For you to discuss and engage in the spiritual life of your children here is what we looked at this week at Calvary Family Ministry.

Topic:

Jesus walked on water (Matthew 14)

Synopsis:

Jesus proved that He can be trusted. His miracles, teaching, death, and resurrection showed that He is who He says He is. Only Jesus can save us when we look to Him in faith.

Talking Point:

Jesus had just fed more than 5,000 people on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. After sending away the people and directing His disciples to go back across the sea, Jesus went to a mountain to pray. It was late, and He sought to be alone with His Father. Jesus was preparing to fulfill His Father’s plan. Before long, He would die on the cross and rescue people from their sin.

While Jesus prayed, the disciples struggled to cross the sea. A storm came and tossed their boat up and down. They didn’t make any progress against the waves. Then, in the early morning hours, they saw a figure walking toward them on the water. They thought it was a ghost, but it was Jesus!

Peter asked Jesus for permission to come out on the water, and Jesus called to him. Peter walked on the water too—until he remembered the storm. Peter took his eyes off of Jesus and he began to sink. Peter cried out to Jesus, “Save me!”

Jesus took Peter by the hand and got in the boat. The wind and waves calmed. Though Peter had doubted, the disciples worshiped Jesus. Clearly He was no ordinary man; this was the Son of God—the promised Messiah!

Jesus proved that He can be trusted. His miracles, teaching, death, and resurrection showed that He is who He says He is. We can seek Him for our salvation and for help as we live in this world. Even in the midst of fear and doubt, we can hold out our empty hands and cry, “Lord, save me!” He will answer, and we can respond in worship of our Lord and Savior.

Questions to discuss with your child:

Q: Why did Jesus perform miracles?

A: Jesus performed miracles to glorify God and prove He is God the Son.

Discuss: Jesus walked on the sea.

Key Unit Passage:

John 20:31

Next Week:

Four friends helped (Luke 5)

This is the tenth post in a series through Pauls first letter to Timothy and today I’m going to try and answer the question: do you think the bible allows women deacons? This is no easy task as there are good bible believing Christians on both sides of the debate. Bible teachers who I respect greatly differ on this difficult issue and honesty, depending on what church tradition you grew up, you’re probably inclined to already hold a position. I don’t intend to critique a view point but try and simply unpack what I think the Bible says about the issue (even though the Bible is not entirely clear or explicit in this instance!)

In the previous post about deacons (which I’d encourage you to read if you haven’t done so already, found here), I wrote that deacons are servants of the church who are also qualified for the ministry of overseeing the practical, physical, need based cares of the church. The main roles of a deacon found in Acts 6 and 1 Timothy 3 are:

• Deacons lead others as they can serve
• Deacons meet physical needs
• Deacons have various roles but one aim
• Deacons serve elders so they can lead

these distinctions become very important when we think about the question at hand: can women serve as deacons? The short answer to that is “yes”, and “no”! Let me try to explain by giving you four reasons why I think it’s valid, in some settings, to include women as deacons, but first here is the text:

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

1 Timothy 3:8-13

Wives is ambiguous

In verse 11 Paul writes: “Their wives likewise”. As in many languages, the word “wives” can mean “women” or “wives” and the pronoun “their” actually isn’t in the Greek at all. It’s possible that verse 11 simply reads “Women likewise”

Deacon’s wives?

why does Paul seem to talk about deacons wives and not elders wives? Why does Paul seem to place a higher level of accountability on deacons than he does elders? This is especially curious given what Paul has said about the elders home. Despite the fact that elders have stricter qualifications, there is no mention of their wives.

The context doesn’t fit

The overall context  … back in chapter two …shows that Paul was writing with instructions for men’s behaviour in the church, as well as women’s behaviour in the church – this is the springboard for Pauls discussions about leadership roles in chapter 3. In the same way that Paul addresses both men and women in chapter 2, Paul is again addressing men and women in chapter 3 (notice the word “likewise” in verse 8 and 11 actually points us back to verse 9 of chapter 2.) The point is that Paul is writing about order in the church and gender roles in the church as much here in chapter 3 as he was in chapter 2. The point is that the flow of the text doesn’t read:

role of elders – role of deacons – role of deacons wives.

the flow of the text more likely reads:

role of elders – role of deacons – role of deaconess.

