The Gift of Leadership

little later in the service we're going
to have the installation service for
newly elected office bearers and to lead
up to that I want to share with you some
thought from Acts chapter 6 where the
first deacons were chosen in the church
so let's read together at the first
seven verses as we talked this morning
about the gift of leadership in those
days when the number of disciples was
increasing the Grecian Jews or the hell
honest s-- in other translations among
them complained against the Hebraic Jews
or the Hebrews because their widows were
being overlooked in the daily
distribution of food 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 brothers
choose seven men from among you who are
known to be full of the Spirit in wisdom
we will turn this responsibility over to
them and we'll give our attention to
prayer and the Ministry of the word
this proposal pleased the whole group
they chose stephen a man full of faith
and of the holy spirit also philip
procerus nicanor timon parmenas and
nicolas from antioch a convert to
judaism they presented these men to the
apostles who prayed and laid their hands
on them 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
pray with me Lord as we turn to your
word now we are so grateful for the gift
of leadership and the fact that
historically you have
raised up people to lead your people not
with power in force but like a good
parent with their children calling forth
that which you have implanted in your
people to the end that your church may
prosper and carry on its mission of
making disciples of all nations we're
grateful this morning for the many in
this congregation who have occupied
gifts of leadership on a variety of
levels and who have imparted and have
been used of you to impart wisdom and
grace we're especially thankful this
morning Lord for the gifts of elders and
deacons as they serve on our church
council and we pray that as we reflect
on what your word is to say about all of
this that that we may in every way I not
only continue to be led by good men and
women full of the spirit and full of
wisdom but that we may also submit to
their leadership knowing that in the
Lord
such things are desirable and honoring
so bless us in these moments together
give me what I need to share your word
with your people
and may all of us gladly receive and
live out the teachings of your word
through faith in Jesus Christ and then
Lord as we turn to the installation a
little bit later may that just be a
moment of knowing that you give us good
gifts through people in the person of
Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy
the story before us that we have read
here in Acts chapter 6 is I trust
familiar to most if not all of us after
the amazing outpouring of the Holy
Spirit on the day of Pentecost the early
church experienced an explosion of
growth virtually overnight they went
from the hundred and twenty disciples
who had gathered in the upper room to
over three thousand and we read in Acts
chapter two verse 47 that the Lord added
to their number daily those who were
being saved Acts chapter four tells us
and other 2,000 were added to the church
they experienced explosive growth as
God's powerful presence was manifest in
the person of the Holy Spirit but with
explosive growth also came the potential
for explosive problems specifically the
problem faced at this point in time by
the early church was a potential split
between the Hebraic Jews and the
Hellenistic or the Grecian Jews and
specifically in the story that we read a
moment ago the Grecian Jews felt
overlooked in the daily distribution of
food and they felt that the Hebraic Jews
were being favored had the potential as
you can imagine to split this newly
formed multicultural community right
down the middle so what to do the
Apostles really didn't want to stop
praying and preaching in order to serve
tables and so they came up with a
brilliant solution they gathered the
whole church together and the result was
the institution of the office of Deacon
listen again to how it is worded here in
Acts chapter three diverses Acts chapter
six 2 verses 3 & 4 the apostle
speaking brothers - seven men from among
you who are known to be full of the
spirited wisdom we will turn this
responsibility over to them and give our
attention to prayer and the Ministry of
the word and that's what they get and
from that day to this in different
configurations most Christian churches
have been led by a combination of elders
and deacons and this morning as we
prepare for the installation of two new
welders and one new deacon want to try
to draw from this story in the time that
we have four very practical lessons that
I think can help us understand the
importance of the gift of leadership
biblically speaking here's the first
lesson that I want to draw from this
story and that is the fact that the
church's leadership model must always
remain flexible the church's leadership
model must always remain flexible up
until this point of course the only
leadership that we read about in the New
Testament is that of the Apostles they
were designated by Jesus to carry out
the Great Commission they were
instrumental in the conversion Peters
speech was in Acts chapter two of
thousands and thousands of people but
now the situation has changed the growth
as I mentioned a moment ago brought them
to a breaking point and in response they
instituted the office of deacon
interestingly enough nowhere that I know
love do we read that the office of Elder
was instituted except when you get
further on in the book of Acts the
church in Jerusalem is not only led by
the Apostles but it's also led by the
elders so somewhere along the line the
office of Elder was instituted as well
and the principle here I think is this
that as
the gospel does its work and the church
community grows the leadership model
