Take Heed to the Doctrine – Triumph30

TAKE HEED TO THE DOCTRINE

1^st Timothy 4: 13 – 16

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.   Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery.   Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.   Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

From the text above, we see Paul charging Timothy about his responsibility to his growth as a minister. “How does this concern me, I am not a minister?” You might ask. Well, I put it to you today that as Christians we all have a ministry; the ministry of reconciliation. The last instruction Christ gave the disciples and by extension, you and I, in Matthew 28:19 – 20 is the mission statement of that ministry.

 “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. – 2 Corinthians 5:18 – 19

 Paul is saying that the ministry of Christ is our ministry. We have a responsibility to let the world know what God has done for them in Christ.

As a result of this, there is a commitment we must have in preparation for the task set ahead of us. Let us think on the anchor text and ask ourselves these questions;

• Am I growing in my understanding and ability to explain God’s word?
• Am I taking advantage of ministry platforms for growth?
• Am I sincere in my trust of the sanctification work of the Holy Spirit in me?

Whatever our answers might be, we should take intentional steps to be grounded in the doctrine of Christianity, stir up the gift of God in us with spiritual exercises, read and meditate on God’s word because it is our life source. We should equip ourselves for the task set ahead of us. Let us take to heart the instruction given to Timothy and run with it. Remember, not only does our growth depend on these things, but necessity is laid on us to be adequately prepared for the task of spreading the message of the gospel. Best of all, God is with us, helping us all the way.

Grace and Peace.

Prayer Focus

• Thank God for the ministry of reconciliation which has been given to you and for the privilege you have to spread the word.
• lord i take advantage of the resources available to me in this ministry, i commit myself to them for my growth.