Short Teaching · Gospel for Life

D4: The Qualifications - Understanding Deacon Leadership (Acts 6)

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Saturday, March 15, 2013

D4: The Qualifications - Understanding Deacon Leadership (Acts 6)

Pray. Read Acts 6:1-7 (approx. AD 34-35). Paul planted many churches across the Roman Empire. One them was in Philippi (Acts 16). During his imprisonment in Rome at the end of Acts, he wrote to them. what is revealed to us from the time period at the end of Acts - Philippians 1:1-5 (AD 62). Not long afte release from imprisonment - 1 Timothy 3:8-13 (AD 62-64). What is Acts 6 in comparison to the other passages? The seedbed that deacons grew out of. The 7 weren’t called “deacons” o cially in Acts ﬃ is no doubt that the later, fuller NT teaching about deacons should be connected to Acts 6. We need to Acts 6 and it’s role in the development of the gospel mission from the church in the city of Jerusalem. you see how this passage has impacted our church in regards to deacon leadership. The subject of dea is one of the most important subjects for the local church to grasp. The church’s e ectiveness with th ﬀ gospel is dependent on deacon leadership.

Five observations from Acts 6:1-7 that shape our understanding of deacon leadership as we advance the gospel:

Deacons exist primarily because the church must advance the gospel.

This is probably the most important observation; must lead with it because it centers on the big pictu of the context of Acts 6 and the rise of a deacon layer of servant leadership. This observation is abo examining that seedbed that the deacon seeds sprouted in. What was the overall context, mood go on when these 7 men were raised up to serve?
Why did a deacon layer of servant leadership arise? Because the gospel mission could not be slowe paused, postponed even for a legitimate complaint. How do you know that? The apostles told us, A 6:2-4. So, don’t miss the connection they are making for us between a deacon layer of leadership expansion of the gospel message and mission of the church in Jerusalem. When you read these ear chapters of Acts, and when you see the apostles not wanting to lose any steam or power or momen for their mission, what should you think of? When you see the gospel stretching, spreading into eve corner of Jerusalem - even into the priests of the temple, what should you think of? The formation o deacons.

THAT is the connection you must not miss. The gospel mission of the church not losing steam and a deacon layer of leadership. If you think of complaints within a church and connect deacons ONLY to - that is too small of a connection (it’s true at a certain level). The greater event going on is that th church, the apostles had no desire to slow down the gospel mission.
Why does a church need a deacon layer of servant leadership? Because it’s elders will probably ge involved in things and even legitimate needs that are important but that will inevitably slow the elder strategizing for the gospel mission of the church. Make the connection in your mind there. If we did have a deacon and other servant leaders planning and leading other servants in the body to make a ready for corporate worship - can you guess what your elders would give their time and attention to we didn’t have a deacon and other servant leaders planning and leading other servants in the bod thoughtfully care for children on a Sunday morning, from newborns up to upper elementary age kid elders will be compelled to step in personally. If a deacon wasn’t investing his time and skill in look a permanent facility for our church, the elders would do it (they’d be expected to). If a deacon was helping newer people in the body become more aware of what GBC is all about, an elder will proba nd the time to do that. If Josh K* wasn’t planning, leading worship. . . If Je H* wasn’t helping w ﬁ ﬀ benevolence. . . Dave B - nances; Jeremy L - PNG; Bobby C & Michael Q - equipping hour; etc. ﬁ

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What makes my heart race as an elder - seeing the elders planning, plodding without restriction tow church planting - locally, globally. That’s the expansion of the gospel mission. Training men to be pure instruments who can not only preach the gospel but also shepherd new churches wherever we plant them. That’s a unique role that elders are called to ful ll in a church body. Are we doing tha ﬁ way we should? Want to? If we don’t have the right breadth and depth of deacons in this body, t extension of the gospel from this church will be stagnated. Deacons must exist here - in full force - s that the gospel mission can be extended beyond our walls in the ways it should be extended. 2

nd observation that has shaped our understanding of deacon leadership as we advance the gospel: (another way of saying #1)

Deacons personally exemplify commitment to the gospel mission.

In Acts 6 it wasn’t just the 12 apostles who exempli ed a strong, unrelenting commitment to the ﬁ extension of the gospel from the church into Jerusalem. The 7 were men of like heart on that. How you know that? Let me start with the apostles and then show you the connection to the deacon laye leadership that sprouted in early church. 1:8 = Jesus said the nature of the apostles and coming chu was such that it would need power from the HS to do what Jesus was calling them to do. They didn inherently possess the required power for witnessing. The witnesses themselves are that weak. This gospel witnessing, testifying, proclaiming, preaching requires power from the HS. Not human ingen cleverness.

