1 Timothy 3:1-16

Well, we are in part three of our series in Timothy. Who read 1st Timothy 3 this week? Oh, a whole lot more hands on up this week. Great.

Come on. We should read these along here. But I got good news for you. You can take a two-week break.

Next week is Pastor Miles. He's going to talk with us the next Sunday. And then the following week is July 4. And I'm going to talk about American exceptionalism.

Because so much of the country, so much of the way we learn in history, we don't have no idea what we are anymore as a country. And so it's July 4. We're going to talk about that. And then we'll pick up part four in 1st Timothy three weeks from now.

But this morning, as we've been talking about in week one, we'll talk about defending your faith. Week two, we talk about Sunday mornings. Paul just laying things out. Here's week three, church government.

Church government say, oh, man, I hate the word government. I remember my government teacher. All he did was wrote on a little overhead projector. And I stick notes all day long.

Or I had civics for some of you older folks in the room. Oh, I didn't have government. I had civics. Oh, OK.

And others are going government. I'm not sure I even had that class. Yeah, that's the way we're talking about the president, the requirements for president. They talk about the house and the Senate.

I don't remember that. OK, maybe you missed that class too. But Paul talks about church government here in 1st Timothy 3. And church, I want to start off with two quotes.

Here's the first quote by Alexander Stauge. That's this, for many people, the issue of church government is as irrelevant as an issue as the color of the church pews. Indeed, for many people, the color of the church pews inspires greater interest. To these people, the organizational structure of the church really does not matter.

The average church member's disinterest in how the church is governed needs to be challenged, however. Church government is an extremely practical issue. It's an important issue to the local church, how the local churches run. The men who lead the way in doctrine.

The men who lead the way in values, in vision and mission are important to you. How the churches run is important to you. Remember, Paul is not anti-woman. He's pro-man because of very silly the way God made us.

The church should be led by men. Well, that sounds very sexist. Well, I'm sorry you don't understand the little things. Amen?

And here's the other truth. And we know this is a fact. Elders are not perfect men. Amen?

So I have another quote for you. Here's a second quote from Pastor Miles Sweeney. When the apostles chose a new elder, they looked for a person with the attribute spoken within these verses. First Timothy 3, 1 through 7, and Titus 1, 5 through 9.

The qualifications require a high standard. Perfection, however, is not demanded. If that were the case, no one would qualify. Rather than requiring sinless perfection, the qualifications required an elder have a consistency in all areas of the Christian life.

We got to get that. Because that's a big, big deal here. Because listen, I understand, I've been to leap past it for three years, one or three years this year. I know in my tenure, there's probably going to be some turnover of elders.

Because some of our elders are older on age, and that's going to be a time when things are going to turn over. So I'm guessing, and that's a guess, because I know what God's going to do. I would guess maybe one or two. We'll turn over the next five years.

That's a guess. It could be every single one of them. Or it could be me. They could remove me at this thing.

You see, I'll laugh and joke. But that's reality. I mean, that's what you want elders to do to oversee. So it's like exactly what the Church government is.

Here's number one. Our first thing is bishop. If you see the word elder, bishop, overseer, superintendent, or elder, we get these four words as a simple Greek word, a piscopey. That's a Christopey.

The Greek word, you get all four of those words out of this. So in some of your Bible, let's say the word bishop, let's say the word overseer. Few say, superintendent, some may say elder. But here's the overall thought.

Oversight. Their job is the oversight of the Church. To overseer, ship, office, charge, the office of an elder. The overseer presiding officers of a Christian Church.

That's what a bishop, overseer, superintendent, or elder is. That's their responsibility. Their job is to make sure that they oversee the Church. And oversee the pastor.

We have a strange relationship. I am the pastor of the Church, which means the elders are over me. But I'm also the lead elder, which means I'm over them. Which means this.

Our relationship has to work very well. I've got to do my job to make sure they're growing. And they've got to do their job to make sure I'm growing. And make sure that we're leading the Church all in the same direction.

Now I will tell you this, we do not always agree on everything. You got five men, and we are not always going to agree on everything. And we see things from a totally different perspective. I mean, that's the whole purpose of this thing.

