WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.600 Well, good morning. 00:00:02.640 --> 00:00:03.839 My name is Caleb. 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.679 I am one of the pastors here. 00:00:05.839 --> 00:00:12.160 Hey, this morning we are in 1 Timothy chapter 3, starting in verse 8 to 14. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:17.280 So 1 Timothy chapter 3, 8 to 14, if you want to begin to turn there. 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:22.480 It is a powerful Texas morning. 00:00:22.719 --> 00:00:28.079 Man, what a cool morning as you turn there to see people baptized, right? 00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:30.719 Following Jesus in obedience. 00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:32.240 How cool is that? 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:37.359 Makes you want to smile, which is convenient because today is National Smile Day. 00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:38.880 That's your fun fact. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:42.159 It's also National Speaking Complete Sentences Day. 00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:45.039 And some of you are in trouble. 00:00:46.560 --> 00:01:04.159 Hey, so in 1 Timothy, 1 Timothy is the book, just if you're unfamiliar first week here, want to recap, is the book that Paul, it's a letter Paul writes to this guy, Timothy, who's in the city of Ephesus, who is beginning to unify the church. 00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:11.760 There are believers there, there are people following Jesus there, there's not a pastor there, and there's not a healthy leadership structure within this church. 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:27.680 And so Paul sends Timothy, a guy he's been walking with, teaching, showing how to be a pastor, sends Timothy, writes in this letter and says, Hey, in this church, Timothy, if it's going to be healthy, here's how it needs to be structured. 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:30.079 Here's what it needs to look like. 00:01:30.400 --> 00:01:32.959 It says, here's how it should look. 00:01:33.040 --> 00:01:47.840 And then starting in chapter three, he transitions from here's how it should look to here's who you should continue to equip and call to bear the burden of leadership within the church alongside of you. 00:01:48.239 --> 00:01:50.159 He says, here's who those people are. 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:52.959 And in this, he describes two offices. 00:01:53.200 --> 00:01:55.760 He describes elders and he describes deacons. 00:01:55.840 --> 00:02:00.480 And last week we looked at what elders looked like and what that meant and who those people should be. 00:02:00.640 --> 00:02:07.120 And then today we're going to look at what deacons are and how that plays out even in our church. 00:02:07.519 --> 00:02:13.120 And so if you found your place in reverence of reading God's word, will you stand with me as we read it together? 00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:18.240 It's 1 Timothy chapter 3, starting in verse 8. 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:32.080 He says, Deacons likewise should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 00:02:32.560 --> 00:02:36.560 They must also be tested first if they prove blameless. 00:02:36.800 --> 00:02:39.280 Then they can serve as deacons. 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:45.280 Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderous, self-control, faithful in everything. 00:02:45.520 --> 00:02:50.960 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:59.599 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 00:02:59.919 --> 00:03:03.919 I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:21.520 But verse 15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of the truth. 00:03:21.759 --> 00:03:25.919 And most certainly the mystery of godliness is great. 00:03:26.479 --> 00:03:37.199 He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory. 00:03:37.439 --> 00:03:38.240 Will you pray with me? 00:03:38.319 --> 00:03:38.879 God, we love you. 00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:39.919 We thank you for your word. 00:03:40.240 --> 00:03:44.639 God, would you use it to speak to our hearts and minds? 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:50.479 Lord, would we understand the truth and will we live by the truth and all that we say and all that we do? 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:51.680 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:52.639 Amen. 00:03:53.120 --> 00:03:56.560 You can take a seat or you can stay standing. 00:03:56.719 --> 00:03:57.919 Do whatever you want. 00:03:58.240 --> 00:03:59.360 I don't care. 00:04:00.800 --> 00:04:01.520 Do whatever. 00:04:01.599 --> 00:04:07.360 It'd be weird, but all right, so there's these two offices outlined in the Bible. 00:04:07.520 --> 00:04:12.159 Like I said, there's elders, and then there's the office of deacon. 00:04:12.719 --> 00:04:16.800 And in the Bible, here's what you need to know elders are a must. 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:31.360 Anytime you see the church in the Bible clearly outlined, it outlines that elders are a necessity, that elders are needed, that they are essential to the healthy church functioning. 00:04:31.439 --> 00:04:45.839 And what an elder is, just in really short, it's a it's qualified men who possess a level of wisdom, a level of calling, a level of character, and a level of skill who will step up to lead the church. 00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:51.519 They are men who are elected by the church and then who are called to lead the church. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:05:00.639 And deacons are a group of people similarly that are recognized by the church to supervise the material affairs of the church. 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:07.040 And so you would you would employ these elders to help with the ministry of the church. 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:17.360 They would help with the preaching and the teaching and the leading of the church, and then you would employ deacons to help with the material affairs of the church. 00:05:17.600 --> 00:05:20.560 Now here's the thing: the difference is elders are essential. 