Ministry of the Word of God, Part 2

Introduction and Review of the Ministry of the Word Definition

0:02 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday evening, April 8, 2001, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:15 Sometime, and I don't know in what forum I'll do it, I'd like to just talk to you on all the struggles that a preacher has in trying to fulfill Matthew 7, 12 when he preaches. As you would that others do unto you, even so do ye also unto them, for this is the law and the prophets. And when you've prepared a message with about a three-minute introduction, and then you look out and see faces that you know were not there this morning, some who, as far as I know, have not been here for any part of this series, and you say, well, if I were them, and coming as a stranger, would I want the preacher to take at least a few minutes to bring me on board? And, of course, the answer is obvious. And so I'm going to take a little more time. I'm going to review, particularly for the sake of those who are visiting among us, and, as far as I know, are coming, as it were, cold turkey into a series of studies that in many ways is like a fabric. It's connected.

1:21 And we are presently considering together truths from the Scriptures to which we have been pointed by matters that are contained in our church constitution, which we, as leaders, are responsible, every five years, to set before the minds and hearts of God's people. In this series, I've entitled Living Together in the Father's House. And we have parked on the section in our constitution dealing with the purpose of the church. And in the opening up of those terms and statements and directing your attention into the Scriptures, we came this morning to the second of the primates and the primary means that are appointed by God that the church might fulfill its purpose of glorifying the God of the Scriptures. Our constitution identifies two primary means, prayer and the public and private ministry of the Word of God. I spent four messages on the place of prayer in the life of the church. And this morning, we began to take up the place of the ministry of the Word in the life and in the well-being of the church as the church seeks to fulfill its God-given purpose.

2:44 And what I attempted to do this morning was to give you my own definition of what our constitution means by the language, the primary means for the fulfillment of this purpose are prayer and the public and private ministry of the Word of God. And so here's the definition that I laid before you. Then we began to break it down into its constituent elements. We covered two of them this morning, and I hope to complete the final two this evening.

3:19 Here's the definition. The public and private ministry of the Word of God is comprised of the faithful proclamation, explanation and application of the contents, the God-breathed contents, of the Old and the New Testaments by biblically qualified and duly recognized servants of Christ. Now, what we did this morning was to take up two of the elements of the components in that definition and to show that that definition is indeed rooted in the Scriptures. We looked at the source of this ministry of the Word of God.

4:02 The source is the God-breathed Scripture. We looked at the source of the Old and the New Testaments. And 2 Timothy 3, verses 15 to 17 were our major text. And then secondly, we considered the substance of this ministry of the Word of God.

4:24 And I have described it as the faithful proclamation of the contents of the Old and the New Testaments, the faithful explanation of the Old and the New Testaments, and the faithful explanation of the contents of the Old and the New Testaments, and the faithful application of the contents of the Old and the New Testaments. Now, tonight we take up components three and four, having considered the source and the substance of the ministry of the Word. In this hour we will examine, thirdly, the servants who engage in this ministry of the Word of God, and fourthly and finally, the sphere in which this ministry of the Word of God will aid, which I will be done by the Spirit of Christ. this ministry of the Word of God is to be carried on. So we come then thirdly to the servants who engage in this ministry of the Word. We go back to our definition. The public and private ministry of the Word is comprised of the faithful proclamation, explanation, and application of the God-breathed contents of the Old and New Testaments by biblically qualified and duly recognized servants of Christ.

Disclaimer: Every Member Ministry and Evangelism

5:41 And so we're going to focus for a while on this matter of the servants who engage in this ministry of the Word of God. And before opening up this issue from the Scriptures, let me make an unmistakably clear and very emphatic disclaimer. Whatever is said, under this heading, must not be understood by any of us as in any way weakening, let alone negating or undermining what we considered some weeks ago when we looked at those inward arrows of mutual edification. On that occasion we saw from the Scriptures, such as Ephesians chapter 4 and many others, that every believer has a ministry to perform, to his fellow believers and some of that ministry is a verbal communication of the Word of God. For example, Colossians 3.16, speaking to all believers without discrimination, Paul says, Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another. Or again in Hebrews 3.13,

6:58 All believers are commanded to exhort one another, day by day, while it is called today, lest any of you be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Or in 1 Thessalonians 4.18, writing to all believers, Paul says, comfort one another with these words. Or in the very next chapter, chapter 5 and verse 14, he says to all believers that they are to admonish the disorderly, that they are to support the weak.

7:27 These are commands to all believers. Romans 15.14, Paul could say of the Roman Christians, I am persuaded of you that you are full of knowledge, full of goodness, able to admonish one another. So whatever is said under this heading, please don't anyone go out and say, well that place believes that only preachers can use the Word of God with us.

