Growing Through Difficulty

Growing up is hard

As families grow tensions grow between siblings

E.g. Jeremy & I fighting & throwing stuff out of rooms

Teenagers dealing with changes & finding place in family & life can be tense

Growing older brings its own challenges

Every stage of life has difficulties

Though hard, growing is necessary

If we’re not growing, something is wrong

Growing area of study: emerging or delayed adulthood

Adolescence is lasting longer as young people delay taking on responsibility of adulthood

Growth in any aspect of life can be difficult and it’s important how we deal with facing those challenges

Growth requires change - changes in what we do, what we look like, who we are

Early church is growing phenomenally & its bringing issues

God has protected through each step

Now we meet a challenge from within the church that has potential to destroy

The way it is handled teaches a great deal

A Growing Problem

Acts 6:1–2 “1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.”

Threat of Division (Acts 6:1)

Diversity Increasing

Jesus began church with a diverse group of men

Grew in diversity through Jesus’ ministry

Included rich & poor, men & women of very different backgrounds

Jesus was there to guide & teach

Church is still growing in diversity but Jesus isn’t there to lead it like He was

Diversity is wonderful thing because Gospel is reaching many people

Beauty of church is uniting different people in one heart

Diversity in church is not just beautiful but also necessary

Church isn’t a club for people just like us

Potential to Divide

Unity in diversity isn’t easy

Problem arises between Hebrew & Grecians / Hellenists

Hebrews = Jews predominantly lived in Israel, speak Aramaic

Hellenists = Jews of the dispersion who’ve settled in Jerusalem, speak Greek & influenced by gentile cultures they come from

Have many commonalities but also many differences

May be that as church is growing so rapidly 2 groups are beginning to form

Problem is as church looks after the widows the Hellenist widows apparently are being neglected

You can see the potential for disaster here

Perhaps first thought this is a race issue

Bias/prejudice is being expressed?

Certainly fertile ground for work of Satan

Saying, devil in the details

Here we might understand this as the devil can be at work in the details

Satan has tried through persecution & sin to distract & destroy the church

Here there is opportunity to divide & destroy

Division in churches is disastrous

Sometimes division happens over doctrine (perhaps necessary at times)

Usually, division happens over smaller issues, details or mistakes

Inward division has become 1 of Satan’s most effective tools to interfere with God’s mission

Increasing Distraction (Acts 6:2)

Practical Ministry is Important

Issue here isn’t doctrine but practical

Don’t misunderstand Apostles words – not dismissing need for practical ministry

That is clear from what happens

James, who will soon Pastor church says,

James 2:26 “26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Part of how we show our faith, serving each other

Apostles aren’t saying the problem was irrelevant or that it shouldn’t be an issue

Church is about personal interactions

It’s a place we expect to feel loved, appreciated, supported & cared for

Hellenists concerns are legitimate

Pastoring Needs Focus

Problem is how does a church meet the many & varied needs of its people

Problem didn’t arise because Apostles deliberately neglected anyone

Issue wasn’t about race etc.

This wasn’t intentional but organisational

Church isn’t meant to be a business but that doesn’t mean structure & organisation aren’t needed

Apostles didn’t realise the problem

Godly leaders with good hearts & working hard to serve people make mistakes

Great love & humility here move this forward

12 were humble to recognise issue & acknowledge problem

Church recognised heart of Apostles & didn’t assume worst of them

Sometimes leaders forget things/people

Sometimes things slip through the cracks, get delayed

E.g. Problems of Multitasking

It’s illegal to drive & use phone because distracted

Studies show that just 2.5% of us can multitask effectively

Same in leading a church

No-one can do everything well

Impossible to deal with all of the practical things well & study of God’s word well – both suffer

Gives Opportunity for Growth

Acts 6:3–6 “3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”

Deepening Discipleship (Acts 6:3, 5-6)

Serving Each Other

So what is the answer

Hellenists could have done what many do

Go start our own church where we can get what we want

Problem is too many want a church that will have someone else deal with the issues

That church has better music, Sunday school, youth activities, functions

Few consider being the answer to those issues

Grace & humility of this church see them work together to make church stronger

Love between people allowed them to serve each other for benefit of all

The Plan

Apostle acknowledge the problem & inability to properly fix it

Church looks among themselves for people that can handle problem

Find 7 men (probably already recognised as leaders among Hellenists)

Their job isn’t to lead church but to serve church – servant leaders

· Were these the first Deacons?

