August 8, 2010
Sermon #848
Part 3
Why the Church
Because All Christians Are Called to Minister
Hebrews 10:19 - 25 (NKJV) 19Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 20by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,
21and having a High Priest over the house of God,
22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.
23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.
24And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works,
25not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Introduction: I fully believe that every Christian is a minister. There is a difference in the offices of a Church and ministers of a Church. Today, the Cathedral of His Glory will be ordaining Elders – that is placing them into office. All church members are ministers. Deacons are ministers in particular.
The ministry of Deacons
Acts 6:1 - 6 (NKJV) 1Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
2Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
3Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
4but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
5And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
6whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
The Ministry of Women
- Deacons
Romans 16:1 - 5 (NKJV) 1I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant (deacon) of the church in Cenchrea, 2that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints, and assist her in whatever business she has need of you; for indeed she has been a helper of many and of myself also.
3Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus,
4who risked their own necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.
5Likewise greet the church that is in their house.
Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ. - Evangelists
Matthew 28:1 - 8 (NKJV) 1Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
2And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it.
3His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4And the guards shook for fear of him, and became like dead men.
5But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
6He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
7And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you."
8So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.
John 20:14 - 18 (NKJV) 14Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus.
15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?"
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away."
16Jesus said to her, "Mary!"
She turned and said to Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, Teacher).
17Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, 'I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"
18Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. - Prophesy
Acts 21:7 - 9 (NKJV) 7And when we had finished our voyage from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais, greeted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.
8On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him.
9Now this man had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
ILL: The daughters of Philip both foretold and forth told!
ILL: But what about when Paul said that women were to "keep silent in church?"
1 Corinthians 14:22 - 40 (NKJV) 22Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophesying is not for unbelievers but for those who believe. 23Therefore if the whole church comes together in one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are uninformed or unbelievers, will they not say that you are out of your mind?
24But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
25And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you.
26How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.
27If anyone speaks in a tongue, let there be two or at the most three, each in turn, and let one interpret.
28But if there is no interpreter, let him keep silent in church, and let him speak to himself and to God.
29Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.
30But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.
31For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.
32And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
33For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.
34Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.
35And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.
36Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?
37If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.
38But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.
39Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.
40Let all things be done decently and in order.
ILL: Paul is saying he wants decency and orderly worship. When the early church met, the women were in the back – they were not to holler out when they did not hear or understand.
The ministry of Elders
The requirements
1 Timothy 3:1 - 13 (NKJV) 1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.
2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach;
3not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
4one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
5(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
6not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
7Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
9holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
10But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
11Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
Titus 1:5 - 9 (NKJV) 5For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—
6if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.
7For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,
8but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,
9holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.All Officers of the Church are Elders
1 Peter 5:1 - 4 (NKJV) 1The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed:
2Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
3nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;
4and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.C. The particular role of the Pastor
Acts 15:6 - 22 (NKJV) 6Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter.
7And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: "Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe.
8So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us,
9and made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they."
12Then all the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles. 13And after they had become silent, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, listen to me: 14Simon has declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for His name. 15And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written:
16'After this I will return
And will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down;
I will rebuild its ruins,
And I will set it up;
17So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
Even all the Gentiles who are called by My name,
Says the Lord who does all these things.'
18"Known to God from eternity are all His works.
19Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, 20but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood. 21For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath."
22Then it pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren.
ILL: Question: Who was James? Answer: The Pastor of the Church of Jerusalem where the meeting was held! He had the final word! (He listened to the Apostles and Elders and made his decision based upon the Word and the Spirit!)
No one is to accuse an Elder unless it is before the Elders!
1 Timothy 5:17 - 20 (NKJV) 17Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
18For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer is worthy of his wages."
19Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. 20Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all that the rest also may fear.
ILL: No one in this church should gossip, get on the telephone, the internet, or in any other way come against an Elder in this Church.
Matthew 18:15 - 17 (NKJV) 15"Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.
16But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'
17And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.
ILL: The Word here for "church" is Ekklesia, or governing authority.
Ministry of the Elders
James 5:13 - 17 (NKJV) 13Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms.
14Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.
1 Timothy 3:1 - 2 (NKJV) 1This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach…
