WEBVTT

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 All right, well this morning we are continuing our journey through 1 Timothy.

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 It is a letter in the New Testament that was written by the Apostle Paul on behalf of the Lord Jesus

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 to Timothy, who was stationed in the church at Ephesus.

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 And in this letter we receive instructions about how the church ought to conduct itself.

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 Last Sunday we heard about how the church should be led.

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 We heard Paul lay out the requirements for overseers.

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 And we looked at a number of other passages in the New Testament,

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 which when we take them all together, give us a clear framework for leadership in the church.

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 We saw how the church is to be led by a group of men called elders or overseers,

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 whose primary responsibility is to shepherd or pastor the church,

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 to lead, to teach, to protect, and to care for the people of the church.

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 And we saw from several passages that overseers are to have authority in the church

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 and that the rest of the church is to submit to and follow their leadership.

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 So Paul has laid out the requirements for overseers in the church in chapter 3, verse 1 to 7.

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 And now he will do the same for the official position of deacon from verses 8 to 13.

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 Let me read it for us straight out of the Bible.

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 1 Timothy 3, verse 8.

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 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine,

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 and not pursuing dishonest gain.

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 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

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 They must first be tested, and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

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 In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers,

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 but temperate and trustworthy in everything.

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 A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well.

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 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.

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 Now it's very important at the outset to know that when the Bible speaks about deacons,

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 it is much less clear than it is about elders.

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 Aside from this passage that we just read, there are only two other mentions of deacons in the New Testament,

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 and they're just mentions.

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 There's no job description given for deacons in the New Testament.

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 The passage we just read is not a job description.

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 It doesn't tell us the role of deacons.

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 It merely states the requirements to be a deacon.

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 And so because the role of a deacon is much less clearly defined in the Bible than elder or overseer,

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 we should be much more charitable and gracious with other Christians

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 who come to a different understanding and practice on this matter.

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 Let's look quickly at the other two passages which mention deacons.

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 The first is Philippians 1.1.

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 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

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 to all God's holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi,

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 together with the overseers and deacons.

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 So this is just Paul and Timothy addressing a letter to the church in Philippi,

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 and they mention the overseers and the deacons as being recipients of the letter.

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 However, there's not a whole lot to learn about deacons here,

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 but there is something.

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 Overseers and deacons are two distinct groups.

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 They're two distinct roles or offices in the church.

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 They're not the same thing,

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 which means that deacons are not the ones that oversee,

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 direct the affairs of the church.

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 As we saw last Sunday, that's the role of the overseers or the elders.

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 So the role of a deacon is not to lead or direct the affairs of the church,

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 and it must be something other than that.

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 For one reason or another,

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 and I think this is more common in Baptist churches than in some others,

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 many churches today have slipped into a form of church leadership

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 where they're being led by a board of deacons.

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 And it's kind of confusing.

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 Some of these churches don't even have elders.

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 A group of deacons has kind of become the authoritative decision-making group in the church,

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 like a church board.

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 And in some cases, they're functioning like elders,

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 or they're trying to,

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 even though some of them may not meet the qualifications of elders.

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 And then there are fights and power struggles happening between pastors and deacons boards.

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 And this is what can happen when we don't carefully follow the instructions

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 and the pattern given us in Scripture regarding elders and overseers in the church.

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 Whatever deacons are, they're not the overseers of the church.

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 The second mention of deacons happens in Romans chapter 16, verse 1.

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 Paul's writing to the church at Rome, and he says,

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 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Centuria.

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 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people,

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 and to give her any help she may need from you,

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 for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.

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 And here's where the debate and the lack of clarity begins.

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 Some of your Bibles say Phoebe, a servant of the church in Centuria.

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 Some say Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Centuria.

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 Why the difference?

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 Very simply, the word deacon is the word servant in Greek, diakonos.

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 And so the question is, is Paul referring to her as an official deacon of the church,

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 or is he referring to her just as a humble servant of the church?

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 This also raises the question of whether women can be deacons in the church,

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 and we're going to get to that later.

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 But you can see how the clarity for us already isn't there.

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 These are the three passages that speak of deacons in the New Testament.

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 So how can we get to an understanding of the role of deacon?

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 Well, there are some clues and tidbits that we can bring together

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 that will at least rule out some things and narrow it down

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 so that we can get something of an understanding of this role.

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 As I just mentioned, the word deacon is just the word servant.

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 So that's a place to start.

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 And it seems obvious from this list of qualifications in 1 Timothy 3

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 that it was an official role or designation which some were given.

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 So an official servant of the church.

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 We already saw from Philippians that it's not the role of overseer.

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 And we see that here too because there's a separate list of qualifications for elders

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 than there is for deacons or for overseers than deacons.

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 So an official servant of the church who is not among the authoritative leadership of the church.

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 And then next we could do a bit of a study on the word for servant in the New Testament

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 and look at its various forms, verb, noun, masculine, feminine.

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 And this has all been done by Christian commentators and scholars.

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 And there's some good insight to be gained here as well.

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 First, we see that the base meaning of this word, deacon or serve,

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 has the meaning of, according to William Mounts in his commentary,

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 to wait at table.

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 So we're kind of talking about serving like a server in a restaurant kind of serving.

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 where a person does kind of a lowly job of service for another person

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 just for their benefit, to meet their need.

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 But then we see as we go on that this word was generally applied to all kinds of service

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 where a person was doing something for the benefit of others.

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 The apostles referred to themselves as servants of Christ, servants of God.

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 Some translators use the word minister or ministry to translate this word.

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 It's used to refer to the work that Tychicus and Timothy and Epaphras did for the churches,

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 supporting or serving the cause of the gospel.

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 This word's also used to describe rulers and law enforcement

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 and what they do for the people.

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 In Romans chapter 13, they are servants.

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 The majority of uses reflect this kind of lowly work done for the benefit and need of others,

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 but it can refer to all kinds of things as well, even leadership kinds of roles.

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 And so all of this suggests that the role of a deacon could be a variety of things.

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 It suggests that it isn't limited to serving tables kind of service,

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 but likely includes any kind of need-meeting role that's done for the benefit of others.

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 Now there's another piece here that can kind of guide us into an understanding of this role,

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 and that's when we continue studying this word serve or servant in the New Testament.

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 We very quickly bump into this fact that every Christian is called to serve or to deacon.

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 Jesus said it this way, speaking to his disciples.

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 He said,

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 The greatest among you will be your deacon,

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 for those who exalt themselves will be humbled,

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 and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

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 Or the Apostle Peter, writing to the churches,

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 said,

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 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to deacon others

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 as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.

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 And so, logically, we infer from this that the official position of deacon in the church

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 is about more than just serving in the way that we're all called to do.

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 Otherwise, why would there be these specific requirements?

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 In 1 Timothy.

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 Many of you serve in various ways in the church,

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 but we don't all need an official title or role for every little thing that we do.

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 Can you imagine if at November meeting we had to elect the deacon of alive for the first week of every month,

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 or something like that?

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 You know, it'd just be ridiculous.

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 We are all called, we are all commanded as followers of Jesus

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 to serve,

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 to wash the feet of one another,

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 following Jesus' example,

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 to use whatever gifts and abilities God has given us to serve one another.

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 But this official role in the church of deacon is something more than that,

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 for only a few.

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 Let's look at the specific requirements that Paul lists here.

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 In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect.

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 That was the same word that Paul used above to describe the way that an elder must manage his family,

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 in a manner worthy of respect,

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 a dignified manner.

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 So an elder and a deacon, both, must have a good reputation.

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 A deacon must be sincere.

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 Quite literally, he must not be double-tongued.

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 A person who speaks out of both sides of his mouth,

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 or who says something but doesn't really mean it,

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 this is about integrity of heart.

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 A deacon must be sincere.

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 A deacon must not be indulging in much wine.

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 That's just another way to say what Paul said about the elders.

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 Not given to drunkenness.

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 And so addictions or substances would disqualify a person.

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 A deacon must not be one who is pursuing dishonest gain.

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 So he's not a person who's shamelessly greedy for money,

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 or material things,

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 or a person who will do anything to get ahead,

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 to get more money,

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 more possessions.

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 A deacon must be a person who is holding

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 to the deep truths of the faith,

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 with a clear conscience.

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 And deep truths, I think,

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 is a really good translation here.

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 This refers to the things that God kept hidden in the past,

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 but has now revealed.

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 There are a good many mysterious truths of our faith.

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 Things that are unpalatable to this world,

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 with its wisdom.

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 Things that God has kept hidden for generations,

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 and then now has revealed and made known

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 through his son Jesus,

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 and through his apostles.

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 A deacon must be a person who is holding

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 onto those things,

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 present,

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 continuous,

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 with a clear conscience.

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 So they're not a person who's filled with doubt,

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 or skepticism about

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 the things that are revealed in God's word.

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 Verse 10.

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 A deacon must first be tested,

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 and then if there's nothing against them,

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 let them serve as deacons.

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 Now most translations render this the same.

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 They must be tested first.

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 But there's nothing stated about

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 what the test should be.

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 What kind of test is this?

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 Is it a task that they must do?

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 Is it a responsibility to look after

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 for a period of time?

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 Or is it a written examination?

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 The word here means

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 to make a critical examination of something

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 to determine its genuineness.

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 At the least,

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 this means that we should not be in a rush

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 to fill positions,

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 or to put someone in an official role of service

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 in the church.

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 There needs to be time

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 allowed for a person to be known

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 what's really inside them.

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 Is there good fruit coming from their lives?

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 Fruit that shows the genuineness of their faith.

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 So I would suggest that this is not so much about

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 coming up with some kind of a test

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 for this person to do,

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 or something that we do to them

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 and see what's inside of them.

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 Maybe more like a careful examination.

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 We look at their character references.

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 We talk with them.

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 We talk with those who know them.

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 We give time for their true self to come out.

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 We ask them questions about their spiritual life.

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 And we listen carefully.

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 We watch them closely

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 to see how they conduct themselves.

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 Do they actually meet these requirements

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 laid out in the scriptures?

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 We're going to come back to verse 11,

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 but let's go down to verse 12.

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 A deacon must be faithful to his wife

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 and must manage his children

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 and his household well.

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 These are the same requirements

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 that were given to elders.

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 We heard this last Sunday.

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 Sexual purity and faithfulness

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 in the marriage to his spouse are required.

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 And he must manage both his children

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 and his household well.

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 And it's here that I think we get another hint

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 of what the role of a deacon is.

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 Do you remember what Paul said

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 to the elders about this?

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 He said that they must be men

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 who manage their households or families well

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 because how can they take care of God's church,

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 which is a larger family,

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 if they can't even manage

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 their own immediate family well.

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 So Paul's already given us the reason

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 for why this is required for elders.

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 And it's logical that a similar rationale

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 now applies to deacons.

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 Something about their role

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 involves skillful managing of people,

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 skillful managing of a household.

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 The implied logic here, I think,

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 is that the person must be skillful

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 at those things in the home

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 because those skills are required

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 for deaconing in the church.

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 So this is another clue.

00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:50.480
 A deacon is an official servant of the church

00:16:50.480 --> 00:16:54.020
 who's not among the authoritative leadership

00:16:54.020 --> 00:16:54.780
 of the church,

00:16:55.140 --> 00:16:57.960
 but whose service may include leadership

00:16:57.960 --> 00:17:00.100
 or coordinating or administration

00:17:00.100 --> 00:17:02.000
 of some kind for the church.

00:17:02.000 --> 00:17:06.180
 And this good character and reputation

00:17:06.180 --> 00:17:08.880
 probably means that this is a kind of service

00:17:08.880 --> 00:17:10.700
 where it's important to have a trustworthy,

00:17:11.619 --> 00:17:13.160
 designated person in charge.

00:17:14.180 --> 00:17:15.859
 Some measure of financial stewardship

00:17:15.859 --> 00:17:16.799
 may be involved.

00:17:17.599 --> 00:17:18.960
 Or perhaps it was important

00:17:18.960 --> 00:17:22.019
 that some need be met quite regularly

00:17:22.019 --> 00:17:23.259
 and consistently.

00:17:23.940 --> 00:17:25.720
 So this would not be the same as,

00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:27.460
 you know, a person signing up

00:17:27.460 --> 00:17:30.740
 to do church cleaning twice a month.

00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:32.759
 This is probably more like the person

00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:34.339
 who oversees the whole schedule

00:17:34.339 --> 00:17:35.319
 for church cleaning

00:17:35.319 --> 00:17:37.620
 and ensures that it's getting done every week

00:17:37.620 --> 00:17:39.000
 and that the supplies are there

00:17:39.000 --> 00:17:41.160
 for the volunteers when they come to do it.

00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:43.079
 There's more of a leadership

00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:45.019
 or coordination of people

00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:46.839
 and administration involved.

