The image of gracefully-worn men sitting in bruised leather chairs critically discussing their pastor’s new-fangled ideas has increasingly come to define the office of deacon. The office has lost its gospel shine over the years as deacons shifted away from servant leadership to just leadership.

The men that filled the office when the Apostle Paul walked the earth that were defined as those who sacrificially cared for widows so that the apostle could teach and pray (Acts 6). Sadly many deacons no longer serve. Rather, they demand to be served by their church. As a result, the average deacon board has increasingly become a place of prestige, influence, and power that lacks the heart of true deaconship. These boards have rusted out like the tin man in the Wizard of OZ. They can speak but can no longer do.

Thankfully the deacon board at Amissville Baptist Church has not rusted out. Our deacons do not expect to be served. They serve and serve well! They visit the sick, care for the hurting, and help with physical needs of the church, staining pews, maintaining the cemetery, and putting together slideshows for Sunday morning worship. I am so very thankful for them.

And to keep our deacon board healthy, we need to reaffirm our understanding of the deacon office and work together as a church to protect the integrity of the office.

Defining the Office

The office of deacon was never intended by God to the powerbroker position of the local church. God calls elders/pastors to lead and direct the church (2 Pt 5:2; Hb 13:17; 1 Tm 3:1-7). God then charges the congregation (not deacons) to hold the pastors/elders and all church members accountable (2 Cor. 5:4-5; Mt 18:17-18). Pastors report to their fellow elders and to the congregation.

The office of deacon is an office of service. The word deacon, διάκονος, literally means servant. While the term describes one of the main church offices, it first and foremost describes the heart of God’s leaders. Those who lead the church as elder, deacons, Sunday school teachers, and nursery workers should have the heart of a διάκονος.

Deacons and elders should not serve to gain power, prestige, and recognition. They should serve because they have a heart to help, encourage, and support others.  Jesus plainly says in Matthew 20:26,

Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant (διάκονος).

To be a faithful leader in the church, one does not have to stand upfront or be featured on the church’s website. The faithful leader is not the one who boasts about his leadership and power to influence decisions about what coffee brand is served. The faithful leader, the great leader, and the leader we want as a deacon is the man who serves others. The godly leader is the man who goes through the food line last, who interrupts his schedule to visit the curmudgeony old guy in the hospital, and who happily swings over to the church to fix the hole in the wall. The godly leader has the heart of a servant.

Paul reiterates Jesus teaching writing in 2 Corinthians 6:4-7,

 But as servants (διάκονος) of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities,  beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger;  by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left;

The heart needed for deacon ministry is a humble heart that will suffer even to the point of being cheated and abused. The heart of the deacon willing endures all even hardship and cruel words for the sake of expanding the gospel through service.

The deacon board does not exists to dominate church policy and to determine future plans. The deacon board meets to facilitate service. And those who serve on the board should have the heart of the διάκονος. The congregation does not wave a magic wound and transform petty men into servant hearted deacons. Rather the church is called to affirm men as deacons who have already faithfully demonstrated the heart of a deacon by caring for the families in their church.

If a man lacks the heart of a deacon, he should not be appointed to serve as a deacon even if he has been in the church for a hundred years, has given millions of dollars, and has told a good joke or two. Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 that,

Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.”

A man must be of upstanding character prior to becoming a deacon.

The office of deacon will not sanctify those who lack godly character. Rather those who lack godly character destroy the office of deacon turning their focus from service to being served. Unqualified men will corrupt our deacon board, just like cancer corrupts the body.

Reclaiming and Defending the Office

Teach the Bible

We trust that the ray of the gospel with loosen the serving joints of our deacons. If our deacon board is filled with godly men, they will respond to the gospel. The Holy Spirit that speaks through the Bible controls their hearts. As the Word goes forth, godly men cannot help but respond to the word in faith. Often deacons have rusted out because their pastors rusted out before them. Once the Word of God starts come out of the oil can, good things will happen if our deacon board is filled with believers.

Support Your Deacons

We should encourage and affirm those serving as deacons. We remind our deacons that they are not elders. And in the same breathe, we affirm that they are desperately needed. By serving well, they free up the elders to teach, to guide the church, to warn those in sin, and to pray for the sick (Acts 6).  Deacons also prevent problems and promote the harmony needed for church growth by ensuring that all church members are well cared for. Deacons who have the heart of a deacon are an immeasurable blessing to the church. All church members should cherish their deacons. As Paul reminds Timothy, “For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.” Deacons are amazing gifts! Affirm them!

Stick With the Bible

Many deacon boards are filled with rusted out tin men because their congregations elected rusted out tin men to their deacon boards. We must not repeat this mistake. One bad deacon (and elder) who loves himself more than the Lord will destroy the whole deacon board by opposing truth, by spreading lies, and by welcoming fellow sinners into positions of leadership (2 Cor. 5). We must not cave to social pressures and abandon the gospel at the moment when we need it the most to protect us from wolves in sheep’s clothing.

We must read over 1 Timothy 3:8-13 over and over again. We must only nominate and elect men who are above reproach to serve as deacons. We must not elect the willing blabber mouth, the angry monster, or the licentious sleaze bag to the office deacon. The church will be better served to have two godly deacons than 15 slanderous, prideful, angry men. We must stand on the gospel when nominating and selecting deacons.

