Deacon Sunday
Ministry (Deacon Sunday); nv 2/8/04 am
OS: A When you make the decision to be the church that God wants you to be you are faced with more than just holding services each Sunday. Today we begin our “Deacon Process” – (Huddle Time). Over the next several weeks we huddle up and devise our plans to accomplish our mission from God.
TS] B (Pass out the booklets – go over dates and name submission)
I. C Our mission is to glorify God through helping people know Jesus, grow to be like Him, and show Him to the world.
A. D 1 Corinthians 1031 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
1. :John 174 I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
B. What is that work?
1. E Matthew 22 37 Jesus replied:”‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
2. F Matthew 28 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
3. G Sum it up = glorify God through helping people know Jesus, Grow to be like Him, and Show Him to the world.
C. Our deacons will lead us in accomplishing this mission from God.
D. Over the next few weeks we will select deacons for different ministries, they will begin to plan and gather assistance from the congregation, have a ministry fair, and determine how we will accomplish our mission in the coming year.
TS] Recognize deacons who have served thus far. (Volunteers!)
II. H These next few weeks are not just about deacons, but they are about ministry.
A. The foundation of ministry is character. The nature of ministry is service. The motive for ministry is love. The measure of ministry is sacrifice. The authority of ministry is submission. The purpose of ministry is the glory of God. The tools of ministry are the Word of God and prayer. The privilege of ministry is growth. The power of ministry is the Holy Spirit, and the model for ministry is Jesus Christ.
B. I believe Northview is a church that wants to be the church of God’s intent! I believe we are a church who understands that:
1. Our mission is more than holding services but reaching this community for Christ.
2. We are in the people business.
3. There must be salvation for the lost regardless of the cost.
4. Being God’s church is more than just building a building, but ministering to people in all their pain, difficulty, and despair. And helping them know Jesus, grow to be like Him, and show Him to the world.
III. In order to accomplish our mission for God, and minister to people, we must have leaders!
A. Appointing leadership in the church was one of the first things that Paul made sure of. (Acts 14 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.)
1. Approach this time with prayer and fasting. You need no permission for prayer and fasting.
B. Deacons are not the only leaders of the church. The scriptures speak of leaders in the church who are not considered as deacons.
1. We have men who lead in worship, small groups, committees, etc. that are not officially elders or deacons.
2. The ability of this congregation to be God’s church, and minister to this community is in direct proportion to the quality of leadership we have and the positioning of this leadership in the right places.
C. I Men – 1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
1. I believe this applies to all leadership within the church.
2. “If anyone aspires to a position of responsibility within the church, he desires a good work.” (MINE)
3. The emphasis is on “responsibility” not “office”, “work” not “position”.
4. You should not feel guilty for having such an aspiration.
D. Wild at Heart, John Eldredge – “…in the heart of every man is a desperate desire for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.”
1. We have a great battle to fight against Satan for the souls of people.
2. We have an adventure to live in ministry.
3. What greater beauty is there to rescue than the bride of Christ? The church is in constant need of leadership – good quality leadership.
4. It is natural and okay to desire a responsibility in the work of God – to make your mark and make a difference in this world.
TS] Our text this morning comes from 1 Timothy 3:8-13 and describes good quality leadership. (We are not going to detail each term, but consider the nature of the whole…) J TEXT
I. K Marks of True Authentic Leadership.
A. Marks of Leadership because leadership comes from a man’s character, and his character has to do with how he lives day to day life.
1. Respectability, Sincerity, honesty = marks of leadership.
2. :Leadership is Influence – nothing more nothing less, and Influence comes from character.
B. Our world defines leadership as the ability to achieve a position or a title, not to get followers.
1. This past year we have seen in our world good examples of men who achieve positions without the leadership qualities needed to maintain those positions.
2. All you have to do is mention Enron, and immediately issues of character surface in our minds.
C. Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less and influence comes from our character – not our position.
1. I’ve know men who are tremendous leaders, but who refuse a position of leadership for some personal reason. – The truth is they are still leading.
2. Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her life time.
D. In this list of what we call “Qualifications” you find expressions of good character which naturally create influence. So if you want to lead…
1. Be honest and sincere!
2. Don’t allow turning a dollar to be the most important thing in your life.
3. Be a student of the Word and be open to the change God calls for in your life.
4. Be true to your family.
5. Etc. = Character produces Influence which = leadership.
TS] So these are not just qualifications, but they are a blueprint for becoming a person of influence and leadership.
II. L Marks of Spiritual Maturity and Growth.
A. Vs. 9, “They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.”
1. We cannot conduct truly effective ministry without a close walk with God.
2. Jesus said, “Apart from Me you can do nothing” (Jn. 15)
B. A note about Spiritual Maturity – “He/She’s so spiritual.” (?)
1. Spiritual maturity comes not from what you say, but from how you live.
2. M Galatians 5 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (notice the similarity of the fruit of the Spirit with some of the qualifications.)
3. Notice what is not mentioned: Church attendance, prayer, fasting, bible study, etc.
4. Without such things a person will never allow God to fill them up to the point that the fruit of the Spirit just bubbles out.
C. Those who lead us in our ministries must be spiritually mature because we are involved in a spiritual battle!
1. A chain is only as strong as it’s weakest link.
2. Satan will do his best to discourage, confuse, and defeat those who lead our ministries. That is why we must support, encourage, pray for, and assist all our leaders in their perspective ministries.
TS] This list of qualifications is a list that serves to remind us of the marks of true authentic leadership, and the marks of spiritual maturity.
III. N A Target for us all.
A. All these qualifications apply to each Christian in some form or fashion.
1. Exception? “husband of one wife” – One who is faithful to their spouse.
B. Perfection will not exist in any of us. These qualifications are an expression of what we are all to aim at in our Christian lives.
C. One of the most fundamental principles of Scripture is that we all fall short of God’s glory.
1. :Psalm 143 2 Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.
2. Written by David, a man after God’s own heart.
Closing Thought to take Home:
O We are on a mission from God, and the ministries of Northview are designed to help us achieve that mission. Be thankful to our deacons who have served, and be thoughtful and prayerful as we select our deacons for a new year of ministry. And let us all work together to accomplish the mission because souls weigh in the balance.