00:17:49.339 --> 00:17:51.180
 We are all called to deacon,

00:17:51.740 --> 00:17:54.200
 but it proves very helpful at times

00:17:54.200 --> 00:17:55.440
 to have someone in the church

00:17:55.440 --> 00:17:58.000
 appointed to an official role of service

00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:00.359
 where regular leadership is necessary.

00:18:01.500 --> 00:18:03.279
 Or where we need to have

00:18:03.279 --> 00:18:05.660
 a designated, trustworthy person.

00:18:07.039 --> 00:18:08.660
 We could go a Sunday or two

00:18:08.660 --> 00:18:09.880
 or even three

00:18:09.880 --> 00:18:12.519
 without vacuuming the sanctuary carpet.

00:18:14.599 --> 00:18:17.000
 But if part of our church's ministry

00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:19.059
 was the weekly delivery of meals

00:18:19.059 --> 00:18:20.920
 for people in our community,

00:18:21.920 --> 00:18:23.460
 well then we would need to have somebody

00:18:23.460 --> 00:18:25.460
 that's overseeing that very closely,

00:18:25.819 --> 00:18:28.720
 ensuring that those are delivered every day

00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:30.779
 for those people that rely on that.

00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:33.600
 Now we might at this point wonder,

00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:35.220
 well, why don't the elders just do that?

00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:36.779
 They're leaders in the church.

00:18:37.460 --> 00:18:39.240
 And this is where our final passage

00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:40.840
 pertaining to deacons comes in

00:18:40.840 --> 00:18:43.120
 and offers wisdom.

00:18:44.100 --> 00:18:46.140
 Now this passage in Acts chapter 6

00:18:46.140 --> 00:18:47.500
 doesn't mention deacons,

00:18:47.960 --> 00:18:49.539
 not by name anyway,

00:18:49.539 --> 00:18:50.859
 but as you'll see,

00:18:51.099 --> 00:18:52.079
 it gives some wisdom.

00:18:52.259 --> 00:18:53.700
 It leads us in a direction, I think,

00:18:53.759 --> 00:18:56.619
 about what deacons and their role is to be.

00:18:57.539 --> 00:18:58.879
 Acts chapter 6 verse 1,

00:18:58.920 --> 00:19:00.759
 In those days when the number of disciples

00:19:00.759 --> 00:19:01.519
 was increasing,

00:19:01.619 --> 00:19:02.960
 this is just after Pentecost,

00:19:03.039 --> 00:19:05.059
 as the church was first being established

00:19:05.059 --> 00:19:05.779
 in Jerusalem,

00:19:06.859 --> 00:19:09.460
 the Hellenistic Jews among them

00:19:09.460 --> 00:19:11.480
 complained against the Hebraic Jews

00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:13.539
 because their widows were being overlooked

00:19:13.539 --> 00:19:15.980
 in the daily distribution of food.

00:19:15.980 --> 00:19:22.019
 So the twelve gathered all the disciples together

00:19:22.019 --> 00:19:23.500
 and said,

00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:25.720
 It would not be right for us to neglect

00:19:25.720 --> 00:19:27.599
 the ministry of the Word of God

00:19:27.599 --> 00:19:29.519
 in order to wait on tables.

00:19:30.319 --> 00:19:31.440
 Brothers and sisters,

00:19:32.180 --> 00:19:33.980
 choose seven men from among you

00:19:33.980 --> 00:19:36.519
 who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom.

00:19:37.019 --> 00:19:39.839
 We will turn this responsibility over to them

00:19:39.839 --> 00:19:42.220
 and will give our attention to prayer

00:19:42.220 --> 00:19:44.059
 and the ministry of the Word.

00:19:44.059 --> 00:19:46.919
 This proposal pleased the whole group.

00:19:47.539 --> 00:19:48.339
 They chose Stephen,

00:19:48.579 --> 00:19:49.579
 a man full of faith

00:19:49.579 --> 00:19:51.240
 and of the Holy Spirit.

00:19:51.899 --> 00:19:53.480
 Also Philip, Prochorus,

00:19:53.720 --> 00:19:55.679
 Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicholas.

00:19:56.960 --> 00:19:58.960
 They presented these men to the apostles

00:19:58.960 --> 00:20:00.779
 who prayed and laid their hands on them.

00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:02.859
 So the Word of God spread.

00:20:03.579 --> 00:20:05.159
 The number of disciples in Jerusalem

00:20:05.159 --> 00:20:06.139
 increased rapidly

00:20:06.139 --> 00:20:08.339
 and a large number of priests

00:20:08.339 --> 00:20:10.639
 became obedient to the faith.

00:20:10.640 --> 00:20:13.340
 So the church in Jerusalem

00:20:13.340 --> 00:20:15.100
 in its earliest days had a problem.

00:20:15.900 --> 00:20:18.100
 Some widows in the church family

00:20:18.100 --> 00:20:21.080
 were missed on the daily distribution of food.

00:20:22.160 --> 00:20:23.280
 And the twelve apostles

00:20:23.280 --> 00:20:25.000
 called the whole church together

00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:26.680
 and they proposed a solution,

00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:30.300
 a kind of work that was required

00:20:30.300 --> 00:20:32.280
 and the word there is,

00:20:32.740 --> 00:20:34.080
 it's the word deacon,

00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:35.380
 deaconing,

00:20:35.980 --> 00:20:37.940
 a role of service.

00:20:37.940 --> 00:20:39.299
 But the apostles also knew

00:20:39.299 --> 00:20:41.440
 that they had been specially charged

00:20:41.440 --> 00:20:44.299
 with deaconing the Word.

00:20:44.440 --> 00:20:45.799
 That's also the same word there,

00:20:45.900 --> 00:20:47.039
 the ministry of the Word,

00:20:47.160 --> 00:20:49.180
 the deaconing of the Word of God.

00:20:49.960 --> 00:20:52.080
 And if they were to take their time

00:20:52.080 --> 00:20:54.779
 to distribute food each day,

00:20:54.799 --> 00:20:55.860
 that would be taking away

00:20:55.860 --> 00:20:57.019
 from the time that they needed

00:20:57.019 --> 00:20:58.059
 to do that job

00:20:58.059 --> 00:20:59.259
 that Christ gave them to do

00:20:59.259 --> 00:20:59.860
 of teaching

00:20:59.860 --> 00:21:01.700
 and instructing

00:21:01.700 --> 00:21:03.400
 in the Word of Christ.

00:21:03.400 --> 00:21:05.259
 And so they came up

00:21:05.259 --> 00:21:05.980
 with this solution.

00:21:06.140 --> 00:21:07.100
 They proposed that a group

00:21:07.100 --> 00:21:09.280
 of spirit-filled men of faith

00:21:09.280 --> 00:21:11.660
 be appointed to look after

00:21:11.660 --> 00:21:12.560
 this responsibility.

00:21:13.420 --> 00:21:13.980
 And at this time,

00:21:14.060 --> 00:21:14.800
 the church in Jerusalem

00:21:14.800 --> 00:21:15.960
 was well into the thousands.

00:21:16.800 --> 00:21:17.600
 So likely,

00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:18.940
 these six men alone

00:21:18.940 --> 00:21:20.080
 were not even able

00:21:20.080 --> 00:21:22.420
 to look after all the widows.

00:21:23.720 --> 00:21:25.400
 They probably would have had to

00:21:25.400 --> 00:21:26.519
 get others to help

00:21:26.519 --> 00:21:28.560
 and be in a bit of a coordination

00:21:28.560 --> 00:21:30.160
 or leadership role

00:21:30.160 --> 00:21:31.300
 to see that it got done.

00:21:31.299 --> 00:21:33.759
 Now, these men were not called deacons,

00:21:34.019 --> 00:21:35.779
 but it seems very clear

00:21:35.779 --> 00:21:36.759
 that they did the work

00:21:36.759 --> 00:21:37.759
 of a deacon.

00:21:38.500 --> 00:21:39.680
 And probably this is meant

00:21:39.680 --> 00:21:40.700
 to give us wisdom

00:21:40.700 --> 00:21:43.339
 about the purpose of deacons

00:21:43.339 --> 00:21:44.319
 in the church.

00:21:45.919 --> 00:21:46.960
 Now, in the church,

00:21:47.039 --> 00:21:47.779
 we have elders.

00:21:47.940 --> 00:21:48.779
 We don't have apostles.

00:21:49.779 --> 00:21:52.740
 And we won't even think

00:21:52.740 --> 00:21:54.619
 of ourselves close to that.

00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.259
 But we are charged

00:21:56.259 --> 00:21:57.419
 with shepherding the flock

00:21:57.419 --> 00:21:58.259
 and with teaching

00:21:58.259 --> 00:21:59.059
 the Word of God,

00:21:59.059 --> 00:22:01.179
 with preaching,

00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:02.279
 with directing the affairs

00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:02.940
 of the church.

00:22:03.639 --> 00:22:05.099
 And other important needs

00:22:05.099 --> 00:22:05.639
 in the church

00:22:05.639 --> 00:22:06.819
 that rise up

00:22:06.819 --> 00:22:09.059
 can easily divert

00:22:09.059 --> 00:22:10.519
 or pull our elders away

00:22:10.519 --> 00:22:11.799
 from that job

00:22:11.799 --> 00:22:12.539
 that they're supposed

00:22:12.539 --> 00:22:13.179
 to be doing.

00:22:14.119 --> 00:22:15.639
 And this seems to be

00:22:15.639 --> 00:22:16.220
 where the wisdom

00:22:16.220 --> 00:22:17.179
 of the apostles here

00:22:17.179 --> 00:22:17.960
 in Acts 6

00:22:17.960 --> 00:22:19.079
 really kicks in.

00:22:20.519 --> 00:22:22.039
 By appointing people

00:22:22.039 --> 00:22:23.399
 into official roles

00:22:23.399 --> 00:22:24.079
 of service,

00:22:25.039 --> 00:22:26.179
 qualified people,

00:22:27.179 --> 00:22:28.059
 solid in their faith,

00:22:28.059 --> 00:22:29.000
 people who can take

00:22:29.000 --> 00:22:30.299
 an area of responsibility

00:22:30.299 --> 00:22:31.859
 and look after it

00:22:31.859 --> 00:22:33.099
 and provide the necessary

00:22:33.099 --> 00:22:34.579
 leadership or coordination

00:22:34.579 --> 00:22:35.539
 or administration,

00:22:36.619 --> 00:22:37.480
 the overseers,

00:22:38.259 --> 00:22:38.679
 the elders,

00:22:38.819 --> 00:22:39.440
 can then focus

00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:40.399
 on overseeing

00:22:40.399 --> 00:22:41.960
 and the ministry

00:22:41.960 --> 00:22:42.519
 of the Word,

00:22:42.659 --> 00:22:43.559
 the overall leadership

00:22:43.559 --> 00:22:44.279
 of the church.

00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:46.940
 Matt Smethurst,

00:22:47.179 --> 00:22:48.559
 in his book titled

00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:49.279
 Deacons,

00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:49.839
 says,

00:22:50.559 --> 00:22:52.039
 deacons are shock absorbers.

00:22:52.940 --> 00:22:53.539
 He says,

00:22:53.599 --> 00:22:54.259
 not only was there

00:22:54.259 --> 00:22:55.059
 a pressing need

00:22:55.059 --> 00:22:55.679
 in the church

00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:56.960
 here in Acts 6,

00:22:57.200 --> 00:22:58.240
 but there was a threat

00:22:58.240 --> 00:22:59.560
 to unity.

00:23:00.840 --> 00:23:01.560
 And these men

00:23:01.560 --> 00:23:02.240
 were able to

00:23:02.240 --> 00:23:03.299
 kind of come in between

00:23:03.299 --> 00:23:04.460
 and serve

00:23:04.460 --> 00:23:05.560
 so that that threat

00:23:05.560 --> 00:23:06.500
 to unity

00:23:06.500 --> 00:23:07.759
 was resolved

00:23:07.759 --> 00:23:08.539
 and so that

00:23:08.539 --> 00:23:09.320
 the pressing need

00:23:09.320 --> 00:23:09.820
 was met,

00:23:10.240 --> 00:23:11.480
 which then freed up

00:23:11.480 --> 00:23:11.980
 and allowed

00:23:11.980 --> 00:23:12.740
 the apostles

00:23:12.740 --> 00:23:14.519
 to do the work

00:23:14.519 --> 00:23:15.039
 that Christ

00:23:15.039 --> 00:23:15.980
 had given them to do.

