Transcript
Speaker: yeah So today going look at the five offices in the church. Apostles, prophets very briefly, because we looked at them last week, evangelists, pastors, and my personal favorite, teachers.
Speaker: Okay, so these are all gifts of Holy Spirit. First Corinthians, which is a letter that Paul wrote to a church in Corinth in ancient Greece. I've been to the Corinth church. It is outside, outdoors, gorgeous, really, really beautiful.
Speaker: If ever you are in Greece, go to the exact location. It's wonderful. It says there are different kinds of gifts. You know, God has different kinds of children.
Speaker: So Holy Spirit gives different gifts to his children. But they're all given to believers by the same Spirit, Holy Spirit. Because we have different gifts, there are different ways to serve, to look after each other.
Speaker: But they all come from the same Lord Jesus, think that we are like, you know, actors, and he's sitting in the director's chair telling us where to go.
Speaker: There are different ways Holy Spirit works. But the same God, Father God, is working in all these ways and in all of his people.
Speaker: So Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all working together through us. Why? Because we believe that when Jesus died on the cross and we put our belief in him, our evil words, thoughts, and deeds were washed away And now we're forgiven, now we're clean.
Speaker: And he wants all the world to know that. So he gives us gifts to help us share it
Speaker: There are a lot of gifts, but today we're going look at five. It's called the fivefold ministry.
Speaker: What separates these ones is they can be a gift or they can be an office. A gift is It's something Holy Spirit gives you.
Speaker: Because he does. but but You might have a high up position in a church. You may not. It doesn't matter. It's not a about a platform. It's not about position.
Speaker: That's just a gift. He gives it to you. And whatever you do or don't do, you have it forever.
Speaker: But God is a God of order. He is building a house on the earth. So we also have the offices. The offices should be the governance or the leadership in a church.
Speaker: And there are five particular gifts which really help a church to run very healthily. Do you see them in every church congregation?
Speaker: now but But if you did, it would be a very healthy church.
Speaker: Ephesians 4.11 says, Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors, and the teachers to equip his people for service.
Speaker: Because here's the reality.
Speaker: God is good. God does stuff. God uses people. But unless someone actually explains it to you, you're not going to know these things. They're not actually obvious. So we need people tites to teach, to equip, to lead.
Speaker: Why? So the body of Christ, that's the church, may be built up, strengthened, increased in numbers, increased in power and influence,
Speaker: until we all reach unity in the faith. Is every Christian in unity with each other? no So we have a long way to go. And in the knowledge of the Son of God, do we all have the same knowledge of Jesus?
Speaker: No. I've met some Christians who have a very bizarre knowledge of Jesus. Then there are people who've only been Christians for a short time. So maybe they know the most important things, but there's more to learn.
Speaker: You could be a Christian and be part of a certain tradition in Christianity. So you might know a heck of a lot in some areas, but maybe not so much in others.
Speaker: And become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
Speaker: So if ever you thought you were redundant or unemployed, every Christian has job. Now, one of the ways, one of the pictures that we sometimes use help people remember the gifts is a hand.
Speaker: The thumb is the longest finger you have. starts here and it ends all the way down here. That's the gift of the apostles.
Speaker: The apostles were the fathers of the church about 2,000 years ago, who laid the foundations of the church.
Speaker: Next, you've got the prophets, the ones who point to the way. This is what God is saying. This is what the devil is planning. This will happen in 2030.
Speaker: This is happening now. God is saying to this. God knows what you did last night.
Speaker: In the middle, you got the evangelist. The evangelist connects the lost, people who don't believe in Jesus yet, with heaven.
Speaker: They mediate the lost, or the unsaved, the unbeliever. We have different names, it's all the same group of people. With the one who loves them most.
Speaker: Love himself.
Speaker: Then... You got the the pastors, the ring finger. These people are married to their church congregation. They wake up thinking about church.
Speaker: They have their breakfast thinking about church. They eat their lunch praying for their church congregation. After dinner, they're fixing their church's problems.
Speaker: They don't have weekends because they're leading their church. They're married to their church. They're obsessed with church. They eat, sleep, and breathe church.
Speaker: And then you got the teachers. The ones who clean out the ears of the church. Who say, yeah, that's bullcrap. That's wrong.
Speaker: Don't believe that anymore. Really? You think that's true? Who said that to you? Let me give you a Bible verse. We're the teachers. We're the ones that nobody likes. because we're very, very strict and militant with the word. Apart from you guys, you guys are great.
Speaker: Your love is palpable.
Speaker: All right, so apostleship, the apostles. Apostle means one who is sent by God, one who has a special commission from God.
Speaker: Apostles, if you look at the early days of the church, are responsible for teaching, guiding people, and also maintaining doctrinal purity, which is to say when Jesus was on the earth and he had his 12 disciples, and then he called Paul to talk to people who weren't Jewish, people had a lot of confusion about God the Father.
Speaker: his heart, but who Jesus was, who he wasn't. Their job was to make these things as crystal clear as possible.
Speaker: Now, the Bible gives some criteria of what an apostle is, or at least originally was. 1 Corinthians 9.1, it was somebody who saw not just Jesus, a lot of people saw Jesus,
Speaker: but the resurrected Jesus. Jesus after he came back from the dead.
Speaker: It's one who has been specifically chosen by Holy Spirit to do that job, because Holy Spirit gives the gifts. Jesus and Father God always agree with Holy Spirit, but it's Holy Spirit's a job.
Speaker: One who has the ability to perform signs and wonders.
Speaker: Now, today, how many people have seen the resurrected Jesus? Not very many. Maybe if it appears to be a vision or a dream. although Otherwise, probably not.
Speaker: But when people use the word apostle today, it's not really the very same as it was in Bible times, per se But now it's more like a missionary.
Speaker: a messenger. Someone who maybe goes to different parts of the world talking about Jesus. They're not getting unique revelation from heaven, se.
Speaker: The Bible has 66 books. It does not need a 67th. But today it's more of a missionary. Someone who travels around and tells people about Jesus.
