APPLICATION: Read  and watch/listen to 1 Timothy 3:8-13

1 Timothy 3:8-13
What is a Deacon?

Intro: “Diakonos”

1. What a Deacon is not: vs. 8
a. Not double tounged
b. Not addicted to much wine
c. Not greedy for dishonest gain

2. What a Deacon is: vs. 9-10; 12

• Children
• Household

3. What a Deacon’s wife is: vs. 11
4. The Deacons Reward: vs. 13
Life Application:
Gardening Hints

Jesus used a lot of agricultural images for his spiritual lessons. He spoke about vineyards and wheat fields, planting and harvesting, soil analysis, controlling pests and weeds, and grafting.

I have a friend who enjoys plants. Raised in the city, his encounters with agriculture have been limited to potted plants and seed packets. Plants with him have a slim chance. Begonias, ferns, spider plants, English ivy—it does not matter. They begin healthy but then droop and die. He’s been known to kill even a philodendron (oft considered the herbaceous Energizer bunny of the plant world).

Though he is constantly sweeping petals and leaves off the floor, it does not keep him from trying. He will bring home a new plant. The old plant is dislodged from its pot. Then, in a puff of dust, the spent plant is tossed into the garbage. The new plant assumes its place.

The problem is, he always forgets to water. What you tend grows. What you do not, will not—it is as simple as that.

What is true for plants also applies to the spirit. It takes a commitment to feed the areas of our spirit that will respond to the will of God. And it takes equal determination to starve the influences that deter us from living godly lives.

Our lives develop in an environment, but we are the ones who decide what we feed within that environmental mix of personal choices, friends, family, desires and ambitions, media, time investments, and values.

Whenever I open my mouth, think a thought, watch TV, read a book or magazine, or make a decision, I feed something. It is a principle that works both ways, for good or ill. Starve a bad habit, like sarcasm, and my spirit and character grow. Dehydrate a loving attitude, and I shrivel within.
That is why Paul was so explicit about church conduct and personal character for Christians. We represent the living God. Our lives are not a performance but a revelation of our inner spirit which is united with Christ. If our relationship to God is developing in dependence and intimacy or if it is drifting and estranged, the truth of our relationship to God and his Spirit will be demonstrated through the way we live and the choices we make.
Remember, what you feed, grows. What you do not, will not.[1]

Digging Deeper:
Church Government (vv. 2, 8, 11)
Paul referred to overseers, deacons, and possibly deaconesses. The terms are not as critical as the function and responsibilities each provided within the local church. The crucial point is that God established particular roles so the church would operate smoothly and orderly.
Three main systems of church government have developed over the years: episcopal, presbyterian, congregational.

1. The word episcopal is taken from the Greek word episkopos, found in 1 Timothy 3:2 and translated in the NIV as “overseer.” In current church structures, the episcopal form is organized by a hierarchy of leadership. Dioceses are territories which are administered by the church and governed by a bishop. Bishops are elected by the clerics and lay leaders at diocesan conventions, and they serve in administrative functions. Beyond this there is a supreme court of the church. In the Episcopal church the general convention meets every three years to discuss church policy, administration, and theological issues. There is also an executive council which exercises executive functions in the intervening years. There is also a senior leader. In the Roman Church it is the pope; in the Episcopal church it is the presiding bishop who is elected by the general convention.
   
   This basic organizational approach is used by the Methodists, Episcopalians, Roman Catholics, and others.
   
   
2. The word presbyterian comes from the Greek word presbuteros, used in 1 Timothy 5:17, and translated as “elder.” Both presbuteros and episkopos are used interchangeably throughout Scripture. The Presbyterian form of church government consists of a hierarchy of courts. First, the kirk session, which is the local church with its minister and elders; then the presbytery, which is composed of ministers and representative elders from a geographic area; next are the synods, which are made up of members of several presbyteries covering a larger territory. Finally, there is the supreme legislative and administrative court, the general assembly, composed of equal numbers of ministers and elders.
   
   Ministers in the Presbyterian system are elected by the local church, but ordination comes as an act of the presbytery after completion of strict educational requirements. Ministers typically preach and teach. Elders are ordained for particular offices in the church.
   
   This particular system of government is used by the Presbyterian church and some Reformed churches. Selected aspects of this governmental structure are used by independent and Congregational churches as well.
   
   
3. The Congregational form of government derives its name because of its emphasis on local congregations. These churches function independently and autonomously, using a democratic approach to church government with Christ as the sole head of the church. All members are considered “priests unto God” with responsibility to serve in the administration and decisions of the church. Sometimes these churches form associations based on doctrinal agreements, but there are no authoritative or legislative bodies to which the local church is subject.
   
   This form of government is used by many independent churches which exist outside specific denominational adherences. This type of government is also used by certain Congregational and Baptist churches.

In any church government on the local level, no one person should have sole responsibility for the decisions of the church. If there is only one official pastor or minister, then that person gathers around him a board or session of elders or mature Christians. Together they pray and study the Scriptures to determine the application of principles for specific situations within the church. This sharing of responsibility is designed by God to protect the solitary pastor from being overburdened, the church from apathy, the individual pastor from the temptations of power, and the local church from mindless compliance.

Deacons and/or deaconesses seem to refer to any other job in the local church that is officially recognized as a serving position. If Acts 6 indeed describes the first deacons, as many believe, then their first job was to ensure a just distribution of food to both Hebrew and Greek widows in Jerusalem. Today deacons care for homebound persons, teach Sunday school, decide financial matters, visit in the hospitals, serve ordinances, or, as in many Baptist churches, serve as the official leadership board of the church.

The church is to be organized with many people contributing to its work and sharing in its responsibilities. The church has a role to play in the life of believers and in the community. Its government and organization assure that no essential matter is forgotten, that it functions with integrity and purpose. However we organize the church, Christ is always the head.[2]
 
Questions to Consider:
1. What does "above reproach" mean to you, and how can it be applied in today's context?

2. How does Paul's description of an overseer's qualifications relate to modern leadership roles within the church?

3. How can one practically maintain a "good reputation with outsiders" in a society with diverse views on religion and morality?

4. In what ways can the listed qualities of a deacon be incorporated into your own life, even if you're not in a leadership position?

5. How does Paul's emphasis on the behavior of a deacon's family reflect on the holistic approach to Christian living?
 
Prayer:


[1] Knute Larson, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, vol. 9, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 193–194.
[2] Knute Larson, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon, vol. 9, Holman New Testament Commentary (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 194–196.