Morning and turn with me to the book of Acts chapter six. You know, I do not often stray from the book that we are going through, I do believe in expository preaching and I do believe in the form of expository preaching that begins at the beginning of a particular book of the Bible and progress through it, verse by verse, until we reach the end. True expository preaching is allowing the points of the message to come directly from the text itself. It is not the same thing as topical preaching. But you can preach a topical type message that is on a particular topic and it still be expository as you draw from the text itself. But this morning I want to bring a message on a particular topic since we are once again considering bringing another deacon into the work here at Trinity. And it's a very important decision that the congregation has to make concerning the possibility of bringing another deacon in. I thought this morning I would preach a message on this particular topic. The office of deacon today is greatly misunderstood in many churches. Some have elevated the deacons to chief administrators in the church, while others have lowered them to basically no significance at all. Not too long ago, I was talking with a group of pastors within our own local association, And I was amazed at their understanding of the office of deacon. One of the men did not have deacons at all. He said, I've had deacons in the past and they were nothing but problems to me. So our church does not have deacons today. Another pastor had absolutely no clue. as to how the deacons should function within his church. And this is widespread. The office of deacon is completely misunderstood today. And so it's important that we understand the nature of the office, especially as we begin to consider whether or not to bring in another deacon into the work and ministry here at Trinity Baptist. And so as we consider this, of this important question. I want to look at the scripture this morning that addresses the office of deacon. I want to basically bring three different points before you. One, the office in the early church. Two, qualifications for the men entering into the office. And then three, the function of the deacons, particularly their function within our particular local church. So, first of all, the issue in the early church. Chapter 6, verse 1, And in those days, when the number of disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelfth called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, Look you out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. And the same pleased the whole multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmeas, or Parmenas, Nicholas, a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. And the word of God increased, and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith." Well, this is the first account in Scripture of the office of deacon. The office was formed and it came into being as the result of an early dispute within the congregation. This congregation being the Church of Jerusalem. It's a very large congregation. There are many members by this time. And the church had basically two different camps within the church. The early church took very seriously the importance of caring for their members. They did this all the time. When a member was hurting, when a member had a need, the rest of the members would gather around them to support them and to help them. We can see this clearly in the case of wealthy landowners actually selling their property in order for the brethren to be supported. Because there were many that lost everything when they converted from Judaism to Christianity. They lost it all. Many lost businesses. And so they gave particular regard to the widows. Now keep in mind during this time They didn't have life insurance. When a woman lost her husband, of course, if she were young, she was encouraged to remarry. But the older widows had nothing. And if their husbands did not leave them anything, because remember, there were many in poverty during this time, many were abandoned by families, many lost their ability to buy or sell. So there was great poverty. And so in a church as large as the Church of Jerusalem, there would have been many widows well there were two camps two sides because there were two basic languages being spoken at this time on one hand you had Aramaic which was a form of Hebrew which was commonly spoken in Jerusalem but then you also had Grecian people who spoke Greek which was the most common language of the day and during the great dispersion of the Jews, particularly during the Maccabean period, many were dispersed to Greek-speaking areas. Well, as they had come back to Jerusalem, in Jerusalem you had a large number of people that spoke Aramaic, and you had a large group of people that spoke Greek. So, in this large congregation, which may have had as many as 10,000 people in it, In this large congregation you would have had two groups that were separated because they did not understand one another's language. So you had the Hebrew widows and you had the Grecian widows. Well, verse 1 tells us that in these days, when the number of disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. A schism had developed. Now, this early congregation knew that there must not be a schism. They were very concerned about fellowship. Fellowship