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We meet on the 2nd and  4th Tuesday of every month at 12:00p and in various locations.  For more information on this ministry please contact us at info@lbcofnwa.com. We are currently invested in a rich verse-by-verse study of the epistle to the Ephesians.  Please click the Link below for more information, to include the most recent study-guide and meeting details. We hope you’ll consider joining us. †  

 Link:  Ladies of Legacy

 When We Meet:
Sunday School 9:45a
Worship Service 10:45a

Where We Meet:
Bentonville Boys and Girls Club

This Week’s Order of Worship (Click)

Christ is indeed the Lord from heaven, and by virtue of the divine life communicated to them, His born-again ones are heavenly too.  Because that’s true, the disposition of those who possess divine life, though in the world, realize they are not of the world.  Their prevailing attitude is one of transience; they live as heaven’s ambassadors under pilgrimage in a foreign land.

Now, I really want us to think about that for a moment “Heaven’s ambassadors under pilgrimage in a foreign land.” Is this the way you perceive your condition?  Do you see yourself as a transient, redeemed spirit belonging to a kingdom that is not of this world?  If so, what then do you see as your chief business during your brief stay here? Well I think I know enough of the saints at Legacy to say  that the overwhelming response to this question has been, “My chief business here is to glorify God”.  To that I say “well done”.  My subsequent question is this:  What is the chief stewardship that has been entrusted to the pilgrim who has made it his or her chief business to glorify God?  Now that demands some deeper scrutiny and discernment I think?  How is a Christian to adequately redeem the time here? Where are my efforts to be primarily invested?  Well, I would submit to you that your chief business and my chief business as we journey toward heaven is to manifest and proclaim the very gospel through which we were graciously called…and to take as many of God’s intended heirs with us as we can to our eternal home.

Now, when an heir of heaven has that as their prevailing disposition, rest assured, he or she will begin to feel much more like a traveler here than a citizen.  And while he or she may feel some measure of curiosity regarding the concerns and complexities of this foreign, fading world…the Christian will not be derailed from his chief business, nor delay his journey for the sake of becoming absorbed and even amalgamated into the cares, disturbances and agitations of the local inhabitants here. 

Now, I’m presenting this issue this week because we journeying pilgrims find this foreign land in a bit of a political season these days…and with it, all of the standard mayhem.  Contentions arise between political parties and within political parties; Contentions arise between candidates and the current presidential incumbent.  Slander is tossed about, malignity is issued, indictments are levied – it’s all rather sad.  Sadder still is to see heaven’s pilgrims becoming amalgamated in all of this political controversy and banter. 

Listen, there is no shortage of Christians willing to take a very pointed stand, politically, on matters of morality.  Morality speaks very easily easy because it sounds altogether noble and pious. Perplexingly, however, too few are actually willing to plainly and boldly present the gospel of Jesus Christ as plainly and boldly as they present morality.  It’s really quite an enigma to me…because the gospel is not advanced politically; that is, it is not the church’s prescribed commission to ensure that the “policies of the land” adhere to biblical morality.  Advancing morality is not the chief business of the Christian.  Now, that is not to say that we are not to expose and indict evil…..we are (Eph 5).  But we are not ambassadors for mere morality because morality doesn’t save anyone.  It will not matter, for example, what a woman believes about abortion if she passes into death in the absence of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is a gross error to see the church busying itself as public, political moralists…rather than public heralds for the gospel.  Besides which, as Spurgeon once said:  “A mere moral essay may teach a man to dance, but it does not discern the fact that he has no legs.”   

And so, the distracted Christian goes about interfering with great points of political controversy while making little if any mention of the grace of God in Christ.  And rather than seeing themselves as transient, compassionate ambassadors of the “ministry of reconciliation”, they themselves become entrenched in the controversy of worldlings.  What’s worse, having taken a heated political position they too begin to malign the very rulers they are commanded to respect and honor.  “Honor the king”, says 1 Peter 2:17.  “Do not curse a king”, says Ecclesiastes 10:20.  Which means to say, it is utter impiety…and NOT patriotism… (certainly not Christianity) to indulge resentment or antipathy, or to slander  governors, rulers, kings and even presidents.  God commands you and I to respect and honor these persons in position of authority.  To act conversely in some self-willed, presumptuous manner in order to malign them is to reflect the character of an unregenerate worldling who is without hope and “without God in the world”.  

Now…let’s not confuse the point.  I’m not suggesting at all that the church is to be a community of “isolationists” who endeavor to silently insulate themselves in the world.  That’s the other extreme.  We need to vote, we need to influence, as the Lord gives opportunity. We need to speak out for righteousness. We need to, as Isaiah says, “Reprove the ruthless, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow.” (Isaiah 1:17). That is to say, we are indeed to be salt and light in the world.  Clearly, this was the character of the early church, as is evidenced b the fact that they were constantly enduring a barrage of animosity and antagonism.  That sort of persecution obviously does not precipitate in the absence of making contact with this fading world’s constituents.  But the early church’s agenda was not the moralization of society — it was the conversion of society; it was the saturation of society with the gospel.  And it should be noted that the New Testament bears out very vividly that the early church was given clear directives regarding the Christian’s duty to civil rulers in this enterprise.  Namely, Christians are to be a people of reverent conduct, obedience, speech and disposition before human government, as Paul teaches in Titus 3:1-2 — “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed, to malign no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing every consideration for all men.”

