Every Christian is a Deacon

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:30.500 Now in Matthew Chapter Twenty, matthew twenty, verse seventeen. So I want 2 00:00:30.539 --> 00:00:36.130 to consider with you today. Are Calling each and every Christians calling to be 3 00:00:36.289 --> 00:00:40.289 a servant, even a Deacon, to the Lord, and will do so 4 00:00:40.450 --> 00:00:45.810 to to the Lord and for the Lord and in the Lord's name. Will 5 00:00:46.049 --> 00:00:51.200 consider that today from Matthew Twenty, beginning at verse seventeen, and I'll read 6 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:58.200 through the end of the chapter. And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, 7 00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:02.039 he took the twelve disciples aside and on the way he said to them, 8 00:01:02.679 --> 00:01:06.109 see, we are going up to Jerusalem and the son of Man will 9 00:01:06.109 --> 00:01:10.430 be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and they will condemn him 10 00:01:10.430 --> 00:01:14.950 to death and deliver him over to the gentiles to be mocked and flogged and 11 00:01:15.150 --> 00:01:19.459 crucified, and he will be raised on the third day. Then the mother 12 00:01:19.500 --> 00:01:23.780 of the sons of Zebede came up to him with her sons and kneeling before 13 00:01:23.819 --> 00:01:27.500 him. She asked him for something and he said to her, what do 14 00:01:27.540 --> 00:01:32.819 you want? She said to him, say that these two sons of mine 15 00:01:33.170 --> 00:01:36.810 are to sit one at your right hand and one at your left, and 16 00:01:36.930 --> 00:01:42.329 your kingdom Jesus answered, you do not know what you are asking. Are 17 00:01:42.409 --> 00:01:45.290 you able to drink the cup that I am able to do or that I 18 00:01:45.409 --> 00:01:49.799 am to drink? They said to him, we are able. He said 19 00:01:49.799 --> 00:01:53.159 to them, you will drink my cup, but to sit at my right 20 00:01:53.280 --> 00:01:57.239 hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for 21 00:01:57.400 --> 00:02:00.909 those whom it has been prepared for by my father. And when the ten 22 00:02:01.069 --> 00:02:05.950 heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. But Jesus called to 23 00:02:06.030 --> 00:02:09.469 them. Or but Jesus called them to him and said, you know that 24 00:02:09.590 --> 00:02:14.349 the rulers of the gentiles Lord it over them, and they're great ones. 25 00:02:14.389 --> 00:02:19.580 Exercise Authority over them. It shall not be so among you, but whoever 26 00:02:19.659 --> 00:02:23.939 would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first 27 00:02:23.979 --> 00:02:29.860 among you must be your slave. Even as the son of man came not 28 00:02:29.900 --> 00:02:34.969 to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for 29 00:02:35.090 --> 00:02:38.930 many. And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 00:02:38.969 --> 00:02:44.599 And behold there were two blind men sitting by this roadside, and when 31 00:02:44.680 --> 00:02:47.240 they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, Lord, have 32 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:52.560 mercy on a son of David. The crowd rebuked them, telling them to 33 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:55.159 be silent, but they cried out all the more. Lord have mercy on 34 00:02:55.240 --> 00:03:00.110 us, son of David, and stopping. Jesus called them and said what 35 00:03:00.270 --> 00:03:04.389 do you want me to do for you? They said to him, Lord, 36 00:03:04.430 --> 00:03:08.310 let us let our eyes be opened. and Jesus and pity touched their 37 00:03:08.389 --> 00:03:16.539 eyes and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him. May God bless his 38 00:03:17.379 --> 00:03:27.490 his word to us. So for the past two or three years here in 39 00:03:27.569 --> 00:03:32.370 our church we've been asking the Lord to raise up new deacons for US officers 40 00:03:32.530 --> 00:03:38.250 in the church, to serve us, and over that time I've also been 41 00:03:38.330 --> 00:03:43.400 discipling various men in our congregation to help them grow in their ability to serve 42 00:03:43.560 --> 00:03:47.879 and to lead as as deacons. And, if the Lord Wills, in 43 00:03:47.960 --> 00:03:53.000 a month or so, you will have the opportunity to vote on certain men 44 00:03:53.840 --> 00:03:57.229 in to become deacons in our church. And so, in order to help 45 00:03:57.270 --> 00:04:00.870 us to be ready for that, in order to prepare us, I want 46 00:04:00.909 --> 00:04:05.110 to spend a few weeks preaching on some key passages to help us understand what 47 00:04:05.189 --> 00:04:11.340 the Bible says about who deacons are, what they're called to do, what 48 00:04:11.580 --> 00:04:15.220 that ministry is and means in the life of our church, in life of 49 00:04:15.819 --> 00:04:21.699 God's church all over the world. But before we begin considering the calling and 50 00:04:21.860 --> 00:04:28.050 qualifications and job description, all of these things of deacons with a Capital D, 51 00:04:28.689 --> 00:04:31.889 I want to begin by thinking about are all of our work and calling 52 00:04:31.930 --> 00:04:39.279 as deacons with a lowercase D, in other words, each and every Christian, 53 00:04:40.199 --> 00:04:44.160 every brother, every sister, whether you are a little person or a 54 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:48.000 big person, all of us have been called into the Lord to serve, 55 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:55.269 to be servants, as he says