Servant Leaders

We're continuing our series in First Timothy today, focusing on the qualifications of those who would be appointed to serve within the church. Please open your Bibles to First Timothy chapter 3 and follow along.

Good morning! I hope you all are doing well. If you don't have a Bible, you can raise your hand, and one of our ushers will bring you one. First Timothy is near the end of your Bible, and we are in chapter 3.

If you were here last week, you know that we are in a section of Scripture dealing with the qualifications of two different groups of leaders within the church: those called elders and those called deacons. Today, we are going to talk about the qualifications of deacons. Last week, we discussed the qualifications of elders, which prompted a good question that came to me after one of the services. Someone asked, "Do we have elders, and who are they?"

I thought I would take just a brief moment this morning to introduce you to some of the elders that lead our church. Of course, you know three of us pretty well: myself, Pastor Mark, and Pastor Jason. We also have three or four non-staff elders who help us lead the church, pray for the church, and oversee all the different activities happening here.

To introduce you to some of those elders, one of them is sitting right there: Greg Danskin. Would you lift up your hand? We can put his picture up here as well. Greg has been an elder for quite some time. He helps us out with all kinds of different things and serves as the secretary on our elder board. He also takes care of all the intangibles, as we say. Greg is an architect by trade, which is why he assists with many of the design aspects of our church.

The picture that was up there also featured Mark Cyril. If you have kids in the children's ministry, you know Mark and his wife, Sonya, because they are always over in the children's ministry area during the second and third services. Mark has been on our board for longer than I have been a pastor here and has been a part of the church for many years. He is a real blessing to me; he was actually the best man at my wedding. Mark is a godly man who has done a great job of leading his family and serving in the community.

The church has several key members who play important roles in its leadership. Don Steigerwald, who you will see around the area right now, is on the security team. He has been a part of the church for many decades and has served on our elder board for the last ten years or so. The last person I want to mention is Ken Tilden. Ken was here at the first service and helps with men's ministry, among many other things.

These four men are part of our elder board, alongside Mark, myself, and Pastor Jason. We pray for and lead various aspects of the church. You will see these men around; they are a real blessing to the church and would love to pray for you and serve you however they can.

If you would, please open your Bibles to First Timothy, chapter 3, and stand with me for the reading of the Scriptures. We will be in verse 8. We previously discussed the qualifications of elders in verses 1 through 7, and now we will look at the qualifications for deacons.

Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, and not greedy for money. They should hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. Let these also first be tested, and then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing with great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things I write to you, though I hope to be with you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write to you so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of truth.

Father, thank You for inspiring Paul to write the Scriptures so that we would know how You desire us to live and conduct ourselves within Your church. I pray that the truths we see in this text would speak to our hearts and minds. By the work of Your Spirit, continue that transforming work in us, making us more like You. May we bring glory and honor to You from our lives, not just when we gather together in a place like this to sing songs of praise and study Your Word, but also when we are in the community, our neighborhoods, workplaces, school campuses, and wherever You take us.

We would shine a bright light, the bright light of Your glory, into a world that is in such desperate need of it. We ask this in Jesus' name. God, work in us. Amen.

You can be seated. In the Gospel of Mark, there is a great story told that you have probably come across if you've ever read through the Gospels. As Jesus was with His disciples and probably a fairly good-sized multitude of people, they were going up to the city of Jerusalem. This was the custom of the Jewish people 2,000 years ago; they would go to Jerusalem at least three times a year to celebrate some of the festivals, the feasts of Israel.

Jesus, along with a multitude of people, was on His way to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. This would be the last Passover that Jesus would celebrate with His disciples, the last one that He would observe here on earth. It would be at that Passover Feast that He would be arrested, tried, and condemned to die by crucifixion.

As He was on His way to Jerusalem with His disciples and many other people, the story is told in Mark's Gospel, chapter 10, that two of Jesus' disciples came to Him with a request. It says this in Mark 10:35: "Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, 'Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.'"

