Jeff Gilbert Ordination
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8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit 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 the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
One of the most beautiful gifts the Lord has given the church is the ministry of the deacon. I would like to take a look at what brought about this need and opportunity, but to do that, we need to go back about 2,000 years to the church in Jerusalem.
I pray that as we go through the passage this morning, it not only challenges Jeff as a deacon, but it challenges you and I as a church. That we understand that today is not just about Jeff’s choice to serve, but that it is about all of us and how we, together, serve God’s will.
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
Acts 6:1-
So here we have the church exploding in numbers. People are coming from all over because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This means that we have different types of people all in one place, and as we all well know, when different people come together, problems arise.
Now we have the Hellenists (Greek speaking foreigners) complaining against the Hebrews (natives of Palestine, locals) that their people were not being taken care of.
The deacon was born to be a servant to the people of the church, coming along side of the pastor
This is the need and the potential disaster if not handled properly.
2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit 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.”
Acts 6:2
Notice how the 12 gathered the multitude together and charged them to find the men among themselves. The 12 set the vision of what needed to be done, but delegated the task to the church. Not because they were unqualified or unwilling, but because they understood a few things.
the more they could focus on the ministering of the Word, the better
there were many gifted and able people that could serve
the solution to this need had to include everyone
the goal was not just to meet the need, but to promote church unity
And it worked, let’s look at the outcome.
Acts 6:5
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
The men chosen were mostly foreigners. There was no favoritism, it was a fair representation of the church demographic. When all people are included and represented, unity happens.
The deacon was born to be a servant of the people of the church, coming along side the pastor to inspire unity and the spreading of the Gospel. When a family is unified, it grows in number and in strength.
This is not only a charge for Jeff as a servant of this body, but it is a charge for you and I to come together for the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I am challenging you today, especially the younger families in here this morning. There is an older generation in these pews right now that were dedicated to Knowing Him, Making Him Known and Doing His Will. The reason this church grew from where it began to what it became was because they were obedient and they were united. They were excited about what they were doing, and they still are. They set the stage for us.
But now its our turn. In order to see this body continue to reach the lost and see Jesus change lives, then we have to be obedient and united in why we are here. We have to be excited about Jesus and about sharing His love with others. We have to be dedicated to Knowing Him, Making Him Known and Doing His Will.
We all have to do our part, we all have to pull our weight, we all have to contribute what we were gifted to contribute. It’s your turn now! It’s our turn now! Are we ready to come together, now?
We all have to do our part, we all have to pull our weight, we all have to contribute what we were gifted to contribute.
When a church body is excited about Jesus, when we are united under Christ, when we are moving forward together, when our people (children, teenagers, and adults) have a love for Jesus, when we love each other as family, and when we are serving in the areas in which we are gifted, then we are working as we were designed to work. We were designed to come together for the furtherance of the Gospel.
Call Jeff up
Jeff,
This church has given you a great honor and responsibility in selecting you to the office of deacon.
Will you accept this responsibility by:
affirming your faith in Jesus
faithfully performing your duties to this church
cooperating and supporting your pastor in promoting the ministry of Jesus Christ?
and by being the best example of the love of Jesus to your family, your church family, and those God brings into your life daily?
.................
Church,
Church,
Will you acknowledge and affirm Jeff as a deacon by:
recognizing and respecting his calling and commitment
encouraging him in his obedience to his call
and coming along side him in promoting the ministry of Jesus Christ?
..................
Jeff,
I charge you, to fill your office to the best of your abilities, seeking Godly direction in all things.
In the name of the Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
Present Certificate
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Call Cameron and Deacons up to the platform
Lay Hands and Prayer