Speaker: In the Bible, these here are the people who were referred to as apostles. Firstly, Jesus. Fair enough. Then Simon Peter...
Speaker: Now, his name was Simon. Jesus called him Peter. It was a nickname. It means rock. Even before Dwayne Johnson. Andrew, his brother.
Speaker: Then you had James and John. Jesus also had a nickname for them. But it wasn't a good name. It was the Sons of Thunder. Because in every Bible chapter they're in, they were fighting with somebody.
Speaker: They had bad attitudes. ah I know some Christians today who are sons and daughters of thunder. I don't call them that because I think it's offensive to God who's their father.
Speaker: But I know some people of thunder. There was Philip and Bartholomew.
Speaker: Thomas. Now Thomas and had a nickname, The Twin. So he probably had a twin. Matthew. There was another James.
Speaker: Then the same way today, sometimes people can have two names. You had one who's called Thaddeus, but his nickname was also Judas.
Speaker: Simon the Zealot. Think of, if you're in Ireland, think of the IRA, yeah Freedom fighters turned terrorists. Hello? That's what the Zealots were.
Speaker: They were freedom fighters who killed Romans for fun. Jesus could even turn a terrorist life around. That's how great he is. And then we have the dada Judas Iscariot.
Speaker: That's why most people call the other guy Thaddeus, because Judas is such a horrible name After he committed suicide, he was replaced by Matthias. And then probably the most famous of them all is Paul.
Speaker: Paul was actually a man who arrested early believers, got them put in jail, and got them murdered by the authorities. But Jesus is so good that he even revealed himself to Paul, saved him.
Speaker: And Paul is the reason that Christianity now exists in Europe. And then we'll got all Paul's friends in the next three columns, in the next three rows, rather.
Speaker: So the ones who laid the foundation church are the ones that I mentioned. Jesus, and then the Twelve, and Judas killed himself, but then Matthias jumped in they primarily dealt with the nation of Israel.
Speaker: Paul took it internationally, and he just had the best revelation. ah He got the full revelation of how good the cross of Jesus was, and the total forgiveness of sins.
Speaker: Yeah, the best books in the Bible written by Paul, absolutely.
Speaker: Now, if this seems a bit science fictional, that's okay. We will come to this at the end of the course, in like week 20, this little cheeky preview. But at the end of all things, even after the apocalypse and the judgment, hello, God remakes heaven, the world of heaven,
Speaker: He remakes the sky and he remakes the earth. It's called the new earth, a very original title. I'm sure you will agree.
Speaker: And it writes, John writes in revelation 21 that Jerusalem, the capital of Israel will come down out of heaven.
Speaker: Jesus called it his holy city and will land on the Earth, and this city will be unlike any other city.
Speaker: It will be box of 2,200 kilometers in length, width, and depth. It's almost like he's giving a Christmas present, but and you have to go in to see what the city is like.
Speaker: This city will shine with the glory of God, because Jesus will be there as its king. And its brilliance will be like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as a crystal.
Speaker: If ever you're having a bad day, go and Google images and type in New Jerusalem. People's artistic imagination is just sublime.
Speaker: And here's the wonderful thing about Jesus. sauce He never forgets what you do for him. Never, ever, ever. And therefore, for Simon Peter, Andrew, the Sons of Thunder, Philip Bartholomew Thomas, Matthew James, Thaddeus, Simon the Zealot, screw you, Judas, you're not included, but Matthias is her placement.
Speaker: This city will have 12 foundations, each of precious stone, and their names, the 12, a problem Judas Iscariot, will be on the 12 foundations, on the walls of the foundations. And that's just phenomenal. I mean, these guys were Jesus' best friends on the earth.
Speaker: And he will continue to honour them even at the end of all things and the start of the new reality. He's just so absolutely good.
Speaker: So those guys and Paul had the office of the apostle. They laid the foundations.
Speaker: The ones who came after them They had the gift of an apostle. They were messengers. They were missionaries. They traveled around telling people about the good news of Jesus.
Speaker: That if you believe that he died on the cross one time, he will not go up there again, one time, to forgive you of every sin you've ever committed, every time you've ever missed the mark,
Speaker: His Holy Spirit will come into you. You will be 100% forgiven. You will be his child. Your adoption papers are in heaven, signed by him.
Speaker: He has a book called Darren Nash. He's got a book called Jamie Judge. He's got a book called Jeanette. I hope I don't butcher your surname.
Speaker: Il Sacker. Correct me if I'm wrong afterwards.
Speaker: And in that book, he only has every good deed you've ever done, every good word you've ever spoken, every good holy thought that's ever gone through your head.
Speaker: No record of wrongs. It was dealt with at the cross. That is how good Jesus is.
Speaker: So do we still have apostles today? Not in the same way. Personally, I try to avoid using the word for 21st century people. I try to just say missionary or messenger.
Speaker: If someone tells me they're an apostle, I assume that they just run around telling people God's good. Which they should do.
Speaker: All right, then. The second one mentioned were prophets. I won't spend too long on this. We looked at it last week. But prophets are divinely inspired to communicate God's will.
Speaker: And also the plans of the enemy, the plans of evil forces and evil people. For a prophet,
Speaker: I genuinely do not plan these in advance. it just comes to me spontaneously. Think of a monitor. Prophets monitor what is happening on the earth and in heaven or in the spirit world.
Speaker: And we tell people. We tell vision. but i God tells us things. We see what's coming ahead time.
Speaker: And we share it with the world. Do people usually like it? No, they think it's weird. I used think it was weird. I to share prophecies all the time and I sometimes think it's weird.
Speaker: but but Sometimes I listen to things I say and I'm like, oh my goodness, what most people think. But you know what? God thinks it's grace.
Speaker: Regarding prophecy, God sees the earth through the nation of Israel. In Psalm 17, he says, Israel is the apple or the pupil of his eye.
Speaker: So what happens in Israel prophetically will impact the rest of the world. That's why, regardless of what you hear on the media, I strongly encourage all of you to pray for Israel in these days.
Speaker: That they will deal with Hamas and their enemies, um and that God's will will indeed be done. um Because...
