Who Can be a Deacon

WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.399 --> 00:00:08.470 Our Lord and King, we know that this world is fading away, we 2 00:00:08.630 --> 00:00:14.470 know that this age, in this life will not last. Indeed, some 3 00:00:14.669 --> 00:00:22.460 of US may die before you return again. But we know, Lord, 4 00:00:22.620 --> 00:00:29.739 that you have begun to put into the or that you have entered into this 5 00:00:29.980 --> 00:00:42.090 world, into this age eternal things. Thou the end of death itself, 6 00:00:43.289 --> 00:00:51.280 of sin. You have put the devil and his evil to open shame through 7 00:00:51.320 --> 00:00:56.799 your victory on the Cross. Deed, we have already begun to live. 8 00:01:00.119 --> 00:01:03.040 Tell us that we are seated in the heavenly places, that your spirit, 9 00:01:03.200 --> 00:01:07.430 of his work, is at work in us, that we are a new 10 00:01:07.629 --> 00:01:14.030 creation, a part of that new heavens and the new earth that is to 11 00:01:14.189 --> 00:01:19.379 be revealed. And in all of this work we that you have done and 12 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:26.420 you are now doing. We rejoice. To be able to glorify and enjoy 13 00:01:26.620 --> 00:01:34.129 you now and forever. Is a delight, it is our pleasure, it 14 00:01:34.370 --> 00:01:42.209 is our very life, and so we asked that the eternal word would now 15 00:01:42.569 --> 00:01:48.359 be at work among us and that we would hear it with ears to hear. 16 00:01:49.439 --> 00:01:57.200 We pray this in Jesus name. On men, let's turn our attention 17 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:04.829 to God's word in First Timothy, Chapter Three, first Timothy Chapter Three. 18 00:02:27.699 --> 00:02:34.409 On this morning we are going to be focusing on the occasions for the Office 19 00:02:34.530 --> 00:02:40.370 of Deacon, which we find in verses eighteen through thirteen, but I'm going 20 00:02:40.490 --> 00:02:45.719 to read from the beginning of chapter three through the end of chapter three, 21 00:02:46.120 --> 00:02:52.719 and as I do so, I want you to remember a little bit of 22 00:02:52.759 --> 00:02:57.400 the context. Here. The Apostle Paul has asked his cold laborer Timothy, 23 00:02:58.240 --> 00:03:02.110 a minister of Christ on, to help plant these churches, to set things 24 00:03:02.189 --> 00:03:06.909 in order, and he gives him instructions on how to do that, as 25 00:03:06.909 --> 00:03:10.110 as he says in Verse Sixteen. If I delay, I want you to 26 00:03:10.270 --> 00:03:15.500 know how one ought to behave in the household of God. He gives us 27 00:03:15.060 --> 00:03:21.219 instructions for the church then and the church now. So let's give our attention 28 00:03:21.300 --> 00:03:29.009 to God's word. In First Timothy Chapter Three, the saying is trustworthy. 29 00:03:30.169 --> 00:03:34.610 If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 30 00:03:35.650 --> 00:03:39.169 Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, 31 00:03:39.530 --> 00:03:46.599 sober minded, self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not 32 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.319 a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover 33 00:03:51.400 --> 00:03:54.870 of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity, 34 00:03:54.949 --> 00:04:00.270 keeping his children submissive. For someone does not know how to manage his own 35 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:03.990 household, how will he care for the for God's church? He must not 36 00:04:04.189 --> 00:04:10.180 be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall 37 00:04:10.259 --> 00:04:14.659 into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of 38 00:04:14.819 --> 00:04:18.379 by outsiders so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of 39 00:04:18.420 --> 00:04:25.250 the devil. Deacons, likewise, must be dignified, not double tongued, 40 00:04:25.689 --> 00:04:30.490 not addicted too much wine, not greedy for dishonest aim they must hold the 41 00:04:30.569 --> 00:04:35.050 mystery of the faith with a clear conscience, and let them also be tested 42 00:04:35.209 --> 00:04:41.920 first. Let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives, 43 00:04:42.040 --> 00:04:46.160 likewise, must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober minded, faithful 44 00:04:46.279 --> 00:04:50.079 in all things. Let Deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing 45 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:56.110 their children and their own households well, for those who serve well as deacons 46 00:04:56.550 --> 00:05:00.790 gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is 47 00:05:00.910 --> 00:05:06.339 in Christ Jesus. I hope to come to you soon, but am writing 48 00:05:06.379 --> 00:05:11.699 these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how 49 00:05:11.860 --> 00:05:15.500 one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of 50 00:05:15.620 --> 00:05:20.019 the Living God. The pillar, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 51 00:05:20.970 --> 00:05:28.170 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of Godliness. He was manifested 52 00:05:28.370 --> 00:05:33.370 in the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among 53 00:05:33.370 --> 00:05:40.639 the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. Men, 54 00:05:46.720 --> 00:05:54.829 when doing this little series on Christ's Minister of mercy in the Church, 55 00:05:55.910 --> 00:06:02.790 we have instructions here to the what the qualifications are for elders, for overseers 56 00:06:03.300 --> 00:06:08.819 and for deacons, and we see that these are based on Christ's own work, 57 00:06:08.939 --> 00:06:14.180 the things that he has done. And just to overview, I remind 58 00:06:14.300 --> 00:06:16.860 you of what we've covered so far. I'm in the first sermon. We 59 00:06:17.019 --> 00:06:24.610 