A Daily Walk

Guest (Male): Coming up next on a daily walk.

John Randall: When it comes to being a servant of the Lord, God is not there in heaven as a divine talent scout. All right, come on up. Let's see what you got. Hit it. No, sorry. We're not looking for your tags. We're Next, you know, I'm just going through the ranks and finding out what your talent is. Some people limit themselves to serving the Lord. Well, I don't do this and I don't do that and I can't do that and so I guess God can't use me. That's really not the case at all. In fact, I've learned that it's not great talents that God blesses, but it's great likeness to Jesus that the Lord truly blesses.

In what way are you serving the Lord today?

Guest (Male): So how would you answer that question posed a moment ago by Pastor John Randall? How are you serving the Lord today, friend? If you're struggling to come up with an answer, be encouraged that we all have a role to play in the church. Today on a daily walk, we turn your attention to 1 Timothy 3 which describes the role of deacons in the church. And a deacon really is a servant. Pastor John will relate this to our calling to serve with Jesus as our wonderful role model.

John Randall: If you'd open up with me now to the book of 1 Timothy chapter 3. 1 Timothy chapter 3 and we're picking up this morning in verse 8 in our systematic study through the book of 1 Timothy and through the Bible. And we're looking today the message entitled serving within the church. 1 Timothy chapter 3. If you'd follow along beginning in verse 8. Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested. Then let them serve as deacons being found blameless.

Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. And let deacons be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Shall we pray together this morning? Father, we pray that you would teach us today what it is to be a servant of the Lord. And Father, may our service be motivated by the love of the Lord. And so we give you this time today in Jesus' name.

Amen. By the time the apostle Paul wrote this first letter to Timothy, the church had been in existence for some 30 years. Since that time, the church had grown and grown to a point where it was in need of leadership in the form of pastors. Pastors take care for the needs of the people and to oversee the work of the ministry. However, the elders or the pastors within the churches couldn't carry out this task all by themselves. They needed others to come alongside of them to assist them in the more practical areas of the ministry.

Those who served in this capacity in an official sense are referred to as deacons. The word deacon is the Greek word diakonos and it appears approximately 100 times within the New Testament, but it's simply a word that means to serve. Every single believer, every person who is a born-again Christian is called to be a servant of the Lord. And the reason that we're called to be servants is because we're seeking to follow the example of our Savior who was a servant of all. You may remember if you've read through the Gospel of Mark in chapter 10 that the disciples, two of them specifically, James and John came to Jesus and they made a request.

They said, Lord, grant us that we might sit on your right hand and your left hand when you come into glory. Now when they made that request, the other disciples were filled with displeasure, probably because they didn't ask first. But then Jesus began to speak on the subject of being a servant. And he said, whoever desires to be first among you, let him be the slave or the word is the servant of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.

In the upper room at that last supper, right before his betrayal and his crucifixion, the disciples were once again entering into a discussion about who among them would be the greatest in the kingdom. And while they were having this discussion, the Bible tells us that Jesus set aside his outer garment. He girded himself with a towel and he began to wash all of his disciples' feet. And when he had completed that task, he said to his disciples in John 13, you call me teacher and Lord and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and your teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

For I have given you an example that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is he who sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do these things. Jesus said, I've given you an example of what it is to serve. I've taken the most servile position by washing your feet. And I'm not doing this simply because your feet are dirty, but I'm doing this to show you an example that as I have served you, you are to serve one another.

There's a great blessing that comes to the life of the person who understands not just intellectually what it is to serve the Lord, but practically carries it out in their everyday life. The blessing comes to the life of the believer that understands and puts into practice being a servant of the Lord. If Jesus was a servant and left us an example to follow and we want to be like Jesus, then each one of us is called to serve the Lord in some way. The apostle Paul illustrated this point of the church functioning together, serving one another in 1 Corinthians chapter 12.

In fact, if you would turn there for a moment, 1 Corinthians chapter 12, I want you to see this for yourself. 1 Corinthians chapter 12 in verse 12. And the apostle Paul writes and he says, for as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that body, he says, are one, so also is Christ. For by one spirit, we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, all have been made to drink into one spirit. For in fact, the body is not one member, but many.

Now if the foot should say, because I'm not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, well, because I'm not an eye, I'm not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them in the body just as he pleased. And they It says if they were all one member, where would the body be?

But now indeed, there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Like a physical body that has many parts, a hand, an eye, a foot, a nose, when the physical body is functioning in a way that it was created to function, when it 's healthy, when every part of the physical body of a physical body is doing what it was created to do, so much can be accomplished through that physical body.

And Paul says, that's the same way it is to be in the body of Christ. We are a body here. We are many members, all to be unified contributing for the benefit of the entire body. All of us have a role. All of us have a function within the church of Jesus Christ. And like the physical body, if we're all serving in the capacity that God has created us to serve and we're a healthy body, then so much can be accomplished for the kingdom of God. And none of us can say to any other part of the body, well, I don't need you.

