When someone says they were "called" into ministry, exactly what does that mean? Should we assume that God spoke to them audibly?
How can a person really tell if God is calling them to church ministry as a vocation? We look at the right and wrong reasons people choose church ministry as a profession.
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Transcript of Today's Show
“Calling” is a difficult concept because it is primarily subjective. I mean, I don’t know anyone who relates their story entering church ministry because they were awakened one night and God said, [Deep voice] “Get on your feet. You’re going to seminary.”
But seriously, how does someone discern whether God has called them into church ministry?
First, God is Sovereign. What does that have to do with calling? Actually, just about everything.
God calls individuals to serve in His Church. It is His Church, so he gets to select those who will carry out his plans and purposes. Sovereignty means that God doesn’t consult with humans first before calling someone to serve as a minister in his church.
Sovereignty also means that education, talent or personality is not relevant to God. He does not depend on strength or abilities to accomplish the tasks He wants done. That reality is both freeing and humbling at the same time.
Jesus bypassed the educated and eloquent scribes and Pharisees, choosing men who, for the most part ignored church. Peter and the other disciples knew more curse words than scripture verses. In fact, Matthew loved wealth and cheating people on their taxes far more than kneeling in prayer.
Please understand: I am not criticizing seminary or even natural talent per se, but I do want to introduce an important perspective: The apostles were totally unqualified to be ministers by today’s standards, yet they turned the world upside down.
Is there anyone who honestly feels that Peter would graduate any of our theological institutions today? Yet Peter used the keys Christ gave him to initiate the church age and later to open the church to non-Jews which was unprecedented.
Intelligence and natural abilities can be useful tools, but that is all. If God hasn’t called you, no amount of seminary education or speaking skill will suffice. Academic achievement is only useful as an instrument to advance God’s purposes. Nothing more.
Sovereignty means that God chooses whom he wants, when he wants for what he wants. A calling is really more about God than us.
Before we look into some principles for calling, let me take a few moments to discuss some sure signs a person either is not called or perhaps not ready for pastoral ministry.
Motivation plays a major role in ministry calling. Individuals desire to become pastors or church leaders for a variety of reasons and not all of them are inspirational.
First, sometimes individuals pursue ministry to gain affirmation or recognition. One perks of serving as a pastor or ministry leader is the thrill of publically sharing the Word of God. It is a privilege to potentially impact lives in a meaningful way. Honestly, there is nothing quite like preaching under the anointing of the Holy Spirit. Sensing God’s Presence with you while you speak is pretty cool.
On occasion, folks will come up after I preach to compliment me about something I said in my sermon. That is always nice. However, if you crave that or need that affirmation, something is broken.
Second, some are drawn to the ministry because they want to be recognized as an authority. Using Reverend in your introduction can garner respect as a spiritual leader in the eyes of the public.
To those considering full time church ministry, I can report to you that it is difficult and challenging at times. If you’re not genuinely called to this, you will live a very disappointing life. One thing you will learn rather quickly is some people praise you to your face but criticize you behind your back. If you got into ministry for affirmation, you are more likely to get the stuffing knocked out of you than praised for all your hard work.
By contrast, someone who is called understands that people are fickle. They don’t serve people to get love or acceptance. They serve people to express God’s love and carry out His directives. As a minister, you get plenty of practice loving the unlovely, blessing those who hate you, serving those who are unthankful and encouraging those who disagree with you all to advance the Kingdom of God.
Part of ongoing ministry training is dealing redemptively with the capriciousness of people in your congregation. As a pastor or church leader, people will say and do things that will disappoint, annoy and even anger you at times.
God uses the weaknesses of people to train ministry leaders to be free from craving human praise like the Pharisees of Jesus’ day. God wants his ministers to serve him, irrespective of how we are treated.
Third, similar to wanting respect, some pursue ministry leadership to get a title. They want to be called, “Reverend,” “Pastor” or even, “Bishop.”
What I am about to say will upset some of you, so let me ask you to forgive me ahead of time. Can we be totally honest for a moment?
Nowhere in scripture are pastors or ministers titled. There is not a single instance when early church leaders are addressed by titles like Apostle Peter, Prophet Agabus, Bishop Timothy or Evangelist Apollo. The concept of titles for ministers was of little interest to Peter, Paul, James or John.
The New Testament refers to apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11-16. Each time these terms are used, they describe a function, not a title. If you don’t understand that, you will misunderstand calling all together.
In our society, if you attend college and graduate school, you can acquire a doctorate. That qualifies you for a name change. You’re no longer John Rodriguez. You are now Dr. Rodriguez. Education changes how you are titled. If you graduate medical school, people no longer refer to you as Jeff Greenberg. Now you are Dr. Greenberg.
We have essentially adopted the same practice for ministers. Upon graduation from seminary or Bible School, church leaders get a Reverend in front of their names; I guess that is still better than a few hundred years ago when people referred to clergy as, Divines, but that is for another day.
