Acts 6:1-7 is the beginning of a division of labor in the leadership of the church. Later there would be an even further division of labor among elders between the ruling elders and the teaching elders. Elders provide servant leadership with respect to word gifts and deacons provide servant leadership with respect to deed gifts. And most members major in one or the other: word or deed. What we must all realize is that serving with your hands (deed) can be Spirit-filled service just as prayer and the service of the Word. And we should all appreciate that just as serving with your hands can be hard work, so too is prayer and the service of the Word. And when everyone is contributing their gifts, we have the right conditions for growth.


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Labels: elders, leadership, ministry, prayer, serve, spirit, Spiritual gifts, Sunday worship

Exodus 20:8-11 and Colossians 3:17, 22-25 govern this thematic sermon on calling to serve the Lord Christ. There are no part-time Christians, if you trust in Jesus then you are serving the Lord Christ in all your work. William Wilberforce, who led the effort to end the slave trade, is an ideal example. He thought about going into the ministry of the Word but then he would have missed his calling to serve the Lord Christ in the English parliament.

This sermon complements the next. It was delivered at a neutral pulpit for the Niagara pastor nominating committee.

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Labels: calling, ministry, serve, wilberforce

This is an advent sermon on Matthew 25:31-46 called "The Live Nativity Resumes" since we find sheep and goats and shepherds at the nativity of Christ and we find Christ is the shepherd separating the sheep and goats when He returns. He can tell the sheep and goats apart easily because the sheep are active in ministry to fellow Christians and the goats fail to serve other Christians. In a sense you "earn" eternal life because it is a reward for doing what God prepared beforehand for you to walk in.

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Labels: christ, deacon, eternal life, goats, Matthew, minister, ministry, reward, servant, sheep, shepherd

This is an advent sermon on Matthew 25:31-46 called "The Live Nativity Resumes" since we find sheep and goats and shepherds at the nativity of Christ and we find Christ is the shepherd separating the sheep and goats when He returns. He can tell the sheep and goats apart easily because the sheep are active in ministry to fellow Christians and the goats fail to serve other Christians.

Click here or post title to listen to the MP3

Labels: christ, deacon, eternal life, goats, Matthew, minister, ministry, servant, sheep, shepherd