Now there are, no doubt, some (though few) political ventures that could be pursued suitably by the Christian. It is not my intent to disassemble all of it.  But there must be caution because there is great danger, in my estimation, to take a fervently warm interest in political banter and agendas.  Not only is it inconsistent with a transient pilgrim traveling to a far better home, but it can prove very detrimental to one’s Christian vitality.  Vitality will indeed wane grossly in the heart of that brother or sister who is constantly being agitated, and disturbed, and distracted by political exchanges; particularly if he is not invested in seeing every exchange fettered to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Why? Because the end result is that he or she has become a mere “activist” for morality rather than an evangelist for lost souls. It is a grave error indeed not to discern the distinction between the two.

To become so immersed politically so as to be agitated and embittered is highly destructive to the Christian’s witness.  As the 18^th century Baptist Minister Andrew Fuller once wrote:  “Whatever may be the duty of a nation in extraordinary cases, there is scarcely anything in all the New Testament inculcated with more solemnity than that Christians should be obedient, peaceable and loyal Christians; nor is there any sin more awfully censured than the contrary conduct.  It requires not only that we keep within the compass of the laws but that we honour and intercede with God for those who administer them.”

Now I need to interject at this point to remind us that we Christians do not acquiesce to laws/edicts that seek to usurp the will of God as revealed in Scripture.  In such cases “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29).  Mr. Fuller goes on to say, “If we enter into the spirit of the gospel…we shall bear good will to all; and whoever is at the head of affairs, we shall reverence the powers that be.  Whatever be our private opinion of the men, we shall respect and honour the rulers.  That loyalty which operates only with the prevalence of a party, which ever it be, is a great remove from the loyalty enjoined by the Scriptures.  By approving themelves as subject to rulers and good order, Christians would acquire a dignity of character worthy of their profession.”

You and I are not isolationists….but we ARE strangers here.  And you have a far greater stewardship entrusted to you than the transitory political musings of a dying world.  Leave the mire of this ordinary world to worldlings and make it your “politic” to be a bold, compassionate bearer and herald of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Press on toward your eternal home and redeem the time WISELY, because everyday gone is one less day to give. 

Grace to you,

Jeremy

John Dryden, a 17^th century English Poet has said:  “When I consider my heart, it is all a cheat. Yet fooled with hope, I favor this deceit.”  Of course, what Mr. Dryden meant simply was that he acknowledged that his heart was deceitful; and this was a condition he favored by reason of the “situational hope” that his self-deceit produced.  There is probably not a person scanning this article that has not, at times, acknowledged their own heart to be a cheat.  “The heart is deceitful above all things.  Who can know it?” said the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 17:9).  It was that great hymn writer Charles Wesley who once said, “God alone knows the utmost hell of the deceitful heart”.  Sobering words, aren’t they?  But it is quite true that self-deceit is a cardinal expression of human nature.  Make no mistake, there is a thread of hypocrisy that courses through men, and under that hypocrisy he carries the fragile hope that he will be judged upon the lie he is manifesting, rather than upon the truth.      

Now, to put this in perspective, consider how meticulously we guard against temporal/earthly deceptions of seemingly great magnitude.  For example, we render deep scrutiny when making a significant purchase like a car, don’t we?  Sure.  We want to make certain that the vehicle is in sound working condition.  To that end, we examine the motor very meticulously…trying to appraise the mechanical merits of its sorted components.  We may even ask for a history report of the vehicle, or cautiously investigate the dealer for any reputation of trickery.  Or, let’s consider the more sober illustration of warfare.  The field general is very watchful of the enemy, isn’t he?  Behind the line he scrutinizes and discerns every movement they make so as not to be deluded and overrun by some clever strategy.  The U.S. military invests billions of dollars into military instruments of surveillance in order to frustrate any potential of wartime delusion.

Yet you and I are presently engaged in a far more important campaign than even earthly warfare.  I sure hope we realize that.  I mean, don’t you profess to be making a pilgrimage to heaven? Aren’t you seeking an eternal weight of glory? I certainly hope you are.  Yet delusion is a very crafty and cunning enemy that endeavors to fool a man with “situational hope” in order to escort him straight to hell and shut him out of heaven forever.  And that is why with all the deception in the world, there is none greater than that which is connected with the interests of eternity.  One commentator has said on this subject:  “The destitute are mindful of their poverty and the sickly feel their lack of health. But untold thousands who are impoverished for eternity suppose themselves to be heirs of immortal life, and yet are plummeting even now into the arms of eternal death.” Very sobering truth, I’m afraid.

You know what that tells me?  Well, it tells me that there may be no ministry more expedient for you and I than the ministry of “self-acquaintance”.  To that end the apostle Paul said, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you – unless indeed you fail the test?” (2 Cor 13:5).   In other words, Paul is asking explicitly: “Do you see evidence of Christ in you?” How needful this consistent examination is for us!  Charles Spurgeon said: “What benefit is there in all else you may know, if you know not yourself?  The Spirit of Christ must be evidenced in your heart, formed and living there, or else ye are mere pretenders, spurious professors; your religion is but a vanity and a show.”