It's like, wow, I will tell you this emphatically. Your elders are not yes men. Good. Thank you.

Amen? So let's jump in to 1 Timothy 3, 1 through 4. Here we go. Here's a trustworthy saying, whoever spires to be an overseer desires a noble task.

Now the overseer is to be above approach. Faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him. And he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.

That is a mouth full. Those are the qualifications of what an elder is. Interesting, Pastor Michael, we're going to walk in this. We're going to walk through those.

Because you need to understand what this is going to be. I'm going to challenge you this morning. This is going to be, I'm going to try to put as much water as I can on this, but it's some really dry stuff. But it's dry and you need to eat some dry stuff sometimes.

You know, you need some crackers with your cheese sometimes. And I know some of you need some crackers with your cheese and you need your wine to make sure the crackers and cheese go together. I understand that. So I'm going to throw in some wine every once in a while.

I'll throw a strawberry in every once in a while. But it's what it is. So here's a certain verse one very simply. Here's a trustworthy saying.

Paul here is saying, listen, he made it clear in chapter 2 that women are not to have positions of doctrinal authority. Here what I said, doctrinal authority. A man is called by God to have that call of doctrinal authority. And I said it very simply said, well, I'll argue the fact that well, we have Susie who's over men.

She's a ministry here under my authority as the elder over life groups, under my authority as the lead pastor of the church. She does not make doctrinal decisions. She only carries out things that I ask her to carry out. Amen?

Well, you know, you know, you get Sally and Becky preach. Yes, we've had Sally and Becky preach. Sally was under miles of the eldership. Becky's under me in the eldership.

That's just a part of it. Amen? But here's the other. He also didn't want to leave the impression that any man is qualified.

And he also didn't want to leave the impression that this, just because you were a man and because you were a gender, you were qualified to be an elder. No, he gave us a list of things that we needed to understand. And I love what Adam Clark says. He adds to this.

He says this. It is strange that the episcopey, those in those times, should have been an object of intense desire of any man. When it was a place of danger, all exposure to severe labor, want persecution and death without any secular emoluments, whatsoever. Emoluments, this means benefits.

That's all that means. Episcopey seems to be oversight overseer. That's all that means. Why would anybody want to be an elder in those days?

Hey, I'm going to be an elder in the church. Guess what you're guaranteed? Short death. I'm going to be an elder in the church.

Somebody's going to come after me. Niro's going to come after me. Holy cow. So, me and who desire that?

Said, you know what? I'm willing to lay my whole life down. An elder that says, I'm willing to lay my whole life down. They love God.

They love the church. They love the people. A good elder should love God, love the church, and love the people, and willing to lay their life down for the church. Amen?

So, Virgis, do the seven of the qualifications. Look at the qualifications. Oh, man, I want to be an elder one day. Here's the qualifications.

Number one, you're above reproach. One more time, this is not perfection. This is someone who lives a life that's sinless. Even elders, I know we say sinless as it is.

We try to live our lives, and if we sin, we confess our sins, and walk in righteousness. Not let sin continue to be drug behind us. Amen? They should be free from scandals and walk with integrity.

Be willing to admit when they're wrong. I've never heard my elders say they're wrong. Well, then there's more time with them, but they say a lot. You hear me say from the Pope all the time.

I mean, no problem saying I'm wrong. But like I tell you, maybe you're wrong, but bring your Bible with me. Let's talk about it. Amen?

And they're willing to grow and they understand the Lord's help. They should model a Teachable Spirit. And the picture there above reproach is this, a pugilist. What is that?

The boxer. An elder should be a good boxer. What do you mean by a good boxer? He should be someone when the enemy throws a punch.

He could block any punch. The enemy throws at him. He should be able to block any punch that man throws at him. He should be able to defend himself in the faith, and simply simply, nothing's going to hit me because there's nothing that can hit me because there's nothing lingering out here with me.

Amen. It's just a metaphor. It's a good thing. Now, sir, let me tell you something.

