The Call to Service- The nature of Ministry

Good morning!

We’ve had a wonderful weekend… celebrating graduation—yesterday was full day of celebration…and this morning I am thankful the gift of Caffeine…

It’s a joy to have family with us today. Pams Mom and Dad and her brother Barry, Karen.. visiting from MA. it’s such a blessing..

We are in our series on ..Sharing Our Faith -we going through the book Acts…it is part of a bigger theme that we following this year…of….knowing Jesus and making him known..

Today we looking at the nature of ministry..

What is ministry?

Webster’s Dictionary defines ministry as “that which serves.” It speaks of … action

participation..involvement

One of the challenges of serving.. is discovering what

It means for me personally..

There’s a story about a Boy Scout whose scoutmaster asked him if he had done his good deed for the day. The young man said, “Not yet.”

So the scoutmaster told him, “Go out and only come back after you have have done at least one good deed.”

About 20 minutes later, the boy returned—his clothes were torn, his face scratched, his hair sticking up in every direction.

The scoutmaster said, “What happened to you?”

The boy said proudly, “I helped an old lady cross the street.”

The scoutmaster, now even more confused, asked, “Then why do you look like you’ve been through a war?”

The boy said, “Well... she didn’t exactly want to go.”

Jesus in his ministry taught extensively about serving others, emphasizing compassion, humility, and love —…

Jesus washed the disciples feet then said you follow my example

love other as I have loved you.. he have the great commandment..

... love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.and your neighbor as yourself..

Simple..Love God love others...

The waswe do that through meeting needs.

James Emery White (president GCTSj, in his book Rethink Church, talks about how crucial it is for churches to identify and understand the real needs of our communities—not just what people think they need, but what actually matters most.

He says churches are most effective when we grasp the needs and interests of the people that we are trying to serve….Ministry is meeting needs.. Dr white says..

“If a ministry doesn’t meet the needs of people, it’s not really a ministry.” James Emery White

In Acts 6, the early Church was experiencing explosive growth—thousands were coming to faith, the Holy Spirit was moving powerfully, lives were being transformed, and miracles were taking place.

But even in the midst of this spiritual momentum, practical challenges began to surface. And they begin bring additional challenges..

We learn from the early church valuable lessons about the nature of ministry. …. first

1. Ministry is Born Out of Need.

As a young parent, I used to think “growing pains” was just a figure of speech—a way of talking about kids learning life lessons or navigating big emotions. You know, the kind of stuff we all go through as we mature.

But a sour children grew up they began to complain and a he’s and pain… holding their leg, with tears in their eyes, saying, “My legs hurt,” or “My arm aches.”  That’s when you realize: growing pains are real. . Physical aches that come with growing bones and stretching bodies.

The early church experienced growing pains…

In Acts 6, we see the early church developing quickly—

But in the process of growing..

People get overlooked.

some of the Greek-speaking woman —aren’t getting cared for in the daily distribution of food.

It's not because the church didn’t care. It’s because the system couldn’t keep up…with growth

lets read..

Acts 6:1–6 ESV

1 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. 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. 3 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. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 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. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

The apostles were doing their best, but they were struggling to keep up with the demands of both preaching the Word and administrating all the various needs of the community.

as a result there were practical needs falling through the cracks..

One of them was…taking care of the Widows…

As, I was studying I wondered how come social Justice became such a bit deal in the church..

first.. Social justice was a deeply important part of Jewish culture.

It goes back to the patriarchal society - It goes way back in their history… For example in the story Ruth - and you find woman gleaning in the fields of Boaz… and Boaz happens to be her kinsman redeemer of a Ruth....and wonderful story of God love and redemption..

Then There was the  year of Jubilee which was a radical economic reset every 50 years. Debts were forgiven. Land was returned to original families. Slaves were set free.

Social Justice mattered.. because it is the heart best of God,,

The prophet Micah — said that

Micah 6:8 ESV

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Micah says God …doesn’t want us to sit on the side lines… but he desires us participate in His redemption plan…

He says do three things…These things are good.. and required..

a. To Do justice

b. to love kindness

c. and to Walk humbly with the Lord.

JUSTICE was part of the fabric of the culture Israel and it was dispensed through the ministry of the temple ..where took up collections and distributing resources to those in need…

But here’s where things began to change.

