The Deacon 1 Timothy 3:8-13

There once was this deacon and this preacher, and they had been really good friends for a long time. Well, one day the deacon got sick and was taken to hospital, so the preacher decided to go and see his old friend. When he walked into the hospital room, the preacher noticed all the hoses and stuff they had going into the deacon. The preacher walked over and kneeled by the bed and asked, "How ya doing?" The deacon motioned at a pad and pen on the nightstand. "You want that?" the preacher asked him, and the deacon nodded his head yes. So the preacher handed his friend the pad and pen and the deacon began to write. All of a sudden the deacon died. At his funeral, the preacher was asked to deliver the service. "He was a good man and I'll never forget him," the preacher said, "I was with him when he died and as a matter of fact I have his last thought in my coat pocket here." The preacher reaches into his pocket and pulls out the paper. "Please, get up! You're kneeling on my oxygen hose!"

I. The Deacon’s Character vv. 8-10

Deacons are defined more by what they are than by what they do:

Dignified- not silly, but a person to be taken seriously

Not double-tongued- a truth teller who is willing to face hardship with integrity

Not addicted to much wine- sober in all things , not self-medicating

Not greedy for dishonest gain- cannot love money or things more than you love God

Holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience

This does not mean that they have to be able to teach

Yet at the same time, they must have a clear confidence in our faith in Jesus

The character of a deacon is far more important than any particular set of skills!

This character must be proven

It has been tested by circumstances, service, and examination

This is clear because it will be tested above all else!

Charles William Eliot, once president of Harvard University, said: “There is not much difference between men but the little difference there is makes all the difference in the world.”

II. The Deacon’s Family vv. 11-12

Next, we see that his family’s character matters as well:

This begins with his wife:

Not a slanderer

Sober-minded

Faithful in all things

Their relationship must be marked by fidelity to each other

The deacon’s household must be in order

If not, the brother should prioritize getting his household in order

Further, it is a demonstration of the key connection between the house of God and the household

If a man and a couple cannot function faithfully at home, they cannot lead well in the church

1000 Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching Children, Remember

One of the great churchmen of our generation was the late Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He declared that in his more active days it concerned him that he could not give more time to his children. Before leaving on extended itineraries he would assemble the family for conference and prayer, always admonishing them to remember who their father was. At last came the day when the bishop presided over the conference for the last time, prior to his retirement. Upon reaching the podium, he found a telegram awaiting him. It read: “Don’t forget who your children are.”

III. The Deacon’s Confidence v. 13

The deacon has a high calling, but they also gain a great reward

The first is a good standing- there is an honor that comes with the office and we do not shy away from that honor

The second is a great confidence in the faith- the deacon gets a front seat to God’s work in and through His people; this should become cause for great confidence

A deacon whose faith had been revitalized during a Sunday night evangelistic service came to the minister to tell him he was now ready to live for Jesus and available for service. The minister prayer with him, thanked him, and assured him that he would be called upon. Later that same night a widowed mother in the church called the minister and said she was desperate for a ride for her young son to the hospital the next day for a long-scheduled appointment with a specialist doctor. The hospital was 50 miles away in the city, and her ride had fallen through. Smiling to himself at the seemingly providential provision of God, the minister called the deacon and asked him to take this task. At first, the deacon protested that he would have to take a half-day off of work, but relented under the minister’s gentle reminder that he had said he was available for service.

So the deacon arranged the time off work and went to the woman’s house the next morning. The mother was unable to go because of her other children, so he carried the little boy (who was unable to walk on his own) out to his pickup and set him down beside him in the seat. When they had driven awhile, the boy said, “You’re God, aren’t you?” The deacon said, “No, of course not. Why would you say that?” The boy said, “Last night I heard my mother crying and praying to God to send someone to take me to the hospital. I thought you must be God.” The boy was quiet for a minute, and then he said, “If you’re not God, you work for him, don’t you?”

The deacon paused and with tears in his eyes and a thrill in his heart, said, “Now more than ever, son. Now more than ever.”