It's been argued to me and argued on all kind of occasions. Well, so-and-so is disqualified from being a pastor or so to be a scholar for being an elder because you know what they did before they became a Christian. Okay. I'm tracking with you.

I let them run their line of thinking. Well, you know, they did this, this, and this, and they can never be an elder, never be a pastor, never be a leader. I said, okay. So let me ask you a simple question.

I said, okay. That's fair. I'm making statements. Let me ask you a question.

Who wrote this? Paul wrote this. And if Paul wrote this, he once had a name called Saul, he murdered Christians. He hunted down Christians, tried to get Christians to deny their faith.

So the man who's writing these exact words is disqualifying himself from ministry. The man himself says, don't read my books because guess what? I'm disqualified. According to their definition of above approach.

I hate to tell you this. Every one of your elders has had a past. Every one of your pastors has had a past. Well, Andrew grew up in a Christian home.

So what? He's still a sinner. I don't know how to put this pedestal perfectly. It's not true.

Now, if I busted his bubble this morning, oh well. That's the first qualification. Here's the second qualification. Faithful to his wife.

Oh, this is a big one. In the Greek it means to say recently this, one woman man. That's simply it. A good elder should love his wife.

Listen, when my love his wife is not like, hey, I told her I love her. I love her. The day we got married. Love should be exuding from the elder and his wife.

The both of them should be loving her, but he should have just a love. It's like, wow. I guess two summers ago, my sister sent me a picture. She has no idea what the picture is.

It's like my sister sends you and you kind of go, oh cool. And she sent it to me. I don't know why she was. It's kind of weird.

It really was. Because Becky and I are walking. We're not going to trail somewhere in Virginia. And we're holding hands.

I thought, why a weird picture? Because honestly, all of us is our backside. I'm thinking, a lot of strange. But we're just holding hands.

And Lord said, that's the model that you should be modeling at all the time. To my girls, to my sister, to my niece. To the world around us. That love for each other.

You're using your own life. I got up here. But an elder should be loving his wife to that extent. You should see that.

You see me on Sunday mornings. Those of you who are behind me, Tom, Stephanie, I'm sure at the end of the service, if I'm not preaching somebody's praying, I got my arm around Becky. That's just a normal thing. We walk in this church the first time we see each other.

We kiss the first time we see church where we're at. I mean, you should keep that behind closed doors. Nonsense. Paul tells Timothy, this is my qualification.

I'm going to qualify very well. Amen? And then you've got some other cuckoos out there who say, well, they're divorced. That disqualifies them.

No one does not. It does not disqualify somebody. Well, they couldn't handle their marriage. How do you know the whole full story?

Go ask the full story before you suggest this because they're divorced. There's something wrong with him or her. Come on. Amen?

But here's the bigger key. Paul is teaching this to combat the Semitic law that still at that time meant Jews could still have multiple wives. Paul's saying, guys, it's time to stop that. It's time to raise the bar and be a one woman man.

But let's be honest, guys. Let's be honest. I would like to try that one out. You're a fool.

It's a lot of work to be a good husband to one wife. Trying to do that with two or three wives? Holy cow, God bless you. You're a loon.

It's not anything to do with Becky. It's hard work to be a good husband. But that's a full time job. Tell me a good husband.

Now if you're a crummy, crappy husband, it's pretty easy. Amen? And then also to make sure you understand this, faithful to one wife doesn't mean this. Does not mean that elder has to be married.

Paul isn't elder and he was not married. I'm just breaking some simple things down. This is all church governments important. Amen?

Above reproach, faithful to his wife. Here we go, temperate. Elders should be sober or so reminded. They say, okay, well, you know, I learned in school, temperate means like without drinking.

We'll get to that in a minute. We'll get to that in a minute. Temporate means this, someone who's not given to extremes. A good elder should not be given to extremes.

They're reliable and trustworthy. And you don't have to worry about them having wide swings of vision, moods and actions. I mean, I'm in my mouth, so I don't know how many hundreds of times this is a young pastor over and over. I mean, I saw so many young pastors go to pastor's conferences and they go back home with their church and they would yank their church this direction.

