Deacons: Servants of God

Scripture Reading

Please open in your Bibles with me to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter 20. Matthew chapter 20. And this morning we'll be looking at verses 20 through 28. At least that's where we're going to start. But it is a topical sermon. So you understand that most my sermons typically have some type of central theme coming up from the text. This is a theme that is coming up because of an election we have.

And so today, we're going to be looking at deacons. Next week, we're going to have Pastor Keith Duels preaching. And then following week, I'll be preaching again on deacons. Today, though, is about deacons in general. Deacons in general. as a general way of getting at what is a servant in Jesus' eyes and how does that relate to the official role of deacons. So the role of deacons, whether in the general sense or the specific sense, what I'm hoping you'll get today is that whether a general deacon or with the office of deacon, it's a reflection of who Jesus is as he came to serve. So turn now with me to God's word, Matthew chapter 20, verses 20 through 28.

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from him. And he said to her, what do you wish? She said to him, grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other on your left in your kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, You do not know what you ask.

Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? They said to him, We are able. So he said to them, You will indeed drink my cup and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give. But it is for those whom it is prepared by my Father.

And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to Himself and said, You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and to those who are great, exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you. But whoever desires to become great among you, let him become your deacon. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.

Prayer for Illumination

Let's pray. Oh Lord, we desperately need Your Holy Spirit to help us this morning. Lord, we pray that your spirit would be working in our hearts to encourage us to be the type of people you have called us to be, that we truly would be your children, both in heart and in deed. Lord, please guide my mouth. Work in our hearts, Lord. Convict us where we need convicted. Encourage us where we need encouraged. Most of all, fix our eyes on Jesus, we pray in his name. Amen.

Sermon

Jesus in this passage turns the world on its head. Flips everything that the kind of order of society knows. Jesus is the one who is the servant king and shows in this passage, in this interesting way, did you catch what was going on here? You had James and John, the sons of Zebedee, their mom comes to Jesus and she wants them to have positions of power and authority. And notice what Jesus says. To that desire for power and authority, what did Jesus say in verse 25? But Jesus called them to himself and he said that there's a way in which the pagans, the Gentiles, operate.

The way that they operate, the standard operating procedure is that somebody has authority and how do they treat that authority? Did you notice how he says it? The Gentiles lord it over them. Lord it over them. And those who are great exercise authority over them. He says, you guys know this is how it works. They knew it with the Romans. They knew it with the synagogue leaders. They knew it with the Sadducees at the temple. They knew that this is the way that the unbelievers and even the religious leaders tended to operate.

He says, not so with you. You're not going to be like the rest of the world. You're going to behave differently. And notice how they behave differently. Verse 26. Yet it shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. That's the word for deacon. Let him be your deacon. You want to be great? Be a deacon. You want to be someone? Be a servant.

But notice why, notice the grounding, verse 27. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave, just as the Son of Man, just as Jesus did not come to be deaconed, but to deacon, right? Not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Jesus came to serve.

He says, the rulers out there, the emperor, those who are the rulers over the army and the rulers over different provinces, they're not your model. That's not how you become great in my kingdom. How you become great in the kingdom of God is you follow after Jesus' model. And Jesus' model is serving. He did not come to be served, but to serve.

I think it's really interesting at this point, Did you notice in verse 24, and when the ten heard it, those are the ten other disciples, there's another disciple who took this to heart, buried away in the back of his mind and it seeped down into his soul and he remembered it decades and decades later.

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them. Peter. When he's talking to the elders in the church who have some type of authority, notice what he says in 1 Peter 5, verses 2 and 3. Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly, nor as being lords over, nor as being lords over those entrusted to you. but being examples to the flock. The exact same verb, the Gentiles lorded over them. Peter remembers this, took it to heart and remembered, even if you're going to be a leader in the church, specifically an overseer, an elder in the church, you are to be a servant, not lording it over people.

You have to imagine the heart change that this must have taken in Peter. This was brash Peter. This was the Peter who told Jesus, even if everybody else forsakes you, I will never forsake you. This is a guy who pulled out his sword and cut off a guy's ear.

