Hebrews chapter 6 verse 1 the Bible reads therefore leaving the principles
of the doctrine of Christ let us go unto perfection not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God or of the
doctrine of baptisms and of laying on of hands and of resurrection of the dead
and of eternal judgment the title of sermon that I'll be preaching now is
called ordination and church planting ordination it's primarily on ordination
we're going to touch on church planting but primarily in on ordination so I had
originally planned to go through the qualifications of a bishop I was going
to start today but I decided now I just want to go top level right now let's
look at ordination let's look a bit on on church planting then we can
understand a better as to why we why we are the qualifications that we would be
looking at to ordain a person but I'm going to notice there in Hebrews chapter
6 that the command as a church as it grows as it matures is that we would
leave the principles of the doctrine of Christ and what we see following on to
that are doctrines that are known as the doctrine of Christ these are basic
doctrines that any church should know basic doctrines that anyone should
understand and it says let us go unto perfection so let us mature let us grow
let us be more complete as brethren and then gets not laying again the
foundation of repentance from dead works you know we don't need to resave
everybody again we don't need to go through salvation or you know week in
and week out and some churches do that don't they some churches are preaching
the gospel week in like no it's time to move on okay once we've we've laid that
we know people are saved we move on and of faith toward God and of the doctrine
of baptisms so obviously someone that gets baptized should be baptized after
they say something then we move on to become complete we become a mature and
of the lane on of hands so we see that the lane on of hands and what I'm saying
to you at this point this is about ordination and we'll cover that later
on we will see how that how that ties into ordination but this is something
that is known as should be known as a basic common doctrine in the church now
I've not preached on this you know since we started the church and I haven't
really felt like we needed to we're a new church you know to the point where
we get to the point where we need to ordain people might still be you know a
few years away but now that we're going through this class I thought it's
important that we look at the lane on of hands and then it says another
resurrection of the dead so the rapture the resurrection and of eternal
judgments these are these are basic things okay basic concepts of the Bible
known as the doctrines of Christ all right so we're going to be looking at
the lane of hands which is in which is associated with ordination but when you
read the New Testament the lane of hands is also associated with passing on or
proving the apostolic apostolic apostolic gifts and then say that right
but proving that one was an apostle proving that one could pass on those
gifts such as healing of the dead you know of speaking in tongues you know
that was also passed through by the lane of hands but that's outside the scope of
the sermon today right now I want to be looking at the ordination of deacons and
of pastors so please turn to 1st Timothy chapter 5 1st Timothy chapter 5
verse 19 1st Timothy chapter 5 verse 19 the Bible reads against an elder now the
Bible uses the word elder pastor Bishop interchangeably for the same office and
it says here against an elder if you say a pastor receive not an accusation but
before two or three witnesses rebuke them that sin sorry them that sin
rebuke before all that others also may fear so look when the pastor sins
obviously the pastor sins every day just like you do but you know gets into
grievous sins that damages the office of the pastor they are to be called out it
says there right it says through they ought to be rebuked before all when I
pass the sins it's not time to hide that sin you know you're not needing to look
after that person's reputation in order to protect the church the pastor's sins
need to be called out it says there and then it says in verse 21 I charged thee
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that thou observe these
things without preferring one before another you know don't give that pastor
preference you know don't make it easy for them if they disqualify themselves
now call them out rebuke them for the sins okay you know God's not a respect
of persons neither should we be in that sense and then it said there in verse 20
I'm sorry doing nothing by partiality so when you do things don't do it you know
don't don't be biased in the way you go about it you know don't don't um you
know what's the word I'm looking for have favorites in your church where you
call out you know the people that you don't like for their sins but the people
that your best friends are you close to you won't call them out for the sins no
we need to make sure that we treat everybody alike but the pastor you know
because of the office they hold if they commit grievous sins that needs to be
known throughout the whole church now that's important because when you look