And then six months later they go to another pastor's conference and they yank their church way over here to this other direction. They're years miles of work with so many different leaders and pastors who had church splits because every time the pastor went to a conference, the church knew exactly what was going to happen. Their pastor was in a yank, their church a different direction. I had somebody ask me, oh wait, that'd be three, four, maybe five years ago.

They said, now, when you take over the church, are you thinking about what you're doing? Are you going to change? I started and said, no. We're not going to change anything?

No. Why would I? Here's number one. God gave us a vision in Discovery Days.

That's what God called us to be. It's there in black and white. That's what God called this church to be. My job is to come in and be the pilot and make sure that's the same way.

Now there will be different winds that blow and we'll do things a little bit different, a degree or two, but it's not going to be five, 10, 15 degrees difference. Just a degree difference. And very simply, that's part of the personality of who we are. Miles and I had a conversation about three weeks ago and he said, man, the church is taking on your personality.

I said, what do you mean? I said, I'm not going to bring other people in. He's that evangelist excited you have seems to be in between the church. Exactly.

That's the one degree difference. This is part of who we are. Amen? Listen, this is also good thing about a good temperate elder.

They're not constantly joking, but they know how to handle serious subjects seriously. Warren Wiersby says this, this does not mean he has no sense of humor or that he is always Solomon's sober. Rather, it suggests that he knows the value of things and does not cheapen the ministry or the gospel message by foolish behavior. That's a big deal.

Let me show you a personal example. Last week I had somebody in my office that was counseling and I hear two young guys laughing and Andrew and Douglas are laughing about something I have no idea what they were laughing about. Then you had somebody in my office and they quickly went into an office at closed door. I thought that was the funniest thing in the world.

Why is it? That's the life that we have in our office. We know when to have fun and we know when to be serious. Elders know when to have fun and have you serious.

Listen, when your elders go out to dinner together or something, we laugh, we have a great time. There's always something going on. Amen? Here's the next one.

Self-controlled. They are under the Holy Spirit's controlling power. Those are disciplined people. Disciplined people.

Able to control their desires and their impulses. They are able to make good judgments on matters set before them. They are not double-minded. Well organized, hard-working and thoughtful.

They live committed to the Holy Spirit's guiding their life. They model good conduct. If we stop and think about something, these are who your elders are called by God to be. That one got quite old.

I'm not sure why. Here's the next part. I want to run through these. I want to linger on them.

Respectable. They're well behaved and well-mannered. I thought that's funny. Well behaved and well-mannered.

They are okay. Oh my gosh. The Greek word of Christmiosos means adorned. It's a great word.

They're adorned with respectability. And Vines says this, the well-ordering is not of dress and demeanor only, but of the inner life. Othering, indeed, expressing itself in the outward conversations. All right.

Conversations. Very simple as this. I look at an elder and I go, they're dressed with respectability. And when they walk, it walks with respectability.

People are going, it's not, ooh, bow down to me. An elder walks with respectability. People look at them and respect them. Not just because it looks good on the outside because it's true on the inside.

That's a big, big deal. An elder should be adorned with Christ's lifestyle that he corresponds with the character of the gospel. When you see an elder, they ooze gospel because it's truth inside and they wear it. Other people see it.

That's why I'm wearing this shirt this morning. Come on. Some of you all went, man, here. Clowing style kind of changed all of a sudden.

Yeah, $30 shirts. They changed real quick. It's cool, man. It's like flowers and all kinds of neat stuff.

It's summertime. But when I changed clothing, I wear something. Heck, my shoes, I'm wearing. I told Becky, I didn't even realize that people were looking at my shoes.

She said, yeah, they do. I had three or four guys say, oh, Doc Martin's there. Yeah, I was like, okay. That's like, okay, here you go.

I'll give you a look. But it's funny. Hey, man, that's a nice one. Here's the next one.

Hospital. From the Greek it means being fond of guests. They love strangers given the hospitality. Elders love to have people in their home.

Come on. I mean, just do it. And elders have consistency of people coming in and out of their home. It's just like, man, it's like a holy cow.

They're a term style in your house. Yes. In my neighborhood, our neighbor and I, we have a battle over who gets parking in the streets. She has parties.

