Bigger Church = Bigger Needs

Review

Turn to Acts 6:1-7.

Acts chapter five revealed that the church in Jerusalem had some significant highs and lows even in its early days. That is true of every local church. Every church will have good seasons and difficult seasons, but our Savior calls us to be faithful to Him no matter the season a church may be in. The believers in Jerusalem endured in spite of sin in the church and in spite of another wave of persecution. They persisted through the season of difficulty. They came through it as a church on offense and they were rewarded for it. Time would prove that this was indeed the work of God.

Message

Today we enter a new chapter both in our text and in the history of the church at Jerusalem. A significant change is going to occur here that would determine the leadership of not only this church, but of every other local church that we see going forward in the New Testament.

Let’s see what that change is.

Read Acts 6:1-7.

In my career outside of full-time ministry, I’ve been able to experience what I believe is a wide variety of employment opportunities from small, family-owned-and-operated dairy farms to the largest retailer in the world - Walmart.

Every place I’ve ever worked at has taught me some life lessons - whether its getting along with people that think differently than you and live differently than you, or whether its just doing your best for the glory of God as you perform some of the same, mundane tasks at your job.

Walmart taught me one lesson that has carried over into how I view many things. Perhaps you’ve heard the cliche, “bigger is always better.” Working at Walmart taught me that that adage is not always true. It’s not always true in government and it’s not always true in the local church.

We don’t know how much time passes from Acts chapter two and the start of the church at Jerusalem and Acts chapter six, but I’ve certainly wondered about it. Luke, the historian, wrote “in those days”, which seems to suggest the passage of time. Perhaps the church at this point had existed for a few months. Personally, I doubt it could have been more than a year. The Jewish authorities could not sit idly by for too long and let this church grow out of control, but grow it did. “The number of disciples was multiplied.” We’re not talking about addition, we’re talking about multiplication! In other words, the church entered a season here of rapid growth. We don’t know how much growth and we don’t know how much time passed, but we know this: the church grew in number and it grew in needs. Bigger Church = Bigger Needs.

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A murmuring in the church - Acts 6:1.

As I have read these opening verses of chapter six, I can’t help but think to myself, “we’re we just here? Didn’t we just read about some issues and some sin in the church?”

The answer is “yes, we did” - Ananias and Sapphira. In their case, one couple chose to lie to God and to Peter. But this situation in our text involved many more people.

Read slowly:

When a group of sinners saved by grace assemble together as a church, don’t be surprised when problems arise. And don’t write off the church just because it happens.

What was happening this time?

Murmuring: secret displeasure

This word emphasizes complaining that was happening behind closed doors. It wasn’t brought out in the open. It wasn’t first brought to the apostles. It began with people talking among themselves. I can just hear them talking…

“Lucy, did you hear what happened at church yesterday?”

“No, Ethel, what happened?”

“When the church food pantry sent the baskets out to the widows yesterday, the baskets were delivered to the Hebrew women only; we never got any.

“No way! I can’t believe that they would do that! That’s shameful!”

And then from that conversation, the accusation spread like wildfire.

The Hebrew widows were Jewish women who had been born in Israel and spoke Aramaic, the local language of the day.

The Grecian widows were Jewish women that had lived abroad and spoke Greek. They had adopted Greek customs and culture. The Hebrew Jews tended to view the Grecian or Hellenist Jews as their inferiors. The Hellenist Jews were broader minded and had adopted the better parts of Greek culture. Therefore, they felt superior to the Hebrews in their own way. This clash of cultures was bound to affect the church and this accusation - whether true or false - was the perfect setting for it. The power keg was in place and now the fuse had been lit.

Application: I want to quickly remind you of something we’ve seen already: the antidote for any discord in a church is humility. Whenever problems arise in a local church, if believers humble themselves, the problems can be resolved.

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A set of priorities established - Acts 6:2, 4.

Read Acts 6:2,4.

A church can organize and develop programs to do many good things in a community and often, it can do them very well.

For example…

It can comfort the grieving.

It can feed the hungry.

It can help free the addicted.

It can teach those that want to know God.

You go out here and ask ten different people what good things a church should do and you might get ten different answers. Why? Because a church can do many good things, but understand this: some things are more important than others.

There were many good activities that the apostles could be doing, like serving food to the Grecian widows. Verse two indicates that apparently some people thought that the apostles should be doing that, but the apostles disagreed. There were many good activities that they could be doing, but the apostles identified two priorities that were highest of all: prayer, and serving, not of food, but of the Word.

The apostles didn’t think that serving the Grecian widows was beneath their dignity.

They weren’t opposed to doing the lowly, menial tasks of ministry. They weren’t opposed to serving others. Jesus had washed their feet - something very common and needful where they lived - and He had taught them to humble themselves and to serve others. That wasn’t the concern.

The concern was that if the apostles served tables, then the more important things such as prayer and the serving of the Word of God would be neglected.

The pronoun “we” in verse four is strongly emphatic in the Greek and so the apostles were making a point. While others could serve tables, the apostles’ utmost priority would remain prayer and proclaiming the Word of God.

“It is very significant that the apostles put their prayer life on the same plane as the preaching of the Word.” - Stewart Custer, Witness to Christ, page 77.

Application: One of the greatest dangers to a young pastor is that he gets busy about many good things, so much so, that he soon neglects the most important things.

