Serving God's People

What is the Church?   •  Sermon  •  Submitted
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Introduction

Scene: Disciples increasing in number at the church in Jerusalem. At this point, the Apostles act as elders to this church, especially Peter. They view their role as that of a shepherd, to feed and guide the flock with the Staff of the Word, and to lift them up in holy, protective prayer.
Problem: Unfairness based on racial/cultural bias that seems to still be in the new Christians. Combined with growing numbers and some are getting left out. This is a problem, as the church is a society that is to exemplify cherity, equality, and care one for another, especially orphans and widows.
Solution: A new office of church leadership, one not focused on teaching and preaching, but one focused on handling these administrative affairs.
In this text they aren’t called deacons yet, but the verb form of the word expresses their main duty at the end of verse 2 diakonein.

The Biblical Theme of Service

“The basic concept underlying the word “deacon” is that of a voluntary, love-prompted service for the benefit of others. It is a service that desires the true welfare of those ministered to.” - D. Edmund Hieberg.
In the English language, service and serve come from the same root word as slave. This is a problem for us because it removes the neuances between different kinds of service. But in general we could say broadly that service is to be available for use of someone elses needs to desires. Serving gives up some of our own autonomy to another, usually for a specific task, time, and within established limits.
A waiter at a restaurant serves people by being available to take an order and bring food to a table. A minister, or servant, in the government is someone who is available to be used by the people as their political representitive. To serve someone is to be at their disposal. Your time is their time, your effort is their resource. In other words, when you serve you act for another, and not for yourself.
Now that bare definition, without context, sounds like slavery, doesn’t it? But someone can serve for a veriaty of reasons. Someone may serve for compensation, like the waiter. Some may serve out of a sense of duty. Others serve to garner respect, for social favours, or to show affection. Even holding the door open for someone is an act of service that we may carry out of a sense of social decency and display of goodwill.
In the Greek Bible, there are a couple of different words that describe service in different contexts. doulos is the word Paul always uses to describe himself as a bondservant or slave of Christ. Meaning, being devoted to and under the complete dictatorship of Jesus Christ.
When we define service in the Scriptures, it must primarily be in the context of our relationship to God. When talking about that relationship, or God’s relationship with creation in general, we must confess that everything exists to serve God. That is, everything is meant to be at his disposal for him to direct as he likes for his own purposes. All things are servants of God, even evil serves God’s purposes, although not willingly.
Human beings, being the image bearers of God, are not gods but are servants of the One True God. Sin takes the authority we are given as his representitives in creation and tries to imagine that we have freedom with it, rather than an obligation to use it to serve our Lord, our Creator.
With this being the case, there is an implied theology of servitude throughout the Scriptures. In fact, anywhere you find God interacting with man, you find the theme of servitude.
Children of God as Servants
A big part of what it means to be children of God is to be serving him. It is true that, through Christ, we are no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of the Kingdom.
Galatians 4:7 ESV
So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.
However, being a son of God does not mean we are excused from serving him. In fact, that is an important part of sonship. Remember that when God gave his people ten rules which were the foundation of how they were to act as his people, the fifth one was domestic honour of parents by their children. This honour included care for them in their old age, as well as continuing to treat them with a formality and respect as your elders. Service is inherent in being a son or daughter. Children submitting and showing honour to their parents is not believed by our culture anymore, so that may feel a little removed from us. But being a son or daughter means having the duty and priviledge of serving, and so our relationship with God puts us in a fundamentally submissive role.
The word deaconion is different from the word doulos in that it emphasises services that are done out of love and goodwill, rather than out of obligation or for compensation. This is that submissive, chilld-like service done out of affectionate duty. That God expects this from his people is repeated throughout the Scriptures, but an example can be found in
Malachi 3:17 ESV
“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him.
But we can take it even futher. All love implies a level of servitude. This is clear to us both biblically and by plain reason.
It is reasonable because it is impossible to show love without some kind of service. Biblical love is always in the context of committed relationship. Covenantal love has expectations, commitment, and responsabilities that visibly prove and affirm the love on which the covenant is based. You could not describe a marriage as a loving marriage if the two never do anything to show love for the other, there is no evidence for that love. Few would argue that love without evidence is true love, even in the world. For love to exist and thrive in our relationships, displays of that love must exist. This comes in the form of service. Whether it is a gift, a hug, a kind word, or a favour, love is shown through service.
It is biblical. Christ loved us by sacrificing himself for our good, by humbling himself, and by giving us eternal life with him.
Mark 10:45 ESV
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Love and faith go hand in hand, and just as it is impossible for faith to be without works (James 2:17) it is impossible for love to be without service. So Paul commands the Philippians
Philippians 2:4 ESV
Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
And the Apostle John is more explicit in
1 John 3:16–17 ESV
By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?
So in Scripture, as image-bearers who are called to be in one community with God as our Lord, there is a universal call for us to serve him and to serve each other in loving community. Everybody is a servant, and we exist to serve people and purposes that are not our own.

