LEVEL UP IN FAILURE

Acts 6:1-7

INTRODUCTION

Raise your hands if you’re a failure.

We fail. When’s the last time you failed?

If you don’t know ask the person next to you. If you’re married they will have illustrations.

How many don’t start with Here’s my biggest failure? How many don’t put them on our social media? We don’t tell our failures; we tell of our victories. We love to present ourselves as having it together.

You’re going to fail, you have failed, you are failing. The question is what are we going to do with the failure?

Early on we see the church growing, thriving, winning, succeeding. And then at the end of Acts 5 it’s experiencing external persecution. Today, you’ll see that it also experiences internal opposition.

1. EVERY CHURCH FAILS AT SOMETHING

Up to this point the church in Acts have a lot of wins. Now a failure.

Every church fails at something. If you’re like, I went to this church, and it was horrible and failed at things. Now I’m so glad to be at Heritage. Here’s the deal, we’re just like that church. Churches will fail in different ways, but every church fails.

Acts 6:1, “Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number” the church is growing, but somebody found the Internet. “A complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.”

The church is ministering not just to the spiritual needs but also the physical, but they’re failing.

Widows then vs now

Good idea? But they failed at it.

Hellnist vs Hebrews

Jesus loves both. You Republicans, Jesus loves you. You Democrats, Jesus loves you. And He wants you to love each other. So they all become Christians, and they’re in the church together and there’s conflict. They don’t get along well. They’re working stuff out.

The Hebrew better treatment

This is tough, because these are old women. Now you’re being mean to someone’s grandma.

4 THINGS WE CAN lEARN FROM THIS STORY

1. JESUS IS HAPPY WHEN A CHURCH GROWS

It says, “Now in these days, the disciples were” what in number? “Increasing.”

This means somebody took attendance.

Some think it’s all about the numbers.

We count people because people count.

Counting Students On A Trip

The church is growing. Jesus is glad about that because it’s a good thing when people become Christians and a church grows.

So what we see early on were twelve disciples. That’s where it starts. Then the church in Act 1 is 120. It’s growing. And then in Acts 2, three thousand are added. I think it was Acts 4 says there are five thousand men, plus their wives, plus their kids. So it’s gone from twelve up to fourteen thousand. It’s growing and Jesus is glad about that.

2. NOT EVERYBODY IS HAPPY

As a church is growing, though Jesus is happy, not everybody’s happy.

We don’t like it. There’s something wrong. I used to be able to park my camel right out front. I had a seat up front and somebody took my seat. There’s so many people now, you don’t even get the good coffee. This church has changed. It’s not like it used to be. There are complaints.

As things grow, things change, and not everybody likes change.

3. EVEN GOOD CHURCHES FAIL

You can’t say it’s a bad church. it’s the only one. It’s not like you’re going to go find another one. Do you want a ham sandwich or nothing?

They have good leaders. The apostles chosen by Jesus.

They went to the University of Jesus. Jesus picked and trained them for years.

They have good doctrine

These guys write the Bible. This is a Bible church.

Be very careful not to assign motive to behavior.

It’s a good church. With good leaders, who love people, they just have a failure to fix.

Even good churches have failures. Heritage, do we have failures? We did once a long time ago but we fixed it.

4. SOMETIMES COMPLAINTS AGAINST THE CHURCH GO PUBLIC

A couple people are upset, and then more people got involved, Next thing you know, it’s the Hellenists versus the Hebrews on the nightly news.

How do we know it became public?

It’s in the Bible.

2. EVERY PASTOR FAILS AT SOMETHING

How many of you are leaders?

Acts 6:2, “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.’”

I bet that was controversial.

They were feeding people, now they’re not because they had failed at it. These are good leaders, chosen by Jesus, filled with the Spirit, but their primary duty is preaching the Word. The primary duty is always preaching the Word.

The church explodes in Acts because of the preaching of the Word. The church continues to grow and mature through the preaching of the Word. Where there is no preaching of the Word there is no church.

I like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, and we like to partner with them and contribute to them. But what makes the church unique is not just our good works but the good news.I would submit to you that central and essential to the Church is the preaching of the Word.

I get very upset and concerned when I hear, We’re not having church this week.

It’s preaching informing the serving. It’s preaching at the center of all things so that the Word informs and transforms everything and everyone.

The leaders realize, it’s a good thing to help hurting people, but we need to preach the Word. It doesn’t mean that this is unimportant, but it means that this is most important. Some of you immediately will bristle against that, but that is the Word of God.

4 TAKE AWAYS FOR LEADERS

Now, let me speak organizationally here. And I’ll talk from a church leadership standpoint, but this applies to business, this applies to non profits, this applies to lots of things.

