welcome once again to basic bible doctrine um we're going to be in class number eight lesson number seven let's open up with prayer heavenly father in the wonderful name of jesus we just thank you for this time where you ask you to open our hearts to your word and open your word to our hearts leading guide us by the power of the holy spirit through all truth in jesus name amen amen amen i trust you're doing well i trust your uh these past six lessons have been a blessing to you thank you for returning all of your tests i trust all of you have it wasn't that hard was it i don't mean to make it hard or easy i want to make it as an impact so it's assimilated into you and part of your life as you grow and move on wherever god is going to use you anyway we're going to be looking at lesson seven ecclesia ecclesiology really the doctrine of the church wow i like what the master the lord jesus said in matthew 16 verse 18 he told peter i will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it when you see jesus say and i will we call that in theology dogmatism because when god says he will guess what the gates of hell no person no no devil no nothing will stop when the master said i will build my church and the gate of hell will not prevail against it let's look at our notes here as most of you know the meaning of the word church is not a building it is a body which we are part of but i want you to listen carefully as i read these notes here we're going to do part a and part b with the church i've got some things i want to share with you that are not in your notes but you're going to write them in to be a part of your notes and most of all part of your lives i think you'll like some things today and next week i want to show you how a church grows a powerful illustration i like what paul did in acts chapter 17 i think is a verse four or five it says he explained and demonstrated i like those two concepts he talked about it and then he showed them what he meant by what he said and i i'm a i'm a staunch believer and yes you can tell me something but please show me what you mean by what you say and i've got some illustrations for you and some uh some tidbits i believe that we have spiritually spirit spiritual tidbits that will be able to be a part of your life be able to share and build bridges with your brothers and sisters and most of all win the loss to christ anyway the meaning of the word church look in your notes there the word church does not mean the building in which the congregation meets the following may surprise you but nevertheless it is true the word church cannot be found in the new testament when we encountered the word in most versions it is a translation or a rendering amethyst interpretation not a translation the word church is amen is a rendition of the word ecclesia in latin which means called out ones or called out company the greek word ek when we say e-e-e-k it means to be called out so it's it's original intent was called out ones called out from where out of darkness into his marvelous lake not a geographic location as true as that may be i got i got called out in ocean port new jersey but it wasn't ocean port new jersey that was keeping me in bondage it was something called sin and the darkness of sin and i was called out of darkness the what they call the uh coletto the effectual call like when jesus spoke into the darkness of the tomb of lazarus and said lazarus come forth those words went into darkness pulled up lazarus out the grave and brought him forth into the marvelous light of the lord jesus christ you know what i'm saying now here the use of the word of the word ecclesia is used in the following ways there's just three ways here a b and c uh i know this in your notes it can first be known as the local assembly the local called out ones um in first thessalonians chapter 1 verse 1 it says this paul and silas and timotheus onto the church notice the singular of the thessalonians which is in god the father and in the lord jesus christ grace be unto you peace from god our father and the lord jesus christ notice it's a singular calling out and then let it be it's local assemblies um where more of the cold out ones are not in buildings i mean there isn't a house they didn't have churches like we know today they're in someone's you know fellowship home if you will in galatians chapter 1 uh uh verses one through three uh paul once again says paul an apostle and i love this not of men neither by man but by jesus christ and god the father who raised him from the dead er our calling you're calling my calling we're we're it's not it's not given to us by men the reason some of you are in these classes and working so hard uh in other classes and reading studying and reading books because god has called you to an area of ministry and we all are called of course to the ministry of reconciliation where wherever we are that is our calling whether it's at work whether it's down the beach whether it's getting gas at the gas station we are ambassadors for christ everywhere but then there's specific calling that people uh have been in in in imputed with by the power of the holy ghost that are used for the body of christ and and and these things don't come from that they don't come because you came to advanced christian training school what's in you is in seed form and we're helping it grow amen let us see the body of living believers unnumbered only god knows the number of those whom he's given the son before the foundations of the world and in galatians 1 13 it verifies that by saying for you heard of my conversion in times past in the jewish religion how that beyond the measure i persecuted the church of god um and wasted it we're speaking there of the church uh uh universal the call that was universal the complete body of christ if you will it's it's almost it's incredible how you go anywhere almost anywhere in the world today and you will if you look for it find believers it's amazing i've been to several places not outside of the united states and i think once or twice but mostly here in in the states in any state you go uh you will find the universal church if you will uh people who have been called out of darkness into this marvelous light iglesia called out the real church now what the church is not if you look at your notes there uh the church is not israel and i know some for some people that's a little little uh controversial and i understand that uh because of the importance israel had in the old testament don't forget israel was called by god to be an example of what godliness was about um israel was the custodians of the word of god they were the only ones who had the true word of god if you want anything about the real true elohim that's your whole adonai you had to go to israel and hear what thus says the lord from the old testament but the church the body of christ is not israel see the church israel is temporal the church is eternal what'd you say brother john that's right israel is temporal when this world one day is burned up and it will be and everything in it according to the book of revelations there'll be nothing left except what god recreates and what he will create will be the kingdom of god no israel no gentile one man one new man in christ jesus our lord we will be called watch this the sons and daughters of god that just fascinates brother joe i'm a child of god in revelations i think it's 20 or 21 a chapter says that and he will put his he will put his name on our forehead you know what that means why hwa even uses the english language i don't even know the hebrew language i don't know if he's even gonna do that but there'll be some way where eternity will be able to look at and say watch out don't mess with that that belongs to the creator that's a child of god hands off man i can't wait to get that stamped on my forehead i mean it's probably already there by virtue of god you know doing things before they're done but anyway um the devils know who we are right but it's exciting but i want to clarify that the church is not israel and israel's not the church watch here is revealed three classes of people in first corinthians chapter 10 verse 32 it says give no offense neither jew nor gentile nor the church of god we are now one in christ and a little more about that later on here in our notes here is revealed three classes of people jew gentile and the church or the called out ones when a jew is saved he ceases being a jew that doesn't mean he doesn't he forgets his his culture and background and all that he's been taught all his life here and when the gentiles say he ceases being a gentile because god has made us brand new we're no longer that whatever that was for galatians 3 verse 27 to 29 says as many of you as have been baptized into christ have put on christ you were now christians no longer gentile no longer jew we are christians there are neither jew nor greek or gentile they are neither bond nor free they are neither male or female that's interesting isn't it and you're all one in christ jesus who are we now we are christians hallelujah so according to the flesh you might be male or female jew or greek but you we are all one in christ we are one new man according to ephesians chapter 2 verses 14 through 15 please read that on your own uh the church the church now being israel the church is not israel the church is not the kingdom the church is part of the kingdom of god but it's not the totality of the kingdom of god god's kingdom is already existing we are now grafting ourselves into the eternal plan that god has which i cannot com comment on because i don't fully understand you read the book of revelations after the great tribulation after all hell has broken loose and god all of a sudden says you know what i create a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells and then there's these 12 layers of of a structure that is pure this and pure that and i i just don't have words to describe i just know i'm going to be there and so are you amen anyway what the church is there we go here we go the church it is a mystery now revealed you got to watch that word mystery in this original term it doesn't mean something that's not able to understand like crime cases that have not been solved and we call it a mystery right um no that's not the word the word mystery here simply means a understanding of something that was hidden for a while but now he's revealed and listen to what it says here uh in ephesians chapter three verse three and three three through six how that by paul writing here in ephesians how about by revelation he made known unto me the mystery he meaning god made known to paul a mystery this information that had not been known it was concealed in the old testament very cleverly by god there was shadow of the mystery there were seeds of the mystery there were promises of the mystery but no one understood what it meant by what it said until the shadow became reality on the cross the seeds have become harvests in christ their promises are now in fulfillment of everything god has wanted to do in mankind not just in israel okay through one person the man christ jesus our lord here it says how about by revelation god made known to me paul says the mystery as i wrote a four in few words whereby when you read you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of christ which in other ages was not made known unto the sons of man as is now revealed unto his holy prophets and prophets by the spirit i love him the holy ghost knew exactly what god meant and everything that was in typing shadow in the old testament and here it is you're ready here's here's here's the hidden secret if you will that is now made known verse 6 that the gentiles the ones who were thought of as dogs if you will jew would have nothing to do with quote gentile you could forget it they wouldn't get near you they would talk to you they don't eat with you there is no association with us gentile here that the gentiles should be fellow heirs and of the same body and partakers of his promise in christ by the gospel whoa gentiles from every walk of life every nation every tribe every tongue every color everybody now can come into that veil when the master died that what first it happened it was torn split in half and and now with everyone come rushing in and watch this without being circumcised or keeping the law of moses that'll get some legalistic real mad at me you can come just like you are these gentile what they call dogs can be part of elohim oh not just part of him watch this sons and daughters of his that's why the rejection of the of this of this teaching of this mystery or this this this understanding uh was so repulsive to the nation of israel uh after christ raised from the dead and and these men and women these apostles and prophets are preaching now that anybody can be reconciled to god no matter who and what they are i think if you remember acts chapter 10 where peter is is is told to go to the house of cornelius a gentile and god had to show him three times in a vision what god has cleansed you must not call uncommon and god's gonna take the same blood applied to the jews and apply it to the gentile we don't have to keep any ceremonies we ain't got to be circumcised we got to keep the lord moses we need to confess jesus christ lord and believe in our heart that god raised him from the dead amen okay i'll calm down here we go um okay and then in verse 9 he says uh and in ephesians 3 3 9 i want to read it and to make all men see everyone what is the fellowship of this mystery this new information that is now revealed that's no longer a secret which from the beginning of the world has been hidden god daddy was hiding this whole thing until his son came and gave his life as a ransom for many uh who created all things by jesus jesus christ will get the glory and everything happens to us he's working all things together our good he's ordering our steps in everything we do first so that we can be the light and the salt of the earth wherever we're at on the job in the home in the neighborhood wherever we go shop right home depot lowe's if you like let your lights so shine because they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven we just don't walk we just don't talk to talk we walk the talk amen yeah letter d it is the body of which christ is the head hallelujah here there's two verses here first corinthians 12 uh verses 12 through 14 i want to read that to us for as the body is one and has many members and all the members of that one body being many are one body so also is christ for by one spirit we will baptize into one body whether it be jew or gentile whether we be bond or free and another it doesn't matter where you are in life you be in christ and be free in the name of jesus and i may have been and have been all made to drink to the same spirit for the one bot for the body is not one member but many members hands ears eyes toes heart liver but one body we're christians we are one body now it is the body of which christ in the head the body is an organism composed of many members and all do not have the same function the church is not a physical body but a spiritual one yet we do need a physical building to come together to glorify god we should the main purpose of us being saved and then to fellowship and encourage one another and hear the word of god and plug our gifts into the ministry that god has called us to and it's true of physical body so too the spiritual body when one member suffers all members suffer with it when we are persecuted christ is persecuted uh acts chapter 9 says when paul was on his way to the masses and he was persecuting the christians jesus said then saul saul why persecuted me they were persecuting the christians but really they were persecuting jesus you people got to be careful how they handle us and i'm not talking about you know that that we're going to do something bad to them it's our father who's looking down and i know he's don't mess with my prophets don't harm my anointed ones and you're anointed it's like a father over his children you're always watching when there's a crowd around if anybody messes with your son or daughter you're gonna find out what's the matter how much more our heavenly father who watches over us either sleeps nor slumbers in fact the scripture says he's engraved us on the palms of his hand my god in isaiah he's engraved us not not your name you he sees you he sees you your whole face and being in christ and nobody better mess with us amen anyway the following are four characteristics of the body of christ first as we said it's oneness a body is one a complete whole and organic unity as christ is it's deathless i like this the body of christ would never die or the physical will go back to the dust but then here's the joke on the enemy and it's going to be raised up again in a glorified body number three is manifestation uh our our our purpose in getting saved one of the purposes is to reveal christ i like what it says there in galatians 2 20. the apostle paul says i am crucified with christ nevertheless i live yet not i but christ liveth in me and the life of china i live in the flesh i live by the faith the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me we should tell the good news to everyone that we meet as to what christ has done for us remember witnessing is simply this telling others what god has done for you let's make it simple because that's how the master was the master said you're hungry eat the bread i give you you're thirsty drink the water why don't we make witnessing so hard why why do we get so choked up if you will because we got so many formulas all right they're they're they're they're they can be used after we simply tell others what god has done for us and if you have nothing to say get saved nor remember when he did save you and took you out of that mucking mire and that sinful lifestyle and that nonsense and that slipping and sliding and chucking and jiving look where you are now washed and cleansed and the precious blood of jesus a brand new creature in christ part of the body of christ waiting for the master to return and start the eternal program that he has for all of us witnessing is simply telling others what god has done for you keep it simple number four service through thoughts and plans of the head they're to be carried out by the body the master tells the holy spirit holy spirit talks to us we move forward i mean you ever have functions and and hunger desires for certain areas of ministry or doing activities i use that word because the first corinthians chapter 13 activities for the lord those are all moves of the holy spirit listening to to the lord jesus as to where you should go don't don't negate those prompt things follow them and see how you glorify god let us see it is a building but it's a spiritual building in ephesians chapter 2 verse 19 through 22 it says this now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners that's the gentiles now but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of god wow and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets jesus christ himself being the chief cornerstone himself in whom all the building the spiritual building fitly framed together growth into a holy temple in the lord lord god's constructing something spiritually in whom you also are built together for habitation of god through the spirit the spirit gets involved will be gathered together and things begin to happen anyway it is the bride letter d it is the bride uh ephesians chapter 5 says i've i preached this at many weddings um but yet when we see when we see a husband and wife who are christians not some of the world when we see you know the only example of christ and the church that people can see according to the word of god is husbands and wives watch listen i hope you have your bible there ephesians chapter 5 verse 25 through 32. husbands love your wives of course before that it said live submit to your husbands we'll talk about that someday i hope husbands love your wives just as christ also loved the church and gave himself for her wow what a you sir if you're not married you want to be ready to do your part i tell married couples who are struggling just do your part don't worry about her part or his part do your part god will take care of someone who's not lining up with their part you can't change each other just do your part now here's the kicker do you know your part as a husband as a wife oh boy brother joe i thought this was about basic bible doctrine it is man and because so many marriages they are struggling because they don't know their part you have to play your part in a symphony when a conductor starts you must know your part or this symphony does the sound right in marriage make sure you know your part as a wife there are several chapters loaded with your part girls man there's a whole lot in the word of god about your part this is wonderful husbands love your wives as christ loved the church and gave himself for her now all of a sudden it shifts into a spiritual notation here that he might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word ah that he might present her to himself a glorious church called that one not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing but that she should be holy and without blemish i love this part so husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies pretty good he that loveth his wife loves himself for no one ever hated his own flesh but nurses and churches that just as the lord does the church wow for we are members of his body of his flesh and his bones wow does that sound familiar genesis chapter two if my memory is correct where someone said this is not bone of my bone flesh for my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man out of the side of jesus came the called out ones oh i know it's blood and water but oh there was a spiritual significance there that cannot be denied and it's validated by the word of god anyway for we are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones hallelujah for this reason a man leaves his father and mother and joined to his wife and the two become one flesh this is a great mystery that's not revealed to us but i speak concerning christ and the church the intimacy that we have of our master needs to be nurtured every day in morning devotional time i trust you you do have that i trust you do give jesus what is called the preeminence of your day i know that maybe people who work night jobs i'm talking about the generalness of of of who we are and and and of our lifestyles um no matter what that means always give him first place before you go out there into the world because he'll give you something that you need to get through the day and or for someone else who needs to hear a word from god amen now this this is good here um as you can see number five the gifts to the body uh i i i i want to share some some things with you that i think will be um exciting uh it says there in ephesians chapter 4 um verse 11 through 12 uh he gave some apostles these are the gifts that the master has given to the church he gave some apostles some prophets some evangelists some pastors some teachers for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body that's what our gifts are for not for condemning for putting people down not for show boat oh god um you know how pretty we look on sunday and what kind of car we driving yeah sure anyway it's for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edification of the body this thing called the five-fold ministry has a purpose and i want to show you how how that purpose operates something i trust you you'll never forget um let me just let me just read what it says about them that i'm going to show you something called the five g's uh that pastor moses bay some of you may remember him taught us at one point in time here and i want to share with you that you'll never forget what these five-fold ministries their their main function is to do but in my notes here let me just read this to you says the apostles the word for apostle in the greek carries the same meaning as missionary or in the latin it simply means sent one sent to establish or pioneer new work new churches they're always looking to start something somewhere they can't help themselves then they find leadership to govern it and they move on to another one you can you can tell these people who have apostolic seed in them anyway prophets number two to those individuals god gives revelation and illumination they speak the heart of god as a given time to his people evangelist number three there to proclaim uh to proclaim that where am i yeah proclaim the gospel with signs and wonders accompanying bringing people to a discerning a decision concerning their relationship with jesus christ and then letter d should be d and e pastors and teachers pastors mean shepherds therefore the pastor shepherds the flock it includes teachings though one can be called to teach suffer from being a pastor and that's true but most pastors are teachers and then there are pastors and then there are real teachers we have pastor john as a pastor and a teacher and i think the excellent one that god has gifted us here at olympic church with his incredible depths of always taking what he teaches and bringing it to the cross i love that man it's always about jesus no matter where he is whether it's in jonah whether it's in the new testament where genesis he always brings it all back to jesus that's a powerful teacher but i i want to share something with you about these five-fold ministry gifts that i trust you won't forget and you might put it in your bible as to what they actually do in a simplistic form i put it on the board here and i hope that you can see this pastor moses may talk this and i have it in my bible written out because people ask me what apostles do what what do prophets do what it what's called the five g's okay look at this now called the five g's the five-fold ministry okay of course the apostles what should they be doing they should govern prophets guide evangelists gather pastors guard teachers ground what brother joe oh yeah here i'll give you a little more a little more depth on that okay apostles they govern all genes govern guide gather guard ground five g's as to their function in simplisticness now of course there's more depth to this i don't want to minimize what i'm doing but i want to be able to have something maybe you've typed put in your bibles just write it in there these little notes what they do because somebody's so confused they don't know what they're doing anyway apostles govern government means to leave and to be in charge they lead and be in charge just ask the apostle paul prophets they guide wow the guy they show or indicate the way that god wants us to go the evangelists they gather to bring them you ever see a real advantage i'm talking about evangelism which is a program that most churches put together and praise god for that we need to have programs of outreach to our neighborhood to the world if you will um and but that when you when you when you are an evangelist you don't care when you speak where you speak anytime anywhere you are driven that that gift that god gives you don't you don't learn how to be an evangelist okay oh you get the seeds of it and then you're taught how to use the gift but even from the get-go they're just compulsive in us to want to get out there and just share the good news of jesus christ that's a true evangelist i mean that evangelism is a whole different game that evangelist can be in charge of but he don't even need that he just wants to get out there give him a bullhorn give him bibles give him some tracks and cut him loose and he but what he doesn't do is nurture the people who get saved the evangelist isn't concerned about pastoring that's why god was wise enough in his wisdom to make sure that because an evangelist goes from one meeting to another and to another to another wait a minute these young lambs who get born again they have to get the sincere milk of the word of god don't they they want their baba their their milk as peter says they're desiring the sincere milk of the word and they want to read about the gospels about jesus they want to know about how to how to serve and love him and that's where an evangelist just drops them off because he's got to go to the next outreach meeting that's okay so uh god has put the next gift in there which is a pastor passes that guard like a mother does her baby i remember susan and i had our joey and jonathan you talk about gardening oh my goodness both of us were or over this boy i don't even think we slept we're just making sure he's okay yeah when we go to bed we'd hear a little ah we both jump up and run to the crib is he all right and he just was turning over what's the point a pastor's heart is is is always to to make sure that the sheep are okay uh they'll look through their wool to see if there's any bugs or any cuts or any infections they're always making sure they have green grass and they have water to drink and most of all he's guarding them he's protecting them from the walls real pastures protect you from wolves from false teachings from misguiding people who try to drag you off into something that's not christ that's a pastor's heart in fact i think one verse that i'm reminded of um at the end of the gospel of john chapter 21 where jesus said to peter do you love me and peter said i love you lord and the master said three times to him if you love me you can put it together uh tend my lambs and feed my sheep that's a pastor's heart tending the land tending them making sure they are safe they are well fed they are cared for if they do get bruised up or knocked around they're there to comfort and heal and pour out the bomb of gilead um that's what pastors do if you love me tend my lambs feed my sheep give them the word of god give them the love of jesus be there for them you pastors know what i mean the pastor then there's the teaching ah they will ground you in the truth sometimes bmf which is okay because they have a heart for truth and they're they're the true teacher of the five whole ministry because you can be a lowercase t teacher but not be the uppercase t teachers some just are naturally teachers uh in school they're apt to teach if you will which is fine but the teacher call of god his ear is bent on truth the slightest error right or wrong now because sometimes they jump teachers jump to conclusions real quick because of the truth of the word of god uh they will make sure that the truth is in context at all times and they want to be somewhere just teaching thank god that i love to teach i'm not the best there is but i have a heart to teach and try to ground you into the love of jesus most of all so i hope this 5g concept gives you an appreciation more as to how the gifts function and and what they do on a general sense of course there's more to this but i thought those 5g they bless me but i can explain to people what they do at a simplistic level anyway we'll move on now the local church and we're going to finish up here with the local church although we believe that the by christ composed of all believers from pentecost to the end we must stress the importance of the local church or assembly and i will too find a church where you can be accountable to where you can plug your gifting in and where you can be a blessing to the pastor and the vision of that church if the church you're in you can't do that please go somewhere where you can don't be a spectator be a participant and whatever that means if it means working in the parking lot glory to god if it means teaching in acts glory to god if it means working in the children's ministry the the nursery oh brother joe could i handle it if i had to i would but but you know what's in your heart you don't have to ask anybody give i i tell people when they want to do something for god but don't know what to do i said well what's what's beating in your heart and that's oh you know you know i i think i want to work with the youth i said fine go to the youth leader tell me you want to commit to six months six months of volunteer because you're not really sure but you wanna you wanna try it out and and if it's not because i'm still not sure then at least i only know it's six months and in a six month duration first of all you'll find out how faithful you are and the demand it puts on you to be there and then you'll know whether that's where god wants you or if that was a preparatory for something else what's my point get involved but get involved with what i call a six-month open-end commitment in other words you certainly want to be stuck the rest of your life with something you don't want to do so it's good to give six months i hope you get the drift of that now the local assembly is is the physical body by which the church is manifested god himself stresses the importance of the local church by giving it officers and ordinances he who is ashamed of local assembly is ashamed that which was established at pentecost god is deeply concerned about the church being populated by his people i know the church is not perfect welcome to the church but jesus is working all of us amen and if you have an issue with someone go and reconcile and make it right in fact i'm reminded of what the master said sermon on them out there i think it's in chapter 5 verse 12 i think of 14 which says if you bring your gift to the altar and remember your brother something against you leave your gift and go be reconciled it's hard to function in a body where there's contentions and unresolved issues let the holy ghost work with you on that one okay um it's organization uh there was organization the early church in acts 2 42. you'll find out that the church was getting together for doctrine for the breaking of bread and for fellowship those things are vital for us as believers and let me tell you don't back this teaching um they would say talk about the home church at your home he said there and this is true now there are things you only learned at home from mom and dad think about i trust it was good stuff but it's true though at home is the only place you learn certain things you get to see a husband and wife you get to see the responsibilities taken on you get to see how bills are are paid you get to hear things that only mom and dad can impart to you as their mother and father there's only certain things you'll learn at home here's the kicker there are only certain things you're going to learn and hear and grow by in your home church yeah right in your home church god has designed it that if you're not in the church you won't learn things you could learn and grow there by well brother joe i like to watch tv so do i i like bastard bishop jakes to know him i love watching him but that is a supplement not the real deal the real deal is your local church you are accountable when you're hopefully a member where you submit yourself and when you plug in i won't go any further uh it is not a copy after the synagogue in fact it's entirely different man which is rather obvious um it has officers though in it it has deacons and it has elders and and and and bishops um deacons uh if you have your bible uh turn to acts chapter six uh verses one through four here we have the first set of dikenosis these are the sermons these don't tell the pastor what to do and how to do it they list what the pastor says and then they go do it that's what they're supposed to do things have gotten a little out of hand with certain churches with deacons running the church sir you don't have the ability to do that your pastor has been called to do that the leader listen to acts chapter six verses one through four and in those days when the multitude of disciples were were multiplying there are rows of murmuring the early church had problems conflict what else is known in the in the creations against the hebrews because their widows were neglected in a daily distribution oh boy in other words i'm not getting my fair share all right then the twelve called the multitude of disciples unto them and said it is not reason that we should leave the word of god and serve tables you gotta know what you're called to do now there's nothing wrong with serving tables at certain times but you know what your main function is as a leader look at this verse three wherefore brother look out among yourselves seven men up and here's their qualification honest report full of the holy ghost oh my god and in wisdom wow these aren't just anybody who don't know nothing uh but they want to be part of the deaconship all right doesn't mean you have to have a college education and even a ged but you've got godly wisdom you got the holy ghost and your life now is a good report remember before you were saying there was a bad report that's brother joe okay but now that you're saying and watch now watch watch who we may appoint over this business this spiritual business here we do that every third thursday of the month here we feed 300 plus families and the deacon deacon steve simon is an example of a true diakonos he's a servant of the lord whenever there's a need brother steve is right now and i trust you're the same way but we will give in other words those who are in a different different calling ourselves continue to prayer and to the ministry of the word you've got to know what you're called to do now everybody starts out doing something small because brother joe just believes that everything god has given you is in seed form you have to grow into these apostolicness into a prophet into the into a path and it all starts in local church so make sure you're in one here all right first timothy chapter 8 verse 13 8-13 more uh about deacons likewise deacons must um the deacons must be grave not double tongue or not giving them much wine no wine arrows bro uh not greedy for filthy luca holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience and sincere about what they believe about jesus i like that verse 10 watch verse 10 and let them also first be tested or proven let them let them use the office of a deacon then let them use the office being found blameless just don't point people to something that they haven't proven themselves faithful to is the point here i think our faithful was guilty of doing that to so many people who were just babies in the things of god and we shot them from from from being they didn't even know where genesis was yet above and put them in leadership of some kind that's very dangerous give people a chance to grow yeah number 10 verse 10 and let also those first that we did verse 11 even so their wives must be grave not slanderous sober faithful in all things let deacons be the husband of one wife ruling their children in their own homes well that doesn't mean perfect well what does well mean that's a whole nother issue verse 13 for they have used the office of a deacon will purchase to themselves good degree and great boldness of faith which is in christ jesus our lord there's a benefit spiritually speaking those of us who get involved with deacon things the diagonals which serving the needs of the body of christ there's also number two bishops and elders the word elder refers to the person of all the word bishop refers to the office bishop means an overseer and let me just read titus chapter 1 verses 5 through 7. for this cause i left in crete that there should be set in order things that are needful and ordained elders in every city as i have appointed them if an elderly blameless the husband of one wife have faithful children not accused or riot or unruly uh for a bishop must be blameless as the steward of god not self-willed not angry not given the wine not given to filthy luke in other words the inward desire of money its purpose the purpose of the church is to glorify god and enjoy him forever most of all to be the salt and light of the earth discipline in the church uh i'd encourage you to read it's not in your notes there but in galatians chapter six verse one it tells us how to handle discipline and two maybe the shame of many churches they don't people who get caught in a trespass are thrown out the back door or something made to sit in the back of no no way of restoration i'm sorry that is wrong galatians 6 1 says if a man be caught in a trespass you who are spiritual restore such one in the spirit of meekness lest you also be tempted be careful how we judge people in light of what they got caught in aren't you glad you have been caught with some of the things that only god knows about and aren't you glad god has restored you gently let's make sure we help people get through their issue and bring them to a place of restoration father we thank you for this precious time in your word we give you all the glory for all you're doing in our lives in jesus name amen and amen look forward to seeing you next week we'll go into the other half of the church and remember only two things less return to you the word and people put the word to people you have a double investment in the kingdom of god