Deacons and Elders

Well I think the goat post is going to have to wait. There are goats in the church. I think everyone knows it. It’s time to move on…at least until later. I think this is more important right now.

“1Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”–Acts 6:1 – 7 (ESV)

In v.2 I notice that the twelve state the reason for creating the office of ‘deacon’. It was because ‘it is not right’ for them to give up the preaching of the word of God to serve tables.’ The office of deacon, when properly defined, proved to be a catalyst for several things. The word of God increased, the number of disciples multiplied greatly, and even a great many priests came to be ‘obedient to the faith.’ Their duty here appears to be anything that keeps the twelve from the ministry of the word. (v.3) The distribution, or the service to the widows was something that took a great deal of time. It takes a lot of time to take care of folks. I did notice that the word for ‘distribution’ was pretty close to the word for ‘deacon’ as if the two were rooted in the same Greek word. If that’s the case then I would have to say that it supports the notion of the office deacon being for service, not for leading the church.

When I compare this model with what most Southern Baptist Churches use I am surprised we get anything done. I am also not surprised that so many pastors burn out early or quit the ministry all together. They are on their own in a position that demands support and yet they usually have none. Praise God that He lifts these men up so that they are willing to do this work as they do. Most of them throw themselves into it no matter what it costs them in health and even their relationship with their wives. But do they really have to do this? I don’t think so. In fact I think we have a biblical imperative here to do whatever is necessary to see that their prayer and study time–the ministry of the word–is not disturbed. In v.4 the twelve, after creating the office of deacon and assigning them this duty they say that the deacons will take care of the distribution “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Now here is something that should perk up the ears of the most die-hard church growth guru. In v.7 we see that when the twelve–arguably ‘elders’ at this point–are left to the ministry of the word the result is that ‘the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem…’ It was so effective that even a ‘great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.’ It’s pretty obvious that if we’re so concerned about our baptism or membership numbers that we are focusing on the wrong issues. This is one of the issues that must be dealt with if we are going to close the wide open back door to the SBC. It can’t do anything but help the church to have men devoted to prayer and the study, preaching, and teaching of the word of God and other men devoted to allowing them the freedom to do so.

It doesn’t take long for this to take hold in the church either. As early as Acts 11 we see that Saul and Barnabas send a letter to the ‘elders.’ Also, in Acts 14:23 we see that they also “…appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.” This wasn’t a passing thing. This was something that Paul instituted in ‘every’ church. It wasn’t just a Jerusalem idiosyncrasy, something that is only pertinent to the first century church. It was something that was meant to be a permanent fixture in the church.

COW Tipping

COW = Can ‘O Worms

Used to you could get a tin can opened up with a hand-powered opener and use it to hold your fish bait. Worms and grub of all varieties would stay securely sealed into this low-tech wonder because the lid was still attached. When you dropped your newly acquired fish-morsel into it you could bend the lid back down and it would stay in place.

Well, if your lid wasn’t on tight enough or you had wiggled it so much that the little hinge broke the one thing you didn’t want to do was tip the can. At that point, the lid would roll off and all your bait would wiggle all over the place because I’ll tell you what, they were much less interested in being skewered on a hook and fed to a fish than you were in doing it. Thats the problem with opening the can ‘o worms that is sin: no one wants to deal with it and when you open the lid and let in some light, they all take off.

Let’s tip some ‘cows’, OK?

“Eddies in the space-time continuum…”

When I was in junior-high I ran across a book that changed my life.

I was a awkward, fat, maladjusted teen from a broken home living with my Father who was at least attempting some sort of normal childhood for me. I had a bike and a dog and huge seemingly endless wood to explore out back of my grandmothers house and books. I couldn’t get enough books, particularly Fantasy and Science Fiction books of all varieties. Here’s the part where I find the book, thanks for waiting on it. It wasn’t the Bible even though the radical change that wrought in me is indescribable.

It was “The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy.”

Not exactly a deep theological tome as Douglas Adams was an athiest. The mere concept of aliens blowing up the Earth would probably send a theolog in so many directions at once he might never get his tongue un-knotted. But I loved this book and the idea that a dork like Arthur Dent could be a hero in any situation. Here’s what I mean:

“Are we talking about,” he asked cautiously, “some sort of Vogon laundromat, or what are we talking about?”
“Eddies,” said Ford, “in the space-time continuum.”
“Ah,” nodded Arthur, “is he. Is he.”
“What?” said Ford.
“Er, who,” said Arthur, “is Eddy, then, exactly, then?”
Ford looked angrily at him.
“Will you listen?” he snapped.
“I have been listening,” said Arthur, “but I’m not sure it’s helped.”

See? Dork through and through.

The point is that my world was fairly dark and dismal at that point but God sent this book my way so I could have a little laughter. I read the Bible too. I read it quite a bit and I was pretty familiar with it for a 12, 13, 14 year old but these others gave me a fresh perspective. Something to think about besides getting my butt whipped in basketball six or eight times a week.

Here’s what I mean. On down toward the end of this discussion Ford is having with Arthur we see that Ford finally gives up and says to Arthur, “Just believe everything I tell you, and it will all be very, very simple.” and even Arthur has the sense to reply as follows:

“Ah, well, I’m not sure I believe that.”

