How to Lead Through Growing Pains

0:00 Can you think of the times when you've grown the most? I dare say that the times you grew the most spiritually is not when things were going the best for you. But when you had difficulty, when you had heartache, when you had tears, when you had needs, when you had stress, that's when you grew. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Now, not only do individuals have growing pains, but churches have growing pains. THAN ANY GROWING CHURCH IS GOING TO HAVE SOME GROWING PAINS. NOW, YOU PUT PEOPLE AND PROGRESS TOGETHER AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PROBLEMS. THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROBLEMS IN A GROWING CHURCH. BUT LISTEN TO ME, I'D RATHER BE A MEMBER OF A GROWING CHURCH THAN A DEAD ONE. NUMBER ONE, WHERE THERE'S LIFE, THERE'S GROWTH. NUMBER TWO, WHERE THERE IS GROWTH, THERE ARE PROBLEMS. NUMBER THREE, WHERE THERE THERE ARE PROBLEMS, THERE ARE GOD-GIVEN SOLUTIONS.

1:05 THERE ARE NO PROBLEMS THAT ARE TOO BIG TO SOLVE, JUST PEOPLE TOO SMALL TO SOLVE THEM. THERE'S ALWAYS A GOD-GIVEN SOLUTION WHEN THERE IS A PROBLEM, ESPECIALLY WHEN THAT PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY GOD'S BLESSINGS AND BY GOD'S GROWTH. PROBLEMS I'VE LEARNED IN MINISTRY. I USED TO THINK ONE OF THESE DAYS I'M GOING TO GET ALL MY PROBLEMS SOLVED, THEN I'LL START MY MINISTRY. AND I FOUND OUT MY MINISTRY IS THOSE PROBLEMS. The Adrian Rogers Pastors Podcast is a wellspring of biblical encouragement, specifically for those called to preach the word, love the church, and lead with integrity. Listen now and be strengthened for the road ahead.

1:45 There's a classic passage that we come back to every time we ordain deacons, and it's found in Acts chapter 6, and we need to look at it again for those who've never heard it and for those who know it and need to be reinforced, because we need to understand how a church operates. Let me tell you again the ecology of a church. So many times if you come to Bellevue, you may be at first amazed at what happens. I am, and I'm the pastor. And then you may be not only amazed, but you may be a little perplexed. You say, who does all of this? And how does it get done? How does this church operate? Well, let me tell you what I believe the New Testament model is. A church is pastor-led, it is deaconserved, it is committee-operated, it is congregationally affirmed.

2:46 Let me say that again. is pastor-led, deacon-served, committee-operated, and it is congregationally affirmed. And you keep all of those in balance, and you're going to have a church that is an organization and an organism all at the same time. Now, we believe that the second in that quadrant is the matter concerning the deacons. A church is deaconserved. The very word deacon means servant. Now, look, if you will, in Acts chapter 6, and I'm going to actually back up and begin in Acts chapter 5, verse 42, because I believe it ought to be conjoined with chapter 6. As I've told you before, the chapter headings are added only for our convenience, not as a part of divine inspiration. So let's start in chapter 5, Verse 42, and daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

3:48 And that is the formula for a growing church. And in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. That is the serving of commodities and food to the Grecian widows. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them. Now the twelve is talking here about the twelve apostles. Called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.

4:47 And the saying pleased the multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Teman, and Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them, and the word of God increased. And the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. and a great number of the priests were obedient to the faith. Now, I don't know whether you remember being a teen or not, but if you were a teenager coming through puberty into your teenage years, you suffered what we all suffered, and that is growing pains. And those pains sometimes were physical, and many times they were emotional, but sometimes it hurts to grow.

5:43 And many of us remember the awkwardness of those years where we didn't know we were a little boy or a young man or what we were. Growth sometimes causes growing pains. A verse of Scripture that reminds me of that is Psalm chapter 4 and verse 1. The psalmist said there, Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. And that is true. Can you think of the times when you've grown the most? I dare say that the times you grew the most spiritually is not when things were going the best for you. But when you had difficulty, when you had heartache, when you had tears, when you had needs, when you had stress, that's when you grew. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. Now, not only do individuals have growing pains, but churches have growing pains.