here. The Word Deacon is used in 56 00:04:55.350 --> 00:05:00.389 this passage in Greek and and another similar passages. So I want to begin 57 00:05:00.470 --> 00:05:05.430 with that. Before we consider these special offices at the Special Office of Deacon, 58 00:05:05.910 --> 00:05:11.180 I want to begin by considering the General Office that we all share together 59 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:15.860 as deacons. And so that's why I titled Today's Sermon Every Christian is a 60 00:05:15.939 --> 00:05:19.699 deacon, just to make the point really clear. So let's begin by thinking 61 00:05:19.740 --> 00:05:27.050 about this distinction between the Office of Deacon and the General Call that we all 62 00:05:27.170 --> 00:05:30.490 have. We won't spend a lot of time here, but I do want 63 00:05:30.490 --> 00:05:35.399 to just make sure we're all on the same biblical page as we begin. 64 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:44.040 So first this distinction. There is a special office called Deacon, what I 65 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:47.399 might refer to, or have referred to as Capital D Deacon. If you 66 00:05:47.600 --> 00:05:54.389 turn with me to first Timothy Chapter Three, I'm you'll find one example of 67 00:05:54.509 --> 00:05:59.629 this, and this is a passage will consider several times over the next few 68 00:05:59.670 --> 00:06:08.699 weeks. First Timothy Chapter three, in verse eight through verse thirteen, we 69 00:06:08.819 --> 00:06:15.220 have a passage where the qualifications for deacons are listed. That's right over we 70 00:06:15.379 --> 00:06:18.529 have in that's right after, I should say, we have in chapter three 71 00:06:18.930 --> 00:06:24.730 the qualifications for the office of overseer, as it says in verse one of 72 00:06:24.769 --> 00:06:29.290 Chapter Three. So we begin with the Office of overseer and now we move 73 00:06:29.329 --> 00:06:34.240 to the Office of Deacon. Verse Eight. Deacons likewise must be dignified, 74 00:06:34.920 --> 00:06:41.079 not double tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 75 00:06:41.839 --> 00:06:45.240 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, and 76 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:49.149 let them also be tested first, then let them serve as deacons if they 77 00:06:49.230 --> 00:06:55.949 prove themselves blameless. Their wives, likewise, must be dignified, not slanderers, 78 00:06:56.029 --> 00:07:00.350 but sober minded, faithful in all things. Let Deacons each be the 79 00:07:00.389 --> 00:07:04.019 husband of one wife, managing their children in their households well, for those 80 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:09.980 who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence 81 00:07:10.459 --> 00:07:15.009 in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. So here we have. We 82 00:07:15.170 --> 00:07:19.730 see in several ways that there is a special office of a Deacon. One 83 00:07:19.769 --> 00:07:26.329 way we see that is that there are qualifications. Here we also see that 84 00:07:26.449 --> 00:07:31.639 some people are not to be deacons and some are, notice verse ten in 85 00:07:31.720 --> 00:07:36.240 particular. Let them be tested first, then let them serve right. So 86 00:07:36.360 --> 00:07:41.600 this doesn't say that this person is a deacon and is still a deacon, 87 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:45.110 but is not a deacon, and then we'll be a deacon, provided they 88 00:07:45.269 --> 00:07:49.470 passed that period of testing, provided they are qualified and ready to serve. 89 00:07:50.629 --> 00:07:55.430 So we see that some men in Christ church are called to be deacons and 90 00:07:56.069 --> 00:08:01.540 some are not. Some Christians are deacons, some are not. We also 91 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:05.819 see this the this office in acts, chapter six. So if you would 92 00:08:05.819 --> 00:08:13.250 turn with me, there a similar place where we see qualifications given and a 93 00:08:13.370 --> 00:08:20.649 particular distinction being made between some Christians and another in terms of job or a 94 00:08:20.769 --> 00:08:26.720 function. So this is another important passage when we consider the Office of the 95 00:08:26.839 --> 00:08:33.399 Deacon. It chapter six, verses one through seven. Now, in these 96 00:08:33.480 --> 00:08:37.879 days when the disciples were increasing in number. A complaint by the Hellenists rose 97 00:08:37.919 --> 00:08:45.070 against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And 98 00:08:45.230 --> 00:08:48.590 the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said it is not right 99 00:08:48.789 --> 00:08:52.669 that we should give up the preaching of the word of God to serve tables. 100 00:08:54.309 --> 00:08:58.340 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, 101 00:08:58.899 --> 00:09:01.740 full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this 102 00:09:01.860 --> 00:09:07.379 duty, but we will devote ourselves to prayer, into the Ministry of the 103 00:09:07.539 --> 00:09:11.330 word. And what they said please the whole gathering. And they chose Stephen, 104 00:09:11.730 --> 00:09:16.129 a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and 105 00:09:16.289 --> 00:09:22.370 prochorus and Nicko Nore and team on and Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselytype from 106 00:09:22.370 --> 00:09:26.919 aunt of Antioch. These were set before the apostles and they prayed and laid 107 00:09:26.960 --> 00:09:31.080 their hands on them and the word of God continued to increase in the number 108 00:09:31.080 --> 00:09:35.039 of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became 109 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:43.029 obedient to the faith, as is a a great story, right if if 110 00:09:43.110 --> 00:09:48.149 you're learning story structure right in Elementary School of beginning, a middle and an 111 00:09:48.149 --> 00:09:52.149 end, a conflict of resolution. It's all here very nice and and neat. 112 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:58.100 And then we have in this account a very serious problem, though. 