Godly Leadership in Church – Part 2 • 10.02.22
Godly Leadership in Church – Part 2
1 Timothy 3:8-16
Thinking biblically about the office of deacon
- What is it?
- What do they do?
- Who can be one?
- Why does this matter?
Godly Leadership in Church II
1 Timothy 3:8-16
Good morning, church family! Welcome to those who are visiting with us this morning. You’re joining us in a verse-by-verse study of 1 + 2 Timothy in a series we’re calling Blueprint for the Church.
Last week for our study on the office of overseer/pastor I began our time together with photos of our pastor team. Today, since we’re studying the office of deacon, I thought I’d start with photos of our deacon team. (IMAGE) I am thankful for each of these men and the role they play in leadership of our church body. If there are any members of the deacon team that you’ve not interacted with, I’d encourage you to be on the lookout for them on Sundays to say hi. And, of course, they’re doing the same for you too 😊 (Series Graphic)
Before we get into our study, why don’t I…
Dismiss 4th + 5th graders
Everyone else grab your Bibles or smart devices and turn to 1 Timothy 3.
Ushers + Bibles (Page 1178)
After last week’s study on the office of pastor/overseer/elder/shepherd, I heard that there were some great discussions on the topic in our small groups. In my own small group it was astonishing to hear of how many different experiences we had with church leaders and structures for leadership. It was evident that some of us had great examples of leadership growing up and others not so much. That is why it is so important for us to keep coming back to the Word to ask, “What does God say?”
Speaking of that, I was struck by my own Bible reading in Jeremiah this past week about the brokenness of the nations of Israel and Judah. They repeatedly turn away from God and to their various idols and sins. They rejected their Creator in exchange for temporary pleasures and treasures of this world! As I read that and the subsequent just judgment of God that came upon them, I couldn’t help but think of my own battle with sin and the brokenness of our own nation. To this day, thousands of years after the patterns of sin and rebellion in the Old Testament, humanity still struggles with sin and rebellion. We need to hear from God on how we ought to live; we need to hear from God about the beauty of the Gospel – that God has made a way for sinners to be rescued and redeemed; and, as the church, we need to know how God has designed us to operate so that we might be his Gospel ambassadors in our broken and hurting world. So please do not check out this morning. Learning about Godly Leadership in Church is an important part of fulfilling God’s plan to take the message of salvation to the ends of the earth! You do want to get after the mission God has given us, don’t you? *Pause*
Let’s read our text for today…
1 Timothy 3:8–16 (ESV)
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 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.
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Our goal today is…
Thinking biblically about the office of deacon
Like last week, we’re going to seek to answer 4 questions today to understand the teaching on this office. Our first question is…
- What is it?
This is the second official office of the church. In this passage, Paul is laying out character qualities that must be true for anyone who will serve in the official role of deacon. The beginning of the role of deacon shows up early in church history in Acts 6. We talked about this briefly last week. Let me read it in full this week:
Acts 6:1–7 (ESV)
6 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. 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.” 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.
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.
The apostles, who are also the preachers of God’s Word in the early church, set an example for us. They value the preaching of the word and prayer, but they also prioritize meeting the needs of the body! They do not want the widows to go without bread, so they come up with a solution of having the church identify 7 godly, wise men to handle the need.
These 7 men would serve the church by meeting the physical need, which allowed the pastors to focus on preaching and prayer! The end result was that God’s word advanced and many more came to know Jesus as Savior and Lord. This is a beautiful picture of how the church ought to function, including its leadership. This example is the earliest prototype of the office of deacon.
The word deacon literally means servant. And, as we’ve just heard, the office of deacon is a counterpart to the office of pastor. Both are necessary for a healthy church. This letter to Timothy is the primary place where the office of deacon is addressed. However, another brief reference to the office of deacon is seen in Paul’s letter to the Philippians:
Philippians 1:1 (ESV)
1 Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:
So, what is it? Deacons are an official leadership role in the local church. Which brings us to our next question…
- What do they do?
