Jude’s twenty-four verse epistle is a small but powerful treatise written to warn God’s people against persons, male or female, who stealthily infiltrate the church only to prove themselves to be moral and doctrinal apostates.  Jude says in this regard, “For certain persons have crept in unnoticed…ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness [moral defection] and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ [doctrinal defection]” (v4).   Now, these “ungodly persons” are deceivers at heart.  They look much like you and I do. They tote Bibles, quote the Scriptures, attend the meetings of the church, sing our hymns, etc. — but they are not really of us.  Careful discernment and scrutiny over time will reveal that they are not truly regenerate…that they are natural men who haven’t the spirit of Christ within them.  In fact, the Apostle Paul, in his epistle to Titus, said of these imposters: “They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him” (Titus 1:16). This is a most helpful reminder to us that all deception is nothing but a lie reduced to practice.

So, the warning from Jude this morning is against an ever-present band of spiritless “creepers” who silently worm their way into the fellowship of the local church.  And once accepted in, they make it their insidious enterprise to lure others to follow after their moral and doctrinal error.  All of this, of course, makes Jude’s epistle a needful study for the evangelical church today.  In fact, Jude is very resourceful to give us some characteristics to look for when sniffing out these snakes.  Notice, he says inverse 19: “These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded and devoid of the Spirit.”  Further description is given of these imposters back in verse 12: “These are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts.”  Reefs, as we know, are jagged coral formations that lie silently just beneath the surface of the water where they perforate and sink oblivious ships that pass by. By the expression “love feasts” Jude is referring to these deceivers’ participation with us at our fellowship meals, and in particular, around the Lord’s Table.  And he is careful to point out further, in verse 12, that the disposition of their hearts when they do so is “…without fear, only caring for themselves”.  So to sum up verses 4, 12, and 19 (in no particular order) these hucksters can be identified as the godless, fearless, selfish, worldly-minded, unregenerate faction-makers among us ….who possess only physical life.  They are absolutely devoid of the Spirit, and have no fear to pretentiously participate with the people of God, even in our most solemn communion around the Lord’s Table.  Insidious, isn’t it?  Their mission?  To rip open a few soft hulls by leavening our doctrine…and leading the flock toward ever-sinking defection.

Fortunately, Jude is not one to leave us without remedy and defense against this influence.  He tells us how we may be garrisoned in verses 20-21, saying: “But you, beloved, building yourselves up upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”

Now this is a very important call to responsibility and divine reliance, beloved.  Rest assured, the idea that Christians have no responsibility before the Lord God in exercising diligence and watchfulness in their faith is a concept that is completely foreign to Scripture.  We at Legacy rightly proclaim the sovereignty of God and the doctrines of His sovereign grace….but these truths do not eliminate our responsibility to exhort one another to cultivate our faith…to be watchful for one another…and to warn one another against the deception that begets defection.  We must preach that God is sovereign, and at the same time we must also preach that each one of us has responsibility before the Lord.  Apart from Christ we can do nothing…and at the same time, you who rest secure under God’s sovereign grace are responsible to“…build yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” 

The point is, Jude has not issued a dichotomy to us.  We are never exhorted to live the Christian life ourselves.  Only Christ Himself can do that.  Because that’s true, we are consistently exhorted to seek the help and grace offered by God through the ministry of His word and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  These are the wonderful provisions given to accomplish the work of God within us.  And that work, Christian, is preeminently directed toward your ever-increasing maturity and development in the faith; your sanctification and preservation.

Jude is keenly aware of this principle, saying in verse 21: “Keep yourselves in the love of God.”  Now, to a good Calvinist (to use a label) this statement will seems to juxtapose his doctrine…but, as I said, there is no dichotomy in Jude’s mind.  He knows well that the Christian must work out his or her salvation with the full understanding of the necessity of constant reliance and prayer “…in the Holy Spirit”.  So in Jude’s theology, the “keeping of ourselves within the love of God” is activity that enlists the necessity of reliant prayer in the Holy Spirit for the Lord’s protection and enablement of us as we seek to carry out His will.

