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We have two texts to read before 
we look at the text in more detail. The first is found in 1 Timothy 
3, you can turn there. 1 Timothy 3, I'll read the section 
pertaining to deacons. Because we had a lengthy study 
in elders, I won't repeat jot for tittle everything that is 
overlapping in the qualifications for deacons, but that is the 
emphasis tonight. We're gonna look at the need 
for what deacons do, and then I'm gonna encourage you to let 
me know who you think in our church should function in that 
capacity. So I want to read 1 Timothy 3, 
verses 8-13, and then we'll turn over to Acts 6 and spend the 
bulk of our time in verses 1-7. So beginning in chapter 3 at 
verse 8, Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, 
not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery 
of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested, 
then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, 
their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful 
in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of 
one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. for 
those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves 
a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. Now turn over to the book of 
Acts, Acts chapter six. Acts chapter 6, I'll read verses 
1 to 7. The word deacon is absent. We 
don't see in Acts 6 verses 1 to 7 the apostles telling the church 
in Jerusalem, we want deacons, we want men that will serve in 
this particular capacity. But most commentators, most theologians 
see at least the diaconate in seed form here. though not called 
deacons, this is the persons or these are the people that 
would become deacons in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
beginning in verse one, 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. Then the 12 summoned the multitude 
of the disciples and said, it is not desirable that we should 
leave the word of God and serve tables. 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, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to 
the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole 
multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy 
Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, 
a proselyte from Antioch. whom they set before the apostles. 
And when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 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." Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for the written word of the living and 
true God. We thank you that it is sufficient for all matters 
of faith and practice, and we know that that word governs church 
life. And God, we pray to you that 
you would give us wisdom and understanding concerning the 
qualifications for elders and now for deacons, and help us 
to look out among us and to find men that fill these qualifications, 
men that we can see utilized in the Church of the Lord Jesus, 
serving according to their gifting. We ask God in heaven that you 
would bless us with the presence of the Holy Spirit now. We ask 
that you would bless us again with the forgiveness of sins. 
And we pray that we would think your thoughts after you, and 
we ask in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Well, before we look at 
any particular text or set this in its larger context, we ought 
to consider the word deacon. Deacon simply means minister 
or something like servant, and it's not consolidated to ecclesiastical 
or churchly use. In Romans chapter 13, the Apostle 
Paul says that the civil government is God's deacon, God's minister, 
the avenger of God's wrath in history. So in the civil realm, 
a minister is to be a servant. I think we have forgotten that 
a long time ago. We think of minister today, and 
they're almost royal. We are their subjects. But that's 
not the way it's supposed to be. As the word would indicate, 
they're supposed to serve. they're supposed to minister. So in the civil sphere, that 
is the function. In the churchly or ecclesiastical 
sphere, that is the function as well. As we read through the 
list of qualifications in 1 Timothy chapter 3, there's no emphasis 
on the deacon as having to teach or preach the Word of God. He 
doesn't have to possess that gifting. However, he does have 
to hold to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 
He has to have a sure doctrinal footing. But the primary emphasis 
in terms of the diaconate is service or ministry in terms 
of ministering to the people of God. I think John Gill gives 
the most succinct statement concerning the function of the deacons. 
The deacons are to serve the table of the Lord, meaning not 
only put the elements on the table, but everything connected 
to the actual functioning of God's house. They are to serve 
the table of the poor. They are ministers of mercy, 
and we see that expressed in Acts chapter 6. And then thirdly, 
they're to serve the table of the minister or the pastor. That 
doesn't mean they come over and cook and serve food, but it means 
that they serve in such a way that the pastor or the man preaching 
the word is set apart, as we see in this passage, to devote 
himself to prayer and to the ministry of God's Word. So that's 
what the deacons do in the context of the church. Now let's look 
at Acts chapter 6. Now Christ promises to build 
His church in Matthew chapter 16. He said, I will build my 
church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 
Now, when he promises that, he doesn't make another promise 
saying, and you'll never have any problems. It'll be smooth 
sailing all the way. Every time you gather, it will 
only be joyful and happy and wonderful. No, there's always 
going to be difficulties. There's always going to be challenges. 
