May 19
5
Old Testament Reading: Psalm 72:1-4; 12-14
“Of Solomon. Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to the royal son! May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice! Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness! May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor! [Verse 12] For he delivers the needy when he calls, the poor and him who has no helper. He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. From oppression and violence he redeems their life, and precious is their blood in his sight.” (Psalm 72:1-4; 12–14, ESV)
New Testament Reading: Acts 6:1-7
“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. 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. 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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 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.” (Acts 6:1–7, ESV)
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Introduction
Back in August Lindsay and I moved our family to a new house, which is in fact, a very old house — built in the year 1915. One of our main concerns when looking at the house was it’s condition, given it’s age. It looked really good on the surface, but what was lurking beneath?, we wondered. I think you would have the same concern if you were considering a home that was built over a hundred years ago. That question nagged at us a bit until we were able to look carefully at the house with the home inspector. I crawled under the crawl space with him, and I went up into the attic. We looked carefully at the roof and at the condition of the eaves, and so on. The house wasn’t perfect, but we found that it was really, really straight and clean. And so we made the move.
But here is my question: Why are some houses that were built a hundred years ago dilapidated today, whereas others are still in good shape? What differentiates between the old house that has deteriorated and the one that has stood the test of time?
Three things come to mind. First, the quality and craftsmanship of the original construction matters. Was the house built well in the first place? Was it set down upon a solid foundation, and so on? Secondly, the providence of God matters. Even a very well built home will not necessarily stand the test of time if some calamity strikes it. I am thinking here of a wildfire or a flood. And thirdly, maintenance matters. And this is what I wish to emphasize this morning. If a house is to stand the test of time it must be well maintained. The ordinary forces of nature will, in the process of time, bring even a well built house to the ground if it is not maintained. Common things like rain, wind and the fluctuation of temperature will wear out even a good roof. And if the roof leaks, the water will rot the wood. And if the wood rots, the force of gravity will begin to have it’s way with the structure. And if all of that goes unchecked, the house will eventually crumble.
I will not bore you with anymore talk of home maintenance. The point that I am making is this: if a structure is to stand the test of time it must, first of all, be well built. And secondly, it must be well maintained. Even the best of structures, if not maintained, will deteriorate with the passing of time.
So what does this have to do with our sermon text today? Well, not only are solid foundations and proper maintenance necessary for the preservation of houses and other physical things, they are also necessary for the preservation of human institutions.
Your marriage, for example, will not hold up very well to the test of time if it is not set down upon a solid foundation (namely Christ and his word), and then maintained. The institution of marriage must be maintained. You must keep the marriage healthy and pure. You must invest into it if you hope to see it last, and better yet, improve with the passing of time.
The same may be said of your business ventures, your friendships, indeed, your own spiritual life. These non-physical entities share this in common with physical things — if they are to stand the test of time — if they and improve with the passing of years — they must, first of all, be set upon a solid footing, and they must be carefully maintained.
Brothers and sisters, the church is no exception. And no, I am not referring to a church building. Yes, it is true — if we ever own one, we will need to maintain it. Someone will need to paint the eaves! But I am not talking about that. I’m talking about the church — the local church — that is, the church as an institution, consisting of officers and members, governed by the word of God, and bound together by the blood of Christ through faith in his name. The local church is an institution. And if a church — a local church, or congregation — hopes to stand the test of time, it must first be set down upon a solid foundation. It must be formed according to the command of Christ, the teaching of Holy Scripture, which is the word of God. And then it must be carefully maintained.
I suppose it is possible for a church with solid foundations which is also carefully maintenance to dissolve. Perhaps intense persecution could bring it down. Perhaps a particularly intense attack from the evil one could it. But more often than not, churches — even churches with good foundations — fall because they are not maintained.
I can here you now saying, I know what needs to be done to maintain a house — cleaning, painting, weeding, caulking, roof repair, bug and rodant control, etc. — but how is the church to be maintained?
I bet you know the answer. The work is not physical, but spiritual, intelectual, and relational. If the threats to a house are wind and rain, the sun and gravity, the fluctuation of temperature and the moving earth, the threats to the church are sin, false teaching, a lack of love and concern for one another, unresolved conflict, disorderliness, prejudice, gossip and slander, favoritism, unfaithfulness, disbelief, and the like. These destructive forces must be confronted in the maintenance of the church.
Brothers and sisters, church maintenance is hard work. It requires diligence. And both officers and members have an role to play. The elders and deacons of the church have a particular obligation to maintain the church. But the members are also responsible.
Listen carefully to the words of the apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Ephesus. Notice that he is here writing to the church as a whole, and not just to the pastor or the to the elders. In chapter 4 verse 1 of his letter to the Ephesians he says:
“I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” And little later he says, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” (Ephesians 4:1–16, ESV)
Elders have a particular responsibility to maintain the church. According to this text the work of elders, pastors and teachers, is to “equip the saints… for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.” The elders have a particular role to play. They are to equip the saints. This is their ministry. They are to build up the church. And if we were to take into consideration the teaching of the rest of scripture we would see that elders are to minister as overseers and shepherds. They are to “preach the word” and “be ready in season and out of season” to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:2, ESV). In general, elders are to take the lead in the maintenance of the church.
