As the early church grew, it began experiencing growing pains. Acts 6:1-7 records a complaint involving neglected widows, the apostles’ solution, and the selection of faithful men to serve the congregation. This moment established the foundation for the office of deacon. Through this passage preached by Pastor Kevin, we learn that deacons are capable, Spirit-filled servants who help meet practical needs so pastors can remain focused on prayer and the ministry of God’s Word.
The Complaint
The early church was growing rapidly. Pastor Kevin explained that the congregation may have included between 20,000 and 25,000 disciples at this point. With that kind of growth came new challenges.
The early believers demonstrated extraordinary generosity. They willingly shared their possessions so that the needs of the congregation could be met.
A complaint arose because the Hellenist, the Greek-speaking Jews, widows were being overlooked during the church’s daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1) This was not a small matter. Widows in that culture often had limited means of supporting themselves.
The Solution
The apostles calling was to pray, preach, teach, and provide spiritual leadership. However, the apostles did not ignore the complaint while also understanding that they could not abandon their primary responsibilities to personally manage every practical need in the church. (Acts 6:2)
The congregation was instructed to identify seven men who possessed three important qualities: Good reputation, full of the spirit, and demonstrate wisdom. (Acts 6:3)
Delegating this work allowed the practical needs of the congregation to be addressed without distracting the apostles from prayer and the ministry of the Word. Both areas of ministry were important, but they required different servants with different responsibilities.
The Deacon
Although the seven men are not directly given the title “deacon” in this passage, forms of the Greek word family.
The Greek word commonly translated as “deacon” is diakonos, meaning a servant or minister. A deacon is someone who serves the church by helping meet its practical needs.
The New Testament identifies two primary offices within the local church: pastor and deacon.
1 Timothy 3:8-13 gives qualifications for both pastors and deacons.
Pastors are responsible for the spiritual leadership, teaching, and oversight of the church. Deacons serve alongside the pastor by helping care for practical needs, supporting the congregation, and protecting the pastor’s time for prayer and the ministry of Scripture.
When qualified servants accepted responsibility for the church’s practical needs, the apostles were able to remain focused on preaching and prayer. As a result, the Word of God continued to spread, and more people became disciples.
Ministry Matters
Acts 6 reminds us that every area of ministry matters. When pastors and deacons faithfully fulfill the responsibilities God has given them, the church is strengthened, people are cared for, and the Word of God continues to increase.
*Note: There was an technical error during the live stream that resulted in half of the sermon being unrecorded in the video below. We apologize for this and appreiciate your understanding!
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