the phrase, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” That may be true of a chain, and even of human organization, but it is not true of the Kingdom of God. He is not weakened by our weakness, but is able to provide His strength and power, to whatever He calls us to do. I have found, whenever God calls me to something, I am immediately aware of all the reasons I can’t do it. I usually begin to tell Him that choosing me is a really bad idea; He should look for someone more qualified. Often, I even have a list of people who would do a better job than I could. It is then that I must make a decision. Will I choose to focus on my weakness, or on His strength? While it is true I am too weak, it is also true that He is too strong. My mind begins to recall story after story, within the pages of His Word, where the weak were used to accomplish great exploits for the Kingdom of God, because His strength overcame their weakness. Rather than focusing on all the reasons that we can’t, we should focus upon all the He can.
Pastor Jim
Years before these events, Zerubbabel led a host of people from captivity, to begin rebuilding the temple. His ministry was followed up by Ezra, who led the people to recommit themselves to the Lord. Then Nehemiah came with the intent of rebuilding the walls around Jerusalem, for the security and safety of the people, and the work of God. Now that the temple stood and the walls were erected, people were needed to maintain the work of the Lord. This chapter gives us a list of those who gave themselves to the work, at great personal cost. For many choosing to be involved in the service of God meant giving up other ambitions, and even relocating into the city.
Much of our life is experience oriented. We save, plan, and prepare for a trip; making sure we get lots of photos, so we can remember our experience, and share it with others. We might even put together a photo album and place it on the coffee table, making it easier to look back and remember the times we enjoyed. Sometimes, we treat our relationship with the Lord the same way. We have an encounter with the LORD, we come forward at church to receive Christ, or recommit our lives to Him. Rather than treating this as a day-to-day ongoing relationship, we simply memorialize the moment. I think it is important to remember, while salvation transpires in that moment in time when we trust in Christ, relationship with the Lord is an ongoing event, and should be a part of our daily living. This relationship includes, not only what He has done for us, but committing ourselves to be a part of the further work He desires to do.
Chapter 8 brings us to the climax of the book of Nehemiah. After the grueling task of building the walls was completed, the people gathered together to celebrate the Lord. Ezra the priest, stood on the a stage and began reading and explaining the Word of God. One by one the people began to weep as their sins were exposed in light of the Word.
Years ago, I received a letter; I had been selected to be awarded for my accomplishments as a teacher. Upon reading the first paragraph, I was honored and somewhat humbled. My ego was stroked, as I was being told of the great responsibility I was fulfilling by teaching others. However, as I continued to read, I discovered any teacher who was willing to purchase the hundred-dollar, leather-bound book, would have their name listed in it. Even though I knew it was a scam, I was still slightly tempted to have my name in a book honoring me for my accomplishments.
This chapter contains many prayers of which this is the first. Paul is praying that the church might be like-minded, or rather, have one mind. As we look at the church today we see it is anything but one-minded. Worship styles vary from rock bands to congregational hymns; some churches meet in traditional buildings, while others meet in schools, parks or store fronts. Doctrinally, some churches are Calvinistic, Arminian, or somewhere in between. We have pre-, post- and mid-tribulation teachings, and there are even different views on how to perform a baptism.
Nehemiah serves as an example of godly leadership. He mobilized the people to finish a seemingly impossible task, and did it in record time. He was a man of the Word, as well as a man of prayer, but those things did not mean he wasn’t also a man of careful thought. This is perhaps one of the most neglected weapons in the arsenal of the Christian. It is wise for us not to forget, Jesus told us to love Him with all our minds.
A Christian by the name of John Donne (1572-1631), is credited for the saying, “No man is an island.” He wrote it in a devotional message speaking of how our lives effect one another. Paul is writing about the same idea, because we are part of the body of Christ, our lives effect one another. The decision I make to follow the Lord will have an impact upon those around me, and their decision will impact me. In more recent times, a song was written with the chorus, “I don’t need anyone, I am really having fun being all alone, I am an island.” The song was a parody, where the artist was addressing the modern idea that our lives are our own, and our sins do not effect anyone else. Paul goes on to write,
Nehemiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem were facing the challenge of rebuilding the walls of the city, while facing opposition from the enemy. Their task was difficult and dangerous. In order to secure the success of the project, and the safety of the people, Nehemiah established a means of aiding one another. Each section of the city was assigned a trumpeter. When the situation became intense, he would blow the trumpet calling others to aid those in the midst of opposition. This practice drew the people to one another, and ensured the success of their endeavor.
