Drink Offerings and Self-Sacrifice

I was recently reading over a sermon that I preached almost a year ago at a graduation service in India. What I read convicted me, not because it is particularly eloquent, but because it is true, and I haven’t been living it. 2 Timothy 4:6 is part of Paul’s dying words as he passes on the ministry to his son in the faith, Timothy. He says, “I am already being poured out as a drink offering.” Drink offerings were common in the Old Testament Law as they often accompanied other sacrifices. What it’s interesting is that the focus of the sacrifices was never the drink offering. Here’s what I wrote in that sermon, “Paul’s sacrifice wasn’t the focus of his life either. Rather, Paul saw his sacrifice as complementing the more important sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Ministry will require self-sacrifice, but the focus must never be on us. We are poured out to complement the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus that saves sinners.” I must say that although I wrote those sentences, I am falling far short of living them. Far too often I want to be the focus of my ministry. I want people to see me. But that’s not how ministry works. I must sacrificing not to magnify myself and be noticed, but to magnify the ultimate sacrifice, Jesus, without whom I’d have no ministry. I want to ensure this focus in my ministry; may Jesus Christ be praised!

Photo by Benjamin Voros on Unsplash