God’s Glorious Church
Deacons Leading as Change Agents
Acts 6:8-15
Woodlawn Baptist Church
May 1, 2005
Introduction
Do you like change? You’ve probably heard about the man from the back mountains of Tennessee who found himself one day in a large city, for the first time standing outside an elevator. He watched as an old, haggard woman hobbled on, and the doors closed. A few minutes later the doors opened and a young, attractive woman marched smartly off. The father hollered to his youngest son, "Billy, go get your mother."
Change is a funny thing. Most people acknowledge that change is a necessary and regular part of life; but it sure does a number on our emotions. Society is changing at a faster rate than at any other time in our history today, which is easy to see from the number of items that are available to us today that weren’t even in existence a number of years ago, like air conditioning, antibiotics, credit cards, space travel, DVDs, smoke detectors, and much, much more.
Think about the way we travel today. I’ve read that when the railroads were first introduced to the U.S., some folks feared that they’d be the downfall of the nation! Here’s an excerpt from a letter written by Martin Van Buren, then Governor of New York to President Jackson, dated January 31, 1829:
As you may know, Mr. President, ’railroad’ carriages are pulled at the enormous speed of 15 miles per hour by ’engines’ which, in addition to endangering life and limb of passengers, roar and snort their way through the countryside, setting fire to crops, scaring the livestock and frightening women and children. The Almighty certainly never intended that people should travel at such breakneck speed.
If only he could see us now! As we think about change this morning, I want deal with church change. While change makes most people uncomfortable to some degree, few changes unsettle people like changes in church. Most of you would say that you want our church to grow and prosper. However, church growth requires more of us than just saying so. Church change requires strong biblical leadership, so as I speak to you as deacons and as a church body in general, understand that one of the greatest opportunities you have to lead your church is to serve them by helping them navigate the troubling waters of change.
Today I want to identify for you four types of change that occur in a church, then some of the reasons church members most often resist change, and then I’ll close by identifying several characteristics our deacons must possess if they are to lead our church through the changes that will inevitably come up in the future of our church.
Types of Change
While there are many changes that could take place in the life of a church, there are four basic types of change in which all change will fit. Changes come from within our body, sometimes out of necessity, and other times just because we want to try something we haven’t yet tried. Other changes come from without, such as changes in city or federal law that we must adhere to.
Changes In Structure
Changes in structure could mean any number of things. We experienced a change in structure this year when we adopted an annual budget. We experienced a change in structure when we hired a youth pastor. Changes in structure have to do with everything from changing church policies, staff, programs, adding Sunday School classes or adding to our building.
Since February I have been preaching to you about the Lord’s church. I want you to know that I’m not just preaching this series to fill up my calendar, but so you’ll be prepared for some changes in structure that will take place in the future. I want you to understand what a healthy and successful church is, and why we are not where God wants us to be. I want you to understand what the role of the pastor is, and what part deacons play in our church, because we’ll be working through some changes in structure concerning these things. As I speak on the subject of worship and discipleship and evangelism, I want you to see that changes must be made, many of which will simply be changes in structure.
Changes In Technology
An illustration of this can be seen in the increased use of things like computers and phones. I don’t know about you, but I’m glad churches were willing to embrace many of the changes that have taken place in the last few decades. It amazes me today to think of the way churches fought and split over installing toilets in the building. Our grandfathers argued about whether it was scriptural for churches to have kitchens. Now we can’t imagine ministry without those things. They’ve been wonderful.
The use of the computer has been a wonderful change. I’m still young enough that I remember not using one, and I can tell you from personal experience that my ministry is better today than it was 10 years ago because I was open to accepting the change computers provided. The water sprinkler system is the result of technology, and these kinds of changes are going to include everything from our sound system and nursery pagers to a projection system and a church web-site one of these days.
Changes In Behavior
Anytime you introduce changes in structure or technology, there are going to be changes in behavior. Some changes in behavior come as a response to life changes. Ask any young woman whether her behavior changed after she had children. Ask any man whether his behavior changed after his wife died. Changes in behavior are inevitable in the life of a church.
Changes In Assumptions and Values
As we grow in Christian maturity, there are going to be changes in assumptions and values. I love to watch as people grow in their knowledge of God’s Word and have their assumptions dashed against the Rock of Jesus Christ. We come to church with all our rules and dos and don’ts, but Christ wants to free us in His liberating Word. Any time we have people growing in their faith, there are going to be changes in assumptions and values – from the pew to the pulpit, and when those changes take place, particularly among ministry leaders, there are going to be changes. My assumptions and values have changed dramatically in the last few years, and I thank God that He has seen fit to walk me through those things.
