Lead, Follow or Move Over

What is your job in this church? What are you called to do?

Intro

U.S.S. John S McCain - Destroyer that ran into a commercial tanker last year , killing 10 sailors and injuring five

CDR pled guilty for a reduced sentence

“Sanchez claimed responsibility for the deadly collision. He said had failed to put a well-rested, well-trained crew in place to steer the destroyer into the Straits.”

Many lives destroyed and it could have been avoided.

Many churches are like this destroyer.

We have people out of place. We become apathetic. We start looking inward instead of outward. We confuse the gospel with programs, etc . . .

Where are you in this?

You’re either a part of the solution or your are a part of the problem.

Drama

The church had a growing problem - growing pains

Need:

A complaint arose from the Hellenist - Greek speaking Jews

Dispersed Jews - not Hebrews from Palestine

Doctrine

Sometimes in the church complaints are legitimate

We are sinners and we will complain - grumble

Whenever people get together there is opportunity to complain

Acts 5:42 ESV

And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

Acts 6:42

Sinners coming together often produces complaint

We should seek to avoid complaining

Jesus warns the Jews - John

John 6:41–43 ESV

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?” Jesus answered them, “Do not grumble among yourselves.

OT - Israel complained about God’s provisions - Ex and Numbers

Paul warns the church

1 Corinthians 10:10 ESV

nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.

1 cor

Philippians 2:14 ESV

Do all things without grumbling or disputing,

This was the running joke at RTS Charlotte -

We should distinguish between complaint and true need

There was a legitimate need that was recognized

Some were being ignored in the distribution

App: We should discern betwen grumbling and legitimate complaints that lead to a healthier church

What a Biblical Polity looks like

Elders - Minister Word and Prayer

TE

RE

Deacons

Seven? Number of completeness (See Rev)

initial diaconate starts off complete

ministers to the needs of the congregation

Hand picked by the congregation

Prayed over - Ordained position

Support the ministry of the Word

This is the primary role of the church

Distribution of gifts

Parity provides clarity of function

God provides through people

App: God provides for his people through other people in the church.

How are you serving God?

Deacons - serving the people

Church - follow the deacon, pray for your deacon, submit to your deacons

What a healthy and growing church looks like

Good leadership

Elders who focus on Word and Prayer

Deacons who “serve tables.”

διακονεῖν - servant

Engaged church members

Concerned for other folks and their needs

contrary to our nature - self preservation

Serving church members

Everyone serving everyone

no partiality - this was the charge

We need to be careful of showing partiality

Is focused on the spreading of God’s Word

Martin Lloyd Jones

Victorious Christianity Chapter 16: Priorities

So the modern idea is that the business of Christianity is to indulge in philanthropic work. I remember a man once putting this very forcibly when he said, “If you want to make Christians of the people in pagan countries, don’t send men there to preach your Gospel to them. Send men there who will enter into their politics, join in their life, get onto their local councils, and be part and parcel of the people; and if you do that, there is some hope that after a generation or two you will Christianize them and their whole outlook.” In other words, you win converts not by preaching, not by holding the Word of God before people, but by doing good among them. The task of the Christian church, it is said, is to put an end to war and injustices and wrongdoing and to relieve every form of suffering.

The early church was facing this very challenge

The Word of God or social gospel?

Victorious Christianity Chapter 16: Priorities

The primary task of the church is to hold up and to hold forth the truth before men and women, to hold it up on a pillar, to put it on a placard.

Jesus:

Confronted about his purpose of coming to earth.

Herodians approached him about taxes:

English Standard Version Chapter 22

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

What was Jesus saying? why ask me? I am not worried about the things of this world, I have a job to do.

Luke 12:13–15 ESV

Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” But he said to him, “Man, who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Jesus: Understood his role, fulfilled his role, didn’t deviate from his job, made sure the gospel was shared.

John the Baptists in prison sent to disciples to Jesus:

Luke 7:22–23 ESV

And he answered them, “Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

Doxology

When everyone does their part the church is healthier

Some lead, Some follow, and others will simply move.

We need to learn to listen to one another and listen for genuine complaints

We need to complain less and share our needs

We need to ask where God is calling us to serve.

We need to be careful and show no partiality and seek to serve everyone in his church

We need to be a church with a primary purpose of spreading the Gospel

Imagine a church where all of these are a part of the church. Where we care for one another, serve one another, listen to one another, and are united in one goal, the sharing of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

What is your role? Will you be a part of the church that does this? How will you be involved?

Will you lead, follow or move out of the way?

Memorial Day: Remember those who have fallen for one primary purpose - America’s Freedom

Girl who sat on the lap of a WW2 Soldier - “Are you a hero?”

“Those who did not come back are the heroes?”

Remember that tomorrow.

But, also remember this:

The church is full of heroes. Their cause was and remains the sharing of the gospel. Our Greatest Hero - Jesus Christ died, not for Freedom of one country - but for an entire world.

God’s Kingdom is greater than anything we celebrate on this earth. It is established by God. His church that you are in is His and he has given us one charge, yet various roles in that mission. How are you helping and serving so that the gospel of Jesus Christ may be spread throughout the world.