at verse number 22 it says lay hands suddenly on no man and we'll see that
this is about ordination because pastors need to be rebuked sharply when there
isn't sin we need to make sure that before we lay our hands on them before
we all Dane them you know we don't do it suddenly we don't do it quickly we make
sure that the person that gets ordained has been proven in the church that
people can you know the church as a whole and we'll look at this later on
you know acknowledges yes this is the person that God is calling yes this is
the person that needs to take on this offer office so we need to be mindful
when when it comes to ordination it's not something we need to rush into it's
not something we need to feel like we need to do it regardless no don't lay
your hands suddenly on no man this is neither be partaker of other men's sins
keep thyself pure now this is written to Timothy from Paul Timothy was a
pastor in the instruction Paul the Apostle is given Timothy look keep
yourself pure make sure you you don't ordain someone suddenly because if they
go and they're and they get into grievous sin it's going to reflect bad
on you it's going you're gonna you're you may be considered by God to be a
partaker of that man sin keep thyself pure you know ordination is something
where you know if I'm going to ordain someone I need to make sure I have a
pure conscience before God that this is the right man that can do this job this
is someone that's proving themselves this one that's mature it's not someone
that will necessarily you know get into some grievous sin you know keep yourself
pure now could it be that I ordained someone in the future and they get into
grievous sin of course that's possible but we've with everything that we can we
can do with everything we can accomplish and check of that man we need to make
sure that at that point our conscious conscious is pure all right now that's
important because like I said the older the pastor has a significant position in
the church all right turn to Titus chapter 1 verse 5 Titus chapter 1 verse
5 Titus chapter 1 verse 5 so should we be yes we should be mindful before we
ordain someone but she'll be so afraid of it that we don't ordain them no
because Titus was also a pastor Titus was also a bishop in the instruction
that Paul gives Titus II in Titus chapter 1 verse 5 it says for this cause
left I thee in Crete what's Crete it's an island okay it's an island and it has
a number of cities on there it says that thou shouldest set in order the things
that are wanting to ordain elders in every city as I had appointed thee so
Paul does you know wants his bishops his pastors to ordain other pastors you know
it ought to be our goal and our ambition to one day ordain other pastors you know
to start new churches these are things that are commanded to a pastor to do and
you can see that Paul leaves a bishop he leaves Titus there in Crete to do it
and that should immediately tell you that the only way a pastor can be
ordained is by another pastor okay well in these days when you had the apostles
who also held a higher authority than the pastors they also had the ability to
ordain elders as Paul had ordained Titus himself okay but today we don't have the
apostles but we do have the office of the of the bishop the the office of the
pastor and it's the pastor's responsibility to ordain pastors all
right please go back I should have stood anyway go back to 1st Timothy back
back to 1st Timothy chapter 4 you're nearby anyway and before I move off
Titus it says that thou should have set in order the things that are wanting you
know ordination is an orderly process not something to be taken lightly not
something that we ought to rush into we've got to be mindful of it 1st
Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 1st Timothy chapter 4 verse 14 this is the
instruction that Paul tells to Timothy he says neglect not the gift that is in
thee which was given thee by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the
presbytery he says look Timothy you were given a gift okay when you were ordained
to be a pastor a gift was passed down to you when the presbytery laid their hands
upon you now that word presbytery it's not saying that we need to leave the
Baptist Church and join the Presbyterian Church the word presbytery
just means the elders the pastors okay some churches may have more than one
pastor and in that case here all those pastors should be involved in ordaining
that man you know we might be one day we don't know in good fellowship with
another church in our area I hope so you know and if I choose to ordain a man I
might invite a pastor from another church to participate and be part of
that I don't know you know but we can see that you know ordination can be one
person just like Titus was left in Crete the one person to ordain or it can be
done by the presbytery by people that have by multiple pastors it really
doesn't matter but the key thing is that it's a pastor ordaining the pastors all
right and so I just want you to notice that that the gift that was given to
Timothy was by the laying of hands all right now when it comes to the laying of