But notice that in the Ephesians 4 passage, Paul’s exhortation is to the church as a whole. Every member is to
“walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they] have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” This command is given, not to the elders only, but to every member of the church. Every member has a responsibility to maintain the church, to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which [they] have been called”, to be humble, gental and patient, to bear with one another in love, and to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” The word translated as “eager” here in Ephesians 4:3 means, “to do something with intense effort and motivation—‘to work hard, to do one’s best, to endeavor.’” The word translated “maintain” means to guard something; to watch over it so as to cause it to continue. In this passage the thing to be maintained is the “unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”. This is referring to the unity that is to exist within the local church. We are bound together through faith in Christ and by the Holy Spirit. Not only should the elders of the church work hard to maintain unity within the church — it is also the responsibility of every member.
But here is the point that I would really like to make this morning: deacons have a particular role to play in the maintenance of Christ’s church. All members are responsible to maintain the Lord’s spiritual house. The elders have a particular responsibility to lead in the maintenance of the Lord’s house as ministers, or servants. And the same is true of deacons. Deacons have a particular role to play. They are to serve within Christ’s church in order to maintain “the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace”.
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Acts 6: The Ordination of the Original Deacons
In Acts chapter 6 we have an account of the ordination of the first deacons. They are not called by that name in this passage, but it is clear that that is what they were. These seven were the very first to be appointed to the office of deacon. Consider three things in support of this claim:
First of all, notice that the word deacon means “servant”, and that is what these men were called to do. They were appointed to the task of serving. Their duty was to serve (in the Greek the word is διακονέω) tables. Verses 2 and 3 make that clear: “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. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men… whom we will appoint to this duty” (Acts 6:2–3, ESV), that is to the duty of serving tables.
Secondly, notice that these men had to meet certain qualifications. In verse 3 we learn that were to be “men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” who were appointed to this duty (Acts 6:3, ESV). It appears, therefore, that this was an office that they were being appointed to.
In Paul’s letter to Timothy we find a more detailed and exact description of the qualifications that man must meet in order to be appointed to the office of deacon. Paul there elaborated on the general qualifications of Acts 6 — that “men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom” — when he says, “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. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 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” (1 Timothy 3:8–13, ESV).
Thirdly, notice that the seven men in Acts 6 were formally ordained.
They were selected by the church at the direction of the apostles. It was the apostles who said to the church, “Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute… (Acts 6:3, ESV)”
Notice that the whole church was involved in the selection of these men. Verse 5: “And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose” the seven men.
And finally the seven were presented back to the apostles for formal ordination. Verse 6: “These they [the church] set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them” (Acts 6:6, ESV). This means that apostles ordained or appointed these men to function as deacons.
In Acts chapter 6 we find an account of the ordination of the first deacons.
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The Occasion for the Ordination of Deacons: The Unity of the Church Was Threatened
Pay careful attention to the occasion for the ordination of these deacons in Acts 6. In verse 1 we read, “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.”
The early church was experiencing division. Something terrible was happening. Favoritism was being shown to the widows who were Jewish Christians, while the Gentile Christian widows were being neglected. To be a widow is always a difficult thing. Perhaps it was even more difficult in the first century AD than it is today. And it is was probably especially difficult for those widows who identified as followers of Christ. Jew and Gentile Christians would have been cut off from their culture to one degree or another due to their professed faith in Christ. How important it was, therefore, for the church to care for the widows in their midst.
The scriptures often speak of the importance of caring for the poor and downtrodden, particularly widows. Remember the words of James, where he says, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world” (James 1:27, ESV). The early church was failing at this. Not only were they failing to care for widows, but they were also showing favoritism to a particular class of people. The Jewish widows were being cared for, while the non-Jews were being neglected.
The same James who urged us to care for widows and orphans in their distress also said, “My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory” (James 2:1, ESV). And again he said, “If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself,’ you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors” (James 2:8–9, ESV). What does it mean to show partiality? It means to show favoritism; to have bias in favor of one person over another, for whatever reason. And that is precisely what was going on in the early days of the church, or at least that was the perception. It was truly a scandalous thing.
Please recognize, therefore, that the first deacons were appointed, not to do menial an d insignificant work, but to do work that was crucial to the well being and maintenance of the church of Christ. Their task would require wisdom and discernment. And the effect of their work would be that individual Christians would be cared for, and the unity of the church maintained.
Notice also that the work of the deacons is meant to compliment and even support the work of the elders. Again, in verse 3 we hear the apostles saying, “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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:3–4, ESV).
