Biblical Basis and Reason for the Diaconate

The Foundational Truths of Salvation and Church Membership

0:03 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, July 19, 1987, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. The scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments make it abundantly clear that every single one of us, regardless of age, race, background, or station in life, is, by nature and practice, a lost, hell-deserving sinner. The testimony of Genesis to Revelation is embodied. It is embodied in those two well-known texts out of the Book of Romans. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, and the wages of sin is death. The Bible makes it equally clear that God has made but one provision for escape from the guilt and bondage of sin, a provision which centers in the person and work of God. It is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

1:22 It was Christ who said, again, in well-known words, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. And the Apostle Peter expressed it in his preaching when he said, There is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must...

1:49 must be saved. Further, the Bible emphasizes with just as much clarity not only man's universal sinfulness, God's one remedy for human sinfulness, but it emphasizes that the way for sinners to escape the wrath of God and lay hold of his provision for sinners is to repent and repent. And to believe the gospel. Again, our Lord made this plain at the beginning of his ministry in Galilee when Mark tells us that Jesus came and preached the kingdom of God, saying, repent and believe the gospel. And Paul, in summarizing his own ministry, said, I testified to Jews and Greeks repentance towards God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And in the very introduction of our study this morning, I want to underscore, if you are here in the condition in which you were conceived and born, and there has been no intrusion of supernatural grace, you are a sinner lost and under the condemnation of God. And for you, there is but one remedy for that condition,

3:15 and it is found in the person and work of the Lord Jesus, and there is but one way for you to lay hold of that remedy, and that is to repent and to believe the gospel. But the Bible that makes those things abundantly clear goes on to make clear that everyone who professes to repent and to believe the gospel is under obligation to acknowledge that work of God in his heart by being baptized and becoming a part of a visible, community of God's people walking by the rule of Scripture called in the New Testament, the church. For Jesus said, Make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them. And the pattern in the book of Acts is beautifully summarized in Acts 18.8. Many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized.

4:16 And it's in the context, then, of that community, of baptized disciples, that the people of God are to grow in maturity in Christ. The church is to be the framework for the church's maturity. It must, among other things,

4:41 inform its life to the revealed will in Holy Scripture. The progression now. By nature, we are lost in provision for sinners in Christ. He summons us to repent and believe.

5:00 That summons us. It has been obeyed, acknowledged in baptism, and be incorporated into that community of visible saints in which God in Christ's institution, within which his people are come to maturity.

5:28 Then it is its life, according to the revealed gospel in that great commission, having baptized them. This is why Paul has indicated in his first letter to Timothy that everything in the church be ordered, according to the will of God. He said in the well-known words of chapter 3 and verse 15, These things I write unto you, hoping to come unto you shortly, but if I tarry long, that men may know how to behave themselves in the house of God, the church of the living God,

6:30 one among many,

6:39 with but general exceptions, are letters written to churches, into their bedrooms, and have devotions with. They were written to the church at Corinth, churches of Galatia, the church at Ephesus, the church at Philippi, the church of the Thessalonians,

7:07 within which people in Jesus Christ.

Biblical Basis for the Diaconate: Philippians 1:1 and 1 Timothy 3:8-13

7:18 Now a little principle which must be so biblical

8:30 is to be well-pleasing to God. For God is prompted for why it is before we call our brother out in front of the congregation, and lay our set him apart of the diaconate, that we go back and once again come to grips,

9:21 indicate that what, what we are doing is indeed by the word of may an act of loving obedience to Christ before our eyes. So what I first of all set before you designated as for having a class of church officers designated as first of all then for having a class of officers designated as deacons.

