A Model for Ministry Management

INTRO: Have you ever had a problem sneak up on you? (Oh man, things are going so great. I did not see that coming.) Or ever inherited a problem as a leader that you weren’t even around to help cause? (I sometimes observe coaches or managers of sports teams and feel sorry for them in the dysfunction that they inherit in an organization or team before they ever even hit the front door.) … But even if either of these happens, we can’t afford to simply ignore it. - I’ve learned the hard way, as I’m sure many of you have as well, that trying to ignore an issue and hoping it will go away usually results in a much bigger problem later.

Along these same lines, there is an issue that arises in the developing church in Acts 6, where the author Luke indicates that dramatic numerical growth of people coming to faith in Jesus (what a great problem!), and an inherited division among some of those people, risks creating serious divisiveness in the church. At the moment, the Apostles themselves are tasked with oversight of the "first church of ever” in Jerusalem, so they set for us an example of responding to an issue swiftly and wisely.

Acts 6:1–7 ESV

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Let’s look more closely at the problem, the solution, the implementation, and then the blessing that generates.

A Good Problem & Delicate Situation (v. 1)

(Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number…) The growth of the church creates a need for more organized administration of ministry tasks. Good, God-glorifying results create new challenges in the church. As with the Apostles here, we must manage these new challenges to maintain our focus while stewarding all that God has given into our care. Even good endeavors and great results can generate new challenges for the church.

There can also be unique circumstances in our society that impact everyone, and the church needs to address it. This is the case in the present context in Acts.

(First we should answer) Why might there have been so many widows in need? The IVP Background Commentary offers a plausible suggestion: Many devout diaspora Jews desired to complete their days and die in the land of Israel. Perhaps some even in Jerusalem itself, the holy city. Given the simple reality that men often die before their spouses, that would therefore leave an inordinate number of widows in Israel. Some of these would be provided for by family as the law instructed, but many of them might be left in need, especially if their immediate family heritage was some distance from Israel. As the Scripture mandated, Jews took the responsibility seriously to care for these widows in need, but the foreign Jewish synagogues would not be able to keep up with adequately supplying them.

Enter the new covenant community, and “This urban social problem of Jerusalem spilled over into the church.” (Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 6:1.) - Even though generous donations were being made (sale of lands and laying the proceeds at the Apostles’ feet), there seemed to be a distribution problem that neglected some of the Greek-speaking widows (although perhaps not likely with deliberate intent to do so).

There appears to have been a legitimate complaint that certain widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of charity to meet their needs. Evidently the point of this is not in fact sinful grumbling, but raising an actual issue. (Of course, we must always bear in mind that we can be sinning even when there is legitimacy in our view. In other words, even the Spirit-indwelled people of God are not sinless. We must always be mindful that we are in Christ, but not yet made complete. So the spirit with which we raise a concern matters. The test is this: Are we being selfish, or are we aiming for the glory of God and good of others?)

The issue concerning the inequitable distribution to widows has the potential to be seriously divisive in the church. The Hellenists, which = Greek-speaking Jews (Here probably meaning “Diaspora Jews who have settled in Jerusalem, as opposed to natives of Jewish Palestine” (Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 6:1.) … Are complaining against the Hebrews = Jews native to Palestine who probably spoke Aramaic as their primary language and likely had attended Hebrew-speaking synagogues.

Now old divisions (separate synagogues taught in separate languages) threaten to erupt into divisions in the church. Really then, the issue concerning widows merely brings to the forefront this potential divisiveness in the community. But what could be divisive also presents an opportunity for the church to be faithful to God in love and fairness and breaking down barriers between groups.

How do the Apostles resolve this delicate situation, and do so promptly?

A Proposed Solution: Delegate (vv. 2-4)

We can relate to this need in considering management of any kind, not just in the church: managing people, managing resources, managing purposes/goals/emphases, managing tactics.

I already mentioned sports managers, so let me illustrate this with managing a business. You own and operate your own store, and business is good. You can’t possibly run the whole store yourself, nor can you even lead every department. So you delegate authority and responsibility to sub-leaders who have earned your trust who can manage other people working in different areas. You might even, almost certainly would, also delegate authority of certain aspects of management to people who have greater expertise in certain areas than you do.

