Keeping the Church on Track

Intro

You guys know the drill. We’re looking at Acts at the moment, with the continuing work of Jesus Christ through the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We’ve seen some crazy things along the way, with miraculous healings, jail breaks, government oppression and even a beating last week that was celebrated!

The crazy events of this absurd book only make sense when you take into account the reality of Jesus Christ being actually bodily raised from the dead, and the real Son of God. He changes people so that they do weird things.

One of the characteristics of the growing Church that we have seen in acts is the way that people love one another. They give up their own possessions and are very generous so that no one was in need. They served one another self-sacrificially.

You know what? This loving sacrificial community was not an end it itself, but was rather the outcome, the effect of the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The people came together, probably partly because it was an attractive community, but primarily because they were joined together in Jesus Christ, just like us here!

There are some cool perks to belonging to the local church body, but we don’t do it for the friendships, the spiritual support, or the moving crews that Eastgate is known for, we come here because we are a spiritual family united under Christ.

Unfortunately, like any family, problems will arise. Arguments will happen. People will nurse grudges. It’s happened here in our short history, but its nothing new, because it happened in the Acts church too.

Growing church.

Natural outworking of Gospel change is a spiritual family that cares for one another.

The Problem

v1-2

It is inevitable that when sinful human beings get together, live in proximity together and get entangled with each other lives that conflict will arise. While we have been saved by Jesus, and changed by his life giving good news, we aren’t perfected when join God’s team. Becoming loyal to Jesus our Lord wipes away our guilt, but it doesn’t make us instantly perfected in our thoughts actions and attitudes.

Instead, God begins a process of perfecting us, sanctifying us, over time. He knew what he was getting when he chose us and saved us, and he works with us to grow us into maturity.

We know that the best things take time. The best friendships are built over years and years, the best wines are well aged, the best experts have practiced their craft for decades, the wisest counsel comes from the oldest people, and the best nations are built on time.

God makes his believers better over time, conforming them, purifying them into the image of Christ. That means that at every step along the way he will be dealing with less than ideal people. People who still sin and carry their worldly baggage around.

This is the scene in our passage today in Acts. There is a new gospel shaped community called the Church, where people who are made a spiritual family run into problems. It’s not clear if the problems are deliberate or accidental, but the Apostles step in to sort it out so that the church can stay on track. Lets have a look at verse 1 & 2 to see the problem:

Acts 6:1–2 ESV

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. 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.

So the church is vibrant. Things are going swimmingly in terms of church growth and there is a great mercy ministry happening to feed the widows. You see in those days your daily needs were met in connection to the family, and if you didn’t have family, like husband, older kids or close relatives, you would quickly end up on the street. You couldn’t pop down to Centerlink and get on Newstart, or grab an aged pension: the family was the social service for ensuring people didn’t fall into poverty, so when people didn’t have a family they needed outside help. This is why God carries on about the widows and the orphan in the Bible, they were, and often today still are, the destitute and poor who need most help.

So the church is being Godly in their food program to help the widows who were part of the church. There was only one problem with the system: it was racist.

Ok, maybe racist is a bit over the top to use here, but its the same kind of thing. One group of widows, who had a more Greek influenced background were being treated worse than the widows who had the more “pure” Hebrew background. They were playing favorites. The Greek widows were getting less or none compared to the Hebrew widows. This is all the more ludicrous because they are all ethnically Jewish! The Gospel hasn’t even gone to the Gentiles yet, it’s only really a language difference between the two groups.

Unsurprisingly, the Greek-background believers start to kick up a stink! “Why are our widows being neglected?”

SO, the apostles say “Look, lets have a church meeting where we can sort this out.” They get every one together and say “this is an important issue which needs to be remedied, but we can’t let this high importance issue overshadow the top priority issue to proclaim the Gospel.”

With the growing numbers of believers the Apostles clearly needed to figure out a way that they could fulfill their God-given role while making sure the other important church stuff was taken care of.

So they put forward a proposal.

No centerlink. Those who had no family would quickly become destitute. Cared for by the church.

Our sinful nature still affects us, despite the change.

Unfairness in the daily sharing. COuld be accidental, but may have been deliberate.

The apostles can’t give up their highest priority jobs, but, the other issue is still important

The Proposal

v3-4

“We’ve got our job to do, so select some blokes from among you that we can ordain to the work so we can be freed up to focus on our work.”

That Samuel’s Paraphrased version, lets look at the text in verse 3 & 4:

Acts 6:3–4 ESV

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. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

It shouldn’t need to be said here, but a quick reminder to put your ancient literature glasses on because here “brothers” is an umbrella term for both men and women of the church. So the apostles are speaking to their spiritual family.