was very, very important to them. In fact, probably much more so than it is in churches today, because they were a body, a community of faith. You see, in the city of Jerusalem, there was only one church, the Church of Jerusalem. In the city of Corinth, there was one church, the Church of Corinth. in the city of Rome. There was one church, the Church of Rome. In the city of Ephesus, there was one church, the Church of Ephesus. You can kind of see the pattern here. Though they did not have buildings at this time, there was a very central place of authority. There was the church. Obviously, if a member had an issue, you didn't leave the church of Jerusalem and go over here and go to second Jerusalem or another church within Jerusalem like so many people are prone to do today. It's very difficult to speak to someone today with an issue in their life because they'll just get mad and go to a church down the street. Well, you didn't have that in the early church. They were very concerned about unity. And when an issue arose, they dealt with it. you didn't have the Hebrew widows leaving and forming the second church of the Hebrew speaking or the Aramaic speaking people and then you had this other church over here the second church of Greek speaking people like we're so prone to do today they solved the issue because they knew that this unity would gnaw at the very heart of the church a church is only strong when they were one in Christ Jesus. We are only strong and we gain our great strength because we are a unified church and our unity is founded upon Christ. So that when there are small differences that arise, because we are different, we come from many different backgrounds, there is much diversity among us, But we find a unity in Christ, the doctrines of Christ, the love of Christ, the oneness that we share in Christ. Well, the apostles knew that for the good of the church, the situation had to be rectified quickly. Well, they could have done it themselves. They were surely qualified. These were the leaders of the church. So they could have taken time to oversee the daily service to the widows. It could have been a part of their work. But they knew that if they did this, it would have taken them away from their first calling, the ministry of the word. And so they knew that something had to be done that did not involve their activity. It says in verse two, when the 12th called the multitude of the disciples together and said, it is not reason that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. So what did they do? Verse 3, Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, that we may appoint over this business. And so we find the formation of the first deacon body. These seven men. Now notice the procedure. First of all, their selection of deacons was based upon need. In our congregation, we bring in deacons as we have need. There are many churches that just keep adding deacons, and so they get so many deacons, they can't serve on a single body, and so they have a rotation system. So, you know, these ten deacons rotate off for a year, and these ten deacons come in for the year, and it's a mess. Because they haven't ordained deacons according to one, qualifications, and two, according to need. So they have more than they need. You would be likened to having so many elders in our church, pastors, that now Trinity Baptist Church has 34 pastors. So we're going to rotate three on this year and just keep drawing from your pastor tank, if you will. Well, no, you have pastors as you have need. You have deacons as you have need. Now, obviously, they had need, so the apostles calculated their need, and they told the church, verse 3, Brethren, look out among you seven men. So they chose seven men. Second of all, Notice that the deacons were chosen by the church. They weren't appointed. Although it says here that in verse 3, Brethren, look out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But the congregation was very much involved in the process. Obviously, there was the apostolic pastoral oversight. But the congregation was very much involved. And so we as a congregation involved the body very much in the process. That's the reason that The questionnaire was sent out to you a month or so ago, giving you an opportunity for involvement, an opportunity to express your understanding of this man, to give some encouraging words, to express concerns if you have any, to check off the qualifications to see if the man indeed has the qualifications to hold the office. The congregation is indeed involved. And not only that, Someone actually brought his name to me, it's been a couple years ago now, beginning the process of examination and looking. And so the congregation has been very much involved in the process and ultimately the congregation will vote on whether or not to bring this man in as another deacon in our church. So there's very much congregational involvement in the process. And then thirdly, the deacons were chosen under the oversight and authority of the apostles. The apostles examined them, they examined their suitability, and then they ordained them, setting them apart for this ministry. So that's the procedure. 1. As there is a need. 2. Congregational involvement. 