Wanna-Be’s or Called-to-Be’s?

While sojourning in Illinois last October, the pastor of the church I was attending was glad that I was willing to spend a little time with a young man who had placed his vocational sights on the ministry. Meeting at our breakfast table, the two-hour conversation was revealing. I found he liked to teach, but seemed himself to be unteachable. He held tenaciously to some classic doctrinal issues in disagreement with his pastor. His goal was to find a “job” where people would pay him to do what he liked to do.

Then, a few weeks ago, I had a discussion with another young man who had recently received a graduate degree from seminary. While working to pay off his student debt, He is prayerfully trying to figure out the practical steps to ministry in today’s radically changing church environment.

I will not presume to “judge the servants of Another” (Romans 14:4). However, in my spirit I sensed a difference between these two ministerial hopefuls: One was a “want-to-be,” the other a “called-to-be.”

Paul says that the risen Lord Jesus gives to the church certain anointed leaders to help every believer be equipped for the work of the ministry. Think about these three truths from Ephesians 4:11-13.

1. Christ’s Gifts: 11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,

2. Christ’s Objective: 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;

3. Christ’s Goal: 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.

Let’s observe a few points here about one’s call to the ministry.

First, specialized folks are called at Christ’s initiative to act on His behalf. Peter holds himself and fellow elders accountable to the “Chief Shepherd,” Jesus Christ (1 Peter 5:1-4). These leaders are specifically called of God for a specific role He desired them to provide to Christians. They are to responsible to represent Christ accurately to His flock.

Second, every saint is a “minister.” Every member of the church is to learn how to do “the work of the ministry.” Ministry should not be seen so much as a profession but as an anointed lifestyle of investing in the lives of others. There is enough ministry to go around. However, the layman/clergyman culture of today has blinded many folks to their own ministry potential under the gifting and anointing of the Spirit.

Third, the central goal of all ministry is to bring about a maturing Christlikeness in the whole body of Christ. This will involve each believer living out the life of Christ within. Each one of us is to help each other believer in our church family to believe, learn, mature and resemble our Savior. You can do it.

I encourage you, dear member of the family of God, to do three things: (1) Rejoice in the plan of Christ to provide ministers to help you achieve your highest potential in Christ. (2) Value your elders and teachers as gifts from Jesus, who humbly function as His under-shepherds. (3) Keep Christ singularly on the throne as Head of His Church.

I am glad to find people, particularly young believers, who have a “wanna-be” heart. Pay close attention to the leaders God has placed in your life to shepherd you on His behalf. And do take some quality time to pray and wait on the Lord to sense if God wants you to be a “called-to-be.”

Next time, I will encourage you with insights into what the “call to the ministry” really involves. Your heart may be awakening to a special call to the ministry. Or you may be in a pastoral search in your church right now. Then, too, you may be led to search for a new church home that God would direct you to attend and serve. I will describe what is often referred to as the call, the gifting, and the anointing.