2/8/26 Deacon Ordination
Notes
Transcript
This has been a day in the making.
I am glad to be back worshipping on a Sunday morning
It’s also a big sports weekend
The Olympics have started
the Super Bowl is this evening
UNC beat Duke last night
Maybe more importantly, Mike & Lynn Taylor’s son
James and Cherry’s grandson Blake Taylor
is the new golf coach for UNCW.
What an answer to prayer and a gift from God.
This morning we continue the celebration
with the privilege of honoring and ordaining
deacons for this upcoming year.
The question comes up every so often
why deacons?
Let me use a different example to make my point.
At Riley's Creek Baptist,
we have a team that takes care of the decorating of the church.
This is for two reasons
first, we as pastors know very little about decorating,
and the church is aware of our lack of knowledge about decorating
nor would they want our opinions about decorating.
walk into any of our offices and that is clear.
I am the one that always says
don’t ask my opinion about color.
Second, the committee wouldn't want
the decorations to be bright and extravagant
at the expense of the sermons and ministries being dull
So the committees allow us to do our job
and we allow them to accomplish theirs.
This is what being a deacon is all about -
serving that a pastor might be able to fulfill his calling
The Qualifications for Deacons
The Qualifications for Deacons
Paul writes this letter to Timothy
the first of the pastoral epistles
The other two are 2 timothy and Titus
The pastoral epistles (letters) are letters from Paul
to two men he placed at churches he planted
Timothy at the churches in Ephesus
Titus, Paul left in Crete to disciple and minister to the congregations there
The purpose of the letters
was to give instruction and encouragements to these men
as they led in their places of service.
Ironically they are called pastoral epistles or letters
but neither of these guys at the time were pastors.
These two men were assigned by Paul to
handle the problems that were taking place
in each of these area churches.
One of the things Paul shares in 1 Timothy
are the qualifications for both elders and deacons
The reason he does this is
in the area that Timothy was placed by Paul
the Ephesian churches were “going off the rails” a little bit in their teaching
and Paul wanted Timothy to place people in these two offices
that were well qualified to bring them back on track.
I’m going to read both sections for the qualifications for the pastor and the deacon.
1 This saying is trustworthy: “If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble work.”
2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy.
4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity.
5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?)
6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil.
7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.
8 Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money,
9 holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 They must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons.
11 Wives, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything.
12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently.
13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Let’s start with the section related to deacons in verse 8.
Deacons likewise
This has been misrepresented in some churches
As Paul shares the words, deacons likewise
he is not implying that deacons have the same qualifications as a pastor.
This is a simple pause in the chapter
creates a division between the office of the pastor
and the office of the deacon
The interesting thing is
the qualifications aren’t much different between the two
except for one aspect.
“must be able to teach”
We’ll get into that in a minute.
Let’s look at the qualifications as listed in 1 Timothy 3
Qualifications - this is the expectations to be able to serve in the office of a deacon.
worthy of respect
a man of Integrity
not hypocritical or double tongued
sincere
one whose speech does not betray conflicting positions towards others
not drinking a lot of wine
not greedy for dishonest gain
hold the mystery of faith with clear conscience
The mystery is Christ in you - Colossians 1:27
The gospel
This says that a deacon not only knows that they are saved believers in Jesus
But they know how to share it well
tested
This means that they are already serving outside the title.
Our constitution and bylaws state
that a man cannot serve in the office of a deacon
unless they have been a member in good standing
for at least one year.
There’s a purpose to that.
That means the deacon fellowship
are always observing candidates who would make good servants.
Regardless if you have been a deacon or not in a previous fellowship
we want to see how you are serving here at this local body first.
Charles Spurgeon said it this way,
You behave as you believe.
That leads to the next qualification
proved blameless
This does not mean perfect
as there are no perfect people.
Blameless means that there can be no blame places upon them or their wives
from any past misgivings.
We all know someone that has a past.
Have they overcome that past?
And how is their current testimony now?
The last part of the qualifications
show the deacon’s family life.
Because a man’s ministry is reflected in his relationships with his family
the family is an indicator of the spiritual nature of the man
beginning first with the wives.
Wives,, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not slanderers
self-controlled, faithful in everything
There is a debate in theological circles
about the role of women as a deacon
If you take the Discovery class
we go into the role of women as an elder or pastor of the church
However there is a somewhat gray area to women serving as deacons
It’s not really that gray
because there are women deacons listed in Scripture.
The roles of the women deacons are highly debated
and over the past few years
the deaconate at Riley’s Creek
have discussed it at great length.
Our conclusions are that there were indeed female deacons in Scripture.
Historical documents show this as well.