10:32 For your time, as you're just chit-chatting about various things, it happens to come up in the conversation that in this assembly, we, we have elders, overseers, and deacons with, and your neighbor, your friend, your work associate would say to you, you say in your church you have elders and deacons, where do you get that idea? Now if you had a New Testament in your pocket, how would you respond? If they say, well what's the base of officers called deacons? Could you take out your New Testament and give them a reasonable, should be the ones that you would use in answering, your friend's question? For having a class of officers designated as

11:55 rest of the word of God. It does not rest upon these two passages, but these are your number three and four batters in the lineup. Okay? Who would know baseball know what I'm talking about.

12:16 Put your best hit third and fourth spot in the lineup. So we're taking our three and four batters. And the first one is Philippians chapter one. Chapter one.

12:28 Now all we're out is this one question. What is the biblical basis? For having a class of officers, having a special class of officers in the church designated as deacons. And we're attempting to answer Philippians chapter one.

12:48 At Rome, he is writing to a church place in his heart. There were several churches that had a unique affection in Paul's, the Thessalonian church, Philippian church. And it wasn't a cause of favoritism, but it was a matter of simple fact that in spiritual relationships, the more, there is an affinity of devotion to Christ and selfless abandonment to the will of Christ. Kindred hearts are drawn and deeper intimacy within the stand.

13:30 For that reason, Paul had a special place in his heart for the Philippian church. And as he is about to write a letter to them, sitting in his missions at Rome, which at this far as we know, we're not what we would call squalor. But nonetheless, he is Christ bought in chains in his mind, the church at Philippi. And as he thinks of them, think of them.

14:05 Well, he tells us in his opening words of address, Timothy, to all, and the word rest in grace, we say, oh, he's an unusually saintly or godly man. But the priori emphasis is upon the fact that they have been set apart, swore the devil for the moment there is united,

15:27 to Christ's dominion, the condemnation. He is, he does not think of it as a religious club perpetuated by Christ. He doesn't think of it, thinks of it in its true end. It is an assembly of congregation of those who have known the world, bringing them into union with the Lord Jesus. That's what he thinks of. Saints thing he thinks about is that they have visible, physical ignorance, but they ain't yet in heaven. They are,

16:52 we feel it in our own piety. But he envisions them realistically. According to reality, they are saints incredible office had experienced as a church.

18:29 There was a recognized group of office bearers, bishops, and a recognized group of office bearers, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops,

19:54 bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, bishops, hoping to come unto you shortly.

20:13 But I tarry long. If it is not the will of God for me to return to Ephesus, I've written what I've written, that you may church of the living God. The central ones was not only the maintenance of pure doctrine. He dealt with that in chapter 1.

20:55 And in the earlier chapter 2, with the purity and centrality of prayer, and then the proper assignment of male in public life of the church, chapter 2, verses 8 and following. But chapter 3, verses 1 to 13, is taken up with the subject of office bearers, or into the recognition of additional elders, for they already had some elders at this time, and also that he would guide them into the recognition, perhaps for the first time, of deacons or little deacons, and that God, for the right, a clear reference to this great issue, how Christ's church be governed. Christ's church, Christ's business, under what, leaded by what,

22:05 in what functions.

22:18 And over, in verses 1 to 7, clearly states in verse 8, deacons like manner. Deacons and overseers are not the same office. Now we're often told, well, if deacons function as that. My friend, if God makes distinctions and makes them very plain, who in the world are we to blur them?

23:02 And that is not legalism. Legalism is a proof of love for Jesus. Jesus said, you are my friends if you do whatsoever command you. So he assumes that Timothy will understand that when he says deacons in like manner, speaking of a separate and his deacons in like manner, and then he gives some of the character in deacons, it's evident, does not they be proven teachers or rulers for the diacon, it is not a teaching and ruling office.

23:43 He does say in verse 10, let these first be proved, the essence of the function of the office of a deacon. As he gives a hint of the essence of the office of a bishop or an elder, when he says in verse 5, if a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? The purpose of the bishop or elder is that of taking care of the pastor imagery, shepherding the flock. The essential function of the deacon is to serve in Christ's house. Whatever verse 11, means it obviously doesn't refer to women deacons, because he said there it's wives or women, and the Greek word is legitimately translated both ways in different contexts, but he sets them apart, whoever they are, in a separate category.