6:39 And any growing church is going to have some growing pains. And so let me give you some principles here. and help you understand why we're ordaining these deacons and installing other deacons tonight. First principle is this, that where there is life, there's growth. Where there's life, there is growth. Look again in verse 42 of the chapter 5, And daily in the temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. And in those days when the number of disciples was multiplied. Now in Acts chapter 2, the Bible says there were added unto them 3,000 souls. But addition has changed now to multiplication. They're growing not simply by addition, but they are growing exponentially. They are growing by multiplication.

7:33 Now let me say this. There is nothing wrong with a small church. I have pastored churches where we would not have as many in the church on a big Sunday than we have in the choir behind me tonight. And they were wonderful churches. And God was there. And I enjoyed the small church. And I love small churches. And in God's sight, there are no big and little churches. But there's nothing wrong with a small church, thank God for it. But there's something wrong with any church, big or small, that is not growing if that church is in the midst of unsafe people. We need to grow. Somebody was asked to paint a portrait of a dead church. One person painted a portrait of a dead church. It was an old, dilapidated building that was all falling down and so forth, but that portrait did not win the prize.

8:26 The prize that was won was by a church building that was absolutely immaculately clean, pristine in its appearance. every appointment, every accoutrement, just right. But if you looked in the baptistry, very closely you could see a spider's web. They were not using the baptistry. An old spider made himself or herself, whichever it was, at home there in that baptistry. That is a dead church. And I've told you before, we will grow and glow or we will dry and die. We will evangelize or we will fossilize. Growth for the early church and for this church is not automatic. Brother Mark and I have been talking about this, how we need to get even more intentional about our growth. These early Christians planned for growth.

9:20 They prayed for growth. They planted, they cultivated, they watered, and God gave the increase. But again, where there is life, there is growth. Now, you have your Bibles in your hand. Let's do a little research there. Go back to Acts chapter 2, verse 41, and look at it with me for a moment. Acts 2 and verse 41. I want to show you the kind of growth that this church was having.

9:46 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto them about 3,000 souls. How would you like to see 3,000 souls saved in one day at Bellevue Baptist Church? I don't think that's impossible at all. As a matter of fact, I think we ought to expect someday that we'll see 3,000 souls come to Jesus in one day, in one service. Why not? Why not? All right, now, look in chapter 4 and verse 4. And just turn over here a minute and look here. Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed, and the number of men was about 5,000. At first they had 3,000 saved. Now they're having 5,000 saved in one service, and many more than that because he's just counting the men here. He's not counting the women and the children. There could have been as many as 10,000 or 20,000 saved in this one service.

10:42 He mentions only the men, and there are 5,000 there. Now look, if you will, in chapter 5 and verse 14. And believers were the more added to the Lord. He stopped counting now, and he's just saying, multitudes, multitudes of men and women. Thank God for that. Now go back to chapter 6 and verse 1 where we started. And in those days when the number of disciples was multiplied. Now, question, was this a growing church or not? It was a growing church. If you're not interested in church growth, There's nothing wrong with you that an old-fashioned revival or a good dose of salvation wouldn't cure. Now, folks, we're talking about bringing lost souls to Christ. And God's command to the church is to be fruitful and multiply.

11:39 So here it is, where there's life, there's growth. Secondly, where there is growth, there are problems. There are problems. When God wants to multiply, the devil wants to divide. So now look, if you will, in chapter 6, verse 1, and in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring. Isn't that an ugly word? Murmur. It's just an ugly word to say it. What happened is there were two types of Jews in the church. There were Hebrew Jews who lived in Palestine and spoke Hebraic. And then there were Jews who lived in Greece. And, of course, they spoke Greek. And the two societies were having difficulty merging together. And those who were Grecians felt that they were being neglected, that somehow they were not being served, they were not being ministered to, as they should be ministered to, and there arose a murmuring.

