How to Support Our Deacons

Let's begin with a word of prayer.

Heavenly Father, this morning for us, prayer is not a habit, but is a recognition of our need.

It is a recognition of your sufficiency.

It is a recognition of the fact that you who abide in heaven have your ear bent to hear the frail call of your children,

that you delight in us because of the Lord Jesus Christ,

and that as it says in Ephesians, you have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Jesus Christ.

And this morning it is our prayer that you would work to take the word that you have blessed us with

and strengthen our hearts that we would be a people that walk in humility and obedience and joy,

trusting in your wisdom and your plan,

and understanding that often the pleasure and satisfaction of obedience comes after we have acted by faith and obeyed.

And I ask for your Holy Spirit's help in my life and in those who hear the word this morning,

that Christ, our Savior, would be magnified among us.

Amen.

Last week we looked at the passages of Scripture in particular that relate to the men who God calls in our fellowship to serve as deacons,

and we recognize that God in His plan over time works to prepare men to be servants in the bride of Christ.

And one of the things that I want us to do this week, having looked last week at some of the qualifications,

is I want to switch around, and this week I want us to think about the part that God's people play together

in enabling and encouraging and strengthening those who serve the body of Christ as leadership.

I stop and recognize, as I think back over my own life,

that so much of what I have received has come through, first of all,

the Word of God and the Spirit of God in blessing me with salvation,

but also the same is true for you who are here.

Most of you know Christ as your personal Savior,

and much of the blessing that you have received has come because of that.

At the same time, you have to recognize that much also that we enjoy comes through relationships

with other people that are godly instruments and end up being encouragers and nurturers of godliness in our life,

and we have been blessed richly by those that God has put into our lives for the sake of the gospel

and for our progressive sanctification.

And so last week, thinking about the matter of the work of God in raising up godly leadership

and the importance that we have in praying and thinking carefully about the role those men would serve in,

I want us to think this morning in particular, how do we go about, as God's people,

in helping and encouraging those that He raises up to be,

servants of the bride of Christ and leaders in this fellowship.

And if I were to summarize the sermon in three words,

and so you can write this down on your paper,

and don't check out because there's some things to be said at this point,

but in essence, I'm interested in encouraging you to help your deacon.

Deacon. Help your deacon. Help your deacon.

Help those that God puts in leadership.

And so as we talk about the matter of how we go about doing that,

I want you to recognize that you help by participation.

You help by participating in the work that God calls deacons and pastors

to be engaged in directing the bride of Christ to act on.

I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, at this point,

to Acts chapter 6, verse 1.

Acts 6:1

Acts chapter 6, verse 1.

Acts 6:1

We're going to look eventually at verse 3, but mark what it says.

Now in these days, when the disciples were increasing in number,

a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews

because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

And the 12 summoned the full members of the disciples and said,

It is not right that we should give up preaching and the Word of God to serve tables.

Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute,

full of the Spirit and of wisdom, who we may appoint to this duty.

As you look at the passage, one of the things that you understand

is that what the apostles recognized is that the need of the church had to be met

and there was a way to do it.

The statement that we find there in the text that we may appoint

or we may put in charge of this task indicates

that the men who were chosen to engage in this responsibility

were not appointed exclusively to be the only ones

who did the work that was needed in the ministry.

Now recognize, if you will, stop and kind of get your hands around this for a second,

that by this point the early church probably numbered in excess of 4,000.

And when you do a little bit of extrapolation from that,

you can imagine that there were a number of widows in that fellowship

that actually needed attention and care,

and as a result there was a significant concern

that the church had for that responsibility and it wasn't being met.

And we find that the apostles said,

hey listen, it's appropriate for us to stay focused on that

which God has called us to be engaged in,

namely in prayer and the teaching of the Word of God,

and we need individuals to meet this need as well.

And they gave the responsibility of doing this work

to seven individuals who met the biblical standards

that we find here in the passage.

I want you to recognize as you think with me through this passage

that the fact that the text speaks about these seven men

being charged with the responsibility or the task of overseeing it

indicates that they were expected to involve other people to do the job.

And so when we pay attention to this this morning,

I want us to understand that the underlying assumption

was that deacons in the early church relied on others

to help them do the work.

They didn't do it all by themselves.

They involved other people in doing it.