113 00:09:58.980 --> 00:10:05.419 It is a problem between different kinds of people within the church, Greek people 114 00:10:05.659 --> 00:10:11.169 and Hebrew people, on both Christians, but a complaint rising up against one 115 00:10:11.330 --> 00:10:18.769 group against the other over widows being neglected. This is a serious problem. 116 00:10:18.529 --> 00:10:24.600 And the disciples called together the church. And then they make a distinction. 117 00:10:24.759 --> 00:10:28.159 They say we need to continue our work in preaching the word of God. 118 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:35.200 We cannot give this up. This is our particular calling, and so we 119 00:10:35.399 --> 00:10:37.990 need to have others who are dedicated to that. And then we have the 120 00:10:39.070 --> 00:10:41.990 list of those who were chosen. So these people that were chosen, it's 121 00:10:43.029 --> 00:10:45.990 not that they were not Christians, they were, they were among the full 122 00:10:46.029 --> 00:10:50.259 number of disciples, but they were chosen by the Church for this particular task 123 00:10:50.659 --> 00:10:56.299 and we have those qualifications. So, as I said, we have sought 124 00:10:56.419 --> 00:11:01.139 this office of Deacon, clearly described in Scriptures. All deacons must be Christians, 125 00:11:01.379 --> 00:11:07.570 but not all Christians must or even should hold the office of Deacon. 126 00:11:09.250 --> 00:11:13.490 But though there is a special office of Deacon, there is a general office 127 00:11:13.529 --> 00:11:18.600 as well, one that every Christian is called to. One of the ways 128 00:11:18.679 --> 00:11:24.320 we see we see that is through various uses of this word on Deacon or 129 00:11:24.200 --> 00:11:31.000 similar variance of that in the Bible as it refers to us in general. 130 00:11:31.039 --> 00:11:37.309 Sometimes the word Deacon is even used to refer to unbelievers or non Christians. 131 00:11:37.350 --> 00:11:45.830 Romans Thirteen for speaks, for example, of government rulers or magistrates in general, 132 00:11:45.870 --> 00:11:50.779 Christians or Non Christians, and says of of the of the rule or 133 00:11:50.860 --> 00:11:56.419 over over all people. He is God's Deacon for your good. This even 134 00:11:56.539 --> 00:12:01.809 refers to a man like Nero, someone who was evil in so many ways 135 00:12:01.889 --> 00:12:07.289 and persecuted Christians. This person could be considered a deacon, even God's Deacon 136 00:12:09.049 --> 00:12:13.809 for your good. How does the Roman Magistrate, how does Emperor Nero, 137 00:12:15.009 --> 00:12:18.399 serve as a Deacon of the Lord? Paul explains, if you do wrong, 138 00:12:18.600 --> 00:12:22.759 be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. He 139 00:12:22.960 --> 00:12:26.519 is the Servant of God and Avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrong 140 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:31.190 doer. Now, of course, some do this well and some do this 141 00:12:31.389 --> 00:12:35.669 poorly, but Paul's point here is that the state has the power of the 142 00:12:35.789 --> 00:12:41.269 sword and has it legitimately from God's own hand as God's own servant. Now, 143 00:12:41.669 --> 00:12:45.860 those servants don't always do well, just as we do not always do 144 00:12:45.980 --> 00:12:52.179 well in our role of servants, but servants they are nevertheless. The point 145 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:54.899 here is just to see you show you this use of the Word Deacon. 146 00:12:56.139 --> 00:12:58.570 Here's another interesting use of the word. And glaciers to hundred and seventeen. 147 00:13:00.090 --> 00:13:03.929 It says. Is Christ then a Deacon of Sin or a Servant of sin? 148 00:13:05.570 --> 00:13:09.610 And Paul Answers, certainly not right. He is not a Deacon of 149 00:13:09.730 --> 00:13:13.120 Sin, a servant of sin. What this frominds us is what a deacon 150 00:13:13.320 --> 00:13:18.000 is it. It is the servant of another. Christ is not the Servant 151 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.840 of Sin, He is the Servant of righteousness, he is the Servant of 152 00:13:22.960 --> 00:13:28.070 God. We see Christ being called a deacon of the Lord, a servant 153 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:33.230 of the Lord. and Romans fifteen eight, for I tell you that Christ 154 00:13:33.309 --> 00:13:39.909 came, became a Deacon, a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, 155 00:13:39.269 --> 00:13:45.940 in order to confirm the promises given to the Patriarchs. The apostles are 156 00:13:46.019 --> 00:13:50.820 called deacons, Paul says. And glaciers to ten. Only they asked us. 157 00:13:52.019 --> 00:13:54.769 That is the apostles asked us to remember the poor, the very thing 158 00:13:54.809 --> 00:13:58.769 I was eager to do. And as we have here in Matthew, Chapter 159 00:13:58.929 --> 00:14:03.490 Twenty that we read, Jesus says it shall not be so among you, 160 00:14:03.649 --> 00:14:09.970 but whoever would