Resisting Change
We all resist change, don’t we? Whether it is a big change or seemingly insignificant, we all respond to some changes with resistance, but why? Let’s read out text and I’ll show you five reasons.
“And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council, and set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: for we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. And all that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel.”
As I was studying and preparing for this message, I was reviewing materials that dealt with change: the nature of change, the types of change, why we resist change, but none of the materials was referenced in the Scriptures. Now don’t get me wrong, you can be biblically sound without having to hang your thoughts on a proof text, but due to the nature of preaching, I prayed that God would give me the text He would have me to preach that dealt with change. I read and read, and finally decided to go back and review the few passages that concerned deacons, and there it was – the first deacons – leading through a time of change.
Stephen was one of the first deacons, but the Pharisees and religious leaders didn’t like him. They argued with him, but he had an answer for everything. He and the rest of these Christ-followers were messing things up. In other words, change was in the air and they couldn’t stand it. While at the time Christianity wasn’t offering a change in technology, it was offering a change in structure: from strict legalistic adherence to the Law to the freedom found in Jesus Christ. Christianity offered a change in behavior. The Law of Moses and the traditions of the scribes and rulers cleaned up the outer man, but Jesus changed hearts. He changed a man’s behavior from the inside out, because you see, true Christianity also offers a change in assumptions and values. In fact, the only way a person can be saved is to experience a fundamental change in assumptions and values.
You must choose to turn away from your assumptions that you’re doing alright, or that you and God are going to be just fine. You’ve got to reject your lifelong ideas that you can be good enough or be religious enough or be favored enough by God. You have to come to the place where you can see with eyes of faith that Jesus Christ died for your sins so that you might repent of your sins and trust Him as your Savior. You see, Christianity was offering all of this, and the Jews hated it – hated the changes they were seeing all around them. They hated the changes for the same reasons we hate change.
Changes Are a Threat to Security
Until Jesus came along, the Jews were secure in their faith in the Law of Moses. The flesh always finds security in rules and regulations. Rules; the dos and don’ts of religion offer what is predictable and known. These Jews were secure with their Abrahamic lineage. They believed they were special to God, and were secure in their hands on religion. You can understand this quite well when you stop and think that one of the strongest motivators we have is security. Some people can live with less of it than others, but all people need some. Some people feel they need a stable, nonchanging environment, and when their environment begins to give way to change, these people resist it out of a threat to their security.
One of the great things about the world God created is that it is in a constant state of flux, and I think it is so because it keeps us on our spiritual toes before God. Yes God is our Rock and Stongtower. Yes He is a mighty fortress, but there is nothing else in this life that is, so we must cling to Him for our security.
Preservation of tradition
What did the Jews say in verse 14? “These people are going to change our customs: our traditions.” People resist change out of a reverence for and preservation of that which has grown “holy” through the passage of time. Does Faith Promise have to be in January? Does church have to start at 10:50? Does your Sunday School class have to meet in this room or that room?
Fear of the unknown
People fear losing what is and what can be counted on. Changing the known and trying the unknown becomes more than some people can manage. I have observed this happening in churches that change the order of worship, start a building program, or have an influx of new people into the church family. We wouldn’t have airplanes and automobiles if someone hadn’t been willing to try something new. The old cliché, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it,” may sound good; but it can quickly lead to a lack of meaningful and necessary change.
Loss of control
People resist change when it represents a loss of control of their lives and environment. This resistance becomes readily apparent in a church that suddenly starts to grow. Folks that have held positions and called the shots for years suddenly find their ideas and opinions not as weighty, and it shakes them up. The Jews were suffering from this. As more and more people began to be saved, they were losing their control over their lives, so they resorted to persecution. If they couldn’t control them through religion, they would control them another way.
Sense of identity
People resist change when it affects their identity. To the Jews, it appeared to them that everything about Judaism and monotheism was about to change. Change can shake a person’s sense of who they are and what role they will occupy as the church transitions. I see this happening in our church, but we must always keep the bigger picture in mind. This isn’t your church or my church, and if people walk in and can’t see what was here 5, 10 or 20 years ago, it really doesn’t make much difference, because in the end what really matters is that we were able to influence a life for Christ, not for recognition of our work.
