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| Mike Hosey, Elder |
Before the disciples of Jesus became the apostles of Jesus, they were a bumbling mess.
While they truly believed their Lord, as well as loved Him, and
followed Him everywhere He went, their ministries and behaviors were marked frequently
by shortcomings.
There were shortcomings of faith (Luke 9:12-13). And there certainly were failures due to those shortcomings (Matthew 17:14-20). And there were shortcomings of theological common sense (Luke 9:33-34). And, of course, there were moments of pride (Luke 9:46-48). Believe it or not, there even were failures to see the true significance of the very Lord they served (Matthew 16:21-23).
There were shortcomings of faith (Luke 9:12-13). And there certainly were failures due to those shortcomings (Matthew 17:14-20). And there were shortcomings of theological common sense (Luke 9:33-34). And, of course, there were moments of pride (Luke 9:46-48). Believe it or not, there even were failures to see the true significance of the very Lord they served (Matthew 16:21-23).
But most notably, and perhaps most embarrassingly, there
were moments of terrible insecurity. Can anyone identify with Peter's denial of
the Lord (John 18:25-27)? Such
insecurity even persisted after Peter was first filled with the Holy Spirit! In
Galatians 2:12-13, Paul describes how he had to rebuke Peter for cowering to
certain Jews at the expense of the Gentiles he was serving. Peter was afraid of
what those Jews would think of him because he was eating with gentiles. What
insecurity from a man so quick to be bold!
God knows how I can identify with that one!
But as the disciples grew in their ministries, and
especially after the Holy Spirit had been given to the church, the insecurities
of those men ebbed away.
In fact, tradition holds that all of the apostles except
John died violent deaths in service to their Lord and His calling upon them.
Their lives became marked by sheer boldness.
Let's watch our new crop of deacons become bold as they grow
in the Lord. Do your best to encourage the service of Drew Castoral, Doug
Pailthorpe, Bobby Theus, and Ray Van Mersbergen, because Paul tells us that,
". . . those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for
themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 3:13 HCSB)."
They will become bold in their faith because in their
service they will get to see God work in many ways! Keep them in your prayers.
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