7:49 I didn't say that. The Bible doesn't say it. We don't believe that. Our Constitution doesn't say it.

7:55 So I make that emphatic disclaimer. Whatever is said tonight does not in any way, weaken, undermine, or let alone cancel that whole block of Scripture that points us to every member ministry one to another. Nor does it cancel or weaken what we considered when we looked at the outward arrows, the privilege and responsibility of every member evangelism. 1 Peter 3.15 is written to all believers.

8:28 They are to sanctify Christ, being ready always to give answer to everyone who asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and with fear. All believers have the privilege and responsibility to confess Christ verbally and openly. And nothing that I say tonight, no Scripture that we look at tonight, in any way cancels, neutralizes, dilutes, any other word you want to use. It doesn't do that.

The Principle: Some, Not All, Engage in Office-Based Ministry

9:00 Everything is said in the context, I trust, of a vigorous appreciation of the Bible's teaching on every member evangelism and every member ministry one to another. However, what is captured and expressed in the words of our Constitution when it speaks of the public and private ministry of the Word of God as a primary means by which the Church is to pursue her purpose is not these duties and privileges of every member edification and every member evangelism. Rather, our Constitution, reflecting the teaching of the Scriptures and, by the way, of our confession of faith as well, is focusing upon the ministry of the Word of God which is exercised by what I have included in our definition as biblically qualified and duly recognized servants of Christ. Consider with me then the fact that some and not all are to engage in the public and private ministry of the Word of God as a function of a recognized office in Christ's Church. Some and not all

10:27 are to engage in the public and private ministry of the Word of God as a function of office in the Church. We go, for example, to Ephesians chapter 4, a passage which we have consulted in previous studies. Here the Apostle is applying the grand truths established in the first three chapters and he begins by calling the Church to a conscious effort to maintain the unity that has been established in the orbit of redemptive grace and privilege. And having called them to unity, shown the basis of that unity, he says it must be unity realized in the midst of diversity. And in verse 7 he tells us one strand of that diversity is the result of what the ascended Christ does within His Church, the Body. But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. And then he describes some of the gifts which the ascended Christ gives to the various members of His Church.

11:41 Verse 11. And He gave some, not all, some to be apostles, and some, not all, prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints unto works of God, unto works of service, unto the building up of the Body of Christ. So it is Christ Himself in His posture as the ascended Lord who gives diversity of gifts within the one Body, all submissive to the one Lord, indwelt by the one Spirit, adhering to the one faith, having undergone the one baptism, who worship the one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in us all. Yet within that oneness there is diversity. And within that diversity there is a function of pastors and teachers that is in a different category than the one another teaching, the one another admonishing, the one another ministry, the one anotherisms of the New Testament. Here we have the distinctive action of Jesus Christ the Lord giving some pastors and teachers so that when the writer to the Hebrews writes to the Hebrew Christians, he takes for granted

13:10 that they will recognize as part of their common consciousness that only some speak unto them the Word of God within the framework of a recognized office. Hebrews 13 and verse 7. Remember them that had the rule over you and how are they distinguished? They are called men that spoke unto you the Word of God.

13:37 Now was the Word of God spoken only by those that had the rule over them? No. He has already encouraged them in this epistle to exhort one another. He has already encouraged them to become strong in their faith in Hebrews chapter 5.

13:55 He rebukes them and says the time you ought to be able to teach others you have need that one give you again the milk of the Word. He assumes that mature Christians will engage in a ministry of teaching. But here he is talking about a different category of those who teach us, who speak to us the Word of God. It is those who are ruling over us in the Lord who are identified with this peculiar identifying mark they spoke unto them the Word of God.

14:28 And that is precisely the same class of people addressed in verse 17 of the same chapter. Obey them that have the rule over you and submit to them for they watch in behalf of your souls as they that shall give an account. Now in a real sense we all watch over one another's souls. We are commanded to do that.

14:53 To bear one another's burdens. To confess our sins one to another. To pray one for another. There are the many one anothering passages but here the apostle or the writer to the Hebrews whoever that person was says to these believers assuming that there will be no scratching of the head wondering who is he talking about?

15:15 Obey them that have the rule over you and submit to them for they watch as those that shall give an account. And those that watch within the framework of a recognized office are the same ones described in verse 7 their former overseers who spoke unto them the Word of God. And likewise in verse 24 in this same chapter he says greet all them that have the rule over you and all the saints. Now if ever there was a clergy laity distinction here it is.