As I mentioned a moment ago, deacon translates to servant. You can probably guess what a deacon’s primary focus is to be… serving. We like to put it this way:
- Deacons lead by serving
- Pastors serve by leading
As we saw in Acts 6, a deacon is often focused on meeting physical needs within the church. In that instance, it was making sure the widows had enough food. It could be a variety of other types of needs though. Really, any number of ministries, as need arises in the church. Here are some examples:
- Mercy ministry – visits, setting up meals, providing needed assistance
- Financial – helping the church manage its budget, providing help to those in need in the body
- Maintenance – caring for the property that God has entrusted to the church, helping those in the body who have maintenance needs and cannot physically handle them
- Adoption + Foster Care
- Ministry event planning
- Liaison to ministry partners
- Missions
- Volunteer management
- Setup/teardown – think of church plants who are packing in and out each week
Truly there is quite a spectrum of needs that could occur in the body of believers for which a deacon could arise and help meet the need. This is essential to the health of the body as it frees up the pastors to preach and pray while making sure the needs are being met.
This is not to say that a deacon must DO all the work required to meet the need. A good deacon will facilitate the work of the ministry as the rest of the body does the work. In Ephesians 4:11-12, when addressing the role of shepherds and teachers (pastors), Paul says:
Ephesians 4:11–12 (ESV)
11 And he gave … the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Pastors are to equip the saints for the work of ministry, which is the building up of the body of Christ so that we would all grow up into spiritual maturity. This happens, Paul later says, as each part is working properly. Another way of putting this is:
- Pastors lead ministry
- Deacons facilitate ministry
- The congregation does ministry
You can see how the entire church works together as a team! The most effective pastors and deacons don’t try to do everything themselves. Rather they mobilize the saints for the work of the ministry! This is a lesson I personally have had to learn and relearn over and over again in my 12 years of pastoring. It is always tempting to just “do it myself” rather than to ask for help or raise up saints to do the work. But God’s good design for the church is that we are all to put our hands to the proverbial plow to get the work done! *Pause*
Deacons are ministers of mercy. Their important work ensures the Gospel goes forth! This is incredibly relevant to the point that Paul is making in his letter to Timothy. I really appreciate how Matt Smethurst puts it in his book Deacons:
The larger principle of the deacon’s role, though, includes anything in a church’s life that threatens to distract and derail elders from their primary responsibilities.
All of this suggests that a deacon should be skilled at spotting practical needs and then taking the initiative to meet them efficiently. But the best deacons don’t just react to present problems: they also anticipate future ones. They love to brainstorm creative solutions to anything that might potentially impede the work of the elders and the flourishing of the Word.
Biblical deacons, then, are like a congregation’s offensive linemen, whose job is to protect the quarterback. They rarely get attention, much less credit, but their labors are utterly indispensable for both guarding and advancing the ministry of the Word. Without effective deacons, elders will suffer incessant distraction and get sacked by an onrush of practical demands. (75-76)
Can we show some appreciation for the linemen of our church? (IMAGE) Thank you, Matthew, Jeremy, and Adam for serving as deacons. These men provide leadership by meeting needs within our church. While we have given them specific emphases such as finances, facilities, and compassion, the role of deacon has them on the lookout for all kinds of needs in the body. Their work enables me and the rest of the pastor team to spend more of our time and energy on shepherding the flock in matters of the Word and prayer. I am truly grateful for deacons. It is incredibly easy to be overwhelmed by the many diverse needs that come up in the life of our church in a given year.
Do you realize we have an incredibly old building and property? There was a lot of deferred maintenance when we purchased this property. I used to spend a lot of time working on renovation projects during my week, but with Jeremy taking on this deacon role, now he is looking out for those matters and organizing our bi-annual church work days and Small Group Adopt-a-Projects.
