Acts 6:1-7 - Part 11
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Good morning! Welcome to CHCC. Last Sunday we had a great celebration of the resurrection followed by some wonderful fellowship and food. For those who could join us I am so glad that you could. And for those who couldn’t, I hope you all had a great Easter celebration where you were.
After taking a couple weeks off in our study through Acts, we will jump back into it this morning as we begin chapter 6 together. We come to a very interesting passage today as we will see the early church’s response to internal criticism followed by the inception of the deacons and the results of how everything shakes out.
The apostles also reiterate their specific calling and focus which allows for the role of deacon to take shape as well as allowing believers to step into these much needed rolls and see further growth in their own faith and maturity in the process.
What we ultimately can pull from the text this morning is the biblical model for church leadership and their specified rolls within. We have the apostles (i.e. elders) as well as the deacons and when functioning under the guidance of the Holy Spirit we see a remarkable result.
For the apostles, they understood their specific roll and call was—according to them—”to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
And so what we will discuss this morning is the crucial roll of deacons within the church who allow for the elders to devote themselves to prayer and ministry of the word while simultaneously meeting the various needs within the church body.
Matt Smethurst and Jonathan Leeman define the roll of deacon into three crucial aspects. “The task of the deacon is to care for the tangible needs of the church. The goal of the deacon is to protect the elders from being distracted from ministering the Word. And the effect is to protect and maintain the unity of the church.”
And when the deacons are on mission and the elders are on mission what we see is an effective church community that is growing and expanding within the community, having an effect both within the church body and outside the church body in the local community.
John Piper, in regards to this passage, says:
One of the things that this text teaches me very strongly is that the great threats to the church in our day are anything that jeopardizes the centrality of the Word.
So let us dive into the Word together this morning. It may be 7 short verses but it helps create the biblical foundation of leadership and the importance of delegation and discipling within the church. The book of Acts serves as a Holy Spirit inspired blueprint for us today and we would do well to glean from its pages as we strive to be an effective ministry for Jesus.
Acts chapter 6 beginning in verse one.
PRAY
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.
Chapter 6 begins with some conflict within the church. And this is certainly an issue that is deserving of attention and should be handled appropriately. And the reality is that all churches will face certain degrees of internal conflict, some large and some small.
How it is handled, however, can make all the difference. J. Dwight Pentecost shares of one sad example that ended in a church split. The whole ordeal made it into court to determine which side would receive the church property and which side would need to leave and find their own building.
During the hearing it came out that the whole ordeal began when an elder made an issue at a church dinner when a child sitting next to him received a larger piece of ham than he did. I kid you not.
We have seen on multiple occasions already throughout the first 6 chapters of Acts that the enemy has been hard at work seeking to divide and conquer Christ’s church. Outward efforts of persecution had no effect other than to expand the church. Internally, with the deception of Ananias and Sapphira also failed to bring about disruption. Once again, the enemy seeks to take out the church from internal conflict.
Up to this point we have seen incredible growth within the church. This is one of Luke’s purposeful intentions of recording the early church is to reveal its widening reach within the known world.
So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women,
So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.
And the word of the Lord was spreading throughout the whole region.
So the churches were strengthened in the faith, and they increased in numbers daily.
So the word of the Lord continued to increase and prevail mightily.
It is a beautiful testimony to the faithfulness and obedience of the apostles as well as the remarkable and miraculous power of the Holy Spirit. But all of this was not always smooth sailing. I think anyone who has experience in ministry would agree that there are certainly seasons of trial and definitely complaints that come to the table.
And Luke does an equally great job of presenting these moments within the early church as well. Ananias and Sapphira as I just mentioned; we will also come across several other moments such as Simon the magician in chapter 8 and the issue of misguided doctrine of Apollos in chapter 18 and the practice of pagan magic that would become an issue in the Ephesian church in chapter 19.
Why do these things happen within the church? I love John Piper’s explanation of it. He explains that “a true movement of the Spirit in this fallen world will always sweep some debris into the church.”
This time here in chapter 6 there arises a complaint by the Hellenists that their widows have not recieved their allotment of daily food.
And one thing this tells us is that even though the early church was incredibly faithful, bold, obedient, selfless, and sacrificial it still made mistakes. No church is perfect. I’ve said it many times as my former pastor once told me, “If you find a perfect church, stop going because you will just ruin it.” No church is perfect because the reality is that while every church is under the authority of Christ—it is still led and filled with sinners saved by grace.
And the issue that arises here in chapter six I certainly wouldn’t call it a sin so much as unintentional oversight, still required a proper response.
A prideful response may have ignored the issue brought to their attention altogether. But what we see from the apostles is a proper and humble response; they do not take lightly the issue that has been presented to them. A delicate matter requires a delicate response. Let’s continue, verse 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. 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.
