Church Servants
Acts 6:1-7
For the past several weeks, we’ve seen how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for his flock through pastors. We’ve seen that his people need ongoing care, that this care is too heavy for one man to carry alone, and that the consistent NT pattern is a team of pastors who lead and teach the church together. Last week, from the church at Antioch, we saw how multiple and varied pastors can help a church multiply both Christians and churches.
But pastors are not the only way God cares for his people in the church. God cares about every need his people have, both spiritual and material, and he has given the church a second role to help meet those needs well. Today, from Acts 6:1-7, we’ll see how that role began and how it works alongside pastors.
Here’s the main thought for today’s message: while pastors lead and provide spiritual care for God’s people, deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
To see how this works, let’s go back to the very first church, in Jerusalem, where a growing church faced a practical problem. First, let’s see what this problem was.
Material needs can prevent pastors from providing spiritual care.
About 3-5 years into the existence of the first church, the church in Jerusalem, two important things happened. First, the church had taken on the responsibility of caring for members who were widows. This shows that the church took seriously both the material and spiritual needs of its members.
When we speak about God caring for his people through the church, we should not think only of spiritual needs. God cares for every need of his people, material or spiritual, and the church should be an extension of this care. The first church took this seriously.
To meet this need, the elders (pastors) of the church were either doing or managing this ministry. But as the church grew (“when the number of disciples was multiplying”), this approach faced a dilemma because some of the widows were being “neglected in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1). In this phrase ‘neglected’ means to be overlooked and ‘distribution’ means ministry or service.
Some widows were not receiving their daily food supply because the church was growing, and the pastors were unable to meet all the needs of a growing church. As a result, not only were some widows being neglected, but the reputation of the church was taking a negative turn, which would in turn reflect badly on their witness to the goodness of the gospel and the faithfulness of Christ.
The pastors of this church took the problem seriously and responded in a thoughtful and principled way. They called the church together to acknowledge the problem. Then they acknowledged they were unable to solve the problem by themselves. They said:
It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. (Acts 6:2)
This statement may seem arrogant, as if they were unwilling to do menial service. But they’re pointing out a necessary trade-off: if they use more time for delivering food, they’d have less time to prepare meaningful sermons, teach doctrine, and give counseling and instruction. According to Acts 6:4, they would also have less time to pray for the church.
The fact that the pastors had been doing both spiritual and material ministry for those early years shows that they were not unwilling to do menial, practical service. But they realized that for the church to both continue to grow and be well-cared for at the same time, they would need a better, more efficient approach.
What was that better approach? Rather than try to meet all the needs themselves, they asked the church to share the load in a particular way. This is where our main thought comes into focus – while pastors lead and provide spiritual care for the church, deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
A church assigns these needs to other trustworthy men.
The pastors instructed the church to nominate seven men (Acts 6:3). These men were to be “from among them,” meaning they were known followers of Christ and members of that church. They were also to be men “of good reputation,” which means people must think and speak well of these men. They were to be men people trusted, and they must be trusted by people both in the church and throughout the community.
The pastors further explained two necessary qualities for the men they would nominate. They must be “full of the Holy Spirit” and “[full of] wisdom.” What does this mean?
When the phrase “full of (or filled with) the Holy Spirit” appears in Acts, it describes people like Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and Stephen. It also describes the believers in the church at Pentecost, and believers in Asia Minor as those churches were starting. Being “filled with the Spirit” is associated with speaking the gospel, being a witness for Christ in the community, having strong faith, being a “good” person, and being a joyful person.
Eph 5:18-21 gives us more perspective about what it means to be “filled with the Spirit.” There Paul tells us that such a person is not drunk or under the influence of controlling substances. He also tells us that such a person participates with his church in worship, which includes singing with the church, is a grateful, thankful person, and is someone who gladly submits his opinions to others out of a healthy “fear of God,” so he is not an arrogant or assertive person.
Gal 5:22-26 gives more helpful perspective on how to know if a person is “filled with the Spirit.” Here Paul describes the qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life:
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. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Such a person exhibits the character and qualities of Christ himself and does not react or respond to situations in a fleshly, selfish, or sinful way. He makes choices and speaks in a way that reflects a regular, personal dependence upon God and does not engage in personal disputes and get distracted by selfish pursuits.
