Looking For A Few More Good Men - [1 Timothy 3:8-13]

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Well, I would invite you to take your Bibles and open them to 1st Timothy chapter 3
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You know as I considered this and I'm going to maybe repeat this a few times this evening.
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I Hope I do There is no one here tonight for whom our passage is not intended if you are 5 years old and you're able to sit still and listen if If you're 85 and you're able to sit still and listen this passage applies to you
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If you're a man and to paraphrase al muller you have been in your entire life if you're a woman
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And the same condition applies this passage is intended for you it is pertinent to you
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We hear oh, you know, it's gonna talk about the qualifications for deacons
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This is a passage for every single one of us Let me ask you
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You ever seen? You know while you're out and about in the world Have you ever seen somebody for whom you just thought that guy is completely in the wrong job?
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That woman doesn't have a clue what she's doing who hired her You know, sometimes it's kind of sad to see
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I mean imagine this, you know, like a shy used car salesman
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You know some things just don't go together. I was on the Sheriff's Department for 21 years and as I You know got further on in my career and you always hear that the cranky old guy say well, you know back in my day
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Sadly there's a little bit of truth to that. I mean when I came out of the Academy It was different Than it was when
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I left the Sheriff's Department Guys would come out of the Academy and they come to work for me and I'd look at him and I go
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Let me see if I got this straight. You just graduated from the Academy. Yes, sir. I wanted to say how'd you get some fat?
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You're supposed to be skinny when you can you know They run you a lot in the Academy you get up early in the morning and they run you and then in the afternoon
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They run you again and every time they don't know what to do. They run you some more. You're supposed to be skinny I mean, can you imagine?
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Police officers fresh out of the Academy who say well, you know, I'd like to go chase that bad guy, but I just can't How about this how about officers that couldn't shoot the minimum score
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I'd hear him come back from the range, you know And they'd go. Well, I didn't make it and I'm going you just got out of the
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Academy How can you not shoot out of 300? How can you not get to 10? I could do that behind my back maybe
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I couldn't but my dad could and These things these standards wouldn't really matter
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If maybe if we were hiring crossing guards or something like that, but this is life and death we're talking about I mean, this is like an
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NFL team You know drafting linebackers who weigh 85 pounds or an
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NBA team getting a four -foot center and being you know, like excited about it This is like the
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Boston Pops hiring a man to lead the orchestra who doesn't read music. This is craziness foolishness
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Or you know again to reach into my own experience. How about a college algebra professor who can't speak
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English? That was a fun class Some things Some things just should not be
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And as we go to this passage tonight, I want to ask you this question You know all those things may be a little bit fun
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Maybe some of them not so funny But what could be more important than making sure that those who serve in the
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Lord's Church are qualified according to his word There's nothing more serious than that Now just by way way of review as we're in first Timothy once you just picture yourself being a first century pastor
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Christ has died Been resurrected a few decades ago But you can't if you run into a situation
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You can't just go to the local bookstore and see what other pastors are doing about that situation
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You can't go online and google, you know pastors calm Download a few sermons
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You've got no resources like that There's no phone a friend hotline for you.
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You're just a you're an island That would have been really tough if that was the situation
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But thankfully the Apostle Paul didn't leave Timothy in Ephesus to be a pastor without any instruction whatsoever
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He wrote first Timothy as a guide for Timothy not only to run a church
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But on how he should conduct himself how we should choose Those who would also lead the church and those who would serve the church
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And the last time I preached a couple weeks ago a few weeks ago three weeks ago now. I Discussed the biblical requirements of being elder as they're set forth in chapter 3 verses 1 to 7 and I said that there are five
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God -given goods First it is good to want to be an elder Bible says so says it's a good thing to want to be an elder.
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In fact, let me just read this I'm gonna read the first seven verses the saying is
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Trustworthy if anyone aspires to the office of no verse here and just a little aside here
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How do we know it's a man because in the previous chapter? He's just told us that only men can lead the church because of the fall he ties it to Eve being deceived first But moving on if anyone aspires to the office of overseer he desires a noble task
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Therefore an overseer must be above reproach the husband of one wife sober minded self -controlled respectable hospitable able to teach not a drunkard not violent
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But gentle not quarrelsome not a lover of money He must manage his household.