undergoes changes to deal with the needs
of the community historically in the
Reformed family of churches churches
have been led as you know by elders and
deacons elders looking after the
spiritual needs of the congregation
deacons looking after the practical
needs both inside and outside the church
and historically what has happened is
that as churches have grown we have just
added more elders and we have added more
deacons until after a while when a
church reaches a significant size you've
got as many as 30 people gathered around
the table on your church council trying
to make decisions at one point in the
history of this church we have that many
people that if you understand that
typically they serve one year or three
year terms you've got a tremendous a
changeover happening all the time and it
becomes administratively a very
difficult model and that's why in more
recent years most churches in our
denomination have drifted away from that
kind of a large decision-making body to
a much smaller making decision-making
body and a lot of you here will remember
that a number of years ago under the
leadership of our very capable chairman
Benton using at the time we decided to
reduce the number of elders and deacons
to six elders and three deacons who make
up our Governing Council as a church and
this body together and I've talked about
this before but it bears repeating has a
fourfold responsibility they have a
ministry of Prayer they have a ministry
of setting the policies by which the
church is governed what we do and how we
do it they supervise all staff and
number three they are responsible for
the exercise
of issues related to membership people
becoming part of community people
leaving community issues of discipline
as well that model has served us very
well and as also you know more recently
we have been begun looking at the issue
of pastoral care because how do you make
sure in in a changing society where
people's needs become so much bigger and
where the nuclear family is increasingly
disintegrating how do you look after
everybody's needs and you you know are
our decisions about sections and section
pastoring and the meet and greets that
we have just concluded very successfully
I might add the point is this needs
change and one needs change the
leadership model in the church has to
adapt in order to carry on the
significant ministries that God entrusts
to the church that's what happens here
in Acts chapter 7 the result is the
practical needs of the widows are being
addressed and the Apostles can carry on
with their ministry of praying for the
church and proclaiming the word that's
the first lesson I would draw from this
passage together second lesson that I
would draw from here is that biblically
speaking church leaders need to meet
certain requirements listen again how
the Apostles put it in verses 3 and 4
again choose seven men from among you
who are known to be full of the Spirit
and wisdom we will turn this
responsibility looking after the
practical needs of the widows we will
turn this responsibility over to them
and then all in 1 Timothy chapter 3
gives an even expanded
version of the requirements of office
bearers and let's just take a moment and
read that together the print is fairly
small because it's a long passage but it
reads like this now the overseer that is
to say the bishop or the elder in our
language the person in charge of
supervising God's people must be above
reproach the husband of but one wife
temperate self-controlled respectable
hospitable able to teach not given to
drunkenness not violent but gentle not
quarrelsome not a lover of money he must
manage his own family well and see that
his children obey him with proper
respect if anyone does not know how to
manage his own family how can he take
care of God's church he was not be a
recent convert or he may become
conceited and fall under the same
judgment as the devil he must also have
a good reputation with outsiders so that
he will not fall into disgrace and into
the devil's trap Deacon's likewise are
to be men worthy of respect sincere not
indulging in much wine and not pursuing
this honest gain they must keep hold of
the deep truths of the faith with a
clear conscience they must first be
tested and then if there is nothing
against them let them serve as deacons
now you can imagine that every time we
make mention of this in the selection of
nominees for the office of elder or
deacons we have everybody going aghast
and saying I'll never qualify because
who can live up to the fullness of those
biblical standards the reality is
however that the more filled with the
Spirit we are and the more filled with
wisdom we are and the more our lives
measure up to some degree to the
characteristics that God is looking
or in our lives the more capable we are
of leading God's people as an entry
character matters being filled with the
spirit matters being filled with wisdom
matters because when you're in a
leadership position and that's not only
true in the church that's true
everywhere but especially in the church
if you're going to lead the church
you're leading God's people and your job
is to leads God's people into the
purposes that God has for you that
requires being filled with the spirit
that we've looked at in recent weeks and
it requires a maturity of Christian
character and that's why when it comes
to selecting nominees for office in this
community we take that very seriously
and sometimes we in counsel here you
know sort of the criticism well it's
always the same people that get
nominated that it's always the same
people that you call to service not
exactly true but there's some truth to
it and that is because there is a
process that counsel follows that brings
us to the place of having these folks
who are being installed this morning and
that process is very simple I'll talk
you through it real quick our council
members serve a three-year term and so
