This could be one of the most profound lessons that I have learned while serving in the ministry. I have read one other article that has "hinted" at it but I have found nothing that has stated it to the extent that I am going to. I am going to take a verse that some may say that I am mis-interpreting but this is just that, my interpretation. Please read this article completely before you make up your mind. As with all information in this world, you are always free to disagree.

Every minister that I have ever known has talked about getting "the call". This topic in itself could take up many pages of the site but that will have to wait for another day. I have a specific portion of this topic that I want to zero in on. Let's generalize and all agree that "the call" in this instance means that we have been called into the ministry of service for the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. Before any of you self-proclaimed, snackshop theologians start a rant about how we are ALL called into the ministry if we have experienced salvation because of the great commission in Matthew 28. Yes, true. But we are talking about the call above and beyond that into the leadership of the churches. I'm even going to go past the calling of the deacon (diakonos for you greek scholars) and not stop here and talk about how that role has been taken so far out of it's scriptural basis that it's rediculous. I'll just say the true deacon is called and not appointed and he serves the body a lot of times in anonymity and behind the scenes. The crusty old guy that sits on a board and tells the Pastor if he can spend $6.14 to buy more toilet paper for the bathrooms is NOT a deacon in the church of God. (Okay, there's my rant lest I digress more).

I'm going to mention two passages here and then distinguish the difference between the two and how I think it applies to the BOP. First, let's talk about the passage in I Timothy in which we are all very familiar with but I am going to bring out a little different part of the passage. Chapter 3, verse 1 says "If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task." We all know the word overseer here is also translated as shepherd. We call that position Pastor in the churches today even though the word Pastor only appears one time in the NT and King James' interpreters pretty much made that word up because they didn't like overseer, shepherd or bishop. The point that I want to bring out in this particular passage is one that I overlooked for a long time. The way I read this now it says that "if you want to volunteer to be a Pastor, you desire a noble task". Fair assesment, right? Here's what it doesn't say, "just because you want to be a Pastor it doesn't mean that God is calling you to that position". Let me make this statement and it will upset some people but oh well. I have known people and you have probably known people that are in the ministry and THEY HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO BUSINESS BEING IN IT! It's obvious that they have called themself to the ministry, God did not! It shows because it becomes obvious that they are "in love with the light", the spotlight that is. They love to hear their own voice and they will pontificate on anything and everything at the drop of a hat and they have been known many times to drop theri own hat!

Of course I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush here. Yes, I know that there are many people that have volunteered that are good, solid ministers that have affected many, many people's lives for the kingdom of Christ. BUT, I am safe in saying that we all know those whom in our head we have said "Whoa, that guy has his own agenda and I'm steering clear of him". And they usually don't stay around too long, they are always looking for that "bigger or better" ministry. This is the volunteer. On to the draftee.

Let's go to the second passage of scripture. Matthew 22:14 says "For many are invited, but few are chosen.". Christ is talking about salvation here but I think there's more to get from the passage that may pertain to "the call". I think that this passage could also be talking about the shepherds that are in charge of caring for the flock. "For many are invited" (the old KJV even uses the word "called" here which is what first got my attention a few years ago), so could this apply to the verse we mentioned above in I Timothy where many are "invited" to be a volunteer? Stay with me here, and if that is plausible then I will say that it would be easier for us to understand this passage in Matthew by putting a period in place of the comma and reading it as two seperate statements. I am not saying that there is an error in the scripture, I said it would be easier for us to understand by reading it that way. Nothing more, nothing less.

Two seperate statements. Statement one is "For many are invited." Statement two is "few are chosen." The few that are chosen are NOT out of the many that are invited. Aaaahhhh, welcome to the draft board. I believe that there are people who have been "chosen" to serve the Lord at this high level of commitment and they really have no choice. I know, I know, what about the whole free will thing and all that good stuff. I don't have all the answers, just more questions. Here's what I know so far. Let's take the example of one of the greatest men in the history of the faith, Moses. I have read and re-read the story of Moses over and over and every time I read it I fail to find where he "volunteers" to go do what God asked him to do. Instead, I see many excuses as to why he "can't" do it. In other words, he either doesn't want to do it or...................he feels inferior. Sound familiar?