Sermon Transcript:

We are going to take a break from our study of Matthew for a few weeks to look at what the Bible says about deacons. Thankfully, God has blessed the ministry here with sustained growth since our  relaunch. With that growth comes more demands of the ministry and greater needs to address. Thankfully, God has designed His church to meet those needs when we follow the pattern of ministry He gives us in His Word.

Until now, the elders have handled most of the leadership needs, but we believe, by God’s grace, we are at a point where it is time to add deacons. Over the years, the word deacon has come to mean many different things. In some churches, deacons function much like our elders do. In others, almost everyone who serves is called a deacon. But when we look to the New Testament, we see a distinct role for deacons and how they should function.

So, for the next three weeks, we will examine what the Bible says about them. Why do deacons exist? What are the qualifications of deacons? Finally, what is the model for deacons to follow in their ministry? As we come to God’s word seeking to better understand these things, the pastors ask that members be in prayer, asking God to give us wisdom to recognize who He is raising up to serve in this office. As we learn and pray, we encourage discussion and questions along the way.

Today, we begin by asking why deacons exist. Probably the best place to answer that question is to go to the book of Acts and see why deacons were established in the first place. What we will find there is that God gives deacons to protect the unity of the church, the preaching of the Word, and the love of the church by caring for the needs of His people. That is the main point of the message today,

God gives deacons to protect the unity, the preaching of the Word, and the love of the church by caring for the needs of His people.

The earliest days of the church were marked by amazing unity and fellowship. Luke tells us in Acts chapter 2 the believers devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, prayer, and life together. They shared what they had, cared for one another's needs with glad and generous hearts. In chapter 4 he says “there was not a needy person among them.”

It didn’t take long though for that unity to be tested. We pick up in Acts chapter 6, beginning in verse 1.

1 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.

Luke again calls attention to the growth of the church, but this time there is a problem and it is coming from within the fellowship. Satan's attacks do not always come from outside the church. Often they arise through the ordinary pressures of life together.  

In this case, the challenge centered on one of the church's most important ministries. In the ancient world, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society, and there was no social security or welfare system to care for them. Many believing widows depended on the church for food and other basic necessities. The church's commitment to care for them was a powerful testimony to the gospel. These were not merely acts of charity, but expressions of the new family Christ had created. In caring for one another, the church reflected the love of Christ Himself.

So when Luke says a complaint arose regarding the distribution of food to widows, it was a serious issue. He says the complaint was brought by the Hellenists. Hellenists were Greek speaking Jews. These were people descended from Jews who had been scattered among the nations centuries earlier but who were now living in or around Jerusalem. They believed their widows were being overlooked and favoritism was being shown to Hebrew speaking widows. 

The differences between the Greek and Hebrew speakers was more than just language. Although they were all Jewish, the two groups had developed distinct cultural identities over the centuries. The accusation that there was discrimination happening based on worldly distinctions was serious and it is easy to see why it quickly became a threat to the unity of the church.

It would be similar in our day to some members believing they were being treated unfairly because of their race or ethnicity. Whether the neglect was intentional or not, it was a serious accusation and a significant concern. Suspicion, prejudice, stereotypes, and other sinful impulses could quickly fracture the fellowship and tear the church apart if it was not addressed properly.

On the surface this is just a question about food distribution. A purely practical matter that, perhaps simply required a more skilled approach to management to solve the problem. In fact, this is often one of the observations people make and they reduce the office of deacon to a sort of management position. Sometimes people say things like, “elders focus on spiritual ministry, while deacons focus on practical needs.”

That, however, is overly reductionistic. To say that deacons were established to care for the practical matters while pastors or elders care for the spiritual matters is to miss something vital regarding what the church is.

This wasn’t just about food. This complaint goes to the heart of Christian fellowship itself. It touches on the reality of the love the brothers and sisters have for one another and penetrates the claim that believers have died to the world and have been raised as new creations in Christ. 

Deacons certainly care for practical needs, but the office of deacon is no less spiritual than that of the elder, though each has a different calling. Because the Spirit dwells within every believer, the church is not merely a human society but the dwelling place of God. Therefore any need, no matter how seemingly small, that threatens the unity and fellowship of Christ's body is a spiritual concern. 

We can see how seriously this was taken, because in verse 2 we are told all the apostles and the full number of disciples are assembled to deal with it. This affects everyone who is a part of the church in Jerusalem.

The solution to the problem is to put deacons in place. The word deacon just means servant, but this kind of service is made a specific ministry of the church. Here in Acts, they aren’t even called deacons yet, but deaconing is how what they do is described.

We can see though that this is a recognized office because the congregation selects them, they are ordained, or set apart, in verse 6 through prayer and the laying on of hands. Every member is called to serve, but deacons are not only serving as individual believers, they serve on behalf of the congregation as a whole.

