ORDINATION TO MINISTRY Titus 1:5-9
FBCF – 11/30/25
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Thought it would be appropriate to begin message w/ lyrics from a song since we are ordaining our Minister of Music today – “These Days” (Jeremy Camp)
I believe that you and I
Are in the right place, at the right time
God called us by name
And He doesn't make mistakes
I know we were born to shine bright
In a dark world that needed some light
Don't have to be afraid
Maybe we were made for these days
Maybe we were made for these days
Our God is a personal God who is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives. And He is especially interested & involved in anything that has a direct impact on His FAMILY, His Church.
And so, we come today to ordain Matt Hines to the Gospel Ministry b/c we believe, as Jeremy Camp’s song says, God has called him by name & he is in the right place at the right time. Matt, God has made you for these days in the life of this Church FAMILY & for these crucial days in the K’dom of God in our world.
Last Sunday, 17 godly, ordained men from this Church FAMILY met w/ Matt to question him, to consider his salvation testimony & his present walk w/ the Lord, to examine his doctrine, & to consider his readiness & competence to serve in pastoral duties. The result of that meeting was a wholehearted, unanimous decision to bring him before this body of believers & set him apart as a Minister of the Gospel.
TITUS 1:5-9 – Matt, we serve a strong God.
- 2 Samuel 22:33 – “This God is my strong refuge…”
- Jeremiah 50:34 – “Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is His name…”
And b/c He is strong, He gives us the strength necessary to do whatever work He calls us to do. That’s true for ALL of His children: those who are called to vocational ministry & those who are not. But it’s a great comfort to those of us who serve the Church as His under-shepherds. And not only is it a great comfort, it is also a given necessity. We cannot & must not attempt to do this grand work of ministry in our own strength.
So, I admonish you to lean upon the strength that is in you by the power of the Holy Spirit. And I charge you to be strong in these 3 areas:
STRONG FAMILY – v. 6 – You’ve already discovered that ministry is a demanding vocation. Turning off the lights at 5:00 & leaving it all at the office is not an option for those of us who serve the Church as pastors. I’ve found that my love & concern for the people whom God has placed under my spiritual care prohibits me from ever totally shutting my mind off.
With that in mind, your relationship w/ Laura & your boys must stay in the top priority position in your life. You are called to be “the husband of one wife” – literally, a “one-woman man.” And one of the best things you can do for your boys is show them how a Godly husband loves his wife. You are called to be her provider, protector, & her pastor. Spurgeon: “He who does not begin his ministry at home is a bad preacher.”
I can tell you w/out hesitation that Satan’s main target will be your marriage & family. He knows that if you lose your marriage, you’ll lose your credibility & effectiveness as a pastor – which leads to next charge:
STRONG WALK W/ JESUS – v. 7-8 – Probably should go w/out saying, but sadly, there are pastors who spend so much time working for God that they neglect walking w/ God. “Business in the King’s business is no excuse for neglecting the King.”
V. 7-8 – (read them again) – The ONLY way you’ll be able to be that man of God described in these verses is if you are faithfully, fervently, passionately, persistently walking w/ Jesus.
- Stay in the Word – 2 Timothy 3:16 – “All Scripture is God-breathed & is useful to teaching, rebuking, correcting, & training in righteousness that the man of God may be THOROUGHLY EQUIPPED for every good work.”
- Stay on your knees – “A prayerless preacher is a powerless preacher.” – Believe, stand on, & practice the truths of Scripture regarding prayer.
- Stay humble – “Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord & He will lift you up.” – If you ever begin to say to yourself, “I’ve got this”, you’re in trouble! Your ONLY hope is the Lord Jesus!
STRONG GRIP ON THE WORD OF GOD – v. 9 – In a few wks, we are going to be doing another ordination service, only for deacons, not pastors. Many of requirements for them to serve the Lord’s Church are the same as those for pastors. But there’s one difference: You must be ready & able to teach the Word of God to the Church. So you must maintain a strong grip on the Word for your personal life & also for the proclamation of its truths to the Church.
O.S. Hawkins – “Proclamation, the preaching of the Gospel, should be central to Christian worship.” And while I joyfully have that main responsibility here in our church FAMILY, you, too, must be a student of the Bible & “able to give instruction in sound doctrine & also to rebuke those who contradict it” (v. 9).
CONCLUSION – Matt, by His GRACE, your strong God has called you & equipped you to serve His FAMILY! I charge you now to step humbly & confidently into His strength & serve Him well!