In fact, this ministry of self-acquaintance (that is, the examination of the evidence of one’s possession of the Spirit of Christ) was strongly set forth by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself in the parable of the ten virgins (I won’t offer a detailed examination of that marvelous illustration in this article, but it can be readily found for your personal study in Matthew 25).  Now, you may recall that of the ten professing believers, pictured as ten virgins in the parable, the Lord indicated no less than half as being self-deceived. “Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent”, He teaches us.  Now the five who were foolish, were foolish at the outset, but their delusion was such that they did not discover their self-deception until…when? Until the season/opportunity of grace had run its course…and at that point, they were all called to meet the Bridegroom.  It was only then, when there was no further opportunity, that the five foolish virgins realized that their lamps were devoid of the oil needed to go with the Bridegroom.

Now, this wonderful parable teaches us, firstly, that qualification for entrance into the kingdom of heaven is the possession of the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle said in Romans 8:9, “If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.”  In other words, it is the possession of the Holy Spirit that distinguishes the true believer from the mass of lost humanity.  And the test of true possession of the Holy Spirit is, of course, the fruit that the Spirit bears in the life of a man.  You see?  That is to say that self-examination doesn’t seek the means of righteousness….but rather, it seeks the evidence of righteousness in one’s life through the disposition and enablement produced under the power of the indwelling Spirit.

Which means to say, that a person may have great esteem for religion outwardly. He many have great esteem for the church and for the truth, outwardly.  But the outward expression apart from the inward reality is meaningless hypocrisy. Subsequently, we must be careful to examine closely our profession and disposition.  As one pithy puritan put it: “We must be diligent to only form that opinion of ourselves which we have reason to believe the Lord God has formed of us.”

To that end, examine the reality of your profession.  Become self-acquainted with the sincerity of your faith.  Is it heartfelt?  Is it sincere?  Is it fixed entirely, exclusively upon Jesus Christ?  Is it living and active?  Do you see it mightily operative in your heart toward mortifying sin; toward pursuing holiness, toward overcoming the world…for the glory of Christ? And, further, has this made you the possessor of true peace?

Become self-acquainted with the character of your conduct.  Do you sincerely endeavor to imitate Jesus Christ…at work…at home…among your fellow saints?  Are you intimately guided by the Holy Spirit?  Does the word of God richly occupy your thoughts?  Is it the grid by which you endeavor to frame and discipline your life?

Become self-acquainted with your disposition and thoughts.  Do you exude humility borne out of the heart?  Do you see evidence of meekness and gentleness? Is it your eager desire to forgive, and to lovingly cover another’s offenses toward you? Do you demonstrate true patience and forbearance (long-suffering) under adverse circumstances?  Do you find yourself commonly giving way to pride, resentment, and anger to the extent that one could say such dispositions predominantly characterize you?

Become self-acquainted with your mouth, and subsequently your heart.  Our Lord said, “The mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart” (Mat. 12:34).  Do you keep watch over the words that might breach your teeth? Do you gossip?  Do you malign and slander your fellow Christian?  Do you exude complaint?  Conversely, are the praises of Christ sincerely and readily on your lips? Do you find yourself eagerly and commonly speaking encouragements to you brothers and sisters in Christ? Do you endeavor to lovingly admonish, confront and speak the truth to God’s people in order to keep them from wandering into sin, temptation?

There are other encouragements to offer as it relates to this issue of self-acquaintance, but I’ve already gone beyond my standard two-page limit!  The point is, make self-acquaintance your common personal ministry.  Here’s a recommendation I’d like to pass along to you: Make it a point to look back upon the day that has just passed, or the week that has just passed.  Consider the evils and faults you discover there, and to train your mind to be mindful of them so that you may abhor them, confess them, and avoid them tomorrow.  Make it a point to ask yourself: “What progress do I see in my pilgrimage to heaven?” What sins must I disentangle from in order to run with endurance the great race set before me?” (Heb 12:1).

Equally important, reflect daily upon the tender graces and mercies shown to you so prolifically by the Lord God.  Give praise daily to the Giver.  Reflect continually upon the gospel of His grace; and the magnificent ministry of Jesus Christ who loved you by “giving Himself for you in order to redeem you from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession.” (Titus 2:14).

Finally, consider Peter’s words who exhorted us, saying, “Be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing of you, for as long as you practice these things you will never stumble; for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantly supplied to you.”  (1 Peter 1:10-11).

God’s peace to you, today.

Jeremy

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Obviously, all that could be said regarding deacons cannot make its way in this article, but I hope to offer at least a helpful (albeit broad) treatment this morning.

Now, in the last couple of articles I have sought to demonstrate that the New Testament sets forth a rather clear blueprint for the kind of order that the Lord intends for the local church.  Very plainly, the simple New Testament construct of a plurality of elders supported by deacons satisfies God’s design for the church as an instrument of evangelism and of building up the saints.  Nonetheless, it seems we are a species possessing a great propensity to complicate simplicity…and then call it “improvement”.  I’m convinced that it is one of the fundamental functions of human depravity to lose interest in things that are simple, and then to find ways to complicate them in order to keep ourselves interested.  Church order has suffered much “sophistication” in this manner over the centuries, I’m afraid.  But church order, when endeavored to harmonize with the New Testament design, can be a critical feature, among others, toward Legacy being a useful conduit and proper witness for the gospel.

