BIBLE VERSES TRADITION SERIES -PART TWO PASTORS AND DEACONS’ QUALIFICATIONS

Pastor Ernest L. Williams Sr. • November 23, 2021

PART ONE DEACONS

Acts 6:1 - 7, The Seven 


Overview


1.   First, the problem of Acts 6 becomes central to the study of why Seven men were chosen to serve. The Grecians complained to the apostles because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food as compared to the Hebrew speaking widows who were not being neglected. Thus, not all needed this service, just the Greek speaking widows.
 
2.  The Seven were chosen on the criteria of having a honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom. Here, the selection was done by the church congregation, or for this case, the men of the church, called the brethren with the final approval by the apostles.
 
3.   This process pleased the entire congregation, and the church grew.


4.   Historically, the American Baptist churches for the most part were started in rural communities where churches could not afford to pay a minister full time. Deacons at that time began to take upon more of an administrative rule in the churches where pastors preached at more than one congregation. Now that churches have secured a pastor full time, breaking that traditional stronghold of who actually has the oversight in the churches has been a major undertaking. 


Further analysis:
 

  • These men were not called deacons in this chapter.
     
  • Even though the Seven are selected by the congregation, the final approval and appointment was in the hands of the apostles. The approval and appointment were not automatic. The apostles exercised their authority of oversight in the final decision.
     
  • These men were not set over the entire congregation. One, they were Greek speaking so more than likely they only served the Grecian women. Language could have been the underlying problem. Secondly, the appointment of the Seven was not for a lifetime. Stephen and Philip are later recognized as preachers/evangelist. Thirdly, the Seven were only appointed to serve over this business and not the total business of the church. (Vs. 3).
     
  • Verse 4 seems to imply that if the Seven occupy the work of distribution of food, then the apostles would then only focus on preaching and praying. This opens the false conclusion that the deacons would do the work of pastoring and the pastors are only obligated to preaching. Historically, as a result, there has been a rift between the relationships of the deacons and pastors.


  • The word deacon in the Greek is translated simply as servant or waiter of tables. The deacons are to assist the elders in the church. The leadership of the church, according to the New Testament, falls in the hands of the elders.
     
  • Can Acts 6 serve as a foundation for deacon selection and appointment? The answer is yes and no. Again, the Seven selected in Acts 6 were never referred to as deacons, even though they fit the criteria. Other New Testament scriptures helps us navigate the position of the deacons’ ministry. We are taught that no one should make a Biblical doctrine on one verse in the Bible unless the Lord, an inspired prophet, or apostle has made the declaration in scripture (Deut 18:15). Secondly, the Seven were not over the business of the church and nor did they serve indefinitely. Further studies of the Bible will show that churches probably had more than one elder and that the oversight of the churches was always in the hands of elders and not deacons and nor the congregation.
     

Where does that leave us? 


1. Study your Bible so you can know for yourself what the word of God says concerning the church. 
2. Bitterness, resentment, and unmerited criticism are as a result of some not knowing their proper role in the church.
3. Church attendance suffers the most when members within the congregation criticize the work instead of assisting in the work.
4. Deacons were instituted to serve and not lead or direct.
 

Quote: Because church organizations in the U.S. are tax-exempt, the law requires that they establish boards and committees for budgeting, government reporting and decision-making. This is intended to create a checks and balances system within each church. Baptist deacons serve on these boards and committees to guide the congregation and act as financial advisers and counsel to pastors and elders.
 
Quote:


DO WE WANT TRADITION OR SCRIPTURE?


What is the role of the deacons in the church? At this point, tradition may create a problem for some churches. We may have grown up with the idea that the pastor and staff are called to do the ministry and the deacons are elected to administrate the church. This has led many churches to refer to the deacons as a “board” and look to them for all administrative decisions. We have actually reversed the biblical order, and it has adversely affected many churches. It may have caused the mistaken idea among laity that one must have seminary training to effectively minister to people’s needs. Thus, most ministry roles and opportunities have been assigned to the professional clergy. This, in turn, led the deacons to assume more of the administrative tasks of setting the direction and vision of the church. This reversal of roles can have many detrimental effects on the life and health of the church. First, the pastor who feels compelled to do the entire ministry will neglect his God-given priority of preaching and leading the church to become a praying community. The pulpit ministry will suffer and the discipling power of the Word from the pulpit will be diluted.
Second, the reversal of roles between pastor and deacons often creates a situation where the pastor is given no freedom to lead the church in developing a strategy for ministry. A fine line of balance must be maintained between pastoral leadership and congregational polity. The pastor is not a dictator who drives his people, but a servant who leads his people. Pastors must earn the right to lead by their consistent walk with God and service to the people. The members must encourage the pastor to lead, be willing to follow, and support his leadership through successes and failures. We often lose sight of the truth that we are on the same team and working for the same goal. Third, and perhaps the most disconcerting effect of the pastor/staff doing all the work of ministry, is the loss of opportunity for the laity to serve according to their gifts. All believers are gifted for service, and thus, when deacons are deprived of the privilege of ministering according to their gifts, the church suffers. It stands to reason that churches should elect deacons who demonstrate gifts for service and then provide training and organize them to serve the body.[1]
 
ADMONINATION FROM THE LORD
Christ refers to his work as diakonos, translated servant or service. Let us not organize the church into a business overlooking the main work of the church, service.
 
