Shabbat Shalom! Today we continue with our regular ministry meeting on 1 Timothy chapter 3. And we're moving along one step at a time into this wonderful letter that Shaul Paul wrote to this younger brother by the name of Timothy. Shabbat Shalom! In the third chapter, we have the qualification for service among the people of God. These are very high qualifications. These are God's standards. We should seek to attain to them, even though we confess that we fell short of what God is expecting from His own people. Today, we're going to begin in the reading from verse 8 to 13. Paul writes, "Likewise, must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given too much wine, not greedy or filthy lucre, holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.

And let these also first be proven. Let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless. Even so, must their wives be grave, not slenderous, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husband of one wife, ruling their children in their own house well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well, they purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Mashiach Yeshua." We just finished the first seven verses of 1 Timothy chapter 3. And there the apostle Paul Shaul instructed Timothy, who remained in the city of Ephesus, to give the qualification to those that wish to be overseers among the people of God.

And you remember we saw this wonderful high standard expectation that God had given to the people of God if they are to serve and oversee the people of God. And you remember we had this list of them: blameless, husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, not striker, not greedy or filthy looker, patient, not brawler, and not covetous, a man that manages his own house well, not new believer, and having a good report from those that are without. When I think of this high qualification, it makes one wonder how one needs the grace of God to seek to attain to some small measure these requirements, from the overseer, the shepherd, the elder, the zakken.

But now, beloved brothers and sisters, Paul continues on and he's speaking not so much about overseers, those that have spiritual responsibility over the people of God. Now he's dealing with those who serve in practical matters among the people of God. And notice that the standard is just the same. God does not say to the overseers, you better be in such a spiritual condition. You can do as you please. You can do what you want. You don't have any accountability and responsibility. No, he shows us that in every matter of the affairs of the things of the world, he wants the people of God to seek to have a godly attitude.

In whatever area that God had placed us to serve among the people of God. But now he's talking about the servants. And I want to just mention three things by way of introduction. First, what is the meaning of the word deacon? In Greek, diakonos. Which is simply a person that is called to be a servant among the people of God. In Hebrew, we call it shamash or shamashim in the plural. Those of us that celebrate the feast of Chanukah know that we have eight candles in the Chanukah. It's a bit bigger than that. We have here the menorah. But in Chanukah, we have the Chanukah.

And the middle one, the one that is in the center, called in Hebrew shamash. What is the meaning of the shamash? He is the servant. You will take the center one, the shamash. And you will light on the first day, the first light. The second day, the second light. The third day, the third light. And so on. For eight days to remind us of the eight days in which there was light in the menorah in the temple in Jerusalem. That God had provided sufficient oil in order that the menorah will be lit for these eight days until a new and fresh oil had been prepared.

But the center one served to be the servant. Like the Greek word is diakonos, which simply means a servant. One that is minister and serve among the people of God. Now you and I know very well that to serve among the people of God, it's not an easy task. It means that many times one is not being appreciated. Or not being understood. It sometimes takes a lot of energy and time and labor. And many times God's people, including you and I, not always appreciate those that work and serve behind the scenes. Those that set for us the tables, food in the kitchen, those that provide for us all kinds of services that we don't even imagine in order to have a local congregation, a local assembly is working.

You see, in order for us to have such a session as a meeting like this, there's a lot of work that have happened behind the scene that you and I have no idea if we don't know what's going on. Now this is very challenging. For a person to be a servant, for a person to be a deacon, a person that is serving among the people of God, it is an amazing responsibility. In fact, I want you to notice the first time the word deacon or diakonos mentioned in the scripture, in the Brit Achadashai, Yeshua the Messiah, before his death, when he spoke to his disciples in Matthew chapter 20, in verse 26, it says, "But it shall not be so among you, but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your diakonos, deacon, servant, shamash, mesharet in Hebrew." He's actually speaking of the apostles to the disciples, he says, "Do you want to be great among the people of God?" Well, let him be your servant, your mesharet in Hebrew.