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:24.480 Deacons are not required, as we see in the formation of the church. 00:05:24.560 --> 00:05:31.360 Rather, what you see is that deacons were always appointed on a needs basis within the church. 00:05:31.600 --> 00:05:45.920 They're always like, when there was a need that the ministry went beyond the capabilities of the elders, they would employ deacons to come up and take over the ministry affairs of the church. 00:05:46.160 --> 00:05:48.720 Now, here's what you need to know about River Oak Church. 00:05:48.879 --> 00:05:51.279 At River Oak, we don't have deacons. 00:05:51.360 --> 00:06:03.199 And it's not because we don't like them or we don't believe in them, but truly the need has not arisen yet in this season to employ a group of deacons. 00:06:03.519 --> 00:06:19.680 However, where our constitution is helpful, if it became necessary, we could easily employ deacons and we would look for people who matched this description to fill the formal position of a deacon within our church. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.680 Now, here's the encouraging part. 00:06:21.920 --> 00:06:27.040 Here's the encouraging part of why we don't need deacons in this season. 00:06:27.519 --> 00:06:42.319 It's because in this moment we've been operating with men and women who love the Lord, who love people, and serve well in such a way they're already fulfilling the ministry that a deacon might do. 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:52.959 They're already coming alongside us, the elders of the church, to fulfill the material affairs of the church. 00:06:53.439 --> 00:07:04.959 They're leading in different ministries, from the parking lot to the children's ministry, to the coffee bar, to the tech team, to the safety team, to our first impressions. 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:22.319 They're leading all over to adult discipleship, to student ministry, that you have people who are stepping up, who largely fulfill and fit the description found in chapter 3, who are serving throughout our church. 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:30.879 That these are men and women who are fulfilling this role in such a way that right now to formally employ them, it's unneeded. 00:07:30.959 --> 00:07:36.160 And they fit this description found in 1 Timothy 3, 8 through 16. 00:07:36.240 --> 00:07:37.600 And so here's what I want you to do. 00:07:37.759 --> 00:07:46.879 Even as we read this scripture, you may be saying, I don't think I'm ever going to be a person that needs to be a deacon or an elder at a church. 00:07:47.120 --> 00:07:48.639 And that may very well be true. 00:07:48.800 --> 00:08:05.680 The Lord does not need everyone to serve in a formal place of leadership in the church because the Lord also uses and sends us into formal places, into our workplaces and into our neighborhoods and all over the world to be gospel representatives. 00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:24.000 However, what you should understand is the characteristics found about a deacon should be the characteristics that all of us, should be the bar that all of us are saying, hey, this is what the Lord desires for men and women to do and to be as they walk with him. 00:08:24.639 --> 00:08:28.959 So, so it's not like, well, I should pay attention if I want to be a deacon. 00:08:29.120 --> 00:08:34.799 No, rather, the characteristics of a deacon are characteristics of people who've been changed by Jesus. 00:08:35.039 --> 00:08:42.000 And they should be a mirror that we reflect against, that we put up against, and we say, Do I match that reflection? 00:08:42.240 --> 00:08:51.120 Or are there things that I need to go to the Lord and ask him to change and sanctify in me that I need to be shooting for in my own life? 00:08:51.200 --> 00:08:52.240 And so here's a description. 00:08:52.399 --> 00:08:56.320 He says, Deacons, verse 3, likewise should be worthy of respect. 00:08:56.480 --> 00:09:07.039 Now, this word worthy of respect, there's actually the Greek word, there's no accurate single English word that translates it uh fully. 00:09:07.519 --> 00:09:16.240 The most accurate English kind of translation would be this is someone who's serious in purpose and in self-control in their conduct. 00:09:16.480 --> 00:09:31.120 So someone who is who is worthy of respect, just someone who says, no, they're very serious in their purpose where the Lord has called them, and they're also very serious in how they conduct themselves as they achieve and accomplish this purpose. 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:34.879 The deacon, someone you're looking for, should be worthy of respect. 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:40.799 This is not someone who does not have humor, this is someone who just takes God's word really seriously. 00:09:41.120 --> 00:09:49.440 Also, it says they should not be hypocritical, meaning, if you're not a hypocrite, it's because you do what you say and you say what you do. 00:09:49.919 --> 00:09:57.360 Now, this is really important, especially as a deacon, because you're in a place of leadership in the church. 00:09:57.600 --> 00:10:03.840 And I don't know about you guys, but like my algorithm always gives me like church drama all around the country. 00:10:04.080 --> 00:10:05.759 I don't know what your algorithm's giving you. 00:10:05.919 --> 00:10:07.759 I don't know how it knows that about me. 00:10:08.320 --> 00:10:19.759 And here's what I always see if there's like church drama and someone does something crazy, and then it would be like like Johnny did something nuts and he was a deacon at his church. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:24.480 And they use that as like, oh, Andy was in a place of leadership. 00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:31.679 And he was trusted, and he victimized many, and it's usually some terrible crime. 00:10:33.039 --> 00:10:47.279 He says, No, the people that you should employ, that you should put in this position, should be people of good character, that you know what they do because they say what they do and they do what they say, that they're not hypocritical. 00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:57.840 It says he also should not be drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, but holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 00:10:58.399 --> 00:11:12.720 He says these people should not be running to a bottle or a substance, should not be running to fame, things, a career for their satisfaction, but should be holding the mystery of faith with a clear conscience. 