And an underlying supposition behind that

is that people were willing to do the things

that those who had been appointed

to have oversight of those responsibilities

saw that needed to be done.

Did the seven deacons that were appointed

end up being the only ones who visited the widows

or took food to them or cared for their needs?

Not by any stretch of the imagination,

but they were the ones who had the responsibility

of overseeing that that task was cared for.

And that's the way it is today.

I want you to understand that when you stop and think about

what a body of believers do,

I want you to pay attention to the fact

that God has appointed godly leadership

in this congregation and over the years.

That godly leadership has been, first of all,

a testimony of the character and heart of Christ

in their ministry and attitudes,

and you have the opportunity of watching them.

I know yesterday was a moving day

for a number of families.

We had actually two families move yesterday.

And I don't know, how many of you were there

to help with a move?

Raise your hands.

Look around.

Look around.

Mark the fact that a number of you

were involved in those moves.

And I can venture to say that you had deacons on site,

you had some pastors on site,

you had individuals who were willing to serve

and invest their energy in the sake of the body.

And as you think about that,

you recognize that the deacons

didn't do the only heavy lifting.

They were involved in organizing

and seeing that it got done

and encouraging the bride of Christ

in caring for that.

The greater part of work that is done

in any healthy body

is actually done by people

who serve willingly and freely

without coercion and pressure.

There never has been,

nor will there ever be,

any manipulative fashion

in which people are called to the task.

By the way, since you're a member,

you are responsible to show up

for four moves

and to provide seven meals this next year.

I'm getting hot.

I don't know what that means,

but anyway.

Membership,

membership doesn't work that way.

We look for people

that are willing to serve

and we put the announcement out there

and people rise to the occasion

and get involved there.

So let's think a little bit

about the different ways

in which actually

you help your deacon

by participating.

For one,

many of the body of Christ

help with the spiritual needs

and attitudes

that often you are aware of first

before,

people sometimes think

pastors know everything.

They really don't.

How many of you as parents

remember that you were usually

the last one to know

what was happening

in the basement?

The same thing is true for pastors.

We often don't find out

and deacons also don't find out.

But eventually,

it works up the food chain, correct?

Early on, however,

most of the things

that are happening

in the body of Christ

are cared for

by people who minister

to one another

in the flow of life.

I've said over and over again

that a healthy body

has a tendency

of healing itself.

Can I say that slowly

so you understand my point?

A healthy body

has a tendency

of healing itself.

Being a man now

who is many years

into ministry

and having gray hair,

I have a number of pastors

who call me periodically

and ask me for advice.

And I cannot tell you

how many times

I've answered a call

where a pastor,

a younger pastor,

has been particularly alarmed

by one problem or another

and I've said to him,

hey, listen,

as a rule,

a healthy body

will do a lot of the work

of taking care

of some of the issues within.

You know,

when one person

says something

that is inappropriate

or off color,

you don't send

a note to the pastor

and say,

by the way,

I heard this said

in the lobby

and I think

you ought to take care of it.

How is that cared for?

What you do

is you wait

for a private moment

and you say to your brother,

you know,

I heard what you said

and I just wanted

to be sure I understood.

What was the frame?

By the way,

how many of you

would know a passage

of scripture

that would kind of

reference that plan

of attack?

How many of you know

Matthew chapter 18

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

which says,

when you have a problem,

what do you do?

Do you call somebody else

to the task?

No.

If God providentially

intended for you

to hear it,

he intends for you

to solve it.

And I want you

to understand,

as a general rule,

a healthy body

helps one another

and brings a lot

of healing

to the family of God.

I think,

back for a moment

in reference

and illustration

to something

that happened,

it's over 10 years ago.

Our fellowship

used to have

a Christian school here

and when it came time,

the school board

and the church board

voted unanimously

to close the school.

I remember

that there was

understandable turmoil

and difficulty

in the congregation

over that fact.

Very interestingly enough,

there was a small group

of individuals

who decided

that what they would do

is try to foment

a rejection

of that idea

and cause

some turmoil

over it.

And I think

there were about

three or four

different families

in our fellowship

who immediately

after getting a call

from this group

of people,

they immediately

called their deacon.

I like that.

They trusted

their deacon

to be one

helping them

work through problems.

And I remember

I had calls

from three or four deacons

who had had these calls

from other families

and I said,

hey listen,

I appreciate the fact

that our people

called their deacon first.