Up to this point in the book of Acts, the church is persecuted 
in chapters 4 and 5. As well, there is internal corruption 
in the church in Acts chapter 5, verses 1 to 11. So you've got external persecution 
upon the people of God, and then you have internal corruption. 
Much like Israel, the church has a two-fold enemy. It's not 
only those from without, but at times it's those from within. 
Now Acts chapter six shows us another strategy of the devil 
to distract the church, and it's that, distraction. This isn't 
persecution, this isn't corruption, but rather it is distraction. 
And if this is not corrected, then the apostles are not able 
to continue in devoting themselves to the word and the doctrine. 
John Gill says, so that, as it appears from the instance of 
Ananias and Sapphira, that this first and pure gospel church 
was not free from hypocrites. It is also manifest that though 
they were at first so united and harmonious in their affections 
and judgments, yet they were not always clear of feuds, animosities, 
and contentions. Satan bestirred himself and got 
footing among them, as he commonly does where the gospel is preached, 
and there is an increase of it." In other words, if the church 
is doing what she's supposed to do, she can't expect, yes, 
the blessing of God, but yes, the assault of the devil. there 
are challenges to overcome in church life. So I wanna look 
first at the problem in the church in verses one and two, second, 
the proposal to the church in verses three and four, and then 
finally, the provision for the church in verses five to seven. But notice the problem, the time 
of it. Verse one, now in those days 
when the number of the disciples was multiplying, I want to say 
this as carefully and as gingerly and as kindly as I possibly can. But more people typically add 
up to more problems. Parents, you've known that after 
having one child, and then you throw another into the mix. And 
then on top of that, you throw a third, and then perhaps a fourth, 
and some go up into 10, and double digits in such a way that it's 
a miracle that these ladies have hair, that they've not pulled 
it all out. So while God's blessing is evident and manifest in the 
church, persons bring with them their own idiosyncrasies, persons 
bring with them their own remaining sin, and as often is the case 
in the context of the church, we can bump into one another, 
we can have some issues, we can have some challenges. I don't 
suggest that we try to negate this reality, that we say, oh 
no, that'll never happen because we're all so wonderful. No, understand 
that it's most likely going to happen, but the Bible gives a 
mechanism on how to deal with it. It tells us that if your 
brother sins against you, go to him. If he hears you, then 
you've won your brother. It also tells us that if you 
are presenting your gift at the altar, and there you remember 
that your brother has a problem with you, go first, be reconciled 
to him, and then render your gift. So my point is there will 
be issues. There will be challenges. There 
will be a bumping of heads among us from one time to another. 
That's inevitable. But the Christian response is 
to deal with it according to the word of the living God. Too 
many Christians are cowards. Too many Christians just avoid 
anybody that would ever stand in their way. No, we deal with 
people lovingly, and we exhibit the courage that Christ calls 
us to, and we try and deal faithfully one with another. So the time 
that this occurs is when the number of disciples was multiplying. The church was growing. Praise 
be to God. Now notice the specific issue 
in verse one. It says, there arose a complaint 
against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected 
in the daily distribution. The Hebrews were Jews from Judea. They were sort of native persons 
and native speakers of the language. The Hellenists were Jews from 
outside of Judah. So they were Greek-speaking Jews. So you had Hellenists and then 
you had the Hebrews. And so in this particular instance, 
the problem is because their widows were neglected in the 
daily distribution. It seems that the apostles were 
governing the situation in such a way that these widows were 
being fed. These widows were being cared 
for. These widows were being tended to. But the Hellenists 
had the idea that they were being slighted, that the Hebrew widows 
were getting more. The Hebrew widows were enjoying 
bounty, while the Hellenists were being shorted as far as 
they were concerned. Now this underscores a blessed 
reality and consistency between the two testaments. God has always 
had a heart for the widow and for the orphan. In the book of 
Exodus, we see mandate, we see command, we see expression given 
by God to the nation to tend to their widows, to tend to the 
orphans. James defines true and undefiled 
religion in the sight of God and the Father in this way, to 
visit widows and orphans in their distress and to keep oneself 
unspotted from the world. So the apostles are being consistent 
with what God had called them to, not only in this new covenant 
setting, but in the old covenant as well. So there was a neglect. Now, J.A. Alexander says, neglected, 
literally overlooked, not necessarily implying ill will or contempt, 
but merely such neglect as might arise from their being less known 
than the natives. The jealousy of the races may 
have prompted the complaint without affording the occasion for it. 
