 title is a servant's heart and we're in part two of a servant's heart looking at this paragraph in first Timothy chapter three verses eight through thirteen and we've been looking through chapter three at the structure if you will of the leadership of the church we've seen the first office and elders and now we've begun examining this second office of deacons we've noticed already a lot of similarities but last week we began looking at the foundation of the basis for this in Scripture and that comes from basically foundationally the Greek word deaconos meaning servant in many ways it's the nature of this word itself that often defines describes and eventually points to the office this word defines in many ways the office of what it means to be a deacon and it's often interesting that this word for deacon a vast majority of times is not used to describe the office but to describe that usual and general and reasonable service that every Christian does it describes a Christian we're to be servants every Christian is a servant it points to a servant's heart this is the Christian's heart when the Lord gives you a new heart he gives you a new heart to serve to serve him to serve the church to serve the body to serve your brothers and sisters it is a servant's heart when the Lord says he saves someone he takes out their heart of stone and gives them a new heart and it's that soft fleshy humble heart that the Lord gives you we were out witnessing yesterday and I was talking to a guy the guy that I was witnessing with was given the joy and privilege of fending off a couple of Jehovah's witnesses coming up the driveway while I witnessed to a soft-hearted guy and so we were witnessing the thing that this this soft-hearted man just couldn't seem to get over is that when God saves he changes you dramatically he makes you obey changes your heart those things that were once settled in your heart that you loved he changes those things and now you love the things of God you love the things of God's word you want to obey him it's a changed life a changed heart a servant here is a Christian the Lord saves a person he gives them a servant's heart this servant the word servant is someone who is not at their own disposal they are at the disposal of another they're at someone else's bidding in this case we're talking about our Lord Jesus Christ we're saved to serve him he is our master and Lord in that sense their obligation is to please another rather than pleasing themselves as we know from the outworking of life and ministry in the church that this role of service to the Lord by serving his church serving his people is critical it became critical in the church at this time and becomes more and more critical until now our time and it is certainly critical in our time we need people serving in the church there are a whole host so we understand a vast almost innumerable mass of people who call themselves Christians but they are nothing more than glorified spectators in the Lord's church we are called to serve their God as their belly their glory is their shame they set their minds on earthly things as Paul says in Philippians where is your mind these days our citizenship is in heaven and so this time is fleeting serve the Lord while you can we're to serve the Lord here we need Christians to serve to evangelize Christians need to evangelize to meet the needs of people at church your brothers and sisters to disciple we must be a serving people in this we see the first qualification for deacon we'll also see the first qualification for a Christian in that they must be a servant the first time that we see this office in seed form happens in Acts chapter six turn there with me Acts chapter six and in Acts chapter six they're not called deacons but we see this office in seed form arising out of a need that came up in the church at Jerusalem from this first need it arose in Jerusalem in Acts chapter six until this letter from Paul to Timothy in three eight we see in the church a developing structure revolving around the office of elder and around the office of deacon by the time we get to first Timothy chapter three we see this office firmly established and the qualifications given there but let's look at this seed form of this office in chapter six beginning in verse one here the bible says Acts chapter six verse one now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution all right so enter stage right in the church a problem we have a problem that has come up the explosive growth of the church it was growing by leaps and bounds at this point it is said as many as 5000 men you tack in women and children as many as 20 000 people potentially in the church at Jerusalem that's going to cause a need a need for help the apostles couldn't take this load by themselves and so they needed to solve this problem now as the church grows larger imagine it's inevitable in a larger church that at some point someone's need is going to be neglected right it's just going that's going to happen if you're reading this and you have your enemy radar in full focus what do you potentially see here a potential satanic attack right when you've got a need that is neglected a potential problem in the church there's a potential here for satan to get a foothold in this church and to cause problems this could have caused bitterness this could have caused difficulty this could have caused some kind of schism between the Hellenist widows and the others in the church at Jerusalem there's a