Self-anointed, self appointed prophets are annoying and bring disgrace on the name of Christ Jesus. Remember the crank in Florida a couple of months ago whose cockeyed scheme to burn the Quran caused such a tempest? It’s since been reported that this wasn’t his first publicity stunt. Seems that he enjoys the spotlight a little too much. Amos, the prophet to Israel, whose sermons form a small book of the Bible, got under the skin of the priest in Bethel. Amaziah told him to shut up and go home. “Get out of here, you prophet! Go on back to the land of Judah, and earn your living by prophesying there! Don’t bother us with your prophecies here in Bethel. This is the king’s sanctuary and the national place of worship!” (Amos 7:12-13, NLT) Amaziah concluded that Amos was a nobody, from nowhere, who had appointed himself a gadfly in Israel.
But, the humble prophet offers this defense for his messages that stabbed the conscience of that nation.
“I was neither a prophet nor a prophet’s son, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees. But the Lord took me from tending the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel.’" (Amos 7:14-15, NIV) The Lord took me off the farm! Amos had not chosen the job, nor was it a family thing. The Spirit of the Lord seized him and sent him to a job he would rather have left to another – bringing a word of warning of God’s impending judgment to Israel.
If you’re a genuine Christian, you have been called off the farm and sent with a message! “Who me?” you ask? “But I’m just a project manager, a teacher, a mom, a sales representative …. ! How could I possibly have anything to say to anyone about God’s work?” When God calls us, He equips us with abilities that come from the Spirit. It is a mistaken notion that only the pastors can represent Jesus Christ before the world. In fact, you have a unique audience that no preacher will ever get in his church. Disciple, your life is a sermon. What does it say about the Lord to those among whom you work and live?
The Spirit of God lives in you if you belong to Christ. He will use you if you’re willing, if you’re devoted. The key is not to become a grandstanding publicity hound, a person who enjoys attracting attention. When we do that, the issue becomes us, not God’s Word! Jesus calls us ‘salt and light,’ our lives serving as a preservative in a corrupt society, with a radiance that shows others the Way to go in a very dark world! Find that calling daunting? Me, too! Here’s the promise. This word from the Word is lengthy, but take the time to read it, believe it, and thank God for the privilege of being called off of the farm and into His world.
"He uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume. Our lives are a Christ-like fragrance rising up to God. But this fragrance is perceived differently by those who are being saved and by those who are perishing. To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this? You see, we are not like the many hucksters who preach for personal profit. We preach the word of God with sincerity and with Christ’s authority, knowing that God is watching us." (2 Corinthians 2:14-17, NLT)
"We are confident of all this because of our great trust in God through Christ. It is not that we think we are qualified to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God. He has enabled us to be ministers of his new covenant. This is a covenant not of written laws, but of the Spirit. The old written covenant ends in death; but under the new covenant, the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6, NLT)
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Father, thank you for calling me off of the farm.
Though I may feel unqualified by human standards
to do holy work, You have promised to equip me
with the powerful gifts of Your Holy Spirit.
I humbly present myself for holy work.
Eclipse my personality with Your radiance.
Clean me up, washing away my sins,
and make my life a quiet and convincing sermon,
an illustration of God’s grace that is offered
to those who are hungry for Him.
Fill me, Lord, with holy boldness that lets me
live fearlessly, relentlessly pursuing Your purpose.
In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.
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