As well, it underscores there wasn't a common refrigerator. 
There was still the possession of private goods in the early 
church. We see a benevolence on their 
part in chapter 2 and in chapter 4 to sell property, to lay the 
money at the feet of the apostles so that they could distribute 
it among the people. Some have concluded Christian 
socialism. That is a wrong conclusion. There 
was no coercion on the part of the civil state and there was 
no coercion on the part of the apostles. It was a free will 
move on the part of the people of God. Now here again, this 
was a distribution of food. It wasn't the case that there 
was one common fridge and everybody had access at any time to it. That's the practical problem 
in the church. But notice in the second place, 
the spiritual problem in verse two. Then the 12 summoned the 
multitude of the disciples and said, it is not desirable that 
we should leave the word of God and serve tables. So they call 
the church, they summon the church. They don't act unilaterally. 
They don't act without accountability. They act in a wise and responsible 
manner. And they lay out this particular 
issue before the people of God. So what did the apostles assume? 
that the people of God are bright enough bulbs in the chandelier 
to be able to figure out certain situations like these. We don't 
always need somebody above us making decisions for us. We're 
very capable, as blood-bought children of the living and true 
God, filled with the Holy Spirit to make decisions that affect 
the entirety of the church. It's a wonderful and a beautiful 
thing. It's not strict democracy. It 
is rather elder or apostle-led at this particular point, but 
they work in conjunction with the congregation. And then notice, 
it is not desirable that we should leave the Word of God and serve 
tables. They don't say it's wrong. to 
serve tables. They don't say it's beneath us 
to serve tables. They don't say it's something 
that we're too holy and pure to engage with. That's not their 
attitude at all. Rather, the apostles rightly 
see what we call now the division of labor. If the apostles are 
trying to serve tables and trying to prepare sermons, they're not 
going to do either one well. If they do appoint a class of 
men to serve the tables, then that will free them up to devote 
themselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. What's 
one of the take-home messages from this particular passage? 
No one man Not even a small group of men can do everything. The church is a multifaceted 
organism. There are a lot of things going 
on. There are a lot of moving parts. And therefore, having 
biblically qualified men installed as deacons and as elders help 
us to orchestrate the calling that God has given. So the work 
of serving tables is not beneath them. John Stott comments, there 
is no hint whatever that the apostles regarded social work 
as inferior to pastoral work or beneath their dignity. It 
was entirely a question of calling. Please get that. The apostles 
aren't the right reverend doctor, sir, that have people giving 
them accolades. That's not their emphasis. Their 
emphasis is, we're here to preach the Word of God. The specific 
work committed to the apostles is given there. It is not desirable 
that we should leave the Word of God and serve tables. Now when we move on, the apostolic 
ministry dies with the apostles. There's no present, apostolic 
ministry. Who gets this baton passed to 
them? Well, we've studied 1 Timothy 
3, verses one to seven. We see that it's the elders who 
are given the task of preaching and teaching the word. Remember 
1 Timothy 3, two, he must be able, He must be apt to teach. Remember the emphasis throughout 
1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus is on sound doctrine. It's on 
the function of the eldership to preach that word, to teach 
that word, and to lead the congregation or govern the congregation as 
servants of Christ, as servants of the people by the word of 
God. So the apostles identify the 
problem practically The Hellenists are not happy with the daily 
distribution of bread. But the spiritual element of 
this issue is that it's not desirable for us to serve tables because 
then we'd have to leave the Word of God. Now notice in the second 
place the proposal to the church in verses 3 and 4. The solution 
for the practical problem. These men are smart, these men 
are wise, these men prescribe a particular remedy that will 
fix the problem. Notice in verse 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. The fact that there are seven 
called for does not give that as a mandate to all subsequent 
churches. In other words, if it was part 
and parcel of a diaconate to have seven, we'd expect that 
in 1 Timothy 3, verses 8 to 13. Most likely, and this is just 
a supposition, I think I picked it up from Sam Waldron some years 
ago, probably seven for each day of the week set apart one 
man for the distribution of the bread on those particular days. If you were deacon whoever, you 
got Monday. If you were deacon whoever, you 
got Tuesday. That's as good a supposition 
as any that I can see. But the diaconate is need-driven. If there is a need for deacons, 
and I suggest we have a need for deacons, we should find qualified 
men and install them into that office of Christian ministry. 
