Sanctified Support - The Choosing of the Seven

The Problem

Administration and Distribution of goods was taking the Apostles away from their primary work - v.2,4

What was their primary work?

Preaching/Teaching the Word of God

Prayer

Was that all the work that needed to be done in and among the body of Christ? No!

They had to bring in the finances, account for it, purchase the goods and distribute

Note: All of it’s important! It’s the unity and love in the body of Christ that either validates or invalidates the message we preach!

brings us to our second part of the problem...

Cultural and Ethnic dissension threatened to cause a major rift in the unity and witness of the church

First, there were worldly, cultural prejudices and biases that needed to be dealt with

v.1 - showed up in the form of a complaint

Two primary groups of Jews in Jerusalem

Those who were native Jews and whose primary language was Semitic (probably Aramaean). They were very connected to the Synagogue community and likely had a sense of community pride for their fidelity to the old ways of Judaism.

Then there were Jews of the diaspora, or dispersion. These were descendents of those who were carried off to Assyria and Babylon during the days of the prophets and had long been more intermixed with the outside cultures they belonged to. They were referred to as Hellenists and spoke Greek as their primary language.

Suddenly a complaint arises that the Hellenist widows were being overlooked. Was it prejudice and favor to the locals? Was it bias and jealousy? Was it simply language barrier and logistics? Major problem and something had to be done.

Some say this was a tip of the iceberg situation and it was far worse than it seemed, however the church had unity (Acts 1:14, 2:1, 2:44, 4:32, 5:12).

How can this be? Because it is the knowledge and experience of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit whom He has given to us, our new and primary identity in Him that holds us together. That which holds us together is far stronger and more important than what threatens to pull us apart!

We don’t stop being all that we were though do we? We are freed from sin, freed to serve, but we are still us.

Are there prejudices and biases that we carry into our relationships in the church that can threaten our unity?

Think of a marriage. Different backgrounds, parents, ways of handling money, priorities, fears and insecurities, needs.

Ex. Dad used to binge spend which caused lean times and mom had to scrape and scratch to keep the kids fed.

Think of our country right now. Different backgrounds, experiences, understanding of the authorities, different threats, fears, frustrations and insecurities.

Policeman’s wife who has to say goodbye each day to her husband, fighting that nagging fear that this might be the last time she will see him - that there is an altogether too large of a chance that her children will face hardship from their father’s choice of work, whether from people that hate him for it, or God-forbid, his life being taken in the line of duty and them having to grow up without him by their side.

Black man who has to sit his young son down and explain that if he get’s pulled over, he needs to be extremely careful how he proceeds because he will automatically be seen as a threat.

I’ve never had to have that conversation with my children. I likely never will. Many do.

Cultural and ethnic differences are real. Different experiences with different biases, priorities, understanding and fears. They exist and we bring them into the body of Christ.

We are all fairly similar. We are all alike in many ways. Far too often, the church splits into groups it can be “comfortable” with instead of working to come together around the things that matter most - our faith in, worship of, and obedient service to our Lord Jesus.

Are we prepared to receive people that are different than we are? Are we willing to grow by allowing others that we otherwise have very little in common with to get close to us in Christ? Will we greet them when they come in the door? Will we make time to listen to them, learn about them and care for them in the Lord?

Taking care of the distribution of goods needed to be done fairly, efficiently and with accountability and integrity .

How would the Apostles deal with, not only the perception of prejudice and unfair treatment but also the issue of the actual distribution of goods? How would they care for those believers in need while also dealing with potential prejudice and murmurings among the people?

Murmurings and growing suspicions in the church - so often and issue in the body of Christ can become larger than it is because of murmuring and gossip. Like a flame being fanned, the suspicions and accusations grow as people fuel their discontentment through complaints and murmurs.

Sometimes we must speak up! But sadly, much murmuring in the body of Christ in our day has far more to do with faulty expectations and preferences than it does actual problems in the church that must be dealt with.

Trust needs to be established. Much of the issue often revolves around trust or the lack thereof.

Lest we forget, this is all in the midst of a Spiritual battle for the souls of men. The devil is actively stirring and looking to unravel the fabric of what God was doing in this early church and so it is today. We must remember that we are fundamentally looking to our Spiritual care, even as we minister to physical needs. This wouldn’t just be resolved by a program or process but was a spiritual problem that required spiritual aid.

The Solution

How do you promote unity in the body of Christ in the midst of deep cultural and interpersonal differences, deal with perceived or real inequalities and prejudices, and build trust while handling gossip and complaints, manage to meet the physical needs of the church, recognize spiritual battle for what it is in the church and free up the Elders/Overseers for their primary work? Select Sanctified Servants to Help.