The matter of Pheobe

The fourth reason for the “Yes” women can be deacons is that Paul, in Romans 16, names a Deaconess:

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae

Romans 16:1

Pheobe is referred to as “a servant of the church”. the word servant is the same generic term that is used in 1 Timothy 3, however, it’s not that word that is important here. The next phrase “of the church” demonstrates to me that Pheobe was not merely someone who served at a particular church, but was an official at a particular church.

I’ll confess that these reasons aren’t watertight and the fact that there is so much debate and disagreement amongst good bible scholars demonstrates how little we actually be sure about this topic. I’ve spent a lot of time looking at this issue and have concluded the general principle to be true:

Each of them should be fully convinced in their own mind.

Romans 14:5

When you couple these four reasons with the picture of women who played a vital role in Paul’s ministry the case becomes stronger. Paul specially mentions 17 women by name who have ministered to him throughout his ministry.

A Word of caution

Earlier in the post, I mentioned that the actual role a deacon plays in the life of a church becomes very important when we think about the question at hand. The problem, as I see it, is not the issue of gender role, but the misapplication of the role of deacon. If you elevate the role of a deacon to an authoritative position similar to the role of an elder (as some churches and traditions have done) then I think there are not only problems with women’s roles, but also a problem with your thinking about church leadership. When you consider the role and responsibilities that we have already discussed in the previous post then there is no biblical evidence whatsoever that these responsibilities should only include men.

So my conclusion is that since Paul does not call them “women deacons,” but simply “women” he is distinguishing male from female deacons. The deaconesses are a subgroup of deacons, as indicated by Paul’s separate use of “likewise,” and by his deliberate use of “women”.

I’m spending a lot of time in my garden at the moment – the weather has been fine and our new seating addition to the back of the house is a beautiful place to spend the morning. It’s here that I’ve spent time reading through “The Bruised Reed” by Richard Sibbes (you can read my other post here about how we are in need of God’s mercy) and yesterday I read a short and yet profound statement that made me stop and think. Here it is:

I’m watching my grape vine slowly turn brown as the autumn approaches and wondering how, in the winter, it will survive. The answer, as Sibbes would say, is in the root. Though there might not be life on the outside, and fruit will be scarce, the life of the vine is hidden deep down, underground, out of sight, in the root ready to emerge in Spring.

So as I’m thinking about that I’m also wondering how this might apply to us. Winter is coming, that we can be sure – perhaps for you, winter is already here. Days when there is not much light, assurance is faint, miracles are few, love is cold and fruit is scarce. How do we survive when spiritual winters come upon us?

Winter is necessary

Firstly know this: winter is necessary. It’s a good and needed season for us. In farming, it’s a time when the cold of winter typically eliminates many damaging insects and diseases. It’s also a time when plants energy is held in reserve, building up for new growth, and farmers can prune and transplant without fear of causing damage to the plant. Without winter, trees generate fewer, weaker buds, limiting fruit production from day one. In our own lives, spiritual winters are a good time for pruning away some old things, and for preparing the ground for a new season. The ground of our hearts and lives needs preparation every time God wants us to move into a new season. It’s a good thing to reflect on our lives from time to time, and to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us areas in our lives that aren’t good for us. We then need the courage to let those things which are death to us, actually be death to us. Winter is given to us not for destruction but for renewal. Now this the time to press on harder into Christ and by faith know that …

Spring is coming

Yes! Spring is coming! Jeremiah 17 says:

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. [if it was spring of summer there would be no need for trust because there is fruit … trust is needed when eerything looks bleek and barren] He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 17:7-8

Paul wrote:

so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend…and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Ephesians 3:17-19

God’s desire for our lives is to be rooted and grounded in love. But we need to develop the root in good times, in Spring and summer time so that when the winds of life blow we are not shaken.

