Thoughts on my Calling
"...preach the Word..."
Three words given to Timothy by Paul the apostle. There is something clear in this text, that no man could mistake, lest they are driven by any motive other than knowing the Word of God. We see three words that perfectly describe the calling of a preacher- a declarer of the Word of God. This statement is not by the inclination of Paul, the desire of any man, or even by the Law of God, but is a calling. It is specific, dangerous in this world, and glorifying to God. It has no other purpose but to define the calling of a preacher, and calls him to give up all in order to do this one thing. This command is not just a call to speak in front of a congregation every week, nor is it a calling to write a few books in one's lifetime. It is a calling to declare the Word of God in such a way that is clear, and is also clarifying. Mankind has so twisted this calling to his own desire, making it a job, a spiritual journey, and even an excuse to sin, yet this is a calling pure, and is one never to be taken lightly, nor is it to be misunderstood or over-expounded.
Preach. This is not just speaking in front of a group, but a declaring in such a way that makes it not the word of man, but the Word of God, Who uses whatever means He so desires to spread the Gospel and the commands of Himself throughout the world and the church. We are called to spread the Gospel, and yet so many no little of what that actually means. This is not just "getting people saved," but saying what God has said to them so that they know what they ought to do now. This is not making a salvation by works fantasy, but a salvation by faith in believing God, and in so doing, fulfilling His commands with all joy and perseverance. I am called to preach- to declare, herald and make certain- the Word of God. That alone cannot be seen as a mere job, nor a sudden vocation, but as a life-ending calling, and a life-renewing reality.
The. This implies something, doesn't it? It does not say "a" nor "some," but "preach the Word." This implies both importance and specificity. It implies a special sort of calling, and an untainted task that is devoted to only a pure translation of the Revelation. I am not to preach any word- any idea, creativity, inspiration or the like- but only the specific, revealed and divinely inspired Word of God, as given, not as hoped or assumed. If we hope for a certain word, we will not find any joy in this Word, because it is not of man. It speaks of the condemnation of man (all man), and the only salvation is found outside of any man, save for the Man, Jesus Christ, Who is God in flesh, not man in and of himself. The Word pulls apart and denounces any idea that man has anything to do with salvation, and puts all focus and every focus upon the God and His work, be it through man or angel. The Word subjects all things to Him, not us, and without Him, we are nothing, whether or not we acknowledge it. This thus shreds any hopes for any man who wants to be novel in his preaching, and creative in his wording. This is the Word, and calls only for one interpretation, one answer, and one God- it leaves no room for error, and all will give an account of what they did with what they were given, and dare I say, especially with what they did in light of this Truth- this Reality- made so clear to them in clear language.
Word. What we read, study and preach is not a word; it is not a thought or an idea. It is not a hope, a dream, or an inspiration of men. It is the Word- the declaration and certainty- of the living God. This is not what he wants men to know by nature, nor is it a random guidebook for people to follow at their own whim, but a Reality that is Truth, even if not one man sees it as such. It is the Reality- it is the only perspective worth seeing, and the only view worth knowing. It makes one clear message, and points to one event that will fulfill Itself. The Gospel contained within this Word is not over with, nor is it eternal in every sense. It is the act of God which leads to salvation and repentance, and ultimately, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This Word is certain, and no man can rid the earth of it, despite all his efforts over thousands of years. If this Word is not worthy of our time, nothing is. Because we cannot know the God of all unless we actually know what He has said, otherwise it is all left up to assumption and hope, and those, belonging to the heart, are dreadfully deceitful, and in the End, deadly.
This Word- the Word- is specific, however, this calling and this Word to which one is subject is not a hopeless "god" of the world that cannot save. It is not something that cannot lift up, encourage or make certain. This Word is the Light of the world, in that this Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5). Our Lord said in John 14, "'Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.' Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.'” (John 14:1-7) We see here that the Christ has declared Himself God, as is clear throughout Scripture, and that He has made Himself the only One worth following. All other paths lead to destruction, as they are broad, unspecific and uncertain, yet the Truth is specific, clear, and life-saving (Matthew 7:13-14), yet there are few who find it, due to its nature. It is specific- it requires a humble and willing mindset and heart, and cannot be made clear by mere men, but by the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the calling of the preacher is of no small importance. He is to preach the Jesus Christ- the specific Messiah and Savior and Lord. Nothing else. And the world will hate him for it, as it is supposed to. If it did not hate him for it, he is not doing his job. Because any man who is preaching the Word of God cannot also be preaching that which is acceptable to the world. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:-10)
The Word Itself makes clear the calling of a preacher better than any man could, and calls him to do what no man would call him to do. It can only be by the work of the Spirit that a man would desire to go into ministry. And may it never be that he is hindered by men, or worse, by himself. Let him take seriously this calling, with great joy, and with great fear. We are all called to die to ourselves and live for God. But not all are called to give their lives to the declaration, exposition, and death of all but the Word. And this position does not exult the preacher, because that is a contradiction of his very title. He is dead to himself, but not only that, he is dead to any credit. All goes to God, and his expectation is with God, not himself nor with others. But no matter the calling, all are called to study and live out the Word of God, and to share the Gospel until death.
