All right, we're back to our study here tonight and praise praise the Lord for a prayer time last week Last Wednesday night. We did go to prayer instead of going to our Bible study But it was a sweet sweet time of prayer and all that we're here I'm sure thankful for that time that we're able to spend our knees before the Lord and And so tonight we come to the end of chapter five. We're getting there. Chapter six is the last chapter and we're going next time. That's where we'll be. And so we've talked about chapter five being a chapter about caring. caring for the local church, dealing with members as fathers, as sons, as mothers, as daughters, and speaking about that, and then about caring for widows. The bulk of it was about how to deal with social needs that are in the church and how to identify a real need. and how to meet that need. And then a fortnight ago, we started looking at caring for the minister. And so we talked about his salary. And so if you look at verse 17, just to refresh our minds here, chapter five of First Timothy. It says, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor. OK, that's respect and remuneration for their office as pastor, especially they who labor in the word in doctrine. For the scripture says, thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward. So it's right if God's called somebody to full-time ministry, it's the right thing for that person to expect to live by the gospel, as the Bible speaks about, and for the church to carry that burden, that responsibility of meeting the needs of that minister. So caring for his salary, and then caring for his testimony, Verse 19 against an elder received not an accusation but before two or three witnesses and so Satan would love to smear the testimony of a man of God and so there should be protection about that as there should be for all all men and But especially the Word of God protects the minister from somebody just accusing them without other witnesses, somebody to back it up. But if there's in that accusation, if it's found to be a just accusation, then caring for his testimony as well is to also let that be known to the church as the Bible deals with their in verses 20 and 21 to expose that as needed or as with others in the church as well as his brother in that verse than just the minister. So caring for his testimony. Then we talked about caring for his health and we looked at verse 23, drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake. in thine often infirmities. And we talked about how that grape juice was to be taken to meet the needs of the health of that minister. And Leighton yesterday, it was good to have Leighton here encouraging us as ministers. And he joked about a minister works one day a week or something like that. And of course, everyone laughed. And because we know that's not the case, there's a lot of responsibility that a man in a ministry carries. And so there's a lot of stress that's there, and a lot of difficulty in that. And you could get run down. And that's part of what Leighton dealt with, too, as he was preaching about getting rest, spending some family time, and things like that. uh and so ministry can be tough paul knew how tough it was and uh you know paul cb uh is one that most men can't identify with uh but this is what paul said about his uh his labor two corinthians chapter 11 says are they ministers of christ i speak as a fool i am more in labors more abundant in stripes above measure in prisons more frequent in deaths often i i do think that paul uh Possibly died when he was stoned as as he revived. They thought he was dead and I believe God worked a miracle there Verse 24 of the Jews five times received I 40 stripes saved one. So 195 lashes that his back Was with thrice was I beaten with rods once was I stone thrice? I suffered shipwreck and night in the day I've been in the deep and journeyings often in perils of water and imperils of robbers imperils by my own countrymen the Jews imperils by the heathen imperils in the city imperils in the wilderness imperils in the sea imperils among false brethren in weariness and painfulness in watchings often in hungers and thirst and fastings often in cold and nakedness beside those things that are without that which comes upon me daily the care of all the churches I mean you read that list you know wow I mean Paul had a tough ministry most people in the ministry is tough but nobody could probably write that list out that Paul wrote and you know Paul's call God said to Paul I will show him how great things he must suffer For my name's sake, that was part of the call. He that has been forgiven much, the same loveth much. Paul's love for God was great. God had done a gracious work in his life. And Paul, again, just probably worked harder than any man of God almost has worked. And so I look at that what Paul went through and I admittedly again I say I've never faced that kind of difficulty in ministry or or the hardship of that. And Paul said in Galatians 617 from henceforth let no man trouble me for I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus. When you've been whipped one hundred ninety five lashes across your back with a cat of nine