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Young People Are Called

Young people are the treasure of God’s church. Without them our church will eventually die. The mission of preaching the everlasting gospel of the three angels that Jesus entrusted to us will not be fulfilled without young people.

I remember once Dr. Samuel Koranteng-Pipim said in one of his sermons, “what we need in our church are not young people, but converted young people.” And he said it right. To accumulate more youth into our church should not be our goal, but to train more converted young people. That is what we need. Sister White wrote,

“With such an army of workers as our youth, rightly trained, might furnish, how soon the message of a crucified, risen, and soon-coming Saviour might be carried to the whole world!” (Education, p. 271)

I believe that the work of God will be finished by young people, and Satan is not ignorant of that. He knew perfectly well that his tricks and worldly attractions will not be effective upon them if they are willing to surrender themselves totally to the heavenly Father. Using every mean he could, Satan will seek to hunt down all young people through the luring offer of fame, position and security as Jesus was tempted in the mountain where Satan shown Him the temporal power of this world (Matthew 4:8); and convinced them that they have no need to tread the difficult path of God’s work but walk in the broad way of worldly security by simply bowing down to the authority of man. Oh, how many young people had succumbed to this attractive offering!

God Calls Young People

God calls young people from all walks of life. Whether they are at the level of elementary school, secondary school, high school, college, universities, and those with a career, or married; the God our ultimate Captain calls them. Powerful characters in the Bible such as Joseph, David, Solomon, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Timothy, have accepted the call of God in faithfully standing for His principles no matter what. Too many have fallen from God’s principles by selling themselves to evil and temptations. We need strong and courageous one, who dare to hear and do whatever God calls them to do.

In the history of God’s church, rarely God calls mighty men or educated people to fulfill His will; for they were too self-centered to accept the sacrificial calling of God.

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.” (1 Corinthians 1:26, 27)

The brightest chapters in the history of God’s people are those written by people who by today’s standard are quite ordinary. Gideon shied away from the lime light, reminding God of his humble origin and simple social background. David was the least suspected of all his brothers to be considered as having qualifications of a king, so much so that he was called in only after the prophet had inspected all of the other. Esther was an orphan girl for whom the Bible lists no special talents or abilities out of the ordinary. Jephthah, a mighty judge and deliverer of Israel, was a harlot’s son. Amos was a herdsman. Peter, James, and John were plain fishermen. Speaking of the young man Timothy, Sister White states:

“These lessons Timothy learned and practiced. He had no specially brilliant talents, but his work was valuable because he used his God-given abilities in the Master's service.” (Acts of the Apostles, p. 205)

The same author writes these hopeful words:

“Young men of ordinary ability, who give themselves wholly to God, who are uncorrupted by vice and impurity, will be successful, and will be enabled to do a great work for God.” (Messages to Young People, p. 22)

What We Are Called To Do?

Coming to this point so far, you may now ask this question: “What is the calling of God?” “What must I do to fulfill the calling of God?” The apostle Peter had made it clear in 2 Peter chapter one.

“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” (2 Peter 1:3)

According to God’s divine power, we are called to live a sinless and godly life in this corrupted world by reflecting His glory and virtue. What a calling is this! God’s calling qualifies us to become the ambassadors and representatives for the King of the universe! And this can be done only through reflecting a God-like character in our lives. The promise is sure and God’s Word is trustworthy. In the following, Peter makes his point even further and clarifies.

“Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” (2 Peter 1:4-9)

Peter admonished us to come up to these standards of character:

Faith
Virtue
Knowledge
Temperance
Patient
Godliness
Brotherly kindness
Charity

Character building is from one stage to another. The apostle Peter continues his writings:

Building our character is the first and foremost to fulfill God’s calling. For without making this first step, no soul will be converted into His kingdom. Soul-winning work is not merely depending on biblical preaching of doctrines, but we should live up the beauty of Christ’s character so that souls would be converted.

The next is actively entering into the ministries that God commanded His people to engage. Note this:

“God calls for ministers, Bible workers, and canvassers. Let our young men and young women go forth as canvassers, evangelists, and Bible workers, in company with laborers of experience, who can show them how to labor successfully. Let canvassers carry our publications from house to house. When opportunity offers, let them speak of the truth for this time to those whom they meet, and let them sing and pray with them. When in our work for God right methods are energetically followed, a harvest of souls will be gathered.” (Messages to Young People, p. 208)

I read an interesting sentence which states: “If you’re not a missionary, you are a mission field.” God calls every Seventh-day Adventist, young and old, to be missionary. These works, of course, will not be done without prior preparation of our characters. Consecrated, godly, and self-denial characters are the must to develop before entering in the field. Sister White continues:

“There is room in the work of God for all who are filled with the spirit of self-sacrifice. God is calling for men and women who are willing to deny self for the sake of others, willing to consecrate all they have and are to His work. Men are needed who, when they encounter difficulties, will move steadily on, saying, We will not fail or become discouraged. Men are needed who will strengthen and build up the work that others are trying to do.” (Ibid.)

So my dear brothers and sisters, is your calling and election sure today? Are you fulfilling God’s calling by being a living example in your surrounding area today? Are you prepared to be a missionary? Then do not wait but step in to His call.

Do you feel that you are disqualified to accept His call?

“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” (1Timothy 4:12)