A Call to Leadership in Service

Introduction: The Paradox of Leadership in Service

0:01 The following message was delivered at a deacon's conference, which was held at Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey, in April 2003. The speaker is Mr. Chuck Davies from Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. The title is, A Call to Leadership in Service.

0:24 I have given a name to this session as A Call to Leadership in Service. When Jesus taught in Luke 16 about the unrighteous steward who bargained with his master's debtors in order to feather his own nest, our Lord observed, The sons of this age are wiser in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. The sons of this age are wiser in relation to their own kind than the sons of light. In Luke 7, we see a Roman soldier.

1:04 A Roman soldier who exemplified such a wise view of the world in which he operated. Through some Jewish leaders, this Roman centurion had asked Jesus to come and save the life of his slave. But he did not think it was necessary for Jesus to make the trip. He knew that Jesus had authority to speak from a distance and the slave would be healed.

1:27 This Roman soldier knew that he himself was a leader capable of giving orders that must be carried out, but that he was also under the authority of others and he was obligated to obey their commands. He said, Just say the word and my slave will be healed. For I too am a man under authority with soldiers under me. This centurion was a leader and yet he was an obedient servant to others.

1:56 As deacons in the Church of Jesus Christ, we are leaders and yet we are servants. Deacons are servants in the church of Jesus Christ. As deacons in the Church of Jesus Christ, we are leaders and yet we are servants. are servants in the church, but they must also be leaders. Are we as comfortable with this concept of being in authority as well as under authority as this Roman soldier was? It's my concern today that we learn to live with this apparent contradiction, this paradox, as we heard in the last hour, of being both leaders and servants, that we embrace the tension in such a way that brings glory to God and a good testimony to the church of Jesus Christ in our office as deacons. My presentation will include three major headings. First, some of the biblical background behind this tension between leadership and service. Secondly, the reality of these two themes,

Biblical Background: Creation, Fall, and Restoration of Shared Tasks

2:56 leadership and service, being present in our service as deacons. Thirdly, how we may seek to maintain a balance between, on the one hand, modest, submissive service, and on the other, God-honoring, proactive leadership. So first, let us look briefly at some of the themes that explain from the Bible the tension between authority and submission that we often feel. To do this, we go back, as in so many areas of life, to the Genesis account. So turn, with me, please, to the closing verses of Genesis chapter 1. Genesis 1. God has created the world and all things in it, and as the capstone of his creation, he creates man and woman, both of them in his image. Woman is no less created in the image of God than the man is, verse 27. Genesis 1.27. And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him,

4:07 male and female he created them. And God blessed them, and God said to them, be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

4:30 God blesses them. God speaks to both of them. He gives both of them a series of commands. Be fruitful.

4:40 Multiply. Fill the earth. Subdue it. Have dominion. Do you see how God created and blessed and communicated to and commanded both the man and the woman? In chapter 2, he would differentiate roles. He would document the subordination of the woman to the man. But do you see in the chapter 1 account that they received shared blessings and shared tasks? This is how God created the man and woman in their innocent state, and this is how they embarked on their new life, together in their shared mutual blessings and labors. They would have worked in harmony with each other, Eve being just as concerned as Adam about the task of subduing and having dominion. Perhaps she would not go about it in the same way as her stronger partner, but they would know that these tasks were just as much a duty of hers as they were of her. Adam's face would have been toward his work, but he would also be thinking how to help Eve accomplish her dominion mandate. Together, they would have rejoiced under the blessing of God to

5:53 see the earth filled with their offspring and increasingly subdued. But the fall of man into sin in Genesis 3 changed this mutual sharing of tasks in every way. No longer was there a sense of harmony and goodwill between the man and the woman. God says to the woman in Genesis 3.16,

6:17 In the context of the curse pronounced upon the serpent and the woman and the man, we see in these words the inevitable tension that would be felt in every human relationship as long as sin is present in the world. The woman desiring to have mastery over the man, despite his God-given role as head, and the man bearing down in heavy-handed rule to subdue the insubordinate, though weaker woman. The image of God in man and woman is corrupted. The blessing of God upon them is turned into a curse. The communication that we saw in chapter 1 between the two of them and then between them and God is corrupted. The image of God in man and woman is

7:14 broken off. The harmony of the shared task is shattered. Superior and inferior now contest with each other instead of helping each other. The master is harsh and unfeeling. The helper looks for every opportunity to take the advantage. God's original creation is ruined beyond measure.