Acts 6:3 NASB95

“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

Selected by the church, from the church. (“Select for yourselves”) - If these men are to be trusted servants to the church to meet the needs of the church then it makes sense to have the congregation/gathered people select them from among themselves.

This can look different ways. Sometimes the Elders may put forth names of people known well in the church for their qualities. Other times there are nominations by the church at large and then votes are taken. Either way, there must be a large amount of buy-in from the body of Christ as they will place much trust in these men.

We are congregationalists, believing that Christ has given authority to the church for His ministry and worship and that the keys to the kingdom belong her. (Matthew 16:16-19). This is one area where we see this authority exercised.

(Seven) Men - The church in Jerusalem chose seven men to form a committee of sorts that would oversee this task.

Seven - “The choice of seven men corresponded with Jewish practice in setting up boards of seven men for particular duties” Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: an introduction and commentary (Vol. 5, p. 135). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

Nowhere else do we see a specified number that a church should have.

Men - Follows the model of male leadership (often referred to as “headship”) in the church. God has always desired that men lead, guard and protect even while women play a most critical role in the work of the church.

While many today will see this as something that suppresses women, and keeps them from the recognition they deserve (ref. larger issue of Women in Church Leadership), God means it as a source of protection, a shield, to free them to serve without the burden of oversight.

There are interpretations of the passage in 1 Timothy 3 that see women as serving in the role of the deacon but that is something we will look into further in the next week or two as we continue this study.

With Certain Qualities - “men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom”

Good reputation - Men known to have solid character. Not simply popular, but trusted and trust-worthy.

They will be in charge of finances or distribution of goods. They must have impeccable character. They must be the kind of people no one would dare even suspect of greed or selfishness. They must have and keep the trust of the people they will serve.

Full of the Spirit - This is ultimately, primarily a spiritual service (Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5). The men selected must be faithful men. They must not simply be skilled at a task, but sanctified - set apart - by the Spirit of God.

What’s that look like? First, men who love the Lord and are evidently Christian. Men whose practice matches their profession. Not perfect men, but men who take the work and mission of the church seriously and will hold it as a supreme priority in their lives and in their work for the church.

Often the selection of deacons has relied too much on their prominence or influence in the community and not enough on their faithfulness and spiritual maturity or strength. This can lead to self-important attitudes that seek popularity or political clout in a church environment.

Instead, God desires men who are bold for Him, and humble. Men who are spiritual and not simply successful in business. We need men who are filled with the Spirit to partner with Elders/Overseers in the work of the ministry.

Full of Wisdom - everyone who has ever dealt with conflict knows that what is needed most is wisdom

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Eleventh Edition) Wisdom

b: ability to discern inner qualities and relationships: INSIGHT

c: good sense: JUDGMENT

Strongs: broad and full intelligence (from Homer down); used of the knowledge of very diverse matters

Biblical Wisdom is the skill to use knowledge well.

Ex. Someone may not be as educated and have as broad of knowledge as another, and yet, may be gifted with the ability to use what they have. They are more observant, can better read between the lines and see what isn’t otherwise evident to someone else.

These men are to be “shock absorbers” in the family of God such that they can hear frustrations and complaints of the people without coming to quick judgments, stirring the pot or continuing the cycle. They need wisdom to deal lovingly with their brothers and sisters, wisdom to know when and how to act.

It takes wisdom to lead. (Read Exodus 18:14-24)

Exodus 18:21 NASB95

“Furthermore, you shall select out of all the people able men who fear God, men of truth, those who hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens.

The church needs spiritual men of character and wisdom to lead through service.

Application

We aren’t the early church with thousands of members and countless widows who are dependent on the church for daily meals and care. Neither are we the Israelites with thousands waiting to bring our issues before our leader who sits and judges every matter.

We are, however, a local body of believers who are living and serving as a family to the glory of God in Christ. Anywhere there is the threat of dissension and division, the body of Christ does well to appoint men who act as sanctified servants for the body of Christ.

Would it do us good to have such men to count on to organize meeting needs that arise?

Would it benefit your Elder/Overseer(s) to have men in the church who run interference for Him, taking care of things around the church and freeing him up to give more in the service of the Word of God and prayer?

Then we need deacons! Sanctified Servants!

Several things to note as we prayerfully look to select men to fill this role:

The qualifications matter, don’t rush it

At the same time, we must pursue and pray that God provide

Men, may we strive to be this kind of man

3. Next week and in small groups...