every year normally speaking we replace
two elders and we replace one deacon
this year we I'll explain later we only
have one elder stepping down because
multi-vendor Lane
stepped down earlier to go off to New
Brunswick but a call goes out to the
congregation to suggest nominations
nominations go to a nominating committee
that goes through all the membership
lists of the church you have to be a
member to qualify for
leadership position at this level of the
congregation that gross list that the
committee comes up with goes to council
council as a whole has an opportunity to
add or to delete names the names are
judged by what we know in terms of
people's commitment to the gospel to
Jesus to the ministry the vision of this
church as well as spiritual giftings and
qualifications council votes on that
list and then people are approached with
with the request will you serve in this
capacity and some people say yes some
people say no eventually we present to
you double denominations to the
congregation and you get a chance to
vote and as a result of those votes
those are the people that are here I
find it significant in Acts chapter 7
that the the Apostles say to the church
choose from among you seven men who fit
these qualifications because your
leaders can only lead with your
permission and with your encouragement
and support the process is imperfect and
none of our elders or deacons would
profess to be perfect or fully measure
up to the biblical qualifications but as
I said a moment ago the more mature we
are in the Lord the more filled with the
Holy Spirit we are the better able
leadership a community can be given by
those who are in a leadership position
the reverse is true two people who don't
have that maturity don't have those
qualifications they can cause a lot of
chaos I remember one of the previous
churches where I pastored I've got a
number of decades ago now we were having
discussion about changing worship styles
you're well aware of course
that ever since the 70s most churches
have gone through what's known as the
worship wars the worship wars moving
away from traditional hymnody led by
organ and/or piano to more of a praise
band the kind of worship that we use
here regularly caused a lot of chaos at
a lot of churches particularly if it
wasn't read very well and I remember
having a conversation in one of our
council meetings years ago in another
church that I pastored where we had this
elderly gentleman who was just adamantly
opposed to the introduction particularly
of guitars he just didn't like guitars
and so we were having conversation about
that because how do you arrive in the
same page and it was somewhere along the
line in that conversation that I made
the mistake of referencing Psalm 150 let
me read your portions of it just to
remind you praise God in His sanctuary
praise him in his mighty heavens praise
him for his acts of power praise him for
his surpassing greatness no problem so
far praise them with the sounding of the
drum but problems already
praising with a harp and the lyre
awfully close to a guitar praising with
the tambourine and dancing praising with
the strings and flute praising with the
clash of cymbals and praise him with
resounding cymbals let everything that
has breath praise the Lord
I'll never forget the moment and I don't
remember whether he pounded the table or
not I seem to recollect that he did but
his face turned as red as red could be
and I think he pounded the table with
the words I don't care what the Bible
says in this church were not going to do
this and I remember thinking to myself
oddly enough in Dutch
I said to myself let me try to think
what it was again something to the
effect that then there is not much sense
in continuing this conversation because
if the Bible isn't the standard by which
we order our lives in the church then
what is the standard by which we order
our lives and of course then it becomes
my standard versus your standard and
whoever's got the biggest mouth the
biggest clout and whatever else ends up
winning Christian leaders need to be
filled with the spirit they need to be
filled with wisdom and they need to
demonstrate Christian maturity so
Christian leadership structure must be
flexible Christian leaders need to meet
certain requirements and then leaders
should be publicly recognized notice
again how the passage goes on they
presented these men that is these new
deacons to the apostles who prayed and
laid their hands on them
now the laying on of hands and the
praying here is represents two things I
believe it represents first of all an
official commissioning that is to say a
public recognition that as a community
on behalf of the Lord we are setting
these people apart for this office they
are no longer just the individuals that
they are the
for stepping into that office they have
responsibility and authority by virtue
of the office very important to
understand that it's like a policeman a
policeman in civilian clothing has no
more authority than you or I when it
comes to directing traffic or enforcing
the law put them in uniform or put her
in uniform or give them a badge that
badge now represents authority entrusted
to this individual by a higher authority
and so when we install elders and
deacons we are publicly declaring on
behalf of the Lord and on behalf of the
structure of the church if you will but
these people have Authority and they
have responsibility to occupy this
office that sets them apart for a
specific ministry why is that important
because not only must people know what
their responsibilities and privileges
are it must be publicly recognized
because to have responsibilities without
the authority that goes along with it is
a recipe for if aster and so when people
are publicly placed in leadership
they're no longer just your buddy and
they are no longer just your friend or