If there is not a need, then you don't have to just put somebody 
in for no reason. It is a need-driven sort of a 
situation. Now, notice he gives or they 
give qualifications in this particular passage. And we'll end tonight 
by looking again at 1 Timothy 3. But notice, therefore, brethren, 
seek out from among you seven men of good reputation. They need to be well-spoken of, 
they need to be approved. Sort of like when Paul starts 
off with elders, he says, they must be blameless men. They must 
have a good record. They must be irreproachable. They mustn't be non-sinners because 
that would never be the case. They're not called to be perfect. 
but there need to be men of good reputation. Notice they go on 
to say, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. Full of the Holy 
Spirit and wisdom. Now the necessity of the Holy 
Spirit indicates or underscores the spirituality of the task. They're not just to be good managers, 
they're to be good managers governed by the Spirit of the Living God. See, the Spirit of the Living 
God works with means as well. He can take a moron and cause 
him to do good things, but for the most part, the Spirit uses 
a guy who has a modicum of wisdom. who has a commitment to the written 
word of the living God. And so it's not just a task in 
terms of managerial, it's not just logistics, it's not just 
making sure that the Hellenists get as much food as do the Hebrews. He must be filled with the Spirit. But then notice the necessity 
of wisdom highlights the care that must be applied to the task. 
When you're dealing in a situation like this, you want wise men. It's easy for us to read through 
this and not think that it's that big of a deal. You've got 
one group of widows that are unhappy. Brethren, that's a tough 
mountain to climb. That is a tough obstacle to try 
and deal with. When men are dealing with finances, 
when they're dealing with food, when they're dealing with logistics, 
when they're dealing with organization, when they're dealing with the 
sorts of things that these men are gonna deal with, you want 
men to have wisdom, don't you? It's pretty obvious and it should 
be pretty self-evident that the Holy Spirit and wisdom are requisite 
gifts for those involved in service to the church of the Lord Jesus 
Christ. Now notice the function. It says, 
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. This doesn't necessarily mean 
that Philip, or Stephen rather, was the man, or Stephen and Philip 
were men, or the rest of these particular deacons were men that 
were doing everything. No, they were men as well that 
would delegate to others. You see that delegation of judicial 
authority in Exodus chapter 18. It's a wonderful principle. Remember 
that Moses is wearing himself out by adjudicating all of the 
issues and the challenges of Israel. And Jethro, his converted 
father-in-law, comes to him and says, basically, you're going 
to kill yourself. There's no one man that can do all that 
you're doing. You need to appoint other men 
such that they can take some of the not as important stuff 
and then Moses, you can function as the Supreme Court in Israel. It made good sense. It was good 
application of wisdom. So Moses imbibes that and he 
puts it into place. So the apostles will establish 
the deacons over this particular work. The apostles would appoint 
them over this business, which further evidences and demonstrates 
that this business is important. This business is crucial. This 
business demands to have men govern it in such a way as to 
bring it about effectively. They don't say, well, you know, 
because these Hellenists are complaining, we're going to just 
end it. This is why we can't have good things. You need to 
stop. That's not how they handle it. As well, they don't engage 
in, you know, ethnic counseling. Oh, you know, you need to be 
more woke. You Hellenists, you need to be a bit more sympathetic 
to the Hebrews and the Hebrew. That's not the problem. The problem 
is it was a matter of logistics. It was a matter of distribution. It was a matter of putting food 
on the table. The apostles implement the division 
of labor for the glory of God. So that would solve the practical 
problem and thus, it would alleviate the spiritual problem. Notice 
in verse four, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer 
and to the ministry of the word. We will busy ourselves with, 
we will be busily engaged in, we will be devoted to the preaching 
of God's word and praying for the people. Now brethren, it's 
at times like these that some say, well, you know, that's not 
as important, the preaching and the praying. It's more about 
putting food on the table. Everybody wants to approach church 
life as an either-or. No, we should see it as a both-and. 
practical acts of charity, and as well an emphasis upon a sound 
gospel ministry. It shouldn't be the case that 
we have one or the other. We should aim by the grace of 
God to have a both and robust situation of practical concern 
and doctrinal devotion. And so the apostles function. 