We have parties. We have people over all the time. She's people over all the time. We're on on Glenhaven and Cressamont.

Well, there's the Lima's family and there's Melissa Miller and we have people all the time. Constant flow. Including new people. I mean, those different from them, their home is always open and people always feel welcome.

That's where elders should be. Pastor Michael Hough, I've never been there. I've never been to the elders' house. Talk to them.

I've never been here. Let's go. I'll bite you over a day. What's Father's Day?

Oh, when I'll be there? Come on. Able to teach. This is a big one here.

Able to teach. This means they have enough depth of knowledge and a Bible to teach either in public or one-on-one setting. That's a big key. Not all of your elders are going to be up here preaching.

He said it. I'll go ahead and go there. Brian said thank God. Yes.

Brian knows what he's called to do and not called to do. But if you go to lunch with Brian, you may be more trouble with Brian at lunch than you would be with him at the pulpit. Some of you know exactly what I'm talking about. Amen?

Elders know the truth of the Bible. They're able to encourage correct errors, confront myths and heresies. Elders love to pass along the truth they've learned and give them to others. They have a genuine love for the Word of God.

Amen? Yes. Not given to drunkenness. If they drink, they drink in moderation.

An elder. Okay, so Michael, I'm one of those people who talk my whole life, you shouldn't drink. Go read the Bible. I'll tell you what, let's read it together.

Ephesians 5-18. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. Do not get drunk.

Interesting phraseology there. If he says don't get drunk, then you have to be able to drink before you get drunk. So drinking alcohol is not a sin. Getting drunk on the other hand is a sin.

Well, I don't know how much I got to drink to get drunk. If you feel nervous, get close and don't. But usually the harder the matter. The harder the matter is not to be addicted to anything.

An elder should not be addicted to anything. Whether that is alcohol, whether that is food, whether that's their television, whether that's their phone, addicted to anything. We seem to isolate go, well, just not drunk. Yeah, but drunkness is just an addiction issue.

Let's keep going. We're going to sit here forever. Not violent, but gentle. An elder is selfless.

His desires is that the people of God will be all that God called him to be. Amen. He's a man who can let God fight his causes. An elder should be strong and decisive, but never overbearing.

Gintleness is the fruit of the Spirit that oozes from their life. And it causes elders to lift others up. They're respectable and considered of others first. But I want to be clear.

Elders will fight. They will protect the flock when needed. Don't miss that. Oh, Michael, you're meek.

Yeah, but here a few months ago I wasn't very meek. A few months ago I pulled my shepherd's rod out. You heard me and somebody heard me loud and clear. Mess with somebody in this church and you mess with the wrong people.

Wow, this is a lot of, it is. It's like a stuff. Not quarrelsome. Uh-oh.

Not impulsive or rushed to judgment. They walk in peace. We don't argue for argument sake unless you're talking about the Dallas Cowboys. And then I will argue for argument sake.

A good elder is a relationship builder. Come on. Listen, we're not pushovers, but we want to be relationship. We want to be who God called him to be.

I mean, these are some great things. You just have to think about what I'm talking about today is really good stuff. And let's be honest. You should go, just let it qualify for that.

That's a good question. That's correct. We're only sitting there. That's the land.

We're only sitting there. That's Brian. We're only sitting there. That's Michael.

These are things that we should be exuding and emanating from you and being a model for you. Amen? Not a lover of money. Elders should be free from greed.

They believe money is just a tool for God to bless people and build it. God's kingdom. That's it. They're not a personal gain or profit for being an elder.

They're to be the model how to earn, how to work, how to save money honestly. Extremely faithful. Let me say this again. They are extremely faithful with their tithes and offerings to the local church.

If elders aren't extremely faithful with tithes and offerings, then why should they ask you to? Well, Pastor Michael, where are you back here? Oh, well, we give a tent and we give more than we give a tent every month. Why?

Because it's again, we should give an offering above what we do. You know, I wish that I had the ability to be like Hershey in my life. I'm not sure we'll ever get there, but boy, I would love to be able to give 90 to the church and live off tent. I mean, I would love to be able to do that.