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." - 2 Timothy 1:1-8
Three words given to Timothy by Paul the apostle. There is something clear in this text, that no man could mistake, lest they are driven by any motive other than knowing the Word of God. We see three words that perfectly describe the calling of a preacher- a declarer of the Word of God. This statement is not by the inclination of Paul, the desire of any man, or even by the Law of God, but is a calling. It is specific, dangerous in this world, and glorifying to God. It has no other purpose but to define the calling of a preacher, and calls him to give up all in order to do this one thing. This command is not just a call to speak in front of a congregation every week, nor is it a calling to write a few books in one's lifetime. It is a calling to declare the Word of God in such a way that is clear, and is also clarifying. Mankind has so twisted this calling to his own desire, making it a job, a spiritual journey, and even an excuse to sin, yet this is a calling pure, and is one never to be taken lightly, nor is it to be misunderstood or over-expounded.
Preach. This is not just speaking in front of a group, but a declaring in such a way that makes it not the word of man, but the Word of God, Who uses whatever means He so desires to spread the Gospel and the commands of Himself throughout the world and the church. We are called to spread the Gospel, and yet so many no little of what that actually means. This is not just "getting people saved," but saying what God has said to them so that they know what they ought to do now. This is not making a salvation by works fantasy, but a salvation by faith in believing God, and in so doing, fulfilling His commands with all joy and perseverance. I am called to preach- to declare, herald and make certain- the Word of God. That alone cannot be seen as a mere job, nor a sudden vocation, but as a life-ending calling, and a life-renewing reality.
The. This implies something, doesn't it? It does not say "a" nor "some," but "preach the Word." This implies both importance and specificity. It implies a special sort of calling, and an untainted task that is devoted to only a pure translation of the Revelation. I am not to preach any word- any idea, creativity, inspiration or the like- but only the specific, revealed and divinely inspired Word of God, as given, not as hoped or assumed. If we hope for a certain word, we will not find any joy in this Word, because it is not of man. It speaks of the condemnation of man (all man), and the only salvation is found outside of any man, save for the Man, Jesus Christ, Who is God in flesh, not man in and of himself. The Word pulls apart and denounces any idea that man has anything to do with salvation, and puts all focus and every focus upon the God and His work, be it through man or angel. The Word subjects all things to Him, not us, and without Him, we are nothing, whether or not we acknowledge it. This thus shreds any hopes for any man who wants to be novel in his preaching, and creative in his wording. This is the Word, and calls only for one interpretation, one answer, and one God- it leaves no room for error, and all will give an account of what they did with what they were given, and dare I say, especially with what they did in light of this Truth- this Reality- made so clear to them in clear language.
Word. What we read, study and preach is not a word; it is not a thought or an idea. It is not a hope, a dream, or an inspiration of men. It is the Word- the declaration and certainty- of the living God. This is not what he wants men to know by nature, nor is it a random guidebook for people to follow at their own whim, but a Reality that is Truth, even if not one man sees it as such. It is the Reality- it is the only perspective worth seeing, and the only view worth knowing. It makes one clear message, and points to one event that will fulfill Itself. The Gospel contained within this Word is not over with, nor is it eternal in every sense. It is the act of God which leads to salvation and repentance, and ultimately, the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. This Word is certain, and no man can rid the earth of it, despite all his efforts over thousands of years. If this Word is not worthy of our time, nothing is. Because we cannot know the God of all unless we actually know what He has said, otherwise it is all left up to assumption and hope, and those, belonging to the heart, are dreadfully deceitful, and in the End, deadly.
This Word- the Word- is specific, however, this calling and this Word to which one is subject is not a hopeless "god" of the world that cannot save. It is not something that cannot lift up, encourage or make certain. This Word is the Light of the world, in that this Word is Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5). Our Lord said in John 14, "'Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going.' Thomas said to Him, 'Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.'” (John 14:1-7) We see here that the Christ has declared Himself God, as is clear throughout Scripture, and that He has made Himself the only One worth following. All other paths lead to destruction, as they are broad, unspecific and uncertain, yet the Truth is specific, clear, and life-saving (Matthew 7:13-14), yet there are few who find it, due to its nature. It is specific- it requires a humble and willing mindset and heart, and cannot be made clear by mere men, but by the Holy Spirit.
Thus, the calling of the preacher is of no small importance. He is to preach the Jesus Christ- the specific Messiah and Savior and Lord. Nothing else. And the world will hate him for it, as it is supposed to. If it did not hate him for it, he is not doing his job. Because any man who is preaching the Word of God cannot also be preaching that which is acceptable to the world. "You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: 'He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us'? But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, 'God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.' Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you." (James 4:-10)
The Word Itself makes clear the calling of a preacher better than any man could, and calls him to do what no man would call him to do. It can only be by the work of the Spirit that a man would desire to go into ministry. And may it never be that he is hindered by men, or worse, by himself. Let him take seriously this calling, with great joy, and with great fear. We are all called to die to ourselves and live for God. But not all are called to give their lives to the declaration, exposition, and death of all but the Word. And this position does not exult the preacher, because that is a contradiction of his very title. He is dead to himself, but not only that, he is dead to any credit. All goes to God, and his expectation is with God, not himself nor with others. But no matter the calling, all are called to study and live out the Word of God, and to share the Gospel until death.
"I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing." - 2 Timothy 1:1-8
I hadn't seen this until now! Was there something in particular that motivated you to write this, Tim? Or maybe it's just some thoughts you had, but I ask anyway. :)
ReplyDeleteUltimately, it was all the distractions that seem to keep my thinking so far from why I am really here that led me to write this. Need to keep focused on what lies ahead however, not on what is behind me already. Not for my own benefit primarily, but because that is what God commanded. :)
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