Everybody Gets To Be A Deacon Mark 10:43-45
Covenant – Part Three
Intro:
Several years ago a young wife and her husband stopped me at the back of the church. “I want my husband to be a Deacon,” she proclaimed, “what does he need to do?”
I knew what she was asking; she wanted to know what it took to be a part of our deacon ministry. She had been watching these men, admired them, and desired the same thing for her husband. I shared with her that her desire was certainly a good one – being a “deacon” is a good thing and our church certainly needs Godly men – if her husband would simply remain faithful to the Lord and the church the opportunity to be a deacon might come some day.
However, since that afternoon, I’ve always wished I would have said it a little differently… I wish I would have explained to her the reality that, yes her husband could be a deacon – and so could she from that very moment!
In fact – every active participant in FirstFamily gets to be a deacon!
Wait a minute, Paul, (you may be thinking) I thought you could only be a “deacon” if you were appointed by the church and lived up to the standards of 1 Timothy 3:8-13. We only have six deacons and I just read their names in the bulletin this morning!
And besides, what does being a deacon have to do with being a part of the family – a part of FirstFamily, our church?
REVIEW:
We’ve been talking now for almost two months about family. We’ve talked about three “rooms” or environments that help create a family…(explain)
Now we’ve moved into the kitchen – where intimacy grows and family business is done. We’ve been sharing the principle that family is based on covenant relationship. Our church family – based first on God’s grace covenant with us and second on our covenant with each other.
We’ve been working our way through our church covenant. We’ve said that as a church we covenant together to protect, share, serve and support.
• We will protect the unity of our church.
That’s our priority. Jesus’ prayer for his followers was that we would act as one. We are to “strive to keep the unity of Spirit in the bond of peace.” Why, because the most powerful testimony of God’s work in us is when we all allow God to really work in us – controlled by His Spirit we walk in unity.
• We will share the responsibility of our church
That’s our purpose. What’s our purpose? To grow! Together we pray that God will grow our church – first deeper (roots of spirituality) and then outward (physical growth as we reach new people and touch our community for Christ.)
And today we want to talk about serving…
• We will serve the ministry of our church
Serving is the plan or strategy of the church. It’s how we are to do “business”. Just think about how we talk about church…it goes against just about everything in this world…
We call our meetings “services”
We call what we offer – “ministries”
The funds we receive are called “offerings”
When someone asks who is the “Pastor” they are asking who is the shepherd – that’s what pastor means. Who ever heard of shepherds being the “big guy” at the top of a secular corporation?
When we ask are the leaders we talk about pastors, overseers (responsibility), elders (experience) and deacons (servants).
And we say that every member is a minister!
Another way to say it is: Church is “down-side-up” compared to the rest of the world! Here’s how Jesus explained it to His disciples:
Mark 10:41-45 (NLT) When the ten other disciples discovered what James and John had asked, they were indignant. So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that in this world kings are tyrants, and officials lord it over the people beneath them. But among you it should be quite different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all. For even I, the Son of Man, came here not to be served but to serve others, and to give my life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus intends for His Church to be “Down-Side-Up” (not upside down). The way “up” is “down”.
Galatians 5:13 says it this way: “In love, serve one another!”
And that’s what we mean when we say everyone one get to be a deacon!
The word deacon is a powerful word. It is actually the combination of two words which mean “through the dust”. It’s the idea of moving so swiftly to meet a need that you literally “stir up the dust”.
I like that! …because when you or I determine to act like deacons we’re going to raise a lot of dust that’s settle around all those who are just sitting idly by doing nothing!
The word deacon and the word serve come from the same root words that mean to serve, be a servant.
WE WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF OUR CHURCH.
We will be deacons, servants! That’s so opposite what the world tells us. When we think of “leadership” we most often assume the leaders are the ones being served. But in Christ’s church the higher you go, the lower you bend.
I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH.
James Hunter in his book “The Servant” presents a powerful picture of what it really means to be a leader/servant. He shares: leadership is ultimately rooted in our will. Not forcing our will on others, but demonstrating our will to serve.
There is a big difference between leading through power and leading through authority.
Many people can simply force people to do what they want because they have the power to make them. However, few people like to be forced to do anything. Eventually such “power driven leadership” destroys relationships.
On the other hand, some have the ability to lead through authority. Authority is different than power. Power is something you have and force on people. Authority is something you gain – it’s given to you by the people you lead.
How does one gain authority from those they lead? Only through service and sacrifice. When people see that you have their best interests at heart, when they see you are willing to sacrifice and serve them they will be willing to follow. That’s servant leadership, that’s authority.
Yet there is only one say to gain a genuine attitude of service and worship. It goes back to our first covenant determination: “We will protect the unity of our church…by acting in love toward other members.”
Love? You don’t understand, Paul, there are some people in the church that I just don’t like, let alone love. How do you expect me to fell anything toward people I don’t like – or simply don’t know?
How? Because love is not a feeling! Love is a decision. Love is an act of the will. Love says I will covenant together with those God has brought me to church with.
And it’s not just a mental assent, is in action oriented. I like what Hunter says in “The Servant”:
Intentions – Actions = SQUAT
But
INTENTIONS + ACTIONS = WILL
Covenant is all about will. It’s determining that we will serve together and see God do great things through FirstFamily.
We make a deliberate choice to act in love – whether we feel like it or not – we begin to do what is necessary to meet each other’s needs. We develop servant’s hearts.
That’s why after we:
• determine to protect the unity of our church (by acting in love, refusing to gossip and following Biblical church leadership
• determine to share the responsibility of our church (by praying for it’s growing, inviting and welcoming others into it)
We further determine to
• serve the ministry of our church.
As we close, let me share with you three powerful ways you can serve your church.
First, you can begin discovering your God given gifts and talents. Whether you realize it or not, God has S.H.A.P.E.d you in a very unique way to serve in FirstFamily. Through your spiritual gifts, heart attitude, abilities, personal and life experiences God has developed you to serve like on one else is able.
Second, you can willingly be equipped to serve by your pastors. Presently we have three pastors on staff whose primary function is to help you develop your service for God. Travis, Beth and I have as our main responsibility “to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:12).
This means that you must be willing to come to church for more than just worship on Sunday morning, you need to be willing to get involved in Bible studies, ministry projects, etc. that will help you discover and learn to use your gifts. And we’re here to help.
Third, and probably the most important, you can begin to develop a servants heart. Ask God to let you see yourself as a genuine deacon – a true servant.
God has raised up a wonderful group of people in our church we call deacons and deaconesses. (Yes, there were lady deacons in the Bible too – Paul mentions one in Romans 16:1).
But you must remember that every one of us is called to service, to a personal deaconship.
It begins with a submissive act of the will toward God’s desire. To align our intentions and actions and choose loving, serving behavior.
It’s not about who’s in control. It’s not about who’s in charge. It’s not about the “top”. It’s all about the bottom.
God give us a church full of determined servants.
When the world sees us serving each other and then serving in unity the lost world. The world will see Jesus.
I WILL PROTECT THE UNITY OF MY CHURCH.
I WILL SHARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MY CHURCH.
I WILL SERVE THE MINISTRY OF MY CHURCH.
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