Hello TMC Family and Friends!

during the month of July 2023, we received deacon nominations from the congregation. After the Board of Elders prayerfully and carefully evaluated the nominations, we are happy to report that we have two strong deacon candidates and one yokefellow candidate (deacon in preparation) that we believe God has provided to serve The Mission Church of Lexington! These three men are now being trained to serve in this important Biblical office. If once the deacon training is finished and the deacon candidates as well as the Board of Elders believe the Lord is still leading in this matter, these three men will be presented to the church during the “Information and Celebration Gathering” on December 3^rd for church affirmation. The newly established Board of Deacons will begin their tenure in January 2024. Over the next 6 weeks I will be sharing with you through this blog the sessions that I am using to train and equip our deacons so they can be the deacons they want to be and so they can be the deacons that TMC needs them to be! I believe the information in these sessions have spiritual and practical benefit to every Christian and every covenant church member.

 

Scenario Conversation Starter:

Harold and Betty have been long-time, faithful members of the church, but lately they have grown concerned with the direction the worship is taking: the music seems too loud; the songs are unfamiliar; and a growing number of young adults have been closing their eyes and lifting their hands during worship- even shouting occasionally. Plus, Harold and Betty get tired of standing so long during the music. “Why can’t we sit down every now and then?” they whisper to each other. While Harold is slowly adapting to the new worship style. Betty continues to think that church services should be quiet, reverent, and sacred. To her, people being expressive and energetic during the church worship service really bothers her. She thinks it’s downright distracting and just makes her feel uncomfortable. She doesn’t know if it will do any good, but she decides to talk to someone who has influence to let him know that she is not the only one who feels this way.

If Betty knew you were a deacon and sought you out to share her concerns with you, what would you tell her and how would you try to help her? As a deacon, what is your responsibility if or when a situation like this arises at The Mission Church of Lexington?

 

As much as I love to preach and teach the Word of God, I can assure you that without a regular schedule of public and private worship of the Lord Jesus Christ I would be totally ineffective as a pastor of this church and a preacher of the Gospel. I simply must worship. I cannot live and function without it. And neither can you!

 

“Worship” is a compound word that means to “give worth”. Worshipping God acknowledges that He is worthy of what we are giving. God demands, deserves, and desires our worship. The result of sincere worship is a yielded and obedient heart. The Bible has a lot to say about worship, and Jesus was specific in what he had to say about it.

 

John 4:23-24 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. ²⁴ God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

God is standing and knocking at the door of our heart, desiring not only to speak to us but also to spend time with us. As spiritual leaders, deacons have a need to worship God in spirit and in truth, and two aspects of worship must exist for a deacon to be faithful to the Word, to the church, and to prayer and praise.

 

1- A Deacon and His Private Worship

As spiritual leaders, our private time alone with God should be the top priority of every day. If a deacon is not having regular communion with the God he serves, how can he ever hope to fulfill his calling? Deacons cannot lead others where they have not been or are not willing to go themselves.

 

A deacon, therefore, must be a worshipper if he hopes to help others become worshippers. Personal time alone with God was Jesus’ habit. Habits are often thought of negatively, but habits can be positive. I call these holy habits. A deacon can have no better habit than beginning each day with the Lord.

 

Mark 1:35 Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.

 

The times of corporate worship are only as good as the accumulation of the individual times of our private worship. Don’t just come to church to worship but bring your worship to church with you! Several aspects of private worship are: 

1. To be in conversation with God
2. To be in communion with God
3. To be consumed by God.

 

Private worship leads to personal purity. Purity in turn empowers public service. To be a deacon you want to be, you must realize that nothing ranks higher than personal purity. If you miss in the area of personal purity, everything else falls by the wayside.

 

2- A Deacon and His Public Worship

It just makes sense that a deacon should attend and participate in the events his church deems important. And what is more important than the worship services where the congregation gathers for music and praise, prayer, Bible preaching, collecting an offering, fellowship as a church body, and a time of personal decision and commitment. A deacon should be faithful in worship.

 

Deacons and pastors are the only church officers mentioned in the New Testament, and they share equal responsibility in promoting and attending church services. Since no group ever rises above its leadership, pastors and deacons should set the example for faithful attendance and participation. In so doing, they will be raising the standard for the rest of the church family to follow their example.

 

1 Corinthians 11:1 Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.

 

An important part of public worship is the giving of tithes and offerings, and a deacon should be faithful to this part of public worship. A man should not be considered for ordination or installation as a deacon if he does not contribute financial support to his own church. The faithfulness of a man in giving to the church he serves is one of the clearest indicators of his true attitude toward the church. How can a deacon serve a church when his heart is not in it? It will be very difficult for a pastor to lead church members to give faithfully when their deacons are not setting the example.

 

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

Prayer is another significant part of public worship, and a deacon must be faithful in prayer. Like private worship, a deacon must practice private prayer during the week if he is to be effective in his public prayers on Sunday. Because they share spiritual leadership in the church, deacons and pastors ought to be the most faithful prayer warriors in the church, praying for the needs of the people. One of the greatest blessings a deacon can bestow on his pastor is to pray with him and for him. Fellas, I need the prayer and you need the practice… so keep those prayers coming my way!

 

Deacons should also be sensitive to those who attend public worship services. God may use a deacon more while he is on his way to a service than when he is in his normal place of service. A deacon’s opportunities to serve can occur in the most unexpected places. Jesus said that the two greatest commandments are to love God and to love other people. We show our love to God during public worship services, but those services do not necessarily provide the opportunity to show love to others as much as other times of personal ministry. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10) showed his love and concern not in a worship setting but in a roadside setting.

 

A deacon should be faithful in his support of the pastor. This partnership is on full display before a watching congregation. The church will have its highest expression of worship when pastor and deacons serve God in a loving partnership.

 

In closing, everything God wants a deacon to be and everything a deacon wants to be- extends from his heart as a sincere worshipper of God. A deacon’s private worship life energizes his public worship life with a vibrant faith that overflows to the people he serves. Worship is the key to being an effective deacon.

 

Discussion Questions:

1. Share about your private time with the Lord? What does your daily devotional life look like?
2. Jesus said he is look for worshippers who will worship the Father in spirit and truth (John 4:23-24), what do you think is meant by this?
3. How does a deacon’s giving reflect his attitude toward the church he serves? Can anyone share some of the blessings you have received by giving your tithes and offerings to Christ through the His church?

If this blog post has grabbed your curiosity and you would like to know more, please pursue any/all of the below options:

1-              Contact me at pastor@missionchurchlex.org

2-              Check out our church website Misisonchurchlex.org

3-              Visit us for Community Celebration and Worship every Sunday at 9am and 11am (Facebook livestreaming available at 9am) and Mission Groups                   each Wednesday at 630pm. We are located at 3288 Beaver Creek Drive Lexington KY 40515.

4-              Follow us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missionchurch.lex

5-              Continue to read this weekly blog- “Find your Why with Pastor D”