Now, as further preface, I think I need to say something briefly in order to clarify the language I use regarding elders and deacons.  When you hear me refer to these as “church officers” it is for the purpose of distinguishing the functions that they as officials are entrusted to uphold.  The elder is a person who functions as an overseer and shepherd of the flock of God, as we saw last week. The deacon, on the other hand, is a person who functions as one who assists the elders in the care and shepherding of the flock. So the New Testament stresses the function of these offices…and not the position of the office itself.  It is very important that we maintain a proper perspective in this regard.

With that said, let’s take look at the 1 Timothy 3 text beginning in verse 8: “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity.”  The word “deacon” is an English word derived from the word “diakonos”, and it means simply a “minister”; that is, “a servant”…or, “one who serves”.  Now, we don’t want to confuse this with someone who is “servile”; that is, a person whose will is altogether consumed in and subordinate to the will of someone else, perhaps even involuntarily.  There is a Greek word for that – it’s the word “doulos”, and it speaks to enslavement.  But “diakonos” (deacon) is different from that.  The main force of the word is “a voluntary attendant who renders service to the advantage of another.”  There are other interesting uses for this word throughout the New Testament, but in particular (and for purposes of this article) the deacon is a voluntary attendant rendering service to the church in assistance to the elders. A deacon does not hold authority over the flock, mind you.  He is not given the responsibilities of governing in the church.  His responsibility is purely to render service, to the flock’s advantage, under the oversight of the elders.  And what a magnificent thing it is to be a servant.

In fact, if one wishes to see a great demonstration of the work of a deacon, one need only to consider the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. To His disciples he said, “Whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant [diakonos]….for even the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve [diakoneo], and to give His life a ransom for many.”  (Mark 10:45).  You see, the Lord Jesus Christ came to be a Deacon, in a sense.  That is, He came to render service to the advantage of many by virtue of yielding His on Calvary’s cross as a payment for their sins.  I’ll say it again….what a magnificent thing to be a servant.

There is just such a beautiful simplicity in the order that the Lord has established for the care of His sheep.   As elders, Rusty and I have, as our function, the work of oversight and shepherding to the benefit of the flock.  So too, as deacons, both Matt Cockrell and Robert Nida have as their function the work of assisting the elders by rendering needful care service to the benefit of the flock.  It’s as simple as that.  And  please notice again, whether we’re talking about elders or deacons, the stress is on the function, and the work, and the service of the office to the benefit of God’s people….not upon some “dignity” (if I can use that term) applied to the position itself.

Now, I don’t intend in a brief article like this to address all of the qualifications for the office of deacon, but I do want to address some features of the expected character of deacons, as set forth in the text before us.  Firstly, notice in verse 8 again, deacons are to be “…men of dignity” (“semnos” in the Greek).   In other words, they should be venerable men. That’s right…..the deacon should be a man who inspires respect among the people of God.  That makes sense, doesn’t it?  Paul then goes on to define, in part, what sort of man it IS that that commands the respect of his peers in the church, by first describing what the deacon IS NOT.  He is not to be “double- tongued” (speaking out of both sides of his mouth; characteristic of a people-pleaser).  Secondly, he is not to be “addicted to much wine” (drunkenness).  And thirdly, he is not to be “fond of sordid gain” (greediness).  So to sum up, a deacon should not be a “double-talking, drunken money-lover”.  That’s not the kind of man that will command needful respect among God’s people, nor will he be a valid witness for the gospel.

So what SHOULD characterize the deacon?  Well, verse 9 tells us clearly that any deacon commanding the respect of God’s people SHOULD BE a man who “holds to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience”.  Now I want you to notice that phrase “the faith”.  That term speaks to the content of sound Christian doctrine.  Also worth noting, the word “mystery” doesn’t mean something that is spooky or mysterious.  Rather, it suggests that divine truth is hidden from the natural man and only revealed by the gracious enlightenment brought about by the Holy Spirit.  In other words, the deacon had better be a man who is qualified in sound biblical doctrine as revealed to the apostles by the Holy Spirit.

Now don’t confuse this with suggesting that teaching is a fundamental function of the office of deacon.  It’s not.  A deacon may or may not be gifted to teach.  But a deacon must have a comprehensive grasp of the Christian faith…and furthermore, he must hold to it with…what? “…a clear conscience”, verse 9 concludes.   In other words, his life should be expressive of the Christian doctrine he adheres to.  His conscience ought not to condemn him for the life he leads when abutted alongside his doctrine.  That is why Paul is diligent to bring verse 10 to bear immediately upon the description in verse 9, saying “And let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”

Listen, beloved — the local church must be diligent to choose their deacons very carefully.  I want to speak to that for a moment, because I think largely many churches endeavor to select deacons based preeminently upon some perceived aptitude for service.  But nowhere does Paul indicate that aptitude for service is a prerequisite for the office.  Do you know why? Because aptitude for service should be the accepted default characteristic among ALL Christians!  Now, that is not to say that some among us do not have an enhanced spiritual propensity for service….Scripture reveals many do (Rom 12:7).  What I am suggesting is that a heightened propensity for service is nowhere catalogued as a component of selection for the office of deacon. And in fact, to relegate selection to a preeminent focus upon this characteristic, over and against those issued by Paul in our text this morning, is to tragically misunderstand the gravity of this office to the detriment of the witness of the local church.