15:52 Now I don't like that terminology but in case you were starting to go to sleep on me that might jar you into mental alertness. If ever there were a distinction here it is. Greet all them that have the rule over you and all the saints. So those who have the rule in this particular context are not acquainted as part of all the saints.

16:14 Yes they are part of the body. They are of the company of the saints but they exercise rules in a distinctive God ordained office and capacity. So we see in these passages the principle that not all engage in the public and private ministry of the Word of God as a function of office only some do that. And they are clearly described in the passage again such as 1 Timothy 5 and verse 17.

16:48 1 Timothy 5 and verse 17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor especially those who labor in the Word and in teaching. Among even the elders as a distinctive class of office bearers within the church there are within the eldership those who as their occupation labor in the Word and in teaching. Clearly identified a laboring in the Word and in teaching that is inexplicably connected to office. The function of overseers in laboring in the Word and in teaching. And while I don't want to beat it thin at the edges let me just allude to one other pivotal passage Romans 12 beginning in verse 3 where the apostle says that every man within the church is to think soberly as he ought to think and in assessing one's gifts the recognition that there is a diversity of giftedness and certain areas of giftedness warrant preoccupation in the exercise of that gift and among them are gifts of teaching gifts of prophesying gifts of ruling gifts of serving. Well I hope that brief review of some of those passages familiar to many of you

18:16 will be as it were at your fingertips whenever you were challenged and if you haven't been you eventually will be if you stay in the circle of professing Christians that there are those who take the attitude that if every believer has the Holy Spirit if every believer has God breathed scripture then though there may be a little difference in how they spend their time are duly recognized in biblically qualified teachers they do not minister the Word of God to us with any more authority than any of our brothers and sisters and that simply is not the teaching of the Word of God. The Word of God makes it clear that while every believer at all times is to be subject to the scriptures there are certain believers who are set apart in terms of their gift and calling and the recognition of the church who teach and preach the Word of God in the framework of that God ordained office. Now in our definition of what is meant by the ministry of the Word of God I have stated that this ministry is to be carried on by biblically qualified and duly recognized servants of Christ. Having established I hope from these scriptures

Qualification 1: Biblically Qualified Men

19:44 that there is such a thing as a function and office of the teaching and preaching and ruling by the Word of God where do I get the notion that they must be biblically qualified and duly recognized? Well, first of all they are to be biblically qualified men and the passages that ought immediately to come to your minds are 1 Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 to 7 Titus chapter 1 verses 5 to 9 and 1 Peter 5 verses 1 to 4. Any well established believer in this church ought to immediately think of those passages. Why do you people get so fastidious about examining men to see if they are qualified for office? Let's be realists and say no. 1 Timothy 3 1 to 7 says if anyone desires the office of overseership or desires literally overseership he desires a good work the overseer therefore must be. And likewise in Titus 1 5 for this cause I left you in Crete that you should ordain elders in every city as I gave you charge.

21:02 And then the apostle lays out the standard of character and gift essential for anyone to be put into that office. And 1 Peter 5 1 to 4 is Peter's charge to elders. There's a whole bank of secondary passages Acts chapter 20 verses 28 to 31 where Paul is charging the elders. Passages such as Romans 12 that deal with diversity of gifts principles woven into 1 Corinthians 12 through 14.

21:36 The scriptures set before us this clear teaching that those who engage in the public and private ministry of the word are to be biblically qualified men. And when we look at those passages that set forth the qualifications what are the accurate summarizing statements? Let's turn to one such passage. Let's turn to the 1 Timothy 3 passage.

22:05 And I shall read just this one. Titus passage is not exactly word for word the same so we know that these requirements are not wooden. They are plastic. They are divinely inspired.

22:23 They are not exhaustive. When we compare the 1 Timothy 3 passage and the Titus 1 passage some things are mentioned in Titus not mentioned in Timothy. Some in Timothy not in Titus. Some of these things are brought in in terms of an overall understanding of the office, its demands, its function.

22:44 But let's look at this passage briefly. Faithful is the same. This was one of the sayings of the five so-called faithful sayings in the pastoral epistles. They were kind of sanctified cliches that floated around the churches.

22:59 And this is one of them. If a man seeks overseership he desires a good work. The overseer therefore must be without reproach the husband of one wife self-controlled, sober-minded orderly, given to hospitality act to teach no brawler, no striker but gentle not contentious no lover of money one that rules well his own house having his children in subjection with all gravity. But if a man knows not how to rule his own house how shall he take care of the church of God?

