ORDINATION SERMON

What does it mean to be ordained for ministry? 

Romans 1:1 says “Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God…”

First of all, you are set apart for the ministry of the Gospel. 

You are set apart first of all by your calling. You are here because you believe God has called you into the ministry, just as God called Paul to the ministry of an apostle. 

You have pursued that call. You committed yourself to the gospel ministry. We used to say you “surrendered for special service”. You sought training and education to prepare you for service. And now you are serve Christ and his church as a minister.

Second, you are set apart by the church, which has recognized your calling. That is what ordination is. It is the church recognizing your calling into ministry and supporting you in it. You are set apart. 

You are also a servant of Christ Jesus. It is the way Paul first identifies himself in Romans 1. You are bound to Christ, to do his will his way. You put the Lord’s will above your own and everyone else’s, even if it means struggle and sacrifice. Jesus said whoever would be great among you must be your servant. In fact, whoever would be first among you must be the slave of all.  (Mark 10:44) Jesus himself is our example, as he said he came to serve, not to be served. (Mark 10:45)

Servants are desperately needed today. The world is full of those who promote themselves and aggrandize themselves even as they claim to be ministers. They expect to be recognized and revered. But the call is to be a servant, one who denies himself and honors and exalts Christ. 

Lastly, you are to be a steward of the gospel. Going to the example of Paul again, in 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 he said “this is how one should regard us, as a servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they must be found trustworthy”. 

A steward is one who takes care of the estate of his master in the absence of the owner or on his behalf. Christ has charged his ministers to teach, protect, and defend the gospel. The minister must be trustworthy in this regard, always teaching Biblical truth, not revising it to fit the cultural movements of the day, not avoiding the difficult things God requires, and not diminishing the greatness of God by making him just a better version of ourselves.

These are the basic elements of the ministry to which you are called and for which you are ordained today. So, on behalf of the congregation of believers, our church, I charge you today to fulfill your calling and ordination with all of the strength the Lord will give you, and pledge to support you in prayer and in our labor. 

Godspeed and God bless.