Upon what basis or criteria should the local church appoint deacons?  Why, they are to be carefully chosen as men who command the respect of God’s people by virtue of their character.  They are to be carefully chosen as men who possess a comprehensive grasp of sound Christian doctrine.  And they are to be carefully chosen as men whose consciences do not condemn them as they consider their personal lives over and against the doctrine that they profess to adhere to.  Lastly, in all of this, they are first to be carefully observed by the church to ensure that they are in possession of the kind of character and doctrinal comprehension that Paul has set forth, before any appointment to the office is made.     

Lastly, it is my conviction — and it is the position of LBC — that the term for a deacon as an “official” in the local church is indefinite, so long as he effectively and faithfully serves under the conditions outlined above.  As you may or may not know, the Elders at Legacy are responsible to “…review each Deacon’s life in view of their demonstrated qualifications, during the month of March of each year” as outlined in our church constitution — a responsibility that is being faithfully observed.

What a wonderful feature of the Church that Lord has ordained by virtue of the office of deacon.  And it is no insignificant ministry, beloved.  As Paul states in verse 13:  “Those who served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” J. Ligon Duncan said of this verse: “Those who most give themselves away, and most die to their own selves—their own desires, their own agendas—are the ones who live with the most freedom and joy and satisfaction and fulfillment.  And so as these deacons give themselves away in washing the feet of the brethren, in serving them in mercy ministry, they attain high standing and great confidence in the Lord.” What an encouragement to our deacons!  What a privilege to serve the Lord’s church in this way!

Have you prayed for Matt and Robert as of late? Have you prayed for their families that tirelessly support their tireless endeavor to wash the feet of the saints at Legacy  — a ministry of care and mercy to the flock of God?  Would you consider praying for them this morning?

Prayer:  “Gracious Father, we indeed thank You for the constant provisions made to Your people.   We thank You that it is Your intention that deacons be diffused within the body of Christ, so that by virtue of their sacrificial service Your people might be cared for, ministered to, and edified.  Bless Matt and Robert as they serve, and present us with a model of service.   May they continue to be men of dignity, holding fast to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.  And as they serve, would you cause their gaze always to be fixed upon the preeminent sacrifice of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who came not be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.  Be it as such according to Your will and for Your glory.  Amen.”

“Aletheia” will return in January.

Grace to you,

Jeremy

It’s curious to me that this is the case because the New Testament seems to issue a rather clear and plain blueprint for church order: Elders and Deacons.  Seems like a simple construction, doesn’t it? Well…it is.  It is one of the great diseases of the human condition to sophisticate and complicate that which is set forth in simplicity.  The simple New Testament construct of a plurality of elders supported by deacons satisfies God’s design for the church as an instrument of evangelism and of building up the saints. That being said, my endeavor in this article will be to provide a very broad overview of the appointment and primary responsibilities of the elders in the church (we won’t address qualifications in this article).  We’ll complete this month’s series of articles on church organization with a treatment on the office of deacon next week.  Let’s begin with a look at 1Timothy 3:1 – “It is a trustworthy statement: If any man aspires to the office of overseer…”

Now, the phrase “office of overseer” is referring to an overseer-ship.  The Greek word is “episkope” which is translated “bishop” and means “one who oversees” or “an overseer”.  So this is a term that suggests function rather than title.  In other words, the function of oversight is the function of those who bear the title/position of “elder”.  Stated another way, the elder functions as an overseer — simple as that.  Now, it’s worth noting that some people disagree with the position that elder and bishop refer to the same office, but I think the New Testament refutes this pretty clearly. We don’t have time to cite all the texts, but one that comes to  mind is Philippians 1:1 where Paul, in his opening greeting to the church at Philippi, states “…to the saints who are in Christ Jesus in Philippi, including the overseers [bishops] and deacons…” (1:1)

Clearly Paul is intending to address the elders by function of their office rather than by title.  Omitting the elders from an address like this would be completely inconsistent with Paul.  So bishop is just another term for elder.  And notice, by the way, there is no address made by Paul in his introduction to “the Senior Pastor”.  As I stated last week, the idea that a “Senior Pastor” presides administratively over the church is a humanly-devised office that has crept in over the centuries, and would be met with some disdain by the apostles if they were to walk into most “First Baptist” churches today.  

Now, returning our focus to 1Timothy 3:1, notice Paul states, “If any man aspires to the office of overseer… “it is a fine work he desires to do.”  That word “aspires” is “oregomai” in the Greek, and it means to “reach out after something”.  And notice please, it is NOT the title of the office that a noble candidate aspires to…but rather, it is the “fine work” of this office.  That is to say, it is the function of the position that “he desires to do.”  That’s very important.  This man must be motivated to the fine work of committed service to the Lord Jesus Christ by virtue of overseeing the Lord’s flock; the church. Paul said to the elders at Ephesus, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers [bishops], to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” (Acts 20:28).  In this sobering text we see both the intended work and the proper motivation — Namely, guarding and shepherding the flock of God for whom our Lord Jesus Christ yielded His life.  What a magnificent and humbling charge!