23:37 Not a novice, not a recent convert lest being puffed up he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have good testimony from God. Testimony from them that are without lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Now when we take this passage bring to it 1 Timothy chapter 5 bring to it 1 Peter I'm sorry, Titus chapter 1 verse 5 through 9 and then 1 Peter 5, 1 to 4 I believe you'll come to a conclusion at least similar to this in your words.

24:14 To be biblically qualified for the public and private and private ministry of the word a man must be marked by a mature and consistent godliness. A mature and consistent godliness of life. Not a perfect man not the most mature man that's ever lived not the most godly man who's ever lived but he must be a mature and consistently godly man. He must be without reproach.

24:53 There must be no glaring abnormalities in his life. He may have his idiosyncrasies. He may have graces that are not as fully developed as others. But there should be no area of his life in which anyone can justly say that man, a public and private minister of the word when this thing in his life is such a contradiction of the power and the grace of the gospel.

25:22 He says no. A man must be without reproach. Now that doesn't mean he's everyone's hail fellow well met. It doesn't mean he's everyone's fair haired boy.

25:33 But it means there must be no just grounds to point at him and there identify in him legitimately some glaring area of immaturity or inconsistency in his life. And that mature and consistent godliness of life is even to be validated by the unconverted. Verse 7. He must have good testimony from them that are without.

26:02 So that mature, consistent godliness of life is an indispensable qualification for anyone who is going to be a public and private servant of Christ ministering the word. Then secondly when we look at these passages we see that they require a mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth. A mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth. The Titus 1 passage verse 9 expresses it in these words.

26:40 Holding to the faithful word which is according to the teaching that he may be able both to exhort in the sound doctrine and to convict the gainsayers. Back in the 1 Timothy 3 passage with respect to deacons who are not in a teaching office yet in verse 9 it is said of deacons they must hold the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. That means they must hold to the body of revealed truth with integrity before that truth. A mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth.

27:19 Hebrews chapter 5 makes a distinction between those that have an immature grasp upon the truth. When the time you ought to be teachers you have need that one teach you again the very elementary truths of the Christian faith. No, if someone is going to be able to exhort in healthy teaching if he's able to minister the word publicly and privately if he is to do so with any grip upon the conscience of his hearers then he must have a mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth. When we turn to Acts chapter 20 and we read Paul charging the elders take heed to yourselves and to all the flock of God in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Then he goes on to tell us that we are to shepherd that flock purchased by the blood of God or the blood of Christ or the blood of God or the blood of the Lord. And he says I'm giving you this charge because I know that after my departure there will be wolves from without and men from within who will seek to draw away disciples after them. Therefore watch, watch and remember that for the space of three years day and night with tears I admonish you.

28:38 What is he saying? He's saying the responsibility of those who publicly and privately minister the word is such that their grasp upon the truth must be such that they are able to identify a wolf identify those who are speaking perverse things as well as have the moral courage to confront them. So a mature and consistent godliness of life a mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth thirdly a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification. A manifested or proven aptitude use whatever term is in that family of words a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification. I've chosen those words carefully. I did not say a heightened ability in communicating the word that will make people wonder if Whitfield has come back from the dead or if Spurgeon has been resurrected or Samuel Davies has come back from the glory or Daniel Baker of southern fame has appeared among us but a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification. 1 Timothy 3.2

29:57 He must be apt to teach one Greek word and it means that there is a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification. 1 Ephesians 4.11-12 If Christ gives to you pastors and teachers in order to perfect the saints unto works of service unto the building up of the body of Christ to stabilize God's people that they will no longer be children tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine then surely Christ will endow them with sufficient aptitude to communicate the word unto edification. Whether that aptitude never brings them into a consistent public ministry is not the issue. They must have a proven aptitude to sit down with one of the sheep and in the private ministry of the word within the framework of the unique authority of office shepherd that sheep with the crook of God's holy word. And no amount of consistent godliness can make up for the absence of a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification any more than tons of ability to communicate the word unto edification can be a substitute for mature and consistent godliness of life.