24:55 Must be grave, not slanderous, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons. Now he comes back to deacons.

25:03 That deacons in every case will be males. Let the deacons be husbands of one wife. The deacons, be they male or female, simply be monogamous. It said let deacons be husbands.

25:18 As far as I know, only a man can be a husband.

25:26 But if you can't be a husband, notice again the emphasis, for they that have served, that is in Christ, if it teaches anything with clarity, teaches just as clearly as does Philippians 1.1, that in a well-ordered essential function, is to serve, was to give prioring of an elder.

Apostolic Priority of Elders and the Historical Origin of Deacons in Acts 6

26:38 That's made very clear in passages, Acts 14.23. And I hope you don't find this tedious. I just want to say, I just want to say, I just want to say, I just want to say, I just want to say, I just want to say, I just want you to be intelligently convinced of these matters from the Word of God.

26:53 Acts 14.23, his companions had evangelized, they go back evangelized, and churches had been established, but the church had no leaders. So what did they do? Acts 14.22, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God, and for them in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they had believed. Nothing about deacons. There was a priority of conspicuous bishops over Titus 1 in verse 5, where Paul says to Titus, for this caught you in Crete, that is the isle of Crete,

27:55 the church had been founded, but was very immature, left you there, he says, that you should set in order the things that were wanting or lacking. Now notice, as I gave you, he gives the requirement for elders, but no requirement for deacons. So what is the cumulative passages? That in the apostolic, there was a priority of conspicuous, that the infant churches should first of all have constituted bishops, that in a small congregation, it is perfectly proper that elders should do the work of deacons. It is never proper to do the work of elders. And the example of that is in the very historical origin of the diaconate. The diaconate.

29:06 The passage I read in your hearing, Acts 6. What happened? Apostles were the official teachers and leaders and governors and guides of the church of Jerusalem. And they were directly involved in this matter of ministering to the needs of those until the widows multiplied as disciples were being multiplied, that there was some neglect, there was some unevenness in the distribution until a cry came into their ears and they said, now whatever, whatever else we do, it's not fit that we should abandon the ministry of the word to serve tables.

29:46 In other words, as the church grew and the demands of diaconal service grew, saw something had to be done. They either had to give themselves so much to diaconal ministries which were perfectly legitimate in themselves for apostles to perform, but in so doing,

30:08 that they said this will and God gave wonderful, heavenly, of the office, of a deacon. And so, if I ask you at work tomorrow, is it you have open your New Testament and passages why it is for having a class of church officers designated as deacons. Now in the second place, let me attempt to give you the biblical or scriptural rationale or reason for having a class of church officers designated.

Rationale 1: The Church's Compassion for the Poor and Needy

31:09 I want to give you four reasons or four rationales that you need to know to be a good deacon. Number one, and God's class of officers who spent duty among the nation of the heart of Christ to the poor and needy on behalf of the church. This reason, according to Scripture, the remotiation for the office of deacon lies in the word of the Savior in John 12, 8. The poor, the remotiation for the office of the deaconate,

32:26 lies in the words of those in the Corinthians 1. Not many mighty, mighty, not many noble in the weak things, in the things that are and the things that are not to bring to naught the things that are presence. And if God among the poor to be rich in faith, and he has no way coming to faith, leave their poverty behind, though in many cases, if the poverty is the fruit of gluttony and drunkenness and laziness, sobriety and self-control, the moral, which is the mystery, will cause them to work out poverty, but not always, because the Scripture says, Better is the poor man who walks in his integrity,

33:51 indicating there is no holy because they were wealthy with no scruples. But now that they walk in integrity, He provisionally brought them to poverty. And God reveals in both the Old and the New Testament his special concern, not only for the poor, but for the widow and for the fatherless. And I need not underscore the many passages.