be great among you must be your servant, your Deacon, 161 00:14:11.240 --> 00:14:16.840 Ministers of the Gospel. That office are also called Deacons, Apollos, for 162 00:14:16.000 --> 00:14:20.320 example, in First Corinthians three five. What, then, is Paul? 163 00:14:20.519 --> 00:14:24.549 Is Apollo's? What is Paul? Deacons through whom you believed as the Lord, 164 00:14:24.669 --> 00:14:31.269 assigned to each. So the Ministry of the word and the Apostolic Ministry, 165 00:14:31.389 --> 00:14:37.549 These particular callings are seen as service callings, Deacon callings, and that's 166 00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:43.419 important for ministers to remember. But it's not just apostles, it's not just 167 00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:48.019 Jesus, it's not just ministers of the Gospel that are called deacons. But, 168 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:52.700 as I'm making the point, we are all called to be deacons, 169 00:14:52.779 --> 00:14:58.009 all called to serve John Twelve twenty six, Jesus. John Twelve twenty six, 170 00:14:58.129 --> 00:15:03.409 Jesus says, if anyone serves me or serves me and that we're deacon 171 00:15:03.529 --> 00:15:07.120 is there again. He must follow me, and where I am there my 172 00:15:07.360 --> 00:15:11.919 deacon be. Also, if anyone serves me, deacons me, the father 173 00:15:13.480 --> 00:15:18.559 will honor him. So we have a general calling to all Christians and to 174 00:15:18.840 --> 00:15:22.110 and a promise to the world that if you serve the Lord, if you 175 00:15:22.269 --> 00:15:28.070 follow the Lord and if you are a servant of the Lord, then God 176 00:15:28.149 --> 00:15:33.549 will honor you, God will be with you, God will be present with 177 00:15:33.750 --> 00:15:39.139 you. So this calling that we all have to follow the Lord, to 178 00:15:39.259 --> 00:15:41.500 serve the Lord, to be in service to the Lord, is a very, 179 00:15:41.580 --> 00:15:46.779 very important one and it's important that as we think about the office of 180 00:15:46.940 --> 00:15:52.570 Deacon, we begin with grounding that in the General Office of service that we 181 00:15:52.730 --> 00:15:56.730 all have. This helps us avoid all kinds of errors, that helps us 182 00:15:56.769 --> 00:16:02.850 avoid thinking things like, well, we don't have deacons, so we don't 183 00:16:02.850 --> 00:16:04.840 need to care for the poor among us. Right. That would be very 184 00:16:04.879 --> 00:16:07.519 bad, because we all are deacons, right, and we are all called 185 00:16:08.039 --> 00:16:12.840 to care for the poor. We ought not to say, well, once 186 00:16:12.960 --> 00:16:17.840 we have deacons, to say well, that's not my job, I don't 187 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:22.429 have any responsibilities anymore because now we have deacons, right, this would be 188 00:16:22.149 --> 00:16:29.269 improper. We also see that, to speak positively, that the deacons of 189 00:16:29.309 --> 00:16:33.659 the church are those who work alongside of other servants in the church. Together 190 00:16:33.940 --> 00:16:41.980 we fulfill this Ministry on. Together we take care of of those who are 191 00:16:41.139 --> 00:16:48.450 needy and show Christ's mercy to those who are in need. So, as 192 00:16:48.490 --> 00:16:52.730 we look and see these words and this word being used in various places in 193 00:16:52.809 --> 00:16:56.850 the scripture, I want to now consider with you something that is more fundamental 194 00:16:57.210 --> 00:17:04.359 than just word usage and particular instances, and that's the Gospel itself. When 195 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:10.759 we consider the work of deacons, whether that is capital D or lowercase D, 196 00:17:11.160 --> 00:17:15.789 official or unofficial, we have to begin with the work of Christ himself, 197 00:17:17.349 --> 00:17:22.710 because, apart from that, we're just busy buddies. Apart from that, 198 00:17:22.509 --> 00:17:26.589 we're ultimately not about serving other people or serving the Lord, because in 199 00:17:26.789 --> 00:17:32.779 our sinfulness, in the state of sin into which we are all born into, 200 00:17:33.380 --> 00:17:37.740 we're servants of only one thing ourselves, or perhaps we could say ourselves 201 00:17:38.140 --> 00:17:42.779 and our sin. Is Christ a Deacon of sin? Certainly not. But 202 00:17:42.900 --> 00:17:48.089 are those who are born under the wrath of God and born in a sinful 203 00:17:48.130 --> 00:17:55.130 state? Are they deacons of sin? Absolutely, before we were rescued by 204 00:17:55.170 --> 00:18:00.640 Christ, before he lift US up out of our invalidity, before he healed 205 00:18:00.680 --> 00:18:04.160 our eyes, like he does with these two men in this passage we were 206 00:18:04.359 --> 00:18:10.799 deacons of sin, servants of Sin, servant to the evil one, servants 207 00:18:11.319 --> 00:18:17.549 of our own pleasures, our own lusts, our own desires. There's a 208 00:18:17.589 --> 00:18:22.029 sad instance, a story in the gospels, of a man coming to Jesus 209 00:18:22.109 --> 00:18:26.630 and he says, what must I do to be saved? Man Say, 210 00:18:26.789 --> 00:18:30.460 and Jesus says to this man, a rich young man, he says give 211 00:18:30.500 --> 00:18:34.700 away what you have to the poor, and the man turns away in sorrow. 