The Ordination of Mark Carley (Part 2)

Of others. God gives us both because if we just had one we would have reason to be insecure. In my life I have an internal sense of a call that I want to be an astronaut. I told one of the visitors here and they ignored me that while they're here in Florida near Orlando they need to go up north and go to the Cape Canaveral area which is like one of my favorite places to go because I stand there and I go I want to do that I have you think I'm joking I'm not.

I have an internal sense of the call to be an astronaut but NASA but I have no external sign of that call. NASA is not calling slightly overweight slightly past middle-aged diabetic old men to be the next space shuttle captain.

I have the internal I don't have the external. On the other hand my years after I left home my family the Penning family in Western Michigan are the plumbing Kings. We have the two biggest plumbing businesses in Western Michigan.

This is what I did in high school and early college. I was a plumber and I was good at it and my father whenever I would talk to him on the phone when I was living all the rest of you know Tom if you ever get tired of that preaching gig you could be a plumber we got a job for you.

We talked about you every once in a while we'd like to I have an external sign of the call but I assure you I have no internal sign of the call. It even hurts me to tell you that I'm good at it. I'm safe here because you're not gonna call me up to do plumbing in your house but I don't tell people at Jubilee this very often because then the next day hey Tom listen my things leaking call a plumber.

No I help but you get the idea you have been called I am convinced internally and externally. Christopher read the passage that said if a man desires to be an elder he desires and you desire it. The first time we met I was sounding you out about this but you also have an external it's not enough just to desire it.

Matter of fact maybe this is one of the things that causes problems in the church today is that that internal sense of the call seems to rise above everything else. Well he can't preach and he doesn't like people and he has no sense of shepherding but he says he wants to be a preacher so sign him up.

It's not enough but you also have an external one. That's what was running through my mind when Elder Brennan was reading the list of all the things you've done and I've taken that test and I've stood there in that examination and I watched you do it and you have received the external sign of the call but even that's not really it are the external sign of his call because you have said externally to him we believe you are gifted we believe you have these skills and this heart and this knowledge and that is what comes to a head right now.

When I do a wedding I always make sure that I include in the ceremony before it all starts when the couple are standing in front of me and I have them I say do you and what I mean by that is do you plan to marry these people and I always tell them sometimes privately sometimes publicly that this is their last chance to back out and that's what I say to you.

You know your heart we do not and it is not a failure or an embarrassment or anything bad if even at this point you say you know I need more time I'm not sure I'm not going to put the question to you right now but as you stand up and answer the questions if this is not a question that you can answer then don't answer it yes.

Does that make sense? So please come forward. Mark what's your middle name? Mark Joseph Carley. Do you believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the Word of God the only infallible rule of faith and practice?

Do you sincerely receive and adopt the confessions of faith and catechisms of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures? Do you approve of the government discipline and worship of the CPC?

Do you promise subjection to your brethren in the Lord? Have you been induced as far as you know in your own heart to seek the office of elder from love to God and a sincere desire to promote his glory in the gospel of his son?

Do you promise to be zealous and faithful in maintaining the truths of this gospel and the purity peace and the unity of the church whatever persecution or opposition may arise onto you on that account?

Do you promise to be faithful and diligent in the exercise of all private and personal duties which become you as a Christian endeavoring to adorn the profession of the gospel by your life and walking with exemplary piety before the flock over which God shall make you overseer?

Do you solemnly promise that by the assistance of the grace of God you will endeavor faithfully to discharge all the duties of an elder to this congregation and that you will be careful to maintain a deportment in all respects becoming an elder in the Church of Jesus Christ?

Members of the congregation I'm going to ask you a question and as you listen to the question consider it carefully in the same way that I had Mark question it think about it consider it and if at the end of the question when I look up because I do not have it memorized you agree and are making this vow before the Lord signify it please by standing.

Do you the members of Ascension Presbyterian Church acknowledge and receive Mark Collar as an elder and do you promise to yield him all that honor encouragement and obedience in the Lord to which his office according to the Word of God and the Constitution of this church entitles him?

If so please stand please pray with me. My Lord and my God I thank you for the opportunities you give us to make vows before you vows that are like any covenant with you that are not kept by our acts of will or good intentions or ability to be obedient in all things before you but in these things too Lord we ask your strength to enable us to obey and the replacement of our disobedience with your son's obedience as we endeavor and sometimes fail to keep these vows but Lord it is it is the solemn vow of this congregation and it is the solemn vow of Mark Carley to be a shepherd and congregation before you and Lord as we are about to ordain and install him I ask your blessing upon him we pray this in Jesus name amen.

At this point the members of Presbytery will come and join you and we will do two things we will lay our hands upon you and pray and I don't know if you'll be able to hear I hope we pray loudly but if not listen as hard as you can and in a wedding ceremony there's a moment that it actually takes place and now you're married and this is the Holy Spirit instill him with a love of your word instill him with the ability to discern and in that discernment and from that discernment to shepherd to love to challenge and exhort to be to be an under shepherd under the shepherdness of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Lord I ask that as he does so he can show these people.

