Jesus told a parable in Luke 19:11-27 about a man who left his servants in charge of his possessions until his return, he told them to occupy until he came back. To occupy means to take possession, to act in accordance to the will of the one who has ownership until his return. So then, are you occupying, are you behaving in a manner that lets everyone you meet know that when you speak, you are speaking for God.
I’m going to guess that perhaps at times that may be so, for the mature Christian to act in any other way would be to dishonor our Lord, but I am afraid that today it is a rare thing to meet a servant of Christ who is adamant about being compliant with the orders he has been given, far too many like to stay in the shadows, to remain in the furthest back pews as it were, desiring not to step into the limelight and stand without fear. There was a day not so long ago when one could see a large tent on the horizon, staying there four or five nights, preachers whose voice needed little amplification. Crowds would gather, sometimes large, sometimes small, and the fire of revival would begin, the men and women who attended needed a revival in those days, for the ordinary had become the standard, and men and women were in need of a new direction, or better yet, of getting back on the path that they had once known full well to be the right and righteous path.
You do not see these tents anymore, and it is not because the believers, no matter what country you live in, are on fire for the Lord, it is not because they are occupying. We have been given an enormous responsibility, we are to act as if we are the landlord, not the tenant, we of course know our position, we are not in permanent charge, but we are to be obedient servants, and as such we are not to shirk our duties. I have met very few born-again believers lately who are behaving in the manner that we are to portray, in fact, it has been just the opposite, the strength seems to have drained out of them, there is very little fire in their spirit. We have decided to take the path more traveled instead of the one with Christ, we have decided that never offending is the safest route, when the word of God is quite offensive to all who are lost. (1 Cor. 1:18)
We are heirs to the kingdom of God, but walk around with our heads down and mouths sealed shut, we fear to speak out because we may be ostracized, preferring instead to live in the world we are to have no part of, occupying only in the buildings that are meant to be no more than meeting places to worship His name, for the work is outside of those church doors. I will not go so far as to say that the Holy Spirit has been completely quenched in these believers, but is not far from it, and I am not sure that a revival would be much avail, we may have been hiding ourselves for too long. Part of this dilemma is the lack of desire for the children of God to study the Scriptures each and every day, “Thy word is truth” (John 17:17) has become only truth when we need it, when we are on the bottom and there is nowhere left to look but up, how are those who will not seek His face when He is blessing expected to occupy when the trials and tribulations begin.
The apostacy, the falling away has begun, (1 Tim. 4:1) ears are being tickled, (2 Tim.4:3) the love of many is waxing cold, (Matt. 24:12) and there is little fire in the soul of far too many who profess Christ as Lord. Do not let this position of authority bring pride into your heart, we are serving a Risen Savior, and in humility we are to occupy, but do not be slack in your duties either, we are servants of the Most High God, not subservient to the will of man or the world. Those who suffer with Him will reign with Him, (2 Tim.2:12) those who do so will be in positions of authority and honor, and I believe there are some alive today who are not only working for the Lord for those positions in heaven, but realize their obligations here. They are occupying, they fear no man, they preach the word boldly, without hesitation, with conviction they stand.
I am not speaking only of those certain individuals who stand behind the pulpit each Sunday, I am speaking about you, you may have been set apart, called out of the sheepfold to go a little further with Christ. In humility we serve, but the more we serve, the more we are obedient to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, the bolder we become, it is an odd pairing, but in His infinite wisdom He has chosen this path for who He calls. A man who has devoted his life to the Lord Jesus Christ does not look back, his only regrets are that he waited so long to become completely available to Him, and that it was his fear of others that caused him to do so. Those who are to occupy until Christ returns are called Christians, not just pastors, deacons, or theologians, they are construction workers, doctors, housewives, and they are filled with the Holy Spirit, renewed in His strength each morning. (Eph. 4:23) They fear no man, they pull no punches, love is their strength, and their convictions come from the knowledge that He who has told them to occupy will return in power and glory, they fear no accounting, for they have been faithful stewards.
If the fire is dying in you, light a match, it’s called the word of God, it is power, it is love, it is for the discipleship of the born-again believer, it is for those who occupy.
