Hold the Mystery with a Clear Conscience

May 6, 2018 · 1 Timothy

Series · 1 Timothy · Week 9 of 24

Scripture referenced 8 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

1 Timothy 3:8-13 the main text for the sermon, attributes of deacons and their wives or women who serve

8 Servants, in the same way, must be reverent, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for money;
9 holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.
10 Let them also first be tested; then let them serve if they are blameless.
11 Their wives in the same way must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things.
12 Let servants be husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.
13 For those who have served well gain for themselves a good standing, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

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Titus 1

overseers and elders referred to in the same sentence, reviewed from prior week

1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness,

2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who can’t lie, promised before time began;

3 but in his own time revealed his word in the message with which I was entrusted according to the commandment of God our Savior;

4 to Titus, my true child according to a common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

5 I left you in Crete for this reason, that you would set in order the things that were lacking, and appoint elders in every city, as I directed you;

6 if anyone is blameless, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, who are not accused of loose or unruly behavior.

7 For the overseer must be blameless, as God’s steward; not self-pleasing, not easily angered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for dishonest gain;

8 but given to hospitality, a lover of good, sober minded, fair, holy, self-controlled;

9 holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching, that he may be able to exhort in the sound doctrine, and to convict those who contradict him.

10 For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 whose mouths must be stopped; men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake.

12 One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.

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1 Timothy 1

the aim of our charge is love, issuing from a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith

1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus Christ our hope;

2 to Timothy, my true child in faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3 As I urged you when I was going into Macedonia, stay at Ephesus that you might command certain men not to teach a different doctrine,

4 and not to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which cause disputes, rather than God’s stewardship, which is in faith—

5 but the goal of this command is love, out of a pure heart and a good conscience and sincere faith;

6 from which things some, having missed the mark, have turned away to vain talking;

7 desiring to be teachers of the law, though they understand neither what they say, nor about what they strongly affirm.

8 But we know that the law is good, if a person uses it lawfully,

9 as knowing this, that law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers,

10 for the sexually immoral, for homosexuals, for slave-traders, for liars, for perjurers, and for any other thing contrary to the sound doctrine;

11 according to the Good News of the glory of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust.

12 And I thank him who enabled me, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he counted me faithful, appointing me to service;

13 although I was before a blasphemer, a persecutor, and insolent. However, I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.

14 The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

15 The saying is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

16 However, for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first, Jesus Christ might display all his patience, for an example of those who were going to believe in him for eternal life.

17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

18 This instruction I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies which were given to you before, that by them you may wage the good warfare;

19 holding faith and a good conscience; which some having thrust away made a shipwreck concerning the faith;

20 of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I delivered to Satan, that they might be taught not to blaspheme.

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1 John 1:9

if you confess your sins he is faithful and just to forgive your sins and cleanse you from all unrighteousness

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

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Ephesians 3

mysteries once hidden are now revealed in the gospel

1 For this cause I, Paul, am the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you Gentiles,

2 if it is so that you have heard of the administration of that grace of God which was given me toward you;

3 how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me, as I wrote before in few words,

4 by which, when you read, you can perceive my understanding in the mystery of Christ;

5 which in other generations was not made known to the children of men, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;

6 that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

7 of which I was made a servant, according to the gift of that grace of God which was given me according to the working of his power.

8 To me, the very least of all saints, was this grace given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,

9 and to make all men see what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things through Jesus Christ;

10 to the intent that now through the assembly the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the principalities and the powers in the heavenly places,

11 according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord;

12 in whom we have boldness and access in confidence through our faith in him.

13 Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

14 For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

15 from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,

16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inward man;

17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

18 may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth,

19 and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,

21 to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

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Romans 16:1-2

Paul commending Phoebe, described as a deacon or servant of the church at Cenchreae

1 I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant of the assembly that is at Cenchreae,

2 that you receive her in the Lord, in a way worthy of the saints, and that you assist her in whatever matter she may need from you, for she herself also has been a helper of many, and of my own self.

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Philippians 1

Paul addressing overseers and deacons together in his greeting

1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ; To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and servants:

2 Grace to you, and peace from God, our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

3 I thank my God whenever I remember you,

4 always in every request of mine on behalf of you all, making my requests with joy,

5 for your partnership in furtherance of the Good News from the first day until now;

6 being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.