What happened at Pentecost to the 12? 2:4 (what were they speaking, 2:11?), 33 (“and hear”), 38. Peter and the 12 rely on the fullness of the HS for their preaching? 4:7-8 (weakness? 4:13!), 31; 5:32 greatest witness of Jesus lls the weak witness of Jesus). And so, when Acts 6 comes and these HSﬁ ﬁ concerned apostles say “6:3a” - what does that mean in this larger context? It must mean at a mi that the 7 had to be known as men who were also personally reliant upon the HS for the extension o gospel with power into Jerusalem; that they were also men like the apostles in that they exempli ed ﬁ commitment to the extension of the gospel. The primary indicator in that is fullness of the HS.

A good question to ask at this time would be: Is there evidence that any of the 7 were actually men this? Stephen? Was committed to the extension of the gospel in Jerusalem? 6:5, 8, 10; 7:51, 55. The apostles wanted men like this man stepping into the lives of widows who were being neglected, who were complaining, who were probably tempted to bitterness. The complaint had to be met by a ma who was committed to the extension of the gospel mission. What about Philip? Was committed to extension of the gospel? 8:4-8, 12, 26-27a, 29, 35, 39-40. He’s a man under the control of the HS extension of the gospel! The next time we bump into Philip? Turn to Ac 21:8-10. By Acts 21 Saul has become Paul, and missionary journeys have criss-crossed the Roman empire. Paul is making his way Jerusalem but stops at Philip’s house on the way, 21:8-10 (Philip the bread-server.). Philip the bread server, the widow-comforter was known actually as “Philip the evangelist.”

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Don’t miss this - the 12 who obviously were men committed to the extension of the gospel, wanted also committed to the gospel extension to feed widows; to shepherd widows facing bitterness. Deep the heart of the church, where poor widows who could not provide for themselves were enduring a (an injustice), needed to come face to face with the greater call of the church in the gospel as they a the bread they desperately needed. How did they come face to face with the extension of the gosp mission as they ate the bread they needed? They saw Stephen and Philip. What e ect does this hav ﬀ the church? It injects the big calling of why we are here at every need-level within the church.

Many things have changed since the early pages of Acts to today. What hasn’t changed? Has the of disciples since Acts 1:8 changed? No. We are weak witnesses and need divine power in the gosp mission. God wasn’t content for weak disciples to extend the gospel mission then in their own pow and He hasn’t become content with that today. We still must have fullness of the HS for power in extending (proclaiming, testifying, evangelizing) the gospel. The testifying of the gospel is powerless without fullness of the HS in members of the church even today. The gospel mission doesn’t run o power today other than the power it ran on in Acts 1 - the power of the HS. What I need, you need, we all need, BUT what deacons need - is to be men full of the HS for the sake of the extension of the gospel mission.

It is exciting to live in a day where many Christians have rediscovered the need for the HS in regards regeneration and conversion. We must be born again by the HS! That is good. And it is exciting to a day where Christians are rediscovering the need for the HS in regards to growth in sancti cation - ﬁ walk by the HS, to put to death the deeds of the esh by the power of the HS, the fruit of the Spirit. ﬂ we must go one step further and rediscover our need for fullness of the HS for empowerment for th extension of the gospel beyond its current boundaries (proclamation, preaching, evangelizing, testify I think the church has been deceived into thinking that because we have the HS indwelling us that TH equals fullness for gospel proclamation. Fullness of the HS is assumed, and therefore not thought of Listen, the apostles were men regenerated by the HS; were men indwelt by the HS; were men depending upon the HS for their sancti cation - and Jesus’ words to them in Acts no where sugge ﬁ they could assume fullness of the HS to be present at all times. The unfolding of Acts 1-8 suggests ju the opposite: HS regenerated, HS indwelt, HS sancti ed men depended on also the fullness of the H ﬁ the extension of the gospel. Deacons did too. What about us? And don’t confuse this with much charismania we’ve seen in the church. The Spirit’s control of you probably won’t look like His co Stephen and Philip in every detail. This is the fullness of the HS for boldness of proclamation, 4:31. Deacons must be men fully committed to the extension of the gospel as they serve within the church That must continue to impact us at GBC. The third observation that has shaped our understanding o deacons:

Deacons exemplify godly character before the church body.