tails. If you saw Paul's back it would just be crisscrossed with scar. And I said before to our church, the only thing I can do is I can lift up my thumb, and I got a little wee scar right there from a dog that nipped me when I was doing flyers. And I could say, I bear in my body the marks of the Lord Jesus Christ. All right? So again, I don't hold a candle to the Apostle Paul. But I want to emphasize that ministry can be mentally, physically, emotionally, and many other ways of just draining and exhausting for the person that is in that kind of ministry. On deputation, when we were raising support to come over to Scotland, We were at a church in Florida, and this lady raised her hand. They're doing favorites, I think. And she said, I want to dedicate this next song to our missionary brother and his family. And the song was, I'm laughing because you'll see, So Send I You. And it's a great hymn, but let me just read the words to you. So send I you to labor unrewarded, to serve unpaid, unloved, unsought, unknown, to bear rebuke, to suffer scorn and scoffing. So send I you to toil for me alone. So send I you to bind the bruised and broken or wandering souls to work, to weep, to wake, to bear the burdens of a world, a weary. So send I you to suffer for my sake. So send I you to loneliness and longing. with heart a hungering for the loved and known, forsaking home and kindred friend and dear one. So send I you to know my love alone. So send I to leave your life's ambition, to die to dear desire, self-will resign, to labor long and love where men revile you. So send I you to lose your life in mine. So send I you to hearts made hard by hatred. To eyes made blind, because they will not see. To spend, though it be blood, to spend and spare not, so send I you to taste of Calvary. As the Father has sent me, so send I you. And I don't know where you're at. When you listen to that, in my heart, I think, man, I don't want this dedicated to me. In a sense, do you understand what I'm saying? And it reminds me of Adonai Jetson writing that letter to Ann Jetson and his wife's father, his father-in-law, and saying, can you bear it apart with your daughter to possibly never see her again on this earth? And to count the cost, there have been some that have done that very thing. It's like David Livingston, where in his song is sever any tie, save the tie that binds me to thy heart. You know to take Romans 12 wanted to Seriously, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercy of God they present your bodies a living sacrifice fully acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and do not conform to this world right and to set that living life on the altar now and now what I Want to say as well as I listen to that dedicated song. I thought Lord, that's not That's not how I feel like what it is if that makes sense. I There is much in that song that I can relate to. I think that's exactly true. But the Bible says this, delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give you. The desires of your heart seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added to you I'll tell you this there's nothing greater than being the center of the world God doing the work of God But I want to emphasize tonight. It's a difficult calling. It's a hard calling It takes the grace of God to continue yesterday pastor scholarship Layton Kelly Encouraging a stick with it. Stay with it. Stay in there. Why because it's tough There's times where it's really tough. So you need to know If you enter into that, you need to know that God has called you into that. And so when it's tough, you can look back and say, but God put me here. Leighton emphasized that, too, didn't he? He said, think back to your calling. Think back to what God was doing in that. That's a statement that I love. I share with the church all the time. Never doubt in the dark what God's showing you the light, because there are going to be tough times. There's going to be plenty of opportunities to quit. Now, as a church, We hope that some and I tell my boys you know we pray about the will of God for them if God calls him into ministry great if God calls him to be a janitor great if God calls him to be whatever career businessman aviation I don't know I mean whatever God calls somebody to great but if God sees fit to call out of our church young men into the ministry. As a church, we're going to be pretty excited about that. That's going to be great. We're praying about that as a church. We're asking God, God, raise up young people out of our church that will go into ministry. We certainly want to have that impact for the Lord. The Bible says in Ephesians four, verse 11, he gave some pastors and teachers. OK, so this is going to be probably most likely a call to preach a call to pastor. and to be a shepherd. And so if a man is called a God to the ministry, he surrenders to the call. That's great. I could share my testimony of when God worked in my heart about that. It's a good thing to have the church come alongside of that and verify it. And say, we see that as well. Because if somebody, say, just of themselves, is going to point themselves into the position of pastoring or ministering as