34:23 I just remind you of James 1.27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. Pure religion to its roots.

34:44 Pure religion in its roots has to do with coming as a needy, guilty, hell-deserving sinner from the mercy of God based in repentance and faith. That's the root of pure religion. But in its fruit, pure religion and undefiled is to visit the fatherless and the widows and to keep unspotted from the world.

35:11 And so when our Lord appeared on earth, what was one of the marks? That He was indeed Messiah. You remember John the Baptist was disturbed. He says, go and ask Him, are you Messiah or do we look for another?

35:25 And Jesus said, go back and tell Him what you see and hear. The deaf hear the climactic expression of His messianic identity in Matthew 11.5. He said, and the poor, and the poor have the gospel preached unto them.

35:44 And when we turn to the apostles' letters, we find that they are very, very clear. At this point in Galatians chapter 2 and verse 10, there is this very significant given to me, James and John, they who were reputed to be pillars gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcision. Only they gave us when they recognized us as true servants of Christ, recognized God's call that we should preach to the Gentile world primarily while they ministered more exclusively to the Jewish world. Only they would that we should remember the poor, Acts 11.27-30, tied in. The same was 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9.

Rationale 2: Maintaining the Priority of Preaching and Prayer for Elders

36:56 Read those together, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, both chapters, Acts 11.27-30, and you'll see that Paul was indeed to remember. Someone asked, why an offension of the art of the reality of the presence of the poor and needy in the church of Christ and God? Secondly, the second rationale for the diaconate is, the prioritying and prayer as a means.

38:09 Go back to the Acts 6 passage with me, if you will, please,

38:16 of what the full-blown deacon becomes eventually.

38:25 You remember the situation? There was the complaint that the Grecian were being of food, clothing, whatever else was distributed. And the twelve called them and said, it is not moral to take the word of God in stables. Now, what could be a more noble thing than to show pride, practical, tangible compassion and servanthood to those for apostles and do them homage? I am among you as he that serves. They are lowly and washed the foundation stone.

39:44 Apostles wisely recognize whatever good we may do by demonstrating Christ-like servanthood in that way. Whatever good we may do by reflecting the heart of passion, it would not be morally beautiful. It would not be ethically attractive. It would not be fit that we should forsake the word of God to serve tables.

40:09 Rather, from among you seven men of good report, full of the spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. Why, deaconing, and prayer wasn't one matter.

41:13 Assert his independence by saying, well, I think there's a wiser way. You've all just been hoodwinked by these charismatic, high-star, super leaders. Faculty, what a horrible thing that is. When something is proposed, instituted leadership in the church, and it's reasonable and wise, and carries the judgment of the vast majority of spiritually-minded people, and you've got an individual or two who prove, want to prove that they know better than everyone else by asserting their own independence against the outflow of the congregation's heart and judgment. Thank God there were none such at this time anyway. This saying brought them to the apostles. They prayed, laid their hands upon them to death, show, and that they approve.

42:23 These men would thus serve, and what was the result? Look at verse 7. And the word, and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly, and then an amazing statement, and a great company of the priests, some of whom may have even been very instrumental in the heart of those activities, which precipitated the actual condemnation and ultimate death of our Lord, become obedient to the faith. And the Lord said to them, I believe it's God's will.

43:03 I'm so pleased with what you've done. Maintain. I want. You wonder.

43:36 Are we gay? And full of faith, full of the grace put into their hearts' sake to take directions from their peers. They may be far more gifted in certain areas than the elders.

44:41 Who? Because they're by the word of God. By Mr. Vandana Mark today, it's an affirmation of our commitment that by the grace of God, we are in the word and in dock will not be encumbered with task.

45:24 They are beneath our dignity. I remind you, I was soaking and scraping manure from a bullpen when God called me to this church. That's what I was doing to earn money to pay for my rent when I was in an itinerant. I doubt there are many of you who've had a job quite that quote be meaning soaking dried up dung reactivating and enough to spring.