Some of us might actually come to Jesus with that same sort of mindset. Sometimes we want Him to do for us whatever we ask. The interesting thing is that in the Gospel of Matthew, there is some more amplifying information given to us. It wasn't only James and John who came to Jesus with this request; Matthew's Gospel says that James and John got their mom involved. She came to Jesus, bowed down to Him, and asked this question. They were like the first Millennials; they had their mom come to the job interview with them.

So, she says, "Jesus, I really would desire that You would do whatever my sons want You to do for them." You would think that this audacity would be rebuked by Jesus, but He is so gracious—far more gracious than I would be. He said to them...

Verse 36: What do you want me to do for you? What is it that you're looking for? They said to Him, "Grant to us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory when You come into Your kingdom." James and John expressed their desire to be on His right and left, wanting to be right there beside Him on the throne. They didn't need to be on the same level, but they wanted to be on thrones next to Him.

You would think that when they made such a request, especially asking to be great and to sit at His right hand, Jesus would rebuke them. However, He did not. Instead, Jesus said to them in verse 38, "You don't even know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am going to drink and be baptized with the baptism that I am going to be baptized with?" He knew they did not understand what He was about to endure in Jerusalem. He asked if they would be able to go through that, and they ignorantly and arrogantly responded, "We are able. We can do that."

Jesus then said to them, "You will indeed drink of the cup that I drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with, you will be baptized. But to sit at My right hand and My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared."

When the ten heard this, the other disciples who were present began to be greatly displeased. This might be a biblical understatement, as they were indeed very displeased with James and John. But Jesus called all twelve of them to Himself and said, "You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you. Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever desires to be first shall be the slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many."

There are many great teachings and values presented in this passage. One of the things that is clearly seen in James and John, their mother, and not just in them but also in the rest of the disciples, is the struggle with the desire for greatness and authority.

Mark and Matthew both tell us that the constant choral contention between the disciples was about who would be number one, who would be over everybody, or really number two. They all accepted that Jesus is number one, but they wanted to be number two. They wanted to be prime minister, defense secretary, or something like that in the kingdom. So, they were arguing constantly about who would be great.

In their argument, we see ourselves reflected because one of the observable traits in humanity is that we desire to be over people. We desire to be above, to be great, and to exercise dominion over others. As the Bible reveals, that's actually one of the issues, one of the products of the fall of humanity described back in Genesis chapter three. One of the outcomes of the fall into sin is this desire to exercise authority over other people. We see the effects of this fall all the time, all around us; it's constantly present and even within us.

When we become followers of Jesus, this battle does not go away. The disciples make that very clear. Even when we have the Spirit of God dwelling in us, we still struggle with our fallen nature, which wants to be over people. You would think that this would be something that God would constantly rebuke in us. Yet, every single time we see it brought up in the Scriptures, especially around Jesus in the Gospels, He doesn't really rebuke it. Instead, He says, "All right, you want that? Here's the path."

The path is clearly different. He says to them, "You know that the rulers of this world lord it over their people." We see that those who are in authority in this world often lord their authority over others. Perhaps some of you work in an environment like that, where those who are managers over you kind of lord that authority in an unrighteous, ungodly sort of way. We don't like it, but we know that that's the reality.

Jesus continues, "You know that that's how it is among the people; the officials flaunt their authority over those who are under them," as the New Living Translation puts it in verse 42. But among you, it will be different. Jesus says there is a difference in His kingdom. Among you, in His church, His people, it will be different. "Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant."

Now, in the passage of Scripture that we've been studying through in First Timothy, Paul keys in on this concept.

This desire is reflected in 1 Timothy, chapter 3, verse 1. It states, "This is a faithful saying: If anyone desires to be a leader, an overseer, an elder, he desires an honorable position; he desires a good work." So, if someone wants to be a leader or wants to oversee people, which is one of the inclinations we have, how do we move in that direction?

Jesus made it very clear, and Paul alludes to it here in this passage as well. Point number one on your outline, which you can find in your bulletin, is that the church is led by servants who serve well. This is one of the great values of the Kingdom of God, what we commonly refer to as servant leadership. This concept is not necessarily the norm in human society and culture, where leaders are often those who are served. However, in the Kingdom of God, the value is placed on serving.

