124 Qualified Defenders – part 1

Acts 6:1-7

November 16, 2025

LAST WEEK we finished our study on sanctification.

· Hopefully we’ll spend the rest of our lives implementing it, but the study completed.

NEXT WEEK we are beginning our new book study on the gospel of Mark.

· We’re calling it “The Amazing Jesus”

BUT THIS WEEK, we want to take a couple of sermons to address a need in our church and that need is for more deacons.

· We currently have 5 active deacons in our church, and though they are all still incredibly handsome and strong, they are getting up in age.

· We have discussed it and it is time to begin the process of identifying, testing, training, and ordaining more men for the role.

We are going to take today and discuss two major points.

This morning: The Duty of a Deacon

Tonight: The Qualifications of a Deacon

BUT LET’S START JUST WITH A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF

THE DUTIES OF A DEACON.

And I don’t mind telling you that

It is not as easy to define as you might think.

Depending on the church or the denomination

The idea of the duties of a deacon are literally all over the place.

We see them anywhere from the CEO boss type board

To a group of totally unrecognized, behind the scenes servants.

And that is partly due to the fact that

Even in the Bible who they are and what they do is a little vague.

We’ll start with the title: DEACON

It comes from the Greek word DIAKONOS

Blueletterbible.com gives this definition for the word.

One who executes the commands of another, esp. of a master, a servant, attendant, minister

· the servant of a king

· a deacon, one who, by virtue of the office assigned to him by the church, cares for the poor and has charge of and distributes the money collected for their use

· a waiter, one who serves food and drink

https://www.blueletterbible.org/lexicon/g1249/nasb95/mgnt/0-1/

And you’ve probably heard it defined like that, as “a waiter of tables”.

The idea of a waiter is perhaps the most base understanding.

We remember the waiters at the wedding in Cana of Galilee where Jesus turned the water into wine.

John 2:5 “His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”

· “servants” there is DIAKONOS

Maybe you remember when Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law.

Luke 4:39 “And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.”

· “waited” is DIAKONEO

So to identify a deacon as a waiter of tables is not wrong.

But the reality is that the use of the word expanded beyond just a waiter.

It became really just known as a servant.

And like our English word for “serve” or “servant”

There are a wide variety of uses and applications.

We talk of a SOLDIER as a servant.

· “served in the military”

We talk of a POLITICIAN as a servant.

· “public servant”

Even the GOVERNMENT:

Romans 13:3-4 “For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.”

· “minister of God” is DIAKONOS

It really has become a generic word for all types of service.

John 12:26 “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”

So we really are just talking about a servant.

So the title of “servant” doesn’t really help us define what they do.

Almost anyone can be called a servant.

And indeed everyone is called to serve.

Consider even the role of the overseer or elder.

(4) “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry (DIAKONIA) of the word.”

So while the word does mean “servant” there really isn’t

Much limit to what can be considered service.

Anything from waiting tables to preaching to soldiering

To lowly service, to being an authoritative governing official.

All of that falls under the category of service.

Another thing that makes the duty of deacon a little difficult to define

Is that we don’t have any definite examples in the New Testament.

While there are many men and women who serve in Scripture,

We don’t know of anyone specific who was ordained as a deacon.

In all honesty, where it not for 1 Timothy 3

· Which specifically names “deacon” as an ordained office

· Filled by those who are qualified

We might just assume that everyone in the church was a deacon.

But since 1 Timothy 3 lists them specifically as a qualified group,

WE KNOW IT IS AN OFFICE IN THE CHURCH.

AND FROM 1 TIMOTHY 3 WE NOTICE THAT

Their qualifications are almost identical to those of an overseer

· The exception being that deacons are not required to be “able to teach”.

· Every other qualification is the same.

The only other distinction we find in 1 Timothy is that

Paul calls the deacons to serve while he calls the elders to rule.

1 Timothy 3:10 “These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”

1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

But that’s really all we’ve got by way of distinction.

It is just a little difficult to be very dogmatic

As to who they are and what they are specifically called to do.

Even this morning we are going to look at Acts 6.

And there is much debate as to whether or not

These men were deacons or not.

· The word DIAKONOS is used.

· The task they are charged with certainly seems to fit the task,

· BUT it is pretty obvious from the book of Acts that what happens here in Acts 6 is not permanent.

Here they are charged to oversee a physical ministry

Of the distribution of food, but when we come to Acts 11

Acts 11:28-30 “One of them named Agabus stood up and began to indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in the reign of Claudius. And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

You would expect at this point that such an offering for such a ministry

Would have been taken to the deacons, not the elders.

