As those responsible for the ministry of the word in the churches, we need to learn to have a main point and at the same time be able to supply the word in all aspects. No one can say that the only thing they know how to do is preach the gospel. We need to discover how to lead those responsible for the meetings in homes and small groups. We need to seek to have a word for them and a word to supply all the needs of the saints.
We are centered on the ministry of the word. We can talk about Christ, the Son of God, the cross, how to deal with the flesh, and other themes that supply the saints. However, we also need words that take care of those who serve. Although the word in a church may focus on Christ, the Son of God, the cross, and how to deal with the flesh, there is also a need to speak about other aspects.
For example, if we eat steak morning and night, sooner or later we will have problems. Just as humans need to be nourished with different elements, we all need all kinds of food. Not only that, but the northern Chinese like garlic, and Westerners enjoy coffee. Some like soy sauce, while others prefer vinegar with their meals. We need to learn to supply the various needs of the saints; otherwise, they will only know one truth and lose balance. Thus, the church will suffer great loss.
When brothers are strong in one aspect but weak in others, it is difficult for the church to develop. We can speak on the same point if we minister to more than one church. If I stay in Tainan for two months, I can focus on serving the saints the topic of how to deal with the flesh. If I then go to Taichung for the next two months, I can serve the saints the same thing. This is acceptable because every church needs to learn how to deal with the flesh. However, it will not be acceptable to stay in one city and speak about how to deal with the flesh every year. This will cause the church to become unbalanced.
Therefore, those who minister the word need to learn to be versatile. This is like a military person capable of handling financial matters and a financier who can also handle educational matters. An economist who only specializes in his field and knows nothing about military matters cannot lead an army. General Tseng Kuo-fan was a writer, but he was able to defeat the rebellious command known as the "Taiping Heavenly Kingdom." He combined military tactics with his political experience, achieving success and victory. For this reason, no one should say that they can only talk about the cross and specialize in dealing with the flesh.
Those who emphasize dealing with the flesh must learn to preach the gospel and teach the brothers how to proceed in the meetings. We need to be multifaceted; otherwise, the church will become unbalanced. A good housewife knows how to prepare several dishes. While carrots are very good, she does not serve only carrots every day. In the same way, we should not speak about how to deal with the flesh at every meeting. We should speak about prayer at the prayer meeting, about worship at the breaking of bread, about serving in the fellowship meeting, and about responsibility in a small group of saints who have many burdens in service. In all these different meetings, the ministry of the word is supplemental. The focus may be on how to deal with the flesh and knowing Christ, but it is still necessary to supply the word in other aspects.
The church should not receive supplemental messages without receiving central messages. We need to take care of both. This principle applies to the Bible. No book of the Bible covers only one subject. For example, although Romans focuses on justification by faith, it also includes a greeting at the beginning, a blessing at the end, and many other aspects of truth, such as presenting the body and welcoming the saints. These aspects have nothing to do with the central message of justification by faith, but they are linked to it. Ephesians is profound but includes topics related to honoring parents, submission to husbands, love for wives, not letting the sun go down on anger, and not stealing (6:1; 5:22, 25, 33; 4:26, 28). This book focuses on the church as the Body of Christ, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (1:23), yet there are many other supplementary themes.
In the church, we build the Body of Christ; therefore, we focus on helping people to know the all-inclusive Christ, the cross, and how to deal with the flesh. However, our speech should also supply the various other needs of the saints. Sometimes there is a practical need for a word of comfort or about suffering, even though it is not as important as the central message.
For example, after praying in the prayer meeting for a family going through trials and some brothers who were unemployed or sick, I used the remaining ten minutes to speak about sufferings and trials. This brought comfort and encouragement to the listeners. Later, they shared these words with the family, and the whole family was encouraged and strengthened.
This shows that the ministry of the word must be alive and multifaceted. We should never think that after preaching a message on Sunday, our burden is over, and we can relax until Thursday night when we "go to the cross" again. This is unacceptable. We need to learn to be versatile to meet all needs. It may be that we have not considered speaking about afflictions, but when hearing the prayers of the brothers in the prayer meeting and seeing the tears shed for the suffering and sadness of the family, we realize that there is a need.
As a result, after the prayer meeting, we should rise up and share something according to our inspiration. This inspiration comes from our daily exercise. The Spirit of God does not move in stones; therefore, verses or messages related to suffering need to be part of our constitution. Then, when we sense in our spirit that the brothers need this word, we will be able to offer them comfort, strength, and instruction in the midst of their sufferings. This requires much preparation.
No one becomes a famous actor, singer, or musician overnight. One must dedicate their entire being to becoming famous or successful. An actor must study how to speak and laugh. They need to learn to laugh to move others. Then, when they laugh on stage, the audience will be touched by the same feeling and laugh along. When they cry on stage, the audience will also be moved to the point of crying. However, this skill is not acquired in a month. They need to spend time every day studying, practicing, and learning from the best actors of the past and present. They need to learn from them and add their own ideas in order to create something new. This way, they can develop a unique style.
I am not encouraging anyone to become a great master; rather, my desire is that we strive to do our work in a respectable manner. We should never think that since our truths are so valuable, we already have enough content for the next one hundred and four weeks. If we think this way, we will become sloppy and mechanical. Instead, we should invest time every day considering and studying the condition of the brothers and the situation of the church. We should not merely copy the messages we have received from others without studying them.
If we dedicate ourselves to study, we will exercise our spirit, receive a burden, and minister to people according to their needs. When we exercise our spirit in a wedding meeting, we will know the need of the couple and speak a word that fills it. In a meeting in memory of someone, we will know if the family needs comfort or encouragement and, thus, supply them accordingly. This exercise requires much preparation.
Our ministry of the word needs to have a central focus, and we need to be versatile. We must learn to minister the word to meet different needs. We should not consider this an easy task. Whenever we minister, we need to have a focus and also be attentive to the various needs, seeking to supply them. Otherwise, our ministry will be unbalanced, and the church will face great losses. Since most of the co-workers stay in one place, taking care of just one city, the ministry of the word needs to cover many aspects; otherwise, the church will suffer losses.
Enjoy more: Hymn 134
No comments:
Post a Comment