considered that part of Christ's mercy of mistry to us is his calling and equipping 60 00:06:24.649 --> 00:06:30.290 every member of body to care and serve for the other members of the body. 61 00:06:30.370 --> 00:06:34.399 We are all deacons in a sense. I'm not ordained official officers of 62 00:06:34.480 --> 00:06:40.959 the church, but service of the Lord and to one another. And the 63 00:06:41.040 --> 00:06:46.399 second sermon I considered with you how God, out of the abundance of grace 64 00:06:46.600 --> 00:06:50.990 that he gives to us. In Christ uses the giving and receiving of material 65 00:06:51.230 --> 00:06:59.389 gifts between each other to bring forth a harvest of praise and Thanksgiving that God 66 00:06:59.550 --> 00:07:03.540 does this work within his body so that he might be glorified and we might 67 00:07:04.540 --> 00:07:11.139 reap the benefit and and even be the the harvest itself, in a way, 68 00:07:11.860 --> 00:07:15.930 to God's glory, this harvest of praise and Thanksgiving. And then last 69 00:07:15.930 --> 00:07:20.610 week we saw how Christ, as the King of the church, exercises his 70 00:07:20.810 --> 00:07:27.769 government over us, in part through the ordination of particular men to the Office 71 00:07:27.810 --> 00:07:32.439 of Deacon, that these deacons are ordained by Christ to attend to and to 72 00:07:32.600 --> 00:07:40.959 oversee this Ministry of mercy, on this ministry and Stewardship of tangible and material 73 00:07:41.160 --> 00:07:46.470 things within the church. And now today we see who, according to the 74 00:07:46.589 --> 00:07:53.269 will of God, qualifies to serve in that office. Will consider why those 75 00:07:53.310 --> 00:07:59.420 qualifications are necessary and how our knowledge of them not only helps us to avoid 76 00:07:59.459 --> 00:08:05.500 ordaining the wrong men and make sure we ordained the right men, but also 77 00:08:05.620 --> 00:08:09.980 our knowledge of these qualifications, I believe, draws us into a deeper relationship 78 00:08:11.019 --> 00:08:15.649 with God through Christ, our Savior, as we reflect on his work and 79 00:08:15.769 --> 00:08:20.009 his commands to us, and so what I want to do today, then, 80 00:08:20.170 --> 00:08:31.360 is go through these qualifications one by one, briefly on each the first 81 00:08:31.360 --> 00:08:39.639 thing we note is the the word likewise in verse eight. Deacons likewise must 82 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:45.190 be dignified. This word likewise reminds us that deacons, like the overseers that 83 00:08:45.230 --> 00:08:50.909 are mentioned before, they desire, desire a noble task, something that Bible 84 00:08:52.110 --> 00:08:56.860 is, something that is high and something that is good, a high plus 85 00:08:58.019 --> 00:09:01.139 good. And this makes sense. Sense of these offices, the Office of 86 00:09:01.220 --> 00:09:05.100 Deacon, the Office of overseer, they are good and that they are Christ's 87 00:09:05.179 --> 00:09:11.289 gift to us. He uses them for our blessings. Deacons serve US on. 88 00:09:11.529 --> 00:09:16.009 The benefits are described here at the end of the passage when he says 89 00:09:16.330 --> 00:09:22.690 for those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves. That's 90 00:09:22.690 --> 00:09:26.960 a way of talking about nobility and also, he says, great confidence in 91 00:09:28.039 --> 00:09:31.559 the faith that is a Christ Jesus on. The Office of Deacon is high 92 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:39.110 in that the man has authority, he oversees, he exercises authority, he 93 00:09:39.470 --> 00:09:46.070 manages the household of God, and that makes him noble in a way. 94 00:09:46.710 --> 00:09:52.149 He seeks a noble calling anyway and that is then to be coupled with a 95 00:09:52.269 --> 00:09:56.500 kind of nobility or, as he puts it, a dignity, which will 96 00:09:56.539 --> 00:10:00.220 get to in just a moment. But before we talk about dignity, I 97 00:10:00.899 --> 00:10:05.659 just want you to note the words must be. Deacons likewise, must be. 98 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:11.169 These are not optional for us. They are not optional for our deacons. 99 00:10:11.850 --> 00:10:13.809 You don't get to do you know, three out of five, or 100 00:10:15.250 --> 00:10:18.529 whatever the number is. I count. They need to all be there. 101 00:10:18.690 --> 00:10:22.480 This is a requirement from the Lord. It's not a suggestion, it's not 102 00:10:22.799 --> 00:10:28.759 optional. It's important, and one of the reasons it's important is that becomes 103 00:10:28.879 --> 00:10:35.470 this is a hot office and a good office. It requires a man who 104 00:10:35.549 --> 00:10:41.230 matches the office. It is a noble office, it is an office with 105 00:10:41.549 --> 00:10:46.830 good standing and dignity, and therefore the man must be dignified. The person 106 00:10:48.470 --> 00:10:52.500 needs to match the office to which he is called, and so he is 107 00:10:52.580 --> 00:10:58.340 called to be dignified. Dignity or dignified means worthy of respect, has the 108 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:05.250 Ideala of seriousness to it, of waitiness. A man who has dignified understands 109 00:11:05.330 --> 00:11:09.409 the waitinginess of his task. He may still be a playful man, he's 110 00:11:09.610 --> 00:11:15.649 he's still allowed to make jokes and and have fun, but it means that 111 00:11:15.769 --> 00:11:20.200 he doesn't treat his office as a toy, and he also doesn't treat his 112 00:11:20.360 --> 00:11:26.960 integrity as a toy, something to be set up and put to be taken 113 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:31.559 up and set aside easily. He lives a life of integrity that matches the 114 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:37.669 dignity of the office. When a groom could couse to get married, what 115 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:43.029 does he do with his clothes? He wears clothes that match the thing that 116 00:11:43.149 --> 00:11:48.500 he is about to enter into. He he clothes himself in a dignified way 117 00:11:48.659 --> 00:11:56.340 because he's about to do something important. The Deacon must likewise match the occasion 118 00:11:56.460 --> 00:12:00.139 the office, but not so much with his clothes but with his actions. 