Hide life in the Root

Jeremiah says

“You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit.”

Jeremiah 12:2

Jesus warned about shallow roots

Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root

Mark 4:5-6

Often when I talk to people about the kind of person they want to be I will list a number of traditions, habits, and choices they need to make. These include having a daily quiet time with God so God can speak to them, attending church, connect or Life Group, listening to Christian podcasts, and reading solid books. Most of the time the response goes along these lines: “Oh, I don’t have time for all that!”. My reply is “You can give time now, in summer and prevent issues, or you can give more time later (in winter) because you have issues. You will give time. Pay now or pay later, but you will pay.” Winter is coming – how deep do your roots go? Remember, life is in the roots so go deep in your relationship with Christ

The Psalmist says

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Psalm 1:1-4

Richard Sibbes was a 16th Century Anglican minister. Although a Puritan he was considered a conformist because he remained a Church of England minister and used the Common Book of Prayer. His writings have been the source of great encouragement to many and so three of us are currently reading one of his best-known works, “The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax” and I thought I’d just share a few thoughts from that …

The text he uses comes from Isaiah 42:1-3

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. 2 He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; 3 a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice.

The New Testament ascribes this to Jesus:

A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings justice to victory.

Matthew 12:20

So Sibbes writes that this is Christ’s office.

Jesus is a servant doing a service.

Christ was God’s servant in the greatest piece of service that ever was, a chosen and a choice servant who did and suffered all by commission from the Father.

God’s greatest work is one of service and it’s on this basis that the rest of what Sibbes has to say flows – that Christ came under the authority of the Father to seek and save the lost. He came for bruised reeds and the smoking flax. He came for the broken and the weary. He came for the guilty and ashamed. He came for the weak and the humble. He came to those with no hope and no credential. Sibbes observes that all that follows – the nature of love itself – is to show compassion, care, mercy, and grace to all that He meets.

Just how marvelous that is to know that God’s greatest piece of service – of giving away – of humility – was to employ the method of servitude to save us!

Jesus deals with the Bruised Reed.

For all of us, reading this book together, we found this chapter to be the most profound. Here’s a quote (from the Today’s English version):

“Physicians, though they put their patients to much pain, will not destroy their nature, but will raise it up by degrees. Surgeons will pierce and cut but not mutilate. A mother who has a sick and self-willed child will not cast it away for this reason. And shall there be more mercy in the stream than there is in the spring? Shall we think there is more mercy in ourselves than in God, who plants the feeling of mercy in us?

My thought on this was simple yet deep – “how much do I need the Spring to fill me with an ocean of mercy!”

Reading this my heart was moved to worship because all that I see that is good in the world is but a drop of water in the vast ocean that is Christ’s mercy. Whilst we might delight in all the good things that we delight in – these are but streams. They are not the source, they are not the spring. Jesus is that spring and our of Him flows rivers of living water. Why do we spend so much time (relatively) enjoying the stream when we could be enjoying the Spring?

Sibbes was called the “Sweet Dropper” by virtue of his encouraging sermons as in just a few chapters I have certainly been encouraged to trust Christ in my sufferings and to see them as his means to draw me closer to him. So be encouraged today, Jesus doesn’t break us off when we are bruised, or put us out when we are a smoking candle. There is hope here. He is a compassionate and able Servant who wants to draw us closer to Himself and allows the hardships of this life to do that. Don’t ignore the sufferings – they are God calling us “have I got your attention yet?”

As I’m blogging my way through 1 Timothy i’ve come to a section of the letter that explains who should lead the church. You’ll know, if you’ve been following along with these blogs that Timothy is a young pastor in a divided church and Paul is writing to him to encourage him to set things in order. So, when it comes to leading the church this is a pretty big deal! Here is the passage:

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. 