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Well his own household Well with all dignity keeping his children submissive for someone does not know how to manage his own household
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How will they care for God's Church? He must not be a recent convert or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil
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Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace into a snare of the devil
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And so we said it first of all, it is good to want to be an elder Secondly it is good to be well thought of within the church you can't be an elder and have people in the church who think poorly of you people who
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That is that are saved and that Have a right view of leadership. Thirdly.
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It is good to be well thought of outside of the church nothing could create more problems for a church than for the people in the community surrounding the church to know that the leadership is
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Not Qualified that it is corrupt that it is a trouble that it is in trouble outside of the church has a bad reputation
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Outside of the church number four. It is good to be well thought of in His home for an elder for a person to be an elder to be well thought of in his home and for his home
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His home ought to be well known for Being hospitable ought to be well known for the fact that it is well run that the children are obedient and Fifthly, we said it is good to be well grounded in the truth.
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You can't have an elder. Who's a new convert? You can't have an elder who doesn't know sound doctrine
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Cannot do it Why because he has to be apt to teach he has to be skilled in teaching now.
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Let's look at this evening's Passage verses 8 through 13
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And I wanted to read that mostly because the second word tonight bears directly on what everything that has gone before it
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Deacons likewise, there's a comparison there. So I had to read that earlier part deacons.
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Likewise must be dignified Not double -tongued Not addicted to much wine not greedy for dishonest gain they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience and And let them also be tested first and Then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless their wives
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Listen, likewise must be dignified not slanderers, but sober minded faithful in all things
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Let deacons each be the husband of one wife managing their children and their own households.
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Well for those who serve as deacons gain a Good -standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus Now this evening
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I want to draw your attention To four demands of a deacon and two blessings that are promised to a deacon from our text my purpose is that you will get you will both have a greater appreciation for our deacons and Also to look to your own lives
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And see what areas are in need of shoring up. I Think anytime we come to scripture it is good to evaluate ourselves in light of what?
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God says in light of the standards that God sets Again, I want you to see four qualifications and two promises in our text as these are good measuring rods
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For how you view your own lives in your own homes Some of you might be saying well either
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I'm a woman I can't be a deacon or you know I'm just a guy and I don't want to be a deacon as We go through these
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Qualifications. I think it's very clear that this is something that everyone as a
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Christian everyone should hold the standard and say that's what that's how I want my life to be That's how
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I want my home to be. That's how it should be And if I'm falling short in any any area by the grace of God, I want to address those situations
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I want to straighten out my own life straighten out my own home So that not necessarily so that I can say, you know,
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I'm now qualified to be a deacon But because that's what God's Word says if I'm going to be an effective servant in the church
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This is how I need to live my life now first of all our first Qualification our first man of a deacon you must excel in conduct
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You must excel in conduct again. Look at verse 8 deacons likewise
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Must be dignified again. As I said likewise compares us as deacons to what?
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to the elders They have to have kind of that same Dignity as it were what does that mean?
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What is dignity dignity ultimately
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Means that there's a certain weightiness In political terms, sometimes they call it gravitas
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But I cannot stress this enough Christianity is not a tiered religion.
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I think sometimes we just get in our mindset, you know Pastor Mike was even talking about it this morning, you know, we have the great teachers and Those are the guys
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I want to follow. Well, how about this, you know? well gee whiz in in Terms of Christianity.