hands or ordination it's not something that's only found in the New Testament
the principles behind it started back in the Old Testament so I want us to do an
Old Testament study please take your Bibles and then turn to Leviticus chapter
8 Leviticus chapter 8 verse number 1 Leviticus chapter 8 verse number 1 so we
know the story of Moses delivering the children of Israel out of Egypt and then
once they received the commandments and and all that you know the Lord had
instructed Moses to appoint priests and his own brother Aaron became the first
high priest okay and what we see here in the book of Leviticus is that Moses
ordains his brother to be a priest to take an office in the house of God let's
look at Leviticus chapter 8 verse 1 and the Lord spake unto Moses saying take
Aaron and his sons with him and the garments and the anointing oil and a
bullock for the sin offering and two rams and a basket of unleavened bread
and gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation and Moses did as the Lord commanded him and the
assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the
congregation so we see here that the Lord commands Moses it's time for you to
ordain Aaron and his sons to be priests now does does does the Lord ask Moses
to do something privately when nobody can see it no he says look you need to
do it before the or before the congregation okay now this is the first
point that I want you to understand what is a biblical ordination well actually
point number one was that elders appoint elders people that hold a position of
authority will ordain others okay and in this case the prophet of God or you know
we see Moses as even the first pastor of the of the of the children of God in the
Old Testament is ordaining the priests that's point number one but point number
two is that they were to be brought before the congregation all right so you
know you might there might be a case where someone's being ordained by a
pastor but it's all being hush-hush it's being quiet it's not being presented
before the congregation then in that case as far as I'm concerned they're not
biblically qualified or not biblically ordained to be a pastor because we see
we'll see this happen time and time again yes the lane of hands yes someone
in authority but then they had to be presented before the congregation all
right let's keep reading look at verse number five and Moses said unto the
congregation this is the thing which the Lord commanded to be done and Moses
brought Aaron and his sons and washed them with water and he put upon him the
coat so you can see that it's Moses doing these acts upon them he actually
washes them he puts on the coats and girded him with the girder and clothed
him with a robe and put the ephedra upon him and he girded him with a curious
girdle of the ephod and bound it unto him therewith and he put on the breast
plate upon him also he put in the breast plate the Urim and the Thurman
Thurman and he put the mitre upon his head also upon the mitre even upon his
forehead did he put the golden plates the holy crown as the Lord commanded
Moses now drop down to verse 36 look at this so Aaron and his sons did all
things which the Lord commanded by the hand of Moses you see that how the Lord
uses that phrase you know the Aaron his sons that they're ordained and doing the
things that God has commanded but by the hand of Moses okay it was it was Moses
who's ordaining these priests before the congregation now I know that phrase is
figurative you know by the hand of Moses that's through Moses that they were
ordained but I love the choice of words that God used even as figurative
language that's it's the lane of hands it's that the purpose is that there is
something physical that's happened and we see how how he was Moses that was was
a washing them was dressing them was getting them ready and presented before
the congregation so we can say that that by the hand of Moses is something
that's figurative but also physical something that is literal that took
place so we see the Old Testament priests were ordained by a man of God
all right now turn to the book of Numbers Numbers chapter 27 Numbers
chapter 27 and as your turn there you again you know this you continue the
story of Moses you know a great man of God but then he failed you know he
messed up with God and as his punishment he was not to lead the
children of Israel into the Promised Land he was allowed to go up into a
mount and to look down the plains and to see what God had promised the children
of Israel but he was not permitted to go into the land of Israel all right all
the land of Canaan at that point it was known as that the land of can that he
was not allowed to do that and so God instructed him to get another man and
that man became Joshua okay Joshua was the leader that took over and led the
children of Israel into the Promised Land but look at Numbers chapter 27
verse 15 after God gives Moses it's bad news and look and Moses is a great
example of a humble man is he's a great example of a great pastor that actually
loves his brethren that loves the people because the Lord just told him the bad
news you're not going into the land that does Moses whinge about it does he
get upset about it that you know is his selfish now how does he respond look at
verse 15 and Moses spake unto the Lord saying let the Lord the God of the
spirits of all flesh set a man over the congregation which may go out before
them and which may go in before them and which may lead them out and which may
bring them in that the congregation of the Lord be not as sheep which have no
shepherd you see his heart for the people he says look yes Lord I
understand I'm being punished I'm not I'm not leading this people in but Lord
instead of me being selfish and and having a pity party for myself he says
look but the sheep have no shepherd can we set a man that can go before them and
lead them into that place that's a great heart that Moses has he doesn't want to
leave the sheep without a shepherd he doesn't want the sheep to go astray
verse 18 and the Lord said unto Moses take thee Joshua the son of Nun a man in
whom is the spirit hey a man that is saved came in that believes on God that
believes on Jesus Christ a man that say that has the Spirit of God in him and
says and lay thine hand upon him and set him before Eliezer the priest and before
all the congregation and give him a charge in their sights so now we see
another ordination process here where Moses is ordained the next pastor where
Moses is ordained the next leader Joshua and look Joshua was a man that's been
faithfully serving beside Moses for many many years he's a man that's known okay
by the children of Israel and he says look you're gonna lay your hands upon
him and you're gonna bring him before the priests and before all the
congregation which is the same thing playing out again right the laying of
hands before the congregation verse number 20 and thou shalt put some of
thine honor upon him that all the congregation of the children of Israel
may be obedient say what's that about and thou shalt put some of thine honor
okay now again this is why we don't believe in self-ordination okay because
it's the man of God Moses who's instilling his honor upon Joshua and by
that it's his authority it's his power it's it's it's the um yeah the authority
that God had given Moses to be the leader of Israel Moses is basically
giving that authority on to Joshua okay this is why it's got to be a man of
authority that's ordained another man of authority because he's bestowing upon
that person some of that honor some of that authority okay and if you're
self-ordained you're not receiving that honor whatsoever you call yourself
pastor hey I can put doctor before before my name I can do whatever I want
you can call me Dr. Sepulveda I mean that's what that's what C.I. Schofield
did right he put doctor before his name no he's not received the honor he's not
received the proper process you know and it's so ridiculous people that think
they can ordain themselves they're not receiving the honor they're not
receiving the authority and of course that's going to fail that's going to
fail badly but we see that it's important that pastors ordain pastors
verse 21 and he shall stand before Eliezer the priests who shall ask
counsel for him after the judgment of Urim before the Lord at his word shall
they go out and at his word they shall come in both he and all the children of
Israel with him even all the congregation and Moses did as the Lord
commanded him and he took Joshua and said him before Eliezer the priests
before all the congregation you see how God just keeps repeating that so it's in
our minds okay it's before all the congregation it's not a secret it's not
just you know in the tent in you know no it's before everybody in verse 23 and he
laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge as the Lord commanded by the hand
of Moses the reason why ordination ought to be by the lane of hands before the
congregation is because it's the commandment of God okay ordination is a
command of God it's it's it's also a basic doctrine a doctrine of Christ okay
this is it's funny how people just try to get away with what the Word of God
says you know and people say well why doesn't God just lay it out for us why
doesn't he just tell us okay this is how you go into a day in a pastor you know
in the books look there's so much Bible already it's always consistent why do we
need further instruction from God you know if you've read your Bibles you
should know what the automation process is and pastor that self-ordained it's
like I don't even trust this person have you not even read these passages you
know why would I trust that person you know it's crazy now can you guys go to
the book of Deuteronomy please Deuteronomy chapter 34 Deuteronomy
chapter 34 because I want to show you something else as well and why self
ordination is such a failure Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 9 Deuteronomy chapter
34 verse 9 it's important for you to look at this one up so I'll give you a
moment to turn there Deuteronomy chapter 34 verse 9 the Bible reads and Joshua
the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom you say why how did that come to
be for Moses had laid his hands upon him and the children of Israel hearkened
unto him and did as the Lord commanded Moses you see when Joshua was ordained
by Moses when he was biblically ordained he was given the spirit of wisdom he was
full of the spirit of wisdom that tells you self-ordained people or people that
are ordained by it by the layman by the congregation they have not received the
spirit of wisdom now I know this will sound prideful well but it's just a
reality and I didn't really realize this until I was putting this together but
after I was ordained and you're gonna think this is crazy oh yeah but I'm just
doing it's just the truth after I was ordained and I was ordained biblically
before the congregation by someone of that has the authority or the office of
a bishop all right when I prepared my sermons I felt that I was wiser like I
could read the Bible and it was even clearer it was it was even made more
sense to me I could I could uh you know um compare scripture with scripture a
lot more easier than I had before I'm not saying that I never had any wisdom
okay I'm not saying you know I you know I didn't know my Bible but there's
something about being ordained and something about coming to the Word of
God and knowing that I've got to feed the people of God where I realize I've
got this knowledge I've got this wisdom you know and it's come from following
the commands that God has given us about ordination you see why he's got that
wisdom is because he had Moses lays hands upon him okay and I'm telling the
same thing if you get ordained one day you'll probably find the same truth
you'll probably find all of a sudden the Bible has opened up to you a lot more
than you and you know I can't really explain it to you but I'm telling you
it's it's the truth okay and so these people that are self-ordained these
people that don't follow the direction that God has given us they're not
people that have that spirit of wisdom it's something that's special that God
gives the people that are ordained biblically all right so why would you
want to go to the church or somebody that's self-ordained they don't follow
the commands of God okay they've not received the honor of that office and
they don't have the spirit of wisdom why would you waste your time in these
people and that's crazy I don't even want to fellowship with people that call
themselves pastor and haven't been ordained scripturally all right they're
fools now let's go to the New Testament Luke chapter 6 Luke chapter 6
Luke chapter 6 verse 12 by the way I don't want you to think that just because
someone gets ordained biblically they're now they're the wisest person because
they might not they might choose not to hearken to the spirit of wisdom they
might choose to just go by their own intellect you know by their own natural
you know intelligence but the point is that spirit of wisdom is available to
someone that is biblically ordained and they can access that you know that
spirit it's an amazing thing so look at Luke 6 Luke Luke chapter 6 verse 12 I
want to show you how Jesus ordained Luke chapter 6 verse 12 and it came to pass
in those days when he went out into a mountain to pray and continued all night
in prayer to God so look before I I ordained I think this is a really good
thing if Jesus Christ had to go into a quiet place and pray all night then I'm
going to be doing the same thing I might even be mixing prayer and fasting you
know before I lay my hands on somebody before I ordained someone before I make
such an important decision like that we say that even Jesus Christ goes into the
mountain and prays all night speaking to God look at verse 13 and when it was day
he called unto him his disciples now notice when it says his disciples he's
not just talking about the 12th he's talking about everybody that is
literally following him not all the multitudes because some of the
multitudes were not his disciples but those that had left all that had followed
after him he caused the disciples and then it says and of them he chose 12 so
of all the disciples he has before him of that group of them he chooses 12 whom
he named apostles so we don't see Jesus laying his hands on them the Bible
doesn't tell us that I think it's safe to assume that's what he did okay I'm
not gonna be dogmatic on that but what we do see is that he chooses 12 from
all the disciples and so this as he ordained them to be apostles they are
before the public they are before a greater you know number of disciples
before him again it's not something that was done in secret turn to the book of
Mark turn to the book of Mark chapter 3 Mark chapter 3 so we'll just get Mark's
interpretation to this Mark chapter 3 verse 13 Mark chapter 3 verse 13 it says
and he goeth up into a mountain and calleth unto him who he would so Jesus
Christ is heading to a mountain he says to his disciples you know everyone that
can come come you know and they came and they came unto him and he ordained 12
that see the word there ordained and he ordained 12 that they should be with him
and that he might send them forth to preach and to have power to heal
sicknesses and to cast out devils and Simon he's surname Peter and James the
son of Zebedee and John the brother of James and he surnamed them
Boerneges which is the sons of thunder and Andrew and Philip and Bartholomew
and Matthew and Thomas and James the son of Alphaeus and and Thaddeus and
Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot which also betrayed him and they went
into and house so again I just want to show you Jesus goes into the mountain
cause everyone that is willing to come up to come and out of that group he
ordains 12 again it was before the people of God okay and then they go into
the house okay it's not done privately okay now go to the book of Genesis
please Genesis chapter 1 Genesis chapter 1 because I just want to show you there
that ordination is a man of authority and of course who's got greater
authority than Jesus Christ is fine to do this he can ordain his apostles but
we see always men of authority ordaining other men to that position of
authority okay otherwise we see God directly ordaining those individuals
either through Jesus Christ or by the angel the Lord potentially in the Old
Testament and we'll talk about that in a moment but it's important to understand
this principle look at Genesis chapter 1 verse 11
Genesis chapter 1 verse 11 and God said let the earth bring forth grass the herb
yielding seed and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind whose seed is in
itself upon the earth and it was so and the earth brought forth grass and herb
yielding seed seed after his kind and the tree yielding fruit whose seed was
in itself after his kind and God saw that it was good and the evening and the
morning were the third day so we see that everything that God creates the
grass and the vegetation it produces seed after its own kind and God says
this is good okay so if we apply this to ordination it's good for pastors to
ordain pastors after their kind again it's not a self-ordination okay it's
it's got to produce after its kind it's not the church congregation ordaining a
man because that church congregation does not have the authority of the
past like if they're not producing after their kind you know so we need to be
careful let's keep reading verse 21 Genesis 1 21 and God created great whales
and every living creature that moveth which the waters brought forth
abundantly after their kind and every winged fowl after his kind and God saw
that he was good and God blessed them saying be fruitful and multiply and fill
the waters in the seas and let fowl multiply in the earth so let's just take
very basic principles Genesis chapter 1 you know that things produce after their
own kind and God says this is good and then it says be fruitful and multiply
meaning that as a pastor I can't just have the mindset of a temporary thing
and say well I'm just gonna put you know this is my church and this is my baby
this is all I'm focused on at some point we've got to get to it as a church and
as myself as the pastor say well now we need to multiply be fruitful and
multiply you know we need to ordain other men of God we need to send them
out in other places here in Australia maybe even New Zealand ordain them to
start churches or if there's already a group of brethren to go there and get
things established get things in order you know but that's the principle that
we see of God I think it's a great principle that we can take to the whole
Bible I think there's a reason why this is Genesis chapter 1 okay things that
are very basic things that are very fundamental to many many doctrines in
the Bible turn back to acts chapter 20 please acts chapter 20 I'm going to show
you a verse here in the Bible that I've heard self-ordained pastors use to say
that they're biblically ordained all right let's have a look at it acts
chapter 20 verse 28 acts chapter 20 verse 28 take heed therefore unto
yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost have made you
overseers to feed the Church of God which you have purchased with his own
blood don't you see that pastor Kevin you know it's not men ordaining other
men as pastors as overseas of the Church of God the Holy Ghost made me an
overseer anyone that's biblically ordained has been sent forth by the Holy
Ghost all right if you've been biblically ordained all right now how
do we answer this you know that when we read the book of acts that we start with
acts chapter 20 is that where we start you know a book you know when you when
you buy a novel you just open up to a random chapter and start reading from
there let you start from the beginning start from the beginning what does it
mean to have been sent by the Holy Ghost what does it mean that the Holy
Ghost has made you an overseer you know but yeah I've seen people twist this
verse now let me say this the Holy Ghost has ordained or God has ordained men of
God it happens in the Bible but the thing is I can confirm that because it's
in the Word of God I can read it and I trust the Word of God is true I trust
the Word of God is pure so when I look at someone like a Moses who was called
by the burning bush you know I know that was the Lord speaking to him to be you
know and ordained as such then I can I can look yeah that's in the Bible you
know but if you come and tell me you were then by the Holy Ghost well show me
that in the Bible where were you ordained in you know but otherwise it'd
be in the Word of God if I'm gonna trust that we have many men in the Bible
especially Old Testament we see them being called directly by God but it's
recorded for us so we can have the proof all right we start with the Word
of God go to Acts 13, Acts 13
Acts 13 verse 1 now there were in the church that was at Antioch now this
church in Antioch a super duper Church awesome Church awesome all right but
look at this in the Antioch certain prophets and teachers okay part of what
made this church really strong really great is that they had multiple prophets
multiple preachers okay and teachers you know you can see that this church had
matured this church had grown it had the ability of multiple men to help lead
that church that's a great thing and it says as Barnabas and Simeon there was
called Nigar and Lucius of Cyrene and and Menean which had been brought up
with Herod the tetrarch and Saul and they ministered to the Lord and fasted
so there it is again before being ordained you know we saw Jesus praying I
said I'll probably link fasting in there and the reason for that is because we
see that here in this passage and look at this when they when they're
ministering to the Lord they're serving the Lord they're fasting the Holy Ghost
said separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work we're unto I have called them
so how does in the New Testament how does the Holy Ghost call you to be a
pastor how does he call you to be ordained it's in the local church it's in
the local church amongst the prophets amongst the teachers amongst the
congregation okay that's where they heard from the Holy Ghost that's how
they were confirmed hey this is the person that we need to set aside and
separate for them for the work that God has called them look at verse number
three and when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them they
sent them away so they've been sent forth by the Holy Ghost departed unto
our Seleucia and from thence they sailed to Cyprus so how does the Holy Ghost
send forth through the local church through men of God that laid hands on
them and ordained them to to be the apostles or the missionaries for the
work of the church in Antioch and one thing you need to understand as you read
through your Bible as you read through the book of Acts as you read the letters
the epistles that Paul writes to the churches he's not doing that on his own
he's doing it under the authority of the local church he's doing it under the
authority of the church in Antioch okay they're the ones that sent him out to go
and start churches to do the work of God and they'll ordained him and Barnabas
ordained by the church and by extension because they were then by the church
that was sent out by the Holy Ghost okay so that's how we understand chapter 20
you know the one that gets twisted by the self-ordaining preachers so just to
start wrapping things up now guys everything produces after its own kind
okay a self-ordained pastor or a pastor that's not been biblically qualified you
know they're lacking the spirit of wisdom they're lacking the sending forth
of the Holy Ghost you know and they haven't received the authority and power
of another man of authority and why would you do that I mean you're just
you're just saying God I'm gonna fail you know I mean I'm just gonna be
disobedient God I'm gonna do this anyway I'm gonna fail it's like it's it's most
ridiculous thing and you know I told you guys we've one of my previous churches
where they would not ordain me because of the end times you know and I had
several people in the church say to me we don't need you know you don't need
their blessing just go and start a church I was like what do you want me be
like like these failures these self-ordained pastors no you know what
you might have desire to be a pastor to be a deacon but you also if you're if
you're someone that wants to be that way you also have to have to have the right
character and that character says hey God if it's not your will I have to
accept that you know if it's not your will I'm willing to Lord just just just
be a faithful servant to the church I'm faithful to just to do my best in the
local church and if it's not your will for me to be ordained if it's not the
Holy Ghost will for me to be sent out then I have to accept that hey that
shows good character and for those that go about and ordain themselves or those
that go about and reject the authority that God has put over them in the church
they're not cut out to be pastors we saw Moses what was his heart was his heart
that I'm not going to go to the Promised Land his heart was for the sheep he
wanted them to have a shepherd hey they're the people that God is looking
for the humble the people that love the brethren okay those that would put the
Brethren before themselves and I hope I can be that for you guys like I hope
you know I think I already am there because that's I was ordained and I was
already proven by the church but I hope I can continue to grow in that love for
the Brethren you know and and never make the church about me you know I don't
want to be New Life Baptist Church you know when people think of New Life
Baptist Church that's Pastor Kevin no I want people to think of New Life Baptist
churches everybody that makes up this church look at Acts 15 please I am
