50 Years Building His Kingdom - Far Eastern Bible College
50 Years Building His Kingdom - Far Eastern Bible College
50 Years Building His Kingdom - Far Eastern Bible College
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Life<br />
<strong>Bible</strong>-Presbyterian<br />
Church<br />
Visitation at the home of<br />
the late brother Max Ho<br />
at Christmas ‘98<br />
Page 130<br />
The Visitation<br />
Ministry<br />
THE VAST pastoral ministry is not<br />
a one-man ministry. It is a team<br />
ministry. It includes many activities<br />
of the church of which visitation is one.<br />
The pastor of the church is expected to<br />
make pastoral calls, but the apostle Paul<br />
reminds us that we are members of one<br />
another and therefore, we should have the<br />
same care one for another (Rom 12:5; 1<br />
Cor 12:25). Hence, every member of the<br />
church has a part to play in this vital ministry.<br />
We are one another’s keepers.<br />
What is it<br />
What constitutes the visitation ministry<br />
It includes visiting members’ homes,<br />
counselling troubled souls, ministering to<br />
the sorrowing, visiting the sick in hospital<br />
and prisoners in prison, and proclaiming<br />
Christ to the lost in a family.<br />
The visitation ministry is a “heart”<br />
ministry, involving feeling, emotion and<br />
sympathy. Unfortunately, a setback in the<br />
visitation ministry occurs when things are<br />
done just for the sake of fulfilling a pastoral<br />
duty. When a pastor does his pastoral<br />
calls perfunctorily, it is tragic.<br />
The visitation ministry is a joyous,<br />
exciting and rewarding one. The Lord Jesus<br />
said, “It is more blessed to give than to<br />
receive” (Acts 20:35). When you visit a<br />
brother who is in need, you are doing it in<br />
the name of Jesus Christ. Your act of love<br />
will encourage him. You may not be able<br />
to say much but your presence will surely<br />
uplift him. Such an act God will not forget<br />
(Heb 6:10). He will reward you in due time.<br />
Jesus said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch<br />
as ye have done it unto one of the<br />
least of these my brethren, ye have done it<br />
unto me” (Matt 25:40).<br />
Purpose<br />
A church with a visitation programme<br />
will know the spiritual well-being of its<br />
members. The book of Proverbs says, “Be<br />
thou diligent to know the state of thy<br />
flocks, and look well to thy herds” (Prov<br />
27:23). I believe the best yardstick to<br />
evaluate the spirituality of God’s people<br />
is to visit them. When you hear about<br />
their vicissitudes of life, you will soon<br />
know the condition of their spiritual life.<br />
The apostle Paul could not visit the<br />
Philippian Christians because of his confinement<br />
in prison. So he appointed<br />
young Timothy to go on his behalf to<br />
find out the spiritual welfare of the<br />
church (Phil 2:19). Paul was a true pastor.<br />
He cared for God’s people. In Thessalonians<br />
he tells us how he cared for the<br />
believers as a nurse cherishing her children<br />
(1 Thess 2:7).<br />
Though Paul was incarcerated in<br />
Rome, he had high hopes of seeing the<br />
Philippian Christians soon. Like Christ, he<br />
always put others before him. He placed<br />
others’ needs above his own. He wanted<br />
to go home and be united with Christ, but<br />
he also felt that it was more needful for<br />
him to remain on earth to help in the spiritual<br />
welfare of the Philippians (Phil 1:22-<br />
26). It is only when the pastor visits his<br />
members that he can know the spiritual<br />
condition of his flock and minister to them<br />
more effectively.<br />
God’s people always like to seek advice<br />
from the pastor of the church. Somehow<br />
they feel that they can find strength<br />
through the pastor’s counsel. Therefore,
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