Introduction:
A. Once there was a rather grumpy deacon who was teaching a Bible class full of boys and was endeavoring to impress upon them the importance of living the Christian life.
1. The deacon asked the boys: “Why do people call me a Christian?”
2. After an awkward moment of silence, one youngster said, “Maybe people call you a Christian because they don’t know you very well.”
3. Ouch! Sometimes the truth hurts!
4. I’m thankful that this can’t be said of any of our deacons!
B. Let’s talk about deacons this morning.
1. Do you know what the qualifications for deacons are and do you know what they do?
2. Here’s a silly announcement I came across: “Nominations are now open for deacons. They must meet these qualifications: Must be able to pass the offering plate with a smile and without spilling it. Must look good in a name tag. Must be driven by a desire to do the stuff no one else wants to do.”
3. That sure sounds trite, doesn’t it? And it is, but such caricatures of the deacon’s role veil the true dignity and significance of the role.
4. Unfortunately, we often put our elders and preachers up on pedestals, but where do we put the deacons?
a. In some people’s minds, they are somewhere down below just dusting the pedestal.
5. Sometimes people assume that deacons are “only deacons,” because they can’t be elders, but that’s not true.
6. Some deacons do transition to the role of elder when they are older, but most deacons remain deacons, because their gifts and talents are more suitable for that kind of service.
C. The role of deacon is not one relegated to the life of a holy “go-fer” who performs the tasks others view as insignificant or non-spiritual.
1. Although deacons do perform many of the “nuts and bolts” ministries of the church, God sees their role, and all forms of service, as worthy of respect and honor.
2. You might be surprised to find that the qualifications for deacon and elder are very similar, which confirms that God wants all those who serve in His church to exhibit the character of Christ Himself.
D. An important point that I want to make throughout the lesson this morning is this: In the kingdom of God, all disciples are to be servants, but some will be qualified for special service, as deacons.
1. My aim is to challenge all disciples of Jesus to be busy serving the Lord.
2. Before we look at what Paul’s letter to Timothy says about deacons, let’s explore some other general biblical information about deacons.
I. DEACONS: THEIR INTRODUCTION
A. A study of Scripture reveals that there is not a great deal of information given about deacons in the New Testament.
1. We are not sure when or where they were first appointed.
2. We also aren’t given many specifics about their responsibilities.
B. In Acts chapter 6, we witness the appointment of some men for an important service.
1. Some commentators have called these men “deacons” even though they are not specifically given that name in the text.
2. However, name or no name, these men were functioning in the role of deacons (special servants), and are therefore a good model for our deacons today.
3. What we find in Acts 6 is that the apostles discovered that there were church members who were going hungry.
a. This ministry of food distribution needed some caring individuals who would be attentive and responsible to the needs of others in this ministry.
b. But the apostles couldn’t focus on this task, because they were acting as overseers of the Lord’s young church, and they needed to stay focused on their primary ministry of prayer and the Word of God.
c. So, guided by the Lord, they instructed the church to select seven men to serve tables.
4. The word “serve” that used here in Acts 6 is the Greek word diakoneo, which is the verb form of the noun that is sometimes translated as “deacon.”
5. We notice that the men who would serve as these special servants had to meet specific qualifications: They had to have a good reputation, be full of the Holy Spirit, and wisdom.
a. But you might ask, “Can’t anyone pass out food?” Well, the apostles didn’t think so!
b. They wanted responsible, godly, honest men to carry out this ministry.
6. So 7 men were chosen and they carried out the ministry and what was the result?
a. The widows were fed, the teaching ministry of the apostles continued, and the church grew.
C. We hear nothing else in the book of Acts about deacons, but when the apostle Paul wrote his letters, he often greeted the deacons, and in some of his letters, he gave instructions about the selection of deacons.
1. And since we are working through a sermon series from 1 Timothy, let’s look at the verses in 1 Timothy 3 that pertain to deacons.
II. DEACONS: THEIR QUALIFICATIONS
A. Paul lists eight qualifications for deacons, many of which he also listed for elders.
1. Let’s look at 1 Timothy 3:8-10, 12: 8 Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons... 12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently.
2. Let’s briefly look at each of the qualifications.
B. First, A deacon should be worthy of respect.
1. A deacon should be a man whose Christian character is worth imitating.
2. A deacon should take his responsibility seriously.
C. Second, A deacon should be sincere, or not hypocritical.
1. The word used here literally means “not double-tongued,” or “speaking with two voices.”
2. The deacon does not tell tales or spread gossip.
3. He does not say one thing to one person and something opposite to another.
4. You can depend on what he says.
D. Third, A deacon should not drink a lot of alcohol.
1. Drunkenness is prohibited for elders, deacons, and all Christians, for obvious reasons.
2. A deacon under the influence of alcohol can’t adequately serve the body or model a Christlike walk.
E. Forth, A deacon should not be greedy for money.
1. The love of money disqualifies deacons as well as elders.
2. The love of money often leads people to acquire it in immoral and unethical ways - a deacon must not be that kind of person.
