Bobby Bosler: I’m Bobby Bosler, and I’m speaking to you today from Warsaw, Indiana, and I’m really excited about our guest here this week. This is a man who’s made a huge impact on my life: Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen. Many of you have heard Pastor preach at the Thee Generation Youth Summit.
You’ve heard some of his sermons. Some of you perhaps go to Falls Baptist Church, or are students at Baptist College of Ministry, or otherwise have been impacted by Pastor’s ministry indirectly. One of the things that I appreciate about Pastor is he always has a vision for everyone he’s talking to.
I think you’re going to hear that as you hear his challenge and perspective. I don’t know—we always hear a challenge—but a perspective I think is healthy, is balanced, and fits right in line with what we’re burdened about here at Thee Generation. Pastor, can you please share with us what God has put on your heart?
Wayne Van Gelderen: In the last session with Dr. Jim, it was focused on how do you know you’re called into full-time ministry? Well, the question I’d like to give each of you young people in this session is, what happens if you’re not called into full-time ministry? What does that mean for your life?
How should you approach your life? I have found over my many years of ministry that many sincere young people make a mistake in how they view their life. They see people called into full-time ministry as being in one category of people that are going to really be serious about the Lord and serve Him with their whole heart.
And then they see themselves as a group of people that will be faithful to church, but their main calling is going to be success in the vocation, the profession that they feel that they ought to be in. Now, certainly the Bible teaches that we ought to be good at what we do. We ought to be faithful to those that are above us in whatever employment we’re in.
But just focusing on being successful in professional life can be a huge mistake for a young person as they begin their adult life. If you are not called into full-time Christian ministry, you are called into ministry, and that can really cause you to have a paradigm shift in your perspective on life.
In chapter four of Ephesians, as the practical application of the great truth about the church is given, it says, “I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called.” Now this was to all of the people at Ephesus, not just to the pastor of the church at Ephesus.
It was to every layman, all the people who were doing different professional work and supporting their families, but were key in the church there. Each one of them was to walk worthy, to live in a way that balanced out the calling of God on their life. And the word vocation is simply calling.
It’s not speaking there of a professional or vocational work. It is speaking of the calling that God has upon our life to serve Him. Every Christian is a minister.
Every Christian is called of God. In verse seven of chapter four it says, “But unto every one of us”—that’s every one of us—“is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.” This is exciting. It means that every believer is indwelt by the Spirit, and the Spirit will empower uniquely each believer to do great and mighty things in the context of their local church.
God has a plan for your life that is important, as any plan for any believer who has ever lived. But you know, many times it’s so easy to think, “Well, I’m not a preacher, I’m not a missionary. Therefore I’m just going to be a layman.” And therefore, the thing that really motivates you is the profession that you are involved in.
And you’re excited about that, and you want to be part of a local church, but it really isn’t that important to you, my friend. God wants to take you and cause you to do miraculous things to further the Great Commission and to build His work on this earth.
That’s why I encourage every young person, no matter what profession you’re going to train for, to get some very important instruction and development in ministry: to understand the Word of God, to be a leader, to know what it’s going to take to win the battle for Christ.
Today, I encourage young people to get a year or two of Bible college training, and then go on into the other training facets for the vocation, but to see themselves as a servant of the Lord first and foremost. Now, this may be a little different thinking than you have had before, but I think it’ll really help you, and I think it’ll resonate in your heart if you say, “Lord, what would You have me to do?
What do You plan for my life? What are the things that my life is supposed to accomplish? Lord, help me to see myself as one of Your servants.” I tell you, friend, if you will think that way about your life, it will be transforming.
Everyone listening to me is super important in the work of God. So think of the fact that you are first a servant and then your profession is second. And if you will live that way and train to live that way, God will use you mightily.
Bobby Bosler: Wonderful. Pastor, thank you so much for that helpful perspective. Young people, I recognize we’re speaking to some young people here.
God has called you to preach. God has called you to serve Him in full-time ministry. But some of you, maybe you’ve been listening to the podcast and you’ve been thinking, “Man, I just don’t know if I’m called,” and maybe God has clearly led you in another direction.
And you know what? That doesn’t mean that you’re all of a sudden no longer part of Thee Generation. Thee Generation isn’t a group of young people that are only involved in vocational ministry.
It’s a generation of young people who, regardless of their vocation, is committed to totally surrender to the will of God and totally depend on His power to do the work that God has called them to do—the preaching of the gospel wherever God has placed them. Young people, this is so applicable. I am so glad you preached this, you shared this with us, Pastor, today.
And young people, I trust that wherever you are, you’ll surrender to Jesus and you’ll do what He’s called you to do in the strength that He supplies. Thank you so much for listening.
