What is a Deacon?

Below is a partial outline of a sermon preached at LCC last year, prior to chartering.  It deals with the description of a Deacon from Acts 6.  It should also be noted that the biblical qualifications of a Deacon are found in 1 Timothy 3:8-12

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 And they must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. ¹¹ Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. ¹² Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. ¹³ 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.

Sermon Text Acts 6:1-7

• Many have been burned by church
• Why?
  • Because instead of seeing a loving caring community they see selfishness
• Pride and Selfishness is not what the church should look like…b/c it’s not what Jesus looks like
• When we turn our focus to the first church, we see the first church growing and doing great things for God
• Even so, that those who served well were identified

Observations

• A Growing Church is God’s Will
• A Growing Church will have challenges
• A Growing Church needs Pastors who will Preach, Pray, and Lead
• A Growing Church needs Deacons

The Word Deacon means “servant” or “Waiter of Tables” (benevolence)

• Don’t forget…these men were identified b/c they were servants!
• They were called upon to help the Apostles fulfill their mission
• This was not a “PROMOTION” it was a “DEMOTION!”

The Deacon was not

• The Controllers of the Church
• The managers of the ministers
• The crunchers of the coins
• A Deacon was a set apart man who was supposed to serve

Those who are chosen to be deacons are people who already serving…therefore they are set apart to have specific job duties to help the pastor

• Though not all will be Deacons…we all need to serve

SERVE WHILE KEEPING A GOOD REPUTATION

1. Acts 6:3
2. While serving…we serve with integrity. We do things in the light…not secret meetings

SERVE WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH WISDOM

1. Acts 6:3b
2. As we serve we understand it’s a spiritual act….
   1. If a person does not have the Spirit they will not serve
   2. The Spirit grants them power to serve!
3. Also we do so with wisdom
   1. Notice their names…all GREEK!
   2. wise Greek Christian Jews were the ones being overlooked
   3. Our serving should be wise…which means we must be very considerate of others needs

SERVE WHILE ACKNOWLEDGING LEADERSHIP

1. Acts 6:6
2. These men submitted themselves to the Apostles…
3. They were not trouble makers and they did not usurp pastoral authority
   1. They knew God called the Pastors to lead and them to serve
   2. The Pastors should be able to trust the Deacons…thus why they have been tested and commissioned
   3. The Deacons are not to make the Pastor into an errand boy
4. We should always serve to better the ministry in the church and to follow the direction laid out in Scripture