So the first thing we want to learn is that a person who is a servant is a person that he serves among the people of God and he meets the needs of the people. It could be in every area of the ministry of the work of the Lord. Secondly, I want to mention that the first time in the Brit Achadashah, in the new covenant, where we find the need for that, is found in the book of Acts chapter 6. In the first seven verses, I want you to notice there how it come about the necessity for the servant to come about, to begin to serve among the people of God.

Look what happened there in Acts chapter 6. When the church, the assembly began in Acts chapter 2, many became believers in the city of Jerusalem and the believers in Yeshua the Messiah. There was a growing congregation, ecclesia, in the city of Jerusalem. Now when there is a growth among the people of God, problems also comes along with it. I noticed this from experience over the years. When we have 10, 15 people in a meeting, things are rather calm. When you have 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 people in a meeting, then the problem begins. People have needs. People have requirements. Because of our sin nature, we have conflict among the people of God. Well, look what happened here in Acts chapter 6.

It says in verse 1. In those days when the number of the disciples were multiplied, there arose murmuring of the Grecians. This is the Greek Jewish people from among the diaspora. They spoke against the Hebrews. These are the local Jewish people, the Hebrew speakers who were living or were born and raised in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel. And you know what they said? They were murmuring because the widows were neglected in their daily ministration. So then the 12, this is the apostles, they called the multitude of the disciples unto them. And they said, "It is not reason that we should leave the word of God to serve tables." That's where you get the word diakonos.

To serve among the people of God. The apostles were called to be teaching the word and to ministering among the people of God. To spread the message of the Gospel both to the Jewish people, to our own people and to the Gentile world. And they needed to take the time in the spiritual needs among the people of God. And they began to deal with all sorts of frictions and problems among the people of God. And they rose up and they said, "Listen, it is not good that we should not leave the word of God to teach the word and begin to deal with the practical things that are arising among the people of God." And though they said in verse 3, "Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men, honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, that we may appoint over this business.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And notice that, beloved brothers and sisters, in verse 5. And they're saying, "Please the whole multitude." And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Pocos, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parameins, and Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they have set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, and they laid their hand over them, then the word of God increased. And the number of disciples multiplied. And Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. It was necessary to raise from among the people of God some of the believers to serve in the various needs that rose, in the various challenges that God's people had been facing.

You see, this is really a Jewish scene. Because what you see is the Yehudim, Yevanim, had complained against the Ivryim. They are all Jewish. One group of them came from the diaspora. The other group of them were local Hebrews. And they had a friction among themselves. What was the problem? Those Yehudim, Yevanim, those Jewish people from the diaspora, Grecian Jews, they felt neglected. In other words, their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Apparently, they were helping the poor, and the needy, and the widows, and the fatherless. I was serving them. But they felt, listen, there was a problem. They don't deal with everyone equally according to their needs.

So they complained, and they came to the apostles, and they shared this with them. The apostles, with a God-given wisdom, they have gave them instruction. Notice that, by the way. Notice the five things that are mentioned here in Acts chapter 6. They said, brethren, number one, look ye out from among you. If somebody is going to serve among the people of God, he must be a believer. From among the people of God. There's no need to call somebody from an outside who is an unbeliever to come to manage the affairs of the people of God. Someone that is from among you. Someone that is a believer.

That loved the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. That is willing to serve the people of God. Someone that understands the needs of the people of God with a heart of love for the Lord and a love for God's people. Secondly, notice it says seven men. The number seven oftentimes speaks of the full number. To meet every need. Every situation among the people of God. Thirdly, they ought to be an honest man. Men that is straightforward. Men that is honest in their dealings and making sure that they try to equally minister among the people of God to try to be helpful in discerning the needs of the people of God.