BEYOND THAT,

· We know that Philip became the first missionary, preaching the gospel to the Samaritans.

· Stephen became the first martyr, boldly preaching before the Sanhedrin.

So even this passage is hard to definitively reference

As the beginning of deacons in the church.

I think what we can do however, is see this ministry as A PROTOTYPE.

This specific ministry and these specific 7

May not have continued perpetually in this role,

But there is reason to see them as a sort of prototype

Of what the ministry would later become.

At the very least, Acts 6 reveals to us the need for the office of deacon

And gives us an example of how they can be effective.

So THIS MORNING, to try and decipher the duty of a deacon

We are going to look at Acts 6:1-7

And I simply want to quickly define the ministry of a deacon like this:

As DEFENDERS OF THE PREACHING MINISTRY

That’s why we are calling these two sermons “Qualified Defenders”

Tonight we’ll talk about their qualifications,

But this morning I want you to see that they are defenders.

And specifically they are defenders of the church’s preaching ministry.

And I’ll show you how they do that.

SO TO START, can we just quickly again confirm that the preaching ministry of the church is vital?

· I’m not saying any one man is more important than anyone else.

· But I am saying that the preaching ministry of the church is vital.

· It cannot be undermined or allowed to die.

When Paul defined the church, he did so like this:

1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”

We could spend a lot of time and read a lot of verses

To defend the importance of the preaching ministry of the church.

· We know how Titus was called to appoint elders who preached so they could silence heretics.

· We know that Paul told the Ephesians that Christ had sent various teaching gifts so that the church would not be tossed here and there by every wind of doctrine.

· We know Paul said of himself to the Corinthians that Christ did not send him to baptize, but to preach the cross of Jesus Christ.

But perhaps to best emphasize the point

We’ll just look at a couple of passages.

1 Timothy 4:13-16 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

When Paul wrote to Timothy he spoke of the preaching ministry

· As one which could not be overlooked are neglected.

· It was a ministry which must be practiced and worked at.

· Timothy was to strive for this ministry, for this ministry would “ensure salvation

both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

We think of the charge Paul gave Timothy in his second letter:

2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

There is no doubt to us how serious Paul was

That the church be faithful in her preaching ministry.

Even the early church understood this:

Acts 2:41-42 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”

And again, we could go on and on about

The importance of the preaching ministry in the church.

· It is essential.

· It must be present.

· The word of God must rightly be divided often in the church.

Now, THE POINT I’m going to make to you this morning is that

DEACONS ARE FIRST AND FOREMOST DEFENDERS OF THAT MINISTRY

Deacons are those who do everything necessary

To make sure that the preaching ministry

Has every opportunity to thrive.

And in Acts 6 we get an example of what that looks like.

So let’s look to our text this morning.

4 things

#1 DIVISION

Acts 6:1

First we see something of the setting.

“Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number…”

At the end of chapter 5 we read:

Acts 5:40-42 “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them. So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

So we know that it is a time of

Fierce Persecution and also a time of Faithful Perseverance.

· The church is under attack, but she won’t stop preaching.

WHEN WE COME TO CHAPTER 6

We see another attack on the preaching ministry of the church,

But it is one that is much more covert.

This time the attack on the preaching ministry comes from within.

And it’s NOT an attack like you might think.

· It’s not an attack on what is being preached.

· It’s not an attack on the quality of the preaching.

· It’s an attack that threatens the frequency of preaching.

The whole point here is about an attack that threatened

The churches commitment to preaching.

You’ll see that as we work through it.

SO WHAT IS THE CONTEXT OF THE ATTACK?

Well, two things:

“the disciples were increasing in number”

That is to say the least.

· In Acts 1:15 at Pentecost the church started with 120 persons,

· After Peter preached in Acts 2:41 the number grew to 3,000.

Acts 2:41 “So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls.”

We get our next indicator in Acts 4

Acts 4:4 “But many of those who had heard the message believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”

· Note that there only men are numbered, not even including women and children.

The next time we get an indicator:

Acts 5:14 “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number,”

· In almost no time at all the church went from 120 to more than likely somewhere around 20,000.

Can you imagine the logistical headaches that arose overnight?

WE ALREADY KNOW THAT

There were many who came to Jerusalem for Pentecost,

Got saved and then stayed putting the church in quite a financial strain.

We’ve read remarkable stories like:

Acts 4:32-37 “And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need. Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”

That kind of rapid growth is a good thing, but it’s also a problem.

I know what it did to us last month when we had 85 kids register for Disciple Now.

· Immediately we were cramped for host homes.

· Immediately we were cramped for seating space to eat.

· Immediately we were cramped for supplies.