Jesus exemplifies this when He states in Mark, chapter 10, verse 45, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many." The ultimate fulfillment of this verse is seen in Jesus' crucifixion on the cross in our place, where He gives His life as a ransom, a payment for us.

Even before that, we see this mindset in those who will be great; the one who is to lead must be the servant of all. Jesus uses a very strong word when He refers to the servant as the "slave of all." The term commonly used in the New Testament is "bondservant," which the Old Testament describes as a servant by choice. They have not been compelled into this slavery; they have not been forced into it. Instead, they willingly set themselves in that position, and that is the example we have in Jesus.

In the book of Philippians, Paul emphasizes this in chapter 2, stating that Jesus made Himself of no reputation and took on the form of a bondservant, coming in the likeness of human beings. God became a man, and that is what we are about to celebrate as we enter the Christmas season. This is exactly what we celebrate when we commemorate Christmas.

The incarnation of God in human flesh is a profound mystery. When God became a man, He came in the likeness of humanity and humbled Himself as a servant by choice. He calls His followers to do the same, saying that if they want to be great in the kingdom, they must follow this pattern of service.

There is a great illustration of this on the night that Jesus would be betrayed by one of His followers. Jesus was gathered with His disciples to partake of what we call the Last Supper, which was actually the Passover meal. At a certain point during that meal, the Gospel of John, chapter 13, tells us that Jesus rose from where they were eating, took off His outer cloak, put on a towel, and began to stoop down to wash His disciples' feet.

Now, that may not seem all that strange to us, but to the disciples—first-century Jewish men seated there with Him—it was absolutely out of the norm. Washing feet was the position of the lowest servant. When they came into that room, these men, who had been arguing for months about who was the greatest, would have seen a basin, a clay pot with water, and a towel for washing feet. However, as each one of those twelve individuals entered the room, they passed by and thought, "I’m not doing that," because it was the lowest servant's job. If one of them had taken it upon themselves to wash feet, they would have been saying, "I am the lowest."

It is not in our nature to take such a position. Yet, Jesus, their Lord and Master, gets up and begins to wash their feet. This act was so scandalous that one of the disciples, Peter, protested, saying, "No, stop! You shouldn't do this."

When Jesus was finished, He looked at His disciples and said to them in John 13:15, "I have given you an example that you should do as I have done." It is important to understand that Jesus was not instituting foot-washing ceremonies, which for many people is a good thing, especially since He probably knew that some do not like feet. Instead, He was calling His disciples to a humble service of others. He told them that this is how one becomes great in His kingdom.

The Church of God, the kingdom of God, is led by servants who serve well. In this passage of Scripture in 1 Timothy, chapter 3, Paul has been speaking to the church and addressing these very principles.

Speaking to those within the church who will serve and maybe even lead, elders and then deacons, Paul says, "This is how you are to conduct yourselves in the house of God, which is the Church of God." In verses 14 and 15 of First Timothy chapter 3, he outlines how you should conduct yourself. In the previous section, Paul was stating the qualifications and requirements for people who will lead as servants in the church. Now, he comes to chapter 3, verse 8 of First Timothy, where he says, "Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience."

First, we need to stop at the word "deacon," because it's probably not a term you have used in your regular day-to-day life. It's not a word that you hear in the common vernacular of 2017 in the United States of America. "Deacon" is a Bible word, specifically a New Testament Bible word. The New Testament was written in Greek, and the Greek word is "diakonos." "Diakonos" simply means a servant or a minister, and it can even be taken to the place of a slave.

The perfect picture of a diakonos, or a deacon, is a waiter. Have any of you ever been to a really high-class restaurant? Maybe you went to Mr. A's or some other nice restaurant. While you're there, those who are waiting on you do so exceptionally well. They deacon very well; they make sure that your glass doesn't even get half empty or half full, depending on what kind of person you are. They won't let it get there; they ensure that it's always ready to go.