7:39 We must be forever grateful that God's merciful intentions did not stop with man's fall into sin. God, who provided that early promise of a seed that would break up the alignment of the woman and the serpent, and that would one day crush the serpent's head and thereby overpower the power of sin. God's intention was to redeem his world from the effects of sin, to restore his creation to that peaceful coexistence of man with man and man with God, which he originally established. This is the age in which we are in. We are in the age of man and man with God. We are in the age of the age in which we live, the age of the gospel, when the power of God is being exerted over sin one heart at a time. In the gospel age, we do not have the total reestablishment of Eden, but we have the principle of restoration in our lives as the dominion of sin is broken and we are being recreated as new creatures in Christ. In this age, we can see relationships being healed. Men taking their rightful places as loving heads to their wives. Women submitting themselves to

8:52 their husbands as unto Christ. We can see the broader healing of relationships between parents and children, masters and workers, Christian brethren to one another. This is the age in which we see both the now and the not yet of the kingdom of God. Though the restoration of shared tasks will not be perfect in the now, we can see increasing harmony in carrying out those tasks.

Shared Tasks and Subordinate Roles in the Church

9:22 This is a realm to which I would direct your thoughts as it applies to our subjects of the work of deacons, the shared tasks of the church in the gospel age. I would like to use Adam and Eve as an illustrative paradigm or way of thinking. As the image of God is increasingly restored in us, we ought to desire to work together in shared tasks in the church, even as Adam and Eve in their innocent state worked together in their shared tasks. These tasks are not just the responsibilities of the pastors, the Adams of our new race, rather like Eve in the garden, all those created in Christ's image, blessed by a common salvation communicated to through the work of the Holy Spirit. We all, to our day, are permitted to work together in shared tasks in the church, even as Adam and Eve in their join in the privilege and responsibility of carrying out God's commands. What are the shared tasks, then, of Christ's church at the present time? What work is part of our dominion mandate, if I may call it that, in the church? In order to give some background for our consideration of the

10:36 roles and contributions of deacons, let me suggest at least some of the major tasks of the church. First, Matthew 28, making disciples. Secondly, from the same passage, teaching them to observe what Christ commanded. The task of corporate worship. The task of fellowship and mutual encouragement among the brethren. The good works, which every Christian should do, or the works of service, which are referred to in Ephesians 4. The task of growing up in all aspects, into him who is the head, even Christ. Using those gifts and graces to spread the word of God and make disciples, and thus starting that cycle all over again. These are only some of the tasks,

11:29 the shared tasks, we face together as the church of Christ. Yet there is also the parallel truth that God has established structure and differences of roles and gifts among the people of Christ. And in particular, among the men of the church. He has ordained that first, there should be pastors or elders. Secondly, there should be deacons. Thirdly, there should be the regular members of the church. We who are deacons are not elders, yet we are to share in the concerns of the elders task. We are to feel the duty of God's commands, make disciples, teach them, assemble yourselves together for worship. We are to feel the duty of God's commands, make disciples, teach them, assemble yourselves together for worship.

12:15 And so on. But we are to maintain a subordinate position. If we lived in the bliss of Eden before the fall, this would not be difficult. Our subordinate role would be like that of Eve.

12:28 We would fit hand in glove with Adam's desire to help fulfill the shared task. But sin has intruded into the very core of our human natures, upsetting every relationship and introducing tension into every action. As we will see in a few minutes, sin takes us toward the very worst in both these categories, both in sharing the task and dwelling together in a superior-inferior relationship. Sin is expressed in our remaining corruption, and also in the opposition of a godless world and in the attacks of a very real devil.

13:10 These all fight against our ever hoping to restore the peace, harmony, and mutual good will in joyful verses. And this is why we should pray for God's mercy. In Jesus' name, joined in Eden before the fall. We will not see such perfect peace in this age, but we can and we must labor to share the tasks with our pastors, that is, our Adams.

