Anointed for Service
Robert Wurtz II
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
One of the great tragedies of modern times (and ancient times) is that people slide into a “spectator” mindset that keeps them sidelined and content to watch others perform rather than participating themselves. Whether in a stadium, a local park, school or church… spectating is a common practice. It is one thing for this to be true of sports, but what about Christian ministry?
Paul didn’t wait around for platforms to develop where he could display his talents and abilities. That’s not how it worked. There were no churches as we know them today or ministries in the modern sense. He was continually full of the Holy Spirit and the word of God. He was an evangelistic or prayer meeting looking for a place to happen. The time would fail to simply explore all of the impromptu settings where Paul ministered. With this as his history, Paul gives some final advice to young Timothy.
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2)
Paul directed Timothy to be diligent and alert to use every opportunity to preach the Word when it is favorable and even when it is not favorable. It is easy to make excuses when we ought to be making opportunities. Paul always found an opportunity to share the Word, whether it was in the temple courts, on a stormy sea, or even in prison (K. Weust). This is what it is to be a true minister and an ambassador for Christ. The whole earth is our platform.
Renouncing Fame
To get to the mindset that Paul was in we may need to renounce the pride that stifles our effectiveness with the belief that we are above doing what some would consider “small things for God.” Who are we ministering for, God or men? Do we seek to impress men with numbers? This was a great trap that I wrote about in my book, Televangelicalism. When newspapers started printing ministry statistics we went into a downhill slide in more ways than one. Are you willing to minister to an audience of one? Jesus was (John 4:17). Paul was (Acts 16:14). Peter was (Acts 3:6). Even Philip shared the Gospel to an audience of one (Acts 8).
Being ready (as Paul directed Timothy) means that we stand in a constant state of readiness — prepared to do ministry on behalf of Christ. We shouldn’t need to get “prayed up” in order for God to use us. We should be ready at all times day or night. We are witnesses. We are ambassadors. We are His body moving through the sea of humanity where God has placed us. This means there will be lots of opportunities for the “ready” believers to minister on behalf of Jesus.
If we are waiting for “something big” to open up where we have a big ministry that brings popularity we are in error. The Kingdom of God is not a means to our personal ends. Shall I seek popularity through singing or preaching? Am I looking for a platform to exalt myself in the name of ministry? God forbid. God doesn’t anoint men and women to exalt themselves; He anoints them for His service. Simply being anointed implies that we are owned by God and are selflessly in His service.
God is equipping us to make a lasting impact on the people among whom He has sovereignly planted us. This means our family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and fellow church members. Don’t worry about man’s opinion. God is the one we are pleasing. He is maintaining the record. If He calls us to speak or sing on a platform, humbly use the opportunity. However, don’t sit around waiting for one to come. Be ready to be used by God in any circumstance and at any moment.
At the end of the day, “readiness” is a spiritual condition. When we maintain our walk with God by keeping a clear conscience; through our devotional life of prayer, worship, and study (what the Jews consider the highest form of worship), we position ourselves to be used of God in an instant. We could be at the grocery store, in the workplace, or even at church. We are called to stand ready to be used in His service—when nobody is looking and only God sees.
Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching (2 Tim. 4:2)
Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God (2 Cor. 5:20).
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