leading in a local church, it could be a dangerous thing if they don't have their pastor's blessing, if they don't have their church's blessing upon them that they recognize as well that God has called them to potentially We could have uncalled, unqualified, and self-ordained ministers in church, and that could be a very dangerous thing for the church. And so what we're looking at tonight, caring for the minister's ordination, all right, is what we're going to look at, caring for the minister's Ordination is a group of pastors interviewing a ministry candidate as to doctrine and calling and agreeing together that yes or no We agree or disagree that God's hand is on this. And therefore, we're going to either ordain them or not ordain them as God leads. And what the Bible speaks about, 1 Timothy chapter 4, verse 14, it says, neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. And we talked about that verse already having to do with a group of ordained men. that were gathered together, recognizing the work of God in Timothy's life and putting him into the gospel ministry. So let's pray. Ask the spirit of God to help us as we come to the word of God tonight. Father, we're grateful to you for your grace that you give. The father, if you see fit to raise up out of a church, men for ministry, that we've got to be able to identify them. And father, there's a great need. And father, as a church, we have often prayed that the spirit of God would work in the hearts of men. We're praying often, Lord of the harvest, please send forth laborers into the harvest. And so father, I just pray tonight as we continue this pastoral book, this book that teaches about ministry, about local church ministry. Father, give us grace and eyes to see how we go about this process, how we consider somebody, what we need to think about as we do that. And Father, I just pray work in the hearts of our young men. We've got a lot of young men in our church. I just pray, Lord, in their heart that they would lift their heart up to you and be willing, if it be the will of God, to be involved in ministry. It's a tough job. It is not something that is easy. There's going to be a lot of opportunity to quit. But I pray, God, for if you do call young men, I pray for young men that would stay the course, that would be lifetime servants of God. Father, for those that are called tonight, in the spirit of God, just encourage their hearts, strengthen their faith as a church. Again, give us grace to pray in faith that, God, you're able to do this. We need this. in Scotland. Father, I do want to pray for the kids tonight. I pray that the Holy Spirit would bless their class, give them good attention and give grace to Katie as she shares the word of God with them. And Father, as I speak tonight, as we hear, neither can I preach or us here without the spirit of God taking the word of God, putting it into hearts, helping me as I speak. If I just ask again tonight that you help me to preach as you desire me to preach in the spirit, you desire me to preach the truth of the word of God, that it would benefit us this evening. It's in Christ that we pray. Amen. All right, so caring for the minister's ordination. And so the first thing, do not underestimate your responsibility on an ordination council. If God gives a man the opportunity to be on an ordination council, as Timothy would be, because Paul's writing for Timothy, and he's gonna be involved in that appointment process, do not underestimate that. It's a very sober responsibility. I've done most things now in ministry. I've been in ministry the past 20 years. God's been good to allow me to do funerals marriages baptisms and they're kind of things that you look at as you come into ministry think can I do that. And then God gives the opportunity and it's a thrill to be used of God different ministry opportunities. I've never had the opportunity yet to be a part of an ordination council to sit out there and be on that side of it. I had the privilege of being ordained and standing before I had a gracious man that was the moderator, Dr. Crane. He was, at that time, the president of a Bible college in Minnesota. And then about a dozen or so ministers, a missionary was there as well, and the deacons of the church took part in it as well. But when you stand before them, they ask you about your doctrine. You go through your doctrinal statement several pages of information about where you stand on the different doctrines regarding the Word of God and then they check on also your call to preach or your practical life and what you're doing how you're what you're doing in life right then and how you're being used of God. And so an ordination council is not a rubber stamp that always comes down and says, you know, if you go through the process, you stand before us, you're automatically gonna get in. It is a task. It's a time to stand before it and to see it pass or fail from the side of the ordination council. And I trust if you're standing there, you believe fully God's called you, And prepared you and and ready to give not a defense but a declaration of how God is working In your life and so but for the ordination to be properly done it must be