"Ministers" Sermon: Acts 6:1-7

"Ministers"
[Acts 6:1-7]
April 6, 2008 Second Reformed Church

Last week we began a series on the offices of the Church: that is, minister, elder, and deacon. We began by looking at the Scripture's teaching that we, Christians, are the Body of Christ and He is our Head. We, to keep the metaphor, are every other part of the Body. We have been gifted for whatever part we have in the Body. Every Christian has been given a gift from God and we are to use those gifts for the good of the Church. Every Christian has been gifted by the Holy Spirit, and we are to use those gifts to the Glory of God and for the good of the Church. And some have been called to the office of minister, elder, and/or deacon.

When we say we are "called," we are not merely saying that this is something we like to do or want to do, but that you have become assured that God Himself has called you -- elected you -- commissioned you -- to serve in such and such an office.

Determining whether or not God has called you to service as an ordained minister, elder, or deacon is serious business and should not be entered into quickly or lightly. As James wrote about ministers and elders, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness" (James 3:1 ESV). Anyone who takes on the call to speak for God and explain His Word also takes on the responsibility and the added judgment that comes in teaching what God says. Those who claim to be interpreters of God's Word, able to explain it to others, will be judged more strictly on the last day.

How, then, do we determine if we have a call to office? The prudent person will read and study all the Scriptures about the office. He will pray for wisdom and discernment and pray not to enter an office to which he has not been called. He will seek out the counsel of other, more mature Christians. And he will seek the approval of the whole local church. These will help him determine if he actually has the call of God upon him.

Although much more could be said about call, let us now turn our attention to the offices, and first, the office of the ordained minister. What is a minister called to do? What ought he do? What is the rest of the congregation's role?

If we look at the New Testament, we find three terms used to describe this office, presbuteros, leitourgos, and episkopos. Leitourgos is only used twice, both times referring to the young minister, Timothy, and the word means "servant." Episcopos in only used five times, and in reference to the young ministers, Timothy and Titus, and the word means, "bishop." Every other time the office is referred to, the word that is used is presbuteros, from which we get Presbyterian and presbyter in English. This word means, "member of the presiding counsel," "honorable officer," "elder," "ambassador," "presbyter," "minister," "one having seniority," not necessarily in age, but in wisdom.

We ought to notice that the same word, presbuteros, is translated in our Bibles, sometimes as minister and sometimes as elder. The Presbyterian denominations recognize this and call their ministers "preaching elders" and the other elders "teaching elders." There is a fluidity between ministers and elders or between the two types of elders -- one who deals largely with preaching the Bible and the other who deals largely with teaching the Bible. This fluidity or slipperiness adds to what we said last week about the offices having parity -- that is, they are different in function, but equal in status and authority.

So, let us turn to this morning’s Scripture:

After Pentecost, the twelve were meeting together in Jerusalem. (By this point, Matthais had replaced Judas.) And the disciples, those who followed Jesus, were increasing in number. And a complaint arose among the Greeks, that the Church was meeting the needs of the Jewish believing widows, but not those of the Greek believing widows. There was racism in the Church. (Notice, it was the duty of the Church to make sure the needs of believing widows were met, not the government. That would be something to look at another time.)

The twelve apostles -- the ministers -- the preaching elders -- said it was not right that they should neglect their preaching to meet the needs of the widows -- the congregation. Instead, they said to choose from among themselves seven deacons -- seven men who had good reputations, who were full of the Spirit and wisdom. The deacons were formed and appointed to see that the needs of the congregation were met. The apostles said that they had to devote their time "to prayer and the ministry of the word" -- preaching and teaching.

We see that the response of the people was to be pleased with the words of the apostles, and they appointed seven who were the first deacons, and they saw to it that the needs of all the believing widows were met. The apostles, meanwhile, preached the Word of God, "and the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith."

We see, then, those called to the work of minister ought to spend the majority of their time in prayer and study and in preaching and teaching. The largest percentage of the work of the minister is found in him coming before God, praying to God, and studying -- preparing to preach and teach -- the Word of God. The work of the minister is to bring God's Word to the congregation and bring the congregation before God.

Hear these calls of Paul to young ministers:

"First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, and intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people" (I Timothy 2:1 ESV).

"If you put these things [prayer and the word of God] before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed" (I Timothy 4:6 ESV).

"Teach and urge these things" (I Timothy 6:2b ESV).

"But as for you, O man of God, flee these things [sin]. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time -- he who is blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen" (I Timothy 6:11-16 ESV).

"And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness" (II Timothy 2:24-25a ESV).

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you have learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (II Timothy 3:14-15 ESV).

"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is the judge of the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, enduring suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (II Timothy 4:1-5 ESV).

"But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine" (Titus 2:1 ESV).

Prayer. Study. Preaching. Teaching.

Like the priests of the Old Testament, the minister must spend the larger part of his time before God, with God's Word, preparing, so he can lead the people of God in worship and preach the Word of God correctly. Like a shepherd of the sheep, the minister has to know sheep and know how to lead sheep from the Creator of the sheep in order to keep them safe.

And surely some will object, "So all a minister is supposed to do is lounge around and read?"

First, prayer, study, teaching, and preaching are the major work of the minister; the minister is not sequestered off in some high ivory tower where he never interacts with the people. It only seems wise that the minister would be involved in every aspect of the Church, for, if he doesn't know his church, his flock, how could he rightly prepare and pray and teach and lead them? A minister ought to know something about everything that goes on in his church and with his congregation.

And second, the study and prayer that is involved in the work of a minister is not lounging around. If the minister is serious, truly doing his work and coming before God to learn and care for his people, it is a very hard and draining work, even if we see the minister sitting reading a book or with his eyes closed.

"But what about minister so and so who says he prepares the sermon in five hours and uses preprinted Sunday School materials, that's not even a full day's work."

The call to the ordained ministry is different from the other calls, because only the minister is always functioning as the minister, from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep. Being a minister is what we might call today, a lifestyle, not a job. That does not mean that a minister can or ought to try to do as little as possible, and the fact of the matter is that ministers who are truly called to the ministry spend far more than a forty hour work week in their calling. The minister's work is not measured by hours producing "widgets" in the office; the minister's work is measured by his faithfulness to the call that God has put upon him. Someone who is called to the ministry can no sooner "turn off" being a minister than he can "turn off" being human.

So, what ought the congregation be doing?

The congregation, every one of us, ought to be praying for our ministers. We ought to be praying that our ministers will be faithful to the call that God has put upon them. We ought to pray that God will give them wisdom and skill to preach and teach, that God would keep them from false teaching and heresy. We ought to pray that they would have discernment to know what the congregation needs and the ways in which they ought to respond. We ought to pray for their health and families. We ought to pray that they would not be discouraged, but would trust God. We ought to pray that they would keep themselves from sin.

We ought to obey Jesus' Command, "The laborer deserves his wages" (I Timothy 18b).

We ought to join together in worship, in Bible study and other small groups.

The minister is given to the Church to help the Church understand what God has said and to walk in faithfulness before God. And the example of the Scripture is that this is done, primarily, through prayer, study, teaching, and preaching.

Let us pray:
Almighty God, the Great Shepherd of the sheep, we thank You for giving us ministers. We ask that You would continue to raise up and call ministers unto Yourself. We ask that our ministers would be faithful to their call and keep from sin. We ask that we would better understand the call and the work of the minister. And as we come to receive the Lord's Supper, we ask that the liturgy would help us to understand what is truly happening, and as You commune with us, we ask that Your Grace would be given to us that we all would grow up into the Image of Your Son. For it is in Jesus' Name we pray, Amen.