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:13.919 Here's what this is called. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:21.600 If someone is running to other things and saying, I want to run to Jesus, what's that? 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:24.720 That's called is having divided affection. 00:11:25.200 --> 00:11:27.440 That you have an affection for two things. 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:33.279 Another way of saying it is you have one foot in the world and one foot in a relationship with Christ. 00:11:33.440 --> 00:11:34.559 It's divided affection. 00:11:34.639 --> 00:11:46.960 And now, any of our military people understand this is that that person who goes to war and it gets onto the battlefield where other people are depending on them and they have a divided affection. 00:11:47.279 --> 00:11:54.879 Meaning they have this great desire to and great fear of death and great desire to be home in that moment. 00:11:55.120 --> 00:11:58.480 Also, but they're they're on the battlefield, ready to fight the battle. 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:02.559 What they would say is that person is a hazard to the mission. 00:12:03.279 --> 00:12:08.720 That person is dangerous because their mind's not fully on the mission in front of them. 00:12:08.879 --> 00:12:11.200 They have a divided affection. 00:12:11.759 --> 00:12:17.840 And divided affections don't make you good at two things, they make you fail twice. 00:12:19.279 --> 00:12:26.240 That in that scenario, you're you're gonna get killed, you may get someone else killed, and you're definitely not going home either. 00:12:27.120 --> 00:12:35.200 He says, the person that is a deacon that is following Jesus that should be appointed to this leadership is not someone with divided affections. 00:12:35.360 --> 00:12:39.120 They're not someone who has a love for the world and a love for God's word. 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:43.679 Revelation says that person is lukewarm, they're neither hot nor cold. 00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:49.279 He says, and I spit them out of my mouth, that they are no good to me. 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:56.000 That there may be people right here in this room right now, that that's your life. 00:12:56.320 --> 00:13:01.919 Man, a couple of those guys that that I just baptized, that was a little bit of their life. 00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:06.320 Man, I was in church, and I was in the world. 00:13:07.200 --> 00:13:22.960 And I know that some of you sit here in this room in that place because I want set here in this room, in this place, saying, Man, in the church, sitting in the seat, listening to a preacher preach, and I have one foot in the world and one foot in my relationship with Jesus. 00:13:24.240 --> 00:13:32.399 That I would I would be with my friends and and we'd be at the parties and doing all the things that the world would say is satisfying and good. 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:38.559 And then I'd be showing up at church on Sunday morning trying to praise God. 00:13:41.360 --> 00:13:45.120 And my personal experience is that you just fail twice. 00:13:47.039 --> 00:13:50.240 That I I didn't really enjoy this. 00:13:51.279 --> 00:13:56.960 I definitely wasn't loving the Lord well in a way that would bring my friends to know Jesus. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:05.039 He says, You can't you can't be people of divided affection, it just causes you to fail twice. 00:14:06.559 --> 00:14:16.480 He says, rather, this man doesn't divide his affections, he holds the confession of a commitment to Christ with a clear conscience. 00:14:16.960 --> 00:14:20.799 He says, No, no, I actually my full affection is for Jesus. 00:14:20.879 --> 00:14:22.480 This isn't a perfect man. 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:26.240 This isn't someone who who never messes up. 00:14:26.399 --> 00:14:34.080 This is a person just who lives in a life of repentance, in a state of repentance, where it says, when I mess up, I quickly turn back to Jesus because you know what? 00:14:34.159 --> 00:14:36.159 I'm doing the things I don't want to do. 00:14:36.879 --> 00:14:44.960 The Lord has killed that affection, I've died to that affection, I'm running from that affection because I want to run to the place in the things of Jesus. 00:14:46.960 --> 00:14:51.840 This is the kind of men you you should look for, the kind of people you should look for to be deacons in our church. 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:54.240 This is the kind of people we should be. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:57.360 That we should not be hypocritical. 00:14:58.159 --> 00:15:06.399 That we should not have divided affections, but we should we should uh understand, we should gird up the loins of our mind and we should turn to Jesus. 00:15:06.960 --> 00:15:10.639 That he should be the full gather our full affection. 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:36.960 And it says you should be looking for people like that, that they can come to the gospel, that they can present the gospel, that they can share the gospel, that they can live out the gospel, they can come in here and they can worship with a clear conscience because they know they're not living another way in another place, that they don't have their church face and their church language and their church clothes, and then they have their world face and their world language and their world clothes. 00:15:37.200 --> 00:15:44.000 It's people who say, No, my church face and my church language and my church clothes is just me in the world or in the church. 00:15:45.200 --> 00:15:48.879 And then he says, How do you know? 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.720 How do you know if someone has divided affection or not? 00:15:52.879 --> 00:15:54.000 Well, look at verse 10. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:57.039 It says, they must also be tested first. 00:15:57.440 --> 00:16:00.240 And if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. 00:16:00.399 --> 00:16:01.679 He says, Man, they must be proved. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:02.960 Well, how do you test them? 00:16:03.200 --> 00:16:06.960 You give them opportunity to serve in different capacities and places. 00:16:07.200 --> 00:16:10.159 You get to know them, you have a relationship with one another. 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:18.960 You look for people who have been tested in good times and in bad times, and where and how do they serve Jesus in those moments? 00:16:19.600 --> 00:16:25.120 Do they have a genuine affection for the Lord that's not based on their circumstances? 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:30.080 Do they have a heart for Jesus that's not based on the person they're serving? 00:16:30.799 --> 00:16:32.559 Do they love people well? 00:16:33.200 --> 00:16:38.879 Do they serve out of a motive to want Jesus to be known and not out of a motive to want to be known? 00:16:39.759 --> 00:16:44.799 He says they should be tested in this, to be proven blameless. 00:16:44.879 --> 00:16:49.679 Now, in Acts 6, verses 1 through 7, here's why this is important. 00:16:50.080 --> 00:16:56.320 It's because deacons uh were the first to, that was the first place where deacons were appointed to serve. 00:16:56.559 --> 00:17:06.880 See, in the book of Acts, uh the disciples who had followed Jesus in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as they came to know Jesus, then Jesus ascended into heaven. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:09.759 He says, Hey, go and start the church. 00:17:10.160 --> 00:17:19.119 It says that uh they received the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with a boldness about the gospel of Jesus in a way that they did not do previously. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:19.599 Right? 00:17:19.680 --> 00:17:27.680 If you saw the disciples and the apostles in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, you would see a bunch of weak men who are following a very strong king. 00:17:27.839 --> 00:17:37.200 And you would see Jesus almost kind of hand holding them through life, and then Jesus goes into heaven and they lock themselves in a room and they begin to pray. 00:17:37.279 --> 00:17:40.880 It says the Holy Spirit comes on them and out of those walls. 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:55.279 Little boys went in and men came out, and they were emboldened with the gospel, and they began to share the truth of Jesus, not because they had sudden suddenly were all powerful, they weren't doing like some crazy workout routine in that room. 00:17:55.440 --> 00:18:14.960 No, but the Holy Spirit entered them and they began to preach the gospel, and it says people came to know Jesus in mass amounts, that it grew, the church began to grow and grow to the point where they couldn't also serve the people and preach and teach the gospel. 00:18:15.279 --> 00:18:20.640 It says that the Hellenistic Jews rose up and were like, hey, complaining, we've been forgotten. 00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:23.440 We're not being well taken care of. 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:33.759 And so the apostles gathered together and they appointed deacons as needed to go and handle the material affairs of the ministry and serve the people well. 00:18:34.559 --> 00:18:37.759 Now there's a lot riding on these deacons. 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:47.680 Their exposure to the church and to the leadership of the church came through the deacons as they began to serve. 00:18:48.000 --> 00:18:51.599 But there was a lot of responsibility entrusted to these people. 00:18:52.000 --> 00:19:00.720 And if they were corrupt, if they were drunkards, if they were hypocrites, there was a lot of people who would suffer as a result. 00:19:01.359 --> 00:19:04.000 That it was crucial that they could be trusted. 00:19:04.319 --> 00:19:06.720 He says, so make sure they are tested. 00:19:07.119 --> 00:19:16.000 That I can come up here and I can tell you, like, hey, the culture of our church is that we're gonna love people, we're gonna be generous, we're gonna be kind, we're gonna welcome people. 00:19:16.720 --> 00:19:21.759 Like, if you catch me in the lobby and you walk by me, like there's a good chance I said, good morning, how you doing? 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:23.839 I try to welcome as many people as I possibly can. 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:28.079 And like maybe I welcome a hundred, maybe, right? 00:19:28.319 --> 00:19:30.319 Like, I don't change the culture. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:38.079 I can preach about a changed culture, but really it's the church that you are who are in this household, you change the culture. 00:19:38.400 --> 00:19:40.400 You determine what people experience in here. 00:19:40.480 --> 00:19:43.680 Do they turn do they experience the love and grace of Christ? 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:47.359 Or do they experience the coldness that they experience everywhere else in the world? 00:19:47.599 --> 00:19:48.079 Right? 00:19:48.319 --> 00:19:55.839 He says, No, these people should be trusted because they represent the household of God to many people. 00:19:56.880 --> 00:20:05.039 And then he goes on, he says, and wives likewise, they should be worthy of respect, not slanderous, not self-controlled or self-controlled, faithful in everything. 00:20:05.279 --> 00:20:17.839 Now, this is a very debated verse because that word wives could be translated to wives or to women, which means that it could either mean wives of the deacons or it could mean women who are also deacons. 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:18.480 Right? 00:20:18.640 --> 00:20:29.920 And because this is not a teaching role to the mass church, many believe women can actually fulfill this role as deacons because they are a crucial part of the church. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:34.640 Now, regardless of your interpretation, here's what you should understand. 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:40.799 Paul is continuing to point to the value of women in our lives. 00:20:41.920 --> 00:20:46.640 And the character expectation, you should understand, is the same for men and for women. 00:20:46.960 --> 00:20:48.960 He says, be of good character. 