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Jan 10, 2021

Called To Serve

Called To Serve

Passage: Mark 10:3-34

Speaker: Matt Petty

Series: Called To Serve

Category: Sunday Sermons

Keywords: deacons, king, serve, servant, deacon, called to serve

Called To Serve | Matt Petty | Burnt Hickory We might have a lot of baggage that comes with our understanding of what the word serve means. Today, we look at Marks account of Jesus leading the disciples, and what it actually means to be a servant. Our service to the King must be centered around some counter cultural truths: That Jesus is the only savior worth following, that Jesus is the only pure example of what glorifies God, and that Jesus calls us to get of the throne of self-advancement and become a true servant. In God's kingdom, the standard of greatness is measured in service, not in authority or in accomplishment. We see this throughout Mark as well as in Philippians... Phil. 2:1-8 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! Mark 10:43-45 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.

Would you guys pray with me this morning Lord Jesus today we know that we can trust you. God, we know that we are rolling out of a an extremely divisive, extremely hard, and heavy week. And God we want you to know that God today we come before you and God we just asked you to intervene on our behalf across our families, across this nation, across this world, and God, we are just praying for healing. God, we're praying for healing among the so many families. They're struggling with COVID. God, we're praying for healing for Pastor Mike right now, as he is in the hospital battling God, we're praying for healing for so many that have lost loved ones this week or over the holidays and God we're praying for healing for our country, Lord, the Lord Jesus, that you would bring peace and harmony underneath your banner, Lord Jesus. And it's in your name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Well, welcome to church today. I would have never guessed a couple of months ago, when we put this date on the calendar for the kind of a specific focus today that we would be rolling out of one of the craziest weeks that our country has had, since it has been established, or at least in my lifetime, that I've been living. But you know, something is really, really incredible. For the believer, man, I just want you to feel the sovereignty of the Lord and how God is in so control how he knows what's happening, he's not surprised by anything. And today, what we're going to look at in Scripture, today has the possibility could be one of the biggest challenges that I and you and everybody that is with us, if we can grab on to two different places. One, I want you to flip over to Acts chapter six, Acts chapter six. And if you're on today's challenge, we can see something incredible happen. If you have a copy of Scripture, I want you to go with me a paper copy, put a bookmark in there somewhere, we're gonna land there later on. But if not, I want you to go with me to Mark chapter 10. Mark chapter 10. First, and we'll be at x six later on, Lord willing if our time holds. But here's what I want to do today, I got I got three goals for today, I want to lay them out. So, we know where we're going. Everybody knows what we're doing. Number one, I want to look at what I think and what I believe is one of the most ignored biblical commands or biblical challenges in all of Scripture. I want to look at that and also want to see how is it that if we can follow that, that God will bring healing, he will bring peace, and he will bring the name of Jesus to sweep across this world. But secondly, I want to look at who's responsible for living that call, who is responsible for walking this and doing this and living this out. And then on the backside of this morning's message on the backside of this worship time, we are going to set some men apart, we're going to ordain, that's a fancy church word for saying we're going to set some men apart to serve a specific role in this church for God's kingdom on behalf of his people.

So that's what we're going to do today, Mark chapter 10. We're going to start there because I don't have a lot of time and I got a lot to say, Mark chapter 10. We're going to read through it. We're going to talk through it and we're gonna see where God takes us here goes starting in verse 32, says this. They were on their way up to Jerusalem. Now pause there, I promise we're not going to do this this much. All right, but you got another context, right? They're on their way to Jerusalem today that they're talking about is Jesus is the disciples. There are some stragglers around them that we don't know a whole lot about, and they're on their way to Jerusalem. They're ascending towards Jerusalem. This is the last time they go to Jerusalem. It's almost the Passion Week, Jesus has his face set towards the cross.

