The Call

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE CALL

Acts 7:35-38

35 "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. 37 "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.'   38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.

NIV

There is a simple truth in this segment of the response of Stephen as he stood in front of the Sanhedrin. When Mose tried to break up the fight between two Hebrews, they rejected his attempts and his authority. They rejected him with the words, "Who made you ruler and Judge?" Stephen made the great point that God did, in fact, make Moses ruler and judge over them. Here is the story that comes right into our lives. Men can declare whoever they want to be their ruler. In our country, that should be done rightly by the vote of the people. However, in the church, a completely different standard is at work. In some denominations, deacons are chosen by the congregation through some selection process, while elders are hand-picked by the pastor. Some denominations send the pastor to a church, while others choose their own pastor. Still, God's calling regarding who should pastor a church may not be the standard some denominations use. God ordained Moses to shepherd the people of Israel; however, many denominations require that their standards be met before ordaining someone. It is like any earthly organization; it has the right to demand certain rules and regulations be met to join. But it is not men who ordain a shepherd; it is God who ordains someone to be the shepherd of his people. Yet we live in a time and culture where the church seems to function more like an organization than a church. God called Moses, and after a few attempts to refuse to go back to Egypt, he complied. We know that even though God has called and ordained, there are still the rules and regulations of the church that must be met for a man to be ordained. Yet, first, and foremost, the truth is that no matter if man ordains, if God has not called and ordained a person, then they are the one to be the shepherd of God's people. The other truth is about being a ruler and judge, as Moses was appointed by God. The pastor or shepherd of God's people is not a ruler nor a judge, but should be a servant to the people of God. Jesus set that standard, and if we are following Jesus, then the truer calling is to be a servant leader. Yet, nothing should happen unless there is "The call."