00:20:49.039 --> 00:20:55.519 But here's what he also says your ministry effectiveness is greater with the support of the women around you. 00:20:55.680 --> 00:20:56.960 So listen to this men. 00:20:57.440 --> 00:21:03.039 Your ministry effectiveness is greater with the support of the women around you. 00:21:03.119 --> 00:21:17.920 I've met many pastors who've tried to get into ministry, and their wives were not okay with the pastoral ministry, were not supporting it, did not like the schedule, did not like the things that it required, they did not believe in it the same way. 00:21:18.000 --> 00:21:21.759 And that person, those pastors, are no longer in ministry. 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.400 And then I think about my own wife and my own ministry. 00:21:26.640 --> 00:21:32.799 And I often, when I first got married, would ask myself, how did I do ministry before I was married? 00:21:33.039 --> 00:21:45.039 Like, I don't know how that happens because my ministry effectiveness increased greatly with the support of a loving wife who loved Jesus first and then loved me second. 00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:59.680 Men, in your ministry, you need to be loving your wives well, encouraging them, and women and men, you will do ministry better together than you can do. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:00.880 On your own. 00:22:01.039 --> 00:22:05.920 It's the whole picture in Ephesians 5, where he says, here's the role of a husband, here's the role of a wife. 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:14.799 And what he's saying is, you need one another, and you do ministry better when you do it together than you could possibly do it just on your own. 00:22:15.440 --> 00:22:17.599 And this is the picture of what Paul is saying. 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:19.839 It is a super important role. 00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:27.599 He goes on to verse 12 and he says, And deacons are to be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households completely. 00:22:27.759 --> 00:22:30.000 This is similar to elders. 00:22:30.319 --> 00:22:31.920 Here's what he's saying, then. 00:22:32.480 --> 00:22:39.119 Your first priority is your present loving leadership in your home. 00:22:39.519 --> 00:22:41.519 That's your first priority. 00:22:41.759 --> 00:22:44.880 Is your present loving leadership in your home. 00:22:45.039 --> 00:22:46.880 Hear that word present. 00:22:48.400 --> 00:22:55.119 Your first priority is not that your family would receive a big paycheck from you. 00:22:55.920 --> 00:23:05.440 Your first priority is not that your family would have all the worldly comforts and your kids would have all the things you didn't have and wouldn't have to struggle in all the ways that you struggled. 00:23:05.599 --> 00:23:07.920 That's not your first priority. 00:23:08.559 --> 00:23:17.279 Your first priority is that God has given you a position in your home that only you can fill as husband and as father. 00:23:18.319 --> 00:23:22.799 And your first priority is that you would be present in that position. 00:23:23.279 --> 00:23:29.119 And that you would love your wife well and care for her needs, and that you would love your children well. 00:23:29.279 --> 00:23:32.000 What your children need is not your big paycheck. 00:23:32.160 --> 00:23:35.119 What they need is you modeling repentance in front of them. 00:23:35.359 --> 00:23:39.920 What they need is you modeling a deep relationship with Jesus in front of them. 00:23:40.079 --> 00:23:45.920 What they need is you on your knees reading scripture broken about the word of the Lord in front of them. 00:23:46.079 --> 00:23:51.920 What they need is your transparency about your sin and your struggle and your need for a holy savior. 00:23:52.559 --> 00:23:58.640 What they need is your presence as you guide them and disciple them and walk with them and teach them to be men and women. 00:23:58.799 --> 00:24:00.559 If you don't, the world will. 00:24:41.119 --> 00:24:43.119 Should not be the everyday thing. 00:24:45.599 --> 00:24:47.279 And then he goes on. 00:24:47.839 --> 00:24:50.480 He says, and here's the result, though, of this obedience. 00:24:50.720 --> 00:24:51.680 Here's the result. 00:24:53.519 --> 00:24:59.599 And I believe this is not only the result for deacons, but I think this is the result of any follower of Jesus who would live this way. 00:25:00.160 --> 00:25:05.519 He says, For those who serve well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves. 00:25:06.079 --> 00:25:09.279 And great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. 00:25:09.519 --> 00:25:10.799 He says two things. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:14.400 He says, you require a good standing for yourself. 00:25:14.880 --> 00:25:20.640 That when you live in love like this, it's hard for people to say negative things about you. 00:25:21.279 --> 00:25:23.759 It's hard for people to slander you. 00:25:24.240 --> 00:25:32.000 It's hard for people to slander the gospel because you give them no ammunition to do so. 00:25:33.759 --> 00:25:36.240 He says you acquire a good standing. 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:36.880 Right? 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.880 Like I don't believe in karma. 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:40.160 I think it's stupid. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:45.759 But here's what I do know it's if you're mean to enough people, somebody will punch you in the face. 00:25:46.400 --> 00:25:48.079 That's gonna, and people be like, that's karma. 00:25:48.160 --> 00:25:50.000 No, you're just mean to enough people, man. 00:25:50.720 --> 00:25:54.799 And if you're nice to people, people will be nice to you. 00:25:55.039 --> 00:25:58.319 Like it's just generally, now not everyone, but generally. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:00.640 It's not karma, it's just logic. 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:04.400 He says, and this is what happens. 00:26:05.039 --> 00:26:12.400 If you would serve the Lord well in many places and spaces, you would develop a good standing, people would see something different about you. 00:26:12.559 --> 00:26:14.000 But then he says the other thing. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:22.880 He says, and you would have a great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus, that you'd be given this great boldness. 