As the Church formed and started to grow, the temple——chose to no longer meet the needs of Christian widows and orphans… for obvious reason.. church seen as a threat.. what happened..

A gap had opened. A need had emerged. And rather than ignore it, the Church stepped up to address the problem.

In the midst of these changes their are some growing pains..

And tension arose —between two Jewish cultures… The greek and Hebrew speaking woman…began to quarrel…

One the surface it seemed.. Hebrew woman receiving preferential treatment….

ButThe real issue…

The Church was growing faster than its structure could support, and people were falling through the cracks.

This wasn’t just a complaint—it was a legitimate need.

And it became a defining moment for how the early Church would respond to practical problems with spiritual wisdom.

One thing to notice is that..

The church didn’t create this ministry out of ambition, preference, or convenience.

It arose because there was a real, pressing need.

Ministry begins with the Gap.. Lack and supply it’s is noticing where people are struggling and then responding with compassion..

Ministry begins with a simple question.. — what is being overlooked? Pam was telling me that a t end of a alpha the ladies where joking say… need to watch out for a Pam … because she will help you find you ministry.. love that…ministry is a out meet if need..

Second, ministry requires wisdom in how we serve.

How we serve is just as important to whom we serve…

One thing I love about our C.O.T.S ministry…is that we are partnership with Orchard…

There is a clear need… but how we service come from a clear mission — and that is to support Orchard Church in their outreach … Our goal is to one of the supporting legs that carries the weight of the ministry…

In our text.

The Apostles understood their unique calling—to preach and teach the Word of God.

Acts 6:1–6 ESV

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. .

The apostles knew they couldn’t do everything well. As much as they wanted to meet every need, they recognized their limitations. They had been called to preach, teach, and lead in prayer—but they couldn’t effectively do that and oversee every detail of care and distribution in the growing Church.

Both are important.. the word and works..of helps

So..

Instead of trying to carry the entire weight themselves, the apostles empowered others—faithful, Spirit-filled people—who could lead and serve in practical, hands-on ways..

And the y allowed the whole body to function as God designed—each part doing its work.

Third thing we learn about the nature, ministry is it’s everyone’s calling.

I’m first six verses of our text.. the greek word for ministry is diakoneo and it comes up 3 times.…

First ..

Verse 1 Diakoneo — means “Distribution” — speaks of Administration of Ministry.

In verse 2 Diakoneo it means to serve tables… Serving others…

Verse 4 Diakoneo means the Ministry of the Word.

You have 3 descriptions of ministry

Admin

Service

Ministry of the word.

These all spiritual and practical gifts working together in the church,..

The apostles call the church together and for to choose men full of faith and wisdom… Who would meet the need..

…They are told who to choose but what to look for I’m choosing leader.. to choose seven men — who are known to be FULL of THE HOLY SPIRIT

and FULL OF WISDOM…

The church find these men with the church.. most often the gifts of the church are resident

…within the church body… there times we maybe look outside of the community.. but God had gifting and calling right here. here.. our role as pastors and leader… help equip the church for ministry…5 fold ministry..

a Ephesians 4:12 “to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,” “

Lessons we learn from the Early Church about the nature of ministry…. first

1. Ministry is Born Out of Need.

2. Ministry is Fueled by Full hearts.

As I was going through the story of Stephen, I found myself looking at some iconic artwork from the Reformation era—the early 1500s. I noticed something fascinating: in almost every painting of Stephen, he’s shown with a halo around his head.

Here he is—pictured giving alms to the poor, humbly serving, often in the background—and always with that glowing aura. The halo symbolized holiness, a visible sign of the Spirit's presence.

The artists were trying to say something deeper: this man was full of divine light.

But there was something else I noticed.

Stephen was always painted as… bald.

Apparently, baldness in reformation are was symbol of humility…

— seems to be an area that I am contining growing in…

Luke tells us that the church chose seven men—men with good reputations, gifted in ministry, and filled with the Spirit…

But then Luke focuses on Stephen.

Why did he do that? Not because the others were unimportant, but I beleived…because Stephen’s life was a turning point for the Church.

After his death, persecution broke out—and the Church scattered accross the regions...