On the subject of finances, every October is the beginning of our budgeting process for the following year. When I first came here, the pastor team generally did the work for the entire process. Through godly men taking on the deacon of finance position, we are now able to rely on their expertise and godly character to guide the process. We are freed up to make strategic decisions and provide guidance while Matthew does a lot of the financial legwork to obtain budget requests from the ministry leaders and offers projections and counsel on how to set the budget.
For compassion, the end of the year is always a time when we look for ways to meet needs in our body or community. We have rotated between Operation Christmas Child and the Giving Tree over the past 5 years. Guess who is making sure those happen? Adam Conn, our deacon of compassion. He is working even now with the staff to make sure things are ready to go for this November and December’s Giving Tree. You’ll hear more about that later in the month.
All this to say, I’m thankful for the deacons we have and those who will be raised up in the future. Which brings me to our third question…
- Who can be one?
In our membership class, we teach that qualified men can hold the office of deacon. This is based on the understanding of the early church appointing men into this role in Acts 6, as well as Paul’s teaching here in 1 Timothy 3 that they are to be “the husband of one wife”.
As I prepared for this sermon, I found that there are strong arguments on both sides of whether the office of deacon is open to women or not. There is a lot of discussion on the proper interpretation of verse 11 – whether it is speaking about the wives of deacons or female deacons. Many faithful churches and pastors who hold to a high view of Scripture and the local church with a complementarian view of the sexes have women as deacons. And many faithful churches and pastors in the same theological camp do not. We would heartily partner with churches on either side of this matter, in fact we already do, as seen in our ongoing partnership with Redemption Hill Church in Waukee.
I want to affirm that women are needed and valued servants in the church. Whether the office of deacon is open to women or not, every woman has incredible gifts and abilities to bring to bear within the church. The body would not be complete without them.
Whereas the office of overseer is only for men, as established by the creation order in Genesis 2, the office of deacon may be open for both men and women as it does not involve authoritative teaching of God’s Word. Studying this passage this past week has prompted discussion on the pastor team about our church’s interpretation and position on this passage. We will continue to dig into the topic as we seek to lead Harvest in a manner pleasing to Jesus.
With that being said, just like the office of overseer, this office has qualifications that are required in order to hold it. Let’s look at those now.
- Dignified – worthy of respect/honor, noble; they’ve conducted themselves in a respectable manner both in the church and outside of it
- Not double-tongued – insincere; lit. saying two things; this could happen if you are a people-pleaser or man-fearer… a deacon must stand firm for the Lord and not fear man
- Not addicted to much wine – not paying attention to much wine; Drunkenness was viewed as an evil in both the Old and New Testaments. This is a specific form of lack of self-control. It is likely that deacons helped serve communion and it would not do for a deacon to be a drunk who is in control of the communion wine.
- Not greedy for dishonest gain – cutting moral corners, obsessing over money; makes sense as they help with handling finances in the church
- Hold the mystery of the faith – they must understand the Gospel and hold tightly to it! (see vv16)
- With a clear conscience – no doubts; firm in their faith
- Let them be tested first –
- They can serve if they prove themselves blameless – above reproach
At our church we have a process for vetting potential deacon candidates. First, the pastor team discusses whether a man meets the character qualities shown in this passage. Then they enter the deacon candidacy program, where they go through a study on the role of deacon with a pastor to ensure they understand what it means to be a deacon. Then we investigate their qualifications further with the man and his family. Upon completion of that process, we present the man to the congregation for a 30-day window for their vetting and evaluation. After the 30 days is complete and no disqualifying factors have been identified, the man is appointed to the office of deacon for at least a 2 year commitment.
Paul also says that a deacon’s wife must be of a particular character. This is likely due to the fact that the role would often include the wife’s help and support. Providing mercy ministry, hospitality, and meeting physical needs within the church would be something many men would do with their wives, especially to avoid the appearance of impropriety.