7 It is even right for me to think this way on behalf of all of you, because I have you in my heart, because, both in my bonds and in the defense and confirmation of the Good News, you all are partakers with me of grace.

8 For God is my witness, how I long after all of you in the tender mercies of Christ Jesus.

9 This I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and all discernment;

10 so that you may approve the things that are excellent; that you may be sincere and without offense to the day of Christ;

11 being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

12 Now I desire to have you know, brothers, that the things which happened to me have turned out rather to the progress of the Good News;

13 so that it became evident to the whole palace guard, and to all the rest, that my bonds are in Christ;

14 and that most of the brothers in the Lord, being confident through my bonds, are more abundantly bold to speak the word of God without fear.

15 Some indeed preach Christ even out of envy and strife, and some also out of good will.

16 The former insincerely preach Christ from selfish ambition, thinking that they add affliction to my chains;

17 but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the Good News.

18 What does it matter? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed. I rejoice in this, yes, and will rejoice.

19 For I know that this will turn out to my salvation, through your prayers and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will in no way be disappointed, but with all boldness, as always, now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life, or by death.

21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

22 But if I live on in the flesh, this will bring fruit from my work; yet I don’t know what I will choose.

23 But I am in a dilemma between the two, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

24 Yet, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake.

25 Having this confidence, I know that I will remain, yes, and remain with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,

26 that your rejoicing may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence with you again.

27 Only let your way of life be worthy of the Good News of Christ, that, whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your state, that you stand firm in one spirit, with one soul striving for the faith of the Good News;

28 and in nothing frightened by the adversaries, which is for them a proof of destruction, but to you of salvation, and that from God.

29 Because it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in him, but also to suffer on his behalf,

30 having the same conflict which you saw in me, and now hear is in me.

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2 Corinthians 13:11

quoted as the benediction: rejoice, strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace

11 Finally, brothers, rejoice. Be perfected, be comforted, be of the same mind, live in peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

This message continued a two-week look at 1 Timothy 3, moving from the attributes of elders to the attributes of deacons and the women or wives who serve alongside them. The pastor walked the congregation through what these lists are actually asking for, and then closed with communion as a reminder that none of us meets the standard on our own.

What was said

The sermon opened by revisiting last week's ground. The attributes of overseers and elders had already been covered, and the pastor acknowledged that some people had been away. He was clear that he uses the word "attributes" rather than "qualifications" deliberately, because the lists are not checklists that disqualify everyone who reads them. They describe the kind of person you are in general, not a record of perfect performance. The aim, he said, is walking in victory in Christ.

Moving into the deacon list in verses 8 through 13, the pastor noted how closely it mirrors the elder list. Dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. He spent some time on "double-tongued," describing it as saying one thing to one group and something different to another, the kind of thing he called pandering. The addition of "dishonest gain" goes a step further than the elder list, he said, because deacons often handle the practical and financial affairs of the church.

The phrase "hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience" drew the most extended treatment. The pastor explained that in the New Testament a mystery is not something unknowable but something that can only be known through revelation from God. He was honest that he is more comfortable with ambiguity than some people are, and he told a story about writing "mystery" on a seminary test question about the order of salvation, having the points taken, carrying a grudge about it for two years, and eventually finding out the professor had never even read his answer. The point was not just a laugh. It folded back into the conscience piece: holding on to a grievance is exactly the kind of thing that works against a clear conscience.

On verse 11 and the question of whether "women likewise" refers to the wives of deacons or to women who serve as deacons themselves, the pastor was straightforward that the text is genuinely ambiguous. The Greek does not have the possessive that would settle it, and he said both readings are reasonable from context. He pointed to Romans 16 and Phoebe, where the same root word is used of a woman serving the church, and he noted that First Baptist Jackson has elders who are men and a board of trustees that is mixed. He asked people on both sides of the debate to come up out of the ditch and stay in the middle of the road.

The closing verse of the passage, that those who serve well gain good standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus, became a question put directly to the room. The pastor asked people who had served, in any capacity, whether they had come out of that service with greater confidence in Christ than when they went in. The response from the congregation was the point: serving is not a power position, and when it has been treated as one, the whole 13 verses have been missed.