potential here for problem so what are we to do what do you see in chapter six that they did are we to think to ourselves just let the spirit guide us we're guided by the Holy Spirit just let the spirit do that the spirit will take care of all that it's true the Holy Spirit works in the church absolutely but the Holy Spirit uses means the other option would be to say all right we need to get ourselves organized we need to get ourselves structured we need to get help to solve this problem and that's exactly what they did organization and structure was needed in the church to facilitate what God was doing there do you see organization and structure and creation certainly God is very organized very structured that's a huge testimony to creation by God of the universe is the order of creation it's a beautiful thing do you see order orderliness and structure and intention in you in the creation of you how you are wonderfully and fearfully made amen amen there's great organization there's great structure there's great organization and functional structure within the godhead within the trinity god is a god of order satan is the father of confusion right god is a god of order a god of structure and so here it's not that structure or an office is put into place as an end you know means to an end in and of itself it is a way in which the church facilitates the work that the Lord wants to do in the church we must be organized we must be structured so what do they do look at chapter 6 verse 2 then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and said it is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables so the elders of the church couldn't handle the load any longer for caring for the congregation by themselves and the elders of the church must attend to their calling otherwise the church suffers they must attend to their calling for the sake of the people there's an important function here that must take precedence literally between verse 2 and verse 4 they've said listen you serve diaconeo tables and we'll serve diaconea will serve the word and that's how it has to happen there must be those who give themselves entirely to the ministry of the word and prayer and then you have this other office a very valuable office that gives themself to serve chapter 6 verse 3 therefore brethren seek out from among you seven men of good reputation full of the holy spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word here in verse 3 we see the first indication again in seed form of preliminary qualifications for the office of deacon first they must be from among you verse 3 deacons leadership in the church will be risen up from among us men that we know we see their lives we know what they're like at home they've been tested we've seen what they've been like through trial we've seen them hold fast through difficulty we've seen them remain faithful they're tested men men that we know all right the second is that they must be men there are women who are extraordinarily gifted in the church to serve we have women in this church who are gifted by God to serve the office must be held by men but there are many who are gifted in that service role that they must have been a good reputation good reputation shows integrity above reproach they're a good example does that bring up any reminders from chapter 3 with respect to elders yes a lot of the same qualifications in chapter 3 with respect to deacons a lot of the same ideas good reputation they must be men full of the holy spirit it means yielded to his control in their life and bearing fruits of the spirit they're not walking according to the flesh which also bears fruit bitter fruit they're walking according to the spirit bearing fruits of the spirit and that's evident in their lives and then lastly they must have wisdom wisdom isn't just knowledge wisdom is knowledge applied to life wisdom is an understanding of God's word and then an application of God's word to practical circumstances in your life and a man who is going to lead in the church as an elder or deacon must demonstrate that he's got some wisdom that he knows God's word and then he knows how to apply it he's going to lead and provide an example to the flock in how to understand and apply God's word he has to know how to do it himself okay it's interesting again they're here in verse 3 also that the deacons that were chosen were suited to need the need arises and then there were men selected suited to that need what was the need it was that the hellenist widows were neglected in the daily distribution of food so what do they do they selected hellenist deacons you have seven men who who are Greek there was care taken in the selection of these men to best fit that need that arose in the church it's true of deacons today as the need arises you carefully select men qualified men who can fill that need although these men in chapter six verse three aren't called deacons we see the foundation laid for the future office this is the office in seed form and we even see indication given of future qualifications what their qualifications will be this had the purpose right this is all for a purpose the purpose is that the emphasis might be given to the ministry of the word and prayer if pastors are given to anything else the congregation is doomed we see that all the time don't we churches so-called where pastors have taken themselves out of their role in giving themselves entirely to prayer and to the ministry of the word there is a famine in our