DEACONS FOR THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE
INTRODUCTION
The Church is the Body of Christ. It was bought by the blood of Christ and every Christian exists and lives in submission to Christ. It should be of no surprise to us that God has given us specific instructions about how he desires the church to be structured.
Great dangers and abuses have been experienced by the church over the centuries as humans attempted to improve on God’s plan for the church. Early in the life of the church Apostle Paul appointed elders/shepherds/ overseers in the churches he established. In the second generation of the church, elders appointed Bishops to serve as overseers of groups of churches. Bishops had councils and appointed a Chief Bishop over all the Bishops - a very powerful position often associated with the Roman Emperor - and later even appointed by the Roman Emperor over the churches. Those kinds of structures still exist today, but they are still not the simple plan God put in place. Throughout the centuries reformers attempted to solve this dilemma and various other plans were put into place. But there is no better plan than the one put into place by the One who Reigns over the Church.
So if you think a lesson about deacons is not very important, think again! God desired that elders and deacons be appointed in His church.
1. DEACONS ARE SERVANTS
The very word translated “deacon” means “servant” or “minister”. That word appears 95 times in the New Testament to describe various kinds of serving, but only five times to refer to that special servant selected by the congregation to serve as a deacon.
It’s true we are all supposed to be servants. That’s part of the second greatest command - to love God / love others. We are to be like Jesus! Matthew 20:28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.
Deacon is a special designation, however, of a certain kind of man who has a certain job. Not every servant is a deacon, but every deacon is to be a servant. Deacons are generally servants who have a special assignment.
2. DEACONS ASSIST THE ELDERS
Paul established elders in all the churches. This was necessary. Elders are Shepherds, Pastors to help the flock who needs guidance. The flock needs to be guarded against wolves. The flock needs to be sought after if they wander away. The flock needs encouragement and spiritual direction.
Elders are to be sources of wisdom, overseers, who help the church maintain unity, strength, faithfulness.
Elders are to be teachers, able to confront false teaching and also able to share the gospel with the lost. Thus they are to be in the Word and learning all they can about the Scriptures.
Elders should be so involved in the lives of people that they have no time to tend to the kinds of things that deacons do.
Elders in the Bible are always male, and always serve in plurality. This prevents the mistake of having one person with the greatest influence in the church. This allows for accountability among the elder group - shepherds need shepherding too.
Elders are to be examples in every area of life, and particularly in their family life. Elders wives are often a part of the work of the elder’s shepherding ministry and should be. An elder’s spouse is a major support but also a source of accountability and strength. Tremendous damage can be done to the Body of Christ if elders are abusive, unfaithful, or detached in the home relationships.
Being an elder entails a tremendous responsibility. Those who serve well are worthy of honor and respect. But elders cannot serve alone, they must have help.
Acts 6:1-7 is likely the first appointment of deacons in the NT Church. Some widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The Apostles could have stopped their ministry in the Word and prayer to take care of this.
Acts 6:2 NLT So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program."
But instead they asked the church to select seven men from among them. Not just any men, but men who were known to be full of the Spirit and full of Wisdom.
Acts 6:3-4 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
The church chose godly men and the Apostles laid hands on them and prayed for them.
They were appointed and the church continued to grow.
Acts 6:7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
I believe the work of the Deacons is so important, helps the church so much, assists the elders do directly, that the church’s growth is connected to their service.
If the elders of the congregation are busy with their duties, they do not have time to see about buildings and grounds, food projects, church outreach projects, and the many other things that happen in the church family.
They need dependable deacons who can oversee those works with faithfulness and diligence.
3. DEACONS ARE A CERTAIN KIND OF MEN.
Lists of qualities of deacons can be found in 1 Timothy 3:8-19. Anytime someone talks about Elders and Deacons those lists come into play. There are some questions about those lists, but we generally know what kind of man we are looking for in an Elder and Deacon. I’m not going to go over those lists tonight. My assignment is to talk about the deacons of the present and the future.
