Together
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Thom Rainer, President of Lifeway, recently wrote and article on Church Trends for 2017. Right in the middle of those 10 trends are 3 that I believe are related. 1. Multisite churches will seek to become community churches. They will go into communities looking for closed and closing churches and seek to acquire them. 2. Church closures will increase rapidly. 3. Denominations will seek to re-open and revitalize those churches.
Thom Rainer, President of Lifeway, recently wrote and article on Church Trends for 2017. Right in the middle of those 10 trends are 3 that I believe are related. 1. Multisite churches will seek to become community churches. They will go into communities looking for closed and closing churches and seek to acquire them. 2. Church closures will increase rapidly. 3. Denominations will seek to re-open and revitalize those churches.
If I am interpreting this and other data, it leads me to believe that there is disease in the very DNA of many local churches. I could be due to conflict among members where fighting has become the norm. It could be due to control freaks who would rather let their church die, than change. It could be due to complacency where members are just plain apathetic toward loving God and loving people outside the walls of the church. Whatever it is, I've been sounding the alarm to our church as long as I have been here.
As we approach Deacon ordination tonight, I believe now more than ever it is important to have godly leaders in (pastors and deacons) working WITH the church to touch our neighbors and the nations for Jesus.
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
Quality
Quality
The word translated "deacon" is very common in the Bible. Most of the time it refers to the common, everyday service that God has called all of us too. The word is servant plain and simple.
The actual number of times the biblical office of deacon is mentioned is incredibly limited.
1 Timothy talks about the qualifications, setting the standard pretty high for who can become a deacon (or remain one). I believe it healthy sometimes to look at a person who is a deacon (or a pastor for that matter) and ask, based on the biblical standards, would we ask this person to be a deacon if we were looking at them brand new.
Deacons, likewise, should be worthy of respect, not hypocritical, not drinking a lot of wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And they must also be tested first; if they prove blameless, then they can serve as deacons. Wives, too, must be worthy of respect, not slanderers, self-controlled, faithful in everything. Deacons must be husbands of one wife, managing their children and their own households competently. For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing for themselves, and great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
Competency in Duties
Competency in Duties
While the word deacon is no where used in this passage, it is almost universally accepted that these are the first deacons.
In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters. Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.” The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.
I think it is a really bad translation of the phrase Diakaoneo trapedza (serve tables) to say "handle financial affairs". To be sure, in the economically hindered church in Jerusalem, the widows were receiving food and perhaps even monetary distributions daily. But it is terribly off base to think that the "job" of the deacon is to handle financial business, although there was probably some monetary distribution involved here.
Other off base ideas about the "job" of a deacon.
See about widows. The task at hand here is definitely to be sure all widows in need are taken care of fairly, but I don't see this example as the model for a "job"
Go to meetings. There is no evidence that they held ongoing meetings for the sake of saying they had a meeting.
A Board. There is no evidence that they made up some kind of board.
Determine the affairs of the church on behalf of the church.
Supervise, direct, or otherwise dictate what the pastor should be doing.
I believe that many things people believe a pastor should do, actually fall within the realm of deacon responsibility.
So what should the "job" of the deacon be? I really believe it is to "fill in the gap." It most certainly is to HELP the pastor or pastors with the behind the scenes, menial, and everyday things that can make or break a church family.
And that brings me back to my beginning thought.
Togetherness
Togetherness
In 1st Timothy, Paul lays out the qualifications of pastors and then deacons.
In Acts the Apostles, serving as pastors of the local church see their priority as The Word and Prayer, and call on the people to get some deacons together.
Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus:
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
Phil 1.1 has Saints (the church) including the Overseers and Deacons
You wont find deacons outside of the context of the church and without being WITH pastors. It is really quite the shame what we have done with these two offices through the years. Never was there supposed to be one ruling over the other. Never were they intended to adversaries. Never was the pastor supposed to dream dreams, and the deacons be a cold water committee to find problems and pitfalls.
I believe a pastor who is worth his salt will lead from the counsel of many godly people including deacons. No one in a place of leadership should avoid accountability.
But if we could see that maybe what churches that are drying up and closing their doors need is pastors and deacons WORKING. NOT just having meetings, but working, we could be one of those churches that thrives in the future.
As I have set out in my sixth year of service here, I am glad to see the direction and the quality of the men we are adding.
Let's do the work of the Lord TOGETHER!
In the future, lets minimize our meetings and make much of our doing! TOGETHER! Let's prioritize our own lives, and lead our church by example. Let's set the bar high, and rise to the occassion.