country of the word of god and it's because pastors have failed to preach it churches have failed to esteem it and to uphold it and when you take that office away you take that responsibility away you lose the church spiritual growth stops spiritual maturity stops spiritual guidance stops people become stunted there is no spiritual growth in that you hear many spend a couple of hours on a thursday afternoon preparing a 20-minute sermon for sunday and then we wonder why so many so-called professing christians wander around like rudderless ships it's because we're not given to the word of god the resulting sermon isn't even rooted in the word of god with that kind of study and intention they wonder why people wander aimlessly around in verse four these faithful men in jerusalem here gave themselves it says they devoted themselves entirely to it entirely to prayer and to the word of god and this is a good example for all of us to follow macArthur tells the story of a young man who went up to donald gray barnhouse and said i'd give the world to be able to teach the bible like you and so looking him square in the eye donald gray barnhouse says good because that's exactly what it'll take you give up the world to teach the bible that way you give up the world and devote yourself entirely to it and there's great reward in that if you do it takes discipline there's great reward for being in god's word as time progressed and as needs arose here in chapter six the official office of deacon became necessary as the church developed and as the organization developed out of the necessary and wise structuring of the fledgling church the office of deacon then became more and more necessary more and more needed and by the time we get to paul's letter to timothy here in first timothy chapter three we see the official office in place in all of its requisite qualifications deacons now have become the official second office in the church as we move into first timothy chapter three verse eight it's important to remember a very valuable lesson from this very very valuable lesson for the church but very very valuable lesson for you as well personally it is sinful wrong foolish destructive self-defeating and potentially damning to place any temporal or physical need in your life before the word of god and prayer if you follow that pattern you're going to wind up in hell it is wrong sinful foolish destructive to put temporal needs first before god to put temporal needs first before god is to put man before god and you become man centered that is the essence of the health wealth prosperity gospel it's the essence of the seeker movement it's the essence of the felt needs movement we become man centered instead of god centered when you do that you lose the gospel you lose gods you don't put waiting tables before the ministry of the word and prayer you don't do that in your own life we don't do that in the church you don't care for the physical body before you care for your soul i remember someone who had a rule to themselves it's read before you feed it was their goal every morning it's like i'm going to do my daily devotions and my commitment of myself is i'm not going to feed myself until i read for myself the word of god do their devotions before they ate you don't meet physical needs before meeting spiritual needs put the cares of this world before your eternal destiny your eternal purpose we've got to be careful and follow christ in this matthew 6 34 says seek first the kingdom of god and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you we must prioritize in your life the word of god and prayer putting spiritual needs putting god before physical needs before man making sure that you're god centered in your life not man centered on a sunday night what is it that you prioritize more than the word of god i don't take on false guilt there making take an honest assessment what are your priorities and why are they that way why do you have those priorities in place judge your own heart judge your motives what is a priority in your life what about group night fellowship reading your bible your daily devotions evangelism why is it that your priorities are outlined the way that they are don't allow negligence or indifference or apathy or sin to guide your priorities you decide them what are your priorities what gets in the way of serving christ and why is it apathy indifference set your priorities set your mind on the things above set your mind on the things of god seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and these things will be added to you the primary need of the church and the primary need of you specifically me specifically is prayer and the ministry of the word it is that spiritual priority placed in proper priority to the temporal needs of your life the role of the deacon in a sense lends emphasis it portrays that priority it portrays that biblical truth it is putting ministry of the word and prayer in its proper place when compared to temporal needs both necessary to be met but having them in proper order proper priority and with that if you think about it that office is a glorious office it carries with it a glorious responsibility it is a beautiful function in the church for what it does and for how it portrays that and for it clearing the path for the lord to come in his word is a glorious office of beautiful these are beautiful men and we need them we need that office in the church in that sense the office of deacon is strengthening the church