00:23:17.720 --> 00:23:18.500
 So according

00:23:18.500 --> 00:23:19.279
 to this logic

00:23:19.279 --> 00:23:19.860
 or wisdom

00:23:19.860 --> 00:23:21.240
 from Acts 6,

00:23:22.240 --> 00:23:23.120
 deacons not only

00:23:23.119 --> 00:23:23.679
 look after

00:23:23.679 --> 00:23:25.039
 an important area

00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:25.739
 of need

00:23:25.739 --> 00:23:26.500
 or responsibility

00:23:26.500 --> 00:23:27.299
 in the church,

00:23:27.579 --> 00:23:28.879
 but they support

00:23:28.879 --> 00:23:29.379
 the leadership

00:23:29.379 --> 00:23:30.119
 of the church.

00:23:30.739 --> 00:23:31.339
 They help keep

00:23:31.339 --> 00:23:32.399
 the elders focused

00:23:32.399 --> 00:23:33.899
 on church leadership

00:23:33.899 --> 00:23:34.739
 and teaching

00:23:34.739 --> 00:23:35.939
 by serving

00:23:35.939 --> 00:23:37.279
 in areas of need

00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:38.579
 that would otherwise

00:23:38.579 --> 00:23:39.779
 draw the elders

00:23:39.779 --> 00:23:40.579
 away from that.

00:23:42.339 --> 00:23:43.539
 I hope that a picture

00:23:43.539 --> 00:23:44.459
 of what deacons are

00:23:44.459 --> 00:23:44.979
 is beginning

00:23:44.979 --> 00:23:46.639
 to come clear

00:23:46.639 --> 00:23:47.979
 and emerge

00:23:47.979 --> 00:23:48.500
 in our minds

00:23:48.500 --> 00:23:49.000
 as we think

00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:49.599
 through this.

00:23:50.659 --> 00:23:51.079
 A deacon

00:23:51.079 --> 00:23:51.859
 is an official

00:23:51.859 --> 00:23:53.019
 servant of the church

00:23:53.019 --> 00:23:54.539
 who is trustworthy,

00:23:55.419 --> 00:23:56.019
 dependable,

00:23:56.939 --> 00:23:58.039
 skillful in managing

00:23:58.039 --> 00:23:59.379
 people and the affairs

00:23:59.379 --> 00:24:00.159
 of the household.

00:24:02.379 --> 00:24:03.919
 They're not the overseers

00:24:03.919 --> 00:24:04.579
 of the church,

00:24:04.719 --> 00:24:05.399
 but they seem

00:24:05.399 --> 00:24:06.459
 to support the elders

00:24:06.459 --> 00:24:07.399
 by looking after

00:24:07.399 --> 00:24:08.419
 particular needs

00:24:08.419 --> 00:24:09.419
 and responsibilities

00:24:09.419 --> 00:24:10.679
 within the church

00:24:10.679 --> 00:24:11.979
 so that the elders

00:24:11.979 --> 00:24:12.719
 can focus

00:24:12.719 --> 00:24:14.079
 on teaching

00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:14.619
 and preaching

00:24:14.619 --> 00:24:15.199
 and overall

00:24:15.199 --> 00:24:16.000
 church leadership.

00:24:17.419 --> 00:24:18.299
 So what kind

00:24:18.299 --> 00:24:18.819
 of service

00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:19.599
 or needs

00:24:19.599 --> 00:24:20.719
 are we talking

00:24:20.719 --> 00:24:21.599
 about practically

00:24:21.599 --> 00:24:21.980
 here?

00:24:23.339 --> 00:24:24.259
 I think the Lord

00:24:24.259 --> 00:24:24.839
 has probably

00:24:24.839 --> 00:24:25.519
 in some ways

00:24:25.519 --> 00:24:26.299
 left the job

00:24:26.299 --> 00:24:26.759
 description

00:24:26.759 --> 00:24:27.559
 a little bit

00:24:27.559 --> 00:24:28.859
 ambiguous

00:24:28.859 --> 00:24:29.599
 or vague

00:24:29.599 --> 00:24:30.319
 for a reason.

00:24:31.159 --> 00:24:31.679
 Could it be

00:24:31.679 --> 00:24:32.199
 that the role

00:24:32.199 --> 00:24:32.679
 of a deacon

00:24:32.679 --> 00:24:33.480
 is made to suit

00:24:33.480 --> 00:24:34.599
 all kinds of needs

00:24:34.599 --> 00:24:35.899
 that may arise

00:24:35.899 --> 00:24:36.919
 in whatever community

00:24:36.919 --> 00:24:37.659
 that we find

00:24:37.659 --> 00:24:38.299
 ourselves in?

00:24:38.539 --> 00:24:39.139
 All kinds

00:24:39.139 --> 00:24:39.759
 of service.

00:24:40.959 --> 00:24:41.779
 Matt Smether's

00:24:41.779 --> 00:24:42.339
 little book

00:24:42.339 --> 00:24:42.959
 on deacons,

00:24:43.059 --> 00:24:43.740
 which is available

00:24:43.740 --> 00:24:44.980
 in the church

00:24:44.980 --> 00:24:45.459
 foyer

00:24:45.460 --> 00:24:46.620
 on the mailboxes,

00:24:46.840 --> 00:24:47.940
 is full of

00:24:47.940 --> 00:24:49.079
 real life examples

00:24:49.079 --> 00:24:49.680
 of deacons,

00:24:49.799 --> 00:24:50.920
 both in modern times

00:24:50.920 --> 00:24:52.480
 and in church history.

00:24:53.380 --> 00:24:54.079
 They do everything

00:24:54.079 --> 00:24:54.940
 from overseeing

00:24:54.940 --> 00:24:56.180
 soup kitchen

00:24:56.180 --> 00:24:56.840
 outreaches

00:24:56.840 --> 00:24:58.240
 to hospitality

00:24:58.240 --> 00:24:59.019
 in the church

00:24:59.019 --> 00:25:00.140
 to facility

00:25:00.140 --> 00:25:00.640
 maintenance

00:25:00.640 --> 00:25:02.220
 to various types

00:25:02.220 --> 00:25:03.079
 of regular member

00:25:03.079 --> 00:25:04.299
 care for people

00:25:04.299 --> 00:25:05.620
 with disabilities

00:25:05.620 --> 00:25:06.900
 or for the elderly,

00:25:07.539 --> 00:25:08.180
 for widows,

00:25:08.700 --> 00:25:09.240
 meal train

00:25:09.240 --> 00:25:09.900
 coordination,

00:25:10.600 --> 00:25:11.299
 secretarial

00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.160
 or administrative

00:25:12.160 --> 00:25:12.640
 work.

00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:15.120
 Probably the question

00:25:15.120 --> 00:25:15.540
 that we need

00:25:15.540 --> 00:25:16.400
 to ask ourselves

00:25:16.400 --> 00:25:16.800
 is,

00:25:17.600 --> 00:25:18.160
 what are the

00:25:18.160 --> 00:25:19.000
 pressing needs

00:25:19.000 --> 00:25:20.180
 of our church

00:25:20.180 --> 00:25:21.080
 or our community

00:25:21.080 --> 00:25:21.780
 that we're called

00:25:21.780 --> 00:25:22.300
 to meet,

00:25:23.700 --> 00:25:24.480
 but that in doing

00:25:24.480 --> 00:25:25.500
 so it would

00:25:25.500 --> 00:25:26.280
 pull the elders

00:25:26.280 --> 00:25:26.960
 away from their

00:25:26.960 --> 00:25:27.780
 primary work?

00:25:28.980 --> 00:25:29.620
 That's where

00:25:29.620 --> 00:25:30.440
 having deacons

00:25:30.440 --> 00:25:31.980
 makes sense

00:25:31.980 --> 00:25:32.580
 and enables

00:25:32.580 --> 00:25:33.160
 the church

00:25:33.160 --> 00:25:33.880
 to grow

00:25:33.880 --> 00:25:34.520
 and to continue

00:25:34.520 --> 00:25:35.300
 to move forward

00:25:35.300 --> 00:25:35.860
 and minister.

00:25:37.280 --> 00:25:38.280
 And it's probably

00:25:38.280 --> 00:25:38.940
 worth stating

00:25:38.940 --> 00:25:40.240
 that with this

00:25:40.240 --> 00:25:40.800
 understanding

00:25:40.800 --> 00:25:41.900
 of a deacon,

00:25:41.900 --> 00:25:43.040
 there's not a need

00:25:43.040 --> 00:25:43.720
 for a deacon

00:25:43.720 --> 00:25:44.519
 board

00:25:44.519 --> 00:25:46.720
 or for them

00:25:46.720 --> 00:25:47.180
 to kind of

00:25:47.180 --> 00:25:48.100
 gather every month

00:25:48.100 --> 00:25:48.840
 and have meetings

00:25:48.840 --> 00:25:49.300
 together.

00:25:49.780 --> 00:25:50.580
 Each deacon

00:25:50.580 --> 00:25:51.720
 would just be

00:25:51.720 --> 00:25:52.280
 overseen

00:25:52.280 --> 00:25:53.180
 by the elders,

00:25:53.440 --> 00:25:54.220
 those authoritative

00:25:54.220 --> 00:25:55.160
 leaders in the church.

00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:57.000
 There's no evidence

00:25:57.000 --> 00:25:57.560
 in the Bible

00:25:57.560 --> 00:25:58.080
 of there being

00:25:58.080 --> 00:25:58.759
 kind of two

00:25:58.759 --> 00:25:59.720
 power blocks

00:25:59.720 --> 00:26:00.340
 in the church

00:26:00.340 --> 00:26:00.700
 like,

00:26:01.100 --> 00:26:01.440
 you know,

00:26:01.620 --> 00:26:02.220
 elders here

00:26:02.220 --> 00:26:03.040
 and deacons here

00:26:03.040 --> 00:26:03.920
 and like

00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:04.420
 Senate,

00:26:04.900 --> 00:26:05.280
 Congress.

00:26:06.019 --> 00:26:07.240
 It's not like that.

00:26:07.700 --> 00:26:08.720
 This is the diagram

00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:09.740
 that I came up with

00:26:09.740 --> 00:26:10.220
 and it's just

00:26:10.220 --> 00:26:10.960
 my own thing,

00:26:10.960 --> 00:26:12.700
 but you've got

00:26:12.700 --> 00:26:13.600
 the local church.

00:26:14.380 --> 00:26:15.079
 Jesus Christ

00:26:15.079 --> 00:26:15.660
 is the head

00:26:15.660 --> 00:26:16.140
 of the church.

00:26:16.240 --> 00:26:17.180
 He is the chief shepherd

00:26:17.180 --> 00:26:18.420
 and then he has

00:26:18.420 --> 00:26:19.319
 instituted that there

00:26:19.319 --> 00:26:20.779
 be elders or overseers

00:26:20.779 --> 00:26:21.640
 who are responsible

00:26:21.640 --> 00:26:22.579
 for shepherding

00:26:22.579 --> 00:26:23.720
 the congregation,

00:26:24.920 --> 00:26:25.680
 the church members

00:26:25.680 --> 00:26:27.460
 and then in and among

00:26:27.460 --> 00:26:28.259
 the church members

00:26:28.259 --> 00:26:29.059
 are deacons.

00:26:29.380 --> 00:26:30.840
 They are in those

00:26:30.840 --> 00:26:31.460
 support roles.

00:26:31.559 --> 00:26:32.380
 They're mobilizers.

00:26:32.620 --> 00:26:33.380
 I didn't put them

00:26:33.380 --> 00:26:34.440
 in between elders

00:26:34.440 --> 00:26:35.720
 and church members

00:26:35.720 --> 00:26:36.460
 because it's not like

00:26:36.460 --> 00:26:37.640
 a hierarchy structure

00:26:37.640 --> 00:26:38.720
 like we see

00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:39.259
 in the Catholic

00:26:39.259 --> 00:26:39.900
 church with

00:26:39.900 --> 00:26:40.640
 bishop,

00:26:40.840 --> 00:26:41.440
 archbishop,

00:26:41.880 --> 00:26:42.320
 cardinal.

00:26:43.840 --> 00:26:45.240
 It's different

00:26:45.240 --> 00:26:45.800
 than that.

00:26:51.380 --> 00:26:52.540
 To give an example,

00:26:53.100 --> 00:26:54.300
 if there's a serious

00:26:54.300 --> 00:26:55.240
 problem in the church,

00:26:55.280 --> 00:26:55.780
 you wouldn't go

00:26:55.780 --> 00:26:56.480
 to the deacons

00:26:56.480 --> 00:26:57.600
 and then the deacons

00:26:57.600 --> 00:26:58.820
 go to the elders.

00:26:59.820 --> 00:27:00.880
 Any church member

00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:01.840
 would just go

00:27:01.840 --> 00:27:02.800
 straight to the elders.

00:27:03.940 --> 00:27:04.380
 Unless,

00:27:04.520 --> 00:27:04.780
 of course,

00:27:04.840 --> 00:27:05.240
 it's something

00:27:05.240 --> 00:27:05.920
 that pertains

00:27:05.920 --> 00:27:06.880
 directly to what

00:27:06.880 --> 00:27:07.279
 the deacon

00:27:07.279 --> 00:27:08.480
 is responsible for.

