The Character of a Deacon

Well, good morning, brothers and sisters. Greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who rose from the dead and is alive and well.

You might think that maybe a message on deacon qualifications doesn't fit too well with a resurrection Easter morning. And yet, the more I think about it, I think it does.

Without the resurrection, there would be no group of people here. There would be no body of believers in Shippensburg. There would be no body of believers anywhere on this earth. And so because of the resurrection, you have many groups, many bodies of believers all over the globe. And those bodies of believers need guidance. They need leadership. They need those that will guide and direct in the affairs of each congregation. So yeah, because of the resurrection, we share a message like this on Easter Day.

I'm not going to focus too much on the practical details of a deacon.

So I'm going to the title is The Character of a Deacon. Because actually, the scripture does not give us any list of things, practical things that a deacon has to do or should do.

I mean, we have examples of deacons, of what they did. But the focus is on the character of the person that is chosen. Because if you have a person that does not come up to the qualifications that scripture gives us, you're in for a heap of trouble.

Because that person is going to be dealing with people on a somewhat intimate basis. And if he does not have his life under the control of Christ, it's going to be difficult for him to really relate to the congregation the way he should.

And so that's the reason I want to look at the character of a deacon closely here as much as possible. And I encourage you to, as we look at these qualifications, to then as you make your choice as to who you would think would be the person to, the brother to fill that responsibility, that's so that you can do that.

Of course, we have the account in Acts 6:1 to 7. And I would like to read that. It's interesting that it does not say anything about a deacon. Now, I'll come back to that a little bit later. It actually sort of does.

But this is the account that is used by conservative plain people as to choosing, having deacons, choosing that. It's interesting that this account I mean, this happened before we have the qualifications for a deacon from the apostle Paul.

But in a sense, these seven verses do give some qualifications. Let's read those verses. Acts 6. Now, in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

Then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. Then the word of God spread.

And the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. And a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Which word in there is the same as deacon?

It's serve.

I don't know if I can say that right or not. Diaconia is the word translated serve in the Greek. So in a sense, this account here is referring to choosing deacons in a sense.

It looks as though once local churches started to come into being there, needed to be some chosen to oversee the financial and physical aspects of each congregation.

We know that the apostle Paul went and established church after church, quite a few churches down over there in that area. And so it was important to make sure that these men or people had the qualifications to take up that important thing.

Whereas the bishops oversee the teaching and preaching and counseling in the church, there needs to be someone to be in charge of the physical needs and make sure they are taken care of.

And what was the reason that the apostles gave for doing this?

Because they don't have time to work. Yeah. We don't have time is what it amounted to. We do not have time to do this on top of the very, very important part work of teaching and preaching and counseling and helping people to understand what the kingdom of God is all about.

And so that was the reason that they asked to have these seven people chosen. What was the result?

Verse 7. Huh? They needed help. Yeah. They needed help. But what was the result when they did get the help? The word of God spread. The word of God spread.

Very practical. It says, "Then the word of God spread. And the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem. And a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."

So if we, as a congregation, want to prosper and move on and get things done, this is what has to happen. Harvey and Wendell need to be relieved of those physical and practical aspects of the congregation because it takes away from their ability to really focus in on the teaching and the direction of the congregation.

So let's not forget that. Let's never forget that. That is somewhat the basis of having a deacon,

not that they can't do some things like that. I don't want to restrict them totally. But actually, a bishop's a servant as well. This word actually means

through the dirt.

How many of you would like the job?

That's the literal meaning of diaconia. It means through the dirt. This word also refers to an attendant, a waiter, or one who ministers to another. And that's, of course, where we get the English word what? Deacon. That's where it comes from.

It's the English word there. So from experience, it's been a real blessing. It honestly has been.

But don't be I want you aware that you dare not be afraid of the dirt because that will come with it. That comes with it. You're going to be dealing with that. And bishops will be, too. But in a practical way, why this is what you're going to be experiencing to a certain degree.

Is there such a thing as clean dirt?

Anyway. All right.

Let's turn to 1 Timothy 3 now.

I want to read the biblical qualifications here for a deacon that the apostle gives us. Likewise, verse 8. Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not giving too much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested. Then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtained for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

I'm not going to look at every verse here in this account. But the first one I'd love to look through is verse 10. It talks about they must first be tested. They must first be tested.

Deacons must have a proven ability to do the work of service effectively and without any grounds of accusation. Let me say that again. Deacons must have a proven ability to do the work of service effectively and without any grounds of accusation. We don't decide someone is a deacon.

We recognize that someone already is a deacon.

We don't decide someone is a deacon. We recognize that someone already is a deacon.

And that's true.

Brothers, you have been on the testing ground for years, for all of your life, really all your Christian life. You are on a testing ground. You are being tested.

And again, for the person, the brother that you choose, has already shown himself to be a deacon.

