I'm going to say some things in the introduction this morning and I want to preface it with a passage from Paul in 2 Corinthians chapter 10 and verse 12 when he says that we are not of those who compare ourselves to others. And he goes on to say that those who do these things are not wise. I don't want anything that I'm about to say to sound like what we are doing is engaging in some kind of braggadocious behavior.
because we realize we often challenge ourselves through the Bible classroom and the pulpit and the areas where we need to grow and improve and we never stop needing improvement. And when we compare ourselves to Christ, we know where we are. But even when we compare ourselves to other churches, historically, we realize that what is going on here is relatively small and tame, say, compared to what was going on in the Jerusalem church in Acts chapter 2 and others.
And yet I think it's fair for us and helpful sometimes for us to appreciate with God's help what He is allowing us to be able to do. There is a lot good that's going on in this congregation right now. Wonderful things that have occurred. And it is helpful to be reminded that it's not always that way everywhere, especially in our current times.
Gallup polling released a poll this year in which they indicated that in the last four years, since the onset of the pandemic, that there has been a general decline in church attendance across the nation. And that when you quantify that with numbers, they're anywhere from four to 12%. That is before the pandemic to today, one out of 10 fewer people are going inside of a church building.
And when we consider this, there are those that we consider themselves, church experts, individuals like Kerry Newhof and others who will give out their lists of 10 reasons why church attendance is in decline and would headline that with ideas like there's the general affluence of people and the more we have, the less likely we are to fill our sense of need to God or there's our children's activities that so often now are on the weekend. And so we follow them to the ball fields and to their activities rather than to the assemblies of the Lord's church.
And then there are the online options that have become so much a part of the world in which we live. And of course, there are other reasons given. And it has been my experience in having visited with congregations in various parts of the country in the last three to four years that there has been a decline, a shrinking in size and in service. And I am thankful to say that that is not the case in this congregation.
And there are objective ways for us to look at this. And that's where I want to share this with what we need to be, the needed humility to understand that this means that whatever, and it was prayed so well, whatever is done is because of God's power and God's ability. But here's what has happened. If you look at the attendance in this congregation in the last six months, that is go back to May of this year, our average attendance, even when you include fall break is 349 on Sunday morning.
Five years ago, in the same timeframe, our attendance during that period of time was 321 average on Sunday morning. That is an increase of almost 10%. But it's not just in size that we have seen there to be a growth and an expansion, but also in the works of the church.
Our elders stood at the forefront of the congregation during the high of the pandemic and they let us own a quest for a vision to see who we are and who does God want us to be and how do we fulfill our mission and what is our strategic plan to do that and as that was done there were works that were already being done that we wanted to continue to focus our energy on things we've been doing for years to help the church to grow but there were other things that needed to expand or to be done better or maybe to be added
And so there was a concentrated effort that was made on our college and young adult program and we have seen how that has entrenched and it has grown. There are other areas of congregational life that have experienced this positive uptick in opportunity and in efforts that are being done, whether it's church family or our education program or if it is media tech or our mission works and how we approach that.
and efforts that have been added to what we do here like our equip workshop or the television program. And as our elders lead us in this strategic plan, there's not only a focus on what has been done and what we are doing, but there's a need for us to look and see how we can improve that and how we can grow that. You know, a lot of that begins from the top down. And so we're talking about leadership.
And so the congregation addressed the leadership issue a couple of months ago by adding to our ranks of those who serve as our shepherds. And we added two elders just a couple of months ago. But they also look at our work and they see that there is an expanded need for us to have deacons.
For us to focus on areas where we can challenge ourselves to grow and to step out and to go places where we have not gone, and to try to accomplish the great commission that God has given to us will never be exempt or immune from that. And so as that's the case, we begin to look at deacons more carefully.
I realize that some sermons are by their nature going to be more persuasive and some are going to be more informational. But as we dig deeper into the subject of deacons, we find that maybe there's not as much said about that as we thought that there was. In fact, there is not much said about the office of a deacon at all in the New Testament, which we'll see in just a moment. There's not a set pattern given to us for how deacons are to be put into place. And so there's judgment and discretion to be used.