Speaker: The end of the Bible talks about Jesus returning to Israel and defeating evil and basically bringing heaven on earth. If there is no Israel, but humanity does not have a happy ending.
Speaker: Israel must survive.
Speaker: Prophecy also reveals Jesus. Every gift. Yes, Holy Spirit's amazing and he's wonderful great. But Holy Spirit wants Jesus to get the credit.
Speaker: Holy Spirit wants your focus on Jesus. If someone has an amazing gift, yet they never mention Jesus once... Red flag.
Speaker: Prophecy should encourage God's kids. There are times when I have to share a particular word God gives me. And you know what? It's not always pretty.
Speaker: But if it's of God, there should be something to it to encourage the saints. And when I say saints, I'm not talking dead people. Everyone who believes in the finished work of the cross is a saint in God's eyes.
Speaker: It's also meant to save you from trouble. Sometimes prophets will throw something out there, will say something big and bad is going to happen this year. Why?
Speaker: Because we don't want you to fall for it. We don't want you to be deceived or destroyed. we want you to be alert.
Speaker: Prophecy reveals the future ahead of time.
Speaker: lot of Christians don't like this next one. Prophecy is political. i remember um waking up one morning at six o'clock and Holy Spirit said, Brendan, today Queen Elizabeth II is gonna die. And I thought, eh?
Speaker: Well, I'm not sharing that with anybody, God. You know what? 7, 7.30 that evening, it happens. God will always speak concerning monarchies, politicians, political systems.
Speaker: um There are times he'll tell me, so-and-so's gonna get shot. So-and-so's gonna win an election. Someone's going to win election and it's going to get stolen. God shares this all the time.
Speaker: And also there are prophetic narratives. This is when you're reading the Bible and God will tell you the future through that Bible story. Carolina, know you've got family in Syria, so I think this in particular i will be good for you to know. 1 Kings 19 to 2 Kings 10.
Speaker: to second kings ten it quite a stretch, but I do encourage you to read that in your free time. But in short, it's a Bible story where Ben-Hadad was the king of Aram, or Syria.
Speaker: Elisha was the prophet of Israel.
Speaker: Hazael worked for Ben-Hadad. Now Ben-Hadad, it wasn't a name, it was a title, like Pharaoh king. or prime minister, um was on his deathbed. He was very, very sick.
Speaker: So Hazael went to Elisha and said, my master's in bed, what's going to happen? and Elisha said, oh he will survive this. But he will not live for long.
Speaker: Destruction is coming.
Speaker: And next thing, he stared at Hazael Hazael was gazed at so long, he felt embarrassed. but but And then Elisha began to cry. Hazael asked, why are you crying, my lord?
Speaker: And Elisha said, because I know what you're like, Hazael. I know what you're going to do to my people, is Israel. You're going to kill their young men.
Speaker: You're gonna run up to their pregnant women, tear open their bellies, take their children, and dash their children to the ground. And Hazael responded, am I a dog? I would never do this, what's And Elisha said, yeah, you can't lie to a prophet.
Speaker: I know what you're like. um So Hazael returned back to Aram, to Syria, and he said to the king, Ben-Hadad, Oh, the prophet said you're gonna survive, congratulations.
Speaker: And he killed him in his bed.
Speaker: That's happening today.
Speaker: What Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, like Ben Haddad, an evil man who'd done incredibly evil things.
Speaker: But then along came Hazael, Abu, Mohammed, Al Jalani, and all the media said, oh, wow, amazing, serious, this is super, woohoo!
Speaker: Well, what happened? Hazael died politically. he didn't die in bed by suffocation by pillow, but politically his regime ended.
Speaker: But the one man who said, oh I'm going to save my country. I'm a good guy. I'm not a dog. Well, now look what he's doing to Christians.
Speaker: And I believe that that's a prophetic narrative, two stories, one the Bible, one today, running simultaneously. But I do believe the very best days of Syria are ahead and that God is going to do mighty, amazing things there among his people.
Speaker: And that these days of darkness... will not truly and forevermore be their portion. I really believe that, Carolina. So guys, when you do think of Syria, please just remember Carolina's family who are still there and just pray the goodness of God over their lives. Amen.
Speaker: All right, then the third group are the evangelists. Evangelists means a missionary. A bearer of good tidings. Someone who brings good news.
Speaker: Now you might say, well, every Christian brings good news. Yeah. But some people just bring it extra well. It's a specific gift that they have. Especially when talking to people who don't know the Lord or only have very bad experience of church.
Speaker: Or maybe they hear church And actually they think of abuse, spiritual abuse, physical, mental, sexual abuse.
Speaker: Maybe people who pretended to know God were actually very defiled and depraved and hurt them.
Speaker: But evangelists have this amazing ability so passionately share the truth of the cross, and Jesus salvation with those do not yet know it.
Speaker: um For example, we've got a ministry in Ireland called Crown Jesus. And what they want is to have big double-decker bus with a Lego theme and to drive around their bus so children and their families can get and have kids clubs.
Speaker: A fun way of getting to know Jesus. A fun, non-threatening way.
Speaker: Or when I was at university, we did Question for a Cookie, where we set up a stall, and we would have ice cream, and cake, and cookies, and if someone wanted to bake something, they could bake something, pancakes.
Speaker: And it was all free. There were no price tags. However, when someone was like, oh wow, ice cream. Yeah, please. We'd say, no, you must ask a question first about faith, theology, Jesus, our relationship with God.
Speaker: Then you can take whatever you like. And they would pause for a few seconds and think, but you know what? Their questions were gold.
Speaker: Give someone the opportunity to ask a question. And my goodness, they ask the best questions. And you know what? Sometimes I'd ask a question and maybe we wouldn't have an answer.
Speaker: I would say, you know what? We're gonna think about that. We're gonna pray you about it. We'll ask one of our friends. Come back in an hour and we'll give you an answer. But please take something from the table.
Speaker: Because it's okay not to know everything. Especially if you're very young in your faith. You're not gonna know everything. I've been a Christian for 30 years. I definitely do not know everything.