Notice, underscored here, we will give ourselves continually 
to prayer and to the ministry of the word. These are apostles. These are the men that if anybody 
ever should have gotten a nice parking spot and should have 
been addressed with right reverend sir, it would have been them. 
But they don't want that. They don't want notoriety. They 
don't want celebrity. They don't want to be out in 
the public eye. They don't want to be shucking and jiving and 
doing all that. They want to devote themselves 
to prayer and to the ministry of the word. They want to devote 
themselves to the extension of Christ's kingdom. They want to 
devote themselves to that which God called them for. That is 
biblical, that is good, that is absolutely admirable in this 
instance. Poole says the two great employees 
of a minister of Jesus Christ, to pray unto God for the people 
and to speak unto the people from the Lord. John Gill says 
these two, prayer and preaching, are the principal employment 
of a gospel ministry, and are what he ought to be concerned 
in, not only now and then, but what he should be given or give 
himself up unto wholly, that his profiting might appear, and 
what he should be continually exercised and employed in. Great emphasis by John Gill. 
It's a great emphasis that we see in the proven masters in 
the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everyone to a man saw 
the emphasis in terms of biblical eldership and biblical diaconate. Why? For the advancement of the 
cause of Jesus Christ. I'm going to give you a bit of 
a foreshadowing. What happens after they appoint the deacons? 
Then the word of the Lord spread. What do we conclude from that? 
That a biblically ordered church functioning according to the 
mind of Christ, with elders and deacons, is a ripe place for 
the conversion of sinners. In other words, faith comes by 
hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. And if there is a class 
of men separated unto the preaching of that Word, and there is a 
class of men, get this, to protect those men, that evidences to 
us the heart of God in the saving of sinners, and it also evidences 
to us the kinds of churches that the Lord God blesses. Now certainly 
he can bless churches where there isn't elders and deacons, that's 
not the issue. But there is a close connection 
between the appointment of these deacons and then the spread of 
the word of the Lord. So look at, finally, the provision 
for the church in verses 5 to 7. Notice the choice of the men. The saying pleased the whole 
multitude. Why wouldn't it? Right? You've 
got the mind of Christ, your blood bought, you have the Holy 
Spirit. The apostles come, they say, we've got a practical problem. 
The Hellenists are upset at the Hebrews. This is going to keep 
us from ministering to them in a way that is beneficial for 
them, but in a way that is beneficial for the entirety of the church, 
because we're going to be kept back from the word and from prayer. 
So find good men, men of good reputation, men who have the 
Holy Spirit, men who have wisdom. set them apart, we can appoint 
them over this business, and then we can do what we're supposed 
to do, vis-a-vis devote ourselves to preaching and to prayer. So, of course, the people of 
God said yes. Notice, they chose Stephen, a 
man full of faith, and the Holy Spirit, and Philip. Those are 
the two men that we read of further. Stephen, Pharis, large in chapter 
7, and then Philip in chapter 8. there's this man Procurus, 
Decanter, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas. Some in the early church 
thought this Nicholas was the hatcher of the vile heresy associated 
with the Nicolaitans in the book of Revelation. I don't know about 
that, but that's what at least Irenaeus and a couple of others 
thought. But anyways, they pick these particular men and then 
they appoint the men. Notice in verse 6, It says, whom 
they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they 
laid hands on them. So the same sort of thing that 
we see with reference to elders. In Acts chapter 14, Paul will 
go back through the cities and churches he established in the 
first missionary journey. He will then have the church 
by common suffrage, select men for the eldership. They pray 
and they fast and they appoint those men to the eldership by 
the laying on of hands. You see the same emphasis here. 
