This is Part 1 of a short series on deacons. You can read more from the series on The Replant Blog or listen to Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss deacons on The Revitalize and Replant Podcast.
When you think of godly deacons, are there one or two who come to mind? Of course! Who are they? For me, it’s a guy named Clyde Lineberger. He was an insurance adjuster.
Clyde loved my dad, who was his pastor, and he loved his church. He loved Royal Ambassadors, and when I was younger, he was my RA leader. He would work all day Wednesday, and then he would come to the church, go to the basement with a bunch of rowdy boys who only wanted to wrestle and fight – and he would teach us Bible stories.
He would teach us about missionaries, and he would bribe us that if we would learn the Royal Ambassador Pledge and learn our Bible verse that week, we could go to Dairy Queen and he would buy us a Mr. Misty. And every week, we all did that!
I don’t really remember any particular lesson that Clyde Lineberger taught me, but I remember every Wednesday night, this man cared for us as boys. He could have spent his Wednesday nights anywhere else, but he spent them there. And I remember how much he loved my dad when my dad’s mother passed away.
I was a young teenager when that happened, and I saw these deacons come and just hug on my dad and love my dad and cry with my dad. I thought, man, what a wonderful picture – just the way these men loved and supported my dad and he could lean on them.
We love deacons and the role of healthy deacons is vital to the life and ministry of the local church.
I meet a lot of young guys who aren’t quite sure what to do with their deacons. How do you raise up deacons in the local church? How do we train deacons to serve the way Scripture has commanded? Do you even need to have deacons? Yes! You need to have deacons.
Here are three marks of a faithful deacon:
1. A faithful deacon has to have a love of the Lord
This has to be the root of everything. Sometimes, especially in a smaller church when we’re looking for deacons, there are some men who just sort of stand out as guys who can lead things.
What men can get things done? What men are there every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night? They’re Johnny on the spot. If the roof needs fixed, they’re going to fix it. If something needs to be done, they’re going to do it.
That’s all well and good, but what is their heart like? What’s their love and affection for Jesus? What’s their passion for holiness? The other things you can teach, or you can find men who may not yet qualified to be deacons but can work on the roof, take care of the yard, and get the projects done. But the deacon? He has to have a desire for holiness and a deep love for the Lord.
2. The faithful deacon loves his wife and cares for her wonderfully
I have been around deacons who seem very godly and say the right things and pray the right way, but then be very rude to their spouse and say some really harsh and cutting things.
That doesn’t go well. Christ said to love your wife as Christ loved the church and the Scripture also says the deacon has to be one who cares well for his family. The faithful deacon has a deep love for the Lord and for his family.
3. The faithful deacon has a love for people
This will not necessarily exhibit itself in his work ethic and dependability around the church. That’s good. You can be a guy who loves to work on the church as a handyman.
And there are some deacons who want to be a puppet master – someone who can control the pastor. You can be a guy who can get really close to the pastor, really be his best buddy, really support him, but what you’re really trying to do is be the puppet master and sort of guide the church through the pastor.
I have unfortunately seen this in some churches. But a deacon has to have a deep and abiding love for the Lord and for people – not a love for power or for control or for authority.
The faithful deacon is marked by love because they serve from a heart that has been transformed by the grace of Jesus. We serve, because Jesus served us first. We love because Jesus first loved us.
The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Matt. 20:28)
Continue the conversation on deacons by listening to Episode 167 of the Revitalize and Replant Podcast with Mark Clifton.
Published September 18, 2024