prepared to decline a candidate if need be and so Paul says you're not to be hasty about them. It's a look at verse 22 It says lay hands suddenly on No, man. All right Don't get carried away with it. At the airport, I took light in there yesterday, they have fast track. Some people can pay a little bit and just get shuttled through or whatever. There doesn't have to be a fast track to the ministry. There shouldn't be cutting corners. And you can think practically, there could be a desire for that. If a church has struggled to find a pastor, and there's a young man that's there, and he's gotten saved, maybe he's zealous, they might think, well, why not go ahead and just get him into that position? He might be very qualified from a human standpoint. He's good at speaking. Some other things about his life, and people, let's just fast track this guy and get him in there. But time ought to be given to carefully consider his qualifications. You know, sometimes if you're at a wedding, you hear that question, if there's anybody here that has any reason why these two should not be married, let them speak now. or forever hold his peace. You know how it's kind of quiet? You hear a pin drop, and you just kind of hope there's not going to be anything. But it's bound to have happened, right? That at some wedding, somebody stands up and says they can't get married, and says the reason why. Again, it's right to have that question. It's right to ask that because there might be something that's not known that needs to be understood to be able to understand that. And so Paul says caution. Make sure of the decision. Don't make a hasty one because this person's going into the past for it. This person's going to be leading a local church. That's a great responsibility. And so let's be very careful about that. So don't be hasty. And then you're not to approve of that which God disapproves. You're not to prove that which God disapproves verse 22. It says neither be partaker of other men's Sins keep thyself pure. Okay, it's not it's not talking about entering into the sins of that man by doing the same sins But entering into his sin by him being sinful in some way and saying it's okay. I ordained him into the ministry Barnes notes says this The meaning in this connection is that Timothy was not to become a participant in the sins of another by introducing him to the sacred office. He was not to invest one with a holy office. He was a wicked man or a heretic for this would be the sanction is wickedness and error. If we ordain a man to the office of the ministry who's known to be living in sin or to cherish dangerous error doctrinal error We become the patrons of the sin and of the heresy. All right, so There could be a lot of good things about the guy. And you look at the guy and think, this is good, this is good, this is good, this is good, but there's this, but you know, everything else is pretty good, so let's go ahead and give him a pass. And let me give you a for instance, okay. If you're looking at a candidate, he's talented, he's gifted, he seems genuinely godly, but he's divorced. What's the answer to that. What should we do about that. Well again this this goes back to some of what we looked at on Sunday but how long is the marriage in God's eyes. Well marriages tell death to us part. Matthew 9 18 for cancer said to them have you not read that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female and said for this cause shall man be father and mother and shall cleave to his wife. and they twain shall be one flesh wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh what therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder God says don't let him divorce right remember that one two three husband of one wife it's what the Bible says but if you've got a woman that's alive that was your wife and you're not dead she's not dead and you've got another wife then you're got to that in God's eyes you're married to 1 Corinthians 739, the wife is bound by the law as long as her husband live it. But if her husband be dead, she's at liberty to be married to whom she will only in the Lord. OK, so you could be remarried if your husband is dead. And that's lawful because death causes the marriage to cease, the law of marriage. And Matthew 532, but I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, Causes her to commit adultery and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced listen Committed adultery So I mean that's that's what the Lord said now. I understand the exception clause and there's a lot of debate about that But but that being said, let's say there's no fornication. It's just divorce. We didn't get along I'm gonna marry somebody else and that person comes for it and they're a nice person. They're an intelligent person They're a gifted person. They seem They seem called of God into pulpit ministry and pastoral ministry. But they're divorced. And so this is where it comes down. What am I going to do about that? Well, here's an example. There is somebody like that. He's a famous TV preacher in the United States. His name is Charles Stanley. Charles Stanley's divorced. And I'll tell you, you listen to him on the telly. He's a