Fourthly, they have to be full of the Holy Spirit. In other words, sometimes we think that the spiritual leader, the Bible teacher needs to be filled by the Holy Spirit of God. And the ordinary fellow who serve among the people of God doesn't need to be full of the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, only those who teach the Bible need to be full of the Holy Spirit of God. The rest of us can do as we please. No, the apostles saying to the believers, these seven individuals also to be guided by the Holy Spirit of God. Ruach HaKodesh is not only came to our life in order to give us a new life and a new birth, but the Holy Spirit of God ought to be that he is the one that would be guiding us.

Notice the expression, not only that they have to possess the Holy Spirit of God, but to be full of it. In other words, full of the person of the Holy Spirit of God, so they can wisely conduct the practical affairs of the people of God. And finally, they are to be also full of wisdom. When we serve the Lord in practical things, one needs to be wise, not only to know things, but wisdom is knowledge from the Lord applied in a practical way. And so they ask from the believers that the shamashim, the meshartim, the deacons or deaconos, those who serve the Lord will be believers, seven men, honest men, full of the Holy Spirit of God and full of wisdom.

By the way, if you notice this, how beautiful to see here, it says in verse four of Acts chapter seven, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word. And the saying was pleasing the whole local assembly in Jerusalem, in Jerusalem. And they have selected individuals. And they have chosen seven men. And the first one by the name of Stephen is that very man that was the first martyr from among the people of God. Stephen was in the next chapter, the one that was stoned unto death because he presented the fact that Yeshua is the Mashiach, the Messiah of Israel before the Sanhedrin.

And he was the first one from the body of Messiah, the body of Christ, the ecclesia, the church, the called out one. He was the first one that was killed because of his faith in Yeshua, the Messiah. You notice the second man was Philip. Philip was the one that later on we find him going to Shomron, to Samaria, preaching the gospel. Now, how do you think he began? He didn't start to be a great preacher preaching the gospel. He began by serving the people of God. And God said to him, Philip, I have something more for you. I'm going to call you now to go to the Shomron, to Samaria.

And there is another man, the Ethiopian eunuch. And share with this man, the Ethiopian eunuch, the message of the gospel of Yeshua, the Messiah. These men began as servants, simply brothers that served among the people of God. And you notice one of them, the last one is in verse five. His name was Nicholas. He was a proselyte from Antioch. In other words, he was a Gentile who became a believer in the God of Israel. And embraced the people of Israel as his people. And then later on, when he had accepted the Messiah, he became part of the assembly, part of the church of the ecclesia.

Well, notice that because of this, the apostles took their time. They have taught the word of God. And the assembly in Jerusalem grew as those seven men were serving among the people of God. Oh, how we need them. How we are so thankful for those who serve among the people of God. Now, there's one more thing I want to mention here. Notice that the shamashim, the servants, were not only called to serve in the body of Messiah in this present day dispensation of the church age. But they were already called to serve among the people of Israel in biblical history of our own nation. In Exodus chapter 31, there were two specific men.

They were chosen by God to serve among the people of Israel, our own nation. Notice it says in verse 1 of Exodus 31. And the Lord spake unto Moses, and he said unto him, See, I have called by name Betzalel, the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

And I, behold, I have given with him Ahaliyav, the son of Achisamach, of the tribe of Dan. And in the hearts of all that are wise-hearted, I have put wisdom that they may make all that I have commanded thee. And then he gave all the lists of the things that they have made. These were two servants among the beloved nation of Israel. They participate in the preparation of all the vessels. The first one's name is Betzalel. Come from two Hebrew words. Betzel means in the shade, or in the shadow. And El means God. God. Betzalel was under the shadow of the guidance of God. He was a man that by virtue of his name, he represented God.

He was under the shadow of God's direction. And this way he could be light and a blessing to the nation of Israel. And the second man, by the name of Ahaliyav, Ahali means my tent, and Av means father. In other words, I'm allowing God the Father to dwell in my tent. And therefore I can receive guidance in order to be a servant among the people of God. And beloved brothers and sisters, these two men received the wisdom from the Lord to be able to build the tabernacle. And all the furniture they served among the people of God. You don't hear much about them. But their service was so important among our people of all the people of Israel.