The sermon moved into communion from there. The pastor said that looking at the list of attributes and recognizing we fall short is exactly where the cross becomes necessary. Jesus, he said, lived out every one of those attributes perfectly from Bethlehem to Jerusalem, had no sin on his account, and voluntarily gave his life as a ransom. The communion elements were distributed as a reminder that the only claim any of us brings is the cross itself.

Doing a Bible study?

Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor described the difference between elders and deacons as leaders of the church versus servants of the church, and said it is not a varsity versus junior varsity situation. What do you think happens in a church when one of those roles gets treated as more important than the other?
The pastor said he prefers to use the word 'attributes' rather than 'qualifications' for these lists, because the lists describe the kind of person someone is rather than a set of skills they have checked off. How does that distinction change the way you read a list like this?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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3:48 Speaker 2The shrew manager, but the things that come up into it are generosity and faithfulness and loyalty to God. It's just a really good text, and I just want you to know that Monday nights are always open. The door is open for you. It is potluck tomorrow. I'll bring a bunch of fried chicken, but I could really use some side dishes.

4:07 Desserts. Yep. Desserts and side dishes would be really, really helpful. So we can eat well, which is not really good. Yeah.

4:14 Alright. Last week was amazing, by the way.

5:03 Speaker 1Be here for this. Saturday, May 12, that's next Saturday. So before we meet again, this may have been the first time that you heard about it. It's in the bulletin this morning too. We're doing an all church cleanup, and we're hoping to do it in three hours.

5:15 Is Is there anybody who's in charge of this that wants the same thing beside me? Here he

5:19 Speaker 3is. Come help out. We're gonna have a great team this year, and we've got the more hands, the easier the week is. So please come and join us as we just plan at the church and kinda bless this place.

5:31 Speaker 1Alright. So that's nine to twelve, and we will provide lunch next week. You can bring your own cleaning supplies so you can just start working when you get here. We'll have a few things on hand, the rag buckets, that sort of thing. And we're gonna try to do hall windows and lots of stuff lots of stuff as we have help available to do it.

5:49 So church cleanup next week, Saturday, nine to twelve. Put it in your phones, if you would, right now. My Sister's Closet. I don't have a sister, but the name of this thing, My Sister's Closet, might not tell you exactly what it is. There's a clothing swap.

6:02 The drop off will happen Friday, May 18, and they will arrange it into the form of a yard sale. And then on Saturday, May 19, from ten to twelve, there'll be a time where you can come in and just kinda swap out, get your own clothes, new to you clothes. In My Sister's Closet, the person who usually heads it up is Casey McCooey. Is that true? Yes.

6:23 Casey McCooey is the person to call if you wanna know more about that. But a $10 donation, and then you swap, get the clothes that you want and get rid of the ones you don't That's my sister's play, happen eighteenth and nineteenth. RJ Chubbwagen is doing their part for the Turning Point Pregnancy Resource Center. They do this on the Tuesday following Memorial Day. So Tuesday after Memorial Day, May 29.

6:47 The gates out there, you all understand, most of you are from around here know how the bar day works. The gates open at 05:30. The show dinner will be at seven shows after that. But for adults, it's $25. For children 12 and under, it's $12, so that's the least expensive RJ show you will see this year.

7:06 But it'll be barbecue beef, and they'll have a silent auction ahead of time. And it is a very big help to Turning Point. Right, Carolyn? Absolutely. Okay.

7:15 We're very thankful. I think it's about the thirty something, close to forty years that they've been doing this for they've been it since the Pregnancy Resource Center has been here, so that's good. Rolling River Rampage. This is our vacation Bible school, June 25 through the twenty seventh, nine to noon each day, and we have a booth set up back there, and there's Liz in the back wearing the t shirt. There you go.

7:40 Rolling River Rampage. She is the person to talk to if you would like to volunteer for that or if you wanna sign your kids up. So you can do that online, but you can also talk to Liz about it. She will help you with that. I see some excited people up front.

7:53 Here you go. There's pictures on the front of the bulletin this time too.

20:55 Speaker 2And you don't disappoint. And that's the truth about you. So thank you, God. We pause to give you thanks. As we give, we give with an open heart, an open hand.