And Stephen's life became

A model of discipleship …because if mirrored Jesus in remarkable ways:

We see Jesus in..

His compassion for others,

His humility in serving,

His boldness in bearing witness,

And his willingness to suffer for Christ, becoming the first Christian martyr.

Stephen was a man of character

He is described in verse 5 as

“a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…” — Acts 6:5

And…then vers 8

“ full of grace and power…” — Acts 6:8

The Oxford dictionary defines “full” as:

“Holding as much or as many as possible; having no empty space.”

When we are full of something, there’s no room for anything else. The lesser gives way to the greater.

That’s what happened in Stephen’s life. He was full of the Spirit, and that fullness pushed out fear, pride, and selfishness.

G. Campbell Morgan once described it this way:

“In Stephen, sweetness and strength were merged into one personality.” G. Campbell Morgan

I love how The Word Come Alive paraphrase describes Stephen..

“Then Stephen, a man who was brimming over with God’s generous love and supernatural energy, kept on performing miraculous wonders and extraordinary signs among the people.”

in other words..His ministry was overflow. He was so full of God’s presence that it spilled into everything he did.

When we are full of the Spirit, ministry becomes natural. It’s not forced. It’s not a program. It’s not performance. It’s overflow.

That’s why Paul says in Ephesians

“Do not get drunk on wine, Instead, be filled with the Spirit.” — Ephesians 5:18

Now, here’s where it gets even more powerful.

As Stephen’s ministry begins to impact others, opposition arises.

Acts 6:9–10 ESV

9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

The religious elite thought, “Who is this guy?

On the outside — He was Greek speaking Jew… a Hellenic jew part of the diaspora.. what does he know…

But what they didn’t realize was that they weren’t just arguing with a man— full of the Holy Spirit.

And they couldn’t out-argue the wisdom God had given him.

So, like they did with Jesus, they twisted his words, stirred up false witnesses, and dragged him before the Sanhedrin.

Accused him of trying to destroy the law of Moses.It’s the same accusation leveled against Jesus…

But they could not match h is wisdom… it’s a difficult lesson…. Some times we have to must rest in the power of the H.S.. we might not have t he strength…boldness….Jesus told his disciples that would face opposition.. but when the y are tested…t he H.S world give then the words.. what a promise! we do t see Stephen struggle but depending,.…in we see if in his counternace..

But look at Stephen’s response:

Acts 6:15 ESV

15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen

didn’t panic. He didn’t retaliate. He stood there, calm and radiant—reflecting the glory of Christ.

That’s what happens when a heart is full of the Spirit… You can stand strong—even when the world stands against you.

Application

Some times the best response is simply to be still… Stephen tells us there is time to listen - and there is time to speak… Stephen kept peace… and he began radiate God… His face lit up like an angel… Here is on death row… about to be stoned… His appearace shows that he has been with Jesus.

Lessons we learn from the Early Church about the nature of ministry…. first

1. Ministry is Born Out of Need.

2. Ministry is Fueled by Full hearts.

3. Ministry Is Focused on the Glory of God

There’s a well-known story about Vince Lombardi, the legendary coach of the Green Bay Packers. Every year, at the start of training camp, he would gather his team—who’d been playing football their whole lives—and hold up a football.

He’d say, “This… is a football.”

He believed that success came from mastering the basics. He didn’t chase complexity—he focused on the fundamentals. And it worked.

Once, at a convention of coaches, he was asked about his offensive and defensive strategies. Other coaches stood up and gave long, detailed explanations—diagrams, plays, formations, the whole thing.

Lombardi stood up and said, “I only have two strategies. When we have the ball, we aim to knock the other team down. When the other team has the ball, we aim to knock all of them down.”

That kind of focus made him one of the most successful coaches in history.

Ministry needs that kind of clarity and focus. At the end of the day, ministry isn’t about trends, platforms, or programs. It’s about the glory of God.

Stephen Like Jesus is dragged before the Sanhedrin and is accused of breaking the law of Moses… destroying the temple.. even thoughts Jesus was talking about the resurrection.. the y to of it literally..