is unifying to the church it is sanctifying to have qualified deacons in place facilitates the sanctification of the people of god in the church it is protecting in the sense that it heads off satanic attacks like it did in Jerusalem it is freeing to the elders to do the role that they've been called to do it is a tremendous service is the office of deacon a low-level demeaning or second-class office yeah in my most emphatic and best Spanish no way jose it is it's a beautiful office it's a needed office a glorious office and the loftiness the necessity the gravity of this office is most clearly seen through the character of the men that are qualified to hold it we're to strive for these godly characteristics in verse eight Paul 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 the word beginning the verse likewise that likewise there refers all the way back to the must be of verse two in verse two a bishop then must be blameless and he goes on to explain what blameless is that's the Greek word day divine necessity with a nine meaning to be it refers back to must be in the same way that elders must be blameless a deacon here must be reverent that's why in your bibles when you see must be in your in your new king james or your esv it's in italics the word must be isn't there in the greek but it is attached to the must be of verse two and so the translators put it there for you all of these qualifications that follow fall under the divine necessity of the greek word in verse two in that sense they are commanded it's not that you can have a deacon that has some of these qualifications but you know this one right here he doesn't quite have that's okay he's got all the others no it must be that he has all of these qualifications it is a divine necessity as we get to these qualifications here in verse eight through 13 also it's important to know that there's no drop-off when we look at the qualifications for elder we saw those very serious qualifications in verses eight through 13 there's no drop-off here with respect to qualifications for deacon they're essentially the same there's one app to teach that we don't find here but that's more an issue of function than it is of qualification here there's no drop-off the standard for deacon is in no way inferior or somehow second class that of elder there's simply no drop-off in the the necessity for these qualifications to be met it doesn't mean that a deacon cannot teach this that's just not a specific function of his office you see but the qualifications here they don't drop off for deacon there are no statements here in verses eight through 13 with respect to duties it's all primarily according to need in order to fulfill the purpose of freeing elders up for the ministry of the word in prayer and in that sense it's an extremely important position now we've looked through acts chapter six verses one through three and we see there in the qualifications for those men that they would select three points primarily they must be of good reputation they must be full of the Holy Spirit and they must be full of wisdom and so now in connecting chapter six in acts with chapter three in 1st Timothy I want to draw some connections between these two passages by making those our points as we walk through this passage in 1st Timothy chapter three our three points are good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom we get those from acts chapter six verse three so now the first characteristic that a deacon is to have is that he must be of good reputation in 1st Timothy chapter three when we look at verse eight that is seen in this first statement likewise deacons must be reverent the first qualification is that he is reverent that does not mean reverent in the sense that the deacon comes into the church and he's very sober and very serious and he's got his hands clasped in front of him and he's got his head bowed and he's in the right position and he's praying to God it's not that he himself is reverent the word here literally means that he is worthy of reverence worthy of respect okay that he himself is dignified he's worthy of respect he's serious it carries the sense of stately or majestic sober-minded in this sense it has everything to do with his reputation with his reputation it's a good reputation worthy of reverence among the church among those in the church doesn't come as a result of the same criteria as worthy of respect in the world right to be worthy of respect in the world means that you are rich you are powerful you have influence you're outwardly good-looking you've got a reality show worthy of respect in the world okay but worthy of respect when it comes to Christians means an observable humility a knowledge of the word of God and consistency in your life with the word of God what the word of God teaches it means an appropriate application of wisdom faithfulness fruits of a spirit controlled life personal integrity contentment living a life that is consistent with God's revealed word oftentimes that man worthy of respect takes on sometimes the most humble or the simplest of tasks and yet he faithfully discharges them with joy just faithful just a serving loving brother living by the word of God it's worthy of respect when professing Christians live beneath this characteristic of worthy of reverence worthy of respect they compromise the truth of God with their life they live one way and say another in their life they say they profess Christ they live like the devil they compromise