1. We should not seek positions in ministry; we should seek the righteousness to receive such a place of service. Instead, . . .
2. We should abide by the word, and wait for an invitation to serve.
3. When kingdom-seekers exalt themselves, their ambition follows a discernible pattern.
4. When you see false ‘kings’ exalting themselves, humble yourself and seek the true King.

And now, I want to consider a fifth point, namely, that

5. Until the Lord calls us to serve him, we should embrace obscurity and wait upon the Lord.

More completely, we should serve the Lord where he plants us and beware of pining for something larger, greater, or more visible. Instead, we should master the imperatives of the Bible, be mastered by the truths of the Bible, and grow in a knowledge of our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, there is no better way to prepare for ministry than humbly submitting to the Lord and learning to wait on him. This is something we all must learn, as the Lord matures us in Christ and prepares us for ministry.

Learning to Embrace Obscurity

When I first began to pursue a life in ministry, the Lord saw fit to make me a church janitor. After college, when friends began doing ministry on college campuses or attending seminary, I moved to a church led by dozens of seminary-trained pastors, godly elders, and faithful teachers. In short, the Lord brought me to a church where my teaching skills were not needed. For close to four years I had been teaching Bible studies in college, but now I was being taken off the field to learn afresh how to study the Bible and lead the church.

During that time, I met a young pastor with a large ministry. Desiring much of the same, I asked him what advice he would give to someone desiring to serve the Lord in ministry. His answer came back in three parts: (1) devour the Word—feed on God’s Word as much as possible; (2) evangelize—tell everyone you can about Christ; and (3) embrace obscurity. Of these three exhortations, only the last surprised me. The first two were things I would expect, but the last one was the most important and the one that was most painful.

To give one anecdote. When I served as a janitor, the pastors of the church graciously permitted me to join their staff meetings. Knowing that I aspired to be a pastor, they invited me to see the inner-workings of their staff meetings. On one occasion the senior pastor even asked for my input. Yet, most of the time, I sat their quietly, listening and learning not being asked for my input. And why would they ask for my opinions? The church is not an egalitarian democracy, where decisions are made by consensus. A biblical church is ruled by God’s Word and led by those most qualified to teach and lead. And, in that church, as a 23 year old, that was not me!

Nevertheless, this was a painful lesson. After leading a college ministry, I had some ministry experience. And daily studying the Bible, I had my own thoughts about ministry, too. Yet, when the executive pastor asked me to “clock out” during my attendance of these meetings, it became apparent that I was not called to serve as a pastor-teacher at that church. My memory is dim, but I think I did not clock out for the first meeting or two, and he rightly corrected me. I was not being paid to attend staff meetings; I was paid to vacuum the carpet, set up chairs, and clean up other spills. In short, I was a janitor, not a pastor. And though I aspired to be a pastor, I needed to embrace the obscurity of serving where God had me.

There is a proper time and procedure for pursuing ministry, and I still had a lot to learn.

Approaching Ministry in the Right Way

In an era when the “best” preachers get book contracts, speaking invitations, and myriads of followers on social media, it is tempting to think that this is the model. Just consider how many aspiring Christian influencers have “Speaker Request” tabs on their websites. But we should pause and consider: Is this the way to a true ministry? Does God use the eager and the earnest? Or is he looking for something else?

Even for those who are committed to 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, the overwhelming impact of the church stereopticon—the combination of television preachers, YouTube influencers, and social media darlings—leads aspiring servants of the Lord to think that if you are doing it right, everyone will know about it. And if others don’t know about it, then what’s the harm of building your brand through SEO engagement and strategic ploys to make oneself more visible.

I fear, however, that such self-promotion is a trap that the devil has used to destroy countless ministries—not to mention souls. Following the path of Adonijah is a real threat to any and every servant of the Lord, regardless of the media platforms available to them. The Levite in Judges 17–18 violated the law of God in order to make himself a priest and then, when the bigger church came calling, a “high” priest. Such is the way of ministry led by the impulses of this evil age.

By contrast, those whom the Lord uses often wander in the wilderness for a time. Obscurity is the place where countless servants of the Lord have been formed and countless more have never left the halls of obscurity. Indeed, you do not want to have a public ministry unless you have learned the lessons that can be taught in obscurity. And that it seems is something that Solomon had to learn before he was called to service.

Solomon’s Wisdom

Among all the kings of Israel, none was more glorious than Solomon. But such glory only came after his obscurity. For in 1 Kings 1–2, Solomon is not even named.

First, in 1 Kings 1, when Adonijah advanced himself to make a great sacrifice (v. 9), he overlooked, or intentionally rejected, Solomon. Verse 10 reads, “but [Adonijah] did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.” Indeed, Adonijah is scheming for himself. He is selective in who he gathers for his entourage. He knows that Solomon has received the title to the throne and that inviting him would pose problems. So he refuses the invitation.

