BOOK SUMMARY: DEACONS: HOW THEY SERVE AND STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH - CHAPTER 3 - THE BASELINES: WHAT DEACONS MUST BE

The Bible speaks on the deacons' character.  

NOT PRIVATE AND NOT OPTIONAL

1 Timothy is personal but not private. It's for the Ephesus church, not just for Timothy. Paul's instructions are for "every place" (1 Timothy 2:8, 1 Timothy 3:14-15). Paul's instructions are: (1). for everyone, (2). not suggestions, but divine commands, (3). the entire letter which is meant to govern the church.  Qualification for the overseer are listed first, then the qualifications of deacons (1 Timothy 3:8-13). 

THE MEASURE OF A DEACON'S LIFE

The list is not about what deacons must DO but about who they ARE.  Ther are 3 positives that deacons must be and 3 negatives listed that deacons must not be.

1.    Not Double-Tongued - countless interactions with people provide temptation to gossip or even become frustrated. Don't disclose things that don't or shouldn't be known to others. Don't gossip. Don't listen to gossip. Avoid false-flattery and gossip.   

2.  Not Addicted To Much Wine - Appetites should be controlled. No drunkenness (Ephesians 5:18). Cravings should not inhibit your work..

3.  Not Greedy For Dishonest Gain - Deacons often come into contact with church money. A materialistic person will struggle with greed. They must earn an honest living and not be greedy.

4.  Holds The Mystery Of The Faith With A Clear Conscience - Deacons are not exempt from knowing Scripture. They'll be in situations that often require the sharing of Biblical truth. Deacons must know the mystery. In other words, what was hidden by now revealed: the gospel and Christian doctrine. Deacons must know the faith and hold to the faith. They must also live in the faith. Know, cling and practice. 

5.  Tested And Proven - A church can be hurt by men who are commissioned as deacons when they should not have been. What is the process of testing and how long? Churches must use discernment to decide this. 

6.  Faithful Family Life - A deacon's character should begin with family life. A lousy family man or woman is a prerequisite for the diaconate.  

THE PROMISE

1 Timothy 3:13 reminds us that faithful deacons will receive two gifts: (1). respect and boldness.  Do deacons in your church feel respected? 

HAVEN'T WE HEARD THIS BEFORE?

These six qualifications are mentioned in Ephesians 4:29, 5:18, 4:28, 5:5,3:1-10, 5:22-23, 6:1-4, 6:19.  The extraordinary qualifications of a deacon are fairly ordinary. They exemplify the faithful Christian which is modeled in this office. 

NO BETTER METRIC

God's Word alone is the metric for who is qualified to be a deacon.

BOOK SUMMARY: THE CHRIST KEY - CHAPTER 7A - FURNISHED FOR ATONEMENT - PAGES 131 - 139

INTRODUCTION

The sacred furnishings of tabernacle highlighted the coming person and work of Messiah. These items include the altar, menorah, and the ark of the covenant. The gospel is found in these items. Yahweh was the designer of the tabernacle and gave Moses the pattern (Exodus 25:9). Jesus is the fulfillment of the symbolism in the tabernacle that God designed. 

ALTAR OF SACRIFICE

In Hebrew altar means place of sacrifice. Presumably, Cain and Abel built altars for their sacrifices (Genesis 4:3-4). Noah certainly did (Genesis 8:20). Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did as well (Genesis 12:7; Genesis 26:25; Genesis 35:7). Altars predate the tabernacle and temple. An altar was like an open-sanctuary where God met with His people. They were like tiny Edenic sanctuaries, claiming land was holy for God.  The altar was the place where heaven met earth and God would bless his people (Exodus 20:23-24). For pagan worshippers, their idols were the places where their false gods would meet them and bless them. Old Testament altars were: (1). the place were sacrifices were made which foreshadowed the place of the sacrifice of Christ, (2). the place where God and humanity met which points to Christ uniting us to God, (3). the table (Malachi 1:7) where God fed his people with peace offerings (Leviticus 7:11-36) which leads us to feast with the Lord in communion (1 Corinthians 10:16) as it relates to Christ's sacrifice.

THE BASIN OF BRONZE

Between the altar and the tabernacle was the basin of bronze (Exodus 30:18; Exodus 38:8). When the temple was made this basin was enlarge (1 King 7:23) and called a sea. Then 10 smaller basins were placed around the temple (1 Kings 7:39). They were likely used as places to clean up from the slaughter of animals. Explicitly, they were the places for priest to wash their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle or to wash themselves before offering sacrifices to the Lord on the altar (Exodus 30:19-20). Being dirty and failing to wash up before approaching God meant death. Shoes were considered unclean in the ancient Near East (ANE). Moses removed his shoes in the presence of the Lord as did the priests (Exodus 3:5). Hebrews echoes this OT washing showing that it points to Jesus (Hebrews 10:19-22) who washes us so that we may enter God's presence. Our being washed has connections to the Spirit being poured out on us (Titus 3:5-6) and the Word (Ephesians 5:26). 

BREAD OF THE PRESENCE

The table of bread (Number 4:7; Leviticus 24:6) was located on the right side (north side) of the Holy Place. There were always 12 loaves of unleavened bread on this table, along with other items (Exodus 25:29). The 12 loaves represented the 12 tribes of Israel. These loaves were eaten every Sabbath and then replaced (Leviticus 24:5-9). In Hebrew this bread is lechem panim - bread of the face. Being in God's presence is to be before His face. This table was outside the Holy of Holies - before God's presence. This is why it's sometimes referred to as the bread of the presence. Jesus compares what He did to what David did by telling the story of when King David took, ate and gave this special bread to those with him (Luke 6:3-4). In communion we are eating bread that represents Jesus' body that was broken to bring us before the face of God. 