And yet we begin to study the Bible, we see that spiritual men who meet the qualifications for that are very much a part of the Lord's New Testament plan for His church. And so I want us to see a few facts about deacons today. And let's notice those together for just a few moments. The first thing I want you to notice with me is that deacons are a part of God's organizational plan for the church.
When we read in the New Testament and we come across this idea of deacons, we do see that there was a class of leaders in the church known as deacons. One place that we see this is in Philippians chapter one and verse one, as Paul begins this letter from prison and he writes, he says, Paul and Timothy, bond servants of Jesus Christ to the saints in Christ Jesus along with the overseers and the deacons.
There was a class of people there known as both elders and also deacons. And as we see this group of people, we see that not anyone, just anyone could serve in that role or that capacity. That there were men who had to meet certain qualifications.
When we look at that word that is translated deacon, it's actually found 29 times in 27 verses of the New Testament. And primarily when you come across that word, it's going to be translated in one of two ways. It's either going to be servant or minister.
And so as we look at this, there are others who may feel that role of the Akhenos, that is those who are serving and who are ministering, and yet there is also a technical sense, four times in the New Testament, that this word deacon is used in that technical sense, individuals who must meet certain qualifications. For example, not everybody has to be the husband of one wife, not everybody has to have children,
And yet we see that these qualifications are laid out for us. And I appreciate very much the reading that Chuck did just a moment ago that indicates to us that men who would serve as deacons must be men who are of respectable behavior. They are the men who are not double-tongued. They are not to be given to much wine. They are not to be fond of sorted gain, but they are to hold the mystery of the faith in a clear conscience.
Deacons must first be tested and then let them serve as deacons, seeing that they are beyond reproach. And he says deacons in verse 12 are to be the husbands of only one wife and they are to rule their children and their own households well and those who have served well as deacons purchase or obtained for themselves a high standing and great confidence which is in the faith in Christ Jesus.
And so there in 1 Timothy 3, 8 through 13, God lays out how his household is to be organized. And right before he gets to the key statement in 1 Timothy, he lays out qualifications for us. Now, when we examine the writings just after the New Testament, right there at the very beginning, we have confirmation from other sources.
that tell us that the congregations were organized in such a way that there were deacons, that were to meet qualifications, and that were to be esteemed in the work that they do. There is a Christian manual that dates to about 130 A.D. called the dedicate.
And in that particular manual, there was an encouragement to appoint presperters and deacons, men who were to be true-hearted and to be approved, who were to be sincere and to be gentle. And so they were already recognizing in the next generation after the New Testament that congregations were to continue to appoint specific men as deacons. Polycarp was converted by the Apostle John.
And in 115 he writes a letter to the church at Philippi and he encourages them to show respect and submission to those who serve as elders and deacons.
And so this writing reflects simply what we see in the New Testament that in the church where there were tasks to be assigned and where there were activities to be done, where the church was fulfilling its mission, that there were to be men who could be identified and could be tasked with specific works in the congregations where they attended. But what did that look like? What was that work like?
You know, you see the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3, verse 8 through 13, and you see this class of individuals who are identified for us in Philippians 1 and verse 1, but we don't really get much of a window into what deacon work looked like on a daily basis. The closest thing that we come to is when we go to Acts chapter 6.
Now we remind ourselves lest we confuse this and say that these definitively are deacons, that that's not said at all. There are words in the Deacon family that are mentioned here about ministry and serving. But there's no official sense in which these individuals are called deacons. And yet what we see here is a need arises. And the biblical pattern was you address that need by finding individuals who meet certain qualifications and you put them in charge of those things.
so that they could get the work done. So you remember in Acts chapter six and verse two that there were Greece and widows who were not getting their food in the daily distribution of food. And so the apostles called the congregation the disciples of themselves and they say it is not right for us to leave the word of God and to serve tables. And so you choose from among you seven men of good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this task on that occasion in the Jerusalem church.
the apostles who are seeing the gospel spread at such an incredible rate, who were basically the preachers in the congregation. They find themselves then wanting to focus on that and saying, let's get men who can help to meet this need that has arisen in the church. And so we find this principle, this idea of those special servants who've helped to carry out the will of God and the way that he's laid it out.