119 00:12:01.649 --> 00:12:03.370 And as we see this, I want you to begin to think about how 120 00:12:03.529 --> 00:12:09.210 the Lord teaches us about himself through these things. What he teaches us about 121 00:12:09.289 --> 00:12:16.080 his love and His mercy. Notice, in commanding that deacons are qualified to 122 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:22.720 be dignified. Notice how the Lord Honors the poor. He does not send 123 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:28.480 fools or people of low esteem to help those in need. He sends to 124 00:12:28.600 --> 00:12:33.789 the lowest, the neediest among us, his nobility. He sends men of 125 00:12:33.990 --> 00:12:39.350 honor and men of integrity to watch over the material needs of his sheep. 126 00:12:41.029 --> 00:12:43.940 This is an amazing thing because often in the world, when the world to 127 00:12:45.100 --> 00:12:48.580 seise, the lowly sees things in need, sees things that don't really benefit 128 00:12:48.659 --> 00:12:54.820 it that much. It gives us the leftovers. And here the Lord says, 129 00:12:54.500 --> 00:13:00.370 don't send the leftovers, send those who are dignified, send those who 130 00:13:00.370 --> 00:13:09.049 are ready and qualified. How much the Lord honors us, his beggarly children. 131 00:13:09.210 --> 00:13:15.679 By this, though every single one of us are our sinful and have 132 00:13:15.879 --> 00:13:20.440 nothing to offer him, he treats us in part through this office, is 133 00:13:20.480 --> 00:13:26.000 though we were princes and princesses. We're nothing special, we have nothing to 134 00:13:26.159 --> 00:13:28.669 offer to the Lord, and then he sends men who are qualified, fied, 135 00:13:28.710 --> 00:13:33.070 men who are dignified, men who are ready to serve us in his 136 00:13:33.230 --> 00:13:37.710 name. This teaches us how much he loves us. It's almost as if 137 00:13:37.750 --> 00:13:43.580 we were his bride, and indeed we are. Next, the Deacon, 138 00:13:43.659 --> 00:13:48.019 is told, is supposed to be one who is not double tongue. He's 139 00:13:48.059 --> 00:13:52.620 not supposed to speak out of both sides of his mouth. Perhaps you've known 140 00:13:52.700 --> 00:13:56.370 people like this. They tell you what they think you want to hear in 141 00:13:56.450 --> 00:14:01.090 the moment, and then they tell somebody else what they think that person wants 142 00:14:01.129 --> 00:14:05.690 to hear. It's these people are not about the truth, but deacons are 143 00:14:05.809 --> 00:14:13.480 to be people about the truth, not liars. This means that a qualified 144 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:18.919 deacon is a man you can trust. You can trust him with your money, 145 00:14:18.919 --> 00:14:22.039 you can trust him with your life, you can trust him with your 146 00:14:22.200 --> 00:14:26.470 reputation, whether you are a giver in this particular moment or a receiver in 147 00:14:26.590 --> 00:14:31.830 this particular moment, or next way the roles get reversed. You can trust 148 00:14:31.629 --> 00:14:37.980 this man to be a minister of Christ to you through his actions, through 149 00:14:39.059 --> 00:14:43.940 his words. When these men speak to us in our situations, they speak 150 00:14:43.980 --> 00:14:50.139 to us out of brotherly Christian love. That is true, and we know 151 00:14:50.299 --> 00:14:54.289 they mean it, because they are truth tellers. When they tell us they'll 152 00:14:54.330 --> 00:14:58.009 put our money to good use, when they tell us, when they say 153 00:14:58.049 --> 00:15:01.649 a to to us, that is a gift and there's no strings attached. 154 00:15:03.049 --> 00:15:09.080 We can trust them for these things their words, as they speak true words 155 00:15:09.159 --> 00:15:13.879 of Christ and love, they minister to our souls as Christ ministers to us 156 00:15:13.919 --> 00:15:20.559 through them. In the next qualification it says that deacons are not to be 157 00:15:20.639 --> 00:15:24.309 addicted too much wine. Wine is, of course, a good thing. 158 00:15:26.110 --> 00:15:30.230 God made it. I'm Jesus turned water into wine at a wedding. It's 159 00:15:30.230 --> 00:15:35.669 a celebratory thing. Psalm one hundred and four versus fourteen and fifteen tell us 160 00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:39.419 that wine makes our hearts glad. It's an enjoyable thing, it's a good 161 00:15:39.580 --> 00:15:45.259 thing, but it's not a good thing to be addicted to it. In 162 00:15:45.379 --> 00:15:50.490 fact, it's really bad and it disqualifies you from the Office of Deacon. 163 00:15:50.610 --> 00:15:54.490 I want to read with you a little bit from proverbs on this point. 164 00:15:56.570 --> 00:16:02.289 So this is proverbs, Chapter Twenty three versus twenty nine through thirty five. 165 00:16:02.370 --> 00:16:18.750 Verbs Twenty three, twenty nine through thirty five. WHO has woe? WHO 166 00:16:18.750 --> 00:16:25.789 has sorrow? WHO has strife? WHO has complaining? Who has wounds without 167 00:16:25.830 --> 00:16:32.940 cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine, 168 00:16:33.860 --> 00:16:38.460 those who go to try mixed wine, do not look at wine when it 169 00:16:38.620 --> 00:16:42.820 is red, when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. In 170 00:16:42.980 --> 00:16:48.090 the end it bites like a serpent, stings like an adder. Your eyes 171 00:16:48.210 --> 00:16:52.929 will see strange things, your heart utter perverse things. You'll be like one 172 00:16:53.129 --> 00:16:57.169 who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on 173 