And this is the one that has now been humbled, having denied Jesus and having been restored. In verse one, when he talks to the elders, he says, I'm just a fellow elder. 1 Peter 5, one. To the elders who are among you, I exhort, I who am a fellow elder. He humbles himself.

This is what happens in Jesus's economy. This is what happens in Jesus's kingdom. See, we're not filled with pride, but humility. This is the way Jesus is turning the world on its head and the elders who were leading as the example for the people were to be modeling who? Jesus. Jesus.

It was Jesus who served when he healed the sick. It was Jesus who went to the leper and he touched the person who was unclean that he might become clean. It was Jesus who went and served healing a blind man he could have ignored. It was Jesus who went to the paralytic who was screaming and yelling trying to get Jesus' attention. Everybody else was trying to tell him to be quiet and shut up and Jesus went to him.

Jesus showed his compassionate service when he fed the multitudes. When he fed the 5,000, Jesus looked upon the multitude and they were like sheep without a shepherd and he had compassion for them. Man, that must have been a long day serving 5,000 people. And then he did it again, serving 4,000 people. Jesus showed his compassionate service when he rose people from the dead.

Jesus didn't have to raise Lazarus from the dead, so why did he? When he went to the tomb of Lazarus, he wept. The people said, do you see what great love he has? Jesus could have just said, hey, you know what, just let him stay in the grave, but he served Lazarus' sisters as an act of compassion and a show of his deep power and love Notice Jesus, if he's our example of what it means to not be served, but to serve. Jesus didn't throw around his weight. Jesus didn't lord his authority over everybody he met. Instead, what did Jesus do? He gave his life as a ransom for many. It cost Jesus to be a servant. It costs him his very life.

And I want you to know that if the Lord is going to call you in your Christian life, by all means, all of us generally, there are people who are set apart specifically for appointed office as deacons, but all of us ought to be deacons. And I need you to know if you're going to serve someone in the general Christian sense as a deacon, it's going to cost you. It costs Jesus, so it's going to cost us.

We may have to give up our pride. We have to give up our time. We may have to give up our comfort. We may have to give up some of our own wants, our own relaxation, even our own money to serve others. And many deacons experience the same humbling that Peter had as they saw the vastness of the needs of society, knowing that they could never fulfill all of them. How limited the resources are and how utterly dependent they are on the Holy Spirit. The more you try to serve others, the more you realize you ultimately need the Holy Spirit to serve people. We don't find Jesus lording his authority over the people, but we see Jesus serving.

So if you're thinking towards this election on November 3rd, what do you look for? Look for someone who's already serving others. Do you get the sense that the person you have in your mind that you might wanna see elected to this office of deacon, is this person motivated by pride or by love? I beg you not to nominate or elect a deacon who's filled with their own desire or lust for authority and power. but who desires to serve and care for others?

Does this person go beyond the bounds of the authority given to them trying to make other people serve them or do they truly get the heart of a deacon wanting to see other people flourish and thrive? There's a way in which one is reverent or dignified because they know who they truly are. I think of so many deacons in the different congregations that Olivia and I have been in over the years, and how many of them served for years and years with a great deal of dignity, even though nobody knew exactly what they were doing in the background. But the Lord knew what they were doing, and they could carry themselves with a sense of respect, knowing that their service was unto the Lord. Secondly, In this general way, we're talking about deacons. Deacons lift the load and aren't in the business of putting on heavy yokes. Deacons lift the load and aren't in the business of putting on heavy yokes. This is gonna come from Matthew chapter 23, verses one through 12. I put the page number there for you. I'm gonna start reading right now. Matthew chapter 23, verses one through 12.

Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples saying, the scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses's seat Therefore, whatever they tell you to do, observe. But do not do according to their works, for they say and do not do. For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make their phylacrates broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. They love the best places at the feasts, the best seats in the synagogue, greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, Rabbi, Rabbi.

But you, do not be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, the Christ, and you are all brethren. Do not call one on earth your father, for one is your father who is in heaven. And do not be called teachers, for one is your teacher, the Christ. Verse 11. But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant, deacon. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. A servant humbles themselves, comes alongside someone, and helps bear the load.