Nothing but Jesus. Our gracious God as we lay hands on our brother here we sense the solemnity the gravity the weight of this moment you have gifted Mark and you have called him and we pray now that you will take those gifts that you have bestowed upon him to serve in your kingdom in this office and grow them and establish them and that he would be faithful to stir up the gift that you have given him to build up your church.

Oh Lord cause his eyes to look up to Jesus and him crucified. Give him a heart for the sheep in this pasture. Give him a heart of compassion even the compassion of Christ our Lord that as he cares and feeds and tends that that flock that he would do so in a love a love that maybe even is foreign to him now but oh Lord grow his heart grow his heart and equip him and we pray that you would bestow this blessing upon him.

Lord Jesus I.

Thank you for my beloved brother Mark. In this glorious occasion we cry out with thanksgiving and joy for this work you have done. Oh Lord I ask your blessing upon his life and ministry and he would love you and your word and your bride more than he ever has before and he would be utterly filled with the spirit to faithfully discharge this sacred and solemn duty to the glory of King Jesus.

Forever and ever we pray amen. Glorious and almighty God we thank you father for the grace and the mercy that you bestow upon mere mortal men to speak your word to your people to feed as we heard tonight your flock.

We pray God that there would be times of nurturing times of discipline times of healing and binding up. We pray father that you will give him the strength and the power that Mark will walk before you blameless all the days of his life and that God he would give over all of his power and strength Lord knowing that in weakness you are made strong.

So father we pray that we will see brother Mark always at the feet of Christ remembering Lord that Mary chose the better thing. And that father he will constantly be learning from you what it means to be a true man of God.

And we pray Lord God these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ our.

This commission of Presbytery hereby declares Mark middle name again sorry Mark Joseph Carly to be an ordained elder in the Covenant Presbyterian Church with all of the duties and responsibilities and privileges there.

Please join me in praising our God for even these events.

So let's do so now our gracious father in heaven our hearts are filled with great joy at this moment. We ask therefore that you would be merciful you would be gracious and that you would bless the ministry of Mark as he steps out in service.

That you would cause him to always be faithful. That he would be mindful of every word he speaks and even the countenance of his face as he as he goes out and looks upon the flock as he speaks as he speaks words of encouragement of exhortation even words of review oh Lord be merciful and bless him.

We pray also that you would give him a ready desire to repent of every sin of every stumble of every misspoken word. That he might be a good example to your flock and to all those around him. That we should always daily repent and believe the gospel.

Lord we pray that you would be pleased as as Mark steps into the to the ministry that that this church would be delighted that they would heed his his ministry. That they would be be encouraged that that the word would go out into this community and you would add to the numbers of this church and the Lord.

We ask father that you would be pleased to establish and grow your kingdom even in this small step Lord. I also pray that Mark would be encouraged in the ministry that as his time is now increased in in the in the demands upon his time as he's working in the office.

That you would give him great wisdom that he would be able to to serve in his calling at Ligonier but also love his family and love the church. Multiply his time multiply his energy and give him the stamina that is needed the grace that is needed to be found faithful in this work.

And we pray this in Jesus mighty name.

Blessed and holy God we come to you humbly father just thanking you for the life of Mark and we pray Lord your blessing upon him. We pray God that you will bless his home bless his family bless his children.

I'm blessing God to follow after you all the days of their lives. We pray God for this congregation Lord that they would make the duties that Mark has now stepped into ones of joy and not of stress and anguish but father one of glorying and praising.

And the lives of children being baptized and people getting married father even burying blessed saints seeing them gain the reward. We praise you and we thank you God for that. We pray that you will bless him to be in the word constantly.

That father to to show the congregation Jesus he must know Jesus all the more and we pray Lord God that you will give that hunger and desire for him to know your word even more and more every day the Lord.

We pray God that you would make the rest of his life to be a model of ministry to be one where he can look back and and and hope. That father you have blessed every effort. And that father he has done everything by your strength and not his own.

We pray Lord God these things in the glorious name of Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen amen. We are.

Going to now sing the doxology. Brethren let us begin. Brethren there are some wonderful things about our tradition that are important and as dr. Penning said the line has been crossed. Mark prior to this hour was not able to offer an invocation.

He was not able to preach in a way that a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ is able to preach. He's not able to administer the sacraments. He was not able to pronounce God's blessing but now he is so brother tell us give to us the blessing of our God.

And when we begin to sing song the song of Simeon which is a tradition for us brother mark I'm going to ask you to lead us out as we recess brother. Okay.

Receive the blessing of our Lord. May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your heart in mind. And the knowledge and love of God and of our Savior Jesus Christ this is the blessing of our Lord.

The blessing of the Father Lord God Almighty Father Son and Holy Spirit be upon you and remain with you always amen.