212 00:18:37.220 --> 00:18:41.099 He didn't want to love, he didn't want to serve, he didn't 213 00:18:41.140 --> 00:18:45.329 want to follow Christ and the service that Christ gives. He wanted to keep 214 00:18:45.410 --> 00:18:49.329 his things, he wanted to keep them for himself, he wanted to keep 215 00:18:49.809 --> 00:18:56.039 his own life. He was a servant of himself. And that's who we 216 00:18:56.119 --> 00:19:02.559 all are. And so the call to serve Christ is not just a job 217 00:19:02.759 --> 00:19:07.720 description, another job you might take on. The call to serve Christ is 218 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:15.069 in a way salvation itself. The call to serve Christ is in a way 219 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:22.150 salvation itself, because apart from that salvation there is no call to serve, 220 00:19:22.309 --> 00:19:29.900 there's no desire to serve, there's no heart to serve. But because of 221 00:19:29.980 --> 00:19:34.980 who we are in Christ because of what Jesus first did for us, we 222 00:19:36.220 --> 00:19:41.170 enter into a very wonderful thing, a service to the Lord, no longer 223 00:19:41.250 --> 00:19:48.970 slaves to sin, but slaves and servants and deacons of Love, of righteousness, 224 00:19:49.049 --> 00:19:55.920 of healing, of restoration. Here God's word in Hebrews three one. 225 00:19:56.119 --> 00:20:03.000 Therefore, holy brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus 226 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:08.309 the Apostle and high priest of our confession. So this is where we begin 227 00:20:10.390 --> 00:20:15.269 when we consider our calling as deacons in Christ's church. We consider and we 228 00:20:15.470 --> 00:20:22.019 begin with Jesus, the Chief Deacon, the chief servant, the one who 229 00:20:22.059 --> 00:20:27.819 has given us a share in his heavenly calling. In other words, it's 230 00:20:27.819 --> 00:20:33.019 important that is we begin to think about our service to others, in our 231 00:20:33.099 --> 00:20:37.250 service to God in Christ. We don't think about ourselves often over somewhere doing 232 00:20:37.730 --> 00:20:42.130 something on our own, but we think about ourselves as those who share in 233 00:20:42.170 --> 00:20:49.680 the very calling that Jesus himself has been called to, that calling that he 234 00:20:51.000 --> 00:20:57.000 describes in Matthew Chapter Twenty. And so let's turn our attention back there and 235 00:20:57.119 --> 00:21:03.559 remember the word that was for set before us. If to these two parallel 236 00:21:03.599 --> 00:21:07.789 stories right, we have two groups of people coming to Jesus and saying, 237 00:21:07.829 --> 00:21:11.630 I want you to do something for me, and Jesus saying what do you 238 00:21:11.710 --> 00:21:17.789 want me to do? In the last instance, we have these blind men 239 00:21:17.910 --> 00:21:23.539 by the side of the road begging Jesus, feeling they're inadequacy, feeling their 240 00:21:23.740 --> 00:21:30.220 need, feeling their lack. They cannot see, like this poor man who 241 00:21:30.339 --> 00:21:33.769 was unable to be healed that we read about and John Chapter Five. I 242 00:21:36.009 --> 00:21:38.809 Have I've been a been valid, he says, for thirty eight years, 243 00:21:40.009 --> 00:21:45.730 because there is no one to help me. What do you want me to 244 00:21:45.849 --> 00:21:51.200 do for you? Help me, all right. This is not the position 245 00:21:51.319 --> 00:21:55.519 of someone who is glorious and confident and has it all together and, out 246 00:21:55.519 --> 00:22:00.119 of their own power and resources, are now going to be able to make 247 00:22:00.279 --> 00:22:04.470 their mark on the world. These people that Jesus is helping, our people 248 00:22:04.589 --> 00:22:11.430 that say help me, I need help. If we think about our role 249 00:22:11.670 --> 00:22:17.259 as deacons in Christ church and we think about ourselves as fancy, great, 250 00:22:17.299 --> 00:22:21.980 glorious people who are capable of saving others, we've got it all wrong. 251 00:22:22.059 --> 00:22:27.980 From the very beginning, deacons in Christ church are first and foremost people who 252 00:22:27.980 --> 00:22:33.450 have been helped by him. Blind people by the side of the road, 253 00:22:33.450 --> 00:22:37.049 who were given their sight invalids, who are uncapable, are incapable, of 254 00:22:38.369 --> 00:22:44.009 bringing healing into their lives, of doing anything that would move them toward that 255 00:22:44.210 --> 00:22:49.440 goal, but who were told by Christ, get up, take up your 256 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:52.920 bed, walk, follow me, serve me, and they go forth. 257 00:22:56.200 --> 00:23:00.509 We begin our calling as servants, as those who have first been served. 258 00:23:02.950 --> 00:23:07.309 And that's what Jesus says, and he corrects James and John and their mother, 259 00:23:07.430 --> 00:23:11.109 when she comes to them and they come to or when she comes to 260 00:23:11.190 --> 00:23:15.059 Jesus and they come to Jesus. They come to Jesus as a group. 261 00:23:15.940 --> 00:23:19.579 So how takes Jesus aside, you know, away from the others, so 262 00:23:19.660 --> 00:23:25.819 they don't hear. Says we want you to do something, we want you 263 00:23:25.859 --> 00:23:30.650 to I want you to do something for my son's what do you want when 264 00:23:30.690 --> 00:23:33.529 you come into your kingdom? I want you to put one on your right 265 00:23:33.650 --> 00:23:37.369 and one on your left and then the three of you will go gloriously right 266 00:23:37.450 --> 00:23:41.210 into the world. Or whatever she had in mind, whatever they had in 267 00:23:41.289 --> 00:23:51.480 mind. Jesus, I love this passage. Jesus says you do not know 268 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:56.509 what you're asking. Then he asked this question. He says, are you 269 00:23:56.710 --> 00:24:02.549 able to drink the cup that I am able to drink. And they said 270 00:24:02.589 --> 00:24:04.349 to him. So this is why I'm saying it's not just mom, but 271 00:24:04.670 --> 00:24:08.349 mom and boys, that all three. They say to him, we are 272 00:24:08.390 --> 00:24:12.619 able, right, are you? And when he says drink the cup, 273 00:24:12.700 --> 00:24:19.660 right, drink. Will you drink the cup that I am to drink? 