How Does One Know For Sure ....

Desire, burden, opportunity, affirmation of other mature believers are all things that should factor in:

Desire: Do you want to preach? If God is calling you in that direction, your desire to preach will grow, even if you are resisitant to it at first.

Burden: Do you feel a burden to share God's truth in an understandable way? Do you see a need that you can fill? Do you recoginize preaching as a servant's role more than a boss's role?

Opportunity: Do you have opportuities to try preaching? If you are stranded on a deserted Island, then God might be calling you to preach, but probably not right away...you'll need to get off the island first.

Affirmation: When you preach, do other mature Christians affirm your ability and your message? If all they Christians you respect the most keep suggesting you try something else, you should at least give them a fair hearing.

I may be in a minority, but I even think God's calling can change of the course of a lifetime. The same man might be called to be a mechanic in his 20's, a pastor in his 30's-40's, then maybe a mechanic again in his 50's if he believes he can better serve God outside of full-time ministry. All Christians are called to convey Gospel truth, Some are full-time pastors, some are bi-vocational, some are unpaid elders who are also mechanics, some are just mechanics.

 

I have encountered too many young men who have gone into debt to attend seminary believing they were called to preach, only to find out that grace was never given to them by God. There was no calling. In many cases the seminarian interpreted some subjective feeling as the call of God upon their life. They failed to avail themselves to one the most powerful assets at their disposal: their local elders.

Elders are responsible for the spiritual welfare of the flock:

Hebrews 13:17a Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.

I encourage men who aspire to ministry to seek the counsel of their elders. Come under their counsel and authority. Give them permission to evaluate whether you display the spiritual character/maturity, theological acumen, sound judgment, and passion for the Gospel that is needed for ministry. Perhaps they will see something in your life that you do not see. If they agree that a man has the grace of God in their life for ministry, then they can commend them for training with their blessing and support. How different that would be than what is common practice today.

 

God will anoint you. You will know it because the experience isn't the same as getting a drivers license or a degree.