God gives deacons to protect the unity of the church by caring for the practical needs of the people. This is a spiritual ministry because when they do this well and wisely it prevents grumbling, resentment, and other sins from taking root among the congregation. The deacons are like a fire department, putting out small sparks before bitterness arises and the devil fans the flames.

The ministry of the deacons is also spiritual because it protects the preaching of the word, which is the primary means God uses to transform His people, renew their minds, and conform them into the image of Christ. Look at verse 2,

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.” 

It seems obvious that a church should seek pastors who are passionate about the word of God, but what we see here is that it is just as important for the church to seek deacons who are passionate about the ministry of the word. They need not be gifted to preach or teach at all, but they must be devoted to the ministry of the word so much that they are willing to protect it from any distractions or incursions that would dilute it. Though they do not oversee the doctrine directly, they are called to be guardians of the ministry of the word. They protect the congregation by helping to ensure the elders are not being diverted from laboring in the word and prayer. This ensures that practical needs are met without diluting the preaching and teaching, which is necessary to equip the saints for the work of ministry and the building up of the body of Christ.

The apostles saw the danger in allowing the devil to weaponize their love for the people by drawing them away from their main calling. The ministry of the word is essential to the health of the church. Luke makes it clear that it was through the ministry of the word that the church grew and God was glorified. If a church is able to only do one thing, that thing must be to preach the word of God. 

The Spirit of God works through the word of God to transform the people of God. It is through the Word that God creates His people (1 Pet. 1:23), gives them life (Phil. 2:16), sanctifies them (John 17:17), renews their minds (Rom. 12:2), equips them for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16–17), and transforms them into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18). It is through the Word, the sword of the Spirit, that He equips them for spiritual battle (Eph. 6:17). 

No wonder the apostles say in verse two, “it is not right” that we should give up preaching to serve tables. Not just unwise, but that it is not right. It is profoundly wrong for there to be any partiality, or even the perception of partiality, with the widows, but it is even worse for the church to be deprived of the prayer and preaching of her pastors.

That would be like being on an airplane where the flight attendants are having trouble keeping up, and the pilots, desiring to help, leave the cockpit and begin helping to pass out drinks and chips. One problem is solved, but they are creating a much bigger problem. 

The apostles, however, do not choose between widows and the Word. They insist that the church must have both. The widows must be cared for, and the Word must continue to be preached. God's solution is not to sacrifice one ministry for another, but to raise up others to ensure both needs are met. The deacons therefore protect the ministry of the word by serving tables.

If you love Christ’s church and if you deeply desire for yourself and others to grow in Christ then you should want to do everything you can to allow those who are called to labor in the word to do so faithfully and with joy. Deacons in particular, give themselves to this as a ministry. They understand the importance of protecting the preaching and teaching by ensuring the attention of the elders is not diluted. Both ministries are critical.

It is important also to recognize that the apostles are not saying that the practical work is beneath them. Not at all. You cannot see it in English, but they describe both ministries as acts of humble service. In verse 2, the word translated “serve,” as in serve tables, is the word διακονέω. In verse 4 the apostles say they will devote themselves to prayer and the διακονία of the word. These are just two different forms of the word διάκονος, which is where we get our word deacon. It just means servant. Both pastors and deacons are servants who have simply been given different tasks by the Master. Both strengthen the body of Christ, some by serving tables and some by preaching. 

Again, we see that the distinction is not spiritual vs. physical, but that both of these are spiritual service. If the concern was only physical and practical they would have sought out the most capable administrators, but that isn’t what they do. Look at the qualifications in verse 3. The deacons must be of good reputation and they must be full of the Spirit and of wisdom.

Luke doesn’t emphasize organizational skill or logistical capabilities. They didn’t go looking for people with food service or distribution experience. The job is serving tables, but the qualifications are spiritual maturity and integrity. They deal with practical matters, which could really be just about anything that would threaten unity or distract the pastors from prayer and preaching, but it is still spiritual ministry. It is still connected to the building up of the body of Christ.

After the apostles proposed this solution, Luke says,

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.

Unity was restored and the preaching ministry was protected. By caring for the needs of the people, the deacons guard the unity and the ministry of the word. But not only that, they also guard the love of the church. The root of the problem was not unfair food delivery, but the perception of a lack of love. It was the concern that members of Christ's family were not being cared for as they ought to be. 

For the first four chapters of Acts, Luke has been painting a picture of the love that was evident among the believers. In chapter five Luke records the first serious breach of integrity within the church through Ananias and Sapphira. In chapter six he records the first serious threat to its unity. The deacons are appointed to protect what Luke has spent four chapters celebrating. By establishing the office of deacon, the apostles do not merely solve a problem with food distribution, they ensure that the testimony of love within the church is protected. 

Rather than treating one another as brothers and sisters, equal before God and bearing one another's burdens, worldly distinctions had begun to creep into the church. But the love of Christ does not show partiality based on race, wealth, or social standing. By God's grace, those distinctions are washed away by the blood of Christ, and we are free to love each other. The deacons are appointed to be sure nothing arises that will disrupt this. With that, Luke says, the whole congregation was “well pleased.”

