Chosen for the Furnace

scpChristian Living

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” (Ephesians 4:1).

“Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;” (Hebrews 3:1).

May I introduce to you a word? The word is “vocation”. It does not mean if you are a plumber walk worthy of being a plumber. Please do not misunderstand me, that statement is a true statement, but it is not what the Scripture is referring to in this instance. It does not mean if you are a carpenter, a banker, or electrician you are to walk worthy of that vocation. It is not speaking here of the way one makes a living.

In Philippians 3:14 the phrase “high calling” is another phrase for the word “vocation”. In other words walk worthy of the “high calling”. In Hebrews 3:1 the same word is “a heavenly calling” or walk worthy of “a Heavenly calling”. In II Timothy 1:9 it is “a holy calling”. In Ephesians 1:18 it is “God’s calling”. The word “vocation” means “a Heavenly invitation”.

Put all of these together and it is saying “walk worthy of the high calling”, or the “Heavenly calling”, or the “high calling”, or “God’s calling”, and the “Heavenly invitation”.

God has a will for each of His children. A pastor’s success or failure is not determined by the size of the church he pastors. A businessman’s success or failure is not determined by how big of a business he builds or how much money he has.

Success or failure in life does not depend on how many degrees one has earned, or how much power in life he has, or how much prestige he has, or how famous he or she is.

One’s success in life will be determined by one thing and one thing only. Did you do the thing that God placed you here on earth to do? God has a will for each of His children!

To some God has a high calling, a Heavenly calling, a holy calling, and a Heavenly invitation and these select folks are honored by God for a special task in life to perform.

They are not chosen because they are better than others. They are not chosen because they merit selection. The truth is no one knows why God chooses these people. God’s mercy keeps us out of Hell while God’s grace puts us into Heavens’ work!

MARY WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

Let us take a look at Mary the mother of Jesus in Luke chapter two. Mary received this Heavenly calling, this high calling, this holy calling, this Heavenly invitation. This was not just the normal will of God, such as the average Christian would have, for this was a special Heavenly invitation. It was her calling to carry the Christ child in her womb!

It was her Heavenly invitation to give birth to the very Son of God Himself. It was her calling to cradle the Christ child in her arms, to prepare his meals, to keep his house clean, to wash, and to iron his clothes. It was her Heavenly invitation to read Him the Scriptures, to take Him to the synagogue, to teach Him how to speak, and how to walk. This was a “high calling”, a “holy calling”, a “Heavenly calling,” “God’s calling”, and a “Heavenly invitation”.

ABRAHAM WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

Abraham was given a high calling, a Heavenly calling, a holy calling, God’s calling and a Heavenly invitation to father the nation Israel in Genesis chapter 12.

Israel was the nation who gave us the Saviour. Abraham was chosen to father the nation that would give us the Bible, give us the local New Testament church, the nation that first spread the Gospel, and the nation to whom was given the command to spread the Gospel throughout the world.

It was Abraham who was called of God to leave the Ur of the Chaldees to look for a city, which hath foundation whose builder and ruler is God. Abraham was lifted out of the rank and file of the rest of mankind for a high calling above that which was normal.

WOW! What an honor for Abraham to father the nation that gave us the Saviour, the Scriptures, the local New Testament church, the gospel, and be the ones to spread the gospel to every creature. Certainly this was a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

MOSES WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

He was a chosen by God with a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation to be lifted up above the rest of us to unite Israel and her land the land of Canaan.

Moses was chosen to give us the Ten Commandments, to be the human pen for God’s Words of the first five books of the Bible. What an honor it was for Moses to have the high calling, holy calling, Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

It was Moses’ calling to go before Pharaoh and say, “Let my people go.” It was Moses’ calling to lead three plus million Jews to the Promised Land. It was Moses’ calling to smite the angry waters of the Red Sea. The result was the Red Sea obeyed him like a Private would a General. It was Moses’ calling, a high calling, to smite Horeb’s rock form which came forth water to quench the thirst of God’s people.

WOW! What an honor for Mary, Abraham, and Moses to be chosen from the rest of us humans for this high calling, a Heavenly calling, a holy calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

AARON THE HIGH PRIEST WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

Aaron also had a Heavenly calling! He was called out of the rank and file of the rest of us to become the first High Priest. This is something, for Jesus Christ was the last High Priest. The High Priest Who ever liveth to make intercession for God’s children!

Think about it for a minute? What an honor for Aaron to be the first High Priest. He was the first one to take the slain lamb’s blood in a basin into the Holy of Holies. The first to sprinkle that innocent blood on the Mercy Seat in that Holy of Holies. He was the first one to come out after having done so and cry out “IT IS FINISHED!” That blood symbolized atonement for sin! AMEN! What an honor for Aaron!

Aaron was the one who stood between the living and the dead to stay the plague of death from the people of God. Sometimes I would like to take preachers in America and shake them and then say to them, “Stand up tall! You have the highest office in the land!”

You who mount the pulpit should never say, “I’m just a preacher”. You, my friend, have been called by the King of kings, Lord of lords, and the Creator of the universe to preach the Gospel, to represent Jesus Christ, and to preach His Holy Words!

Aaron the first High Priest, a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly calling.

THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

God comes to a Jewish religious leader, a former member of the Sanhedrin Court, whose name is Saul of Tarsus. His job was to take warrants from that court, arrest, and execute judgment on God’s people. God smote Saul on the road to Damascus pricking his soul. On that road to Damascus Saul trusted Jesus Christ to save his soul.

