I got a phone call the other day.
My phone has caller ID, so I could see who it was.
Wouldn’t you know it, it was the office.
So the question was, do I answer it and deal with the hassle & aggravation of someone else’s problem and the politics of my job, or ignore it, because, whatever it is, it can wait.
Y’all ever get calls like that?
Well I answered it anyway, it turned out to be no big deal and it only took a second.
Jeremiah 7:
13 I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not;
Jonah 1:
1 Now the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,
2 Arise go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness is come up before me.
3 But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD, and went down to Joppa; and he found a ship going to Tarshish: so he paid the fare thereof, and went down into it, to go with them unto Tarshish from the presence of the LORD.
4 But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken.
Sounds like Jonah let the phone keep ringing
Matthew 25:
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Those foolish virgins seem to have known what the call was about and still chose to let it go to the message machine.
Yeah, but how do I know if the phone is REALLY ringing?
1 Peter 2:
9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:
You are the chosen who’s called. The phone IS ringing!!!
But what’s the message, what if I can’t understand the message?
1 Peter 3:
9 Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 5:
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

2Peter 1:
3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Do you really need a better translation?
It’s not a question of whether you’re called or not, or whether you can understand it, or any other excuse that might run through your head.
The only question is, “Will you answer it”
I’ve lost a lot of sleep over the years. Ask my wife, she’ll vouch for me.
Friends call me at 2 in the morning, for no reason.
Siblings call because they have a question about a dog.
You name it; people have awakened me, calling me while I was sleeping.
Shift work just compounded the problem.
Why don’t you just turn your phone off?
Good question, but my answer has always been the same.
What if an emergency happens?
I can’t justify turning it off, just in case.
Because of this, I’ve had to answer the question, “Will I answer the phone?” over and over again.
I rarely ignore it… I just never know what might be needed.
So you ask me, how do I know about God’s calls?
How do I know if you can understand the call?
How do I know and why should you listen to ME?
Because all those years that drunk people and wrong numbers were waking me up, I never turned off the phone.
I let it keep happening & I kept answering it…
But… All those years… I had God’s number on the ignore list.
I KNEW it was Him each time He called.
I KNEW what He wanted, there was no doubt.
I know because He made me know, He made me understand, but He let me choose to ignore Him… And I did.
Matthew 19:
16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness,
19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
I can empathize with that man. He was called – by Jesus in the flesh, no less.
He knew what the call was.
He knew the ramifications of heeding or ignoring it. He chose not to pick up the phone.
How many of you can remember a time when you refused to answer God’s call?
I’m guessing that each of us can remember some.
But here’s another question for you.
Ephesians 4:
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:
Last I checked, we are far from the measure of Christ. We haven’t reached that point yet.
So, according to Paul, we are still being called to teach & spread God’s Word.
James 1:
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
How many spots do you have? I can name a long list of mine.
1Thessalonians 5:
18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
I’m just guessing that we each fall short of this from time to time.
We have a habit of forgetting that the bad things in life are a part of God’s plan as much as the good things.
Point is, we are called each and every day…
How many of the calls do we answer, how many do we ignore?
Just because you put your phone on vibrate or turn it off, doesn’t mean that the calls stop.
It’s not up to us to decide when, where or why we do what God wants.
It’s not up to us to determine which of God’s calls are important enough to answer.
If you need help or are having a hard time picking up the phone when God calls,
Luke 8:
8 And other fell on good ground, and sprang up, and bare fruit an hundredfold. And when he had said these things, he cried, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.
He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.</p>