You know, but two kids in college and anyway. We're getting there. Amen. Next one, manage his own home, his own family well.

We should be the example for the church of how to lovely discipline and nurture our children into adulthood. Stay with me right there. Nurture their children into adulthood. Let me make sure I'm real clear.

We're the youngest ones, back in our youngest ones, in this process, and we hope and parade. We've modeled very well with Aubrey. We hope and parade we're modeling very well with Julia. Because we're the ones who have the kids here.

Larry and Michaela's son is out of their house. The choices he makes after he's out of their house. They can't control anymore. Please hear me.

But they're just like, oh, what about Craig and Lisa? The same way, they're three kids who are grown. Land and Mary, they're kids who are grown. Brian and Joanne, their son is grown.

That is into adulthood. That's all that we can hope. But again, we hope we put them on the path and they will walk out the path in front of us. Amen?

Because people can become real fishable real quick and go, well, let's watch Julia. What is she doing? Oh, how is she doing? Oh, how is it?

Oh, how is that? I grew up in this church and people didn't understand what this actually meant. And poor Susanna Sweeney. That little girl, and that's not so much that I'm swinging anymore.

That's not Susanna Macklin. Susanna Macklin, she sneezed in this church. Somebody was on her backside. It's like holy cow.

Because people didn't understand what this meant. It growth in process. Amen? But this is a surest fruit test of a life.

If a family can't raise their children, discipline their children correctly, then how are they going to raise their children in the church? If Aubrey was out in no man's land, and Julia was in no man's land, the elders should have never hired me to lead a pastor. As lead elder. You already a king of families because you want to mention a position because we love our children.

Amen? Well, that was a lot. And we're not going to finish it. Five through seven.

If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church? He must not be a recent convert or may become conceited and fallen in the same judgment as a devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace into the devil's traps. It cannot be a recent convert.

Leadership should not be passed on to a novice stage in spiritual development. A young leader should not be there, but his word literally means not newly planted. It should be somebody who's got deep roots and fruit everywhere. That's a big deal.

That's a big, big deal. Well, Pastor Michael, earlier the quote from Pastor Miles, when the pastor was looking for you, we're going to order a little bit of this. We come and do this. And we look around the church and go, who's got fruit?

Who's got fruit? Who's got people that are home regularly? Well, that's Michael. I want to be a leader one day.

I've been here for 15 years. Great. But you're still doing things that new converts still do. It's just me and my wife and kid didn't know more.

Or it's very simply, it's all about me. Again, I'm just sharing my life, sharing what elders do. People call me and say, man, you're still the church tonight. Man, do you see Andrews carsel the church tonight?

Andrews not the elder, like an example. I mean, it's like your truck, Andrews, Todd, it makes you guys just live there sometimes. We do. We do live here sometimes.

Thank God for Becky. Thank God for Skyler. But it's like, it's time to just be there. Sometimes the elders come by and say, man, Brian says, man, you guys are coming to the office today.

I know I'm coming to the office today. Hey, here you are again. I am again. Hey guys, I love you.

I've been here for a couple of hours after this. I mean, it's just ongoing. Some of their days said very simply, oh man, you got some few days of rest. I said, well, I think we're in a 10 day period right now.

They said 10 day period. I think we have something for 10 days straight. Meetings during the day, lunch meetings, counseling in the evenings. Some nights I get home at 10 o'clock at night, but he's like, you're hungry?

Not really, but I'll eat something. And I said, well, man, you're on court. No, because this is what this should be about. And a recent convert doesn't understand what this is about.

A recent convert thinks, oh, anybody and everybody can be a part of leadership. Amen? There is no age requirement for an elder. You can't find one, actually.

Wow, man, oh, so you guys would take a 17-year-old? Oh, God, no. Take a 25-year-old? Probably not either.

Why? Because Mancheri's developed their life experiences as well as a long walk with God. Amen? A good reputation with outsiders.

Here's the next qualification. You know? They would have a good reputation among the unsaved and avoid compromising circumstances. People around this town, I'm like, Jim Elliot.