Even he has it figured out that nothing is ever as simple as it seems.

Insert head shake here…

Founders Ministries Blog: Interview with Kevin Larson: an axed Missouri Baptist church planter

I don’t know what to think when I read things like this. I wonder why Southern Baptists continue to labor under the delusion that young ministers will put up with this type of treatment? This is the type of person we need to plant churches. Is the Southern Baptist ‘we ain’t never done it that way before’ so ingrained that we can’t get around it? How can we accept things like “Purpose Driven Church” as the gospel and then get upset about something trivial like this? I don’t get it.

The other question is, ‘How long is God going to put up with this?” Worship is a privilege the Jews lost two or three times? Something like that…. Go back and read about the Glory leaving the temple. It didn’t go all at once, it left in stages. I think its time for the SBC to realize that even its present state is a sort of a gracious pause, a calm before the storm…

Reset Blogroll

I did something very bad to my blogroll today so I had to reset it. I was tinkering with it trying to get it to look more like my feed reader list–you know, sites I actually read–and messed up all my categories.

So I think I’ve got it fixed but if you’re missing from it and you’re really upset about it let me know and I’ll relink it.

The Goats must wait

I’ve been sick as a dog this week so I’m afraid that my post on ‘Goats’ must wait at least until tomorrow. There’s another one in the series too, hopefully I’ll be able to get them up soon.

It’s just hard to maintain a high degree of study when you’re head is stuffed with cotton and decongestants.

May the snot fairy give your house a wide berth. God Bless…

COD: File this under ‘wasted youth’

Joe Thorn rolls up some good numbers for the Sword of the Spirit. And if you catch that reference maybe it’s time to put that twenty sided dice away for good. Anyway…thanks for the resource list Joe. I’d like to get some thoughts on the difference between a typical So. Baptist deacon vs. pastor set up and an Elder led church? Anyone?

Shepherds

Part 1

A couple of days ago I talked about sheep. Many places in Bible the Church in general is compared to sheep and it only takes a little observation to see why. They know a few things, but they’re a little naïve. They have a desire to eat the good things but they don’t know where to get them. They need a shepherd, in other words, in order to be healthy and strong. Shepherds are very prominent in the Bible for a reason. There are a great number of benefits to be gained from being ‘shepherded’. Here are a few David, also a shepherd, wrote down for us:

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
3 He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
–Psalms 23:1 – 6 (ESV)

Yeah I know everyone quotes that one. There are a few other examples of note.

Rachael was a shepherdess of her Father’s sheep (Genesis 29:9). She must have been something because Jacob served fourteen years and married her other sister too just to get her. She was used by God to teach Jacob a very important lesson about harsh dealing in one of the only ways he would listen. They Egyptians hated shepherds (Genesis 46:34) which was part of the enmity between them and the Jews. Numbers 27:17 tells us that Moses described the people of Israel as ‘sheep without a shepherd.’ It’s as if God sent Moses to the desert for 40 years to take care of sheep so he could learn to take care of people. I guess there’s more than one way to go to seminary. God appointed Joshua to ‘shepherd’ them in Moses place. Most notably we see in 1 Samuel 16 that God anointed a shepherd to rule over Israel as King in the place of Saul who is described as tall and handsome. Perfect king material to the eye of man…but God sees the heart. David was a shepherd too. His heart was like God’s. He knew how to take care of his sheep. They were the chosen heralds at the birth of Jesus which I suppose is what got me thinking about this in the first place.

The concept of a pastor comes from shepherd as well. The ministry of a pastor in the New Testament church is similar to shepherding. It’s not easy work either. The pastor is to be available 24/7 for funerals, weddings, and all manner of personal crises. And yet they are to orate in a pleasing fashion from Sunday to Sunday, to preach the Word boldly and yet not step on any toes. They are to be, like our politicians, perfect in every way. This means, in practical terms, that the pastors who are the best at covering their own sins are the most desirable.

But that’s merely a symptom of our own sickness as well.

I’m being a little overly cynical here on purpose because I think that we—meaning Southern Baptists—treat our pastors very poorly.

And I think there’s a reason for it…

Wireless Mouse

This was invented by C.S. Lewis in Prince Caspian. Reepicheep, of course, had his grown back but the idea stuck.

I’ve got one or two and they are fantastic. Anyone else?

Voting

I try not to get too wrapped up in politics. I wait until the election is in sight before I make a firm decision and sort of keep an eye on it peripherally before that. I’m a Christian so I put some prayer on my decision as well.

But thats my business. Well I guess if I was that concerned about it I wouldn’t write about it on a blog.

I just can’t see staring at the TV for most of a year before and after a Presidential election when you can figure out what they mean by a little minor research and just listening occasionally to the news. It’s pretty repetitive, once they get all the planks in their platform nailed down.

Anyway, the point is that each of us has a way that we prepare to make our decisions when we vote. I think we should, as a American citizens. It’s our civic duty. It’s a privilege that many in the world would no doubt love to take away. It’s the teeth in threat of a grass-roots movement. It puts the blackjack and billy clubs in ‘throw the bums out’ because most life-long politicians are more interested in keeping their jobs than doing them.