How do you know you are called to ministry?

[CoffeeSwirls]

First let me say that I have never attended an openly reformed church of any denomination, so I ask this next question out of pure ignorance.

I have seen a couple people make mention that their calling to preach has been confirmed in some way. This concept is new to me, and I'd like an explanation of this. Is there some sort of test you undergo? What does the process look like?

 

[hooverbranch]

Well actually my youth group had us take a SPIRITUAL GIFT TEST and that was suppose to give you an idea of your role in the church but I wouldnt take anything to serious from a test...

Everyone is called to ministry whether its a Preacher, teacher, backround helper, etc. Is up to you. You should be active in something that fits your Spiritual Gifts and supports your personal role in the church.

 

[CoffeeSwirls]

I re-read my question and it isn't very clear. Sorry about that. What I mean is that there was someone who was excited a week or so ago that they knew they were called to preach the gospel and that it had been confirmed, apparently from within the church. Who confirmed it and how?

Just curious...

 

[hooverbranch]

I re-read my question and it isn't very clear. Sorry about that. What I mean is that there was someone who was excited a week or so ago that they knew they were called to preach the gospel and that it had been confirmed, apparently from within the church. Who confirmed it and how?

Just curious...

No Clue... I am pretty sure we are all called to preach the Gospel wether or not it is in the pulpit is up to what you think you are suppose to do.

 

[Dmckay]

I don't think that there is a clear-cut answer that fits all individuals. However, I think that I can help clarify it for you by my own experience. When I firrst started really growing in the Lord, I had an insatiable appetite for the Word. The more I studied, the more I HAD to study and understand. I was reading every commentary and study guide that I could get my hands on. After a while I began to be really bugged by the wide variance of interpretation given by different "Bible Scholars" of the same passages. This started me wishing that I had the Language skills to be able to study the original texts on my own, so as not to have to depend on the "skills" or lack thereof of the "experts."

There was also the fact that the more I learned the more I had to tell others of what the Scriptures had to say. I was in the Army assigned to a Ranger Unit, and I was being called "Preacher" because I was always teaching from Scripture. This isn't normal activity found in Ranger units. When I was being discharged from the service a friend asked, "Now that you are getting out, what are you going to do?" My immediate answer was that I was going to go to school and go into the ministry.

I had never given serious thought to entering the ministry because I was painfully shy. I was sure that I couln't enter the ministry becasue I couldn't even give an oral report while I was in High school. But the more I thought and prayed about it the more it pressed upon my mind.

After my discharge I went to speak with a pastor that I knew and asked him about how one goes about entering the ministry. He spent the next 3 1/2 hours trying to talk me out of it. And he was serious. He gave me reason after reason why I shouldn't even consider going into the ministry. It was only after he was sure that despite all the things he could come up with to try to dissuade me that he advised me, "If there is anything else that you can do with your life and be happy, that is what you should do." After thinking about it for several minutes I told him, "I know that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but there is nothing else that I can do and still be happy in life. I have to do this!"

It was only then that he explained what I needed to do as far as experience, schooling, ordination etc.

 

[Elderone]

After my discharge I went to speak with a pastor that I knew and asked him about how one goes about entering the ministry. He spent the next 3 1/2 hours trying to talk me out of it. And he was serious. He gave me reason after reason why I shouldn't even consider going into the ministry. It was only after he was sure that despite all the things he could come up with to try to dissuade me that he advised me, "If there is anything else that you can do with your life and be happy, that is what you should do." After thinking about it for several minutes I told him, "I know that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but there is nothing else that I can do and still be happy in life. I have to do this!"

It was only then that he explained what I needed to do as far as experience, schooling, ordination etc.

A very wise man that pastor !!

 

[Macrina]

After my discharge I went to speak with a pastor that I knew and asked him about how one goes about entering the ministry. He spent the next 3 1/2 hours trying to talk me out of it. And he was serious. He gave me reason after reason why I shouldn't even consider going into the ministry. It was only after he was sure that despite all the things he could come up with to try to dissuade me that he advised me, "If there is anything else that you can do with your life and be happy, that is what you should do." After thinking about it for several minutes I told him, "I know that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, but there is nothing else that I can do and still be happy in life. I have to do this!"