1. LEADERS BEGIN AS GENERALISTS, AND BECOME SPECIALISTS

When an organization is smaller, the leaders function as generalists. As an organization gets larger, it has to be a team of specialists.

So, early on, the twelve would cut the carrots, and make the soup, and serve like waiters, and they would also study, and they would preach, and they would counsel. It’s now gotten bigger, they need to reorganize, and the preachers need to preach, and deacons begin to take care of physical needs.

It becomes a team of specialists.

Let me submit to you that the preacher is not the best waiter, because a waiter’s supposed to give you what you want. Preacher, no.

Me As their water

What they’re saying is, We’re good at this, we’re not good at that, so we’ll do what we’re good at, and we’ll find people who are good at this and we’ll let them do it.

I’ve experienced this. When I first started in ministry, man, I was jack of all trades, master of none. Now I’m a specialist.

2. MINISTRY IS WORDS AND WORKS

Ministry is two things, categorically. It’s words and works.

The senior leaders had been doing words and works, and they’re saying, we’re good at words, preaching. We’re bad at works administrating, organizing, planning, budgeting.

So you may think I wish I had skills for ministry. You do. Yours may be in works, not in words.

One of the reasons that Rachel and I get along in addition to her tremendous forbearance is my gifts are primarily in words and hers are in works, and so we complement one another. Even right now, what am I doing? Words. What’s she doing? Works. She’s moderating our livestream. She’s serving, She’s helping, she’s doing, she finds great joy in that.

We’re one body, many parts. We’re all different and every one is significant. And it’s knowing who you are and what you are, and building a team that complements you.

3. PASTORS ARE OFTEN PROPHETS & PRIESTS, NOT KINGS

Most pastors are prophets and priests, not kings. Jesus was Prophet, Priest, and King.

Prohpet - ME

Priests - Lowell, Allon

Kings - Bryan

Which one are you?

Most of the kings go into the business world. And most of the priests and prophets go into the church.

So most pastors teach and love people, but they struggle with organization and administration.

What they’re saying is, We need to preach. We need to find somebody else to take care of the kingly aspect.

That’s the problem in their church. It’s historically been the problem in our church. The Bible is taught, we care for people, we try to do our best, but we’re not organized well enough to take good care of everybody. That’s where kings help priests and prophets love and teach people. We all work together.

4. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SIN AND MISTAKE

It’s really important that I emphasize this.

They’re trying to help, love, serve, and care for widows. Their critics would say, They don’t care about people. They’re in sin.

Is their failure a sin or is it a mistake? It’s not that they don’t love people. It’s not that they have bad doctrine, bad character. It’s not that they’re not working hard. They just stink at it.

Any of you had anything like that? This is where we need to extend grace to one another.

Every leader fails at something. And your failure doesn’t need to be the end; it could be the beginning of your learning.

3. EVERY FAILURE IS A HOLY SPIRIT OPPORTUNITY

I don’t want you to think the Spirit was on them in Acts 2 and three thousand got converted and now the Spirit’s gone because they failed.

The Spirit is still with them, working through them. You can have the Spirit, and fail.

“Therefore, brothers” Acts 6:3–6 “pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.” The leaders still pick the leaders. “‘But we will devote ourselves to two things: prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ And what they said pleased the whole gathering.” It seemed like a good idea. “They chose” here’s the list “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.”

The apostles, are not good at some things, but it becomes a Spirit opportunity to open up leadership for new leaders with different gifts to meet the need.

They create an office. This role didn’t exist. The classic teaching of Acts 6 is this is where deacons started. So this is their baby photo.

We see leaders get to pick new roles and they structure as they need. They didn’t need to go back to the Old Testament and ask where is the chapter on what to do when the Hellenist widows send out negative statements.

The Bible often speaks about the qualifications of a leader and lets the leader, guided by the Spirit, figure out the structure.

This is why the Bible doesn’t say, parents here’s the chore chart for the kids.

4 THINGS TO BE AWARE OF WHEN ASPIRING TO LEADERSHIP

New leaders are chosen and they’re looking for four things, the same things we’re still looking for today. If you’re aspiring to leadership, here are things to be aware of.

1. A GOOD REPUTATION

We know these people. They’ve been around a while.

They don’t just walk in the door, “I’m a leader!”

We need to get to know you, make sure you are who you think you are.

2. THEY HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT

They love Jesus. They’re Christians who are growing and becoming like Jesus through the Spirit.

If someone has the Holy Spirit, you should have hope.