We get this in Acts 6 from 6:3 “men of good reputation.” That was the broad character category guided the church in its early days. Notice how the HS brought much greater de nition to the chara ﬁ grid later in the NT in 1 Tm 3:8-13.
Why the emphasis on character for this deacon layer of leadership in the church (for elders, too; why Timothy 3 and Titus 1?)? Let’s start just with the basics for all saints, all believers, all Christians. The powerfully cleanses, transforms the one who believes it. The one who believes is declared righteous positionally before God, but also has power from God for righteous living each day. That holiness o comes from a whole new set of desires and equipping within that were never there before Jesus sav the one who believes. So, why the emphasis on character for this layer of leadership in the church? According to the NT, God wants both leadership layers (both deacons and elders) to be examples to rest of the church family for holiness of life. It’s not that elders are to be holy, along with the deaco the rest of you don’t have to be holy. Paul made it clear in Phil 2:15 that it was up to each believer “prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world.” That’s for AL Christians. You are to be lights - moral lights in a perverse, immoral world. Gospel lights - all of us w bright shining character. All of us - innocent. All of us - blameless and above reproach. Deacons a elders are to be leaders in that holiness of life for the rest of us. As you are striving for innocence, fo blamelessness, Lord-willing you can look to your elders and deacons as examples for you in innocen and blamelessness. So at that foundational level, that’s why a deacon must have a good reputatio

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Consider this also. When the gospel is being pushed and proclaimed through a city like Jerusalem, o neighborhood in Chandler, or a tribal people in PNG, etc., if the believers extending that gospel are compromising in their character, the message of Jesus loses its credibility. Think of the potentially devastating obstruction to the gospel that would have resulted if the church remained in their ungod behavior of neglecting widows who had genuine need. A neighbor could have said to a Greek-spea widow, “Don’t listen to what that group says, do you see how they treat women like you in their m Why would you be interested in them? Their message? “You see, character matters.” Character separated from the proclamation and extension of the gospel. Deacons need to exemplify that god character as they stepped into a crisis that was marked by de cient character. This has shaped our v ﬁ and understanding of deacon leadership (1 Tm 3!). 4

th observation that has shaped our understanding of deacon leadership:

Deacons exemplify humble service as they meet specific needs in the church.

What can’t be missed in this chapter is the servant language concerning the speci c task/ministry f ﬁ 7 to carry out. They are to “serve tables, 6:2b.” The Romans didn’t like this word for “service” Romans didn’t aspire to serve; it wasn’t a goal in life for them to grow up and be a servant one d humble service like this is exactly what the moment called for in the church - for the sake of the gosp mission.
Who waits tables anymore? For most - waiting tables is what you do as you wait for something bett come. For many, a humble service like waiting tables is what you do when putting yourself through school. It’s a service you tolerate as you hope to elevate yourself toward something greater. That thinking isn’t that far o from the rst century thinking in the Roman Empire.

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Yet the church needed godly men, men who loved the extension of the gospel - to humble themselv and aspire to servanthood. This is God’s way: put on full display through Jesus, Mk 10:45. Washin 12’s feet. Phil 2:5 (He didn’t regard equality. . . but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave. ﬀ head of the church is a servant. Can a member under that Head NOT be a servant? And the apostl don’t suggest that this ministry in the body is a stepping stone ministry to tolerate on the way to a and better ministry. Evidently, it looks like the early church had no trouble nding 7 men ready and ﬁ willing to humbly serve! So, rst, deacons exemplify humility, humble service.

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Notice how I have worded #4: “they meet speci c needs in the church.” What’s interesting in A ﬁ how the deacon layer of leadership did NOT arise. That deacon layer of leadership didn’t arise on distinct/separate from a speci c need. God did not reveal the need for this layer of leadership to the ﬁ until then. They did not raise up 7 men who were ready to serve, but just had to wait for a need to m itself known. Actually it was the opposite wasn’t it? The speci c need existed rst, then the deacon ﬁ ﬁ raised up. The deacon layer of leadership is driven by speci c needs. And what would happen som ﬁ when the church worked out this glitch in feeding widows? What would these 7 do? Probably be available for another speci c need and be assigned to it; hands laid upon them for that. Or - maybe ﬁ o ce isn’t needed anymore. When a speci c task arises - so do deacons. When the task ends - s ﬃ ﬁ the o ce of deacon for that need.