Jerusalem had a large population of Hellenist Jews—that is Greek-speaking Jews who had previously lived abroad. So while they did not speak the Hebrew language, they were of Jewish heritage and now found themselves relocated back into the city of Jerusalem.
What is more, many of the Hellenist wives, it appears, have outlived their husbands and had come to faith in Christ and were now a part of the body of Christ.
The Hellenists did, however, face discrimination. Maybe not intentionally here from the church, but certainly from the Pharisees and many traditional Jews who saw the Hellenists as a lower-class citizen.
So whether there was unaddressed prejudice within the church, a language barrier, or simply an unintended oversight, there was a very real issue present with the Hellenist widows not receiving their proper daily portions. They most certainly could have felt that favoritism was at play and so this makes for a very delicate matter.
How this would be handled would serve as witness to the church. If done improperly or with the wrong heart it could hurt the witness of Christ. After all, Jesus had told His disciples that their love for one another within the body of believers would serve as witness to the world.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
So to handle this matter, the twelve bring together the full number of the disciples and have them elect seven men to take on the task. Some may look at verse 2 as a prideful remark. Let’s read it again.
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.
Are they saying that serving tables is beneath them? Did not Jesus wash their feet in the Upper Room as an example of servant leadership? So what gives? Well, verse 4 helps us to see their specific calling and purpose.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
There is a very important detail we should not miss here in these two verses. The Greek word for “serve” in verse 2 and the Greek word for “ministry” in verse four are the same root. Diakoneo and Diakonia. The same word where we derive our English word “deacon.” Both describe service.
It isn’t that the apostles saw themselves above the work of distributing food, but rather that to do that would take from their specific call to be ministers of the word. Just as they said in verse 2, if they were to do this task they would neglect the ministering of God’s Word. As R. Kent Hughes explains:
Though such counsel may have appeared sensible at first glance, it actually brought apostolic principles of discipleship and delegation under well-meaning but deadly attack. The power of the apostolic church would have been greatly diminished, and this glorious chapter of early-church history would have been sadly tamed.
Had the apostles attempted to take on this task alongside the task of prayer and preaching the likelihood of burnout would have greatly increased. At the very least, how well each job was done would have been diminished no doubt.
What is more, had the apostles taken on this task themselves, it may have caused future hesitation among the church body to perform any ministerial tasks in the future without the direction of the apostles.
It very well could have established a culture of over-dependence within the church. If the church was going to disciple and develop and equip leaders then delegation had to be at the heart of it.
I remember very early on in our church I had a couple come to me to present a vision for a specific ministry in the community. They said, “We would like to see this, this, and this happen. Here is the vision for this ministry, here is how it could work.” And it looked and sounded great. I told them, “Let me discuss it with the elders, we will pray on it. But I love the idea and I think you guys would be a great team to spearhead the whole thing.”
When I said that they kind of looked at me shocked and then they said, “Us? No. We were thinking you would do this.” And I explained similarly to what we see here in Acts chapter 6. I told them I could certainly help them get the ministry off the ground but they were the ones whom God gave the vision to, they had the passion for it and the plan. I told them they could gather a team together to help them, but I wouldn’t be the one leading it.
I commend the apostles here because I think the whole thing could certainly been tempting for them to take on. Will people think we are above such work? What are the optics of not doing this task? Furthermore, pride could have led them to take on the job as well.
“This will only get done properly if I do it myself.” Certainly no one can do the job the way I can. Perhaps not. Maybe they can do it better!
So I give them credit for not falling into that trap and there are certainly examples of the disciples serving one another in the church.
Instead of taking the task for themselves and thus spreading themselves too thin, the ministry was instead increased through spiritual delegation, equipping, and discipleship. And in turn, others grew spiritually and stepped into roles successfully.
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.
They gave the responsibility over the the church body to elect men within the congregation—seven of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Not just delegation but also clear guidelines through great communication. Don’t just pick anyone, here is what they need to exhibit.
And isn’t it interesting—the requirements aren’t necessarily someone who is good with people, or who is strong and capable, or is good with numbers, or understands the process of distribution well. Certainly those things are great, but they aren’t the priority. Someone could have exhibited all of those qualities but maybe they were not respectable or they lacked spiritual maturity.
When it comes to ministry, people should not be put in positions simply because they are good at the task that is needed to be accomplished.
In a similar vein, Paul would list the requirements of a deacon in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Matt Smethurst points out:
Perhaps the most surprising thing here is Paul’s relative disinterest and what potential deacons are able to do. This paragraph is not about a skillet. Its Focus is clearly on who deacons must be. (Don’t miss the easy to forget lesson: God cares more about character than about gifting.)
Yes, gifting is important, but not at the cost of character. Bonus points if you find someone with both! But when making the prayerful selection, Godly character is the priority.
So how did this play out? Very well! Let’s continue and see who they selected.
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. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
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.