You know, a passage that will help us is Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 16 that tells us that every member of the body is a working part or is to be a working part and is to cooperate with all the other members of the body. And with that analogy, we have the idea that all of us is to do our part. But you go back and Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 11, and there are these classes of leaders that are mentioned there. And one of those classes of leaders are pastors or shepherds.
And of course, we remind ourselves, that's not the preachers, the pastors in the New Testament. Those are the elders, the presperters, the overseers. And they are tasked with helping the church to grow in every part to do its part Ephesians, chapter four, verse 11 and 12. And so when we look at the New Testament pattern, we see that there is a class of leaders called overseers, Acts chapter 20 and verse 28. And then there are individuals whose work and service as
delineated by 1 Timothy 3, 8 through 12, causes them by being appointed by the congregation to carry out the daily needs of the church so that the elders can see to the spiritual decision-making and direction and guidance of the congregation.
That does not mean that one has to be a deacon in order to be a working, productive part of the congregation. All of us is to play our part, but it does mean that God looks at this role, this work of deacons as one that he honors as a way to make his body to run the way that it should. And so deacons are part of God's plan or pattern for the organization of the church.
But second, I want you to notice that as we begin to look at their qualifications, we see that deacons are to be examples of work and service. When we begin to see these individuals, we see that they are those who, by their lives, have put themselves in a position to serve in an exceptional way. So we look at those qualifications in 1 Timothy chapter 3, and here's what we notice.
When we look at those qualifications, we see that they are to be of respectable character, verse 8. They are to be men of dignity. That doesn't mean that they lack a sense of humor. It doesn't mean that there are bland individuals who don't have character.
What it does mean is that they do not cause the church to be embarrassed. They don't give the church a black eye by the way that they conduct themselves when they're out in their lives away from the church building. They are of respectable character, but they are also individuals of integrity. He says here, they're not double-tongued. They're not deceitful in their words. They are not too faced. They're not hypocritical.
They are individuals who are known to be as good as their word, and if they say it, they're going to do it. And you can see how when we're talking about service and work and responsibility, that you want an individual who will follow through with what they say that they will do. They're also individuals who have temperate habits.
When you see here the qualifications, the idea is that their self-control is known to everybody and anybody who sees them and has interaction with them in their daily life.
They have control of themselves. They're appetites. They have control of their relationship with financial things. Paul's going to talk about that later on in this letter in 1 Timothy chapter 6. They are individuals who, if they are blessed with financial means, are going to not be enslaved to that. They're going to be good stewards of that. But they're also going to be committed Bible students.
It doesn't mean that they have to be the greatest Bible scholars in the congregation, but Paul does say there's an expectation that they are going to be good Bible students. That they're going to be those who have a grasp of what God's Word says. And as the result of this, they're going to submit themselves to the authority of God in their lives and they understand the book to know what that means. They're going to be committed Bible students. We also see that they're going to be tested. They're going to be proven.
They're going to be proven first in their lives in verse 10. They're going to be examined. And as you examine them and you put them to the test, they're going to pass the test. Here's what that means. You don't appoint a man, a deacon, hoping that he will get to work. You don't do so as an encouragement or as an inducement to get him to work.
Here's what it seems that the Apostle Paul is saying is you look out among the congregation and you see those individuals who are already doing the work. You're evaluating them. You're testing them. And as you put them to the test, you say, is this an individual who is at work? You say, absolutely. And as the result of that, we know that they're involved and we can count on them to be involved. They're reliable.
Then we see what he says in verse 12 that they have proven family leadership. None of us have perfect kids. None of us have perfect marriages. But the Apostle Paul uses a term here that he uses earlier in first Timothy chapter three with regard to the elders and the idea there of that being a husband of one wife is more technically he is a one woman man. He is a man who can be trusted with the opposite sex.