Do you see what was going on in the religious community of Jesus' day? There were all sorts of rabbis, teachers, people in the synagogues, the Pharisees, who would heap all sorts of burdens on people and just weigh them down so much so that they were at a crawling snail pace and they couldn't ever lift up their heads and enjoy God's grace.

And Jesus says, not so with you. No. No. Deacons model what Jesus did for us. Jesus did not look at the Israelites. I mean, let's face it. If you read the Old Testament, you might be tempted to say, what is wrong with you people? Why don't you guys just shape up? Why don't you just start doing what's right? Right? We might be like those parents who would come in and just be like, you know what? You're not following the rules. We're really going to have the rules. That's what we might be tempted to do, but notice what Jesus does.

Jesus doesn't tell the people, hey, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, kids, let's go, get in line, shape up. No, Jesus looks at the people who have been weighed down and burdened by these teachings of the Pharisees, and he says, come to me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my burden is easy and my yoke is light. I will give you rest for your souls." Jesus isn't a tyrant over his people adding to their load, but Jesus tells his people that if you're going to be great amongst your people, you're to be like me. You're to be a servant, not like those Pharisees who are just weighing the people down.

Jesus showed the compassion towards the people when he saw them as a sheep without a shepherd, Matthew 9, 36. But when he saw the multitude who moved with compassion for them because they were weary and scattered like sheep having no shepherd, Jesus didn't turn his back on them, but Jesus helped them. Jesus healed and teached with compassion those who were sick, even in large gatherings, Matthew 14, 14. And when Jesus went out, he saw a great multitude and he was moved with compassion for them and healed their sick. Jesus lifted their load, served those who were the most outcast, cared for those who'd be neglected.

And see, the church used to get this. We still have testimonies of it sometimes when we go to different hospitals. There was once a time, even in our American country, when you would go to most of the hospitals and they would be named things like hope, grace, providence, mercy. Why? Because the church was serious about its work of service.

We live in a society where that's largely been taken over by insurance and government and things like that. Some of that we can't help with, but what we can help with here and now, we ought to be busy about doing. Jesus talked about how things were gonna be in the new covenant. When he wasn't gonna turn his back on the prodigal son, but would throw a feast, slaughtering the fatted calf, caring for those even who didn't deserve, by their own actions, to be cared for. And you know what? The Pharisees and the Sadducees didn't like that. They didn't like that at all. They were the older brothers. Never killed a fatty calf for me.

Do you see the compassion of Jesus and desire to act like him? So ask yourself, as you're thinking about who you will vote as an election for a deacon, who seems to look on people with compassion and has a desire to actually help them? Who seems to not be so absorbed in their own needs that they're looking for ways to lessen the loads on others? Who's regularly showing the type of compassion Jesus showed, stepping into problems rather than turning their back and walking away from them? Who's come alongside you in the last few months or years and has showed compassion to you, helping to lift your load? Who has shown you mercy and kindness? Who's seen the heavy load you were under and decided to come alongside you? Thirdly, Jesus teaches us that the greatest are those who are looking out for the least. Jesus teaches us that the greatest are those who are looking out for the least. Look with me at Mark chapter 9 verses 33 through 37. Mark chapter 9 verses 33 through 37.

Then he, that being Jesus, came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house, he asked them, what was it that you disputed among yourselves on the road? But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And he sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, if anyone desires to be first, he shall be the servant or he shall be the last of all and servant of all, deacon of all. Then he took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when he had taken him into his arms, he said to them, whoever receives one of these little children in my name receives me. And whoever receives me receives not me, but him who sent me.

Do you see what Jesus did there? Once again, turn the world on its head. Children are meant to be seen and not heard, put up with but not actually cared for in a primary sense. That's the way the world often treats children. There's a burden, a problem, that's why you need to limit the number of them you have because they're just a problem for a while. But Jesus, Jesus turns the world on its head. Jesus looked at the little ones who could have been overlooked, children especially, and he cares for them.

