By His Grace and For His Glory
Sharing & Testimony of my Call to Ministry
I shared the following 10 minute speech with my home church’s English congregation this morning. May this piece of writing be an encouragement to you — wherever you may be on your spiritual journey.
DOWNLOAD & LISTEN:
My church has released the audio of my sharing on its website. Download the MP3 here, or just listen here:
Good morning brothers and sisters!
I address you today, not as someone who is any better or more holy – but as a sinner who has been saved by grace alone – a child of God who has been justified by faith in Christ’s substitutionary death on the Cross. You and me, we are very much alike, for I also am a Christian who struggles in this spiritual journey, and yet—I am preserved by the Holy Spirit to persevere on this mission to make much of Him who has died to make us righteous.
First off, I want to repent and apologize to you for my pride and arrogance. I think over the years, I’ve often said many things that I did not mean or intend to say, or mistakenly come off in the wrong way or have been misunderstood. I know I may often seem very dogmatic about doctrine and how church should be done. And for those times I have unlovingly criticized how or what we’ve done things here at Jaffray, I apologize. I just wish you could know and understand my heart and where I come from, and how much I do love this church…
That you could see what I see every time I have conversations about doctrine and theology, what I picture in my head when I think about the church in all its intended beauty, and why I would ever consider giving up my own career goals to serve the Body of Christ. For what fills my mind every time I think about “church” is Christ Jesus himself on the Cross — He who purchased the church with His very own blood.
As Martin Luther once said,
“This life, therefore, is not righteousness
but growth in righteousness,
… not being but becoming…
We are not yet what we shall be
but we are growing toward it.
The process is not yet finished but it is going on….”
So I hope you can bear with me, imperfect as I am, as I try to be more and more humble in this pilgrimage!
Cultivation and Calling
I have grown up in this church, at Jaffray. Ever since I was 5 or 6, my parent brought me to church—to junior church, to junior choir, to Sunday school, CIA, Hosanna. They never forced me to go, or to believe, or to commit my life to the Lord, nor forced me go deeper in my relationship with God. All that has happened to me has been the work of God through the Holy Spirit—guiding my parents to put me in a church environment where spiritual growth could be cultivated.
I have been called by God to serve Him with my life—to study and teach biblical doctrine and theology. I have not heard this calling in my own daydreaming or out of selfish ambitions—but rather, from meditating upon and studying what He has said and out of a selfless ambition to faithfully serve His church. The calling of God on me has all been the indwelling and enlightening work of the Holy Spirit—who opened the eyes of my heart to see and to obey His will for my life as revealed in the Holy Bible. And because He has spoken and called me by His Word, I am convinced that the calling and gifts I have from God are undeniable.
7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. 8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.
I attended the Passion06 conference in Nashville in January 2006, and it was there that I heard the voice of God call out to me through this passage. I cried tears of repentance and surrender during the sermon—but I did not realize it at that time, that this was my “call to ministry” until many months later. Instead of just eating God’s Word, getting full on it and simply enjoying it for myself, the Spirit moved in my heart and called me to sow it—the Word of God—to sow it into the soil of my life and into the lives of those around me.
During the conference’s closing session, I stood during the altar call from Colossians 3:17—and by the Holy Spirit and His grace, I committed myself to live for God’s fame and the unending memory of His name. The Heavenly Father called me to use my teaching gifts and my talents, my strengths and my weaknesses, to share the beautiful news of salvation through Christ alone.
A couple months later, God spoke to me again and reaffirmed my calling to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. He spoke to me through Romans 10:14-17 and it is this passage that is the cornerstone of my calling:
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”
In those moments of quiet meditation on these Scriptures, I felt the constant voice of the Father beckoning me to get trained for the ministry of His Word—a calling I am unworthy of, but purely a gift of grace in itself.
Encouraged and Edified
However, even though my calling has its foundation in the Good News of Jesus Christ, God has certainly used many of you—to encourage me personally, to build me up spiritually, and to cultivate a passion for theology and the Scriptures.
Many of you “uncles and aunties” have helped me a great deal throughout all these years at Jaffray—teaching me about the importance of being devoted to family and to church. And for all the love you yourself have shown me, I am convinced that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life—to love and give myself for His church.
I remember about 9 or 10years ago, sitting where you are right now, on New Years eve during the Thanksgiving & Prayer night. I didn’t go up to share, but during my own silent prayers, I made a commitment to God in my heart—that I will follow Him no matter where He leads me. And for 9 years, he has led and called me to serve Him and His people here at Jaffray. And yet, it is because of this commitment that I am going—this is why I am leaving for Southern Seminary. For He has summoned me to be trained for ministry, and thus, I am completely committed to follow Him wherever He wants me to go, no matter what the cost. It was only a matter of time that I walked forward in faith!
Southern Seminary
Earlier this March, I received the letter of acceptance into the 3-year Master of Divinity program at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, in Louisville, Kentucky. I am currently enrolled in the Christian Ministry concentration within their School of Theology, and will be leaving Toronto next Saturday, to start fall classes on August 13.
The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary is the flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. With an estimated enrollment this year of over 4,200 students, it is one of the largest and most prestigious divinity schools in the world. As the “mother” seminary of the 5 other seminaries within the denomination, it has some of the most renowned faculty of pastor-theologians in the world, and an amazingly beautiful campus. Thankfully, and probably most importantly, it has one of the lowest seminary tuition rates!
However, the primary reason I have chosen to get trained at Southern is because of its commitment to God’s inerrant Word as the sole authority for life and faith. As a confessional seminary, I am thankful that all they aspire to do is train, educate, and prepare ministers of the gospel for more faithful service. And to this work, they are held accountable by the churches of the SBC, as I also will be held accountable by the churches that I hope to serve one day.
Prayer Requests
I am deeply in need of your support and prayer as I enter seminary and follow God’s call into full-time ministry. We live today in a postmodern era where the authority and centrality of God’s Word is being de-emphasized. I enter seminary during a crucial time in the church where the prevailing and accepted norm is purpose-driven, story-telling, felt-needs, health, wealthy, prosperity gospel preaching.
So I ask that you would pray for me—that I would humbly submit to the authority of the Bible and to study and explain clearly what God has said in the Bible. Pray also that the Spirit will give me the love and humility, passion and purity to remain diligent and faithful in loving God as Lord and loving His people as the beautiful bride of Christ. I ask that you would pray that He would provide for all that I need: financially, personally, academically, and most importantly, spiritually.
Thank you for loving me! I will miss you all dearly! To God alone be the glory!
Alex S. Leung
