Acts 6:1–4 (NKJV)
Brother Sharber, our former pastor, a number of years ago was explaining to me the difference between the pastor and the deacon. Both are charged with doing good. Doing good for the church and doing good for the community. Whereas the pastor was paid for doing good, the deacon, however, was good for nothing.
Deacons, by their very title, are called to serve. In the NT, the Greek word used is "diakonos." This word is translated in some places as “deacon” and in other places; it is translated as “servant.” The verb form of the word is translated “to serve.”
In the apostles day, when the church was newborn, there was a need for servants to assist in the administration or ministry of meeting the needs in the church. Pentecost had come in chapter 2 and the church was growing. Up to this point the church was mostly Jewish. They met and worshiped at the temple as well as in homes. Persecution of the new church was just starting. At the church, there were two groups of Jews. The Hebrew or Herbronic Jews – these were the native Jews, those born and raised in Palestine and spoke mostly Aramaic. The other group was the Hellenist or Grecian Jews. These were Jews that were part of the Diaspora and returned to their homeland – they were mostly Greek speaking Jews
Acts 6:1a (NKJV) Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying,
A growing church. Isn’t that wonderful!
Acts 2:41 (NKJV) Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.
And
Acts 4:4 (NKJV) However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.
5,000 was just the number of men, it did not include the women or children so this number could have easily have been doubled or tripled. But when a church grows, there are problems. Who is going to do duty in the nursery, who is going to teach the children. Who is going to visit all the sick, and minister to those in need? In that early church, they had those problems and some cultural divisions to deal with as well.
Acts 6:1 (NKJV) Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
There were problems between the Grecian and Native born Jews. No surprise here. Even outside the church community there were problems. These were not racial problems for the Jewish community stayed within their own bloodlines more than any other culture – this true even today. However, The Native born Jews were “more pure,” more traditional. The foreign born Jews were “liberal.” The native born held tightly to the ancient traditions. The foreign born had new ways and customs
The Native born had their traditional hymns and songs. The foreign born were more contemporary. There was friction between the traditional folk and the contemporary people. Any of this sound familiar? There is an old saying, the more things seem to change, the more they are really the same. We have these same problems today. And one group was not being cared for like the other.
Now here is the problem: The Apostles were not preaching, they were not attending to the Word. They were putting out fires. You can image the squabbles that were happening. Unity in the church had to maintained and the apostles couldn’t do it all themselves.
Acts 6:2 (NKJV) Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.
So the apostles call a church meeting. “We cannot serve tables and fulfill all that God has called us to do. We cannot do it all.” “Tables” in context has a meaning which included much more than just putting food on the table for people to eat. Serving tables did not mean they were waiters. Serving Tables was a term use to mean a place of administration, to manage the distribution of food and other supplies. It was also a term used to manage money, so in a since the table served as banks. Serving Tables meant to administer or manage a program or ministry.