31:25 Both are included in the 1 Timothy 3 passage and in the Titus 1 passage and certainly clearly inferred in the 1 Peter 5 and the Acts 20 passages but then there's a fourth element that a man must have if he's to be biblically qualified not only mature and consistent godliness of life mature and conscientious Please turn this cassette over to continue the message. that a man must have if he's to be biblically qualified not only mature and consistent godliness of life mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth a manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification there must be a realistic desire for the work a realistic desire for the work we come back to our Timothy passage faithful is the saying and then two Greek words are used one is the word you use to describe the person who's in the last 10 meters of a 100 meter race and is seeking to break the tape with his chest you'd say he was stretching out to break the tape that's the word used if any man is stretching out after overseership and then the word

32:53 he lusts he strongly desires the standard word for lusting in the New Testament so in this brief statement two vigorous Greek words show that at the very outset if Christ does not put within a man's heart a realistic not a realistic not a romantic not an idealistic a realistic desire not for a name not for a position but for a work look at your Bible faithful is the saying if a man seeks overseership he desires a good work work work a realistic desire for the work and isn't that what Peter underscores in 1 Peter chapter 5 I've been quoting from memory now I want you to get it from the Bible I want you to get it from the Bible I want you to get it from the Bible I want you to get it from the Bible I want you to get it from the Bible from the Bible I want you to get it with your own eyes 1 Peter chapter 5 verse 1 the elders therefore among you I exhort who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ who am a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed shepherd the flock of God which is among you exercising the oversight now look at the first thing he emphasizes not of constraint that is not because you are conscripted by others who are persuaded you have both graces and gifts and though you have no desire you are to allow them to bully you

34:22 into office no he said not by constraint not by the external pressure of human influence not of constraint but willingly according to the will of God nor yet for filthy lucre for base gain but of a ready mind and I've tried to capitalize on this and I've tried to capitalize on this to bring the elements to the world and so let me give you a brief recap of the structure the elements of first Timothy 3 1 and first Peter 5 verse 2 in these words a realistic desire for the work now let me ask you sitting here tonight do you want anyone ministering the word of God to you publicly or privately have a mature and consistent godliness of life? You say, not me, Henry. Me neither. How about someone lacking in a mature and conscientious grasp of the truth? Doesn't

35:36 see the symmetry of truth. When he's establishing one truth, he undermines another. Doesn't see the necessity of qualifying, as I've done tonight. I know the devil could take what I'm preaching tonight. There are people who go out and say they don't believe and the believers should minister to one another. All he talked about was the preacher teaching the preacher. So I had to say, no, in establishing this, we're not undermining this. But in believing this, we don't knock this fellow off either. Holding to the faithful word, the faithful teaching. You wouldn't want those who minister the word of God to you publicly or privately, who do not have mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth. You want people ministering the word who have no manifest aptitude to communicate unto your edification. You spend all your time sitting there scratching your head saying, where did that lead to this and how is this connected?

36:23 I can't tell the head from the tail, the ear from the planks. I can't. You spend all your time trying to sort it out, publicly or privately. That's a torturous thing. Is that what you want? You say, no. Well, what about some who are simply in it because others thought they ought to be? You never get the sense that their deepest soul position before God is, woe is me if I preach not. Woe is me if I shepherd.

36:56 You're not in God's people. A realistic desire. And I say, brethren, that the ministry of the word envisioned in our constitution, because I happen to be there from the very beginning, so I'm not reading something in. This is not historical reconstruction. You kids know what that is, what people do. Read back into history and reconstruct it to prove what they want to prove in the present. This is reality. And from the very inception of the Trinity Church, our understanding has varied.

Qualification 2: Duly Recognized Men

37:27 And I say again that the public and private ministry of the word of God is indeed to be a declaration, an explanation, an application of the God-breathed contents of the Old and the New Testaments by biblically qualified as well as duly recognized men. Now, spending much less time on this second aspect, they are to be duly recognized. What in the world do I mean by those words? Simple.

37:58 Simply this. That when Christ gives such gifts to his church, the church recognizes his gift and consciously, voluntarily receives those gifts from Christ. Now, the details of the mechanism of how they do that will vary from church to church and from culture to culture. But the great principles are embedded in such passages as Acts chapter 3.

38:29 And Acts 14 and verse 23. Acts 6, I'm sorry. Acts chapter 6 and verse 3. When they are facing this dilemma of the apostles having to spend so much time tending tables and sorting out the concerns of the widows, they said, it's not right, it's not fit that we should leave the word of God to serve tables.

38:50 Verse 3, look out therefore brethren from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Whom we may appoint over this business, we will continue steadfastly in prayer and in the ministry of the word, the two great priorities and this saying, please the whole multitude. And they chose. And then the seven are listed.

39:14 Here's the principle that when people are going to have to submit to, in this case, it was the administration of the benevolence to the widows, they had to be men whose judgment and integrity. And wisdom they respected. And so the apostles do not trust their own judgment, but they say, look out among you. And they bring forward the seven and the apostles say, they carry our judgment as well.

39:41 Hands are laid upon them. They are set apart for their work. And then in Acts 14, 23, we have this very concentrated, this very distilled statement of what Paul and his companions did when they went back through the towns. In which they had previously preached and churches had been established.