Do you remember our Lord’s interview with Peter in John 21 following His death and resurrection?  “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” said the Lord.  “Yes Lord”, replied Peter, “You know that I love You”.  Our Lord responded with the directive, “Tend My Lambs”.  2 more times, the Lord questioned Peter in the same way, and each time Peter affirms his love for the Lord.  And after each affirmation from Peter the Lord responds with the directives “Shepherd my sheep” and “Tend My sheep”.  In other words, sincere love for Jesus Christ is demonstrated by meticulous care for the church…and meticulous care for the church must be preeminently motivated by a sincere love for Jesus Christ. 

In fact, the Acts 20:28 text I’ve just cited is a good text to remain in for remainder of this article. Notice in this verse that the origin of one’s call into the eldership is divine appointment by the Holy Spirit.  “…the Holy Spirit has made you overseers”, says Paul.  Now we understand how it is that a man may sincerely aspire to the office of overseer.  It is the mobilization in his heart by the work of the Holy Spirit.  Any aspiration motivated by position rather than by an eagerness for  the “fine work” of that position done in adoration to Christ, I assure you, in not an aspiration reflective of a man who has been called by the Spirit to that office. 

Well, with what little space I have left, I want to speak briefly to Paul’s directive in verse 28 that elders “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock…..shepherd the church of God”.   Here we see the critical stewardship entrusted to the elder/overseer.  Namely, shepherding and guarding:

1. Leading/shepherding: There is only one Shepherd – the Lord Jesus Christ.  Elders serve as under-shepherds to the Shepherd the flock who has entrusted His sheep to their care.  So what activity should the elder be invested in?  Well, like any shepherd (small “s”), he should be watchful; careful to discern the activities of the flock.  He should endeavor to care for the needs of the sheep.  As a shepherd, he must of course feed the flock; that is, he must teach the flock the word of God.  He must endeavor to constantly direct them toward the proper pasture of truth. 

2. Guarding: The elder/under-shepherd should always maintain a keen eye toward potential danger that might seek entry into the flock.  He is to protect the church from sin and false doctrine.  In Titus 1:9 Paul states the overseer must be one who is always “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to [now notice] exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict.” Paul goes on to state that there are just a lot of babbling heresies always coming out of mouths “that must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain”.  That is why there must be courage in an elder to call a spade a spade, and to confront error in the church. Doctrinal error always, always leads inevitably to a weakening of the vital life and influence of the church, so every elder should have protection as a preeminent focus of his ministry.  It should be an issue that weighs heavily upon his heart. 

There is a 3^rd and final element that ties closely with shepherding and guarding, and is worth addressing briefly.

3. Discipline: The elders, as a body of rule in the church must be corporately diligent in matters requiring church discipline.  This is an issue that is difficult for me to speak to so briefly because I am heart-broken over the unwillingness in so many churches to adhere to this very important responsibility — just heart-broken.   Elders have a responsibility to confront moral or doctrinal error in the church and to carry out the very clearly outlined steps of biblical discipline. I‘ve had some vivid experiences in this arena, and I can tell you that church discipline, when carried out appropriately, is designed to restore a professing brother or sister to right relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Any elder professing love and loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ, should love His church enough to carry out this important responsibility. No matter how much we may desire to tread a less difficult course, our loyalties always, ALWAYS must reside first with the Lord Jesus Christ and the exaltation of His righteousness.  The Lord is deeply concerned about the purity of His Church, and discipline is an important means toward maintaining that purity.  Legacy’s witness for the Lord Jesus Christ will never be the vital testimony that God intends it to be for winning souls if we are unwilling to confront and discipline immorality and doctrinal error in our midst.

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His blood”.  There is not a verse that haunts me more than this one, if I may use that term.  This is an entrustment for which I, Rusty and all elders are accountable to Christ.  Please make it your daily resolve to pray for Rusty and I…and for our wives and families.  Indeed, pray fervently for all the saints numbered at Legacy.

We’ll visit the office of deacon next week.

Grace to you,

Jeremy

I hope to spend the remainder of November discussing the issue of church organization, and in particular, the positions of elders and deacons. I’m overdue with this topic, I think…although, we’ve had some opportunity recently to address this in Sunday School.  I think this is a topic that holds some ambiguity for the evangelical church today.  There seems to be an impression that Scripture does not set forth a clear prescription for church organization. This is evidenced by the seemingly endless varieties of church polity (system of government) set forth in many churches today. Denominations differ greatly in this matter of church order.  Further still, we do not give proper credence or diligence as we ought to this important subject..and our understanding suffers. You may yourself, as you read this article, struggle over the importance of what I hope to set before you this morning, and within the remaining articles in November.