the truth concerning the character of God they compromise the truth concerning the will of God that Christians should live holy lives they compromise the truth concerning the life changing power of the gospel and in all ways show themselves to be inconsistent with what it means to be a Christian into the eyes of the world it's just they look no different than the world we're to be different we're to demonstrate the life changing power of the gospel in our lives in that sense Christians are to live lives that are worthy of respect worthy of dignity serious sober-minded stately there to have a good reputation Christians you belong to Christ need to live your life in a way that is a testimony of the power of the gospel to change a life how many of you when you witness you stand at the door you're talking to someone you give them the gospel and you say listen you don't know me from Adam but before Christ I was a miserable wretched sickly despairing destitute wicked sinner and God saved me and I am no longer the same man that I was it's the power of the gospel to change a life and we're to live in a way that properly reflects that live lives worthy of respect the next in Acts chapter 6 verse 3 the deacon is said to be full of the Holy Spirit full of the Holy Spirit these men and you Christian are to be controlled by the spirit not by their flesh not by their sin nature the office of deacon is a spiritual office you don't fight against flesh and blood the work that you do in the office of deacon is a spiritual work we have to remain mindful of that truth the deacon isn't a guy who just does a bunch of stuff just does does does it's a spiritual work you don't pick a man who is good at just doing a bunch of hey that guy can really do a great job on cutting the grass let's make him a deacon no it's a spiritual office it has a spiritual function it does a spiritual work and it has a spiritual result it's a spiritual work and then this man must be full of the Holy Spirit the results of putting these men in place in Acts 6 were that the church grew the church grew numerically but the church grew in maturity grew in faith there were souls that were saved and there were martyrs that were made the church grew the first characteristic of being full of the Holy Spirit here in 1st Timothy chapter 3 is that that person is not double-tongued not double-tongued Matthew 5 37 says let your yes be yes and your no no you're to speak the truth and love there are two ways to be double-tongued two ways one way to be double-tongued is to say one thing to one person and say something else to another person that's double-tongued you're a liar to one or both you're certainly a hypocrite you're saying one thing to one person it's something else to another another way to be double-tonged is to say one thing and do something else that way you're living also as a hypocrite You're not consistent with your word. Either way, you are untrustworthy. There's a phrase that nowadays is looked on as being anachronistic, old-fashioned. But that phrase is, my word is my bond. If you're a Christian, that needs to be true of you. Can you say that my word is my bond? When I say something, I follow through. When I say it, I mean it. Do you keep your word? Do you follow through on commitments? Do you follow through on assignments? Is your word precious to you? Let me give you an example of this. Look at 1 Thessalonians. There's a couple of pages back. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. And this is a, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, a beautiful example of integrity in speech. In this sense, Paul's word is his bond. And you can see in his manner of speech, in the content of his speech, how wonderfully not double-tongued Paul is. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Look beginning in verse 1. A deacon and a Christian should speak like this and have this as their aim. Verse 1. For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain, but even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were, and here's the first characteristic, bold in our God to speak to you, the gospel of God in much conflict. That word there for bold in the Greek means confidence in speech. It is not shrinking back from that which should be said, but saying it. You say what needs to be said. You're bold in your speech in that sense. You can be bold in your speech, saying what needs to be said when it is rooted and grounded in the truth. How much confidence do you have in your speech when it's not rooted and grounded in the truth, right? This boldness comes from being grounded, rooted in God's word, rooted in the truth, and when you have that, you speak boldly. You simply say what needs to be said. You do that with love. You do that with gentleness. You do that with humility, but you say, you don't shrink back. Boldness. Verse 3. For our exhortation, when you speak, we're to exhort. Our exhortations did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit. It's speaking truth. There's no uncleanness. There's not any ulterior motive here. There's not double-tongued, double-talk. This is pure speech without error, without uncleanness. It is not in deceit, okay? Verse 4. But as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts. Galatians 1.10 says, for do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. Again, it points to saying what needs to be said, whether to offend someone or not, being bold and confident in that because you stand rooted and