God Calls Young Men
God Calls Young Men
Zac Poonen | 4 December 2022
Jesus called very young people to be His apostles. Many think that to be an apostle one must be at least 60 or 65 years old. But Jesus chose 30-year-olds to be His first apostles. Jesus Himself was only 33? when He died. And the eleven apostles were all younger than Him - for we know that rabbis among the Jews always chose people younger than them as their disciples. John may have been only 30 on the day of Pentecost.
“If we are broken and humble, God will always use us."
When Jesus called these young men, He didn't look at their experience, but at their wholeheartedness. On the day of Pentecost these young men were anointed with the Holy Spirit and equipped supernaturally to be apostles of the Lord. Their experience and maturity came later. Timothy too became an apostle as a very young man (1 Timothy 4:12).
God calls young men to His service even today. But they must remain humble. The main danger that faces any young man who has been called of God, is spiritual pride.
I have seen many tragic cases in India, of young men called of God to be His servants, who have fallen from their calling. In some cases, as soon as God began to use them in some way, they got puffed up - and God had to set them aside, because they took the glory to themselves that belonged to God. In some other cases, they sought worldly comfort, and ended up as paid workers of Western Christian organisations that paid good salaries. Thus, they went astray like Balaam. And in yet other cases, they were attracted by pretty Delilahs, and lost their anointing like Samson. Thus, these fine young men sacrificed the calling of God and their anointing, for gaining man's honour and money or for satisfying their lust for pretty women.
Where are the prophets of God in India today who speak forth God's Word fearlessly, and who do not care for money, or for pretty women or for the approval of men?
They are rare to find. Those who were called of God have mostly fallen by the wayside.
The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite spirit. If we are broken and humble, God will always use us. But the day we think we have become somebody, because of the great revelations that we have received, or because of the tremendous ministry that God has given us, we have started backsliding. God will then set us aside.
We may still retain our position as elders in some church. But we will discover in eternity that we have wasted our lives.