21:06 Just knowing, God, that

25:08 Speaker 1Children's church is happening downstairs. And we are and the continued portion of it could be continued from last week. So we did this, but I know some of you weren't here, were traveling, whatever. And so I'm gonna go back and do a bit of review, and then we're gonna go into the time of communion or Lord's Supper towards the end of this. But first Timothy three eight through 13 is a list of the attributes of deacons.

25:34 Now last week, we went through the attributes of elders or overseers. In Titus, he called them overseers and elders in the same sentence referred to the same group of people. Here at this church, we call them elders, typically. They are overseers slash elders. Alright?

25:50 That's the way that goes. So deacons are this list this week, and the lists are pretty similar, but the deacons are dealing with serving the church. And, actually, I read what I thought was helpful this week from a commentary. It said, overseers, you could say generally in our day, are leaders of the church, and then you could say deacons were servants of the church. And so those who serve, those who lead is the distinction, but it's not a varsity junior varsity situation.

26:22 It's not like one is ahead of the others. You need both. Absolutely need both. So here we are. Attributes.

26:27 And I don't say qualifications. The reason I don't say qualifications is so many of you this week have mentioned nobody, nobody, nobody hits that list. There's not anybody who actually hits that list. I think that's a glass half full, glass half empty type of thing. Either you see it and you're so daunted by it that say, oh, above reproach, that's hopeless.

26:47 There's not a chance that anybody actually could be those things. But speaking in general terms, you can. You can walk in victory in Christ, and that's what Paul is pointing toward. So attributes of deacons and the women slash wives who serve. Okay?

27:06 So I'll mention both of those. This was the whole enchilada last week. We just did seven verses. There it is. They're tiny.

27:13 I know that. We're not gonna go through them like that. We're gonna do it this way. The same is trustworthy. If anyone aspires to the office, and that's another reason.

27:22 They are aspiring to the office of overseer. Do we fail? We do. But we are desiring a noble task. We are aspiring to the office of overseer.

27:34 He desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach. Now, like I said, that does not mean sinlessness. It means, in general, these are not the characteristic things that you think of when you think of this person. Does that make sense?

27:54 Yes or no? Yes. Y'all are asleep this morning. So am I. I'm waking up, though.

27:59 We're getting there. Above reproach, a one woman man, sober minded, self controlled. We went over these in detail, and I think that I gave you enough Greek last last week to get you through this week. I'm not gonna use a lot of Greek this week. Self controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, a lover of money, managing his own household well with all dignity keeping his children domestic.

28:38 And then he gets a reason for that one, that last long one there. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church? In most versions, that's in parentheses because it's just kind of an aside. ESP doesn't have the parentheses, so it's like that. For someone who does not know how to manage his how own household, how will he care for God's church?

28:59 He must not be a recent convert. So over time, so he's not a recent convert or and it's for his benefit that you don't do this, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, in addition to that, he must be thought well of by outsiders, well thought of by outsiders. That's the condition the the attributes of an overseer. And I say, as one of the elders of this church, that that is a don't you list.

29:43 And when I look at it, I feel like, Lord, am I living up to that? And I'm aspiring to live up to it. Where I fail, I pray God's forgiveness, and that he'll bring me into all of these things. His good grace is by the cross. He is the way, as we just sang together, so that he might not fall into disgrace into a snare of the devil.

30:05 Now the devil does have traps set for us, and temptations to do the wrong thing abound all the time. And so that he may not fall into disgraceful snare of the devil, he should not be or he should be well thought of by outsiders. Because if they don't think well of you, they're alone. Right? Do you get that?

30:25 Like, many times are people investigated, investigated, investigated, and found out to be a hypocrite? And that becomes huge news. So so snare of the devil. Well, this is the whole enchilada for this week. Mhmm.

30:37 It's eight through 13. This is about deacons, and it looks a lot the lists look a lot alike. In fact, we'll start right there. And a deacons, likewise, must be dignified. Now that dignified is a different word than respectable, but they are very close synonyms.

30:55 Sin synonyms. Synonyms. Deacons likewise must be dignified. That is respectable, dignified, not double tongue. So this one has a marginal note in the DSP.