At every change of course, they come with a little straightedge to clean off the crumbs, which is good because I tend to be a messy eater. They constantly check in to see if everything is going well. This idea of a waiter as an active servant is akin to a deacon.

Paul says, "Likewise, deacons." The word "likewise" indicates that this is connected to the previous section. Elders had requirements and qualifications, and in the same manner, those who will be servants within the church, the deacons, are also to have requirements. This gives us the primary offices of leadership within the church. The church is established by God; it's not a building or a place, but a people. Therefore, we who are followers of Jesus are called to serve.

Today, you are called the Church, and in that gathering of people, there are two offices of leadership. There are the elders, also known as presbyters or sometimes called episkopos. These two Greek words are interchangeable in various contexts, and they refer to overseers. We talked about that last week; if you want more information, you can listen to the message or watch it on our YouTube channel, where we unfold what it means to be an overseer or an elder.

Now, let's discuss deacons, or servants. Just because a deacon is called a servant does not mean that an elder is not a servant as well. Generally speaking, elders come from the deacons; they have been good servants. The Apostle Peter, when he talks about elders in 1 Peter chapter 5, mentions that elders serve as overseers. So, elders are not exempt from service; they are called to be servants too. However, here, Peter is speaking specifically to those who will occupy the office of serving within the body of Christ.

There is a beautiful picture of the servants within the body of Christ in Acts chapters 6 and 7. There was a ministry need in the early church that needed to be addressed, so they selected seven men who would be ordained and appointed to the work of deacons, serving within the church. In verse 8, it says that deacons must meet certain qualifications. These are not recommendations; they are absolutes and requirements. When you identify people who will occupy the place of service within the church, whatever that service may be, they need to meet specific qualifications.

For example, it might be waiting upon tables, which was literally the early work of the deacons in Acts chapter 6. They were tending to the needs of a group of people in the church that required service. Therefore, those who will occupy this role need to have certain requirements. When you look at their lives, you should see that they fit these qualifications.

Some of you work in environments where you are involved in hiring other people, so you understand that there are certain qualifications a person needs to have for a job. Most of the time, those qualifications relate to academic background or experience. You look for the right educational requirements or experience to fit into the job. What we see here in this passage has nothing to do with those typical qualifications.

With an academic educational requirement, there really isn't anything to do with an on-the-job experience sort of requirement as well. What I mean is, maybe you come to this church from another church and you say, "Listen, I served for ten years at that church down the road." Just because you served in another church doesn't mean that you have the prior work experience needed here. There is a certain kind of testing that we're looking for regarding the fitting of qualifications.

Point number two on your outline is that qualified servants have evident qualifications. I think it's good to acknowledge at this point that there is no person who perfectly and completely fulfills every one of the qualifications seen here in this passage. However, those who would be or desire to serve Christ should be seeking in their lives to develop these qualities. Of course, the things that Paul talks about here are not an exhaustive list; this is just cherry-picking a few things, saying, "Hey, these are some things that we need to see in a person who's going to serve within the church."

So, what kind of evident qualifications are we looking for? He says deacons must be reverent. One of the things that was a little uncomfortable for me when I started to serve in the ministry and was given the title of pastor is that sometimes people would refer to me as "Reverend." I typically knew at least one thing when someone called me Reverend: they didn't know me.

What I typically knew is that they were probably coming from another church, as that is kind of the tradition in that church. Within Christian churches, there are sometimes traditions where pastors are referred to as Reverend. I get mail sometimes that says "Reverend Miles" on it.

Now, just because a person is given the title of pastor or leader in the church does not make them reverent. A person should hopefully be able to have the title Reverend because they have sought to live their life in a way that is reverent, that they are revering the Lord, and putting their hope and trust in Him. They should be living in a way that is honorable to God. Therefore, a person shouldn't just have the title Reverend because someone gave them the title pastor; they should be looked up to by others within the body of Christ.

A person who has a pattern of life that is honorable and seems to revere God is not being revered themselves; rather, they are seen as reverent because they revere God. This is one of the qualifications for a deacon. It has nothing to do with education or on-the-job experience. The Church of God looks at that individual and says, "This is a person who is seeking to live honorably before the Lord."