Speaker: When I was 21, was convinced I knew everything. yeah but Now, every year I go on with Jesus, I only learn one thing. How little I had known the year before. ah but Because God is that big and that amazing and you never arrive. There's always more to learn.
Speaker: oh man. In fact, the book of Ephesians, the New Testament, has this wonderful line where it says, for ages untold, you will learn more about the grace of God.
Speaker: So just when you are in heaven and you think, ha haha I finally understand everything, you he'll take your breath away. He'll amaze you all over again. He'll show you a new layer and dimension of his love and just blow your mind.
Speaker: You will never be bored. You will never stop learning. You will just live in awe and wonder forever.
Speaker: There's another great guy called John Edwards. He appears least three times on this. and He spends a lot of time in Ireland, UK, and the USA. And and i could be wrong. I think God rescued him from a life of drug crime years ago.
Speaker: So now he drives around in a giant syringe, a giant needle, just driving around with this big drug needle. And people go, oh my goodness, what the heck is this? You're corrupting our children. And he says, no I used to.
Speaker: But then I met Jesus. And he turned my life around. Would you like to hear how?
Speaker: One day a few years ago, i think this was during The C-O-V-I-D word, I won't say, in case YouTube hides this video and shadowbans me.
Speaker: I think it was back then. He basically made a coffin. And he lay in the coffin. And he was buried underground.
Speaker: And in a live stream, he taught people the Bible while being buried alive. And he just spoke about Jesus' resurrection. The most wonderful,
Speaker: teaching idea I've ever heard. in fact, i'm just embarrassed that I hadn't thought of it at first. And now I refuse to do it in case I'm called a copycat. but But you can still see it online, I'm sure. Check it out.
Speaker: Another thing that he did, this guy's just a great evangelist. He basically picked up a cross and he went for a walk. Kilometer after kilometer after kilometer carrying a cross.
Speaker: And people were like, oh my goodness, who the heck is this? What is he doing? And he would say, well, actually, I'm doing what someone else did 2000 years ago.
Speaker: It's a really amazing story. Would you like to hear it? Simple idea. Very powerful.
Speaker: ah Food festivals are another great option, um especially if you have like a feast day. Like in Ireland, we have St. Bridget's Day, St. Patrick's Day. Every nation has Easter Sunday.
Speaker: um Food festivals. Food brings people together in ways nothing else does. I think that's why you see Jesus at so many dinner parties in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John in the Bible.
Speaker: Or another idea that someone told me that they did was they have different pictures of Jesus on a table. It might be Jesus playing basketball with the devil, because why not?
Speaker: It could be Jesus ice skating so elegantly and gracefully. Could be Jesus playing soccer. um It could be fat Jesus.
Speaker: It's interesting. I've seen a lot of pictures of Jesus, and a lot of them have been very insulting and... Really blasphemous. But it was only last week, the first time ever, i saw one of that Jesus. Because let's be honest, he just walked around talking about Father God and the Kingdom of God all day long.
Speaker: But they just get really provocative pictures of Jesus. They put them on a table, people come over, and they say, hey, when you think of Jesus, which of these do you think of?
Speaker: And then someone might pick most blasphemous one there is. Okay, why'd you pick that one? Hmm, and i've heard of Jesus before? ah you did at primary school when you were child.
Speaker: What do you remember? Okay, you made your first Holy Communion, okay. What's the importance of communion to you? What do you remember, people telling you? This of thing.
Speaker: It's just a conversation starter. Some people might think it's a bit edgy, but you know what? If we get the conversation going, you don't know where we'll stop.
Speaker: Another great one is beach evangelism. Obviously during the summer, we're like on a hot day. You know, someone's out in the middle of winter, don't stop them to talk about Christ, unless Holy Spirit tells you to. and But yeah, talk to people when they're in that fun, relaxed atmosphere, environment and mood already.
Speaker: Or another one, and our gospel tracts, little booklets with Bible facts in them, very simplified short. Or there's some, let's say, the fake money coins, the one million euro note, that people look at and they know it's fake.
Speaker: But when you turn around it around, says, this note may be fake, but this notice is not. And then it just gives a summary of the gospel of Jesus.
Speaker: Fun little quirky ideas.
Speaker: Some people love to wear air clothes, you know, with overtly Christian messages or even bracelets, wristbands. For example, this a very popular one.
Speaker: The heart. Jesus loves you. The division mark. Sin has divided us from God. The cross.
Speaker: No more division. You and God are good, and you're also good with people. Question mark. What are you going to do about it?
Speaker: And then you can also out little bags of flower seeds. I saw someone doing this last year, and I'll be honest, I thought she was bloody nuts. But you know what?
Speaker: People loved it. It was probably the most successful street evangelism i was part of. but
Speaker: And also sometimes evangelists make things a bit weird, or at least we think they do. We think, oh my goodness, how do you just walk up to someone talking about Jesus? But actually, you can engage with culture and traditions that already exist.
Speaker: There was one particular event and on ah on a beach where there was a professional sandcastle competition. um So basically, and people came along and, you know, just made all these and sandcastles. And just read what the person involved said.
Speaker: Every year the town has a professional sandcastle competition. And it just helps our evangelism so much. Someone will ask, where's the proof of God?
Speaker: And I'll point to Sandcastle. You don't have to reinvent the wheel and get too creative. If it's there, use it.
Speaker: I'll point to Sandcastle like this one and say, would you believe me if I told you that a giant sandstorm throwing dirt around made this?
Speaker: And after the dirt settled, this sculpted sandcastle emerged. Would you believe that? Of course, everyone says no. And I tell them that's because the sandcastle has a design and a purpose.
Speaker: And the very same way, you have a very specific design a very specific purpose. Because you were made by the best designer there is.
Speaker: And he only has good, perfect, pleasing purposes for every person on earth. Amen?
Speaker: All right, then I get to number four. The pastors. Now, the word pastor in Ephesians 4.11 actually translates as a shepherd, which I think is very symbolic.
Speaker: But the Bible gives them other names as well.
Speaker: Bishops. Overseers, Presbyters, not Presbyterians, i love our Presbyterian brothers and sisters, i said Presbyter. Deacons, superintendents, elders, God-stewards. The Bible gives all those names, they're all pastors.