There is nothing ostensibly wrong with a title in itself. It can identify your vocation to those who don’t know you, but it also can create some ego issues.
A person is a pastor, when they excel at doing pastoral or shepherding work; carrying out the daily labor of equipping, training and effectively leading a congregation to serve Christ. That is how pastor’s function.
Someone is an evangelist when they excel at winning people to Christ consistently and then train other believers to do the same. You’re not an evangelist because you get a new business card. The results or the function demonstrates what God has called you to do on His behalf.
When a person is ordained properly, seasoned leaders together with a congregation recognize their calling to ministry by how they function. They have regularly demonstrated the practices associated with their calling, so other season leaders partner with God to authorize a candidate to be publicly recognized in that job. A calling to become a pastor or ministry leader is humbling. Titles should be used sparingly if at all.
I have several friends with doctorates in various fields. They are qualified to be addressed as Dr., but few of them demand they be addressed in this way. I recognize their achievement, yet I still call them by their first names. It is not because I disrespect them, but because their significance is not their title, but their person.
I realize what I have just said is somewhat controversial for some of you, so I invite you to investigate what scripture teaches and come to your own conclusion.
Jesus spoke about those who desire to be titled rabbi, teacher or father in Matthew 23:7,8. In this context, Jesus criticizes the clergy of his day, saying that they don’t practice what they teach. He then says quote: “They love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi.’ “Don’t let anyone call you ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters.”
Let’s pause for a moment to recall who Jesus is addressing. In the midst of an argument with the Pharisees, Jesus turns to the future leaders of His Church to warn them. He instructs the apostles to steer clear of trying to gain recognition, praise or honor from people by seeking titles. He notes how the Pharisees used titles to exalt themselves.
As many of you know, I’ve been a pastor for several decades. I believe that pastors and church leaders deserve godly respect. In his first letter to the Thessalonians 5:12,13, Paul charges the congregation to respect and appreciate their leaders because of the work they do.
Respect is appropriate. I am not leading a new crusade against titles; that is not my point. But we need to get real about who we are as pastors and church leaders.
I am an ordained minister. I have the reverend title, but seldom if ever use it. If I need a title to get respect, something is deficient in my character.
As strange as this may seem, we live in a day when you can attend a seminary, either in person or online, complete a course of study, earn the title of reverend, yet still be an atheist! There are seminaries throughout the world paying professors to teach that scripture is archaic. Men and women graduate some seminaries embracing beliefs contrary to basic Christianity.
If a diploma qualifies a calling, we are in deep trouble.
Several years ago I met a minister who had been educated in the finest institutions in the world. He held several degrees; could speak five languages fluently and knew his denomination’s theology inside and out. I met him coincidentally enough at the altar of a small store-front church where he acknowledged he did not know God and wanted to invite Jesus into his heart.
Education, talent or ability does not determine if God has called you into ministry. Adding reverend to your name is a poor reason for pursuing a calling to church ministry. The reality is that the majority of a minister’s time will be spent in the mundane.
To do this ministry correctly, you will spend a lot of time alone with God, studying scripture, worshipping and trying to discern God’s purpose and direction for the church you’ve been called to serve.
On a daily basis you will serve the needs of other people in 100 inconvenient ways. The very word minister literally means is doulos, which means “servant” or “slave.” That means you are God’s servant doing His bidding and that often means going unrecognized and unappreciated. It is part of the job description.
Fourth, there are a few people who are attracted to ministry because they are, well lazy. They view ministry as easy living.
One of the more annoying jokes ministers put up with is that we only work two hours a week. Unfortunately, some people actually believe that. They don’t see the hours of study, prayer, counseling problem people, planning, visiting the sick, funerals, reading, resolving conflict with unhappy congregants or board members, comforting the hurting, managing staff, committee meetings, budget meetings and the hundred and one other demands on your time.
Like any vocation, there are people who goof off. Lazy ministers don’t last very long. The principle of sowing and reaping catches up fast and reality drives them to seek another way of life.
Finally, some think they should be in ministry because they like the idea of public speaking. On a few occasions, I have been approached by people who wanted to preach in the worst way. When I finally gave them a chance, they got their wish: they preached in the worst way. All the while, they thought preaching and public speaking was easy, but anyone can flap their gums behind a lectern. To speak for God and with God is rare skill.
A silver tongue is not required to be a spokesperson for God. The Bible is replete with those who were not the most polished speakers, but they each had something significant to say. I’ve known several ministers through the years who had no problem speaking in public but never said anything worth hearing. Don’t assume the gift of gab indicates a call.
So, those are a few of the wrong motivations to go into ministry. What about the right ones? What are some clear indicators that God has called you into church ministry?