For the past several weeks, we’ve seen how Jesus, the Good Shepherd, cares for his flock through pastors. We’ve seen that his people need ongoing care, that this care is too heavy for one man to carry alone, and that the consistent NT pattern is a team of pastors who lead and teach the church together. Last week, from the church at Antioch, we saw how multiple and varied pastors can help a church multiply both Christians and churches.
But pastors are not the only way God cares for his people in the church. God cares about every need his people have, both spiritual and material, and he has given the church a second role to help meet those needs well. Today, from Acts 6:1-7, we’ll see how that role began and how it works alongside pastors.
Here’s the main thought for today’s message: while pastors lead and provide spiritual care for God’s people, deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
To see how this works, let’s go back to the very first church, in Jerusalem, where a growing church faced a practical problem. First, let’s see what this problem was.
Material needs can prevent pastors from providing spiritual care.
About 3-5 years into the existence of the first church, the church in Jerusalem, two important things happened. First, the church had taken on the responsibility of caring for members who were widows. This shows that the church took seriously both the material and spiritual needs of its members.
When we speak about God caring for his people through the church, we should not think only of spiritual needs. God cares for every need of his people, material or spiritual, and the church should be an extension of this care. The first church took this seriously.
To meet this need, the elders (pastors) of the church were either doing or managing this ministry. But as the church grew (“when the number of disciples was multiplying”), this approach faced a dilemma because some of the widows were being “neglected in the daily distribution” (Acts 6:1). In this phrase ‘neglected’ means to be overlooked and ‘distribution’ means ministry or service.
Some widows were not receiving their daily food supply because the church was growing, and the pastors were unable to meet all the needs of a growing church. As a result, not only were some widows being neglected, but the reputation of the church was taking a negative turn, which would in turn reflect badly on their witness to the goodness of the gospel and the faithfulness of Christ.
The pastors of this church took the problem seriously and responded in a thoughtful and principled way. They called the church together to acknowledge the problem. Then they acknowledged they were unable to solve the problem by themselves. They said:
It is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. (Acts 6:2)
This statement may seem arrogant, as if they were unwilling to do menial service. But they’re pointing out a necessary trade-off: if they use more time for delivering food, they’d have less time to prepare meaningful sermons, teach doctrine, and give counseling and instruction. According to Acts 6:4, they would also have less time to pray for the church.
The fact that the pastors had been doing both spiritual and material ministry for those early years shows that they were not unwilling to do menial, practical service. But they realized that for the church to both continue to grow and be well-cared for at the same time, they would need a better, more efficient approach.
What was that better approach? Rather than try to meet all the needs themselves, they asked the church to share the load in a particular way. This is where our main thought comes into focus – while pastors lead and provide spiritual care for the church, deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
A church assigns these needs to other trustworthy men.
The pastors instructed the church to nominate seven men (Acts 6:3). These men were to be “from among them,” meaning they were known followers of Christ and members of that church. They were also to be men “of good reputation,” which means people must think and speak well of these men. They were to be men people trusted, and they must be trusted by people both in the church and throughout the community.
The pastors further explained two necessary qualities for the men they would nominate. They must be “full of the Holy Spirit” and “[full of] wisdom.” What does this mean?
When the phrase “full of (or filled with) the Holy Spirit” appears in Acts, it describes people like Peter, Paul, Barnabas, and Stephen. It also describes the believers in the church at Pentecost, and believers in Asia Minor as those churches were starting. Being “filled with the Spirit” is associated with speaking the gospel, being a witness for Christ in the community, having strong faith, being a “good” person, and being a joyful person.
Eph 5:18-21 gives us more perspective about what it means to be “filled with the Spirit.” There Paul tells us that such a person is not drunk or under the influence of controlling substances. He also tells us that such a person participates with his church in worship, which includes singing with the church, is a grateful, thankful person, and is someone who gladly submits his opinions to others out of a healthy “fear of God,” so he is not an arrogant or assertive person.
Gal 5:22-26 gives more helpful perspective on how to know if a person is “filled with the Spirit.” Here Paul describes the qualities that the Holy Spirit produces in a person’s life:
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. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
Such a person exhibits the character and qualities of Christ himself and does not react or respond to situations in a fleshly, selfish, or sinful way. He makes choices and speaks in a way that reflects a regular, personal dependence upon God and does not engage in personal disputes and get distracted by selfish pursuits.