3. This is an especially important qualification seeing that in many churches deacons are involved in the collection and distribution of the church’s resources.
4. And deacons provide valuable service to people and they might be tempted to require payment for their services.
F. The fifth qualification is one that is stated positively: A deacon must keep hold of the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
1. Deacons must have spiritual depth and commitment.
2. They should be men who know the truths of God.
3. And the fact that they should hold to the faith with a clear conscience means that they not only know God’s truths, but that they obey them.
4. Having a consistent walk of discipleship should be an obvious and reasonable qualification.
G. The sixth qualification is that they should be tested first.
1. God considers serving as a deacon so important that he wants the candidates to be tested first.
2. This is not some formal, written test, but an observation of how the man has handled himself and the responsibilities he has had over time.
3. Jesus spoke of this is the principle in Matthew 25:21: “You have been faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.”
4. It is interesting to note that many of the leaders mentioned in the Bible were first tested as servants.
a. Joseph was a slave before he became a ruler.
b. Moses was a shepherd before he became a leader.
c. And David was a shepherd before he became king.
5. It always dangerous and wrong for a church to make someone a deacon who has not first shown a faithfulness in service.
a. Someone might say, “Maybe the man will get more involved if we make him a deacon.”
b. That mindset shows ignorance about the Word of God and the nature of human beings.
6. Deacons must first be tested and if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.
H. The seventh qualification is that a deacon must be the husband of one wife.
1. We spent considerable time on this qualification when studying elders a few weeks ago.
2. Suffice it to say that deacons, like elders, are called to a high standard of marital fidelity and moral purity.
3. They must be men who are devoted to their wives.
I. The eight and final qualification is that a deacon must manage his children and his own household competently.
1. Just as with elders, the measuring stick for good management is in the home.
2. Those who are able to manage their children and home, are qualified to serve as a deacon.
J. You might have noticed, that when looking at the qualifications for deacons, we skipped verse 11.
1. Sandwiched in the middle of the qualifications for deacons is one verse about women.
2. Verse 11 says: Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.
3. The word that the Christian Standard Bible translated “wives” is the generic term that can be translated as “women” or “wives.”
a. About half of the translations have chosen to go with “women” and the other half have gone with “wives,” but your translation may say: “women, likewise…”
4. So the interpretive question is: To whom does verse 11 apply?
a. Is Paul referring to the wives of deacons?
b. Is he referring to all women in the church?
c. Or is he addressing female deacons - deaconesses?
5. My personal, long-held understanding is that Paul is addressing the wives of deacons and perhaps elders wives as well.
6. Those who believe that Paul was addressing women deacons do so for the following reasons:
a. First, they say that the pronoun “their” is conspicuously absent in the Greek text and so if Paul was addressing “their wives” instead of “women” he would have included the pronoun “their.”
b. Second, they say that there are examples of women who served the early church, and one of them - Phoebe- was called a diakonos (Rom 16:1) – some translations translate that word as “servant” rather than “deacon.”
7. I do not believe that Paul was giving the qualifications for deaconesses here for several reasons:
a. First, why would there be five verses of qualifications for men, but only one verse for women?
1. And what about the area of marital status and family status?
2. The men must be married and have children, but what about the women?
3. Must the woman be married, and also have children to demonstrate her management?
4. If she can be single, then why can’t the man?
b. Secondly, just because Phoebe is called a diakonos does not mean that she was serving in the office of a deacon in the church.
1. The word diakonos is translated as a general “servant” or “minister” in the NT many more times than it is translated as a “deacon.”
2. Of the 29 times the word diakonos appears, it is translated “deacon” 3 times, and is translated “servant” 20 times.
8. We should all thank God for the ministry of godly women in the church, and we would be lost without the valuable service of our women, but I do not believe they should serve in the roles of elders and deacons.
9. Someone might ask: So, if Paul was talking about the wives of deacons, then why didn’t he also mention the wives of elders up in the section of the qualifications of elders? That’s a good question.
a. Some commentators have speculated that the nature of the deacon’s work makes it more likely that his wife will be directly involved in his responsibilities (for example, in matters like feeding the poor or caring for widows).
b. While that may be true, the work of elders also requires the assistance of their wives.
c. And in both cases, the work of an elder or a deacon will be compromised or hindered if their wives are not women of character.
d. This short list is a good summary of a mature Christian women whose life and character will be a help to her husband as he serves as a deacon or an elder: she must be worthy of respect, not be a slanderer, be self-controlled and faithful in everything.
e. No man should serve as an elder or a deacon if his wife is not faithful, is not worthy of respect, is not self-controlled, or if she is a slanderer.
f. We all can imagine the chaos and damage that can be done by an elder or deacon who is not of good character, and we can imagine the chaos and damage that can be done by an elder’s or deacon’s wife if she is not of good character.