They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way you may want to circle that leading the way it's important. And the disciples were astonished, while those who follow them were afraid. Again, he took the 12 aside or he's having a little huddle little team time. Again, he took it to the 12 aside and he told them what was going to happen. We're going up to Jerusalem, Jesus said, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and to the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death, they will hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him who will spit on him who will flog him and kill him. And then Jesus says this three days later, he will rise, he will rise. Now this is incredible because they're literally they're pressing their way. They're walking away on a literal Jesus death march towards the cross is in Jesus for the third time. For the third time Jesus goes into this narrative about what he's about to do, and what is about to take place. And it's just crazy to me when I read this. It's crazy to me when I look at this that I wonder sometimes, and I read into texts a whole lot. I have an incredibly big, sanctified imagination, sometimes. But I just believe, I just believe that there's times where Jesus is just like, really do it. Do we really have to talk about this? Again? Do I have to mention this again? But here's what I realized I kind of stopped in my tracks this week when I was studying this when I thought that and I was like, Well, yes. And you know why? Because I spend about half of my life with Jesus doing the same thing for me, right? With the same thing going over things that he's already taught me that he's already shown me. And then he's already set me in a direction to do but yet, every day, there's something in my life where Jesus is like, come on, Matt, let me just give you this for the 970 of time. So maybe you'll just grab a hold of it. So, before you get down on, john, before you get down on James, you know that you live there too, right? You know, there's times in your life that Jesus is like, seriously, we got to do this again. But I want you to see what's happening right here. Because Jesus, he looks at me, he's like, Look, I'm going to give my life, I'm going to give my life for you for the sins of the world. And if it couldn't get worse, to have the powerhouse disciples Speak up. Now, normally, this is a good thing. But this time is not. Watch what happens right here to this league guys, verse 35, then James, and john, supposed to be two of the powerhouses, right? Then mentioned Peter, he's usually talking to the sons of devotee came to him. Teacher, they said. Now look at this quote, we want you to do for us, whatever we ask. Now, that takes a little charisma does it not to look at Jesus and to go look, Jesus, I don't know what you got going on right now. And Jesus, like, I don't know what you're going to do right now. And he's like I just told you, we need you to do this. Now, if you're studying the Bible, if you're looking at the new living testament, I love to read that one or some of the other ones, it almost looks like they're going, Hey, Jesus, we just need a favor right here. But that's not what it's saying. They are literally looking into the eyes of Jesus with the context of Hey, stop what you're doing right now. Because we need you to do something. We need you to do something. Now look, if I'm Jesus right here, it's not about the end wealth of these two guys. It's just not, thank goodness, I'm not Jesus, right? I'm not Jesus. But what these guys are doing. What these guys are doing is incredible now, but before you get down on them, let me say it again. I'm pretty sure there's been times in all of our lives, where Jesus is moving us in a direction where Jesus has something for us on the in the context of living our lives for him, but yet we stop him in his tracks. And like God, I need you to do fill in the blanks. I know that I've been there. And I know that you've been there.

So, we're relating with these guys. They're walking there, they're looking at Jesus go, we need you to do something to which you know what this tells me that Jesus welcomes our requests, even when sometimes they're just crazy and outlandish. He does. And he filters them with this instream patience, because I'm telling you, if this was me that have been pillars assault, or something, I give him a leprosy or something going, look, I'm going to the cross. And you're about to say this. But Jesus in His grace, look at this for 36. What do you want me to do for you? he asked. Now remember, Jesus already knew what they were thinking. Because he's gone. They replied, let one of us sit at your right and the other one at your left in glory. Now you need to know what they're talking about right here. They're not talking about in heaven one day, they're still thinking that Jesus is walking to Jerusalem to overthrow the government. And these two guys are asking Jesus to put them in the two primary seats, even above all the other disciples, and they're literally looking at Jesus and saying, hey, Jesus, we know you got some stuff going on right now. But hey, we want you to elevate our earthly position above everybody that's around us. That sound like somebody people that we know. Jesus, we need our earthly elevation, and we need it. Now. Think about the scene isn't the same. Jesus had one of the most soulful and powerful times in his ministry, his face set towards Jerusalem and he's already cried over, is now dealing with two of his supposed to be studs right? looking at him saying all we care about Jesus is me, is me. Now. This is so hard. Do you know why? Because we relate to this. We relate to this, because it sounds a lot like our prayer laughs

