(Deacon
Ordination) George Coleman and
Gregg Semple
The Overcomers. Significant
Relationships: Overcoming the
problems in life and in the church.
Wanted: A few good men to
be developed through the Holy Spirit. To
increase, to develop, and to emerge requires growth.
Within our own spiritual lives we must develop if we become who God
wants us to be. The emerging
church had to grow through some problems before they could become who God
wanted them to be. As we develop
and grow as a church we must be transformed together by the power of the Holy
Spirit who urges us on. This
transformation of the church can only become a reality if we as individuals
are transformed. If we will be
transformed then the church will be transformed.
Today’s deacon ordination is a sign of the transformation and change
that is taking place. The
deacon’s who are being ordained today are changing.
Their role and their opportunities are taking on a new face. And so are we as a church transforming by seeing the needs
for new servants and inviting these men to serve us. The Lord, Jesus Christ is our example of the greatest servant
who became the least of all. So,
we are called to serve. Some may
see the role of the deacon as the controllers of the church, but the Lord
calls them and us to be the servants not the dictators of all.
Scripture Text:
Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was
multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. 2 Then the
twelve called the multitude of the disciples [unto them], and said, It is
not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full
of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But
we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the
word. 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose
Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of
Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they
laid [their] hands on them. 7
And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in
Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the
faith.
The purpose of this message is to show how we can
grow through problems encountered within the church.
1. What’s
the Problem?
There were too many in the church.
There arose a murmuring because of the neglect of some of those who
were supposed to be taken care of. There
wasn’t enough help. There is
always a need in the church to have more ministers.
One of the current problems facing the church today is that there is
not enough people joining in the ministry to begin with.
In the beginning the church was turning the world upside down with the
gospel. This was a new story and
the people believed and received the Lord.
But, today we have already heard the story for over 2000 years. Consequently, apathy has come into the church.
We don’t see the commitment that is necessary to show people the
power of the gospel to change lives forever.
Now, we need some people who are willing to live the story so that
people will see that it is for real.
Problems are still there, but they have changed in shape and size.
Today, the murmuring doesn’t come because of too many people; it
comes from too few people who have enough commitment to go make a difference.
2. What
are we going to do? God’s
challenge is to see the problems that we have in the church and to be willing
to do something about it. You
can’t do it all, but you can do what God has called you to do and to be.
You will become another member of the body that will be effective in
the function. God’s challenge
to these deacons today is to see the problem and make a difference.
God’s challenge to all of us is to see the problems and do something
about it. Be determined in
the power of the Lord to work with Him and to serve Him.
Let’s make up our minds that we will be his leaders.
A leader is the one who goes first.
Don’t wait for someone else, but step up and out. Let’s not bury
our heads in the snow and hope that the problem will go away.
Let’s become transformed.
3. How are
we going to do it &
What’s it going to take?
It
will take sacrifice. We must be
willing to take a risk to go with the Lord.
Go with the Lord where you haven’t gone before.
For some it means to come to be saved and decide to follow the Lord
into eternity. For others that
may mean to go into the baptistery, to the Sunday School class, the Wednesday
evening Prayer and Bible Study, for some it means to go to the kitchen, to the
dinner, to the neighbor to invite them to church, to the pulpit to preach for
the first time, and to all it means to be who God has called you to be. God can overcome any and all obstacles that may come into our
path. The problems will come then
we must decide if and how we will solve them.
Ignoring the problems won’t make them disappear.
Now we will decide to change the way that things have always been done
to bring the honor and glory to the Lord.
We
must get organized and put first things first. In a recent movie
called “Chicken Run” a flock of chickens organize themselves, and they
were able to overcome the fence that held them.
The owners of the chickens denied the possibility that the chickens
could do it. At one point, after
trying everything the chickens could think of, disappointment set in.
Many of the chickens had given up hope but one.
One brave hen by the name of Ginger continued to believe.
She said that the fences that were keeping them captive and bound for
death were in their heads. They
tried flying but to no avail. Finally,
they constructed an aircraft that carried every one of the chickens to
paradise. The best line of the
movie was the joy one of the owners took in telling his wife, “See I told
you they were organized. The
chickens were organized but they weren’t.
We
must be in agreement.
The disciples needed to become organized.
They needed to enlist the help of those who God would use to become his
servants. These are those who are
filled with the Holy Spirit and will take the position seriously.
The called to serve must be living examples for the church to follow.
The men who sit here before you today have answered that call and they
are saying today: Here we are,
Lord, send us. 5
And the saying pleased the whole multitude: We
need to be dedicated and committed to the Lord.
We must continue to try to love and forgive one another. We must all go
with the Lord. The deacons
aren’t the only ones to go, but if we all make a commitment to the Lord we
will begin to see the results that God can give.
Remember that we must go with the Lord and support one another.
Remember
the banana - when it left the bunch, it got skinned.
The
banana is not the only thing in nature that teaches us the value of belonging.
All around us are illustrations - some obvious, others not so obvious -
that God created life to be nurtured in an environment of togetherness.
For example, scientists have discovered that when the roots of trees
contact one another, a substance is released which encourages the growth of a
fungus. This fungus becomes a
link between the roots of different trees - even different kinds of trees!
If one tree has access to water, it is shared with the other trees.
If one set of roots is in soil packed with nutrients, those nutrients
will soon be passed to the other trees. Thus,
the trees share with one another, providing for the survival of them all.
Our
society tends to isolate people. We
live in homes with mini-blinds and curtains over the windows to insure
privacy. Many work in
environments where interpersonal relationships rarely have the opportunity to
develop. We can walk through a mall crowded with hundreds of people - and all
of them are strangers. No wonder
so many people struggle with feelings of boredom and loneliness!
The
church can provide a place where boredom and loneliness are conquered. It is
the soil in which we can sink our roots and touch one another in meaningful
relationships. We have the
opportunity to give and receive - to nurture and to be nurtured. This is the value of belonging. Is there a place for you?
Yes! Is there an advantage to
regular church attendance? Absolutely! Remember
the banana - be part of the bunch!”
Submitted by: David Zimmerman (adapted from a devotional article)
4.
What
is going to be the result?
We will grow individually in our
spiritual life. Our church will grow as a whole body of believers who see the
problems that we encounter and are willing to work through them.
We will grow together as the roots in a forest entwine we will become
entwined together.
5. What is
the result you would like to see?
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were
obedient to the faith. Will
this be the result of our church? Will
we begin to work toward that end through committing ourselves to God, to one
another, and to the task that lies ahead?
Will we commit ourselves today to support these men and their families?
Will we love them and pray for them?
Will we help them to serve us, by allowing them to?
Then start at the end and work back.