And when false accusations were brought against him, and the high priest asked, “Is this true?”—

Acts 7:1 ESV

1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

Here’s the thing: Stephen didn’t defend himself. He didn’t try to argue his way out or protect his reputation. Instead, he used the moment to tell God’s story—

What follows in Acts 7 is actually the longest sermon in the New Testament. if is a power ful see on…. Stephen weaves together the history of Israel to show one painful truth: Israel had continually and consistently resisted God’s plan.

Stephen begins with Abraham, the father of faith. God called him out of his homeland with a promise—of land, blessing, and descendants. But Abraham never fully possessed the land in his lifetime. He lived as a sojourner, pointing to something greater—a city built by God (Hebrews 11:10).

Yet the religious leaders of Stephen’s day were clinging to the land, the heritage, and the past—missing the bigger promise.

Then Stephen tells the story of Joseph—chosen by God, yet betrayed and rejected by his brothers. And yet, the one they rejected became their rescuer. Sound familiar? Stephen is pointing to Jesus—rejected by His people, yet sent to be their Savior.

Then comes Moses. Sent by God to deliver Israel—but again, Israel resisted. In the wilderness, they longed to go back to Egypt. Stephen draws a bold parallel: Jesus is the greater Deliverer, and once again, you rejected Him.

He moves to David, who wanted to build a house for God—and Solomon, who did. But Stephen presses deeper: God doesn’t live in buildings made by human hands. True worship isn’t about sacred places—it’s about surrendered hearts.

And this is the turning point:

Stephen holds up a mirror to the religious leaders…that these men’s revered.. they died t see if but. Every major figure in Israel’s history—Joseph, Moses, the prophets, even the Messiah—was rejected.

Stephen boldly says. “You’re doing the same thing as your ancestors..

This is where he hit’s deep..

Verse 51

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51, ESV)

Stephen doesn’t hold back. He lovingly but boldly exposes the truth: This isn’t just about history. This is about your heart.

When the Sanhedrin heard Stephen’s sermon, their response was immediate—and violent. They saw his words as the height of blasphemy—exalting Jesus alongside God.

Acts 7:54–56 ESV

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The trial quickly turned into a chaotic mob scene.

They dragged Stephen out of the city and began to stone him. Under Jewish law, blasphemy was punishable by death.

But here’s the remarkable part: Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven. He didn’t see condemnation. Instead, he had a vision of Jesus.

What’s interesting is how Jesus appears in Stephen’s vision. Usually, after Jesus’ ascension, Scripture describes Him as seated at the right hand of the Father—a position of authority and rest. But Stephen sees Jesus standing.

Why standing?

I believe it’s a powerful sign of honor. Jesus was standing to receive Stephen, to welcome him home, to say, “Well done, faithful servant.”

Even in death, Stephen’s life brought glory to God. His witness was so pure, so Spirit-filled, that Jesus Himself honored him in that moment.

Stephen’s story reminds us: True faithfulness often leads to sacrifice—but it also leads to glory beyond what we can see.

Conclusion…

Ministry isn’t about titles or applause. It’s not about position or prestige. Ministry is born out of need—it sees brokenness and steps in with compassion. It’s fueled by hearts shaped by grace and filled with the Spirit. And it’s focused on the glory of God—

Jim Wilson defines

“Ministry is participating with God and cooperating with His people in serving others to meet their needs fulfill our calling, and bring glory to God.” Jim Wilson

That’s what Stephen understood. He didn’t chase influence or comfort. He simply lived with purpose, spoke with courage, and kept his eyes fixed on heaven.

In doing so, he became part of something far greater than himself. Even in death, he gave glory to God—and his witness ignited a movement that would reach the world.

In the crowd that day stood a man named Saul.

He approved of Stephen’s death and watched it happen. That moment marked the beginning of persecution—but also the start of God’s new wave of witnesses.

Luke shows us that the Gentile mission began through two faithful men: Stephen the martyr and Philip the evangelist. Later, two incredible conversions followed—Saul and Cornelius…

The missionary from there spread throughout Jerusalem…Judea..

The invitation before us is clear: To live for something bigger. To give ourselves to a mission that will outlast us. To meet real needs, reflect Jesus, and bring glory to God in all we do.

Closing prayer…

Augustine Prayer…

Breath in Me, O Holy Spirit. that my thought may be holy.

Act in me, O holy Spirit, that my work may be holy.

Draw my heart, O holy Spirit , to love what is Holy..