All you have to do is watch his life, look at him, see how he functions, see how he relates to practical situations.

Does he want to get his hands dirty? Does he want to go through the dirt?

So yeah, you're being tested. Even if you're not quite aware of it, you are continually being tested.

Because when it said that, let these also first be tested and then let them serve as deacons, I mean, do you ordain them and then find out whether they're going to be fit to be a deacon? Or do you test them before? You watch their lives before. And then you make your decision on that.

So we recognize that someone already is a deacon. Verse 11.

Thinking of the wives of this person. It's a very clear instruction here for wives.

Is that saying that someone that is single cannot be a deacon?

I don't think so. I'm not quite sure how to look at that for sure, being that the apostle here makes it very clear of the wife's instructions. Maybe if there is a single person that possibly you're thinking that would make a good deacon, why maybe watch closely how he relates to women.

And that could maybe give you a good indication of his relationship with a wife if he had one.

Some say that the deacon's wife could be called a deaconess. Anybody ever find that word in the Bible?

You're probably thinking of Romans 16, verse 1. What's her name?

Phoebe.

The only translation or is that how you say that? Whichever translation, yeah, the Amplified uses the word deaconess, calls Phoebe a deaconess. But the Old King James, the New King James, both use the word servant again, the same word as this on the board here.

So I sort of like to think of the fact that the wife of the deacon could be a deaconess because she's going to be very aware of what's happening, what her husband is involved in. He's not going to not tell her anything.

So it goes a long way for the deacon to have a wife that is very supportive, one that is there with her husband. And actually, it can be a great help. So if you want to call the wife of the deacon a deaconess, that's fine.

That's fine.

So I'm saying that, again, whoever you are considering for the office, please take into close, close, close consideration the wife of the eligible brother. Okay? Take that into consideration. Paul doesn't say about that they should be not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things for nothing.

He says that because the female side of the human beings is a little bit more quick to maybe speak out or say something they shouldn't or talk about someone they shouldn't. And so keep that in mind. But on the other hand, I think it's a real blessing who the wife is and what kind of a person she is.

When you yeah.

You know, an unmarried deacon will be lacking to a certain degree because he will not have the added advice and wisdom that a woman can give.

You know, a woman can help keep a man from rushing to judgment and help put on the brakes, so to speak, in dealing with different situations. So remember that. I don't think that the scripture prohibits a single man from being a deacon.

But he will be lacking in somewhat in a way, I guess he could go to his mother or someone maybe. But anyway, yeah.

And verse 12, "Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well." The husbands of one wife, literally a one-woman man is what that's saying there. There must be no other woman in his life to whom he relates in an intimate way, either emotionally or physically.

So again, take close note of this qualification because it's important. It really is.

I've always remembered what Ray Winger said about this verse years ago.

If you see a man mingling with the women on a regular basis, like after a service, you know how we are and if you but if you see a man pretty often on a regular basis going over to this side of the church and mingling with the women instead of with the men, he is not a one-woman man.

Remember that.

If I can say I knew he wasn't a deacon, but he was a minister that did that very thing, many, many Sundays, he would be over here with the women after church.

So remember that. That's not good. That's not good to have. Not that you can't go talk to someone other than your wife every now and then. But don't just go over and mingle and stay there, that type of thing.

So keep that in mind again as you consider a deacon. And this thing of ruling your children well is of great importance as well.

What does it take to teach your children well?

What's it take?

Time. It takes time. And I want to throw out this warning to whoever's chosen here. Do not please do not allow the office of deacon to override your relationship and teaching of your children.

Your family is more important than the office. If you find that if you are chosen and you cannot bring those two together or cannot then I would say ask for help or what do you want to say? Resign.

And there's nothing wrong with that. Please do not lose your children, your family, by allowing the office to overrule. That is something that, again, we have all seen the children of elders and deacons lose out spiritually because of a lack of time spent with their families.

Please be very careful about that. If you whoever it is that's chosen, your children are extremely important. They show actually, they will reveal where your heart is and where your time is, most of your time is spent. It's okay to say no.

It really is. It's okay to say no.

If you find yourself being asked to go someplace without your family and all this and that, it's okay to say no once in a while. It doesn't suit. I need some time with my family. And this applies to Harvey and Wendell as well.

Please do not allow the office to override the importance of your family, your children.

All right. Now, I had passed out a paper at brothers' meeting.

I guess I will call it some of my own personal qualifications that I don't know. Probably most of you have seen it. But I'd just like to read over them and make some comments. Number one, he must have a vital relationship with Jesus Christ and the Father. And that obviously, that goes without saying. Some of these go without saying in a way. But obviously, that has to be the most important qualification of a deacon. He must have that vital relationship. And again, it's very evident whether he has that or not.

Number two, he must have settled in his heart and mind the importance of being a part of the kingdom of God.