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How has this shaped our practice? We try to let speci c needs or tasks drive our need for deacons i ﬁ body. As we see a speci c need that requires leadership, and we conclude as elders that the need o ﬁ is not one an elder should administrate, we begin to look for quali ed men to lead that ministry nee ﬁ Example: there is a need within this body to search for a more permanent home for our church fam we can have the freedom to use the space for training, equipping of the saints - especially during th week, and even more broadly on Sundays. The elders have decided that searching for a property is something we want to add to our shepherding plate, so we looked for a man with quali ed characte ﬁ serve to meet that need. Mike Caruso is that guy. Mike will, Lord-willing serve to meet that need un have a facility. Josh Kellso*, Matt Kellso, Je H, Dave B, George S, Bobby C & Michael Q, etc. have b ﬀ be serving as well to meet speci c needs in the body - in worship, set-up and tear-down, NGM, Disc ﬁ Dinner and frontline ministry, nances, equipping hour, set-up/tear-down, benevolence. Others are ﬁ being pursued by the elders right now because of other speci c needs in the body. However long t ﬁ needs last - that’s as long as we need those men to serve in a deacon capacity. Men - a question: becoming a man eager for humble service in the body of Christ for the sake of the gospel mission - that the extension of the gospel does not lose its momentum. Deacons exemplify humble service as they meet speci c needs in the church. The last observation that has shaped our understanding of ﬁ deacons:

Deacons exemplify courage in the face of complaints and controversies in the church.

In Acts 6 a “complaint” arose - a low-toned, behind the scenes mumbling was rumbling through t church. A serious cultural con ict was taking place. It was scandalous. This was NOT a minor matte ﬂ Everyone knew that neglecting any widow with true need was a serious charge - but to neglect her because she had assimilated into Greek culture more than you - that added greater shock to the neg The church knows a serious injustice is taking place. A great o ense! No doubt emotions are strong ﬀ Opinions abound and are aring.

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Would you want to step into the middle of that? The 7 were raised up to courageously do just that into that complaint (not stomp on it). The 12 and the church thought the 7 would need both faith an wisdom (6:3) for such a ministry. They would need to trust God as they brought God’s wisdom to the whole matter; on each life impacted by the complaint. What kind of man wants to step into that Are you that kind of man? Are you becoming that kind of man? What do you think about serving in kind of ministry arena?

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Here’s the honest truth about GBC (and every church): injustices happen here - nobody intentiona plans for one, but o enses do occur. Legitimate complaints arise in this body because this body is m ﬀ up of people like you and me who are still under the in uence of indwelling sin. And so, we ﬂ automatically create injustices and o enses on a regular basis for one another. And as those who ar ﬀ overcome by sin time to time, we complain against one another; we grumble. What I am saying is N justi cation for complaining or grumbling. What I am communicating is an observation. So, injustice ﬁ and o enses take place here. And complainers and grumblers go to church here.

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Men - are you a man of courage? Do you have courage from God and trust in Him to step into the middle of our injustices and o enses in order to bring the gospel to bear on our complaints and ﬀ grumblings? All so that what? So that the complaint doesn’t become toxic and obstruct the mom of our extension of the gospel. If the complaint spreads like a cancer in the body, the body will beco spiritually sick and unable to extend the gospel well. Again, what do you think of stepping into the m of a scandal? Controversy? A complaint? What do you think about stepping into the cross re betw ﬁ two grumbling parties? What does that moment, crisis, those dear brothers and sisters in Christ nee most at a moment like that? They need to see the big picture again - the gospel extending deeper deeper into enemy territory o ering a pardon to rebels. How will they see that? A deacon who is fu ﬀ committed to that personally will bring that to bear on the crisis. And he is a holy man - all parties w see a man exemplifying the holy character that they may be struggling to personally demonstrate. Deacons are not a negotiable layer of leadership - they are an essential layer of leadership in the chu all for the sake of the extension of the gospel.

Next time, we’ll watch what this developed/morphed into by the time Paul writes his pastoral epistles late (1 Tm 3). When you think of deacons – just don’t think of servants who ful ll primarily “mercy ministry”

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Deacons love the word, love to preach and teach and evangelize; they must be shepherd-hearted; must br the gospel to bear on: their ministry, o ended brothers/sisters; injustices, the o ender; etc.

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