I'm fine over here. No, Paul said, that would be like the eyeball saying to the rest of the body, I don't need you. Just one big eye rolling around by itself. I mean, it just doesn't work that way. We all need each other. We're to be unified in the body as the body of Christ connected to the head which is Jesus. He is the head of the body. So Jesus is the example of what it is to be a servant and we're to follow his example. And in the church, we function as servants, one body collectively together unified doing the work of the ministry.

Now the Bible also tells us that the Lord right now presently is looking for those to serve. In fact, 2 Chronicles chapter 16, a verse that I love. It says, for the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth that he might show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal toward him. Jesus said to his disciples in the midst of a growing ministry in Luke chapter 10, he said, the harvest truly is great, but the laborers, they're few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest field.

The Lord was telling his disciples, there's a great need and therefore be praying that God would raise up those who would serve. Peter would write in his first epistle, the fourth chapter, the 10th verse, as each one of you has received a gift from the Lord. So serve one another. Paul said in writing to the Colossians in Colossians chapter 3 in verse 23, he said, whatever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not unto men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance for you serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

Why do I serve the Lord? Why should we serve the Lord? One thing, we're following the example of Jesus. Secondly, it is a command in Scripture. But also the reason why we serve Jesus and the real motivation for serving him should be love. If we have been on the receiving end of the love of God within our lives, serving the Lord is a response to his love more than it is a responsibility. It is not to be looked at as something that I have to do this, but I get to do this because of the love of God.

I am responding to his love for me. And therefore it is a joy to serve the Lord. I don't need a title to serve the Lord. I don't need recognition to be involved. I don't need a pat on the back. I don't need an incentive package for servants in order to serve the church. If I reach this goal, well, all right, next. I mean, it just doesn't happen that way. The love of God is enough to motivate me, to compel me to serve Jesus Christ. It's the least that I can do presenting myself as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable which is my reasonable service.

It's reasonable. He offered himself up for me, my reasonable service. Can't be any less than offering myself back to him serving the Lord with my life. And I'm also pleased to tell you that when it comes to being a servant of the Lord, that God is not there in heaven as a divine talent scout. All right, come on up. Let's see what you got. Hit it. No, sorry. We're not looking for your tags. We're Next, you know, I'm just going through the ranks and finding out what your talent is. Some people limit themselves to serving the Lord.

Well, I don't do this and I don't do that and I can't do that and so I guess God can't use me. That's really not the case at all. In fact, I've learned that it 's not great talents that God blesses, but it's great likeness to Jesus that the Lord truly blesses. Let me ask you a question before we move forward. In what way are you serving the Lord today? I have found that the people who are most connected to the church body are those who are functioning within the church body, serving in some way.

Well, I never met anybody at that church. I never, you know, got connected to anybody. Nobody ever talked to me. I never did I I I It's a lot of I. It's actually an eye problem actually, but when you when you come and you examine it from the point of the Scriptures, my question always be, in what way did you serve that body? In what way did you die to yourself and minister to that body? Those are the people that are most connected who are functioning in the body. If you're disconnected, it's really hard to be connected.

That's pretty obvious. I've also found that the people who are usually the most joyful within the body of Christ are those who are serving in the body of Christ in whatever area. They don't come with some preconceived idea of where they should be serving or having an agenda or or some entitlement. They simply are available to serve the Lord in whatever capacity and they're faithful. And there is a tremendous joy that comes in serving the Lord in any way because Jesus said it very clearly, it is more blessed to give than to receive. And when you're just giving of yourself, serving the Lord in any capacity, there's a tremendous joy.

Now when it comes to the role of the deacon in the church, the servant within the church, and there even seems to be some reference in the Bible to the deaconess, Paul refers to a woman by the name of Phoebe who served alongside of him in the ministry who was a tremendous blessing and a great help to the work of the ministry. Most scholars and commentators, even the church fathers will go back to the book of Acts chapter 6 as the beginning of where the ministry of the deacons took place. In fact, I want you to see this.

Turn back a few pages to Acts chapter 6. Paul will write about the qualifications for the deacons within the church in 1 Timothy, but here we see the beginning of the ministry of the deacons within the church, Acts chapter 6. Now let me tell you that the Bible says in Acts chapter 2 that in one day 3,000 people were added unto the church. I want you to think about that for a second. If 3,000 people today showed up at church today out in the courtyard. First, they wouldn't have a place to park, but if they showed up 3,000 extra people in one day just decided to make Calvary Chapel San Juan Capistrano their home, that would create a tremendous amount of needs.

