An ordination is an important occasion for the one being ordained, and also for the church. It is the recognition of the call of God upon a man’s life to the work of the ministry. Every Christian has the responsibility to serve the Lord in whatever capacity God leads him to, but there have always been those who God calls out from among them to give their lives to serve in some form of a Pastoral responsibility.
Some essentials for such men are these following things. He must be certain in his own heart of a call from God to ministry. He must be properly trained (2 Tim. 2:2, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also). He must show himself doctrinally sound (2 Tim. 2:15, Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth).
Then too, he must have the confidence of the congregation ordaining him. When a church ordains a man, that body of believers is saying, “We concur that this man has given evidence of the call of God upon his life.” We can observe this with the account of the ordaining of Paul and Barnabas as they were sent out to the work of the ministry from the church in at Antioch.
Acts 13:1-3, Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.
In this evening’s service, if the congregation so determines it, we’ll be ordaining Ryan Rench, recognizing the call of God on his life, to the ministry. We pray the Lord helps all those of us who are given that station to be faithful to the call.