1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.  2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.  3 "Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."  5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,  6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.  7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Introduction: When it comes to church life, just about everyone, in and out of the church, has an opinion. This is especially true when it comes to the offices of Pastor and Deacon. Almost everyone can tell what the job of the Pastor is, or what Deacons should be doing. Unfortunately, in most cases our opinions about these offices are often not based upon the Scriptures. When this happens, disastrous results often follow because we have failed to obey God's Word. Another problem that we face when looking for a Pastor or Deacon, is that we are often just ignorant of what God's Word says about these positions - would we go to a Doctor for medical advise if he had never studied medicine? Would you go to a lawyer for help, if he has never studied law? Would you take you car to a mechanic who knows nothing about cars or engines? Of course not! But Christians are guilty of "practicing church" without studying God's "instruction manual," the Bible.

If I were to ask you right now, what the purpose of a deacon is, what would you say (don't say it out loud, just keep it to yourself)? I want you to hold that thought, and compare it with what God's Word says to see if it lines up. In a few weeks, our church will be selecting some new deacons (Lord willing) so this is a good time to review what God's Word teaches us about the call of deacons.

Transition: First, lets look at. . .

I. The Purpose Of Having Deacons (vv.1-2, 4).
1. To minister to the physical needs of the church (vv.1, 2b).

A. The word "deacon" comes from the Greek word, "diakonos," which carries the idea of serving as a helper, or one who renders service as a servant.

1) Deacons in the bible were called to be servants of the church, and were never viewed as leaders.

2) When deacons take on the "leadership" role of a church, they are operating outside of what the Scriptures has designated for them.

B. The early church in Jerusalem didn't need more leaders, they needed more servants to meet the physical needs of the church body.

2. To enable the pastoral ministry of the church to be carried out.

A. The Apostles were acting in the capacity as the Elders/Pastors of this church (Acts 21:19; 1Pet.5:1; 2 John 1:1; 3 John 1:1).

1) The word "apostles" literally means a "messenger," or "one sent forth with orders" and this aptly describes the apostles of Christ as He had gave them their marching orders in the great commission in Matthew 28:18-20.

A) The qualifications for an Apostle are given in Acts 1:21-22.

(1) They had to have been with the Lord from His baptism until His ascension.

(2) They must have been a witness of Christ's resurrection.

(3) There was another class of apostles, like Paul, who saw the risen Christ and were specially commissioned by Christ.

B) This office no longer exists today because no one meets these qualifications, and it was specifically designed to get the fledgling church started and established.

- Much of their work continues today (minus the ability to perform real miracles) through Pastor/Elders and Missionaries.

2) The Bible gives us several descriptive words or titles to let us know what the job of a pastor is (note that all these terms describe the same position, and not different levels, positions, or offices: Rediscovering Pastoral Ministry, MacArther).

A) Elder (presbyteros), which speaks of administration and spiritual guidance (Acts 15:6; 1Tim.5:17; James 5:14; 1Pet.5:1-4).

B) Bishop or Overseer (episkopos), which speaks of providing guidance, oversight, and leadership (Acts 20:28; Phil.1:1; 1Tim.3:2-5; Titus 1:7).

C) Shepherd or Pastor (poimen), which denotes leadership, authority, guidance and provision (Acts 20:28-31; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet.2:25; 5:2-3).

- Jesus Christ is the Shepherd of the Church, and Pastors are His undershepherds.

D) Preacher (kerux), public proclamation of the gospel and teaching the flock (Rom.10:14; 1Tim.2:7; 2Tim.1:11).

E) Teacher (didaskalos), one who provides instruction and exposition of the Scriptures for instructive and corrective purposes (1Tim.2:7; 1Cor.12:28-29).

B. The pastoral ministry (this is only a partial list, but foundational to the pastoral ministry).

1) Of "prayer" (v.4a).

2) Of "the ministry of the word"

A) Study (v.2a; 2Tim.2:15; James 3:1).

B) Preaching and teaching (v.4b; Rom.10:15; 2Tim.2:24; 4:2; 1Tim.3:2, etc).

If Christ is the Head of the church, then the deacons should be the helping hands and the feet which bear the weight of the body. God didn't call deacons to be the spiritual leaders of the church, that is the biblical purpose of Pastors or Elders; God called deacons to be the spiritual helpers of the church to help carry the load. An example would be; if the pastor is the shepherd of a flock, then the deacons would be the sheep dogs (no I'm calling deacons dogs). Both shepherd and sheep dog(s) work side-by-side to accomplish their task. Both complement and strengthen each other. If either cease to fulfill their rolls, then the flock will become vulnerable and will scatter.

Transition: Now lets look at. . .

II. The Process Of Selecting Deacons (vv.3, 5-6).
1. The church body's role.

A. The church body's role. . .is to act responsively.

1) You are to carefully examine the men of your church to see who is qualified.

