Deacons--Perks!

May 31, 2015                          NOTES NOT EDITED

Deacons:  Perks!

1Tim. 3:13; Acts 6:7

SIS—God rewards faithful service, both now and in eternity.

Many people live from paycheck to paycheck, often realizing that they run out of paycheck much earlier than they run out of week.  Often, it can be pretty hard to make ends meet, and downright frustrating.

Take the guy and his boss that I read about his week.  The boss said to one of his managers, “Come with me I want to show you my new sports car.”  They went out to the parking lot and there was a brand new, red convertible sports car in the boss’s parking spot.  The employee said, "That is amazing.”  The boss replied, “You bet it is, and if you set your goals for the new year a little higher and you work really, really hard then I can get an even better one next year!”

Well, that’s life.  Most people are just trying to get buy, and for most people the best day of the week is “pay day!” At least for one day you have some money.  The other day I read a quote that really caught my eye.  A man said, “I have enough money to live comfortably for the rest of my life . . . as long as I die next Thursday!”   

Emotions on payday are varied: joy, satisfaction, hope, and often a bit of disappointment.  But, as I said, it is at least one day we all have some money in the bank.  The euphoria of “pay day” goes beyond the money issue however. There is a deep, personal satisfaction that comes from knowing you are appreciated—that you significant to some venture bigger than yourself. There is even a business called, “Perks.com.” There website states in part, “here at Perks we focus on creating best-in-class employee.” Perks are an important ingredient in any organization or movement. A “perk” is something more than just the quid pro quo salary agreement. Perks are those little “extras” that add value to our work. Perk is a shortened form of the word, “perquisite.” It refers to some form of compensation over and above one’s wage. I learned years ago while operating my own business that it takes more than wages to create a “best-in-class” employee. What, if any, perks are there for being a deacon—formally or informally—in and through the church? Certainly, salvation is not a wage we earn for service to the Lord. Salvation is a gift, not something we earn. So, maybe the idea of “perks” is not the best way to approach the rewards for being an obedient servant of the Lord. Call them what you may—perks, benefits, or rewards—the Bible speaks about the blessings of service throughout the Holy Scriptures.  Here is one very important truth taught from Genesis to Revelation:  God rewards faithful service, both here and now and in eternity.

We have come to the conclusion of our series on Deacons.  We began by examining in the Scripture that the word deacon means, “servant,” and every disciple is supposed to be a servant in the Kingdom of God.  We looked at the reason we need deacons:  to assist the bishops of the church so they can devote their time to Bible study and prayer.  We examined the requirements for deacons, both the general and specific requirements.  Today, we are going to look at the “rewards” for faithful service.  We will refresh our memory in regard to the qualifications for deacons in 1Timothy 3:8-13, paying special attention to verse 13.  LET’S READ THIS TEXT TOGETHER.

Unmistakably, the Bible says here that a deacon who serves well get something for their service—a reward.  Here, the Bible describes that reward as literally, “a good standing to themselves acquire.”  What is meant by “good standing?”  To better understand this reward we must jump backwards and forwards.  Jumping back we recall what Jesus said about “being great and service.”  (Mat. 20:26).

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.

Now, let’s jump forward to the end of this age and the beginning
of eternity.  The Lord describes a time when a faithful servant stands before His Loving Master (Mat. 25:23).

 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

The greatest reward any disciple could imagine is to one day “stand” before the Lord, Himself, and hear those words, “well done, good and faithful servant.”  That is the greatest reward, or perk, imaginable.  That’s what a faithful “deacon” (and all servants) can anticipate.  God rewards faithful service, here and now but especially in eternity.

I will begin and end with my favorite poem:

Who does God's work will get God's pay,

However long may be the day.

He does not pay as others pay,

In gold, or land, or raiment gay,

In goods that perish or decay;

But God's high wisdom knows the way,

And this is sure, let come what may —

Who does God's work will get God's pay.

Nothing will bless a church, and by extension the world, more than faithful men serving as deacons and leading others to serve faithfully in the Kingdom of God.  Godly service brings unimaginable blessing in three ways.

1.  It brings blessing to the Individual Servant.

Notice verse 13 again:  For those who have served well as deacons acquire a good standing.

(1) Faithful service gives a person a SPIRITUAL PROMOTION.  The word for standing can also mean “rank or position.”  It does NOT mean honor for merely holding an “official title.”  Nothing will kill the spirit of the church faster than men seeking an “official title.” 