This sounds a lot about our lives. But you know what these guys are doing. There's still so much more worried about their earthly position than they are, what it is that Jesus wants to do, and how he wants him to live. In fact, look at verse 38. Look at what happens. You know what's about to happen, right? You don't know what you're asking. Jesus said, can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I'm baptized with? Not too hard sentence, but it literally just means Can you have the sorrow I'm about to take? And are you going to die? The death that I'm about to take. We can the answer. That's pretty bold. Jesus said to them, you're right. You will drink the cup. and be baptized with the baptism I'm baptized. But what did Jesus say hey, you're right, you know why you're gonna suffer one day, and you're gonna die one day, and you better be ready for it. But because first 40, but to sit in my right hand is not for me to grant. These places belong to those in whom they been prepared. So, what are these guys asking? Really? What are they asking me? You know what they're asking, really. They're asking Jesus in this incredibly pivotal moment, to elevate their status, to elevate their achievement, to elevate them above all others, and they don't give a mess about what's about to happen. This hurts. This hurts in my soul, because I really feel like the we have the tendency to get right on to the cusp of what's happening right here. That I just, I feel like this is where we're at. And watch what happens in verse 4441. I love it. This is this isn't crazy. This is crazy. When the 10 heard about this, they became indignant with James and john, otherwise they got mad. Jesus called them together and said, and this is for us. You know, those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles, he's talking about the evil rulers, they lord it over them, and they, their high officials, they exercise authority over them. Now pay super close attention to this because this is the challenge for us. And this is powerful. And this is what literally can change our world. And take us from where we are right now to the next level of our walk with Jesus cuts out this challenge here it is rich, 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. And whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all for even Alright, here's the draw for card, right, here's that here's that wild card for even the Son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. For many, you know what I don't know if there's one passage of scripture that has so many countercultural claims in all of the New Testament as this one does. And it gives us so many, but I just want to point out three of them real fast. There's there's three of them that that Jesus is challenging us with in this account that can really if we can grasp them, we will start to see God move in a way that is incredibly, incredibly strong. Number one, it's this is that Jesus is the only Savior worth following. He's the only Savior worth following. And we're seeing it in the Scripture, right? Who did say that they were following who do they say was in front of them who was leading the way in their life? It was Jesus. Remember who they are with, they’re with Jesus. Remember where they're going? They're going with Jesus to Jerusalem, to the cross to see the Messiah. save the world. Do you realize at this point in their ministry, they saw Jesus as a rabbi, they saw him as a teacher? They saw him as a healer. They saw him as a trainer. They saw him as a really great guy. But it was at this point in their ministry, ascending Jerusalem. When Jesus gave his life on the cross, they he became their Savior. He became their savior and listen to this. He became your Savior at this moment now What does this tell us? This tells us that when Jesus laid his life down what they are experiencing was an incredible selfless act of love on behalf of the world from Jesus that ratified him above everything else to become the Savior of the world. Do you know what this tells us in our context today, and I need you to hear this? This tells me that our country is not our Savior.