These men must also be “full of wisdom.” Wisdom refers to a mature, skillful, and well-informed perspective that is grounded in the teaching and wisdom of God’s Word.
These are not to be men who are skillful and successful in material ways only, as in skillful business owners or successful financial managers (though such qualities are certainly commendable), but they must first of all be skillful in knowing and applying the wisdom of God’s Word to the problems of life, men who will consult God’s Word as they make choices, resolve problems, and develop strategies that will care for God’s people well.
Next Sunday, Pastor Will will say more about the personal qualities of these men when he preaches from 1 Tim 3:8-13. But from these two qualities alone, being “full of the Spirit and wisdom,” we see what kind of men these should be.
These must be trusted men in the church with a good reputation inside and outside the church. Their lives must show the fruit of the Spirit: a bold witness, strong faith, a thankful spirit, and humble self-control. And they must be wise, turning to God’s Word as they make decisions and solve problems.
These were the kind of men that the pastors instructed the first church to nominate from among their members. As we see in Acts 6, there was a simple process to choosing these men. The pastors called the church to nominate men with the necessary qualifications, which means that the pastors didn’t personally appoint them. But once the church nominated some men, the pastors confirmed and affirmed their qualifications publicly.
As a result of this arrangement, not only were the needs of widows better met within the church, but the church continued to grow. The pastors were able to give more attention and effort to their spiritual tasks of preaching and teaching, so the number of disciples multiplied greatly, and even many priests became followers of Christ – which would have been an especially difficult group of people to reach.
So, we see that the first church solved its problem. The pastors kept giving themselves to prayer and the Word, trustworthy men cared for the widows’ material needs, and the church kept growing. That’s our main thought: pastors lead and provide spiritual care, while deacons serve and provide material care. But was this just a one-time fix for one church in Jerusalem, or did it become a pattern for churches to follow? To answer that, notice what the rest of the NT calls these men.
The New Testament calls these men deacons.
Perhaps you have noticed that Acts 6:1-7 doesn’t give a title to these men who were assigned to meet the widows’ needs. But when Acts 6:2 says, “to serve tables,” it uses a Greek word, diakoneo, which simply means “to serve, take care of, render assistance,” and which describes the activities of a servant (diakonos).
This word speaks of someone who is a “servant, attendant, or assistant,” who is assigned to serve another person’s needs. Such a person carries out an assignment rather than gives commands. Remarkably, this was a role in the church at Philippi (Phil 1:1):
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons …
This shows that another church, decades later, had a position called “deacon” that was distinct from the various ministry activities all the members would have done, and which was also distinct from the role of pastors. Then in 1 Tim 3:1-13, Paul gives two more detailed lists of personal qualities that both pastors and deacons should have.
Though these qualities are mostly similar, the fact that Paul mentions both separately shows the role of a deacon had become an official position for churches in general, not just in Jerusalem, and that this is something the apostles and Scripture affirmed for today.
Other than these two references, the NT makes no other mention of the deacon office, but early church leaders acknowledged that this was a distinct role. Irenaeus spoke of Stephen (Acts 6) as the first church martyr and the first deacon. And Ignatius said this:
Those who are deacons of the mysteries of Jesus Christ must please all men in all ways. For they are not deacons of meats and drinks [only], but servants of the church of God. (Ep. ii to the Trallians)
Before we move on, we must emphasize what deacon means – to be a servant. Sadly, deacons may act less like servants and more like rulers who protect their own interests and make life and ministry difficult for both pastors and the congregation. When this happens, this role becomes a source of division. But Jesus said:
Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant [diakonos] … for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mk 10:43, 45).
That’s why deacons have a wonderful opportunity. By their example, influence, and service, they can help create a culture of service in the church, where all of us follow their example and are quick to serve one another, just as Jesus Christ served us.
What does that mean for us today? It means that in addition to a team of pastors, a church should assign the meeting of key material needs to men called deacons. They should be members with a good reputation, who are “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.” Here’s what our own church core documents say about deacons:
The deacons shall assist the pastor(s) in promoting the unity, efficiency, and testimony of the church … they shall assist the pastor(s) in caring for the service-oriented needs of the church including, but not limited to, financial, maintenance, missions, property, and technological needs.