00:16:57.210 --> 00:17:02.720 the top of a mast. They struck me, you will say, but 174 00:17:02.799 --> 00:17:04.680 I was not hurt. They beat me, but I did not feel it. 175 00:17:06.279 --> 00:17:12.559 When shall I awake? I must have another drink. You see the 176 00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:19.069 effect that wine can have. Wine and other forms of alcohol that's not taken 177 00:17:19.109 --> 00:17:26.269 in moderation. It's a dangerous thing. It makes you not sober minded, 178 00:17:26.549 --> 00:17:30.099 it makes you see things that aren't there. It makes you one that is 179 00:17:32.539 --> 00:17:37.019 susceptible to being hurt. This is not somebody who's ready to lead other people, 180 00:17:37.259 --> 00:17:42.900 to manage resources, to steward good things. This is not what he 181 00:17:44.220 --> 00:17:48.170 has somebody who has sound judgment. This is someone who has, as the 182 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:56.769 proverb says, Whoa and sorrow and strife and complaining. This is not someone 183 00:17:56.450 --> 00:18:04.200 who is to be a deacon in Christ's church. Deacons are to be stewards 184 00:18:04.240 --> 00:18:08.000 of the resources that have been dedicated to the Lord. They must be wise, 185 00:18:08.119 --> 00:18:12.630 as we saw enact six last week. They need to possess wisdom and 186 00:18:12.829 --> 00:18:18.470 sound judgment. They need to be decision makers, or, to put it 187 00:18:18.589 --> 00:18:22.589 using another scripture, they need to be men that are full of the Holy 188 00:18:22.670 --> 00:18:30.740 Spirit, not full of wine. Well, let's turn back to a first 189 00:18:30.740 --> 00:18:34.940 Timothy and continue on with the list of qualifications the Lord is giving us here. 190 00:18:37.140 --> 00:18:40.500 The next we are told they are not to be greedy for dishonest gain. 191 00:18:41.420 --> 00:18:45.890 Now the Lord allows those to do honest work to gain money. Typically, 192 00:18:45.009 --> 00:18:48.529 this is how it works. It's how God has designed this world to 193 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:52.930 work and he wants it to work that way. Gain is not a bad 194 00:18:53.130 --> 00:18:56.920 thing when we set our hands to do good work and we are blessed by 195 00:18:56.960 --> 00:19:03.160 it, able to provide for ourselves, able to be generous to others on 196 00:19:03.359 --> 00:19:08.720 this is all very good and from the Lord. Dishonest gain and greed on 197 00:19:08.839 --> 00:19:15.029 top of that is not from the Lord. Those who are greedy for dishonesting 198 00:19:15.190 --> 00:19:22.069 become like Judas among us. They Rob Christ and they rob Christ of what 199 00:19:22.349 --> 00:19:29.059 is his and they see destroy his body. Deacons have a responsibility to care 200 00:19:29.420 --> 00:19:33.940 for the funds of the Church. They must know, they must be known, 201 00:19:33.140 --> 00:19:37.890 therefore, to have a care for Christ and his church and not for 202 00:19:38.009 --> 00:19:42.890 themselves. Those who are greedy for dishonest gain not only cannot be trusted, 203 00:19:44.009 --> 00:19:48.289 but their motives are all after the wrong thing. These are givers, these 204 00:19:48.410 --> 00:19:53.440 are connectors, these are people who give out of the resources that have been 205 00:19:53.559 --> 00:19:59.200 given to them. Are there are not in it for the money. A 206 00:20:00.279 --> 00:20:04.680 Deacon is a servant who is called to the purpose of serving, not stealing. 207 00:20:07.390 --> 00:20:11.750 Now some would fear never to trust any man with their money, but 208 00:20:11.190 --> 00:20:15.950 this is not necessary, because one of the things that we see not only 209 00:20:17.029 --> 00:20:22.380 in this qualification but in all the qualifications for the Dayak in it. The 210 00:20:22.539 --> 00:20:27.059 Lord not only sets the qualifications for the office, but we can be encouraged 211 00:20:27.140 --> 00:20:33.220 that the Lord also qualifies men. In other words, he doesn't set this 212 00:20:33.500 --> 00:20:38.210 bar that can never be reached. The Lord Tells Timothy here is that here 213 00:20:38.250 --> 00:20:41.529 are the requirements for the office, and I want you to put men into 214 00:20:41.529 --> 00:20:47.930 the office. There are men that meet these qualifications, and that's because of 215 00:20:48.009 --> 00:20:51.640 the Lord's grace to us. It's because of the Lord's mercy to us. 216 00:20:52.240 --> 00:20:56.519 He sets this bar and then he equips men to fulfill that calling, all 217 00:20:56.640 --> 00:21:02.799 to the praise of his great name. Well, how can we know who 218 00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:07.869 is greedy for dishonest gain and who is not? The same as we know 219 00:21:07.069 --> 00:21:11.589 all of these other qualifications. We know the men, we see them in 220 00:21:11.670 --> 00:21:18.029 their work, we see their heart. Are they wise? Are they transparent 221 00:21:18.349 --> 00:21:23.059 while also being discreet? Do they create systems of accountability and trust, both 222 00:21:23.099 --> 00:21:30.940 within them and within the they offer. Where are they hiders? Are they 223 00:21:30.140 --> 00:21:37.650 keeping things US secret, different from discreet but secret protected? Do they lack 224 00:21:37.769 --> 00:21:42.849 accountability? These are the ways that we know, and as we come to 225 00:21:42.970 --> 00:21:48.920 know these men, we come to trust them, as they are qualified to 226 00:21:48.960 --> 00:21:56.200 do these things. In the next in the next verse or section, here 227 00:21:56.480 --> 00:22:00.549 we are told that they are those who must hold the mystery of faith with 228 00:22:00.710 --> 00:22:07.509 a clear conscience. Here the fell of honesty rings true again. A Deacon 229 00:22:07.630 --> 00:22:12.789 is to be a true Christian, he is to Minister The mercy of Christ 230 00:22:14.269 --> 00:22:21.579 as one who has experienced the mercy