What about a calling to ministry?

Ignoring call illustration

1. All Christians are called to Voluntary Ministry

— All Christians are called to witness (serving non-Christians)

Matthew 28:18–20 KJV 1900

And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

— All Christians are called to be a part of the body (serving Christians)

1 Corintheans 12:12-27

12 For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves[d] or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. 15 If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. 17 If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18 But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19 If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts,[e] yet one body.

21 The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” 22 On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23 and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, 24 which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, 25 that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. 26 If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

27 Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

Today there are too many people with the “consumer” mindset when it comes to going to church. When comparing churches they may think, well this one has the best worship, this one has a dynamic preacher, this one has the best bible studies and small groups. Listen, church is not for you. The church is not for you.

The church is literally for Jesus. It’s not about which worship service moves you the most or which preacher convicts you the most.

A worship service in a tiny baptist church that is solemn and reverential with just a piano and one singer is just as pleasing to God as a worship service in a mega church with a full on band and worship team.

Church isn’t about consuming a service, it is about being an extension of Christ. By loving people, serving others, and praising God

Whenever you are considering a church to attend, your first questions should not be how good is there worship or how good is there preaching, your first question should be what are their beliefs. Do they have the right beliefs. What do we believe here at our church? well we are baptist

Biblical Authority -

1 Thessalonians 2:13 KJV 1900

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Autonomy of the local church-

Colossians 1:18 KJV 1900

And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.

Priesthood of the Believer-

1 Peter 2:5 KJV 1900

Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Two ordinances- Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

Acts 8:36–38 KJV 1900

And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.

1 Corinthians 11:23–24 KJV 1900

For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

Individual Soul Liberty

Romans 14:12 KJV 1900

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

Saved and baptized church membership

Acts 2:41 KJV 1900

Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Acts 2:47 KJV 1900

Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

Two offices Pastor and Deacon

1 Timothy 3:1 KJV 1900

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.

1 Timothy 3:13 KJV 1900

For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

You can serve others by volunteering in your church. By being a door greeter, singing in choir, helping in kids ministry. Miss Sissy actually needs some help in kids ministry so if you want to volunteer to help her then come talk to me. If you really want to be utilized by the Lord ask your pastor what you can do to help or serve the church.

So every Christian is called to voluntary ministry by serving non Christians and witnessing to them

and every Christian is called to voluntary ministry by serving other Christians in the church.

2. Some Christians are called to Vocational Ministry

Ephesians 4:11–13 KJV 1900

And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

a) Some are called to Pastoral Ministry

b) Some are called to Missions Ministry

c) Some are called to Evangelism Ministry

Those were all preaching ministries, and we know that the Bible says that men are supposed to be the pastors

1 Timothy 2:11–12 KJV 1900

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

And there are more specific qualifications to be a pastor in the next chapter

1 Timothy 3:1–7 KJV 1900

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

God still does have a job for women

Titus 2:3–5 KJV 1900

The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

d) Some are called to Worship Ministry

How do I know if I am called to ministry?

There’s kind of two ends of the spectrum when it comes to being called into ministry. There’s the like kind of supernatural way of being called into ministry, like I know of a someone who fell off of a horse went into a coma and when he woke up he said he was called into ministry.

On the other end is the thought process that God takes volunteers. I don’t necessarily agree with that statement, but I don’t hate it either, because if God doesn’t want you in ministry, He will take you out of it.

**My called to ministry

Desire- a God given desire to minister

Opportunity- God given opportunities to minister, the right doors keep opening and the wrong doors keep closing

Ability- ability to minister and ability to grow in how to minister

There’s nothing special about ministers. The only reason I am a pastor here is because God singled me out and yall chose me, not because I’m better than yall or because im more spiritual than yall, just because that is the Lord’s will for my life.

What about you… What is the Lord’s will for your life. Maybe its ministry.

Is He calling you right now, and you’re just ignoring the call, hoping it’ll end or it’ll go away… He’ll keep calling