The Three Calls

Rev Ronald Ooi

Luke 6:12-19

The Twelve Apostles

6:13-16pp — Mt 10:2-4; Mk 3:16-19; Ac 1:13

12 One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. 13 When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles: 14 Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, 15 Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, 16 Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Blessings and Woes

6:20-23pp — Mt 5:3-12

17 He went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases. Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because power was coming from him and healing them all.

I want to pick up on where Bro Koay ended last week. If you missed it, go download the TOP App.

The Call to Communion v13

There was a particular time in Jesus' life where he was going to call individuals to carry out a mission to save the world. I wonder what happened the night before? How many of you have prayed through the night before.

We used to do that and we call them the overnight prayer. Last night I woke up at 1.30am because of the mat rempits and I decided to pray through the night. I was talking to God and it was wonderful as I was trying to talk about the major decisions in my life.

And here we see Jesus  trying to connect with the Father and he planned to connect with the twelve. He spent the whole night praying to God and it shows us how important it is to pray and catch the mind and heart of God and to align ourselves to him. We cannot live in a world by ourselves and like Cheryl she has connected to a girl in Mongolia and to getting his son to also connect with this child.

Here Jesus is connecting with the Father and he connects to the twelve. We are all connected to one another and the world. But how do we use the life that we have to bring the healing of God, the mind and heart of God to those we are connected to?

He was going to change the world and humanity. He chose twelve imperfect apostles and one even betrayed hm. The first is a call to him, to abide in him. When we draw towards him, we will not be swayed by other voices.

We have one life on earth so how do we want to live it? To live it for ourselves or to live it for the call of God? God calls us as his children. As his servant. The first call is to be with God. That was what Jesus did. The world has lost this communion. It's a clear call. Let my heart be broken with the things that breaks the heart of God.

Jesus said I'm the way the truth and the life and there's no other way. He's trying to connect to us and if we refuse that call we get into trouble. That’s why the world is going round and round and round into trouble out and then into trouble again.

It's breaks my heart that a woman was found tied to her child drowned in Penang. And I heard she's pregnant. Is there a cry in society that we really need him? Can we hear the call of God so clearly that when we walk with him we know what to do. We get that right and everything falls into place.

There is a safely in that centre. Harmony, peace and unity with God will flow into other areas of our life.

I was a diver so at a low point of my life, my wife asked that we do something different. So we dived and it's a marvelous sport. One time the sea was really rough and the instructor told us you must never swim alone. You must have a buddy. And you must know where that anchor line is.

You can lose your bearing down there. I always remember that life line. When you get lost, distracted or you drift away, remember where your lifeline is. My life has been spared because of the instructor's instruction. It was so rough that you struggle and use up your air. We don't call it oxygen but air. It was so bad that I wanted to quickly go up but my instructor told me to go down. And waited for the calm to come then we went up through the lifeline.

Life is like that. We can't predict what the day is. But I know in all the crisis of life, there is a lifeline. Stay as close as you can to God and he will show you when everything is stormy you will be fine because he is with you.

Our busy noise driven world is an obstacle to our pursuit of harmony with God. In Penang now everyone seems to be rushing. I'm surprised because 20 years ago the traffic was too slow for me and now it's too fast for me. We need to make that communion happen.  It's not a law but it's intentional. We need to have that communion.

Can you hear God calling you these days or are you so busy? You bury yourselves in your work so when the Holy Spirit prompts you, will you listen? Find that time because it's so vital.

Jesus made it a habit to seek a solitary place of worship. The early church began with constant prayer.

Acts 1:14

They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

And the early church was sustained by prayer.

Acts 2:42

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Prayer is the engine room for the church. That is so vital in these days we live in. We don't take time to warm up, like an engine. The prayer of the Saints are needed. Not just on Wednesday and Sunday but daily. We are a daily church. And if we want to see the fullness of God's purpose in our life, we need that engine room.

The present day generation will remain a powerful force of influence through prayer. We taught our granddaughter to pray before food and sometimes when we forget, she reminds us.

The present day church will remain strong through prayer. There was a group of house church pastors in China who came together to pray. They love praying. These are people who works, as farmers and executives but when they come together, they pray. The house churches are growing in China and the thing why these churches are growing is because prayer always precede revival. Nothing can replace true revival that happens is because of prayer.

And Malaysia, we have to pray. Pastor Raymond is missing. Something is happening and we have to pray. It is so essential for us to understand this. It is through prayer that revival happens.

Without a lonely place, our life is in danger. We need to have that time with God to find our direction. Listen first. Don't be so quick to speak. He gave us two ears and one mouth. Listen carefully. Without listening, speaking no longer heals. What is God saying to you? Listen carefully. The Lord will direct and give you the peace when you consult him first. As we learn to listen we will find that strength. 

Without distance, closeness cannot cure - Henri Nuowen .

The Call to Community v13

Why did he call twelve? Not one. He uses community. He chose Adam and then he chose Eve to oversee the whole creation. Then he chose Abraham and formed Israel. Then came the church through 12 apostles. To commune in unity. It's called teamwork in our modern day.

In the early days, I worked in a rehab centre. Living in community I learnt the acronym LIGHT. Living In Group Harmony through Truth. We are part of a larger community. We are not alone. Can you rest in the calling that God has called us together for a time such as this. That God has gelled us together for his purposes. If you hear that call clearly, then you will find no matter how difficult the work is you will stay true to that call because it is a call from God. You will work through.

In community, we do life together. One heart one mind. We do it together and as a channel for God to change the world.

The Call to Communicate v17-19

The commission. Jesus chose 12 to win and change  the world. Later in my life, I caught this. I will call 12 and pour my life into them. It has been the most fulfilling. If the Holy Spirit impress upon your heart, would you in your lifetime, just find 12 men or women and focus intentionally in raising them up as disciples. I can assure you just as Jesus did with the 12 and Jacob with his 12 sons, you will be like a father and mother in that approach to discipleship. 12 multiply by 12 is 144. That’s a whole new level. We don't play the numbers game but it's a discipleship process. 144 x 144? 1720. Wow.

If we carry his cross we too may be betrayed. How did he responded to Judas? He called him friend and asked him to do it quickly. He use us to make a difference in the world.

There is the call, the community and then the curing. Power was coming from Jesus and healing happens. That's what it's like to be in a community. You touch one another.

Yesterday we went down to earth. We went to the Jelutong market. Suddenly, we had someone who called us pastor! We sat at the drain side by the market and it dawn upon me what is God saying? This is how I came down to your level. From heaven to earth with the sinful fragrance of earth. It is wonderful to be a part of this community. We walk through this world not just by ourselves but in the community he has given us.

We cannot do it without first fulfilling the first two call - to seek the Lord, called to community.

Rooted in God and community, we find life, we do life, we communicate life.

We can make a difference. We can change the world. Never say cannot. You may have had some obstacles but with God all things are possible.

Cheryl shared on World Vision and it's work.

Rev Ronald praying for the Head of Ministries.