Sermon Tone Analysis

“Those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

[1]

Jesus said, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” [MARK 10:45].

Jesus also taught His disciples, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” [MARK 9:35].

Though being a servant is not especially esteemed in contemporary church life, servanthood is nevertheless highly regarded in the Kingdom.

As this congregation continues to grow, we will have increasing need for more deacons to serve among the congregants.

The process of seeking out deacons will move along steadily.

However, as we move through that appointment process, I trust we will encourage those who now serve, those who will serve and those who aspire to serve.

I say this in part because we are growing; and growth brings the need to anticipate pressures we will yet face.

However, my primary reason for this particular message is that in the studies we have been presenting, this verse follows that of the qualifications for deacons.

I dare not pass over this particular verse, ignoring it as though it had no application to us as a community of faith.

The Apostle has provided the qualifications required for those who would serve the congregation.

He has exploded the idea that deacons have a ruling role or some other administrative role within the church; he did this by including the distaff side among those who are to serve as deacons.

[2] Paul now encourages the congregation of the Lord to esteem these individuals who serve selflessly with the assembly.

Each member of the Body can encourage deacons through esteeming them for their work.

*SERVING WELL* — The word used for “serve” is nonspecific.

It is possible that it refers to any Christians who serve well.

In that case, it is encouragement for each believer to exercise his or her gifts wisely and to the glory of God.

While this is a possible meaning of what Paul wrote, the fact that he stated this at the end of a section detailing the qualifications and service of ministers would lead quite naturally to the view that he is speaking of deacons who serve well.

That is my understanding of what the Apostle wrote; and it is apparently the understanding of the translators of the Bible I use.

[3] The words “as deacons” do not occur in the original text.

How would anyone know if a deacon served well?

What criteria should be used to determine whether deacons have served well, or even whether they are serving well?

It seems apparent that the Word is saying that deacons who serve well are rewarded.

However, who does the rewarding and how will the congregation know whether they have served well?

Well, I’ve asked the questions, so let’s seek an answer in some semblance of order.

First, how shall we assess whether deacons have served well?

This raises the question of whether it lies under the purview of the congregation to determine whether deacons have served well.

In order to answer the question, we need to review what the work of deacons is.

As mentioned in previous messages, [4] the work of deacons is not to serve as a glorified pastoral review board; the job of deacons is not that of ecclesiastical executives.

Though many deacons have usurped oversight of the pulpit, warrant for such can be found neither in Scripture nor in the historical record of the churches until very recent days.

During the latter part of the Twentieth Century, deacons among some evangelical groups began to assume oversight of the pastors.

It is only because the pastorate began to be treated as a job, ensuring a rapid turnover of elders among the churches, that instability was introduced into the churches.

To address the artificial volatility, boards began to seize control of the churches.

It was out of this aberration that the unbiblical saying arose, “Pastors come and pastors go, but the church remains.”

It sounds rather astute, but it lacks biblical legitimacy.

Though deacons may possibly function to oversee care and maintenance of buildings and grounds, they must not be reduced to a mere property committee.

While a congregation should be wise in caring for the properties God has provided, those appointed to such a committee should not necessarily bear the title of deacons.

To do such is to invite the introduction of an unbiblical responsibility that can turn the deacons from their primary responsibility as outlined in the Word of God.

Moving closer to the admittedly limited revelation from Scripture of the role deacons might play, they are often portrayed as the church factotums, performing whatever job the congregation may assign.

There is some justification for this position, if only because the deacons are servants of the church.

A servant does not designate his or her role to those served; rather a servant is assigned a task.

Since we are speaking of a spiritual role, and not a mere physical role, we dare not reduce those appointed to the diaconate to odd-job persons or personal assistants.

A deacon must not be allowed to become a boy Friday or a girl Friday.

If we accept that the pericope of ACTS 6:1-6 speaks of the first deacons, a position to which I hold, then the assignment detailed by the Apostles gives us insight into the role of deacons.

Recall the words of the Twelve to the assembly: “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” [ACTS 6:3].

The duty to which these men were appointed was care of the widows in particular, and likely the needy, represented within the congregation.

