The Call to Ministry

When I first surrendered to serve the Lord in ministry, I said to the Lord, "I will do anything you want, but I don't want to be a pastor." I was willing to go to the ends of the earth as a missionary, but I had no desire to pastor. Of course, I have learned since then that "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps" (Proverbs 16:9).

I was serving the Lord as a youth minister when God called me to be a pastor. The call upon my life came, not at one serendipitous moment, but over a long period of time. It started with my first opportunity to preach at a Wednesday night Bible Study. This opportunity was followed by several more opportunities to preach on Sunday mornings. Over a six month period, the Lord gave me an intense desire to pastor his people and preach his word. The apostle Paul said, "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task" (1 Timothy 3:1). The desire I had to pastor could only be from God because I had no desire to be a pastor.

I have been serving the Lord for over twelve years as a senior pastor. I have to admit that if I had not been called by God, I would have quit a long time ago. I have to constantly recommit my life to God's call upon my life to be a shepherd of the people whom he purchased with his blood. Paul summarized what it means to be a pastor when he said to the Ephesian elders, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God"(Acts 20:24). This verse reminds me that I have to commit my life to the priority of God's call.

The Priority of God's Call
A follower of Jesus Christ understands that the God's will is about self-denial and self-sacrifice. This is especially true for the minister of the gospel. God calls pastors to be examples for the flock. Paul said, "But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself." Paul knew that following Christ and serving Christ would mean sacrificing his preferences to God's will. There is a great temptation to serve God only if it benefits my life. All pastors would love to be successful and comfortable, but God doesn't call us all to success and comfort. He calls us to surrender our lives to his will, knowing that God honors those who honor him. God's call must take priority over my family, my finances, my future, my fun, my life.

The Perseverance for God's Call
Paul's desire is stated, "if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus." God's call must take priority if you are going to finish the race. Many people get out of the ministry because they are not willing to make the sacrifice. They value their lives more than the call of God upon their lives. I will admit that I have had many times I wanted to give up in ministry. Every minister struggles with perseverance, and the only way to stay with the course is to surrender preference to the priority of God's call, and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The Purpose of God's Call
The purpose of God's call is a privilege. It is also the greatest motivation for surrendering to the priority of God's call. The purpose of God calling is real simple, "to testify to the gospel of the grace of God." What can be a greater privilege and purpose in the world than to preach the gospel of grace?. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing that God's call is the most important call in the whole universe. What really matters to humanity is to know and understand the Lord. The only way a person can know and understand the Lord is through grace of God revealed through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. What a privilege to be able to testify of God's grace!

Dear Lord, today, I recommit my life to your call upon my life. I thank you that I can serve you and your people at First Southern Baptist Church. I am thankful that I have the wonderful privilege of sharing Jesus.

"Count the cost of following Christ; and if you cannot bear such a cost as this, turn your backs and perish in your sins!" Charles Spurgeon