00:27:08.839 --> 00:27:09.740
 This is not a serious

00:27:09.740 --> 00:27:10.099
 problem,

00:27:10.220 --> 00:27:10.700
 but let's say

00:27:10.700 --> 00:27:11.359
 that a light bulb

00:27:11.359 --> 00:27:12.140
 burns out somewhere

00:27:12.140 --> 00:27:12.759
 in the church.

00:27:13.539 --> 00:27:14.240
 Would you come

00:27:14.240 --> 00:27:15.440
 to the elders

00:27:15.440 --> 00:27:16.319
 or to me?

00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:18.120
 But if we had

00:27:18.120 --> 00:27:18.539
 a deacon

00:27:18.539 --> 00:27:19.299
 in charge of

00:27:19.299 --> 00:27:19.960
 overseeing

00:27:19.960 --> 00:27:20.859
 the maintenance

00:27:20.859 --> 00:27:21.779
 of the facility,

00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:22.759
 you would go

00:27:22.759 --> 00:27:23.140
 to him.

00:27:24.220 --> 00:27:24.980
 And that would

00:27:24.980 --> 00:27:26.180
 keep that from

00:27:26.180 --> 00:27:26.640
 even going

00:27:26.640 --> 00:27:27.359
 onto the elders'

00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:27.779
 plate.

00:27:28.559 --> 00:27:29.120
 That's really

00:27:29.120 --> 00:27:29.980
 the point of a deacon.

00:27:30.819 --> 00:27:31.740
 But if you find out

00:27:31.740 --> 00:27:32.279
 that there's somebody

00:27:32.279 --> 00:27:32.960
 in our community

00:27:32.960 --> 00:27:33.819
 who's in urgent

00:27:33.819 --> 00:27:34.620
 need of something

00:27:34.619 --> 00:27:35.299
 that costs

00:27:35.299 --> 00:27:36.479
 thousands of dollars,

00:27:37.479 --> 00:27:38.879
 you wouldn't go

00:27:38.879 --> 00:27:39.659
 to the deacon

00:27:39.659 --> 00:27:40.179
 who serves

00:27:40.179 --> 00:27:40.779
 as treasurer.

00:27:41.439 --> 00:27:42.079
 You would go

00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:42.679
 to the elders.

00:27:43.179 --> 00:27:44.179
 That's a big decision.

00:27:44.839 --> 00:27:45.500
 That's something

00:27:45.500 --> 00:27:46.019
 we really need

00:27:46.019 --> 00:27:46.679
 to talk about

00:27:46.679 --> 00:27:48.179
 as a leadership team.

00:27:50.099 --> 00:27:50.879
 Let's come now

00:27:50.879 --> 00:27:51.419
 to this verse

00:27:51.419 --> 00:27:52.319
 that we skipped over,

00:27:53.119 --> 00:27:53.719
 verse 11.

00:27:54.639 --> 00:27:55.319
 And this is where

00:27:55.319 --> 00:27:56.359
 we really open up

00:27:56.359 --> 00:27:57.839
 the debate.

00:27:57.839 --> 00:28:00.939
 In the same way,

00:28:01.039 --> 00:28:01.519
 the women

00:28:01.519 --> 00:28:02.279
 are to be

00:28:02.279 --> 00:28:03.259
 worthy of respect,

00:28:03.839 --> 00:28:05.199
 not malicious talkers,

00:28:05.299 --> 00:28:06.000
 but temperate

00:28:06.000 --> 00:28:06.879
 and trustworthy

00:28:06.879 --> 00:28:08.500
 in everything.

00:28:10.459 --> 00:28:11.419
 Now this verse

00:28:11.419 --> 00:28:12.419
 causes all kinds

00:28:12.419 --> 00:28:12.919
 of debate

00:28:12.919 --> 00:28:13.939
 because some of you

00:28:13.939 --> 00:28:14.539
 sitting here now

00:28:14.539 --> 00:28:15.559
 are looking at your Bible

00:28:15.559 --> 00:28:16.319
 and you're wondering,

00:28:16.759 --> 00:28:18.899
 why does my translation

00:28:18.899 --> 00:28:20.399
 say something different?

00:28:21.339 --> 00:28:22.220
 My Bible says

00:28:22.220 --> 00:28:23.419
 their wives

00:28:23.419 --> 00:28:24.740
 must be all

00:28:24.740 --> 00:28:25.359
 these things.

00:28:25.419 --> 00:28:26.079
 It's been translated

00:28:26.079 --> 00:28:27.139
 in two different ways.

00:28:27.299 --> 00:28:27.859
 Depending on

00:28:27.859 --> 00:28:29.119
 which one you have,

00:28:29.220 --> 00:28:29.879
 it'll look

00:28:29.879 --> 00:28:31.519
 like one of these two

00:28:31.519 --> 00:28:32.099
 on the screen.

00:28:33.699 --> 00:28:34.980
 So are these qualifications

00:28:34.980 --> 00:28:36.000
 for the wives

00:28:36.000 --> 00:28:36.779
 of the deacons

00:28:36.779 --> 00:28:39.000
 or are these qualifications

00:28:39.000 --> 00:28:40.720
 for women deacons?

00:28:41.559 --> 00:28:42.980
 And most translations

00:28:42.980 --> 00:28:43.879
 have a footnote

00:28:43.879 --> 00:28:45.179
 at this point

00:28:45.179 --> 00:28:46.839
 just to let you know

00:28:46.839 --> 00:28:48.559
 that the other way

00:28:48.559 --> 00:28:49.439
 of translating it

00:28:49.439 --> 00:28:50.539
 could be the correct one

00:28:50.539 --> 00:28:51.099
 or at least

00:28:51.099 --> 00:28:52.039
 is a valid one.

00:28:53.339 --> 00:28:54.519
 What's going on here?

00:28:54.519 --> 00:28:56.480
 If we peel back

00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:57.339
 the English here

00:28:57.339 --> 00:28:58.500
 and we look at

00:28:58.500 --> 00:29:00.059
 the original Greek,

00:29:00.579 --> 00:29:01.639
 the first three words

00:29:01.639 --> 00:29:02.180
 here are

00:29:02.180 --> 00:29:03.099
 gunaikos,

00:29:03.720 --> 00:29:04.980
 hosautos,

00:29:05.400 --> 00:29:05.980
 semnos.

00:29:06.379 --> 00:29:07.160
 Quite literally,

00:29:08.019 --> 00:29:08.400
 women,

00:29:08.980 --> 00:29:09.680
 likewise,

00:29:10.539 --> 00:29:11.160
 dignified.

00:29:12.440 --> 00:29:13.559
 So you put that

00:29:13.559 --> 00:29:14.119
 into the flow

00:29:14.119 --> 00:29:14.879
 of the context.

00:29:15.160 --> 00:29:16.139
 A deacon must first

00:29:16.139 --> 00:29:16.759
 be tested,

00:29:17.200 --> 00:29:17.759
 then if there's

00:29:17.759 --> 00:29:18.720
 nothing against them,

00:29:18.799 --> 00:29:19.480
 let them serve

00:29:19.480 --> 00:29:20.180
 as deacons.

00:29:20.180 --> 00:29:21.640
 women,

00:29:22.080 --> 00:29:22.640
 likewise,

00:29:22.960 --> 00:29:23.519
 dignified.

00:29:24.200 --> 00:29:25.400
 Not malicious talkers,

00:29:25.519 --> 00:29:26.180
 but temperate

00:29:26.180 --> 00:29:27.259
 and trustworthy

00:29:27.259 --> 00:29:27.940
 in everything.

00:29:30.019 --> 00:29:31.240
 So the Greek word

00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:32.080
 for women here

00:29:32.080 --> 00:29:33.420
 can mean both

00:29:33.420 --> 00:29:34.539
 woman

00:29:34.539 --> 00:29:36.400
 or wife.

00:29:37.700 --> 00:29:39.160
 They actually only had

00:29:39.160 --> 00:29:39.820
 one word

00:29:39.820 --> 00:29:40.960
 and it did double duty.

00:29:41.620 --> 00:29:42.420
 In English,

00:29:42.519 --> 00:29:43.720
 we have two distinct words,

00:29:43.820 --> 00:29:44.779
 woman and wife,

00:29:44.900 --> 00:29:45.680
 but back then,

00:29:45.940 --> 00:29:46.920
 just a single word.

00:29:46.920 --> 00:29:49.019
 And usually the context

00:29:49.019 --> 00:29:50.120
 makes it really clear

00:29:50.120 --> 00:29:50.779
 whether it's

00:29:50.779 --> 00:29:51.560
 woman

00:29:51.560 --> 00:29:52.740
 or wife.

00:29:53.960 --> 00:29:54.779
 And so translators

00:29:54.779 --> 00:29:55.400
 have been making

00:29:55.400 --> 00:29:56.560
 their best guesses here

00:29:56.560 --> 00:29:57.580
 as to which is meant.

00:29:58.320 --> 00:29:59.360
 And most of the

00:29:59.360 --> 00:30:00.420
 translators at least

00:30:00.420 --> 00:30:01.380
 acknowledge that

00:30:01.380 --> 00:30:02.720
 this is a guess

00:30:02.720 --> 00:30:03.880
 and the other translation

00:30:03.880 --> 00:30:05.120
 could be the right one.

00:30:05.500 --> 00:30:06.019
 So that's why

00:30:06.019 --> 00:30:06.580
 the footnote.

00:30:07.779 --> 00:30:09.039
 So either Paul is giving

00:30:09.039 --> 00:30:09.880
 the qualifications

00:30:09.880 --> 00:30:10.980
 for deacons

00:30:10.980 --> 00:30:12.640
 and then in the midst

00:30:12.640 --> 00:30:13.279
 of this list

00:30:13.279 --> 00:30:14.200
 acknowledges that

00:30:14.200 --> 00:30:15.080
 in the case of women

00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:16.460
 who come to be deacons,

00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:18.400
 these are the requirements.

00:30:19.600 --> 00:30:19.960
 Or,

00:30:20.220 --> 00:30:21.200
 he's saying that

00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:22.100
 one of the requirements

00:30:22.100 --> 00:30:22.860
 for deacons

00:30:22.860 --> 00:30:23.960
 is that their wives

00:30:23.960 --> 00:30:24.860
 must meet this

00:30:24.860 --> 00:30:26.000
 small sub-list

00:30:26.000 --> 00:30:26.640
 of requirements

00:30:26.640 --> 00:30:27.840
 in order for their husbands

00:30:27.840 --> 00:30:29.080
 to serve

00:30:29.080 --> 00:30:30.200
 as deacons.

00:30:31.480 --> 00:30:32.460
 And you can imagine

00:30:32.460 --> 00:30:33.480
 this has translators

00:30:33.480 --> 00:30:34.480
 and commentators

00:30:34.480 --> 00:30:35.120
 divided

00:30:35.120 --> 00:30:36.960
 because issues of gender

00:30:36.960 --> 00:30:38.080
 and the role of women

00:30:38.080 --> 00:30:39.259
 are really

00:30:39.259 --> 00:30:40.680
 hot-button issues.

00:30:43.480 --> 00:30:44.539
 So I'm going to put

00:30:44.539 --> 00:30:45.519
 before you very quickly

00:30:45.519 --> 00:30:46.320
 both cases

00:30:46.319 --> 00:30:48.559
 and I've borrowed

00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:49.639
 significantly from

00:30:49.639 --> 00:30:50.799
 that book on deacons

00:30:50.799 --> 00:30:51.639
 that's in the foyer.

00:30:52.000 --> 00:30:52.859
 There's a very helpful

00:30:52.859 --> 00:30:53.879
 appendix at the back

00:30:53.879 --> 00:30:54.799
 that covers this.

00:30:56.220 --> 00:30:57.619
 The case for wives

00:30:57.619 --> 00:30:58.419
 of deacons

00:30:58.419 --> 00:31:00.259
 in this passage.

00:31:00.259 --> 00:31:05.920
 first of all,

00:31:06.920 --> 00:31:08.099
 in Acts 6,

00:31:08.200 --> 00:31:09.000
 the Jerusalem church

00:31:09.000 --> 00:31:10.000
 chose six men

00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:11.099
 to serve the widows

00:31:11.099 --> 00:31:11.960
 and only men.

00:31:13.720 --> 00:31:14.200
 Second,

00:31:14.480 --> 00:31:15.240
 all other uses

00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:15.980
 of this word

00:31:15.980 --> 00:31:16.700
 in the chapter

00:31:16.700 --> 00:31:17.420
 are translated

00:31:17.420 --> 00:31:18.119
 as wife

00:31:18.119 --> 00:31:19.400
 and not woman.

