1. This series of lessons is designed to alert us to the decreasing number of full-time

Christian workers going into the ministry.

The needs have never been greater for evangelism and we are seeing a decrease

in the number of people responding to the call of God for lifetime service.

Has God changed? Are the needs less today than a generation ago?

2. Last week we looked at two of the causes for this decline:

#1. Secular Self-Interests - Wanting to be left alone to pursue the great

American dream.

#2. Upward Mobility Parents - Parents directing their children into the

secular world for job security and

prosperity.

3. Let’s look at three more devilish diversions.

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1. Where would we be with Christian dayschool teachers?

2. At our home we believe in Christian education from "the cradle to the grave." While I was not privileged to be able to go to a Christian dayschool, I was glad that my two girls were able to go. We’ve always had a strong conviction for Christian education, both on a dayschool level and on a college level.

3. The people in our church know something about the quality of teachers

coming into the ministry to teach in RCA.

We can see that their lives are dedicated to the call of God, to

serving others in lifetime ministry.

They are to be commended.

4. Still, something is missing if we originally regarded the Christian school

movement as the answer for everything wrong in our country, in

our families, and in our churches.

5. One of the strongest influences in a young person’s life is his teachers.

Here is a place and a person that can seize wonderful opportunities

to incline Christians toward the ministry.

1. A Christian professor who taught in a Christian college made three

observations about the students who entered from public schools

and those that entered from Christian schools"

#1. Commitment to the Lord

#2. Bible knowledge

#3. Commitment to full-time ministry

NOT so naturally lead from high school to Christian education

on the college-level.

3. One reason is because of WAGAPS Christian dayschool teachers.

And, yet, in his effort to be a professional, quality teacher he drives

his students as far from lifetime ministry as possible. It’s not

intention, we can be sure---but it has its affect on lives.

This is where the need to be "professional" and tough over-shadows

the more important needs of students.

WAGAPS stands for "We’re As Good As Public Schools."

4. Too often we are too professional and not nearly pastoral enough.

When this is the case, we drive students away from seriously

5. Far too many of the graduates coming out of Christian day schools are

headed for secular colleges. And many of the ones going to Christian colleges are not looking for a ministry, but in a field of business.

6. Is it possible that many Christian dayschool teachers and principals

a) Basketball coaches get caught up in coaching and winning ballgames.

b) Science teachers get caught up in science fairs and experiments.

c) English teachers get caught up in term papers and plays.

d) Principals get caught up in achievement test scores and deadlines.

Proverbs 22:6...

and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

• "In the way he should go," not "In what he should know."

• The emphasis of the verse is not on knowing and doing,

but on being.

• Biblical training involves character training that mirrors

Jesus Christ and causes one to seek the things of

e) Even teaching from a Christ-centered position does not fix the

problem of professionalism conflicting with pastoring.

7. Too many of us have become insensitive to our responsibility to

influence young people for the Lord.

What we leave in our students’ hearts is far more important than

what we leave in their heads.

8. Christian dayschool teachers must be far more than dispensers of

information.

He must be an influence for God....this responsibility to influence

is a sacred trust.

*******

1. Pilots of the German Luftwaffe during World War II used a tactic of swift and pinpoint flying to establish what has become known as lightning warfare---Blitzkrieg.

Since that time "blitzkrieg" has come to describe anything that happens quickly and dramatically.

Some people look for the call of God to come like a lightning bolt.

a) Read Acts 9:3-4.

b) This was a tremendous experience for Paul, and he never got over it. Indeed, it would be rather difficult to resist such a call.

c) If everyone was called of God like this, we would be more sure

of who had it and who didn’t.

3. The truth is the call of God rarely comes this way. And Satan has convinced many people that God has not willed for them to be in the ministry since they experienced no blitzkrieg call.

a) Read Acts 16:1-3.

b) Timothy had a good reputation as a growing believer. The elders

had watched his progress with thanksgiving.

c) Isn’t it interesting that there is NO mention of God’s call on

Timothy’s life? Could it be that there was no such call, but

it was apparently so commonplace that it did not deserve mention in the narrative....