3. Pastoral oversight. And of course, this is how we try to function as a congregation. Well, what were the qualifications for these early deacons? And the qualifications are very, very much given. There's nothing in doubt here. There are definite qualifications for this office. And they're given to us. Three of them are given in this passage before us here. Verse 3 again. Brethren, look out among you, seven men of honest report. In other words, he has a reputation among the brethren. It speaks of his reputation. Obviously, an office bearer in the Church of Christ must have a high reputation. He must be a leader. And that's one of the chief qualifications for anyone who will hold an office in the Church of Christ, whether it's an elder or whether it's a deacon. They must be leaders within the congregation, which means that others should be able to follow their example. That's what a leader is. He moves and others follow. And so a deacon must be a leader. He must be faithful in attendance. He must be faithful in giving. He must be faithful in leading his family. He must demonstrate an active concern for the well-being of the church. This is what a leader does. And so in this congregation, anyone considered for the office of deacon will be one who has the reputation of being a leader. His life is the type of life that others can follow. Now, before we misunderstand, we follow no one perfectly as we follow Christ, who is the perfect, ultimate example. But we do have leaders that God appoints with all of our shortcomings and all of our faults and frailties and we do have many. I can remember in the book of Acts you have Paul and Barnabas and they actually entered into such a dispute over Mark that they went their separate ways. But men, we struggle with our own sin. the overall life of one who's going to hold the office in the Church of Christ. The overall, not perfectly and by any means, but their overall life is one in which you can follow. And second of all, follow the Holy Ghost. In other words, a spiritual man loves the things of the Spirit, loves the Word of God, loves prayer, loves the the things that point to the Lord Jesus Christ. He's led of the Spirit of God. And then he's a man full of wisdom. He has discernment. The office of deacon is involved in many, many practical issues, many times sensitive issues in the church that requires wisdom. And so these are men that are of honest report, good reputation, full of the Holy Ghost. They are spiritual men led by the Spirit of God. And then there are men that are full of wisdom, both spiritual discernment and practical wisdom. But there are more qualifications besides these, and if you flip with me quickly to the book of 1 Timothy chapter 3, we'll look at these real quick. I don't want this to be the the primary direction of the message this morning because we're fairly familiar with these qualifications. But because they are important and because we need to make sure that this man has these qualifications, we must at least look at them this morning. And so in 1 Timothy 3 and verses 8 through 13, he gives some additional qualifications. One, Verse 8, likewise, and the reason it says likewise is Paul has just given the qualifications for the office of pastor or elder or bishop, these three terms being synonymous. So he's just finished giving the qualifications for this office bearer. And then he says, likewise, in other words, in like manner, the deacons have certain qualifications. And one of them is he must be brave. In other words, he must be serious minded. Now, when I say serious minded, you perhaps immediately think of someone that has a long straight face that never ever says anything that's humorous, very strict in their demeanor. Well, that's not what it means at all. It means that in terms of those things that are essential from the Word of God, In other words, he is dead serious about the things of God and the well-being of the congregation. So that we can get together and laugh and at times joke and we can have a, quote, good time together. When it comes to the things of God, we will die on these things. These are the things that we stand upon. In other words, he must be a man of principle, and he will stand upon the truth of the word of God. He will stand upon the things that God has commanded in his word, and he's dead serious about the health and well-being of our church. These early deacons were chosen strictly because of the necessity to maintain the health and well-being of the congregation, and they were dead serious in this work. A deacon must be dead serious in the work of God. He's not double-tongued. The word here for double-tongued, still looking at verse 8, the word is dialogos. Dai meaning two and Logos meaning word. He's not two-worded. He doesn't say one word to one person and another word to another person. He's not coming to you saying what you want to hear when all the while he has a different agenda. Something else that he doesn't want you to hear. Or he's not telling you one thing and you something else. He's not double-tongued. He's careful in how he controls his tongue. He's not a flatterer. He doesn't cause division by what he says. His speech must not be hypocritical. It must be that his speech is yay and yay or nay and nay, but not one thing one day and another thing the other day. It must not be double-tongued. Not given him much wine. It's not saying that wine is to be absolutely excluded from his life because it wasn't in the first