He is one who does not have a roving eye, but one who is faithful to his wife. He is old enough to have children, and he is mature enough to lead them well. And so we see that they have these particular qualifications. Before we move on to number three, I want to suggest this, that there is nowhere in Scripture where the Bible tells us that those who serve as deacons are to be the most respected in the community.
There's nowhere that it says that they are to be a success in their occupation and kind of superlative in that sense. And there is nowhere in Scripture that indicates that they are to have financial savvy. Now, if you have somebody who has the respect of the community, who is one who is a leader in their job, and you see one who is a good steward of their finances, that may help them if they're otherwise qualified.
But nowhere when we see the qualifications for deacons set down, do we see anything about their popularity or their prosperity or their personality?
But we do see something about the principles that they have and the proven character that they possess and their penchant for perspiration that makes them one who could serve in that way. And so the apostle Paul through these qualifications indicates to us that these are individuals who are going to be examples in their service and their work. We also see in the third place that they are spiritual men who are committed to the work of the Lord. As we
Notice the work that the elders lay out for us it is a work that has financial or physical or material aspects to it But it is also a very spiritual work and everything that's of a material nature is leading toward a spiritual end and so when we think about the fact that deacons are delegated leaders in the local church who are given charge and
of works that are a part of everything that we are all about as a church. They have got to be spiritual men who are committed. You know, I think about the kind of men that Jethro may have had in mind in Exodus chapter 18 when he's speaking to Moses
And Moses has all this work on himself. And so Jethro says that what you're doing is not good. You're going to wear yourself out and you're going to also wear out the people. And so the ultimate solution there near the end of Exodus chapter 18 is to call alongside him some others who are going to be able to help. They're going to be those who have a respect for the Word of God.
willing to listen to it. Exodus chapter 18 and verse 20, they're going to be individuals who are men of ability, they're able men. Exodus 18 and verse 21, they're going to be men who fear and revere the Word of God. Exodus 18 and verse 21, they're going to be men who believe the truth, who stand up for the truth and who are men of truth. Exodus 18 and verse 21. And so there are some principles I think that can help us
with this idea of deacons who are spiritual and committed men. As we've already seen in the qualifications, these are spiritual qualifications. What do we learn? We're going to learn first of all the principle that the one to whom much is given to him much is to be required. Men in those positions to serve as deacons are individuals who have qualifications. They have
opportunities. They have assets about themselves and God wants them to use those in service to him. Another principle is to embrace the idea that whoever will be the greatest among you, let him be your servant.
When one takes on the work of a deacon, he is simply walking in the footsteps behind the Savior. And you see the Savior of the world who created the world in John chapter 13 verse 12 through 17, willing to reduce himself to wash the dirty feet of the disciples.
And so deacons are those men who would certainly say with the Apostle Paul and 1 Corinthians 11 and verse 1, follow me imitate me even as I imitate Jesus Christ. And so they appreciate and embrace this principle that Jesus teaches in Matthew 20 verse 25 through 28. He says, the princes of the Gentiles exercise authority over them, they that are great, exercise dominion over them, it shall not be that way among you.
Whoever's going to be great among you, let him be your servant. Whoever's chief among you, let him be your slave, even as the son of man came not to be served, but to serve and to give us life a ransom for many. And so this principle that would guide a man who would serve in this way is greatness is assigned by God and it comes to the doorway of service. And then we have the idea of being the right example to the congregation. It's a principle of a spiritual and committed man.
When we think about the example that a man is going to set, you're going to see that play out. You know, a deacon is going to be a deacon according to verse 12, but first Timothy chapter three is one who is wholeheartedly devoted to the spiritual well-being of his family. When you look at that individual, you see a man who exemplifies dedication.
One who understands that service involves provoking others to love in good works. And so you're going to see this commitment to all the assemblies of the saints. He's going to be there and he's going to be engaged and not just present. You look at him and you see he's going to be one who is involved in the work and the activities of the congregation. He's an involved person. One who serves as a deacon. It's not one that you will ever have to ask. Hey, exactly what area of work is he involved in?
