God is Calling….. Will you respond with; Here I am Lord?

John 1
43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him,“Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, theson of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”  48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him,“Truly, truly, I say to you,11 you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

I am a first year seminary student, who is on a journey of the exploration into a call of ministry.  This call is my call, but we all have calls to share. 

Although I did not understand it at the time, God has been preparing me all of my life, through personal relationships, hardships, and occupations.  We all have a call from God. Some are to Evangelize; others are to give of time or talents.  Some are to be teachers, while others may be called to organize others.  All of these are calls from God, if we are willing to listen for God in all that we do.

About 10 years ago, I asked a trusted group of a men’s bible study I was a part of, should I be or do you see me as a Pastor?  I received a very quick, abrupt, resounding NO from the group. By their standards and the standards of worldly things, I should not even be here today.  We can not let the perception of others overrule the reality of what God has made us to be.
In the Gospel today,we hear Nathanael say “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Here Jesus is being per-judge, based upon where he comes from, from his background.  We know this never happens anymore right?  Whenever hear anyone say that nothing good can come out Chicago, or nothing good comes out of urban Milwaukee?  We know this is not true, it is not fair or just ?..but it happens. 
What would have happened if God had forsaken Moses, that premeditated murder! God however forgets and forgives the past and looks to the future. Moses future was greater in God’s eyes. God had plans, but Moses did not believe he was qualified and it took him some time to willingly follow the call that God had for him.
Samuel was born of a woman who was barren for many years. She was well past childbearing years. Not only should Samuel not been born, but he did not come from a priestly family,.. yet,he ends up serving in the church, becomes a judge and a prophet.
God uses the unlikely, the lowly, the unwanted, the sinner to accomplish God’s work hereon earth.
Is it about the past, your past….my past, your neighbors past?  NO, it is about the future God has in store for his people, you and me.  Nathanael is impressed by a parlor trick of Jesus. He believes that Jesus is the Son of God, because Jesus knows who Nathanael is, even though he only seen him under the fig tree, without ever talking to him, he knows him by name. 
Yes, God knows us all by name. Knows our past, knows every hair upon our heads and knows our sins. Yet God chooses to forget our past and forgives our sins in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Jesustells Nathanael that it is not this parlor trick that should convince him that he is the Son of God, but the future and all the wondrous things he will witness.
Some of us may be what others would consider fortunate, to have those mountain top experiences to realize just what our call is in life. Some of us gradually find our calling.  Some muddle around in multiple calls, experiencing many different avenues to achieve their ultimate call.  Now you may think that muddle is a bad thing, however muddle is what many experience in their life.  So if muddle is what many experience, never feeling as if you have found what God is calling you to do, this is okay.  Those that muddle can have experiences that more people can relate to and more avenues to reach others. 
For those that have mountain top experiences, this is neither good nor bad but their own experience that also can be used for the good of God. It is not our experiences that ultimately define us, but what we do and how we use those experiences for God’s kingdom.
God is calling you,yes! YOU, each and everyone one of you. Look at your neighbor in the Pew?…He or She has a call from God. Now take a look around the sanctuary, everyone you see here, has a call from God.  Just like God called to Samuel……God isspeaking?…, speaking to you….Do you hear His call?

God says look to the future, so much more will be revealed to you. It is not the past but the future. Just like the song that tells Samuel’s story of the Lord calling to him in the night….
Here I am Lord:
I, the Lord of sea and sky,
I have heard my people cry.
All who dwell in darkness now
My hand will save.
I who make the stars of night,
I will make their darkness bright.
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.

Pastor Richard last week listed many accomplishments that the members of Faith Santa Fe have accomplished just this last year. Children have been called to baptism and confirmation.  Faith Santa Fe is the beacon, ..the light of God in this community. By fixing up the building, you have made it safer and more inviting to the community. You have extended the love of God to more people. This is not a time to stop reaching out, this is the time to keep on reaching and expanding your horizons and continue to quest to satisfy the thirst of the community, for God’s love.
What were you? Did you commit a crime? Did you steal, injure someone, commit adultery, the list can go on. Are you labelled for your last name, the area you live in, the color of your skin, the amount you make, the lack of possessions? 
All of these can define us to others in this world but not to God.  God calls us each to a future, a future that God has for each of us, one rich in diversity centered, around the Love of Godin Jesus Christ. Are you ready to stand up and answer the call of the Lord? Your call may be as simple as writing a letter:
Some of you may know of an actor by the name of John Wayne. His characters were almost always that of a very rough and tough guy.  This carried over to his reputation personally as well. You may not know what happened to him before he died. This is that story!

Robert Schuller, a well known pastor in the United States had a teenage daughter, Cindy, who was in a motorcycle accident and had to have her leg amputated. John Wayne is a big fan of Robert Schuller.  He heard Dr.Schuller say on one of his programs that his daughter had been in an accident and had to have her leg amputated. 
John Wayne wrote a note to her saying:

Dear Cindy,
Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you will be all right.
Signed, John Wayne

The note was delivered to her and she decided she wanted to write John Wayne a note in reply.
She wrote:Dear Mr. Wayne,
I got your note. Thanks for writing to me. I like you very much.  I am going to be all right because Jesus is going to help me.  Mr. Wayne, do you know Jesus? 

I sure hope you know Jesus, Mr. Wayne, because I cannot imagine Heaven being complete without John Wayne being there. I hope, if you don’t know Jesus, that you will give your heart to Jesus right now.  See you in Heaven. 
Cindy

She had just put that letter in an envelope, sealed it, and written across the front of it “John Wayne” when a visitor came into her room to see her.  He said to her: What are you doing?

She said: I just wrote a letter to John Wayne, but I don’t know how to get it to him. He said: That’s funny, I am going to have dinner with John Wayne tonight at the Newport Club down at Newport Beach. Give it to me and I will give it to him. She gave him the letter and he put it in his coat pocket.

There were twelve of them that night sitting around the table for dinner. They were laughing and cutting up and the guy happened to reach in his pocket and felt that letter and remembered. 
John Wayne was seated at the end of the table and the guy took the letter out and said: Hey, Duke, I was in Schuller’s daughter’s room today and she wrote you a letter and wanted me to  give it to you. Here it is.
They passed it down to John Wayne and he opened it. They kept on laughing and cutting up and someone happened to look down at John Wayne.  He was crying. One of them said: Hey, Duke, what is the matter?
He said (and can’t you hear him saying it), ” I want to read you this letter.” He read the letter. Then he began to weep.  He folded it, put it in his pocket, and he pointed to the man who delivered it to him and said: “You go tell that little girl that right now, in this restaurant, right here, John Wayne gives his heart to Jesus Christ and I will see her in heaven.” Three weeks later John Wayne died.

You never know how your witness to another will effect their eternity!  Never waste an opportunity to show what you are made of and who loves you more than anything.
In Colossians 4:5-6 it says, Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.  Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
We are in the business of changing lives!
Are we ready to be the future that God has in mind, saying:
Here I am, Lord. It is I Lord.
I have heard you calling in the night.
I will go, Lord, where you lead me.
I will hold your people in my heart.
  
—E. C.Baird, a Christian Hymnal Song author said;
You may ask: “What is the will of God?”
Well,here’s the answer true;
“Thenearest thing, that should be done,
That he can do—through you!”
Each of you at Faith Santa Fe, can answer the call of God to be what God has called each of you tobe, walking in the light of God all the while saying, Here I am Lord.  I will go, Lord,where you lead me.  I will hold your people in my heart.