century church. What it does say, and you have to understand that drinking today and drinking then were two separate things. In many ways, wine was one of their beverages along with water. It was of relatively low alcoholic content, but no matter how you look on the subject of wine, one thing is absolute. Intoxication is absolutely prohibited in the Word of God. So though the Scripture does not teach total abstinence, it would be perfectly permissible for a Christian to drink a glass of wine or a glass of beer. And I realize these very things, and I understand my sermons go out on sermon audio, and the Southern Baptist Convention has passed a resolution where they will not appoint a missionary to drink. And I would be declared anathema for considering a deacon who drinks. So I don't know if you drink or not. But the point is this. He's not given to much wine. In other words, his life is in control. He's a man that understands how to control his passions. It's amazing that these same pastors that vote on a resolution that you shall not drink any wine. Many of them are about 100 pounds overweight. Well, it's interesting that they will speak against the sin of intoxication and completely overlook the sin of gluttony. It's funny how we tend to classify sins and overlook our own sin while condemning the sins in another. Well, that would be a different sermon. That's what you call chasing rabbits. He's not given to much wine. He's not guilty of filthy lucre. In other words, he's not enslaved by material things. Sometimes deacons have to give oversight over benevolence issues, controlling money. They must demonstrate that their life is not controlled by a love of money. Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience, verse 9, this is simply meaning that He is sound in his doctrine. The mystery of the faith, things revealed. He is sound in his doctrine and he holds the mystery of faith with a pure conscience. In other words, it's not mixed with hypocrisy, which ultimately this would refer to his actions being consistent with his doctrine. He has sound doctrine and his life is consistent with his doctrine. Then verse 10. let them also first be proved. And that simply means you don't bring in someone without having first given careful consideration. And we are very cautious with that in our congregation. Cesar and I have been working together now for about a year. and very cautious, very careful. We have a process that we go through, and it's a process that we go through a certain degree of it before the congregation even knows about it. Why is that? Well, someone turns in his name, I begin to investigate him. If it turns out that he is not qualified, no one ever knows, and he saves face. This is a process that we go through, but it's something that we take very seriously. Someone who is proved. We do the same thing with the Office of Elder. Rob and I have been working together now for over two years. We do not take these things lightly. And so let him first be proved. And in verse 11, even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. And I could really go someplace here in verse 11. I'm trying to expedite this message because this is the very verse then that many use to justify female deacons, because the word wives here can simply refer to ladies, and so they say, even so, in like manner, must the ladies, the female deacons, be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. I think as we look at the passage, it makes much more exegetical sense. It fits much closer with the context to let this be wives, because obviously, verse 12 continues the discussion, let the deacons be husbands of one wife. Now, I realize in our generation, This would be no problem for some as women have husbands, but that's not what it's talking about here. These are their wives. These are their help me. And there's qualification for them as well. Their wives must be great, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. I've often said that the wife of an elder or the wife of deacon will be either the best asset or their greatest curse. I am so thankful for my wife and the work she does and the help that she gives me in the ministry. She doesn't hold an office. She has no authority, but she is a great help to me. Christine is a great help to AJ. She's not an office bearer. She's not a deacon. She's not a deaconess. She's a great helper to her husband. Laura will be a great if the church brings Cesar in as a deacon. She will be a great helper for Cesar. And because of the involvement of our wives in our ministry, It is very important that they also be people of high reputation. And so there are qualifications for their wives as well. When I go through the process of examination and interviewing, I always bring the wives in at some point to talk with them, to see where they are. And so the wives are very much included in the consideration. And in verse 12, Let the deacons be husbands of one wife. And I really don't think this is talking about the divorce issue. It's simply saying the deacons must be a one woman man. Because you can have one wife and never be divorced. But not be a one woman man. Eyes are always wandering. Not faithful to your wife. Not one who is absolutely devoted to his own bride. A deacon is one who is absolutely devoted to his wife. It's a qualification that is absolutely essential. And