God said to Paul, Saul of Tarsus, in Acts 9:15 that he is a “chosen vessel”. God has pulled Saul of Tarsus from the rank and file to give him a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

It was Paul’s honor to start New Testament churches all over the known world of Asia Minor. It was his honor and calling to bring the Gospel to Rome and the Western world eventually to Europe then to America.

KING SAUL WAS ONE OF THESE PEOPLE

He was the first King of Israel being chosen by God. The word “vocation” fits King Saul of a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

It was his calling to sit on the highest throne in the world, a calling to precede David, Solomon, Hezekiah, and all the great kings. It was his calling to wear the world’s most exalted robe. Wear the world’s most glittering crown, and to wield the most sacred scepter in the world.

King Saul joins Paul the Apostle, Aaron the High Priest, Moses the leader, Abraham the father of the nation Israel, and Mary the mother of Jesus. All six received a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

THE TWELVE APOSTLES WERE AMONG THESE PEOPLE

I cannot but help think of the twelve mentioned in John 6:70 and Matthew 10:1. Here we have the high calling, holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation of these twelve who were all common men.

They walked with Jesus for three years. They heard Him preach while sitting beside Him. They heard His private conversations. They shared meals with the Saviour. They saw first hand His miracles. They felt His heartbeat. They heard Him pray, sing, preach, and teach. They sat with Him in the upper room.

They heard His parting words. They saw Him in His resurrection body. They heard Him give the commission to spread the gospel to the world. They saw blind Bartimaeus’ eyes open, Lazarus’ empty grave, saw Him turn the waves of Galilee into a sidewalk, and saw Him turn the mouth of a fish into a cash register.

This certainly is a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation. This is something special.

On and on I could go pointing out others who were called out of the rank and file of humanity to this special calling.

Gideon was chosen to save his nation. John the Baptist chosen to introduce the Saviour to a waiting world while paving the way for the Saviour with his soul winning and baptizing. Isaiah chosen to be the first of the great prophets, David chosen to be the king of Israel, Noah chosen to build the Ark, Peter chosen to be the leader of the Apostles.

Each of us have a will of God for our lives, but God always reaches down into a group of His people and plucks one out and says, “I have a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, a Heavenly invitation for you!”

We have mentioned kings, prophets, Apostles, missionaries, but now let me give you another high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation. A calling when God reaches down into the rank and file of us and lifts out one or more of us to a special Heavenly calling.

THOSE IN THE FURNACE OF AFFLICTION ARE SOME OF THESE SAME PEOPLE

“Behold, I have refined these, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).

God is saying, “I have chosen you to be in the furnace of affliction”. CHOSEN? Yes this is a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

Those of you in affliction, in the furnace are just as chosen as Job! The truth is Job never did anything spectacular for God. He never built a great work for God. He never led a great nation. Job’s high calling was to suffer!

You are just as chosen as the three Hebrew children. Please tell me what Shadrach, Meshach, or Abednego did that was so great? The only thing we have recorded in the Bible they did was suffer. Those of you who are in the furnace of affliction are chosen people.

You are just as chosen as the Apostle Peter, Apostle Paul, John the Baptist, Noah, Isaiah, King David, King Saul, Moses, and the twelve Apostles. Those of you in the furnace of affliction are just as chosen.

Yours is a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation. David had a holy calling to be a king. Saul had a Heavenly calling to be king. Isaiah had God’s calling to be a prophet, Abraham had a Heavenly invitation to father a nation, and Moses had a high calling to deliver that nation. God has given some of you in the furnace of affliction a high calling!

John Bunyan was a street preacher who was no D. L. Moody, or C. H. Spurgeon, or did he build a great work for God. John Bunyan is known for one thing and that is twelve years of imprisonment in the Bedford Jail for his refusal to quit his street preaching.

One day God reached down and chose David to be lifted above the rest of humanity to be king. One day God reached down and lifted Isaiah above the rank and file to be a prophet, and lifted Moses up to be a great deliverer of God’s people, and lifted Abraham up to be the father of a great nation, and Mary to bear the Christ child.

Also, one day God chose John Bunyan to suffer in jail for twelve long years so the world could have the great work of Pilgrim’s Progress.

Hey afflicted one, abandoned wife, abandoned husband, orphaned child, widow, widower, or ghetto bound child God has given to you a high calling, a holy calling, a Heavenly calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

Fanny Crosby did no great work for God. She was blind and chosen by God in the furnace of affliction along with Helen Keller who was chosen by God in the same furnace. Mrs. Spurgeon was an invalid for most of her mid life years and was also chosen by God in the furnace of affliction.

You in the furnace of affliction are as called as the Apostle Paul. Your calling is as lofty as King David’s, King Saul’s, as Abraham’s, as Moses’, and as Mary’s calling.

If you are so-called then walk worthy of that high calling, a Heavenly calling, holy calling, God’s calling, and a Heavenly invitation.

David did not complain about being chosen to be the king. Saul did not gripe because he was chosen to be the king. If you are suffering then you have been chosen to an equal position!

Let us add to the list of Mary, Moses, Abraham, Gideon, Saul, David, Noah, Isaiah, John the Baptist, John the Beloved, Apostle Paul, and Apostle Peter the names of those of you who are in the furnace of affliction.