So they put forward the proposal, but there are some qualifications that need to be met. It’s not just any old seven fellas, they have to: (click slide)

Have a good reputation

be Spirit filled

be wisdom filled

All in all these are pretty good pre-requisites for any position with responsibility, and it makes sense that the people who will take on some power and authority amongst the people have a good track record and proven ability coupled with christian living.

Now the authority and power that these guys will receive is for the good of the Church. Power and authority themselves are not bad, don’t forget that. Our culture has a particular problem with authority structures, and we should be aware of our own weaknesses that come with being a modern Australian. So don’t try to avoid the fact that these guys will be given a level of authority, but as I said, it is for the good of the church.

They’re going to be responsible to make sure that the poor believers get a fair share of the support that the generous church is providing. It will mean taking care of the practical matter of logistics and amounts, but also catering to the needs of those they will serve, possibly even having to say “no” to people who are rorting the the system. These guys weren’t part of a hierarchy, they were just going to be assigned to look after specific practical matters in the church.

put forward trustworthy men who can be in charge of this task

I should also comment here on the way the disciples say: “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” . he implication here is not that there is something wrong with menial or ordinary ministry, but that their role as Apostles meant that they were supposed to be devoted specifically to publicly preaching the Gospel.

All Christians are supposed to be devoted to the spread of the Gospel, but God has gifted us in different ways, and in different stages of life we have different God given roles. The Church is described as a body, where we each play our part in making the whole thing work. There are some jobs that seem to be more honorable and classy, but they are only one part of the whole

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

In this case in acts, the Apostles had the more “prestigious” position as Gospel mouthpieces, but that does not diminish the need for folks to wait on tables, empty rubbish bins and prepare communion. Our roles as different parts of the body aren’t just about what happens on Sunday either, but about how the church lives and moves throughout the whole week. We care for one another and serve one another, and use our gospel gifts wherever we find ourselves.

I hate to labor the point about different gifts and skills God has given us, but I thought that it is also important to remind ourselves that different stages of life will bring different roles in the Church body. The apostles weren’t always apostles, they were just disciples before that, and even before that they were simple folk working regular jobs and trying to follow God.

Throughout life we will find ourselves in different circumstances by God’s providence where we serve in different ways. A mother or father for instance will find themselves in a place where one of their roles is the physical and spiritual nurturing of a young soul for 20-or-so years. But after their kids are grown up their role will change the way that they serve God and the Church.

You may find yourself serving the church though generosity while you have that high paying secular job, but then a few years down the track you may be supporting the local church on the Thai-Burma border by translating the bible, or laying sewer pipes.

The world is dynamic, and God’s use for us is dynamic too. We ought to serve God

in the roles he has given us,

in the place he has put us,

with the gifts he has equipped us with.

And if that means humbly serving the poor and destitute their daily food in love for the rest of your life, then God will be pleased with that.

For the apostles, fulfilling their God-given role meant that they had to appoint trustworthy men to take care of the practical matters of the food ministry so they could be free to do their job.

What are the pre-requisites?

Why spirit filled?

Frees up the Apostles.

Not that serving tables is bad, just that God has gifted us in different ways, and appointed us to different roles.

The Solution

v5-6

And the church was on board with the plan. So they got themselves sorted and set out to solve the problem. They picked out seven blokes who mated the criteria, and put them forward for the Apostles to approve and appoint. Look at verses 5 & 6:

Acts 6:5–6 ESV

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.

Pretty straightforward series of event then. The church folk narrowed it down to these seven men. Interestingly they all have Greek names, so it could be that these guys were all seen as a good bridge between the Hebrew and Greek-speaking believers. It’s not clear though.

Stephens gets an extra special mention here “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” . Spoiler alert, it’s because he is a big character that shows up in the following chapters, and this is his first introduction.

We don’t know much about the rest of the men, except Philip, who also is featured a bit in the following chapters; he does a bit of stalking and teleportation. Good stuff there.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

The thing is though, while Stephen and Philip both get mentions later on about their role in Gospel proclamation, that is not what they are appointed to here. Here they are asked to do the “ordinary” task of looking after food distribution. It just goes to show how often the best gospel witnesses are also humble servants and a reminder to us, that if you’re not willing to serve in the ordinary ways, that there’s no reason to think you would be trustworthy with the more prestigious jobs in the church.

These group of guys are put forward to be ordained by the apostles as the church leaders. Ordained is a bit of a funny religious word, but it just means that these guys are set apart and appointed to the job. It was made official. Just like them, when we appoint somebody to an church office here at Eastgate such as an Elder or Deacon, the church as a whole puts the contenders forward (after meeting the requirements), and then we will pray for them while we lay hands on them and appoint them officially to their role, for the good of the church body.