And our deacons,

wonderful,

godly men,

ended up helping

work through

that situation

and never became

an issue

in our fellowship.

Did it prove

to be a time

of testing

and hardship?

Yes,

but it was something

that the body

helped work out.

And that's how

the body helps

those who are leaders.

We help each other move.

I saw that on Saturday

and I've seen that

over and over again

over the years.

Men,

women,

families,

I was talking

with a neighbor of mine

who actually was asking,

so what is going on?

And I said,

well,

we've got two different moves

in our church.

Really?

We tend to not call

two men in a truck.

What we do is we

invite each other

to moving parties,

okay,

and we end up

helping with those things.

And one of the things

that usually happens

is that we have

enough people there

to help with it

that we end up

standing around

waiting at the truck

for somebody

to hand something off

and we have

the neighborhood crowd

kind of watching this

from a distance

and we get one comment

after another,

wow,

are these all family members?

No,

no,

but they are.

And we work together

for the glory of Christ.

Furthermore,

we help each other

with meals.

When someone has a surgery,

when there's some hardship

that really challenges

a family construct,

one of the things

that you'll have happen

is that a deacon,

one of our small group leaders,

will step in

and provide for that.

And I look out

over this congregation

and I cannot think

of an individual

that has not been involved

either in having meals

or in bringing meals

to someone else

when those hardship

and difficulties happen.

Most of the counseling

and comfort,

correction,

and care

actually comes

through the body

of Christ

and is encouraged

and nurtured

by our deacons

and their ministry

to you.

So when you think about

how do you help a deacon,

you help with participation.

Be involved

in what the body

is doing

because your deacons

are dependent

upon your participation.

Secondly,

be involved,

help with affection

and protection.

I want you to look

in your Bibles

at a passage

in 1 Thessalonians 5.

1 Thessalonians 5,

1 Thessalonians 5:12

verse 12 and 13.

We ask you,

brothers,

to respect those

who labor among you

and are over you

and the Lord

and admonish you.

Hey, by the way,

how many of you

really do well

at receiving correction?

Wave at me

so I know who you are.

I don't see anybody.

Okay.

The reason I ask this

is that

my bride is in here

this morning

so I can tell on myself

and you don't have

to tell her what I said.

When Judith

is hired by God

to provide

occasional admonition

and it's needed

regularly,

my first reaction

generally is,

how many,

can you identify

with where I'm going now?

It's like tone of voice.

How many of you

play the tone of voice card?

Ah, I'm glad.

Tim, I feel your pain, right?

I have learned this,

that when my attitude

is wrong,

Judith never has

the right tone of voice.

One of the advantages

of having the Holy Spirit

in my life

is that I can't get away

with it.

Amen?

I like when men

say that's right

because God's working

and he often

uses the bride

that he hired

for a lifetime

to help us

with those things.

Well, in 1 Thessalonians,

we're looking at

this issue

and it says,

we ask you brothers

to respect those

who labor among you

and are over you

in the Lord

and admonish you.

Do people need

to be admonished?

Do they need

to be encouraged?

Do they need

to be corrected?

You know,

when that happens,

I think it's important

for us to have

a respect

for the individual

that God has placed

in office over you.

It's not an accident.

He put them there.

And by the way,

so that you understand,

when you say no

to the hired instruments

that God has appointed,

guess what he will do?

He'll go get another one.

And someone

who is a little rougher

around the edges

than the first one

you objected to.

How many of you

can bear testimony

that that happens?

And as we grow in grace,

we begin to say,

Lord, I don't want

to tempt you

to reach for a bigger stick.

I'll settle

for the one

you're using now.

Look at verse 13.

And esteem them

very highly in love

because of their work.

Value them in love.

So those who serve you

are to be appreciated.

They're to be valued,

respected.

And so when you hear

someone saying something

that's kind of sarcastic

and surly,

something that is unkind

and disrespectful

to those who have been

put into office

and appointed by the Holy Spirit

to serve the bride of Christ,

you ought not be one

who becomes partner

with that attitude.

Am I right?

If you do,

you're being disobedient

to the Lord Jesus

who gave explicit command

that we're looking at here.

Furthermore,

it says that those

who serve you

are to be deliberately loved.

Look at the passage.