00:31:21.220 --> 00:31:22.519
 If Paul really means

00:31:22.519 --> 00:31:23.420
 female deacons,

00:31:23.640 --> 00:31:24.279
 why not use

00:31:24.279 --> 00:31:25.480
 some kind of feminine form

00:31:25.480 --> 00:31:26.500
 of the word deacon?

00:31:27.119 --> 00:31:28.079
 Why wouldn't he just

00:31:28.079 --> 00:31:28.759
 refer to women

00:31:28.759 --> 00:31:29.839
 generally like this?

00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:33.519
 Paul gives

00:31:33.519 --> 00:31:34.440
 marital faithfulness

00:31:34.440 --> 00:31:35.359
 standards for elders

00:31:35.359 --> 00:31:36.779
 and male deacons,

00:31:36.900 --> 00:31:37.339
 but why not

00:31:37.339 --> 00:31:38.599
 for female deacons?

00:31:38.740 --> 00:31:39.779
 Why doesn't he say

00:31:39.779 --> 00:31:40.519
 she must be

00:31:40.519 --> 00:31:41.559
 the wife

00:31:41.559 --> 00:31:42.279
 of one husband?

00:31:45.879 --> 00:31:46.579
 Then there's

00:31:46.579 --> 00:31:47.119
 the flow

00:31:47.119 --> 00:31:48.200
 of this whole section.

00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:49.619
 It seems strange

00:31:49.619 --> 00:31:50.119
 to kind of

00:31:50.119 --> 00:31:51.180
 go all over the place

00:31:51.180 --> 00:31:52.000
 and have elders,

00:31:52.440 --> 00:31:54.140
 then male deacons,

00:31:54.240 --> 00:31:55.099
 then female deacons,

00:31:55.160 --> 00:31:56.359
 then back to male deacons.

00:31:56.359 --> 00:31:57.740
 Some people describe

00:31:57.740 --> 00:31:59.079
 this as you get whiplash

00:31:59.079 --> 00:31:59.579
 trying to read

00:31:59.579 --> 00:32:00.740
 through this section here.

00:32:02.959 --> 00:32:04.039
 Some argue

00:32:04.039 --> 00:32:05.099
 that since deacons

00:32:05.099 --> 00:32:06.500
 have servant-like

00:32:06.500 --> 00:32:07.339
 responsibilities,

00:32:07.779 --> 00:32:08.379
 they would often

00:32:08.379 --> 00:32:10.339
 call on their wives

00:32:10.339 --> 00:32:11.339
 to assist them,

00:32:11.599 --> 00:32:13.179
 and so the wife,

00:32:13.339 --> 00:32:13.479
 too,

00:32:13.740 --> 00:32:14.259
 had to meet

00:32:14.259 --> 00:32:15.000
 the requirements.

00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:20.799
 when it comes

00:32:20.799 --> 00:32:21.880
 to Romans 16.1,

00:32:22.039 --> 00:32:22.819
 this side

00:32:22.819 --> 00:32:23.440
 of the argument

00:32:23.440 --> 00:32:23.960
 says,

00:32:24.339 --> 00:32:24.480
 well,

00:32:24.559 --> 00:32:24.859
 Phoebe,

00:32:25.359 --> 00:32:26.380
 she wasn't a deacon,

00:32:26.500 --> 00:32:27.480
 she was just a servant,

00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:29.420
 because that word

00:32:29.420 --> 00:32:30.160
 is usually

00:32:30.160 --> 00:32:31.119
 translated servant

00:32:31.119 --> 00:32:32.099
 in the New Testament.

00:32:34.500 --> 00:32:35.359
 And finally,

00:32:35.759 --> 00:32:37.420
 people have noticed

00:32:37.420 --> 00:32:38.440
 that the kind of work

00:32:38.440 --> 00:32:39.500
 that deacons do

00:32:39.500 --> 00:32:40.359
 often requires

00:32:40.359 --> 00:32:41.119
 having a measure

00:32:41.119 --> 00:32:41.660
 of authority

00:32:41.660 --> 00:32:42.380
 over men,

00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:44.080
 and that would put

00:32:44.080 --> 00:32:45.840
 women in an awkward spot

00:32:45.840 --> 00:32:46.980
 when we look back

00:32:46.980 --> 00:32:47.960
 to what Paul said

00:32:47.960 --> 00:32:49.000
 earlier in 1 Timothy

00:32:49.000 --> 00:32:49.780
 chapter 2,

00:32:50.200 --> 00:32:51.260
 verse 11 and 12.

00:32:51.700 --> 00:32:52.520
 When I summarize

00:32:52.520 --> 00:32:53.120
 all that,

00:32:53.180 --> 00:32:53.680
 I have to admit,

00:32:53.800 --> 00:32:54.860
 that's a pretty cohesive

00:32:54.860 --> 00:32:57.780
 and reasonable-sounding case

00:32:57.780 --> 00:32:58.720
 for why deacons

00:32:58.720 --> 00:32:59.660
 should only be men,

00:33:00.280 --> 00:33:01.000
 and verse 11

00:33:01.000 --> 00:33:02.140
 refers to their wives.

00:33:03.100 --> 00:33:03.980
 But then let's hear

00:33:03.980 --> 00:33:04.480
 the case

00:33:04.480 --> 00:33:05.780
 for female deacons.

00:33:07.660 --> 00:33:08.400
 First of all,

00:33:08.400 --> 00:33:09.880
 Scripture never forbids

00:33:09.880 --> 00:33:11.180
 women deacons.

00:33:11.180 --> 00:33:12.799
 It does forbid

00:33:12.799 --> 00:33:13.519
 women teaching

00:33:13.519 --> 00:33:14.380
 or having authority

00:33:14.380 --> 00:33:15.180
 over a man,

00:33:15.960 --> 00:33:17.140
 which would clearly

00:33:17.140 --> 00:33:18.320
 exclude them

00:33:18.320 --> 00:33:19.460
 from being elders

00:33:19.460 --> 00:33:21.480
 or overseers,

00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:22.920
 but deacons

00:33:22.920 --> 00:33:24.080
 are not an authority

00:33:24.080 --> 00:33:24.960
 over the church.

00:33:26.060 --> 00:33:26.920
 And nowhere in the Bible

00:33:26.920 --> 00:33:27.400
 does it say

00:33:27.400 --> 00:33:28.779
 submit to your deacons

00:33:28.779 --> 00:33:29.660
 like it does

00:33:29.660 --> 00:33:31.080
 to elders or overseers.

00:33:31.580 --> 00:33:32.420
 They keep watch

00:33:32.420 --> 00:33:33.160
 over your souls.

00:33:33.299 --> 00:33:34.060
 It doesn't say that.

00:33:34.080 --> 00:33:34.720
 It only says that

00:33:34.720 --> 00:33:36.019
 about elders or overseers.

00:33:36.259 --> 00:33:37.320
 So why forbid

00:33:37.320 --> 00:33:38.340
 but the Bible doesn't?

00:33:38.339 --> 00:33:43.759
 The side says

00:33:43.759 --> 00:33:44.679
 Paul never meant

00:33:44.679 --> 00:33:45.659
 deacons' wives

00:33:45.659 --> 00:33:46.799
 in this passage

00:33:46.799 --> 00:33:47.359
 in Timothy.

00:33:47.659 --> 00:33:48.599
 If he did,

00:33:48.679 --> 00:33:49.480
 there were clear ways

00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:49.980
 to say

00:33:49.980 --> 00:33:51.659
 the wives of them

00:33:51.659 --> 00:33:52.859
 or their wives

00:33:52.859 --> 00:33:53.980
 or their own wives

00:33:53.980 --> 00:33:54.500
 must be.

00:33:54.679 --> 00:33:56.039
 They had possessive pronouns

00:33:56.039 --> 00:33:56.939
 in Greek

00:33:56.939 --> 00:33:58.399
 as well as articles,

00:33:59.299 --> 00:34:00.279
 but Paul didn't use them

00:34:00.279 --> 00:34:01.019
 because he wasn't

00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:02.099
 referring specifically

00:34:02.099 --> 00:34:03.579
 to their wives,

00:34:03.839 --> 00:34:04.839
 but to women

00:34:04.839 --> 00:34:05.519
 who likewise

00:34:05.519 --> 00:34:06.500
 could also

00:34:06.500 --> 00:34:07.420
 be deacons.

00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:11.480
 Every time Paul uses

00:34:11.480 --> 00:34:12.539
 this word for women

00:34:12.539 --> 00:34:13.119
 in the plural

00:34:13.119 --> 00:34:14.139
 in this letter,

00:34:14.420 --> 00:34:15.559
 it's always translated

00:34:15.559 --> 00:34:15.920
 women

00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:17.199
 and not wife

00:34:17.199 --> 00:34:18.440
 or wives.

00:34:20.400 --> 00:34:21.400
 The last time

00:34:21.400 --> 00:34:22.099
 Paul said women

00:34:22.099 --> 00:34:22.659
 likewise

00:34:22.659 --> 00:34:23.960
 in chapter 2

00:34:23.960 --> 00:34:24.440
 verse 9,

00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:25.199
 we all recognize

00:34:25.199 --> 00:34:25.980
 that modesty

00:34:25.980 --> 00:34:26.659
 was a principle

00:34:26.659 --> 00:34:27.539
 for all women

00:34:27.539 --> 00:34:28.519
 and not just

00:34:28.519 --> 00:34:29.139
 for wives.

00:34:30.440 --> 00:34:31.119
 So why don't we

00:34:31.119 --> 00:34:32.039
 read it the same way

00:34:32.039 --> 00:34:32.659
 when we come to

00:34:32.659 --> 00:34:33.440
 this passage

00:34:33.440 --> 00:34:34.420
 about the deacons?

00:34:34.420 --> 00:34:36.960
 Number 5,

00:34:37.900 --> 00:34:40.139
 while the structure

00:34:40.139 --> 00:34:40.519
 and flow

00:34:40.519 --> 00:34:41.019
 does seem

00:34:41.019 --> 00:34:41.500
 a little bit

00:34:41.500 --> 00:34:42.320
 like whiplash,

00:34:42.860 --> 00:34:43.960
 it is still

00:34:43.960 --> 00:34:45.139
 orderly and logical.

00:34:46.260 --> 00:34:47.119
 An overseer

00:34:47.119 --> 00:34:47.960
 must,

00:34:48.680 --> 00:34:49.820
 here's the requirements,

00:34:50.559 --> 00:34:51.079
 a deacon

00:34:51.079 --> 00:34:52.200
 must be

00:34:52.200 --> 00:34:53.119
 and three things

00:34:53.119 --> 00:34:53.500
 listed.

00:34:54.019 --> 00:34:54.740
 Likewise women,

00:34:54.840 --> 00:34:55.639
 in the case of women

00:34:55.639 --> 00:34:56.440
 who are deacons

00:34:56.440 --> 00:34:57.400
 and three things

00:34:57.400 --> 00:34:57.760
 listed.

00:34:58.300 --> 00:34:59.039
 Back to the men

00:34:59.039 --> 00:34:59.639
 for a second

00:34:59.639 --> 00:35:01.000
 and then a general

00:35:01.000 --> 00:35:01.860
 blessing for all

00:35:01.860 --> 00:35:02.860
 who serve in this role.

00:35:02.860 --> 00:35:05.460
 Number 6,

00:35:06.340 --> 00:35:06.940
 why would Paul

00:35:06.940 --> 00:35:07.900
 list qualifications

00:35:07.900 --> 00:35:09.039
 for deacons' wives

00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:10.559
 but not for

00:35:10.559 --> 00:35:11.260
 elders' wives?

00:35:12.620 --> 00:35:13.519
 Can Paul really

00:35:13.519 --> 00:35:14.260
 mean that only

00:35:14.260 --> 00:35:15.160
 the wives of the

00:35:15.160 --> 00:35:16.440
 church's official

00:35:16.440 --> 00:35:17.840
 servants should be

00:35:17.840 --> 00:35:18.960
 carefully scrutinized

00:35:18.960 --> 00:35:20.039
 and not of the

00:35:20.039 --> 00:35:21.000
 church's authority

00:35:21.000 --> 00:35:22.099
 bearing leaders?

