I received an email from a web visitor. He asked the good question: "How can I know if I'm called to preach?"
HERE IS MY ANSWER:
Hi Daniel,
I can help you. First, there are two types of calls to preach. One is a call where you know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God is calling you to preach; and the other calling is a voluntary call, where you don't feel "called" per say, but you have a burning, unquenchable desire to serve God in your heart. God put that desire there and it is the call of God. I have the later. I've never felt "called" to preach, but I have a burning desire to serve God and so have pursued that calling.
I knew a Baptist pastor's wife who witnessed to people for 20 years before finally realizing that she had never been saved herself. She had been going through the motions because she loved her husband; but she realized she had been playing church all along, having churchianity without Christianity. So, yes, you may have preached and witnessed to people while unsaved. Your testimony reminds me of the Apostle Paul, who God had been dealing with, i.e., "pricking his heart," Acts 9:1-5) before he was saved. Cornelius was a devout man who feared God and tithed (Acts 10:1,2); but he didn't get saved until the end of Acts 10. Cornelius was religious but lost. Thankfully he later became saved. You were young and confused, had a desire to serve God; but you hadn't come to the knowledge of the truth yet..."Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." (1st Timothy 2:4). That knowledge is the Gospel of Jesus Christ by which we are saved (Romans 1:16).
If you have a desire to serve God, then that is evidence that God has called you to do so. Please understand that there's NO call to soulwinning. Every believer is commanded to go soulwinning (Proverb 11:30; Matthew 28:19,20; 2nd Corinthians 5:11). There is a call to leadership, such as a pastor; but we are all expected to preach the Gospel. Also, I don't believe a man needs to be ordained by men to preach the Gospel and lead men. Dwight L. Moody was rejected by the ordination board because they thought he was too young and immature. Moody went on to become one of the greatest Baptist pastors in the world, whose ministry is still going today in Chicago; but has sadly gone apostate.
I hope that helps,
Kindest regards
