Approved and Entrusted!!!

Reflection:   In the bible we hear a lot about the call of those who are called to go forth and proclaim God’s goodness. Today we see two men set apart by God for the Gospel, or Good News.  First, we have Jeremiah, and we read in Jeremiah 1 about Jeremiah’s call to be a prophet. 

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Notice Jeremiah’s call took place long before he had anything to do with it.  And we also see Jeremiah’s response to the call was initially one of doubt and concern.  He states, “Alas sovereign Lord but I am too young to speak, I will not know what to say.” Notice he is convinced the Lord is sovereign and powerful, but not so sure about his own abilities.  But immediately God explains to him the twofold nature of his call.  Go to everyone I will send you to, and speak whatever I tell you.  A pretty simple command but maybe not so simple to obey. 

Then as Paul starts his letter to the Thessalonians, he gives us a little glimpse into his own calling and how he understands it.  He summarizes the nature of his call to preach the Gospel to them like this,

^“4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.”

Similar to Jeremiah Paul has been approved by God and entrusted with the gospel.  That is really all he needs God’s approval and God’s entrusting.  And as Paul recounts you can see how wholeheartedly he and the others with them were faithful to their calling.  Notably he says, “We are pleased not only to share the Gospel with you but our very lives too!”   

You notice how free Paul is in describing his call to preach and live out the gospel, and this includes not only what he speaks, but every aspect of his life.  He is completely sold out for God’s purposes, knowing that God had called him, approved of him, and entrusted him with this task!  Finally, nobody could every accuse Paul of being in it for the money.  He worked night and day in order to have the privilege of working and sharing the gospel with them free of charge.  What a great example of humble, servant living out his calling.

As we look at these spiritual giants we might be tempted to say, “Wow those guys were awesome, but I could never do something like that!”  Remember in the beginning Jeremiah had his doubts about himself as well.  As I began my journey to become a pastor I had plenty of doubts as well about my own abilities, speaking and otherwise.  But as I kept focused on God and what He could do through me and in the power of the Holy Spirit I could keep plowing forward, albeit making mistakes along the way. 

The general movement in the church today is moving away from the paid professionals (i.e clergy and the like) doing all of the ministry, and truly equipping the saints for the work of ministry.  One of the pastor’s main jobs after preaching, teaching and administering the sacraments is to equip the saints in their parish.  I found this to be some of the most exciting work as a pastor.  I love coaching and training saints to understand their God given spiritual gifts and then helping them find a place where they can be part of God’s kingdom coming here on the earth as it is in heaven. 

Take a moment to reflect on God’s call on your life.  Of course, the first call is that God has called you to be His Son or Daughter and made you part of His family through what Christ did on the cross.  Then, as you live out of the covenant God has made with you, you can be his representative in the world through a local church. 

And what is each local church’s job?  To discern where God has approved and entrusted them for the work of the Gospel in their area and beyond.  Not much has changed in 2,000 years.  God is still looking for Jeremiah’s and Paul’s to approve and entrust with what He wants to do before Jesus returns in great and promised glory!  Amen. 

Psalm 92:1-8

A psalm. A song. For the Sabbath day.

¹ It is good to praise the Lord
    and make music to your name, O Most High,
² proclaiming your love in the morning
    and your faithfulness at night,
³ to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
    and the melody of the harp.

⁴ For you make me glad by your deeds, Lord;
    I sing for joy at what your hands have done.
⁵ How great are your works, Lord,
    how profound your thoughts!
⁶ Senseless people do not know,
    fools do not understand,
⁷ that though the wicked spring up like grass
    and all evildoers flourish,
    they will be destroyed forever.

⁸ But you, Lord, are forever exalted.

Isaiah 66

Judgment and Hope

66 This is what the Lord says:

“Heaven is my throne,
    and the earth is my footstool.
Where is the house you will build for me?
    Where will my resting place be?
² Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
    and who tremble at my word.
³ But whoever sacrifices a bull
    is like one who kills a person,
and whoever offers a lamb
    is like one who breaks a dog’s neck;
whoever makes a grain offering
    is like one who presents pig’s blood,
and whoever burns memorial incense
    is like one who worships an idol.
They have chosen their own ways,
    and they delight in their abominations;
⁴ so I also will choose harsh treatment for them
    and will bring on them what they dread.
For when I called, no one answered,
    when I spoke, no one listened.
They did evil in my sight
    and chose what displeases me.”

⁵ Hear the word of the Lord,
    you who tremble at his word:
“Your own people who hate you,
    and exclude you because of my name, have said,
‘Let the Lord be glorified,
    that we may see your joy!’
    Yet they will be put to shame.
⁶ Hear that uproar from the city,
    hear that noise from the temple!
It is the sound of the Lord
    repaying his enemies all they deserve.

⁷ “Before she goes into labor,
    she gives birth;
before the pains come upon her,
    she delivers a son.
⁸ Who has ever heard of such things?
    Who has ever seen things like this?
Can a country be born in a day
    or a nation be brought forth in a moment?
Yet no sooner is Zion in labor
    than she gives birth to her children.
⁹ Do I bring to the moment of birth
    and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Do I close up the womb
    when I bring to delivery?” says your God.
¹⁰ “Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her,
    all you who love her;
rejoice greatly with her,
    all you who mourn over her.
¹¹ For you will nurse and be satisfied
    at her comforting breasts;
you will drink deeply
    and delight in her overflowing abundance.”

¹² For this is what the Lord says:

“I will extend peace to her like a river,
    and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;
you will nurse and be carried on her arm
    and dandled on her knees.
¹³ As a mother comforts her child,
    so will I comfort you;
    and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”

¹⁴ When you see this, your heart will rejoice
    and you will flourish like grass;
the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants,
    but his fury will be shown to his foes.
¹⁵ See, the Lord is coming with fire,
    and his chariots are like a whirlwind;
he will bring down his anger with fury,
    and his rebuke with flames of fire.
¹⁶ For with fire and with his sword
    the Lord will execute judgment on all people,
    and many will be those slain by the Lord.

¹⁷ “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following one who is among those who eat the flesh of pigs, rats and other unclean things—they will meet their end together with the one they follow,” declares the Lord.

¹⁸ “And I, because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.

¹⁹ “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. ²⁰ And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord—on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,” says the Lord. “They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the Lord in ceremonially clean vessels. ²¹ And I will select some of them also to be priests and Levites,” says the Lord.

²² “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the Lord, “so will your name and descendants endure. ²³ From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the Lord. ²⁴ “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, the fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.

Jeremiah 1:1-7

1 The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah, one of the priests at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. ² The word of the Lord came to him in the thirteenth year of the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, ³ and through the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, down to the fifth month of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, when the people of Jerusalem went into exile.

The Call of Jeremiah

⁴ The word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
    before you were born I set you apart;
    I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ “Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

⁷ But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.

1 Thessalonians 2

Paul’s Ministry in Thessalonica

2 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. ² We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. ³ For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. ⁴ On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. ⁵ You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. ⁶ We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. ⁷ Instead, we were like young children among you. Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, ⁸ so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well. ⁹ Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.

All the nations you have made shall come and bow down before you, O’ Lord, and shall glorify your name. Psalm 86:9

Paul wrote: We may proclaim the good news in lands beyond you. 2 Corinthians 10:16

Good and gracious Lord, we are in awe of your majesty! Your power combined with your compassion and forgiveness makes us want to proclaim your good news. Help us share your wonders with others. Amen.