You know, when one of us tried to go to Tarsus to find him, he had to find him—in other words, because he traveled so fast. And finally, he caught up with him and brought him to Antioch. So here you find God has prepared all along, all along.
And if you want another illustration: Timothy.
You find that when Paul and Barnabas went to the Galatian cities to preach the gospel there, they went to Lystra, and God did a miracle there. Because of the miracle, the people thought that they were Zeus and Mercury who had appeared. So they wanted to offer cows to Barnabas and Paul.
So they rent their clothes and said, “Don’t do that. That’s what we try to tell you not to do, because we are telling you of the real, true, living God.”
And strangely, you find everything turned, and they stoned Paul until they thought he was dead. They dragged him out of the city. Most likely, he was dead. They dragged him out of the city and dropped him there, and the disciples were around him. Everybody thought he was dead, and probably he was. But he stood up and went back to the city.
Now, we do not know whether it was that time that he referred to in 2 Corinthians 12, fourteen years ago:
I know a man in Christ, who was taken up to the third heaven,
who was taken away to paradise, and heard things that no one can utter.
We do not know whether it was at that time or not. But anyway, you find Timothy was saved during that time.
But Timothy had a good background. He was brought up with a father who was a Greek and a mother who was a Jew. You know, in the Hellenistic background, they were not as strict as those in Palestine. So his mother married a Greek.
Now, the grandmother, Lois, and the mother, Eunice—actually, they were very God-fearing, very God-fearing. Some people even thought that probably they were among those first disciples converted on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem. Now, we do not know.
But anyway, you find they brought up that little boy with the Word of God. They nurtured him with the sacred letters.
But he was not saved until Paul went there. And Paul preached the Word to Timothy, and Timothy was saved, born again. So Paul considered Timothy as his son.
Now, he was still a young man and all that. And Timothy began to meet with these brothers and sisters in Lystra.
But that young man had a tremendous knowledge of the sacred letters. He had a background, and because he loved the Lord, he sought the Lord, and the Lord gave him understanding. So even though he was a young man, yet he began to minister the Word of God to the brethren in Lystra—not only in Lystra, but even in Iconium.
Brothers and sisters, the local church is the place of training for the ministry of God’s Word. The local church will provide opportunity for those who are exercised toward the ministry of the Word, to give them opportunity to develop.
Some may, some may not. But the local church is the training ground. Thank God for that local church in Lystra. They did not look down upon or despise that young man. They gave him opportunity, until they recommended him highly to Paul and Barnabas. And Paul and Barnabas took him on their missionary journey. So you find how it developed.
All right, how about us then? Where you are now, brothers and sisters, do you feel the need of the ministry of God’s Word in the place where you are?
And what are you looking for? Are you searching the horizon, looking for some outside help—that God will send some people from outside to minister the Word of God to you? Is that what you are looking for?
Well, I do not say that you should close your doors to all ministry from outside. You shut the door against the prophets and the teachers, the apostles and the evangelists? No.
But if you think that the ministry of God’s Word has to come from outside, you are very wrong. You look in the wrong direction.
Outside ministry does help, but it is like, once in a while, you can have a feast. But if you have a feast every day, and every meal is full, your stomach—it makes you sick.
Now, you want to have a feast if you do not have it for a long time. But if you have feasts day in and day out, you just get tired of it. You would rather have some congee, if you know what congee is—watery rice.
Brothers and sisters, you know, in daily life we need to eat simple food. We cannot live on feasts, but once in a while we need some feast. Now, that is outside ministry.
Furthermore, there is a problem with outside ministry. I am not talking about those who proclaim themselves as apostles, as prophets, as teachers, and as evangelists. We have hundreds today, and they come and say, “I am a prophet. I come to set you in order. I am a prophet. I am going to tell you what you should do. I am a teacher. I am going to teach you some very deep doctrine. There are very few people now. I am coming to take over you, to possess you.”
No, I am not talking about these people. I am talking about true prophets, true teachers, true apostles, true evangelists—true servants of God.
