Tonight we as a congregation will express our consent and our agreement to the sense of

calling that Steve Roy has from the Lord. We will approve that in a solemn act of dedication and we will

set him apart for the Ministry of the Word and I want us to ponder for a few minutes the meaning of the ministry of the word.

In Acts chapter 6 verses 1 to 6, the Greek-speaking Jewish widows are not being fed like the others. They are being

overlooked in the distribution of the food.

And they come to the apostles with this problem.

And that problem clamors for the apostles attention, for time, for energy.

And the Apostles say, it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

And so they appoint others to do that, and then they say we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the

word and I infer from that event that from the earliest times in the life of the

church there was a sense that the ministry of the word required so much effort, so much attention, so much time that other people should be brought

in to do other things to free up some people in the church to do the ministry of the word.

1st Timothy chapter 5 verses 17 to 18

Paul writes to this young man who is dealing with elders or pastors in a church and he says let the

elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

For the scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain and the laborer deserves his wages.

In other words the church should should put such a value, such a priority on the Ministry of the Word

that they are willing to financially support some people to devote themselves entirely to that

ministry. Evidently, this is an ongoing office in the life of the church.

In Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11

the ascended Christ is said to give gifts to the church and his gifts were that some should be pastor teachers.

In other words, there is an office distinct from the laity.

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