45:55 It out of an old barn. It was going to be converted into a youth center for 15 bucks a day. I scoured latrines and toilets in Schick electric shaver as a Christian singing hymns to the glory of God to earn some money to put myself through college. I doubt there are many of you men who scrubbed toilets and urinals and thrown out bags full of sanitary napkins for a living.

46:33 I've done it not. Not beneath my dignity. Not beneath the dignity of your elders. Those who labor in the word and in doctrine.

46:45 That's not the issue. The issue is we are to give ourselves to prayer and preaching. If the word of God is to prevail in this generation, that means God must work on the hearts of other men of gift and grace that they will emerge in our midst and be willing to serve. serve.

47:09 The high media is out there ploughing in the needy. It might be the purpose. It might be an auspicious place. And you must check theIsabels that that priority may be maintained.

Rationale 3: Propriety of Decency, Order, and Visible Integrity in the Church

47:18 But I must hasten to the third reason. The third rationale for the office of the Deacon is this. The propriety of decency, order and visible integrity in the church demands the office of the Deacon. The propriety of decency order and visible integrity in the Church.

47:40 And what do I mean by that string of words? Roman words. I'm just trying to express in my own words what's in the Bible. 1 Corinthians 14, quickly please.

47:48 1 Corinthians 14, a chapter in which Paul is sorting out the whole matter of the use of certain revelatory gifts, which we believe to be gifts which have ceased to operate with the completion of the New Testament, but they were operative in that transitional period. And as Paul is sorting out what he requires of order and all the rest, his climactic statement is the last verse of the chapter, 1 Corinthians 14, 40. Let all things within the church of Christ, in particular he's been dealing with the exercise of these gifts in the gathered assembly, let all things be done decently, that is, in a becoming manner, and order. And that word order. Order is basically a military term. When everyone is in his proper place, according to his rank, and according to the directives of his superior, you would say the army marched by in grand, toxic order.

48:53 He says, let all things be done becomingly. That points to what we might say the aesthetic part, and the order to the structure. He said, let all things be done with aesthetic, with spiritually pleasing aesthetics, and with order.

49:14 And then, in the matter of integrity, I'm referring to 2 Corinthians chapter 8, and then I'll comment upon these verses all together briefly. Paul, in these two chapters, 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, is writing about the collection being taken among the churches for the poor saints in Judea, who've been afflicted primarily as the result not only of a dispersion through persecution, but because of a famine, particularly. And in making this collection, he says many things. But now, for our purposes, we concentrate on verses 16 to 21 of chapter 8.

49:50 But thanks be to God, who puts the same earnest care for you in the heart of Titus. For he accepted indeed our exhortation, but being himself very earnest, he went forth unto you of his own accord. And we've sent together with him the brother whose praise in the gospel is spread through all the churches. He said, now Titus was so anxious to come, and to take up this collection and get on with it, that he went of his own accord, driven by his own zeal and love.

50:19 But, we've sent along with him a well-known, well-trusted, well-approved brother, whose well-known-ness and approved-ness was a matter of universal awareness among the churches, whose praise is spread through all the churches. Verse 19, and not only so, but who was also appointed by the churches. There was some kind of expression of the will of the churches to travel with us in the matter of this grace, which is ministered by us to the glory of God, and to show our readiness. Now notice verse 20.

50:59 Avoiding this, any man should blame us in the matter of this bounty, which is ministered by us, for we take thought for things honorable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. You see what he's saying? He's saying in this matter of collection, we're not only concerned that God knows that our motives are pure, that our actions are unstained by any graft or selfishness, we are careful to provide things honorable, not only in God's eyes, but men's eyes. So what did we do?

51:35 We had other men whose reputation was well-known go along. They could be the accountants. They could keep the record. They could show a complete log of everything that was collected, and then when we get to Judea and unpack, they'll show that not one shekel is missing.