00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:32.799 Now, see, I I think there's a lot of people in here who love the gospel, know the gospel, and want the gospel to be known, yet we don't share the gospel. 00:26:33.039 --> 00:26:33.839 Well, why is that? 00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:38.559 If we love it, we want it to be known, we believe in it, why don't we share it? 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:40.160 It's because we're scared. 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.799 We don't have a great boldness for the gospel. 00:26:42.960 --> 00:26:46.880 We either don't have a great burden for the lost, or we don't have a great boldness for the gospel. 00:26:47.359 --> 00:26:49.839 Like we're like, ah, but I don't know how to share it well. 00:26:49.920 --> 00:26:55.359 And here's what's interesting: he says, if you would walk this out, you would be given a boldness for the gospel. 00:26:55.440 --> 00:26:57.519 I believe it ties into John 10 10. 00:26:57.839 --> 00:27:02.720 John 10 10, Jesus is speaking to people and he says, Hey, a thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy. 00:27:03.039 --> 00:27:06.160 Satan himself comes to steal, to kill, and destroy. 00:27:06.319 --> 00:27:11.039 He says, But I have come that you may have life and have it in abundance. 00:27:11.279 --> 00:27:13.519 Well, where is the abundant life of Christ found? 00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:15.039 I'll tell you where it's not found. 00:27:15.279 --> 00:27:17.680 It's not found on your couch scrolling Netflix. 00:27:17.839 --> 00:27:18.799 That's not it. 00:27:19.039 --> 00:27:22.319 It's not found doom scrolling all day at work. 00:27:22.400 --> 00:27:23.920 Like, that's not the abundant life of Christ. 00:27:24.000 --> 00:27:26.079 You may be thinking, like, well, I trusted Jesus. 00:27:26.160 --> 00:27:26.319 Why? 00:27:26.480 --> 00:27:27.680 This is no different now. 00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:29.920 Yeah, because you're not living different. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:36.319 The abundant life of Christ is found in obedience to the mission of Christ. 00:27:36.559 --> 00:27:47.440 When you would step out and be obedient, when you would step out and use the things that God has given you, place on your life, and then walk it out, you would experience the abundant life of Christ in that. 00:27:48.319 --> 00:27:49.359 Here's what I mean. 00:27:49.519 --> 00:28:15.680 If you've ever had a gospel conversation with somebody and you saw them come from death to life where they came to trust Jesus, if you've ever seen an ordained moment where you prayed for somebody and God healed them, if you've ever been like, man, I feel like the God, I feel like God is calling me to do this, I feel like God is calling me to have this conversation, and you stepped down in boldness, despite your fear, despite the anxiety, despite the ability to like actually answer all the questions they may ask, yet you still did it. 00:28:15.839 --> 00:28:21.440 And you saw God provide and you saw God answer prayer and you saw God do something powerful. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:27.200 What you walked away from that moment saying, not was like, hmm, that was all right. 00:28:27.599 --> 00:28:30.160 You walked away from that moment pumped. 00:28:30.400 --> 00:28:32.880 You walked away saying, that was amazing. 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:36.960 God is so good, that is abundant life. 00:28:37.599 --> 00:28:44.079 That is powerful, that is more thrilling than any roller coaster, any drug anything could ever give me. 00:28:44.559 --> 00:28:47.839 That is more fulfilling than anything the world has. 00:28:48.079 --> 00:28:50.240 That is abundant life. 00:28:50.640 --> 00:28:53.359 It's found in the mission of Christ. 00:28:53.680 --> 00:28:59.599 You may not know anything else that happened that year, but you remember that conversation. 00:28:59.839 --> 00:29:01.359 You remember that moment. 00:29:02.000 --> 00:29:05.680 You remember that life-giving thing. 00:29:06.400 --> 00:29:16.720 Man, I remember sitting in staff meeting and or with a group of the staff, and we asked one prayer, hey, if God could answer any prayer requests, what would you pray? 00:29:16.880 --> 00:29:22.079 And one of the men stood up and he said, I would pray that God would heal my wife of leukemia. 00:29:23.119 --> 00:29:27.119 She had like a slow-growing leukemia, just gonna have it for the rest of her life. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:28.240 She comes to our church. 00:29:28.319 --> 00:29:30.240 They come to our church, it might be any other service. 00:29:31.519 --> 00:29:33.759 She's healed from leukemia. 00:29:34.240 --> 00:29:38.640 She went to the doctor, and the doctor was like, Looks like you don't have leukemia. 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:39.839 We need to do some other tests. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:41.359 Like, this is not real. 00:29:42.079 --> 00:29:43.920 She doesn't have leukemia. 00:29:44.160 --> 00:29:46.160 Like, healed, like amazing, right? 00:29:50.640 --> 00:29:51.920 Can I can I be honest with you? 00:29:52.000 --> 00:29:56.400 I prayed like that the Lord would heal her from leukemia so half-heartedly. 00:29:56.720 --> 00:29:58.880 So, like, okay, that's impossible. 00:29:59.119 --> 00:30:01.200 Like, oh Lord, all right. 00:30:01.759 --> 00:30:07.599 Not believing that He would, and yet God is so good, that that is the abundant life of Christ, right? 00:30:07.680 --> 00:30:16.640 When it's found in the work and in the mission of Christ, when we see God do powerful things that are so beyond us because we've been obedient to it. 00:30:20.160 --> 00:30:28.480 That this is where it's found, that the baptized today, right, they get to experience a peace of Christ's abundance. 00:30:29.039 --> 00:30:29.279 Right? 00:30:29.359 --> 00:30:36.799 They get to experience the presence of the Lord as they go follow him in obedience and get to use their testimony as a part of his kingdom work. 00:30:39.359 --> 00:30:55.839 For those serving throughout our church, on our spiritual response team, or the people that gather up here every service in our children's ministry, they experience the abundant provisions as they minister to our children every Sunday. 