Send me

Isaiah 6:8
What is a Call?
Definition of “Call”:
God’s initiative to bring people to Jesus and to participate in His redemptive work in the world.
There are two dimensions to God’s call.
1. The General Call
God’s invitation for every person to repent, believe in Christ, and become His disciple.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.” (NKJV)
• Matthew 11:28 – “Come to Me, all you who labor…”
• Romans 10:13 – “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
• 2 Peter 3:9 – God is “not willing that any should perish.”
Illustration:
A wedding invitation can be sent to hundreds of people, but only those who RSVP and attend
enjoy the celebration.
God’s invitation is universal, but each person must respond personally.
2. The Specific Call
After salvation comes assignment.
God has a unique purpose for every believer.
Ephesians 2:10
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared
beforehand that we should walk in them.”
Jeremiah 29:11
“I know the plans I have for you…”
Romans 12:4-8
Different gifts but one body.
God doesn’t call everyone to preach, but He calls everyone to serve.
Examples:
• Joseph—called to lead Egypt.
• Esther—called “for such a time as this.”
• Nehemiah—called to rebuild walls.
• Lydia—called to support ministry through business.
• Dorcas (Acts 9)—called to minister through generosity.
THREE RESPONSES TO GOD’S CALL
I. “Here I am… I’m NOT going.”
Jonah
God called Jonah to Nineveh.
Instead, Jonah bought a ticket going the opposite direction.
Jonah 1:3
“But Jonah arose to flee…”
Notice:
Jonah wasn’t running from Nineveh.
He was running from God.
Illustration
Like receiving a certified letter from the IRS and refusing to sign for it.
Ignoring it doesn’t make it disappear.
Neither does ignoring God’s call.
Eventually…
• the storm came
• the sailors suffered
• Jonah ended up in the fish
Disobedience always affects more than ourselves.
Key Scripture
Psalm 139:7-10
“Where can I go from Your Spirit?”
You cannot outrun the God who called you.
II. “Here I am… Send someone else.”
Moses
Exodus chapters 3-4
God appears in the burning bush.
Moses gives excuse after excuse.
“I can’t.”
“They won’t believe me.”
“I’m not eloquent.”
“Please send someone else.”
Exodus 4:13
“O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”
God’s Answer
God never argues with Moses’ weakness.
He simply promises His presence.
Exodus 3:12
“Certainly I will be with you.”
God’s calling is never based on our ability.
It is based on His availability.
Illustration
God doesn’t call the qualified.
He qualifies the called.
Think about David.
He wasn’t the biggest.
He wasn’t the oldest.
He wasn’t the obvious choice.
But he had the right heart.
1 Samuel 16:7
“Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
III. “Here I am… Send me.”
Isaiah
Before Isaiah ever volunteered…
He first encountered God.
Isaiah 6 unfolds in order:
He Saw God
“Holy, Holy, Holy…”
A high view of God produces courageous obedience.
He Saw Himself
“Woe is me…”
Revival always begins with repentance.
He Received Cleansing
The coal touched his lips.
Grace always precedes service.
God cleanses before He commissions.
Then God Asked
“Whom shall I send?”
Notice…
God did not command Isaiah.
He invited him.
Isaiah responded:
“Here am I! Send me.”
The Blank Check
When we pray,
“Lord, send me.”
we are signing a blank check.
We let God fill in:
• the amount
• the destination
• the timing
• the sacrifice
We surrender control.
Luke 9:23
“If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself…”
Romans 12:1
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice…”
Modern Illustration
Imagine applying for a job without knowing:
• the salary
• the city
• the hours
• the responsibilities
Almost no one would do that.
Yet that’s exactly how faith works.
Abraham left home…
“…not knowing where he was going.”
(Hebrews 11:8)
Faith obeys before it understands.
Jesus Gives the Same Invitation
Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus looked over the crowds.
He didn’t see politics.
He didn’t see economics.
He saw people.
“…harassed and helpless, like sheep having no shepherd.”
Then Jesus says something remarkable.
“The harvest truly is plentiful…”
The problem isn’t the harvest.
The problem is the workers.
Then Jesus gives only one prayer request:
“Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.”
Notice what happens next.
In Matthew 10…
The very disciples who prayed…
became the answer to their own prayer.
Sometimes the greatest prayer you can pray is not:
“Lord, send someone.”
But:
“Lord… send me.”
Additional Biblical Examples of “Send Me”
• Abraham—left everything by faith (Hebrews 11:8).
• Ananias—went to Saul despite his fear (Acts 9:10-17).
• Philip—left a citywide revival to minister to one Ethiopian official (Acts 8:26-40).
• Mary—“Let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
• Paul—“Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6, NKJV textual tradition).
Closing Challenge
God is still asking,
“Whom shall I send?”
The question has never changed.
The only thing that changes is our response.
Will it be:
• Here I am… I’m not going.
• Here I am… send someone else.
• Or…
• Here I am… send me.
The greatest adventures in Scripture never began with someone who had all the answers.
They began with ordinary people who simply made themselves available to an extraordinary
God.
“The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the
harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” — Matthew 9:37–38 (NKJV)