Back to the context and particulars of our text: The risen and ascended Jesus not only commands all this disciples to spread the gospel everywhere by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, but the Apostles in particular are tasked with setting the standard for how lead and manage well this corporate entity that is the church of Jesus. They face an issue that could possibly hinder the unity within the community as well as hinder the progress of the word outwardly. So the Apostles deal with it swiftly and decisively. The goal of being good managers is to promote unity and growth in the body as well as to promote unhindered ministry of the word, leading to gospel advance.

How do the Apostles handle this potentially divisive situation? 1. They prioritize, 2. they involve the community, and 3. they delegate and empower other leaders, creating opportunity for them to grow and flourish in ministry (Stephen and Philip in particular will grow from here to greater roles in evangelism, as we shall see in Acts). The Apostles propose a solution therefore that allows them to clarify & maintain their priorities (of prayer and preaching) while promoting others in servant leadership to meet the need, and that promotes unity & empowerment through corporate support. (What an amazing solution. This is indeed Spirit-filled ingenuity!)

In clarifying their priorities, the Twelve are not in any way arguing that they are too good for the task of distributing the charity among the widows. In fact, in verse 4 where it says “ministry of the word,” that word ‘ministry’ is the same word as deaconing, as ‘serving tables’ (in v. 2). - Their point isn’t that serving meals isn’t important and valuable and needs to be done. It’s that being good managers of God’s household means that they must prioritize what only they can do for the body (which is to serve in feeding the word), and allow others to become involved in being responsible for other ministries.

So their service in particular must maintain focus on prayer and preaching the word of God.

Prayer is vital to their leadership ministry because they understand that the wisdom, the power, and the salvation of souls comes from God. They sit in utter dependence on God for Christ to rule in their own hearts and for him to guide their lives, their preaching, and their leadership. (Can you imagine for one second that they didn’t pray fervently together about the very situation they are dealing with at the present moment?)

This should bore deep into our Christian life the reality that prayer is like water to a fish for our daily walk and ministry in Christ. Without prayer, we’re flopping around on dry land or trying to swim in open air. Instead, we swim in refreshing prayer that oxygenates and empowers our life in God—prayer that declares to God who he is (worship), prayer that recounts what he has done (thanksgiving), prayer that acknowledges and seeks his will, and prayer that pleads for his help.

And just as it is ‘every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’ which feeds our own souls, so too preaching is central to the Apostles ministry because it is preaching the word of God that He uses to transform people to saving faith in Jesus, and to feed them. Preaching anything other than what God has revealed is like telling people to be rescued without throwing them a line and to be fed without giving them food.

With these priorities set, we can see why delegation is in fact necessary. This (albeit good ministry) falls outside of where they should primarily invest their time.

Secondly, their proposed solution involves the whole congregation, including (and perhaps even prioritizing) the very ones who brought the complaint. Let’s explain.

By involving the whole body, they are wisely trusting their fellow believers to help them identify people who are well-equipped for this task. By involving the whole body, they are wisely getting buy-in from the entire group to see the benefit of this approach. And by involving the whole body, they wisely prepare the way for the people to accept the delegated authority that these seven will have in this role.

The men they pick all have Greek names, which might mean the people chosen are particularly well-suited for the task and definitely acceptable to the offended party. (Again, wisdom)

(So, they have set priorities, which means they need to delegate. And the Apostles have involved the community in this delegation. And finally…) Their proposal emphasizes that those delegated with such a task must demonstrate proven godly character. Three qualifications are given for these seven servant leaders: good reputation… well-attested… having a proven testimony/witness (martyreo) … who have shown themselves to be full of two things—the Spirit and wisdom.

How would they have been well-attested as being men full of the Spirit and of wisdom? Almost certainly this would mean that they had already begun to jump in and be active in seeking opportunities to serve the Lord by loving on his people and by desiring to spread the gospel. And since there are various manifestations/gifts of the Spirit, this would have played out in different ways for different individuals. But their sincere love, and the supernatural work of the Spirit in blessing others by it, was apparent.

So too, by that same Spirit, they walked in wisdom. Wisdom is to know God’s will and to implement it skillfully. Again, in various situations and opportunities, these men show that they are growing in wisdom to make good decisions that please God.