This tells me that you're saying your political party is not your Savior. This tells me right here that your president is not your Savior, men Listen to me. And I know it seems like it sometimes, but your wife is not your Savior. Your kids are not your Savior. Your job is not your Savior, your riches, your advancement, your followers, your control. All your family name is not your Savior, there is one Savior, His name is Jesus. And that's what he's telling us. He's saying, don’t worry, the rest of this stuff is secondary, and it falls way down on the list. Jesus is the Savior of the world. He's the Savior. He's a faithful Savior. Jesus. Number two, countercultural claim that Jesus is the only pure example. Jesus is the only pure example of a life. The 100% glorifies God. He's the only example you see now what does that matter? Oh, it matters. Let me tell you why. This is why Jesus does this compare and contrast game. Remember who he mentioned, he mentioned, the Gentile leaders. He mentioned these leaders, because everybody looked up to these leaders. Everybody was afraid of these leaders. They wanted to be like them, even though in part of their heart that kind of hated them. And what Jesus is looking at them saying, Hey, listen, I know you think those guys have it all together. And I know you think they're the leaders of leaders, and they're most powerful, but Jesus is looking at them going, they will fail you. And they're parts of their life. Jesus is saying that they're just lording things over you in order to advance their selves in order to advance who they are. So, want you to see what's happening. Jesus says, hey, look, I know that you looked at us people on a high pedestal. But listen, the goal of the Christian life is not for you. And not for me to follow an earthly Savior, it is to follow a savior that gave his life in 100% glorifies God, that's Jesus. And what this is showing me right here is that I'm not called to follow an earthly leader, I'm not called to follow a denomination or a specific church or religion. My goal in life is to set my mind to set my heart to set my thoughts on King Jesus, because he's given me the example of how in everything that I do, and everything that I say, I honor God. That's what it's saying is pretty clear. The goal is to set our minds on Jesus. And what did Jesus show us, he showed us how to become less, so that God may become more. So, what he showed us, which leads us to the number three claim, this is we're going to spend most of our time that was just the intro. All right, here's, here's, here's how it goes, I'm just kidding. You're going to lunch. here's number three. Number three counterculture came is this is the Jesus calls us to get off the throne of self-advancement. And to become a servant. This passage is really clear, right? He calls us to get off of the thrones, I just need to say this again. So, I want to settle in of self-advancement, and become a servant. And this one's This one's things a little bit. Why? Because it's completely countercultural, a first century Palestine. And it's completely countercultural of today. Think about it. In this world. When you think about power. In this world, when you think about power, power is measured. Alright, power is measured. The standard of greatness is power. Standard greatness is power. What does it mean? It means how do people react to me. Do people follow me? Do I have a following? Do Am I able to control or compel or rule all of today the earthly standard of greatness is power. But I want you to see the foundational principle of what Jesus is teaching right here. What is he teaching, he's teaching this, here's the principle, it's you to write it down in God's kingdom, and the Kingdom of Jesus? The standard of greatness is measured in service, not in authority or accomplishment. And look, I know, I know that one's not going to be a tweetable moment for people. Because that's not how we live. In America in 2021, we live as if everything hangs on the balance of my earthly accomplishments, versus looking at everything really, according to Jesus right here. Everything hangs on the balance of how much do I serve?

How much do I lay my life down to people now pay close attention, I want you to see what Jesus is saying? Jesus saying the question is not what kind of service? Can I extract out of others? The certain that the question is, what service can I give to people that's this is a game changer because here's the thing, if Christians, if we want to see our world move in a direction of revival, then we need to be a servant. If I want to see my nation, and my family move into a new relationship with Jesus than I have to serve, if we want to see this community meet Jesus, then I have to serve and I want to see this church just explode with the Holy Spirit ruling us in preaching globally in this world. What does that mean, we have to serve? The only way that any of this stuff is going to happen is when we move away from self. This is what Jesus say, Matt talking, when we move away from self and we move towards serf. It's the point the whole story. It's the point of the whole story. Isn't this what Philippians chapter two says? Or Paul says, Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit? Rather, in humility? What do you say, value others, above yourself? Not looking to your own interest, but to the interest of others. And your relationships with one another. Paul says, have that same mindset, as Christ Jesus, who being in the very nature of God didn't consider equality with God something to be used to its own advantage. Like this. Rather, he made himself nothing. And what did he do? He took on the very nature of a servant. And this is tough. But if you're hearing this, you're going okay, man, I get it. You're, you're telling me to go be a servant. But who do I serve? Well, remember, we serve Jesus. You serve Jesus, by living for Jesus by honoring Jesus by becoming like Jesus, but you also listen to this, you serve others, in the name of Jesus. Now, in that name of Jesus is important, because we're not just a humanitarian organization, we are the gospel, we're about the gospel. But this is really hard for our individualistic thinking selves. Our country was founded on individualism, our country was founded on the idea that I am this guy, and I get that I love that fact about our country. But on one side, we've lost the ability to see others greater than ourselves. And we have made ourselves the kings, we've made ourselves the Lord, and we have looked at everybody else in this whole entire planet as just supporting actors in this movie about me. That's how we live our lives. What did Jesus say? First 43. Not so with you. Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant. Must be your servant.