Our confession says, the way appointed by Christ for the calling 
of any person fitted and gifted by the Holy Spirit unto the office 
of bishop or elder in a church is that he be chosen thereunto 
by the common suffrage of the church itself and solemnly set 
apart by fasting and prayer with imposition of hands of the eldership 
of the church if there be any before constituted therein. and 
of a deacon, that he be chosen by the like suffrage, and set 
apart by prayer, and the like imposition of hands." So there 
is an order involved in this. There are qualifications given 
for this, which is obviously suggestive that it's an abiding 
office in the church of the Lord Jesus Christ until he comes again 
in glory to judge the living and the dead. It is a simple 
process, but a most effective process. And again, it underscores 
the heart of God in terms of the salvation of sinners. Not 
only does he set apart a class of men to preach the gospel to 
those sinners, he sets apart a class of men to protect those 
men so that they can preach the gospel to sinners. It always 
amazes me when hyper-Calvinists think that God really doesn't 
want to save people. Everything in the Bible is designed 
to tell us that God wants to save people. Every jot and tittle 
converges on that blessed reality. Jesus said, I've come to seek 
and to save that which was lost. We turn to the book of Revelation. 
There's a great multitude that no man can number from every 
tribe and tongue and people and nation. But again, I think this 
is a powerful argument for the goodness and the large heartedness 
of God most high towards sinners. He wants you saved in such a 
way that He's ordained a class of men to preach the gospel to 
you. And He's ordained a class of 
men to protect those men so they can preach the gospel to you. 
And then notice the progress of the church. Go up to chapter 
9. There's several progress reports 
that you find in the book of Acts. It's Luke telling us the 
effect of the word as it is being proclaimed. Acts 9.31. Then the churches throughout 
all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And 
walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy 
Spirit, they were multiplied." That's a progress report. Turn over to chapter 12 at verse 
24. A most intriguing one, because 
the chapter starts off with James being beheaded and then Peter 
being thrown in prison. And then the chapter ends with 
a progress report. Verse 24, but the word of God 
grew and multiplied. John Stott says the chapter, 
chapter 12, opens with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod 
triumphing. It closes with Herod dead, Peter 
free, and the word of God triumphing. Such is the power of God to overthrow 
hostile human plans and to establish his own in their place. Tyrants 
may be permitted for a time to boast and bluster, oppressing 
the church and hindering the gospel, but they will not last. In the end, their empire will 
be broken and their pride abased. That's a great way to describe 
Acts chapter 12. That hits the nail on the proverbial 
head. Look at Acts 16. Acts 16, Paul 
comes into the region of Derbe and Lystra. He hears of Timothy. He wants him to accompany him 
on the second missionary journey. And then notice what we see in 
verse five. So the churches were strengthened in the faith. and 
increased in number daily. Turn over to Acts chapter 19. 
These are great things. These progress reports, again, 
in the midst of persecution, in the midst of increasing hostility, 
not only from the unbelieving Jews, but increasingly from the 
Roman civil state, nevertheless, God is carrying out his purpose 
and plan. Notice in Ephesus at Acts 19.20. So the word of the Lord grew 
mightily and prevailed. And then there's a progress report 
at the end of the book of Acts. It ends with such. Acts 28, 30. Then Paul dwelt two whole years 
in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching 
the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the 
Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him. So you 
see the apostle ends up in prison at the end of the book of Acts. 
We might conclude without the progress report, oh no, everything 
is lost. But no, Luke tells us this was 
another opportunity for the apostle to preach and teach the word 
of God. And it's there that he writes Ephesians, Philippians, 
and Colossians. So back to Acts chapter six, 
notice at verse seven, then that connects us to the preceding 
context. So what we have is that they 
sat before the apostles, those seven men, according to verse 
six, when the apostles had prayed, the apostles laid hands on them. 
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. So the practical problem was 
dealt with, which freed up the servants of the Word, or the 
ministers of the Word, with reference to the spiritual problem. Now 
that the practical was taken care of, so was the spiritual. 