your husband or your wife they occupy a
particular position of leadership that's
one of the jobs of installation and in
the past and we should still continue to
do that in one form or fashion everybody
that occupies a position of leadership
in the church needs to be publicly
recognized as being ordained to this
particular task gives you authority it
gives you responsibility now furthermore
the laying on our hands and this is a
second part of this is it in part
nation of the gifting of the holy spirit
for that particular office it was Moses
years ago as I recall who was
complaining to the Lord
Who am I to lead these cantankerous
people through the wilderness into the
Promised Land and there isn't one of us
there isn't one of us who is called to
lead God's people who doesn't discover
very quickly but the challenges and the
difficulties that come along with
leadership particularly in this day and
age are far more than what we can handle
and while the flesh you know likes the
recognition and the flesh likes to be
the boss and the flesh wants to be
somebody I'll tell you it wears off real
quick in the reality of the painful
decisions that you need to make and the
laying on of hands is an importation of
wisdom by the Holy Spirit and strength
by the Holy Spirit so that on the one
hand we can hear from God and on the
other hand we can have an ear on God's
people and on the situation that we find
ourselves in in the world so that God's
people can be led in the right direction
good leadership is an incredible gift
that God has given to the church and I
want to tell you we would have never
survived what we have come through in
recent years if it wasn't for the fact
that God in His wisdom with your support
has given you wise and good people to
lead you in God's ways for God's glory
and you ought to give them a hand and
you ought to be grateful to the Lord for
the people that God has put in your life
give you an example of the wisdom that
you need and I don't think I've told
this story before but this is a number
of months ago now we had a young couple
come to the church and periodically
you'll have people come to the church
for handouts and it always takes a lot
of wisdom whether those requests are
genuine or whether they're just using
the church for you know their own
particular drug needs or alcohol needs
and in this particular situation we had
a young couple came in and I think
Valerie and Nancy we're talking to the
young woman didn't you have a child
talking in the office about how can we
help you and unbeknownst to them the
young man was wandering through the
building and Edwin how many microphones
did he steal eight of them stole eight
mics didn't know that until one next
Sunday morning
Edwin comes here and all our microphones
are gone now what are we going to do
well you know we had some extra ones
lying around so but here's the story
they weren't very smart thieves they
pawned them at the local pawn shop Edwin
goes there after church we call the
police long story short we get all eight
of them back and the pawn shop is out
fifty bucks of microphone which is what
they had paid the fees blows your mind
also makes me wonder how in the world of
pawnshop think somebody is is coming
around with eight microphones that they
have lying around they're going to sell
off I mean really aren't those stolen of
course they are stall takes a lot of
wisdom and that's just a very practical
little thing but you know wisdom that
you needed marriage relationships and
wisdom that you need in in making
decisions that relate to people's lives
and to the future and to the well
being of the church and oh really you do
understand we live in very changing
times don't you and that wood used to be
the stability of the family that was
just rock solid and just enabled people
that to grow up into good it's
fragmented people and the needs and
broken people's lives are bigger than
they've ever been and we all need to be
full of the spirit and to be full of
wisdom to know how to navigate the
waters of the changing times so that
God's people can remain faithful to the
Lord and we can have the resources that
we need to make sure that all our needs
are met so that we can remain committed
to the vision that the Lord has for us
but one final lesson then that we draw
from this and that is this the result of
this is rapid growth in the church 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 historically the
church has always struggled with two
opposing needs the one is the need to
look after the needs of the community
the other is to be faithful to the Great
Commission and to reach beyond the Great
Commission those two can only happen if
both needs are being met if the needs of
the community are met then there is
energy to reach out beyond the needs of
the community to the broader community
on the outside and typically what
happens in churches is that when
churches are small they need to grow so
they're committed to evangelism
when churches grow they get to a certain
point where people become very
comfortable with each other and they're
very comfortable Nestle that's not a
word but you know what I'm trying to say
with each other makes it so cozy that
nobody wants Outsiders quote-unquote
becoming part of their nicely organized
world and what you have happening here
is that the the apostles can see that
the tension in this community is going
to split them wide apart and so they
address it by bringing the Deacons on
board and the result is that the
dissatisfaction among the widows dies
down there is peace in the house and now
the Apostles can commit themselves to
stepping outside and continuing their
ministry of prayer and preaching and
what's the result the church grows
rapidly and many priests come to faith
so with that we're going to move this
morning into the installation service
and as we do we want to take note of the