Change Agents
Now, understand that not all resistance to change is bad. It may just mean that there is a lack of good communication about the change. It may mean that people don’t really understand the purpose of a change. Resistance should serve to help us to clarify our purposes and sometimes to develop better plans. So, resistance can be positive or negative. Regardless, it exists because people are uncomfortable with change. In these times, I believe God would have His deacons rise to the occasion and help people deal with the changes we face, and you can do that if you possess the right qualities.
Commitment
There are two little words I want you to notice that the Jews mentioned about Stephen in verse 13. As they resisted and opposed the changes brought on by Christianity, they noticed that he “ceased not.” In other words, he wouldn’t quit; he was deeply committed to seeing the message of Christ spread. I mention this characteristic first because it is a priority. I’m not asking you to be committed to me or to my ideas, but to the leadership of Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life. I’m asking you to be committed to the purpose and mission of our church: to glorify God by fulfilling the Great Commission. This commitment needs to be strong enough to enable you to put the Lord’s will for your life and the church’s life first. This commitment leads you to proper faith, and out of this faith comes the ability to guide the church through times of change.
Openness
You, as a deacon, need to be open to change. You see men, you are first and foremost children of God, and as such, and God expects your lives to be changing as He brings you into conformity to the image of His Son Christ. You need to feel a sense of wanting change in your personal life that will keep you growing stronger and more effective spiritually and mentally. One of your daily prayers ought to be that God would change your life, your heart, your mind, your attitudes, your spirit, so that in the end you are more like Jesus than you ever dreamed God could do.
In order to be open you have to have a willingness to allow and encourage change within the church even though you experience some inconvenience. If you are not willing to give up your pew or your ideas for progress, sing new songs that appeal to a wider range of people, or any one of a number of other actions, then the example you set for others is one that will eventually cause our church to dry up and turn sour.
Vision
The Pharisees could not see past their own ideas and ambitions. They could only see the immediate context, but the men the church had set aside were different. I love to read verse 15. Stephen’s face was shining with the glory of God! We need people, especially deacons who will be a people of vision, who share a vision for the church with the pastor. What kind of vision do you have for the church? When you have vision, you see more than the present situation. Stephen’s present situation was troubling. He was about to die – but he saw through that trouble, and because of his commitment and openness and vision, one of the men standing by that day would later be saved and grow to be the greatest missionary in the Bible besides Jesus Christ himself.
Vision means that the best is always yet to be. Even though the vision has to be defined, refined, and put into workable form, it always comes before successful change. Without a vision you and the church become the captives of habits, traditions, and lazy comfortableness. Where do you get a vision? You get it through a faith-filled look around. You ask the Holy Spirit to enable you to see through eyes of faith the possibilities for the church. Look around and ask the hard questions, look past the immediate context and dream of the possibilities with a God who knows no boundaries. It comes from spending much time with the Lord, and brethren, I can assure you that although you will have your bad days like anyone else, much time with the Lord will cause your face to glow with the glory of God as well.
Boldness
I love that Luke says Stephen was full of faith and power. Brethren, that’s how it ought to be. Any change involves a certain amount of risk. If you cannot or will not risk, you cannot be an effective change agent. This boldness allows you to handle the criticism that comes your way. There are always going to be critics, so we can be bold in leadership and bold in change. Sometimes we can learn from the critics; we can revise our plans, rethink our vision, strengthen our position, and other times we can dismiss the critic as ignorant.
Conclusion
If you watch any TV at all, you know that the constant theme today is change. Change your house, your bedroom, your living room, or your kitchen. You can change your car, your job, and even your wife. You can change your image, your looks or your weight, and best of all, it usually only takes an hour!
It would be nice if changes and transitions in the life of a church were as easy as they make it look on television, but they’re not. In fact, most of the changes we face as followers of Christ bring us time and time again to a crisis point in our lives. That’s why it is so important that we have strong deacon leadership. Today is the last day I’ll preach specifically to our deacons for a while, but the qualities I’ve been speaking about are qualities that need to be daily addressed in your lives from now on so that you’ll be in the right position to lead our church through those days of change ahead.
Personal changes are no easier. Some of you have been wrestling with sin and strongholds in your lives for a long time, and the reasons you resist change are just the same. Today I want you to identify that thing in your life and surrender it to Christ. Allow Him to take control of your life, allow Him to define your identity. Allow Him to be the Lord of your life and when things get shaky, cling to Him with all you have and are.
If you have never accepted Christ as your Savior, there is a change you need to make in your life that will only happen in Christ. All the self help books, pep talks, and seminars in the world won’t bring about the change in your life that you need. It will only come through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Will you repent of your sin and trust Him to save you today?