This is perfectly consistent with what Jesus had mentioned in Matthew, which we read earlier:  service DOES lead to a more prominent position in the Kingdom of God.  This “prominence” is a matter of influence gained through godliness, not through gaining some official title.  Too many people want a “place of leadership” but do not want the “responsibility” that comes with it.

ILLUS:  I read this week the story of an encounter between Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, and a minister visiting from the United States.  As you probably know, Mother Teresa (who passed away in 1997 at the age of 87), lived and ministered to the poorest of the poor in Calcutta for over 60 years.  She walked among filth and squalor that most of us cannot even imagine, much less embrace as she did.   The visiting minister watched her work among the lepers in India. He watched as she bandaged sores and took care of injuries, and comforted the dying. He remarked, “I wouldn’t touch that for a million dollars!” She simply replied. “Neither would I.”

Mother Teresa was a woman of few words, but her words were powerful because they were seasoned with great devotion and much experience.  I do not embrace her theology, but I take a back seat to her in regard to her understanding of service.  There is talk that the Catholic church will give her sainthood—the highest standing in the Catholic Church.  I don’t agree with that either, but what I do agree is that there is not higher position one can gain than that which comes through service.

(2) The individual servant also gains SPIRITUAL POWER. 

1Tim. 3:13 continues by saying that a faithful deacon, or servant not only gains a greater spiritual position but, “great boldness in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”  The word, “boldness,” comes from a word that originated in the political life of the ancient world.  It referred to the “absolute freedom a citizen had to speak freely” in the Roman world, with the emphasis on “citizenship.” 

In the ancient world, there was not “First Admendment” guaranteeing a person’s right to free speech.  Boldness in speaking, as in the case of Socrates for example, could very well lead to one’s execution.  The Bible refers to the servants of Christ as “ambassadors” (2Cor. 5:20).  An ambassador is an “official spokesman for a country living in another country.”  For example, when our ambassadors speak on behalf of our nation, other nations know that their words will be backed by the full power and resources of our government.  Likewise, when we speak as “ambassadors for Christ” we are backed by the full power and resources of heaven.  The more a deacon serves and sees God answer in power and glory, the more boldness and power that deacon has.  Nothing builds up faith and trust in God than stepping out of the boat of our comfort zone and walking on the water of service.

Serving as a deacon blesses the individual.

2.  The Church is also blessed.  Let’s go back and read the passage that instructs us as to the “reason” the office of the deacon was established in the first place.

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.  ² 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.  ³ Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation,  full of the Spirit  and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.”

What exactly are the “perks” or rewards that accrue to a church with a faithful and active deacon ministry?  I see at least three rewards.

(1)  The reward of PEACE.  Strife had arisen in the church as the church grew larger, and specifically as it became more diverse.  Let me outline the problem by reading a selection from a well-respected commentary (The New American Commentary):

In Jewish society widows were particularly needy and dependent, and the Old Testament singles them out along with orphans as the primary objects of charitable deeds. The Hellenist widows may have been a particularly sizable group. Diaspora Jews (Jews that had migrated from Jerusalem) often moved back to Jerusalem in their twilight years to die in the holy city. When the men died, their widows were left far from their former home and family to care for them and were thus particularly in need of charity.¹⁰ Many of them may have been attracted to the Christian community precisely because of its concern for the material needs of its members.

The Bible demands that the faith community care for these Jewish widows, to which a whole new group of widows were added from converts among the Gentiles.  Language and cultural barriers along with other logistical problems caused by rapid growth had caused division in the church.

A deacon must be a problem solver as we learned a few messages ago.  A deacon must be a peacemaker.  Too often deacons are right in the middle of the division building walls instead of bridges.  Why?  Because the Devil always works in the cloud of chaos.  Deacons who only want more power can easily gain it by stirring the pot of division.  Such a deacon brings shame on himself and disgrace to the office.

Notice in Acts 6:5 what happened when seven godly men were appointed to serve as deacons:  The proposal pleased the whole company.  Problem solved.  Peace restored.