grounded in the truth, not as being man-pleasers, not as fearing men, but God who says tests our hearts. Verse 5. For neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know. In other words, they didn't use compliments to win favor or merit or applause or accolades from men. They didn't flatter for gain. And it says, nor as a cloak for covenessness. In other words, they didn't hide with words their greedy intentions. They weren't using flattering words to get something, some dishonest gain, right? God is witness, he says. Verse 6. Nor did we seek glory from men. Again, not man-pleasing, simply wanting to please God, not concerned with what others might think. They weren't seeking glory from men, either from you or from others, when we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But listen to the character, the quality of their speech. We were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother, cherishes her own children, so affectionately longing for you. We were well pleased to impart to you, not only the gospel of God, which should always be on our lips, right, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil, for laboring night and day that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. You are witnesses, and God also how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe, and as you know, how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a father does his own children. In the same way, we're to exhort one another, we're to comfort one another, we're to charge one another. This should be the content in Christ of our speech together. This is not, this is the anti-double-tongued, all right, a picture of aspiring speech that we should aspire to. Follow Paul's example as he follows Christ. But secondly, you're not to be double-tongued, but back in 1 Timothy, chapter 3, we're not to be given to much wine, not given to much wine. That same admonition was given to elders, but in chapter 3 with elders, it says not given to wine. Here for deacons, it says not given to much wine, something that elders were to abstain from drinking altogether, but that elders were driving the deacons to drink, so it was okay for them to drink a little. No, we're not to be given to wine. Here, you're not to be a drunkard, okay? You're to be sober-minded, self-controlled, full of the Holy Spirit. There's a contrast here, right? If we compare this to Ephesians, chapter 5, in verse 18, the Bible says, do not be drunk with wine, which is dissipation, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. There's that contrast here. In this point, there to be full of the Holy Spirit, they're not to be drunk or controlled by wine, they're to be under the control of the Spirit. But the third here, it says in chapter 3, verse 8, that they're not to be greedy for money. Now certainly, this means not greedy for, as the King James Version says, filthy lucre. I just like that. Give that connotation for what that, you know, filthy lucre. But with respect to those holding positions of responsibility in the church, it means not taking advantage of others for the purpose of their own benefit, not taking advantage of others for their own gain. Greed exists in the heart of rich and poor alike, amen? So don't fool yourself. This is something for all of us to be on guard against. Proverbs chapter 30, verse 7 says this, Is this your heart? Two things, he says, I request of you. Deprive me not before I die. Remove falsehood and lies far from me. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Can you honestly say that? Lord, don't give me riches. Don't give me poverty, but don't give me riches. Feed me with the food allotted to me, he says, lest I be full and deny you and say who is the Lord, or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God. So this negative aspect, don't be greedy. Don't be greedy for gain. There's also a positive aspect to this admonition against covetousness, and that positive aspect is an exhortation to being content. We're to be content. In putting off greed and covetousness, you put on contentment, where to be and live a Christian life that is content. Look with me at an example of that. And again, Paul's example in Philippians chapter 4. Philippians chapter 4, we're to live lives that demonstrate Christian contentment. You notice that too? It's not just contentment. It's contentment in Christ. It's Christian contentment. We're to live lives, testimonies of our sufficiency in Christ. Philippians chapter 4, look beginning at verse 11. And again, Paul's example here, which is a beautiful example. In verse 11, Paul says, not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am to be content. Now, he's writing to the Philippians here. Think about the circumstances at this point in time that Paul was in. Paul was in prison. He was in a small one-roomed apartment, if you will. Food was probably very sparse. He was primarily alone. And he was chained to a Roman guard. His circumstances were extremely difficult. But he was content with what he had. Paul's contentment wasn't tied to his circumstances. It was outside his circumstances. His contentment was outside his circumstances. True contentment comes only from God. But with it, the genuine believer is content, regardless, no matter what the problem is, regardless of his situation, he is content, and content despite his circumstances. Outside of Christ, contentment is always that thing that is just outside your grasp. Just one more paycheck, you know, just one more