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There are the Apostles and Then you know, maybe somewhere down the road a little bit we have elders and Then you know maybe close beneath them our deacons and then there's just everybody else the hoi polloi the congregation
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Just the kind of the leftovers just the happy -go -lucky Christians It's just wrong thinking
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Every Christian is held to one standard and that one standard is complete absolute total obedience
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To the Lord Jesus Christ and that's all these qualifications are it's just in concentrated form this is live the
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Christian faith a Christian is not merely and and this is
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I think become almost like a The definition of a Christian in today's evangelical world is just someone who loves
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Jesus. I love Jesus therefore I'm a Christian if you love
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Jesus you will Obey him. Jesus didn't say you know, what if you if you love me just say you love me and that's enough for me
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If you love me keep my commandments follow me Do as I say
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Elders are not some kind of uber Christians deacons are not
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Slightly less uber Christians. That's just it's just not how it is Elders and deacons are by the grace and power of God living out the
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Christian faith They're not perfect by any means But there is a sense in which
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We're caught up in pursuing the standard of God again, as I said
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There's a dignity a weight Kind of heaviness gravitas there deacons are not flyweights.
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They're not spiritual lightweights that can be thrown around like Muppets like they're nothing in fact that word they're dignified means worthy of respect and honor
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This isn't about them somehow being you know country club worthy being well thought of in that sense
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It's a matter of recognizing that the Holy Spirit has so seized this individual has so worked in his life
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That his life is recognizable as a work of God that he's a trophy of grace You don't look at him and say
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I I don't know about that guy You know that he's saved Again, he's not perfect, but there's just a certain weightiness about his life
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Again, I just want to stress over and over again You should want to be thought of as Having that kind of dignity as have as being dignified why not because it's so good for you know
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Your self -image or whatever but because it is evidence of the work of God in you look at the next one
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Must be dignified. He also must not be double -tongued It's not to be double -tongued
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You know the old phrase, you know, he speaks out of both sides of his mouth Well, that's kind of the idea here.
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And what does that mean? What does it mean when somebody speaks out of both sides of their mouth? it means they'll say whatever it takes in a given situation they have sort of a
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Situational honesty as it were they'll they'll say whatever will appeal to One crowd about a particular situation then they'll go to another crowd and say something different I'll leave it to you to figure out if that sounds like you know, some of the politicians of our day
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But people who just kind of change their message, I guess that'd be a good way to look at it Deacon shouldn't be someone who's political should be honest is the more positive way of saying that and The Greek word is dialogue us which you know
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If it comes from die meaning, you know cut in half or two and it's attached to the noun for tongue
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And it just means insincere for a deacon for an elder and Really for any
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Christian this term can never be attached to you your word must be
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Unambiguous consistent your yes must be yes, and your no must be no
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You must have a reputation for transparency and honesty And that's somebody who'll say whatever they need to say in a given situation
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Moving on to verse 8 says not addicted to much wine Interesting because this verb addicted means to occupy your mind with something to devote oneself to something
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So we understand that a deacon should not be someone who's driven motivated focused on alcohol
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And you know, it just struck me too that We see the modifier there now, it could it easily say
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A deacon should not be addicted to wine. I think you could say that but it says not addicted to much wine
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Is it okay to be motivated or to be addicted to a little wine? No, that's not the point The point is
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I think it's clear in Paul's other writings to Timothy that alcohol in and of itself
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Not sinful. In fact while I was reading they would say that what you know If you think about what a deacon did back then and what many deacons do now
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They did a lot of visitation Well, then they would offer you something to drink
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You are in the desert after all and when they gave you some water in a home, it was often Purified with Wine, they would kill some of the germs by pouring wine in it.
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They didn't know about chlorine. So they would use that So this idea is just that you don't
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Linger you're not addicted. You're not focused. You're not given to getting drunk Over and over again the scripture presents
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Being drunk as a sin Ephesians 5 18 says do not be drunk with wine for that as dissipation
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Other places talk about drunkenness drunkenness is never weak dad. It's never nodded at it's never approved of in the
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Bible Deacon also verse 8 must not be greedy for dishonest gain
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Again as we consider the role of a deacon Ministering to the church especially widows and orphans those in physical need
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How could a deacon do that? Then or now without having some kind of access to the church's financial resources be impossible
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So imagine a man that who is greedy Who values money above all else?