wrapping up Acts 15 verse 36 so after Paul and Barnabas go get many people
saved in many cities they go and actually establish churches now this is
the little bit that I want to talk about planting churches okay they get
brethren saved those brethren meets okay and they're operating as churches
without ordained pastors okay because they need time need time for pastors to
develop all right and look at Acts 15 verse 36 and what I want to say there
guys is that churches plants churches okay Barnabas and Paul were church
planters okay but operate under the authority of the Antioch Church churches
plant churches you know everything produces after its own kind and it says
here in Acts 15 verse 36 and some days after Paul said unto Barnabas so this is
this is sometime later on let us go again and visit our brethren in every
city where we have preached a word of the Lord and see how they do okay so you
know we see their heart it's like yes we've got all these brethren saved all
these churches have started this is what this whole purpose of the epistles of
Paul sending letters and encourage them guiding them and says look now we've
got to go back and make sure they're okay you know and eventually yet you
know eventually these Pete these churches will have ordained pastors I
just want to say this I don't want you to ever think that church equals pastor
okay I never want you to think that way churches start churches if you want to
look consider our satellite church down in Sydney that's a legitimate church that
church was planted by this church up here but that church does not have a
full-time pastor right now I'm I'm kind of the past I know and in a sense like
like what Paul and Barnabas says let us go again and visit the brethren you know
because of planes I get to do that every week you know praise God that we have
that luxury to get it onto a plane I get to visit them every week okay but my
hope is one day I'd be able to ordain someone to look after that church you
know to go and ordain and set that in order and so I just want you to you know
be mindful look you know a group of friends getting together in a city you
know we can't find a good church you know and like-minded brethren coming
together that is not a church okay that is not a church now you can preach to
one another you can teach each other do Bible studies sing praises I think it's
perfectly fine but you don't want to call that a church because churches
plant churches churches start churches all right now also think about this we
are a legitimate church because we were planted by a church but if I were to die
or if I were to get so old and you know I can't pastor anymore I've got to
retire or something or I get disqualified as a pastor and let's say
this church has no pastor does that mean we stop becoming a being a church no
that's what I'm saying I don't want to think church equals pastor all right but
a church must be planted by another church and pastors must be ordained by
another pastor so if something were to happen to me you know God forbid I
never want to be unqualified or anything like that crazy you know
something health wise or you know whatever happens to me and we don't have
someone already ordained in the church then you know the next step for you
would be to hey we need to have an ordained pastor we need a man that has
the spirit of wisdom and you know hopefully contact other churches and ask
other pastors do you have a man that you can send our way that can help guide
this sheep they can help guide us continue continue guide us into that
promised land okay but please never get to a point where you're like you know
what it's been two years where without a pastor let's just ordained brother Matt
or something right that's just ordained brother Sam no you know then you're
you're being disobedient to the Word of God this is why this is important that
it gets preached it's because I we see that in churches today we see that
churches just just for the sake of having a pastor whatever we're just you
don't have any kids so you got one kid yeah you're good enough you know you
you've been serving the Lord the longest you've been putting the most money into
the tithes and offering you know we'll make you the pastor you know no no look
we've got to obey the commands that God has given us you know and I hope we as
a church plant churches but the ideal scenario is that we would plant them
with a pastor that's the ideal scenario and not rush into these things okay so I
hope that's given you a little bit more insight into the process of ordination a
little bit more processing insight into the process of plants and churches and
what I believe you know what I believe as pastor and you know as we continue
going through this every month I want to start looking into the into the the
qualifications of a bishop the qualifications of a deacon and maybe
even touch on evangelists as well and what's that all about and yeah I just I
just I want us as a church to be united to be of one mind to know what the Bible
says and I think you can just see the consistency already in the Bible from
the Old Testament to the New Testament that men are you know pastors ordained
pastors and that churches plant churches all right let's pray