then it finally says, verse 12 also speaks of the necessity that their own children be in order. This is true with pastors, it's true with deacons. Their household must be in order. And then verse 13, they that have used the office of the deacon well, purchased to themselves a good degree and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Deacons are of a great benefit to the congregation, and not only is their life blessed by their faithful service, but the congregation is blessed by their faithful service. What do deacons do? That's the million-dollar question. What in the world do deacons do? That's the question that many congregations have no clue. What do deacons do? But I will admit this. The function of this office is purposely left somewhat vague. Not so with the Office of Elder. We have much with regard to this office in the Word of God, but not so with the office of deacon. It is somewhat vague, and I think it's left somewhat vague so that it can be ordered and shaped in order to best serve the particular congregation in which they serve. So that though the principles are the same, the body of deacons at Trinity may not function in exactly the same manner as the deacons in the congregation down the street. And so it is purposely left somewhat vague as we consider the office. But there are some things that are given as principles. Let me first of all say what deacons are not. Many times we learn through the negative. What deacons are not? First of all, it is not a ruling office. The ruling office is the office of pastor. The three titles of the office describe the rule. Episkopos, which is bishop, which means overseer, so the pastors have oversight of the church. Presbyteros, which is translated elder, which points to the maturity of the office, but it also points to the elders in the Judaic system, a position of leadership, a position of rule. And then there's poimen, which is pastor. The pastor feeds the church through the Word of God, through teaching the Word of God, and this in itself also carries a degree of authority. So the scripture makes the elders the rulers of the congregation. Them that ruleth well are worthy of double honor. But although the office of deacon is not a ruling office, It does have authority to it. There is authority that goes along with the Office of Deacon. It is not just simply a maintenance committee. I mean, after all, A maintenance man, a custodian, does not have the high qualifications that this office has. A custodian would not have to be a man full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom. It is not simply a custodian. It is not simply a maintenance man. There are some churches that make their deacons nothing more than a maintenance committee. It is far more than that. So then, what is it? What is the nature of this office? Well, the Bible defines three areas that define the office. First of all, and primary, it is an office of service. Now remember, the Greek terms that are used to describe the offices tell us much about what the office does. I gave you the three terms for the office of pastor. There's episkopos, there's presbyteros, there's poimenes, each pointing to particular aspects overseer, and elder, and shepherd, or pastor. Well, the word for deacon is diakonos, and it's translated in Scripture, servant. And in the King James, it's often translated, minister. And so, it is an office of service. The pastors are to serve, because both pastors and deacons are servants. Pastors are to serve in the service of the Word, the ministry of the Word, which is that Word. It's a service ministry. The deacons are to serve in the practical functions, the practical needs of the church. And so the deacons in Acts chapter 6, were called to oversee the table service of the widows. Very practical service within the congregation. The word is often used to describe the service of material needs. Matthew 4.11, angels came to supply the needs of Jesus in the wilderness. They came to minister unto him. Diakonos, the same word or diakono. Matthew 8.15, Peter's mother-in-law was healed and she rose up to serve the guest. Luke 10 40, Martha was busy serving in the kitchen. Romans 15.25 and 2 Corinthians 8.19, Paul's collection of money was referred to as a service or a ministry. Finally, in 1.13, Paul wants to keep Onesimus that he might serve him in prison. It gives us a flavor, an idea of how this word functions, of how the deacons function. It's a work of service. Second of all, We find in particular that deacons were placed in charge of benevolence, caring for those in need. The first responsibility, the local church, they were providing for the widows. But benevolence can many times extend beyond the walls of our church. So they help in the oversight of benevolence. They help in the many needs, physical needs, that come up within the congregation. And thirdly, We find the deacons dealing with issues of harmony in the church. The apostles knew that harmony was essential and they placed a high emphasis on maintaining this harmony. Acts 2.42 they continued steadfastly in the apostles doctrine and in fellowship and in the breaking of bread and in prayers that word for fellowship is koinonia It's at the very heart of the Christian community. We are a fellowship. And so the deacons are responsible for helping to maintain the fellowship. But their primary