What is "full-time ministry"?

Pastor Mike is back full swing, or at least in semi-full swing, beginning the recovery process from the lymphoma that's been attacking his body. When he got back to the church office, where mail had been piling up for awhile, he read a sermon/newsletter from David Wilkerson of Times Square Church. The title of this sermon, preached back in July 2002, was "Full Time Ministry" (here's the audio). And he thought of me.

So after Pastor called me at work, I found the link and began to listen. The gist is this: that in Revelation 1, John the Apostle is the senior pastor of the "First Church of I, John." It's just him on Patmos, exiled, no agenda, no one to impress or to teach or to lead or to evangelize, really. And in the environment, imposed on him by the powers-that-be, he lived as a minister to God and to God alone. Then, Wilkerson cross referenced Ezekiel 44, where the descendents of Zadok, among all of the Levites, were going to be ministers to the Lord. The other priests would serve in the outer courts where the people were, but only the Zadok priests would be allowed to minister to the Father.

Hmmm... I thought to myself. How does this play out practically in me? How can I self-impose a Patmos mentality onto my current reality, somehow getting my focus and drive to be on ministry to God and God alone? In the midst of "ministry," I'm faced with having to hold down a "real world" job, raise a family with my wife, minister to folks in teaching and leading, etc. Now this... what next?

Ponder that.
- posted by Rick @ 15:37