40:03 When they had preached the gospel, Acts 14, 21 in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith and that through many tribulations, we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed for them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they. And appointed them to the Lord on whom they had believed. Now the verb used here, which means to recognize by the stretching forth of the hand.

40:40 And there is a great debate among exegetes precisely how to understand this in the mold of the verb, et cetera. But when we take this passage and link it up with first Timothy three and Titus one, where specific requirements are laid out. So that they can. Be exegeted and explained to the people at Ephesus and in the Isle of Crete.

41:04 When we bring the total witness of scripture together, we are not to read into this passage that Paul and his associates arbitrarily or unilaterally appointed elders. They would have laid out these standards. And exhorted the people look out among you men who meet this standard. They administered the process by which.

41:27 God. Gifts Christ gifts to the churches would be recognized by the churches and set apart to function within those churches. No man can impose himself upon the people of God as their minister of the word publicly and privately. Nor can any other man impose a man upon God's people.

41:53 And you've got to understand this fundamental difference in the calling to the prophetic and apostolic office and the call to the pastoral office, a prophet received his call immediately from the living God. Amos is out powering one day and God speaks and says, you're to be my mouthpiece. Isaiah goes into the temple one day and God speaks to him and commissions him. Jesus looked among his many disciples and out of them.

42:28 He. Exposed 12 to the apostles. Then he sovereignly lays his hand upon Saul of Tarsus. The call to the prophetic and apostolic office and function was not mediated through human instrumentality, nor did it require the consent of those to whom the prophet or apostle was sent.

42:53 Now you've got to understand that difference. So many people get this quote. Call to the ministry. With their thinking influenced wrongly by the nature of the prophetic and apostolic call.

43:07 And when they get bit with the heavenly bug, they're called to preach and woe be unto anyone who doesn't step aside and make way for them. And they clutter pulpits all over our country. Their people never fall into that nonsense and into that crooked avenue of thought. The scriptures are clear.

43:31 That the call to the office of a servant of the word who is going to minister the word of God to you publicly and privately within the biblical boundaries of the office of an elder, a pastor, one who is laboring in the word and in teaching or who has his calling in some other sphere of legitimate endeavor, but who is an under shepherd and an overseer. That call. Must. Come.

44:02 In a biblical way. That's what I mean by the terminology they are to be duly recognized men. And then thirdly, not only biblically qualified men, duly recognized men, but servant oriented men. I go back to my definition.

Qualification 3: Servant-Oriented Men

44:26 The public and private ministry of the word consists in proclamation, faithful proclamation, application of the God breathed contents of the Old and the New Testaments by biblically qualified and duly recognized servants of Christ, servants of Christ. They are to be servant oriented men. And according to the scriptures, that servant perspective branches out in two directions. They are.

45:03 First and foremost, servants, literally bond slaves of Christ. And then they are bond slaves of their people for Christ's sake. The Apostle Paul beautifully exemplified that perspective. He says in Galatians 1 in verse 10, when he's had to say some unpleasant thing to the Galatians, he says in Galatians 1 10, for am I now seeking the favor of men or of God?

45:29 Am I striving to please men? If I were still pleasing men, that is, if pleasing men so dominated me that I was willing to shave off the right angles of truth, he's just pronounced a curse on people who are tampering with the gospel, and to buttress why he must speak so sharply and with such right angles, razor sharp right angles, he said, am I now seeking the favor of men? Is currying the favor of men the fundamental passion and orientation? Or am I seeking the favor of God as the supreme passion of my life?

46:08 Am I striving to please men? If I were still pleasing men as the dominating perspective of my life, I should not be a bond slave of Jesus Christ. And though the call to this function of the public and private ministry of the word comes through the church, remember, it's Christ who gives gifts to his church. And that's what I'm talking about.

46:30 And that's what I'm talking about. That's what I'm talking about. And Christ gives, has, have as their supreme allegiance, Jesus Christ himself. For in the language of Hebrews, they know they shall give an account to Christ for the stewardship of that ministry entrusted to them.

46:50 And yet, while they are bond slaves of Christ, this same apostle in 2 Corinthians chapter 4 says that he made himself the bond slave, the servant of God. The servant of those to whom he ministered, 2 Corinthians chapter 4, verse 5, for we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord, and ourselves your slaves for Jesus' sake. Well, I thought he said if I should yet be the servant of man, I should not be the servant of Christ. Well, it all depends how you're looking at it.