- Wives must be:
- Dignified – worthy of respect/honor, noble
- Not slanderers – Diabolos; to slander is to utter false charges or misrepresentations which defame and damage another’s reputation (MW); to speak critically of another with the intent to hurt (HIBD)
- Sober-minded – controlled thinking; restrained, not ruled by passions
- Faithful in all things – reliable/trustworthy; a general character of being able to be trusted with anything
- Husband of one wife – “one woman man”; faithfulness to your wife to love and lead her
- Managing their children –
- Well – they are good managers; leading well
- Managing their household –
- Well – they are good managers; leading well
Just as the husband of one wife doesn’t mean a man must be married, so this does not mean a man must have kids. However, if he does have kids, then this ought to be true of him. Management of the home is a great proving ground for a man’s character and abilities. If he can’t manage the home, he has no business managing God’s church.
I appreciated again William Mounce’s comments on this subject:
Of the nine characteristics of a deacon, six are directly parallel to the characteristics of an overseer: dignified (although the actual words used are synonyms), not drunkards, not greedy for gain, blameless, “one-woman” men, and good managers of their household.
Both the office of church leader and the office of church worker require the same type of person: a mature Christian whose behavior is above reproach (Word Biblical Commentary)
Mature Christians with godly lives. That’s who the church needs in leadership. People who are committed to the Gospel and to humble service of others. Now why do you think the church would prioritize these qualities in leadership? Could it be that these are the example of none other than Jesus Christ, the Son of God!?
Absolutely! Both deacons and pastors look to the model of our Savior, Jesus Christ, for godly leadership. He was the humble servant par excellence. The one who came not to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many!
Jesus Christ set the standard of humble service for the sake of the Gospel. Jesus was able to say with confidence that he always did what was pleasing to God the Father. Everything Jesus did was to advance God’s plan to create a people for himself and be in relationship with those people!
Likewise, everything we’re learning about church leadership over the past two weeks is directly connected to the advancement of God’s plan. Paul had said in 1 Timothy 2:4 that God desires all to hear of the good news of salvation from sin through faith in Christ. He wants everyone to believe in the truth, that they are sinners in need of a Savior and Jesus is the Savior! That, through faith in Jesus, it is possible to have your relationship with God restored to be at peace with your Creator. Why am I reminding us of this?
Because godly deacons have the privilege of pointing people back to the Savior they so desperately need! Good deaconing models Christ to the church and the watching world around us. People ought to say, “Look at how well they love one another. Look at how they care for their hurting. Look at how they walk through every season of life together and have such joy in the process!” This happens as godly deacons lead the way in facilitating the ministry of Christ to one another. Which brings us to our final question for today…
- Why does this matter?
As we were just hearing, it matters for the sake of the Gospel going forth. Earlier we heard that a deacon must:
1 Timothy 3:9 (ESV)
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
The mystery Paul speaks of is the Gospel message. He elaborates on this in verse 16:
1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV)
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
This appears to be an early Christian hymn composed of two stanzas of three lines each. The first stanza is focused on Christ’s life – speaking of Jesus’ incarnation (God taking on human flesh), his victory at the resurrection, and his ascension into heaven. The second stanza speaks of the world’s reception of Jesus – starting with the message about Jesus being proclaimed and believed in across the world with a final emphasis on his present reign from on high in glory.
The message that Paul and Timothy are concerned with representing well, that godly pastors and deacons are called to promote, is this good news of salvation for sinners through faith in Jesus! Peter puts it so well in his preaching in Acts 4:
Acts 4:10–12 (ESV)
10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by him this man is standing before you well. 11 This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Jesus is the Savior. He is the hope for men and women dead in their sin and rebellion against a holy God. He is God the Son, taking on human flesh, and making a way for us to be forgiven and redeemed through his death, burial, and resurrection. He drank the cup of the Father’s wrath dry that was meant for us. Jesus did this and he alone is worthy of your faith. He will come again for his people, to bring them where he is. This is the hope of eternity. These are the truths that Paul is seeking to protect through these teachings to Timothy. In our study for today, Paul is specifically emphasizing the role deacons play in protecting and promoting the gospel. If you recall, there was significant and eternal fruit from the deacons rising up in Acts 6:
Acts 6:7 (ESV)
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.