I mean, right off the bat. And the Bible says in Acts 2 that not only 3,000 were added, but as they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and in the which is the word of God and prayer and in fellowship and communion, breaking bread from house to house, that the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved so much so that when you get to Acts chapter 4, we're given another number. It says that now 5,000 people were within the church there in Jerusalem. And then Acts chapter 5 verse 14 says, and the believers were increasingly added to the church multitudes of both men and women.

That's a lot of people in a short amount of time. And that brings us to Acts chapter 6 because it says, if you'd follow along beginning in verse 1, now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. Then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, it's not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom who we may appoint over this business.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. As the believers were giving financially to the work of the ministry, some of the proceeds went to care for the widows within the church.

Widows were not able to go out and get a job to support themselves. They were dependent either upon their families or the assistance of others. In those days, it was not uncommon for widows to starve to death because they had no provision. And therefore became a constant demand and need within the church to help them. In fact, when you get to 1 Timothy chapter 5, Paul will give a list of qualifications and guidelines for ministering to those who were widows within the fellowship. But here in the book of Acts, while they were ministering to the needs of the widows, it says that there arose a complaint.

And the complaint was caused between two different groups of widows. One group were the Hellenists, meaning they came from a Grecian background. And then you had the Hebrew widows. The Hellenists were more than likely born in areas outside of Jerusalem. And the language that they spoke was that of the Greek language. Although they were Hebrews and they they held to Hebrew customs, they didn't necessarily speak the Hebrew language. And they were considered to be somewhat of outsiders within the church in Jerusalem. But then you have the Hebrew widows who were probably born in Jerusalem. They spoke Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

And they were more connected to the church because that's where they were from. And so as the daily distribution was being given out to the different groups of widows, the Hellenists felt slighted. They felt as though they were being treated with partiality and their needs were not being met. And so they raised a complaint. The apostles, hearing this concern, this complaint, realized that the problem was not that the widows weren't having their needs met in the daily distribution, but there was actually a greater problem. And the greater problem was they were forced to stop preaching and teaching the word and they had to serve tables.

Not that they were above serving tables, they were completely open to it and willing to do it, but they were having to neglect their first ministry. And if this wasn't dealt with, it wouldn't be long before the church would be impacted spiritually. And so they came up with a solution. And the solution was simply this. They asked the church to select seven men, seven out of 5,000 people. Select seven men to care for this practical area of the ministry so we can continue to be faithful, to preach and to teach and to pray and handle the spiritual needs of the ministry.

4 And they gave these people qualifications. Here's what you look for in these seven men. You know what the qualifications were? First of all, they need to be full of the Holy Spirit. Secondly, they need to be full of wisdom. And they needed to be men of good reputation both inside of the church and outside of the church. I find these qualifications to serve tables enlightening. Enlightening. Just to serve tables? Just to hand somebody a bag of groceries? We're looking for people who are filled with the Holy Spirit first and foremost and also wisdom. And they have a good reputation.

Would to God that every aspect of the ministry within this church was carried out by people who were full of the Holy Spirit. What kind of ministry is that? Powerful ministry. We have people full of the Holy Spirit, people who are full of wisdom that comes from God. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. They have a relationship with God. And they also have a good reputation. They're not one way in the church and differently outside of the church. That's effective ministry within the church.

Guest (Male): Hey, thanks for joining us today for a daily walk. Pastor John Randall has been in 1 Timothy 3 encouraging us all to serve the Lord wherever he calls us to be. Would you like to hear the study again or share it with someone who might benefit by hearing this? Head over to adailywalk.org where you can listen to and share the content or listen to us wherever you get your podcasts and at oneplace.com. The Calvary Salvosy app is another great way to listen to Pastor John on your mobile devices, so download that today. Did you know that Pastor John releases an encouraging daily devotional each day?

Check it out at adailywalk.org and let us know what you think. Our special offer for the month of August is a newly released book by John's wife, Michelle Randall. It's titled Redeemed, A Journey Through Ruth. This book is the second of five published in a series of many Bible study books and it's ideal for small group summer studies, one-on-one discipleship, or even a women's study. It's available for the cost of just $10 at adailywalk.org or call 877-242-0828. That's 877-242-0828 and adailywalk.org. Please remember that it's your gifts that help us deliver God's word on stations like this all across the nation.

We want this ministry to bring the Lord glory and help as many people as possible with their daily walk. And your gift, whatever the size, will help us accomplish that goal. Make a donation online at adailywalk.org. You can also call 877-242-0828. If you find these studies helpful to your daily walk, we'd like to know. Pastor John reads your emails and is so encouraged by what you have to say. It is important that we hear from you as it lets us know where a daily walk is effective. Write to us by email at adailywalk@gmail.com and let us know what station you hear us on.

That's adailywalk@gmail.com. Next time on a daily walk, we'll continue our study of 1 Timothy with more encouragement to be servants of the Lord. This program is made possible through your generosity and brought to you by Calvary Salvosy.