There is a purpose to having a female as deacon.
Often times there is a need to have woman
minister to the needs of another woman.
To have a woman disciple another woman.
There is a better comfort level there
to have women meet the needs of other women.
That being said
instead of having deaconess’ roles at Riley’s Creek
we instead follow the early church and agreed
that the wife fulfills the roles necessary
to help minister to other women in the church.
This is why in nominating potential candidates for deacons
the wife is also well examined
to be sure they too will fit the roles and qualifications
worthy of respect, not slanderers
self-controlled, faithful in everything
Wives are really key to this ministry and office
A wife has more power than they realize
and can hinder or crush a ministry;
or be a valuable helper and multiply a ministry
In the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding
the greatest phrase is absolutely true
The man is the head of the household
but the woman is the neck
and the neck can turn the head in whatever direction she wants it to turn.
That’s why wives have the same expectations
in that you are not only a representative of Jesus,
and the church, but your also husband
in all you do, say, post on social media, etc.
12 Deacons are to be husbands of one wife managing their children and their own households competently.
Children are also an indicator of the spiritual life of a deacon.
Especially young children
who are at their most influential years.
13 For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
The word deacon means service
More importantly than any of these expectations
Are that these men and their wives
Are living a spirit-filled life
Meaning that their lives outside of the church
Show the reputation that exemplifies Jesus.
It’s one thing to be the religious person at church
But I believe, as Adrian Rogers once said,
Your behavior matches your beliefs.
Meaning, if you act one way in church
And act totally different outside of the church
That’s hypocritical.
These expectations are not just for when we gather together.
These expectations are more importantly
For when we we leave this place
And move into the mission field of our lives.
Yes, thus office is for being a
Servant of and to the church.
But not at the expense of the command of Christ
To go make disciples in the world.
They are to be salt and light both in and out of the church.
These men and their wives are to be the role model
for what service unto God should look like.
Not just a title to be acquired.
So what does that service look like?
Let’s look at the responsibilities of deacons at Riley’s Creek.
The Responsibilities of Deacons
The Responsibilities of Deacons
Deacons are chosen at Riley's Creek Baptist
according to the scripture
filtered by the deacon fellowship
voted by the congregation
and chosen for their walk
1 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.
2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables.
3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch.
6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Back story
As the early church was growing, there was conflict
Go figure
Acts 4 the church was laying things at the apostles feet for the needy
Acts 5 2 people from the church made a promise of finances
and reneged and ultimately were made an example of
Annanias and Saphira
Acts 6 we have a group of widows that were complaining.
It didn't take long for the church to go
from Utopia to Dystopia in 2 chapters
We are back to the Hellenists
The Hellenistic Jews were those that spoke Greek
They were a large minority because they didn't speak Aramaic
Many of these Jews had returned to Jerusalem
to spend their final days there
Think about retirees moving to Florida,
but for religious purposes, not warm weather
Upon their return, in their later years,
many of the women outlived their husbands
The native citizens of Jerusalem, who spoke Aramaic,
resented these women
As did the Pharisees that considered them second class Jews
When these widows became Christians
they were now completely isolated
Some because of the animosity that occurred
between the Hellenistic and the Aramaic culture
Some because they were now Christian believers
and all believers were isolated because of their beliefs
So now the tensions that occurred in Jewish culture
carried over to Christian culture
And to make it worse they were in isolation
similar to what happened when Covid hit
Instead of isolation we called it quarantine
The complaint?
They weren't getting the same amount of food
as the Aramaic speaking believers' widows.
Somebody was getting more, or so it appeared.
The apostles made an administrative decision
They had a member meeting
They explained that their main task was to
concentrate on the ministry of the word and prayer
The Apostles then asked the congregation of disciples to choose 7 men
They listed the Qualifications
men of good repute
Full of the Spirit and of Wisdom
All of the men that were chosen were actually Hellenists
Remember that the entire congregation of disciples chose these men
Both Aramaic and Hellenistic believers
two of the men, Steven and Phillip,
were some of the greatest New Testament Saints ever written about
The whole congregation voted, it passed, and were pleased
7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
Deacon
The original word means servant
The word comes from the root of the word that means "dust"
Meaning that they were making dust in a hurry
or being busy at work
It is the only other office of the church in scripture
Responsibilities
Be the servant examples to and for the church
The deacons handle the physical neds of the congregation
the pastors handle the spiritual needs of the congregation.
This means if you are sick and a deacon shows up
they are doing their job to help the pastors do their job
handle disputes(like the the one in Acts 6)
be in direct contact with the congregation
Deacons at RCBC
Our deacons have the same responsibilities
as those in the Word of God
the deacons help to serve the Lord's supper
Each deacon is also given a list of members
to contact, pray for, and care for
and gives the congregation a point of contact
should there be a need.