47:32 Within his consciousness. That I am fundamentally a slave of Christ, pleasing Christ, is the supreme, all-encompassing passion of my heart and ministry. I yet recognize that in that ministry, I am to be like my Lord, who said, I came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give my life a ransom for me. Do you remember what Jesus said in Matthew 20, and Peter picks it up in 1 Peter 5?

48:06 He said, among the Gentiles, the lords, the big shots, they push down upon others and let them feel the weight of their position and authority. He said, shall not be so among you. He that would be great among you shall be your table waiter. He that would be first among you shall be your doulos, your bond slave.

48:26 Peter picks that up, and in 1 Peter 5, 3, after saying, exercise the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God, not for base. Again, but of a ready mind, not as lording. It's the same verb that's used in Matthew 20, katakuriel, not lording it down upon those committed to you, but making yourselves examples to the flock. Those whom Christ gives are biblically qualified, duly recognized, and servant-oriented men.

49:05 In a very real sense. The work of public and private ministry of the word is a constant foot-washing task. You've got to be ready to gird your towel in order to be an instrument of the ongoing work of grace in the hearts of God's people, and in those whom the Lord Jesus will call by your instrumentality. Now, just a brief word of application to the people of God in general, and it's this.

Application to the Congregation: Upholding Biblical Standards

49:33 If you ever allow yourself to lose sight of these biblical guidelines, with respect to who will exercise the public and private ministry of the word within the peculiar framework of a God-defined office as elder, overseer, pastor, if you ever allow yourself to lose sight of these guidelines, you'll do so to the peril of your own soul, and to the peril of this church. You have no authorization to recognize as a gift of God, that you will be able to do this. And I'm not going to do that. Christ, to function as your teachers and leaders, any but those who are biblically qualified.

50:15 They must be men of mature Christian character, mature and conscientious grasp on the truth, manifested aptitude to communicate the word unto edification, a realistic desire for the work. And God have mercy on a people who cannot or will not do what God has clearly charged them to do. In this stewardship that he gives to you, the people of God, he says, here is the portrait, here is the picture of those whom I give. When you think that I may be giving you John or Harry or Pete, then look at the picture and see if all of the contours that I have drawn in my word are present. We must not go beyond the scriptures, but we must not fall short of them. I can never forget the experience when we were in the midst of wrestling with many things back in the early 60s when I first came into this area. And when for the first time I took seriously 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and someone who at that time had had a lot of influence on my maturation and thinking as a Christian, particularly in seeing how God's children were being taught, and how God's children were being taught, and how God's children were being taught, and how God's children were being taught, and how God's fits together. I was excited as a kid on Christmas morning, and I can remember one time saying,

51:40 look, look, it says right here, here's the standard for elders and for deacons, and we don't need to be at the mercy of people intruding themselves into the office. I'd seen the mess in churches for almost five years in an itinerant ministry all over this country, and I was thrilled to think, if we're starting from scratch and we want to see a church built by biblical principles, here's the standard. And this was a mature Christian, older than I in years and in grace. And he said to me, Al, look, look, don't take that word for word.

52:15 That's the idealistic standard. But if you take that seriously, the way you seem to be, you'll never have any elders. You'll never have any deacons. And God gave me grace since he was an older, more mature man, not to debate with him, but I went away from that meeting and I said, oh, God, have mercy on me. If I ever compromise your truth in terms of lowered expectations, God have mercy on you as a people. You will get the leaders you want. Are you feeling the weight of it, you younger ones? Is my pointed finger making an impression on your brain? I pray God it is. And if there is someday in a congregational

53:13 meeting someone of persuasive spirit. Each who is speaking on behalf of recognizing this or that man, in whom there is some glaring absence of those four elements of biblical qualification, that some of you sitting here will have the moral courage to stand to your feet, open your Bibles, and say, dare we set apart for this sacred work, one whom Christ is not giving. And if this church defies this sacred work, then it is not giving. And if this church defies this sacred work, then it is not giving. And if this church defies this sacred work, then it is not giving. And if this church defies this sacred work, the rule of Christ, kiss it goodbye and find a place that recognizes it and submits to it and shelve all your happy memories of this place. They won't feed your soul if you have unqualified men publicly and privately handling the word of God. And I have a word to say to you men in the congregation. Let me send you home with a question that I hope will

Application to Men: Aspiring to Godly Character and Gifts

54:20 turn around in you bring. Is there any one of these requirements that it would not be right for you to aspire to have? Should any Christian man serious about his relationship to Christ want to cultivate mature, consistent Christian character? Yes or no? It has nothing to do with office, does it?