So, what does it mean? To be a servant? Because I think we've kind of vilified this word a little bit, you know, then we kind of made it a negative word almost in our context. What does it mean to be a servant? Here's what I do want to spend just a minute talking about this word servant here in the Bible, because this is incredible word in the Greek it's Diakonos. That's the word that we get. And that's important. I just want you to kind of let that rattle around in your brain a little bit and in a servant. A Diakonos is literally this. It literally means just to become a personal attendant to and when you see your life as a Diakonos, or a personal attendant to King Jesus and not yourself, things begin to change, the context begins to change a little bit, you begin to see things through a different light. Now we see this word the Diakonos, we see this word servant all through the Bible, there's about 100 times almost in the New Testament alone, we see this word we see it in john chapter two at the wedding feast. And the people that were serving the wedding party were the arcanist It just means a servant. We see it with Mary, and we see it with Martha we see what Martha was Diakonos or she was serving while Mary was just sitting. We see it in Second Corinthians all over Second Corinthians when Paul is talking about that he is a doctor knows who he is a servant to the king, we see it all over referring to the idea that our role is to serve. In fact, Peter that would have been at this event that we're looking at this morning and First Peter chapter four says this. He says each one of us should use whatever gift you have received to diacko or to serve others as faithful stewards. Now, what is all of this same? All of this is saying this if Jesus is your Lord, if Jesus is the person in your following you have if you've given your life Listen, this is what it's saying the calling on your life primarily is to become a servant of the king, and to attend to your needs next. You say, Matt, that does not sound like anything I've ever been taught. That's because you've been taught wrong. Why is that? Because our King has the ability has the ability to sustain us. God is saying, you serve you serve. Let me ask you a question. And we're gonna come back to this question later. But I just want you to let it rattle around in there for a minute.

When it comes to your life, what kind of time do you spend serving the king versus serving your own agendas? And if you don't get anything else today, I just want you to walk in home with that question, because that one question can change us, because so much of America is about me. Versus I'm certainly kink, serving the king. Now hold on to that map, because there's another word The Alchemist is used in the Scripture, the word deoxyribose is used. I told you 100 different times, but there's an extremely formal way that it's used and it's where we get our English word Deacon. D aka nose is the word for Deacon. And this is incredible. If you follow the logic, it makes sense of diagnosis. A servant is a person who is called to be a servant person that has been willing to give their life over to the Lord. But in a formal sense, Diakonos is a deacon which a deacon is nothing more than a called out and set apart formal servant leader that has been called into the role of serving the church. That's what a deacon is in Scripture. Now, if you grew up like I did in church, when you think of the word, Deacon, you got a lot of thoughts rattling around in your brain. Number one, they're all smoking in the back. Number two, they're all mean because I ran you out of the gym. All right, that's just kind of where we were. We grew up with deacons. And number three, they were always fighting, I don't know, they're fighting about something. That's just what deacons come to mind. But the word deoxyribose is where we get the word Deacon. And the word Deacon literally means to become a servant, or to diako or to serve. But what I want to do just for a minute, is I want to tie the idea that we're all servants into the fact that this morning, we are setting apart some specific Diakonos specific deacons. And we do that by looking at Acts chapter six. Acts chapter six is the first mention of the formal Deacon that when we kind of say the word Deacon, where we see it in the Bible, and it's always important to go back to the Bible, it's not about burn Hickory, let's just look at what the Bible says about them. And let's, let's look and see how they carry this role of a servant. Things important Acts, chapter six, verse one, you're gonna like this says this in those days, when the numbers of the disciples were growing and increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Now pause there cuz I got to catch you up. This is awesome. The church has grown is blowing up. But some people go there couldn't be problems. The church is growing. Oh, the church is having problems. All right. Churches always have problems. You know why? Because we're there. That's just how it works. All right, we're all sinners. There are always problems.