But what does that practically look like? At least one of the ways it works out in a person's life is that they are not double-tongued. We see this in verse 8: "Likewise, deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued." The word translated as "double-tongued" is only used this one time in the New Testament, which makes it a little difficult to fully understand its meaning. Often, we begin to understand a word as it is used in various contexts, allowing us to piece together a fuller understanding.

The basic agreement among many Bible teachers regarding what "double-tongued" means is that the person is consistent. A person who occupies the role of a deacon, an appointed servant in the church, is someone who is consistent, particularly in their speech.

Perhaps you have had this experience before: someone says to you, "Hey, I don't know if you know this, but so-and-so is saying such-and-such about you." When someone approaches you with this information, you might feel disbelief and think, "I can't believe they said such a thing." If you're anything like me, you might prefer confrontation, so you go directly to that person and say, "Hey, I heard that you said some things. This is what I heard, and I just wanted to check and see if there is an issue."

Many times, when this happens, the person responds, "Oh, I didn't say that! Who told you that? They must have heard me wrong; I would have never said anything like that." This inconsistency is a hallmark of someone who is double-tongued.

Another way we sometimes identify these individuals is through the common perception of Christians. People often say, "The church is full of hypocrites." This describes a person who is one way when gathered at church, a different way at work, and yet another way at home. They are inconsistent in their behavior everywhere they go. Therefore, Paul emphasizes that a deacon needs to have a consistent character.

The way of life, especially in their speech, emphasizes the connection of the tongue with communication. When I hear the term "double-tongued," the image that comes to mind is that of a forked tongue, which reminds me of a serpent. This connection is interesting because, in Scripture, the serpent is often associated with the devil. As we delve into this passage, we find in verse 11 that there are people within this group who are not to be slanderers. The Greek word for slanderers is "diabolos," which translates to devil, Satan, or accuser. This idea is echoed in the qualifications for deacons; one evident qualification is that they are not double-tongued. They are consistent in the way they live and speak, and they are not backbiters.

He goes on to say that they are not given to much wine. I discussed this last week, and it is an important point because it applies to both elders and deacons. I went into this topic in depth, so if you would like, you can check out the message on our YouTube channel to hear what I talked about. Essentially, this is not a prohibition against alcohol consumption. While the Bible does prohibit drunkenness, it does not prohibit the consumption of alcohol itself.

There is a significant difference in wording here. The Bible does not forbid drinking alcohol, but it does prohibit being consumed by it. The clear teaching of Scripture is that if a person cannot drink in moderation, they should not drink at all. If you have struggled with alcohol in the past or currently have an addiction, it is best to stay as far away from it as possible. However, we understand that there is no prohibition in the Bible against drinking alcohol if a person can do so in moderation. That may be a significant "if," and we should be cautious and self-reflective in this area.

Those who occupy leadership roles in the church should not be known for how they handle their alcohol. Unfortunately, we live in a day and age where people are often recognized for their ability to hold their alcohol, which is quite strange.

Wow, that guy holds it really well. That's not something to be known for. Okay, all right, good, we'll move on.

He says that the person who is appointed as a deacon, a servant within the church, should not be greedy for money. The work of the ministry is not a place for wealth-seeking and treasure hunting. It's interesting that in our day and in our nation, those who serve within the church often serve in what is called the nonprofit sector. Our society even views it as the nonprofit sector. There are certain tax exemptions that are given in that area and all kinds of different provisions that make some of the things that the churches do a little bit easier for them to accomplish.

However, though churches fit into this place called the nonprofit sector, there have been very notable cases, especially over the last 50 years or so, of individuals who have worked in the nonprofit church sector but were not really into the idea of being nonprofit. Their greed becomes very clear, and it seems as though these people are actually wealth seekers. They are doing it in a way that is not in accordance with who God is, what His nature is, and what His will is. I mean, when a minister gets up and says, "God told me that you need to provide a new private jet for me," there might be a problem.

