Leadership Class (3)

One of the great issues that you will face in leadership is handling warfare.

Sometimes God calls us to suffer together.

Theres a measure of corporate suffering that happens in the church. And how do we properly handle it when it happens.

Acts 6:1–7 NKJV

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. 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. 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; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 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, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 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.

We have social issues in the church, racial issues, tribal issues in the church .

The Jerusalem Christian community had witnessed considerable growth; and as is so often the case with rapid increase, administrative problems developed.

Growth happens in a couple ways growth as far as maturity, and growth as far as numbers.

You would hope maturity would happen as well as growth.

With growth happens issues happen.

Its part of the process.

When growth happens in your life problems come. It comes with its new set of issues.

The great Philosopher Biggie Smalls said, “More money more problems”

So you have the Hellenistic Jews and The Hebrew Jews who are now converted.

The Hebrew Jews they spoke Aramaic and the Hellenistic Jew spoke Greek

Hellenistic Jew was equivalent to the Liberals in these days and the Hebrews Jews were like the conservative.

The Hebrew Jews where in the majority because the Hellenistic jews where connected with Diaspora Judaism so they came as migrants back to Jerusalem.

Luke gives us an honest look at the age-old problem of prejudice. This was not essentially a racial division, since these people were all Jews; but we do see a definite cultural problem. The “outsiders” didn’t act, talk, or live like the pure-blooded Palestinian Jews, so they were treated like second-class citizens.

I think diversity is a great thing but we have to be careful that we don’t allow that diversity to cause disunity.