A) The term, "seek out" in the Greek carries the idea of inspecting or to look observantly at someone or something.

B) We are not to take this duty lightly, because this term is also given to us as a command in the Greek (Imperative Mood with Aorist Tense - "Do it now!")

2) This also implies that you also need to be involved enough in the church to know who among you meets or does not meet the qualifications.

- We are quick to point our fingers at our deacons when they fail us, but lets remember that the rest of our fingers are pointing back to the one who helped select them - how well did you do your job?

B. The church body's role. . Is to look for those who are qualified.

1) They are to be a Christian - ". . .brethren, seek out from among you. . ." (v.3a).

2) They are to be men - ". . .seven men. . ." (v.3a).

3) They are to be well known among the church body for their Christian character (v.3).

A) They have a "good reputation" or "one who is spoke well of."

B) They have demonstrated a spirit controlled life (check their fruit).

(1) Galatians 5:22-25, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires."

(2) Ephesians 5:9-10, "(for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord."

C) They are to have the "wisdom" or as we would say today, the "skill and ability" to handle the tasks that they will be called upon to carry out as deacons.

D) They are to have demonstrated that they are trustworthy and can be counted on do what they were called to do - "appoint over this business".

(1) They were not to be deacons in name only.

(2) They are to faithfully carry out the ministry of deacon.

C. The church body's role. . Is to present only those who are qualified (v.6a).

1) "whom they set before[confirmed, put forward, caused to come] the apostles"

2) Again, this brings us back to the point that each member of this church is accountable for who they select to be a deacon, because they made the choice.

A) Therefore, they need to be active enough to know those who they bring forward.

B) Therefore, they need to know God's Word well enough so that they know what God expects of deacons.

Each member of the church is reminded here that there is more to selecting a deacon than choosing a name off of the church role. There is more to the selection process than just filling a slot. If you want your church to be the best church that it can be, then you must be actively involved, both in body and in God's Word. Your church will only be as good as its members. And your deacons will only be as good as the choices that the members make.

Transition: Now lets look at. . .

2. The pastoral role.

A. They determined the amount of deacons required (v.3).

1) ". . .seek out from among you seven men. . ."

2) This makes perfect sense, who else would be in the position of knowing how much help they need.

B. They affirmed the choice of the church body by ordaining them (they formally set them apart for service - v.6).

1) "whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them"

2) This speaks of the pastor's responsibility in making sure that those who are brought forward do meet the Scriptural qualifications of deacon.

C. They assigned the task to be done by the deacons (v.3).

1) ". . .whom we may appoint over this business"

2) Pastors are Christ's under-shepherds of the church, and are responsible in giving direction and guidance to the deacons' ministry.

- This is in line with God's Word; Hebrews 13:17, "Obey your leaders[The Context: elders/pastor(s)], and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you."

When pastors and deacons follow God's directions, then both the spiritual and physical needs of the church will be met. When pastors and deacons fail to follow God's directions, then the spiritual and physical needs of the church will not be met; and these issues can become so great that they begin to consume and divide the whole church. The offices of Pastor and Deacon are not to be working in conflict with one another, but they are to be working in harmony with God's Word. This means we must each operate within the guidelines which we have been given..

Transition: Finally, lets look at what happens when we follow the Scriptures. . .

III. The Prize Of Having Biblical Deacons (v.7).
1. The complaining stopped.

A. We know this because we see the results of the ministry of Apostles being accomplished.

B. This doesn't mean that everyone will always be happy in the church, but that when deacons are ministering to the needs of the church body, as they should, then as a whole the church body's needs will be met.

A. The Word of God spread - "the word of God spread."

1) imperfect active: kept on growing or spreading.

2) The church became outward focused, and not inward focused.

B. People accepted Christ as their Savior - "and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem."

1) imperfect passive: the number of disciples kept pace with the spread of the gospel.

2) They saw Christ, and not Christians fighting.

C. People became obedient to the faith - "and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith."

1) imperfect active: kept on listening to or surrender to.

2) These priests of Israel went from having a basic knowledge about the Messiah, to knowing the Messiah and following Him.

- They kept on growing spiritually.

You have heard the saying, "You are what you eat." The same is true in church life, "you are what you call or elect." Many churches today are struggling and dying because they departed from God's directions and designs. If you want to have a healthy church, then sow for yourselves godly men to be your pastor(s) and deacons. Godly deacons are a prize to their church, their pastor, and most importantly, to Lord.

Invitation:
1. Remember at the beginning of this sermon I asked you what you thought was the purpose of a deacon was?

- Has you opinion changed?

A. The key to selecting deacons, isn't that they are perfect because no one is perfect, but rather that we seek out those men who love the lord, and their lives reflect it.

