For most of us the month of January is marked in our congregations by an important worship service—one in which we witness the installation of elders and deacons. Yet, for you is it really important? Someone said recently that they think too many professing members of the Body of Christ do not see it that way; and, especially if the installation takes place on New Year’s Day, it is easy to skip it. To their way of thinking it is a service in which the Form for Installation and the accompanying sermon are intensely impractical and impersonal for those who sit in the pew.—Maybe they say that they would prefer the “simple Gospel,” forgetting, or not understanding that this so-called “simpleGospel” includes all of Scripture.
Practical and Personal – But if a child of God is concerned with all that God has said to him, this installation service is immediately practical and personal. It is a service in which what God’s Word has to say concerning the importance of the Offices of Elder and Deacon is said to us.
One passage which underscores how practical and personal these offices are is found in Paul’s beautiful and blessed letter to the Ephesians:
And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, pastors and teachers; far the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error… (4:11–14).
Why are we given elders and deacons? What purpose do they serve? By inspiration, Paul is saying that in the Church, Christ has appointed men, giving them special tasks, i.e., offices. These officers are charged with a task for the spiritual good of His people. If we understand this, then we will begin to see the importance of that installation service. The history of the Church bears ant the fact that these offices are blessed.
The Office of Elder – The Office of Elder, though taught in the earliest days of the New Testament manifestation of the Church, is most beautifully expressed by Paul much later. You remember that when Paul was on the last leg of his Third Missionary Journey he stopped at Miletus and called the elders of Ephesus to see him. To them he said,
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28).
They were charged with the spiritual oversight of the flock.
Even if we do not know much about sheep from personal experience, we do know that they are creatures which readily illustrate the Church. They need leading; they need disciplining. They are easily attacked by wild beasts. They are fearful. Paul says, “Elders, guard that flock. There are heresies from which they must be kept. Elders, lead that flock. They will stray. Elders, comfort that flock. They are afraid.” To them is given oversight. This involves the preaching and the teaching and the spiritual ruling of God’s people.
The Office of Deacon – Another Office, that of Deacon, is spelled out historically. In Acts 6, we are given the facts. Because of the great task belonging to those who were overseers of the flock, some work–very necessary work, too—went undone. To the Church the problem was explained, and seven men of good report were chosen to the office of Deacon to do these necessary, but undone works. Very simply, their task was that of providing Christian mercy.
Theirs was not a secondary office. They were not second-rate. Sometimes today the office of Deacon is made to appear as a secondary office. It is thought by some that the Office is really just the finance department of the Church. According to Scripture, these men have a much loftier task than that. Others view the office as a stepping-stone to that of Elder, so that no man is fit for the office of Elder unless he has first served as Deacon. This is not true. There is no ground in Scripture for this tradition which often degrades the office of Deacon.
The office of Deacon was instituted to reflect the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. As Christ healed the sick and fed the hungry, so the Deacon cares for the poor who, we are told, are always with us.
Provision for Our Needs – These men whom Christ employs for office in the Church are with us for a very good reason. Paul expresses it beautifully in the words of Ephesians 4. They are given for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, so that you and I will be made perfect in our service unto the Lord. They are to help us in our needs. You and I will need to know the Word of Truth. You and I need to be guided in the way of God’s fear. We need to learn disciplined lives to God’s glory. We need from time to time some expression of mercy.
Why do you and I have these and similar needs? Paul indicates that we are children. We are fickle, changeable, tossed about like the waves of the sea. We are easily deceived, easily taken in. We are not perfect; we are not full-grown in Christ. We are weak, and in our weakness direction for life is not clear and error is often appealing.
This Means Work – Those Elders must work. They must see to it that God’s inspired, infallible Word is proclaimed to us. They must see that our children and their children receive the instruction they need in the Truth. They must instruct and comfort in Family Visiting. They must watch for our souls for our good—for God’s glory.
The Deacons must work, too. In our hours of need we are often greatly tempted. When we are in want it is easy to handle the name of our God profanely (Prov. 30:8, 9). When the tear falls in grief it is easy to cry out against God. The Deacons must work, considering our needs, and always doing this spiritually. If the need is not financial or material, they can still bring comfort and consolation. They can and must because they are familiar with God’s Word. Deacons, like Elders, watch for our souls and must give account of their work.
What is there for me? – Often it is a temptation to think of what transpires in the Installation Service as particularly, and maybe only, for those new Elders and Deacons. The theme of the worship service is found in the biblical teaching of Office. The Form is read. Perhaps the Form of Subscription is read and signed in your presence (an excellent addition in days such as these when creeds are oftentimes treated with some carelessness). What is there for me, we sometimes ask. And the answer is, ever so much!
We are being reminded of our needs. We are being told that Christ cares for His Church. We are being instructed that these men, earthen vessels like us, have a tremendous God-given task. And seeing all of this, we should bow our heads and hearts in gratitude to the Lord. Further, we should pray for them that they may receive grace to discharge the duties they have been given, and that in this day of great unfaithfulness they may be made faithful to God’s Truth, never flinching from that faith, once for all delivered unto the saints. Moreover, we should pray that God may be pleased to lead us through them for our perfecting, “unto the building up of the Body of Christ.” And then, we must listen, as God says to us:
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).