13:31 At the same time, we must seek to embrace our subordinate roles as helpers. Is it possible to share and yet to submit? The grace of God is available without measure, and so we must pursue this goal with the realism that the tension will never fade until the day in the new creation when we follow the Lamb, the second Adam, wherever he goes. No longer will there be a not yet, but all will be the now of consummate glory and blessing in the kingdom.

Accepting the Reality: Deacon's Subordination and Shared Duties

14:05 I would like to take a few minutes to demonstrate from the Bible that the relationship of the elders and deacons is truly parallel to that of the elders and deacons. Adam and Eve in that superior subordinate relationship. And secondly, that the church's task is the duty of both parties. Thus, we come to our second main heading, accepting the reality of these two truths, shared task, subordination.

14:32 Again, some of this material was spoken of in the previous hour, but we will examine some of the fallout that we experienced because of the presence of sin while trying to resolve the problem. So, let's start with the tension between these two truths. First, then, I would assert that the position of deacon is truly subordinate to that of elder. We have both direct and indirect evidence from the New Testament to support this statement that we should always view the diaconal office as secondary and subordinate to the office of elder.

15:04 In Acts 6, viewed by most as the early seed form of the diaconate, it is the apostles who take the lead and direct the disciples, to recommend seven men for the duty of caring for the widows. Please look at that passage again with me, Acts chapter 6.

15:25 I'm sure we're all familiar with this account.

15:34 At the end of verse 3, he tells, or at verse 3, the apostles say to the multitude, Select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put... put in charge of this task, whom we may appoint.

15:56 The apostles, serving as leaders of the church in Jerusalem, with the consensus of the brethren, appoint these men to their task. The seven do not appoint themselves, nor does the congregation vote them in, regardless of what the apostles wish. So, in this seminal event, we have the clear delegation of authority from the superior to the inferior, the one who...

16:21 the one who appoints to the one who is appointed.

16:25 If we turn over to 1 Timothy 3, which speaks of the qualifications, we have a fuller view of what Paul intended for the churches.

16:41 1 Timothy 3.

16:45 The church will have two offices, elder and deacon. In their qualifications, however, notice the differing emphasis on ruling versus serving. For the elder, in verse 4, he must be one who rules, his own house well, keeping his children under control with all dignity. But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of, or manage, or oversee the house of God?

17:14 But looking in verse 10, let these... Speaking of deacons, it says, let them serve as deacons.

17:22 And again in verse 13, those who serve as deacons. The emphasis only is on their...

17:29 on their point of service and not on their ruling or managing. The very name deacon is from the Greek word for one who serves. In contrast, the interval...

17:39 interchangeable names of pastor, shepherd, overseer, emphasize authority and leadership of the office of elder.

17:49 A third line of support besides the Acts passage and the passage here in 1 Timothy is for the assertion that the diaconal office is subordinate to the elder's office arises from their respective spheres of responsibility. Again, we heard that in the previous hour. Deacons are to be focused on the temporal or physical needs of the people of God, serving the tables of widows' needs. Elders are to be focused on the spiritual well-being of the flock.

18:24 From the same passage in Acts 6, they are to give themselves to serving or deaconing the word of God, and prayer.

18:33 Everywhere in the scriptures, the priority of the spiritual is asserted over the physical. For instance, Matthew 10, 28. Do not fear those who can kill the body, but fear him who can cast both body and soul into hell. Or Matthew 6, 33.

18:50 Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and then all these things will be added to you. In 1 Corinthians 9, the apostle Paul argues from the Greek...

19:02 ...greater to the lesser when he says, if we sow spiritual things in you, is it a great matter if we should reap material things from you?

19:13 So the physical concerns of the church must always be viewed as subordinate to the spiritual, and thus the diaconal office takes its lower position in relationship to the pastoral office.

19:28 As a final line of argument, we must remember that Christ never divides the oversight of his church into parts. He himself is Lord of the whole church. His word in the scriptures applies to the whole church. And his under-shepherds, the local pastors, are responsible for the life of the entire church.