51:55 Integrity! We must be careful to guard integrity at the horizontal as well as the vertical level. We've had enough indications of what happens when there's none of that in recent days. Need I say more?

52:08 And why do we need deacons in the church, among other things, for the propriety of decency? Order and visible integrity in the church, that deacons take care of all the details of how we'll get six or six hundred and fifty people into the various rooms of this church for worship, so that there's no distraction. They direct and oversee in the ordering of the nursery, in the care of the little ones, in the opening and closing of the building, in the care of the sounds, all of these things. Why?

52:41 So that things will be aesthetically pleasing. They'll be done decently. And when they notice that a wall begins to look grungy, they see to it it gets painted. So no worshipper who's unusually sensitive to grungy walls will be distracted in his worship.

52:58 That's right. That's right. And things are done orderly. Why?

53:03 Because God's a God of decency and order. I say it reverently. Anything that is aesthetically beautiful in this world is a reflection of His own glory.

53:19 Only orderly. A reflection of His own order. And in the church, we need deacons so that the church life will be decent and orderly, and that there'll be visible integrity in the handling of monies. I know of church situations where people have told me the pastor, the pastor, not pastors, only one, one bishop, one little mini-pope, he's the only one that collects the offering, deposits the offering, and no accounting is given.

53:50 Our annual report, our report is available for anyone to see. Our books are open for anyone to come in and look at them. The deacons spend hours doing that. Why?

Rationale 4: Christ's Provision for His Church

54:01 That there may be visible integrity in the church. And then fourthly, and I only have time to touch on this head,

54:09 but it's so vital, the rationale for the diaconate is this. It is to be seen as the provision of Christ for His church, the Christ who nourishes and cherishes His people. Ephesians 5, 29 says, Husbands, you're to nourish and cherish your wives, even as Christ does the church. You see, our Lord is not seen by these physical eyes, but in just a couple of moments, Mr. Van Dalen's going to stand here.

54:41 Why is he standing here? With a life of proven graces, and a heart moved to serve, for no remuneration, for no name or title. Why? Jesus Christ, loves this church, and He's nurturing us by giving us another deacon that we may be more useful in His kingdom.

55:08 Does that give you a sense of wonder and thrill that Christ loves us? And Mr. Van Dalen standing here is a tangible expression that He's still nurturing and cherishing Trinity Church. Why?

55:23 That He might get from this church the glory that He deserves and might receive the reward of His sufferings promised to Him by His Father.

Ordination of Elmer Van Dalen: Questions and Affirmation

55:36 So, this is not an empty ritual, is it? I hope these things will be embedded in our hearts. The biblical basis for the diaconate, two pivotal passages, the biblical rationale, the presence of the poor and needy, the priority of preaching and prayer, the propriety of decency, order, and integrity, and the provision of Christ for His church. And now at this time, I'm going to ask that Mr. Van Dalen, along with the elders, come as we joyfully, with gratitude to God, set our dear brother apart formally, visibly, as an act of the whole congregation to the work to which the Lord has called. Mr. Van Dalen, if you'll come and stand here.

56:25 And I'm going to address several questions to Mr. Van Dalen in your presence and in the presence of our Lord in the light of our understanding of God's will and purpose in establishing this office. I now ask you, my brother, do you believe the scriptures of the Old and the New Testaments to be the word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice? I do.

56:55 And do you sincerely receive and adopt the confession of faith of this church as containing the system of doctrine taught in scripture? Yes. And do you approve of the doctrine of faith? Yes.

57:07 And do you approve of the government and the policy of Trinity Baptist Church? Yes. And do you accept the office of a deacon in this congregation promising to be faithful in performing its duties in cooperation with and submission to the overseers of this assembly? I do.

57:29 And do you promise by the grace of God to seek to promote the purity, peace, unity, and usefulness of this church? Of this congregation, yes. Amen. Now, brethren, come, as we commend our brother to God and to his grace.