So, he says that those who occupy this place of service within the church are not greedy for money. This is a really important topic, so much so that we're going to return to that concept and principle when we get to First Timothy chapter 6. One of the things that God values in His people and in His church is the value of contentment. Now, that's not valued so much in our culture today, but Paul tells us in First Timothy chapter 6 that godliness with contentment is great gain.

We live in a culture that wants great gains. That's why there are a lot of people really excited about what's happening in the markets right now and what's happening with GDP, because there are bigger gains than have been seen in the previous ten years or so. People are really excited about that. Christians can fall into the area of being really excited about gains too, but the biggest gain we should be excited about is that godliness with contentment is great gain. Paul is going to say this later on when we get to First Timothy chapter 6: those who desire to be rich fall into temptation.

And into a snare and into many foolish and harmful desires, which drown men in destruction and waste. I think that describes American culture pretty well in the 21st century. He goes on to say, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

So, he says that deacons are not to be greedy for money; they are not lovers of money. He continues, stating that those who would be deacons are to hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. Verse 9 says, "Hold the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience." One Bible teacher explains that those who can adhere to proper doctrine out of sincere conviction are essential. A person who is going to be appointed as a servant in the church should be able to adhere to proper doctrine, which is exactly what Paul left Timothy in the city of Ephesus to put in place.

The church in Ephesus was off course; they were not following or walking after sound doctrine. So, Paul says to Timothy, "You're going to stay here, and you're going to get this church back on course so they are walking in line with sound doctrine." When you begin to appoint servants in the church overseeing the work of the church, you need to ensure that those who occupy that place are walking out proper doctrine. They should be seeking to live their lives in accordance with the Bible.

Now, how will we know if a person is a qualified deacon? First Timothy chapter 3, verse 10 states, "But let these also first be tested. Then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless." In the original language, it literally says, "Let them be tested, and then let them deacon." Do not let them serve until they are tested.

Point number three on your outline: Servants are appointed to serve after having been tested. Yes, anyone in the church can serve the Lord and should serve the Lord after having been tested. Why do we need to test these people?

To be serving within the church, we need to test individuals. Jesus said this in the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 7, in the Sermon on the Mount. He warns us to beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

Why do we need to ensure that we test those who serve? Paul states that there will be imposters among the flock, who are actually inwardly ravenous wolves. The Apostle Paul conveyed a similar message to the leaders of the church at Ephesus, which Timothy was pastoring about ten years before Paul wrote the letter of First Timothy. This is recorded in the book of Acts, specifically Acts 20:29, where Paul says, "For I know this, that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock."

So, why should we test those who serve within the church? Because there are imposters. I know that some of you came to this church after leaving a place where there was division and a split. I would say that probably nine out of ten times, if not ten out of ten, when there is division and destruction in a church, it is because individuals who were allowed to enter into leadership and service were inwardly ravenous wolves and were not tested. They may have come and said, "I served at that church down the street for ten years; I want to serve here." We might think, "Great! Come on in; you have the work experience, and we really need someone." However, they weren't tested, and those wolves come in and bring destruction.

Now, what exactly does such proving look like? If we are going to test these individuals, what are the tests we will give them? Are we going to provide a 42-question survey to determine their personality? No, that is not the test we are looking for.

In that passage in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, "You will know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?" The answer is no. "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, and every bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore, by their fruits, you will know them."

Jesus warns us that there will be false teachers who come in.

They do not spare the flock. They look good on the outside, but on the inside, they are ravenous wolves. How do we identify them? We have to see the fruit of their lives. He is not talking about apples, oranges, or bananas; he is using a simile, a metaphor here. So, what is the fruit that we need to see? Paul gives us some clues in his letter to the church at Galatia when he says in Galatians 5:22, "But the fruit of the Spirit, the evidence that God's Spirit is in you, is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control."

This is not an exhaustive list, but it is a really helpful one. These are the things we should see, the fruit that should be evident in someone who is appointed to become an overseer and a leader: love, joy, peace, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. The fact is that we need to spend time with people over a period of time to see this, not just in one place. People can be duplicitous; they can be double-tongued. They can act one way when we gather together for 75 minutes on a Sunday and another way the rest of the week.