B. The key to selecting deacons is to seek out those men who have a servant's heart - these are easy to spot, because they are the ones who are willing to jump in and help when something needs to be done.

C. The key to selecting deacons is to be involved enough in your church to know who these men are, who isn't.

A. If you are a "fruitless" Christian, then you need to do what the Apostle Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 13:5-6, "Examine [i.e., to put to the test, examine] yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test [i.e., scrutinize to see whether a thing is genuine or not, as metals]yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? - unless indeed you are disqualified. But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified."

1) The Jesus Christ of the Bible will not only save you, He'll change you also.

2) 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

B. To become a Christian, you "don't try on Jesus" like a shirt to see if you like being a Christian.

1) You have to recognize your condition before a holy God.

A) You fall short of God's standards and are guilty of breaking His laws (Exodus 20:3-17; Rom.3:23).

B) As a result, you are hopelessly lost, you will be judged, you will be found guilty, and you will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire with no hope of parole (Rev.20:11-15; 21:8).

2) You must recognize who Jesus Christ is and what He has done for you.

A) He is God's gift and sacrifice for your sins (John 3:16; Rom.6:23)

B) He is the God's only way of salvation (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 John 5:11).

3) You must whole-heartedly believe in and accept God's gift.

- Romans 10:9-13, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, 'Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.' For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For 'whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.'"

V.2
- "twelve," ("dodeka" {do'-dek-ah: adj, pron, card, nom, masc, pl}); as a cardinal number: twelve, also used in reference
   to the apostles appointed by Jesus.
- "summoned," ("proskaleomai" {pros-kal-eh'-om-ahee: v, part, aor, mid, nom, masc, pl}); to call to one's self, to bid
   to come to one's self. (KJV = called)
- "multitude," ("plethos," {"play'-thos: n, acc, neut, sg}); a multitude, a great number, the assemblage.
- "disciples," ("mathetes" {math-ay-tes': n, gen, masc, pl}); a learner, pupil, disciple, of one who attached himself to a
   spiritual leader such as Jesus, followers of Christ.
- "not," ("ou" {oo: particle, neg}); no, not.
- "desirable," ("arestos" {ar-es-tos': adj, nom, neut, sg}); acceptable, right, proper, desirable, agreeable.
- "should leave," ("kataleipo" {kat-al-i'-po: v, part, aor, act, acc, masc, 1per, pl}); to leave behind, to forsake, to
    depart from, to abandon, to leave to one's self a person or thing by ceasing to care for it.
- "word," ("logos" {log'-os: n, acc, masc, sg}); instruction, doctrine, the teachings, the sayings of God, used here of
    divine revelation - the word of God.
- "God," ("theos" {theh'-os: n, gen, masc, sg}); used here of the only and true God, God the Father.
- "serve," ("diakoneo" {dee-ak-on-eh'-o: v, inf, pres, act}); to be a servant, attendant, take care of, minister to, wait on, serve.
- "tables," ("trapeza" {trap'-ed-zah: n, dat, fem, pl}); a table, as a place for spreading out meals.

V.3
- "brethren," ("adelphos" {ad-el-fos': n, voc, masc, pl}); of the same womb, brethren, used here of Christians.
- "seek out," ("episkeptomai" {ep-ee-skep'-tom-ahee: v, imper, aor, mid, dep, 2per, pl imper, aor, mid, dep, 2per, pl}); to look upon or after,
    inspect, look observantly, seek out, choose, select, look for. (KJV = look ye out).
- "among," ("ek" {ek: prep, gen}); out of, from. Denotes origin such as family, race, or city. Used here of other Christians.
- "seven," ("hepta" {hep-tah': adj, card, acc, masc, pl}); a primary number: seven.
- "men," ("aner" {an'-ayr: n, acc, masc, pl}); men, males, used of men who are full age and stature as opposed to a child or female.
- "of good reputation," ("martureo" {mar-too-reh'-o: v, part, pres, acc, masc, pl}); one who has a good witness, testimony, good
    report, one who is spoke well of. (KJV = of honest report)
- "full," ("pleres" {play'-race: adj, acc, masc, pl}); full, filled up (as opposed to empty), thoroughly permeated with, controlled
    by, fully occupied.
- "Holy Spirit," ("pneuma" {pnyoo'-mah: n, gen, neut, sg}); a movement of air, spirit, used here of the Holy Spirit of God.
- "wisdom," ("sophia" {sof-ee'-ah: n, gen, fem, sg}); wisdom, insight, understanding. In the context in which it is used here,
    it relates to having the skill or ability to manage (or handle) the affairs that they were going to be appointed to carry out.
- "we may appoint," ("kathistemi" {kath-is'-tay-mee: v, ind, fut, act, 1per, pl}); to set one over a thing (in charge of it),
    appointing a person to a place of authority, put in charge.
- "over," ("epi" {ep-ee': prep, gen}); over, at, on, to.
- "business," ("chreia" {khri'-ah: n, gen, fem, sg}); duty, business, needful matter.

