WATCH DRURY WRITE A BOOK. – THIS IS A TEMPORARY POST Writer’s first draft of a book to be published by The Wesleyan Publishing House. as an introduction to the ministry. This web-posted copy is an early draft of the manuscript and not intended to be used as a final document. While the editors will catch minor errors if you see something significantly wrong or missing drop Keith Drury a note at kdrury@indwes.edu © 2003 Keith Drury

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Introduction

The ministry is a high calling. Why? Because the minister is called to lead and serve the church and the church is the primary way God accomplishes His will on earth. While God chooses individuals to lead His people His primary means of bringing the kingdom is through a groups. He chose families, tribes and nations in the Old Testament. Since the New Testament life death and resurrection of Jesus Christ God has chosen the church--the collection of followers of Jesus Christ, God's son. No one person can be the church--"the church" only exists as a group. You cannot be the church not can I. We can be the church only as we are connected with others.

Jesus Christ established His church and is the church's cornerstone. God built it through the Apostles and other leaders through the last 2000 years. The "gates of Hell" will not prevail against the church--that is, the church will succeed. While His church has stains and weaknesses (after all, it is made up of people like you and me) the church is God's best plan to bring His kingdom to earth. Every time we pray the Lord's Prayer we pray that God's kingdom will come. What is that kingdom? It is a society where His will "is done on earth as it is in heaven." How will God bring His kingdom to earth? Through the church. There are plenty of wonderful organizations and agencies on earth--some secular and some religious. But God did not choose to use these as the primary means of bringing His kingdom to earth-He chose the church. A call to the ministry is a call to work with the church--God's primary tool for bringing His kingdom to earth. It is a high calling.

The second reason the ministry is a high calling is that it deals with the eternal. The Bible does not dismiss the temporal or temporary--we certainly want to eat, drive cars, get educated, get a haircut, have nice magazines to read, have interesting video games to play and live in comfortable houses. But most of these are "temporal" or temporary things. They don't last through all eternity. It is true that the ministry also deals with lots of temporal things--like building a youth center, making budgets, and

getting insurance for the youth ski trip. But the primary goal of the ministry is eternal not temporal--the ministry constantly deals with two eternal matterss: the word of God and the souls of men and women. When all the video games have passed away, and there are no more haircuts to be given, or meals to eat, or houses to live in, and even with this entire earth passes away-- the word of God and the souls of people will continue…through all eternity. The minister spends his or her life constantly dealing with eternal matters--God's word and the souls of men and women. You could do lots of things in life that might be fun and interesting but when you've finished your life's work you might realize "you can't take it with you." Those who answer God's call to the ministry can "take it with them" (or send it ahead) The ministry is a high calling because it deals with the church, God's primary means of bringing His kingdom to earth, and because the ministry deals with eternal matters--the word of God and the souls of people..

This book is called "High Calling" not "Higher Calling." Why? We chose "High calling" because we did not want to appear that we were putting down or dismissing the life work of a waitress, dentist, nurse auto mechanic or a dozen other occupations as if the minister was better than these lay people. However you should know that you might often hear of the minister as a "higher calling." Because of the above two factors (the church and the eternal) many consider the ministry to be the highest life calling of all. This book does not propose that. We don't need to compare or compete with other professions to make the ministry valuable. Its value is evident. So, instead of "higher calling" or "higest calling" we chose "High calling" for this book's title. This book is not designed to help the laity have a sense of calling. It is about the ministry. Other professions should write their own books for people headed into that work. Your friends should become whatever they find is their best way to change the world and bring God's kingdom to earth. This book is not for nurses or dentists; it is for future ministers. So we call this book "High Calling" because the ministry is just that--a high calling. It is a life calling to work with the church--God's primary means of accomplishing His will on earth, and it is a high calling because the ministry deals with the eternal--the word of God and the souls of men and women.

So what is the highest calling? It is doing exactly what God has called you to do. If God has called you to be a waitress or artist or nurse, be that. But if God has truly called you to the ministry, then do that. If you are called to the ministry accept it as a high calling--not only because you will be doing exactly what God wants you to do--but also because you'll get to work with His chosen tool, the church, and the eternal word of God and the souls of men and women.