Mark 10:33-45 KJV


33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:

34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.

35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.

36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?

37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.

38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?

39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:

40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.

41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.



  [1] By Kenneth Hemphill, posted January 11, 2008 in the Baptist Press entitled The Ministry of Deacons

Our Sermons

How do I project Jesus through me in my community?

By Pastor Ernest L. Williams, Sr. • January 20, 2023
How do I project Jesus through me in my community? How to take Jesus to the street? Tuesday, September 6, 2022 A. Be Intentional (Ephesians 4) 1. Start by telling the truth (stop lying), vs. 15. 2. Put off the old man and put on the new man, vv. 22, 24, 25. 3. Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, v. 23. 4. Learn how to get angry without sinning, v. 26. 5. Stop being lazy, stealing and get a job, v. 28. 6. If you don’t have anything encouraging to say, shut up! V. 29. “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” B. Be Available (Mark 5:18, 19) 1. How to take Jesus to the street? First, we must get him in the home. 2. Booker T. Washington said, “Cast down your bucket where you are!” No need to do anything extra, in the areas where you reside and work or go to school or serve, live for Christ. In Mark 5, the Lord healed a lunatic man who lived among the tombs. This man wanted to be with Jesus. “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee” (Mk 5:19). 3. The woman at the well was available. 4. When the Lord got ready to enter into Jerusalem, Jesus told two of his disciples that they would find a colt and its ass tied. Jesus told his disciples to loose him and let him go. The colt was available. A Roman centurion, who had great faith was available. Even the rooster that crowed when Peter denied the Lord, was available. Jesus calmed the waves and the wind one day: even the winds and the sea were availability. 5. Jesus told Peter and John to go into Jerusalem and they would see a man bearing a pitcher of water. The man was available. C. Be Relevant 1. Jesus, the apostles, and the NT writers addressed issues that people were facing and could relate to. Many in our Christian circles are not reaching people because our methods, not message, are out of date. It took a pandemic to force many of our churches to use technology. 2. Why is it that many of our churches are one man shows with just one pastor that is hired by the church. We need to have an elder board with various “paid” pastors on staff to meet the growing needs of our community. Our business model in the church does not work. Here is one reason why it doesn’t work: It's not biblical! 3. Jesus came to die for sinners because that was and still is the current pandemic: sin. However, the church focuses more on the cross and little emphasis is placed on the fact that Jesus will return to receive his church. Our message, if it is to be relevant, must be balanced. Conclusion  Let us learn to pray this prayer before we leave the home: Lord provide the platform for me to let you shine through me. Lord I give my mind, my abilities, my words, and my deeds as service to you in this day. Lord, help me to be available for my spouse, family, pastor, church family, to people in my community, those on my job, school, or to a stranger that I may meet today. Father, I know that no encounter is an accident. So, Lord, help me to be intentional with my words, thoughts, and actions, that I may minister grace to the hearers and so someone will come to know the love of your Son Jesus Christ through me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

The Three Signs of a Joyful Spirit: Live, Give, and Forgive

By Pastor Ernest L. Williams, Sr. • January 20, 2023
The Three Signs of a Joyful Spirit: Live, Give, and Forgive Luke 6:20 – 38 September 4, 2022 Ernest L. Williams, Sr. In some translations, the word in Greek for “blessed” is translated as “happy.” Could Jesus be saying to the crowd in his sermon on the plains to be happy? (See v. 17 compared to Matthew’s sermon on the Mount, Matt 5). True joy contains living, giving, and forgiving. Illustration Proverbs on laughter. A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones (Prov 17:22). A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken (Prov 15:13). All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast (Prov 15:15).  Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad (Prov 12:25). Dea. Jacque’s funnies!  Three surprises in heaven! 1. LIVE a. In verses 21 to 26, Jesus speaks to true blessings, but he also balances a happy life with warnings. 2. GIVE a. In verses 28 – 35, Jesus speaks to the nature of giving. b. A true sign of a person’s joy is seen in their giving. c. Paul speaks of allowing yourself to be defrauded in order to win souls for Christ: Luke 6:28, 29; compare with 1 Cor 6:7. i. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? d. The Golden Rule, v. 31. e. Give, looking for nothing in return, vv. 32 – 35. 3. FORGIVE a. Verses 36 – 36. b. One attribute of forgiveness is giving. Conclusion Vv. 22 – 23. We rejoice because our reward is in heaven. Job said, “my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high” (Job 16:19). Jesus told the disciples after they had returned from preaching and healing, that they should rejoice not because of what they could do, but rejoice because their names have been written in heaven. I sing because I am happy, I sing because I am free. His eyes are on the sparrow, and I know he watches over me!
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