If you have ever desired to be used by God, this message today is for you. I want to share with you about the calling and commissioning of God. Every one of us at some point will find ourselves asking the question, “Why am I here? Why do I exist? And what am I supposed to do with my life?”

I want to encourage you, the answers to these questions are within reach. The simple challenge is that many find themselves in a cycle of waiting for God to speak first, and then they will act.

When in reality it is the opposite. Our active movement and pursuit of Him bring the clarity and answers we are searching for. Pursuing a deep relationship with God and creating space for personal encounter will position us for the revelation of His purpose and plan for our lives.

Divine calling involves God calling individuals and groups of people to be faithful to Him or to serve Him in various ways. As we jump into the message, let me first share with you some primary callings that are common to everyone.

Primary Callings:
The Call to Him - Salvation and fellowship with God through Christ.

The Call to Surrender - This is the disposition of the heart that bows to Christ and relinquishes control of one’s life.

The Call to Sanctification/Holiness - A call to be set apart from the world and to grow in the character and likeness of Christ.

The Call to service and image bearing - Every human is called to reflect God’s image by caring for creation and serving others.

These are foundational in that all ministry (service to God) begins with learning to be in the presence of Jesus and how to build intimacy with Him.

As we jump in, let me give you a pattern from the scripture about the process of calling and commissioning.

Let’s Break the Process Down into Practical Steps:

Step 1: Encounter (Isaiah 6:1—4) - I want you to see that the call of God on Isaiah’s life did not begin with position or title. It began in the place of encounter. Before we can effectively serve the purposes of God, we first need to see and encounter God.

He beheld the Lord high and lifted up, seated on the throne. His experience caused him to be undone before the Lord.

Before God can use us, we must first be undone before the Lord. He must first break off self-sufficiency. Pride, control, and the emphasis on our lives for personal accomplishments and accolades must go.

Step 2: RevelationIsaiah 6:5) - Before we can be used by God, we need revelation of both who He is and who we are. Psalm 139:23-24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

Isaiah’s revelation of God opened his eyes to who he was before God. A man of unclean lips living amongst a people of unclean lips. This is key because it is the beginning of humility.

God isn’t looking for people who know it all and have it all together. He is looking for people who are willing to walk in humility according to His ways and desires. Our hearts need to be revealed, and if there is any place of sin or wickedness, it must be dealt with.

Step 3: Purification (Isaiah 6:6-7) - Isaiah was purified in the presence of God. This is the call to Sanctification/Holiness I mentioned earlier. In the place of encounter and revelation, we must become set apart.

The reason: You will have no effect on a culture that you actively participate in. If you want to see kingdom transformation in a worldly culture, you must be set apart from the culture.

Your life must look different and have valid proof of what transformation looks like if you are to call others out of worldly living. Without purification, your life will have little impact because you practice the very things they do.

Do you see the progression? Isaiah encounters the Lord; he gains revelation of who God is and his spiritual condition.

Step 4: Availability (Isaiah 6:8) - Next, we see that his proximity to God’s presence is what positioned him to be used by God. God asks who will go for us, and whom shall I send. Isaiah’s response was, "Here I am; send me."

Isaiah would not have heard if he had not been close. This is key: it is in the place of encounter as we receive revelation and purification that we become attuned to God’s heart and desires. When we hear His desires, we simply offer to make ourselves available to Him.

A key aspect of availability is readiness to serve. You may not have all the skills or talents at that exact moment, but you’re ready. You are living in active submission, giving time and resources to God’s agenda, because you recognize that your life belongs to Him.

Step 5: Assignment (Isaiah 6:9) - Availability is the precursor to assignment. The key to understand here is that God calls people to many different types of assignments. Availability does not automatically equate to a vocational ministry assignment.
For some, God calls them to the roles of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, or teachers, but He also calls many more to other functions. Each have their place and neither usurps the other. Both are significant and should be approached with godly reverence.

The Five-Fold Ministry - Key Purpose:
Ephesians 4:11–12 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,”

Apostle - “Sent Ones” who are commissioned to contend for pure doctrine, preserve unity among the saints, equip leaders, model Christian character, and help the church advance into new territory.
An apostle catches what God has got in His heart for the church, so while an evangelist or a Pastor will be concerned about people and their needs, an apostle will be concerned about what God wants the church to accomplish, so an apostle, it says, is first in rank. Why is that? Not because they're more important, but because their thinking is addressing what God wants the church to be.

Prophet - Messengers of God who edify and encourage, help guide and direct, reveal God’s will, train in hearing the voice of God, and help to confirm, protect, and expand the vision of the church leaders.

Evangelist - Those anointed to proclaim the Gospel and lead many to salvation. They burn for souls. They also train others in evangelism. They help keep the church’s focus outward.

Pastor - Shepherds who teach and preach, equip the saints, lead and oversee, protect the flock from false teaching and ungodly influences, and provide pastoral care.

Teacher - Impart sound doctrine, equip believers for ministry, and cultivate spiritual maturity. They ensure accurate interpretation of scripture, protecting the church from error while mentoring others to be disciples.

Calls to Marketplace Ministry:
We must view the marketplace as a place of divine calling. The purpose of the five-fold ministry is to equip the saints of God for the work of ministry in their lives.

Approximately 97-98% of Christians work in the marketplace, while only 2-3% serve in full-time ministry. Kingdom advancement has the greatest potential through each of you as go into the world.

Work as Worship. Colossians 3:23-24“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.”

Equipping for Craftsman - In Exodus 31:1-6, God explicitly calls Bezalel and Oholiab, filling them with His Spirit to perform artistic and skilled craftsmanship for the tabernacle. These were God-given skill sets.

Remaining in One's Calling: 1 Corinthians 7:17 encourages individuals to "live as the Lord has assigned to him, and as God has called him," which often meant staying in their current profession to serve God there.

What is the purpose of the marketplace call?
To carry out the great commission. Matthew 28:18-20 “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.”

Providing for Needs: Helping answer the prayer for "daily bread" through production and trade.
• Boaz: A wealthy landowner and businessman in Bethlehem who demonstrated God's character through fair and generous business practices (Ruth 2).
• Lydia: A "dealer in purple cloth" (Acts 16:14), a luxury business owner whose home became a base for the early church.
• Builder in Scott Wilson’s Church: God called him to become a builder who was kingdom-minded and focused. He knew how many touch points they had with a customer to represent Christ from first contact to final closing on the homes they built. They would represent Christ throughout the process. Also with profit, God told him that He would prosper the builder so that He could help finance God’s plans.

Demonstrating Kingdom Life in secular environments. Becoming an image bearer by living as "salt and light" in secular environments (Matthew 5:13-16), and as a result you become an image bearer of God.
• Joseph: Served as a high-level government administrator and grain manager to save nations from famine (Genesis 41:37-57).
• Daniel: Built a distinguished career as a top-tier analyst and administrator under multiple foreign kings (Daniel 1-6).
• Nehemiah: Served as a high-ranking official (cupbearer) and later a project manager/governor to rebuild Jerusalem's walls (Nehemiah 1-2).

Each of these callings are significant and meaningful. We need both the Five-Fold Ministry and the Marketplace Ministry.

So, as we look to answer the question of what is God’s plan for my life? The answer is found in the place of encounter with God. Direction and instruction only come from proximity and closeness to Him.

My prayer today is that we would lean in and draw near to Christ. If we will, He will be faithful to guide, lead, and direct us in all things.