....no voices, no inner revelations, just quiet obedience to

the will of God.

a) Matthew 4:18-20...

and followed him.

b) Pretty tame stuff, really...also note Matthew 9:9 and John 1:43.

And the call of the other disciples isn’t even recorded in detail.

6. Too many people think that the call of God involves a burning bush

experience...and most of the time, God just doesn’t reveal His will

that way.

has a work for us to do.

#1. "Am I called to serve the Lord?"

a) Every man, woman, boy, and girl is called to serve the Lord---

that’s the purpose of our salvation.

b) We know the first two verses of this passage, but note verse 10;

read Ephesians 2:8-10.

c) If you are alive and a Christian, you are called to serve the Lord.

We are all in the S2S Club: Saved To Serve.

#2. "How am I called to serve the Lord?"

a) Read Romans 12:1-6.

b) You serve as God has gifted you...it’s determined by our gifts.

c) If you see a young man in our fellowship and he is gifted to

evangelize, preach, or teach, we have no right to encourage

him to go to the state college and enter the field of political

science.

God does not call us to a specific ministry and not gift us

for that ministry; neither does God gift us for the ministry

and not call us to it!

#3. "Where do I serve the Lord?"

a) This is the most difficult question of all and we must lean on

the Holy Spirit’s leading.

b) Serious-minded Christians do not simply choose a college

curriculum that serves mankind, but they look for one that

teaches them how to SAVE mankind, through the grace of

God.

If the blitzkrieg call were required for ministry, most of us would be

in another line of work today. Listen to the gentle prodding of God--- in His still small voice, examine your gifts, and assume He wants you in lifetime ministry.

When you step out in faith, He will confirm His call, and you will

know.

*******

1. Pastors of multi-ministry churches like ours stay extremely busy serving

people, preparing messages, and leading the way in evangelism.

But pastors must be careful not to delegate away the most important

areas of their own ministry---nor do the things that they can delegate

to others, so they can do the most important things.

2. One of the key areas of the pastor is to be a MENTOR, to take under his

wing young fledglings with potential for the ministry.

a) Few would argue that Moses was not busy in the work of God.

Read Deuteronomy 34:10.

b) Indeed, Moses would be a tough act to follow.

c) Now read Joshua 1:1,5.

a) This was a flaming prophet of God. (see II Kings 2:8)

b) But Elisha was right beside him, ready to move on for God.

a) Is there any rival in the New Testament for the ministry of Paul?

b) But he had time to mentor a young man named Timothy.

c) Read II Timothy 4:16 and Phil. 2:20.

6. Moses was busy with the murmuring millions. Elijah was busy with the prophets of Baal. Paul was busy with the care of the churches.

But they ALL had enough time to disciple those who would follow them.

1. Eli’s understudy was Samuel, but he had little time to mentor his disciple;

Eli was too busy with the routine of the ministry.

a) Eli forgot to serve the people around him.

b) Eli never chastened his sons.

c) And Eli’s son’s disgraced him.

2. Note I Samuel 3....the word of the Lord was sparse in those days.

a) Three times God called Samuel and the first two times Eli sent

Samuel back to bed....this is a man of God who has grown

insensitive to the voice of God.

b) When the boy received the call of God, the priest of God, who

should have recognized it, didn’t.

3. Most pastors today don’t have a Joshua, an Elisha, a Timothy, or a

Samuel....just too busy, too inattentive to the call of God on a

young person’s life.

4. Sadly, most pastors in the ministry today had a mentor that encouraged

them to go into the ministry, but they are missing the opportunities

to encourage others to do the same.

*******

#1. Secular Self-Interests - Wanting to be left alone to pursue the great

American dream.

#2. Upward Mobility Parents - Parents directing their children into the

secular world for job security and

prosperity.

#3. WAGAPS Christian Teachers - Teachers being so professional and academically-oriented that they are not pastoring the sheep that God gives them.

#4. The Blitzkrieg Call - Expecting God to blind you with a light from

heaven or appear through a burning

bush, rather than hearing His still,

small voice.

#5. Eli Syndrome Pastors - Where men of God got so busy in the ministry, that they forgot to go after young people and train them for the ministry.

2. Which one did the devil get you with?

3. It’s not too late to change some priorities.