fact that the two people whose terms are
up at this point are a Darryl Brown and
and that ray Dyke Darryl has served as
elder for three years and has served
capably as chair of counsel after Marty
stepped down to go to Tracy New
Brunswick with Tina they're coming back
next week for two weeks just so you know
and they'll be giving a report to the
congregation when they're here and that
has served very capably these three
years is deacon and i would like you to
give them a warm round of grateful
applause
for their service to this community so
replacing them this morning then our job
Alma and errand we are de as elders Joe
has served as elder before errand I
think this is your first term and Sharon
de Reese is being installed as deacon
and Sharon has served as deacon before
as well so here are some reflections
then on leadership from the form of
ordination of elders and deacons that we
use in our denomination and the office
bearers of the church we see the love of
Christ for his people as the Lord of the
church he appoints leaders and by his
Spirit equips them so that believers may
grow in faith develop discipline
Christian living serve others in
selfless love and share with all the
good news of salvation elder served by
governing the church in Christ's name
they receive this task when Christ
entrusted the Apostles and their
successors or the keys of the kingdom of
heaven
elders are responsible for the spiritual
well-being of God's people they must
provide true preaching and teaching
regular celebration of the sacraments
and faithful counsel and discipline and
they must promote fellowship and
hospitality among believers ensure a
good order in the church and stimulate
witness to all people deacons
serve by showing mercy to the church and
to all people they receive this task in
the early church as we have noted this
morning when the Apostles designated
special persons for the work of mercy in
Acts chapter 6 in Christ's name deacons
relieve victims of injustice by this
they show the Christians live by the
spirit of the kingdom fervently desiring
to give life the shape of things to come
deacons are called to assess needs
promote stewardship and hospitality
collect and disburse resources for
benevolence and develop programs of
assistance there also a crack call to
speak words of Christian encouragement
and in word as well as deed they
demonstrate the care of the Lord Himself
going to invite the three of you to come
forward and prepare to respond to
questions of commitment before the Lord
and before the congregation as mentioned
previously appointed to the office of
Elder our job Alma and Aaron we are des
and appointed to the office of deacon is
Sharon DeVries to express your
acceptance of these offices you were
asked here in the presence of God and
His Church to answer these four
questions question number one do you
believe that in the call of this
congregation God Himself is calling you
to these holy offices second do you
believe that the old and the New
Testaments are the Word of God the only
infallible rule of faith and life fair
do you subscribe to the doctrinal
standards of this church rejecting all
teaching which contradicts them and
fourth do you promise to do the work of
your office's faithfully in a way worthy
of your calling and in submission to the
government and discipline of the church
and what is your answer
Jill what is your answer and Sharon what
is your answer going to ask the existing
office bearers to come forward we're
going to Commission these two men and
sharing with prayer and the laying on of
hands following that our retiring chair
will charge the congregation and
then following that we will have a song
of response and we will start drawing
the service to a close so we invite you
to join us in prayer you don't have to
but if you feel comfortable it's it's
it's a good practice to extend your hand
just raise it like this extend your hand
to join us in blessing these newly
installed office bearers and inviting
the Lord's blessing on them so they may
lead you well into the green pastures of
by the God you want to thank you for
Aaron Jill and for sharing thank you
that they were willing to step forward
and that you chose them to serve in
these offices pray that you will equip
them with your holy spirit with wisdom
and with the gifts that they will need
as they go forward pray that they will
truly share in your heart and your
vision for Maranatha for this church
this body that you have called together
here and that they will lead it with
your discernment and with your love and
the Lord I just want to agree with
David's prayer and thank you for these
faithful servants I pray Lord your
blessing on them your protection over
them and their families I asked Lord
that you would impart your holy spirit
upon them even now that you would fill
them that you would empower them that
you would grant them the fullness of the
gifts that you've provided for them Lord
may they experience growth in their own
lives and never underestimate Lord how
you can use people who are obedient to
you
and now may God our Heavenly Father it
was called you to the sacred offices
guide you by his word equip you with his
spirit and so prosper your ministries
that his church may increase and his
name be praised and all God's people
agreed and said amen and amen
with the congregation please stand for
the charge I charge you people of God to
receive these office bearers as Christ's
gift to the church recognizing them the
Lord's provision for healthy
congregational life hold them in honor
take their counsel seriously respond to
them with obedience and respect accept
their help with thanks sustain them in
prayer and encourage them with your
support especially when they feel the
burden of their office acknowledge to
them as the Lord servants among you do
you congregation pledge to receive them
as you have been charged we do god help
you