Speaker: It translates as a shepherd, a herdsman, a feeder, a protector, the ruler of a flock of men. It's not that your pastor is your boss, but they're supposed to help you.
Speaker: One who tends, leads, and cares for a flock of sheep. Leaders are pastors who guide and mature a community of believers.
Speaker: The presiding officer, manager, and director of an assembly. Sorry, hold on second.
Speaker: Okay, it's gone, okay.
Speaker: Okay, then. in days when legal systems are failing, in particular, such as these days,
Speaker: when life is just hard, life is just tough, things are falling and down around us at the uppermost level, that is when God sends shepherds and prophets actually, pastors and prophets in particular.
Speaker: If you read, let's say, the book of Judges, you've got Samson. Samson was the Hercules of the Bible who was supposed to lead his people.
Speaker: to deliver his people from their enemies. But Samson was compromised. He loved making bad decisions, especially regarding his libido.
Speaker: So therefore, the enemy got territory in the nation, took ground. So the Lord had to send David. David was a little shepherd boy, a pastor of some sheep, you might say.
Speaker: And then he went on to become a king and a prophet. And I believe in these days, when legal systems are being used and abused by the wicked, and we look at the top of our nations and primarily see evildoers, i believe God has such a large call on the earth for shepherds who are willing to look after their sheep going the extra mile and prophets as well. Timothy 3 gives a list of instructions for pastors.
Speaker: They should be blameless. Not easy, because the job isn't easy. Beyond reproach. Self-controlled.
Speaker: Sensible. Respectable. Hospitable.
Speaker: Able to teach the Bible. It helps. Gentle. Considerate.
Speaker: Excuse me. Yep. What is this beyond repro? How pronounce Reproach is when someone can say something like, you know, you're not a good person. I know what you're...
Speaker: If God has put you in a role of a pastor, people should not be able to associate you with wickedness. You should say, yeah I don't do that.
Speaker: Yeah, I don't speak like that. Do you mean like someone would not say to pastor, you need to say it?
Speaker: Yeah, they they shouldn't be legitimately able to say it. If they say it, it should be a lie But they shouldn't actually truly be able to associate you with evil. Right? well Because you are the shepherd of some sheep, and if you're ah very bad shepherd, or you're ah corrupt shepherd, or a compromised shepherd, you're putting a lot of lives at risk.
Speaker: You're putting a lot lives at risk. yeah People who are depending on you, especially very young Christians. o If you are compromised, they might run away from Jesus, you know? Yes, i know. Thank you for explaining.
Speaker: You're welcome.
Speaker: They should also be able to manage their household. If they have kids, their kids should show respect, should show good behavior, should show Jesus.
Speaker: pastors should have a good reputation in their church congregation and outside it as well.
Speaker: They should be worthy of respect, not demanding respect, not saying, I'm a pastor, give me money. Because of how they live, they should generate that respect naturally.
Speaker: That means being honorable, ethical with their finances, of good character.
Speaker: They should take the time to study the Bible, to know the true gospel of Jesus, and to be able to teach it, to relay it to other people.
Speaker: They should also be tested. We shouldn't just put Christians on platforms until we've actually seen their character. because we can all go through difficult times, but if you are put through the fire to the text to a test and you're in a position of leadership and so many lives are connected to yours, it can be very damaging to other people's walk.
Speaker: And Deaconesses, that's a pastor who's a woman, um must also be worthy of respect and trustworthy in all things.
Speaker: The Bible also tells us in Timothy 3 what pastors should not do. They should not be polygamists. Now you might think today, Brendan, no one has two or three spouses in the Western world. well But in the first century, you know, a man did have two, three or four wives.
Speaker: But in the Bible, to the Christians, they were told, no, you're going to stop that. That's a bad habit. but but One man, one wife, that's enough.
Speaker: Says they should not be addicted to wine. Hello. They should not be a bully. Dictating, abusing people because of their position or their title.
Speaker: They should not be quick to anger. Be patient people.
Speaker: They should not be greedy for power or wealth or influence.
Speaker: They shouldn't be a new Christian. Again, that comes at being tested. They should be in the faith for a while until Holy Spirit says, okay, now you're ready.
Speaker: They should not be double-tongued, have two tongues. Saying this over here and this over here. Saying this to one group of people because they want their money. Saying this to another group of people because they, i don't know, want their influence or their love or their trust.
Speaker: One mind. Speaking with credibility. authentic Authenticity, not manipulation. No doublespeak.
Speaker: They should not want dishonest gain. And also, they should not be gossips. If you're in a pastoral role, people are going to trust you with a lot of things.
Speaker: Are you trustworthy to carry their heart?
Speaker: Can I ask, is hot heat the same as hot tempered? Yes, exactly. it's It's all the same. They're synonyms, yeah.
Speaker: Okay, thank you. Okay, so it's hot-headed. It's like your head is red. Because you're so angry. Right?
Speaker: Titus 1 gives some more i do's and don'ts. Let's try the do's in yellow.
Speaker: They should be of unquestionable integrity. So good that people know that they're good. Again, this is not easy. But the job isn't easy.
Speaker: If they have children, their children should believe in Jesus on the cross.
Speaker: They should have moral integrity.
Speaker: They're also God's stewards. A steward does not mean you're the boss. It means the boss trusts you to guard and manage his house, his church, his fellowship, his people.
Speaker: Pastors should love what's good.
Speaker: They should be upright, fair, devout.
Speaker: They should be disciplined when they're in front of people and behind closed doors.
Speaker: They also need to hold on to the trustworthiness of the word of God. They should not be okay teaching lies or half-truths. But that's what I always believed. That's what my church believes. That's what my denomination says.
Speaker: That's what my tithing congregation want to hear. Now, you teach the word of God or you don't teach at all. but
Speaker: And when people come along spreading lies, lies about the word of God, the hearts of God, God's people, pastors are supposed to protect their sheep, to stand up for the word of God and say, that's a myth, that's a legend, that's a lie, that's a deception, that's demonic.
