Notes: Hearing the Irresistible Self-Evident Calling

Hearing the Irresistible Self-Evident Calling

Henry Reyenga

What are you called to do? 

What has God been saying to your heart? We all have different journeys. There has been brokenness. There has been redemption. Maybe you have been very far from God, but he is now bringing you back. He wants to make you a "prophet to the nations." What is God telling you right now as you read these words. Your family needs you, your circle of influence needs influencing.

The Opportunity

What if the cultivation system for identifying, training, and mobilizing Christian leaders was simplified. What if any called leader could bloom where they are planted. What if they could find local leaders in their local churches, businesses, ministries, and community to participate with them in their education. Could these leaders become their mentor or sponsor? What if high-quality Christian education was available free of charge and brought directly to leaders through an Internet connection? 

The Opportunity

What if the system was set up in such a way that strong accountability pieces were hard-wired into the process so that those who sense the call could be tested in that call? What if the cost to develop all of this was so efficient that we could offer advanced training as a mission where contributions were not lost in the high cost of current models of higher education? What if instead, for a fraction of the cost of traditional Christian colleges, you could train thousands of called Christian leaders?

Explore Your Calling With Active Study

Complete certificate-level courses in ministry, including enterprise, restorative justice, and philosophy.

Optional: Become ordained or certified as a local deacon minister.

Complete diploma-level training for more advanced training awards

Work toward a degree program offered at Christian Leaders Institute.

Generosity-Driven Free Training

Generous vision-driven students and graduates. They have been reached with free ministry training. Now CLI partners with their vision to reach others. We are their tool to spread more training to more people.

Generous individuals, churches, and foundations outside of the student also want to reach more people. These vision partners see CLI as their mission to raise up more Christian leaders. 

Generosity-Driven Free Training

Administration donations called "fees" support the administration of the headquarters and other personalization of the CLI graduate experience. These include such things as customer service and official award services.

Products and services also contribute to the funding of Christian Leaders Institute.

Victorious Walk – Fuels Calling

Called leaders who minister in their community need the power of the Holy Spirit and the guidance of the Word of God, the Bible.

If you are going to "put to death" the old nature and serve the Lord, you need his help to be transformed.

You will be more effective in your personal and family life growing with God

Victorious Walk – Fuels Calling

You will also be able to share with others if your walk is real, relevant, and reproducible.

If you do become ordained, your ministry will be more effectively connected to God in a daily way. (The Bible cautions against being too quick in the ordaining of office bearers: 1 Timothy 5:22 says, "Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, and do not share in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.”)

Internal Calling

Traditionally, Christian Leaders are called through an internal call and an external calling and confirmation. The internal and the external calling are confirmed in various ways. These callings are confirmed by God and confirmed by others in our lives. This is a curious and prayerful faith journey.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God... (Romans 1:1)

Internal Calling

You must have a real walk with God if you want to be God's ambassador! Further, your specific "call" and urgency must come to you from God out of your walk with God. This is called the "internal calling."  Do you find yourself praying and meditating about your call to serve God? Do you find in your prayer and devotional life that God has placed urgency in your heart for reaching others and helping others reach others? Does your heart burn within you through the presence of the Holy Spirit?

External Calling

What is God speaking to your heart? This is the internal call. Let's talk about the external call. This calling aspect can be more observable. We read in the Word, "It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers," (Ephesians 4:11). How does your internal calling connect to your person? Here are factors to consider where you are called to serve in the Kingdom of God.

Gifts and Ministry

What are your gifts? The New Testament explores how giftedness connects to spiritually called Christian Leaders. Giftstest.com has a great definition of Gifts

In the Next Presentation, I will talk about each gift or role.

Interest

Your interest is vital to a call to church leadership.

I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done -- by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ. It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. (Romans 15:18-20)

Temperament

Christian leaders need a temperament for leadership in the church or in the community. Do they deal with failure well? Are they leaders of peace? Christian leaders have a huge responsibility in the eternal destinies of souls. Will they be able to handle the stress or crack under pressure? People will criticize them. They can easily get caught up in conflicts with those they are calling to faith. Could they learn to deal with their congregation in a compassionate and understanding way?

Confirmation

If someone is called to ministry they should have confirmation. They should talk to those who know them best -- their spouse, family, and friends -- about whether or not they could see them as a sustainable leader. Not having their spouse and family behind them in ministry is a red flag.

"But you know that Timothy has proved himself because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel." (Philippians 2:22)

Calling Assessment Exercise

We have put together an exercise that will help you discern your calling?  Do this exercise yourself and then include your mentor, spouse, or pastor in the process.  Do not pick too many naysayers.