function was to serve in a way so that the elders would be freed to conduct the ministry of the word. Now, that's in general. How does it apply specifically at Trinity Baptist Church? Because that's at the very heart of the matter and really the primary purpose of the message this morning. My message this morning wants to bring you to the early deacons and why were they brought in to begin with and the qualifications to help you in your examination process But how does this office function at Trinity Baptist Church? Well, much of what the deacons do in the congregation, you will never see. Just like the office, the work of the office of elder or pastor or bishop, you will never see. What you will see, and in any church where the offices are functioning properly, what you will see is that the long, hard work that's done in the background that you may never, ever see. You may never see the things that A.J. does. You may never see. But what you will see are the benefits of godly men working together for the welfare of the church. You will see a healthy church, a church that's functioning well because of the work of these men. and you may never ever see openly some of the things that they do. They kind of work in the background, oftentimes, and you simply see the benefit as godly men work together for the harmony and well-being of a local congregation. But to give you some of the practical things that deacons do, One, they serve to maintain harmony in the congregation. Paul describes such a spirit in Ephesians 4. He says in verses 1 through 3, I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. The deacons are involved in maintaining the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And let me tell you one thing about congregations. And we're a small congregation. And the issue only grows as congregations grow. And as congregations grow, you bring in more deacons and more elders because there are certain things that are consistent with congregations. Congregations are like families. One thing about a family or a congregation. Everyone has an opinion. Everyone has an opinion. And everyone's opinion is of great, I mean, it's important. Your opinion is important. So every opinion is important. But not every opinion is of equal value. And that's a reality. Now, the difficulty comes, everyone has an opinion. And everyone's opinion is important. But many times we think that our opinion is of the highest value and it should be adopted and it should be received because it's my opinion. Well, sometimes when someone's opinion is not accepted, it's important because everyone has a right in our church to express their opinion. But not every opinion is of equal value. Well, the deacons are often of great service to the congregation in helping to resolve hurt feelings. And there are times that deacons because deacons are actually out in the congregation. They are lay people. They are out in the congregation many times more than the pastors are. I was sharing with with with A.J. and Sasara the other day. But the very nature of the office of pastor, there must be a degree of separation. And there is a very fine line there. I like to be a congregation that's very much involved in the congregation. I want to be one of you, a part of you. There are other pastors that say, no, this wall of distinction must be great. And so they have very little activity involvement with the congregation. And there are pastors that do that. Well, the danger of becoming very involved is what we often refer to as familiarity breeds contempt. If I'm just like you and just one of the guys, then it makes it very difficult for me to come up here and speak with authority. Because who is he to speak to my sin? Or if I come to you personally, And I say, my brother, my sister, this or this is involved in your life, and I'm simply one of the guys. Familiarity breeds content. It happened in the life of Christ. Jesus says a prophet is not without honor except in his own town. He was rejected in his own town. There has to be some degree of separation. And it's there whether We like it or not, pastors are often not privy to all the details of everything going on in the congregation. Many times the deacons have greater involvement in what's going on than the pastors do. It's just a reality. And so there are many times, there are many times that A.J. has been able to put out the proverbial fire. Sometimes I don't even know about it. And he's already worked through it. These are some of the things that deacons do that we never even know about. Helping to maintain harmony within the congregation. Deacons are involved in doing this. And I am very thankful for the deacon that we have and the work that he has done with regard to this. Families, in your own family and in the family of the church, it is very important that we try to maintain harmony. The deacons help to promote this. And they help to promote the ministry of the Word because since they're out and among the members, they're able to inform the elders of particular needs that arise. There are times that someone will come up and say, did you know so-and-so is having surgery on Thursday? No, I didn't know that. Thank you for telling me. There are times that the deacons just become the ears of the elders to help them to understand all the details that are going on within the congregation. There are