The Deacon

Acts 6:1-7

The Deacon

Pastor Allan Kircher SPBC

Sept 2, 2012

Intro: This is a very serious time in our church.

• This Month we bring on new deacons

• It is not to be taking lightly.

There is much confusion and misinformation about what role the Deacons have in the church and what they are to the church.

• I hope I can clear up this/looking/Bible says.

• If you’ve been paying attention/since I’ve been here

• I am not interested in/traditions/teaching of men.

The final authority/all matters/faith/practice/church must be the Word of God.

Therefore, we are not going to concern ourselves with what men have to say about the Deacon and his role in the church.

We are only going to concern ourselves with what the Bible says about those matters.

• Deacon/not used/in our English translation.

• Often assumed/first reference/office/come to know/deacon

•

This passage gives us/insight into why the early church felt the need to set aside a special group of men to be servants of the church.

I want to preach about The Reason for the Deacon today.

Let’s find out why we have Deacons and see if we still need them today.

I. v. 1 THE PROBLEMS THE CHURCH FACED

Verse one exposes a conflict that/brewing in the early church.

• They had/real problem/Holy Spirit doesn’t gloss it over.

• Never forget/2 or more/potential for trouble

• When trouble comes in the church

• it must be faced head-on and dealt with

• Not allowed to simmer and brew.

• Remember the Holy Spirit has a remedy for our problem

• if we are willing and able to hear His voice.

Let’s examine their problem.

A. The Problem Of Multiplication –

• the church began multiplying.

• 3,ooo/saved/Pentecost/5,ooo/shortly after.

• Add their wives, children, other family

• Growing by leaps and bounds

• Estimated/20-50,000 at this time.

As a church grows larger so does its potential for problems.

As a church grows larger so does its need for strong, godly leadership.

B. The Problem Of Complaining

• 2 classes of people/early church.

• Aramaic speaking Jews/native to Israel

• Greek speaking/Hellenistic Jews/various parts/world

• Hellenists were Jews/lived/Greek speaking countries.

They were loyal Jews, but/absorbed some/Greek culture

They were different from/native Jewish brothers and there was a little friction between them.

Bible tells us that they were “complaining”.

People were talking about others in a negative manner behind their backs.

That is always a problem!

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Satan had already attacked the young church in two ways.

• He tried persecution, Acts 4:1-31; 5:17-41;

• Tried introducing sin into the church, Acts 5:1-11.

• Both attacks failed and only caused the church to grow faster.

• Now, he tries a new tactic.

If he cannot defeat the church from without, he will attack it from within!

• If he can divide the people

• He will be able to cripple the church!

• The same is still true today!

you can rest assured that he will try to do it from within.

• He will do everything he can to divide us and cause us to attack one another.

• There is no place for anger, unforgiveness, division and trouble in the church!

That kind of thing is deadly to a congregation, Matt. 12:25.

What the church needs to thrive is unity, 1 Cor. 1:10

If there are divisive people in the church that refuse to walk in unity with the brethren, here is the Lord’s counsel regarding them, Rom. 16:17

C. The Problem Of Ministry

The early church was committed to meeting the needs of its members.

In those days the people sold/goods/pooled/resources to see that every member had what they needed Acts 2:44-45.

The more affluent people like Barnabas, sold houses and lands and gave the money to meet the needs of others, Acts 4:34-37.

______________________________________________

The Apostles/responsible for seeing/people/especially/widows,

• Had/food/essentials they needed to live.

• As the church grew

• task became too large/Apostles and some people were inevitably missed in the daily food allotments

Greek speaking widows were not getting their share of the daily food supply.

The Greek speaking element/church apparently felt like this oversight was deliberate and they spoke up about it.

The problem was this: there was too much to do and not enough hours to do it in.

As a result, some things were left undone and it caused problems in the church.

• The church still faces the problem of ministry.

• In our day/sole burden/ministry/church,

• In most cases/placed on pastor’s shoulders

• In small church it’s barely a possible task

• For church our size/it’s absolutely impossible

If everything is left up to the Pastor, some people are going to be neglected and they are going to be offended.

Problems will come and the church will suffer. I will say more about that in a minute.