With that said, there’s one final encouragement Jude imparts to us in verse 21: “…waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life”. Having exhorted us to exercise personal responsibility, having exhorted us to exercise divine reliance, Jude now exhorts us to exercise eternal perspective.  He says we’re to look for a future manifestation of mercy.  Wasn’t it mercy we sought when divine grace brought us to conviction of sin and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ?  Isn’t it mercy we seek moment by moment as we endeavor to discern and carry out the Lord’s will? Well then, you may rest assured that it must be His mercy upon which we set our gaze as we anxiously anticipate our Lord’s return.  Jude tells us to “wait anxiously” for it  because it is at that time that all of the promises of God are brought to their fulfillment.

Feeding, leaning, and waiting.  When we commit ourselves to cherishing the Scriptures….when we endeavor to pursue the will of God under His strength and grace in the Holy Spirit…and when we fix our gaze upon Christ’s glorious return, we have nothing to fear from the “hidden reefs” among us.  We may confidently expect that the Lord God will preserve us, enable us, and work through us to discern their error and avoid any rupture of the soft metal of our hulls.  The true Christian will be brought safely to heaven’s harbor.

Take a close look at Christendom today – there’s a lot of sinking ships!  Walk into a Christian book store…listen to Christian radio… take notice of diluted, weak saccharine sermons being preached today…look at the pragmatism and worldly remedies being courted in the local church…observe the gross ecumenism, gross universalism, gross legalism, gross mysticism, gross doctrinal and moral error.  It’s not difficult to discern that that the church is careening, fathom after fathom, down the path of apostasy.  And make no mistake, Christian, that path abruptly ends in divine judgment.

May the Lord God in His grace give each of us the hunger to search the Scriptures; to rely more fully upon Him, and to anxiously anticipate Christ’s return.  As Jude says in verse 24 only “He is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy. “

Now, that hymn communicates some magnificent truths, to be sure…but I’m afraid the last element “Rising, He justified freely forever” confuses one particular theological point.  You see, the children of God are not justified by our Lord’s resurrection — we are justified by His death.  Paul makes this point in Romans chapter 5 and verse 9, saying: “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”  So we are justified by what Christ has done in the shedding of the blood, and it was the Father’s ensuing raising of our Lord on the third day that evidences for us that Christ’s justifying work on the cross has been completed.  In fact, it is commonly said that the resurrection was the Father’s “Amen!” to the Son’s “It is finished!”  I think that really puts it on the bottom shelf. To further accentuate the point, Romans 4:25 says: “He who was delivered over because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.” And what the apostle means here simply is that in the cross we see justification completed….but in the resurrection we see justification accepted.  So, we may accurately say that the cross receives its interpretation from the vacant tomb.

Now, there are a couple of questions that we should carefully ponder, in my opinion, in light of our Lord’s resurrection: 1.) What promise does the resurrection hold for the people of God for the future?

2.) What blessing does the resurrection bestow for the people of God for the present?   If I may, I’d like to briefly address these two questions for the remainder of this article.

1. What promise does the resurrection hold for the people of God for the future?  Well 1 Corinthians 15:20 tells us “Now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits [the first of many to follow] of those who are asleep”.  Then Paul goes on to state, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came resurrection from the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive” (vv21-22). I’ve often stated that those fifteen words of verse 22 are the shortest and most comprehensive expression of the gospel found in Scripture.  Now, firstly, when Paul says “…all will be made alive”, the “all” he is referring to is “all” of the elect. Obviously, not all men without exception will be made alive because not all men will believe. Secondly, Paul is not talking about mere “resuscitation” by the expression “made alive”.  What he wants to communicate in this simple passage is that, to be made alive in Christ is to come into the possession of true spiritual life.  Just as spiritual death in every case is traceable to Adam, so too, life indeed is traceable in all cases to Jesus Christ.  Because that’s true, it follows that Christ’s resurrection demands the resurrection and glorification of all who are united to Him through faith.  As it has been stated before, the gospel can be reduced to its simplest form when we understand that at the most profound levels our Lord Jesus Christ has united the destiny of God’s elect with His own. Where He goes, we go.

