Ordination

Ordination

Prepared for Estes’ ordination at Brandon Baptist Church on August 19, 1945

By W.H. Wood

The spirit of ministration will always find many opportunities open to it.  The state of mind of a minister should be to – fear God – reverence, honor and respect Him as the God of heaven.

The new enterprise should be undertaken in the spirit of prayerful dependence and self-consecration.  His message should be to proclaim the truth under the supervision of the Holy Spirit.  His purpose should be to avoid iniquity such as all types of unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, injustice, and crime. 

Ordination is an act of brotherhood and recognition of spiritual gifts essential to the ministry.  We believe that according to the scripture your habit should be walking with God.  We also believe that according to the voice of scripture your greatest work will be turning men to God.

Divine grace unites with human judgment and effort.  Teaching the law of God in accordance to the divine grace extended you will be your greatest duty.  Acting as God’s messenger is your commission.

Paul admonished young Timothy to study. 

You must study to show yourself to the world. 

You must study to show yourself approved unto God. 

You must study to be a successful workman.

You must study that you may not be ashamed. 

You must study that you may be able to rightly divide the word of truth. 

You have the message – the green light is on – go forward, hand-in-hand with God and fear no danger so long as you cooperate with God. 

"My covenant was with him, one of life and peace, And I gave them to him that he might fear Me; So he feared Me And was reverent before My name. The law of truth was in his mouth, And injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, And turned many away from iniquity. "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Malachi 2:5-7

So when they had appointed elders in every church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Acts 14:23

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance.  For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:9-16

Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ, by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ, our hope, To Timothy, a true son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord. As I urged you when I went into Macedonia--remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine,  nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith. Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm. But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 1 Timothy 1:1-11

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Acts 2:41-42