That God used all these furniture and all these elements which they prepared in order to allow the service in the tabernacle to continue on. And so the meaning of the word Yekanos simply means a servant, a shamash, a mesharet. It's a very important responsibility and yet what a privilege it is to serve our blessed Lord Yeshua the Messiah and to be a vessel among the people of God. So now let's look at those eight requirements that Paul gave Timothy in order to instruct the believers at the city of Ephesus. Eight requirements that are needed in order to be able to be a servant among the people of God.

The first one is that the servants, the deacons, the Akanos, must be grave. That word for grave is simply well respected. Others say reverend, they take the work of the Lord seriously. They do not take it partially, they take it very seriously. They mean business. In other words, they have to take it very seriously because they are serving God's people. And to serve God's people, it is a serious service, ministry. Because you participate in the Lord's work. You impact the people of God. You are serving God as like a help me to, for the people of God to bless them. And this is a service that is given for the Lord, of course, but it is the people of God are the ones that are benefiting from that.

And therefore, he must be grave. He must be one that is taking his responsibility seriously. Now, oh, how we thank the Lord. Over the years, those brothers, as well as sisters in those fields, have taken their responsibility seriously. That was an important part of their lives. It's not one day soothe me, another day doesn't soothe me. This was something that was part of their life. And they committed themselves to serve the people of God as a service unto the Lord and unto God's people. Secondly, and this is a very, very important second requirement. It says here in verse 8 that the servants also must not be double-tongued.

Double-tongued in Hebrew, we call it machlikei lashon. In other words, they go to someone and they say to him or her, hey, this one thing. And then go to the other person and say something else. And they don't realize that by this kind of behavior, we're only sowing a seed of discord among the people of God. That doesn't serve the people of God. The Hebrew word for tongue is lashon. Come from the word where you speak. You use your tongue in speaking. That's where you get the gift of tongue. The gift of speaking a language that you never studied. And God has enabled the first century believers to go to wherever it is and to be able to present the message of the gospel in a different language to the very same people in a language that they have never known.

For example, if one never knew the language of English and he is speaking Hebrew and God has enabled them to speak the language. But to be double-tongued means you go to someone and you say to him one thing. And you go to another and you say to him another thing. And what do you think is going to happen? Confusion? But not only confusion. It's sowing among the people of God discord. You know, another word of saying it in the book of Psalm, it's called double heart. A heart and an heart. Lev Valev in Psalm 12 and verse 2. If we are going to serve the Lord, we have to be ones that are speaking the truth and not sowing all sorts of things in the mind of people.

Saying to one one thing, saying to the other another thing. That is not healthy. That is not service for the Lord. We want the people of God to work together to be a blessing to each other. We want spiritual growth. We even want numerical growth. We want to see God's people so blessed and the service of the Lord growing and people are sensing the presence of the Lord in such a way that it is attracting others to participate in serving the Lord Yeshua. The Messiah among God's people. This is not only a qualification for the servants. That ought to be a qualification for all of us.

We need not to be double-tongued. It's better not to say anything if you are going to say one thing to the one and another thing to the other which is going to cause a problem among the people. Well, keep it before the Lord. Keep it in your heart. Go cry to the Lord on your knees in secret rather than to be double-tongued. It doesn't serve the people of God. We all can say at times we are guilty in that. Notice thirdly, it says here in verse 8 about the servants, the deacons, not given too much wine. We talked about it already with respect to the overseers.

Why? Because wine according to Proverbs chapter 20 is a mocker. Strong drink is raging and whosoever is enticed by it is not wise. We talked about Noah when he came out of the ark. It didn't take too long. He was working the vine and he got drunk. And he couldn't handle himself. And he exposed himself. And his son had mocked him. And his other two sons had to cover him going backwards and making sure that they did not see the nakedness of their father. Why? Does he behave inappropriately? And be given to wine oftentimes makes us not able to serve the Lord appropriately. Turn with me to Leviticus chapter 10 verses 8, 9, and 10.

Then God said to the priests of Israel, The Lord spake unto Aaron saying, Do not drink wine, nor strong drink. Thou know thou sons with thee when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. It shall be established forever throughout your generation. And that ye may put different between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean. God did not want Aaron to drink wine and go serve him in a tabernacle. Because he could not discern because apparently it is able to affect him. Now again, I'm just saying, the issue is not so much drinking a glass of wine, but letting wine control you.

Be not drunk with wine, Ephesians 5, wherein there is excess, but be filled with the Holy Spirit of God. And so number 4 in verse 8, not greedy or filthy looker. You see, the servants are to do the service among the people of God, not out of greed, but out of the need to minister among the people of God to serve them. And therefore their ministry, and you know, beloved brothers and sisters, listen, how many people have served God's people for years without receiving any benefit from that? You might say physical benefit or financial benefit. And they have done it because they love God and they love Yeshua the Messiah and they love to serve the people of God.

Oftentimes they are misunderstood. Oftentimes they are expected. Others complain about them. They are not happy with what they do and so on. And I can tell you this, brothers and sisters, those of you who serve in one area or another. You know very well how oftentimes, and my speaking for myself, we don't appreciate you enough. We think everything is just coming just like this. We don't realize what's going on. We have a little ministry. Can you imagine a large congregation or assembly or churches or a large ministry is what's going on behind the scenes? Those who serve the Lord and they do it out of love for God and love for Yeshua the Messiah and love for the people of God because they realize that there is blessing when we serve the people of God.

Now notice the next thing. Now notice the next thing. Number five. And this is very, very important also. Because in verse 9 it says holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. Now I want you to notice two things here in this verse. Number one, holding the mystery. Number two, it's a mystery of the faith. Not only faith, but the faith. What does he mean here? You see, this mystery was something that was once hidden from men but now revealed in this present day dispensation in which you and I live in today. In Hebrew we call it sod haemunah. The mystery of the faith.

Not only faith, we all are called to have faith in God, but it is the faith which was once and for all delivered unto the saints. Turn to Jude verse 3. Jude. Jude. Jude was writing and he said to the beloved brothers and sisters to whom he wrote. And he says, Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you and to exhort you that you should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. When the Mashiach Yeshua came and our nation Israel did not accept him as a nation.

So that God had introduced a mystery which was once hid from men and now revealed unto men the present day dispensation of the ecclesia. That's why when Yeshua said in Matthew chapter 16, he says, I will build my assembly. He didn't say I am building. He didn't say I have built, but he said I will build. And the assembly, the called out one, the Jewish people and gentle will be united in one body in every nations of the world. It was a mystery that was hid in God and was not revealed to the sons of men until the Messiah was not accepted at his first coming.

And then all of a sudden this mystery had been revealed through the apostle Paul and through other apostles. Now this is very, very important, the mystery of the faith. That's why Paul said in Romans 1 16, he says, I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Mashiach. For it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. To the Jewish people first, but also to the nations, to the Gentiles, to the Greeks. And he said, I am not ashamed of the faith. Because on the basis of the ground of the work of Yeshua, the Messiah, I as sinner can receive forgiveness of sins. Whether I am Jewish or whether I am not.

And God has accepted me. And he has embraced me. And that's why those servants who are going to serve the Lord among the people of God, they are also to hold on to the truth of this mystery of the faith. Now turn with me to Matthew chapter 13. Matthew chapter 13, Yeshua said in verse 3. Yeshua began to speak to the multitude of our people Israel, specifically among the leaders of Israel, in parables. And so in chapter 13 and verse 3, it says, and he spake many things unto them in parables saying. And he began to speak in parables. So then in verse 10, his disciples, look at verse 10. His disciples came and he said unto him, why do you speak unto them in parables?

And look at the answer that Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, said to his disciples. He answered and he said unto them, because it is given unto you, the believing disciples, to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. But to them who rejected Yeshua's Messiahship, it is not given. For whosoever hath to him it shall be given. And he that hath more abundant, but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. You see, beloved brothers and sisters, there was a responsibility to our own leaders, the leaders of Israel, to accept the Messiah. But when they did not accept the Messiah, now what happened, he began to speak in parables unto them.

When we embrace God's provision for us sinners, God revealed to us truths that we have never known before. Look at another verse that I think needs to be read. In Romans chapter 16 and verse 25, it says there, Now to him that is of power to establish you according to my gospel and the preaching of Yeshua, the Messiah, according, listen, to the revelation of the mystery. Now notice what he adds, which was kept secret since the world began. When I read these verses, I'm amazed to see of the revelation that Shaul Paul received from God. He is telling now to the brothers and sisters of the local assembly, that mystery of the ecclesia, the called out one that we live in in this period of time.

The Jewish people and Gentiles are united together in the body of Messiah. That was a mystery that it was kept secret since the world began. But notice verse 26. But now is made manifest by whom? By the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandments of the everlasting God and made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. There is an unveiling that the Spirit of God unfolds now before believers, the things and the plans of God with respect to the present day age in which we live in. Which, by the way, is going to come to a close very soon. When Yeshua the Messiah will come and take the heavenly company at the rapture to be with him.

And he will begin this direct dealing with our people Israel. And he will ultimately restore the nation of Israel. And in the future Israel will be as a nation, a redeemed nation. Now if you go in the book of Romans, notice in chapter 11 of Romans, again use the word mystery, beloved brothers and sisters. Romans chapter 11 and verse 25. He's speaking to the Gentile Christians. And he said to them, I do not want you, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery. Lest ye should be wise in your own conceits. That blindness in part happened to Israel. Israel today is partially blind. My people are today partially blind.

Israel as a nation is not yet a redeemed nation. They are partially blind until, Paul is saying. Verse 25. Until what, Paul? Until when, Paul? Until the fullness or the full numbers of the Gentiles become in. And then verse 26. And then all Israel shall future be saved. In other words, beloved brothers and sisters, what Paul is saying to the servants in the local assemblies, local congregation. He says, listen, the servant, not only that he must be grave, not double-tongued, not given too much wine, and not greedy or filthy look, but he must hold on to fundamental truths of scripture. He must be holding the word of God with pure conscience, understanding the mystery of the faith, which was once delivered unto the saints.

Sound doctrine. Sound doctrine. Now, why do we teach the Bible? In order that we will get sound doctrine. I hope so. And if I don't teach sound doctrine, may the Lord help me. But sound doctrine is important, beloved brothers and sisters, not only to be taught by the Bible teacher, but to be embraced by those who hear it and understood and accepted by servants who serve the people of God, even in the practical matters among the people of God. You know, we need sound teaching. God always warned us in history among our people of Israel that we are to be careful from false prophets, from false shepherds, from false teachers.

And also, Paul is warning the assemblies, the body of Messiah, to be careful from false teaching. And it's not only applied to the teachers. Here we can see in verse 9 of 1 Timothy that it is the servant among the people of God, the deacons, the shamashim, they are also to have to hold to the mystery of the faith in pure conscience. And saying, I believe it because I understand that from the word of God, my conscience is free. That's why Paul said he was not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah, because he knew that unless he embraced Yeshua the Messiah as his Lord and Savior, he was lost.

He had no hope. And it is only through the precious, precious blood that Yeshua the Messiah, that the Lord Jesus the Messiah shared, that he knew that he was right with God. And he could now administrate it and share this with others. Now, look at this. Now, number 6. And notice, in verse 10, he says, "And let these also first be proved, and then let them use the office or the service or the ministry of servants being found blameless." In other words, what we really learn here, beloved brothers and sisters, that the servants need to be tested and proven faithful. It doesn't mean that they are perfect.

It doesn't mean that everything they do, whether it is the overseer, is perfect. But nevertheless, it requires from a servant that he may be found faithful. And so, you cannot just take someone and just put him all of a sudden to be the one who is serving among the people of God who just became a believer yesterday. He needs some time to grow and to develop and to live for the Lord. In other words, tested and proved faithful so he can now serve among the people of God. And I want to say a story here that I heard many years ago. The story is told by some of the brethren that in Europe, in one of the assemblies in Europe, there was a man who was serving in the assembly.

At this time, it was a tall building. They had a big window at the top and he used to come every morning before the meeting started. He used to open the window. And then, when the meeting is over, fresh air for everybody. When they finish the meeting, then he would shut the window, did all the things and responsibility at the meeting hall, and then he went home. But over the time, people came and complained. Why you open the window and shut the window? I don't like this and I don't like that. And he was so discouraged, not appreciated by the brethren. So you know what he did?

There was a brother's responsibility meeting. He put the keys on the table and he said, "Brethren, I give up. I'm tired. I've been here serving for so long time and the people don't appreciate me. And I'm giving up my responsibility. I don't want to do it anymore." So the older brothers were just kind of putting their head down and they were thinking. And one of the brothers lifted up his head and he says, "I thought you are doing this for the Lord. Who do you think you serve? You're serving the Lord. And what do you think? That everybody is going to come and tap on your shoulder and say, "How great you are." And then this brother kind of put his head down.

He picked up the keys and he said, "Brethren, I'm so sorry. I should have realized that I'm serving the Lord among the people of God." He took the keys and the next week he came back. He opened the windows. He did all what the Lord had given him to do in the local assembly. And he served the Lord realizing that whenever we serve the Lord, we at times are not going to be appreciated. Not going to be understood by the people of God. Not everybody is going to come and tap you at the shoulder and say, "What a great servant you are." When I heard the story, it really moved me.

Now think about the history of the many servants among the people of God. How often times they are not appreciated. Not being respected and not being acknowledged. But one thing we have to remember. That we serve our blessed Lord, Yeshua the Messiah. And if the brothers and sisters will not tap us on our shoulders and say how great our service is. The Lord knows our hearts. In Matthew chapter 25, Yeshua the Messiah said to the faithful servants. Well done. Good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in little. You will be now receiving an additional responsibility. Enter into the joy of the Lord. Service for the Lord does not mean that we are going to be always appreciated.

Service for the Lord means that we serve the Lord in spite of the fact that a time won is not being appreciated. This is a real service. See a real service does not mean that I do what I do only if I get respect and I get honor and I get position and I get a place. This is not service. That is doing something, forgetting something. Serving the Lord's people means that you are going to serve in a time not going to be appreciated. But Yeshua the Messiah one day is going to tell you well done good and faithful servant. As you have said it in the parables there in Matthew chapter 25.

Require from a servant according to 1 Corinthians 4 verse 2 that he may be found faithful. May the Lord help us to seek to be faithful in our service for the Lord. Now notice here quickly we have a couple more points here to mention in verses 11, 12 and 13. Number seven in the requirement from a servant is seek to have a godly home. You know it's not very easy when one is a believer and if the husband is a believer and the wife is not a believer or the children are not believers and they didn't submit to the authority of the word of God. It's very difficult. Some of us have family here that one is a believer and the other is not a believer.

You cannot force someone. It's got to come out of the heart. The Lord has to save a person to realize that he love him so much or love her so much that he or she will come to know Yeshua the Messiah but at least to seek to be a godly home. And I want you to notice what it says here in verse 11. You notice that beloved brothers and sisters that it's such an asset to a man who served the Lord when his wife is a blessing to him. What a blessing it is to have a wife for the servant who loved the Lord and wanted to serve the Lord.

And you notice the word the wife must be grave and not slenderous. The word slenderous comes from the Greek word diabolic. They come from the word like devil. That's what the devil does. He's slendering. He's always causing friction, you know, among God's people. That is what the devil does. And the wife, what a blessing it is when their wives are graven and not slenderous. And by the way, some Bible teachers took from that word let their wives to mean let their women, suggesting that there were those women diakonos or servants among the people of God who were so godly. Who were serving among the people of God.

And specifically I can mention this right now to some of our sisters here. That serving us every week. That working behind the scene and preparing things for the meetings and making things possible for us to function. What a wonderful thing to see that and to experience that. And the Lord will reward them. And you notice that they are to be sober. They are to be not slenderous. They are to be faithful in all things. It is such a commendation that the Apostle Paul gives to those sisters who serve in their capacity among the people of God. Turn to Romans 16 for a moment. There is a woman there that is mentioned in the list that Paul gave when he wrote that letter.

A woman by the name of Phoebe. It says in Romans chapter 16 and verse 1. I commend unto you Phoebe, our sister, which is a servant of the assembly which is at Sanchira. That word is diakonos. Mesharet. She is a servant. This morning before I left to come to the meeting room here, there is a family that hosts me where I stay overnight. And I said to the sister this morning, I said, dear sister, I hope I'm not too much of a trouble for you. She said, confess this sin. I said, Lord, I confess this sin. You know, because she said, it is a privilege for us to host you in our home.

She said, I counted a privilege. I mean, I was amazed. I was in tears this morning when I came to her. And I said to myself, she counted as a privilege? She told me to confess this sin before the Lord when I said, I hope I'm not of a burden for you. And she's a real, I'm telling you, a real servant. You know, she sometimes said, what a privilege it is to host the servants of the Lord. I said to her, you are the servant of the Lord, not me. And yet, what a blessing she is. For years, we have been blessed by those who serve the Lord.

Those who have been ministering to the people of God. And by the way, many of them are women who take their place before the Lord and serve the people of God behind the scene. What a blessing it is. If you notice in Luke chapter 8, the ones that serve Yeshua, the Messiah, most of them, as it says in Luke chapter 8 and verse 3, were women. Look what it says. It says, and it came to pass, verse 1, afterward, that he, Yeshua, went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him. And a certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmity with Miriam, called Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons.

And Yohanna, the wife of Cusa, Herod's steward, and Shoshanna, and many others which served him or ministered unto him of their substance. Many of these women serve Yeshua, the Messiah. What a blessing they have been to Yeshua, the Messiah. And what a blessing indeed they are in our midst as well, for which we are very thankful. Now go back quickly, and let me just conclude with the last verses here in verse 12. Notice that their servants be husbands of one wife. We talked about it with respect to the spiritual leaders. One woman, man. Then ruling their children in their own houses well. Together they serve the Lord in conducting their homes well.

And so this is the seventh qualification for those who want to serve among the people of God. Again, I will mention this is a very high standard. And we all have to confess we have failed to rise up to this standard. Nevertheless, God's standard is perfect, is high. And we are to seek to attain to it. And finally, beloved brothers and sisters, verse 13, they ought to have willingness to serve. For they have used the office of a deacon, well purchased to themselves a good degree and a great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus, in the Messiah Yeshua. Now notice it says here, they ought to be a willing servant.

They, as it says here, they have purchased to themselves a good rank, a good place, and a great boldness in the faith which is in the Messiah Yeshua. Now this is the final recommendation or qualification for the servant, for the deacon, is to be faithful servant. And that will produce for them, as it says here, a well purchased to them a good rank. They will be respected among the people of God when they are faithfully executing their service as unto the Lord. Even though at times they are not appreciated. Now, I want to challenge you today with a remark or two and I'm going to close.

Are we all serving the Lord? Do you take part in the work of the Lord? Do you participate in doing something for the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and His people? If not, I think you miss out. To serve the Lord is a blessing. God gave us all gifts. And we are called to use our gifts for the benefit of the people of God. And if we use our gifts among the people of God, you will see that the Lord will honor you and will bless you. And you will have reward from the Lord. In your own heart you will sense what a blessing it is to serve among the people of God.

It is not an easy task. And yet we are called to serve the Lord. And one day when we are going to be in the presence of the Lord, He is going to say to those who serve Him, Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord. May the Lord bless us and help us to serve Him among the people of God.