of Christ himself. It's difficult for somebody 231 00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:25.980 to teach what they don't know. It's difficult for somebody to give what they 232 00:22:26.380 --> 00:22:30.609 don't have. A Deacon doesn't just give and receive money for the needs of 233 00:22:30.690 --> 00:22:36.289 the church. He's not just a manager of funds. He is giving and 234 00:22:36.569 --> 00:22:41.450 receiving the mercy of Christ. He is helping the body to be built up, 235 00:22:41.609 --> 00:22:47.319 even as he himself has been built up by Christ and by the body 236 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:52.640 of Christ working in him. He is experienced the love of Christ, the 237 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:57.079 grace of Christ. He is a minister of those things and so it is 238 00:22:57.160 --> 00:23:03.869 imperative that he knows the Lord Jesus himself. It's imperative that he holds the 239 00:23:03.950 --> 00:23:12.220 mystery of the faith, the faith a set of beliefs, a content which 240 00:23:12.220 --> 00:23:17.420 is given to us by God through the Sun and the spirit. He must 241 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:22.180 hold to that with a clear conscience, without reservation. This is where I 242 00:23:22.299 --> 00:23:27.089 stand, he says, and he stands and he leads us in that way. 243 00:23:29.250 --> 00:23:33.450 The Qualified Deacon is one who loves the Lord and knows himself to be 244 00:23:33.490 --> 00:23:44.519 a debtor to mercy. Next, we read that these deacons are to be 245 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.279 tested, says in verse ten. And let them also be tested first, 246 00:23:48.680 --> 00:23:56.549 and let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Tests are hard 247 00:23:56.869 --> 00:24:02.750 tests. It expose what is lacking. All of us, I'm sure of 248 00:24:02.950 --> 00:24:07.509 gone into a test at some point in our lives unprepared and a little bit 249 00:24:07.589 --> 00:24:11.539 fearful, knowing, knowing what is about to happen, knowing what is about 250 00:24:11.700 --> 00:24:21.380 to be exposed. Someone once showed me how he makes bolow ties and he 251 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:26.890 would take the the stone that he was going to use, and he would 252 00:24:26.890 --> 00:24:30.170 drop it onto his bench before he started. He'd find a beautiful stone, 253 00:24:30.210 --> 00:24:33.490 a stone that he wanted to use, a good stone, a ready stone, 254 00:24:33.690 --> 00:24:37.970 and he drop it onto his brench and if it shattered, well, 255 00:24:37.089 --> 00:24:41.880 he wasn't going to use that stone. And if it stayed INTAC if preserved, 256 00:24:41.920 --> 00:24:45.680 well, now he was going to invest energy in it. Now he 257 00:24:45.799 --> 00:24:49.440 was going to put it and make it as part of his tie. If 258 00:24:49.480 --> 00:24:52.950 he breaks it, he got rid of it. If it didn't break, 259 00:24:52.990 --> 00:24:56.309 he'd use it. Now. Of course, we don't want to break men 260 00:24:56.589 --> 00:25:02.509 in our church. We want to disciple them, we want to test them, 261 00:25:03.509 --> 00:25:07.660 but we want those tests to prepare those men and to prove those men. 262 00:25:08.900 --> 00:25:14.140 A man who is tested is one who is known to be the things 263 00:25:14.180 --> 00:25:19.740 that are listed here. We're not supposed to just guess and hope. We're 264 00:25:19.779 --> 00:25:27.369 supposed to test, to prove that these things are true. Now, and 265 00:25:27.529 --> 00:25:32.490 and we have been doing that with our Deacon candidates here. We have been 266 00:25:32.890 --> 00:25:37.359 on testing them for quite some time, over a year now informal things, 267 00:25:37.480 --> 00:25:41.640 and then, of course longer than that is they have been among us for 268 00:25:41.720 --> 00:25:48.319 for several years. John Calvin says in his commentary on this verse. And 269 00:25:48.480 --> 00:25:52.349 this proving process is not for a single hour but consists of a long period 270 00:25:52.430 --> 00:25:56.470 of trial. In a word, the appointment of deacons should not be a 271 00:25:56.549 --> 00:26:02.069 rash and random choice of any who come to hand, but men who have 272 00:26:02.230 --> 00:26:07.019 commended themselves by their past manner of life should be selected so that, as 273 00:26:07.059 --> 00:26:11.900 a result of full inquiry, they are to be found suitable. And that 274 00:26:12.019 --> 00:26:18.210 leads us to what Paul says next, if they prove themselves blameless. Blameless 275 00:26:18.210 --> 00:26:22.569 here does not mean sinless, it means above reproach, it means a man 276 00:26:22.730 --> 00:26:29.049 who has passed the test, who's proven himself to have these qualities in his 277 00:26:29.289 --> 00:26:33.799 life. Again, John Calviny says, to be blameless means to be free 278 00:26:33.880 --> 00:26:40.039 from any notorious fault. It means that when you describe this person, you 279 00:26:40.240 --> 00:26:45.119 describe them in this way, without hesitation or a bunch of qualifications. You 280 00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:51.029 just say he's an honest man. It's true. The scripture says that Joe 281 00:26:51.269 --> 00:26:56.430 was blameless and upright and one who feared the Lord and shunned evil. Our 282 00:26:56.509 --> 00:27:00.819 deacons should be this way as well, and we should be confident in saying 283 00:27:00.980 --> 00:27:07.660 that. Next, keeping on, keeping moving here, the Lord says that 284 00:27:07.779 --> 00:27:12.500 the wives of deacons are to be similar to their husband's in certain ways. 285 00:27:14.220 --> 00:27:17.849 He says, they are to be dignified, they are not to be slanderers, 286 00:27:18.569 --> 00:27:23.089 they are to be sober minded and faithful in all things. In it's 287 00:27:23.250 --> 00:27:27.730 in this way we are reminded that husband and wives act as a kind of 