"Called to Serve"

FBC

Baxley

Am service

“Called to Serve”

Qualifications of Deacons

Acts 6:1-7

Acts 4:12

Acts 6:1-7

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, 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 proselyte of Antioch.

6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

- Pray

Three Points:

1. The Accusations towards Servants

2. The Attributes of Servants

3. The Accomplishments of Servants

Background:

What kind of days are these? Chapter 5

Many signs and wonders are being done…

Believers added to the Lord…

Sick…being carried in the streets are healed…

Apostles arrested…

Every day- in the temple, house to house, kept preaching & teaching…Jesus is the Christ!

Illustration:

Story of a dead church

A group commissioned a painter

Paint a dead church

Finished the painting

The painting showed a well appointed interior

Beautiful scenery outside

Everything looked amazing

The group took it back to the painter

Group shared this doesn’t look like a dead church to us…

Painter said, you didn’t notice the cobb webs in the baptistry?

*If lives aren’t changing, then the church is dead… waters aren’t stirring is a good sign…

If we ever needed the right leaders, it’s now!

*Disciples increasing… Methanets, Methanos- “To Learn”

I. The Accusations towards the servants

First, this is not the focal point.

W.A. Criswell stated this is not a case of the early church solving it’s social problems. It points to the priority of the WORD!

There is a complaint

By hellenist against hebrews

Widows are overlooked

Daily food distribution

Complaint-greek-gogusmos-to say anything in a low tone-murmur

Adrian Rodgers-”Murmur is a half uttered, half concealed complaint.

“Complaints are prayers to the devil…”

II. The Attributes of Servants

Serving-”Diakonia”-refers to the activity of serving, waiting tables etc.

John McArthur says the basic idea always had to do with humble, submissive, personal service, not simply an office or particular function.

How were they chosen?

If we put out a list…unbiblical

“Good repute”

“Full of the spirit”

“Full of wisdom”

D. We need a process of qualification.

If a deacon doesn’t meet qualifications, they shouldn’t accept a nomination

This is us getting back to basics

Dennis Rogers-”Give me the right leaders and everything else will follow, Give me the wrong leaders and nothing else matters!”

E. The Word has got to be the priority

Illus.

Pet store-bird

I read of a man who went to a pet shop to buy a talking bird, but it would not talk.

-Do you have a ladder?

-Do you have a mirror?

-Do you have a bell?

The bird died, and when he came back to the pet shop they asked if he ever talked?

"Yes," said the owner. "Just before he died he looked into the mirror, climbed the ladder, and rang the bell, and then he said 'Didn't they have any bird seed in that store?

Bible reading:

John McArthur- 32 hrs

John Piper-Day &½

Mark Dever-30-35 hrs.

Kent Hughes-20 hrs.

II. The Accomplishments of Servants

Verse 7: “And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.”

Notice-priests

Trend-deacons pulling pastors out…. We ought to be helping to be more obedient.

**this mornings vote…..who will minister to our families?

Who is able to go with me to make a death ministry call?

Who shares their faith regularly?

Who is a servant?

Who is full of the holy spirit, humble…

8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.

PRAY

INVITATION