The Role of Deacons in the Church

Berean Bible Baptist Church

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The Role of Deacons in the Church

Philippians 1:1, 2

May 20, 2012 • Roger Skepple

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Message Outline:

The Book of Philippians

Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11) (Part 10)

Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2) (Part J)

The Officers of the Church (Part 7)

I. Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11)

A. Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2)

2. The Recipients of the Letter (1:18-23)

a. Their Spiritual Identity (1:18-14)

b. Their Physical Location (1:115-18)

c. Their Representatives (1:119-23)

1) The Elders (1:119-21)

2) The Deacons (1:122-23)

The Lexical Meaning of Deacon

1. The Terms

● diakonos — servant

● diakonia — serving

● diakoneo — to serve

2. The Terms Compared to Elders

3. The Terms’ Meaning

4. The Terms’ Distinctive Usage

a. Christian Service

b. The Gift of Service (Helps)

c. The Office of Deacon?

The Special Case of the Deacon

1. Their Identity

2. Their Origin

Deacons and Elders Compared

1. The Similarities Between the Offices

2. The Differences Between the Offices

Why the Church Submits to its Elders

April 29, 2012 • Roger Skepple

Message Outline: The Book of Philippians Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11) (Part 9) Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2) (Part I) The Officers of the Church (Part 6) The Church and New Testament Eldership Hebrews 13 (Part 4) I. The Nature of the Church’s Responsibility to Her Elders (3:17a) II. The Elder’s Responsibility to the Church (3:17b-c) III. The Purpose of the Church’s Response to Her Elders (3:17d-e) A. The Immediate Goal of the Church’s Response in Reference to the Elders (3:17d) 1. The Nature of Their Response: It Please God a. It Fulfills God’s Will b. It Reflects God’s Design 2. The Fact of Their Response: Its Inspires the Leadership a. It Produces Christian Delight b. It Averts Ministerial Sorrow B. The Immediate Goal of the Church’s Response in Reference to the Church (3:17e) 1. Stated: It Avoids Personal Damage 2. Proven: It Matches God’s Pattern IV. Summary of Eldership

Elders: Held Accountable

April 22, 2012 • Roger Skepple

Message Outline: The Book of Philippians Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11) (Part 8) Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2) (Part H) The Officers of the Church (Part 5) The Church and New Testament Eldership Hebrews 13 (Part 3) I. The Nature of the Church’s Responsibility to Her Elders (3:17a) II. The Elder’s Responsibility to the Church (3:17b-c) A. The Prime Nature of Their Responsibility (3:17b) B. The Ultimate Accountability for Their Responsibility (3:17c) 1. The Character of Their Accountability a. They Were Obligated to It b. They Were Answerable for It 1) The Biblical Link Between Judgement and Obedience 2) The Biblical Pattern of Their Accountability a) Revealed in Their Role as Shepherds b) Revealed in Their Role as Stewards (1) The Problem of Sectarianism in Corinth (2) The Function of Stewardship (a) In Terms of Its General Nature (b) In Terms of Its Evaluation (c) In Terms of Its Ultimate Evaluator 2. The Implications of Their Accountability a. The Divine Object of Eldership b. The Seriousness of Eldership 3. An Illustration of Their Accountability

The Elders' Responsibility to the Church

April 1, 2012 • Roger Skepple

Message Outline: The Book of Philippians Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11) (Part 6) Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2) (Part F) The Officers of the Church (Part 3) I. Paul’s Introduction to Philippians (1:1-11) A. Paul’s Salutation (1:1-2) 1. The Authors of the Letter (1:11-7) 2. The Recipients of the Letter (1:18-23) a. Their Spiritual Identity (1:18-14) b. Their Physical Location (1:115-18) c. Their Representatives (1:119-23) 1) The Elders (1:119-21) The Church and New Testament Eldership Hebrews 13:17 The Background of Hebrews 13:17 ● The Purpose of the Book of Hebrews ● The Argument of the Book of Hebrews ● The Placement of Hebrews 13:17 I. The Nature of the Church’s Responsibility to Her Elders (3:17a) A. The Church Must Respond to Their Elder’s Directives 1. The Nature of the Obedience ● obey to be persuaded 2. The Implications of the Obedience 3. The Objects of the Obedience ● lead to rule or to guide B. The Church Must Rein in Their Own Intentions 1. The Nature of the Submission ● submit to yield, to withdraw, or to give way to 2. The Implications of the Submission C. An Illustration of the Church’s Responsibility to Her Elders 1. The Church’s Responsibility Explained 2. The Church’s Responsibility Stated