There needs to be evidence of fruit in their lives. Why? Because there are wolves. What are we looking for? Fruit. How do we determine a good servant, someone who should be appointed to a place of service within the church? Again, we are not looking at a resume; we are not looking for academic requirements or work experience. We are looking for the fruit of the Spirit.

There are some really important keys that I have come to discover. I have been serving in full-time ministry for almost 19 years, and during that time, I have seen a number of important values that come to the surface in a person who would make a good deacon, a good servant.

Number one, they have growing maturity in their faith in Christ. Number two, they are available; they are there when they are needed. Not only are they available, but they are dependable and reliable. When I ask them to do something, I know it is taken care of, and I can depend upon them. They are responsible; they are the kind of person to whom you would give the key to your house without feeling strange about it. They are accountable; they place themselves under the authority structures and leadership in the church.

These are the really important qualities: maturity, availability, dependability, reliability, and responsibility.

Accountability is important in ministry. You may have noticed that ability is not on that list. I have found that many people who step into the work of serving in the church do not always have the proper abilities in that area. However, those skills can be taught and trained. The kind of maturity we are looking for is the willingness to subject oneself to the accountable structures of ministry and to be present when called upon to serve.

Over the last 19 years, I have had many people—dozens, in fact—come to me and say, "I really want to do what you do." I don't always know what that means, but I respond, "Alright, you want to serve God? Here's what you need to do: show up next Sunday at 7 a.m." After that, I want them to follow Pastor Mark or to shadow Pastor Jason. This approach is not just limited to me; in the children's ministry, if someone expresses a desire to serve, they are told to show up at a specific service, and we will help them shadow someone else.

What I find is that I can quickly identify who the available and dependable people are. Let's see if, seven weeks down the road, they are still showing up at 7 a.m. Over the years, having met dozens of people who express this kind of interest, I would say maybe a half dozen, at most, have been dependable. Those individuals are then appointed to areas of ministry within the service.

In 1 Timothy 3:11, Paul writes, "Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things." This verse presents a challenge for translators because the word translated as "wives" in the New King James Version is the exact same Greek word that can also be translated as "women." While "wives" is a good translation, I believe a better translation is found in the New International Version, which states, "In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect."

What, then, is the difference between "let their wives be reverent" and "let the women be worthy of respect"? The main difference lies in whether Paul is saying that those who are deacons are only men and that their wives need to follow a certain pattern, or if he is speaking to women who are deacons. It is my belief that he is addressing women who are deacons.

Not only is Paul talking to men, but he is also addressing the wives of deacons. You may wonder how I know this is the case and why it is really important. First, if Paul is addressing the wives of deacons and saying that deacons need to have wives who are reverent, then why didn't he say the same to the elders? Secondly, if it is acceptable, as the Apostle Peter tells us, for a woman to be a godly woman and an influencer in the church while having an unbelieving husband, then it is certainly okay for a man to be a godly leader and an influence in the church while having an unbelieving wife.

Hopefully, their unbelieving spouse will become a believing spouse, but it is not a requirement for people in the church to have their wife or husband be a believer. Many of you came to faith before your spouse did, and many of you started to serve the Lord before your spouse did. Therefore, Paul is not giving a requirement that you must have a believing spouse. I believe that Paul is speaking to the women deacons. There are indeed women who serve as deacons in the church.

You may ask if that is really true. Yes, Paul speaks of one of them in Romans chapter 16, verse 1. He mentions a sister named Phoebe, who was a deacon in the church at Rome.

Point number four on your outline is that men and women serve as equals in the Church of God. Now, of course, I have taught and still hold that the office of an elder, specifically an overseeing elder in the church, is an office that God has ordered men to occupy. We studied this last week and the week before that in 1 Timothy chapter 2, at the end, and 1 Timothy chapter 3, at the beginning.