00:30:56.079 --> 00:31:03.359 They experience the hope of Christ as God gives them the words to say in moments where kids ask questions and they don't have the answer. 00:31:05.680 --> 00:31:17.440 All throughout, in these different moments and places, as people follow Jesus in obedience, they get to experience the provision and the power of Jesus at work in their life. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:29.759 He says, Man, for the deacon that would serve, for the person that would stand up and say, I want to put the mission of Christ first, I want to be divided affection, I want to, he says, man, there's a boldness for the gospel that grows in that person. 00:31:30.880 --> 00:31:31.200 Right? 00:31:31.759 --> 00:31:37.599 That there's a boldness for the gospel as you live it out and experience God's provision. 00:31:37.759 --> 00:31:45.119 That when the provisions of God are realized, the boldness for the gospel should be actualized. 00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:52.000 But it's also important that these are people of character. 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:57.759 Because as you are bold for the gospel, you stand on the front line against the enemy. 00:31:58.000 --> 00:32:06.960 You stand on the front line against our world, you stand on the front line against people who would who would want nothing to do with you. 00:32:07.519 --> 00:32:11.519 That you better be a person of good character, of right affection. 00:32:11.680 --> 00:32:27.039 You know, the very first person martyred in the Bible that's recorded in the Bible for the gospel in the New Testament was not an elder, it was not an apostle, it was not some wild evangelist, it was a deacon. 00:32:27.279 --> 00:32:35.920 If you continue reading in Acts chapter 6 and chapter 7, it would be Stephen, who would begin to serve, and he'd end up being stoned to death. 00:32:36.079 --> 00:32:38.960 And in the whole time, he's praying for the people. 00:32:39.519 --> 00:32:43.039 He's talking to God, he's not acting out in anger or in fear. 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:44.240 How can you do that? 00:32:44.319 --> 00:32:48.480 Because he's experiencing the abundant life of Christ that goes beyond this world. 00:32:49.279 --> 00:32:52.000 And he had a boldness for the gospel. 00:32:53.039 --> 00:32:56.319 And in verse 14, Paul kind of wraps up. 00:32:56.559 --> 00:33:00.000 He says, And I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. 00:33:00.079 --> 00:33:01.200 That's chapters two and three. 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:04.000 I've written these things, hoping to come to you soon. 00:33:04.160 --> 00:33:13.359 He says, But if I should be delayed, I've written that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household. 00:33:13.920 --> 00:33:15.200 That's an important word. 00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:16.319 You should highlight that. 00:33:16.480 --> 00:33:20.720 He says, This is how you are to act in the family of God. 00:33:21.039 --> 00:33:24.160 Now, this is different than in God's house. 00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:34.079 Many of you treat this place like I'm gonna come into God's house, and right, and you're the person or maybe a person around you, right, where you say a bad word and then they're like, Oh, I can't believe you said that in God's house. 00:33:34.400 --> 00:33:37.920 Or you like lied and you're like, oh man, you lied in God's house. 00:33:38.079 --> 00:33:44.480 Like, uh what you don't know is God is all present. 00:33:45.920 --> 00:33:50.640 That means he goes outside of these walls, and he's all knowing. 00:33:50.799 --> 00:33:57.119 And that means there's not some special magnifying glass here where we say something and God's like, oh, I saw it. 00:33:57.839 --> 00:34:02.160 No, God is everywhere, that he's all over. 00:34:03.519 --> 00:34:11.280 And here's the thing is God doesn't just want you in his house, God wants you in his household. 00:34:12.719 --> 00:34:25.360 That God wants you to understand that you are being grafted into his household, that you shouldn't just act different because you're in his house. 00:34:25.599 --> 00:34:30.159 You should act different because he is making you different. 00:34:30.960 --> 00:34:34.480 That it should go far beyond these walls in this place. 00:34:35.440 --> 00:34:41.519 That, like I just said, there shouldn't be a Sunday clothes and a Sunday language and a Sunday action and a Sunday face. 00:34:42.159 --> 00:34:52.320 There should be just a face and a action and a clothes that represent who you are in Christ, whether you're in his house or just a part of his household in the world. 00:34:53.599 --> 00:35:02.400 He says, You should remember this is how you should conduct yourself in God's household, a part of his family, that you are the church. 00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:03.760 And what is the church? 00:35:03.920 --> 00:35:24.000 The church is the church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of the truth, that you are the local church, not the building, not the address, the people who make it up are the household of God, and the household of God is the pillar and the truth, and the foundation of the truth that is God. 00:35:24.880 --> 00:36:08.159 That the local church has been given power to be this pillar and this foundation of the truth of God and his word to a lost and hurting community, that we, as the household of God, are to be an anchor point, a lighthouse, a storm shelter to the waves and the wind of chaos in this community, that this community may enter into this house, but be introduced to this household, that they may understand and hear the character of Jesus and the truth of Jesus, that they may find it, find truth in love as they come into this household. 00:36:09.360 --> 00:36:12.880 And he says, and here's the foundation of the truth. 00:36:13.280 --> 00:36:16.880 And he lays the gospel out in like five sections. 00:36:17.119 --> 00:36:25.679 He says, and most certainly, beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great. 00:36:26.400 --> 00:36:29.199 The mystery of godliness is great. 00:36:29.440 --> 00:36:33.039 He says, He, Christ, was manifested in the flesh. 00:36:33.280 --> 00:36:36.159 Here's what this means he was manifested in the flesh. 00:36:36.320 --> 00:36:46.480 That Jesus Christ, the one we read about, the one we know about, was seen, experienced, historically recorded, present in this world. 