good preacher. But that church back in the early 2000s, when when he got divorced, ought to have said to their pastor, Pastor, we love you. We care about you. But you're no longer blameless and you're no longer the husband of one wife. And I'm sorry, Pastor. And so if he wasn't already a pastor, he was a pastoral candidate. He wanted to be ordained. The ordination council ought to take the tough decision and look at him and say, I'm sorry, but that disqualifies you from pastoral ministry. And so you'd be sympathetic, but you'd have to say no. What if he was a personal friend? So you got a relationship, and man, you feel like you're just going to wreck the relationship. And imagine Timothy's going to know some of these men, and yet Paul says, careful. If you ordain him and he's in sin, then you are a partaker of his sin because you have sanctioned him. And so if you approve him when God disapproves him, you join in his error. Now I have a question for you. Does God still love Charles Stanley? Yes. All right, he does. Can he serve God in other ways? Yeah. I mean, the pastoral ministry is not the only thing. And I would say this, it's not the will of God for him. God has something else. Because it's not the will of God that somebody have more than one wife and be in pastoral ministry. So not as a pastor, but he could still be used of God, certainly forgiven by God, but not appointed to that office. And if he's in that office, he's failed. And it's to please God Galatians 110 for do I now persuade men or God or do I seek to please men? For if I yet please men, I should not be the servant of God. See see you're sitting on that ordination council you you wanna You know be positive It's got to be very tough if you're sitting there thinking well But that's not okay And I can't give approval to that. I'm a servant of God. And so I got to honor God and please God. So Paul says, be very careful about that. So properly investigate a candidate is the second thing. Properly investigate a candidate. And so a bad candidate may be obvious, may be obvious. Verse 24 says, some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment. Okay, in other words, it's really clear sometimes, you're looking at somebody and you go, no, not a chance. Joyce Meyer, if she's ordained, It should've been obvious. Nobody needed to wait for God's judgment in the future. It should've been obvious to them that, no, she's not qualified to be a minister. 1 Timothy 2.12, I suffer not a woman to teach, nor do you assert authority over the man, but to be in silence. 1 Timothy 3, if a man desired the office of a bishop, he desired the good work. And I understand tonight our church knows this well. but she can't be ordained. It's obvious because her sin is open beforehand. She's trying to do what King Saul did, and that is to usurp a position that's not hers, right? To enter into that without God's call. And so we don't need to wait on that. It's very, very clear. And so if you're looking at a candidate, and they're not serious, they're not godly, They don't know the doctrine. They're not. They don't have some level of giftedness. Now I want to I want to say does a person have to have incredible giftedness. No because the Bible says not many mighty not many noble some some some mighty some noble. There are some great men Adonai Judson comes to mind as far as his intellect and his knowledge and that. But generally speaking God. It takes very ordinary men and uses him for his glory. But there has to be some level of ability to communicate the truth of the word of God and to teach. On some level, it has to be there. So if you go, it's definitely not there, or they're not evangelistic, they're not given the gospel, then it's an easy decision. And the answer would have to be no. Barnes Notes says, about such people, he ought not to hesitate a moment. And no matter what their talents or learning or rank in the community, he ought to have no participation in introducing them to the ministry. All right. And so we are not the bad guy if on that council we say no, no. We're the good guy for the church and for the Lord when we stand and we identify somebody that clearly is not called of God as somebody not called of God. And so a bad candidate may be obvious. A bad candidate may only be found out by scrutiny. That may be the case. It may not be obvious at first. And so it says in verse 24, and some men, they follow after. Some it's really clear, it's obvious. before the judgment, but some it comes out at the time of testing and discovered by due diligence. Barnes notes, says, the meaning in this connection seems to be that there ought to be circumspection and judging of the qualifications of men for the office of the ministry. It ought not to be inferred from favorable appearance at once or on slight acquaintance that they are qualified for the office. for they may be of the number of those whose character, now concealed or misunderstood, will be developed only on the final trial. In other words, they may have gotten along quite a ways in pursuing ministry, but when they stand before the ordination council and they're Diligently looked at as far as where they stand on doctrine. You might