12:48 Now, I want us to think a little bit, brothers and sisters, about murmuring, okay? The problem was legitimate. The method that was used was devilish and deadly and divisive, and it was murmuring. Never, listen to me, never, never, never, no never, no never be a murmurer. God deliver me from any church that is filled with murmuring. What is murmuring? It is a half uttered, half concealed complaint. It never comes in the right spirit with the right attitude to the right person, but it's underneath the surface and the Bible is dead set against it. Every murmurer is sinning against Almighty God. Put in your margin, Exodus chapter 16 and verse 8, the people in the Old Testament were murmuring against Moses, and Moses said, this shall be when the Lord shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full. They were complaining there because they were not getting enough to eat.

13:58 for that the Lord heareth your murmurings, which ye murmur against him. The Lord heareth your murmurings, which you murmur against him. And what are we? Your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord. If you murmur against church leadership, you know who you're really murmuring against? God. You say, Adrian, you think you're God? No, I haven't had any doubts about that. But I believe that God puts leadership in the church. I believe that pastors and leaders are God's gift to a church. You say, that's arrogant. No, it's Bible. Bible says, and he gave pastors and teachers for the building of the body of Christ. And when we murmur, we're really murmuring against God. And in the Bible, let me tell you how God classes murmuring.

14:53 God classes murmuring along with idolatry and fornication. I can't think of two worse sins than idolatry and fornication. Idolatry is worshiping a false god. Fornication is the most egregious sin of the flesh. But listen to 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verses 7 and following. Paul is talking to the people at Corinth and he says, neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them, as it is written, the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed and fell in one day, three in 20,000, 23,000 died in one day because they were fornicating. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted and were destroyed of serpents. neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured and were destroyed of the tempter.

15:53 Did you see that? In this passage, if you want to check it out again, 1 Corinthians 10, beginning in verse 7, God ranks idolatry and fornication and tempting Christ. God ranks murmuring, I should have said, along with those three sins. Murmuring is the devil's way to divide when God wants to multiply. Never, no never, no never, no never dare to be a murmurer. As a matter of fact, God gives us a command. Philippians 2 verse 14, and here's what it says, do all things without murmuring. That's a command. Clear, plain, and straight. Now, you're going to have problems, and problems need to be addressed. never, however, with murmuring. Now, you put people and progress together and you're going to have problems.

16:50 You ought to try to pastor a church like Bellevue. You know, you folks are all so different. You've got different ideas, different tastes. There are all kinds of tastes and differences and ideas. Why? Because God made us so different. A church is a mosaic of different people. And we have different ideas. and no one's always right and no one is always wrong. Now, what about this problem? I say that the problem was a legitimate problem, but the method they went about dealing with it was very devilish. It was of the devil. The problem was not doctrinal. It was functional. The problem was not primary. The problem was petty. I've been around churches long enough to know that generally the problems in churches are not primary. They're petty. they moved our classroom.

17:44 I wasn't notified. These are the kind of things that I've known of churches that would get in a church fight on which side of the worship center the American flag would be or something like that. These are petty things. Now, folks, anything that moves makes friction. and anything that grows must adjust. There are always more opportunities for problems in a growing church. But listen to me, I'd rather be a member of a growing church than a dead one. In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring. Number one, where there's life, there's growth. Number two, where there is growth, there are problems. Number three, where there are problems, there are God-given solutions.

18:41 There are no problems that are too big to solve, just people too small to solve them. There's always a God-given solution when there is a problem, especially when that problem is caused by God's blessings and by God's growth. And so begin now in verse 2. Then the multitude called, then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, it's not reason that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we, that is the apostles, counterpart of pastors, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and so forth. Now, here's a very practical solution. Let me say this about the Bible.

19:35 The Bible is deeply spiritual. It is intensely practical. And so should every Christian be, both spiritual and practical at the same time. God is a God of order. And God told the Corinthian church, let everything be done decently and in order. Most of you have no idea how much organization there is in this church. But that church machinery, if I can use that analogy, has to be oiled with the oil of the Holy Spirit. That's what keeps it going. That's what keeps it moving. Now, the main thing that we're built around is the message. I don't say the messenger, but the message of the messenger. If you take the truth that is symbolized by this pulpit out of this church.

