The Choosing Of A Deacon (Ordination Service)

For example, God gave mankind the wisdom and the ability to produce television sets for our homes, to provide wholesome and godly programs to be a blessing to our families. But look how the devil has taken the “scum” of Hollywood to corrupt the minds of our families.

The devil has used television as an instrument to shape the minds of our nation.

• Ted Turner, speaking to a group of Broadcasters in 1983 said, “Delegates to the United Nations are not as important as the people in this room. We're the ones that determine what the people's attitudes are. It's in our hands.”

• Malcolm Muggeridge said, “Of all the inventions of our time, TV is likely to prove the most destructive. Whereas nuclear power can only reduce us and our world to a cinder, the camera grinds us down to spiritual dust so fine that a puff of wind scatters it, leaving nothing behind.”

• David Frost said, “Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room, by people you wouldn't have in your home.”

I reiterate, the devil is great at taking something that is good, and turning it around and using it for something bad.

The point I am trying to make is this; WHEN GOD DOES SOMETHING GOOD, you can be sure THAT THE DEVIL IS GOING TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING EVIL WITH IT.

Illus: Dr. Odell Belger knew of a church in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, that was without a pastor for almost a year. He saw one of the good deacons of the church, and asked him how were things going at his church. The deacon had a big smile on his face and said, “Things are going great, we have a new pastor, souls are getting saved, the church is growing so fast that it is scary.” He asked him, “What do you mean the church is growing so fast that it is scary?” He said, “I am sure you know that WHEN GOD MOVES, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT THE DEVIL IS GOING TO MOVE ALSO. WE KNOW HE IS GOING TO STRIKE, WE JUST DO NOT KNOW WHEN!”

That is a wise deacon, a lot of folks do not know that.

Some think all problems come from an INDIVIDUAL or INDIVIDUALS. But what most folks in the church do not realize is that God and the devil have one thing in common, they BOTH desire to use us.

We cast the deciding vote on which one will be able to use us. ALL CHURCH PROBLEMS CAN BE TRACED BACK TO THE DEVIL.

The early church was a fantastic church, but like all churches they had their problems. To eliminate some of these problems, God instituted deacons in the church -

I. LOOK AT THE PLAN OF A DEACON

Deacons are a part of the scriptural organization of the New Testament church. Deacons are a vital part of what God has provided to make the church strong and effective in its work. The office of deacon is important and needed.

• Deacons are not men who are not quite “good enough” to be elders.

• Deacons are not merely those who are “on their way up” to becoming elders.

We need to view the deacon’s work in a better light - it is important in its own right. God placed deacons in the church to ELIMINATE PROBLEMS.

Look at Acts 6:1-7, we read, “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

One problem of the early church was that as the church grew at a rapid pace, it was putting more and more pressure on the pastors of the church. In fact, their job time of praying and preparing spiritual meals from the Word of God was being consumed by having to serve tables.