Brothers and sisters, even though they have a message, they do not know your local conditions. They will come and share their burden with you. Sometimes they may overburden you because you are not ready for it.
Sometimes they are trying to burden you with something that the Spirit of God has not led you into. And you try to follow, and you are hurt.
Brothers and sisters, this is the problem: they do not know the local conditions. They are not able to supply the local need.
A shepherd knows what kind of pasture his sheep need at this particular moment. But someone coming from outside, even with great gift, does not know the local situation. They may pour upon you something that is not your need at this moment.
And poor brothers and sisters, when one brother comes with a tremendous message, you are swaying to the east. And after a few days, another one comes with a very strong message, and you sway to the west. You are tossed and swayed around. You know, there is a problem there.
Fortunately, some really have waited upon the Lord. Instead of just sharing their burden, they try to find from the Lord His burden for you. But I am afraid this is very rare.
Most people who are traveling around are just carrying some messages in their heart, and no matter who you are, they give you the same message. It is aspirin for every sickness.
Do you think the Lord, who loves the church so much—in giving His own life for her, in nourishing her and cherishing her—would make no provision for you?
What is nourishing? Nourishing is providing all the food that she needs. Do you think that our Lord could love His church so much, and yet you are here and He made no provision for you? He does not cherish; He does not nourish you? Can you believe that? I cannot.
Well, other people think, “Well, what should we do? Where is the ministry of the Word? Well, if God will send someone, or even raise up someone, who will take over the ministry.”
In other words, you need a pastor.
Now, brothers and sisters, the only place where you can find the word pastor in the New Testament is in Ephesians 4:11-12: pastors and teachers.
Strangely, I do not know why—well, I know why. Because that word, in all the other places in the New Testament, is not translated pastor; it is translated shepherd.
Only in Ephesians 4, the translators translated it as pastor. Actually, in the original, it is shepherd—shepherds and teachers. No pastor in the New Testament.
Now, why do they put it as pastor? It is because the pastor system is a tradition. So in this particular instance, they say it is pastor.
Remember, the pastor system is not in the Scripture. A pastor as a gift, as a shepherd, is in the Scripture. We thank God for giving His church shepherds and teachers.
As a matter of fact, pastors and teachers are one person, not two, because they all deal with the Word of God. One is teaching publicly; the other is counseling privately. That is shepherding.
You know, all the elders in the church shepherd the flock of God. They are all shepherds. They come, they help, and some of the elders may have a teaching ministry publicly, but not all.
So, in other words, you find today people feel that need and then look for someone who will come and take over the ministry. And sure enough, Christianity has developed a way to give you that position.
It is not the Head who provides you with a pastor; it is Christianity that provides you with a pastor. Why? Because they send people to seminary, train them with the skill, and then ordain them. Then you employ them as your pastor, so they will take care of all your spiritual needs.
They will minister the Word of God to you. They will counsel you. And, developed to a certain extent, they not only do the work of the Word of God; they go back like in the early days in Jerusalem—the apostles—they do everything for you. You do not need to do anything. Just sit there; let him do the work. That is the pastor system.
How contradictory it is to the very principle, the very life, of the church. Brothers and sisters, are you looking for a pastor to come and take care of you? Is this the way of God?
Now, can you believe that if the Lord gathers you together around Him as a local expression of the church, can you believe—are you able to look up to Him to supply, to raise up among you brothers who are able to minister the Word of God? Do you have that faith?
I am afraid it is because we do not have that faith; therefore, we do not have local ministry. I do believe that if we have the faith and we look up to the Lord, no doubt He will raise up some among us who will be able to minister the Word of God.
Maybe not as good as Paul. Maybe not as good as Timothy. But it is good enough for you.
How does God raise these people? Brothers and sisters, some of you may have a Christian—so-called Christian—background.
You may be brought up in a Christian family. You may go to Sunday school, or you may even go to a mission school for your education, or a Christian college, or whatever it may be. I am not saying that these things are sufficient—not at all.