However, every other area of service in the church is open to both men and women who fit the qualifications. What are those qualifications? For the ladies who serve, Paul states that the women must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, and faithful in all things. You will notice that this is almost identical to what he said to the men who serve in verse 8. Likewise, deacons must be reverent, which is the same word he uses for the women, and not double-tongued. This is very much connected to not being slanderers.

What is a slanderer? I already mentioned it earlier: diabolos. The New American Standard Bible refers to them as not being malicious gossips. Now, why does Paul address the women who serve?

Serve and say, "Don't be malicious gossips." Why doesn't he say that's an issue? Well, I'm just going to throw it out there: I believe that this is an area that the enemy seeks to attack many women, and they are vulnerable to this attack. In their vulnerability, he says, "Listen, if you're going to be a godly woman who serves in the church, you need to guard against this attack."

The first thing you need to acknowledge is that this is an attack that the enemy seeks to bring against women. They must not be slanderers, spending their time gossiping about others and passing on false, malicious reports designed to injure the reputation of others. One commentator goes on to say that the women who serve are to be temperate. Temperate means not given to extremes, one who is not irritable and does not have wide swings of mood, as Paul says here. They are to be faithful in all things; they should be dependable, loyal, and worthy of confidence. They should be able to keep personal confidences, as well.

In my experience of 19 years in full-time ministry, I have discovered that this is a challenge for ladies. It is something that you need to guard against and understand that the enemy will attack you in this area, seeking to make it so that you're disqualified in the areas of service.

Then he goes into verse 12 and says, "Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife." He goes back to the male deacons ruling their children and their own houses. This is the same thing he said to the elders; you can refer back to my previous messages. The deacons who are men, if they're married, are to be one-woman men. Why doesn't he say to the women that they need to be one-husband women? This is an issue that the enemy seeks to come against men. They need to be one-woman men, not interested in affairs outside of their marriage, whether they are actual physical, emotional, or pornographic. They are not to be involved with that, or they will be disqualified.

I know a number of pastors in the last 10 years, friends of mine, who have been disqualified for this very issue and removed from the ministry. Male deacons need to rule or govern their homes with the same godly effort that they rule and govern the church. The same passion and zeal that they give to their service outside of the home should be the same passion and zeal that they give to their service inside the home. Why? First Timothy chapter 3, verse 13.

Served well as deacons, they obtained for themselves both men and women, a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. The New Living Translation says those who do well as deacons will be rewarded.

Point number five on your outline: servants who serve well are honored by God and His Church. These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly. But if I am delayed, I write to you so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the Living God, the pillar and ground of truth. Paul says it is my aim personally, and it is also my aim pastorally, that both myself and you will hear God say when we see Him in His kingdom, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

The simple application of this text is a question: Are you serving? Have you plugged in to serve? Are you available and willing to be responsible, seeking to be dependable, and submitting yourself and being accountable? Will you step out and say, "I'm willing to serve"? There are all kinds of areas for service where we could use your help here at the church. Some of those things happen on Sundays, such as ushers, greeters, hospitality table workers, children's ministry workers, worship team members, tech people, and video people.

There are also many opportunities throughout the week. God saved you, if you're a Christian today, for a purpose. He has given you gifts, talents, and abilities, and He is equipping you through the work of the ministry and the teaching of the Scriptures. One day, you will hear Him say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

I don't know about you, but that may be the best words to ever hear from the Lord when we stand in His presence. Amen.

Would you stand with me as we close in prayer? Father, thank You for Your word. It is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. In some ways, it is convicting. In some of the things we see in this passage, we see ourselves in the mirror of Your word and realize that there are areas of our lives that are not quite where we would desire them to be. But God, we thank You.

We can be confident of this very thing: that You who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it until the day of Christ Jesus. You will finish the work You started.

So, God, I pray that You'd stir our hearts to be open to the working of Your Spirit and that our ears would be open to Your call as You desire us to step into those places of service and to bring You glory through the gifts You've given to us.

Lord, pour out Your Spirit upon Your church and bless Your church, that we would one day hear You say, "Well done, good and faithful servants." We praise You and thank You in Jesus' name. Amen.