Deaconates in a local Baptist church are servant leaders. These are men and women of repute whose testimonials speak for them daily. They are waiters and runners of the church. These are known by their assignment and not by being mere title carriers. In the New Testament, the office came as a result of meeting needs. To date, this call remains in Acts 6:1-4 NLT1. We will give them this responsibility. 4. Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word you the one carrying the tides of darkness? The world is waiting to see your light and desiring to go by your light.
This is speaking of these noble vessels’ lives and roles as models of Christ in all areas. Let us spell out the attributes, traits, and fruits that make a deacon an honourable vessel in the body of Christ about being the light and life.
1. A complete life after Christ
In John 8:12: Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness because you will have the light that leads to life.” This speaks of the definite position of Jesus as the true source and the giver of life. It is in His light that we have life. Every godly servant must lean on Jesus. Paul spoke of the Christian attitude to be like Jesus (Phil. 2:5). Following Christ is a major step to being like Him. The true life of Christ should come forth from every genuine disciple of which Deaconates ought to be. Servants of God, be resolved to emulate Christ at all cost. Hear Jesus, our great teacher and master of all
Read Matt 10:25a, and Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” If this will be genuine, it must begin from the heart heart must first be purged. When this is done, your life continues to produce a correct fragrance unto God.
2. A servant leadership heart
Deaconates like any other ministries in the church of God are very glorious, but it is the fruit of the life in Christ that makes an impact. Let us listen to the mother of Zebedee’s children
Read Matt 20:20-23:20. You must shift from walking by sight but walking by faith. Be careful not to submit and yield to the flesh( Gal. 5:16-18). Your flesh will continue to seek respect, honour, involvement, and reverence. Until a leader can subdue the flesh, his service is merely running here and there without God’s approval. Let no man continue to please the flesh (your natural thoughts, will, secular motive, personal ideal, anger, rage, slander, etc.) and think you will go with God(Romans 8:8). Andrew Wommack said, “It’s not just hard but impossible.” Please, mortify your flesh and put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Let your heart be fully circumcised and submit to God, His will, and ways.
3. Walking in Newness of Life
Leaders are to be models of everything good. Fellow servants of God, it’s a different story today in many of our meetings, relationships, and fellowships leaders are wearing many colours. Dear leaders, must not continue in sin and expect honor from either God or man. Rom 6:1-2:
Newness of life is a must for every child of God, but it depends on how you renew your mind. Hear God speaking through Paul, the great Apostle to the Gentiles’ Rom.6:4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death. This will involve putting off the old man. Read Eph 4:22-23. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Newness of life, therefore, is a life of absolute control by the Holy Spirit and complete trust in His leadership daily. It is saying no to sin to carry His light.
4. Through Life and Roles, the Deaconates dispel Darkness
By the authority of the light and life of Christ, the Darkness and her cohorts will not be able to comprehend the true servant leader called Deacon. Because he is first a disciple before becoming a sent (apostle/deacon) for Christ.
Read Isaiah 58:10. You must actively help the hungry and feed the oppressed. The socio–welfare ministry gave the servant of God an edge-filled grace and power to shine extraordinarily and dispel darkness. Therefore, the major ministry of the Deaconates has to do with social care and welfare. It was laudable before God of the church. Be reminded of the truth that Jesus Christ values caregiving ministries, and it shows in His life and actions among the people.
Read Matthew 25:35-36. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ Let us all be up and doing, ministry of care and visitation is very laudable in the sight of Jesus Christ. Do it heartily, sincerely, joyfully and humbly. To date, the ministry of service to the poor and needy is very poignant to the mind of God for His church. Samson Aderinto Adedokun said categorically that the task of these Deaconates was to attend to issues, not to take over the leadership of the church.
5. Deaconates as Yeast or Leaven in the kingdom
When Deaconates ministry is properly lived and executed both within and outside the church environment, great impact and influence are made. These individuals are like yeast in the church and the larger community. Let us hear from Jesus to the disciples. Matt 13:33: He used another illustration. Through the light and life they carry, positive influences are made everywhere.
On the other hand, we also have some whose rottenness, unequal yoke, corruption, unfaithfulness of all kinds, immorality, etc. contaminate both the church and the society, such as recorded in 1 Cor 5:6. Your boasting is not good. Gal 5:9 A little leaven/leavens the whole lump of dough. This was categorically clarified by Jesus Christ in Matt 16:6, 12 and Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
I counsel with everyone in this ministry of Deaconates to get their mind well-oriented because the office must be seen as an opportunity to serve not to lord anything over or conceive the erroneous notion of de facto or power broker. Always remember the sayings of John Maxwell, who sees “leadership as influence and relationship.” But let yours be positive toward the expansion of His congregation and the entire world around you for Jesus towards good works.