LAMPSTAND

On the left side (south side) of the Holy Place was the menorah (Exodus 25:31-40). It resembled a flowering tree with a trunk, a central branch and three branches of light on either side (seven in total). It was to stay lit perpetually with olive oil (Leviticus 24:2). The fruit on these branches was light. The menorah symbolizes: (1). Luminosity - Genesis 1:3-5 says that first created light. In calling us back to the creation account, John tells us that Jesus was the true light that came into the world. From Genesis to Revelation light is used in reference to life, joy, salvation, the gospel and Christ (John 1:1-9). Light is even used to speak of our re-genesis or new birth (2 Corinthians 4:6). (2). the Tree of Life - As Eden's tree gave life, the temple's tree gave light. Both point to Christ. (3). 7 represents wholeness or completion. We are to forgive 70x7 times. The Spirit of God is sevenfold or perfect (Revelation 4:5).  Isaiah 11:2 speaks of Spirit in seven ways in relation to the Messiah. In Revelation 1:12-13 Jesus is shown in priestly fashion among 7 lampstands. This represents the church (Revelation 1:20). Altogether, the menorah pictures Christ, the Spirit and His church. 

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1.    What was the purpose of altars of sacrifice?

2.    What was the purpose of the bronze basin?

3.    What was the bread of the presence?

4.    What was the menorah and what did it symbolize?

5.    How do these things speak of Christ?

6.    Does this help demystify the furnishings of the tabernacle and temple?

7.    What new insights did you gain in this study?

8.    Does this help you see another reason why God's OT House was so important?

9.  As NT priests, how do we participate in NT temple life with God? Since we have no furnishing, how do we carry out the purpose of OT furnishings?

BOOK SUMMARY: DEACONS: HOW THEY SERVE AND STRENGTHEN THE CHURCH - CHAPTER 2 - THE BLUEPRINT: WHERE DEACONS BEGAN

Things went very well at the birth of the church (Acts 2:42-47).  Two chapters later things seem to continue on this trend (Acts 4:32-34). Two more chapters later and some problems arise out of the rapid growth of the church (Acts 6:1-7). 

CONFLICT BREWING

The layout of Acts 6:1-7:

• the disciples were increasing in number
• a complaint arose
• the disciples continued to increase

If the conflict had been mishandled, the church would not have flourished and continued to grow. How our churches react to conflict makes the difference in whether our gospel witness is obstructed or accelerated. 

THE SEVEN

The term deacon is not found in Act 6. The seven in Acts 6 provide an initial pattern for the diaconate. When the apostles find out about the situation that could endanger joy and growth, the gather all the Christians together for the first members meeting. There would about been around 8000. Four things are brought to the forefront from this meeting.

• Word Ministry Is Prioritized - Satan had initiated a three-fold attack on the church that included persecution from the outside (Acts 4:1-22), moral corruption from the inside (Acts 5:1-11) and now spiritual distraction from preaching (Acts 6:2-4). The apostles did not negate the needs of the widows. They simply prioritized their necessary focus. They were not to serve tables, but to serve the Word. So, they take initiative and create a solution. A church without a diaconate will lack health. A church without biblical preaching can't exist. While not the same, there is a correspondence between the apostles and later elders, and the seven and later deacons.
• Whole Congregation Involved - The whole 8000 were involved in choosing the seven. New converts were part of this process. Why? They are saved and Spirit indwelt. They are also invested in the outcome of this decision. Everyone needed to care even though the situation only involved a smaller percentage--many members, one body. Elders participate in this as well. In the author's own church this is how this plays out:

1. Elders constantly keep an eye out for potentially new deacons.
2. Elders request recommendations from the congregation
3. Elders send a questionnaire to the candidate.
4. Elder officially nominate candidates at a member's meeting
5. The congregation observes and gets to know the candidate
6. The next members' meeting is used to vote on a candidate

• Character Mandated - 

1. Of good repute - they must be known for a good conduct (1 Timothy 3:8-12)
2. Full of the Spirit - they must submit to the Spirit's leadership
3. Full of wisdom - they should possess practical wisdom

• Labor Divided - the church is served best through shared labor. Elders do their part. Deacons do their part. Each is important. Each is lofty. That is why requirements are needed for each position. 

DEACONS ARE SHOCK ABSORBERS 

Deacons help with church unity. The Hellenists and Hebrews were struggling. Hellenists were Jews that immigrated to Jerusalem from other parts of Rome. Hebrews grew up on local soil and saw themselves as more authentic Jews. So there was linguistic, cultural and ethnic diversity amongst them. There was a natural division between them. This wasn't just about food. Our unity in Christ is meant to supersede all of this. Of all the seven that are chosen, all names are Greek. The majority-Hebrew congregation chose seven Hellenist leaders. Unity was prioritized. This was covenant solidarity (Romans 12:10). 

DEACONS ARE PROBLEM SOLVERS

The apostles were not micro-managers. They let the seven get it done. This is why they needed to be full of wisdom. Deacons see problems, safeguard unity, think creatively and solve problems.

QUIET WORK, PROFOUND EFFECT

The work of deacons contributed to the growth of the church. There are massive spiritual dividends from the physical work of the deacon. The gospel would not have spread without the deacons. The seven were not confined to waiting tables; they spread the gospel, too. Stephen was martyred during his gospel preaching. Philipp shared the gospel with Samaritans (Acts 8:4-8). The Bible's view of deacons is a not a low view. They are shown to be vital to the Kingdom of God.