The Call of a Full-Time Worker

This will be the topic of my sermon this Sunday following last Sunday's celebration of Labour Day in honour of pastors in church. I will be speaking about four things concerning the call of a pastor or full-time worker. First, a full-time worker is a unique calling because the person yields his life to God and commit to serve Him full-time. So first, I speak of sacrifice and divestment before a person could serve full-time. Like Elisha sacrificed his twelve yoke of oxen (24 cows) to follow Elijah when the former received the call. Like James and John leaving their fathers, workers, fishing nets and boats to follow Jesus. Divestment speaks of a change in status with the symbol of a change in attire.

Second, equipping and power. The familiar verse of 2 Tim 3:16-17 should be key to the training of full-time workers. All Scripture, not taking short cuts like too many Seminaries nowadays have less than 20% of all their subjects on the Bible. When I did law it was all about law, 16 branches of law except the first year when we were allowed to do some general papers. But nowadays biblical studies don't figure much and only one or two books of the Bible are offered throughout their 3 or 4 year degree. The Bible has 66 books - no wonder there is so little biblical knowledge even among Pastors! Power means the full-time worker must be convinced that he is called and empowered by God through the anointing of the Spirit. It is not intellectual or mental assent but something deeply felt and experienced and manifested in the ministry especially in the preaching of the Word. Third, ministry is work where I will draw on the passage in Galatians 6 that everyone should test his own work and could be proud of his own work and not compared with others. Fourth, the upkeep or wages of the pastors which would be the most difficult topic of all. I will take it head on this Sunday but as time may limit what I could say, so I ask the Lord for a double portion of Elijah's Spirit that should my sermon go on for more than an hour, the congregation will not move an inch but listen to the end.