The work of deacons has enormous spiritual implications. It is removing hindrances to the gospel going forth! It frees up pastors to preach God’s Word and to faithfully pray. The deacon’s private service facilitates public ministry of the Word. Praise God for faithful deacons!
So that is the most important reason it matters – the gospel’s progression/advance – but another reason is found in…
1 Timothy 3:13 (ESV)
13 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.
There are benefits for the deacon! They are recognized as spiritually mature leaders in their community, and they have a personal confidence in their faith that leads them to be bold witnesses. They are able to taste and see sweet fruit of growth in their own lives and walk with Christ! Faithful deacons will be a powerful testimony to the watching world. Their conduct gains respect and provides opportunities for future ministry! On top of that, their increased confidence in their own walk with Jesus will help them boldly pursue those opportunities.
This ties perfectly into the theme verses for the letter, which we’ve discussed each week of this series:
1 Timothy 3:14–15 (ESV)
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
These instructions for deacons are part of the proper behavior in God’s church. When pastors and deacons fulfill their roles biblically, then the truth is upheld and supported, and God is glorified!
Conversely, as we’ll see and hear next week when we study chapter 4, to abandon God’s plan for behavior in the church leads to chaos and all kinds of false teachings. This is exactly what had been going on in Ephesus to the detriment of many. People had walked away from the faith. Young widows were partaking in gossip and causing division. Sexual misconduct was rampant. Scripture was being abused and misused.
When you abandon God’s plan, you enter dangerous territory. You are stepping outside of what is true and for your good into a world of chaos and disorder. Where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. This is what we see in many false churches in our day in age. It is certainly what we see in our culture all around us.
Without the truth of God’s Word guiding us, we will inevitably put ourselves in God’s place. And we will elevate our own thoughts and opinions as the source of truth. Welcome to relativism – your truth is your truth and my truth is my truth. Truth becomes subjective and no one is allowed to make an objective truth claim… The problem with that position is that you must make an objective truth claim to say it!
Christians must hold firmly to the trustworthy word of God. We must allow it to guide our practice. There is a saying that I want you to write it down – “Orthodoxy must lead to orthopraxy.” That’s a fancy way of saying, “Right belief must lead to right action.” Or as we’ve said it already in this series – “Sound doctrine must lead to sound living.”
When we prioritize calling deacons according to the standards and qualifications given here in God’s Word, we are practicing sound living. And just like we heard last week, every Christian must take seriously the call to protect these offices!
How can you do that? By recognizing and encouraging godly men in our church to aspire to the office! The church needs godly men to pursue the deaconate. If you know such men, encourage them to consider it. A second way to protect the deaconate is to regularly encourage the men who are serving well! You can encourage them most by being teachable, leadable servants. When they seek to mobilize the body, such as for the Fall Work Day on 10/15 or the Giving Tree in November and December, rise up and meet the needs.
I’m sure these men would say that it is a blessing when they are able to see God at work in you. Your willing service and partnership in the ministry make a deacon’s role straightforward and enjoyable. It is their delight to rejoice with you in God’s work in the body and our community!
A third way to protect the deaconate is to be involved in the process of bringing new men onto the team. Take seriously that 30-day window where we ask the members of the church to make sure they speak up if there are any disqualifying characteristics present in the man. This is a way to protect the church from unqualified men entering the office! *Pause*
As we said last week, at the end of the day, Jesus died for the church. The church is his bride, the assembly of forgiven, blood-bought sinners. If creating this group of redeemed sinners was that important to God, then protecting it ought to be important to you and me.
Having godly, qualified men in the deaconate protects and strengthens the church. It allows the Gospel to be proclaimed and people to be discipled. It results in the flock being well-cared for and protected. It produces peace rather than disunity. It allows the church to be a light on a hill, shining the hope of the Gospel to a lost and hurting world. This is what the church is meant to be! Where you find a church doing these things, you’ll find the best possible community to be a part of in this world. *Pause*
Godly leadership in the church matters.
Let’s pray.