Chosen to Serve

Introduction

Have you ever been chosen? What did it feel like?

Were you chosen for a position in the company that many people wanted?

Were you chosen on a sports team.

Was it a competition or did you meet basic qualifications.

Where you chosen because of someone you knew or your own merit.

To be chosen is a part of life, This morning we are going to discover the story behind the choosing of leadership within the early church outside of Jesus calling of the disciples that became apostles.

Let’s open the text this morning,

Turn with me to Acts Chapter 6 and I will be reading the first seven verses.

Acts 6:1–7 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. 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.

Let’s Pray

The Church Was Growing

Have you ever been a part of a movement that began to grow. I mean at the beginning of that movement.

Some movements over time have taken off and we celebrate that they happened and others we wonder why.

Some are social movements, political movements, media, and even entertainment.

Some are driven around a person, some an ideology, some and more recently with the rise of social media, group think.

Some are confined to a geographical location while others the movement becomes global.

If you study movements there is a pattern to all of them.

There is a beginning, a growth period, a sustaining part, and like most earthly movements there is a decline and often a demise.

Most movements, and I can say almost all, can be graphed on a curve

and the look of the curve changes from one movement to another.

Along the curve there comes a critical moment. In some cases it can be described as a crisis in that movement.

That crisis changes the tagetery of the movement moving forward.

For some that crisis has a decline in the movement, while others rockets them off to better and greater things.

You don’t have to look too far around us to see various movements and with the rise of the instant information of the world around us they are going to increase more and more.

You are probably wondering what this has to do with our text, well we are looking at a movement developing the the book of Acts.

Words can influence, so let me say a few things.

I don’t believe for one moment when I call the church a movement that there will come a time where it will cease.

The church and it’s mission was established by God and it will never cease. The how and effect may look different, but God will never let it go.

I use the term movement in the book of Acts because it parallels some to the same characteristics of a movement because God for some reason has chosen to involve us, his creation to be a part of the working of God.

You see, every movement has a crisis and how they group deals with the crisis affects how they move forward.

Last week we saw in this movement a crisis in the lives of the people. Sin of deception caused a quick response by God and later in the chapter, the leaders of this movement were arrested.

Look back quickly to Acts 5:38-39

we jump into the text as the Jewish leadership were discussing what to do with Peter and the rest of the Apostles where now in great trouble for preaching the Good News. The leaders saw a movement of what they termed as a movement.

Acts 5:38–39 (ESV)

38 So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan(movement) or this undertaking is of man, it will fail;

39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice,

What happened, they were beaten and freed from Jail.

Would you join a movement if there is great cost to you.

When we stand up for Christ, there may be a time where this will cost us dearly.

When you join with your full life, and you are willing to give everything to God, your life will change.

It did for the people in the story of Acts.

Look what Luke says now just coming out of the context of someone being punished by death for their deception and the leaders imprisoned and beaten.

Acts 6:1 (ESV)

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number

Over the many years of being in leadership in ministry I have noticed one thing.

When you raise the bar of what believers should hold to be true and live their lives, there is always growth.

When I look at scripture and challenge myself along with other believers to hold to the truth and live out the Word of God there is always a growth in our lives.

Seeking God leads to a growing to be more like Christ and it drives us to go and give

The early church was experiencing this as well

There was a growth as the disciples went every day to church and house to house.

But, look at the second part of verse 1

Acts 6:1 (ESV)

..... a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

The Problem

A problem.

It’s no wonder that there was a problem. People were being added to the group.

In one of my former ministries, as leaders we were excited at the launch of a new ministry that was intended to reach out into the community with the Gospel.

If the methodology that we planned worked and God worked among the people, we would find ourselves like that of the early church and our numbers would double.

We were all excited. We were praying for growth. We even opened up or wallets as there was a financial cost to this

So I then asked a sober question.

If this program is successful, are we ready to have a change in our church as the people we reach that come will change the makeup of our church.

Church was about to get messy......

The early church began to get messy....

Every church if they are willing to view their ministry in light of God’s economy, ministry will get messy.

The messiness of the church developed a problem.

People were being overlooked.

It began the long standing discussion among many churches today.

Us vs them

The Us and them in many churches are different depending on the church.