For us too, the most important thing for our own character is that we are sincere before the Lord. But it is unlikely that such love for God and his people goes completely unnoticed by others, especially those who are the beneficiaries or are closely connected to you in some way. And whether or not we end up being chosen for a certain task or role in any given situation or season of life, we make it our aim to be ministers in the body of proven worth (as Paul says of Timothy, Phil 2:22).

Luke not only brings us in to see the situation and the solution, but he also lets us experience with them the implementation and success it brings for continued ministry.

Implementation: Seven Chosen and Commissioned (vv. 5-6)

The text tells us that the whole assembly likes their idea, and they choose seven as instructed. Even this would have required oversight, because thousands of people couldn’t just choose seven from among them without careful coordination of some kind of process. Of the Twelve, undoubtedly some would have been particularly well-equipped for this kind of administration/managing/overseeing.

But who are these seven? For Luke, although he is giving us insight into the growth and real difficulties and how the Apostles manage this ministry, it also sets up the rise to greater prominence of Stephen and Philip (the next two influential figures in carrying forward the major factors in the narrative of the early church). Stephen will indeed prove to be a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, a great witness to the truth of Christ, even to the end result of being killed for this courageous testimony. Philip, we’ll see in chapter 8, plays a key role in the spread of the gospel beyond the borders of Judea, the first to be called an ‘evangelist’ and really the first missionary.

The other five are unknown to us other than being listed here, but they prove effective in this ministry as it plays out after their commissioning. (There is a note in some early traditions that Prochorus may have acted as scribe for John in writing down his gospel. That’s a lot like hearsay evidence: we don’t know if we should bank on it, but now you also can’t un-hear it. ;-))

These seven men did not elevate or promote themselves to this position. Rather, their faithfulness was recognized, and the process guided by the Holy Spirit through his people is what rendered this result. - Even with all of our weaknesses as the people who are already being saved but not yet made perfect, we should trust the God-ordained structures and processes, and seek to follow the patterns we have been given, whenever there is need to develop further structures for management.

(Speaking of offices ordained by God for leadership in the church) The word deacon is not used to describe these seven, just as elder or bishop or pastor is not used to describe the Apostles (here). But might it be fair to call these seven the precursor to the office of deacons in local churches (1 Tim 3)? Probably, yes. - Before Luke writes Acts, he himself has followed Paul in ministry, and quite a number of Paul’s letters would have been written and circulating, not to mention general principles of teaching from the other Apostles on these matters. - The consistency and complementarity of God’s word is astounding, giving further credence to divine inspiration.

So the Apostles appoint (v. 3) the men chosen by the church, praying and laying hands on them (v. 6). Here the laying on of hands seems to be a public approval and commissioning, a conferring of authority. “Laying on of hands is done in connection with several things in Acts: healing (9:17), the gift of the Spirit (8:18; 9:17; 19:6), and commissioning to a ministry (both here and at 13:3).” (The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2092.)

Notice again an emphasis on prayer, where the Apostles are literally fulfilling the role they have prioritized (undoubtedly praying for such things as for God to bless this endeavor and to guard and guide these men, and for this to produce unity in the church, and that the word of God would continue to go forth boldly and clearly).

And boy, does God answer their prayers and bless their efforts! Luke closes this episode with another summary account of growth, this time with an emphasis on God blessing their efforts to manage well and maintain focus.

Progress Continues Unhindered (v. 7)

…by internal strife, at least.

The word of God continuing to increase means that the gospel message is being proclaimed and received, which is indicated by a great many more disciples multiplied in Jerusalem. The gospel is even making inroads into the heart of the Jewish establishment.

Not all the priests could be the rich and powerful ones in the top echelon of the priesthood. Many would have been the more ordinary role-players, taking turns to perform the regular duties required for temple worship. But these same priests in Jerusalem would be seeing the miracles by the Spirit through the Apostles, hearing the message (of the gospel of Jesus) preached again and again in the temple, and no doubt would have been one of the direct targets of the devoted prayers of the Apostles (and other believers).

The fact that these priests become “obedient to the faith” here is probably an emphasis on the fact of realizing that obedience to the law couldn’t save them, but that they must have faith instead in the accomplishment of Christ.