God established the office of deacon. We must trust him to raise up the men that our church needs. We must not grow inpatient like the children of Israel and abandon God’s standards because we fear our church will suffer if we do not get enough deacons fast enough. Brother and sisters, we must stand by God. If we do, we know he will stand by us. And in his timing he will give us men of great aptitudes and with greater hearts than we could ever imagine. Trust God and abide by his word even when things are hard. The alternative is decay and death.

May God continue to bless ABC with godly deacons!

During the early morning hours of June 6, 1944, small clicks could be heard across the French country side as tracer bullets light up the night sky behind the German lines. The paratroopers of the 82^nd Airborne were responsible for the clicking noise. By pressing the edges of the golden rectangular box which had been nicknamed the “cricket,” the paratroopers sent out a click…click sound across the countryside every time they heard a twig break or noticed a shadowy figure in the distance. If the nearby person was an American paratrooper, he would respond with a click…click….click…click. Using the little cricket, the American paratroopers were able to locate each other and the move on to capture the bridges and other important locations that would prevent the Nazis from rushing tanks to the French coast and would guarantee the success the famed D-Day invasion.

Today, Christians find themselves living in a dark world behind enemy lines. Yes, Jesus has come and died and been raised again. Yes the kingdom of God is marching forward. But Satan still sits on the throne of this world. Darkness still touches every corner of the globe.

Within this context, believers struggle trying to find true faith. Yes, the click of the gospel has gone forth. But what does the response to the gospel sound like? What does true faith sound like? What is the click…click…click…click sound of the Christian faith? How do I know if I am a believer? How do I know if my children, friends, Sunday School teacher, and even my pastor loves the Lord? What is the difference between someone who pretends to be godly and someone who is godly?

Well the click…click…click…click of the gospel can be summed up we these words “Follow Paul!” The apostle writes in 2 Timothy 3:10-14:

10 You, however, have followed my teaching, my conduct, my aim in life, my faith, my patience, my love, my steadfastness, 11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me. 12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom[a] you learned it

What does it mean to follow Paul? It means to be like Christ. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 1:6, “And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit.” To follower of Paul is to be one who believes the word of God. In short, Paul is saying follow me as I follow Christ as revealed in the Word. Because I love Jesus, my life is a miniature representation of Jesus. Thus, follow me as I follow Christ.

How do we do this?

We follow Paul’s teaching. Paul taught the gospel. He taught Christ crucified. There is no salvation apart from the gospel apart. No person can get to God through nature. Thus all who are true believers will recognize that the Bible is the word of God.

Next we follow Paul’s conduct. Paul loved the Lord and lived a life that was above reproach. Those who believe the gospel, those who have been filled with the Holy Spirit, and those who have been redeemed will not be content with Biblical knowledge. They will apply it to their life. They will repent of anger, lust, and pride. They will daily battle with sin as they grow in their understanding of the Word. True believers hear the word of God and then do it. The apostle John plainly states:

9 No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him; and he cannot keep on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. – John 3:9-10

Good works do not save. But a lack of good works and the fervent practice of sin reveal that one is not saved. All who have been redeemed by God will seek to obey God.

Thirdly, we follow Paul’s aim in life or his life purpose. Paul lived to tell others about God. As the West Minister Shorter Catechism states: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.” The believer has this mindset. The believer though a stay-at-home mom, a pharmacist, a farmer, or plumber exists to worship God. All that they do, they do for the glory of God. If someone is a believer, their life will be shaped by this aim.

Fourthly, the believer is faithful. They true Christian does not just worship God on Sunday. Most anyone can be nice to their neighbor an hour or two a week. We find being kind to our mother-in-law once a month, not stealing from our company during the 5 day work week, and  listening to our spouse 7 days a week much harder. Yet, the true believer will do these things. He will be faithful day in and day out. She will love her friends even when they are unlovable. Religion is not an act or a performance, it is a lifestyle. The person who has been saved will be faithful.

Fifthly, they will be patient. They will endure with others. They do not hold grudges but extend grace and compassion. They have not limits. They do not love people as long as they don’t lie, or steal, or do something else deemed inappropriate. No, they are patient and enduring with all.

Sixthly, they are loving. They do not love those who share their lifestyle, college football team, and love for music. They love all. They put the needs of the enemies before their own. They are falsely attacked and accused and they respond with love and patience. The true believer is a biblical lover. As the song goes, “They will know we are Christians by our love, they will know we are Christians by our love.”

Seventhly, they are steadfast. They true Christian remains a Christian even when their child goes to college, even when their wife dies, and even when they lose their job. If one leaves the faith, stops going to church, and decides they are done with God when they encounter some problem of consequence, they lack saving faith. Those who love Jesus remain with Jesus regardless of their circumstance. They are steadfast.

Lastly, the endure persecutions. They godly suffer for being godly. Again Paul is not talking about Christians who suffer because they spread gossip, tell lies, or steal from their company. Those men and women suffer for their sins and not their faith. Rather, Paul is saying the believer suffers persecution. They extend love to their wayward child and are robbed by their recovering alcoholic son. They are barred from tutoring children at the local high school because they shared their faith. They are uninvited from the family reunion because no one wants to hear about Jesus any more. Those who love Jesus will be persecuted like Jesus. And they stand with Jesus, choosing God over the love of this world.

The call of the gospel has gone forth. Has your heart respond in faith? Do you follow Paul’s teaching, his conduct, his aim in life? Are you faithful, patient, loving, steadfast? Do you endure persecution? Do you follow Paul?