Speaker: That is not one of God's commands, that's a human command.
Speaker: And Titus 1 also gives some do-nots.
Speaker: If their children are immoral or rebellious, up to no good, red flag, it's a bad sign.
Speaker: They should not be self-willed.
Speaker: Whatever God's opinion is, should be their opinion.
Speaker: And also, not violent. Now you might think some of these are very obvious. A past should not be viable, obviously. Can I be honest, friends?
Speaker: The only reason the Apostle Paul wrote this to the first century churches is because it was happening in the first century churches. ah and if it was happening back then, obviously the devil wants all these things to happen today.
Speaker: So that is why we have to be so content with where God puts us, content with what he has for us, and not striving for titles or promotions or offices because it's so easy to get swayed, so easy to compromise.
Speaker: um But the Lord only calls certain a certain number of people into these roles because only a certain number of people handle it.
Speaker: This is one which should not be controversial, but it is. i remember one of the very first teachings I ever gave. and i was teaching to men and women, and I happened to mention that it's okay for women to be pastors.
Speaker: The guys in the room were fine with it. The women in the room went nuts. No, we can't get him off the stage. Women should never teach the book. I said, what is happening? Ladies.
Speaker: Here are some Bible verses just to help you out. 1 Corinthians 12, 11. All these gifts, achievements, abilities, and empowering are brought to about by the same Holy Spirit, distributing to each one individually just as he chooses.
Speaker: Most Christians in the world are and have always been women. the good Does God choose women? Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker: 1 Timothy 3.11, it tells women how to behave in a chapter about telling pastors how to behave. It calls them a deaconess, a pastora, a female pastor.
Speaker: And Romans 16.2, talks about a woman called Phoebe, and it calls her and a benefactor or a deaconess.
Speaker: That means a female guardian, protector, patroness, she gave money, finances the church, someone who provides support to God's people, financially, through hospitality, and through leadership.
Speaker: That is the role um a pastor. Are there more verses? Yes. But I think those three are okay for now. So if someone ever tells you,
Speaker: Women should never teach the Bible. You just send them that PowerPoint slide and let them make up their own opinion. Women are great. the And all the women in the chat said, Amen.
Speaker: Okay, there should also be a culture of honor when it comes to pastors. And that works both ways. Pastors should honor their congregation and congregations should honor their pastor.
Speaker: Hebrews 13, 17 tells congregations to obey their leaders and be humble for the sake of peace and order.
Speaker: For they're keeping watch over your souls, as those will have to give an account. Eventually we'll all tell God what did on the earth. And let them do this with joy and not groaning.
Speaker: Now obviously if you see big problems in the church, that's different. This is a general rule.
Speaker: First Peter 2.17. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Love God's people. Have a holy awe and reverence for God.
Speaker: If you're sending your pastor angry text messages 17 times a week, you don't love God's people.
Speaker: ah First Peter 5.1-3.
Speaker: Talks about shepherding the flock of God that's among you. Obviously, this is to pastors now. Exercising oversight. Not under compulsion. Ugh, Christians, do I have to reply to this? I have so many problems. look No, do it willingly.
Speaker: As God would have you. Hence why you have the job. not for shameful gain. not domineering, not being a bully, but being an example of Jesus to his people.
Speaker: Again, why were these letters written to people in the first century? Because these problems existed in the first century, and some might say they still exist today, God forbid.
Speaker: In Acts 20, 26,
Speaker: The pastor's job is to care for the church of God.
Speaker: First Timothy 2, 1 to 2 is talking to God's people. And it says, pray for each other.
Speaker: Intercede, pray for your pastors. Pastors, pray for your flock. Thank God for his people.
Speaker: And 1 Timothy 5.17 says that pastors should be worthy of double honor, especially those who labor, who work in preaching and teaching.
Speaker: Again, it doesn't mean that they're better than you. With Jesus, we're all on the same level. But some jobs will impact more people than others.
Speaker: And then we get to the final one, teaching.
Speaker: In Greek, a teacher means a master in his or her field, an instructor with a focus on religious or moral instruction, those who impart spiritual or doctrinal knowledge.
Speaker: And this gift is Involves the analysis, so lots of study, and proclamation, teaching of God's word, explaining the meaning, the context, and the application to the congregation's life, to the hearer's life.
Speaker: So I can just read the Bible, okay, that's fine, but the application, how is it important to you? What do you do with that in your actual life? describe the context, why was it important to people back then?
Speaker: And the gifted teacher is one who has the unique ability to clearly instruct and communicate knowledge, specifically the doctrines of faith, which is largely what we look at in these Wednesday teachings.
Speaker: For me to put these teachings together, sometimes I teach the Word maybe three times a week. I easily spend up to 14 preparing each teaching.
Speaker: And usually God has spoken to me for months, if not years, before I even teach it. butpa Because I know weight of the Word of God.
Speaker: I know how powerful it is. I know it's capacity and ability to change people's lives, to change their hearts, to impact their eternal life, their families, their friends, everything about them.
Speaker: I believe the word of God is just the best gift that human race has been given. Some people might say don't you mean Jesus? The Bible is Jesus in paper, basically.
Speaker: Jesus is God with skin and blood. The Bible is Jesus with paper. So I don't take it lightly.
Speaker: When I'm studying the Word, sometimes something will just pop out at me and he'll say, oh, teach that. Oh, this interesting. Oh, look more into this. Sometimes I could be shopping in Lidl, looking for ice cream, and while I'm still in the fruit and veg section,
Speaker: Pretending I'm going to buy them when really I've gone in for ice cream.
Speaker: He might just speak to me in Greek. I remember I was passing the oranges, the Mandarin oranges, one day last year. And he just said, is Holy Spirit now.
Speaker: He just said, a dragon is a seer. And I said, hey
Speaker: I said, a dragon a seer. And I was like, I don't know what that means. So I took out my phone, I made a voice recording, my phone in my pocket. And when I got home, I listened to it again.
Speaker: and Revelation 12.9 talks about a dragon. Now this dragon is the devil. And I said, the dragon is a seer. So I looked up the word dragon in the Greek language, because Revelation was originally written in Greek.
