THE DEACON: A CALL TO SERVE 1 Timothy 3:8-13

A message preached at Hebron Baptist Church, Denham Springs, Louisiana on October 25, 2009 by Pastor Joe Alain.

Scripture Passages: Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13

Introduction
The story that surrounds the choosing of the first deacons illustrates how the early church handled two things: (1) growth (Acts 6:1), and (2) conflict (6:1). Acts 6 is the church at her best doing the one thing that seems to be the hardest for us to do – change, adapt, be flexible. The ability to resolve conflict in a healthy way is an important characteristic of a healthy church. The early church recognized that as needs arise, new ministries would need to be raised up to meet the needs. Baptists as well as many other Christians have recognized the continuing need of deacons.

As we begin the process of selecting men to serve at Hebron on our “Deacon Ministry Committee,” it would be good to look at just what the ministry of the deacon actually is. In this way, you and I will be able to prayerfully select men for this important ministry of
the church.

I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
The word Deacon literally renders the word “servant” from the Greek word, “diakonos.” A deacon is one who renders service to another – he is a minister.

His ministry is one of . . .
1. Serving God’s People
The ministry of a deacon is not so much a position of power and privilege as it is a trust, a responsibility. Above all else, the deacon is to be a minister, a servant. As a servant, the deacon performs many of the same functions as the ministerial staff. The deacons serve alongside the ministerial staff of the church and they are ultimately responsible to the church. Deacons are truly biblical deacons when they serve God’s people.

His ministry is one of . . .
2. Meeting Practical Needs
The first deacons served the widows and others in the church who had needs. Their ministry was both spiritual and administrative as they handled the benevolent needs in the church. This meeting of practical needs extended to taking care of matters that would have taken the apostles away from their main task, that of ministering the word and prayer (6:2, 4). They were to be a help to the apostles. The overwhelming needs in ministry, then and now, make a practical deacon ministry all the more needed.

His ministry is one of . . .
3. Protecting the Unity of the Church
Because godly and wise men were first selected to serve the church body, the early church prospered in unity. The potential rift between the Hebrew-speaking and the Greek-speaking Jews was avoided. Aside from providing for the needy, protecting church harmony is one of the chief duties of a deacon. As a deacon serves in a godly manner, he preserves and promotes unity.

His ministry is one of . . .
4. Reaching Out with the Gospel
The early deacons (e.g., Stephen and Philip) had a heart to see the Gospel extended beyond the bounds of the church into all the world. Deacons who are truly deacons are men who desire to see God’s kingdom grow and flourish. They are missionary-minded men who desire to see others reconciled to God.

I. THE MINISTRY OF THE DEACON
II. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE A DEACON
What kind of men are needed?
1. He Should Be Called
Believers are to “Walk worthy of the calling” (Eph. 4:1). A man who serves as a deacon should sense the call to serve as a deacon. He should have a true desire for the ministry. Men are called to serve as deacons just as men are called to serve as pastors and ministers of music and youth pastors. My suggestion to you as you nominate men is to pray about people that God places on your heart and then approach those people. Ask them to pray about this matter, ask them to consider what God might be doing with them.

2. He Should Be Committed
Faithfulness in service cannot be overstated. A man does not become a deacon in order to become a committed Christian, he is already a committed Christian. He’s faithful in attending worship, Bible study, and involved in the ministries of the church. The men who were selected in the early church were men who immediately rose to the top as outstanding men because they were already serving faithfully.

3. He Should Be Qualified
Aside from the qualifications mentioned in Acts 6:3, the specific qualifications of a deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
What are the qualifications of a deacon?
(1) Good Reputation (3:8)
The word “reverent” means worthy of respect. He’s respected because he is godly, committed, mature, and wise.

(2) Man of His Word (3:8)
Not “double-tongued” (3:8). He can be trusted, he can keep a matter in confidence. He doesn’t say one thing at church and another outside church. This is crucial to the deacon’s ministry especially since he is often counseling people and dealing with sensitive personal matters.

(3) Does Not Cause Others to Stumble (3:8)
Not “given to much wine” (3:8). “Addicted” NASB. In general his life will not cause others to stumble.

(4) Generous Giver (3:8)
“Not greedy for money” (3:8). He handles his finances in a biblical way. He will be a tither and a supporter of the church.

(5) Solid in God’s Word (3:10)
He must have a good grip on God’s word . “Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.” This means he has a clear understanding of basic biblical teachings. For example, teachings such as salvation by grace through faith, who Jesus is, teachings about the church, and many others. He is sound in the faith and he knows the faith.

Think of how important this is to preserving godliness and harmony in the church. Many problems have occurred in the church because of spiritual immaturity. Godly people handle their business in a godly way. It’s just that simple. The worse thing a church can do is put a spiritual infant in a place of leadership. The fellowship of many good churches has been destroyed by unspiritual men.

(6) Proven (3:10)
“Tested.” That is, he will be a proven man, a man that shows evidence in his life that he not only knows God but He is walking with God as well. No man should be elected to serve as a deacon if he has established a pattern of unfaithfulness in areas such as church attendance, tithing, sharing his faith, prayer, and Bible study. Instead, he should be proven in these areas.

(7) Blameless (3:10)
“Blameless.” Not perfect but above reproach. To be blameless means that there are no valid accusations being circulated that might indicate or point to problems with his character or conduct.

(8) Faithful and Pure (3:12)
“Husbands of one wife” (3:12). He is faithful to his wife, not a flirt, an adulterer. He is a “one woman” kind of man. His moral integrity is unquestioned.

(9) A Good Father and Spiritual Leader (3:12)
He manages his home well (3:12). He’s a good husband and a good father. He loves his family and desires to set the spiritual example for them. He is a spiritual leader in the home.

(10) The Deacon’s Wife (3:11)
When a man is called to a ministry, his wife is too! Just as a pastor’s wife is in ministry, so a deacon’s wife is as well. A deacon’s wife is to be worthy of respect, she is not to participate in malicious talk (gossip), she is to be temperate and trustworthy.

Conclusion
This is the ministry of the deacon and a picture of what the men who will serve as deacons will look like. The charge to you as the church is the charge found in Acts 6:3, “Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select . . . men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business” (Acts 6:3, NLT).

As you prayerfully seek out men to serve as deacons, keep in mind these four things about our deacon selection process:
1. It is not a popularity contest.
2. It is not wise to nominate someone that you know nothing about.
3. You do not have to vote for a certain number and you don’t have to even vote.
4. Vote prayerfully and deliberately. Please turn in your nominations no later than November 1st.

For His Glory!
Pastor Joe