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That'd be I mean making him a deacon would be like, you know putting a Cat nip in front of a cat like putting food in front of one of my dogs.
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You just shouldn't do it It's gonna be gone and that's not the sort of man that you would choose.
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He has to be trustworthy putting such a man in such a position a greedy person in This sort of position the results would be predictable and it would not only run down to the band's shame
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I mean, here's the banner headline, you know deacon at Bethlehem Bible Church indited on embezzlement charges or whatever.
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Well, who does that look bad for not only him? But how about the church? What were they thinking when they made that guy a deacon?
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So how do you choose deacons by? elections committees Everybody takes a turn being a deacon.
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There are qualifications and we're working through those and you have to be Qualified in order to be a deacon you must not be someone who is known to be greedy to value money our second demand of deacons
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You must excel in the faith. Look at verse 9. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience
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In a nutshell a deacon has to be a person whose Grasp of the truth is matched by his life.
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In other words, he lives out what he knows He must hold as a characteristic as a constant habit to the mystery of the faith
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He's not a man marked by seasons of doubt Seasons times where he experiments with novel doctrines, you know, he's not going to be the guy kind of with You know the the cool hip
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Book on new doctrines that I just discovered. That's not the guy who's gonna be a deacon
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He must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, he's rock -steady he's a drummer
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Better yet, he's a metronome because he never misses a beat ever Now what is the mystery of the faith?
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One commentator says it may be paraphrased as the revealed Truth of the
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Christian faith. In other words the objective truth Revealed in Scripture and you say well, how's that a mystery?
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Well It was a mystery to those who? Well, it's still a mystery to those who don't believe it's a mystery to those who heard the parables and didn't understand them
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Was a mystery when people heard the Old Testament prophecies and literally had
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Really no way of sorting out exactly how that was gonna work out The whole idea that Jews and Gentiles would be brought together when they if the
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Jews with the Jewish mindset Well, they would understand that the law brought As it says in Ephesians chapter 2 enmity between Jews and Gentiles and who could ever fathom that in the
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Richness of God's plan that he would somehow divine a way to bring together the
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Jews and Gentiles which he did in Christ Jesus many mysteries that have been revealed and are revealed in Scripture overall
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It is the truth of Scripture That causes this man who understands the truth as fully as he is able
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To be awestruck because what's the ultimate mystery? The ultimate mystery is this why did
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God save me and for a deacon or a man who is called to be a deacon? He's amazed by the grace of God, and he just says to himself
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I can't believe that God would choose me But not only does this man hold to the truths of the faith the basics of the
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Christian faith But he does so with a clear conscience What are the implications of that?
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First of all, I would suggest to you that he is quick to settle his accounts with others If he needs to confront someone or if he needs to seek their forgiveness he does so He's quick to settle his accounts with the
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Lord quick to confess to agree with God about his sin And by the gracious enablement of the
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Holy Spirit, he lives out what he believes You know, it's just a couple weeks ago
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I don't know what we were talking about But my wife said she was at her desk and she said, you know I'm gonna hold you to what you preached here a few weeks ago
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And I I didn't really know what she meant and it doesn't really matter what she meant But I just said, you know what from now on I'm gonna have
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I don't care what Mike says I'm gonna have a word -for -word script and I'm sticking to it because I want to make sure that I know what she
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He's holding me to I Don't want any kind of ad -libs where I go. Oh, I didn't mean to say that very scary
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But the imagery is this of this deacon if you could somehow take his conscience and You could hold it up to the light if you could just hold it and hold it up to the light
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You'd see straight through it Perfectly clear no impurities. No obstructions
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Would be like a translucent jewel is he perfect does that mean a deacon or someone who's gonna be a deacon is
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Has to be perfect. No impossible But he's living faithfully when he's wrong.
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He admits it. How about you?
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Are you rock steady in the faith is your conscience clear? Are you a metronome? Does your life match up with what you believe?
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firstly you must Excel in conduct secondly, you must excel in the faith and thirdly you must excel in service look at verse 10 and Let them also be tested first You know to be a deacon here at BBC you have to score a 99 or above on what we call the gospel aptitude test the
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GAT Okay, that's not true Sounded realistic didn't it?