Sometimes you look at somebody and say they’ll never change. If the Spirit’s in them, you can’t say that. Our faith is not in the person but in the Spirit in the person.

So what they’re saying is there’s evidence of the Spirit in their life.

3. THEY HAVE WISDOM

This is very practical. They know how to do things.

The wisdom literature, like Proverbs is about this.

Some of you have business experience. You know accounting, you know technology, how to organize a budget. You have practical know how.

It doesn’t mean you need to shut down your business and go into ministry.

It means that you can use things you learn in your business and share them with our ministry because your business is your ministry, too.

People say church isn't a business, so it shouldn’t be run like one.

Well, if you have employees, real estate, there are rules and regulations, you better operate in a way that is wise. And some of you have that, and as we grow, we really benefit from people like you.

So they’re looking for people with wisdom, people with business experience. The kings.

4. THEY DELEGATE AUTHORITY

They lay hands on them, which is delegating authority.

Think anybody was upset Peter didn’t bring their soup anymore. Who are you? I’m Stephen. Where’s Peter? Peter’s not here anymore. Oh too big for us. Got a book deal. Thinks he’s writing the Bible.

Are they being proud or humble? People might think proud.

They were humble saying, We’re no good at this.I have limitations. I love you, I want the best for you, so I’m going to find somebody who’s good at it. It takes some humility, because fear of man, would be to keep showing up and doing what you been doing.

It’s why we’re still Christians today.

If someone loves you, they want what’s best for you, and sometimes that is someone other than them.

Luke 6:40 “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.”

Hypothetically you get shot.

When you love someone, you allow them to criticize so you can get them to the people most helpful.

Organizational needs are real, but they can become distracting to the preaching of the Word. Praying is of utmost importance, especially for leaders, because Jesus is still the lead Pastor and you’ve got to talk to Him.

I want to publicly say that I am deeply grateful for those who take care of things and people so that I can have time to pray and preach.

Four services, multiple locations. And in every place, there’s someone who loves Jesus and helping, and you should thank them. Realize, all the people doing things so that the Word can be preached is amazing, and I’m very humbled and grateful for it. Yes, organizationally, we can do better, but I don’t think we can get better people.

4. FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION BUT A REQUIREMENT

The only way you get good at something is by being bad at it for a while.

How many of you are a good cook, but your first meal, not so good? Failure is not an option; it’s a requirement. It’s not always part of our sinfulness.

Story of me driving Jared’s boat.

As we deal with our failures and learn and grow this is what could happen. Acts 6:7, “And the Word of God continued to increase.” More Bible! “And the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” More Christians! “And a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” More leaders!

So the senior leaders focus on Bible teaching and leadership development. Everybody else takes care of everything else, and the church grows, it’s awesome!

THE SPIRIT-EMPOWERED CHURCH CYCLE

There are normal rhythms and cycles that churches go through. Here’s the Spirit-empowered church cycle we just looked at it in Acts 6.

1. PREACH JESUS

The Church started by Peter standing up and preaching Jesus, preach Jesus.

It all comes down to Jesus. Preach Jesus.

2. GROW

The Spirit who wrote the Scriptures blesses it's preaching, wants people to know and love Jesus.

So if you’re reading Acts and you’re like, I can’t believe that God did that, I can’t believe that God still does that, and he will continue to do it.

3. FAIL AND BE PUBLICLY CRITICIZED

Let me just say, this is not my favorite one.

I’ve been doing this long enough. I know that it’s happened before, it’ll happen again, and I’m sure it’ll be my fault.

4. REORGANIZE TO FIX THE FAILURES

That’s what they did. This isn’t working. It used to work now it’s too big.

How many of you ladies have kids? What if you were pregnant with seventy two children? You would need a different plan. You would need a bigger car, a bigger fridge, a better husband.

As a family grows, it has to reorganize. And what used to work doesn’t work anymore. So it is with the family of God.That’s what they did, that’s what we do by the grace of God.

5. KEEP PREACHING JESUS

Keep talking about Jesus, keep pointing to Jesus, keep maintaining Jesus as the center of everything.

6. REPEAT STEPS 1–5

This is normal, prototypical, historical, biblical Christianity.

And it’s not, They preached and grew, and preached and grew, and preached and grew. They preached and grew, and made mistakes and worked on it, and preached some more and grew some more and made different mistakes and worked on it.

It’s like the seasons of nature. Harvesting is more fun than pruning, but there’s no harvesting apart from pruning.

The same is true for you.

Let’s give grace to one another.

Let’s differentiate between sins and mistakes.

Let’s see that just because someone has a failure doesn’t mean its the end. It can be God’s opportunity to move them forward.

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