Invitation to My Ordination Service

[JOwen]

Dear List,

I would like to invite any in the greater Vancouver area to my Ordination/Installation Service tomorrow at 7:30 pm to be held at the Surrey Free Presbyterian Church 18790 58 Avenue Surrey, British Columbia.

Kind regards,

Jerrold H. Lewis

 

[Contra_Mundum]

I commend you to God, to Christ, and his Church.

[Edited on 7-7-2005 by Contra_Mundum]

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

God bless!

CHARGE TO THE MINISTER.
You stand now, my brother, before this congregation, in a relation in which you never stood before. You are their Pastor. You stand before the ministry of the church in a new relation. You are invested with authority as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. You stand before that God who is the witness of the solemnities of to-day, in a new relation. The Holy Ghost hath made you an OVERSEER. You occupy a post of honour, and a post of danger. You stand in a needy station. Permit me, to warn you of its difficulties; to admonish you of its duties; and to assure you in the discharge of these duties, of an all-sufficient help.

In doing this, I claim, over you, no prelatical authority. In office, and in power in the church of Christ, you are equal to any man upon earth. The Apostolical commission has been transmitted to you unimpaired. You are an ordained Minister. I claim over you no other power than what the actual preacher has a right to exercise over every hearer"”the power of divine truth over the conscience.[31] When we pervert that truth, our words are without authority, and resistance becomes virtue.

We have, to-day, my dear brother presented you to this church, as the gift of God, for their edification. We hope you are the fulfilment of the promise of our Saviour to this people, I will give you Pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. In this hope, I repeat to you the words of the Apostle Peter, "Feed the flock of God, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly: not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind." You have indeed to encounter difficulties in your pastoral office, of which you are not yet fully aware.

There has been no opportunity for you hitherto to feel the difficulty of managing aright the spiritual concerns of a congregation. You have not felt the tender tie which binds the pastor to his flock. You have not felt, in all its exquisite anxieties, the responsibility of a watchman who must render unto God an account for souls. Under new circumstances, also, corruptions, which have been supposed extinguished, will again revive. Passions, which have been considered as destroyed, will be excited into fresh contentions. A multiplicity of undescribable anxieties, will put your temper to a severe trial. Your self-denial will be frequently put to the test. Your reputation will be assailed by enemies. Your words will be misunderstood, and your motives misrepresented. Your most disinterested exertions will often be undervalued. I know your congregation. I have long known them. I love them and esteem them. They will endeavour to make you in every respect comfortable. But they are human. They are imperfect. And it is always difficult to direct and, to control several active, inquisitive, high-spirited, and diversified minds, so as to effect one great object, the edification of all, and the good of the whole church of Christ. To these difficulties, is added the power of Satan, which you will have to resist in all its devices. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Amidst these trials and difficulties, you must, nevertheless, continue unwearied in the work whereunto you are now ordained.

Having in view the edification of the church, it becomes you to stir up the gift that is in you. It is your duty, my brother, to cultivate, by frequent and fervent devotion, close intimacy with your Redeemer. You must read and study the scriptures, as a sinner struggling for deliverance from the body of death"”as a Christian growing in grace and in knowledge"”as a critic weighing every expression, and thoroughly searching every subject"”as a pastor, who, mindful of his people, collects diligently for their use,"”You must read the scriptures as an ambassador for Christ, that you may understand and proclaim your master´s will. In preaching Christ crucified, and in administering the sacraments, exercise both diligence and faithfulness. And let not the ordinance of discipline be neglected in your ministry. Take heed to your life and conversation, and let them be such as become the gospel. Be an example to the flock in all love and humility. Be patient, be sober, be vigilant. Visit your people, and strive to know them as men and as Christians. Indulge not, either in the pulpit or in private, personal animosities. Reprove and rebuke with all authority. Give not heed to slanders, and listen not to the tale of the censorious. In discipline, be circumspect and prompt, meek, but decisive. Show to your people that you seek their salvation, "of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you." And in the discharge of these duties, put your trust in God. However great your difficulties and your duties, greater still is your support.

God is to the faithful minister an all sufficient help. He is a father and a friend. He will bear you up in your afflictions. He will deliver you from danger. He will strengthen you for your labours. He pledges his faithfulness for your support. To the commission which he hath, through us, to-day delivered unto your hands, he hath added a promise, which you will never forget. It will inspire you with a confidence, which gives energy and dignity to your ministry. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Source: Sermon by Alexander McLeod, Covenanter minister, 1808

Westminster Form of Presbyterial Church Government:

8. Which being mutually promised by the people, the presbytery, or the ministers sent from them for ordination, shall solemnly set him apart to the office and work of the ministry, by laying their hands on him, which is to be accompanied with a short prayer or blessing, to this effect:

"Thankfully acknowledging the great mercy of God in sending Jesus Christ for the redemption of his people; and for his ascension to the right hand of God the Father, and thence pouring out his Spirit, and giving gifts to men, apostles, evangelists, prophets, pastors, and teachers; for the gathering and building up of his church; and for fitting and inclining this man to this great work: to entreat him to fit him with his Holy Spirit, to give him (who in his name we thus set apart to this holy service) to fulfil the work of his ministry in all things, that he may both save himself, and his people committed to his charge."

