Are You Called To Ministry?

Called to the Ministry

Let's see what the scriptures show us that the above link doesn't go into...

A. God hath set some in the church. There is a divine call.

1 Corinthians 12:27

King James Version (KJV)

²⁷Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

²⁸And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.

1. Ephesians 4:11 says "Jesus gave." This passage says "God set."

2. Notice this Corinthian passage calls the Body of Christ the Church. The Church is the Body of Christ. The Body of Christ is the Church. Not a congregational brand name church or a brand name fellowship or a geographical place or building. Not organizations.

B. God sets ministry gifts in the Church- not man.

1. There is a vast difference between God's setting some in the Church- and man's setting some in the Church.

2. A study of Church history reveals how down through the centuries various groups have endeavored to get back to what they call New Testament practices.

They've set up organizations which often were something man manufactured- something in the flesh, something carnal.

They "called" and "set" people who had no divine calling into certain offices.

This is unscriptural.

God does the setting.
God does the calling.

C. You do not enter the ministry- any phase of it- just because "you" feel it is a holy calling and you'd like to respond.

1. You cannot make yourself a ministry gift.
2. It is dangerous to do something just because "you" want to do it.

D. You do not enter the ministry because "someone else" tells you that you are suited for it.

1. Don't go because somebody else called you.
2. Don't go because your mother called you.
3. Don't go because your father called you.

There is a divine call. Recognize whether it is on your life and don't go out without it.

E. How can you tell a divine call?

1. You will have the conviction in your own spirit.
    You will have the witness in your own heart.

2. God deals with man's spirit.

3. Learn to listen to your spirit.

A. Learn to listen down on the inside of you and you will know many things you don't otherwise know.

B. But if you are just messing along in the world, about half~dedicated, half~in~half~out, because you are living too much in the carnal area, carnality will dominate you and you won't be conscious of your spirit.

C. If you are fully dedicated and consecrated to God to do anything He wants you to do, you will become conscious of that something inside you.

d. There will be a divine compulsion on the inside of you.

F. The methods by which men are called are unimportant. But obedience to the call is important.

1. If methods were important, the Bible would emphasize them; it does not.

2. The Bible has much to say about obedience.

3. Sometimes God does move in extraordinary ways. But this is not the rule.

A. Sometimes people will have visions. Paul did.

B. Prophecy. Ministry gifts are not set in the Church by prophecy. There may come a confirmation by prophecy.

Acts 13

¹Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

²As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.

Barnabas and Saul were not called by prophecy. They were not set in by prophecy or by man. God just confirmed something by prophecy.

1. If a so~called prophecy does not confirm what you have in your own spirit, forget it.

G. Seeing a need is not a call to ministry.

1. If we are not careful, we slip into the attitude of the Church in general that seeing a need is a call. This is not scriptural. THIS IS NOT A DIVINE CALL.

2. Naturally, as Christians we see a need, we are concerned about that need and will endeavor with all the ability we have to minister to that need. That is scripturally correct. But it is not to be confused with the divine call to the ministry.

H. An anointing evidences a divine call.

I. If God didn't call you to full time ministry, don't try to get into it; you will be a misfit.

J. Knowing that you are divinely called settles the matter once and for all. There should be no confusion on the subject.

I am not moved by what I see.
I am not moved by what I feel.
I am moved by what I believe.

Learn what spiritual things are, they are more real than natural things.
Learn to look to your spirit.

Your spirit will tell you.

Your spirit will tell you things your head doesn't know...