288 00:27:27.930 --> 00:27:34.960 team. If you are, let's Angel Investor, and you go to invest 289 00:27:34.960 --> 00:27:38.440 a bunch of money in this new startup and you're really excited about it, 290 00:27:38.519 --> 00:27:42.960 and you go and you meet the to cofounders of this business and one of 291 00:27:44.039 --> 00:27:49.309 them is great and the other one not so much. The other one doesn't 292 00:27:49.309 --> 00:27:55.710 seem very honest, the other one seems to kind of lie a lot of 293 00:27:55.869 --> 00:27:59.339 the other one doesn't represent themselves well. Well, no matter how much confidence 294 00:27:59.380 --> 00:28:02.539 you might have in the one, because they are a team, it breaks 295 00:28:02.539 --> 00:28:07.500 your confidence in the whole. And something like that is going on here as 296 00:28:07.579 --> 00:28:14.930 well. Husband and wives must function well together as teammates, and so a 297 00:28:15.049 --> 00:28:19.450 Deacon's wife, like her husband, must be also dignified, careful about her 298 00:28:19.529 --> 00:28:27.440 tongue, sober minded and faithful in all things. Continuing on, while his 299 00:28:27.799 --> 00:28:32.200 wife is to be a godly woman, he is also to be a godly 300 00:28:32.279 --> 00:28:37.319 man, specifically, Paul says, toward her. If a man is to 301 00:28:37.440 --> 00:28:41.029 be a deacon, he is to be faithful to his bribe. This does 302 00:28:41.109 --> 00:28:48.390 not disqualify a man who is not married. Jesus himself was not married, 303 00:28:48.150 --> 00:28:53.630 nor was Paul, who gives these instructions, and Paul specifically tells us in 304 00:28:53.869 --> 00:29:00.779 First Corinthians that unmarried people are often in a better position to serve because they 305 00:29:00.819 --> 00:29:07.740 are focused. But the need for faithfulness applies to both those who are single 306 00:29:07.980 --> 00:29:12.650 and to those who are married. A Deacon's Ministry is about faithfulness. A 307 00:29:12.809 --> 00:29:17.369 Deacon, therefore, is to be chased a chaste man. He is to 308 00:29:17.529 --> 00:29:22.970 be exhibit purity, as one who has been purified by Christ, who is 309 00:29:23.130 --> 00:29:29.319 himself the spotless lamb of God. See Again, and in the person of 310 00:29:29.400 --> 00:29:33.519 the Deacon, in the work of the Deacon, God makes himself known to 311 00:29:33.599 --> 00:29:40.069 us as he ministers to us through this office. This does not mean that 312 00:29:40.190 --> 00:29:42.869 the Deacon is sinless, this does not mean a deacon is perfect or that 313 00:29:44.069 --> 00:29:48.349 the deacon is our savior, but as he administers these things, as Christ 314 00:29:48.470 --> 00:29:53.500 as called him to do, we see the Lord at work in his church. 315 00:29:56.059 --> 00:29:59.740 Well, thinking about the Lord's ruling over his household. This is why 316 00:29:59.940 --> 00:30:04.900 the next qualification says that deacons ought to rule their households. Here we see 317 00:30:04.980 --> 00:30:11.089 that they deacon, while a servant, is also one who exercises authority. 318 00:30:11.130 --> 00:30:15.130 He does so in his office as a Deacon and in his office as the 319 00:30:15.250 --> 00:30:18.809 head of his household. He is to manage his children and his household. 320 00:30:19.490 --> 00:30:26.039 Well. We're reminded of the parable and the proverb that Hughes over who is 321 00:30:26.119 --> 00:30:32.920 faithful over a little can be full over more, over much. Sometimes, 322 00:30:33.240 --> 00:30:40.710 ruling your own house is then ruling over a larger body of people, for 323 00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:44.630 all the kind of obvious reasons, and so we might think about this as 324 00:30:44.670 --> 00:30:48.109 an argument from the lesser to the greater. If you canage this, then 325 00:30:48.150 --> 00:30:52.819 you can manage this. We also may say at times that sometimes it's harder 326 00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:56.019 to manage what this's hall at home then what it is to manage what is 327 00:30:56.099 --> 00:31:02.019 outside of the home. At home, people know you in all of your 328 00:31:02.900 --> 00:31:06.890 they know who you are and your strengths and your weaknesses. They know your 329 00:31:07.009 --> 00:31:10.970 faults, they know your ups in your downs. They know you intimately, 330 00:31:11.130 --> 00:31:17.410 and that can make things difficult either way. We are called to serve our 331 00:31:17.569 --> 00:31:23.160 families. Deacons, officers, pastors, elders and pastors. They are called 332 00:31:23.240 --> 00:31:30.440 to love their household serve their households, manage their households well and as they 333 00:31:30.440 --> 00:31:36.589 are trusted in these ways, the Lord give them qualifies them to serve in 334 00:31:36.750 --> 00:31:41.589 other ways well. Now from here we have the promise that we mentioned at 335 00:31:41.630 --> 00:31:48.539 the beginning. Verse Thirteen says for those who serve well as deacons gain a 336 00:31:48.619 --> 00:31:53.140 good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ 337 00:31:53.220 --> 00:32:00.619 Jesus. So not every Deacon serves well, we might say, and I 338 00:32:00.740 --> 00:32:04.450 suspect that any deacon that you would find would say that there are ups and 339 00:32:04.609 --> 00:32:09.210 downs in his ministry, Times of strength and and an ability and times of 340 00:32:09.490 --> 00:32:15.400 frustration and weakness. But on the whole, the Lord says that the one 341 00:32:15.480 --> 00:32:22.160 who serves well will be rewarded. He is rewarded with the respect of the 342 00:32:22.359 --> 00:32:28.440 people he serves. He gains a good standing, a good reputation. Well, 343 00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:32.230 his primary focus is to serve the Lord. He will receive this blessing 344 00:32:32.390 --> 00:32:37.910 from the Lord, a good name, if he serves well, and this 345 00:32:37.029 --> 00:32:43.069 is something to be desired, not shunned or despised or ignored. Proverbs twenty 346 00:32:43.150 --> 00:32:47.420 two one says a good name is to be chosen rather than great riches and 347 00:32:47.700 --> 00:32:54.220 favor is better than silver or gold. Ecclesiastic seven one says a good name 348 00:32:54.380 --> 00:33:00.289 is better than precious ointment and the day of death than the day of birth. 