For some Us are the regulars, while them are the visitors

Us are the faithful while them are the so so committed

Us are the Members while them are the adherents

Us are the believers them are the non believers

Any church can fall into a trap of Us vs them

For the early church, Luke states “Hellenists vs Hebrews”

Us vs them.

Ironically, if you were to go into a deep search into who were really the two people groups, theologians over time have debated this and are in conflict.

IT really is a us vs them

You see, as we come to Christ we come with our own understanding, background, and even in some cases prejudice with others that can cause the messiness of church life.

This conflict can truly be summed up this way

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts F. The Hellenists’ Presence and Problem in the Church (6:1–6)

But since attitudes and prejudices formed before conversion are often carried over into Christian life—too often the unworthy more than the worthy ones—some of the problems between the Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews in the church must be related to such earlier differences and prejudices.

The Response of the Leaders

One thing we know for sure is that the Us vs them came to the attention of the leaders.

A complaint arose.

IT really begs the question

how does a healthy church addresses complaints, and folks, there can be many,

the healthy church deals with complaints as they are working together to be like Christ.

Acts 6:2–4 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. 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.”

Town Hall Meeting

The first thing that the Apostles, the chosen leaders, chosen by God, held a town meeting.

They brought the entire group together.

I wonder what that meeting looked like?

I think of the many ways in which we come together to discuss issues and I ask myself the question, how are we doing?

Who was invited

The meeting was set, but who was invited?

Did you notice the text.

The full number of disciples.

The many women and men who had given their lives over to following the movement. The followers of Jesus of Nazareth.

The first congregational meeting ever held for the early church began with inviting everyone to the meeting to discuss a problem of

Us vs Them

Description of problem

It is good to note at this point that the leadership were leading the followers.

They had brought them together because of the problem and if you read carefully there was more of the problem than just

Us vs Them

The catalyst to the meeting was the Us vs them, but it was about a ministry

The ministry that was happening was care for the needy.

Long before the formal institution of organization,

ministry was happening.

It is a constant reminder for me as a leader who is working with people to get them organized that some ministry happens without organization. Because we as a church are not just an organization but an organism.

Some ministry, and over the years, I have seen many, start because God places upon the hearts of people to do His will.

The distribution of food to those in need was a good thing.

It cared for those who were truly in need.

Ministry can happen without organization, but when it grows to the point of unmanageable proportions, help is needed.

Here is where the leadership steps up to lead.

The first thing they realize is that everyone has a gift and calling.

The Apostles realized that the ministry needed help.

I can well imagine as the complaint came to them, the first response was from the people, you need to be doing this.

I have in ministries past had some people place a “higher Calling” on some ministries over others.

They begin to bring in the Us vs them in importance of ministries.

They look at this passage and see it as a higher and lesser but that is the farthest from the text one can jump.

Acts 6:2 (ESV)

...It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

When the Apostles saw their role as giving up a calling to serve another calling.

The ministry of serving tables was not below their abilities, rather the importance of the calling.

They were called to preach, to give public witness.

There was a calling to serve that needed to be filled.

It wasn’t a lesser but the difference was in responsibility.

Solution to the Problem

The solution to the problem was clear.

We need to find people who are called by God to serve in this ministry.

And notice the WE

It wasn’t an appointment from the leaders

IT was the disciples of Christ, the church who had the responsibility of choosing the men.

Earlier I asked you if you had ever been chosen for something?

As you pondered the events in your life, were their times that you were chosen because you filled a gifting and calling?

The Apostles didn’t just say draw lots or our modern day of pulling straws,

They said very clearly people who have certain gifting.

They needed to have a good reputation.

They needed to be full of the Spirit. In other words you needed to see in their life a working of the Spirit, a working not hampered by the individuals reluctance to listen to the calling on their life.

A willingness to serve at all costs.

Again we see this passage as both a descriptive and prescriptive passage.

It’s prescriptive in the sense that leadership should be chosen by a process of assessment and gifting.

It’s also descriptive in the sense the actual number and persons are not prescriptive based upon the current need and function.

If we were to take this as a fully prescriptive text for our context, not having seven and men only would make our current form of Deacons not Biblical.

then Luke moves on.

Acts 6:5 ESV

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.

