When I talk of the call to “ministry”, I am at this point flexible enough to accommodate all the gifts that are given to the Church, however, if I were to narrow it down, I would point straight at the preaching ministry. Because there is no more critical work to the advancement of the Gospel than being a preacher. So the big question is: what if I am called to this department, how then would I know that? To help us, I have crafted a few Biblical tests for us to discern those who are called for ministry work.
Desire for the task
According to 1 Timothy 3:1, the first step in discerning a call in somebody is that he has a desire for that task. Hence you will know that God has called you to a particular ministry work if your mind & heart is already set on that thing and you can’t find fulfillment in anything else. To borrow the words of Charles Spurgeon: there must be an intense, overwhelming desire for the work. Or to say with the good Apostle, “For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel! (1 Cor 9:16).” This is the subjective aspect of the call (where your own intuition confirms that you are called). On the other hand, if perhaps you have been told by others that you have some calling, yet you yourself have neither desire nor joy in doing it, that should be a sign that this particular ministry is not your thing. Try being a football coach – perhaps. Spurgeon again put it this way, “If you can do anything else, do it. If you can stay out of the ministry,
stay out of the ministry…If any (Bible) student in this room could be content
to be a newspaper editor or a grocer or a farmer or a doctor or a lawyer or a
senator or a king, in the name of heaven and earth, let him go his way.” It is certainly unprofitable for any congregation to try by all means to shove a man into the ministry task because of his availability or his fat income, while in reality, that man has neither passion nor interest in that call. Hence the kind of mess we are in.
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Confirmation from leaders
It is indeed commendable when an individual is bold enough to announce that God has called him. However, this is not enough. The second step that must follow is when mature church leaders recognize and validate that call. He has to be examined and tested if for sure the hand of the Lord is upon Him. And that examination begins with his character. His life must be – as Scripture says – “above reproach, not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined (Tit 1:7-8)”
Again, this is overlooked in the modern church. Instead, senior leaders are doing the very thing that Paul warned we must not do, that is, being quick to lay hands on someone before proper examinations have been undertaken to validate his claim (1 Tim 5:22). Many times people become self-deceived into thinking that they are called, yet in reality, God might be far from them as Cape is from Cairo. How damaging would it be to encourage that soul into something as serious as Gospel work whose life and conduct is already disqualified? It is the job of the elders, therefore, to discern that, and guide that individual properly; preventing him from making the mistake of his life that would potentially damage not only the souls of others but also his own. However, if the candidate passes all this scrutinization, then it is the task of these seniors to help and nurture him further, instead of hindering him. To give him the necessary training, platforms and resources for the development of that gift. And when the right time comes, they can confidently lay their hands on him and bid him farewell to the harvest field.
Gift from the Holy Spirit.
Again, there is a common trend in Africa where some clever minds have no problem with prefixing their names with ministry titles while having neither gift nor calling in those titles. “I am Evangelist so and so.” “I am Prophet so and so.” “I am Apostle so and so.” Yet if you examine those persons you will notice that most have no idea of what an evangelist or apostle is. Just titles to lengthen their names so as to gain worldly relevance. There has to be an unmistakable gift of the Spirit on the individual before he ever claims to be called into that ministry. How then can I recognize that gift? Answer: because you are able to do it. God gave you a special know-how to do this ministry effectively and in a way that actually edifies the body. Here is what the letter to Timothy says about it, “A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, able to teach (1 Tim 3:2)” This can also can be confirmed by the believers who can acknowledge being blessed by your gift. To consult Mr. Spurgeon one last time, “When God means a creature to fly, He gives it wings. When He intends men to
preach, He gives them abilities.”
Brethren, indeed there is such a thing as a call to ministry. A call to preach this glorious message. This calling is not for everyone, but God has hand-marked His men. Our duty is to identify these called. To encourage and support them to fulfill this great task. It might be that you identify that call in your own life. That is not only a great privilege on your part but also a fearful responsibility. Nonetheless, we must take great care with these things, and take all these necessary steps to confirm that call. It’s not enough for someone to claim a personal “encounter” to the call. The elders have to do their wise diligence and inspect all those claims in light of the Biblical qualifications for a minister before they can put their stamp of approval of ordination. Even so, come Lord Jesus.
Sinothi Ncube
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