Speaker: And it's a Greek word, dracoon. And it means to see. The seeing one. And I said, okay, yeah, so Satan, or i will back when he was an angel, he had the ability to see prophetically. I said, yeah, okay, fair enough.
Speaker: Exercising his subtle, indirect impact on pagan, god-hating governments. Hello. That is absolutely happening, even today. He has incredible insight.
Speaker: I don't like to admit it, but he does.
Speaker: To be able to spot prey in any hiding place. ah Yes, you could live in a jungle in the middle of nowhere. but ah And evil will still find you.
Speaker: A fabulous animal who causes fascination? Sure, why not?
Speaker: I was just shopping in Lidl looking for ice cream. I was nowhere near the ice cream. The dragon is a seer. Holy Spirit just said it. So I looked up the word dragon, dracoon in Greek, and that's what it means.
Speaker: Now I'm not saying that happens to every Bible teacher, but it does happen to me. either There are times Holy Spirit will just tell me these things and then I'll come back. And the reason he tells me these things is because he wants me to do something with it.
Speaker: He wants me to share it with somebody. So I was actually doing a teaching on Satan about that time on to young adults on a Sunday afternoon. and I said, oh, wow, I can have this. It's my Bible teaching now.
Speaker: So that's what it's like being a teacher. It takes time. It takes study. And it can be lonely because you're disconnected from people a lot because you're just reading the Bible.
Speaker: And you're looking up ancient cultures, ancient religions, ancient societies, ancient traditions. Why did that person say that? Why did that person go there?
Speaker: Maybe the Bible mentions five different locations and you're looking at old ancient maps like, where were they going? ah That's what it disciplined teacher's time looks like.
Speaker: And it's not easy. But it is fun. It makes the Bible so much more three-dimensional. And then when individuals like yourselves sit under this teaching and listen, there are things I know that you don't have but to see you grumbling along in leaps and bounds and growing week after week, it's phenomenal. It really is.
Speaker: Here are some more traits of a teacher.
Speaker: We teach people so they can achieve their destiny.
Speaker: Deuteronomy 32, 47 said the Bible it not just idle words, not useless. It's not stupid.
Speaker: These words are your life. And with them, you will enter the promised land. You will enter and so fulfill your destiny.
Speaker: It takes time. Loads of time. Psalm 119, 99 says, I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on pray about, contemplate, and I talk to the Lord about his word.
Speaker: When you're a teacher, You eventually realize you don't know it all and you never will. You've never arrived. Proverbs 9.9 says, instruct the wise.
Speaker: Why? They're wise. Surely they know everything. No. So they will be wiser still.
Speaker: Teach them and add to their learning. Those who think that they know everything usually have the most to learn.
Speaker: It doesn't matter what age you are. All age groups need the words. Proverbs 22.6 says to start children off the way they should go.
Speaker: and then when they're older, they won't run away from the words because they love it so much. They will be rooted, grounded and established in it.
Speaker: It says to use multiple tools for teaching.
Speaker: And also correcting errors that people believe is part of the job. People don't like correction. They like to believe what they've chosen to believe. Or what they've always believed.
Speaker: Or what their pastor told them.
Speaker: But Colossians 3.15 says. And by 15 means 16. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly. As you teach.
Speaker: Warn. And fully firmly correct one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the spirit. Sing to God with gratitude in your hearts.
Speaker: So not every teaching has to involve a Microsoft PowerPoint. ah There are lots of ways to do it. Song is a big one, which we will look at in February.
Speaker: um But when someone is in error, You're not really helping them by leaving them there. There are times when I see that someone has blind spots or blank spots and it's okay for a time.
Speaker: But then afterwards, i can gently say, you know, you said something interesting a week ago. do you think that's true? Where did you hear that? Hmm, okay. Well, you know, that would be great.
Speaker: But God is even better than you think he is. Let me show you something to challenge you a little bit, yeah? There are ways around it.
Speaker: And so importantly, we must revere the word.
Speaker: Not every single thing in the Bible is to us today. There are things in the Old Testament, even early into the New Testament, which aren't exactly for us.
Speaker: um But it's still important to know their context. It's still important and to see what wisdom we can take from those stories. There are things at the very end of the Bible that are not written to us.
Speaker: But there's still good knowledge that we can glean, that we can learn, that we can apply.
Speaker: Context is key. And 2 Timothy 3.16 says, all scripture is inspired by God. So it's that's why we call it the word a God.
Speaker: And is useful to teach us what is true. and to make us think what is wrong in our lives, it should challenge you. It corrects us when we're wrong and it teaches us to do what's right.
Speaker: As teachers, we love accuracy, but there is one language. And listen, I love the body of Christ. It's global, it's awesome. I know we have people here who speak different languages. That's also great.
Speaker: But my goodness, there's one language I despise, and it Christianese.
Speaker: Christianese language that Christians have developed over time, which is theologi- Theologically, it is shoggin'. But people just say it out of tradition.
Speaker: So for example, I once heard someone He was a pastor, I gotta love him. Say something like this. in God loves you. Yeah, okay, fair enough.
Speaker: Wives, honour your husbands. Okay, peace in the family, sure. Yeah, okay. And vice versa. Husbands, honour your wives. Sure, why not?
Speaker: This is the gospel. And I said, huh?
Speaker: Come to the front if you want to receive Jesus in your heart. I sat there thinking,
Speaker: husbands and wives love each other. This is the gospel.
Speaker: This was my head.
Speaker: I was livid. I could not believe that someone got paid to preach that on a stage.
Speaker: For those of you who might be thinking, gosh, what church does this guy go to? I saw this on YouTube. This was YouTube Christianity.
Speaker: Husbands loving your wives makes Jesus happy. Wives loving your husbands makes Jesus happy. But it's not the gospel. but but The gospel is best summarized in 1 Corinthians 15, 1-4. Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel that i the Apostle Paul, preached to you when you received, and which you received, and in which you've taken your stand, your stand of faith,
Speaker: By this gospel, you are saved. If you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. So you don't believe it once, you have to like believe it forever. Otherwise, you believed in vain.
