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Article Roundup: Helpful Reads

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I’m the pastor of FBC Jackson in Jackson, Alabama. Each week, I post “Article Roundup: Helpful Reads,” sharing articles that I believe will benefit the saints who make up FBC Jackson and followers of Christ everywhere. Happy reading!

The Woman Who Saved Capitol Hill Baptist Church by Caleb Morell

Praise the Lord for Agnes Shankle, a woman who stood up and spoke for the glory of God and the good of her local church. Also, she is an excellent example of how congregationalism can prevent a church from drifting. “A sign of a church’s health is not simply how well the church’s leaders know their Bibles but how well the members do. It should be every church’s prayer that if its leadership ever attempts to lead in a direction of unfaithfulness to God’s word, there is an Agnes Shankle in their midst who is willing to stand up and say, ‘Not in my house.'”

Orthodoxy Has Always Been Essential for Orthopraxy by Kevin DeYoung

Let us remain faithful to good, sound apostolic doctrine, trusting that the Lord will work through it to empower us to live godly lives in this present evil age. “It is not enough to exhort people to live like Jesus. To be sure, the apostolic message exhorted people to live godly lives but only in conjunction with a robust message about sin, salvation, incarnation, resurrection, atonement, reconciliation, and eternal life. Any gospel that denies these essentials or ignores them or skips over them to get to something else or leads people to doubt them or does not deal straightforwardly with them is, in effect, a different gospel. The Christian faith is more than a doctrine to be believed, but it is never less.”

There’s No Contradiction Between God’s Empowerment and Our Efforts to Battle Sin by Randy Alcorn

God enables Spirit-indwelt Christ-followers to put sin to death and live godly, holy lives in this present evil age. “If you believe Christ automatically does everything to make the Christian life happen, how do you understand ‘make every effort’? There is no such thing as a passive Christian life. The passive soldier is an easy target. The good news is that God makes His resurrection power available to us to walk in victory over sin. Unfortunately, many people think of this as automatic and do not take aggressive efforts to guard themselves.”

Enjoying God Together Forever: The Beatific Vision and Friendship by Samuel Perkins

Samuel Perkins strives to show how the Beatific Vision “enriches the Christian life in one particular area: Christian fellowship, especially fellowship found in the context of our local churches.” “Not in vain does the author of Hebrews warn against the habit of skipping church (Heb. 10:25). He goes on to say that, in a very real sense, when we gather together for regular worship, we go to heaven (Heb. 12:18–29). In other words, on those frantic Lord’s Day mornings, when you are trying to get your kids out the door with pleas of ‘time to go to church!’ you would not be lying if instead you said, ‘time to go to heaven!’ This would do wonders for the way we look at our humble little churches and the relationships we forge there. The prospect of the beatific vision motivates us to redouble our efforts to press in and invest in these relationships. The deeper, more sanctifying, more intimate, more God-glorifying our relationships are here, the more they reflect our heavenly homeland and give us a taste of future glory.”

Gratitude by Jake Meador

I’m thankful for how Jake Meador teaches us to show honor to whom honor is due. This also serves as a good reminder to thank God for those teachers He has used to edify and build us up in the faith. “Two of TGC’s founders, of course, are no longer involved in the work—D. A. Carson because of health reasons and Tim Keller because he has gone to his rest. The third founder, John Piper, now nearly 80, continues to speak (and, if his quip about AI at the end of his keynote is any measure, still has his fastball). But even for Piper, much of the work he will do I suspect he has done. And as I thought about these things while attending the conference, the overwhelming sense I had throughout was a feeling of profound gratitude.”

On Nominating Deacons

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Our church has been in the process of nominating deacons, which is something we do every year. With that said, I put together some questions for our congregation to consider as they prayerfully think about whom the Lord would have them nominate to serve as deacons.

The Qualifications for Deacons

1 Timothy 3:8-13: “8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.”

Helpful Questions As You Prepare to Nominate Men to Serve as Deacons

In Regard to the Church

  • Does he truly love the church and its mission and vision?
  • Does he attend corporate worship regularly?
  • Does he regularly attend the church’s ministries?
  • Does he show respect for the pastors?
  • Does he protect and promote unity?

Mark Dever: “You don’t want people serving as deacons who are unhappy with your church. The deacons should never be the ones who complain the loudest or jar the church with their actions or attitudes. Quite the opposite. . . You don’t want to nominate deacons who don’t recognize the importance of the ministry of preaching and teaching, but people who are anxious to protect it. More broadly, you want the most supportive people in the church to serve as the deacons. So when you’re considering who might serve as a deacon, look for the people with gifts of encouragement.” 

In Regard to Service

  • In what ways does he currently serve?
  • Does he serve on a regular basis?
  • Does he take the initiative to serve others?
  • Does he spot and meet tangible needs?

