For Young Men Considering Their Call...

[KMK]

Recently I have noticed several young men on the PB who have passionately expressed opinions about 'street' preaching and 'open air' preaching and who should be allowed in the pulpit etc.

The fact that these young men display such passion about the subject leads me to believe they might be experiencing 'the call'. As a man who began my gospel ministry 'the wrong way', or at least the 'extraordinary' way, I would like to offer these words of wisdom from William Perkins.

How can you know for yourself whether God wants you to go or not? You must ask both your own conscience and the church. For if you are genuinely willing, and are fully and worthily qualified, then God bids you to go. Your conscience must judge of your willingness and the church of your ability. Just as you may not trust other men to judge your inclination or affection, so you may not trust your own judgment to judge your worthiness or adequacy. If therefore your own conscience tells you, after careful self-examination, that you do not love and desire this calling above any other, then God is not sending you. If this is true of you it is not God but some worldly and sinister consideration that has motivated you and put you forward.

But even if you desire the call to the ministry, if the church of God does not recognise your sufficiency, God is not sending you. But if, on the contrary, your conscience truly testifies that you desire to serve God and his church in this calling above any other; and if, when you have indicated this to the church and your gifts and learning have been tested, the church (that is, many who are learned, wise, and godly and those whom the church has publicly appointed for that purpose) approves of your desire and of your ability to sere God in his ministry, and if the church issues a public call and bids you go, then God himself has bid you to go. That is as effectual a calling as if you had heard the voice of God from heaven. The Art of Prophesying; BTT; pg 189

 

[Tim]

The external call and the internal call. May neither be ever forgotten.

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

I like this. I really wish belonged to a real church that was able to assist me. The military Chaplaincy (from my perspective) is a black-hole for my growth. Please pray for me as I seek a doctrinally sound and well lead church to join.

 

[rbcbob]

See also SermonAudio.com - Sermon Series A Call To The Ministry

 

[SolaScriptura]

I like this. I really wish belonged to a real church that was able to assist me. The military Chaplaincy (from my perspective) is a black-hole for my growth. Please pray for me as I seek a doctrinally sound and well lead church to join.

Are you actually having to work Sunday duty EVERY week? I've never heard of an assistant having to work EVERY Sunday on a permanent basis.

You should definitely be in a church.

 

[Joseph Scibbe]

I like this. I really wish belonged to a real church that was able to assist me. The military Chaplaincy (from my perspective) is a black-hole for my growth. Please pray for me as I seek a doctrinally sound and well lead church to join.

Are you actually having to work Sunday duty EVERY week? I've never heard of an assistant having to work EVERY Sunday on a permanent basis.

You should definitely be in a church.

I do not work every weekend but I am lack for transportation. I will be getting my car back running soon and will begin looking for a church when I do. Until then I attend one of the post Chapels. I guess my description of the Corps was pretty poorly articulated though.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

When I was in the Navy I was involved with the military ministry called the Navigators. The Navigator staff highly encouraged our involvement with the military chapel. I was also involved with a Reformed Baptist Church in the evenings. We had a good working relationship with the Chaplains and they also supported our Tuesday night evangelistic outreach to the sailors on base and our Wednesday night Bible study group in the Chapel Sunday School rooms. We had to respect those who were in authority even though we might disagree with them. A few in the group attended the Catholic Services at first until they came to the conclusion that the RCC was wrong and they converted to Christ. Our head Chaplain was the RCC priest. But he willingly endured us as the Protestant chaplains worked very close with us.

I see no problem working with the military Chaplaincy and holding to ones confession of faith.

 

[PuritanCovenanter]

Links and Downloads Manager - Ecclesiology - The Christian Ministry -- Charles Bridges - The PuritanBoard

The Christian ministry - Google Books

The Christian Ministry :: Pastoral Ministry :: Church Ministry :: Monergism Books :: Reformed Books and Resources for Christians

This is a great but very hard book to read in that it will challenge one very hardly to examine a call of God.