OCT 27

Colossians 1:25
Memorise 1 Corinthians 4:2
“…to fulfill the word of God…”

Paul now states: “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God.” (Colossians 1:25) This is the second time that Paul states God had made him a minister. The first time he mentioned he was a minister of the gospel, and this time he declared he was a minister to the church. Both these evangelistic and pastoral ministries are important. Now the term ‘dispensation’ means stewardship. Paul is a steward of the word of God, and he must dispense the word of God to everyone who needs it. Note here that what the minister provides is primarily the word of God, whether in evangelism to the unsaved or to the believers in church. This sense of duty and responsibility of being a minister appointed by God is critical. The minister must always remember God’s commission for him to ‘fulfil the word of God’, literally to fill up the word of God. What this refers to is his duty to fully preach and teach the word of God to the church. Whilst the minister must also be proficient in other areas of ministry in the church, he must first be a specialist in the Bible, to know the Bible and be able to declare unto his flock the whole counsel of God.

It is thus important to realise that, as members of the flock, we must not expect our ministers to cater to our physical needs, but instead to provide the spiritual food we need. Just as we can look to doctors to treat us when we fall ill, so we should be able to depend on God’s servants to use His Word to help us understand His will for us when He allows trials in our lives. A Christian in a hospital cancer ward can smile amidst agony when ministered to with the Word of God. The Christian minister in a hospital cancer ward may be surrounded by death and the dying, but he knows it is his duty to minister to the saved and evangelise to the unsaved in affliction.

Pray for your ministers that God may give more grace to minister to those in need. Yes, they have a wonderful gift from God of being able to discern and dispense the Word of God better than we can, but this gift is given to them to fulfill the great spiritual burden given to them, so do not criticise them but empathise with them and pray for them continually.

Thought: Do I understand the burdens of my pastor(s)?
Prayer: I never forget to pray for my pastors and ministers.