They preach the word, they're devoted to the word and prayer, 
and thus God blesses it, the word of God spreads, and the 
number of the disciples multiplies greatly. And this comment that 
a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. Listen 
to John Gill. And that the priests and a large 
number of them should do this is very marvelous, since they 
were the most inveterate enemies of the gospel and persecutors 
of the saints. But what is it that efficacious 
grace cannot do? It can certainly conquer the 
inveterate enemies of the church. It will do so in Acts chapter 
9 with the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. So you free up the 
man of God to give himself to prayer and to the ministry of 
the Word of God, and what happens? Faith comes by hearing, and hearing 
by the Word of God. It's not rocket science, brethren. 
It's not splitting the atom. It is simply functioning in accordance 
with God's Holy Word in terms of the way He regulates the church 
and her conduct. Now, in conclusion, we ought 
to reckon with, first of all, the problems facing the Church. It's not just the external threat, 
but there is an internal threat. The case of Ananias and Sapphira 
underscore corruption. The case of the various heretics 
named in the New Testament underscore corruption. This one, again, 
it's not corruption, it's not heresy, but it is distraction. It is something that can jeopardize 
the smooth operation of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. So 
by God's grace, we seek to tend to those things so that we can 
keep the ship moving. Secondly, the government of the 
church. The abiding offices in the church 
are elders and deacons. There are no more apostles. With 
the death of the final apostle, the apostolic ministry was no 
more. It was foundational. It was specific, 
it was given for a time, but it is no longer in perpetuity. 
The remaining offices are those addressed by Paul in 1 Timothy 
3, 1-7, Elders 8-13, Deacons. The division of labor in the 
church is crucial. Again, whenever you look at these 
terms used, Philippians 1.1, it speaks of elders, plural, 
and deacons. Why elders, plural? Because no one man can do everything 
that is requisite in church life. The division of labor is crucial. And then the presence, however, 
not however, but I should always remind us, the presence of church 
officers doesn't mean complete inactivity on the part of church 
members. Now, early on, well, not early 
on, but a couple of years in my... Life as a Christian, I 
was a deacon in the church in Palmdale. And I'll never forget 
a time when I was vacuuming the floor, and I was near a brother, 
and this brother just lifted his feet so I could vacuum under 
his feet. And I thought, it would be nice 
for you to get up and move. I got struggles, brethren. I'm 
not an absolute holy man. I'm not a perfect man. But there 
was almost this attitude that, oh, this guy will do it. That's 
not the way we're supposed to view deacons and elders. It's not the case. Sometimes, 
this is probably going to make you think I'm really weird, but 
I'll see a piece of trash in the parking lot and I leave it 
there. And I wonder, is it going to be the deacons that pick it 
up or is there somebody else that will pick it up? We ought 
not to think, oh, well, we've got beacons. They can pick up 
the trash. We've got an elder that works 
here all week. He can pick up all the excrement. And I do. I'll do that because 
I don't think you should leave that laying around. But the bottom 
line is the presence of officers in the church does not equal 
inactivity on the part of the members of the church. Just because 
we have a functioning diaconate and a functioning eldership doesn't 
mean you get to sit in the pew and grow moss. It is absolutely 
unacceptable if your thought process is, well, there are deacons 
to go plunge the toilet. Go plunge the toilet, serve the 
deacon. He will probably enjoy that blessing 
in his life. So I always feel constrained 
to make that observation. Now go to 1 Timothy 3, just a 
couple of quick thoughts and then we close. 1 Timothy 3, as 
I said, we spent much time in the qualifications for elders. 