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What does it mean that you have to be tested? It's it's not it's not a written test
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It's not some kind of you know, like when I wanted to get promoted on the sheriff's department I had to go and get interviewed. It's not even that kind of test
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This is a measurement of a man's life it is The the Greek word would indicate it's like if you have gold and you test it
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What do you do you burn away the impurities until it's it's only the pure stuff that's left.
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It's 24 karat gold and so This man is tested his life is examined
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Does his life does his service at the church? pass muster
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Now think about it. Would we should we choose deacons on the basis of doctrinal knowledge?
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How about on the basis of you know, they're good guys He's been here a long time.
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I think we have basically two qualifications
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The men need to be faithful and they need to be serving my previous church
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Never forget, you know, it was a little impersonal You get a mail or a letter in the mail and it says dear
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Steve You know you have been observed serving in the church
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Here are the qualifications for a deacon if you don't meet them check the box here send it back you know and then
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And and so they would actually that's how they did it They would have they would see the people who are serving They would say we think you're qualified to be a deacon.
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If you're not, please check here Then they would put your name up on a list and the page after page after page of deacon candidates then they would say if you have anything against those people you need to go see them and You know the whole kind of process would go on but it was because the church is so big it was it was a little bit impersonal
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But every single one of those deacons had one more than one thing, but they had one definitive thing in common
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They were serving they were actively involved in serving the church We don't pick men as deacons and go, you know,
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I think if we pick this guy, he'll start serving somewhere. They are serving
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Look again at verse 10 Then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless
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The idea here is that we look at their service. They're already in service we evaluate that and it's on that basis that we pick deacons if Everything else if they meet all these other can qualifications
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The idea of being blameless is that there's nothing to call him an account for he's not the guy who is serving
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But constantly causing problems stirring up strife He helps the church operate as it should that's the man that we want as a deacon
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It's the man God calls to be a deacon. There's no reason
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We examine his life and his service. There's no reason to doubt his motivation. He's demonstrated his worth and the work of God in his life
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He's faithful in his service fourth qualification You must excel at home and this is huge this is as big as it gets right here and it begins with the man's wife
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Look at verse 11 Their wives again likewise must be dignified.
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They must have that same kind of gravitas that same kind of weight My physical weight but spiritual weight
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I've said this before but I this is just so True this is like one of my main truisms in life
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You can only go as far in ministry as your wife will allow you and I don't mean where she gives you permission
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I mean her life has to match up with this what the scripture says she has to support you and She has to be spiritually qualified as well
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She is the anchor of your ministry meaning she will either prevent you from leaving port or She'll be there to steady you when things get tough
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She'll stop you all together or she will be your greatest ally in ministry So now ladies
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You will either support your husbands or You will fail to support them.
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There is no middle ground The wife of a deacon and that's what's being examined here has to be
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Qualified for the deacon to be qualified. He can meet all the other qualifications and yet if his wife fails these tests
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He won't be a deacon You might say well, that's not fair. He's being judged based on What his wife is doing two little insights with number one life is not fair Number two
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This is a qualification for deacon and there's no way around it Who you marry matters how she lives her life matters
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Look again at verse 11 talking about the wives. They must not be slanderers I find this verb or this verse this word fascinating why because it's the same
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From what the same word from which we get devil or diabolical Your wife must not be diabolical if you want to serve in the deaconate
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Diabolus, I mean, can you imagine the deacons wife who's known for being the accuser who's known for being the slanderer?
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Who's known for spreading rumors? Hurling accusations Sowing dissension.
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He's serving in the church and she's behind the scenes kind of trying to undo things It is difficult to tame the tongue.