19:51 If they must give an account for all aspects of the local church, then any responsibilities they give to others are only delegated responsibilities. The one receiving such authority must feel that it is given as a stewardship and not as an independent commission. Thus, the deacon must see that he serves in the church under the umbrella of the elder's authority. He must embrace his subordinate position as wisely ordained by the risen Lord, who in turn has delegated his authority to under-shepherds who rule by his word.

All Members Share in the Church's Work

20:27 Positively stated, deacons serve in a supportive role to assist the elders in carrying out their gospel, as well as in the service of God's appointed duties. We move now to the second reality about church life, that these duties are actually shared, at least in some sense, by all the people of God. Here again, I would state positively that all members of the church are to be concerned to see the work of the kingdom of God go forward. Turn to 1 Peter chapter 2, if you would.

21:02 All the members are involved in the work of the church.

21:09 He says, He speaks in, Peter speaks of us as a community of believers in chapter, in verse 5, 1 Peter 2, 5, and says, You also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. There in verse 9, he says, You, collectively, are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you, again, collectively, may proclaim the excellencies of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.

21:59 Not every member is called to proclaim God's excellencies from the pulpit. This is a particular gift given to particular men, but every Christian is to be concerned to see that Christ is preached publicly and privately, by whatever means we can use. Turning to Ephesians 4, if you would, we have a picture of a body with many parts.

22:32 Ephesians 4, 16. 4, 15, we are to grow up in all aspects unto him who is the head, even Christ. Verse 16, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. Although the members of the body may contribute different things, and in various amounts, no member is left out.

23:05 Each member shares in the task of spiritual growth. Turning back again to 1 Peter, in chapter 4,

23:22 1 Peter 4, 10.

23:26 1 Peter 4, 10 emphasizes the same thing. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

23:42 Then in Philippians, in the book of Philippians, we have that address in the very first verse of the book, Philippians 1, 1.

23:58 Paul and Timothy bond servants of Christ Jesus to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at, in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons. We have these three groups, saints, deacons, elders, but Paul does not single out just the elders when he says later on in verse 7, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. I'm sorry, in verse 7, he says, you have been partakers of grace with me. And then over in verse, chapter 4, in 14,

24:36 he says, nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction. You are with me in my affliction. Who is he speaking to? I think he's speaking to the entire church.

24:46 Verse 18, I have received everything in full and have abundance, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent. Again, the entire church. Paul knows the entire church entered into his struggles and worked together to supply his need. We may accurately deduce that the elders with the deacons took the lead in praying for the church.

25:10 They took the lead in praying for the church. They took the lead in praying for the church. They took the lead in praying for the church. They took the lead in praying for the church.

25:10 They took the lead in praying for Paul and in meeting his physical needs. Perhaps that is why he names them in verse 1. But the recognition of the office of deacon only points to our greater responsibility. Deacons ought to have a heightened concern for spiritual endeavors and needs, a stronger and more aggressive desire for the glory of Christ to be seen in the church than the regular members may have.

25:36 What would you think of a carpenter's foreman who didn't care about his boss's deadlines or plans for the future? Look at a foreman who just goes through his day doing the work he's been given to do. Never looking up, never thinking about others, always letting others figure out how to solve problems. No, he's a foreman because he is thinking about the boss's problems.

26:02 How can we get this job done? Who needs to be assigned to it? How can I help to remove obstacles? In the same way, the deacon, he shares the tasks of the church.

Sinful Reactions: Usurping Authority or Abdicating Responsibility

26:14 He's not the boss, but he is concerned for everything that the boss is concerned about. In that sense, every task in the church is a shared task. But because of sin, we are constantly tempted to react in two wrong ways to the reality of shared duties on one hand and the fact that we are subordinates on the other. Let me describe these two ways of sinful reaction as unbendingly, unbendingly, unbendingly, unbendingly, unbalanced responses of either usurping authority or abdicating responsibility.

26:49 The two patterns that we're tempted to go into. One is usurping authority, the other abdicating responsibility. It doesn't take very much imagination for any of us to know what I'm talking about when I speak of seizing authority. The carpenter foreman, instead of wanting to help the boss, wants to be the boss.

27:11 The student wants to teach his teacher. The man in the street wants to tell George W. Bush how to run the country.