20:31 After a while, it just fragments. What holds us together is the truth, the preaching of the Word of God. Now, that's the reason. Look in verse 2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. When this church ceases to emphasize the Word of God it's the most unreasonable, nonsensical thing that we could do. Notice again in chapter 6, verse 4, the apostles said, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.

21:14 It was not that the apostles were too good or too dignified to serve tables. That wasn't it. God just simply gave them a different assignment. Up until this time, they were trying to handle this, taking care of these widows who felt neglected. Then they found that they were getting behind in their prayer time. They were getting behind in their Bible study. They were getting behind in their soul winning. They were getting behind in their preaching. And they said, this doesn't make sense. And I know, as a pastor, it is so easy to get behind. It is so easy to fail to do the main thing that I need to do. And I want to be as available to this congregation as I can be. But I heard a wise preacher a long time ago say the pastor who's always available isn't worth very much when he is available. And that is true.

22:07 The best time I spend, I suppose, is not when I'm here talking to you about God, but when I'm with God talking to him about you in prayer. and filling my heart, my mind with the Word of God. And so why does God call pastors?

22:28 Why does God give us church leaders? Put down Ephesians 4, verses 11 and 12. And he gave some apostles and some prophets and some evangelists and some pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints. God gave you a pastor teacher to perfect you. That means for the maturing of the saints, for the work of the ministry. Now, you are to be made mature, so you do the work of the ministry. You say, that's what we hire you for. No, you don't hire me. I'm not a hireling.

23:04 I am, I'm going to smile when I say this, but I'm God's gift to you. I'm God's gift to you. I'm God's gift to you. I'm not a hireling. Well, no, no. I'm not asking for applause, but I am saying this, that you cannot hire somebody to be spiritual for you. God gives you a pastor to mature you so you can do the work of the ministry. God's plan is that every mother's child in this building and on this church row be a minister for Jesus Christ. Be you young or old, male or female, you have a ministry to perform. And the job of the pastor is to mature you, to help you to grow. And he says, look, pastors and teachers for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, so that the saints can do the work of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ.

24:04 And so it's the pastor's job to equip you and to put you to work. Now, there must be, therefore, the service of the people. Look, if you will, in verse 3. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. Now, if the pastor and the spiritual leaders are to be giving themselves to the ministry of the Word and prayer and to take that place of that kind of leadership, then what about the service? And the word service here is the verb form for the word deacon, Deaconio. It's the word we get our deacon for, for the deaconing of the saints. And as what he's saying here in verse 3, that they will serve to serve the saints. The early church did not casually, carelessly choose deacons.

25:05 The early church very carefully and prayerfully chose its deacons. Now, you say, well, these are men who are chosen to serve tables. You could get just anybody to serve tables. Wrong. These men were not inferior men. These men were superior men. They were not chosen only to serve tables. This was an incident. They were chosen to serve wherever they would need to be serving. Now, if you think that serving is a low job, let me tell you what Jesus said in Matthew chapter 20 and verse 28. Even as the Son of Man came not to be deaconed unto, but to deacon, and to give his life a ransom for many. Now, the word there that I call deacon is really a Greek word that may be translated deacon.

26:02 we translate it minister, because a deacon is a minister, a servant. He's saying the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many. And then again, in Mark chapter 10, verse 43, but so shall it not be among you, but whosoever will be great among you shall be your deacon, your servant.

26:26 A service makes you like Jesus. If you want to be great, learn to serve. Now, what qualities does it take to be a deacon? Look again in verse 3. First of all, a man must have an honest report. He must have an established testimony. Look ye out among you seven men of honest report. That is, he already has a track record. He already has an established testimony. testimony. Leadership, whether it be deacon or pastor, functions on the basis of confidence. You ought to have confidence in the men of God that are deacons. And you men have to be worthy of confidence. A little boy saw the deacons coming forward in a service one time, and he said, here comes the beacons. And that's what you are. You are a beacon of light. And there must be an established testimony. Number two, you're to be full of the Holy Spirit. Look at it again in verse 3, full of the Holy Ghost. If you're going to serve, if you're going to serve tables, if you're going to serve in whatever capacity, you cannot do it unless you're filled with the Holy Spirit of God. No one is fit for any job in this church who's not filled with the Holy Spirit. I don't care what it is. And say, how can you tell WHERE THE PERSON IS FILLED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT. IF THEY SPEAK IN A STRANGE LANGUAGE, NO. PRIMARILY IF THEY CONTROL THE ONE TONGUE THEY HAVE.

