Deacon: A Good Standing

Deacon: A Good Standing- 1 Timothy 3:8–13

We are engaging in a glorious activity this morning as a church. We are ordaining, or setting apart, Daniel Parris for the task of serving our church as a deacon.

Each time we have this opportunity and privilege, it is always good and wise to revisit the requirements and responsibilities of the deacon from God Himself.

We have, praise the good God of heaven, His Word to provide the qualifications we should expect as well as the duties we should require.

For our past and present deacons, this is a good reminder of what God expects of you.

For future deacons, it is a glorious goal to strive for.

For every church member and those present, it is really just following Jesus Christ.

Deacons should display the character and doctrine of Jesus Christ for the benefit of His Church

I. Deacons and Elders- 3:8a

Paul includes the word “likewise,” or “in the same manner,” or “as it was with the overseer, so too it should be with the deacon.

We will not dwell long on this point, but I want us to see that God in His Word holds the office of a deacon as high in requirements as He does the pastor, with the ability to teach the exception.

*If what you think of what is required of a deacon is different than a pastor, with the exception of the ability to teach, then you do not understand what God expects of His deacons.

Paul, under the Holy Spirit’s inspiration, provides a weaving of positive examples to follow and negative qualities to avoid. For the sake of simplicity, we will group them into two and address them in turn.

II. The Direction to Take- 3:8, 9, 10–12

The positive qualities deacons must possess are directives. They are not negotiable. For example, if an individual is not dignified, they should not be a deacon.

What are the directions deacons should take? First, they must be dignified.

A. Deacons Must be Dignified- 3:8

Deacons must be grave, worthy of respect, dignified. This is not to say that deacons must wear three-piece suits and wear monocles, although that would be pretty cool.

No, the deacon should be honorable, worthy of respect. That is, people should respect the man because he handles himself in a godly way.

Their character should be upright, but so should their doctrine.

B. Deacons Must be Doctrinal- 3:9

Paul says, “they must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”

“Faith in 1 Timothy 1:19; 3:9, in other words, does not primarily refer to a believer’s response to the gospel, as is sometimes the case (e.g., Rom. 1:17), but the summation of Christian tradition or teaching.” G. K. Beale and Benjamin L. Gladd, Hidden but Now Revealed, 241

Deacons should be doctrinal. And this should not surprise us, every follower of Jesus Christ is both expected and privileged to grow in their understanding of God’s truth (cf. 2 Pet. 3:18).

But God expects deacons in particular, though they are not leaders of the church but servants, to be doctrinally sound.

They should maintain sound doctrine through the study of the Scriptures. They should grow in their understanding of doctrines, like eschatology (Lee).

But notice how Paul qualifies this doctrinal knowledge- with a clear conscience. That is, their lives should match the doctrine they sincerely hold.

Paul says they must also be dedicated.

C. Deacons Must be Dedicated- 3:10

That is, they should be proved first. What does this mean?

How long should a deacon be proved?

Should a deacon face an interview with a church, or with a pastor?

The Scriptures are not specific as to how one proves he is faithful to serve as a deacon. So how do we know if they are dedicated?

First, the church should know. A church may have someone come in from another church, and that church can provide an overview of the individual’s faithfulness.

A wife can also tell whether the man is dedicated.

A place of employment, family or close friends, all of these can demonstrate the dedication of a man seeking the office of a deacon.

The mention of family provides a nice segue into the direction of domestication.

D. Deacons Must be Domesticated- 3:11–12

The deacon’s family should be orderly as well as his own life. His wife should also be dignified and faithful.

Deacons should, like the pastor, be one-woman men, and should rule their children well.

A man cannot be a deacon if he has unruly children. Notice Paul says “managing their children…well.” He does not say, “Raising perfect children,” or “His children cannot ever make a mistake,” but that he manages or leads them.

He should, in other words, be an active participant in the life of the home, leading both his wife and children (if he has any) toward godliness.

If you have not heard little Lee say “eschatology,” you need to make that your objective after this service!

III. The Dangers to Avoid- 3:8–9, 11

There are many positives, or directions, to which every deacon should strive. There are also four characteristics that are to be avoided, and not just characteristics, but dangers.

A. Deacons Must Not Be Double-Tongued- 3:8a

I thought about showing you a picture of a forked-tongue, but deacons must not be double-tongued. What they say to one person, should be the same they say to another.

The dangers to avoid are divineness, dangers from slander, and disunity.

B. Deacons Must Not Be Drunkards- 3:8b

Deacons should not be drunkards. If they partake of alcohol, they should not drink to the extent they become drunk.

The dangers here are sins in being drunk, affecting judgment and decisions, and bringing a poor reputation on the Lord Jesus.

C. Deacons Must Not Be Greedy- 3:8c

Wealthy accumulation is not wrong, dishonest gain is. Deacons must not aim at dishonest gain (not that there is much pay!).

The dangers to avoid here are being swayed by financially lucrative decisions. Although not leaders in the same sense as pastors/elders, deacons can be swayed by money. Perhaps one member who needs care has more money than a poor member that needs care.

D. Deacons Must Not Be Slanderers- 3:11b

You have notice that slander was already mentioned when we discussed “double-tongued.” That is true. But this point concerns his wife.

The wife of a deacon must avoid being slanderers. Slander is very much like a parasite. Parasites need living hosts to exist. As soon as the living host dies, the parasite dies.

A man who is a deacon will be quick to guard the church (i.e., the people) from slander. The wife, under the patient spiritual leadership of the church, will be moved away from the fleshly desire to speak slanderous of others.

Considering the intimate relationship between husbands and wives, this is where the spiritual leadership of the deacon should be present, though not always visible.

As an aside, wives, it is also your responsibility to stop slander as well.

IV. The Rewards to Enjoy- 3:13

Now, considering the nice pay and great benefits of being a deacon, what other rewards can they enjoy?

Consider the requirement—deacons who serve well. They are good deacons. What can they expect from the Lord Jesus? There are two, one before people (i.e., the church) and the other before the Lord.

A. Before the Church

Before the church they receive a “good standing,” a good reputation. They have a beautiful testimony in the presence of the church and enjoy the respect that comes with good service.

B. Before the Lord

They also have “great confidence in the faith that is in Jesus.” They enjoy a settledness of the Lord’s gracious work in their lives. They have a confidence in their beliefs, they know their faith in the Lord Jesus is not misplaced.

Deacons should display the character and doctrine of Jesus Christ for the benefit of His Church

All of us should strive to be people who display the character and doctrine of Jesus Christ for the benefit of His Church.