Good afternoon everyone. It's about 3.30 on this Thursday, the 26th of June. We're ready to read the First Timothy, the third chapter. This is a very interesting chapter because of some experiences that I've had in my life. I'll just give you a little bit of a story on this. I went through quite a learning period after I came into the Doctrines of Grace. I found out when I started attending a Reformed Presbyterian church that the Reformers had persecuted the Anabaptists, and also I found out that they were baptizing babies and they were into endorsing church state government, which I don't think any of those areas are biblical. So I went and joined a Southern Baptist church for a while. The guy told me he believed in election. And then after I got there, I found out that the Southern Baptist reads and confessions uphold free will. So then I went to a Primitive Baptist church thinking they were a He believed in the absolute sovereignty of God, and I found out they were Conditionalists. And I also found out some other things about the Conditionalist Supremacy Baptist Church in Kansas City and Independence, Missouri. They upheld divorce and remarriage. This chapter starts out by saying, this is a true saying, if a man desired the office of a bishop, he desired the good work A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife. Vigilant, sober, of good behavior, and given the hospitality apt to teach. Well, when I first joined the Kansas City Primitive Baptist Church, I tried to get my dad involved with it. He got involved in the Independence, Missouri Primitive Baptist Church. And he calls me up one day and says, what did you get me into? He says, do you know this pastor over here has already been married twice and he's getting ready to marry again the clerk of the church? And I said, I had no idea that. I'm really sorry. You know, says the bishop must be blameless. The husband and one wife in here. I got my dad involved in a church where the pastor was getting ready to go into his third marriage. and his other former wives were still living. It goes on, it says, not given to wine, or strifing, or greedy, a filthy looper, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own household, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? Not a novice, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into repulsion and snare of the devil. Likewise, now here's the next part I want to talk about, it's the deacons. You know, they talked me into becoming an ordained deacon. And then after I was there for a while, I was really sorry that I let them talk me into that, because this eighth verse says, Likewise, must the deacons be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy or filthy lucre, holding the mystery of faith in pure conscience. And let those also be proved, let them also use the opposite of a deacon, being found brainless, blameless. Even so, must their wives be grave, not slandered, sober, favorable, and all things. And then listen to this, let the deacons be the husbands of one wife. Well, I only have had one wife. I've been married fifty years, but you know what? They were advocating the bishopship could have more than one wife. And then one of the other deacons in the church decided he was going to marry. He divorced his wife and then another, the pastor's wife decides she's going to marry a minister, another minister in the Primly Baptist Church who had divorced his wife. So the Primitive Baptist Church, the conditional Primitive Baptist Church in Kansas City is full of divorce and remarriage and adultery. Let the deacons be the husband and wife. So I started taking opposition to this practice. And guess what? The next thing I knew, I get a letter in the mail saying I was going to be put up before the council. And their whole attitude was that the person that first cheated on the spouse had a right to remarry because they could consider their first spouse dead. Scripture doesn't say anything like that. Scripture says until death do us part. That's physical death, not spiritual death. So I've had some experiences in this deacons and bishop kind of thing. Why do you think I'm not interested in getting ordained? goes on and says, For they have used the office of deacon while purchasing themselves a good degree and great bolts in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things write I unto thee, hoping to come to thee shortly. But if I tarry long, thou mayest know how I ought to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the church. And without controversy, grace and mystery of God in this God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed in the world, received up into glory. So if you want to know why I'm a little jaded about joining a church and becoming an ordained deacon or ordained minister, it's because I've had some pretty bad experiences. No, I didn't go to the council meeting. And so I got a letter saying that I'd been excommunicated. So they, they deordained me because I wouldn't approve divorce and remarriage. They took away my ordination because I wouldn't go along with their scam. And just to show you how they tried to divide my family, they said, your son and your wife are still members, but you aren't. What a joke. Anyway, I'm going to turn this over to Mark and have him read this. Um, It's not wise to put your confidence in men. First, Timothy chapter three. The truth saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desired a good work. A bishop that must be blameless to have been a one wife vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given the hospitality, half fatigued, not given the wine, no striker, no greeter, filthy looker, but patient, not a brawler, not covetousness, one to rule well his own house, having children, subjection, with all gravity, for a man knows not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? not a novice, lest he be lifted with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them, which are without, lest he fall in the approach of the king. There the adversary, like one amongst the deacons, be grave, not double-tongued, not given to much wine or greed, a filthy lucre, hold the mystery of the faith, and of faith and pure conscience. These also, first being, let them also use the opposite of the deacon being found. Prove it. But even so must their wives be brave, no slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let the deacons be the husbands of the one wife, rearing their own children, their houses well. For they that have used the opposite of the deacon are well-purchased themselves to a good degree in great boldness. the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These right things I unto you, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, you may know how to behave yourself in the house of God, which is the house of the church of the living, the pillar and ground of the truth, without controversy to raise the mystery of godliness. God was Manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, preached of the Gentiles, believed on the Lord, and were seeded up into glory. Okay, thank you, Mark. Well, now I'm attending a church. We still have our house church here. The Bible says where two or three are gathered together. He's in the midst of them. We still have a Pineville Grace Fellowship House Church here, but we also fellowship with the Sovereign Grace Church in Joppa, Missouri, and they are absoluters. They believe in the absolute sovereignty of God. May the good Lord be with you this afternoon. It's my prayer. God bless.