People in this town like CME coming, they either love me or they hate me. But to me, that's a good reputation. People not liking you, it's a good reputation. Yes, because I stood up for something.

And when you stand up for something, people don't like you when you stand up for things. Well, you should be friends with everybody. It doesn't work that way. And also, if you read your Gospels, Jesus wasn't friends with everybody either.

But he had a good reputation. First Peter 2.12, lives such good lives among the pagans that though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. Amen? Whew, that's a mouthful just for elders.

Man, I thought, you know, it's just real simple. I read those words and kind of go through them and go, yeah, yeah, yeah, I know what they mean. This is what they mean. And I still got some time left on the clock, so I'm going to go to the next piece.

Deacons. Deacons. Deacons. Deacons.

And deacons. Men. And women. Oh, we got quiet.

Here's the definition. One who by virtue of the office is signed to them by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use. Can be both a man or women. You have Tabitha in Acts 9.

Or here's a scripture. I'll post a Roman 16-1. I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church in Caesarea. So, can women be deacons?

Yes. Women can be deacons. What does that look like in our context? Let me get real simple.

Life group leaders. When we have elders in our church, we don't have deacons. In our context, we're going to call them life group leaders. That's what a deacon in our context looks like.

What do they do? They take care of the people. Make sure they get meals provided for them, they need meals. Prayer taken care for them.

If they have financial needs, it comes through the life group leaders. That's what a deacon is. In the life of our church, we've had many deacons. Deacons as well.

Suzy Carlson would quote unquote qualify that. In our current context, we have Stephanie Lameis who qualify that as a life group leader. Current context, Philist, Mahaney would be one as well. We've had different women be life group leaders.

Michelle Camacho. We've had different ones who were life group leaders in our church who were quote unquote deaconesses. It's still simple. Not easy, but people make it real weird.

Oh, amen. Leaders, come on. Stop. Just get some biblical context.

First Timothy, 13, and three real quick. In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the face with a clear conscience. They must first be tested, and then if there's nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.

In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers, but temper and trust worthy in everything. A deacon must be faithful to his wife and manages children and his household as well. Oh, see a passion microphone right here says, he, he, he, he, come on, stay with me. Those who have served well again in an excellent standing and good assurance in their faith of Christ Jesus.

A deaconess or deaconess is a waiter, one who serves food and drink. Again, our context is life group leaders. Amen? So what do you mean to be worthy of respect?

They have good character. Respectful towards God and other people. Towards men. That's pretty simple.

Sin-ser. Someone who speaks the truth the first time with no intent to deceive. Sin-serus without wax. You learn it in discovery days.

You talk about without wax. During the Roman days, the people who were cheaters, they would make clay pots and when they were killing it, he'd end up, it would crack. So what they do, they would put wax to fill it in, paint over it, make it look good, until you went home and poured water in it and the water went all over the place. A good deacon should be a sincere person.

No cracks, no false suits in them. And when you find cracks and false suits in them, you replace them. Amen? And not indulging in much wine.

Famous above. Drinking moderation. Not difficult. Next qualification, not pursuing dishonest gain.

This will be a bad for a deacon. I've got the definition. I'm going to be the whole definition. This will be bad for a deacon who was entrusted with the church's money and if a covenantist ingredient would be tempted to embezzle it and convert it to their own use, which was intended for the public service.

That's pretty clean. Hold to the deep truths of the faith. That's the same thing here. They're able to proper doctrine and sincere conviction.

Very simply, they know the word of God. Now are all of our life group leaders Bible scholars? No. But they know the basic truths of the faith.

Deacons first must be tested. Deacons first be proved and found fit for business entrusted to them. The sound of judgment, there's zeal for Christ and the blamelessness, other conversion must be proved. If you live in this church long enough and part of this church long enough, you know that we raise people up and let's be honest, and I'll be transparent with you.

There are times that people get raised up and they show very well and then the wax begins to come out and things begin to drop out and say, oh man, y'all put those people up in leadership and now you're moving it from leadership. Yes? Because like anything else in life, we're fallible. Like anything else in life, people can show one thing and it's time for the rest is they're testing shows the wax and things come undone.