00:35:23.800 --> 00:35:24.599
 Many people

00:35:24.599 --> 00:35:25.059
 will argue

00:35:25.059 --> 00:35:25.760
 that a man's

00:35:25.760 --> 00:35:26.160
 wife,

00:35:26.700 --> 00:35:28.320
 her character

00:35:28.320 --> 00:35:29.099
 could make

00:35:29.099 --> 00:35:29.660
 or break

00:35:29.660 --> 00:35:30.160
 whether he

00:35:30.160 --> 00:35:30.620
 could be

00:35:30.620 --> 00:35:31.200
 a deacon,

00:35:31.199 --> 00:35:32.139
 whether he

00:35:32.139 --> 00:35:32.559
 was suitable

00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:33.239
 for the role

00:35:33.239 --> 00:35:34.439
 and if that's

00:35:34.439 --> 00:35:34.859
 the case,

00:35:34.939 --> 00:35:35.339
 well then how

00:35:35.339 --> 00:35:35.919
 much more

00:35:35.919 --> 00:35:36.359
 should Paul

00:35:36.359 --> 00:35:36.879
 have stated

00:35:36.879 --> 00:35:37.460
 this same

00:35:37.460 --> 00:35:37.960
 requirement

00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:38.419
 for the

00:35:38.419 --> 00:35:38.759
 elders

00:35:38.759 --> 00:35:39.219
 right out

00:35:39.219 --> 00:35:39.419
 of the

00:35:39.419 --> 00:35:39.719
 gate?

00:35:40.899 --> 00:35:41.379
 Therefore,

00:35:41.539 --> 00:35:41.899
 this makes

00:35:41.899 --> 00:35:42.319
 much more

00:35:42.319 --> 00:35:42.759
 sense if

00:35:42.759 --> 00:35:43.079
 Paul is

00:35:43.079 --> 00:35:43.619
 referring to

00:35:43.619 --> 00:35:43.899
 women

00:35:43.899 --> 00:35:44.639
 deacons.

00:35:46.179 --> 00:35:47.019
 Number 7,

00:35:47.859 --> 00:35:48.399
 we're almost

00:35:48.399 --> 00:35:49.239
 at the end

00:35:49.239 --> 00:35:49.500
 here,

00:35:50.019 --> 00:35:50.359
 Paul could

00:35:50.359 --> 00:35:51.039
 not use the

00:35:51.039 --> 00:35:51.559
 word deacon

00:35:51.559 --> 00:35:52.139
 with a feminine

00:35:52.139 --> 00:35:53.299
 form because

00:35:53.299 --> 00:35:53.679
 that word

00:35:53.679 --> 00:35:54.299
 didn't exist

00:35:54.299 --> 00:35:54.599
 yet.

00:35:55.539 --> 00:35:56.219
 The feminine

00:35:56.219 --> 00:35:56.759
 form didn't

00:35:56.759 --> 00:35:57.879
 come into use

00:35:57.879 --> 00:35:58.500
 until later

00:35:58.500 --> 00:35:59.579
 and at

00:35:59.579 --> 00:36:00.099
 this time

00:36:00.099 --> 00:36:00.500
 it meant

00:36:00.500 --> 00:36:01.380
 service or

00:36:01.380 --> 00:36:01.840
 ministry.

00:36:03.159 --> 00:36:03.380
 And so

00:36:03.380 --> 00:36:03.860
 this was

00:36:03.860 --> 00:36:04.400
 the brief

00:36:04.400 --> 00:36:05.239
 logical way

00:36:05.239 --> 00:36:05.679
 to refer

00:36:05.679 --> 00:36:06.239
 to female

00:36:06.239 --> 00:36:06.719
 deacons

00:36:06.719 --> 00:36:07.699
 at the

00:36:07.699 --> 00:36:08.019
 time.

00:36:10.019 --> 00:36:10.840
 As far

00:36:10.840 --> 00:36:11.260
 as Romans

00:36:11.260 --> 00:36:12.239
 16 verse 1

00:36:12.239 --> 00:36:12.699
 goes in

00:36:12.699 --> 00:36:13.039
 Phoebe,

00:36:14.000 --> 00:36:14.579
 people on

00:36:14.579 --> 00:36:14.960
 this side

00:36:14.960 --> 00:36:15.420
 point out

00:36:15.420 --> 00:36:15.980
 that Phoebe

00:36:15.980 --> 00:36:16.400
 is called

00:36:16.400 --> 00:36:16.860
 the deacon

00:36:16.860 --> 00:36:17.559
 of a specific

00:36:17.559 --> 00:36:18.119
 church.

00:36:18.900 --> 00:36:19.519
 Most of

00:36:19.519 --> 00:36:19.900
 the times

00:36:19.900 --> 00:36:20.219
 where a

00:36:20.219 --> 00:36:20.420
 servant

00:36:20.420 --> 00:36:21.079
 is used,

00:36:21.800 --> 00:36:22.239
 it's more

00:36:22.239 --> 00:36:22.699
 generally

00:36:22.699 --> 00:36:23.280
 referring to

00:36:23.280 --> 00:36:23.639
 a servant

00:36:23.639 --> 00:36:24.179
 of God

00:36:24.179 --> 00:36:24.639
 or a

00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:24.820
 servant

00:36:24.820 --> 00:36:25.480
 of Christ.

00:36:26.280 --> 00:36:26.599
 But in

00:36:26.599 --> 00:36:27.079
 this case

00:36:27.079 --> 00:36:27.940
 it's a

00:36:27.940 --> 00:36:28.139
 servant

00:36:28.139 --> 00:36:28.679
 of the

00:36:28.679 --> 00:36:29.000
 church

00:36:29.000 --> 00:36:29.299
 of

00:36:29.299 --> 00:36:29.799
 Centuria

00:36:29.799 --> 00:36:31.739
 and I

00:36:31.739 --> 00:36:32.119
 find it

00:36:32.119 --> 00:36:32.779
 persuasive.

00:36:34.340 --> 00:36:35.000
 Even though

00:36:35.000 --> 00:36:35.539
 Phoebe is the

00:36:35.539 --> 00:36:35.960
 deacon of

00:36:35.960 --> 00:36:36.539
 this church

00:36:36.539 --> 00:36:37.219
 specifically,

00:36:37.480 --> 00:36:37.960
 right now

00:36:37.960 --> 00:36:38.400
 she's in

00:36:38.400 --> 00:36:38.940
 Corinth where

00:36:38.940 --> 00:36:39.319
 Paul is

00:36:39.319 --> 00:36:39.880
 writing from

00:36:39.880 --> 00:36:40.239
 and she's

00:36:40.239 --> 00:36:40.739
 being sent

00:36:40.739 --> 00:36:41.279
 to Rome

00:36:41.279 --> 00:36:41.880
 and Paul

00:36:41.880 --> 00:36:42.159
 is saying

00:36:42.159 --> 00:36:42.559
 that she's

00:36:42.559 --> 00:36:42.840
 been the

00:36:42.840 --> 00:36:43.360
 benefactor

00:36:43.360 --> 00:36:43.779
 of many

00:36:43.779 --> 00:36:44.179
 so it

00:36:44.179 --> 00:36:44.559
 seems that

00:36:44.559 --> 00:36:44.860
 she's

00:36:44.860 --> 00:36:45.500
 serving all

00:36:45.500 --> 00:36:45.880
 over the

00:36:45.880 --> 00:36:46.239
 place,

00:36:46.559 --> 00:36:47.079
 many different

00:36:47.079 --> 00:36:47.559
 churches,

00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:48.440
 and yet

00:36:48.440 --> 00:36:48.779
 she is

00:36:48.779 --> 00:36:50.019
 the servant

00:36:50.019 --> 00:36:51.099
 specifically

00:36:51.099 --> 00:36:52.460
 or deacon

00:36:52.460 --> 00:36:53.159
 of the

00:36:53.159 --> 00:36:53.579
 church of

00:36:53.579 --> 00:36:54.000
 Centuria.

00:36:54.960 --> 00:36:55.639
 It's more

00:36:55.639 --> 00:36:56.159
 likely a

00:36:56.159 --> 00:36:56.599
 reference to

00:36:56.599 --> 00:36:57.099
 her official

00:36:57.099 --> 00:36:58.000
 position or

00:36:58.000 --> 00:36:58.980
 title than

00:36:58.980 --> 00:36:59.360
 to her

00:36:59.360 --> 00:36:59.719
 humble

00:36:59.719 --> 00:37:00.219
 attitude.

00:37:03.360 --> 00:37:04.119
 Then we

00:37:04.119 --> 00:37:04.500
 look at

00:37:04.500 --> 00:37:05.420
 how women

00:37:05.420 --> 00:37:06.860
 are entrusted

00:37:06.860 --> 00:37:07.440
 with great

00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:08.099
 responsibility

00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:09.199
 and leadership

00:37:09.199 --> 00:37:09.739
 within the

00:37:09.739 --> 00:37:10.219
 home and

00:37:10.219 --> 00:37:10.699
 the family.

00:37:11.159 --> 00:37:11.339
 Read

00:37:11.339 --> 00:37:12.239
 Proverbs 31,

00:37:12.900 --> 00:37:13.460
 the description

00:37:13.460 --> 00:37:13.980
 of a wife

00:37:13.980 --> 00:37:14.400
 of noble

00:37:14.400 --> 00:37:14.900
 character.

00:37:15.799 --> 00:37:16.159
 Look at

00:37:16.159 --> 00:37:16.400
 all the

00:37:16.400 --> 00:37:16.799
 things that

00:37:16.799 --> 00:37:17.199
 she does

00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:17.539
 in that

00:37:17.539 --> 00:37:17.940
 chapter

00:37:17.940 --> 00:37:18.619
 for the

00:37:18.619 --> 00:37:19.059
 household.

00:37:19.819 --> 00:37:20.460
 Because she

00:37:20.460 --> 00:37:21.039
 is trustworthy,

00:37:21.400 --> 00:37:21.719
 she does

00:37:21.719 --> 00:37:22.360
 all kinds

00:37:22.360 --> 00:37:22.880
 of things

00:37:22.880 --> 00:37:23.819
 for the

00:37:23.819 --> 00:37:24.319
 benefit of

00:37:24.319 --> 00:37:24.839
 her family.

00:37:25.019 --> 00:37:25.420
 She earns

00:37:25.420 --> 00:37:25.800
 money,

00:37:26.039 --> 00:37:26.900
 she invests,

00:37:26.980 --> 00:37:27.619
 she trades,

00:37:27.800 --> 00:37:28.440
 she sells,

00:37:28.820 --> 00:37:29.300
 she buys

00:37:29.300 --> 00:37:29.820
 a field,

00:37:30.159 --> 00:37:31.380
 she starts

00:37:31.380 --> 00:37:31.780
 a side

00:37:31.780 --> 00:37:32.200
 business,

00:37:32.420 --> 00:37:33.000
 she watches

00:37:33.000 --> 00:37:33.680
 over the

00:37:33.680 --> 00:37:34.300
 affairs of

00:37:34.300 --> 00:37:35.019
 her household,

00:37:35.340 --> 00:37:35.720
 literally.

00:37:36.880 --> 00:37:37.559
 Verse 12,

00:37:38.079 --> 00:37:38.539
 and she is

00:37:38.539 --> 00:37:39.139
 to be honored

00:37:39.139 --> 00:37:39.639
 for doing

00:37:39.639 --> 00:37:40.180
 all this.

00:37:40.680 --> 00:37:41.300
 Her husband,

00:37:42.039 --> 00:37:42.840
 who is the

00:37:42.840 --> 00:37:43.240
 head of the

00:37:43.240 --> 00:37:43.519
 home,

00:37:43.820 --> 00:37:44.440
 praises her

00:37:44.440 --> 00:37:44.900
 for these

00:37:44.900 --> 00:37:45.300
 things.

00:37:46.599 --> 00:37:47.059
 And when we

00:37:47.059 --> 00:37:47.360
 look at

00:37:47.360 --> 00:37:47.900
 1 Timothy,

00:37:48.019 --> 00:37:48.340
 it seems

00:37:48.340 --> 00:37:49.079
 that Christ's

00:37:49.079 --> 00:37:49.760
 main command

00:37:49.760 --> 00:37:50.300
 is that we

00:37:50.300 --> 00:37:50.920
 should function

00:37:50.920 --> 00:37:51.840
 like a family

00:37:51.840 --> 00:37:52.960
 in the

00:37:52.960 --> 00:37:53.280
 church.

00:37:53.280 --> 00:37:55.220
 many

00:37:55.220 --> 00:37:55.560
 Christian

00:37:55.560 --> 00:37:55.780
 men

00:37:55.780 --> 00:37:56.140
 entrust

00:37:56.140 --> 00:37:56.320
 their

00:37:56.320 --> 00:37:56.640
 family

00:37:56.640 --> 00:37:57.180
 finances

00:37:57.180 --> 00:37:57.420
 to

00:37:57.420 --> 00:37:57.600
 their

00:37:57.600 --> 00:37:57.980
 wives.

00:37:58.660 --> 00:37:59.120
 They

00:37:59.120 --> 00:37:59.420
 praise

00:37:59.420 --> 00:37:59.560
 them

00:37:59.560 --> 00:37:59.760
 for

00:37:59.760 --> 00:38:00.040
 the

00:38:00.040 --> 00:38:00.220
 good

00:38:00.220 --> 00:38:00.460
 job

00:38:00.460 --> 00:38:00.600
 they

00:38:00.600 --> 00:38:00.840
 do.

