Establishment of Deacons

Deacon Nomination Preparation, MFBC 2023

Message One of Two

Acts 6:1-7.

ETS: Luke recorded the response to the need in the growing church.

ESS: Deacons play a vital role in the church!

OSS: [Doctrinal] {I want the hearers to affirm the importance of deacons.}

PQ: What are the aspects of the establishment of deacons in this passage?

UW: Aspects

Intro.:

TS: Let us examine together a few aspects now.

The first aspect is the expression of need. [v. 1]

There are two groups mentioned here:

Hellenistic Jews (Greek speaking Jews- outsiders, so-to-speak)

Hebraic Jews.

The one group was complaining that they were being neglected in the daily food distribution, specifically the widows were being neglected.

What is the big deal?

Neglect of the widows

Two different groups; thus, a threat against unity

APPLICATION: When there is an expression of need, the church must be careful in how it responds to the need. The early church experienced needs, too.

The second aspect is the response of the apostles. [vv. 2-6]

The next verses record the apostles’ response to the expressed need:

They prioritized the Word.

They recognized the validity of the expressed need.

They understood their own limitation to do everything.

They sought men who fit certain qualifying characteristics:

good reputation

full of the Spirit and wisdom

They sought the approval of the whole company.

They delegated to ensure the needs were met.

They ordained them.

APPLICATION: The apostles responded in an effective manner that promoted the priority of the Word, the unity of the whole, and the meeting of the needs. We should be careful that respond to expressed needs in a similar manner.

The third aspect is the result of the response. [v. 7]

Tony Merida commented that the minister must understand that “both management and mission are important.” [1]

The apostles realized their limitation to do everything, responded to the expressed need with a strategy to meet the needs, and the result was the furthering of the mission!

APPLICATION: We should be careful to understand our own limitation. However, this does not mean that in the midst of the busy we invalidate expressed needs. Rather, we realize that there are more people than just us in the church- to be most effective, we utilize everyone. The Gospel spreads best when the church works together.

CONCLUSION:

[1] Aside from the deacon discussion, what is it in our church that is a need that is perhaps unmet?

[2] Are there issues within our congregation keeping us from working together towards the furtherance of the Gospel?

Bibliography:

[1] Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 93.