4. DEACONS OF THE PRESENT
I want to encourage our deacons! They are fulfilling a role that is ordained by God in Scripture. That makes it important. They are the ones who should be keeping the activities and facilities of the church on track and in good shape. They are typically not paid, so they do all they do as volunteers. A godly deacon is in prayer over the church, with the elders, with the preacher, and carries a burden for the ongoing success of the church. Deacons are extremely valuable to the church.
Challenges Deacons Face
*When elders do the deacon’s work. This could be a sensitive area but elders have to release the deacons to do their work for the church to function as it should.
*Thinking of being a deacon as being a junior elder. This isn’t the case in terms of authority. Nor is it the case that all deacons eventually become elders. Some men serve as deacons long into their upper ages and love serving in this way. Often deacons become elders, but it is not promised.
*Finding help to get the jobs done. Like all organizations that rely on volunteer labor, the church can be frustrating when people do not want to step up to the plate and serve. This affects deacons especially, as they attempt to recruit helpers for various projects. Remember we are all servants, so always volunteer as much as you can.
*Sometimes Deacons can be at odds with church leadership, but I encourage elders, ministers, deacons to be more than working together at the church, but to be friends. This is not a corporate office - it’s a body of believers - a Family. With the great commission as our central guide, we should all be working with good relationships between us all.
*Often Deacons are Barometers of Church Life. Deacons are usually younger than elders (not always) and can have relationships with younger families … perspectives that the elders may not have picked up on. People may talk to a Deacon first if they have an issue, if for some reason they feel intimidated to talk directly to an elder. Deacons sometimes just know what’s happening more than the elders do. Their partnership is essential.
Six Goals Every Deacon Should Have / Measures of excellence in Service:
*Every deacon should be an example of involvement.
*Every deacon should be an example of attendance.
*Every deacon should be an example of giving.
*Every deacon should be an example of pursuing the spiritual life. Even though Deacons are thought of as men who are focused on the physical projects while the elders tend to the spiritual, no Christian can afford to ignore the spiritual life. Men chosen by the church should be examples of being men of prayer, Bible study, and Christian living.
*Every deacon should be an example of a Christian husband and father.
*Every deacon should take under his wing young men who may serve as deacons in the future and help them grow in service to the church.
*All deacons of the present should examine themselves and when they are no longer willing to be examples in these areas, they should express a desire to serve God in the church without being a deacon. There’s no sin in that. But to continue to wear the name “Deacon” when one is not pursuing the life and work of a deacon, would not be pleasing to God nor practical.
But what about the deacons of the future?
5. DEACONS OF THE FUTURE
*Aspire to be a Deacon! Although the list of challenges that Deacons face and the high demands required may seem to be a discouragement, I hope it is the opposite. I hope that every young man in this church will aspire to be a deacon. Pursue the qualities of a deacon and make them a part of your life.
*Do Not Criticize Deacons / Elders. The church and families should be careful not to fall into the trap of criticizing endlessly the elders and deacons and preacher. How many Sunday dinners have featured roasted deacons, elders and preachers? Disagreement is one thing, developing a critical spirit is something else. Sour Grapes is not one of the fruit of the Spirit! This influences younger people to not want to serve in these roles.
*Mentor Young Men! It should be common for deacons to bring along young people with them as they do their duties and build up the church in the minds of young people. These relationships will often be the foundation of church service in the future.
*New deacons should be added often, recognized, and appreciated, by the elders in particular, but by all.
*Deacons of the future will likely become elders of the future. Intentional efforts to grow and develop spiritually should be a part of the deacon’s life - and also men who desire to be deacons. The internet offers many resources for Spiritual growth. There are many books about spiritual development. The problem is not information, but the desire to absorb the information.
*Are elders spending time with deacons in spiritual efforts?
*Are deacons studying resources and working to prepare themselves to be elders?
*Are elders appointing additional younger elders so they can experience times of transition with mentors in place?
*If leadership does not reach out to next generation, the church will find itself in trouble in the coming years.
Conclusion
When we look at the future of the church, it must include shepherds and servants, elders and deacons, and preachers. (I didn’t talk about preachers, you’ll have to have me back when the preacher needs straightening out!
The future of the church depends on these roles - they help make things happen in the church today. They are the foundation of growth in the future.