So as you think about who would you elect as a deacon, who gives attention to those who have the least amount of clout in the congregation? Who's paying attention to the children? Who desires for the little ones to be protected and cared for and nurtured and cherished? Who do you see investing in the next generation? Who's praying for and desiring the little ones to embrace the gospel? Who do you see?

There's a temptation that we have. I know I get this temptation. Sometimes I daydream. And children, I've told you this before, my children, I don't know where you're sitting, you're all over the place, right? But sometimes I daydream, what's this gonna be like? Now we have Judas, so what's it gonna be like in 18 years? I wonder if our house is gonna be clean. I wonder if I'll put a tool down and it will be there the next time I get to my toolbox. I wonder if the garage won't have shoes all over the place. And then I have to remember Proverbs chapter 14, verse four.

Where no oxen are, the trough is clean. But much increase comes by the strength of an ox. Oxen make a mess in the stalls, and kids make a mess in the church. They make a mess in our house, and guess what? It's a blessing to have each and every one of you children here. Who do you see who sees the children as a desire to actually see them grow?

The church can be quite clean if there just weren't any children. I'm sure glad to have messes in the church. Mercy ministry would be a lot easier if there just weren't people who had needs. We're thankful for everyone who has a need because we get to serve and care for one another. Jesus modeled this heart of a servant. They said to them if they wanted to be great, they needed to be this deacon. He showed it. When he went to that woman who was marginalized at the well. In John chapter four, Jesus goes to the woman at the well. But one of my favorite little things about Jesus going to the woman at the well is verse one.

In verse one, how that whole story, sorry, verse four, where that whole story starts is Jesus is going to go down to Jerusalem, but verse four says, but he needed to go through Samaria. No he didn't. No, there was a much faster highway on the other side of the Jordan River going down. Most Jewish people wouldn't go the Ridge Road, wouldn't take the switchbacks through the mountains to go from Galilee down to Jerusalem. That's the mountain road, that's the hard road, but that's the road Jesus said he needed to go to because he knew that the woman was going to be there at the well.

And his disciples are like, when they come back after he's told this woman about the living water and he tells her everything she's ever done and he shows her this compassion and mercy, the disciples come back and they're like, Hold on, why were you talking to that woman? Actually, they're embarrassed. They won't ask him that, but they're wondering amongst themselves, because Jesus needed to serve someone, someone that later on the disciples will say, should we call down fire and brimstone from heaven to destroy the Samaritans? And Jesus tells them essentially, boys, you don't know what you're talking about, be quiet. Jesus showed compassion to the marginalized. Jesus showed compassion to those who are needy. This is why Jesus gives us the parable of the Good Samaritan. The twist at the end of the Good Samaritan is that it's the Samaritan who's the good neighbor.

The person who is half-breed, out there, outcast, not Jewish. They're the ones who serve. He's the one who serves and cares for someone who's even his enemy. So questions to ask yourselves, who treats the needy and lowly as their problems versus who sees the least amongst us and desires to see them cared for, protected, built up and thriving? The deacons are charged with the mercy of ministry. Who do you see serving right now in the capacity of showing mercy to others?

Fourthly, there's six people who are specifically called out with the name deacon in the New Testament. And again, this word deacon has a broad range and a very narrow range. We'll get to that next time we talk about deacons. But here in the New Testament, there's six specific people who have the noun attached to them as deacon. The first is Apollos.

Apollos in 1 Corinthians 3.5, The Lord, Paul himself, the Lord speaking through Paul says, who then is Paul and who is Apollos, but ministers, deacons, through whom you believed as the Lord gave each one. So their Apollos is called a servant. We translate it in the New King James, minister, but the word is diakoni, both Paul and Apollos, servants. Again, in a general way, Paul calls himself a deacon.

2 Corinthians 3 verses 4 through 6. And we have such trust through Christ toward God that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God, who also made us sufficient as ministers, deacons, of the new covenant. Not of the letter, but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Two other times as well, Paul calls himself a deacon or a servant. Either a servant of Christ or a servant of the Word. This is what Paul primarily sees himself. He's got the office of an apostle, but he serves Christ and Christ's people.