The Response of the Disciples

The response of the disciples was a positive response.

The complaint had been addressed and a solution was presented that made sense to the people.

There was an agreement to the Process

They began searching for the people that would best be called and serve.

One commentary wrote

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts F. The Hellenists’ Presence and Problem in the Church (6:1–6)

All seven men have Greek names; one of them is singled out as having been a Gentile convert to Judaism (that is, a “proselyte”). But it is impossible to be sure from the names themselves whether all seven were Hellenists, for at that time many Palestinian Jews also had Greek names. Nevertheless, the fact that Luke gives only Greek names suggests that all seven were in fact from the Hellenistic group within the church.

In other words, the leaders were from the “Them” camp.

There was a presentation of people

The text doesn’t say how long this process was in chosen the people, but we do know that the names were brought forth and acknowledged by the people.

The Church’s Blessing

The last part of this occasion is found in the blessing of the people and the blessing of the church.

Knowing, Growing, Giving

A healthy church made up of disciples who are seeking to know God while being transformed to be like Christ, will give of their gifts to serve in ministry.

The Commissioning of the Chosen

These men then had something that I believe as a modern day church we don’t do enough of.

They were commissioned to fulfill their calling and ministry.

I want to leave you with a thought.

If you believe that whatever ministry you have been called by God to do in the midst of community is small and insignificant, think again.

Nothing is small when we are serving God through the gifts He has given us.

You see laying on of hands were done in various forms and for various purposes from commissioning to service, setting apart for ministry, healing and judgement,

but laying on of hands by leaders give a message of Grace,

It serves as a means of grace to the candidate in affirming God’s call through the church and in providing a tangible, physical moment to remember when ministry gets hard.-

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-laying-on-of-hands

The Church Growth once again began to grow

The movement had a moment where it slowed down and dealt with an issue.

Vs 7 sums up a description of a healthy church as it is written

Acts 6:7 ESV

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.

What are we to do

What are we to do. How does this text apply to our lives today.

We as a body of believers also take on the practice of choosing among us leaders who will by God’s Grace lead through the gifting that has been given by God.

We haven’t choosen men and women because of problems that need to be address, but we want to provide leadership to the ministry.

Church Recommendation Process

Each June our ministry chooses leaders, Elders and Deacons to serve this ministry within our local body.

In order to assess the leaders we have a process by which we are asking you, the disciples of God, among us to help us identify and for each one of you to seek God in how you are to serve with your gifting.

We are wanting to have Godly leaders, full of evidence of God’s Grace upon their lives to serve

Pray for Direction

How does this happen,

First Pray

This is not a popularity contest

This is not a “Take your Turn” process

This is a calling from God to serve with the gifts.

For some,

this calling has been clear,

for some it may mean stepping out of your comfort zone to lead in a way that you have been called.

As you pray remember there are different responses when asked by God to serve

Responses:

“I don’t want to do it, so I am not called.”

“IT costs too much, look at what happened to Stephen!”

“I feel called”, but the reality is my gifts don’t line up with the calling.

Pray for direction for you and for those you want to recommend.

Submit Recommendation

In the coming weeks you will see a form come out allowing you to submit names for recommendation to serve.

Begin today, by seeking God to see if you are being asked by him to Serve in this role. Then begin to listen to His voice as to who He sees needs to be in this role.

For some of you, God may be urging you to take up formal membership within this local context so you can serve with the gifts God has given you.

Feel free to talk with me after the service and I can explain the process.

In Summary

one commentary wrote,

The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, Volume 9: John and Acts (F. The Hellenists’ Presence and Problem in the Church (6:1–6))

Acts 6:1–6 is particularly instructive as something of a pattern for church life today. In the first place, the early church took very seriously the combination of spiritual and material concerns in carrying out its God-given ministry. In doing so, it stressed prayer and the proclamation of the Word, but never to the exclusion of helping the poor and correcting injustices. And even when the church found it necessary to divide internal responsibilities and assign different functions, the early believers saw these as varying aspects of one total ministry.

Remember,

A disciple is one who is Seeking, Growing and Giving

Giving of the gifts out to the body as we serve.

I ask now Pastor Josh come and lead us in a corporate response of the celebration and remembrance of the Lord’s Table.

Communion