00:38:00.840 --> 00:38:01.380
 Can we

00:38:01.380 --> 00:38:01.780
 not have

00:38:01.780 --> 00:38:02.000
 women

00:38:02.000 --> 00:38:02.440
 serve as

00:38:02.440 --> 00:38:02.560
 a

00:38:02.560 --> 00:38:02.920
 treasurer

00:38:02.920 --> 00:38:03.760
 in the

00:38:03.760 --> 00:38:04.040
 church?

00:38:05.920 --> 00:38:06.400
 Finally,

00:38:06.960 --> 00:38:08.800
 to all that

00:38:08.800 --> 00:38:09.300
 we can add

00:38:09.300 --> 00:38:09.700
 that in the

00:38:09.700 --> 00:38:10.080
 history of

00:38:10.080 --> 00:38:10.440
 the church

00:38:10.440 --> 00:38:11.000
 that followed,

00:38:11.120 --> 00:38:11.580
 they had

00:38:11.580 --> 00:38:12.080
 female

00:38:12.080 --> 00:38:12.620
 deacons

00:38:12.620 --> 00:38:13.440
 right from

00:38:13.440 --> 00:38:14.000
 the earliest

00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:15.720
 days after

00:38:15.720 --> 00:38:16.100
 the New

00:38:16.100 --> 00:38:16.720
 Testament was

00:38:16.720 --> 00:38:16.980
 written.

00:38:17.420 --> 00:38:17.800
 It's as

00:38:17.800 --> 00:38:18.040
 though they

00:38:18.040 --> 00:38:18.480
 didn't see

00:38:18.480 --> 00:38:19.240
 a prohibition

00:38:19.240 --> 00:38:20.260
 of women

00:38:20.260 --> 00:38:20.760
 or a

00:38:20.760 --> 00:38:21.280
 reference to

00:38:21.280 --> 00:38:21.600
 deacons'

00:38:21.760 --> 00:38:22.120
 wives at

00:38:22.120 --> 00:38:22.360
 all.

00:38:22.360 --> 00:38:23.340
 We have

00:38:23.340 --> 00:38:23.760
 historical

00:38:23.760 --> 00:38:24.360
 documents

00:38:24.360 --> 00:38:25.019
 dating back

00:38:25.019 --> 00:38:25.620
 to within

00:38:25.620 --> 00:38:26.500
 20 years

00:38:26.500 --> 00:38:27.599
 of the

00:38:27.599 --> 00:38:28.120
 Gospel of

00:38:28.120 --> 00:38:28.559
 John being

00:38:28.559 --> 00:38:30.000
 written that

00:38:30.000 --> 00:38:30.460
 refer to

00:38:30.460 --> 00:38:31.000
 deaconesses.

00:38:32.360 --> 00:38:32.780
 And so

00:38:32.780 --> 00:38:33.460
 there's quite

00:38:33.460 --> 00:38:34.019
 the case to

00:38:34.019 --> 00:38:34.500
 be made

00:38:34.500 --> 00:38:35.860
 either way.

00:38:37.180 --> 00:38:38.039
 I certainly

00:38:38.039 --> 00:38:38.620
 don't condemn

00:38:38.620 --> 00:38:39.320
 or judge those

00:38:39.320 --> 00:38:39.740
 who go the

00:38:39.740 --> 00:38:40.180
 other way,

00:38:40.300 --> 00:38:40.760
 but I think

00:38:40.760 --> 00:38:41.039
 that the

00:38:41.039 --> 00:38:41.539
 case for

00:38:41.539 --> 00:38:41.900
 women

00:38:41.900 --> 00:38:44.260
 deacons in

00:38:44.260 --> 00:38:44.940
 these passages

00:38:44.940 --> 00:38:45.660
 is a little

00:38:45.660 --> 00:38:46.140
 stronger.

00:38:47.099 --> 00:38:48.000
 And what may

00:38:48.000 --> 00:38:48.880
 be surprising

00:38:48.880 --> 00:38:49.460
 to some is

00:38:49.460 --> 00:38:49.800
 that there

00:38:49.800 --> 00:38:50.300
 are a good

00:38:50.300 --> 00:38:51.360
 number of

00:38:51.360 --> 00:38:51.900
 respected

00:38:51.900 --> 00:38:53.000
 conservative

00:38:53.000 --> 00:38:53.740
 Bible

00:38:53.740 --> 00:38:54.280
 preaching

00:38:54.280 --> 00:38:54.760
 Christian

00:38:54.760 --> 00:38:55.200
 pastors

00:38:55.200 --> 00:38:56.200
 who agree.

00:38:56.420 --> 00:38:56.900
 This isn't a

00:38:56.900 --> 00:38:57.360
 left versus

00:38:57.360 --> 00:38:58.160
 right issue

00:38:58.160 --> 00:39:00.180
 or a woke

00:39:00.180 --> 00:39:01.380
 versus traditional

00:39:01.380 --> 00:39:02.220
 kind of issue.

00:39:03.500 --> 00:39:04.480
 As long as

00:39:04.480 --> 00:39:05.099
 we're defining

00:39:05.099 --> 00:39:05.720
 the role of

00:39:05.720 --> 00:39:06.920
 deacon in the

00:39:06.920 --> 00:39:07.420
 way that the

00:39:07.420 --> 00:39:08.139
 scriptures point

00:39:08.139 --> 00:39:09.619
 us, not as

00:39:09.619 --> 00:39:10.840
 overseers or

00:39:10.840 --> 00:39:11.360
 the board of

00:39:11.360 --> 00:39:11.840
 the church,

00:39:11.980 --> 00:39:12.700
 but as official

00:39:12.700 --> 00:39:13.480
 servants who

00:39:13.480 --> 00:39:14.000
 coordinate,

00:39:14.820 --> 00:39:15.240
 manage,

00:39:15.860 --> 00:39:17.180
 administrate to

00:39:17.180 --> 00:39:17.579
 meet a

00:39:17.579 --> 00:39:18.619
 particular need

00:39:18.619 --> 00:39:20.039
 or serve a

00:39:20.039 --> 00:39:20.759
 particular group,

00:39:20.819 --> 00:39:21.460
 I believe both

00:39:21.460 --> 00:39:22.119
 men and

00:39:22.119 --> 00:39:22.819
 women can be

00:39:22.819 --> 00:39:23.359
 deacons in

00:39:23.359 --> 00:39:23.719
 the local

00:39:23.719 --> 00:39:24.119
 church.

00:39:25.319 --> 00:39:25.980
 And if there

00:39:25.980 --> 00:39:26.400
 is a need

00:39:26.400 --> 00:39:26.759
 for someone

00:39:26.759 --> 00:39:27.239
 to be a

00:39:27.239 --> 00:39:27.699
 deacon and

00:39:27.699 --> 00:39:28.159
 it's a kind

00:39:28.159 --> 00:39:28.679
 of ministry

00:39:28.679 --> 00:39:29.819
 that involves

00:39:29.819 --> 00:39:30.980
 teaching or

00:39:30.980 --> 00:39:32.420
 counseling or

00:39:32.420 --> 00:39:33.319
 discipling men,

00:39:33.579 --> 00:39:34.059
 well, we look

00:39:34.059 --> 00:39:34.659
 back to chapter

00:39:34.659 --> 00:39:35.219
 two and we

00:39:35.219 --> 00:39:35.699
 just put a

00:39:35.699 --> 00:39:36.199
 man in that

00:39:36.199 --> 00:39:36.819
 role instead.

00:39:38.659 --> 00:39:39.380
 Otherwise, I

00:39:39.380 --> 00:39:40.239
 don't see why

00:39:40.239 --> 00:39:41.659
 women can't be

00:39:41.659 --> 00:39:42.339
 called upon for

00:39:42.339 --> 00:39:43.000
 this role in the

00:39:43.000 --> 00:39:43.619
 church today.

00:39:43.619 --> 00:39:45.339
 there's lots

00:39:45.339 --> 00:39:45.900
 more that could

00:39:45.900 --> 00:39:46.539
 be said about

00:39:46.539 --> 00:39:48.440
 elders and

00:39:48.440 --> 00:39:48.859
 deacons.

00:39:49.039 --> 00:39:49.440
 This is kind

00:39:49.440 --> 00:39:50.059
 of our church's

00:39:50.059 --> 00:39:50.759
 one-time go

00:39:50.759 --> 00:39:51.339
 through this

00:39:51.339 --> 00:39:52.380
 portion of

00:39:52.380 --> 00:39:52.699
 scripture.

00:39:53.159 --> 00:39:53.619
 If you have

00:39:53.619 --> 00:39:54.319
 more questions

00:39:54.319 --> 00:39:54.880
 or thoughts

00:39:54.880 --> 00:39:55.579
 or wonderings,

00:39:55.900 --> 00:39:56.500
 we have some

00:39:56.500 --> 00:39:57.059
 helpful little

00:39:57.059 --> 00:39:57.859
 books in the

00:39:57.859 --> 00:39:58.619
 foyer called

00:39:58.619 --> 00:39:59.339
 Elders and

00:39:59.339 --> 00:40:00.460
 Deacons, and

00:40:00.460 --> 00:40:00.859
 you're welcome

00:40:00.859 --> 00:40:01.699
 to take one of

00:40:01.699 --> 00:40:02.859
 those home and

00:40:02.859 --> 00:40:03.420
 read it, and

00:40:03.420 --> 00:40:03.859
 when you're done

00:40:03.859 --> 00:40:04.359
 with it, you can

00:40:04.359 --> 00:40:04.819
 just bring it

00:40:04.819 --> 00:40:05.319
 back to the

00:40:05.319 --> 00:40:05.619
 church.

00:40:08.519 --> 00:40:09.279
 We're going to

00:40:09.279 --> 00:40:10.400
 cut the discussion

00:40:10.400 --> 00:40:11.239
 of deacons off

00:40:11.239 --> 00:40:11.880
 at that point,

00:40:12.339 --> 00:40:13.139
 and we're going

00:40:13.139 --> 00:40:13.599
 to turn now

00:40:13.599 --> 00:40:14.199
 to the Lord's

00:40:14.199 --> 00:40:14.519
 table.

00:40:17.119 --> 00:40:17.900
 With all this

00:40:17.900 --> 00:40:18.759
 talk about

00:40:18.759 --> 00:40:19.380
 deacons and

00:40:19.380 --> 00:40:20.059
 authority and

00:40:20.059 --> 00:40:20.619
 leadership in

00:40:20.619 --> 00:40:23.380
 the church, I

00:40:23.380 --> 00:40:23.799
 hope that it

00:40:23.799 --> 00:40:24.480
 affects the way

00:40:24.480 --> 00:40:25.139
 that we see

00:40:25.139 --> 00:40:25.900
 Jesus.

00:40:27.619 --> 00:40:28.420
 Consider a few

00:40:28.420 --> 00:40:28.920
 words from

00:40:28.920 --> 00:40:29.460
 Jesus' own

00:40:29.460 --> 00:40:29.799
 mouth.

00:40:31.539 --> 00:40:32.159
 The Gospel of

00:40:32.159 --> 00:40:32.400
 Mark.

00:40:32.539 --> 00:40:33.019
 When the ten

00:40:33.019 --> 00:40:33.559
 heard about

00:40:33.559 --> 00:40:35.699
 this, they

00:40:35.699 --> 00:40:36.460
 became indignant

00:40:36.460 --> 00:40:37.259
 with James and

00:40:37.259 --> 00:40:37.559
 John.

00:40:38.860 --> 00:40:39.400
 Jesus called

00:40:39.400 --> 00:40:39.920
 them together

00:40:39.920 --> 00:40:40.360
 and said,

00:40:40.460 --> 00:40:41.159
 you know that

00:40:41.159 --> 00:40:41.739
 those who are

00:40:41.739 --> 00:40:42.420
 regarded as

00:40:42.420 --> 00:40:43.219
 rulers of the

00:40:43.219 --> 00:40:43.839
 Gentiles,

00:40:44.239 --> 00:40:45.039
 lorded over

00:40:45.039 --> 00:40:46.379
 them, and

00:40:46.379 --> 00:40:46.699
 their high

00:40:46.699 --> 00:40:47.699
 officials exercise

00:40:47.699 --> 00:40:49.079
 authority over

00:40:49.079 --> 00:40:51.199
 them, not so

00:40:51.199 --> 00:40:51.639
 with you.

