“CHURCH LEADERSHIP 101: THE DEACON”
1 Timothy 3:8-13
FBCF – 1/26/25
Jon Daniels
INTRO – WELCOME ONLINE AUDIENCE
2019 – Pastoring CWBC – Fulfilled in ministry – Happy – Loved our church FAMILY – Loved our staff – Loved our home – I was 55 yrs old & thought I was going to stay at CWBC for rest of my ministry life – in fact, that was my desire. Then something happened – YOU happened!
AMD called & asked if we could have bfast. Shared w/ me that FBCF wanted my resume’. Initial contact w/ FBCF pastor search team in July – met at Lake Tiak-O’Khata. Began about 5 months of meetings, talks, prayer, crying w/ Vicki, wrestling, seeking clear direction from the Lord. Mid-December, during a morning quiet time, received a clear word from the Lord that it was time to step out in faith & move forward. Set up a “trial sermon” – Sunday that I would be here w/ you to preach in view of call. That Sunday was supposed to be January 26, 2020 – 5 yrs ago today.
Friday AM – call from Baylee Biggs (13 yrs old) – Steve’s death. Largest funeral I officiated during my tenure at CWBC.
- Steve LOVED being a deacon – joy & privilege that he took very seriously
- Loved his pastor & pastor’s family
- Loved his church
- Never wanted to roll off deacon council – “Once a deacon, always a deacon!”
EXPLANATION – 1 Timothy 3:8-13 (p. 992)
Rob Fisher AFTER being ordained – “What’s a deacon supposed to do?”
Word study – “deacon” – diakonos – “servant, entrusted to serve the needs of believers; ones who serve”
I call them “Servant-leaders”:
- They lead by serving. They serve by leading.
- They don’t lead by intimidating. They don’t serve by abdicating.
- They don’t lead by domineering. They don’t serve by distancing themselves from others.
- They don’t lead by working behind the scenes to undermine church leaders. They don’t serve by waiting around for someone else to do the work.
- They lead by serving. They serve by leading.
- Joe McKeever: “We should think of deacons as ‘leading from the rear.’ They keep the flock together, take care of stragglers, work for unity, & help the fallen along the way.” (Help! I’m a Deacon! – p. 18)
We looked at Acts 6:1-7 at Peyton’s ordination service. Remind you that this is the first place in which a group of men was chosen & set apart to take care of some specific ministry needs within the church, setting the biblical precedent for our present-day deacon ministry. While there are not specific responsibilities detailed in Scripture for deacons, we can say that deacons are set apart in the church to take care of whatever ministry needs the church determines is needed.
APPLICATION – A strong deacon relies on his strong God.
v. 8 – “Deacons, likewise…” – Several translations: “In the same way” – MSG – “The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church…”
David Jeremiah: “The qualities for deacons are virtually identical to those for the overseer or elder, except that an overseer is expected to be ‘able to teach’ (3:2). Like the overseer, the deacon must be one whose heart is impelled by Christ, whose character is formed by Christ, & whose mind is focused on Christ.” (The Jeremiah Study Bible, p. 1704)
It takes a strong man to be a strong deacon. And just as the overseer/elder/pastor/shepherd must rely on his strong God, so must the deacon. He, too, must have:
- A STRONG PERSONAL LIFE – v. 8, 10
- A STRONG FAMILY LIFE – v. 12
- A STRONG SPIRITUAL LIFE – v. 9, 13
D.E.A.C.O.N. – Not a blatantly Scriptural outline, meaning that these 6 characteristics are not specifically named in specific Bible verses that specifically relate to deacons. But, as I’ve looked at the Word of God, I see these characteristics. As I’ve looked at books & resources written by other pastors & Biblical scholars, I see these characteristics. And as I’ve looked at the lives of Godly men who have impacted my life as they’ve served or are presently serving as deacons, I see these characteristics.
DEVOTED – To Christ – To family – To church – Clearly see that in v. 9, 13 that we’ve already looked at. But when you look at the Acts 6 passage when the original 7 were set apart, you see this statement in v. 3: “…pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom…”
- “…who are known to be full of the Spirit & wisdom…” (NIV)\
- “…spiritually-minded…” (Phillips)
“full” – “complete, lacking nothing” – Represents wholeheartedness, total sincerity, complete dedication.
“For the deacon, it is an admonition to bigness. No man ought to serve as deacon who is little & pinched & dwarfed in his spiritual outlook or personal dedication. Mr. Little-faith or Little-spirit or Little-wisdom would make a very poor deacon.” (Robert Naylor, The Baptist Deacon, p. 17)
You’re not full of the Spirit if you’re not devoted to Christ. You’re not full of wisdom if you’re not devoted to Christ. And if you’re not devoted to Christ, you’re not going to be devoted to your family or your church.
EMPATHETIC – A Godly deacon will be a man who experiences deep empathy for those in the church FAMILY who are hurting & struggling, those who have been beaten up & beaten down by life. They have a heart of compassion, a heart of understanding that identifies w/ those who are in pain for whatever reason.
- They grieve w/ those who are grieving
- They weep w/ those who are weeping
- They rejoice w/ those who are rejoicing
AWARE – Of needs & ministry opportunities in the church. But not only are they aware of needs, they respond to those needs.
- “Fifty Acts of Service” in Joe McKeever’s book
CONSECRATED – 1874 – Frances Havergal wrote hymn, “Take My Life & Let it Be” – 1st verse: “Take my life & let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee…”
- “consecrated” – set apart & dedicated to serve God
Each verse speaks to a different area of life that is to be set apart to be used by God.
- “Take my hands…my feet…my voice/lips…my silver & my gold…my intellect…my will…my heart…my love…myself” – A hymn about our entire life in totality dedicated to serve the Lord.
- The laying on of hands is symbolic of this setting apart.
ONE WOMAN MAN – If there is any place that the enemy will target in a deacon’s life, a pastor’s life, or ANY man’s life, it is his relationship w/ his wife. Jeff Parker spoke clearly & bluntly about this area of a man’s life – that the biggest struggle that most men have – if not all men have – is in the area of lust.
- Admit it – Own it – Battle it – Hate it
- Get radical about it – Matthew 18:9 – “If your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out & throw it away.”
- Need that BVOT – Brash Voice of Truth in your life.
Why is this so important? B/c your relationship to your wife is your most important earthly relationship & must be guarded & protected at all costs. This is true of all men, & especially true of deacons. Satan is going to come hard for your marriage when you take the step of obedience into deacon ministry. GET READY FOR THAT! He knows that you are called to be a “one woman man.” He knows that means that no other woman – whether that’s a woman in this church, at your work, on a computer screen, or anywhere else – should have your eyes, your mind, your heart. So, Satan sets out to begin setting those traps & snares & landmines to steal, kill, & destroy this critical area of your life.
- Guard your eyes, men! Guard your mind! Guard your heart! Guard your wife! Guard your marriage!
NEEDED – The pastor needs them. The Church needs them. I tell our deacons all the time that they are my “go-to” guys – for prayer, accountability, counsel, support, encouragement, protection from attacks.
- B/c deacons are so needed, I’m taking it a step further – Pastoral Accountability Team established this year – Deacon chair & vice-chair, past 2 deacon chairmen, & one at-large deacon. Meet at least quarterly – more if needed – for intentional accountability & counsel & prayer cover.
CONCLUSION
- Devoted
- Empathetic
- Aware
- Consecrated
- One Woman Man
- Needed
These are the characteristics you should see in the men who are serving as deacons right now. And these are the characteristics you should look for in the men you nominate to serve as deacons in the future.
