Deacons - 2026

Intro/Tension

The Church is a sacred institution, established by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. As its architect, He builds it (Matthew 16:16-19) and equips it (Ephesians 4:1-16), providing every necessary resource to send His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20) into the world to advance His mission: the salvation of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15-17).

When Christ saves an individual, they are immediately grafted into His universal body. It is then their vital calling to find a home within a local expression of that global family.

A need we all have

Both the global Church and its local congregations are meant to be defined by a singular, unified pursuit of Jesus and His mission (John 17:20-23). However, we must acknowledge that the Church does not always reflect this unity. This lack of harmony creates a fault line that the enemy exploits to fracture communities and stifle their impact.

John 17:20–23 CSB

“I pray not only for these, but also for those who believe in me through their word. May they all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us, so that the world may believe you sent me. I have given them the glory you have given me, so that they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me, so that they may be made completely one, that the world may know you have sent me and have loved them as you have loved me.

Scripture warns us: "Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour" (1 Peter 5:8). Because he is the father of lies, our primary defense is to "gird our loins with truth" (Ephesians 6:14), standing firm against the deception that breeds division.

1 Peter 5:8 CSB

Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour.

Ephesians 6:14 CSB

Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest,

Yet, we are not left to defend this unity on our own. God has provided us with one another and, specifically, a leadership structure designed to protect the peace of the Church. Enter the office of Deacon. I want to explore how these leaders serve as our shock absorbers, servant-leaders, and spiritual warriors.

The Deacon as a Shock-Absorber

No one ever promised that the office of deacon would be easy. It is a high calling that requires a heart ready for whatever God intends. To understand this role, we look to Acts 6:1-7, where a dangerous fault line began to fracture the early church.

Acts 6:1–7 CSB

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. 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. 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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 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.

Cultural tension arose as Hellenistic widows were overlooked in the daily distribution. Division always begins when we focus on our differences rather than our identity in Christ.

The Apostles responded by appointing seven men—all with Greek names—to stand in the gap. These men were the first "shock-absorbers." By meeting physical needs, they absorbed the friction that threatened to split the church, allowing the ministry of the Word to continue unhindered. As a deacon, you will find yourself where fault lines rub together. Your mission is to absorb that pressure and prevent the "quakes" that destroy unity. Our unity is something we must hold on to tightly as a body of believers.

I think about Ephesians 4:11-16

Ephesians 4:11–16 CSB

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

The enemy wants to toss us about. His primary weapon is disunity. We need deacons to help smooth areas of frictions with the oil of biblical wisdom so that we remain unified, maturing in Christ, and growing as a body.

The Deacon as a Servant-Leader

While the office of deacon is rooted in service, it is undeniably a position of leadership. We see this clearly in the "prototypes" of Acts 6. These men didn't stay in the background; they became pillars of the early Church. Stephen, for instance, stepped forward to preach with such power that he became the Church’s first martyr. Philip’s service opened doors for the Holy Spirit among the Samaritans and eventually carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth through the Ethiopian eunuch.

However, their platform for leadership was built on a foundation of servitude. They served so the Apostles could fulfill their calling, yet in doing so, they became leaders in their own right. Today, the Church looks to you for direction. Your challenge is to lead without losing the "towel and basin" heart that God has given you. And as a result, the ministry staff, including your pastors will be able to devote themselves to teaching the word and promoting Spiritual growth among the body.

The Deacon as a Spiritual Warrior

There is a final, often overlooked dimension to this calling: the role of the Spiritual Warrior. Notice what happens to Stephen almost immediately after his appointment. He is met with fierce, external opposition. While the text describes a physical conflict, it reeks of the enemy’s ancient strategy: if he cannot divide the Church from within, he will attempt to dismantle it from without.

I don’t say this to startle you, but to arm you. As you step into leadership, you become a primary target for the enemy’s arrows. You must be prepared to stand your ground. We are not fighting against flesh and blood, which is why we must "gird our loins with truth" and put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6). A deacon must be as ready for a spiritual battle as they are for a servant's task.

A Collective Call: The Strive for Unity

While God has provided leaders to help protect us, the responsibility for unity rests on every member of this body. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul reminds us that Christ gave gifts to the Church for a specific purpose: to build up the Body until we all reach unity in the faith. We are not passive spectators in this battle; we are active participants. To thwart the enemy’s schemes, we must intentionally deploy our unique, God-given gifts toward the common goal of oneness. Unity is not an accident; it is a pursuit and one we must strive for together.

Ephesians 4:11–16 CSB

And he himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, to build up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into maturity with a stature measured by Christ’s fullness. Then we will no longer be little children, tossed by the waves and blown around by every wind of teaching, by human cunning with cleverness in the techniques of deceit. But speaking the truth in love, let us grow in every way into him who is the head—Christ. From him the whole body, fitted and knit together by every supporting ligament, promotes the growth of the body for building itself up in love by the proper working of each individual part.

A Visible Commitment: The Laying on of Hands

To demonstrate our commitment to striving together in the Spirit, I invite you to participate in a tangible act of support. We are going to pray over these two couples as they step into this calling. I ask our ordained deacons, ministers, and their spouses to come forward first to lead us in this time of intercession.

Following them, I invite the rest of the congregation to join us. Please form a line, come forward to pray for them, and offer a word of encouragement. Let this be more than a moment; let it be a promise that you will continue to cover them in prayer as they serve this body.