In Romans 6, chapter 16, verses 1 and 2, Phoebe is called a deacon. I commend to you Phoebe, our sister, who is a servant, deacon, of the church in Cinceria, that you may receive her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever business she has need of you, for indeed she has been a helper or patron of many and of myself also. Tychicus, in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 21, Tychicus, T-Y-C-H-I-C-U-S, is called a deacon. Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister, deacon in the Lord, will make all things known to you. Epaphras is called a deacon, Colossians chapter 1 verse 7. And as you also learn from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant, who is, by the way, the word there, servant, is slave, doulos, our fellow servant, who is a faithful minister, deacon of Christ on your behalf. And also Timothy, Thessalonians chapter three, verse two. And sent Timothy, our brother and minister, deacon of God, and our fellow laborer the gospel of Christ to establish you and encourage you concerning your faith. All throughout the church, the Holy Spirit inspires the authors to go, that one looks like a servant, that one looks like a servant, that one looks like a servant, that one looks like a servant.

Are you one of the servants today? Fifthly, and lastly, why in the world would you even want to be a servant? Why would you want to be a servant? Why would you want to be a deacon? And the qualifications of deacons that we'll be looking at a little bit next time we get together is 1 Timothy 3.11. 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. Why would you want to be a deacon?

It's got to be out of a love for Jesus. It's got to be out of love for Jesus. Because if you're trying to be a deacon because you want to have some type of power or authority or clout or influence, it's going to fall flat on its face and you're going to hurt people. It's got to be out of a love for Jesus, a desire to bring glory to the Lord.

I need to be very careful, and I need to paint the picture for you, because I can't imagine most of you actually wanting to do the real job of a deacon. I'm telling you, this is hard work. I can't imagine most people in their right mind thinking to themselves, you know what I want to do? I know what I want to do.

I want to work 40 plus hours a week and then at night I want to come and leave my family and meet with a board of deacons. Oh, and when we meet as a board of deacons, I want to have the type of job in the church that we have more needs than there is money. then we have more people to serve than we could ever possibly serve. Oh, and you know what's even better than that? I get this numbskull of a pastor who has my phone number and will call me when other people have problems, and then I've got to deal with other people's problems when I still got my problems, and I've got to deal with all of this. Not to mention working on a budget that the congregation might change on the fly, and the session might not like, and a building that's over 150 years old that constantly needs maintenance?

Why would you want to do that? It's got to be out of a love for Jesus Christ. It's got to be out of a heart to serve others because I promise you, you will get little praise. There will be little Very little amounts of people coming up to you saying, oh man, I see all the great work you're doing as a deacon, and I'm so happy for you. You might get that sometimes, but it will be rare. Sadly, it's often a thankless job. So which one of you is ready to say, yeah, sign me up for that? Why would you do it?

Because of what the Lord did for us. because it's what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us. Because when we were needy, unable to help ourselves dead in our trespasses and sins, Jesus Christ didn't turn his back on us, but he served us, redeeming us even at the cost of his own blood. He cared for us. In our weakness, he showed us mercy and kindness that we did not deserve. We are those who are poor and needy and Jesus gave us life and rest. He's given us a light yoke. We serve one another because Jesus has served us.

And as we serve one another in this general way of being a deacon, each one of us grows in our faith. Because you'll ask yourself often, why am I doing this? And the answer is you have to remind yourself of the gospel. And the Lord will build up your faith, strengthen you in your love for Jesus, and encourage you in the work that you're doing. The answer of the godly deacon is Jesus has loved me, so I love others.

Closing Prayer

Because Jesus has told me to serve. So will you serve? Will you serve as Jesus has served us? Let's pray. Father, we thank you so much. That you have given us your son, Jesus Christ. Lord, I pray that you would please help us, give us wisdom as a congregation that we may choose from amongst ourselves those who would truly serve you and care for your people. Lord, I pray that you would please watch over this, your body of Christ, your bride, and give us wisdom to choose servants who would bring you glory. Lord, if there's wrong or foolish or incorrect or even sinful things I've said up here this morning, Lord, I pray that they would blow away like chaff in the wind and that the pure gold of your word would remain. Lord, please build up your church, care for your people, let your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We pray these things in