This allows the pastors to do their role of
teaching ,training, preparing, preaching, and praying
Our deacons have a deacon prayer chain
so any prayer needs that we are aware of
get passed to the deacons in the text thread.
Our deacons deliver meals to our homebound.
You will see them visibly serving
during the worship services
either as ushers, tellers, or even in the sound room.
They will pray at our offering time on Sundays.
This year we are privileged to have two new men to serve.
before we get to them, however
It is appropriate to share those that have served this past year
and have stepped away.
Our deacons serve on the deacon ministry for as long as they choose.
This was a change to our constitution and bylaws a few years back.
There is no wheree in scripture that says
a deacon serves for a certain term.
The Deacon fellowshi pwe enjoy
also somewhat governs theri own.
We have permission to speak in to each other’s lives
to see if their effectiveness is waning.
Sometimes life circumstances require them to step away for a time.
Sometimes things like age play a factor
or other life responsibilities.
Even with someone that steps away,
once a deacon, always a deacon
but not necessarily playing an active role in the deaconate.
This past year we had two that chose to step away for a time
two men that have set the bar high for the deacon fellowship
James Davis and Ronnie Brinkley
both men have served this church and their Savior well.
These are men that really need no introduction
as they are men that everyone should already know
Whether it is serving at one of the doors at the church greeting people
serving as an usher during the service
taking meals to various people
visiting our homebound members
leading and taking folks to Disaster Relief sites
leading in our Baptist Men’s ministry
praying during our services,
oh yeah, and being a deacon in between those times.
They exemplified the meaning of the word servant.
They aren’t going anywhere
Ronnie will still lead our disaster relief teams
and our Baptist Men
and Mr. James will still be visiting our homebound members
and serving as an usher in the church
and living next door.
That’s just how God wired them to be and
so even though they may be an inactive deacon in title
they still fulfill the responsibilities of being a deacon
which is why these two great men
both are high examples of the calling of this office.
This year our active deaconate will be
Bryce Dixon
Chris Lee
Crawford Ingraham
Jason Hill
Joe Guyton
and Steve Mathis
In addition to these, the new members of the deaconate for this year are
Kenny Peay
James Cotten
Derrick Harrelson
Mr Kenny has served before as a deacon
and he too is exemplary in the role.
He has been a deacon here before
and is returning to fill the needs of the fellowship.
James Cotten and Derrrick Harrelson
Both of these men were chosen by the deaconate
and voted by the congregation
and will ordained in a moment
The Ordination of Deacons
The Ordination of Deacons
Ordination
ordination is kind of a curious term
because it doesn't appear in the Bible
ordination is an official decree or order
Although the word never appears, it is a Biblical concept
Old Testament
Aaron and his sons were consecrated in Leviticus 8-9
There was a process, a ceremony, and it was public
The Levites in Numbers 8
70 elders in Numbers 11
Joshua in Numbers 27
These examples were all of God calling out people as leaders
that were already serving among the people
New Testament
Jesus appoints the 12 disciples out
70 disciples were later called out to ministry
Acts 6:6 which we read a moment ago
was the first formal ceremony of appointing leaders in the church
Why ordination
For the newly appointed deacons
It is a holy moment to be chosen by a congregation
and set aside for specific ministry and service for the church
For the church
This is an opportunity to be reminded
of those in leadership and service
It helps to put a face to the people who are serving you
Ordination of James Cotten & Derrick Harrelson
At this point we are going to ask James and Carla Cotten to come forward and stand to my left
Also, Derrick, Julia, Bryce, Ryleigh, James, Pyper, Reece and Danni to stand to my right
James is currently serving as Chair of Building and Grounds
and as Chair of our safety team.
Carla does something around the church…
Derrick serves on our safety team and on the Audio Visual team
Julia serves in Creek Kids and leads our social media.
All are already serving and are usually here
When the church doors are open and often when the doors need to be locked.
These two men have been chosen from this congregation to be ordained as deacons
to serve, to guide, to protect the integrity of the church
chosen by you to help not just the pastoral staff
in their efforts to pray and to prepare,
but to help the congregation in leadership
and by example as presented in Scripture
As part of the process we pray for these men and lay on hands
Our ordained men of the church
will come and lay hands on them
and pray for them and their families.
These men, and the others
have been chosen for the ministry of deacon, to serve.
And this is the beginning of their service today.
Just as when a new believer gets baptized
These two men have the privilege to serve toady
In the Lord’s Supper.
