The church needs evangelists, preachers of the gospel. They help the church to grow. The preacher has a solemn charge to keep and a hard work to fulfill (Eph 4:11-13, Rom 10:13-15, 2Tm 4:1-5). You have full-time, part-time, and spare-time preachers. Do you recognize them, and the importance of their work? Do you give thought to helping their ministry? This lesson shows what a preacher needs from you constantly. Consider these needs of the preacher...

a prayer

• The fervent prayer of a righteous person avails much (Jas 5:16).
• God uses your prayers along with the evangelist's work to spread the gospel. He is preaching. Are you praying? (2Th 3:1-2).

a push

• Not the push of pressure. He doesn't need you on his back. He needs the push of encouragement. Be like the Philippians who encouraged Paul (Php 2:1-2).
• Not the push of “busy work” —work that keeps someone busy like counting seeds, but produces nothing but neglect of the weightier matters (Mtt 23:23). The preacher's task is to preach. Let him get on with that task. That's his real work (1Tm 4:6-16).

a paycheque

• The Lord directed those who preach the gospel to get their living thereby (1Co 9:7-14).
• Those who are taught should support those who teach them (Gal 6:6).
• The labourer is worthy of his hire (Lke 10:7).
• Nobody in the church should be in need. This includes the preachers (1Th 4:11-12, Eph 4:28).
• Can we condemn those who stoned the prophets if we ourselves starve our preachers?

a preacher

• Yes, that's right. A preacher needs a preacher!
• Timothy needed Paul to teach and train him (1Tm 3:14-15).
• Others needed Timothy to teach and train them (2Tm 2:1-2).
• Well trained and able evangelists need to train others well, and enable them.

a’preciation

• We are commanded to recognize, esteem, and love, those who labour among us (1Th 5:12-13).
• Are you keeping this commandment?

Home | Topics | List | Next