God Calls People Into the Ministry: Here’s Why

Next month brings a milestone for me: exactly one-half century since the Lord called me into the ministry. I remember that moment like it was last week. Our Birmingham church was on the second week of a two-week long revival. I was a college senior, in love with Margaret, and planning on a career of teaching history in some college somewhere.

The choir was singing the invitation hymn, the same one we’d sung each night: “Jesus Paid It All.” It was a Tuesday evening, the house was filled, and Newman McLarry was the preacher. Larry Andrews led the singing. And then, suddenly.

It was like a curtain was pulled back. One moment the thought was not there, the next moment, there it was, filling my mind. “I want you for the ministry.”

Was it audible? No, it was stronger than that.

Time stopped as I began having a little conversation with the Lord.

“If this is really from the Lord, it’ll still be there tomorrow night. I’ll go forward during the invitation tomorrow night and share it with the people.”

“This is the Lord and you know it’s the Lord. There is no point in waiting.”

“That’s true. No argument there.”

So I stepped out of the choir loft and made my way to Pastor Bill Burkett to inform him that the Lord had just called me into the ministry.

Note that I did not say the Lord had called me to preach. At that point, His call could have been in any direction–missions, youth, pastoring, teaching. Anything but music. I ended up preaching, pastoring, teaching, working with youth and college students, and doing administration. The word “preaching” doesn’t begin to describe it.

It turned out that I was the only one surprised by the announcement that God had called me. Even Margaret seemed to like the idea of being married to a preacher. She told me later she had “felt the call” to be a missionary as a pre-teen. Her uncle Harold Shrauger, a longtime Baptist pastor and what we used to call “associational missionary,” was delighted too.

That’s my story.

In these fifty years, I served 39 as pastor of six churches, 3 years and six months as a staff member of a church, and 5 years as director of missions for the Baptist churches of metro New Orleans. That doesn’t add up to 50, I know. Remember, “50” represents the time since I was called into the ministry. It was nearly 2 years before I started pastoring and when I was 49, I spent one year without a pastorate, but preaching everywhere.

The call of God. There is a great reason why He calls men and women into His service. In fact, many of them.

Here’s my list. You’ll think of reasons to add.


1. Why does God call? Because it’s hard work.

Give the Lord credit; He doesn’t mince words. To Jeremiah, God said, I’m setting you over nations and kingdoms…. You will preach to kings and princes and priests. They will fight against you, but they will not prevail. (Jeremiah 1)

The Lord Jesus said to His disciples, Behold, I send you out as sheep amidst the wolves…. Men will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in the synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for my sake. (Matthew 10:16ff)

2. Why does God call? Because He doesn’t want just anyone.

This is not to imply that all are not welcome in the Lord’s house or at His table; they are. “Whosoever will, let him come” (Matthew 8:34).

But when it comes to His preachers and missionaries, He is choosey.

You will find numerous broad invitations throughout Scripture for people to get up and come to the Lord. The invitation is there, the door is open, the reception is prompt. But there is no general appeal for volunteers for the ministry.

God chooses whomever He please.

3. Why does God call? Because He alone knows what He wants done.

He needed one who would not be intimidated by Pharaoh’s court, so God chose one who grew up in it: Moses.

God needed one who knew the Old Testament backward and forward so he could articulate this Gospel of Jesus Christ and see its connection with the past: Saul of Tarsus.

God needed one with a heart for poetry and for war, so He chose David.

Why did He choose you? Why me? He had His reasons. In my case, I can look back and see what some of them are. Perhaps you can, too. It’s a pretty special privilege to see God’s hand at work in your past, how He guided you here, shaped you there, shielded you in this, and empowered you in that.

4. Why does God call? Because He’s going to be asking the impossible from us.

We would love to know what the disciples thought when our Lord said He was sending them out as sheep in the midst of wolves. I can hear them thinking, “Wolves? Lord! Do you know what wolves do to sheep?” He knew.

The Lord would be placing many of His special workers in harm’s way. He not only knew that, but it was the plan. In the Matthew 10:16ff passage, Jesus informs them that their appearance before kings and princes will be “as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles.” That is to say:

Caesar is not coming to your revival meeting. So, if he’s to hear the gospel, we have to take it to him and his underlings. Now, in order for that to happen, I am going to be needing some of you to be arrested for preaching.

When they try you, the governor or Caesar himself will sit as the judge. And, at some point in the proceedings, you will be asked to “tell us what you’ve been preaching.” (Just as the high priest asked that of Jesus.) When that happens, that’s your moment.

Now, do not plan what you are going to say. If you do, your carefully contrived little speech will get in the way of what the Holy Spirit wants to say. So, relax and trust Me. It is not you who speaks, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

In the late 1980s, when the Middle East nation of Lebanon was going through a civil uprising, President Reagan ordered all Americans out of the country. That put our missionaries in a quandary. “We’re not leaving,” more than one said. “These people need us now more than at any point in our ministries. If we leave now for our own safety, we violate the call of God upon our lives. This is the time we can do our best work.”

5. Why does God call? Because He loves to do great things with the unlikeliest of people.

Paul said to the Corinthians: For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things that are mighty. And the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things that are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. (I Corinthians 1:26-29)

Why did God call you into His work? Did He decide to honor Himself by selecting such a gifted and talented, such a handsome and able, specimen for the ministry? I doubt it. More than likely, if it was with you as with us, God did it to show you how He could do a lot with nothing.

Consider it a rebuke to the world’s ways. Isaiah 55:8-9 comes to mind.

6. Why does God call? Because He wants to.

At the end of the day, when we have compiled all our reasons and organized all our understandings, we are left with the Sovereignty of God. Nowhere does Scripture state this better than in Psalm 115:3. But our God is in the Heavens; He does whatever He pleases.

Jesus understood that this was one of the controlling forces behind many of the Father’s doings. He once prayed: I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight.” (Matthew 11:25-26)

Get that? God did it just because He decided it pleased Him.

And why not? He is Lord. The Ultimate One behind all that exists. As Paul wrote, For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be the glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:36)

I’ve heard pastors say, “I have sometimes doubted my salvation. But I never doubted my call.”

That sounds contradictory, but it’s an indication as to how specific and how strong, how undeniable and irresistible was the call they received.

People are always thanking those of us in the ministry. And there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s good for God’s people to appreciate and take care of those the Father sends to serve them.

But on the other hand, we in the ministry should not seek their appreciation. We definitely should not be demanding it or resigning when it does not come. After all, we did not choose this work. We were chosen for it.

As Paul said, “Woe is me if I preach not the gospel” (I Corinthians 9:16).

Jeremiah tried to quit and was unable. Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name. But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” (Jeremiah 20:9)

The call of God is the greatest honor any of us can ever receive. But it changes everything forever for those who hear and respond.

I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here am I, Lord. Send me.” (Isaiah 6:8)

That’s how it happens. A simple call, after which the world is turned upside down.

3 thoughts on “God Calls People Into the Ministry: Here’s Why

  1. Great story Joe. God called me later in life. It will be 40 years ago this September when I surrendered to the ministry. I was living on the same farm where my grandfather had surrendered to preach 60 years earlier. The longer I serve Him, the sweeter it grows.

  2. Great one Dr. Joe.

    I was always encouraged by your writings especially during those dark moments where I want to quit in the ministry. Funny but when I first entered the seminary I never dreamed of being a preacher…runaway after receiving a “call” from one church…and end up shepherding an underground church here in Saudi Arabia…but in all these things, I praise God for His tremendous works in the lives of all faithful believers her. To God be the glory!

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