00:36:47.119 --> 00:36:49.199 He says, here's the mystery of godliness. 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:54.800 Jesus, this man, Jesus, came, existed, really was on earth. 00:36:54.960 --> 00:37:00.159 And not only was he here and present, he was vindicated in the spirit. 00:37:00.960 --> 00:37:03.840 Meaning he was God affirmed. 00:37:04.079 --> 00:37:14.880 His deity by the power of the Spirit was affirmed, enabling him to do miracles and to be raised from the dead, paying for sin. 00:37:15.360 --> 00:37:24.960 So not only did he physically exist, but then he also was affirmed by miracles, by the Spirit of God in his life in this place. 00:37:26.239 --> 00:37:29.679 And it says, and then he was seen by angels. 00:37:30.880 --> 00:37:46.559 That he was not only known among man as some good person, he was known among angels as deity, as being God, not just a good person, but a fully God, fully man, person of the triune God. 00:37:48.480 --> 00:38:13.920 And then he was taken up in glory, which means that he is still alive, that he did not live a ripe old age of wisdom and truth and then die some death like the rest of us in some grave, but rather he ascended into heaven with the promise that he will return again to do away with sin and with death to be reunited with those who are his children who are a part of his household. 00:38:14.159 --> 00:38:24.000 He said the mystery of this godliness is great, that Jesus lived, historically present, that he was affirmed by God, he did what the Bible says he did. 00:38:24.159 --> 00:38:31.760 He was not only seen by man, he was seen by angels as being holy and mighty in the perfect sacrifice for sinful creation. 00:38:34.400 --> 00:38:46.559 That he was known, and he was preached among the nations, and he was believed on in the world, that many have heard him, and many have believed, and then he was taken up in glory. 00:38:47.519 --> 00:38:50.639 He says, This is the gospel, this is why we do all of this. 00:38:51.679 --> 00:38:59.760 That Jesus really came, he really saw your sin, he really lived the life you should have lived, he really died for your sin and rose again. 00:39:00.079 --> 00:39:08.800 And if you believe that you are a sinner in need of a savior and that his salvation counted for you, he says, Man, you can have new life through him. 00:39:11.119 --> 00:39:12.320 And that he will return. 00:39:12.400 --> 00:39:14.800 And so there's two responses as we close. 00:39:15.199 --> 00:39:30.079 For those who you've been living with divided affections, you've heard the gospel but never truly believed the gospel, that you can't rip that foot out of the world because uh because it's it's there's so much love there. 00:39:32.159 --> 00:39:57.039 The response would be that you would turn away from your sin, your wisdom, and that you would trust in Jesus for new life, that you would enter his household, that you would repent, and you'd follow Jesus in baptism, that you would follow him in obedience, that you would turn and acknowledge your sin, that you would believe he saved you, and that you'd commit your life to him. 00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:05.679 And then the other response is if you're a follower of Jesus, that you would begin to live the gospel out. 00:40:07.519 --> 00:40:14.880 That you would live it out in your family, that you would live it out in this household, that you would live it out in our community. 00:40:16.800 --> 00:40:23.039 And maybe a not so soft way of saying this, that you wouldn't be dead weight. 00:40:24.239 --> 00:40:29.440 You wouldn't, you wouldn't just be someone who's like, I'm a part of the household, I'm just the guy that takes everything. 00:40:30.559 --> 00:40:42.159 You would say, no, actually, the Lord has called you, He's gifted you, He's equipped you to serve, to be a part of the church family, to experience a boldness in the gospel as you step out in faith. 00:40:44.880 --> 00:40:47.360 You would be a part of what Jesus is doing. 00:40:48.960 --> 00:40:52.559 And maybe as we sing right now, that this would be just your prayer. 00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:58.000 That if you need to know Jesus' Savior, we're gonna have people down here that would love to pray with you and talk with you through that. 00:40:59.280 --> 00:41:03.440 And if you're in here, you're like, man, I I've just been a part, I'm just hanging out. 00:41:05.760 --> 00:41:06.239 Maybe. 00:41:06.480 --> 00:41:08.159 Maybe you'd say, God, where do you want us? 00:41:08.320 --> 00:41:09.519 Where do you want to call me to serve? 00:41:09.679 --> 00:41:13.119 Where do you want to call me to be an active part of this household? 00:41:13.440 --> 00:41:17.599 That I may minister to those around me and grow in a boldness for the gospel. 00:41:17.840 --> 00:41:22.000 Well, you pray with me, God, we love you and we thank you for all you do and all you are. 00:41:22.559 --> 00:41:28.320 We thank you for your hand on our lives, we thank you for your mercy and your grace. 00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:33.920 Lord, as we worship now, would you help us to respond appropriately? 00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:46.159 Lord, would you call us deeper into different ministry areas, whether that's in our workplace, whether that's in this church, whether that's in our neighborhoods or our communities. 00:41:47.119 --> 00:41:49.679 And God, would you go before us in that? 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:56.480 Well, we love you and we thank you for your mercy and your patience. 00:41:58.400 --> 00:42:06.960 But Lord, let us not lean into that, let us not just uh rest thinking you'll be patient forever. 00:42:07.280 --> 00:42:11.119 But God, let us respond with an urgency and an obedience. 00:42:11.760 --> 00:42:14.719 God, would you continue to protect your church and grow your church? 00:42:14.800 --> 00:42:15.920 In Jesus' name we pray. 00:42:16.079 --> 00:42:16.719 Amen. 00:42:17.440 --> 00:42:18.480 Good morning, everyone. 00:42:18.639 --> 00:42:23.119 We are glad you were able to join us, and we pray that it was encouraging for you this morning. 00:42:23.280 --> 00:42:26.559 We ask you to subscribe, that way you can see all of the sermons. 00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:28.960 But we hope to see you in person next week. 00:42:29.199 --> 00:42:30.159 God bless.