Now, these problems are incredible. I mean, you have these older ladies, these older Greek ladies who are not being taken care of like the older Jewish ladies, and now they are upset about it. This is a pastor's worst nightmare. It's I mean, it's incredibly bad. Number one, I mean, here's the deal, the senior adult department is upset and when they're upset, everybody's upset, and the church number two is about the ladies. And when the widows are upset is double dose of being upset as a pastor number three, it's an ethnic battle. So they got some racial tension going on. Number four, they're calling people out of the leaders of the church because they're not doing their job or not feeling like they're doing their job. And to kind of put the cherry on top of all this, it's about food. So, you've got a firestorm of all kinds of problems going on in this church, but it's still growing and watch what happens. verse two, so the 12 they gathered all the disciples together and said, it would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God, in order to wait on the tables. Now, what's that about? It's kind of weird. It's a little bit cryptic. Is this saying that pastors and the apostles should never serve people? No, that's not what he's saying. But what it is saying and I'm thankful that it is saying this, it's saying this, the primary role of the shepherds of the church is to pray. It is to study it is to present the Word of God train and righteousness and leave the church. That's what it's saying. It's not saying that we don't stoop to the level of service now Sarah is calling out leaders like myself, other pastors to do those things, but Here's the problem. There are too many people to do those things and keep up with everybody else. So, the Holy Spirit gives the apostles away and sets the tone for us of how we can take care of people. First three, brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you, who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. And we will turn this responsibility over to them. This is the first time in the Bible that the formal Deacon is appointed and recognized and chosen. And let me unpack this because there's some things about it. This is the prototype Deacon. This is how this church follows the Scripture and how we see a deacon operating but not decision makers. They're not the ruling body. Hopefully they're not in the gym, smoking cigarettes. They are a called-out body of men that are following the Holy Spirit that are serving people. And I noticed a couple things about it. Number one, that we're men, there were men, nothing against you, ladies. But every time they formal Dr. Santos is mentioned in Scripture, it has men attached, does that say ladies? Kids serve Matt, you know me better than that? No, that's not what I'm saying at all. But the formal role, they're all men, but also, I want you to see this. They all had great reputations, and godly character, these men that we're setting apart today, you guys are in that same boat, you have been named by this church, as men have character have godly reputations that follow First Timothy, chapter three, through your interviews, and all of the things that you've gone through in your applications of what this looks like. But also, they were filled. What does it say they're filled with the Holy Spirit? They displayed it in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. They got it, that that's how they live out their lives, their men that follow that, but they're also it says they're filled with wisdom. And this is important, because that they were called upon to deal with problem widows. And that's important you need; you need wise men that can take care of this problem. But then also, number six is basically they represented a group that was submissive to the leadership of the church, not in a bowing down, but just said, Hey, I want to serve. This is the formal role. The Deacon, this is what we're setting these men apart to do today. But also, I just want you to hear this church. There's no reason this doesn't flow to every single one of us. Because these are just good Christian principles that we should all be living. But look at this. I just want you to see this. In verse three, it says this, we will turn this responsibility over to them.

And we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. Do you know what we're seeing here? We're seeing that deacons are called to a specific servant responsibility. And as the deacon serves, what does it do? It sets guys like me apart to Super nerd out in the Bible to be able to lead these people all over in the ways of how we can be godly. That's the goal of the deacon’s role, is to be peacemakers is to be caregivers is to serve to serve the Lord's Supper to help the widows. It is an incredibly appointed position by the congregation, my Dad, you're seeing this in Scripture. We're following that to the congregation. They said, yeah, these are the guys right here. You've already done that these guys, you've already appointed them. They've been stamped by the apostles or the leaders of the church. You know what we have vetted these guys, they are godly men fulfilling this responsibility. But then the church does something incredible. And appoints guys that are Greek. I never really noticed this until this week. I don't know if I just missed it. But every one of these names, catch this. This proposal, verse five, please the whole group.

They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. You know, this is telling me, they chose some Greek men that were like the Greek problem because they knew they needed men in the church that could help with specific problems. You know, we're doing it a church. We're appointing 14 men in this church that represent this church. How incredible is it? That we're coming along with 2000 years of history and doing the same thing, church appointed apostle stamp full of godly character, we're bringing them up, we're gonna lay hands on them in just a minute. We're gonna set them apart in just a minute to do what to serve this church. And here's what I want to land this morning. We'll come back to that question I gave you earlier which is see what happens when the leaders lead and teach right when the deacons serve their role inside the church and listen to this, when all the believers do all the believers, sir, check out our seven last rooms. So, the Word of God spread. He gets this right. It's evangelists, when everybody does the role, the number of disciples in Jerusalem, listen to this increased rapidly. Now, that's a lot saying what's already happened in these first five chapters, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. You know what this shows us? This shows us when the Diakonos of God when the servants of God serve, when we all see our responsibility to put our agenda second, and the agenda of the king first. We become the servants.