And number three goes along with that, must be connected to a local body of believers and be active in that body. Folks, there's no question about that one. I know I've said it before. And you might get tired of me hearing me say it. But I mean, really, that's a no-brainer to think that to have a deacon that's not a part of you.

I mean, how is he going to know how to relate to the body when he's not really connected to it, not under the head of Christ? Number four, he must be trustworthy. Must be trustworthy. Number five, must be compassionate. And I'm going to elaborate on that just a little bit later.

He must have a listening ear.

And what I mean by that, he needs to hear the person out. And I've found myself and I've been trying to grow in this area of when someone's talking to me, I keep my attention on that person.

I find myself every now and then be speaking to someone here after church or something like that. And you hear a distraction or something. And of course, your eyes go to what's happening over here. And this brother's still talking to you.

That's not having a listening ear. A listening ear is to just really look into the person's face, make eye contact, let him know that you're hearing what he has to say, and let him finish. Let him finish. Don't jump in and say, "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Well, well, well."

No.

So you do have to have a listening ear. He must not be impulsive. Must not be impulsive. He must not be partial.

And the reason I have that one there is especially when family is involved, it really becomes a temptation to be partial.

What are you doing attacking? Or what are you doing against my son or my daughter? You begin to be partial. And again, you don't have a listening ear as to what the person is saying.

And of course, number nine is a hard one. Must be willing to take advice.

You find that a hard one, Harvey?

To take advice. It's hard to take advice.

Number 10 must not be greedy for gain.

Number 11 must be a servant putting others good before his own. And number 12 must cultivate a keen sense of the needs in the brotherhood. And I'm going to look at that one a little bit further here.

Of course, some of those sort of overlap what already is in the scripture. But I'd like to have an acrostic here.

So have the acrostic here of deacon.

First of all, it needs to be with the dean, devoted. A devoted person. And that means strong dedication. He needs to be dedicated to the office that God has called him to. Now, let me throw in here that it's, again, being devoted does not mean that he that that's all he thinks about. And that's where all his energy goes to.

Just do not, again, let that overrule your time with your family. But you need to be devoted to the calling that God has placed on your life. Devoted to it. A strong dedication to it. He needs to be enthusiastic.

An act of interest.

He doesn't just, "Oh, well, maybe we'll get this done another day or we'll do this some other time." No. He's an enthusiastic person. One that gets a hold of the situation and does not let it just go by the wayside.

Needs to be a person that abounds.

That means to do, make, or be more. To do, make, or be more. So he needs to be more loving, more sympathetic, more merciful, more peaceful, and so on.

That's what to think there. And then this thing of compassionate. I don't know if any of you remember, I had a message on compassion.

The Greek word for compassion is this.

I don't know if I can even say it.

Splunch-nosomi.

Let me give you another word. Splunch-knowledgy. Anybody know what that is?

Splunch-knowledgy. What is it? It's a study of what?

When you think of I don't have that word up there.

It's not a real nice word to use. But it's a study of the gut.

That's what the word compassion means.

When it says Jesus had compassion, it's saying Jesus felt their hurt in his gut.

Down in here. Way down deep. You feel for someone else.

It wasn't just a casual pity. It wasn't a casual pity that he had. It was something that was way down. It just really affected him physically in the gut. Become sick, maybe, almost. It says when it says Jesus was moved with compassion. That word moved is the same word as compassion.

Compassion is your pain in my heart.

And I guess I, as I think about these qualifications for a deacon, I guess I would look at this one as one of the most important. Are you going to be able to really be compassionate with every person that brings a situation to you?

Are you going to try to understand their need and their hurt and their desire to take care of a situation that they have in front of them?

So don't ever forget that. Compassion has to do with a just we talk about gut feelings, don't we? I just have a gut feeling that that's what was going to happen. I don't know if it's the same thing or not.

But we yeah. So this person needs to be very compassionate. Very compassionate. He needs to be a person that knows how to observe.

And that means to watch carefully. To watch carefully when you observe.

It's kind of hard to observe something from a distance, isn't it? So a true person observer is a person that gets close to the situation. Not afraid to and really look at it closely. Observe it. Find out what's going on here.

Brothers, it's not an easy job at times. I'm very thankful for the way our congregation functions, though, as a brotherhood really makes it much, much more easy for the leaders. And finally, he needs to be a noble person. That's not in the sense that he's this big shot somewhere. He's a noble. You know what I mean? Noble actually means fair-minded. He's a fair-minded person. He will look at the whole situation from both sides. If there's a problem, he'll look at it. And he'll try to make fair decisions regardless of who's involved. Regardless of who's involved. So yeah.

Devoted, enthusiastic, abounding, compassionate, observing, and noble.

So it's a high calling.

But I believe there's quite a I should say all of our brothers are probably eligible. I realize there's those that are older and that type of thing. But yeah. Keep this all in mind as you consider who we choose for a deacon.

Anyone have anything they'd like to share further?