Deacons

Scripture Reading: John 13:12-17

We’ve Got an Exciting Surprise for Everyone this Morning

After the Sermon, 4 Men will Be Appointed to the Office of Deacons

In the 5 Years I’ve Been Here…

This is the First Time We’ve Appointed Anyone New

The Elders would Still Love to Appoint More Elders

If You’re a Man and You’re Interested in Becoming an Elder…

Please Let Dale and Phil Know

And as Far as that Goes…

We’d Love to have More Deacons as Well

Any Men Interested in Serving in Either of These Offices…

We’d Love to Talk to You and Look into Making that a Reality

Being that Deacons are Going to Be Appointed Today…

I Thought it Appropriate for My Sermon to Deal with the Work of Deacons

But Our Main Focus isn’t Really Going to Be on Deacons

The Focus is Going to Be on All of Us

A Deacon’s Primary Responsibility is:

Taking Care of the Practical Needs of the Church

And I Believe a Large and Necessary Part of a that Responsibility…

Is Getting Other People Involved in the Work of the Church

Getting People “Plugged In”

In Order for a Church to Be Effective in:

Making Disciples…

Caring for the Needy…

Spreading God’s Reign Throughout Our Community…

We Need Our People Involved in/Plugged into the Works that We’re Striving to Do

We have No Need for a Church Building Full of Bench/Pew Warmers

We Want a Family/Community of Servants

And that’s Exactly the Kind of Atmosphere…

That Dedicated Deacons can Help Create

Before We Get More Specific in that Direction…

You May Be Wondering, “What Exactly is a Deacon?”

If We’re Taking a Basic Look at the Greek Language…

The Answer is “A Servant”

But if You’re Looking for a More Comprehensive and Practical Answer…

Believe it or Not, the Bible Doesn’t Give Us One

But I Think the Next Best Thing the Bible Does Give Us is Found in Acts 6

In Acts 6, We See the Prototype of What Deacons would Come to Be

In this Text, We Meet 7 Men Who are Given an Important Responsibility

The Text Doesn’t Call Them Deacons (diakonos)…

But it Uses Different Forms of that Same Greek Word 3 Times

Even if They weren’t Called Deacons…

It Seems that They were the Original Prototype…

Of What would Eventually Become the Office of Deacons

Acts 6:1–7 (LEB)

1 Now in these days, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose by the Greek-speaking Jews against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

The Church has Always Been About Taking Care of Their Needy

The Christian Widows were Being Served Food By the Church Every Day

But a Problem Arose:

The Greek-Speaking Jewish Christian Widows were Being Left Out

There is a Physical, Practical Need in the Church

Now What’s Going to Be Done About it?

2 So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables.

Up to this Point, it Seems Like the Apostles are Trying to Shoulder All the Load

And Now They’re Starting to Realize that it Just Isn’t Going to Be Possible or Practical

They Need Help!

The Way They Saw it, Their Most Important Duty was Preaching the Gospel

Does that Mean Serving Food to Their Helpless Sisters was Less Important?

Absolutely Not!

Preaching the Gospel and Living the Gospel are of Equal Importance

But They’re the Apostles

They have Received the Full Measure of the Holy Spirit’s Power

They have Direct Revelation From God Through the Spirit

They Need to Be the Ones Preaching/Teaching

It would Be Better if Someone Else Covered the Serving

So Here’s What They Decide:

3 So, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch), 6 whom they stood before the apostles. And they prayed and placed their hands on them. 7 And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying the faith.

According to the Apostles’ Instruction…

The Church Selected 7 Men to Be Official “Table-Servers” for These Widows

Based Upon this Limited Information…

It Seems that Deacons/Servants are to Care for the Needs of the Church…

While the Spiritual Leaders of the Church Focus on Teaching

The Office of a Deacon Exists to Assist the Leadership of the Church…

By Taking Care of Any Needs that Might Distract Them From Teaching/Shepherding

You’ll Find Out in Just a Minute Who Our New Deacons are Going to Be

And You’ll Also Be Informed of the Roles/Responsibilities These Deacons will have

What We Ask of You is this:

