The Gospel Call

We have just been singing in that hymn 43, “God’s own way abides the same, In ev’ry age and clime. There is but one true saving name; The name of Christ divine."

What a wonderful thing that God is able to bring about unity. We see the evidence of it here. God has a way of doing this. It is the same in every age and clime. It is a great privilege for me to come over to this convention, and I am thankful to be able to say that I appreciate the testimonies. I have a special interest in the young people and their testimonies too, because it was my experience to hear the Gospel when I was young, still attending primary school, and I made my choice to serve God, round about 1923. Only two in our family made their choice in that mission, my brother and I. No one else in our family was professing.

It is still very real to me: those meetings I attended at that time, in the home of one of the saints. There were two sister workers there: Lucy Manning was one. There was just something in those meetings that gripped me. The time came when a meeting was tested, and I indicated my willingness to make my choice to serve God and follow Jesus. I had a limited understanding but was sincere in making my choice. At that particular time of life I did not think a lot of eternity, but the meetings made me think of eternity and I knew there was an eternity to face one day. I committed my life into the hands of God, and it has brought a lot of experiences into my life that I never anticipated at the time. They were all for my good and I would not like to have missed them.

One was being called into the work. A good number of years after I professed, I felt this urge in my heart to offer. At first I thought of dismissing it, because I did not think I would be equal to living that kind of life as a preacher. I went on like that for a time; then a worker came into our district and said to me one day, “Did you ever think of offering yourself for the ministry?” I said, “I have thought about it, but didn’t think I could fill a place like that.” The worker said, “It is not a case of great ability, but of willingness.” So that was how it was in my youth. The time came when I was told there was an opening for me in the work. An older brother had offered and had gone into the work a few years before.

At first only my brother and I professed. After a few years my mother and two sisters also professed, and all have gone on, none have dropped out of the way. The year I went into the work, after I’d been in for about six months, I got word my mother had met with an accident and had bled to death. When I went into the work, I never saw my mother again, but she was faithful to the end. I felt I wanted to give my testimony because I am very interested in young lives. We have a wonderful privilege to come to know the way of God in our youth. I count it a privilege to be in this fellowship. It is what makes life worthwhile; it is living and gives us a hope beyond.

Listening to the testimonies, we can see that there is a great unity among us, not something new. I am aware of it every year, but it still stands out as a miracle to me that God has made this number of people one in Christ. It is a miracle only God can bring about, to find a spiritual people having one mind and having put the things of the Kingdom first in their lives. “Seek ye first the kingdom and all these things shall be added unto you.” Some, when confronted with the Gospel and they get to understand there is a cost to salvation, turn away. We are not regarded as a popular people by the world, but nevertheless, sincere souls in the world will be impressed by our sincerity and unity that is among us. Unity is strength brought about by the Spirit of God operating in every life.

At a convention many things are spoken about things that are necessary in the family of God and among the people of God, but in this particular meeting, I felt I should speak a little along the line of the Gospel and experiences of some individuals in the Bible, when a great change came into their life and they were never the same again. Jacob was on a certain journey, had obeyed his father and mother to go on this journey. There had been trouble in the home and his brother was planning to take his life. On this journey he came to a certain place and tarried there all night. God gave him a vision of the way that leads to Heaven above. It is narrow, Jesus said. That is the way God has called us. It is narrow, but not too narrow. There is no room for all that human nature would go after. We have to crucify the human side and therefore it becomes narrow.

It is an everlasting way. There are no changes down through the ages in this narrow way. God has not brought out new models. The way from the beginning is a narrow way, but a way of great peace and holiness. There is great hope for the future; the only way that gives us a true, certain hope of an everlasting future. Jacob saw that heavenly vision of a way. It is not everyone that sees a heavenly vision. Some people get a natural human vision. They can look at an area of ground they can make productive, and make some success in this life. John the apostle had a wonderful vision looking into eternity, into things beyond this life, something with an eternal future. We didn’t come into the way of God because of natural benefits, but there are natural benefits too. The reason we made our choice was because this is the way that leads to eternal life. As one grows older, we think more and more of our eternity.

I can see the day coming, not that far away, when I will not be in this life anymore. It does not fill me with fear or dread, but gives me a sober view of things, because we are only temporary dwellers in this life, and today we have a hope because of what God has done, and continues to do, and preserves desires and purposes to serve Him with our time and ability, so that we will not live this life in vain. Jacob, on this journey, had obeyed his father and mother and now God is coming into it. Jacob saw a ladder and the top of it reached to Heaven, possibly the most important part of it. A ladder is a series of steps. You don’t start off near the top step, but on the bottom step. The more steps we take, the further we get from the earth. On a ladder reaching to Heaven, you would be a long way from the earth when you got halfway up. It is a picture of God’s way. Think of the heavenly view.

Jacob had a heavenly vision. It is profitable to talk to people who have a heavenly vision, not filled up with the affairs of this life. I believe this is where Jacob got saved. He awaken out of sleep and knew, “God is in this place,” and he made his choice. “The Lord is going to be my God,” and he made a vow, and I believe he kept that vow and God continued to be Lord of his life. God has brought us to the place where we have made a commitment. There is a cost, but in the light of eternity that cost is very small. Human nature does not want to be in subjection to the spiritual mind and outlook. “This is a dreadful place,” Jacob said. We should behave ourselves in the house of God. We are the temple of the living God, have a privilege of manifesting the Christ-like nature that God will impart to us.

John 1:29. In that meeting there were Jesus and John. John’s message was, “Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.” That was the theme of the meeting, and without that we have no hope. The second meeting John looked upon Jesus as He walked and said, “Behold the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Now they were looking on the walk of Jesus and they followed Jesus. Jesus is going ahead, and it is our privilege to follow though not being driven. We follow willingly and we choose to follow Jesus, desiring to become more like Him.

Andrew was one who followed, and then Simon whose name was changed to Cephas. Jacob too had his name changed. Cephas means a stone. He became a stone in God’s building. He was an important stone because he continued in the position God put him. God’s people are being builded together. Every stone in this building is touching other stones: above, beneath, the sides and each end. We are builded together. When a number of stones are in line with each other, under the control of the builder, becomes a house. We are builded together, that is the purpose of God, that we should be gathered out from the world and each put into shape and builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

The unity of God’s people is the glory of God’s family. We are very thankful God has brought about that unity. We should be concerned and pray earnestly that this unity might be preserved and made stronger. In the human state it is very hard to bring about unity, but as God begins to work, He brings us into shape, and God brings about unity. We are living in a world where unity is a scarce thing. We live in a world of division, trouble, distress. We are gathered here in quietness. It is a heavenly place, like that heavenly vision Jacob saw.

ROBERT BARBOUR - 1992 - The Gospel Call - Glencoe