At the same time, however, Solomon doesn’t assert himself. He doesn’t fight for his position. He doesn’t subtweet Adonijah, or seek to end his reign. Instead, he waits. Or at least, that is how the Word of God presents it. For as soon as Adonijah holds his feast and claims his kingdom, Nathan springs into action. Nathan works with Bathsheba to remind King David who is to sit on the throne. And the rest of the story shows David, Bathsheba, and Nathan working for the good of Solomon.

Indeed, the whole chapter explains how God will establish a son of David on the throne. And throughout this whole period, Solomon’s name is mentioned, but his voice is not heard. Like his father David, who tended sheep while his brothers lined up to be king, Solomon is not found pining for a position. In this way, when he is anointed, enthroned, and promised a name greater than David, Solomon cannot boast in his effort or look down up those whom he defeated.

In fact, when he first speaks, he demonstrates mercy, not vindication. In the closing verses of chapter 1, we find King Solomon answering a question about Adonijah. “And Solomon said, ‘If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.’ So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, ‘Go to your house’” (vv. 52–53).

If Solomon were fighting for himself instead of trusting in the Lord, he would have undoubtedly removed this man. Indeed, all who gain their prominence by self-assertion must fight to keep their position. Insecurity is the inheritance of self-made men. But because Solomon didn’t fight for his position, he is able to speak with mercy and justice. If this man, who attempted to steal his throne is worthy, he will live. If he stops his vain glorious ways, he will have a place in the kingdom. But if he does not—if he does not repent—then he will have no place and death will be his rightful end.

Tragically, but not unexpectedly, Adonijah is put to death because he cannot stop himself. Such is the end for those who cannot stop putting themselves first. As Jesus will go on to say, “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matt. 19:30).

In 1 Kings 2:13–18, the usurper of the kingdom will again look for a path to power. By asking Bathsheba to acquire Abishag for him, he takes his first step toward the throne. Unable to see the plot, Bathsheba makes this request of Solomon (vv. 19–21). Solomon is not deceived, however, and verse 22 reads, “King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.’” A man of his word, Solomon had Adonijah put to death (vv. 23–25).

Learning from Solomon’s Waiting and Adonijah’s Striving

One could argue that these affairs of kings have little to do with seeking the kingdom of God today. Yet, I would argue that serving in God’s kingdom is exactly what followers of Christ are called to do. Seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:5), we have the position of kingdom heirs and the task of learning from our elder brother how to serve in his Father’s house. Indeed, the church is the place where the kingdom is experienced today and there is much for us to learn.

Critically, one of the most important lessons is embracing obscurity and not racing to make our service public. Before the Lord would call us to serve in any visible way—and he may never call someone to serve in a publica way—we should wait upon the Lord and serve in the church where God has us. We should learn from Solomon to be ready when the time comes to extend mercy and justice. And we should fear any attempts to promote ourselves prematurely.

To this end, we should cultivate the heart of David, who says in Psalm 131.

¹ O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. ² But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.

Such is the posture of heart that can only come in places of obscurity. When you grow to know the Lord without telling others about him, the Lord cultivates a heart for him, more than a heart for ministry. When you lead a Bible study in a nursing home and most of the participants fall asleep, you are learning how to love the Word and God’s people without the temptation of using your study as a pathway to self-exaltation. When you persist in studying, praying, serving without anyone knowing, God is protecting you from premature exposure, not to mention false teaching—your false teaching!

In truth, too many Christians, in passion to serve the Lord, push themselves forward in ministry, only to discover when they get there they have little to offer. Or, at least, they discover that a little more time growing in the back of the garden would have been helpful. In truth, the Lord uses those who tremble at his word (Isa. 66:1–2), but it takes time for godly fear to materialize. And even then, the trials and troubles of ministry are such, that the wise servant will want to know that their position in ministry was not self-acquired, but God-given.

Solomon knew that his calling to ministry (i.e., his royal office) was genuine because he did not claim the kingdom for himself. Rather, he watched others work on his behalf. And he saw how the Lord opened the door for him to serve in Jerusalem.

Accordingly, the work of Nathan, Bathsheba, and David made it possible for Solomon—for a time, at least—to serve the Lord without the insecurities that come from making a name for oneself. Pastors and other church leaders are often tempted to insecurity; in fact, insecurity might be one of the besetting sins of those in ministry. But such insecurity is often created by the fact that they have sought their own position in ministry, instead of humbly serving in obscurity and waiting on the call.

Seeking and Waiting for A Received Ministry

A received ministry, as opposed to an achieved ministry, is one of the greatest blessings a child of God can have. And in our day of fancy websites and celebrity Bible teachers, it is one of the most neglected aspects of ministry. And one that should be recovered today.

To that end, let us learn from Solomon. Let us not race for the position, competing with others along the way. Instead, let us wait on the Lord, feed on his faithfulness, grow where we are planted, and embrace obscurity.

The Lord sees and the Lord knows, and he will bring you into his service in his way and his timing, if you are willing quiet your soul and ready yourself for service. That is what it means to rest in a received ministry, and only from there can we ardently engage in the battle when the day of our calling comes.

To that battle, and our preparation for it, we will consider next time.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds