Truth Magazine

By Willard A. Jones

Those of us who are functioning as elders, deacons, Bible class teachers and song leaders must realize despite what our age might be, that we are rapidly passing from the scene of action and one day will need to be replaced. We should all be motivated to instill in those younger than ourselves the desire to serve the church as elders, deacons, Bible class teachers and song leaders. We must be willing to teach them and help them to be all they can be in the service of God. Let’s try to accomplish this without envy and strife and not be desirous of vain glory (Gal. 5:26). The apostle Paul said, in Philippians 2:34, “Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.” We should not feel threatened by the ability of others, we should rejoice because of it.

The church is more important than any of us and our love for it should be paramount in our lives. We have to look ahead to the time when we cannot carry on our work or we have passed from this life. God’s way is men helping one another to render acceptable service to him. Satan’s way is one of envy and strife and lack of love for one another. One ugly act can destroy a lifetime of our own labor and the labor of others.

When it should come to a time of transition and the duties we perform are given to another, let us help to make it as smooth as possible and assist in any way we can that God’s church will continue to be the glorious church he intended it to be, when it is presented to him not having spot, or wrinkle or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:27). Let us not be one of those spots, wrinkles or blemishes; for if we are we will not be in heaven. The apostle Paul said it well in 1 Corinthians 9:27.

Eldership

Serving as an elder in the Lord’s church is an awesome responsibility. The effects of what you do or do not do are very sobering when we think seriously about our service. The Lord has made us stewards over his heritage and one day we must give account of our stewardship. We must realize that what we are doing now will determine what the Lord’s church will be twenty years from now.

As one song we sing says, “There is much to do, there is work on every hand.” Our job or duty is to motivate others to work and to lead that work. When Jesus walked among men he saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted (were distressed) and were scattered abroad as sheep having no shepherd. “Then saith he unto his disciples, the harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:36-37). There were those who were to lead God’s people in that day who were failing to fulfill their responsibilities (Matt. 23:1-8). Some shepherds are failing today.

Shepherds are responsible for leading, feeding and even protecting God’s heritage from false teachers. Serving as an elder is to be the number one priority in our lives. If we do not have time to plan and carry out the work of the congregation because of the precedence of other interests, what we are doing or not doing is a disservice to the church and to the cause of Christ. We can become an impediment to the church and, as such, we should resign. A church without leadership and no plans for spiritual and numerical growth soon will find itself just “keeping house.” Where there is no vision, the people perish (cast off restraint, Prov. 29:18).

Fortunately for me I have always been able to draw on the strength and encouragement of the men with whom I have been privileged to serve. Without it, I might have become discouraged and resigned long ago. At present, I feel very strongly about the work we are trying to accomplish. It just seems that there is so much to do and there is so little time left to do it.

While I am still mentally and physically able to serve as an elder I hope to instill within others the desire one day to serve as an elder realizing the need is great. I agree with Dorval McClister who wrote in his tract, “Shepherd Staffs” (p. 3): “There is something seriously lacking in a local congregation which does not produce men who are qualified to serve as elders.” The proper program of work being done in the local congregation should in time produce Bible class teachers, song leaders, deacons, elders, and preachers of the gospel. From the time an eldership exists, those men should be aware that one day they will have to be replaced due to death or physical or mental handicap. The elder himself, realizing his physical limitations, should act accordingly.

An elder is expected to meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9 and continue them in his fife. If he does not continue to possess these qualifications, he has disqualified himself from serving. He would no longer be an ensample (example) to the flock he is leading (1 Pet. 5:3). The shepherds of olden time went before the flock to lead them to good pasture and good water; they were concerned for the safety of the sheepfold. To maintain the confidence of the flock of God we must take heed unto ourselves (Acts 20:28). If we say and do not, we become modern day Pharisees (Matt. 23:3). One who no longer meets the qualifications can be asked to resign. This unenviable chore would be the task of the other elders. Hopefully the individual would resign voluntarily. We shepherds of God’s flock need to remember that we have a Chief Shepherd to whom we must give an accounting (1 Pet. 5:4).

An elder who has lost his wife by death is no longer the husband of one wife and no longer qualified. One elder cannot serve alone; there must be a plurality of elders in a congregation (Tit. 1:5).

An elder’s family can be a source of embarrassment both to him and to the church if they are walking disorderly. This being the case he should resign. The church following his leadership expects to see his teaching reflected in the lives of his family.

A loss of confidence in our leadership will hurt. In the Old Testament (Deut. 34:9) after the death of Moses, Joshua became Israel’s leader. The Scripture says he was “full of the Spirit of wisdom” and also that the children of Israel “hearkened unto him. ” May God give us such future leaders and we pray that the. church (God’s Israel today) will hearken unto them.

Deacons

Their qualifications should suggest to the elders that here are the men you can count on to help with any problem or any work in which the church is to involve itself. The work of a deacon is not defined in the New Testament as explicitly as that of the elders. Without any assignment, many of them wonder what their role in the church is to be.

A deacon should cheerfully carry out the work given to him by the elders. Deacons generally are younger men than the elders, have younger families and perhaps are involved in more activities. If a deacon does not have the time to serve, he should resign.

My own personal concept of the deacon’s work would be similar to that of the seven men appointed to be over the daily ministrations to the widows in Acts 6:1-5. A deacon should continually from his visits among the saints of the congregation know the physical needs of those he visits. He should report his findings to the elders that the needs will be met. I believe that the lack of food, medicine, clothing and shelter can affect our spirituality, especially if we think nobody cares. I would suggest,that any deacon who is not making this a part of his work should do so. I know that the elders he works with will appreciate it.

Deacons need to maintain both the personal and the family qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. If these change the deacon should resign.

Bible Class Teachers

Bible class teachers have a great responsibility in the Lord’s church. They have the responsibility to lead others to Christ and the continued responsibility to teach them how to please God in their life (Matt. 28:18-20). The apostle Paul reprimanded the Jews for their lives were not in harmony with their teaching (Rom. 2:17-24). If we find that our lifestyle conflicts with what we teach and we are unable to harmonize the two, we should resign.

Teachers who do not have or will not take the time to prayerfully prepare for their assigned classes should either repent or resign. This all important task deserves our best efforts. Most of your students come to class expecting something from you. You should be prepared to impart something to them and not be found “just going through the motions.” Strive to make your class interesting. Make your class one the students will look forward to attending. Strive for perfection (Eph. 4:11-16; Heb. 6:1). Read the apostle Paul’s instruction to the young preacher Timothy (2 Tim. 2:2,24-26).

The growth of the individual and of the body is directly related to teaching. Consider the words of the Hebrew writer, “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works.” We can accomplish this through our teaching (Heb. 10:24).

False teachers must be stopped! “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1).

Song Leaders

The elders of the local church need to have a “Hands On” policy on the song leading to assure the training and development of more men who will be able to fill this important post. The idea of having one man who is to be “The Song Leader” impedes the training program. We neglect the desire of others to serve in this capacity when exercising the talent of one man exclusively.

There is no room for envy or jealousy here or in any other phase of the work of the church. Those who are more knowledgeable and experienced should want to help the younger, inexperienced brethren. We all need to look to the future for we are deciding what it will be right now.

There were temple singers in the Mosaic dispensation and those that led them were called chief musicians, leaders, overseers or chief singers (Neh. 12:42; Hab. 3:19; Neh. 12:46). Depending on the translation you are reading, “Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song: he instructed about the song, because he was skillful” (1 Chron. 15:22).

We have need of someone to lead or direct our singing today so that we can do it in an orderly fashion. Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church was to “let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40).

The singing of the local congregation sets the tone for everything that happens in public worship. This being true, a lot depends on the preparation of the song leader. A song leader that is just “going through the motions” is hindering rather than helping and the whole congregation suffers. It is painful to see a whole congregation suffer because of one member who should not be in a leading position. One who serves as a song leader should strive to be all that he can be so that he can lead the audience to do their very best. If leading singing becomes drudgery the service is being hindered, it is time to step aside. Those who start songs too high, too low or cannot beat time to keep up the tempo of a song should try to get help from those who know music and get experience at mid-week services. There is a need to train song leaders to use pitch pipes, beating time, etc.

When our voice fails and ill health comes, many times we cannot continue some of our activities including song leading. We should not be ashamed to step aside and encourage others to carry on the task of song leading.

Conclusion

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: that ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (Heb. 6:10-12).

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, pp. 12-13, 18
January 5, 1989

By Denver Niemeier

“They never tell us anything.” Me don’t know what is going on.” ‘They never ask what we think about things concerning the affairs of the church.” “We don’t know where the money is being used.” “There is no communication between the elders and the rest of us.” “We try to talk to them but they act as if they don’t want to know what we think.” “They only tell us about things after they have reached a decision.” These and other similar statements are too often made concerning elders by those who are under their oversight.

I have been asked to write concerning the need of elders to say in communication with the membership and to give some suggestions on how to keep communication open between elders and the membership. It will be to this end that I will offer the following from things that I am convinced contribute to the good communication that exists between those of us who serve as elders and the members of the Traders Point church. In addition I will relate from past experience other lessons and observations that have been helpful to me as an elder.

Communication is defined as, “the imparting or interchange of thoughts, opinions” (The Living Webster Encyclopedic Dictionary). To be able to keep good communications, there first of all has to be the establishing of such. This has not been accomplished in many cases between elders and the members. To achieve this, elders need to impress the members that the elders want communication to exist. Some elders come across in such a way that the impression is given to the members that the elders don’t want to hear from them. Information needs to flow both ways; elders need to open up to the church and the members should find elders who will listen to them and take under consideration what they have to say.

We are told in 1 Peter 5:3 that elders are not to be as lords over God’s heritage. W.E. Vine (The Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words) makes the comment in reference to what Peter says as, “the evil of elders lording it over the saints under their spiritual care.” The word “lord” as used in this passage means to domineer or to rule with arbitrary or despotic sway. In Barnes Notes on the New Testament, the following comment is made, “Their dominion is not to be that of temporal lordship, it is to be that of love and truth.” I am impressed from what Peter says, that good communication is to exist between elders and the membership. I am also convinced that, when elders reach a decision having communicated with the flock concerning that matter, the flock will accept that decision. With this communication existing, many problems can be stopped before they develop.

A preacher who worked with us some years ago, told me after he had moved from us that the only criticism that he had concerning the elders was that he felt we left him out while he was with us. This along with many other areas I have endeavored to improve in. We now include the preacher in many more discussions that we have and have developed other times where we are associated more. So many times preachers and elders seem to end up in a so-called power struggle. When good communications exist between them, things will progress and not be hindered. Preachers and elders should sit down and discuss things concerning the work.

Toward the goal of good communications we have set aside the first Friday evening of the month for the preacher and his wife, the elders and their wives, and the deacons and their wives to get together for a period of time. This’ enables all to get to know each other better and at the same time presents opportunity for discussion in an informal way of those things we are all interested in. These meetings are usually held in the homes on a rotating basis with the hostess serving a meal, snacks, dessert or whatever she chooses. These times of being together builds good communications between those involved.

A little over a year after I obeyed the gospel, I was appointed a deacon where I was a member. I can recall the many and good things I learned as the result of the elders making it possible on a regular basis for the deacons to be present to observe, listen, and contribute their input as they would discuss the affairs before them.

We practice this in a somewhat different way, by inviting not only the deacons but any other men who want to come to be present on the first Lord’s day afternoon at 5:00, to meet with us. At this time with one of the elders in charge of the meeting, a financial report is given for the past month, thoughts and plans are presented by the elders concerning the affairs of the church. Comments, criticism, ideas, suggestions and questions are requested from the men present. A permanent record of these meeting is kept and also entered into this record are whatever decisions have been made by the elders since the last meeting. Someone once said that a business meeting is where minutes are kept and hours wasted. Not so in our case. We meet at 5:00 and the meeting is dismissed at 5:45, giving all 15 minutes to prepare for the evening service. At the conclusion of the service that evening the elder who was in charge will highlight that afternoon’s meeting for the benefit of the members who were not present that afternoon. This informs everyone concerning that discussion. Therefore no one can say he did not have the opportunity of knowing what is going on. This gives all members the opportunity to express their thoughts to the elders.

At the same time the men are in this meeting mentioned above, the women have a class elsewhere in the building. The class is taught by one of the elder’s wives or the preacher’s wife on a rotating basis. Some of the mothers in this ladies class take turns conducting a class for the children. These classes also dismiss at 5:45.

As matters arise that the elders do not want to wait until the monthly meeting mentioned, they will go before the congregation, inform them of the matter and ask the members to express their thoughts after the services to the elders on an individual basis. We let the members know that we want to hear from them, then we make our decision; when that decision is made, even though it may not agree with what every member had to say about it, they realize they had an opportunity to express themselves.

From time to time we (elders) will visit the members in their homes. We usually allow about 45 minutes for each visit and sometimes will make two or three in a night, having arranged ahead of time with the members what time and day we will be at their home. We do this until we have been in the homes and have visited with every member. We ask the members to make any comment they desire about us and our work, the preacher and his work, or things in general. We encourage them to be free in their criticism or whatever they have to say. I have found that people at times will speak out in their own homes who will never speak their thoughts to us at the meeting place. Again we use this opportunity ,to impress the members that we want to hear from them anytime they want to discuss some matter with us. My personal thinking is that these visits should be made yearly or every eighteen months.

Elders should keep the members informed concerning money matters. I can remember a church where the elders only presented to the church once a year a record of the financial report. As I have already mentioned, we do this on a monthly basis as well as issuing a yearly statement. We also keep reminding the members that the books of the church are open at any time to any member who wants to examine them. Keep everything open and not in a corner.

Elders should also seek out advice and counsel from those members who possess knowledge in fields where the knowledge of the elders is not as great. I am one elder who does not know it all and I am willing to listen to what others have to, say who are more knowledgeable than. I am. I remember a friend of mine years ago, who served as an elder, telling me how he sought much advice; he said, “When I want advice about financial matters I go talk with. . .,” then he named a brother in the church who was very successful in the business world. Then he said, “If I need instruction concerning the Scriptures I go talk with. . ____, “and he then named two men in the church who were very well informed in the Bible. What he was teaching me was that there is knowledge and experience among the members which he needed. Elder& seek that out, weigh it and then make their decision.

One of the bulletins I get has the following statement in every issue. “The elders are at the building each Monday night at 7:30 for any question you might have.” This tells me that these men are interested in what the members have to say. This is a very good idea.

When good communications exist the members will seek out the elders to discuss their problems and thoughts. Members should be made to feel free to approach the elders and understand that the elders will listen to what they have to say. To accomplish this elders, listen to, talk to, seek comments from and be available to members.

Open up to them and they will open up to you. Keep the church informed.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, pp. 14-15
January 5, 1989

By Mike Willis

Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine (1 Tim. 5:17).

The Lord placed in the hands of the elders the responsibility of oversight and pastoring. Younger men, regardless of how much mental discernment they might possess, were not chosen for oversight of the church. Preachers more than elders have been contributors to the publications circulating among us. Recognizing that we are allowing a vast fountain of spiritual resources to go untapped by the journals, I consulted with brother Fred Pollock, president of Guardian of Truth Foundation and elder in the Mill Road church in Cincinnati, to put together this special issue of Guardian of Truth. His advice, recommendation of names, articles, and other input were absolutely essential for this issue. To him goes the thanks for the planning and collecting of these articles.

Most of the men who have contributed to this special issue are not regular writers for a journal. Some were reluctant to participate in this issue, having a very modest opinion of their own abilities. Perhaps their humility is one reason their reputations as God-fearing men have spread outside the local churches of which they were members. We have gathered their articles together and are delighted to print them in this issue.

The elders who have written have tackled some difficult questions, such as whether or not to relocate when the community around the building is deteriorating and the members are leaving the area, the preacher/church relationship, appointing successful business men as elders, when to resign, developing men to lead the worship, keeping good communication between the elders and the rest of the congregation, developing a good teaching program, keeping out false doctrine, etc. Understandably, many of the comments which are given are judgmental decisions and your judgment may differ from that of those who have written. I simply remind you that these men are elders men who have the experience of years and are the God-appointed men to lead us in making judgmental decisions. That does not mean that they are infallible or that their judgment in their local situation is best in your situation, but it does give us reason to give them a respectful hearing. Though the following text is obviously applied to the local church, perhaps we have not done it an injustice to use it to encourage respect for the elders who write in this special issue.

And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake (1 Thess. 5:12-13).

We have moved through a period during which our culture manifested very little respect for the aged. Some of this lack of respect for the elderly among us has spilled over into the church. Young men sometimes speak as if wisdom was never learned by any before themselves. Some seem to know the answers to questions they have never heard. We desire to engender greater respect for all elderly people but especially those who, having met the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1, were appointed to serve as elders over the local church.

The Lord’s church in some places has been troubled by those who have denied that elders have any authority, as taught by Charles Holt and several others. The Lord is the one who gave the elders the work of oversight (Acts 20:28) and commanded the rest of the church to submit to them (Heb. 13:17). Even as we hope to avoid the influence of the culture which shows little respect for aged people, we also hope to avoid the influence of the false teachers who deny that elders have authority to oversee a congregation.

As you read the articles which have been submitted, I think you will appreciate the insight provided by these men and desire more contributions from these and other elders on a more regular basis. Perhaps these articles will prime the pump for contributions from other elders. I think you will enjoy this special issue of Guardian of Truth.

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, pp. 2, 4
January 5, 1989

By John Haley

This special issue asks elders to comment on various needs facing the church today. The great need to develop men who are willing to take part in the public services is apparent. The title of this article correctly implies our anticipation that in attempting to meet that need we may hamper the worship service. Why this concern? Why do we worry that using inexperienced men in our services is likely to cause a decline in the quality of our worship? I’m afraid the answer to that question points us to an even more fundamental need facing us today and that is the need to re-focus on the object of true worship. In my judgment, to a significant degree we have forgotten the design and purpose of worship. It is this lapse of memory that is to a great extent responsible for discouraging untrained men – young and old alike – from a willingness to participate publicly in our collective worship. Furthermore, this forgetfulness is responsible for our reluctance to ask these inexperienced men to serve. Somehow we view their unsophisticated, naive efforts as unsuitable for our worship – surely their incompetence would only hamper our services. The goal of this article is to show why we have come to feel this way, and to help us remember again that what makes worship such a wonderful and unique experience is its object rather than our expertise. In reminding us of this we hope to rejuvenate our worship and at the same time encourage our men to a willing and enthusiastic participation in it.

While worship is nowhere defined in Scripture, its meaning is derived from the words used to describe it. For example, the principal word for worship in the Old Testament is shahah meaning “depress,” “bow down,” “prostrate.” the principal New Testament word proskuneo meaning “kiss (the hand, or the ground) toward.” These words bend the worshiper’s body and point his mind in one direction – towards God! Vine says of worship that it broadly “may be regarded as the direct acknowledgment of God, of His nature, attributes, ways and claims Even the English word “worship” derives from the Old English “weordhscipe” and means “worthship” i.e. worthiness, dignity, or merit, again pointing to the wondrous nature of the transcendent God of the universe. The point I want to make is that biblical worship centers upon Jehovah God and his majesty. The true worshiper is filled with the vision of Isaiah 6, “1 saw the Lord sitting on the throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of his robe filling the temple. Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of his glory. And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filled with smoke” (vv. 1,3,4). God is at the.;.center of this vision of worship. Only peripherally does the worshiper see himself and even then only in relationship to the central object of ‘ his worship. This is clear from Isaiah’s vision as he goes on to say in 6:5, “Then I said, Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” The object of genuine worship is not man. It is God.

Today in the modern church, I believe we have lost this focus. Perhaps because of the combined evil influences of sectarianism and secularism upon the church, we have become people oriented in our worship. To be more specific we have enthroned self at the center of the picture. All too often worship becomes a time for us to don our Sunday best and put on smiling faces so that we may show the world what Christ has done for me. Or perhaps a time when I can in fact have my needs met so that I can become smiley-faced and feel good about myself. Quality worship then becomes synonymous with worship that effectively meets my needs. Our central question always seems to be, “How did this worship benefit me? What did I get out of it?” Self-enchancement and gratification becomes an object and end within itself. To be sure the true worshiper will feel good about himself. He will also be edified and up-builded. All of this, however, should be peripheral. Frequently it seems worship today feeds man’s ever expanding ego and exalts his view of himself. This is just the opposite of God’s intention. True worship focuses upon God and confronts man with the stark reality of God’s sovereignty. In consequence of this, man is literally driven to his knees in total self-submission as he considers his own pitiful inadequacy. In reflecting upon the quality of our worship, the central question ought to be: “Did I magnify God’s name to the best of my ability?”