V.4
- "will give ourselves continually," ("proskartereo" {pros-kar-ter-eh'-o: v, ind, fut, act, 1per, pl}); to be devoted or
    constant to, to be steadfastly attentive unto, to continue all the time in, to be intently engaged in.
- "prayer," ("proseuche" {pros-yoo-khay': n, dat, fem, sg}); prayer addressed to God.
- "ministry," ("diakonia" {dee-ak-on-ee'-ah: n, dat, fem, sg}); service, ministry, of those who execute the commands of others,
- "Word," ("logos" {log'-os: n, gen, masc, sg}); instruction, doctrine, the teachings, the sayings of God, used here
     of divine revelation - the word of God.

V.5
- "saying," ("logos" {log'-os: n, nom, masc, sg}); used here of speech, uttered words.
- "pleased," ("aresko" {ar-es'-ko: v, ind, aor, act, 3per, sg}); to please, of having favor, be acceptable to someone.
- "whole," ("pas" {pas: adj, gen, neut, sg}); each, every, all, the whole, everyone.
- "multitude," ("plethos" {play'-thos: n, gen, neut, sg}); a multitude, a great number, the assemblage.
- "they chose," ("eklegomai" {ek-leg'-om-ahee: v, ind, aor, mid, 3per, pl}); to pick out, choose, to choose from among a number.
- "Stephen," ("Stephanos" {stef'-an-os: n, acc, masc, sg}); Stephen = "crowned"
- "full of," ("pleres" {play'-race: adj, acc, masc, sg}); full, filled up (as opposed to empty), thoroughly permeated with, controlled by, fully occupied.
- "faith," ("pistis" {pis'-tis: n, gen, fem, sg}); conviction of the truth, belief directed toward Christ, faith, reliance on.
- "Holy Spirit," ("pneuma" {pnyoo'-mah: n, gen, neut, sg}); a movement of air, spirit, used here of the Holy Spirit of God.
- "Philip," ("Philippos" {fil'-ip-pos: n, acc, masc, sg}); Philip = "lover (fond) of horses"
- "Prochorus," ("Prochoros" {prokh'-or-os: n, acc, masc, sg}); Prochorus (prok'uh-ruhs) = "leader of the chorus (or dance)"
- "Nicanor," ("Nikanor" {nik-an'-ore: n, acc, masc, sg}); Nicanor (ni-kay'nawr) = "conqueror"
- "Timon," ("Timon" {tee'-mone: n, acc, masc, sg}); Timon (ti' mahn) = "honorable"
- "Parmenas," ("Parmenas" {par-men-as': n, acc, masc, sg}); Parmenas (pahr'muh-nuhs) = "abiding," "faithful," or "constant."
- "Nicolas," ("Nikolaos" {nik-ol'-ah-os: n, acc, masc, sg}); Nicolas = "victor (conqueror) of the people"
- "proselyte," ("proselutos" {pros-ay'-loo-tos: n, acc, masc, sg}); a newcomer, one who has come over, arrived at,
    one who has come over into Judaism from another religion (by accepting the obligation of observing Jewish laws
    and being circumcised), a proselyte, convert. Nicolas converted to Judaism prior to becoming a Christian.
- "Antioch," ("Antiocheus" {an-tee-okh-yoos': n, acc, masc, sg}); a man from Antioch, an Antiochian, a native of Antioch.

V.6
- "they set," ("histemi" {his'-tay-mee: v, ind, aor, act, 3per, pl}); to place or set, confirm, arrange, put forward, to cause to come.
- "before," ("enopion" {en-o'-pee-on: prep, gen}); in the presence of, before, in front of, in the sight of.
- "apostles," ("apostolos" {ap-os'-tol-os: n, gen, masc, pl}); a delegate, messenger, one sent forth with orders, apostle.
- "prayed," ("proseuchomai" {pros-yoo'-khom-ahee: v, part, aor, mid, dep, nom, masc, pl}); to offer prayers, to pray, speak to God.
- "laid," ("epitithemi" {ep-ee-tith'-ay-mee: v, ind, aor, act, 3per, pl}); to put or lay upo.
- "hands," ("cheir" {khire: n, acc, fem, pl}); hands.

V.7
- "word," ("logos" {log'-os: n, nom, masc, sg}); instruction, doctrine, the teachings, the sayings of God, used here
    of divine revelation - the word of God.
- "God," ("theos" {theh'-os: n, gen, masc, sg}); used here of the only and true God, God the Father.
- "spread," ("auxano" {owx-an'-o: v, ind, imperf, act, 3per, sg}); to cause to grow, to increase, become greater. (KJV = increased)

-- imperfect active: kept on growing or spreading.

-- imperfect active: kept on listening to or surrender to.