Getting Your Serve on

“Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain” (1Tim 3:8).

Businesses and organizations are loaded with folks climbing the ladder to greatness. The higher you go, the sweeter the gig. More money. More power. Bigger office. Parking place near the front door. But Jesus has a completely different idea of success. In God’s kingdom, it’s all about going lower to get higher. It’s not about the corner office but the janitor’s closet. It’s not about being waited on but being the waiter. You’ve heard the saying, “It’s a dirty job but somebody’s got to do it.” For a follower of Jesus, service is a privilege. It’s a dirty job and somebody GETS to do it! Greatness in God’s eyes means getting your serve on.

As a matter of fact, one of the key leadership positions in the local church is all about serving others. Paul tells Timothy to be on the look out for folks he calls deacons who will roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty helping other followers of Jesus. He begins his list of qualities of these servant leaders, “Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain” (v8). Long before Mike Rowe worked a series of "Dirty Jobs," deacons were getting in the middle of the messy ministry.

A team of overseers (AKA pastors and elders) provide vision, guidance, and protection for the church (1Tim 3:1-7). The other key office is that of the deacon. Just as he did for overseers, the apostle goes on to describe the the necessary traits for deacons. It’s not a job description or resume requirements. The most important attributes for the position are a heart for Jesus, integrity and the willingness to work.

There’s a huge need for servant/leaders in the Ephesian church. A posse of false teachers have been living fat and happy while sucking the life out of the congregation. Paul has already kicked out two of these knuckleheads (1Tim 1:20). He’s asked his protege Timothy to jump in as pastor in Ephesus and finish cleaning up the hot mess they’ve left behind (1Tim 1:3-7). A key to getting the church back on track is finding holy helpers called deacons. You kind of get the feeling the false teachers weren’t all that excited about getting off their blessed assurance and doing the dirty work.

After describing overseers, the apostle then tells Tim all about deacons. The word he uses here isn’t exactly a new one. It’s diakonos, which means servant, helper, or attendant. It comes from an term that means running errands. This is someone who assists others. A deacon isn’t preoccupied with what he wants but what others need. Instead of leading the parade, they walk behind it with a bucket and a shovel.

More than once, Jesus made the point that true greatness in God’s eyes is found in the heart of a servant. When the pushy mom of James and John asked Christ to give her boys top spots on His org chart, He told her that she had it all wrong. “Whoever would be great among you must be your servant (Gr. diakonos)” (Mt 20:26-27; Mk 10:43). Maybe folks called them the Sons of Thunder (Mk 3:17) because she was the mother of thunder! Later our Savior warns folks that God’s not impressed by religious bullies but loves those who get their hands dirty. “The greatest among you shall be your servant (Gr. diakonos). Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted” (Mt 23:11).

After Jesus headed home to heaven, the apostles’ work load suddenly became overwhelming. They were trying to prepare and deliver sermons and meals at the same time. When folks weren’t getting their food on time, they called an emergency meeting. “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:2-4). The word they use for “serve” (Gr. diakoneo) is the verb where we get “deacon.”

With this as the context, the role of the deacon is critical in opening up the schedule for overseers/pastors/elders to teach, preach, and lead. They work together like the offense of a football team. The QB, running backs, and receivers wouldn’t gain a yard without a great offensive line clearing the way. Like the O-Line, deacons do the dirty work in the trenches. They do the work that MUST be done! 

Throughout the New Testament, we see folks getting their hands dirty serving God and His people. Paul writes to the Corinthians how he and his buddy Apollos were “servants (Gr. diakonos) through whom you believed” (1Cor 3:5). The apostle also uses this term to describe how a minister serves God and His people (2Cor 3:6; Eph 3:7; 6:21). Ever thought of elected officials and bureaucrats being deacons? The man from Tarsus tells his friends in the Roman church that we’re to be good citizens and obey every government official “for he is God’s servant (Gr. diakonos) for your good” (Rom 13:4). Think about that the next time you’re throwing your congressman under the bus.

Just in case you’re looking for the perfect example of a deacon, look no further than our Savior. Jesus is the ultimate deacon! He tells Mrs. Zebedee and her boys, “The Son of Man came not be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mt 20:28). (Just a little side note here. Unless you’re the Son of God, don’t talk about yourself in the third person. It doesn’t serve you well. See what I did there?) The writer of Hebrews points out how “Christ became a servant (Gr. diakonos)” to God’s chosen people to show His Father’s faithfulness to His promises (Rom 15:8). 

In his letter to the Philippian church, Paul quotes the lyrics from a first century praise song about how the King of Kings came to our rescue by becoming the Servant of Servants (Phil 2:6-11). Because of that, we should have the same approach as our Savior. We should all be willing to roll up our sleeves. We should all be willing to get our hands dirty. We should be all willing to get our serve on.

While God calls us all to sacrifice and serve, the deacons are essential in the local church. They must be “dignified” (v8) and have good character and worthy of respect. If you’re consistently the punchline of every joke, chances are being deacon isn’t in your future. They should not be “double-tongued” (v8). Deacons don’t say one thing to one person and something completely different to another. The Dark Knight’s nemesis Two Face should not be on your deacon short list. These servants better not be “addicted to much wine” (v8). You need to be pouring yourself into the lives of others rather than pouring glass after glass of Merlot. Deacons must “not be greedy for dishonest gain” (v8). You better not be working an angle and leveraging your position to make a fast buck. 

Deacons do the messy work. 

Deacons roll up their sleeves. 

Deacons get their hands dirty.  

Deacons get their serve on.