54:46 It has to do with loving Christ and wanting to be like Christ, in the power of Christ. Is there any one of you that should not desire a mature and conscientious grasp upon the truth?

55:02 No, I hope not. I hope you all have a hunger to be as well grounded and conscientiously grasp the truth as by prayer and pains and careful attention to the word and other disciplines will make you. Now then, should you covet some measure of gift unto edification? Yes, 1 Corinthians 14 says, Listen to the words of the apostle, it's right to covet gifts, follow after love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but rather that you may prophesy. That is, desire above all else the gift from God to be able to communicate the word of God unto the edification of the people of God. You're not off the hook. The one thing that remains is a realistic desire for the work. And God will have to give you that.

55:57 But in the meanwhile, seek to have a realistic idea of what the work is. And that may be the best way to kill the itch to be an elder in some of you. When you really have a realistic understanding of what the work is, you'll say, Lord, I pray thee, have me excused. But then God may birth within your heart a yearning to be so used for his glory.

The Sphere of Ministry: Public and Private

56:24 Well, we just got point number three, didn't we? And I've preached for an hour. And I vowed in my mind, didn't vow. I came short of a vow. What's the sphere? That's obvious. Public and private.

56:41 Just give you this two texts. Paul says in Acts 20, 20, I taught you publicly and from house to house. And in both contexts, he goes on to say, I'm pure from your blood. I've not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. And in first Thessalonians 2, 9 to 11, Paul says, you know how wholly, justly, blamelessly we behaved ourselves. Among you and how we dealt with each. We could put each and every one of you. The structure in the words in the Greek is very specific. We dealt with each one of you as a father with his children.

57:16 In other words, Paul engaged in the public and the private ministry of the word. And the emphasis in our constitution and in the scriptures is this. The man set apart to minister the word of God privately and publicly. He is not an occupational schizophrenic.

57:35 He's not a minister of the word in public and a panderer of pop psychology in private. When he's dealing one-on-one, the circumstances and the external elements of how he ministers the word are fundamentally different. If you come to meet with me in the pastoral office, I assure you, I won't put a lectern there, have some notes on the lectern, open up my Bible, rear back and fire away at you like I do in the pulpit. I'm not going to do that, I assure you.

58:05 So if you haven't asked, meet with me because you're scared to death. No, that's not what you do. The circumstances are different. You're asking questions, you're interacting. But you see, your fundamental identity and function is not any different. You're analyzing human behavior and problems and concerns to define them biblically, to bring biblical guidance and counsel, reproof, encouragement, all of these things. You are the same person publicly and privately. You are doing what?

58:36 You are a minister of the word of God. That's the basic point. And I thank God again for the privilege of being in a setting where that's what you people expect. When you come for a counseling session, you don't expect that you're going to get analyzed and dealt with from the standpoint of secular psychology. You're going to find, I trust in all of your elders, a willingness to hear, to ask questions, to listen, to try to get inside your head and heart and wrestle with you. But at the end of the day, our task is to point the way of Christ from the word of Christ. That's how we shepherd with his word in the grace and in the power of his spirit. Well, that's all I'll say on that point, because as I say, I've taken my hour. Now I ask you as the Lord's people, in my

Conclusion: Regenerate Membership Secures Biblical Ministry

59:29 closing question, we've considered what the ministry of the word is. I ask you in your heart of hearts, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, as you've sat in the church, listened, looked at these scriptures and your judgment's been carried by the scriptures. Can you sit there saying, oh, Lord Jesus, this is the ministry I desire. Well, you see, it's only converted people who can say that. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give to them eternal life. Jesus said, if you love me, you'll keep my commandments. He that loves me not keeps not my words. You see, a regenerate membership will secure a competent biblical ministry. But when you get careless about who

60:17 comes into the membership and you have more and more mere formalists, what do they want? They don't want to hear the voice of Christ. So the desire and response for a thoroughly biblical ministry will wane in direct proportion to the spiritual vitality and reality of the membership within that assembly. And the greatest threat to this assembly in the next 10 to 15 years, in my judgment, and here I claim no prophetic utterance, is the danger of the second generation whose minds and thinking are shaped by biblical categories, but who've not experienced the power of God's truth. And only the Lord, only the Lord can spare us from the horrible potential of another generation. That has not paid the price that some of you have had to pay to profess to believe the things you believe. But God is able to keep his church. And I don't lose sleep at night biting my nails saying, Lord,

61:30 what can I do? If it's his church and you are his people and I believe you are, then in answer to prayer and as we walk in the way of biblical obedience, Christ who nourishes and cherishes his church will preserve. His own testimony and glory, even within this assembly. Let's pray.