#1 - I would say that first and foremost, you are a genuine lover of God. If God has called you to the ministry, you think about, dream about and find that your interests center around the church; not just your local church, but the church as a whole.
When God calls you to church ministry, the scriptures, particularly the letters to Timothy and Titus stir your heart. These were written to church leaders and you find yourself wanting a deeper understanding of what Paul is saying.
As a young man, before I knew God was calling me to ministry, I went from being an occasional reader to a voracious consumer of Christian books, articles and magazines. I couldn’t get enough and the majority of my fascination centered on teaching, preaching, pastoring and church-related subjects. I didn’t have an ambition at that time to make ministry my vocation. I just loved everything in scripture related to leadership.
#2 - Another sign that God has called you is a genuine desire to help people. This also applies to other vocations too, but it really makes little sense to become a church leader if you don’t have a passion to better peoples’ lives. You need to be someone who has matured beyond a self-centered outlook on life.
A mature person knows the difference between calling and separation. Just because you show signs that God is calling you doesn’t mean you are ready to launch out into full time ministry. Paul was called on the road to Damascus, but he was separated to do the work of ministry years later in Antioch, as outlined in Acts 13. There is almost always a time-frame between the initial calling of God and the release to do the work.
Jesus taught in John chapter 10 that a true shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He contrasts this with a hired hand who abandons the flock if trouble starts. A legitimate calling means that you don’t quit just because the going gets tough.
Let me tell you something. Every minister will feel like quitting at some point. I have felt that strong urge at least 100 times during my career. Just because you are a pastor doesn’t mean you don’t get discouraged.
My pastor wanted to quit one day. A more experienced pastor told him, “It’s Monday. Everyone wants to quit on Monday. Wait until Wednesday and talk to me if you still feel the same way.” Needless to say, he never quit.
If you are called of God, you can’t quit, because like Peter, there is no plan B. Walking away from my calling is telling Jesus that I won’t do what He has asked me to do. At the end of day, I can’t do that. Someone who is in ministry for the wrong reasons can just quit and never think about it again. A truly called person, can’t do that. He may want to, but his conscience won’t stop affecting him.
#3 - If you are called, people naturally come to you for advice, counsel, or help. You are the person people come to find solutions or direction. They look to you for encouragement or comfort. Without saying it, they look to you like a shepherd.
#4 - Jesus taught that fruit is the strongest indicator of a true calling. If you are called to pastor, you are able to relieve people of stress and help them feel whole again.
If God has called you to become an evangelist, you always seem to encounter people at the moment they are ready to receive Christ. That doesn’t necessarily mean you are called to full time ministry, but that is a start in right direction.
If you hang around me for any amount of time, God is going to teach you something. Why? That is my gift. We may just be having coffee, but normally, something gets said that will impact your present or future. It has little to do with an innate ability on my part, or education or brilliance. The gift God put in my spills out.
I have a close friend whose gift of pastoring just oozes from everything he does. When you spend any time with him, you feel God caring for you.
I have another friend with a powerful ministry of exhortation. You cannot spend an hour with him without getting 10 ideas of how to do more for God.
Proverbs tells us that a person’s gift makes room for him. The context is specifically referencing the gift of money, but I believe it has a spiritual application.
#5 - If God has called you, other spiritual leaders will affirm that calling in you. Go to them for counsel and prayer. I am always wary of the self-ordained. It doesn’t always mean they are not called, but the confirmation of other spiritual leaders goes a long way to establish the whether a ministry is valid.
Finally, one of the challenges in our day and age is this erroneous idea that ministry is always church related. In essence, if God has called you, then you must become a pastor or church leader in order to serve him.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Serving the Lord as a minister has been powerful and fulfilling for me as a full time vocation; but that is because serving in this way is God’s will for me.
During my years in ministry, I also have worked in the secular arena as a carpenter, insurance salesman, short-order cook and estate planner, though not in that order. I enjoyed each job, but never felt at home in any of them. They did not fit me.
I meet people who are called, appointed and anointed to serve the Lord as a nurse, a businessman and even a politician. These callings are just as valid and holy as the call to serve in church ministry. I think if pastors began to preach this in earnest, many people would catch a vision for their true calling instead of wasting their lives doing something God hasn’t called them to do.
I believe in my heart of hearts that God has fashioned each believer for full time ministry in some capacity. It may not be in church, but in education or industry or entertainment or wherever you are he has gifted and trained you.
A book that had a huge impact on me, and is partly responsible for this podcast is a book by an author with an unusual name: Skye Jethani. He wrote a book called, Futureville that isn’t really about the future, but about discovering our ministry for Christ on this earth. I highly recommend the book.
I put together a free download that sums up the points we discussed. You can download it here.
Today’s Quote is from Olympic Medalist Mary Lou Retton:
“Each one of us has a fire in our heart for something. It's our goal in life to find it and to keep it lit.”
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