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We know that James talks about it. Jesus talks about it. Jesus also says that it is
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The tongue or what we say what comes out of our mouth reveals what's in our hearts, but a woman cannot
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The wife of a deacon cannot be a slanderer Why because such a scenario would really reveal a man who's not in control of his own household
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Again, look at verse 11 talking about the wives. She must be sober minded Deacons wife must be doctrinally aware
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Now what does that mean? Well, that means She's not gonna be recommending horrible books like maybe something from Joyce Meyer Why is this so important?
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Well because the deacons wife is going to have Ladies who come to her they're gonna want some advice.
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Maybe it's on Theological issues, maybe it's on just day -to -day living issues.
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How do I submit to my husband? How do I do this? How do I do that? She has to be well grounded in the faith and in the scripture
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She doesn't have to be able to cite every theological nuance She doesn't have to be an elder or pastor, but she has to be able to give
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Scriptural answers to real -life situations She must also
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Verse 11 be faithful in all things Deacons wife must be trustworthy and dependable
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Again, you can't have a deacon who's qualified in all these areas and have a wife who's flighty and messing things up She will have a good many opportunities to serve and she ought not to be someone whom the elders worry about what she's gonna do
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You know, well, here's the plan now Steve I want you to go and make sure that so -and -so the deacons wife isn't causing trouble
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Can't just can't be to young and unmarried men
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This is a very important consideration Why would you consider a woman for marriage whom you do not trust in all situations?
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Then that's the idea. She's faithful She's completely trustworthy and dependable Before you marry her, maybe you ought to know her well enough to make that kind of judgment
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It's a once -in -a -lifetime decision get it, right? so much Depends on your wife and of course beyond merely choosing wisely
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This also implies the necessity of leading within the home and also teaching within the home
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If you want to know what your wife knows She only knows
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What she reads what she hears What you guys talk about and if all you talk about quite frankly is the
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Red Sox then your wife is being deprived More about the household more about running it.
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Well verse 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife again as it was with the elders
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This is a directive that a man's attention his emotion his energy be focused on his wife
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He is to be literally a one -man -woman And it's a bit of a double -sided issue again
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It stresses the importance of marrying the right woman and the importance of being the right man
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Does your wife wonder about your affections is she unsure Do you give her reason to be unsure?
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George Knight said this the home is the proving ground of fidelity for elders and deacons
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How you conduct yourself in your home how you conduct yourself towards your wife reflects a great deal about your
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Spiritual maturity and where you are and where you are in terms of being able to serve in the church
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If you're not faithful and devoted to your wife What would make anyone think that you would be more devoted to the church?
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And that's the calling of a deacon again back to verse 12
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Managing their children now that managing term, you know when I think of a manager, I think of a baseball manager
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You know the guy who wears pajamas and runs out on the baseball field Managing is kind of I don't really like that translation at all
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Because here's what it really means to exercise a position of leadership Listen rule
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Direct be at the head. My question that is who rules your house you your wife your kids
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Was thinking of a man even tonight who you said just was not a Christian not anybody here
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But he used to just sit there and watch TV and when any kind of noise was made or anything else That was the only time he ever said anything
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Because you know, they were distracting him from the TV That's not leadership that's not ruling
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It is an active ongoing. I Guess I'll use the word managing
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You have to run that household It's a reflection on you. Everything that happens in there is a reflection on you
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We say that again everything that happens in your household reflects on you And this is true in regard to the qualifications of elders and of deacons
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And it is true with regard to eternity. You can't say On Judgment Day men, you won't be able to say well, you know what?
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I'm not responsible for what my wife did what my kids did Cetera.
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Yes, you are Yes, you are and it says so here rule your household
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Lead it afford demands of a deacon so far
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You must excel in conduct You must excel in the faith you must excel in service fourthly you must excel at home now a couple of blessings for deacons verse 13 for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves a
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Good standing. It's literally a good step Kind of gives us a picture of a step on a staircase an elevated platform is a place of reward good service as a deacon results in good standing before the church and Good standing before God Knowing all that is required
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Before a man can be a deacon and then watching him maintain his walk serve faithfully in the church
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How can the church not hold a man like that in esteem high esteem and Certainly such a man who also displays
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Skill at teaching in other words if he's been tested and he served faithfully in the church as a deacon and then he shows skill at teaching why wouldn't the church then consider him as a
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Possible elder and with regard to a faithful deacons standing before God This is something that he likely doesn't spend much time considering But a man living out his faith by the grace of God and serving the local body
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Faithfully will certainly hear his master say on Judgment Day Well done good and faithful servant
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It's not what we all long for to please our master Look again at verse 13
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Second promise and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus Now this confidence it is it's not some kind of arrogance.
