Building the Church (7)
Building the Church • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Counting the Cost of Leadership
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Good morning.
I hope all had a good week.
How did you see God move this past week?
We are marching through Acts.
As we have been seeing the church has been growing at an amazing rate and is getting noticed.
It is beginning to be noticed as a threat and the religious leaders and the world around is starting to push back.
These were all just the beginnings.
The church has been established in Jerusalem, we are about to see it go to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth
Let me ask you, what are the qualities of a good leader?
A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.
John C. Maxwell
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Leader see the needs and step into them.
Leaders serve and place others ahead.
Isn’t that what Jesus taught and did
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
That what I want to dive into today.
We will be in Acts 6
Let’s pray.
Finding the problem
Before we get into the leader let’s set the stage
The church was having growing pains
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.
Finding the problem
We have two options when it comes to problems in the church
Problems can either divide or develop
The Apostles chose to use this as an opportunity to develop
Fixing the Problem
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.
Fixing the Problem
Work where they are called.
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Fixing the Problem
Pet peeve - do it all Pastor - not possible - Pastors and congregations
It is selfish on both sides
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.
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
Fixing the Problem
Looking at leadership
It wasn’t just random selection or warm bodies.
When we choose leaders we must look beyond surface
Leaders Know the Way
5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,
Leaders Know the Way
They know their faith.
They know their giftings
They know the problem.
I always had a rule of 6 months.
New believer to gain the basics
Newly married - no volunteering
They need to know before....
Leaders Go the Way
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
Leaders Go the Way
Leaders take their faith and put it in action.
We have only heard of the Apostles doing signs and wonders before this
Leadership is noticed
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams
Leaders Go the Way
The world will always try to tear down a good and Godly leader
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. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
Leaders Go the Way
This is why it is important for leaders to know.
We will be questioned and many will not like our answers
If they cannot silent us they will try to get the crowd to do it.
12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”
Leaders Go the Way
When we are the greatest pressure it is an opportunity for us to reveal the greatest Grace.
This is where and when .....
Leaders Show the Way
15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Leaders Show the Way
He showed no fear.
Stephen knew The Way, had lived out His ways, and simply reflected the obvious way.
We will go into this even more next week.
There was no doubt something was different about Stephen.
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Both the church and its people must count the cost of leadership
The church with discernment
The people with boldness and obedience
Everyone has a place and a ministry.
Where are you putting your leadership into practice
When God calls us, we cannot refuse from a sense of inadequacy. Nobody is worthy of such trust - J. Oswald Sanders
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Counting the Cost of Leadership
Next week - Acts 7
Let’s pray.