27:19 The woman, to use the language of Genesis 3, desires to be over the man. And so in every human relationship, the subordinate has a sinful tendency to think higher of himself than he ought to think, Romans 12.3, and to desire more authority than God has given him. Deacons are no exception to this general rule.

27:42 And I urge you to meditate upon the bad experiences and examples of men like Diotrephes, who loved to have the preeminence, or Absalom, who grumbled under the gracious rule of King David and thought he could do it so much better. Or consider Korah, given the office of a Levitical priest, but not content with his privileged position, wanting a higher profile and ready to usurp Moses' place. If we stand ready to share the task of our elders and to enter into the world of God, we will be able to do it. And if we stand ready to share the task of our elders and to enter into the world of God, we will be able to do it.

28:14 And if we stand ready to share the task of our elders and to enter into the world of God, and to enter into their spiritual struggles and demands, let us beware that we do not cross the boundary and start to take more to ourselves than we have been given in our office of service. But that is not my primary concern today. Please, always be on the alert for this tendency of the human heart. But I'm more concerned that we tend to go to the other extreme.

28:41 We avoid responsibilities unless they come and bite us. I'm calling this the abdicating of our shared duties. And we are all too familiar with what it looks like in the church. No one wants to teach Sunday school.

28:58 No one is available to mow the church lawn. We can't find anyone who will take the time to visit an elderly member in a nearby nursing home. We abdicate because we don't feel the pressure of viewing the task as a shared task. Therefore, we don't take the lead and offer to do it ourselves.

29:17 Very briefly, I see at least three types of reasons why abdication is so prevalent in our churches today. First, the cultural environment we live in is a terrible influence on godly, assertive, masculine leadership. We live in a country where democracy, that is, everyone has a right to be heard, and egalitarianism, that is, everybody is just as competent as the next person to do the job, those are the rules of the day. Those are the rules of the day.

29:48 It's like a long line of army recruits standing side by side, everyone talking, everyone thinking that he's just as qualified to lead the battalion as the next guy. Then, about every fifth person is a woman, and she's sure that she knows that she can do a better job than anybody else. So the quiet guy, the one who is hesitant about putting himself forward, that he has anything to say or to contribute, he says, he stays in his place, or maybe he goes home and mows his own lawn. He certainly wouldn't put himself forward by trying to lead the battle group or in the church to host a youth activity or balance the church budget or visit the sick when there are so many others who say they can do it better. Besides this cultural environment, I think there is also the disinclination to put ourselves out, what I would call the self-indulging abdication. At a personal level, it may be that the man has never dealt with his sinful laziness. He's not ready to discipline his schedule and make room to accomplish more work for the kingdom of God.

31:01 Or he may be flabby and out of shape and not have the strength to do more than he's presently doing. Or he may have learned that leaders get shot, that it's better to be like one of the soldiers in the trenches than to be up there on a horse like Stonewall Jackson, just inviting bullets to come your way. All in all, we need to recognize and deal with any lack of desire in us to make more effort. And this at the mental, the physical, the spiritual, and the emotional levels.

31:38 Then thirdly, there is a lack of good role models that hampers our efforts to be leaders and therefore we abdicate. The accumulating effects of our society's failure to produce godly leaders, the widespread absence of godly leaders in our churches, create a setting where we don't have many reference points or standards or goals. We could use more Christian men like the Roman centurion in Luke 7 who knew what it was to be under authority, yet who knew how to command those under him in order to please his superiors. We can sense that here was a man of initiative and personal strength.

32:21 Who could say, go, come, do this, and things happened. Instead, we live in a day when reports are all too common like this one that I received a while ago from a pastor who described his deacons as follows. They were basically a low-level maintenance diaconate that needed me to initiate just about everything. My hope for this group of men is that they will catch a vision for what can be done as our church.

32:52 Our church has now grown and is growing. I hope they will be men of initiative who develop their God-given calling for helping the eldership and ministering to people. Themes like initiative, ministry, vision, and support are themes that I love and we need to hear. Are you worried that as a deacon you might take too much power to yourself?