How does this relate to the subject at hand? Simply in this way. To the extent that we thrust ourselves into the centerfold of worship, we magnify the importance of our doing things well. Now, whereas it is true that we magnify God when we honor his request that we sing, we magnify self when we pride ourselves in how good it must sound. Whereas we magnify God when we humbly approach his throne on bended knee, we magnify self when we pride ourselves in how correctly or elegantly the prayer was worded. Prayers should edify us but where is our emphasis? How many times, for example, has someone thanked you for “that prayer that uplifted me” as opposed to thanking you for a prayer that exalted the name of God Almighty. Quality worship, it seems, has come to be defined by how well we have mastered the art of making one another feel good. Our traditions, then, have determined the model preachers, prayer leaders, song leaders, public announcers and waiters behind the table who will best accomplish this end. There is a technique to be learned – a role to be filled. The extent to which we approach the “ideal” in each of these aKeas is the extent to which we feel good about our worship. You can readily see the pressure this puts on one who is inexperienced in any or all of these areas. With the focus upon man and the emphasis upon how he performs there is a great pressure to make a good showing. When one stumbles or doesn’t measure up to the standard, he is responsible for a deterioration in the quality of our worship. This kind of pressure arises from a carnal,.sectarian spirit among us and ought not to be. It greatly discourages men from making a genuine effort to serve God through leading in the public worship today. We need to remove that kind of pressure. As we have said, this can be done by de-emphasizing the im~ portance of how well we perform in worship, and focusing again upon the object of our worship – God himself. We need to regain the perspective that recognizes our very best to be nothing more than filthy rags before the majesty of him who reigns supreme. In doing this, I believe we will not only have done the single most important thing towards encouraging a willing public participation in the worship but at the same time we will have done that which is most needful in restoring the spirit of true worship. By way of reemphasis we could re-title this paper, “How To Encouarge The Development Of Men While At The Same Time Services.”

Improving The Public

Although the above is to me the central issue of this topic, there are in fact some practical matters to be considered. For example, even as we have seen, the very best we have to offer God in worship is pitifully insignificant; nevertheless the spirit of true worship requires that we give our best (Mal. 1:6-14). The principle of good stewardship requires that we develop our abilities as best we can (Matt. 25). Each of us in our individual congregations has the responsibility to encourage one another in this area (Eph. 4:11-16). We can do this by providing special classes for the purpose of instructing ourselves in the purpose and design of worship and some practical ways in which we might strive to achieve this end. In these classes we must help individuals find their talents and then encourage them to develop those. I think it is an abuse of the stewardship principle to encourage one to spend time attempting to develop a talent that he does not have. For example, if a man has no ability to lead the singing why waste time in that area when he could be spending that time developing a talent he does have? He is discouraged from attempting to lead singing, not on the grounds that it would hamper our service, but rather on the basis of his responsibility to develop the abilities he has. One of the advantages of these classes is that we find which of us is best suited to serve in each area. We must also be willing to provide these inexperienced men with the opportunity to use their talents in the assembly. And, when they do that, we should encourage them by telling them how much we appreciate their willingness to serve the Lord in that way.

As I think back on my growing up days at 77th St. in Birmingham, I can remember several classes I attended to encourage me to participate publicly in the worship service. They were all helpful but none was as encouraging to me as sister Thelma West. When I would take a public part in the worship she, without fail, would quietly tap me on the shoulder and say, “Thank you, I appreciated that.” She and I both knew that my effort to serve God in that way as feeble and unpolished. I think she understood and was trying to teach me that God’s power was being perfected in my own weaknesses (2 Cor. 12:9). Engaging in true worship will make us aware of our own contingent nature while impressing us with God’s preeminence. Thank God for women like Thelma West. May each of us strive to encourage one another in the way she encouraged me.

In summary, how may we develop men without hampering the public worship? First and foremost, recognize worship for what it is. Put the spotlight where it belongs – on God. Quit trying to impress God and one another by our outstanding performances. Do the very best we can and then recognize that as the insignificant accomplishment it is. Remember that God’s power and his praise is perfected by our own weakness. Within that context, encourage our men to develop and use their abilities to magnify God’s name in worship. May I encourage you to lead a public prayer next Sunday? Let me remind you of the Pharisee and the Publican. Please read Luke 18:9-14. Remember the Lord’s admonition in Matthew 6:1-14 and refer to the Psalmist’s advice in 51:15-17. Finally, meditate on what the wise man said in Ecclesiastes 5:2: “Do not be rash with your mouth, And let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.” Listen to and heed all these instructions and you will be well suited to lead a prayer in the presence of Jehovah; for you will indeed have recognized that the Lord, he is God, the Holy One of Israel, the Incomparable One! After all, isn’t that what quality worship is all about!

Guardian of Truth XXXIII: 1, pp. 10-11
January 5, 1989