Although all Christians are called to serve the cause of Christ, God calls some people to serve the Church as pastors and other ministers. In writing to the young Timothy, the Apostle Paul confirmed that if a man aspires to be a shepherd, “a great work is desired” (1 Tim. 3: 3). It is also a great honor to be called of God to the ministry of the Church. How do you know if God is calling you?
Last week in Kevin DeYoung’s article, How do I know if I am called to pastoral ministry ?, we analyzed some marks in his life with a pastoral call. In the article, Did God call you ?, Albert Mohler Jr. points out that there is an internal call and an external call, the internal one being the call of God to aspire to the episcopate and externally the confirmation of the Church in this call, ending with the next questions:
- Do you think God is calling you to ministry.
- Either as a pastor or as another servant of the Church?Are you burning the compulsion to proclaim the Word.
- Share the gospel.
- And care for God’s flock?Has this call been confirmed and encouraged by Christians who know you best?.
However, this internal call was often oversized, as if for someone to be called to pastoral ministry, an episode like Paul’s had to happen. In the video below, Heber Campos Jr. questions this concept, showing that this?normative in the scriptures, but the external call (the confirmation of the church) is.