In short, these men were chosen and appointed to administer the benevolent ministries of the congregation.

The requirement that they be “full of the Spirit and of wisdom” indicates the spiritual quality of the work they would perform.

Therefore, adopting the term suggested by one writer, I speak of them as “Ministers of Mercy.”

[5]

A review of the history of this primitive congregation will no doubt prove beneficial.

Recall a statement made of congregational ministry shortly after Pentecost.

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common.

And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need” [ACTS 2:44, 45].

What began at Pentecost continued for a long while afterwards.

“The full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common.

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need” [ACTS 4:32-35].

I am ashamed to contrast the attitude of these Jewish Followers of The Way with the professed people of God in this day.

In far too many churches, care of the needy and the vulnerable is not merely neglected, it is discouraged.

I don’t mean to imply that we must throw money at every presumed need of which we become aware, for that would be foolish in the extreme.

However, practical theology would insist that we need to invest love in one another.

Our generosity should be common knowledge among the denizens of this fallen world, and not merely because we impoverish ourselves for the sake of the slothful.

However, when I read, “There was not a needy person among them,” I realise that we have a long way to go before we have reached the model provided in the Word.

The generosity witnessed is noteworthy precisely because the redistribution of money was not the focus; rather, it those uniting in the Body invested in one another.

Underscore this concept in your mind.

The action of providing for the needy was motived by love, just as anticipated by the Master Himself: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” [JOHN 15:12, 13].

I suggest that we modern Christians have failed the test of love in far too many instances.

We do a good job of accumulating goods, even giving praise to God because He provides richly.

However, we have some room to grow in love before we dare boast of our commitment to His teaching.

The motive behind love that costs nothing should be questioned.

Perhaps the generosity of heart witnessed in this early church was a practical response to Jesus’ instructions given to a rich young man on one occasion.

You will recall that this rich young man had come to Jesus because he felt a deficit in his heart.

He spoke of his care in adhering to the commandments of God, and then asked, “What do I still lack” [MATTHEW 19:20]?

You will no doubt remember Jesus’ answer to this plea, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me” [MATTHEW 19:21].

I have no reason to believe that the first disciples were unaware of Jesus’ teachings; oral tradition would have ensured that His pithy sayings were communicated from the first days of the Faith.

The love and unity witnessed in this early congregation was nothing less than a literal fulfilment of the Master’s teaching.

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Sell your possessions, and give to the needy.

Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.

For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” [LUKE 12:32-34].

I’ve said these things, not because I doubt the generosity of this congregation—you are exceptional in your generosity; however, our lack of provision for administering the gifts of God’s people, assuming that the elders will care for the distribution, demonstrates a need of which we are not even aware.

We need to begin the process of seeking out individuals to provide oversight of the benevolent ministries of the church.

It is time to cease conducting these ministries on an ad hoc or provisional basis.

Those chosen to serve as deacons will be adjudged by whether they demonstrate compassion and exhibit love toward God’s holy people.

The judgement will be ongoing throughout their tenure.

Their labours will be assessed by whether they are conscientious in administering the benevolence of God’s people without partiality and without prejudice.

Again, this judgement will be continual throughout the days of their service.

Whether the deacons of the church will receive commendation from Him who equips for service will be determined by their commitment to Him and by their commitment to this office.

Whether they are recognised by the assembly will be dependent upon their faithful labours.

Though we have partially answered the question, I will raise the matter again to ensure clarity—who does the rewarding of deacons who serve well?

To be certain, each Christian is responsible to anticipate appearing before the Judgement Seat of Christ the Lord.

There, each of us longs to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant” [MATTHEW 25:21, 23].

Generosity and benevolence is not the purview of deacons only; this is the responsibility of each believer.

Paul asserted to the Elders of Ephesus, “You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me.

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” [ACTS 20:34, 35].

Let those words sink in: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”

We—each follower of the Risen Saviour—we must help the weak.

On another occasion, when fellow believers were suffering during a time of drought, we read of the first believers, “The disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea.

And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul” [ACTS 11:29, 30].