Jerome Julien is pastor of the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Practical and Personal – But if a child of God is concerned with all that God has said to him, this installation service is immediately practical and personal. It is a service in which what God’s Word has to say concerning the importance of the Offices of Elder and Deacon is said to us.
One passage which underscores how practical and personal these offices are is found in Paul’s beautiful and blessed letter to the Ephesians:
And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, pastors and teachers; far the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ: till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a full grown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: that we may be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error… (4:11–14).
Why are we given elders and deacons? What purpose do they serve? By inspiration, Paul is saying that in the Church, Christ has appointed men, giving them special tasks, i.e., offices. These officers are charged with a task for the spiritual good of His people. If we understand this, then we will begin to see the importance of that installation service. The history of the Church bears ant the fact that these offices are blessed.
The Office of Elder – The Office of Elder, though taught in the earliest days of the New Testament manifestation of the Church, is most beautifully expressed by Paul much later. You remember that when Paul was on the last leg of his Third Missionary Journey he stopped at Miletus and called the elders of Ephesus to see him. To them he said,
Take heed unto yourselves, and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit hath made you bishops, to feed the church of the Lord which he purchased with his own blood (Acts 20:28).
They were charged with the spiritual oversight of the flock.
Even if we do not know much about sheep from personal experience, we do know that they are creatures which readily illustrate the Church. They need leading; they need disciplining. They are easily attacked by wild beasts. They are fearful. Paul says, “Elders, guard that flock. There are heresies from which they must be kept. Elders, lead that flock. They will stray. Elders, comfort that flock. They are afraid.” To them is given oversight. This involves the preaching and the teaching and the spiritual ruling of God’s people.
The Office of Deacon – Another Office, that of Deacon, is spelled out historically. In Acts 6, we are given the facts. Because of the great task belonging to those who were overseers of the flock, some work–very necessary work, too—went undone. To the Church the problem was explained, and seven men of good report were chosen to the office of Deacon to do these necessary, but undone works. Very simply, their task was that of providing Christian mercy.
Theirs was not a secondary office. They were not second-rate. Sometimes today the office of Deacon is made to appear as a secondary office. It is thought by some that the Office is really just the finance department of the Church. According to Scripture, these men have a much loftier task than that. Others view the office as a stepping-stone to that of Elder, so that no man is fit for the office of Elder unless he has first served as Deacon. This is not true. There is no ground in Scripture for this tradition which often degrades the office of Deacon.
The office of Deacon was instituted to reflect the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. As Christ healed the sick and fed the hungry, so the Deacon cares for the poor who, we are told, are always with us.
Provision for Our Needs – These men whom Christ employs for office in the Church are with us for a very good reason. Paul expresses it beautifully in the words of Ephesians 4. They are given for the upbuilding of the Body of Christ, so that you and I will be made perfect in our service unto the Lord. They are to help us in our needs. You and I will need to know the Word of Truth. You and I need to be guided in the way of God’s fear. We need to learn disciplined lives to God’s glory. We need from time to time some expression of mercy.
Why do you and I have these and similar needs? Paul indicates that we are children. We are fickle, changeable, tossed about like the waves of the sea. We are easily deceived, easily taken in. We are not perfect; we are not full-grown in Christ. We are weak, and in our weakness direction for life is not clear and error is often appealing.
This Means Work – Those Elders must work. They must see to it that God’s inspired, infallible Word is proclaimed to us. They must see that our children and their children receive the instruction they need in the Truth. They must instruct and comfort in Family Visiting. They must watch for our souls for our good—for God’s glory.
The Deacons must work, too. In our hours of need we are often greatly tempted. When we are in want it is easy to handle the name of our God profanely (Prov. 30:8, 9). When the tear falls in grief it is easy to cry out against God. The Deacons must work, considering our needs, and always doing this spiritually. If the need is not financial or material, they can still bring comfort and consolation. They can and must because they are familiar with God’s Word. Deacons, like Elders, watch for our souls and must give account of their work.
What is there for me? – Often it is a temptation to think of what transpires in the Installation Service as particularly, and maybe only, for those new Elders and Deacons. The theme of the worship service is found in the biblical teaching of Office. The Form is read. Perhaps the Form of Subscription is read and signed in your presence (an excellent addition in days such as these when creeds are oftentimes treated with some carelessness). What is there for me, we sometimes ask. And the answer is, ever so much!
We are being reminded of our needs. We are being told that Christ cares for His Church. We are being instructed that these men, earthen vessels like us, have a tremendous God-given task. And seeing all of this, we should bow our heads and hearts in gratitude to the Lord. Further, we should pray for them that they may receive grace to discharge the duties they have been given, and that in this day of great unfaithfulness they may be made faithful to God’s Truth, never flinching from that faith, once for all delivered unto the saints. Moreover, we should pray that God may be pleased to lead us through them for our perfecting, “unto the building up of the Body of Christ.” And then, we must listen, as God says to us:
Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit to them: for they watch in behalf of your souls, as they that shall give account; that they may do this with joy, and not with grief: for this were unprofitable for you (Hebrews 13:17).
Jerome Julien is pastor of the Faith Christian Reformed Church of Grand Rapids, Michigan.