His relationship with God in prayer and study

His relationship with his wife

His family

It is possible for a pastor and for a church to get busy about so many things - so many programs, so many activities every week - that we neglect the things that matter the most.

Pray for me, that I will keep my priorities in order personally and also that I will be sensitive to the Lord’s will and His priorities for our church.

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A solution proposed - Acts 6:3.

There are many different styles of leadership. Once you’ve worked for just a few different managers or employers you’ll quickly realize that.

We had two different General Transportation Managers over our logistics office in the nearly five years that I worked at Walmart. One was a mild-mannered, easy-going gentlemen born and raised in the South.

The other manager, before he entered the business world, served in our armed forces and retired as a captain from the US Marines.

Those two men had very different personalities and consequently, they had two different styles of leadership. Not that one was right and the other wrong, but they were just different from each other.

As you probably already know, the same is true when it comes to leadership in the church. Personalities may differ, but the apostles here exemplified one characteristic of leadership that should be true in every church and it is this: servant-leadership.

The apostles set an example of servant leadership. Rather than consolidate power and control among themselves, they wisely chose to delegate the care of the Grecian widows to others. The church was growing and they needed others to come alongside and help with their ministry. Here was their plan: the apostles would oversee the ministry, but the church would choose among themselves seven men to serve in this capacity.

They selected men who had three qualifications:

Full of the Holy Ghost - in other words, they were submitted to the control of the Spirit - Ephesians 5:18. This is not optional; this is a must.

Full of wisdom

Living in the fear of the Lord - Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7, Proverbs 9:10.

Skillful in the management of affairs - having good knowledge and then understanding to apply it. We might call this practical wisdom, or common sense.

Of honest report - having a testimony of integrity - they were known for these things.

Notice, they did not automatically look for men who were business leaders or political leaders. Churches are sometimes tempted to do that. Instead, they first looked for men who were spiritual leaders.

Application: These are characteristics you must look for during a leadership transition - whether you are voting on a pastor or on deacons. The last thing a church wants is a dictator in the pulpit or dictators for deacons.

Men, you must be a spiritual leader. Be the spiritual leader of your home. If we do not have men who are the spiritual leaders of their homes, who are seeking and walking with God themselves, who are leading their families in this, neither will the local church have men to lead it either.

“Pastor Tim, why do you keep stressing that? That’s why we have a pastor.”

Listen, every church, if it exists long enough, will go through times of transition in its leadership. You must be prepared for those seasons. Pastors may come and go but the local church must remain steadfast - men, that falls primarily on your shoulders. You yourself must be a spiritual leader.

“I am going to walk with God. I am going to seek God and to know Him as best as I know how. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I will take responsibility and lead my family in this.”

You must take responsibility for what this church will be in 10 years, because your action or your lack thereof will shape its future. Your walk with God, or lack thereof will set the course for this church.

The church in Jerusalem had some men who were spiritually qualified to step up and lead. So, the apostles proposed that some be selected to lead in this ministry to the widows.

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A congregational vote taken - Acts 6:5-6.

Our text doesn’t use the word vote, but it seems like that is exactly what they must have done whether or not it was organized exactly the way we do it today.

The apostles said, “look ye out among you…” The church at Jerusalem was an organized, identifiable, committed, body of believers.

From within that group, the church selected seven men. The Bible doesn’t express what method they used, but it’s where we get the principle of a congregational vote such as we did last week in our business meeting.

However they did it, the church family picked seven men. Here’s an interesting little detail: all seven are Grecian names. The accusation was that the Grecian widows were being neglected, so this suggests that the church chose seven Grecian men to oversee the funds used by the entire church. What unity is displayed here! What grace! Too often, cultural differences are the pretext for divides in a church family, but this brought the whole church together.

The apostles laid their hands on the deacons - something that was commonplace in Jewish culture. This practice even goes back as far as Moses laying his hands on Joshua in Numbers 27.

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A solution implemented - Acts 6:7.

After the church went through this process and implemented the solution, notice what happens. The church grows even more and I want to suggest a reason why:

That’s what can happen when a church’s leadership is able to devote themselves to prayer and the Word of God.

If the apostles had begun serving tables, the word of God would not have increased. If the apostles had begun serving tables, I don’t think we would have verse seven in our Bible. The church grew because the apostles had their priorities in the right order.

All of the verbs in verse seven are in the imperfect tense, meaning this wasn’t a one time occurrence. Luke is emphasizing to Theophilus that this growth was the ongoing result of the apostles’ having their priorities in the right order.

Application: Bigger Church = Bigger needs. As the church at Jerusalem grew, the apostles delegated responsibility to others so that the ministry could carry on and so that they could focus on prayer and the Word of God.

God has been good to us and our church has been growing. So too are the needs. There’s a part of me that wishes I could do everything myself and not have to ask for help, but if I do that, I rob you of opportunities to prepare for the Judgment Seat of Christ like we’re learning about on Sunday nights. Besides, it’s not humanly possible. That’s not how God designed the local church to function. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians that the local church is a body that works together. As a church grows, the number of people involved in the ministry must grow also. I thank the Lord, that’s been happening this year. Christian, perhaps today God is saying that it’s your turn to find a place of service.

Invitation

Don’t rush it. Don’t talk too much. Be willing to ask for a showing of hands.