Needed:-

young men prepared to commit themselves for life to the very best job in the world – to the ministry of preaching God’s word and pasturing God’s people. The job comes with the following privileges:

1. Being involved in something really big

When Jesus Christ rose from the dead he said to his disciples: Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem (Luke 24:46-47). This enormous task is still ongoing, and there is the constant need for Paul-type missionaries and Timothy-type missionary pastors. Although Timothy did go with Paul in his missionary journeys (Acts 16:1) he spent more of his time pastoring churches (1 Timothy 1:3). He was engaged in the second part of great commission: ‘teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.’ Paul on the other hand, was driven by a passion to make God’s name known among all the unreached people groups of the world. There remain great opportunities to be involved in this great task. Will you go?

2. Proclaiming the glorious riches of Christ

Nothing in the entire world compares to declaring the riches of the gospel of Jesus Christ to poor sinners, and then seeing God take that message and use it for his glory in the hearts and lives of others. Whilst at your best you will only be a clay pot – you will have the privilege of being a carrier of the treasure of the gospel. What in all the world could be better than that?

3. Sharing in the sufferings of Christ

It will cost you everything to be involved in this great task and handle this glorious treasure. Paul said to Timothy, Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3), and, As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil your ministry (2 Timothy 4:5). You will be expected to suffer for sake of Christ’s name (Matthew10:16-25), but as you suffer (and on many occasions it will be from unexpected sources like God’s own people) you can take heart that such hardship and struggles will advance your ministry and give you the privilege of sharing in the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

4. Doing something that lasts for eternity

You will have the privilege of being involved in God’s great purposes. It will be your unspeakable privilege to be caught up with him in the greatest movement in history – the ingathering of the elect ‘from all tribes and languages and peoples and nations’ until the full number of the Gentiles comes in, all Israel is saved and the Son of Man descends with power and great glory as King of kings and Lord of lords. God has chosen to save the lost through faith in his Son, that in the end there may be a great multitude who worship him through Jesus Christ for all eternity. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through word of Christ (Romans10:17). How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news (Isaiah 52:7).

5. Standing for truth

The cause of truth needs you. As Paul says: For I delivered to you of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in according with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). There is a judgement coming. Hell is real. Jesus Christ can save. People need to be confronted with the facts of history and the truth of the gospel. This truth needs to be proclaimed.

Feeling persuaded? Check out the detailed qualifications required as listed in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. Still persuaded? Speak to those in spiritual authority over you to see if they agree and plan a way forward.

1. By prayer

Jesus said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest (Matthew 9:37-38). When did you last hear people pray for this in a prayer meeting in your church? God does not call us to pray for things in vain. He likes us to ask and he likes to give. Pastors are a gift from the risen Lord Jesus to his church (Ephesians 4:10-11). So let’s be asking him for some more, believing he will indeed give.

2. By encouragement

It is interesting that some churches produce preachers and pastors, and others do not. Whilst God is a sovereign God this is often related to the churches attitude towards preaching, and how seriously the Pastor takes the command given by Paul: What you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

Churches that value good solid, logical, structured, biblical, relevant preaching will value the people who feed them, and be an encouragement to those considering giving themselves to this exacting task. Those who want an emotion driven ministry where the sermon has three points beginning with ‘S’ and a load of nostalgic stories will do little to encourage men to give their whole lives to the ministry of God’s word.

Pastors need to be always seeking to cultivate and develop men in the direction of ministry, as many young men will never have thought that it was for them. Is this not how Charles Spurgeon started to preach? We have to be on the look out and involved in the task of training others. We must not sit back in despair but be busy propagating the species.

3. By being creative to remove hurdles

Even when a man is considering the ministry, there seem to be numerous hurdles to climb over before one can enter. Issues of the call, finance, finding a church, training, assistantships, mediocrity, remuneration, hassle. None of these is insurmountable, but will require vision, leadership, creativity, co-ordination between churches, a willingness to be flexible and much prayer.

We need to set our sights on the long term. There is work to be done that requires the best men to give of their best time and efforts. We need to pray and be practical that we might see another generation of men coming forward to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ.