Glory, Ministry of Christ Displayed in the Diaconate

Driving home: My thesis is, that the glory of Christ is his ministry. And his ministry is committed into the hands of his servants.

Martin uses the analogy of the sun to the solar system to convey Christ's central and preeminent position in the universe, though he immediately states Paul's perspective is even greater.

As the sun is to the solar system, so Christ is to the universe.

4:13 - 4:24 Read in full sermon

The point: We must settle it in our minds, brethren, that the stated purpose of our ministry is to manifest Jesus Christ as Lord and God.

A true story from a sister church where a deacon delivered food, money, and clothing to a praying sister in need, demonstrating how diaconal ministry can be a powerful display of Christ's glory when accompanied by prayer and gospel witness.

a preacher offering the gospel detached from the work the person of Jesus Christ is anathema to us well then what do you think of a deacon who goes into the home of one of Christ's needy ones and simply plonks down a basket of goodies and turns around and walks away totally detached from an understanding of the ministry and the glory of Jesus Christ conveyed in that benevolent act we must settle it in our minds brethren that the stated purpose of our ministry is to manifest Jesus Christ as Lord and God I heard a delightful true story from one of our sister churches recently one of the churches...

29:57 - 31:27 Read in full sermon

The point: We ought to be specially concerned for the needs of God's people and to do good to them.

Martin cites the widow of Zarephath, Naaman the Syrian, and the man at the Pool of Bethesda as biblical examples of God's discriminatory acts of benevolence, supporting the idea that Christian benevolence should prioritize the household of faith.

from the study in the Old Testament that when Paul writing to the Galatians said let us do good to all men but especially to those of the household of faith he meant that and that we ought to be specially concerned for the needs of God's people and to do good to them remember there was only one gentile widow from Zarephath who was wonderfully provided for there was only one Naaman the Syrian there was only one man at the pool of Bethesda to whom the Lord discriminately went and healed imagine that a hospital full of sick people surrounding that pool but only one so far as we know was the recip...

37:17 - 38:45 Read in full sermon

The point: Let us pray that God would instruct us in our ministry in the church as deacons, that benevolence is rooted in God's heart and in Christ's ministry, and its purpose is always to reveal Christ.

Martin uses the analogy of a missionary who only teaches English without speaking of Jesus to illustrate his concern about churches sending money to organizations that help the needy without pointing them to Christ.

but who have no ministry so far as I'm aware of pointing them to Christ it's like someone saying I'm going to be a missionary and never speaking of Jesus but just teaching people English as a second language in some third world what kind of missionary perspective is that and what kind of diaconal ministry is it when we simply send money into some organisation that in a vanilla way distributes that money without ever speaking of Christ without ever commending the gospel and seeking to reveal the glory of Christ the primary focus of our benevolence is to be therefore upon the household of faith ...

38:45 - 40:12 Read in full sermon

The point: If you are not in the practice of commending Christ to those to whom you show benevolence, then I urge you, change.

Martin quotes Robert Murray McShane's hymn to describe the spirit in which deacons should conduct their ministry: with a broken heart, tear-filled eyes, and a mind aglow with gospel truths, emphasizing urgency and compassion.

of commending Christ to those to whom you show benevolence and I urge you change you are not reflecting the heart of your saviour simply by deeds words were always associated the poor had the gospel preached as well as the sick being healed McShane has a wonderful phrase or two in a hymn he wrote on which I want to close conduct your ministry my brethren he would say as dying man to dying men with a broken heart and tear filled eyes with a mind aglow with the great truths of the gospel yes deacons this is how we are to conduct our ministry for Christ he has called us and he calls us to display...

41:38 - 43:05 Read in full sermon