But you're going to see that involvement. You're going to see an interest in the passion that carries through with what's laid in his hands. And you're also going to see that he's serious. He's got his Bible open. He's trying to be a better Bible student today than he was yesterday. And he's trying to be a more effective servant now than he was before. And so he's going to be an example of the congregation and serving that way. He is also going to fully cooperate with the church's other
leaders. Deacon is not an island to himself. Deacon sees that he is a part in the vital cog. He's on the front line for sure, but he's working alongside of others who lead in various ways, those who serve and minister in ways that aren't defined with that role. Every congregation has those folks, folks who are not necessarily qualified to serve as deacons, but who take tasks and they're involved in their working is all of us need to be at work.
their individuals who, in the task that they serve, are working as part of a greater whole. They realize that they cooperate with. They understand the importance of unity. Jesus has it on his mind as he prays the night before he dies, John 17, 20, and 21. And so deacons will certainly be among those who lead in what Paul says. I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord of the sicha that you walk worthy,
of the vocation with which you were called with all holiness and meekness with long suffering for bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, Ephesians chapter 4, verse 1 through verse 3. And so they're going to be lockstep, arm in arm, in accomplishing the will of God in his church. But they also have the principle that spiritual and committed men. They are going to gain the congregation's respect.
not the title, but the work and the service that they render. Paul says that when one serves effectively as a deacon, they purchase a greater, they obtain a higher standing in God's eyes, but also in the eyes of others. It's not what drives them to do so, but as they execute the work of the church as a deacon, it is an inevitability. It's going to follow because they're doing that work.
Now we say this often, don't we, as a church? It's often an elder that gets up and says it, and they say something like, we want to turn Bowling Green upside down. And I love that. You know, it's thoroughly biblical, the idea, although it's helpful to remind ourselves of when that was first said and how it was first said. It's in, that's Lenaika, and it's said to Paul and Silas or about them, and it's said by angry Jews.
who are upset at the fact that the gospel is spreading. And so it's an accusation in Acts 17 and verse six. They say these that have turned the world upside down have come here also. It's God is opening doors to us and we go further into our community and we strive to preach the gospel and teach the gospel. It's going to have an upsetting effect. And you know who God wants to be a part of? Not we're being offensive and ugly, but there's the gospel pricks hearts.
Do you know who wants right there on the front line? Deacons. And they're doing so as they help us and encourage us in the daily tasks that need to be done. And so deacons are to be spiritual committed men. But may I also suggest to you that deacons need to respond to new and growing challenges. A growing church is simply changing. It's changing all the time. New members mean new challenges.
It means new relationships to build and to form. And the same is true of new Christians, but it may also include new issues and new needs and new opportunities. It means new strategies and it means new champions. And so as we're challenged, as we evolve as a congregation, Deacons serve a great role in that because Deacons are a part of the leadership and they're a part of the leadership that gets the work done. May I suggest some principles that help in this?
First of all, it makes sense that deacons are going to have organizational abilities. If they are delegated a task, and again, we look at the example of a task that needed qualified men to do it in Acts 6, we're not told how they got all those widows fed. It must have been a massive task. But they had to have some kind of organizational ability because you know what's going to happen Monday morning. Those widows are going to need food. It's going to happen Tuesday morning. It's going to be there all over again. And so the ability
to assess and to involve people, involves inevitably discretion and judgment. How many people need to be involved in this work? Who are the people that I can call, to what degree?
And how am I going to try to have as many people as possible to be a part of this? And how will I use each of them? It may require, if you're old school or new school, getting out a piece of paper and writing out some of those things. Or maybe put it on your phone and say, here's how I'm going to plan this work that I have charge over. They need organizational ability, it seems. They also need to be able to work well with others. Some tasks require more people than others. But
They understand that the body has so many different parts and all those parts need to be at work. And so they're going to do all that they can to build relationships with people that can help them with what they need to do. They also need to motivate others. What is this about? This is about the work of the church and our need to all personally be involved. And so maybe there's somebody who we see that is looking for a place in a way to be involved. It's helpful to be able to motivate them to do so.