The apostles, who were also elders, had as their task the ministry of the word and of prayer. They were to devote themselves to the study, preaching and teaching, and to the writing of Holy Scripture. It is not that waiting on tables was below them. After all, Christ himself commanded them to do likewise when clothed himself with the garb of a servant and washed their feet. The task of serving tables was not below them, but it was too heavy of a burden for them to bear on their own. It would have taken them from the work that God has specifically called them to do.
Elders in the church today are not apostles, but they do have a similar task to accomplish. Elders do not write scripture as the apostles did. They do not speak with the same authority as the apostles. But they are to devote themselves to the ministry of the word, to prayer, and to the oversight of the church. The ministry ofd the deacon complements and supports the work of the elder.
So what was the occasion for the ordination of deacons in the church? The unity of the church was threatened due to a failure to justly care for those in need, and an apostleship that neither could nor should have met the need all on their own.
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The Obligation of Deacons: Maintaining the Church by Caring for Those in Need
What, therefore, are the obligations of the deacon? The form that we will use later in this worship service in the ordination of two deacons puts it this way: “The duties of deacons consist of encouraging members of the church to provide for those who are in want, seeking to prevent poverty, making discreet and cheerful distribution to the needy, praying with the distressed and reminding them of the consolations of Holy Scripture.”
Let us consider these words carefully.
“The duties of deacons consist of encouraging members of the church to provide for those who are in want.” Notice carefully, the job of the deacon is not to meet all of the needs themselves, but to be sure that needs within the church are met.
The deacons are “to prevent poverty.” This is a very general statement, and fulfilling it could involve many things. Perhaps the deacons need to distribute food, clothing or money to those in need. Perhaps they will need to help in other practical ways to help individuals secure good employment, or to manage their resources well.
Deacons are also to make “discreet and cheerful distribution to the needy.” Our deacons will work in cooperation with the elders to distribute from the benevolence fund of the church. By the way, the benevolence fund used to be called the deacons fund. At the church we came out of it was called the deacons fund. And we first stated, it was called the deacons fund. But if you remember, there were no deacons at our previous church, and we didn’t have deacons when we first began, and so we thought it sounded silly to call the fund the “deacons fund”, and so we changed the name to the “benevolence fund”, benevolence meaning “kindness”. I’m not sure that we will change the name back now that we have a thriving deaconship. Whatever the name, please understand that the deacons have a particular responsibility to, under the authority of the elders, maintain and distribute those funds to the needy in our midst. If ever you able to give above and beyond your normal tithe, we would encourage you to consider giving to the benevolence fund. Distributions are made from the fund regularly.
Lastly, see that deacons are to “[pray] with the distressed and [remind] them of the consolations of Holy Scripture.” I hope that you can see clearly that the deacons are not the janitors of the church, but instead they are ministers of mercy. They are to care for people, particularly for their physical needs. But they are to care for them as brothers and sisters in Christ. The job of the deacon is to see to it that no one in our congregation has the joy of their salvation diminished due to physical poverty or suffering, so far as we can help it.
Later in this service we will ordain two new deacons, thanks be to God. Each of our deacons will have particular responsibilities — to oversee the food ministry (Tom Evans), to oversee the see the set up and tear down of the church (Nick Mucelli), to organize meals for those who have had surgery, etc. (Nick Mucelli), to serve as an adminsitrative assistant to the Pastors (Mike Thezier), to provide fellowship meals for the church (Dave Anady). But all of them have the same general calling, and it is the one that has been described above. They are to labor to maintain the unity of the church by “encouraging members of the church to provide for those who are in want, seeking to prevent poverty, making discreet and cheerful distribution to the needy, praying with the distressed and reminding them of the consolations of Holy Scripture.”
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Application
Brothers and sisters, how might we apply these truths?
First, I would exhort you to give thanks to Christ that he would care for his people in this way. Clearly he is concerned to care for us in body and soul.
We will certainly experience trials and tribulations in this life. But Christ will refine and preserve his people through them, body and soul.
Christ will save us on the last day, body and soul.
How did he teach us to pray? Not only for spiritual things, but also for the physical — give us this day our daily bread.
It is no wonder then that within his church he has ordained two offices — elder and deacon — which correspond to the two parts of man — body and soul
This spiritual and physical care was present in the early church. Acts 2:42: “And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 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. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42–47, ESV).
The two offices of elder and deacon correspond to the two aspects of man.
Secondly, will you give honor to the deacons who serve in your midst. At the end of the ordination ceremony, after certain questions have been asked of the two men, I will ask you a question. I will say, “Do you, the members of this church, acknowledge and receive this brother as a deacon, and do you promise to yield him all that honor, encouragement, and obedience in the Lord, to which his office, according to the Word of God and the constitution of this Church, entitles him?” I hope that you will be willing to say a heart “I will” to that question. Please pray for the deacons and for their ministry.
Thirdly, are you yourselves “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Are striving to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love.” Are you willing to serve one another, to give of your resource to meet needs, and use the particular gifts that God has given to you for the building up of the body of Christ? The elders and deacons have particular roles to play, but the it is the responsibility of every member to “maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