Deacons are servants of the church & helps to Pastors (1 Tim. 3:8-13)

I think they were but text doesn’t make it certain

Certainly they carried out function

Office of Deacon isn’t commanded but function of deacon (servant) is

This is what our mission is about – making disciples

Loving one another in a spirit of service

Chose the men from among them

Church was developing servant leaders

Church chose these men because they recognised they had qualities

Part of our job is to be developing leaders in our church

E.g. AKX program at WBBC – I served in nursery, as usher, help count offering, etc.

E.g. See it happening here with young – need more of it & more intentional in it. If you are in ministry be encouraging others & younger to get involved

Take these young people under our wing to disciple them to serve God & His people

There are many ways I see this servant heart at work here

Leadership is Important

Qualifications for serving were high

They weren’t looking for people with proven track record of logistics, admin or leadership

Of 1st importance were men who were spiritual

We’re not just trying to give people something to do (in any ministry)

We’re serving to help people be more like Christ

Devoted to God’s Word (Acts 6:4)

Priorities of Pastors

Why did they need these people?

Why couldn’t we just expect Apostles to work harder?

Though important, Apostles weren’t called to spend all their time dealing with money issues, admin & feeding the needy

Call of Apostles & call to Pastor is a call to feed & lead people to God

Yes, it does include practical care but not at the expense of spiritual

Without the Word of God the practical ministry is empty

E.g. David Platt tells story of church in Something Needs to Change

Trekking through Himalayas deeply moved by physical need of people

Asked guide how to help

Guide had provided medic stations, resources, etc.

Biggest help was planting churches – people began taking care of each other

Being a pastor means caring for the needs of people & ministering in those needs

Primary role is to study & teach God’s Word & pray

Sometimes my work doesn’t look much like work – sit in my chair reading, thinking, praying

God hasn’t called or gifted me to cook meals for the needy

Called me to pray & preach God’s word

Purpose of Their Priorities (Eph. 4:11-16)

Why is this the way?

No-one can do everything (I know)

Pastors serve people best when they equip them with the Word of God

We pray over the Word of God as we preach it so that it can equip you to build up each other

God is a multiplier not an adder

As Pastors equip God’s people there are more people to minister God’s grace

Every part of church structure is about service

Results in a Growing Testimony

Acts 6:7 “7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.”

Disciples were Multiplied

People were Saved

As people multiplied their service it multiplied their effectiveness

This didn’t just help those in the church

It enabled the gospel to reach more people

God raises up Pastors who equip the church who serve one another & people get saved

Gospel was Spread

From Acts 6 we start to see the Gospel advance beyond Jerusalem & Jews

Christianity is set to explode into the world

Begins with Hellenists, then Samaritans, through Philip to Ethiopia, from Paul to world

Didn’t just help them reach beyond Jerusalem

Also helped testimony to Jews

Many priest believe

When a church works together to serve one another for the good of the Gospel it is a powerful thing

Faith was Deepened

Church was Served

This isn’t just about how Gospel spread

Incident that started it all is taken care of

People are pleased

By serving together we are able to meet each other’s needs & proclaim Gospel

Leaders could do what they were called to do, needs were met

Disaster was Avoided

Thanks to work of grace in lives of people what could have been a disaster was opposite

Difficulty doesn’t have to stop growth or ruin relationships

With grace & humility it can make us all stronger & more effective witnesses

Conclusion

What happened here is the effect of the Gospel

Rather than think the worst of each other the church chose to show grace and serve one another

Pastors can’t do the work of the ministry alone

Our neighbourhood will be filled with doctrine of Jesus because we all serve for the glory of God and for the sake of the Gospel

As we are served by the ministry of the Word of God & serve each other God will grow this church

I believe our church needs deacons again so I’m calling our church to look for 2-3 men with good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom who can lead us in service

This is a search for servants who will help us all serve each other better

Next week we’ll examine the qualifications and expectations from 1 Tim. 3:8-13.

Let’s start the process by seeking God’s guidance together

Pray for grace and humility towards one another

Pray for the wisdom to recognise the men in our church that are qualified & capable

Pray for courage & willingness to stand up and minister God’s grace to His people

Pray that this growth in our church will lead to stronger faith, powerful ministry & deeper fellowship in our church

Pray that this will result in the spread of the Gospel and the salvation of souls