349 00:33:01.569 --> 00:33:06.329 He also receives an addition to a good reputation, a good standing among 350 00:33:06.369 --> 00:33:12.490 the saints, he receives another blessing, boldness, confidence in the faith. 351 00:33:13.960 --> 00:33:17.960 Just as we all see and experience the work of God in the tangible acts 352 00:33:17.960 --> 00:33:24.359 of mercy in the Church, so does the Deacon. So does the Deacon 353 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:29.589 and of course right. He's like the farmer in the field. Right. 354 00:33:29.990 --> 00:33:32.670 We might all get to enjoy the benefits of his work. But and his 355 00:33:32.829 --> 00:33:37.750 work is hard, his hands are dirty, there's dweat on his brow, 356 00:33:37.829 --> 00:33:40.109 he has to wait, he has to be patient. But you know what, 357 00:33:40.269 --> 00:33:45.059 he's also the one who gets to taste the food first. He's the 358 00:33:45.140 --> 00:33:49.980 one who gets to enjoy the benefits of that work, the benefits of God's 359 00:33:50.019 --> 00:33:53.259 grace. The work of the Deacon is up close and personal, personal. 360 00:33:54.180 --> 00:34:00.210 It's hard, but he sees and he experiences the goodness of God and in 361 00:34:00.369 --> 00:34:07.250 that it gives him confidence in what in the faith, in the promises that 362 00:34:07.409 --> 00:34:14.400 God has made and the promises that God is fulfilling through him, through the 363 00:34:14.440 --> 00:34:19.800 elders, through the pastors and through every member of Christ church. Remember, 364 00:34:20.000 --> 00:34:24.309 this is Christ who is at work in his body, and the Deacon being 365 00:34:24.469 --> 00:34:28.670 up close and personal in this work, in this work of service us, 366 00:34:28.949 --> 00:34:31.389 he gets to experience that, he gets to see it for himself, and 367 00:34:31.590 --> 00:34:37.110 in that it increases his boldness, it increases his confidence in the faith that 368 00:34:37.349 --> 00:34:44.980 is in Christ, Jesus. And what is that faith? It is the 369 00:34:45.099 --> 00:34:49.659 faith of the things that Paul says here, great indeed, we confesses the 370 00:34:50.059 --> 00:34:53.929 mystery of Godliness. What is the way in which all this works and which 371 00:34:54.050 --> 00:34:59.969 this good work the Lord produces in us? It is through Christ. We 372 00:35:00.090 --> 00:35:04.610 have, then, a mini confession of faith here. He was manifested in 373 00:35:04.690 --> 00:35:08.079 the flesh, vindicated by the spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the 374 00:35:08.199 --> 00:35:15.480 nations, believed on in the world and taken up in Glory Jesus Christ, 375 00:35:15.800 --> 00:35:23.510 this Jesus, is our cornerstone. He ordains these servants Church because he himself 376 00:35:24.150 --> 00:35:30.469 is the Great Servant of the Church. We experience these things because Christ is 377 00:35:30.510 --> 00:35:35.780 at work in us. The worth of the Deacon, in other words, 378 00:35:35.900 --> 00:35:42.619 is a work of the cross. It's dirty and servereignty and self sacrificial and 379 00:35:42.980 --> 00:35:47.820 not always very esteemed by the world. Indeed, often in the church itselfkins 380 00:35:47.820 --> 00:35:55.610 are overlooked, and sometimes deacons themselves a wish for more glorious things. But 381 00:35:55.849 --> 00:36:01.730 God's Appro Basin his pad on the back, his encouragement here, could not 382 00:36:02.010 --> 00:36:07.079 be clear. He says to the Deacon, this is a noble task, 383 00:36:07.159 --> 00:36:12.639 it's an important task, and there are rewards for the servant and for those 384 00:36:13.159 --> 00:36:20.909 whom he serves. And that's because he is at work in US, qualifying 385 00:36:21.150 --> 00:36:28.309 these men for office, blessing their ministry among us, helping US individually to 386 00:36:28.510 --> 00:36:32.260 grow and mature. This is the work of the spirit of God who is 387 00:36:32.380 --> 00:36:37.219 pour down on us through this one, through our savior, who's taken up 388 00:36:37.699 --> 00:36:45.699 into glory. Jesus knows we are of dust. Jesus knows we have needs 389 00:36:45.739 --> 00:36:50.409 in this world. Jesus is not neglected US or forgotten us. He is 390 00:36:50.530 --> 00:36:55.730 taken care he's taking care of us in many ways, and in this way 391 00:36:57.489 --> 00:37:02.639 in particular, through the Office of Deacon, this one who is qualified to 392 00:37:02.760 --> 00:37:07.400 fulfill these things. So, as we close, I want you to consider 393 00:37:07.559 --> 00:37:13.400 just a couple things. First of all, let's all examine our own hearts. 394 00:37:14.039 --> 00:37:17.230 These are virtues that we should all aspire to. None of us should 395 00:37:17.230 --> 00:37:20.789 say, well, I guess that one. I don't need to bother about 396 00:37:20.789 --> 00:37:22.949 that one. Now, these are all good things. They are part of 397 00:37:23.550 --> 00:37:28.750 Godliness, are they not? They're part of what it means is to be 398 00:37:28.909 --> 00:37:35.300 marked by God, imitators, by imitators of God, and as those who 399 00:37:35.300 --> 00:37:40.780 are at being work by the Lord. So let's examine our hearts, asking 400 00:37:40.900 --> 00:37:45.769 how we might grow and have these virtues as a part of our lives, 401 00:37:45.650 --> 00:37:52.050 and how we might have them through faith in the one who is the mystery 402 00:37:52.130 --> 00:37:59.360 of Godliness, the revelation of the one who reveals God's work in the world. 