Look at the names of the seven men who were chosen. Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolaus. Isn’t it interesting that these are all Greek names? We cannot be certain they were all Hellenists, but it strongly suggests the congregation chose men who would be trusted by those who raised the complaint. If that is true, it shows a great deal of sensitivity and love to the Greek widows. 

Jesus says in John 13:35,

35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

You may know that Greek has several words to describe different kinds of love. There is a word for the kind of love friends share and a different word for erotic love, a different word for our love for self, and so on. These words overlap at times, but the word Jesus uses here is ἀγάπη and in most contexts it refers to a sacrificial kind of love. We can define this love as a selfless devotion that expresses itself in both affection and action.

The love that testifies that we are disciples of Christ is not an emotion, it is a devotion. It is a kind of commitment that expresses itself in both affections and actions. That is why you will sometimes hear preachers say that biblical love is a verb rather than a noun. It is love expressed in how we behave, which testifies to who we are in Christ.

This is what was at stake in this controversy. What threatened the witness of the church? Not doctrinal error. Not persecution. Neglected widows. That is profound. It means the church's witness is displayed not only through faithful preaching but also through faithful love for one another. That is what the deacons are established to protect. 

With the crisis averted, we see again what was really at stake. Luke does not end this account by telling us how efficient the food distribution became or how well the Seven organized the ministry. Instead, he points us to what happened as a result. 

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.

Luke doesn’t celebrate any office, not the apostles, not the preachers, not even the deacons. He points us instead to Christ, whose word continues to build His church through the faithful ministry of His people. When the church comes together in unity and love and the word of God is boldly preached, we can be sure that God is at work.

I hope that you can see more clearly now that God gives deacons to protect the unity, the preaching of the Word, and the love of the church by caring for the needs of His people. But before we finish this morning, I want to reflect on one more question. Why?

Why are these things important enough that God specifically raises up and commissions ministers to attend to them? We have hinted at the answer all along, but before we leave I want to be sure it is perfectly clear. The reason these things matter so much is that they are the very means by which Christ makes Himself visible through His church.

Because the church exists to display Christ, it should not surprise us that the ministries Jesus establishes reflect His own character. He is Himself the great Servant. Before Jesus ever called men to serve His church, He came first not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. He humbled himself, leaving the glory of Heaven and came to bring salvation to everyone who would ever put their faith in Him as their Lord and Savior.

Jesus is the ultimate servant, and His greatest act of service is dying on the cross to pay for our sins. We, like the rest of mankind, were utterly spiritually lost. We were enslaved to our fleshly desires and ultimately what we worshipped was ourselves. This is offensive to a holy God and we were all justly under the condemnation of His law.

But in an extraordinary act of love and mercy, Jesus lived a perfect life in our place, fulfilling all righteousness. He was perfect, and then died in our place to pay for our sins. We should have been the ones who suffered for the vile and wretched sins we committed, but God sent His servant Jesus to do this for us.

He came to serve by giving Himself for sinners, like us. The full wrath of God against our sin was poured out on Him, and He willingly carried it. He drank the cup of judgment so that we would not have to. He was crucified, died, and was buried. On the third day He rose again, proving the penalty for sin was satisfied. Now God is calling on everyone to repent, believe in Jesus Christ, and be saved.

This is the Gospel that has been preached to us. This is the word of God that continues to increase and go forth in the world today. As we consider what the Lord is doing here among us, let our concern simply be to obey His Word. Let us pray that God would give us wisdom to recognize those whom He is raising up to serve as deacons here. 

Let us ask Him to preserve the unity of our church, the faithful preaching of His Word, and the love we have for one another. Let us trust in the pattern He has shown us, follow the instructions He gives us, and rely on His Spirit to guide us through His word.

As we do, we need not be anxious about the future of Christ's church. I know we hear often about churches in decline or about increasing opposition to the gospel. That opposition is growing in our country, but it is nothing new in the history of the church. There is no reason to fear. Every one the Father has given Him will come to Him. He loses none of them and He will raise them up on the Last Day. 

Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." We often quote that verse as though it means the church is simply holding its ground against the attacks of the enemy. But gates are not an offensive weapon; they are a defensive structure. Christ is saying that the kingdom of darkness is the one under assault, and its gates will not withstand the advance of His kingdom through the gospel.

So let us not be fearful, but faithful. Let us continue to preach the gospel, continue to love one another, and continue to trust Christ to do what He has promised. He will build His church. He will preserve His people. He will accomplish His purpose. What a privilege it is to belong to Him and serve Him faithfully.

As we come to the end, I want to leave you with another passage that captures everything we have seen this morning. Why does Christ care so deeply about the unity of His church? Why does He raise up servants to protect the ministry of His Word and the love of His people? Because this is who He is. After everything we have said this morning, I ask you to think carefully about what the apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:1–11,

1 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.