31:07 Eagles Standard has a marginal note right there. Double tongue, it's it's got a different variation. Whenever you see a marginal note, look at it. It is an enduring discrepancy of opinion, usually. Okay?

31:20 And so that one is double tongue. Double tongue could be saying things, as we would say, out of both sides of their mouth. Speaking out of both saying one thing to one set of people and another thing to another set of people. It's known as politics or pandering today. Okay?

31:34 Not double tongue, where you're saying whatever you feel like will be best with the audience in front of you, but not really believing it. That's double tongue. It also can mean gossip or slander. So that is, in a way, the same thing, but d d logos is what that is. Double tongue.

31:54 Not addicted to much wine. That is very similar to the other list. Do we have that on the list of overseers and deacons? Check. Yes.

32:01 Not greedy for dishonest gain. Not a lover of money, it said in the first, and there is some rhetorical difference as far as how he presents it, but it's the same thing. Now not greedy for dishonest gain goes a little further. People are in the position of being servants of the church. Sometimes it is dealing with the temporal matters of the church, and it's dealing with money.

32:26 So people who would do a kickback for giving the business to a certain group, that is dishonest gain. That's not right. So not greedy for dishonest gain is one of those attributes of a deacon. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And I'm gonna go to clear conscience first and come back to mystery.

32:48 Clear conscience, it's what we've been talking about. The aim of our charge is love, Timothy. Now I know that when you read this in our society, in our times, when you read it, you think, oh, man. I can't believe Paul said that about women. Oh, man.

33:03 I can't believe Paul said that about the situation. He seems to just say, oh, have to read it with lenses that are that God wishes our well us well. He wishes our good. It is a hermeneutic of goodwill that God loves us and he cares for us, and he's trying to help us. The aim of our charge, Paul says to Timothy, and I say to you, the aim of our charge is love.

33:33 It's love that issues. That's agape love, godly love. That issues from a pure heart and a good conscience. So a pure heart is knowing that you have been forgiven for all of your sins and transgressions, knowing that you do not stand accused now for anything in the past. A good conscience is how you're doing right now.

33:56 In your mind, have you done anything that stands out as being underhanded or wrong? If it is, if there is something there, come to God with it. First John one nine, if you are confessing your sins, he's faithful and doth to be forgiven your sins and cleansing you from all unrighteousness. So you can have a pure heart. You can have a good conscience knowing that to the best of your ability.

34:20 We are going to step in it every once in a while. Okay? Do you understand what I'm saying? We're going to. We are valuable creatures, and we're going to mess up from time to time.

34:29 But as soon as we do, a course correction is to say, God, forgive me. Restore me the joy of my salvation. Allow me, lord, to walk in your will, your way. Having a good conscience, a pure heart because God purifies hearts. A good conscience because we're not holding on to our right to sin the way we wanna sin.

34:51 Does that make sense? We aren't convicted of anything that we're not admitting and agreeing with God about and a sincere faith. It's holding to the mystery with a good conscience. For this day, that's deacons, must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. How many of y'all does that does that make y'all uncomfortable to hear mystery?

35:21 I'm fairly comfortable with ambiguity. It doesn't bother me very much, but it does bother some people because they wanna answer every single question all the way down to the last detail. Well, there's this and this. In Christianity, there these people disagree with these people. Well, which one's right?

35:40 I'm more comfortable with ambiguity. If I'm a mercy gifted guy and I show someone mercy, that may be exactly what they need at that moment. Now that's if you're a justice guy and you are demonstrating someone justice, that may be exactly what they need at that moment. I tend to be mercy. Sometimes people need a kick in the pants.

36:01 Alright? Some people need justice. Every once in a while, you need that. But there's a mystery in how God can do that. Martin Murphy, a lot of times, will say, it's amazing how God can use both.

36:13 It's just amazing how God can use both. We're so different, but he can use both. Pure heart, good conscience, sincere faith, acting as God directs. It's a mystery. It just is.

36:27 I also answered that on a test question in seminary. Don't answer a question with mystery, alright, in seminary. There was a 204 doctrinal presentation we had to present. It was 30 something pages long. Oh my goodness.

36:41 I had already lost it in my computer one time on the hundred and eighty sixth point. And had to rewrite 204 points of where I stood on my theology. And when I got down near the end, it said, what is your opinion of the order of salvation? The order of salutis. And then scripture, it presents things differently.

36:59 Some people flatly repent first. Some people, God knocks down on the way to Damascus. There was no repentance involved at that point until God knocked them down. And then there was it's a mystery. And so I put on my test question, I'm gonna play mystery on this one because scripture points to different things.

37:20 If you have to take away my points, take away the points. Musterion. That's what I'm sticking with. I got back my test, and he took the points. And I held on to it.

37:32 I held it in my heart, and I held it in my heart for a long time. I was like, I can't believe that sergeant's been doing that. I didn't get to, Lord, forgive me. I was holding on to it. I saw the guy two years later, and I went up to him.

37:51 I said, his name was Egoo Hodges. I said, Egoo, doctor Hodges, gotta say something. I've been having a hard time with something for the last couple of years. This guy was a hillbilly from Tennessee. He was the one of the smartest people I've ever met, research librarian by profession, and had a domicile haircut and sounded like Goma Pyle.

38:13 And I said, doctor Hodges, I have been struggling with something. I said, I claimed Lister Young for the Ordo Saludis on one of your tests two years ago, and you took the point. I I pointed out every place in scripture where it was different. And he goes, must have been my grader.

38:37 Speaker 3You didn't even read it.

38:39 Speaker 1But I had to work through it, and it did help. And see, Matt has helped me with holding on to things because, you know, most of the time, it's just gone over their head. You can forgive people without even even knowing about it. It helps with your clear conscience if you do that too. So they must hold the mystery of the faith because it is a mystery, how God reveals himself to us.

39:02 They must hold deacons. Servants of the church, those who would serve the church must hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. Mysterio. There it is. A mystery, a secret, of which initiation is necessary.

39:14 There are some steps that one has to go through. When you read a mystery novel, do you know exactly how it is from the first pages? My wife does. Must be terribly boring to be tiny because she knows immediately. I don't know.

39:28 It takes me to the very end, a mystery, a secret, of which more information and initiation is necessary in the the New Testament. It is the councils of God. Roman says, once or Ephesians three says, once hidden, they are now revealed in the gospel or in some particular fact thereof in Christian revelation. Generally, particularly truth or details of the Christian revelation, it is how God sanctifies us is a mystery, but he does it. We have to yield our will to him, but he does it.

40:02 In the Bible, a mystery is not something unknowable. It is knowable. Carry on and go forward with what you know. It's what can only be known through revelation from God. Now he does that through his word.

40:16 That's the primary way. He does it, but he also does it through other believers. He also does it through circumstances. He will reveal himself. He says, I will be found by those who earnestly seek after me.

40:30 So mystery. I actually think that it means holding fast to the fact that it is a mystery too. Because if you start nailing down exactly how God does everything, if you're arguing over whether it's the chemical composition of Jesus' blood or if that's a metaphor, and you're trying to figure out between those two things, can you just hang on to it? It's a mystery. We don't know exactly how he does it, but

40:58 Speaker 3he says he does it. We have to

40:59 Speaker 1trust him. Let them also be tested first. So this gets down to deacons. Who's of them? The them is deacons.

41:06 And let them, those who would serve the church, also be tested first. Now would be the great time for the for the announcement about Saturday's church cleanup, nine to twelve. Right? Let them be tested first. Then let them serve as deacons servants if they prove themselves blameless.

41:26 So the blameless, again, is another reaction. You like the above reproach, rather, don't you? Blameless sounds like sinless. And no, it is. They execute their duties.

41:37 They go about doing this. There's not this glaring error of, wow, they really messed that one up. Okay. That's the easy part of sermon right there. Now their wives likewise, verse number 11.

41:54 Verse number 11 starts off their wives likewise. Mhmm. Their wives likewise in the ESV. And a marginal note that these right there, the marginal note says, they're women, likewise. So that is reasonable on both counts.

42:10 They're wives. They're women. But, really, there's no there there. There's no there. It's women or wives.

42:18 It could be either women or wives. Likewise. So it's going along. It's giving qualifications for overseer. It gives qualifications for deacon, and then it says women likewise or wives, likewise, either way.

