Being a Vessel Unto Honor, a Fully Equipped Man of God,
by Being Empowered in the Grace Which Is in Christ Jesus
to Fully Accomplish Our Ministry in the Unique Ministry of God’s Economy
Message Eight
“Fully Accomplish Your Ministry”
OPENING WORD OF THE PROPHESYING MEETING
Reading the verses in each day.
Reading the main points in the outlines.
Pray-reading the verses:
2 Tim. 4:5 But you, be sober in all things, suffer evil, do the work of an evangelist, fully accomplish your ministry.
Eph. 4:11-12 And He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints unto the work of ministry, unto the building up of the Body of Christ.
Word of Appetizer
Paul in 2 Timothy 4:5 instructs Timothy to fulfill his ministry. Is this a personal ministry or a corporate ministry?
In 2 Timothy 4:5, when Paul instructs Timothy “to fulfill your ministry,” this is clearly an encouragement for him to fulfill his personal ministry. When considering these verses that speak of personal ministry, we need to know that all believers are members of this one body. As a whole, the body has only one corporate ministry, not many ministries. Although the body has many functions, the ministry of the body is one. Because the New Covenant ministry is the service of the Body of Christ, and because the body has many members, each member has his own ministry.
Spiritual Burden
In the Lord’s eyes, there is only one ministry. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:1, “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.” There are many ministers, but there is only one ministry – the New Covenant ministry – to accomplish God’s New Covenant economy. All the work of the apostles was to accomplish this one ministry, to supply Christ to people, to build His Body.
“This is the Lord’s recovery, this is our commission, this is our burden, and this is our ministry. How blessed are we to be able to participate in this ministry!”
Concluding Word of the Prophesying Meeting
The Revelation of the Truth
In the Lord’s eyes, there is only one ministry. There are many ministers, but there is only one ministry – the New Covenant ministry – to accomplish God’s New Covenant economy.
Although the aforementioned verses reveal that the ministry in the New Covenant is corporate, other verses indicate that ministry is also personal. Because the New Covenant ministry is the service of the Body of Christ, and because the body has many members, each member has his own ministry.
“To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the Body of Christ.”
The Experience of Life
2 Corinthians 3:6 tells us that God “made us sufficient as ministers of a new covenant” The Spirit, the ultimate manifestation of the processed Triune God, dispenses God’s life, God Himself, into believers and apostles, making them ministers of the New Covenant.
We all need to praise the Lord because, in His mercy and grace, He has appointed us to fulfill this corporate ministry of building up the Body of Christ.
Practice and Application
In terms of members, there are many ministries. However, in terms of the whole body, there is only one ministry. Our personal ministry should not be separated from the corporate ministry.
We all have a part in this ministry. This is one ministry, but with different functions, different angles, and different aspects. You have your part, and I have my part. When we have all the functions and aspects, we have the ministry of the body. We are all supplying Christ, who is life and everything, for the building up of the local church. This is the Lord’s recovery, this is our commission, this is our burden, and this is our ministry. How blessed are we to be able to participate in this ministry!
PROPHESYING TOPICS—TWELVE TOPICS PER WEEK
Day 1
T1 In the Lord’s eyes, there is only one ministry in the New Testament (Acts 1:17, 25)
(Please illustrate that the twelve Apostles were all in “this ministry”, which indicates that there is only one unique ministry in the New Testament. )
T2 The ministry of the New Testament is the sum total of the service and work of all New Testament ministers (Acts 1:17, 2 Cor. 4:1)
(Please illustrate that the one ministry of the New Testament includes all the work of the apostles (all ministries), and the apostles are the New Testament ministers.)
Day 2
T1 All those who work in the ministry have a part in the one ministry of God’s New Testament economy (2 Cor. 4:1, 2 Tim. 4:5)
(Please illustrate that Timothy’s personal ministry was part of the corporate ministry, “this ministry”, the one ministry of the New Testament.)
T2 The work of the ministry is to build up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12)
(Please illustrate that the work of the New Testament ministry is to fulfill God’s New Testament economy concerning the church, building up the body of Christ.)
Day 3
T1 Ministry is service; all ministers are those who perform this service (2 Cor. 3:6, 1 Tim. 1:12)
(Please illustrate that these many ministers do not have many ministries, but one ministry, one service.)
T2 Paul’s ministry was constituted by the transforming Spirit (2 Cor. 3:6)
(Please illustrate that the Spirit not only transforms us, but also constitutes the New Testament ministry.)
Day 4
T1 The ministry of the New Testament is corporate, yet some verses seem to indicate that the ministry is personal (Acts 20:24)
(Please illustrate that the ministries of the various members of the body are not separate ministries, but parts of one corporate ministry.)
T2 The right ministry, according to the economy of God’s New Testament, is for building up the body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12)
(Please illustrate that at the beginning, in the apostolic age, there was only one body and one ministry. However, because of the church’s falling away, there arose divisions and denominations. Now each division has its own so-called ministry.)
Day 5
T1 We should all minister the same thing, speaking the same thing in the New Testament way (1 Cor. 1:10, Eph. 4:12)
(Please illustrate that this one thing is to recover Christ as our life and everything, in order to build up the local churches.)
T2 Sharing various aspects or angles concerning Christ as life for the building up of the church in His riches (1 Cor. 1:10, Eph. 4:12)
(Please illustrate that we are not following one person. We are ministering the same thing from different angles.)
Day 6
T1 The one ministry in the New Testament economy is to build up the Body of Christ (Eph. 4:11-12)
(Please illustrate that any work that is a ministry must be for the building up of the Body of Christ.)
T2 Those who have gifts are for the perfecting of the saints (Eph. 4:11-12)
(Please illustrate that those who have gifts perfect the saints so that the saints can do what they do and directly build up the body of Christ.)
