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Philippians 2:17
NKJV
Yes, and if I am being poured out as
a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad
and rejoice with you all.
NLT
But I will rejoice even if I lose my
life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful
service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.
“Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used
up and exhausted – not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints
cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel
such service is beneath their dignity.” (Oswald Chambers)
There was an OT practice of pouring a drink offering in
worship after the sacrifice of a lamb, ram, or bull. This was to represent the
dedication of the person in worship to God. (; ). In our verses Paul
felt his life in pursuit of God was the same. That even if his life ended in death,
it would be poured out in service to God.
At the end of his life, Paul would make a similar statement: "For I
am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure
has come" (). The drink offering and death, or end of service, was
closely associated.
I learned to play poker when I was in third grade. We lived
about 25 miles from town, and the bus had to pick up all of the ranch kids in
the area. So, we were gettin’ on the bus at 6am and arriving at the school somewhere
close to 8am (when the bell rang to start school). So, an almost two hour bus
ride led to a lot of time spent learning things that led to bad decisions later
in my life. One of those things I learned was poker and when you really believed
that you have the best hand, you go “all in” with your bet.
The question I would ask you is “are you all in”? Paul talks
about being poured and his departure being near. Paul pursued Jesus with
everything he had and while his head was not on the chopping block, his heart
was. He was ready to give all that he had in service to Christ. That’s pretty
radical.
I wonder if any of us are to that point? Am I that “all in”?
whew! I’m not sure that I’m there. I have doubts and fears that at times have
more control over me than I’d like to admit. But, by golly, I want that attitude.
I want to be so in love with Jesus that everything in me says, “I’m ready to
go, to die is gain!” That’s the thing, though. If I understand my identity and
what Christ has already done in my life; then I should understand that if I give
my life in service to God…then the next place is being with Jesus in heaven.
What could be better than our end game? Let’s get “all in” and get poured out
as that drink offering! let’s get in service to the Lord. Serve in your church
today.
Poured out,
Pastor Cory