Could you imagine if 20,000 kids had signed up?

YOU GET THE POINT.

There is a massive strain hitting the church in the way of numbers.

That’s NOT really a problem, but it DOES LEAD to a problem.

HERE WAS THE PROBLEM:

“a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.”

“complaint” is (ga-goos-MOS)

It means “a murmuring; a secret debate; not openly avowed”

You know what that’s like.

There’s a descent and displeasure starting to circulate.

And it’s happening upon cultural lines.

In the church at Jerusalem you had two types of Jews.

· You had “Hellenistic Jews”

· And you had “native Hebrews”

“Hellenistic” refers to the Greek influence of Hellenism.

It is what occurred to many Jews during the terrible Greek oppression under Antiochus Epiphenes.

· This is why some Jews spoke Greek, not Hebrew.

· This is why some Jews read the Septuagint, not the Hebrew Old Testament.

· It’s why your N.T. is written in Greek.

· It was Jews who had adopted a very Greek culture.

Contrast them with the old school “native Hebrews”,

· Who rejected Greek influence outright.

NOW, THE CHURCH HAS EXPLODED IN GROWTH.

The number of widows to feed on a daily basis was huge

The logistics must have been difficult.

And it just so happened that for whatever reason

Some of the Greek widows did not get their “meals on wheels”.

And immediately the assumption was that it was a cultural thing.

They thought they were being intentionally overlooked

Because they were Hebrew enough.

And the complaining and murmuring got started.

You understand what that could have looked like.

· A lot of closet accusations…

· A lot of offered corrections…

· A lot of blame going around…

Now here is where you have to BE CAREFUL.

THE EASY ASSUMPTION is that the problem in the church

Is about widows or food or racism or cultural assimilation,

Or anything like that.

That is NOT the threat, and that is NOT the attack.

The attack is much more sinister.

WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE

Is that the apostles were well-aware what was under attack,

And it was THE PREACHING MINISTRY.

· No, people were not attacking what they preached.

· No, people were not attacking how they preached.

· What was being attacked was the apostles time to be able to preach.

Satan was trying to pull them away from their duty of preaching

To go and fulfill a different need.

THAT’S PRETTY CRAFTY ISN’T IT?

Could there be a ministry that pulls at your heartstrings more

Than a widow being overlooked for cultural reasons?

Wouldn’t this be the chief ministry of all ministries?

Didn’t James say:

James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”

Paul would even outline a specific ministry in the church that dealt with putting widows on a list that provided for them financially.

1 Timothy 5:3-8 “Honor widows who are widows indeed; but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day. But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives. Prescribe these things as well, so that they may be above reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

There was clearly a ministry there

For the physical care of widows in the church.

This is an important ministry, no one is denying that.

And here we have Satan using such a ministry

As a means to undermine the preaching ministry of the church.

HOW DO I KNOW THAT?

Division

#2 DEVOTION

Acts 6:2-4

When you read verse 2 you realize that

The apostles knew exactly what they were being pressured to do.

They were being pressured to spend less time preaching

And more time making sure the widows got fed.

That is the obvious solution being offered by many.

That seems to be the suggestion of the murmuring.

· “Maybe the apostles need to focus on this a little more and make sure the widows get their food.”

· “They don’t care what you know until they know that you care.”

· “How can you expect anyone to listen if you aren’t loving the least?”

One could even quote numerous Scriptures

To support the importance of such a ministry.

But it is clear that the apostles saw the threat and avoided it.

After summoning the congregation

(perhaps the first business meeting)

Notice what they said:

“It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.”

Their statement says it all.

· It is clear that the people were desiring just that.

· They wanted the apostles to take care of the widows.

But the apostles correct the congregation to say, That “is not desirable”

That is not a good solution.

“neglect” is (kat-a-LIE-po)

It means “to leave behind or to depart from”

· Used in marriage when a man leaves his father and mother. (Matt 19:5)

· Used when one spouse dies and leaves another (Mk 12:12)

· Used of the shepherd who leaves the 99 to find the 1. (Luk 15:4)

· Martha used when Mary left her alone to do all the serving. (Luk 10:40)

Even though feeding widows is extremely important.

The apostles knew they could not neglect the word to fulfill it.

“serve” there is DIAKONIA

“We can’t abandon the ministry of the word

To wait tables and feed widows.”

That may sound harsh to you.

· That may offend your sensibilities.

· I don’t know, I’m just telling you that is what they said.

AND YOU’LL SEE IN A MINUTE WHY THEY ARE RIGHT.

Then the apostles offer a solution.

(3) “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”

The apostles had no intention of abandoning the word,

But they also had no intention of overlooking the widows.