So in this chapter Paul identifies two primary leadership roles in the church: elders, who are servant leaders, and deacons, who are leading servants. In this section Paul is specifically describing the kind of person who is a “servant leader” and how they are fit to fill the office of an “elder”. The term elder is the Greek word episkopē which means “overseer” and in this article I’d like to give you my take on who it is that leads the church, and by what qualification they do so.

Jesus Leads the Church

This is really the crux of the matter. Paul makes it clear in his letter to the church in Ephesus that Jesus is head of the church:

… Christ also is the head of the church

Ephesians 5:23

Paul repeats this claim in his letter to the church in Colossi

He is also head of the body, the church; ….

Colossians 1:18

Peter also agrees with Paul, and even using the same Greek word as Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1 – overseer:

For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 2:25

Paul told the Ephesians elders (a passage we’ll look at in a little while) that Jesus had bought the church:

with his own blood

Acts 20:28

There are many other verses that we could reference but I think these three are sufficient to draw an accurate conclusion from: the church belongs to Jesus and He is the One leading it and overseer it.

Jesus Delegates Rule

So having established that the church belongs to Jesus and that He, and He alone leads the church, the question then remains: how exactly does Jesus lead and rule over the church today? Well, not only does Peter refer to Jesus as the Overseer, but in Acts 20:28 ; Php 1:1 ; 1 Tim 3:2 ; Titus 1:7 people are also referred to as overseers. What this means then is that there are certain individuals whom God has called to continue the work of overseeing Jesus’ church. It is still His church, but He has delegated oversight to others.

What are the Responsibilities of Elders?

If God has entrusted his church to elders, then we need to consider the responsibilities of such leaders. Here it is helpful to look at Paul’s sermon to the Ephesian elders:

28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32 And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified

Acts 20:28-32

I’d like to highlight four responsibilities (from Acts 20) that elders have:

1. They are to lead under the authority of Jesus

The Holy Spirit has made you overseers …. this means that none of our elders stands up or sends an email because they are acting on their own authority. All authority belongs to Jesus but authority in the church has been entrusted to elders. It’s also important to note, however, that in Matthews 18:15-20, 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 2 Corinthians 2:5-11 Jesus has invested the whole church with authority over those in sin. We are part of His body after all and no one stands isolated or as the head, and the church has authority too, particular when then we those in the church who are wilfully sinning against God.

2. They are to lead by caring for the church

Paul says to “care for the church of God”. This is the same thing that Peter instructs too:

shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

1 Peter 5:2

This is the picture of a shepherd who protects and feeds the sheep that God has given him. This is what Paul says: “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you”. He previously told them to “Pay attention” or to “be on guard”. This is the front line of spiritual warfare as elders guard not only their own lives but also the lives of the sheep that God has given them. They are to be on the look out for those that claim to be Christians but want to lead people astray. Pastor Chuck Smith always used to say that you can tell if wolves are about because sheep start disappearing and it’s the shepherds job to put themselves between he sheep and the wolf. Of course this comes with risks and many times the church aren’t aware of what is going on, or at least the depths of what is going on, and remain blissfully unaware. The church would do well to remember their elders in prayer since this is such a dangerous position to take on their behalf.

The second way that Paul says to care for the flock of God is through feeding and nurturing them. It’s not enough to keep the sheep away from wolves, the sheep need to be led to places where they can rest, feed and grow. In Acts 20:32 Paul writes about being built up and sanctified. This is the third main responsibility of elders.

3. They are to lead by teaching the Bible

Paul says that

I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Acts 20:27

so that they would be equipped and build up in the church. The Word alone has the power to build up the church and it is where the elder derives their authority from, otherwise it’s just man’s opinion.