find something go. Oh, I didn't know that about you I didn't understand that that was the case for instance. Somebody could believe that ecumenism and being tolerant of other faiths is a good thing Well come out from among him to be separate said the Lord He said I'm the way the truth And the life no man cometh unto the Father but by me And so again, but you may not have seen that in that person's life. They may not believe in the verbal inspiration of the scripture, literal interpretation. So as those questions are asked, something comes up. Oh, I didn't know that. And so be careful to go through the full process and to make sure of that. Now, I want to say this with regard to the candidate. No candidate should put on paper what he does not hold. So he ought not represent himself as one thing that he's really not. And if something changes in the future, he ought to have the decency to set that ordination aside and get ordained again, lest he violate what he said when he was ordained. But a bad candidate may only be found out by scrutiny. And it might be obvious. It might be one of the two. All right? All right, moving on, maybe obvious. A good candidate might be obvious, verse 25. It says, likewise, also the good works of some are manifest beforehand. You know, it's a refreshing thing to look at somebody and go, you know what, I see the hand of God there. I see God working in that young man's heart that might be an encouragement that other other people actually see what God's doing in their life and that's a great thing when they when they you know ordination council could get together and look at it and go yeah this is so clear God's definitely working this young man's life God is definitely guiding you that's a great thing. Now sometimes, and I did want to say this about ordination councils, sometimes it can be a time where somebody that comes, they're on the council, they want to vent their pet doctrine, all right? They want to put forward their idea. They want to stump the candidate that's there. But that's not what it's about. It's about just looking at the man and saying, is God's hand on this young man? Does he understand the doctrine? Where is he going? And in saying that, my position, I'll tell you, coming out of college, I was against ordination. In ministry, I was against ordination. When I joined Baptist World Mission, knowing that I had to be ordained before I went to the field, I was against ordination. It wasn't until the fourth year of deputation, that was our final years, we were raising support, that God just worked in my heart. My dad was my pastor, and I had conversations with my dad. And here was my argument. That is not what it was in the Bible. You know, I kind of looked at in the Bible as the church coming together, looking at a young man and just saying, yeah, God stands on him. Let's pray for him, you know, and the whole grilling process and that. But God really changed my heart about it. And I called my dad, said, Dad, I want to get ordained. And it was very neat. It's a neat story of how God worked in my heart. And I'll say this. Having gone through the process and having the men lay their hands on me and pray for me and commit me to the work that God called me to do, it was a huge blessing. And I'll tell you, it was a huge encouragement to me in times where I felt like, man, I just, I don't feel up to it, what God's called me to do. And so, I do view ordination in a different light than I did 13 or 14 years ago. And so, it's a great thing when a group of men can look at somebody and say, you know, God's hands on them. You know, the Bible says, James 3, 17, but the wisdom that's from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, without hypocrisy. And so as a counselors, you're looking at it and thinking, I know you may think I'll never be participated in this. Deacons can be too. And a church ought to church ought to view it and say, I agree with them. They're ordaining him, but I agree with them that this is right. Right. OK. But that verse speaks about it should be if it's of God. Then it should be easy. And so the thing I say is, if there's doubt, don't. If there's something just not right, and everyone kind of feels that, it'd be right for the ordination council to say no. But I think, generally speaking, when a man is ordained, God makes it clear to the other men that are there if it's truly of God, and where they identify that as well. And then, so a good candidate might be obvious. But again, as we talked about with the bad candidate as well, a good candidate may need to be sought out, verse 25. and they that are otherwise cannot be hit. And in saying that verse, in God's providence, God will bring it to the surface, as well as we need to be discerning as godly men to look sometimes at somebody and say, you know what? I see ministry gifts. I see potential in your life to be used for God. Do you know the story of John Knox and his ordination? Anybody know that or his call? St. Andrew's Castle in St. Andrews, if you've been there, it's on the north side, was held by the reformers, and John Knox being one of them. And the acting preacher at the castle during this period was one John