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In fact, it's far from it but it is a boldness of speech a deacon who serves well
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Has a boldness of speech why? Because he knows that what he believes is what he's living that isn't do it perfectly but by the grace of God He has a clear conscience.
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He keeps short accounts And therefore he's able to speak with great confidence in the faith
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He knows what he knows by the grace of God and he's not shy about talking about it when we consider all these things
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Who could possibly do them on their own strength and the answer is no one could this man's confidence is not in himself
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It's in the God who saved him In the God who's extended grace upon grace toward him that's why he has confidence
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The church cannot afford to have men who are not qualified in positions of importance just can't do it now why such an emphasis on an office that Even this morning
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We heard means a waiter at a table Because deacons serve a particular function to free up the elders to pray for the flock and to study the
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Word of God So that they might preach it and teach it to the people of God. Let's let's just turn for a moment to Acts chapter 6
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And there's some debate about this passage as to whether it applies directly to deacons or not
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And that's really not the issue When you look at this passage and you see what it says
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About the importance of preaching and teaching the Word of God praying and You realize you come to realize that the same function these men had whether they were deacons or not.
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They are prototypes for deacons Acts chapter 6 starting at verse 1 now in these days
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When the disciples were increasing in number a complaint by the Hellenists meaning the
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Greeks Rose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution
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They weren't being taken care of properly. They weren't their needs their physical needs were not being taken care of verse 2 and the 12
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Summoned the full number of the disciples and said it is not right that we should give up preaching the
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Word of God to serve Tables, there's that word Therefore brothers
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Pick out from among you seven men of good repute Full of the Spirit and of wisdom whom we will appoint to this duty but we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the
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Word and What they said pleased the whole gathering and they chose Stephen a man full of faith and of the
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Holy Spirit and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch these they set before the
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Apostles and they prayed and laid their hands on them and the Word of God continued to increase and the number of the disciples
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Multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith Now look again at verse 2 the
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Apostles say to these Assembled believers. It is not right that we should give up preaching the
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Word of God to serve tables in other words We need to find some other way to take care of these widows
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We need to find some other way to meet the physical needs of the church We don't want to ignore the physical needs of the church, but we can't do it
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We can't be distracted from what we are called to do and my question to you tonight
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How would you like to have these terms applied to you ask yourself? Is there anything inferior about these men that were chosen?
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Listen again to verse 3 pick out from among yourselves or from among you seven men of good repute good reputations
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Full of the Spirit and of wisdom. How would you like to be one of those seven men?
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I would I Take that and today the church still has need of men who have a good reputation are filled with the
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Holy Spirit mean they are controlled by him and Have a depth of biblical knowledge that they can apply to various situations in other words the church still needs table waiters deacons
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Still need servants May the Lord grant
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Bethlehem Bible Church more such men Let's pray our
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Father in heaven We're thankful that you have so clearly Laid out for us the spiritual qualifications not only of those who would lead your church
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But those who would serve your church that would serve the body of Christ Father we would pray and even plead with you to grant us more such men men who would willingly meet the needs of the church even as we talk about growth and other issues and the the weight of the ministry grows
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Father we need more men like this more men filled with the Spirit good reputations
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Who long for nothing more than to see your son glorified?
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by the work and the working together of his church
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Father would you bless each one here as we even consider our own lives, and we look to our failures and our weaknesses
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Lord would you grant us by your spirit the capacity to repent to change
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To think oh, I not I could never do that But as the
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Prophet said here am I send me Father give us many such men we pray in Christ's name