 

[just_grace]

God bless you brother. Shepherd those sheep to the Glory of God.

 

[biblelighthouse]

Praise God! And congratulations! May the Lord richly bless you, and glorify Himself through you!

 

[SolaScriptura]

Congrats! I pray for God's blessing upon you and your ministry there.

 

[Michael Butterfield]

Ministerial Boldness

What kind of boldness must the minister´s be? First, a convincing boldness. How forcible are right words, saith Job; and how feeble are empty words, though shot with a thundering voice. Great words in reproofing an error or sin, but weak arguments, produce laughter oftener than tears . . . Secondly a wise boldness. The minister is to reprove the sins of all, but to name none. Paul, being to preach before a lascivious and unrighteous prince, touched him to the quick, but did not name him in his sermon. Felix´ conscience saved Paul that labour . . . Thirdly, a meek boldness . . . Let the reproof be sharp as thou wilt; but thy spirit must be meek. Passion raise the blood to him that is reproved; but compassion breaks his heart. We must not denounce wrath in wrath, lest sinners think we with their misery; but rather with such tenderness, that they may see it is no pleasing work to us, but we do it that we might not, by a cruel silence, be accessory to their ruin, which we deire [sic] to prevent . . . Fourth, an humble boldness; such a boldness as is raised from a confidence in God, and not from ourselves, our own gifts or ability, courage or stoutness . . . Fifthly, a zealous boldness. Or reproofs of sin must come from a warm heart. Paul´s spirit was stirred within him when he saw a fir in his bones; it broke out of his mouth like a flame out of a furnace. The word is a hammer; but it breaks not the stony heart when lightly laid on. King James said of a minister in his time, that he preached as if death were at his back. Ministers should set forth judgment as if it were at the sinner´s back to take hold of him. Cold reproofs or threatenings are like the rumble of thunder afar off, which affrights not as a clap over our head. I told you the minister´s boldness must be meek and merciful; but not to prejudice zeal . . .

Some helps to produce this boldness. First, a holy fear of God. We fear man so much, because we fear God so little. One fear cures another. When man´s terror scares you, turn your thoughts to the wrath of God; this is the way Jeremiah was cured of his aguish [sic] distemper, fearing man: Jer. 7:17 . . . Second, castle thyself within the power and promise of God for thy assistance and protection . . . Our eye, alas! Is on our danger, but not on the invincible walls and bulwarks which God has promised to set about us. The prophet´s servant that saw the enemy army approaching, was in a panic; but the prophet that saw the heavenly host for his life-guard about him, cared not a straw for them all . . . Thirdly, keep a clear conscience: he cannot be a bold reprover, that is not a conscientious liver; such a one must speak softly, for fear of waking his own guilty conscience . . . Unholiness in a preacher´s life will either stop his mouth from reproving, or the people´s ears from receiving. O how harsh a sound does such a cracked bell make in the ears of his audience! . . . Good counsel from a wicked man produces no effect . . . Fifthly, consider, if thou be not now bold for Christ in thy ministry, thou canst not be bold before Christ at His judgment; he that is afraid to speak for Christ, will certainly be ashamed to look on His face then. "˜We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ´ 2 Cor. 5:10. Now what use doth Paul make of this solemn meditation? "˜Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men.´ . . . A serious thought of that day, as we are going to preach, would shut all base fear out of the pulpit. It is a very small thing to be judged by men now for our boldness, but dismal to be condemned by Christ for our cowardice . . . Sixthly, consider how bold Christ was in His ministry . . . I Tim. 6:13 Seventhly, pray for this holy boldness. Thus did the apostles come by it . . . it was the child of prayer, Acts 4:29f . . . Mark, they do not pray to be excused the battle, but to be armed with courage to stand in it; they had rather be lifted above the fear of suffering, than have the immunity from the suffering . . . If this be thy sincere request, God will not deny it. William Gurnall, 1616-1679

 

[crhoades]

Don't forget all of us PB'ers while taking on more shepherding duties!

 

[turmeric]

I'll be there in spirit. Congratulations!

 

[Bladestunner316]

Congrats!!!

"May the Lord be with You and your Sheep"

Blade

 

[JOwen]

Thanks friends.