274 00:24:21.059 --> 00:24:26.130 What is he talking about? He's talking about the cup of Wrath that he's 275 00:24:26.329 --> 00:24:30.650 just described in the verses. Right before this, right as he was going 276 00:24:30.690 --> 00:24:34.490 into Jerusalem, he takes the twelve disciples and says the son of Man will 277 00:24:34.490 --> 00:24:38.400 be delivered over to the chief priests, inscribes they will condemn him to death, 278 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:42.799 deliver him over to the gentiles to be mocked, flogged and crucified, 279 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:53.109 and then he will be raised on the third day. They come to Jesus, 280 00:24:53.589 --> 00:25:00.829 having totally forgotten every thing that he is just said, are you able 281 00:25:00.869 --> 00:25:03.829 to drink the cup? We're able, we're ready. Right. It's very 282 00:25:03.869 --> 00:25:08.339 much like Peter Right when when he says I will never deny you, Lord, 283 00:25:08.380 --> 00:25:14.019 I will go to the death for you Lord. Well, fascinatingly, 284 00:25:14.140 --> 00:25:19.779 Jesus says to them, you will drink the cup, right, they say, 285 00:25:19.940 --> 00:25:26.170 we are able. And he says, well, you will. But 286 00:25:26.289 --> 00:25:30.529 in a way they don't understand, as he says, what they're asking for. 287 00:25:30.609 --> 00:25:34.130 They are going to suffer, they are going to die. They're not 288 00:25:34.329 --> 00:25:37.400 thinking about that. They don't want that. They just want to enter into 289 00:25:37.400 --> 00:25:40.640 glory. They want to be at the right and the left. They want 290 00:25:40.680 --> 00:25:45.279 to be the great and mighty people of God in this kingdom. But how 291 00:25:45.400 --> 00:25:52.349 does the kingdom come? How will God's will be done on earth as it 292 00:25:52.470 --> 00:25:59.069 is in heaven? It will be done through suffering, through service, through 293 00:25:59.589 --> 00:26:10.339 self sacrifice in the name of the Lord. When the ten hear of this, 294 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:15.940 they're not happy. Right, kids, have you ever maybe taken your 295 00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:21.250 mom and dat aside and said Hey, can I have one of the cookies 296 00:26:21.289 --> 00:26:25.809 before anyone else? How do your brothers and sisters to to feel about that? 297 00:26:25.970 --> 00:26:30.890 When not happy? Right, maybe a little bit upset. That's exactly 298 00:26:30.970 --> 00:26:33.799 what happens here. These two brothers take the master aside and they say we 299 00:26:34.000 --> 00:26:38.400 want this special privilege, and the other ten, when they find out about 300 00:26:38.400 --> 00:26:45.039 it, say hey, they're indignant, they're they're angry. They say essentially 301 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:48.710 what's in their minds as we want that too. We also want to be 302 00:26:48.869 --> 00:26:52.990 in this glorious position. And so now that what is happening is they're committing 303 00:26:53.029 --> 00:26:57.950 the same problem that James and John just did. And so Jesus again takes 304 00:26:59.029 --> 00:27:04.819 them and says, no, boys, let's let's talk. It's time to 305 00:27:04.859 --> 00:27:08.460 learn. And he says then he calls them to him. He says, 306 00:27:08.500 --> 00:27:15.730 you know that the rulers of the gentile lorded over them. They're great ones, 307 00:27:15.970 --> 00:27:23.529 exercise authority over them. Power and glory and strength comes from power and 308 00:27:23.730 --> 00:27:27.009 glory and strength. That's how it works in the kingdoms of this world. 309 00:27:27.210 --> 00:27:33.039 That's how it works among the gentiles. Not so in my kingdom. You 310 00:27:33.440 --> 00:27:40.920 must understand, it shall not be so among you. Different order, different 311 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:48.630 kingdom, different way. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 312 00:27:48.829 --> 00:27:53.549 your Deacon, and whoever must be first among you must be your slave. 313 00:27:56.150 --> 00:28:00.900 Even as the son of man came not to be served, but to 314 00:28:00.099 --> 00:28:10.420 serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. So this is 315 00:28:10.500 --> 00:28:15.730 the heavenly calling that we share in right Hebrews three one. Therefore, holy 316 00:28:15.849 --> 00:28:19.769 brothers, you who share in a heavenly calling, consider Jesus the Apostle and 317 00:28:19.809 --> 00:28:26.329 high priest of our confession. The calling that we share in is the giving 318 00:28:26.529 --> 00:28:30.720 of ourselves to others in the name and in the love and in the grace 319 00:28:30.759 --> 00:28:41.589 of Jesus. Our work begins with his work. First to US consider these 320 00:28:41.630 --> 00:28:47.509 verses, Second Corinthians eight nine. We consider the service of Christ. Second 321 00:28:47.549 --> 00:28:52.670 Corinthians eight nine, for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that 322 00:28:52.869 --> 00:28:59.140 though he was rich, yet for your sake, for your sake, he 323 00:28:59.380 --> 00:29:08.660 became poor so that you, by his poverty, might become rich. Now, 324 00:29:08.740 --> 00:29:14.289 if you're thinking, well, I'm not poor, I don't need anything, 325 00:29:14.970 --> 00:29:21.049 I'm basically got it together, he might not be a Christian, because 326 00:29:21.170 --> 00:29:26.319 Jesus didn't come to save selfsufficient people. It says right here he came he 327 00:29:26.559 --> 00:29:33.920 be he who was rich, became poor so that we might become rich through 328 00:29:33.119 --> 00:29:38.150 his poverty. And when we consider the richness that he gives to us, 329 00:29:38.349 --> 00:29:47.309 what does Jesus have in mind? Everything, Body and soul, and that's 330 00:29:47.390 --> 00:29:52.140 expressed in some of these things that we've read today. That sin might no 331 00:29:52.380 --> 00:29:59.460 longer have its hold on us, that blindness, disease, invalidity might no 332 00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:06.380 longer have its hold on us. Richness and wealth and abundance in every way, 333 00:30:06.660 --> 00:30:11.289 remember the passage we read from Isaiah and thinking about on this great salvation 334 00:30:11.529 --> 00:30:15.809 that is to come, feasts of great food and well aged wine and abundance 335 00:30:15.930 --> 00:30:23.640 and celebration, not in any kind of sinful way, but simply enjoying the 336 00:30:25.039 --> 00:30:32.000 goodness of the Lord without lack. This is what Jesus gives to us through 337 00:30:32.079 --> 00:30:36.789 his service to us, or Romans, fifteen eight, consider the work of 338 00:30:36.829 --> 00:30:40.309 the Lord for you, when God says, for I tell you that Christ 339 00:30:40.470 --> 00:30:45.589 became a servant to the circumcised to show God's truthfulness, in order to confirm 340 00:30:45.630 --> 00:30:53.940 the promises that he gave to the Patriarchs. And so when we think about 341 00:30:53.940 --> 00:30:57.180 our calling, as I say, it's not like we're just getting a job. 342 00:30:57.420 --> 00:31:00.980 It's it's more than that. It's not just a list of things that 343 00:31:02.099 --> 00:31:07.049 we do. We do do things, but it's much more than that. 344 00:31:07.529 --> 00:31:12.009 Our Service are following Christ is being called to live in a certain way, 345 00:31:12.490 --> 00:31:18.759 and that certain way is a sharing in Christ. And so we have passages 346 00:31:18.880 --> 00:31:23.519 like Ephesians five, one and two. Therefore, be imitators of God as 347 00:31:23.559 --> 00:31:30.400 beloved children and Walk in Love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up 348 00:31:30.480 --> 00:31:36.549 for us. A fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God. So is it 349 00:31:36.630 --> 00:31:41.630 any wonder, then, that those who are part of the body of Christ, 350 00:31:44.069 --> 00:31:51.099 who share in his heavenly calling, are then called to be merciful, 351 00:31:52.019 --> 00:31:56.940 even as Your Father is merciful, Luke Thirty six or Galatians ten? So, 352 00:31:57.180 --> 00:32:00.609 then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, 353 00:32:00.970 --> 00:32:06.890 and especially to those who are the household of faith, or Hebrews thirteen ten, 354 00:32:07.250 --> 00:32:13.970 do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, or first John Seventeen. 355 00:32:15.039 --> 00:32:22.839 For anyone who has the world's goods and sees his brother in need yet closes 356 00:32:22.880 --> 00:32:28.880 his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Just doesn't 357 00:32:28.880 --> 00:32:31.430 make sense. Right if we are part of the body of Christ, of 358 00:32:31.509 --> 00:32:36.549 which he is the head of way, of whom we are united to, 359 00:32:36.950 --> 00:32:40.950 and his calling is to give his life in mercy for sinners like us, 360 00:32:43.670 --> 00:32:46.380 and we don't see ourselves as sinners and we don't see ourselves as connected to 361 00:32:46.460 --> 00:32:51.420 him, and we don't see ourselves either needing mercy or needing to give mercy. 362 00:32:52.180 --> 00:32:57.660 We don't abide in God. But if we abide in him, if 363 00:32:57.779 --> 00:33:00.849 we have been loved by him, then this kind of overflow of life that 364 00:33:01.009 --> 00:33:07.049 is give, been given to us, will then overflow to others. First 365 00:33:07.049 --> 00:33:09.849 John, eighteen little children. Let us not love in word or talk, 366 00:33:10.849 --> 00:33:17.759 but indeed and in truth. James says something similar. He says, what 367 00:33:19.000 --> 00:33:22.039 good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does 368 00:33:22.119 --> 00:33:28.029 not have works, can that faith save him? The answers no. It's 369 00:33:28.069 --> 00:33:31.630 not real faith, not faith in the Lord Christ. It's faith in himself, 370 00:33:32.509 --> 00:33:37.269 faith in his sufficiency, faith in his the walls that he's put up 371 00:33:37.269 --> 00:33:43.059 against others. James continues. If a brother or a sister's poorly clothed or 372 00:33:43.099 --> 00:33:45.259 lacking in daily food and one of you says them go in peace, be 373 00:33:45.460 --> 00:33:50.740 warm and filled, without giving them the things needed for the body, what 374 00:33:50.859 --> 00:33:55.769 good is that? It's no good, it's worthless. And so James Concludes. 