42:32 It doesn't have a there, not possessive. It does make sense from context, and you can't put it in there. There's always something when you're translating, there's a decision to be made. This one, I'm trying to explain to you that both are reasonable. Okay?

42:45 Marginal notes, like I said, both of these things are reasonable. In this church, we have elders who are overseers. Those are guys. In this church, we also have a board of trustees. The board of trustees is a mixed group of guys and guys, men and women.

43:01 And this is the biblical cover for that. If you're on one side or the other, I'm sorry. Come on up out of the ditch and stay in the middle of the road. Okay. I thought I'd get a laughter.

43:16 Everybody feels like, my way's the right way. My road's the right way. Just in this case, this is a gracious way of understanding that both sides have a biblical reason behind it. So wives slash women, likewise, must be dignified. Same word.

43:31 Same word as above versus deacons must be dignified. Not slanderers, that is not speaking ugly about someone else. It's very similar to the not speaking out of both sides of their mouth. But sober minded. That's exactly the same word that's already been used twice, faithful in all things.

43:50 That sounds a whole lot like above reproach or blameless. Right? And this is for women slash wives. Romans 16. You remember Romans sixteen one starting off, Paul starts doing his personal ending, and he says, I commend to you, you're our sister Phoebe, a deacon, is the NIV, a deacon of the church in Centric.

44:11 I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of his people and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me. The marginal note there says, or servant. So the NIV is trying to keep it real. It's saying both of these things can are reasonable, but it is diaconite. It is the same root.

44:33 The word deacon refers here to a Christian designated to serve with an over with the overseers and owners of the church in a what? Variety of ways. Similar to Philippians one where he says, the overseers and elders and the deacons. He says that in Philippians he also says it right here. I commend to you our sister this is the New Living Translation.

44:52 I commend to you our sister Phoebe who is a deacon in the church in Centra. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God's people. Help her whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many especially to me. The ESP says a servant right there. It's the same word.

45:06 It's the same word. And in its marginal note, it says, or deaconess. They're trying to be precise. It is a feminine word. I told you there wasn't for me to be Greek, but I didn't read it.

45:17 Just a little bit of a Greek word. Or deaconess. It's saying that. So there's biblical cover for both sides of this. It's reasonable from context to say that it's wives, the wives of the deacons.

45:29 But it's also reasonable from what it actually says that it that women certainly may serve in this position. So there it goes. It must be faithful in all things. Then verse 12 says, now let deacons each be your husband and one wife. Because of this, it leans you towards thinking, maybe they should be wives because he said women in the middle, and then he immediately says they gotta be husbands of one wife.

45:52 Again, generally speaking, the best argument that they have for this being their wife is that verse right there. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. Have we had a husband and one wife before and overseer it? Yes. Exactly like that.

46:11 Have we had management children in their house as well? Yes. It's exactly like that. So what we're getting here is not a list of skills that are required for this job. We're getting a list of attributes of the person who has the job, not skills particularly.

46:24 And then he ends with this. For those who serve well as deacons in the position in that office, gain a good standing for themselves. That's great. Thanks. Wonderful.

46:37 But they also it also gives great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. Does that make sense? Yes or no? It's hot here. That's a strange thing.

46:49 The people who serve in the church let me let me see if I can put this another way. Do those of you who serve, not necessarily just in the in the office of board of trustees or office of overseer, or those of you who serve in the band, Eugene, in particular, do you have a greater confidence in the faith that is in Jesus Christ six years after you started serving in the band? Do Or any? Carl? Okay.

47:21 Deacons. Anybody who has ever served as a deacon in this or any other church, from the time you started in that position till the time you finished in that position, did you have a greater confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus? Can you say amen? Amen. Amen.

47:36 Okay. This kind of bookends back up all the way to the top. It bookends all the way back up to the top where it says that they aspire to a noble task. It's not something that is a power position. It has been used like that for years and years and years.

47:58 It's been used like that. And there are people who try to shrink overseer down to just being CEO, I don't think that's good, and I don't think that's right. I've done more study this week about it. I think that a plurality of Christians holding one another accountable and encouraging one another my my the best small group I've ever been a part of is the L four. I love it.