4. Model the Character of Christ

The text in 1 Timothy is primarily about the character of Christ reflected in the people who are filling the office of elder. Actually there are three passages in the New Testament that deal with this (1 Timothy 3: 1-7; Titus 1: 5-9; and 1 Peter 5: 1-3). When these lists are combined we can draw some interesting conclusions about the kind of person an elder should be:

His Personal Life:

• He is self-controlled
• He is wise
• He doesn’t start arguments but is peaceable
• He is gentle but not weak
• He gives despite the cost
• He is humble
• He is patient
• He is open and honest
• He is disciplined

His Home:

• He is an elder in his home
• He committed to his wife (of self controlled if single) – note that elders should be male.
• His children (if he has them) honour him

Social Life:

• Eager to open his home
• Shows kindness to strangers
• Doesn’t have favourites
• His reputation isn’t tarnished

Spiritual Life:

• He actively makes disciples
• He loves the Word
• He goes quickly to prayer
• He is gracious

In the end no one will fulfil these qualifications perfectly apart from Jesus and the more we grow to be like Him, the more these characteristics are evident in our lives.

Just a couple of notes now about what an elder isn’t. Over the years there has been a lot of misunderstandings about elders and they often relate to things that the Bible simply doesn’t state as true. For example, no where do we read that an elder has to be an older man. Older men should not automatically become elders, and young men should not automatically be disqualified. I have met many foolish old men and wise young men. Additionally, no where doesn’t the Bible talk about business acumen, likability or academic excellence. Constantly the Biblical message is: “are they like Jesus, have they been called by Jesus?” – this is why we often refer to elders as leading servants – called to lead like Jesus.

So what about Pastors?

The New Testament uses the term “elder”, and “pastor” for those who have been given the primary responsibility to be spiritual leaders of the local church.  The term “pastor” is actually the Greek word for Shepherd. So in one sense an elder is the same as a pastor. However, as with many things there are some caveats to this. By that I mean that in the New Testament the idea of “elder” is alway plural (meaning that there is always more than one). So, at Calvary we believe in a plurality of elders who are equal in authority and responsibility. However, we do not believe in a “presbytery” (a group of elders who lead and manage the affairs of the church). We believe in something called “the first among equals” principle …

First Among Equals

The New Testament points to the idea that from among the group of elders is one man who is primarily responsible for preaching (Eph 4:11, 1 Tim. 5:17), vision and leading the other elders. (Romans 12:8). The elder who has primary responsibility for preaching is also referred to as The Pastor (to distinguish them from the other elders). The Pastor is above, more authoritative or more controlling that the other elders. His primary responsibility is to lead the group of elders. The Elders still have final responsibility before God for prayer ministry (James 5:14), ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4) including teaching and protecting the church’s doctrine (Acts 20:27-31; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:9), the administration of the church (1 Tim. 3:5), and shepherding the flock (1 Peter 5:2) by guiding them in the way of Biblical truth, and by protecting them from false teachers and diseased doctrine (Acts 20:28-31) . Some general observations about the first among equals perspective:

1.  Whilst the Old Testament offers the hall of faith (Hebrews 11), of people that remind us of God’s practice of using one to influence many, the fact remains that in the New Testament Jesus chose 12 men.
2. Even though Jesus chose 12 men Peter was undoubtedly given a very uniquely prominent role.
3. A plurality of eldership with no lead elder/pastor is appealing to those that seek to prevent leadership mistakes, and drifting into theological error. It is not set up for expansion but protection.
4. A plurality of eldership with no lead elder/pastor often results in situations where no one voice unites the eldership and speaks authoritatively on its behalf. The result of this is that church members gravitate to their favourite elder, which develops independent identities within the church.
5. A plurality of eldership with no lead elder/pastor makes accountability difficult and diminishes responsibility. (Where everyone is responsible, no one is responsible).
6. A plurality of eldership with no lead elder/pastor means that the most vocal or most gifted elder to all intents and purposes becomes the lead elder/pastor. This compromises the veracity of the eldership in their attempts to make a representation of unity.
7. The spiritual gift of leadership makes no sense if there is a plurality of eldership with no lead elder/pastor.

At the end of the day, the Bible does not describe how elders should organise themselves, which gives the local church freedom to determine how best to organise themselves to meet the specific needs of the local body of Christ.

In the next article we’ll talk about Leading Servants aka Deacons.