Ruff. who was a few years younger than Knox. This godly man, feeling himself overwhelmed by the responsibility which the leadership of the Protestant cause had thrust upon him, urged Knox to share in his work and to take over the leadership of the struggling group. But Knox declined. So John Ruff commenced to preach a sermon on the right of a congregation to elect a minister and the responsibility of the unfortunate person if he refused the call. Needless to say, it was a passionate sermon. And finally, at the close, Roth turned and addressed Knox and said, brother, you shall not be offended, although I speak unto you that which I have in charge, even from all those who are here present, which is this. In the name of God and of his son, Jesus Christ, in the name of all that presently call you through my mouth, I charge you that you refuse not this holy vocation. But as you are tender to the glory of God, the increase of Christ's kingdom, the edification of your brethren, and the comfort of being, whom you understand well enough to be oppressed by the multitude of labors, that you take the public office in charge of preaching, even as you look to avoid God's heavy displeasure and desire that he shall multiply his graces unto you. Then addressing the congregation, one of whom was Sir David Lindsay of the Mount, said, was not this your charge unto me? And do ye not approve this vocation? They all answered. It was, and we approve it. At these words, Knox suddenly burst into tears and left the assembly. It's recorded that his countenance and behavior from that day till the day he was compelled to present himself in the public place of preaching, that he sufficiently declared the grief and trouble of his heart, for no man saw any sign of mirth from him. Neither had he pleasure to accompany any men for many days together. It goes on to say, in this way, the divine call came to the great Scotch performer, Scotty. And the voice of God in that call, he obeyed. And with what results, his noble life showed. I mean, he's well used of God. They that are otherwise cannot be had. The church, in that case, looked at a man and said, we see God's hand here. And he didn't even recognize it yet. But the Spirit of God used that to break his heart as he prayed about that and surrendered to the call. God so we need the we need God called God enabled men. We need to seek them out. We need God to reveal them as well And so caring for the ministers ordinations very serious charge that God's given to the local church It has huge ramifications. It could potentially really hurt a church or really be a blessing to a church. Bad candidates got to be refused. Good candidates need to come forward. And we need to try them carefully. And ordination, again, I would say, is biblical to investigate and make certain of somebody's call and then appoint them to gospel ministry, laying on of hands, as the Bible says. And nothing. special about that like baptism just obeying God and asking but I think there's something special about laying on hands in the sense of that prayer and asking God to work and God honoring that and so it's a very demanding work but if a man desired the office of a bishop he desireth a It's a good work. It's a tough work. If you want to do something that really, I mean, Satan's going to try to get you to quit a lot. And there's going to be times where it's going to be all in. It's a good thing to do that for God and know your call of God to do it. Father, I pray the Spirit of God would just stir our hearts Father, those of us that are called, just remind us of our calling. Remind us of the hand of God upon our lives. And Father, every calling is special. And I don't want to diminish from anything that anybody does in obedience to God whatsoever your hand find it to do, do it heartily as to the Lord. But I would say there's something special about the grace of God reaching down and touching the heart of a young person and calling them into full-time ministry. gifting them to preach the truth, to stand for the truth, and to lead in a church. It's a huge responsibility, and it's a great privilege. Father, I pray for our young men. I pray, God, if there are any that the Spirit of God would see fit to call into gospel ministry. I pray in your timing, Lord, it doesn't have to be tonight. But I pray your timing that they would know the mind of God And father no matter what I pray all of our our church family I just pray they know they're in the center of the world God doing what God desires them to do Willing to do anything Lord. I every single one of us, you know, we have had some missionaries here yesterday every single one of us ought to be willing to be a missionary if you call Father there's there's some that become missionaries in their 50s 60s and by maybe in those cases they are already involved in ministry, but Yet there is that there ought to be that that willingness to say whatever God whatever God you want I'll do And so I pray God use your word tonight. Help us to be discerning. Help us to lay hands suddenly on no man, but Lord God, would you raise up some godly men? that we could appoint to gospel ministry. It's in Christ that we pray. Amen. Amen.