I would assert, however, that a local church, when ordered and organized in a way that reflects the Biblical pattern, enables that local body, in part, to be the fruitful instrument for the gospel that the Lord God intends us to be.  That is not to say that a church that appears to have all of its “I’s” dotted and “T’s” crossed will always be vibrant and fruitful.  It is possible (and common) to be very well structured…and simultaneously very dead.  The New Testament is strewn with the accounts of churches established under direct apostolic oversight that still suffered many complications.  In fact, most of the epistles of the NT were written, in part, to address significant difficulties that arose in those 1^st century churches.  So I don’t want to suggest that the fruit of a local church is contingent solely upon its organization.  But I do assert that a church organized in harmony with the New Testament pattern positions itself to more adequately fulfill the will of God for the church.  Harmony with Biblical patterns and fruit-bearing go hand in hand, as we know.

Naturally then, we would have to conclude that church order is an issue of great important to the Lord God, In fact, Ephesians 3 tells us that it is God’s design that “His manifold wisdom might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in heavenly places.” In other words, it is the purpose of God, through the instrument of the church, to put on display His manifold wisdom before an enamored angelic audience populating heaven.  Angels go to school every day. The curriculum is “God’s manifold wisdom”…and the object of study is the universal church — the community of the redeemed allocated across visible, localized churches.  Clearly then, the organization of the local church is a matter of great importance, and I hope to set some elements before you over the next couple weeks to clarify the New Testament pattern. 

Now, no one understood the importance of establishing order/organization in local churches better than the Apostle Paul.  In fact, his first epistle to Timothy was written largely with this concern in mind. For in chapter 3 and verse 15 of that letter to his young delegate, the Apostle says, “These things I write to you so that you know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church.”  In other words, “Timothy, God wants order established in His household, and I’ve written a few things down to help you understand the organization and activities that He desires.” Now there were many issues and activities beyond church polity addressed in this epistle, but the summary statement given in verse 15 comes immediately after Paul’s prescription for the establishment and character of both “overseers” and “deacons” (3:1-13).   So he’s trying to mentor his young protégé to come to an understanding of the obligation Timothy had to put God’s household in proper order…and the appointment of elders and deacons played a very important part to this end. So too, Paul wrote to Titus, his delegate in Crete, saying “For this reason I left you in Crete that you might set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.”  (Titus 1:5).  Clearly there is a relationship then between proper organization and the appointment of elders.  Paul doesn’t address the topic of deacons specifically in the epistle to Titus, but the appointment of deacons, as we’ve noted, is established elsewhere in the New Testament.

Now my intent is to apportion our focus upon the elders in next week’s article, and then upon the deacons in the final article for this month. As a precursor to the article discussing elders…and as a bit of an entrée into that topic, it is important at the outset to stress again that the Head of the Church is the Lord Jesus Christ.  I know that goes without saying, but it seems to be something that we must constantly set forth because it has become a wide and normative practice of local churches to suggest that headship of the local church is entrusted to a single man who bears the title “Senior Pastor”….or “Executive Pastor”…whatever that means.  This, however, is an installment/practice that is totally foreign to Scripture.  Scripture never sets forth the construct of a single man as “the pastor” who serves as some lead magistrate over a local church by virtue of his office. Such a notion is completely foreign to Scripture.  In fact, you will never find any reference to any man as being installed as “Senior Pastor of the church at Ephesus”, or “Pastor of the church at Thessalonica”.  Lord willing, there will never be a “Senior Pastor of the church at Legacy.”  These are unfortunate designations that have emerged over the course of church history and are entirely outside of Scripture.  There is but one Head of the local church, and that Head is He who is Head over the Universal Church – the Lord Jesus Christ.  “He is the head of the body; the church” says Colossians 1:18. More to come next week, Lord willing.

Looking forward to our next assembling together.

Grace to you,

Jeremy

“No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him.”

There is a story of a young soldier who, after recently enlisting in the Army, was invited to attend a wedding.  So he made request to his Commanding Officer in this regard, saying “Sir, I wish to take a brief leave of absence this Sunday in order to attend the wedding of a friend.”  The officer gladly granted the request, saying “Very well, but be sure to report back for duty by 6:00p.”  The soldier replied, “But sir, you don’t understand…I’m IN the wedding.” The officer very soberly replied, “No, you don’t understand…you’re IN the Army!”

It is evident that the soldier and his commanding officer shared very different views regarding what is meant by “enlistment into service”.  The resolute officer redirected the young soldier by pointing out that the price of commitment to the Army’s causes only becomes too high when one’s affections become entangled in inferior interests.  Like this young soldier, Timothy too had been enlisted…but into a far greater service. And under an infinitely greater Commander. His enlistment was intended to serve the advancement of the gospel and the causes of the Kingdom of Heaven.  He was, to this end, the apostle Paul’s appointed legate, entrusted with great responsibility to the churches.  It seems, however, that Timothy had begun to weaken spiritually under the great price of committed Christian service.  No doubt, Paul feared that his young protégé might go AWOL altogether.  In fact, to some extent Timothy already had. The embers of his once-fervent faith had begun to cool a bit (1:4) because Timothy, it would seem, had allowed circumstances to distract him.