48:21 That is the place where we hold each other accountable, and we lift each other up in prayer, and we encourage one another, and we work towards a good future towards body of Christ and his commands. So if it becomes a power position or a power play, he has completely missed the mark on this whole 13 verses, this list. And next week, he's gonna go into why we do what we do. And he says that if this is done well this way, if people live out these offices and colleagues like this, if that's the case, then it is a buttress for the truth that holds up the truth in front of a world that does not believe. Does that make sense?

49:04 Mhmm. Okay. Okay. Now since we all feel like we do not live up to the past, The only claim that we make, the nothing in my hand I bring from the old song. Nothing in my hand I bring simply to the cross I claim.

49:25 We're gonna go to a time right now of communion. And I know that this sermon and last week's sermon have been a little bit about oh, great. Another sermon about church politics or another sermon about what in the world? I'm not an elder. Why does this matter to me?

49:49 Paul says himself, and he says that Timothy, he points to the fact that we all have had sin. We all have had to deal with that sin, and dealing with it on our own takes us into complete despair or utter crap. But the way of the cross is to say, I give it up to you, God. I have no way of dealing with my own shortcomings, my own lack, my own missing mark. And so because you say so and because it's a mystery to me, do not know how exactly you do it, but you say you do it and I trust you.

50:27 By the cross, Jesus, having lived a perfect life, hit every one of those marks right there in perfection from the time he was born in Bethlehem all the way until he was crucified just a few miles away outside of Jerusalem. He lived a perfect life, had no sin on his account, did not deserve death, but voluntarily and willingly took it. Remind me. For those who served well, Jesus says of himself, even the son of man did not come to be served, king of all glory, creator of all, did not come here to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for him. He lived it out perfectly.

51:22 And then when the time came in the garden and he had prayed, he says, you can hear that English, if there be any other way. So the exclusivity of the gospel was handled right there by Jesus. If there is any other way, Jesus said, having lived that perfect life. If there is any other way, let's do that. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours be done.

51:50 Complete submission, yielding to the father's will, and he gave his life as a ransom for many. Anyone who puts their faith in him, anyone who trusts in Jesus has the way. Serve well. I'm a leave it leave that out there for a minute. Can I get the elders to come forward?

52:12 After I've been talking about I pray to always be interested and leaning forward into the knowledge and revelation of God, for your glory, for the benefit of others. God, would you right now impress upon us upon us the perfection that Jesus walked in in this life. And, Lord, by looking at his perfection, our own shortcomings that this is my body he that's broken for you. Take this and eat and do it in remembrance of me. Lord Jesus, I thank you for the life that you live.

57:21 I thank you for the lesson that you taught. I thank you for all of the example that you lived out for us. But, God almighty, I thank you, Jesus, for the blood that you spilled. Mhmm. That does cleanse us, purify our hearts, gives us a way towards a clear conscience.

57:45 And, Lord, that is the faith that we who are unrighteous have been made righteous in your blood. For our sin be as scarlet, they shall be as white as spring. Lord, would you bless as we distribute this little cup of grape juice, a representation of the blood of Christ. Christ. I pray that you bless everyone who partakes, and I pray also, Lord, that for those who must let this cup pass because they just have not put their faith in that cleansing flow

58:30 Speaker 3truth,

1:02:37 Speaker 1Paul says that as often as we do that, we proclaim the Lord's death until he comes again. And when we proclaim the death of the son of God, it is worth the salvation of man. And so we look to him, and that binds us together in unity. Get the band. Come on back up with wood call.

1:02:55 And would y'all stand with us? I do have a couple of other announcements. One of them is church cleanup Sunday. City's cleanup where they haul off a bunch of stuff, for free and easy. And another one I forgot to tell y'all is Tanya took a call from, another team that was going down to Guatemala that needed a medical translator.

1:03:26 So my wife, Tanya, is serving in Guatemala right now. She is probably on her way up into a little Mayan village. Who knows where? Would y'all pray for her and for me, Passover, this week? And would you sing out with us if we believe?

1:05:10 Amen. For the benediction, finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Strive. Strive for full restoration and encourage one another. Be of one mind.

1:05:19 Live in peace, and the God of love and of peace will be with you all. Amen. Amen.

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Church Leadership Clear Conscience Communion Deacons Serving Others Women In Church

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