And esteem them

very highly in love.

What does love do

in relationship

to when there are

misunderstandings?

What does love do?

Everybody smile,

look at me.

I want to wave at you

so you know

I'm talking to you.

Love thinks the best

and hopes the best

and believes the best

and endures all things

and works through problems.

Right?

Beloved,

I want you to think about it with this.

This is God's word

spoken explicitly

to the family of God

and says,

follow these instructions.

I want you to go

to another passage.

We're in 1 Thessalonians

so just go over

to 1 Timothy 5,

1 Timothy 5:19

verse 19.

1 Timothy 5,

1 Timothy 5:19

verse 19.

Do not admit

a charge

against an elder

except on the evidence

of two or three witnesses.

As we read this text,

it's important for us

to stop and realize

that it was written

to be applied

in the church.

And while the church

is an incredible group

of people

that have been saved

by the grace of God,

it's always also

an environment

in which people

are still in the process

of growing in grace

and they end up

having bumps and warts.

I had an interesting

conversation last week

with a man

talking about his marriage

and he said,

well,

I suppose the problems

in our marriage

are because

of our backgrounds.

And I said,

well,

there is a sense

in which that is

entirely true

and there is a sense

in which it is not

true at all.

And he was talking

about the fact

that he'd grown up

in this one kind of home

and she'd grown up

in this kind of home

and as a result,

they were at the point

of coming apart.

And I said,

the truth of the matter

is that marriage

at its best

is two sinners

in a canoe.

And it takes

the work of the Holy Spirit

to help them learn

what it is

to have a happy marriage

so that you don't

go sideways on this.

I want you to look

in your Bible

just for a moment

to Malachi.

Malachi.

We're talking about

marriage just for a moment

and I want you

to step over

to Malachi chapter 2.

Malachi 2 · chapter mention

I'm sorry,

is chapter 2,

Isaiah 2:15

verse 15.

Hey,

is marriage easy?

And the answer is

not on your life

because it takes

two sinners

and brings them

into inseparable

proximity

with one another.

How many of you

on occasion

have wanted to have

a little distance

between you

and other sinners?

How many of you

have had people

who've wanted to have

a little distance

between you

and them?

Marriage at its best

is a challenge

and in the scripture

we understand

that marriage

is supremely

important to God.

He cares a great deal

about it

and in order

to help people

in their marriages

surprise,

in the Old Testament

he gave

to the Old Testament

saints

a portion

of the Holy Spirit.

Now I want you

to think with me

just for a moment.

How did Samson

do all the miraculous

powerful things

that he did?

How did he do it?

Does anybody know?

Through the Holy Spirit.

How did the

individuals

who were involved

in the exceptional work

in building

the tabernacle

etc.,

how did they do it?

Through the Holy Spirit.

And we understand

that the Lord Jesus

particularly in his ministry

the thing that

that set him apart

above all others

was the fullness

of the Holy Spirit

and the fact

that it stayed on him.

We understand

how important

marriage is

to God

because in the Old Testament

it says there

read it

did he not make them

one

with a portion

of the Spirit

in their union?

God cared enough

in the Old Testament

for marriage

that he gave

a portion

of the Spirit

for people

in relationship

to him.

And by the way

in the New Testament

does every believer

have the Holy Spirit

abiding in him

to help us

with this business

of growing in grace

and in our marriage

right?

So coming back

around to the subject

of 1 Timothy

here it is saying

listen

you're together

and the church

is a environment

in which

people who are

still in the process

of working

through challenges

are in close proximity

with one another

and we are dependent

upon the Word of God

and the Spirit of God

to help us

as we live

and grow

and work

through the issues

and he gives us

explicit instructions

how to solve

problems.

When you have

a problem

what it says

there in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 5:19

chapter 5

verse 19

is that you

don't bring

a charge

in a formal way

what is being said

is to the church

leadership

hey

don't entertain

or accept

one of these

little

scurrilous comments

that's made

in the lobby

about one of the

leadership

of the fellowship

without substantial

evidence

and people

are willing

to bear testimony.

We see here

that God

instructs the body

that they are

to protect

their leadership

by following

God's

problem solving

plan.