So the apostle, like any good fellow soldier, endeavors to redirect Timothy; firstly by reminding him that gospel ministry and Kingdom work is akin to a “soldier in active service”.   Accurate perspective is so important, isn’t it beloved?  How critical it is that we diligently maintain a proper point of view concerning the purposes of God, our union with Christ, and our now-temporal position as Christians! Let me ask you — do you see your Christian position as being, in part, as analogous to a divine enlistment into the enterprise of waging war? Rest assured, the apostle Paul did.  In fact, the Authorized states it this way: “No man who warreth entangles himself”.  That language makes rather plain to us that the Christian, at least in part, is an instrument of warfare.  I won’t belabor that point, but please take a moment to revisit Ephesians 6:10-18 and you’ll see vividly the Christian position from Paul’s perspective.  

Now notice that that Paul hasn’t designated the Christian as a mere standby soldier. That is, you and I are not benched resources.  We are not in the “military reserves”, so to speak.  Paul says we have been introduced into….what? “…active service”.  We’re on the front lines! The force of this phrase has the idea of being mobilized, in position; ready, and fit for the duty of warfare.  Now at this point, someone might be saying to them self, “Well that’s exactly where I want to be. How do I maintain a position of being fit for duty?” Paul has an answer: No soldier worth his/her boots “entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life “.  “Affairs” is plural, so it is intended to address various distractions.  It speaks to ordinary preoccupations, jobs, personal interests, social activities, school, etc  — just general, temporal affairs. 

Now when we begin to peel this onion further, things start to hit home a bit.  I remember the account in Pilgrim’s Progress where a professing believer who comes upon Faithful and Christian on their trek to the Celestial City begins proudly speaking of his great faith. Faithful inquires of Christian if he knows the talkative newcomer and Christian replies “Yes, I know this man…..but his religion is only in his mouth”.  So too Paul’s language brings capacity to reveal those whose religion is only in their mouth.  It’s easy to sound devoted, isn’t it?  It’s easy to wax poetic about how one loves to serve the interests of the gospel.  But our distractions tell on our hearts in this regard, if we’re being honest.  Paul is obviously speaking of temporal concerns, and he has made it both implicitly and explicitly clear that a distraction would be defined as anything that has garnered more attention than your enlistment…and therefore only serves to incapacitate your service.  In fact the word “entangle” is, in the Greek, “empleko”. It’s a vivid word that means “To be involuntarily interlaced to the point of immobility”, and is was used literally of sheep whose wool had become caught in briars or thorns.

In my own experience in ministry, I’ve noted that the greatest briars entangling the Lord’s sheep come from these 3 primary affairs: 1) The contingencies of life; 2) Career/Job; 3) Hobbies/Personal Interests.  Our application of Paul’s point to Timothy is that Christian service MUST be predicated upon one’s disentanglement from these everyday affairs if one endeavors at all to maintain a mobilized and ready position as an effective instrument for the Kingdom.  Does that mean we should not have a job, or take interest in a hobby? Of course not!  But neither should these affairs become idols, garnering an ungodly portion of your time to the extent that it mitigates your effectiveness for the Kingdom and participation among your fellow soldiers. 

I do however want to speak for a moment regarding the contingencies of life because there is particular danger in entanglement here.  This is the mind-set that constantly, anxiously pours over the question “What if?” The Church of God should not be disturbed and anxious as we are over life’s uncertain outcomes.  Doing so only serves to protract temporal, shallow thinking.  I came across a secular quote recently from that said “I’m not so much concerned about the end of the world as I am the end of the month.”

Now all of us have some experience with this anxiety, but it’s sad that it should grip us as it does. The Lord Jesus said concerning the contingencies of life “Do not be anxious” about these things“…for all these things the Gentiles seek” (Mt 6:32).   Why is it that the anxious characteristics of the Gentiles so saturate the church of Jesus Christ today? Because we’re not, in some seasons, any more convinced that God is adequate than the “Gentiles” who have no Father in heaven.  And the results are disastrous, as Paul has pointed out. It renders us too preoccupied and inert for active service. “Seek first the Kingdom” are the words of our Lord (Mt 6:33).  It is into that enterprise that you have been enlisted.  It must garner your greatest affections, your greatest loyalties, your greatest service, and your greatest commitment. There is not an institution; there is not a job; there is a personal interest, there is not a blood-born relationship that is greater than the eternal interests of the King and His Kingdom.  Calvin said of our text today: “The condition of military discipline is such, that as soon as a soldier has enrolled himself under a General, he leaves his house and all his affairs, and thinks of nothing but war; and in like manner, in order that we may be wholly devoted to Christ, we must be free from all the entanglements of this world.” 

Now…why should the Christian want to be a ready, disentangled, mobilized soldier for Christ? Paul concludes this exhortation in V4 by stating, “So that we he please the One who enlisted him.”  Our enlistment into active service is by virtue of divine calling, and our most noble ambition under our enlistment should be to render service that is pleasing to the Lord.  Paul says elsewhere concerning this “We have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ.”  (2 Cor. 5:9-10).

What should be the disposition of the mobilized soldier for Christ?  His will is totally absorbed in the will of his Commander.  This is the grand purpose of the minister of the gospel.  He is to pursue no separate plans, and to harbor no separate will of his own.  He is to become disentangled from such affairs, and to set before himself/herself the singular ambition of pleasing Christ.  Where are you entangled today?

Grace to you,

Jeremy