Alexander Strauch: “Deacons also need to be diligent in their work and follow through with their responsibilities. If they discourage the very people they are supposed to help, relationships will be strained. But if they do their work well, they will be an enormous help to the elders and to the health of the local church body.”

Dignified

  • Is he a person of honor?
  • Is he deserving of respect?

Alexander Strauch: “In the Lord’s work, a leader’s moral character and public reputation are essential to the task of leading God’s people.”

Not Double Tongued

  • Does he have a reputation for keeping his word?
  • Does he communicate consistently with different parties?
  • Does he talk to people rather than about them?
  • Is he a people-pleaser?
  • Is he someone who flatters, gossips, or slanders?
  • Does he communicate with love, or is he harsh in his words?

Matt Smethurst: “Being double-tongued is not a minor flaw or personality quirk; it is a symptom of hypocritical pride. It’s consciously saying one thing to one group—and then saying or insinuating something else to a different group.”

Not Addicted to Much Wine

  • Does he drink alcohol?
  • Does he exercise self-control when it comes to his consumption of alcohol?
  • Do his close friends and family believe he controls his alcohol consumption?

Robert Yarbough: “All members of the church should lay hold of the grace of the gospel so as to rise above substance abuse; this behavior is all the more imperative for church-sanctioned figures like deacons.”

Not Greedy for Dishonest Gain

  • What is his attitude toward wealth and material possessions?
  • Does he give generously toward the ministries of the church, the needs of fellow Christians, and the needs of the poor?
  • Does he prioritize kingdom giving?
  • Is he honest in his financial dealings?

Matt Smethurst: “While these virtues mark any mature believer, the specific nature of diaconal work will sometimes put deacons in contact with church money. So Paul warns against installing anyone known for being deceptive, cutting moral corners, or obsessing over money. A worldly, materialistic person will struggle with greed, which will in turn fuel temptation toward dishonest gain. This should be an area, then, where a deacon displays unimpeachable self-control.”

Knowing and Holding to the Faith

  • Does he give a credible profession of saving faith?
  • Is he able to articulate the gospel of Jesus Christ?
  • Have you seen him grow in knowledge and godliness in the past year?

Robert Yarbough: “Paul’s counsel to Timothy assumes that deacons are not just busy activists but also capable and informed in matters pertaining to Christian teaching, experience, and to some extent the Scriptures (OT and any then-recognized NT) themselves.”

Juan Sanchez: “That’s why deacons must not only be equipped to offer physical care, they also need to be able to minister the truth of God’s word. I don’t mean that they need to be able to preach a 30-minute sermon. But they need to be able to pray biblically informed prayers. They need to be able to make biblically informed decisions. To  do that, they ‘must hold the mystery of the faith.’”

Alexander Strauch: “A deacon must know the beliefs of the Christian faith, possess the faith, hold firmly to the faith, and live life consistently with ‘the mystery of the faith.’”

Tried and Proven Blameless

  • Is he blameless before man?
  • Is there any aspect of his character that would disqualify him?
  • Is there anything in his theology or doctrine that would disqualify him?

Alexander Strauch: “Being examined and shown to be “blameless” does not imply that the deacon is free of faults! All of us have character flaws, idiosyncrasies, and character traits that annoy others. Being proved “blameless” or “above reproach” relates specifically to the qualifications for office. A deacon who is found “blameless” in this regard is worthy of respect, truthful in speech, self-controlled in the use of wine, sound in doctrine and life, and a faithful husband, good father, and competent household manager.”

The Deacon’s Wife

  • If married, does he have a godly wife?
  • Is she a woman worthy of respect?
  • Is she likely to engage in slander or gossip?
  • Is she a devoted wife and mother?
  • Is she a faithful church member?
  • Does she go to church with him regularly?

Alexander Strauch: “Every aspect of the life of a deacon’s wife is to be marked by faithfulness, dependability, and reliability, so that she is worthy of respect and is a blessing to the whole church.”

The Deacon’s Household

  • Does he manage his household well?
  • Does he love his wife and serve her as Christ served the church?
  • Does he love his children and raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord?
  • Does the home he nurtures look significantly different from the home the world creates?

Alexander Strauch: “An elder or deacon must be above reproach in his marriage relationship as defined by the teachings of the whole of Scripture on sexuality and marriage.”

Alexander Strauch: “A Christian father is to be a teaching father who seizes every opportunity to instruct his children in the gospel and the Christian way of life.”

A Final Exhortation

In a Baptist church, one of the most crucial responsibilities of a church member is to elect godly men who meet the qualifications outlined in Scripture to serve as pastors and deacons. Therefore, strive to serve your local church well when you elect certain men to these positions, as this contributes to the overall health of your local church.