I want you

to think

just for a moment

what was happening

in this case

evidently

is that the church

that Timothy

was responsible

for

would have

periodic

incidences

in which

people in the

congregation

would carry on

a little bit

of a whispering

campaign

about someone

who was in

leadership

not happy

with someone

who was involved

in Sunday school

or not happy

with something

that had happened

in youth group

or not happy

with one of the

decisions

that the pastor

and deacons

had made together

instead of

coming and

handling the thing

in a proper

fashion

little whispers

would go along

and people

would kind of

get involved

I can't believe

that.

So let's figure

out what God's

plan is for

solving problems

in the congregation.

Turn in your

Bible to Matthew

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18.

Would you like

to reduce

seriously

would you like

to reduce

the workload

of your pastors

and deacons

be unrelenting

in your

application

of Matthew

Matthew 18:15–18

chapter 18

verse 15

through 18.

You will make

all of our

jobs

profoundly

simpler.

How do you

handle problems

when there are

differences?

Can anybody

tell me?

How many of you

know?

Raise your hand.

You got this

down cold.

When there is

a problem

and there is

a misunderstanding

that is causing

tension between

you and another

person,

you are to go

to that person

explicitly

alone.

Now you're

not to gather

a little group

of people

who support you

and yeah,

I've had the

same problem.

They're the most

unreasonable person

I've ever met

so I hope

I'm going to

support you

when you go

to bell the cat.

That was a bad

one.

I'm going to

support you

when you go

to let them

know that

they're a bad

person.

Off you go.

What you do

is you go

privately.

Look at what

it says.

It says that

you're to go

alone.

If that

doesn't work,

then you bring

somebody else

with you that

they may be a

partner in the

process.

What is the

end goal of

every confrontation

that believers

have in the

body of Christ?

Does anybody

know what it

is?

It is

reconciliation

and restoration.

I have

occasional

incidences where

something happens

to a finger or a

foot or something

like that and

it gets hurt.

Bob,

sheet metal

cut,

there they are.

And you know

what?

Bob Consul

works on heating

and air

conditioning and

so he understands

sheet metal cuts.

It happens all

the time.

And so when you

get those little

cuts, the body

puts all its

energy into

healing that

part, right?

And the rest

of my body

doesn't say,

well that stupid

hand, that's the

last time I'm

sending blood to

that one.

You know, I

have been at

this forever.

Same, same.

Cut, cut,

cut.

Yeah.

I'm done.

So the next

thing that happens

is I'm walking

around without a

hand and it's

like, hello,

you're one-handed

Tim, I hope

not.

You know, the

attitude that we

have towards one

another is we're

aiming for

reconciliation.

You know

what?

One of the

things that goes

with being a

shepherd for as

many years as I

have been here

is I know that

in the family of

God there are

times where you

end up with

little attitudes

and disputes

among one

another and my

plea before God

is that the

Holy Spirit

would drive you

to obedience

in Matthew

Matthew 18 · chapter mention

chapter 18.

I assure you

if God's

people would be

faithful in

Matthew 18

it would be so

seldom that you

end up having

problems that get

larger than that

and the body of

Christ would be

effective and

efficient in its

ministry.

ministry.

I for the most

part want to

challenge you to

take that passage

and say hey

listen we're not

going to bring

charges without the

premise and the

effort that goes

into doing this

and all God's

people said

consciously and

deliberately say

it with me amen.

That's what God

wants.

Finally let's talk

about one other

thing you may help

in prayer.

You may help in

prayer.

Turn in your

Bible to Hebrews

Hebrews 13:18

chapter 13 verse

18.

Hebrews chapter

Hebrews 13:18

13 verse 18.

Obey pray for

us I'm sorry

pray for us for

we are sure that

we have a clear

conscience desiring

to act honorably

in all things.

We are about a

month away from

our annual election

and by extension

we are about two

months away from

the first deacons

meeting.

and following

the first deacons

meeting one of the

things that will

happen is that our

secretary will put

together a prayer

bulletin that is

reflective of the

requests the personal

requests that all of

your deacons are going

to make.

Can I tell you ahead

of time some of the

things that our deacons

are going to ask you

to pray for?

They're going to ask

you to pray that God

would help them in

their own personal

lives and personal

walk.

They're going to

plead with you that

you would remember to

pray for them.

There is not a man that

does not come into that

board with a humility

and a certain amount of

fearfulness knowing the

responsibility of being a

helper of the bride of

Christ and they will come

with humility saying

Lord help me in my own

devotional walk that I

may be able to minister to

other people.