But in God’s providence, He has put you in a Christian family. He has given you the opportunity to have contact with the Word of God. You may memorize some verses because of some reward. That is all right.
But anyway, you find that before you believe in the Lord Jesus, you already have some background—like Timothy, like Paul, like Barnabas. Then one day, the Lord saved you.
Now, if you really love the Lord, you will love His Word. So you will begin to study the Word of God.
In the past, you had some knowledge of the Word of God, but this was dead knowledge. It did not do you any good, and you really did not understand. It did not speak to your heart; it was only in your mind.
But after you are saved, you love the Word of God. You begin to spend time with the Word before God—really, daily—meditating upon it, seeking to know the Word from Him. And the Holy Spirit begins to open up the Word of God to you.
Brothers and sisters, this is normal.
And when God’s people are together, we are one in Christ, but we all should try to share whatever the Lord has shown us. And when we begin to share what the Lord has begun to teach us, you find the anointing of the Lord is upon you, and brothers and sisters receive help. They will help.
And, you know, we encourage them to do more, to do more. And gradually, you find that teaching ministry or prophetic ministry begins to be developed. That is the way it is developed.
You know, today in an organized church there is no opportunity for people to be trained and developed, because somebody already monopolizes it. And if you are developing, probably people will be jealous of you, thinking that you are going to take his place.
Brothers and sisters, simple, very simple. Do not expect that there will be a Paul coming out in your midst. Do not expect that. Be very simple, because that is what you need.
People may come and give you a tremendous teaching that is all over your head. What is the use of it? God knows. He knows what you need today, and He is providing your nourishment.
Maybe what you need today is just a simple vegetable dish, but that is what you need.
Oh, brothers and sisters, if we are open to the Lord, and we are open to one another, then you find it is almost natural that God will raise up someone in your midst who is able to supply your need.
Now, if there is none among you who came from a so-called Christian background, then what will happen? Well, that is better, because you do not need to unlearn what you learned before.
And God can start with you on virgin ground. If you love the Lord, you have no background of the Word of God; therefore, you have no prejudice, preconceived ideas.
Brothers and sisters, many who read the Bible today, when they read it, all that they know in their mind is the traditional interpretation of the Word. They think they know it, but they do not.
But if you do not know, well, you will know. Why? Because you open the Word of God and really study it, meditate before the Lord, and look to the Holy Spirit to teach you. My, what a Teacher He is.
You know, so again, the same thing: you brothers and sisters are all together, and you begin to share what the Lord has given to you, and gradually your gift is manifested.
Some people need to be encouraged to do more. Other people need to be discouraged not to do too much, because God may not use you as a prophet or a teacher. You can exhort, you can encourage, you can counsel. Like a member in the body of Christ, everybody can do that. But you may not be called to minister the Word of God.
So, very simple, brothers and sisters. That is the way it is.
It is therefore neither all-man’s ministry nor one-man’s ministry.
You know, we go to two extremes. One extreme is that we need one to minister the Word of God to us. Now, if you have only one man’s ministry, what will you have? Now, if that man only has dessert, then you have dessert every time. You do not have all-round nourishment.
But it is neither going into the other extreme, in which all men minister and every brother and sister can minister the Word of God. No. The Word of God is too holy, too sacred, for us to handle it carelessly.
Sometimes you may exhort people with the Word, but only when the Holy Spirit really gives you that word. But to be involved in local ministry demands much more.
Very simple. But God willing, tomorrow I will tell you how simple it is.
Shall we pray?
Dear Lord, You love the church. You gave Yourself for her. You cherish her and nourish her.
You have enough letters among us. You are with us. Lord, give us faith to believe that You do supply every need that we need.
We look to Thee. We do not look to the east or west. We look to Thee in these last days.
We pray that Thou wilt open the door, open the way, for local ministry to be raised up, that the need of Thy people everywhere will be met.
Oh, how we praise and thank You. We know that this is Thy will. We know that Thou hast provided. But, Lord, we ask that Thou wilt remove all the obstacles in our midst and let local ministry come up.
We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.