Speaker: Believe it today, believe it tomorrow, believe the next day.
Speaker: For what I received, I passed on to you as of first importance, the most important thing you could ever hear. That Christ died for our sins. He died for your naughtiness.
Speaker: Your bad language, your unbelief, your lies. All the crimes you committed that you have or have not been arrested for. well.
Speaker: All the times you murderously hated people. And worse.
Speaker: He died for them. He took them on his body, he buried them in the grave, and they stayed there.
Speaker: according to scriptures, because the Old Testament prophesied this would happen, he was buried. He stayed in the ground for three days.
Speaker: But he was raised on the third day, according to the scriptures. Jesus is resurrection and life. He was never going to stay dead.
Speaker: But because he conquered death, sin, and the grave, We can do it now too. We do it through him. That's why the more you spend time with Jesus, you don't continue on sinning, lying, treating people badly. We all have weak moments. We have moments when we lose the gasket, okay? We have moments when our head does this.
Speaker: But he is changing you every day for the better. It's more like him in your will, your heart, and your mind.
Speaker: That's the gospel. And because of his life, his death, his burial, and his resurrection? Not for the crack. Not for the lols. Not for a laugh.
Speaker: For the forgiveness of your sin. So that it would be dead and you would be alive. it would be dead to you.
Speaker: That's the gospel. Husbands honoring their wives? Well, maybe you were really bad married couple before. Okay, that will be an effect. of knowing and loving Jesus.
Speaker: Wives loving your husbands, that can be the impact of Christ's love in you.
Speaker: But having happy marriage, it's good, but it's nowhere near as good as Jesus beating the death and the grave. So, Christianese. Sometimes Christians get a bit too excited and they just start speaking nonsense and And we teachers get all angry and red-faced and we have to tell them that was nonsense, that was bullcrap, and they don't always like hearing it.
Speaker: So, but we stayed in love. but but but not that
Speaker: All right, so with the five of gifts,
Speaker: they should all work together. Sometimes we do a better job than others, but they should all work together.
Speaker: For the apostles, you've got the first century apostles who laid the foundations of the church, of our faith.
Speaker: Today, we've got what I call the missionaries. They go wherever God tells them to go when he tells them to go, and he makes a way for them to go, but financially or miraculously, so that they can make Jesus famous on the earth.
Speaker: that they can break the hold of evil, trauma, depression, and stress off people by teaching them about the cross of Jesus, his love, his forgiveness, the hope they have in him. We've got the prophets who reveal what was, what is and what can be avoided.
Speaker: and what can be avoided
Speaker: Just because God tells you something does not mean he wants it to happen. There are times he tells you so you can pray against it or change your ways.
Speaker: We've got the evangelists who bring the loss the Lord.
Speaker: And they connect those people with his family. They're just wonderful making connections. They're super.
Speaker: We've got the pastors. who protect God's people, lead God's people, feed God's people, and protect his people.
Speaker: And then we've got the teachers who explain the simplicity of the gospel. We do our best to make seemingly difficult theological concepts digestible, easy to absorb.
Speaker: And we correct errors when we see that people have unbelief or i doubt about the absolute goodness of God. Now you might be thinking, Brendan, I don't think I fit into any of these five.
Speaker: That's okay. Maybe you don't now, maybe you will in the future. And maybe you won't. Because there are more gifts. Which we will look at next week.
Speaker: But just know that Holy Spirit, at some point, I mean, listen, if you're some people become Christians and they die like one hour later. That's an exception.
Speaker: but but but Assuming you actually live for a long time with Jesus. that Holy Spirit will give all of his kids gifts eventually, okay? Nidda got me this lovely box of chocolates for Christmas.
Speaker: ah butlers. I do not think I will ever go back to Cadbury's or Nestle. These might be the best things I've ever put in my mouth. Oh my goodness. But let's say this is a Christian.
Speaker: Alright? A box of chocolates. And you know what? It's useful. I could hang this off a Christmas tree if I wanted to. It's got a ribbon.
Speaker: Every Christian is already useful to Jesus. There's already something he can do with you. When you go into a room, the atmosphere can change.
Speaker: The tempo can change. No one shows love quite like God's kids. And that's great.
Speaker: But when you open it up, and you see that chocolatey goodness on the inside, and I'm going to enjoy these with a fresh cup of tea after this chat about five minutes. but It's better.
Speaker: It's just better. It's different. You get an experience with Jesus you simply don't get in any other way than when God's kids are showing up and showing Christ in that special way that Holy Spirit has for them.
Speaker: And you'll notice, if you can count, one two, three, four, because I got really hungry and I ran eating them this afternoon.
Speaker: Nobody has all five of these.
Speaker: I've been to a lot of countries, a lot of continents.
Speaker: I haven't met one person who has all five. And you know what? I'm not going to. Okay, there's Jesus, apart from him. but but but That's because he's Jesus. He an advantage. And that's because God wants us to need each other.
Speaker: He doesn't want... the Superman Christians doctor at all who are so absolutely fabulous and amazing that we can do life alone.
Speaker: God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are one God, but three persons who love each other and are always communicating with each other. They're relational.
Speaker: So God's people... should be relational as well. He's made it that way. He's made a bit of lack. Something's missing. And what's missing in my life?
Speaker: You. What's missing in your life? Me. What's missing in our life? The Christians who couldn't make it here today. What's missing in their life? Christians on the other side of the world that they will meet in 2047. Because we're supposed to be in fellowship.
Speaker: We're supposed to be in unity. living together, not as the bodies of Christ, the body of Christ. One body made up of many members.
Speaker: I might only be a back hair in the grand scheme of things. Yanita might be a toenail. Carolina could be an eyelash. Jamie could be a hair strand.
Speaker: But you know what? When we all come together, It is remarkably beautiful in Jesus' eyes. And when we are who he's made us to be, and we share the gifts Holy Spirit gives us, when he gives them, we accomplish be beautiful things on the earth.
Speaker: In Jesus' name, amen, amen, and amen. and amen