Congregational Prayer for the New Deacon

57:50 Let us all now, as our brethren, lead us in prayer as an act of intelligent, loving obedience to Christ. Let our hearts run out with theirs. And when we add our amen to their prayer, let it be that expression of our wholehearted affirmation of the things we've asked of God and what we now do. Let us now receive from Christ as His gift to this church.

58:16 Let us pray.

58:20 Our dear, gracious Heavenly Father, we do thank You for Your kindness and Your graciousness to Your church in granting that there would be servants given to labor in this place.

58:37 Father, we are stricken as we study the passages dealing with the qualifications for deacons. For the most part, they are qualifications having to do with graces over gift. Amen. And Father, we thank You for the graces You've worked in the hearts of our brother Elmer.

58:56 We thank You, Lord, that indeed he is a man of eminent graces.

59:02 And we pray, Father, that in the weeks and in the months and the years to come, that You would continue to grow him in grace. That he would become more like You in holiness. That he would be more like his Lord Jesus Christ.

59:20 And Father, we pray that in the exercise of His grace, in the exercise of His gift, in the much demand upon His time, that He will fight with all of His strength against the temptation to grow slack in His graces. Amen. And so we pray for him, Father. We do ask that You would be with him and strengthen him and make him ever more useful in Your service through the work of the Spirit in his heart.

59:50 For it's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Dear God, our Father, gracious Jesus Christ, the head of the Church,

60:09 great provider of every gift, the Holy Spirit, we pray to Thee, the triune God, this afternoon, thanking You for our brother of gift. Lord, as we look to Him, we think of the service that stands before Him. We think of the mighty work, O God, that must come forth from this man. And Lord, as we think of ourselves and with the remaining sin, and how He would have to work for us, to serve us.

60:41 And Lord, in many cases, how we would even break His heart. Lord, we pray that Thou would be with him. We pray, O God, that Thou would give him that heart that You have already given us, being seen among all of us, that the service that You would put him to, he would come forth to that work. That, O God, that he would not be one that would draw back and not be one that would long to have other work to be done, but would no longer want to wait on the tables as it is expressed from the Scriptures.

61:15 But, O God, that he would be one that his heart would go out so willing to serve Christ in this method of serving Christ's sheep. Lord, God, we pray that Thou would fill him with the graces that's needed. That Thou would cause his heart to love the people here. And Thou would also cause us to love him.

61:34 So, O God, as he begins now, as we, recognize him as a gift to us and set aside him to the service that You have for him, Lord, let his heart be united to us even more than it has been in days past. So, O God, we do pray that You, the head of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ, will put up in him, O, a love for us and a love to serve us. And, O gracious Holy Spirit, we pray to You that Thou would fit him for the work, that he would come to the measure, all that has to be done. As we've heard this morning, O God, how much work it has to be done.

62:15 And even the level of that work. Lord, let him go to it joyously. Let him look to his duties, O God, that a way of serving Christ himself. Our Father, we pray that Thou would be with him.

62:28 That Thou would fill him with joy to the work. And Thou would fill us with joy to receive him as a tangible sight of Your gift to this church. And how we thank Thee for what You've given us. Through Christ Jesus, our Lord, we pray.

62:43 Amen.

The Church as a Launching Pad for Ministry

62:45 It's only a short time ago that remember when we moved into this building, we talked about it not being a resting place, but a launching pad. Thank God it was that. Being that, it laid many more responsibilities on the elders of this church.

63:13 It laid many more responsibilities on the deacons of the church.

63:18 We hope that

63:20 even today it will not be a resting place, but it will continue to be a launching pad, expanding the ministries. During this past short period of time since we've been here, we've seen it happen. Although the Christian school is not a direct ministry of the church, that has come to birth. We've had the pastor's conferences.

63:38 We've had other things expanding at the work and the labors of the officers of this church. Brethren, continue praying for us. We need your prayers. Thank you.