Not only was the ministry a success for all involved—the deacons and widows (as implied in verse 7), but also for the apostles for the word of God continued to increase. The apostles were able to effectively do their God-given task, these men were able to grow in their responsibility and faith, and the Hellenistic widows needs were properly met.
What is more is that you may recognize a couple of the names in verse 5. Stephen is, of course, the very Stephen that would preach a legendary sermon before the Sanhedrin and subsequently become the first recorded Christian martyr (Spoiler alert for the upcoming weeks).
Philip would have a wonderful missionary-type ministry and was the very Philip that would speak lead the Ethiopian eunuch to faith in the desert.
This wise decision for discipleship and delegation was the beginning of raising up and equipping future leaders for the work of ministry. These men were given a great responsibility and they stepped into the roll God had led them into and in turn, the ministry of the Word was not neglected. The apostles were able maintain their spiritual discipline.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
Prayer, preparation, and preaching. The three “P’s” of elder/pastoral leadership. And pray they did; in fact, prayer is a central theme throughout the book of Acts—both within the group of the apostles as well as within the church as a whole.
Sadly, today, there seems to be a shift. According to the Barna Group (a Christian research organization), the average pastor spends five minutes a day in prayer.
Now I’m not saying there needs to be specific amount of time each day that denotes a “successful” prayer life, but I can say five minutes isn’t cutting it. Paul calls for us to “pray without ceasing.” The apostles here say they will “devote” themselves to prayer. To “devote” is to dedicate time and focus to something.
And the three go hand in hand. One cannot expect to effectively preach the gospel if they are not prayerfully preparing to present God’s Word. The studying and organizing of a sermon are important, but ultimately it is the prayer that proves it effective. To present God’s Word without first consulting with God seems awfully counterproductive and counterintuitive.
Our culture has a weird infatuation with busyness. And that has certainly seeped into ministerial work as well. If we pastors have put so much on our plate that we are neglecting the time to pray then we need to take some items off our plate.
The same can be said for any of us; if we have an overfilled schedule to the point that we have no personal fellowship with God then we really need to reconsider our priorities.
Furthermore, the apostles devoted themselves to the ministry of the word. Again, the Greek word for ministry is the same root translated as “deacon.” But what is more, that same word has its root in the English word “dust” thus giving us the image of raising dust from being hard at work.
The apostles were laborers. Some of them wrote (with the guidance of the Holy Spirit) books of the Bible. They all prayerfully poured over the Old Testament Scripture, seeking to exegete the words of God to clearly present its teachings and understandings to many new believers.
Those who are called to be ministers of the word (as the apostles are here) have a huge responsibility. James talks about this.
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Why? Because souls are at stake! If one does not take the time and prayer to carefully scour the Scriptures and thus presents God’s Word falsely and in turn leads people astray there is judgment there!
That verse alone is a great motivator for me to dive into the Scriptures carefully and intentionally. As Dr. Donald Grey Barnhouse says:
No man is ever going to be able to fill the pulpit adequately unless he spends thousands of hours year after year in the study of God’s word.
Phillips Brooks called preaching (and I love this!), “truth mediated through personality.” Those who are called to preach God’s Word must take great care through prayer and preparation to present God’s Word with fear and trembling.
If you’ve been attending here for some time you may notice that before I give my message that I always pray asking for God’s Word to go forth and not my own. That is a prayer I give in preparation throughout the week as well and that is because I never want my word to be given from the pulpit over God’s! Because my words don’t have the power to change hearts and lives. Only God’s Word can do that!
And so we see the effectiveness of the deacons here in Acts 6 because not only were they effective in their own ministry of the Hellenist widows, but by their work, they were able to free up the apostles for more time in prayer and preparation to present God’s Word.
And because of that, the gospel continued to advance and the ministry multiplied! God’s Word continued to spread throughout the land, the number of the disciples continued to increase and even priests were coming to faith!
Ultimately what this passage reveals is that kingdom work requires everyone! From the elders to the deacons to the member. If the widows are being neglected then maybe we need to wait on some tables. If the kids—the future generation of God’s church—need some help then perhaps we should see what ways we can offer our help. There are so many ways in which one can serve within the body of Christ.
And every opportunity to serve is important and meets a need. And the reality is, we cannot do it without each other. The early church continued to maintain its expansion and its wonderfully successful ministry because it was more than just the apostles putting in the work.
And I see that in this church as well and I just want to thank you all. There are so many things that could not happen without the hard work, dedication, and willingness of many to serve in this church. From the elders to the ministry leaders, to the ministry teams, to the kid city youth leaders, to the countless volunteers—any success this church sees is because of the Holy Spirit and the willingness of the body to serve and meet needs.
May we be encouraged by the early church here in Acts 6 as we continue to press forward in preaching Christ and Him crucified and serving the needs of the church and community.
PRAY
