Maximize your Platform

Does the platform we have really change our mission? Does being a full time Christian worker increase or decrease the platform? Does going into full time ministry finally get us into a place where we can really be effective for Christ? There are many in the Church today who believe that if you are going to be REALLY effective for Christ you have to be a pastor or missionary. Is that true? If so, what about all of us who are not in full time Christian service?

I come from a long line of full time Christian servants. I had 2 great grand fathers and their wives who were missionaries, 1 set of grand parents who were missionaries and my dad was in full time Christian education for much of his life and I have a couple of uncles and a cousin who are currently in full time ministry. I am not trying to say that there is no effective ministry work done by full time Christian workers- in fact my dad told me that even as ornery as my grandfather in Japan was to his family, "When we get to Heaven we may find that there has never been one man who had as much positive impact for the Kingdom in Japan as your grandfather".

Ministry, missions, effective Gospel sharing can and should be done by those who are called by God to do that work- and if they are not working hard at doing what God has called them to do, they should get out of the ministry. But that still leaves a lot of us who are not called by God to be in that position- What about us?

I have talked to a few people over the last week about this very topic. I have a job to do and so do you. God has gifted me to do what I do and put me in the place where He wants me to be today- wherever that may be. He has done the same for you. I may be the boss at PG, but I am not the boss of 128. I have employees at PG, who work for me that have a larger platform among the other employees at PG than I do. I have a different platform and so do they.

The guys in our small group have a different platform and sphere of influence than I do. They have people- others their age- that listen and watch them that may never even hear one word I say. How will they hear w/o a preacher? I get to talk and interact with a very different group of people than they do. SKH will probably never meet many of the people I talk with often, and how will those people hear w/o a preacher?

Our "job" is not to be envious of the pastor/full time worker position, but to maximize our influence where God has placed us right now. I watched the Sugar Bowl yesterday and Tim Tebo maximized his influence while he was at U of Florida, even after the game he gave credit "to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, w/o whom none of us would be here today". Playing on the field in a record setting game, culminating a record setting career he had Eph. 2:8-10 on his eye black. He isn't a pastor but he maximized his influence and now that segment of his life is complete. On to the pros- probably- and to an entirely new platform.

He told the commentators that he wants to go pro so he can spend his off season doing mission work, helping orphans, and make enough money while playing to really make a difference in the lives of others around the world. That platform doesn't come to many and it will not come to me, but I have a different platform than he does and you have a different one than I do. God is not going to ask me why I didn't use Tim Tebo's platform well, but He is watching to see how I am using the one He has given me.

So one the 2nd day of 2010- what does the platform that God has given you and I look like? Are we going to use the platform that He has given us well or are we going to spend all our time trying to get to another platform and waste the time on the one He has given us? Do you know the other people on your platform? Do you have a heart for them and care about their eternal destiny? Are you and I speaking up and living out the Gospel when He gives the opportunity. "How will they hear w/o a preacher" is directed to all Christians. How will they hear if the people in their lives aren't living out the hope that is in them and telling the Good News of Jesus Christ? They won't and that is what each one of will have to give an account for. Did you maximize your platform?