01/05/14 Deacon Ordination
The
word in the New Testament for "deacon" is diakonos. The word in
classic Greek referred to the servant (slave) of a king, especially
one who acted in the capacity of a waiter, serving food and drink. Thus in the
New Testament the word was used to describe the office of those who cared for
the poor in the church and who distributed to them the money collected in their
behalf. The deacons of the church were the servants of the church. They were
chosen for that assignment, to help, to save, to care for the temporal
necessities of the people.
The idea of a "board" of deacons is as
strange and unknown to the New Testament church as would be a band of Hitlers
and Stalins composing the chosen twelve apostles of the Lord. A ruling board is
an idea imported from the corporate life of American business. It has no place
in a true, New Testament church. A deacon-led church will always be a weak,
pitiful congregation, floundering before every wind of secular change. God
ordained the pastor, the elder, the bishop to be the spiritual leader and ruler
of the congregation. Where he is that and truly that and capably that, the
church grows in strength and will forever. Where he is not that and where he
becomes a hireling of the deacons, the church withers and dies. God in his
infinite wisdom set the order and the constitution of his true church. Blessed
and happy is the congregation that follows that order in the mind and purpose
of heaven.
It is far better to refer to "the fellowship of deacons"
than to refer to "the board of deacons." The word fellowship (Greek
koinonia) is a beautiful, wonderful New Testament word, translated
"communion"; "fellowship." Let us use it. It is God's word
for his people.
It has been my experience through the years that without fail
the deacons need and desire a real leader, a real pastor. They want the
preacher to stand before them and tell them what ought to be done, to present a
challenging program to them. They are ready to follow-, to work, to build, to
go if they have a man of God and a man of vision to lead the way.
Upon a day
the chairman of the deacons of one of the largest churches in our denomination
came to see me here in Dallas. He wanted me to talk to his pastor. He said:
"We love our pastor but he doesn't lead us. At our deacons' meeting he
just sits there and if a decision has to be made, he answers, 'Whatever you
deacons decide will be fine with me.' We want him to speak
up, stand up, tell us what we ought to do, and where we ought to go. Please
talk to him and see if you can't change him." Of course, I couldn't do
such a thing, but his plaintive, pathetic appeal moved my heart. A worthy
deacon wants to move, to achieve, to do things for his Savior, and he depends
on the pastor to help him do it. - Criswell's, Guidebook for Pastors
In : Sermon
Tags: "deacon ordination"
blog comments powered by Disqus