They also build good infrastructure. When it comes to the work that one has, one should always do that work knowing that we're training our replacements. We are building the infrastructure, the machinery that can help this work to go on because we recognize in a growing church that changes often taking place. A man who is a deacon may now be an elder. If we think about this idea that if
There are certain qualifications, but anybody can do the work. Why have these men to serve as a deacon? What possible role or reason for that? First Timothy 3 gives us a few answers. First of all, this may be a proving ground for one who may serve as an elder.
There are similar qualifications in 1 Timothy chapter 3. There's an evaluation period for deacons verse 10 as well as for elders verse 4 through 6. Maybe this is a proving ground whereby they may serve as elders in the church. It also points out that God wants church leaders to be understood and recognized within the context of local church. And so Philippians chapter 1 and verse 1 specifically denotes them.
But when we look at the infrastructure, a deacon may become an elder. A deacon may get a job transfer and be gone next week. A deacon may, because of health reasons, or for some other reason, no longer be able to do that work. What happens to that ministry when that deacon is no longer there? And so wisdom would dictate that that individual is preparing himself for the next person who may do that work that he does.
And all of this is about furthering the work and the service of the Lord's Church. So we can more effectively use the resources we have. You know, don't we often say this? We have limited resources, time, talent and treasure. And so we're to use those things as wisely as possible. Deacons are a part of God's plan for this. When you think about that word, the Akhenos, it's very interesting word. It's not confined to this technical sense. Did you know Jesus?
calls himself Deaconos, Matthew chapter 20 and verse 28. There are other individuals of Paphras and Tychicus and Timothy and Phoebe and others who are called Deaconos, not in a formal, not in a technical sense, but they are doing that work of service.
But each one of us is also to be a deaconos. We were to be a servant. You remember in Mark chapter 9 of verse 33, the disciples are coming to Capernaum. They're on the road and Jesus asked them what it was that they were talking about because as they were going on the road, they kept silence, but on their way to Capernaum, they were arguing among themselves, which of them would be the greatest? And Jesus calls the 12 and he sits them down and he says, whoever be the greatest among you will be last of all and servant of all.
Deacons appreciate that. All of us need to appreciate that as we serve. But in the ambitious work that sets out before us, I think it's a reminder of how wonderful it is to be right here and right now with such opportunity out in front of us. But the encouragement is this is not time for us to take it easy. It's not a day for us to take our foot off the gas.
It's time for us to more fully engage and to respond. We have 14 deacons that are serving in helping to accomplish God's mission of evangelism, edification and benevolence. What our elders and their wisdom have seen is our needs are outpacing that. We have other areas of need. We have more individuals who are qualified, who need to step in and do these things and lead us in that work and we need to address that. I appreciate that spirit of leadership.
But it's all toward this end. As we look at ourselves, Ephesians 4, 14 says that we are no longer to be like children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine with the cunning craftiness whereby they lie and wait to deceive. But speaking the truth in love may grow up into him and all things who is the head, even Christ of whom the whole body being fitted and joined together.
It works together to cause the growth of the body by the building of itself in love. In 1 Corinthians 12 and verse 18 says that each of us are individual parts of the body and each of us plays a role. We need to be involved at work, servants in the cause of Christ. And so the elders are going to announce to us this morning what that means next with regard to deacons. But all of us need to ask ourselves, what service am I playing in the body?
First of all, am I in the body of Christ? Galatians 3, 27, Romans 6 and verse 4 tell us that it's through baptism that we are put into Christ, that we are clothed with Him. So the question is, are you a part of His body? The New Testament objectively answers that by saying, if you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, repent of sins and are baptized for the forgiveness of those sins, you're added to His body. And as you are part of that body, then God wants you to get to work.
But maybe you're a part of the body and you're not engaged. You're not helping to serve the overall purpose of the church. Perhaps other things have become more important and you'd like to rededicate yourself. You want to be a more active part of the body. If we can help you with that, we would love to do that and encourage you. If we can pray with you in some way, if you need to respond to this invitation, come now as we stand in sync.