They couldn’t do it, but it had to be done.

THE SOLUTION was for the church to “select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.”

We need someone else to take care of this service ministry.

WHY?

(4) “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

“ministry” there is also DIAKONIA

In this text there is a service of feeding widows

And there is a service of feeding souls.

THE APOSTLES COULD NOT DO BOTH.

· They refused to abandon their primary service in order to take on a different

one.

· They chose to stay devoted to their primary calling

· And to appoint other men to take care of the additional service.

Both had to be done.

The apostles couldn’t do both.

Division, Devotion

#3 DELEGATION

Acts 6:5-6

Here we find that the church liked the idea.

It was unanimous.

“The statement found approval with the whole congregation”

The congregation also saw that

It wasn’t about the man, but the ministry.

They didn’t complain saying,

· “No, we think Peter and John ought to be the ones delivering the food.”

· “Matthew and Thomas need to do that.”

· “Those widows want to see Thadeus and Philip.”

They understood that in the church God gifts men as He wills.

· They understood that there are a variety of ministries.

· They understood that the church is a body.

Romans 12:4-8 “For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

1 Corinthians 12:8-11 “For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

The Jerusalem church understood that what mattered was

That the word was preached and the widows were fed,

It didn’t matter who did it.

And then the church selected their seven men.

“and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.”

We could talk more about those men,

But the main thing you should see is that

All of those men had Greek names.

· It was the Greek widows who felt overlooked

· The church appointed 7 Greek men to take care of them.

· It is just practical wisdom.

Now, here is where we come BACK TO THE POINT.

I TOLD YOU THAT

· The threat here was not division or even starving widows.

· The threat here is that the word might not be proclaimed.

How do I know that this was the main threat?

#4 DIRECTION

Acts 6:7

What is Luke’s statement at the end of the controversy?

“The word of God kept on spreading…”

THAT WAS THE THREAT.

· Luke didn’t say, “So the widows were finally happy.”

· He didn’t say, “So the church remained unified.”

· He didn’t say, “So cultural issues were eradicated from the church.”

THAT WAS NOT THE THREAT.

· This covert attack from Satan was NOT to starve widows.

· This covert attack from Satan was NOT to split the church.

· This covert attack from Satan was NOT to promote racism.

(Though I’m sure he would have liked any of those results)

The covert attack was to distract the apostles from preaching.

If you read Acts that is all the enemy has tried to do.

Remember when Peter and John were arrested?

Acts 4:13-20 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply. But when they had ordered them to leave the Council, they began to confer with one another, saying, “What shall we do with these men? For the fact that a noteworthy miracle has taken place through them is apparent to all who live in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. “But so that it will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no longer to any man in this name.” And when they had summoned them, they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to give heed to you rather than to God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Later on

Acts 5:27-29 “When they had brought them, they stood them before the Council. The high priest questioned them, saying, “We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.”

Later on

Acts 5:40 “They took his advice; and after calling the apostles in, they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and then released them.”

Do you see what Satan’s plan has been?

· He has been trying to stop the proclamation of the word of God.

· Thus far he had used physical violence and intimidation and it hadn’t worked.

· Now, he tried something more covert…DISTRACTION.

His plan was to distract the apostles from preaching

By hitting the church with a certified ministry problem

That pulls at the heart strings.

BUT THE APOSTLES ANSWER IS THE SAME.

· “we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard”

· “we must obey God rather than men.”

· “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.”

Widow ministry is important, but not at the expense of preaching.

WHAT WAS THE SOLUTION?

DEACONS

These men stepped in

· Not just as feeders of widows

· Not just as waiters of tables

· They stepped in as defenders of the ministry of preaching.

Their ministry allowed the apostles to devote themselves

To prayer and the ministry of the word.

Their service allowed the apostles

To study and pray and preach without distraction.

They defended the preaching ministry with their own selfless service.

THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL MINISTRY!

This is why deacons are necessary.

· Even in our congregation which is getting older and older.

· Even in our congregation where a number have entered the nursing home.

· Even in our congregation where a number are unable to attend.

I don’t know if it hits you sideways for me to say, “It is not desirable for me to neglect the word of God in order to make all those visits” but it is reality.

That does not mean these people need to just be neglected.

It means we need others who will do it.

And so, like the apostles, this morning we are saying:

“select from among you men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But I will devote myself to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

AND THE EFFECT OF THAT DECISION?

“The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.”

The word kept being preached and lives kept being changed.

That is the goal.

· Some men preach it.

· Some men defend the preaching ministry through their service.

Deacons are needed.

Come back tonight and we’ll discuss the qualifications we are looking for in such men.