This seems to be practice of Paul as well

Speaking of Church offices, or “official positions” if you like, the New Testament presents a picture of two clear cut offices: Elders and Deacons. The elders/presbyters are the pastors, the overseers/bishop, the “ministers” if you will, (all the same thing) are responsible for the local body of believers “keeping watch over your souls” , leading, teaching, guiding, rebuking, overseeing church discipline and other such things.

On the other hand there are “Deacons” which literally means “servants.” These are those who aren’t responsible for the teaching and spiritual oversight of the local church, but as their name would suggest appointed to look after service ministry. They have qualifications that are similar, but different to Elders.

Now what is the point of talking about these church offices?

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Most folks believe, that although they are not precisely called Deacons, the seven men mentioned in this Acts passage are the first deacons. Proto-deacons if you will. This whole passage is seen as the reason why we need deacons and how they fit into the role of the Church. And I think that it’s just about right. This passage shows us how the early church leaders dealt with the physical and material ministry issues in the church, and how they made a solution which appears to become the norm for the Church.

Now what is the point of talking about these church offices?

It should help us to properly think about our own Deacons. Currently we just have two; Matt & Paul, and that is sufficient for now. But if the circumstances around here changed, lets say we had an influx of refugees start coming to Eastgate, we might appoint one or more deacons to be responsible for their care, making sure they got the help and support they needed to transition to Australian life.

Stephen gets a special mention because of what will come next.

That’s just a random example, but I’m sure you can see how the concept of deacons fits into church life. Where there is a need that requires official management, but doesn’t need spiritual oversight, we appoint servant-hearted deacons to help.

They were “ordained” to their service. Affirmed by the leaders

And its not about whether or not they are gifted for other types of Christian ministry either. We don’t make people deacons because they can’t teach good; as Stephen & Phillip in Acts proves, deacons can be amazing Gospel proclaimers. It’s also not just a stepping stone to becoming Elders, though it’s not uncommon for deacons to become Elders like I did. Instead, deacon ministry is it’s own role, and it is about humbly looking after practical ministry for the sake of the church.

I could waffle on about the relevance of deacons and their job in serving the Church, but I think I’ve said enough. If you have any questions about the Deacons, or what Elders do, or other church structure questions, I’d be happy to chat to you about them later.

Proto-deacons. Just like the later deacons, and our own.

Proto-deacons

Getting back to our passage, we have seen that everybody gets on board with the plan, puts forward the blokes and the Apostles ordain them to look after the food distribution. It’s a nice end to what looked like a big divisive issue in the church. And there is a positive outcome!

The Result

v7

The last verse of our passage implies that, with the practical issues sorted out, and with the Apostles free to continue the important role of Preaching God’s word and spending time in ongoing prayer, that the God’s word could spread and grow the Church. Have a look at v7:

Acts 6:7 ESV

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.

So things are on track. told us that Jesus disciples would be “will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”. They haven’t reached the ends of the earth yet, but they are well on track with being witnesses in Jerusalem. There’s been a few hiccups along the way, with some minor persecution, the Ananias & Saphira incident and food distribution issues, but each obstacle is being overcome, and God’s Word continues to go out. Jesus promises are being fulfilled.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016), .

Not only that, some of the Jewish priests, the religious guys, the blokes who were the spiritual leaders in Israel had converted to Christianity. This of course gave more credence to the apostle’s claims that Jesus was the Jew’s messiah, and the fulfillment of God’s plan with Israel.

Things are looking good. Everything is in order. Church is growing, they’re staying faithful to Jesus commission, they’re living in a way that demonstrates new life in Christ!

What could go wrong?

Well, you’ll have to read on to find out, or come back next week!! But suffice to say, this verse 7 is the “end of an era” in the life of the church. It summaries what has happened in the early Christian chruch so far, but a new chapter is about to begin!

The implicit effect is the increasing spread of God’s word, the growth of the Church and even the switching over of powerful, significant religious leaders.

It is a summary statement like others that have gone before.

The church is attractive, but only because of the Gospel transformation

Conclusion

So where have we gone this morning as we looked at ?

We saw the issue that showed up in the growing church with favoritism toward Hebrew widows. It was a good expression of generosity, but with poor execution!

We should expect “sinful baggage” - like racisim, sexual immorality, bad attitudes and language, confusion about gender, legalisim etc. God will expose and change people over time.

Reminds us to deal with issues so that they don’t become big blow outs. Letting things fester doesn’t help anyone.

Mercy ministry of helping the poor is natural outcome of Gospel shaped living, and important, but the main thing is keeping Gospel proclamation central and prayer a priority.

We all have different roles in the Church. We should serve where we are, whether that be the public Gospel proclamation, or serving food. It all is part of a Body that seeks to make Christ know across the earth.

The Seven are prototype deacons, like our own. gives us a picture of how deacons fit into the church structure.

God’s Word will go out, Jesus promises are fulfilled.

No one can stop the Gospel!