car, one more partner, right? Partner, right? One more fulfilling of my lust, one more enjoyable pleasure, one more, one more, one more, always not enough. Contentment is just outside our grasp. But in Christ, contentment is in Christ, and it is commanded of every Christian, be content. The catechism, question one, says that the chief end of man is to meet his own needs and enjoy them forever. No, it doesn't. The chief end of man isn't to meet your needs. Here we go again, man-centered versus God-centered, right? The chief end of man isn't to meet your needs. It's to glorify God and enjoy him forever. And enjoying him forever, we are to be content. Paul says to Timothy later in chapter 6, he says, And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. We'll live contentedly in Christ. In verse 12 in Philippians chapter 4 here, Paul goes on to say, I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things, I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. A contented person's contentment in Christ is regardless of circumstances. Doesn't matter what the circumstances all are. However, it's interesting here that Paul had to learn, right? He says, I've learned to be contented. He's had to learn that. Difficult times, difficult circumstances, tribulations, trials, have the tendency, don't they, of robbing you of your joy. Of sometimes robbing you of your sense of security in Christ. Sometimes they rob you of that contentment. But it's those difficulties, those circumstances, those trials and tribulations that become the soil in which God teaches you to be content. How can you learn contentment if you don't face difficulty? How can you learn contentment apart from that occasional experience of getting to the end of the month and not knowing whether you've got enough to pay the electric bill or put food on the table? You learn in the soil of that difficulty, in the soil of that trial, you learn to be content. Paul learned content, and Paul went through some excruciatingly difficult times, didn't he? You learn to be content. Learn to be content by remaining focused on Christ. As Paul is here, focused on Christ, but also focused on the reality of our heavenly inheritance. Heavenly blessings. Being mindful of heavenly things. You are an alien here. This life will soon be passed, and you will inherit eternal glory. Second Corinthians, I love this, thinking about the persecution that our brothers and sisters faced at that time. Second Corinthians, chapter 4 verse 17 called it this, for our light's affliction. People being killed for Christ, but our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Amen. Paul finishes up in verse 13, where he says, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. It is Christ's strengthening power that enables the Christian to persevere, despite these sometimes horrific circumstances, difficulties, and you can win the football game if you pray that in the morning. No. Often misinterpreted use of that verse. All right. Lastly, in this passage, the last qualification we see for these men selected in Acts 6-3 also applies here, there to be full of wisdom. Full of wisdom. Wisdom doesn't just mean knowledge. Wisdom is knowledge correctly applied to life. Being full of wisdom describes a man who knows God's word and can apply God's words to real life circumstances and situations. Back in 1st Timothy chapter 3, in verse 9, we see that wisdom described as, 1, holding the mystery of the faith, 2, having a pure conscience, and 3, being verified through testing. Okay. Holding the mystery of the faith, having a pure conscience, and then being verified through testing. So what is holding the mystery of the faith? This requires a firm and solid grasp on the gospel and on theology. In other words, deacons aren't just guys that cut the grass or do those kinds of things. They're not just doers. They are also knowers and thinkers. Okay. They know their Bible. They know theology. They know the gospel. Holding here refers to living it out, being steadfast in the gospel, steadfast in truth. They're to have a solid grip on it. They are to know it and they are to live it. And very importantly, they are to model it. Deacons are to be examples of the flock. They're to model that wisdom, holding the mystery of the faith. But they're to do that, it says with a pure conscience. Now think about it for a moment. The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Wisdom is applied knowledge, applying the words of God, the truth of God, to real life circumstances and situations. So it's healthy for a Christian to fear the Lord. The Bible says fear the Lord your God. It is sinful when the Lord says they have no fear of me before their eyes were to fear the Lord. That healthy fear of the Lord is a fear of living our lives outside of His precepts, outside of His commandments. Stepping to the right or to the left, outside of God's will, God's intention. So if we have a healthy fear of the Lord, we know the Word of God. We seek out the Word of God to know what His precepts are, to know what He commands, and then we take those precepts and commandments and apply them to the situation or the circumstance that we're in. That's wisdom. So the fear of the Lord leading us to the Word of God and then an application of the Word of God is wisdom. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. We're to fear the Lord and we're to follow up that up by knowing His Word and then applying that Word to our lives so that we faithfully live for Him. When we faithfully live for Him, that wisdom is shown up in our lives as a pure conscience. A pure conscience comes from living according to God's commands, living according to His precepts, and we obtain for ourselves in obeying Him a pure conscience. But verse 10 says, Let these first also be tested. You can't take chances on men here with unproven character. The office is to be held by men who have exhibited these qualities. Deacons will come from the ranks of those men who are already exhibiting these qualities, who are already serving, who are already faithful. That's where they're supposed to come. This testing isn't always fun and games. Testing is often difficult, but again it's how that man is going to be proven. He's proven through testing, through trial, through difficulty, and it tests his patience, tests his perseverance, tests his commitment, his joy, his lasting, his steadfastness, and so on. Tabidi Andibwile says this, Those who lovingly serve others can end up feeling like crash dummies, designed specifically to discover the heat, force, and pain tolerance of some new product. All that was served in the church, say? Sometimes you feel like a crash dummy. It's just going to hurt. But that's how the Lord grows us and matures us and how the Lord tests us and how the Lord proves us. We need men to serve in the church who are tested, who are proven, and you got to stick it out to be proven. You got to last, you got to pass the test. All of that results in a verdict of blameless. Chapter 3, verse 9, Holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. Let these also first be tested. Let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise and quickly, their wives are to be the same way. Wives marked by the exact same understanding of worthy of respect. Like their husbands, they're to control their tongues. They're not to be slanderers. That word there is the word for adversary or devil. They're not to be malicious gossips. They're not to be adversarial. And lastly, there to be temperate, sober-minded. Again, walking hand in hand with the idea of not drunkards, not controlled by the wine, there to be known for good judgment, sober-minded judgment. And finally, their wives, these wives of the deacons, are to be faithful in all things in every way, a testimony of God's grace. In verse 12, Paul goes on to say, let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children in their own houses well in exactly the same way that we looked at that with respect to elders in verses one through seven, in exactly the same way. They're to rule their children, their houses well. Verse 13, and here, what an encouragement to you men who will serve in this office, what an encouragement. These are rewards for faithful service. Verse 13, 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. Two rewards, one, an attaining for yourselves a good standing. The word there for standing is literally a step or status. It's an elevated place. It is a high standing or a good status. The Lord says that those who serve with humility will be exalted. They'll be exalted, serve with humility. We do that with the church. These men are men that we esteem, aren't they? We esteem them for their example. We esteem them for their faithfulness. They are an example that we are to follow. That's what deacons are to be. And the second reward, if you're faithful in service, then God will bless you with great boldness, great confidence in the faith. Faithful service leads to confidence in the faith. Faithful service leads the Lord to bless you with spiritual wisdom and maturity in his word and spiritual faithfulness. Faithfulness in service is blessed by God. God will embolden you in your obedience and faithfulness to him such that you can speak with great boldness. You can act with great boldness. This bolsters your faith. Bolsters your faith. How many of you would say that you have served in the church for a period of time or you can see that reality in your life? Let me hear you say amen. Amen. Amen. The Lord blesses. With maturity. It's a means of grace. The Lord blesses with boldness. The Lord blesses with confidence in the faith. For faithful service. Are you a faithful servant? If you want to hold the position of a deacon, you've got to be faithful in these qualifications. But if you claim the name of Christ, if you're a Christian, are you faithfully serving the Lord? If you're faithfully serving the Lord, the Lord will bless. If you're not a Christian, what are you waiting for? Serve the Lord. Otherwise, you're just serving yourself and that's going to burn. Serve the Lord. And the Lord will bless. Let's pray together. Father in heaven, or thank you for this passage of scripture. Thank you, Lord, for how clearly and succinctly you outlined for us certainly the qualifications for those men that would serve as deacons or but also God, the servant's heart of every genuine Christian authored by Christ in us for your service, for your worship, for your praise. Thank you, Lord. Please, God, by your spirit, strengthen us, embolden us to live this life. God, to be faithful, to be a walking trophy of your grace and mercy, a walking testimony of the power of the gospel to change a life. And thank you, Lord, for that glorious reality. And thank you, Lord, that you have pulled us out of the miry clay of our own sin to prop us up that high and elevated place as sons of the kingdom. We love you, Lord, and we'll forever praise and worship you in Jesus' name. Amen.