Second thing that those men

are going to say and I

know that they're going to

say it ahead of time.

Now watch the deacons.

We have a group that's

going to say well if

pastor said it I'm not

going to do it so I'm

going to throw them off

but here's the deal.

They're going to say it

anyway.

They're going to say and

help me in my ministry to

my family.

Help me in my ministry to

my family.

Help me be wise in my

care for my wife and help

me to be a genuine

encourager of righteousness

in my children.

They're going to ask that

they would also have the

enabling of the spirit of

God because they have to

multitask and spend one

more plate than you do.

They have their personal

walk.

They have their family

needs.

They have their

responsibilities by which

they pay their bills and

then they have what?

They have you.

Do they take that

willingly?

Yes they do.

But how many of you

understand what I mean by

spending plates?

Our deacons have to

spend plates.

They have to keep things

in balance.

And so they will

desperately ask that you

join them praying that

they would have the

ability to minister

effectively with the

things that are going

on.

So think with me as we

look at this passage.

First of all pray that

their lives will be marked

by a clear conscience.

By a growing desire to

walk uprightly before the

Lord in an unbelieving

world.

Pray for them because they

carry the burden and

heartache of other

people.

There is no doubt that

one of the things that

characterizes our

fellowship is that often

you will talk in a more

personal way with your

deacons, with your small

group leaders than you

will with your pastors.

And that's not because

we're alienated and

isolated from you but

your deacons and small

group leaders are closer

to you in your watch

care groups and in your

small groups and as a

result they're going to

hear those things and

they can't hear them and

not be affected.

Pray for them because

people tend to judge

motives and actions

without adequate prayer

and information.

How many of you have

been pretty persuaded you

know exactly what's going

on when you don't know

anything?

You pray for your

deacons.

I think of the number of

different times as a

pastor I have had people

say some rather surprising

things about the decisions

that your leadership have

made.

And one of the things

that I always chuckle at

is when people say well

pastor always gets his

way.

I told you last week that's

the furthest from the

truth.

But the other thing I have

heard people say is that

you guys made a rather

hasty decision.

If you have ever served as

a deacon at Maranatha you

know hasty decisions are not

on the menu.

I had one deacon's wife say

you guys are so deliberate

that you are like watching

paint dry.

You know.

So.

Be careful.

And pray for them.

Finally pray for them because

they desperately need his

power to serve and bless and

be a testimony of Christ.

So let me bring this all

together and have you think

about it in practical terms.

What we have looked at this

morning is kind of the other

side of the responsibility that

scripture lays out.

For one it told us we saw

last week that deacons are

to be men who are qualified

tested men who are full of

the Holy Spirit and are ready

to serve.

We saw that last week.

So what's our part.

What's your part.

God calls you to support

them by being involved in

the work.

So when your deacon or your

small group leader calls you

and said hey will you provide

a meal and you have happened

to have had three or four

times that different people

have stepped in and helped

you.

Don't say not on your life.

I'm in.

I'll help.

And when someone calls and

says hey my the way so and so

is going to be moving and

they would appreciate if you

I'll be there.

I'll help.

When you hear someone is

struggling with a problem and

a burden you join in helping

with that and you be a helper

to your deacon those that God

has put in a position of

responsibility and leadership.

So what's the outcome.

What's the outcome when a body

of believers works effectively

for the testimony of Christ

inside the family and really

works at loving each other.

What happens.

Here.

Follow me.

Here's what Jesus said.

By this shall all those other

people that don't know Jesus

pay attention and kind of wonder

what's the real deal.

because you will what.

You'll love each other.

Is love natural to us.

What's the answer.

No.

It's the work of the Holy

Spirit.

It's the work of people who are

dependent upon the word of God.

It's the work of people that are

willing to engage in what God

does in drawing us together.

And so I would plead with you

this morning.

Beloved there is an unbelieving

world out there that is desperate

for the Lord Jesus Christ.

And the way in which we care

and bless and love one another

is a principal testimony

of the power of grace

in our fellowship

and in our neighborhoods.

And God's people

hearing the word of God

convicted by the spirit of God

say in their hearts privately

privately I hear what God wants

and I am saying yes

to the Holy Spirit.

Let's close in prayer.

Amen.