The Equipper and the Worker
"Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life… The hardworking farmer ought to be first to receive his share of the crops." 2 Tim. 2 Paul invites Timothy deeply into the work of the kingdom. He demonstrates how the work should be done. He challenges Timothy to be diligent in the work. He reminds Timothy that the calling and gifting he has should shape how we advances the kingdom. But there is one thing Paul does not do. Once he has released the work to Timothy, you don't find Paul back in that field. He encourages, and he supports, and he even ensures some teammates join Timothy. But he knows that he is the equipper in the relationship. He expects Timothy to do the same. He challenges him to find faithful men and equip them to reach others. We get into trouble when the equippers (Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds, Teachers) go back to the field too often. They nee...