Men's Role in The Church: Standing Strong For God

Men's Role in the
Church – Standing
Strong for God
Rev. Dr. Don E. Peavy, Sr.
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you,
Simon son of Jonah, for this was not
revealed to you by man, but by my
Father in heaven. And I tell you that
you are Peter, and on this rock I will
build my church, and the gates of
Hades will not overcome it. I will
give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven; whatever you bind on earth
will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven." Matt. 16:17-19
“Lord Prepare Me”
West Angeles COGIC
Objectives
1. Explore what it means to be and to do
church.
2. Explore men's roles in church.
3. Understand what it means to stand strong
for God.
Once again Jesus went out beside the
lake. A large crowd came to him, and he
began to teach them. As he walked
along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus
sitting at the tax collector's booth.
"Follow me," Jesus told him, and Levi
got up and followed him.
Mark 2: 12-14 (NIV)
SIX QUESTIONS
• How is Jesus’ call handed on to us today?
• How can we apply Levi’s call to our own lives?
• Did not Jesus adapt his words to suit different
men and different occasions?
• Does it follow that Jesus loved those he
allowed to remain with their families any less
than he loved the apostles who left all and
everything behind?
• Who are we to come forward and volunteer for
such an extraordinary and unusual life?
Question Six
• Who is there to tell me and others, for that
matter, that we are not acting on our own
initiative and following our own wild
fancies?
• “Every time we ask [these questions] we
are retreating from the presence of the
living Christ and forgetting that Jesus
Christ is not dead, but alive and speaking
to us in bodily form and in the world.” 225
QUESTION 1
• We receive Christ’s call in the Church,
through the ministry of Word and
Sacrament. “The preaching of the Church
and the administration of the sacraments
is the place where Jesus Christ is
present.” (226)
• We hear Jesus just as the Apostles did –
we have only to obey for His word is the
same today as it was then.
QUESTION 2
• “To know Christ means to know him by
his word as the Lord and Savior of my
life. But that knowledge includes a
recognition of his plain word directed to
me.” (227)
• Actually, we have an advantage over the
Apostles because we have the indwelling
of the Holy Spirit. (227)
• All we have to do is hear and obey. (228)
QUESTIONS 3 & 4
• Jesus did not adapt his message to
different people and different occasions.
• Jesus’ message was the same to all.
• Consequently, Jesus does not love
anyone more than another.
• John 3:16 says that God loves the “world”
– the cosmos, and that “whosoever”
believes shall be saved.
• Parable of the vineyard workers.
QUESTIONS 5 & 6
• The call of Jesus goes out to all.
“Whosoever will, let him come.”
• Thus, the question is not who are we to
respond, the question is why haven’t we
responded already!
• Our actions are measured by the Word
and Sacraments. We have the Bible to
remind us that the work we do is the work
of God in Jesus Christ.
Reference
Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
“The Cost of
Discipleship”
Marks of the Church
•Preaching the Word of God
•Hearing the Word of God
•Sacrament of baptism
•Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
•Office of the keys of ministry
•Proper public worship
•The bearing of the cross
Martin Luther, “On the Councils and the
Church.”
But?????
• What about teaching?
• What about social justice?
• What about caring for the “least of these”?
• What about evangelism?
• Perhaps these are more properly part of
the keys of ministry. Wherever we situate
them, no church is complete unless these
issues are addressed.
CONCLUSION
• The body of Christ is the church which is
a body made up of many members.
• There is no separate member, such as a
hand or eye or foot, that can transcend its
own individuality.
• It is the Holy Spirit that gathers the
various members together to constitute
the Body of Christ.
• Christ lives through us.
POP QUIZ!!!!!!
What are the seven marks of a church?
You do not need to list them in the order we
discussed them.
Role of Men in the Church
But speak thou the things which become
sound doctrine: That the aged men be
sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in
charity, in patience.
Young men likewise exhort to be sober
minded. In all things showing thyself a
pattern of good works: in doctrine
showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity.
Titus 2:2, 6-7
What is the Role of Men in
the Church?
It was he who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be
evangelists, and some to be pastors and
teachers, to prepare God's people for
works of service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up
Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV)