I received the same advice. Good stuff.

 

[Dmckay]

If someone is truely gifted by the Holy Spirit in preparation for ministry then those gifts will be obvious to other mature believers already involved in ministry. The first step for someone seeking to enter the ministry is to examine their lives and interests to determine if they have reason to believe that their personalities and talents lend themselves toward some type of ministry. Very often the Spiritual gift or gifts that the Holy Spirit imparts to a believer falls in an area where that believer already has a talent and an interest. Next, the individual needs to begin taking part in the ministry to get experience and to confirm that their suspected gift/gifts are actually present. If they are, then it will be confirmed by other more mature believers observing your work in the ministry.

If the individual involved is still lead to believe that they are being called to a full-time ministry they should talk to their pastor or some other person involved in a full-time ministry to discuss their belief that they are being called to ministry. Something very helpful would be to develop an apprenticeship under the leadership of a mature Spiritual leader, and taking on more active roles in the work of the local body. This allows the person seeking to enter the ministry to get more of an idea of the blessing and problems associated with ministry, and gives the people of the church the opportunity to observe more closely your gifts and personality. Before you begin training for ministry at a Bible College or Seminary you have to have written recommendations from your Pastor and other Spiritual leaders who have observed your gifts and abilities and that will confirm that they believe that you are called to full-time Christian service. This will also give you a taste of the problems that will arise as you continue to follow the Lord's leading in your life.

 

[CoffeeSwirls]

Thanks, Dmckay!

I'm older than the average seminarian, and have more home responsibilities, but my pastor has suggested that I fill in for him one week while they are out of town, and I even suggested preaching at an evening service for an earlier try. The thing is, though, I prefer expository preaching over topical and only know examples of this in the form of series. A series on Galations or 2 Timothy or whatever. A lone trip to the pulpit almost calls for a topical sermon, though.

I do have a sermon (three actually) most of the way prepared, and could massage them into one or two sermons depending on the circumstances. Perhaps if it goes over well I could have a Sunday evening series for a few months. But now I'm just woolgathering.

Anyway, I see some examples of what has been said on this thread and can equate recent events in my life to them. I hope I am called to preach, but not for my own sake.

 

[Dmckay]

First let me say that I have never attended an openly reformed church of any denomination, so I ask this next question out of pure ignorance.

I have seen a couple people make mention that their calling to preach has been confirmed in some way. This concept is new to me, and I'd like an explanation of this. Is there some sort of test you undergo? What does the process look like?

While I am a 5-point T.U.L.I.P. believer I am not a Calvinist, nor am I associated with a normal Reformed church which usually, but not always, don't hold to Siritual gifts being for the Church today. That being said, if an individual is gifted by the Spirit for a specific ministry it usually becomes apparent to those who are atuned to watch for some things. Such as someone with the Spiritual gift of teaching will exhibit a supernatural ability to be able to teach and explain Scripture in just the right manner to be able to give understanding to someone they are teaching. It's like they instinctively understand the personality and communication ability of the one/ones they are teaching and automatically use the best teaching method to help them understand the spiritual truth that is being taught.

Someone that is gifted toward the pastorate will usually have a heart of patience and compassion in dealing with those individuals who are the most difficult. They don't get frustrated with the negativity of many of the members of the Church whose goal in life sometimes seems to make life as difficult as possible for the Church leadership.

Someone gifted in hospitality has an ability to open their home on a moments notice and make anyone feel not only at home, but like they are actually an accepted member of a loving family that has been known forever.

Full-time Christian service requires special gifts, attitudes and personalities that can become obvious to others observing a person as they minister alongside of you. Can you imagine sending someone to the mission field in someplace like Papua New Guinea if they have difficultly relating to other races, consider anything other than a 5-star hotel camping out, and can't survive without seeing their family every weekend?

 

[Dmckay]

One last piece of advice. NO ONE that I have ever known ever started out preaching doing their very best. Authority in preaching come from experience in preaching G-d's Word regularly and consistantly. Many preachers I know can pretty much nail how long a young preacher has been preaching just by listening to one of his messages. Don't get discouraged if things don't go the way you intended when you first start out.

 

[Irishcat922]

Here is a good quote I think is appropriate for this thread. Albeit some what lengthy.