Seeking Balance: Glorifying Christ, Honoring God, Stabilizing the Church

33:19 I think rather that most pastors would echo this man's plea that their deacons would become men of initiative and true helpers to the eldership. So we come to our final heading in dealing with the tension of the shared task and the subordinate position of deacons and that is seeking a balance that glorifies Christ, honors God, and stabilizes the church. How will we become leaders in our place of service? As we look at a number of suggestions as to how we may improve our leadership skills, remember that we are aiming for these three goals.

34:01 First, we are seeking to be leadership deacons, if I may coin a phrase, who reflect the image of Christ and thereby glorify him. Jesus Christ was the perfect servant, yet he is also our perfect king. He did not come to be ministered unto, literally, to be deaconed to, but to deacon and to give his life, as a ransom for many. But he was and is the leader of his people and we must seek to imitate his godly blend of these two graces.

34:37 Secondly, we must honor God in our position and in our service by keeping within the bounds of his will. God's will is known to us in the scriptures. Therefore, the way we act in our office, the way we interact with our pastors and the people of God must always be known to us. We must always be regulated by the scriptures.

34:58 Then God will be honored and his work will be accomplished his way. Thirdly, we must have an eye towards stabilizing and strengthening the church of Christ by our actions. We must involve ourselves in the shared tasks of the church for the purpose of improving it and expanding it and never for our own benefit or reputation. In the language of Ephesians 6, we must do our work, not as men-pleasers but as bond-slaves of Christ.

Cultivating Humility, Contentment, Vision, and Initiative

35:31 What we do must be helpful and wholesome to the local church and to the universal body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me suggest some general ways to improve our leadership skills and then secondly, a possible way to get started immediately down the path. First then, some suggestions for attaining a balance between service on one hand and leadership on the other. My suggestion is that we should work together.

35:57 Suggestions break into two general categories, the first being the more important, spiritually speaking, and that is to cultivate genuine humility and contentment. Even though this is the more important issue for each one of us, I will not take time to develop it since our chief concern lies in the area of developing initiative. But let me at least mention the essential need for the personal grace of humility as you serve in the church. The need to cultivate total commitment in your spot and especially if that spot is relatively small and unnoticed.

36:39 Meditate upon the humility and contentment of Christ but never mistake his grace for laziness or lack of purpose and desire. Our Lord, in the language of Hebrews 12, ran his race for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame. Whatever we see of the quietness and meekness of Christ, let us never think that that was laziness or indolence.

37:12 But secondly, and more expansively, besides humility and contentment, we need to cultivate the godly grace of vision and initiative. May I suggest seven ways to cultivate, to increase your personal drive, your vision, your initiative, and your support in the context of the tasks of the local church. First, develop close, organic, or we might say body ties with the leadership of your church. Like a good flu bug, the sense of vision is contagious.

37:51 The closer you get, the more likely you are to catch it. Look for and make opportunities to rub shoulders with your pastors. Maybe a fishing trip? Maybe trimming shrubs together in the backyard?

38:05 Maybe accompanying one of your pastors on a visit to a shut-in? Use those times to talk about the needs of the church and the future. See if you can catch the vision. Then give yourself to share the work needed to pursue that goal.

38:23 Secondly, imitate godly examples of leadership and initiative, even if they are hard to find. You may need to read the Bible, or you may need to read biographies, which is not a bad idea, but try to find living examples and get close to them as well. Imitate their vision, their enthusiasm, their spiritual perspective. Thirdly, when you do get close to godly, capable leaders, don't be intimidated by their greater talents or experience.

38:55 Don't give up just because you can't be Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson. Learn from them what soldiering is all about. And start down that same path, even though you're relatively green.

39:07 This leads into a fourth suggestion, which is to start small. Jesus said that faithfulness would be displayed in small things and then in the greater. You should not be reluctant to start small and work your way up. Your service is spiritual service, and the widow's might is noticed more by God than the excess gifts of the overly wealthy.

39:31 Imitate this example. Fifth, read and closely imitate godly examples in the Bible. If you would be a leader in a position under authority, read about Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, David, Nehemiah, even the Apostle Paul. Above all, read about and imitate Jesus Christ.