As he promises, Christ builds his church. But as the tension always goes in Scripture, this is to some degree accomplished in spite of us as well as through us. In spite of us only in the sense that we are imperfect and will be battling sin right to the end. But through us because God wants to bless and work in us as we obediently submit to his way and work be diligent to manage well what he has given into our care.

Conclusion: Managing Well Whatever Role God Gives

When faced with growing numbers and a delicate and divisive situation concerning equitable charity distribution, the Apostles deal with the situation promptly and wisely. They prioritize their own responsibilities, choose to delegate and set parameters for qualifications, involve the whole congregation, and then appoint and commission the selected delegates.

What a good reminder to us that we’ve all been given some responsibilities before God that we need to manage well. The beginning of a new year affords us the opportunity to take stock of our lives and God-given responsibilities, and to consider where we should focus our investments with intentionality.

Elders & Deacons are tasked with overseeing community life and ministry in the local church in such a way that they are managing well the family God has given into their care. There is great food for thought here for our leadership teams to evaluate how we are doing in certain areas and make adjustments.

But we also all have a role to play in facilitating that end. In at least two ways:

The local church is as effective as its members are active and unified. Working at peak obedience to God requires that each of us is actively seeking to serve the Lord by serving His church, in coordination with one another.

While we all must pursue growth in every area of the Spirit working in us, it is the case that we will have some primary roles of blessing God’s people. - And this is impacted not only by gifting, but also by seasons of life in the providence of God. - For some, giving is actually a primary means of serving the body. For others, prayer might be your primary means of service. For others, teaching. For others, coming alongside and helping with just about anything. For others, compassionate mercy to the hurting. For others, being hospitable in your home and in the church... and in your general demeanor.

Secondly, for the local church to function in the most God-honoring way, our leaders need our submissive support for the guidance and growth of Christ’s Church.

Support your leaders through fervent prayer, through humble input (holding them accountable to the letter and spirit of God’s word), by raising complaints without being a complainer, by being a part of the solution, and through willing submission to the decisions made.

Not everyone could be one of the seven, but each part of the body needs to be functioning in whatever ways they can help. Let us all do our part to manage well the responsibility God has given us to be ministers (that is, servants) of our Lord Jesus Christ (to his church and his purposes), and to be members who promote a healthy and thriving church… to the glory of God.

Luke closes out the account on the positive result that God blessed the endeavor, “and the word of God continued to increase.” That’s what we’re after as well, isn’t it? That even as we trust in God to produce fruit in us and through as as he sees fit, we ourselves are fully invested in humbly playing our part and aiming to be good managers of whatever responsibilities he gives us.

PRAY.

Further Questions & Thoughts for Discussion & Application:

How might we be better managers of our time and resources (Eph. 5:16)? … better managers of ministry to our families (homeschool, non-homeschool)? … better managers of ________________?

“The local church is as effective as its members are active and unified.” To understand further that we have all been saved into the body of Christ, and that each member has a role to play, look at the following verses and their surrounding context: Rom. 12:4-5, Eph. 4:16, 1 Cor. 12:25-27, 1 Pet. 4:10-11.

With your gifting and current season of life, how is God using you in the body for His Kingdom? How might you need to re-adjust to be more faithful in those endeavors?

Re: Submissively Supporting our Leaders (Please read Hebrews 13:17.) - What specific prayers do you (should you) pray for your Elders & Deacons? How can you give humble input (or draw attention to an issue) without being a complainer?

If you can think of any particular issues to address at the present time, how might you prepare to be a part of the solution?

Communion: Would the men who are tasked with serving the elements please come forward?

As we prepare to take the Lord’s table this morning, we might ask ourselves, “How far should we go in our humble service and submission?” And the answer is, “As far as our Savior went for us.” God the Son emptied himself of the prerogatives of the divine Godhead, took the form of servant by being born in the likeness of men, and the Lord Jesus humbled himself by becoming completely obedient to the will of God, even to death on a cross (see Php. 2:5-8).

After a passage like the one we had today, we might need to use these moments of quiet reflection to confess sins of arrogance and opinionatedness, sins of laziness and lack of intentionality, sins of self-focus rather than focus on Christ and his community. And we might also reflect on worshipping God by appreciating not only his sacrifice but also his unfathomable wisdom in the way that he has put together his design for the church, for reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.