The Biblical Office of Service

In the Kingdom of God, a reality is recognized that the world has backwards. Its that the greatest in the Kingdom are the greatest servants. Power and administration are meant to serve others, not yourself. So it is no wonder that the early church named one of the two local church offices deacons or translated eager, willing servants. The Church is a society of love, and it suits it that those serving in certain practical labours should be recognized for that service.
However, the word deacon is never used in our text. Instead, we see the verb form in verse 2 (those who serve tables). There has been some debate over whether this is where the office of deacon originates. Are we seeing the establishment of the same office that Paul refers to in 1 Timothy 3? Without going into too much detail, I think that’s exactly what is going on here.
The Apostles are certainly establishing an office, as they are men chosen from among the people to perform general administrative tasks. There is no reason to believe that the structure of the early church in Jerusalem was completely different in nature from how later local churches were established by the Apostles. Surely Paul would have used the church at Jerusalem, where he was commissioned, as a template for how he would plant churches.
Even though these men are not called deacons here, the existance of the verbal form of the word would hint to early Christians what the nature of this office is. We have to remember that the Bible is not written in a vacuum. Luke was writing this to the first churches and seems to hint to these early churches as to how they were started.

Defining the Office of “Deacon”

Baker draws some background for the office of deacon from the pagan world around the church at the time.
“In religious usage the word described various attendants in pagan temples.”
These attendants were there, not for cerimonial or cultic purposes like priests would be, but for various tasks that needed to be performed in the temple. There was a similar role in the Jewish Synagogue called a hazzan who kept the synagogue clean and opened and closed the books. However, the office of deacon seems to go deeper than either of those. In this case, the men being set apart for service are done so for a task that has to do, not with cerimonial temple worship, but service to the people of God. Instead of taking care of physical items in the temple, they are charged to make sure the people of God are being taken care of in ways that go beyond what the elders are commissioned to do.
But since we know that it is the responsability of all Christians to serve in love, this office must be more specific than this. Indeed it is. The issue at hand is service that takes the form of administrative delagation. These men have been judged able to do the task before them by the church, and they are formally ordained for such work.

Who Can Be a Deacon?

An exemplary Christian (1 Tim 3:8-13
vs 3. Reputable. This keeps the office pure in the eyes of the world, and avoids favouritism or party politics by having someone serve who is reputable by the church.
Full of the Spirit and of wisdom.
Consistent Christian lifestyle that clearly shows the Spirit dwells in them. See 1 Tim 3:8 for details.
Wisdom implies a heart and ability to serve in the manner needed. They are able to manage with grace, temperance, humility, and equity.
A Spirit-given wisdom.
Exodus 31:3 ESV
and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship,
They are then ordained by the church with the laying on of hands, setting them apart before God and the church as appointed to that task.
A word about deaconesses
1 Timothy 3:11 ESV
Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

Why Do We Need Deacons?

The office of deacon appears in response to a need in Acts 6. Whether this was immediately recognized as an office or there was some evolution over time, the Scripture never give us a really defined purpose of the office, and that is the point. Deacons are appointed where there is an administrative need. Many times these needs are filled by people who do not have the title, but the title is still important.
Its important to recognize the office
For accountability.
For honour and love.
Because God blesses the office and those ordained into it.
1 Timothy 4:14 ESV
Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
4. For structure and order. Everyone knows what is their responsability and the elders aren’t left with work that takes them away from the ministry of the Word.
Possible Deacon Positions
Here are some examples of possible work that a deacon could accomplish here at faith. It is not exhaustive or consice, but rather these are examples that may give you the idea of how this office can function here at Faith.
Deacon of Visitation
○ Willing to prioritize shut-ins
○ Help develop a church culture of visitation and hospitality.
○ Preferably married and partnered with their spouse in this ministry.
○ Keep an eye open for needs in the church.
Deacon of Stewardship
○ Willing to take on responsibility for building maintenance.
○ Organizes volunteers for property-related projects.
○ Willing to be a trustee.
○ Preferably has some experience with administration or building care.
• Deacon of Communication
○ Willing to take on some secretarial work in the church (responding to the message machine, going through the church mail, helping asasaswith the pastor's schedule).
○ Makes sure that announcements are communicated to the whole church body.
○ Is willing to attend some SGF meetings for the purpose of staying informed, and keeping the church informed, of how our fellow SGF churches are doing.
• Deacon of Charity
○ Willing to take charge of how the benevolent fund is spent.
○ Keeps their eyes open for needs in the church.
○ Uses discernment in choosing when and how to help the poor and needy in our neighbourhood.
○ Prays for the church's giving, both privately and in the service.
Deacon of Prayer
○ Willing to stay updated on the prayer needs of the church's members.
○ Looks for opportunities to pray with members at service and during the week.
○ Is committed to devoting time to earnest, private prayer for the needs of the congregation.

Conclusion: Service is Rewarded

1 Timothy 3:13 ESV
For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
This is true of all Christians who serve the church in any capacity. But there is a double blessing for those who take on the responsabilities of deacon and serve there humbly and faithfully.
Isaiah 61:6–7 ESV
but you shall be called the priests of the Lord; they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you shall boast. Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion; instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot; therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion; they shall have everlasting joy.
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