God has blessed our church with seven men who serve as deacons. Rod Johnson, Dan Lund, and Jerry Sayler serve as deacons of member care, looking after the physical needs of our church family. Tim Kremer cares for our financial stewardship, Ken Otto cares for our building maintenance, Brad Harris provides technology support, and Mark Hulbert organizes special events.
These men also work together and overlap in meeting some of these needs, and some of you assist them in meeting these needs. I am so grateful for the faithful service of these men to our church. Thanks to them, our pastors can give themselves to prayer and the Word, and so our church can be well cared for and keep growing.
On the last Sunday of January, our church will affirm our deacons for the 2027 calendar year. So, over the next couple of months, let me encourage you who are Brookdale members to mention to one of the pastors, either in person or by email, the names of any men you would like to nominate for this role. We’ll review your nominations with the deacons, and those who accept the nomination and meet the qualifications will be presented at the annual business meeting for congregational approval.
As we close, let’s go back to where we started. God cares about every need his people have, both spiritual and material. That’s why he gives the church both pastors and deacons: pastors lead and provide spiritual care, while deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
Our deacons serve as volunteers, giving their time and skills because they love Christ and his people and because the church knows and trusts them.
These are not to be men who are skillful and successful in material ways only, as in skillful business owners or successful financial managers (though such qualities are certainly commendable), but they must first of all be skillful in knowing and applying the wisdom of God’s Word to the problems of life, men who will consult God’s Word as they make choices, resolve problems, and develop strategies that will care for God’s people well.
Next Sunday, Pastor Will will say more about the personal qualities of these men when he preaches from 1 Tim 3:8-13. But from these two qualities alone, being “full of the Spirit and wisdom,” we see what kind of men these should be.
These must be trusted men in the church with a good reputation inside and outside the church. Their lives must show the fruit of the Spirit: a bold witness, strong faith, a thankful spirit, and humble self-control. And they must be wise, turning to God’s Word as they make decisions and solve problems.
These were the kind of men that the pastors instructed the first church to nominate from among their members. As we see in Acts 6, there was a simple process to choosing these men. The pastors called the church to nominate men with the necessary qualifications, which means that the pastors didn’t personally appoint them. But once the church nominated some men, the pastors confirmed and affirmed their qualifications publicly.
As a result of this arrangement, not only were the needs of widows better met within the church, but the church continued to grow. The pastors were able to give more attention and effort to their spiritual tasks of preaching and teaching, so the number of disciples multiplied greatly, and even many priests became followers of Christ – which would have been an especially difficult group of people to reach.
So, we see that the first church solved its problem. The pastors kept giving themselves to prayer and the Word, trustworthy men cared for the widows’ material needs, and the church kept growing. That’s our main thought: pastors lead and provide spiritual care, while deacons serve and provide material care. But was this just a one-time fix for one church in Jerusalem, or did it become a pattern for churches to follow? To answer that, notice what the rest of the NT calls these men.
The New Testament calls these men deacons.
Perhaps you have noticed that Acts 6:1-7 doesn’t give a title to these men who were assigned to meet the widows’ needs. But when Acts 6:2 says, “to serve tables,” it uses a Greek word, diakoneo, which simply means “to serve, take care of, render assistance,” and which describes the activities of a servant (diakonos).
This word speaks of someone who is a “servant, attendant, or assistant,” who is assigned to serve another person’s needs. Such a person carries out an assignment rather than gives commands. Remarkably, this was a role in the church at Philippi (Phil 1:1):
To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops and deacons …
This shows that another church, decades later, had a position called “deacon” that was distinct from the various ministry activities all the members would have done, and which was also distinct from the role of pastors. Then in 1 Tim 3:1-13, Paul gives two more detailed lists of personal qualities that both pastors and deacons should have.
Though these qualities are mostly similar, the fact that Paul mentions both separately shows the role of a deacon had become an official position for churches in general, not just in Jerusalem, and that this is something the apostles and Scripture affirmed for today.