00:40:52.980 --> 00:40:53.679
 Instead, whoever

00:40:53.679 --> 00:40:54.500
 wants to become

00:40:54.500 --> 00:40:55.619
 great among you

00:40:55.619 --> 00:40:56.779
 must be your

00:40:56.779 --> 00:40:58.919
 servant, and

00:40:58.919 --> 00:40:59.539
 whoever wants to

00:40:59.539 --> 00:41:01.359
 be first must be

00:41:01.359 --> 00:41:02.419
 slave of all.

00:41:03.419 --> 00:41:04.419
 For even the

00:41:04.419 --> 00:41:05.939
 Son of Man did

00:41:05.939 --> 00:41:07.000
 not come to be

00:41:07.000 --> 00:41:08.759
 served, but to

00:41:08.759 --> 00:41:10.599
 serve and to

00:41:10.599 --> 00:41:12.319
 give his life as

00:41:12.320 --> 00:41:13.300
 a ransom for

00:41:13.300 --> 00:41:13.620
 many.

00:41:16.180 --> 00:41:16.900
 Two of the

00:41:16.900 --> 00:41:17.880
 apostles had

00:41:17.880 --> 00:41:19.160
 their mother put

00:41:19.160 --> 00:41:19.920
 in a good word

00:41:19.920 --> 00:41:20.500
 for them with

00:41:20.500 --> 00:41:20.860
 Jesus.

00:41:21.480 --> 00:41:22.160
 They wanted

00:41:22.160 --> 00:41:23.160
 greatness and

00:41:23.160 --> 00:41:23.539
 glory.

00:41:24.240 --> 00:41:24.720
 They wanted to

00:41:24.720 --> 00:41:25.240
 sit at Jesus'

00:41:25.420 --> 00:41:26.100
 right hand and

00:41:26.100 --> 00:41:27.600
 his left hand in

00:41:27.600 --> 00:41:28.120
 his kingdom.

00:41:28.539 --> 00:41:28.980
 And when the

00:41:28.980 --> 00:41:29.620
 other ten heard

00:41:29.620 --> 00:41:30.080
 about it, they

00:41:30.080 --> 00:41:30.600
 got angry.

00:41:31.500 --> 00:41:31.880
 They were

00:41:31.880 --> 00:41:32.480
 fighting over

00:41:32.480 --> 00:41:32.860
 this.

00:41:33.480 --> 00:41:34.180
 In their minds,

00:41:34.300 --> 00:41:35.080
 they craved the

00:41:35.080 --> 00:41:35.500
 position.

00:41:36.700 --> 00:41:37.660
 They wanted the

00:41:37.660 --> 00:41:37.980
 status.

00:41:38.120 --> 00:41:38.700
 They wanted the

00:41:38.700 --> 00:41:39.019
 title.

00:41:39.019 --> 00:41:40.880
 They wanted to

00:41:40.880 --> 00:41:41.820
 be in leadership

00:41:41.820 --> 00:41:42.559
 and have that

00:41:42.559 --> 00:41:43.519
 authority alongside

00:41:43.519 --> 00:41:44.059
 Jesus.

00:41:44.920 --> 00:41:46.300
 And this jockeying

00:41:46.300 --> 00:41:47.059
 and fighting over

00:41:47.059 --> 00:41:48.019
 position went right

00:41:48.019 --> 00:41:48.679
 up until the

00:41:48.679 --> 00:41:49.280
 moment of the

00:41:49.280 --> 00:41:50.000
 Lord's table.

00:41:50.780 --> 00:41:51.699
 We hear in one

00:41:51.699 --> 00:41:52.380
 of the Gospels.

00:41:53.179 --> 00:41:54.099
 They were fighting

00:41:54.099 --> 00:41:54.980
 at this over the

00:41:54.980 --> 00:41:55.579
 Last Supper.

00:41:56.940 --> 00:41:58.039
 And Jesus just

00:41:58.039 --> 00:41:58.920
 sliced through all

00:41:58.920 --> 00:42:00.500
 this pride and

00:42:00.500 --> 00:42:01.619
 vanity and selfish

00:42:01.619 --> 00:42:02.119
 ambition.

00:42:03.039 --> 00:42:04.199
 He said, no, you

00:42:04.199 --> 00:42:05.119
 guys are not to be

00:42:05.119 --> 00:42:06.179
 leaders like they

00:42:06.179 --> 00:42:07.159
 do leadership in the

00:42:07.159 --> 00:42:07.440
 world.

00:42:08.699 --> 00:42:09.500
 Greatness is not

00:42:09.500 --> 00:42:10.219
 to be found like

00:42:10.219 --> 00:42:10.440
 that.

00:42:10.559 --> 00:42:11.699
 Greatness is found

00:42:11.699 --> 00:42:13.539
 through servanthood,

00:42:14.460 --> 00:42:15.159
 through deaconing,

00:42:15.699 --> 00:42:17.500
 through meeting the

00:42:17.500 --> 00:42:18.219
 needs of others.

00:42:19.500 --> 00:42:20.779
 For even the Son of

00:42:20.779 --> 00:42:22.960
 Man did not come to

00:42:22.960 --> 00:42:24.920
 be served, but to

00:42:24.920 --> 00:42:26.399
 serve and to give

00:42:26.399 --> 00:42:27.299
 his life as a

00:42:27.299 --> 00:42:28.940
 ransom for many.

00:42:30.539 --> 00:42:31.980
 Jesus was the

00:42:31.980 --> 00:42:33.379
 ultimate deacon.

00:42:34.339 --> 00:42:35.359
 Even though Jesus

00:42:35.359 --> 00:42:36.759
 is the Son of Man,

00:42:36.760 --> 00:42:38.680
 the glorious Son of

00:42:38.680 --> 00:42:39.740
 Man foretold by the

00:42:39.740 --> 00:42:41.580
 prophets, the Son of

00:42:41.580 --> 00:42:44.560
 God, the King, the

00:42:44.560 --> 00:42:47.220
 Messiah, he saw our

00:42:47.220 --> 00:42:49.260
 great need for

00:42:49.260 --> 00:42:51.180
 forgiveness, for

00:42:51.180 --> 00:42:53.240
 atonement, for a

00:42:53.240 --> 00:42:54.160
 ransom to be paid,

00:42:54.860 --> 00:42:56.580
 and he came down into

00:42:56.580 --> 00:42:59.320
 our world to serve

00:42:59.320 --> 00:43:01.820
 us, to meet that

00:43:01.820 --> 00:43:03.260
 need at the cost of

00:43:03.260 --> 00:43:04.380
 his own life.

00:43:04.380 --> 00:43:07.000
 He set us free from

00:43:07.000 --> 00:43:08.960
 our sins when he

00:43:08.960 --> 00:43:10.579
 died on the cross,

00:43:10.740 --> 00:43:11.860
 and it was a gift of

00:43:11.860 --> 00:43:13.180
 love for all who

00:43:13.180 --> 00:43:13.940
 will seek God's

00:43:13.940 --> 00:43:15.340
 forgiveness, for all

00:43:15.340 --> 00:43:15.960
 who believe.

00:43:18.800 --> 00:43:20.160
 We are all called to

00:43:20.160 --> 00:43:20.480
 deacon.

00:43:20.900 --> 00:43:22.000
 We're all called to

00:43:22.000 --> 00:43:22.840
 serve one another in

00:43:22.840 --> 00:43:24.420
 love, and the truth is

00:43:24.420 --> 00:43:25.440
 that we have all failed

00:43:25.440 --> 00:43:27.539
 to be as we should.

00:43:27.539 --> 00:43:29.699
 Just like the

00:43:29.699 --> 00:43:30.599
 disciples, we've all

00:43:30.599 --> 00:43:31.440
 stood there waiting,

00:43:32.059 --> 00:43:33.820
 waiting for somebody

00:43:33.820 --> 00:43:34.980
 else to get down and

00:43:34.980 --> 00:43:36.199
 wash our crusty feet

00:43:36.199 --> 00:43:38.199
 while we put them

00:43:38.199 --> 00:43:38.460
 up.

00:43:40.219 --> 00:43:41.519
 But Jesus stands in

00:43:41.519 --> 00:43:42.420
 stark contrast.

00:43:43.099 --> 00:43:43.739
 He is holy.

00:43:44.460 --> 00:43:45.279
 He is radiant.

00:43:45.860 --> 00:43:47.159
 He bends down and

00:43:47.159 --> 00:43:49.019
 washes our feet.

00:43:50.139 --> 00:43:53.539
 He bends and carries

00:43:53.539 --> 00:43:54.340
 our cross.

00:43:54.340 --> 00:43:58.320
 He is innocent, and

00:43:58.320 --> 00:43:59.000
 we the guilty.

00:44:00.579 --> 00:44:01.680
 And beneath all of

00:44:01.680 --> 00:44:03.579
 this service is his

00:44:03.579 --> 00:44:04.559
 love for us.

00:44:07.220 --> 00:44:08.280
 I encourage you in

00:44:08.280 --> 00:44:08.940
 these moments to

00:44:08.940 --> 00:44:10.039
 think back just over

00:44:10.039 --> 00:44:11.039
 this past week, over

00:44:11.039 --> 00:44:12.880
 all the ways that we

00:44:12.880 --> 00:44:13.900
 have blown it.

00:44:14.980 --> 00:44:16.300
 All of our failings,

00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:18.200
 all the times that we

00:44:18.200 --> 00:44:19.280
 fell short of God's

00:44:19.280 --> 00:44:20.860
 glory and goodness,

00:44:20.860 --> 00:44:23.539
 all the moments where

00:44:23.539 --> 00:44:24.260
 we could have been

00:44:24.260 --> 00:44:26.700
 deaconing, but instead

00:44:26.700 --> 00:44:27.640
 we chose to live

00:44:27.640 --> 00:44:30.079
 selfishly for our own

00:44:30.079 --> 00:44:30.840
 pleasure, our own

00:44:30.840 --> 00:44:31.220
 pride.

00:44:32.760 --> 00:44:33.860
 But now look to this

00:44:33.860 --> 00:44:36.059
 table, which reminds

00:44:36.059 --> 00:44:36.920
 us of the cross.

00:44:38.800 --> 00:44:40.140
 The bread reminds us

00:44:40.140 --> 00:44:41.900
 of Jesus' body, which

00:44:41.900 --> 00:44:43.000
 was broken for us.

00:44:44.360 --> 00:44:45.760
 The cup reminds us of

00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:47.720
 Jesus' blood, which was

00:44:47.720 --> 00:44:48.660
 poured out for us.

00:44:48.659 --> 00:44:51.579
 It was at the cross

00:44:51.579 --> 00:44:53.239
 that all of our sins,

00:44:53.779 --> 00:44:56.019
 failures, and guilt

00:44:56.019 --> 00:44:57.879
 were forever forgiven

00:44:57.879 --> 00:44:59.659
 and atoned for by

00:45:00.440 --> 00:45:02.460
 Jesus, the one who

00:45:02.460 --> 00:45:04.259
 came to serve us.

00:45:05.399 --> 00:45:06.739
 And so let's reflect on

00:45:06.739 --> 00:45:07.659
 that together as the

00:45:07.659 --> 00:45:08.659
 elders come forward and

00:45:09.179 --> 00:45:10.139
 pass out the bread and

00:45:10.139 --> 00:45:10.519
 the cup.

00:45:11.099 --> 00:45:12.460
 And if you believe this,

00:45:13.099 --> 00:45:14.279
 please join with us and

00:45:14.279 --> 00:45:15.159
 partake with us.

00:45:15.559 --> 00:45:16.219
 We'll wait until

00:45:16.219 --> 00:45:17.099
 everybody has been

00:45:17.099 --> 00:45:18.539
 served, and then we'll

00:45:18.539 --> 00:45:19.699
 eat and drink together.

00:45:19.699 --> 00:45:19.800
 Thank you.

00:45:48.759 --> 00:45:49.539
 pour with you,

00:45:49.539 --> 00:45:53.679
 not work.

00:45:53.679 --> 00:46:23.659
 Thank you.

00:46:23.679 --> 00:46:53.659
 Thank you.

00:46:53.679 --> 00:47:23.659
 Thank you.

00:47:23.679 --> 00:47:53.659
 Thank you.

00:47:53.679 --> 00:48:23.659
 Thank you.

00:48:23.679 --> 00:48:53.659
 Thank you.

00:48:53.679 --> 00:49:23.659
 Thank you.

00:49:23.679 --> 00:49:53.659
 Thank you.

00:49:53.679 --> 00:50:23.659
 Thank you.

00:50:24.460 --> 00:50:25.599
 For our forgiveness.

00:50:29.839 --> 00:50:34.599
 Thank you that we don't need to earn it, but that you offer it as a gift.

00:50:34.599 --> 00:50:38.599
 May you be glorified.

00:50:38.599 --> 00:50:39.319
 May you be glorified.

00:50:39.420 --> 00:50:42.000
 May you be in our remembrance and our celebration.

00:50:42.000 --> 00:50:44.000
 Amen.