39:59 Sixth, recognize and fight against those names of negative cultural influences we mentioned, as well as your personal weaknesses and disinclinations to leadership. Develop personal discipline, strength, courage, spiritual priorities that would make you eager and willing to spend yourself and be spent in service to the people of God and ultimately in service to your Savior. Sixth, read and closely imitate God's example in the Bible. If you would be a leader in a position under authority, read about Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Nehemiah, and David, Joshua, Daniel, Nehemiah, when he or she thinks, initiates, and leads in the context of settled authority. Let me say it again. Every subordinate serves best when he or she thinks, initiates, and leads in the context

41:26 of settled authority. Think of having such an employee. Aren't you glad when you have one? Or a wife who's full of ideas but submissive to your leadership?

41:36 Or a loyal citizen who works hard to make his country a better place? Think about church members and deacons who are comfortable in their places but who are excited about serving God and helping their pastors to serve God. Such subordinates are seeing the image of God restored in them. They are coming back toward that peace and harmony that Adam and Eve had in their common tasks before the fall.

A Modest Experiment: Ushering as a Model for Leadership

42:07 Finally, may I suggest a modest experiment to get started on this quest for godly leadership in service? Let's use the area of ushering, which is one that all of us can probably relate to because we either are ushers or we have done it in the past. I'm going to give you four key words. Observe, evaluate, anticipate, and propose.

42:40 Take your current ushering situation, if you can picture that with me for a minute. Think about where you're at in your church at the present time. Observe. Can you observe what's happening before and during and after the service?

42:57 Evaluate. Can you evaluate why those things are happening and what's good and what's bad? Thirdly, observe, evaluate, anticipate. Think ahead.

43:12 What could happen if circumstances changed? If there would be more people? If there would be more families with young children? What could happen in that situation?

43:22 So we have observe, evaluate, anticipate, and finally propose. Propose. What could you do? What could be done to make a better situation and to accommodate future needs?

43:41 This is an area where I think every one of us could apply new skills and exert some leadership to improve things, even at a modest level. But now let me raise your sights a little. Having assessed your present ordinary ushering situation, how could your job as an usher contribute to the task of evangelistic outreach? What could you do better through ushering to reach out to visitors or to follow up with them?

44:14 Or what could you do through ushering to perform another task of the church? Encouraging the members. How could you give honor to elderly members? Or help mothers of young children?

44:28 Or improve the atmosphere for worship? Does your ushering have a purpose that's related to the broader goals of the church? All this is to suggest that like ushering there are many diaconal tasks whose perimeters could be expanded to serve the broader shared tasks of the church. Remember these four words.

44:53 Observe. Evaluate. Anticipate. Propose.

Conclusion: Relying on Christ's Grace

45:00 And apply them to the situations you face and exert leadership along with your pastor in your diaconal duties. In closing, may I ask, is there any tension in your working relationship with your pastor? Any problems sharing that task? Or are there tasks you face as a deacon that you do not feel equipped to handle?

45:28 Remember that we all must look to the grace and mercy of Christ to deal with tension and sin and to provide us with the needed grace to handle every situation. The risen Savior said to Paul, My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Whatever your weakness, whatever your sin, look to Christ to overcome every obstacle and to make you a better leader in your service as a deacon. Let's pray together.

46:10 Our gracious God, we do see a paradox and yet a blessed paradox that you've called us to a position of service and called us to be leaders in your church. And we pray that we may have that combination of graces needed that we would not go the way the world goes and either fail to lead or lead with a domineering hand, but that we would lead in our service. We pray, Lord, that you would raise our sights that in the ordinary tasks of being deacons we may see those broader goals of what the church should be and that you would help us to anticipate, to evaluate, to observe, that we may propose, we may work toward improving the function and the service of our churches. Lord, we pray that these would not just be to make it a better business operation, but rather that our eye would be on the glory of Jesus Christ as head in our churches. And we pray that we may be hands and feet for our elders in each of our churches, that we may share with them, we may be in that sense restored to that beautiful image of how you made man at the beginning. And that we may even go beyond that because we are serving Christ.

47:37 We are serving the one who is our head. So, Lord, please purify our hearts, purify our motives, and give us a desire to see Christ glorified in His churches. We ask in His name. Amen.