"God's call is not like man's call; Man's call always presupposes abilities, God's call brings them. And if God's porters, whom He has set to keep the door of opportunity, judge you able, then you are to rest in their judgement. God has a door, which when he calls a man to work, He then opens to him. This door is kept by certain porters, whom God has appointed to keep the same, and if they judge you have the abilities, then you are to rest and acquiesce therein; for though I am to judge of mine own grace, and not another, yet others are to judge of my gifts and abilities and not myself."

William Bridge

 

[oworm]

Here is a good quote I think is appropriate for this thread. Albeit some what lengthy.

"God's call is not like man's call; Man's call always presupposes abilities, God's call brings them. And if God's porters, whom He has set to keep the door of opportunity, judge you able, then you are to rest in their judgement. God has a door, which when he calls a man to work, He then opens to him. This door is kept by certain porters, whom God has appointed to keep the same, and if they judge you have the abilities, then you are to rest and acquiesce therein; for though I am to judge of mine own grace, and not another, yet others are to judge of my gifts and abilities and not myself."

William Bridge

Is that from his book "The christian ministry"?

 

[GrinningDwarf]

...my pastor has suggested that I fill in for him one week while they are out of town, and I even suggested preaching at an evening service for an earlier try. The thing is, though, I prefer expository preaching over topical and only know examples of this in the form of series. A series on Galations or 2 Timothy or whatever. A lone trip to the pulpit almost calls for a topical sermon, though.

This is just an idea....

I used to go to Calvary Chapel churches. Now, I've since come to the conclusion that some of their theology is off-base, but they do preach through the Bible. They usually have elders in the body fill in for the pastor when he's gone, and they still manage to teach expository messages. For instance, whenever Elder Bob is called upon to preach, he might be preaching through 2 Peter. Or whenever Elder Jim is called upon to preach, he might be preaching through a minor prophet. It takes you longer to get through a book, but it still seemed to work.

I'm doing the same thing at our church. Whenever I'm called upon to preach, I'm going through Galatians. Well...I was going through Galatians. I'm so excited about Galatians and it's message, and it was taking so long to get through it whenever I filled in Sunday mornings, that I'm now teaching it for our adult Sunday School!! Now I just need to find something else to preach through on the occaisional Sunday morning!

 

[Irishcat922]

Is that from his book "The christian ministry"?

It is from his book "A lifting up for the Downcast"

 

[Jon_]

One last piece of advice. NO ONE that I have ever known ever started out preaching doing their very best. Authority in preaching come from experience in preaching G-d's Word regularly and consistantly. Many preachers I know can pretty much nail how long a young preacher has been preaching just by listening to one of his messages. Don't get discouraged if things don't go the way you intended when you first start out.

I've seen this before, but I don't understand it: what is with the spelling of God as "G-d"? I don't mean offense by any means, I was just wondering why it was done.

 

[CoffeeSwirls]

Let me try, though I'll likey be wrong. Jews sometimes refer to God as YHWH, which is
"Yahweh" (His name) without the vowels. They believe they are unworthy to speak His name, so they remove the vowels, and our brother Dmckay may be of the same persuasion.

How'd I do?

 

[Jon_]

Let me try, though I'll likey be wrong. Jews sometimes refer to God as YHWH, which is
"Yahweh" (His name) without the vowels. They believe they are unworthy to speak His name, so they remove the vowels, and our brother Dmckay may be of the same persuasion.

How'd I do?

For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom. 10:13 KJV).

 

[Dmckay]

I've seen this before, but I don't understand it: what is with the spelling of God as "G-d"? I don't mean offense by any means, I was just wondering why it was done.

Coffeeswirls and Jon_ are correct. There are a rather large number of Hebrews who routinely read the posts on Christian Forums. For many saying the name YHWH or title for G-d out loud is a violation of the Commandment not to take the name of the Lord in vain. The Hebrew term "vain" means "empty" or "without reason." Not wanting to be a stumbling block or to provide any reason for offense to our Hebrew friends I write G-d and YHWH this way so that they won't inadvertantly commit what they observe as sin.

 

[oworm]

It is from his book "A lifting up for the Downcast"

Ah ic.I have that one too as it happens!