Other than these two references, the NT makes no other mention of the deacon office, but early church leaders acknowledged that this was a distinct role. Irenaeus spoke of Stephen (Acts 6) as the first church martyr and the first deacon. And Ignatius said this:
Those who are deacons of the mysteries of Jesus Christ must please all men in all ways. For they are not deacons of meats and drinks [only], but servants of the church of God. (Ep. ii to the Trallians)
Before we move on, we must emphasize what deacon means – to be a servant. Sadly, deacons may act less like servants and more like rulers who protect their own interests and make life and ministry difficult for both pastors and the congregation. When this happens, this role becomes a source of division. But Jesus said:
Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant [diakonos] … for even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. (Mk 10:43, 45).
That’s why deacons have a wonderful opportunity. By their example, influence, and service, they can help create a culture of service in the church, where all of us follow their example and are quick to serve one another, just as Jesus Christ served us.
What does that mean for us today? It means that in addition to a team of pastors, a church should assign the meeting of key material needs to men called deacons. They should be members with a good reputation, who are “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.” Here’s what our own church core documents say about deacons:
The deacons shall assist the pastor(s) in promoting the unity, efficiency, and testimony of the church … they shall assist the pastor(s) in caring for the service-oriented needs of the church including, but not limited to, financial, maintenance, missions, property, and technological needs.
God has blessed our church with seven men who serve as deacons. Rod Johnson, Dan Lund, and Jerry Sayler serve as deacons of member care, looking after the physical needs of our church family. Tim Kremer cares for our financial stewardship, Ken Otto cares for our building maintenance, Brad Harris provides technology support, and Mark Hulbert organizes special events.
These men also work together and overlap in meeting some of these needs, and some of you assist them in meeting these needs. I am so grateful for the faithful service of these men to our church. Thanks to them, our pastors can give themselves to prayer and the Word, and so our church can be well cared for and keep growing.
On the last Sunday of January, our church will affirm our deacons for the 2027 calendar year. So, over the next couple of months, let me encourage you who are Brookdale members to mention to one of the pastors, either in person or by email, the names of any men you would like to nominate for this role. We’ll review your nominations with the deacons, and those who accept the nomination and meet the qualifications will be presented at the annual business meeting for congregational approval.
As we close, let’s go back to where we started. God cares about every need his people have, both spiritual and material. That’s why he gives the church both pastors and deacons: pastors lead and provide spiritual care, while deacons serve and provide material care, so the church is well cared for and can keep growing.
Our deacons serve as volunteers, giving their time and skills because they love Christ and his people and because the church knows and trusts them.
- First, thank our deacons, now and throughout the year. Words of thanks, text messages of thanks, and notes of thanks. Being thankful is evidence of being full of the Holy Spirit, not just for deacons, but for us all.
- Second, help them. Some of you already do this, assisting deacons with things they are working on and serving alongside them, making their role easier.
- Third, pray about whom God may be raising up to serve as a deacon next year. More deacons lighten the load and allow men to rotate on and off, so everyone stays healthy and effective for the long run.
When pastors and deacons each do their part, and the whole church joins in, God’s people are cared for, and the Word of God keeps spreading, just as it did in Jerusalem. May that be our testimony as a church in the years ahead. Let’s pray.
Discussion Questions
Discussion Questions
- What’s a behind-the-scenes job (at home, at work, anywhere) that nobody notices until it doesn’t get done?
- The apostles had to choose: continue serving tables or adequate time for prayer and the Word. Where and when do you face a dilemma like this?
- How can you decide which option should "win out?"
- If elders should prioritize the ministry of the Word and prayer over the material needs of the church, does that mean spiritual needs are more important than material ones? Why or why not?
- Why should pastors prioritize spiritual needs?
- What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit?
- How can we tell if a man is this kind of person so that he can be a deacon?
- What is wisdom?
- Why do you think God requires that deacons be full of wisdom? (Acts 6:3)
- Fun idea: write a note, or find a way, for the group to encourage one of the deacons at Brookdale! (https://brookdale.church/our-team)
Posted in Sermon Manuscript
Posted in Feeding the Flock of God, Church, Ecclesiology, Service, Deacons, Ministry
Posted in Feeding the Flock of God, Church, Ecclesiology, Service, Deacons, Ministry
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