6. Absolute Reliance on the Holy Spirit
Monica Berg emphatically says “To be a leader, be like the light.” To be like Jesus, there must be total dependence on the Holy Spirit. This is a must because the Holy Spirit transforms, matures and prepares for every good work. Because the Spirit of God is God, thus the enabling grace is in Him to do all things. Phil 4:13: “I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.”
By the strength of the Holy Spirit, you resist all temptations and trials. You are enabled to serve with the true wisdom of God and keep faith till the end. Dear leader, be drunk in the Holy Spirit and make no provision for the flesh. By the Spirit of God, a deacon gains the right wisdom to handle riddles and even do benevolent ministry in God’s way. Acts 6:5: The suggestion pleased the whole group.
By the power of the Holy Spirit, Stephen, one of the seven, preached the word of God with boldness, and several souls were won for the Lord (Acts 6:8,7:1ff)Very specifically, the Holy Spirit was so mighty upon Stephen that it was recorded in Acts 7:55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This was a deacon without other personal negative ambitions or lifestyles other than pleasing the Lord His master at every given opportunity. When your life reflects this, we begin to see God over and again doing greater things through you. The primary search of God is that “He is searching for a vessel” that will cooperate, consecrate, and commit fully to God with him saying yes to God.
7. The promoter of good relationship
When the Deaconates are light and alive, it promotes a good relationship between them and the church pastor and other ministers. Note the messages in these verses of the scriptures Proverbs 27:17 NLT “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
There must not be any reason for any kind of fight among the leaders. All must reflect the true light and life of Jesus Christ. This is needful because the mandate is to make disciples of the whole world. In doing this, there must be unity in diversity. Iron must sharpen iron. The working relationship of the two must be very genuine and be love personified. This is so because it is the only mark that the owner of the church desires to see in the life of every one of his disciples. No one must be self-driven nor being a fighter. In John 13:35 NLT Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” Fellow servants of God, there must be unity, oneness, and cordial fellowship leading to the free flow of grace among you. No one should be a lone ranger.
8. Deaconates in a local Baptist church are the next agents of transformation apart from the pastors.
The Bible makes us understand that God is the Supreme Change agent. He could not stand by when “darkness was upon the face of the deep. “God hunted darkness out of existence. Jesus is our model, and Deaconates and pastors must follow the same way. This must be bluntly rejected, no room for the work of darkness and never to give darkness a foothold. Because they are regenerated vessels (2 Corinthians 5:17), new creation people (1 Peter 1:23), the burden for service to God and humanity is to cause transformation and revival of godliness everywhere. These are true Christ’s ambassadors whose mind is only to win the world for Him. See 2Cor 5:20 NET. We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God” The fruit of your life must bring increase, refreshing and peace to the body of Christ. Deaconess Phoebe is a good model in this regard. Her influence upon the church was well noticed (Romans16:1-2).
9. You are the Light and Life with a Heart of Daily Forgiveness.
Deaconate ministry is more of a relationship ministry with both the low and the great. This unique leader must learn to keep good themselves. Read Romans 5:8. Every servant of God must accept and labour with this same principle of forgiveness. We are mandated to both forbear and forgive. In doing this, love must be the principal. Ephesians 4:2NLT”Always be humble and gentle.
It is no longer news that conflicts and crises do arise among the serving Deacons themselves. Sometimes, it could be a strive of “self or carnality and fleshly desire of position consciousness among the rotated out ones. As light, you must understand that no one is on stage forever. Stop saying there is more time, whatever your hands find to do, do it well because there is time for everything. The book of Ecclesiastes devoted a whole chapter to this truth about time and season. Therefore, no local church pastor and or deacon must be a reason for any crisis no matter how seemingly logical it may be. Everyone should note that the body of Christ is very fragile, no reasonable vessel must subject it to stress. Sir, develop in yourself elders spirit to forgive and accommodate all. This is needful because the same people you are serving voluntarily by God’s grace may ridicule you openly or less-esteem you. This is a test of the genuineness of your light and life. Mega grace always as we serve the Lord our Redeemer.
10. Deaconates must celebrate oneness in serving at all levels.
Service is the principal. No pride must be allowed. No matter the age or level of achievement, service in singleness of heart with others can never and must never be jeopardized. As the true light, “the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). Through service, a deacon is known as he impacts life and causes a deep positive change as he makes contact with people. Servants of God in this category are; Self-reflective – they have an understanding of who they are. They are very authentic. They showcase their work through serving. They celebrate teamwork- one will chase a thousand, and two will chasten a thousand because God honours oneness always. Deaconates in an assembly must never dissociate among themselves. In the spirit of unity, the kingdom of God is built without anyone to withstand them.