28:06 Listen, Galatians 5, verse 22 and 23. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance. Against such there is no law, no man ever made a law against those things. That is the mark that you, sir, are filled with the Holy Spirit. You, madam, are filled with the Holy Spirit. Not only an established testimony, not only filled with the Holy Spirit, but full of wisdom. Look again in verse 3. Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. You know what I look for in a deacon? I don't look for smart men. I look for wise men. Listen, it's better to have good men and wise men than smart men.

28:58 Knowledge is important, but it may puff up. Wisdom is paramount. and wisdom is the ability to use knowledge. Knowledge may be proud that it knows so much. Wisdom is humble that it knows so little. What mighty men these were. Verse 5 tells us they chose Stephen. Do you know who Stephen was? You read in the Bible in Acts chapter 7, one of the mightiest sermons ever preached was preached by a deacon, not an ordained pastor, but a deacon. He preached with such power that they rose up against him and stoned him to death, but his death was that that put a prick in the heart of the man named Saul who later became the Apostle Paul. Stephen, a deacon, had a face that shone like an angel. He became the first Christian martyr. He was a deacon, not an ordinary guy, an extraordinary guy.

29:53 And then Philip, a layman, was holding a revival meeting down in an area where God called him to come and go out in the desert and meet one lost man, a high governmental official from Ethiopia. And Philip, perhaps was the first missionary, as well as Stephen being the first martyr. Philip the deacon probably opened up all North Africa to the gospel of Jesus Christ. where there is life there is growth where there is growth there may be problems where there are problems there are God given solutions that are intensely practical and deeply spiritual now listen to me where there are God given solutions there will be even greater growth the problem was just a springboard for them to depend upon God and to grow all the more.

31:00 Look now beginning in verse 4. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. That's the reason I said it's congregationally affirmed. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, and so forth. And now skip down to verse 7. And the Word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. It's getting even better. Now they were multiplying, but now they're multiplying greatly. It's moved up another notch. The problem didn't slow things down. They met the problem in a godly way. Problems are opportunities in reverse. When you see them correctly, deal with them forthrightly, prayerfully. God will see you through those problems. Remember Psalm 4-1?

31:53 Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. I remember reading in the Old Testament, in the book of Numbers, where Joshua and Caleb had gone in to spy out the promised land. And here's what they said concerning the giants that were in the land. Numbers 14, verses 8 and 9, If the Lord delight in us, then he will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel ye not against the Lord, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread, B-R-E-A-D, a piece of cake for us. Their defense is departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Fear them not.

32:38 Problems I've learned in ministry. I used to think one of these days I'm going to get all my problems solved, then I'll start my ministry. And I found out my ministry is those problems. But they are what nourish you. They're what causes you to depend upon the Lord. Thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress. You get spiritually fat when you feed upon your problems. They are bread for us. That's what nourishes you. And those of you who are in business, your business have some problems? Thank God. If your business didn't have any problem, I'll tell you something. There'd be somebody getting paid a whole lot less than you're getting paid to work where you work. It's your ability to meet and to solve problems that constitute your job. If there were no problems, you wouldn't have a job, Mr. Lady. Thank God for the problems and say, hey, here is an opportunity for me to be creative, for me to be a part of the solution and not a part of the problem.

33:38 Because where there are God-given problems, God didn't cause the murmuring, but God caused the growth that caused the murmuring. Then there are God-given solutions. SO, WE DON'T WANT TO BE PESSIMISTIC. A PESSIMIST SEES DIFFICULTY IN EVERY OPPORTUNITY. AN OPTIMIST SEES OPPORTUNITY IN EVERY DIFFICULTY. AND THIS IS WHY WE HAD THE EARLY DEACON.