2. What blessing does the resurrection bestow to the people of God for the present?  It’s always my hope at this time of year that we as a church are grasping in greater measure an understanding that the experience of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is something that is to be consistently present in our lives now.  As I thought about this, this morning, I reflected upon the early church…and this certainly seems to be characteristic of our early predecessors.  Every day was “resurrection day” for the saints of old because every day lived was lived in the experience of the abiding presence of the ever-living and resurrected Christ.

In fact, it disheartens me a great deal to see the church’s common gravitation toward Old Covenant tendencies 2000 years after the inauguration of the New Covenant.   It is seen sometimes in the tremendous vestiges of liturgy expressed in the meetings of the church.  It can even be seen in some religious men who stand behind the pulpit in special garments that bear resemblance, in their glory, to the garments worn by the levitical priests when carrying out their ministry.  It is seen in the life of believers who relegate their Christian experience as outward adherence to a moral code. There is, it seems, a ritualistic and legalistic seed planted deep within the human condition by which even the redeemed sometimes fail to adequately embrace the vivid distinctions between the Old and the New.  All of this, as I said, has relationship to our understanding and appreciation of the present blessings that the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ has bestowed to those in union with Him. In fact, one of the key things that should have been impressed upon us during our lengthy and ongoing study through the epistle to the Hebrews, should be that important statement made in verse 13 of chapter 8: “When He said ‘A new covenant’, He has made the first [the old covenant] obsolete”.  Looking even further back than that to verse 10 of that same chapter, we recall the writer teaching us of the new experience by which God’s people under the New Covenant will relate to Him: “I will put my laws into their minds, and I will write them on their hearts.”

Hebrews has taught us over and over again that the Mosaic economy of ritual, and ceremony, and external religion is no longer valid because the Mosaic Law has been fully satisfied by our Lord Jesus Christ.  As such, the “Old” should not be expressive of the church of Jesus Christ. We now live in the age in which the Spirit has been given to dwell in the hearts of God’s people…and it is His un-frustrated ministry to guide and conduct us throughout our Christian life….unto the very end. Listen, we must come to a place as a church where we understand that we have been raised up with Christ as new creatures… and that, as such, we do not walk by the Law of Moses, but rather, we now endeavor to live under the vital influence and presence of our Lord THROUGH the Spirit in accordance with His word every day. THAT is our responsibility…..to learn what that means, and to resign ourselves accordingly to His directing of us…day, after day, after day.  Because that’s true, “every day ought to be resurrection day from now on”, as the familiar song goes.

Are you, as a believer, truly accepting of the fact that on the basis of what Christ has done, your future destiny has been tied to His own and that you may now confidently look forward to your own resurrection?  And how about life for the present?  Are you, as a believer, truly accepting of the fact that every day in the present experience of your life ought to be “resurrection day” by virtue of the Spirit of the risen and living Christ who dwells within you? I can’t think of a more comforting thing in the world, because the truth concerning our spiritual resurrection now…and our bodily resurrection yet to come…should implicate every experience of the lives of heaven’s pilgrims.  May God enable us to live as the new creatures we are in Christ.  May we be more faithful, more fervent, more vibrant in witness for His glory as we confidently anticipate our future. What a marvelous salvation we have.

 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)

We are a ministry committed to encouraging the ladies of our church to live increasingly godly lives through the exhortation and encouragement of Scripture, through fellowship with other believing women, and through faithful service to our local body in areas consistent with God’s magnificent design for the role of women.

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 Click here for details:  Ladies of Legacy

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