The Apostles could not manage everything, and still preach the gospel. As a pastor, boy do I get that. I understand in real terms the reality of what they were saying. What if I had to manage all the things that goes on in the church. To be the treasurer and function as the finance committee. To be the Sunday school director and manage all the discipleship training, to be the one to set up and prepare for the Lord’s supper and fill the pool for baptism. If spent all that time doing all the administrative functions of the church, when would I prepare messages, when would I tend to the flock, council and guide our members. Not to speak of the time I council with non-members. If I had to do everything, my sermons would never amount to much. I need men who are capable of performing these administrative tasks, men who are unafraid to get their hands dirty. So the apostles came up with a plan:
Acts 6:3 (NKJV) Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;
The church was called to pick out seven to serve. Notice carefully, the verse did not say the Apostles would do the picking and choosing. The passage said the church would choose these 7 men. That’s just what our church did. The church nominated, and then elected these men. The ordained men of the church examined these men to insure they were up to task, both in terms of maturity, wisdom, spirituality and they embraced Biblically solid Christian doctrines. Based on their experience and gifts, we have deacons overseeing the finance, overseeing the counting of the money, directing the Sunday School, others teach, and still other perform needed maintenance on our facilities and see to it that grass is cut, in short make sure we look our best and we’re ready to worship and serve. These tasks are done by not done by only the deacons, but others in the church as well. One important task I have given to the deacon is that of church security. In light of recent events around our country, security of the church is not to be taken for granted. You will notice, a deacon is always sitting in the back watching over the church while we are in worship. All this to say, that like the apostles, I am able to:
Acts 6:4 (NKJV) but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Deacon serve so the pastor can do want God has called him to do. Jesus so orders the church that we have our various responsibilities so the work of ministry, the mission of the church is accomplished. So look at what happened:
Acts 6:5 (NKJV) And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,
The apostles’ plan went over well with the church. It made a lot of sense. So they choose these seven guys. We really don’t know much about most of these, but we do know about Steven and Philip. Look at what these deacons have done. Steven was faithful in his duties to include spreading the Gospel. He was the first martyr of the church, having been put to death for standing up firm for the gospel. He knew the scriptures. Read Acts 7.
And Philip, who later became an evangelist. And Philip had 4 unmarried daughters who had the spiritual gift of prophecy - meaning they could preach and convey the very word of God to people. How would Philip fit in a Southern Baptist church today with daughters who preached? For that matter, look at Romans 16:1, Paul commended a woman named Phoebe, as a "servant of the church," a title like phrase. The word for servant in this passage was translated from the Greek word diakonon, the same word used for deacons. How many women in our church minister as a "servant of the church?" Maybe we ought to consider women deacons? Just a thought. I’ll save this for a later discussion.
My journey into the ministry began when I was first ordained a deacon at Bethel Baptist Church of Alamogordo NM in 1989. But following the New Testament teaching, all members of the church should be servants. But these men have been set apart to specifically to serve the church, not rule over the church, not be a board of directors for the church, but to serve the church and the members of the church. Jesus rules over the church, through the indwelling of His Spirit in each member. Each member in unity with the Spirit rules through our congregational form of Church government. But, the deacons do have authority over the various ministries and programs in which they have been entrusted, to effectively manage the table they have been called to serve. They have been called to serve. Now we are formally calling them through a process that began 2,000 years ago.
Acts 6:6 (NKJV) whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
It was through this humble beginning that we repeat today.
We are now going to formally charge both of the deacon candidates and you, the church. Then our chairman of deacons will lead us in a prayer of Ordination for these men followed by a lying on of hands. The laying on of hands will begin with our ordained men, follow by you the congregation, as you feel lead to come, lay hands on and pray for these men.
CHARGE TO THE CANDIDATES
MINISTER: (ask the deacon candidates to stand)
Do you promise before God and this church that you will...
• Uphold the truth and doctrines of God’s Word;
• Be a living example of Jesus Christ in this church and community, by the grace of God;
• Be faithful and regular in attendance, whole-hearted in giving, open-minded in planning, and patient in seeking the solution to problems;
• Seek to serve with a servant’s heart;
• Assist the pastor in the implementing and carrying out of the ministries of this church;
• Earnestly seek God’s guidance and His Will for this church and pray for every member of this church;
• Accept the responsibility of the office of deacon in this church, and to the best of your knowledge and ability to discharge all the duties of this office;
If you do, so signify by saying I do.
CANDIDATES: I do.
CHARGE TO THE CHURCH:
MINISTER:
Do you, members of Rosemont Baptist Church, acknowledge these men, Randy Hicks and Steve Standley, have been set apart to fulfill the vital role of deacons in this church, do you promise to encourage and affirm them in their office, to pray for them and to cooperate with them in the fulfillment of the mission of this church? If you do, so signify by saying we do
CONGREGATION: We do.
ORDINATION PRAYER
LAYING ON OF HANDS