403 00:38:00.400 --> 00:38:02.519 And let us, of course, consider the hearts of those who might 404 00:38:02.599 --> 00:38:09.000 serve among us one day as deacons. Let us pray for them, not 405 00:38:09.159 --> 00:38:14.949 only the ones who are our deacon candidates now, but ones who are ones 406 00:38:15.030 --> 00:38:19.989 in the future, perhaps even our little boys who are here today. Let's 407 00:38:20.030 --> 00:38:22.710 pray for them and ask that God would equip them and strengthen them and help 408 00:38:22.789 --> 00:38:29.500 them to grow in godliness. Not all are called to serve, and that 409 00:38:29.739 --> 00:38:34.500 is fine. There are men who may meet these qualifications and be gone men 410 00:38:34.619 --> 00:38:38.699 and yet are not called to serve and and that is fine. But to 411 00:38:38.820 --> 00:38:45.409 those who are, let them be qualified, let them be qualified by God, 412 00:38:45.889 --> 00:38:49.690 tested and proved by us, and may his work in us and all 413 00:38:49.769 --> 00:38:59.519 these things be made known. Let's pray, our Lord, in the light 414 00:38:59.760 --> 00:39:07.000 of the godliness that we see in our brothers and sisters, we see the 415 00:39:07.079 --> 00:39:10.789 righteous one, our Savior, Christ, and his spirit producing these things in 416 00:39:10.909 --> 00:39:16.190 us. We are saved by him and by him alone, in soul and 417 00:39:16.389 --> 00:39:22.909 in body, from the cursed suffering in the world through his work on our 418 00:39:22.030 --> 00:39:27.860 behalf. And it is at it is his work, Jesus work, that 419 00:39:28.139 --> 00:39:34.900 is going on among us. We give gifts because we have been gifted. 420 00:39:35.460 --> 00:39:39.170 We give life because we have been given life, and as we do this 421 00:39:39.409 --> 00:39:44.650 for one another in this church and in the visible church throughout the world, 422 00:39:44.730 --> 00:39:49.210 we ask that you would be glorified, that your name would be known as 423 00:39:49.289 --> 00:39:55.760 your love is exhibited and made manifest among the saints. Lord, how far 424 00:39:57.079 --> 00:40:01.280 we have come. The citizens of this heavenly kingdom is those who bear the 425 00:40:01.360 --> 00:40:08.389 the image of Jesus Christ, as those who are new creatures and a part 426 00:40:08.469 --> 00:40:15.030 of the new creation. How far we have come. Once we were children 427 00:40:15.150 --> 00:40:19.909 of Wrath, ones, we were bound in sin, ones, these verus 428 00:40:20.429 --> 00:40:24.179 were not in us at all. And for all of us who have come 429 00:40:24.340 --> 00:40:29.940 to the Lord Jesus Christ and is sanctifying work of the spirit, we have 430 00:40:30.099 --> 00:40:35.699 become to be like this. We have become people who are truth tellers, 431 00:40:36.449 --> 00:40:39.369 people who are not greedy for dishonest gain, people who hold the faith with 432 00:40:39.489 --> 00:40:44.969 a clear conscience. And, Lord, as we have, we as we 433 00:40:45.050 --> 00:40:47.010 are growing in these things, we asked that you would help us to grow 434 00:40:47.730 --> 00:40:53.599 even more, that you would help us to pursue godliness through faith in the 435 00:40:53.800 --> 00:41:01.920 mystery of Godliness. Jesus Christ himself are Savior, whose righteousness was proven by 436 00:41:02.079 --> 00:41:07.190 the spirit of God, who raised him from the dead, proclaimed him among 437 00:41:07.230 --> 00:41:14.550 the nations, that even we might believe on him and one day receive the 438 00:41:14.630 --> 00:41:20.179 glory that he has earned for us. Lord, we ask that you would 439 00:41:20.179 --> 00:41:25.579 continue to pour out his grace upon us, and we ask in particular that 440 00:41:25.699 --> 00:41:31.860 you would do so on men who would serve in our church as deacons. 441 00:41:32.809 --> 00:41:37.730 Fill them with the grace of your Holy Spirit, fill them with the godliness, 442 00:41:37.889 --> 00:41:44.289 fill them with confidence in Christ, that they might serve in him and 443 00:41:44.650 --> 00:41:49.000 for him, that they might have confidence before you, so that they might 444 00:41:49.039 --> 00:41:55.039 lead us in these things and that together we might be built up in love 445 00:41:55.840 --> 00:42:00.869 as the body of Christ and of law. And Lord, of course, 446 00:42:00.989 --> 00:42:05.949 we take the time now to pray for those who are needy among us. 447 00:42:06.789 --> 00:42:08.750 As we thank you for the gifts we have, we also thank you for 448 00:42:08.989 --> 00:42:14.750 the trials that we have, because you use these for our good. You 449 00:42:14.949 --> 00:42:17.420 use these to teach us of our need for you and our need for one 450 00:42:17.460 --> 00:42:21.780 another. We asked that you would be at work and that you would be 451 00:42:21.860 --> 00:42:27.739 blessing those who are in need, whether it be work, finances, whether 452 00:42:27.860 --> 00:42:31.610 it be physical things and trials, struggles in our bodies, whether it be 453 00:42:31.769 --> 00:42:38.449 loneliness and separation, or spiritual challenges and difficulties, relationship troubles in this world. 454 00:42:38.809 --> 00:42:44.170 Whatever these things are, Lord, we asked that you would be at 455 00:42:44.289 --> 00:42:50.360 work in them. Let us and teach us to become sensitive to one another, 456 00:42:51.280 --> 00:42:53.920 so that we might pray for one another, support one another fill one 457 00:42:53.960 --> 00:43:00.429 another with the love of Christ. Lord, teach us not to try to 458 00:43:00.469 --> 00:43:05.710 be anyone's savior, but to give the gifts of the savior, to point 459 00:43:05.829 --> 00:43:10.110 to the rest savior, to give, as we have been given to and 460 00:43:10.309 --> 00:43:15.820 out of the great storehouse of the riches and the Treasures of the grace of 461 00:43:15.860 --> 00:43:22.420 Christ. Lord, we give you praise and Thanksgiving for all of these things. 462 00:43:22.460 --> 00:43:24.860 We asked that you would hear our prayer now, in Jesus name, 463 00:43:25.460 --> Amen,