<TITLE>09. Par 54-58</TITLE>L-54 If there would be a stranger come in, cause you have them all the time, because this being an interdenominational tabernacle, there's people come in that doesn't have this well training, they don't have it, they know no better. And their own pastor, they'll jump right up and break his message up, and tear a altar call up, and speak in tongues and everything like that. You're a better trained men than that. See? Then after the service, if he gets unruly, then it's the deacon's place to go to them. Don't let your pastor have to do it unless it comes to a spot where there's no deacon here, but a deacon is supposed to see to that. See?

L-55   Now, after the service... If the person just raises up and gives a message, the pastor if he wants to stop just a minute and go ahead, very well, see, that's up to the pastor. But then immediately let the deacon, before that person gets out of the building, take them to one side and talk to them about it. And if they question it, bring them to this tape and say, "This is what the bishop or the overseer of the church..." Which is bishop, the... any overseer. See, that's what it's called in the Bible, "bishopric," see, so that's general overseer of the church. Let... "This is the orders and the way our church does it. Now, we love for you to come give your message. But if you've got a message from the Lord and it's... let it be given, come up here and lay it on the platform, and our minister will read it to the congregation, a message to this congregation." But it must not be just repeating Scriptures, and things like that. It must be a direct message to the people, of something that's fixing to take place, or something they should do. Is it understood? All right.
55a        Now, is there any better way to keep order in the church than to keep reminding the people with a--a repeat from the deacons accordingly?
No, that, I just explained that. That's question number three.

L-56 The deacons, your duty is to keep order in the church, with kindness and friendliness. And then you are supposed to, if someone gets out of order in the church, or comes in here like a drunk, or somebody come in.

L-57 Like they shot that minister out of the platform the other night up there. You heard about that, that drunk coming in with a double-barreled shotgun. He screamed for his wife, and--and wanted his wife, and went up towards the pastor. And the pastor showed him his wife setting there, but he was going to shoot her right in the church, and the pastor started to dealing with him. And instead of--instead of... The--the man with the shotgun turned around and shot the pastor out of the pulpit, and then shot his wife, and then shot himself.

L-58 Now, if there'd been a bunch of deacons there when that man entered that door with that shotgun, they'd have had their arms around him and the shotgun out of his hand. See? See, that's--that's orderly deacons. And now, these things have gone the way they're doing now and you might just expect anything. But, remember, the deacons are God's policemen in the house of God, no matter what anybody else thinks. Sometimes a policeman want not to have to go up and make an arrest on somebody, maybe one of his friends, but he's sworn to an office, he's got to do it anyhow. That's his duty to his city. See?


<A HREF="P10">Next Page</A>