some things I don't need to know and I'm thankful for a man of wisdom full of the Holy Ghost that can deal with these things at times and I may not even know about it. That's when the offices of the church are working together in harmony And we see the benefit of it. Second of all, the deacons here will labor in many practical needs of the church. They do. They're not just the maintenance committee, but they do have oversight of the of the buildings of the church, of the maintenance of the church. And and our congregation needs to recognize this more and more. I'm talking about our deacons in our congregation. Most of the time, and I don't mind it, But most of the time, if there is an issue of maintenance in the church, it's brought to me. If a toilet overflows, beeline to Pastor Dale. Well, that's fine. That's okay. But it is ultimately the jurisdiction of the deacons. And our congregation needs to get in the habit of going to the deacons with these matters. It may be because I'm here during the week and I'm capable of fixing a toilet. It may be that I end up doing it. That's okay too. But the deacons have oversight of this. And we need to recognize their oversight. Remember I said that their office is not an office of authority. But they do have a certain oversight. And there are times that since they do have oversight, they may enlist one of you to do something and when they do this you're answerable to them. So it is not a ruling office but it is an office that carries authority as it is consistent with what they're doing or as it applies to what they're doing. And then the deacons do other things of practical concern, such as preparing the ordinances, the ordinance of the Lord's Supper. Someone has to put the juice in the cups and prepare the bread and get it organized. That's a work of the office of deacon, which the early deacons were involved in providing the table needs. very practical things. They help with the setting up of the baptistry and setting it up and taking it down and all of this work of the deacons. They're involved in counting the offering and preparing the deposit. They're involved in greeting visitors and seeing that they're made comfortable. These are all things that the deacons do. They do have oversight of benevolent needs. They share in the ministry of visiting the sick. There have been many, many, many times that there'll be a surgery going on and Ajay shows up. He's not an elder here. He's a deacon, but deacons share in this aspect of the ministry. And they oversee many of the benevolent needs outside the congregation. Back in 2005, A massive hurricane came through this area, Hurricane Katrina. And we as a congregation determined to reach out in the community at large and give our service to those who are in need. And we decided to take on a ministry in Lakeshore. And AJ was the overseer of that ministry. did a wonderful job. Many of you may not have ever known that, but it was AJ that was calling them up during the weekend, lining it up, finding out what we're going to be doing. These are things that deacons do. He's overseeing a benevolence work within our church. Things that deacons do. Things that men that are full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom are equipped to be able to do these things and to do them well. And again, deacons serve as leaders. This is one of the primary functions of the deacons in our church. They lead. They lead. It's what they do. As I look at a man and his qualifications for the office and to look at whether or not he would be a good deacon, I always look at his life and say, is his life a model that I want our congregation to follow. So the man that attends the services of the church, involved in the activities of the church, they model service, they model godly living, and they enlist and oversee others to help in these duties. And they help to train up leaders for the future. There's going to be a time when every one of us are gone. And many of these young men that we're looking at right now, future deacons at Trinity Baptist Church, perhaps an elder or two among us, that 50 years from now, when we're old and gray or dead, the church will be continuing because new leaders are being trained and raised up. They need godly men to look at now the the officers in our church. Now, all of our men should be functioning as leaders. There is a particular responsibility and accountability to those that hold the office. It's an important word work. It demands special men and men that God calls and raises up. And I pray that as our church continues to grow and prosper, that God will raise up more and more men such as this to lead, to help in the work, to see that our church continues to prosper, to build the work here for the glory of our great Savior. Jesus Christ is the focus of all that we do, and everything that we do has one purpose and one goal. That's to glorify Him. And so I pray that God will raise up men that will glorify Christ in this place for the strength and well-being of our congregation. I pray that God will give us wisdom in a couple of weeks as we determine, is this a man that meets these qualifications? Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we do thank you that you raise up men. We know, God, that we're but earthen vessels. We know that we were shaped from dirt and there's nothing of good within us.