Listen to this, the gospel advances, the gospel advances. You ask, how do you know that? You need to read the next chapter that we don't have time to read today. When this first Deacon, they just appointed here by the name of Stephen, gave his life to a guy by the name of Paul, he came to faith maybe a little bit because of that? The rest is history. You see how it's tied together, right? We all have roles in our role is to take our accomplishment train off the track, but the servant train on the track in the watch the gospel of Jesus flourish, Matt, are you telling me to never have a political view ever. No. I'm telling you make a way second to the Gospel, Jesus Christ. I'm telling you to make five posts about Jesus to one post about this country. That's what I'm telling you. I'm just saying, here's the question for all of us. Do you live in the call the servant the King, or do you live in the call, to self-abasement?

We’re going to conclude a little bit differently today than we normally do. In just a minute, I'm going to call all these men with their entourage as they have their wives with them. And they've got a group of guys around them, they're going to pray over them just like we just read. But in the middle of this, as we're setting these guys apart into this, this Diakonos role, this formal Deacon roll.

I'm gonna ask you during your time of worship, because we have a specific time of worship right here to ask yourself, how am I serving the king versus serving myself? I just want you to do some self-examination today. Number one, if you're not a believer, he didn't meet Jesus, because he laid his life down for you. But there were two if you know, Jesus, you need to be serving Jesus. Because he's the Savior that 100% glorifies God. And he's called you into this role. So, guys, if you are one of the guys that we're ordaining today, I want you to come on up, come on up and have your seat. As these guys are coming up with their wives and the rest of their entourage, I want to definitely point out that Jeremy Canaan is not here with us today, Jeremy, we love you. He is one of the guys that we would have been setting apart today, but his family's in the timeout box right now, of COVID. So, we're doing one of the first virtual ordinations of all history. I might add here. We'll be praying over him and David Nicely also, later on, which is from the first service later on at Deakin Sweden to set them apart, but we want to honor your families. We love you guys. Thanks for doing that. But I want the rest of us, as these guys are getting in place. I just want you to think, if everyone serves, and if these guys serve the widows and Lord's supper and serve this church specifically, how incredible could it be for us to change the narrative of that Jesus is Lord? And I'm not.

Lord Jesus, bless this moment. We thank you for these men that are stepping into this role. We thank you for this time. That we can be challenged to become a servant of you think we can serve our families that we can serve our community that we can serve the people around us, and then we can serve in a way that just points to you. Thank you for this example, James and Chow have asked him this question. And you just look at it and say just lay your life down if it goes send your name Jesus. A man when she got stand with us in worship if you needed some space in your seat to pray. This is time for you.

Follow Along with the Message

3 Counter Cultural Truths:


1. Jesus is the only  Worth Following.
Mark 10:32-34


2. Jesus is the only pure  of a life that
100% glorifies God.
Mark 10:42


3. Jesus calls Us to get off the throne of   and become a servant.
Mark 10:43-45


Principle: In GOD’s kingdom, the kingdom of Jesus,
The  of greatness is measured in
 not authority or in accomplishment.

Mark 10:32-45
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the
disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the
Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to
Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and
the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the
Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days
later he will rise.” 35 Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him.
“Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.” 36 “What do you
want me to do for you?” he asked. 37 They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and
the other at your left in your glory.” 38 “You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus
said. “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized
with?” 39 “We can,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink
and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with, 40 but to sit at my right or left is
not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”
41 When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and
John. 42 Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded
as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over
them. 43 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be
your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. 45 For even the
Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for
many.”
Philippians 2:1-8
1 Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and
compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love,
being one in spirit and of one mind. 3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain
conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own
interests but each of you to the interests of the others. 5 In your relationships with one
another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did
not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he
made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human
likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming
obedient to death—even death on a cross!
1 Peter 4:10-11 10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve
others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks,
they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they
should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be
praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever.
Amen.
Acts 6:1-7 1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the
Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their
widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve
gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the
ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose
seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will
turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a
man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these
men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God
spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of
priests became obedient to the faith.