What is an Apostle?
“Therefore it is necessary to choose one of
the men who have been with us the
whole time the Lord Jesus went in and
out among us, beginning from John's
baptism to the time when Jesus was
taken up from us. For one of these must
become a witness with us of his
resurrection."
Acts 1: 21-22 (NIV)
Other Roles
Elders, deacons, overseers, shepherds.
Elders: Acts 14:23 & Titus 1:5
Overseers and deacons: Phil 1:1; Acts
20:17,28; Titus 1:5-7; 1 Peter 5:1-2
Overseers are male only: 1 Timothy 3:2
Deacons are males and females: Timothy
3:1-7 and 8-12
“Obey your leaders and submit to their
authority.” Hebrews 13:17
Clarification
Elder” refers to a stage of life, possession
“
of life experience, and commensurate

status in the church. “Overseer” refers to
the function of giving oversight to the
entire church. “Shepherd” (“pastor”) is a
metaphor for personal care given to
members of the church (Eph 4:11–12).
http://www.biblicalfoundations.org/the-
church/elders-deacons
Standing for God
You were taught, with regard to your former
way of life, to put off your old self, which
is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;
to be made new in the attitude of your
minds; and to put on the new self, created
to be like God in true righteousness and
holiness.
Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
Living in Community
Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and
speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all
members of one body. "In your anger do not
sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are
still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.
He who has been stealing must steal no longer,
but must work, doing something useful with his
own hands, that he may have something to
share with those in need.
Ephesians 4: 25-28 (NIV)
Further
Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of
your mouths, but only what is helpful for
building others up according to their needs, that
it may benefit those who listen. And do not
grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you
were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid
of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and
slander, along with every form of malice. Be
kind and compassionate to one another,
forgiving each other, just as in Christ God
forgave you. Ephesians 4:29-32 (NIV)
Duty of Believers
1 Thessalonians 5:12 likewise commands
believers “to respect those who work hard
among you, who are over you in the Lord and
who admonish you.” The biblical pattern is
therefore for a body of male elders jointly to
give oversight to the entire church, including
one or several pastors who are devoted
primarily to teaching and pastoral care (see
esp. 1 Tim 4:14: “body of elders,” Gr.
presbyterion; 1 Tim 5:17: “elders who direct the
affairs of the church . . ., especially those
whose work is preaching and teaching).
Exhortation to Stand Fast
Preach the Word; be prepared in
season and out of season; correct,
rebuke and encourage—with great
patience and careful instruction.
2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)

Stand Firm
It is for freedom that Christ

has set us free. Stand firm,
then, and do not let
yourselves be burdened
again by a yoke of slavery.
Galatians 5:1 (NIV)
Freedom to Love
You, my brothers, were called to be free.
But do not use your freedom to indulge
the sinful nature; rather, serve one
another in love. The entire law is summed
up in a single command: "Love your
neighbor as yourself." If you keep on
biting and devouring each other, watch
out or you will be destroyed by each
other. Galatians 5: 13-15
Flesh versus Spirit
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not
gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For
the sinful nature desires what is contrary
to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is
contrary to the sinful nature. They are in
conflict with each other, so that you do
not do what you want. But if you are led
by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Galatians 5: 16-18 (NIV)
Sand Dwellers
The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:
sexual immorality, impurity and
debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft;
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage,
selfish ambition, dissensions, factions
and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the
like. I warn you, as I did before, that those
who live like this will not inherit the
kingdom of God. Galatians 5:19-21 (NIV)
The Look of Standing for
God
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness and self-control. Against such things
there is no law. Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its
passions and desires. Since we live by the
Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us
not become conceited, provoking and envying
each other.
Galatians 5:22-26 (NIV)
“Who Stands Fast?”
• “Who stands fast? Only the man whose
final standard is not his reason, his
principles, his conscience, his freedom, or
his virtue, but who is ready to sacrifice all
this when he is called to obedient and
responsible action in faith and in
exclusive allegiance to God – the
responsible man, who tries to make his
whole life an answer to the question and
call of God.” Bonhoeffer
Wrap-Up
1. We have explored what it means to be
church and how we ought to conduct
ourselves in community.
2. This is a critical undertaking because the
church is the Body of Christ.
3. We have explored what it means to stand
for God.
4. Any questions?
5. Then go forth and Stand for God!

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Men's Role in the

Ephesians 4:11-12 (NIV)

of life experience, and commensurate

2 Timothy 4:2 (NIV)

It is for freedom that Christ

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