You can see the overlap involved in terms of the deacons. Verse 
8 describes his personal conduct. Likewise, deacons must be reverent, 
not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for 
money. Again, obvious, evident, as plain 
as the nose on your face. It is the deacons that function 
in terms of the church finances. You don't want a man who's greedy 
for money holding the money bag. Judas was an obvious problem 
in the apostolate. And then notice you've got his 
doctrinal conviction. Again, just because he's not 
apt to teach or isn't required to be apt to teach doesn't mean 
he needs to be a novice theologically. It doesn't mean he doesn't need 
to know the Bible and good theology. Verse 9, holding the mystery 
of the faith with a pure conscience. He's holding it because he understands 
it. He's appropriated it by faith 
and it is that by which he lives. Notice in the third place is 
proven faithfulness, verse 10. But let these also first be tested, 
then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. And then 
notice his domestic situation. Again, corresponding much with 
what we have in the description of the eldership. So verses 11 
and 12 underscore his domestic situation with this particular 
difference. Notice in verse 11, likewise 
their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful 
in all things. I didn't have time to check the 
other translations, or I just didn't even think to, but there 
are those who perhaps translate this differently. There is some 
degree of disagreement on this particular section. Some suggest 
this isn't deacon's wives, but rather it is deaconesses, women 
deacons or women who function in the diaconate. Or perhaps 
they were a class of women, perhaps older women, that would serve 
in this particular capacity. I think this is the proper translation. I think that this is the proper 
way to view it. I think that what Paul is saying 
is that with reference to the deacons, their wives have qualification. Why doesn't he say that the elder's 
wife has qualification? Because Paul's supposition is 
clear and it's simple. Paul does not assume that the 
elder's wife will help him elder. His task is to preach and teach 
the word of God and to govern the church. Two things prohibited 
of women in 1 Timothy chapter two. So the apostle doesn't give 
qualifications for the elder's wife. That doesn't mean she can 
be a wino and lay around all day and watch soap operas and 
steal candy bars and be a rat. No, it doesn't mean that at all. 
But I think the supposition is clear with the deacons. The deacon's 
wives will help the deacons in their deaconing. So while the 
deacon is tasked with the service of the table of the Lord, the 
table of the poor, and the table of the minister, a deacon's wife 
is very valuable and very helpful in that threefold pursuit. For 
instance, if there is a woman that is abused, or there's some 
sort of a situation that requires the soft touch of a woman, it 
ought to be the deacon's wife, perhaps, instead of the deacon. 
So the apostle gives illustration, or gives rather qualification, 
for deacon's wives. And again, very evident, very 
obvious, very patent. Likewise, their wives must be 
reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. So that's 
his domestic faithfulness relative to his wife, but then he shares 
the similar qualification as the elder with reference to his 
children. Verse 12, let deacons be the 
husbands of one wife, he's got to be proven in terms of sexual 
fidelity, ruling their children and their own houses well. and 
that it ends with a wonderful commendation to those men who 
serve and function in the capacity of the diaconate in a good way. Notice in verse 13, for those 
who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good 
standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ 
Jesus. It is a wonderful work that the 
Lord God has given in the context of the local church. It warms 
my heart when we gather together for prayer meeting and brothers 
pray for the deacons. As we saw intimately or wonderfully 
over the last year, we saw the work of the deacons in ways that 
they weren't necessarily ready for, but they stepped up to the 
plate, they swung the bat and they hit home runs. And I bless 
God for those brothers. I bless God for their work. And 
I bless God for the privilege of working alongside of them. So brethren, pray for them. Pray 
with reference to men in our church. If you have somebody 
in mind, please send me an email. Please send me a text. An email 
is better because then I can print it out and put it in a 
folder. I like doing that. But if you want to, please communicate 
in light of the qualifications for elders and for deacons what 
man or men in the context of our church you see fits the bill. And by God's grace, we will hopefully 
install a man or men for his glory, for the progress of the 
kingdom of Christ on earth. Because it was when they were 
installed that the word of the Lord spread. and a great many 
came to the faith, including the inveterate enemies of the 
gospel, those priests who had shaken their fist at the glorious 
Christ and now were submitting on bended knee, confessing him 
as Lord and Savior. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in heaven, we thank you for your word. We thank you for its clarity 
in these church matters. And we thank you for the men 
who serve in our church in this manner. We give praise to you, 
Lord God, for their faithfulness, and we pray that you would continue 
to bless them and watch over them. As well, God, we pray to 
you as the Lord of the harvest to raise up elders, to raise 
up deacons, not just in our church. We know that Mike has needs. 
We see for Vernon, we pray for Ryan and that whole situation 
there, that there would be not just him one day, but a plurality. 
We pray for the situation in Dryden. We thank you for the 
plurality of men in terms of eldership in the church in Honduras. 
And we know that this is indeed the mind of Christ. So God help 
us and grant us grace and give us this kind provision. And we 
ask in the name and for the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. 
We'll close with a brief time of meditation.