Ordination Message For Michael Monica – “A Heart Set Apart”

John 12:26
If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me. Where I am, there My servant also will be. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

The heart of the PASTOR

A Servant Heart

A Set Apart Heart

A Spiritual Heart

A Solid Heart

1 TIMOTHY 3.1-7

This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.” An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, an able teacher, not addicted to wine, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy — one who manages his own household competently, having his children under control with all dignity. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and fall into the condemnation of the Devil. Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the Devil’s trap.

A Servant Heart

One of the truths about a person with a servant heart is that, long before there is a title or office designating them as a servant, they find ways to serve. Serving includes noticing a need a meeting that need. For a minister this is one of the key ingredients in the toolbox of the pastor.

A Set-Apart Heart

0Part of the significance behind the ordination of a person for service in the kingdom is the recognition that they have been selected, called, and gifted by God for a specific purpose. In a sense, every believer is ordained and expected to fulfill a certain role in God’s plan and purpose for their lives.

Answering the call to ministry, however, carries with it the weight of being responsible for the care and life of the Bride of Christ, the church. The weight of that calling, and the accountability before the Lord for this role is not something everyone is capable of managing.

A Spiritual Heart

· The Disciplines of Ministry

• Spending Time in Prayer
• Scripture Reading/Study
• Keeping a Clean Heart, Mind, and Walk
• Confession and Repentance when Mess Up
• Seeking God’s Direction
• Living Yielded to the Holy Spirit

A Solid Heart

Notice that Paul instructs Timothy that the Overseer should be:

• above reproach
• husband of one wife (a “One Woman Man”)
• self-controlled
• sensible
• respectable
• hospitable
• an able teacher
• not addicted to wine
• not a bully but gentle
• not quarrelsome
• not greedy
• one who manages his own household competently
• not be a new convert
• have a good reputation among outsiders

In other words, the person must be grounded, having a firm foundation of faith on the bedrock of beliefs and the teaching of the Bible. This foundation must be visible through their life to those around them.

Consider a building with a poor foundation…how long before it is visible?

A person who is living with a poor foundation in life will be evident to others

What if all of us, pastors or not, were striving to live with a firm foundation?

Invitation

· Are there some who need to be saved and come to faith in Christ? The first step of the greatest journey of your life is to make your way to Jesus and find forgiveness for your sins and the promise and hope of eternal life.

· Is there anyone here who has felt the nudge into ministry, a deeper calling to something greater, an urging to serve the church and the Lord in a specific role that carries greater responsibility. For example a missionary, a pastor, a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have all been given gifts (Super Powers), and we all have a calling (reason/purpose), but not everyone is called to make a career out of those gifts and callings. That is what I’m talking about here. This person is like a soldier under command, and may be “called-up” to “go” and must be willing to follow those orders. Is that what you feel today?

Charges for the Ordination Ceremony

THE CHARGE TO THE CANDIDATE

Michael, on behalf of the Church of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the power and authority of His name and by witness of the Holy Spirit, I charge you to…

• Live up to a Standard set by Scripture
• Keep Your Eyes on the Prize of Christ
• Serve the Lord Jesus in His Body, the church, in accordance with your gifts and calling doing all things as though you were doing them unto the Lord.

THE CHARGE TO THE CHURCH

By laying our hands on Michael today we state with the blessing of the church that we believe that he is called and gifted by God to serve as a pastor, elder, and overseer in the church body. As Michael come forward to be ordained today I charge the church body …

Church, on behalf of the Church of our Lord, Jesus Christ, in the power and authority of His name and by witness of the Holy Spirit, I charge you to…

• Pray for this man
• Serve along side of this man in the ministry and service in the body
• Hold this man accountable in love and grace, always encouraging him in his ministry and service and aiding him as you are able.