(2)  A godly deacon ministry not only reward the Church with peace but also rewards the church with PROVISIONS.  The peace came because more resources were made available to a wider group of people.  Verse 1 describes the situation as arising out of the “daily distribution.”  Recall that we learned a few weeks ago that the root word from which we get the English word, deacon, not only means “service,” but can also mean, “financial matters.”  I make mention of this because it is impossible to do ministry in our world without financial resources.  Romance might run on love, but the gas in the engine of ministry is “cash!”  Too few people who sit in a pew on Sunday truly understands how many resources it takes to keep the doors of a church open from week to week.  One of the primary roles and responsibility of a deacon is to be a “model for giving to the ministry” and to constant encourage and exhort members of the church to give generously.

(3)  The third reward a church experiences from a godly ministry relates to both the church and the world:  PREACHING flourishes.  Verse 7 says: So the preaching about God flourished.

Remember, protecting the preaching ministry of the church is the primary reason for establishing the ministry of a deacon in the first place.  Preaching and Prayer represent the two-edged sword of God that annihilates the enemies of God. 

One of the greatest preachers human ears have ever heard was at the head waters of the great flood of revival we call, “The Great Awakening.” That preacher was John Wesley, the architect of the First Great Awakening. This period of revival in the 18^th Century laid the spiritual foundation upon which was built the framework of these United States.  While England, and more so France, were plunging into a dark and bloody period of history rebelling against God and anything related to faith, the United States experienced a great revival like the world had never seen be for and has not seen since.  It was a revival based upon the unashamed, uncensored, unadulterated Word of God.  John Wesley declared with heaven-sent boldness:  “Give me 100 preachers who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God; such alone will shake the gates of hell.”  John Wesley.

Could you imagine what would happen in our church was given such a place of prominence and protected by godly men serving as deacons?  Well, you don’t need imagination because the Bible clearly says what will happen.  Verse 7 says,

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.

Godly service as a deacon accrues rewards for the individual servants.  It accrues rewards for the church. And most importantly,

3.  a godly ministry of deacons accrues rewards for our WORLD.

Our country, our world, is in more desperate need of revival than perhaps at any time in history.  The world is literally “on fire.”  Rivers in the Middle East are literally being mingled with the blood of martyrs.  The specter of a financial collapse is no longer provincial, but global.  Our world has always needed Jesus—but we REALLY need Him now.

When the church got her act together and organized according to the direction of God given through the apostles, the church literally exploded in growth.  Godliness began to flow in the streets where once paganism had made society a stagnant, deadly pool of unrighteousness.  Preaching makes a difference in our world—a huge difference.

Notice that many “sinners were converted,” as the number of disciples multiplied.  When the church is “on mission,” sinners will be converted.  When godly men assume the mantle of servanthood and lead by serving, then sinners will be converted.  When preaching and prayer are prominent and protected, the power of the gospel is unstoppable.

But, notice something else that could be easily overlooked.  Verse 7 also says, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.  The priest represented a “cultural structure in society.”  They were more than “religious leaders,” they represented leaders in society.  They were the “influencers” in society.  The conversion of these priests represents the power of the gospel to bring about social change.  What we cannot do at the ballot box, we can do with our “prayer box.”  This is why we take time out of every worship gathering to “stand in the gap” and pray for lost souls.  Every Sunday we take this time to pray.  We cannot change society simply by changing our laws.  Real change requires “changed hearts,” and that is only accomplished through the preaching of God’s Word.

I plan to vote for a President come 2016.  I can tell you right now it will not be a Clinton or a Bush.  I don’t know who it will be.  It will not be someone riding on the back of a donkey—and I am not referencing Jesus and the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.  It may not be someone riding on an elephant.  I’ve sort of had my fill of the likes of Dumbo, if you know what I mean. 

But, I will tell you this.  I do not put any hope whatsoever in the person who sleeps in the White House.  My hope is in the One True God who the Bible calls the “The One Who Never Sleeps!” (Ps. 121:4).

Deacons are men qualified to lead because they have learned how to follow.  They know God, and they know His voice.  They are like young Samuel upon hearing God’s whisper in the night replies:

“Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening” 1Sam. 3:10.

Is God calling you to service today as a deacon?  How will you respond?  God rewards faithful service, both now and in eternity.  Let me close as I started:

Who does God's work will get God's pay,

However long may be the day.

He does not pay as others pay,

In gold, or land, or raiment gay,

In goods that perish or decay;

But God's high wisdom knows the way,

And this is sure, let come what may —

Who does God's work will get God's pay.

<<end>>