375 00:33:55.890 --> 00:34:00.329 So also, faith by itself, if it does not have works, 376 00:34:01.089 --> 00:34:09.880 is dead. If this fake faith, if this faith that stands alone, 377 00:34:10.840 --> 00:34:16.880 not alone in Christ, but alone by itself, alone, apart from the 378 00:34:17.039 --> 00:34:22.760 love alone, apart from mercy, that kind of faith is a dead faith, 379 00:34:22.800 --> 00:34:29.710 James as so, in conclusion, when we think about our calling is 380 00:34:29.789 --> 00:34:32.190 deacons, how ought we to think about it. Of course we think about 381 00:34:32.190 --> 00:34:37.869 it in terms of these commands to love our brothers and sisters, to provide 382 00:34:37.949 --> 00:34:40.900 for those who are in need, to exercise love and calling as we have 383 00:34:42.019 --> 00:34:46.260 opportunity and as God has given us various gifts and and circumstances to do that. 384 00:34:47.860 --> 00:34:52.820 We can't merely think about it in that way, because if we just 385 00:34:52.010 --> 00:34:58.570 think about it in that way, we begin to think of our ourselves as 386 00:34:58.610 --> 00:35:02.969 saviors of other people, not as those who serve in the name of Christ, 387 00:35:04.050 --> 00:35:07.920 but those who serve instead of Christ. Instead of pointing to Jesus and 388 00:35:08.039 --> 00:35:13.440 saying look to him, find his resources and wealth in him. He is, 389 00:35:13.639 --> 00:35:15.840 even as he has given them to me, will we end up doing 390 00:35:15.920 --> 00:35:20.639 is pointing people to ourselves and saying, look at me, all take care 391 00:35:20.719 --> 00:35:24.349 of you, all provide for you, all be the one that you need. 392 00:35:27.710 --> 00:35:30.829 Instead, though, when we see our calling in Christ in this way, 393 00:35:30.829 --> 00:35:34.909 we see not only the thing that he is commanding us to do, 394 00:35:35.820 --> 00:35:39.019 but also the salvation that he has brought us into, the kind of love 395 00:35:39.260 --> 00:35:44.659 and life and joy that is his up to those who are in need. 396 00:35:45.699 --> 00:35:51.809 So every Christian is a deacon, because Christ was a deacon and he calls 397 00:35:51.849 --> 00:35:57.289 us into that life of service in his name. Let's pray and ask the 398 00:35:57.369 --> 00:36:06.760 Lord's blessing on these things and for faith in that good news. Our heavenly 399 00:36:06.800 --> 00:36:13.920 father, no one has served as much or to the degree that Christ has 400 00:36:14.159 --> 00:36:17.630 served us. There is no one that we can look to and we can 401 00:36:17.750 --> 00:36:22.750 say there is someone who has been more generous. Indeed, his generosity, 402 00:36:22.949 --> 00:36:30.110 indeed the abundance that he provides to us, is without measure. The way 403 00:36:30.230 --> 00:36:36.579 that you save us, through the work on the cross that brings life to 404 00:36:36.699 --> 00:36:45.340 our bodies, that brings healing to our souls, is beyond all praising and 405 00:36:45.619 --> 00:36:53.690 worthy of all praising, Lord, as we consider the the depths that you 406 00:36:53.849 --> 00:36:59.969 went, the ways in which you humbled yourself, the things that you gave 407 00:37:00.969 --> 00:37:07.239 in order to save weak people, people that were cursed for our own sins, 408 00:37:08.360 --> 00:37:16.070 people that were rightfully under your your wrath. You loved us while we 409 00:37:16.150 --> 00:37:22.949 were still unlovely. You served us when we were not able to give anything 410 00:37:22.110 --> 00:37:30.139 to you in return. You made US glorious in Christ Jesus, our Savior, 411 00:37:32.219 --> 00:37:35.900 and in this Lord, you have brought us into a new life, 412 00:37:37.019 --> 00:37:42.420 a life that is full of abundance and riches a life that is full of 413 00:37:42.739 --> 00:37:51.130 both material and spiritual wealth. We don't and we won't always experience this in 414 00:37:51.610 --> 00:37:55.929 completeness in this life. We wait for the age to come, but even 415 00:37:57.010 --> 00:38:00.760 now, how quick you are to take care of our needs in a plot 416 00:38:00.880 --> 00:38:06.599 and and provide for us way beyond what we asked for. In your tender 417 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:12.519 mercy, you give and you give and you give, and we thank you 418 00:38:12.639 --> 00:38:15.829 for it. We're thankful that, as we receive our daily bread, and 419 00:38:16.070 --> 00:38:21.550 even beyond that from you, it's not merely the bread that we eat, 420 00:38:22.030 --> 00:38:28.579 but we eat your blessing, we eat your provision, your care, your 421 00:38:28.739 --> 00:38:34.300 closeness with us. We ask, Lord, that as we experience these things, 422 00:38:35.179 --> 00:38:38.940 that that love and service that you have given to us would overflow to 423 00:38:39.099 --> 00:38:44.570 others, that we would be those who give of ourselves and our resources, 424 00:38:45.170 --> 00:38:49.929 as those who are not afraid, those who are not afraid of of losing 425 00:38:50.090 --> 00:38:54.920 things, those who are not afraid of not being glorious of those who are 426 00:38:54.960 --> 00:39:01.000 not afraid of taking care of others, knowing that you perfectly take care of 427 00:39:01.119 --> 00:39:06.400 us. And, Lord, as we give this love to others and as 428 00:39:06.480 --> 00:39:09.789 we give it in your name, we ask that you would be glorified, 429 00:39:10.909 --> 00:39:15.989 that the name of Christ would be magnified and that people would see that love 430 00:39:15.070 --> 00:39:22.110 in your church and would know from where it comes from whom it comes, 431 00:39:22.710 --> 00:39:28.340 that they might come to abide in you as well. We ask for your 432 00:39:28.380 --> 00:39:30.420 blessing and all these things, knowing that you give it to those who ask 433 00:39:30.539 --> 00:39:35.460 for it, and we pray this in Jesus name, our perfect savior, 434 00:39:36.099 --> 00:39:36.500 on men