Get Plugged In

Be Willing to Help

Approach Them with Concerns, Questions, and Ideas

Volunteer Whenever They’re Needing Volunteers

Serve Where They’re Needing Servants

Don’t Be Offended When They Ask for Your Help

We Don’t Expect You to Always Say “Yes”

But Don’t Always Say “No”

Try to Say “Yes” More Than You Say “No”

Help Where You Can

Contribute Where You Can

Serve Where You Can

I Want to Share with You the Roles that These Deacons will have…

So that, Hopefully, You can Already Be Thinking of Areas and Ways to Serve

Some of the Responsibilities that These Deacons will Oversee Include:

Building & Personal Maintenance

Taking Care of the Needs of Our Building

But this will Also Include:

Taking Care of the Personal Housing Needs of Our Christian Siblings

It’s Not Just About Taking Care of Our Shared Homes…

But Also Helping to Take Care of Our Personal Homes…

If the Need were to Ever Arise

If God has Gifted You in These Areas…

Let this Deacon Know that You’re Willing to Serve Where/When You Can

Visitation

Creating an Organized Call/Visitation Program…

That Ensures the Shut-In, Sick, Missing, Straying, etc. …

Are Reached Out to and have Their Needs Met

If You’re Passionate About this Area of Service…

Let this Deacon Know that You’re Willing to Serve Within this Program

Transportation

Taking Care of the Church Bus and Recruiting Bus Drivers When Needed

If You would Like to Help Serve These Needs, Let this Deacon Know

Technology

From PowerPoint to Radio to the Church Website to the YouTube Live-Stream…

There’s a Lot of Technology Involved in What We Do Here

If You’re Gifted in or Just Interested in Technology…

Let this Deacon Know that You’re Willing to Serve in this Area

Youth Coordination

Planning and Coordinating Events and Programs for Our Youth

We have Some Events/Programs for Our Youth Right Now

Some of Them are:

CYC

Youth Retreat

VBS

Fall Festival

But We’d Love to have Many More

But that Takes a Lot of Zealous Volunteers to Pull Off

The Primary Goal is to Turn the Youth of Our Church…

Into a Tight-Knit Family of Disciples

If You have a Love for the Younger Generations…

And would Love to See that Group Get Connected and Thrive Within this Church…

Let this Deacon Know that You’re Willing to Serve

Adult Coordination

Planning and Coordinating Events and Programs…

For Those that would Not Be Considered “Youth”

This Includes Both In-Reach & Out-Reach Events

Some of Our Current Events Include:

Widows Banquet

80+ Banquet

New Members Banquet

Ornament Exchange

Community Thanksgiving Meal

If You Cherish the People of this Congregation…

And Want to Serve Them and the People of Our Community…

By Helping Plan & Coordinate Programs/Events…

Let this Deacon Know

Education

Revamping Our Educational Program at this Church

Getting More Teachers in the Classrooms

Getting Them on a Quarterly Rotation, So They Won’t Burn Out

Helping Them Get the Teaching Supplies and Materials They Need

Getting Our New Teacher Work-Room Filled and Organized

Getting Teachers and Preachers for Our Many Different Educational Events

Like All the Others, this is a Big Job that Requires Lots of Willing Servants

If You’re Interested in Serving in Some Capacity…

In the Education that Takes Place Here…

Let this Deacon Know

Worship Involvement

Planning, Organizing, and Getting New People Involved…

In Our Bible Studies and Worship Services

Like I Said Earlier:

We Need More Servants and Less Pew-Warmers

We’ve Got Roles Available for Men and Women…

That could Positively Impact Our Gatherings

If You’re Interested in Serving in Some Capacity in the Assembly…

Let this Deacon Know

These are the Areas that Our Deacons will Be Serving in and Overseeing

The Role of a Deacon Means Lots of Delegating

What We Ask of All of You…

Is that You Have a Servant’s Heart and Get Plugged in

If Jesus Ever Made Anything Clear in His Teaching, it was this:

Those Who Want to Follow Him Must Be Servants to All

The Mission of a Deacon is to Serve Jesus and His Church…

And Help/Guide/Lead Others to Do So Too