10. Let’s look at one more thing Paul mentioned about deacons.
III. DEACONS: THEIR RECOGNITION
A. Paul ended his discussion of deacons with these words: For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. (vs 13)
1. Deacons who serve faithfully and diligently over time have tremendous impact on the church.
2. These special servants are sometimes given very big responsibilities, like the treasury.
3. These special servants also provide good examples for everyone to imitate.
B. What should deacons expect in return for their service?
1. Should they expect thunderous applause? Rarely.
2. Should they expect high visibility? Occasionally.
3. Should they expect a promotion? Possibly.
C. Actually, deacons shouldn’t look for such temporal, physical rewards, rather their greatest rewards are spiritual.
1. Those who fulfill their servant roles faithfully gain an excellent standing before fellow Christians who understand and appreciate the beauty of their humble, selfless service.
2. Servants also experience great assurance - assurance that they are like their Master, and therefore are pleasing to their Master.
3. That assurance gives them confidence and boldness in their faith.
4. Jesus said, “I am among you as one who serves.” (Lk 22:27)
5. Jesus also said, “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.” (Mt 19:30)
6. That certainly gives servanthood a dignified ring, don’t you think?
Conclusion:
A. Before I conclude the sermon by issuing a challenge, I want to point out something important.
1. Our commitment to Scriptural leadership is something that sets us apart from other churches.
2. As a church, we are committed to trying to be the church we read about in the Bible.
a. We don’t want to be the church of today or the church of the future that is modified and corrupted by human invention and manipulation.
b. We want to be the simple church that Jesus established through His apostles that is carrying out the instruction of Jesus and His apostles.
3. The biblical pattern for leadership in the church is simply a church led elders and ministered to by deacons and evangelists (preachers).
a. The biblical pattern doesn’t include a denomination with a headquarters, with a pope or president presiding over everyone and everything.
b. The biblical pattern doesn’t include regional bishops over numerous churches.
c. Nor does the biblical pattern have a single minister or pastor as the head or CEO of a church.
d. Rather the biblical pattern is for autonomous churches to be led by a group of local elders with deacons and evangelists assisting them.
4. This commitment to Scriptural leadership sets us apart from many churches in the landscape of Christianity and I trust that God is pleased with our desire to obey His commands and that God is pleased when we do not change or add to His Word.
B. Now let me conclude with a challenge for personal application.
1. In the kingdom of God, all disciples are to be servants, and some servants will be qualified for special service as deacons, but all of us, disciples of Jesus, must be busy serving the Lord.
2. I like this quote, “great occasions for serving God come seldom. Little ones surround us daily.”
a. I would encourage us to look for all the little ways we can serve God every day, we should never hold back and wait only for the “big” ways to serve.
3. Ultimately, the greatest joys we will find in life come through serving.
a. Dr. Albert Schweitzer said, “I do not know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know, the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
b. In the end, it is those who serve who are happy, not those who are served!
C. So let me ask you, how well are you doing in your service to God?
1. Deacon, can you point to a ministry and say, “That is my area of service to God and I am diligently and faithfully ministering in that way?”
2. Member of the family of God, “What is your ministry?”
a. Can you point to the roles you are filling, and the ways you are serving in the name of God?
3. And is your service a good representation of just how gifted you are?
a. In other words are you being faithful with all the talents, time and opportunities that God has given you?
b. Or are you burying some of them, or just using them selfishly?
D. Mother Teresa is one of the greatest examples of someone who served others.
1. We might not agree with her theology, but it’s hard to criticize her service.
2. Mother Teresa served the needs of more than one million destitute, diseased refugees who flocked to Calcutta.
3. One day a western woman named Eileen Egan paid a visit to Mother Teresa and was shocked as she walked through the teeming masses of impoverished people that Mother Teresa was serving.
a. She asked Mother Teresa, “How can you do this day after day?”
b. Mother Teresa replied, “They are Jesus. Each one is Jesus in a distressing disguise.”
E. Isn’t that exactly what Jesus taught us in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats in Matthew 25?
1. Don’t we serve Jesus by serving others, and if we don’t serve others, then we don’t serve Jesus?
2. We have to ask ourselves: what have we done for Jesus lately? Are we willing to serve Jesus in the many faces we see around us?
3. When we serve well as deacons or as disciples, then we can expect to hear God say: “Well done my good and faithful servant…come share in your master’s joy!” (Mt. 25:21)
F. I have decided to follow Jesus.
1. Following Jesus means being a servant like Jesus was a servant.
2. Have you decided to follow Jesus? And are you following through with your commitment to serve?
3. If you have not yet decided to follow Jesus but want to turn to Him today and become a disciple of Jesus, then we want to help you to profess your faith, repent and be baptized.
Resources:
• 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus, Commentary by David Roper, Truth For Today Commentary
• “Qualified For Special Service” Sermon by David Owens
• Charles Swindoll’s “Insights For Living” Radio Program Study Guide on 1 Timothy
