Ministry & Wisdom

Text: Acts 6:1-7

Core Idea: The Word of God must spread. For this reason, we must be faithful to the call that God has given us as we help each other to do the same, so that the church will be sanctified, the lost will be found, and God will be glorified. 

INTRODUCTION

Good afternoon, Lighthouse. It really is wonderful to be with you. Can you believe that we’ve been together for two months now? There are so many things to be thankful for and celebrate; but I can’t help but to feel a little overwhelmed knowing that there’s still a lot of work to be done. But maybe this is a good place for me to be in, because these concerns are causing me to humble myself and depend on God. It’s reminding me that I can’t do this alone which means that I’m learning to let go and depend on others – which is why I’m so thankful for all of you. Thank you for playing a vital role in building this church. What about you? How has been your journey so far? Let me just say this: no matter how you feel (whether you feel incredibly excited or uncertain or everything in between), I want to assure you that it’s okay to be where you are – in fact, that’s exactly where God wants you to be. So, I pray that you’ll continue to depend on Him as you take every step forward. And don’t hesitate to share what’s in your heart with others so that we could celebrate with you, encourage you, and pray for you. So, with that, let’s do what we do every week – let’s ask God to speak to us through His Word. So, if you have your Bibles, please turn to Acts 6:1-7. 

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.” 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.

Last week, we looked at the first church to learn what a healthy church looks like: it was a church that was devoted to God and to one another. They gathered regularly and intentionally to meditate on the Word and pray together. Generously and joyfully, they shared their lives and resources with one another. And this radical way of living glorified God and earned the favor of others in the city. This is how that passage ends (Acts 2:47), “And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” That sounds amazing. It seems like a great ending to a perfect story. We can almost expect to read next: “And they lived happily ever after, the end.” But this wasn’t the end of the story; in fact, this was only the beginning. We must be very careful not to romanticize the early church as if it was perfect because it wasn’t. Though it was a healthy church, though it is a model for us to imitate, it certainly didn’t mean that they were without flaws, challenges, and problems. There were real-life issues. In chapters 3-4, we read that they were persecuted by their oppressors. They must have been frightened – possibly bitter and confused. But they learned to pray for courage and remained faithful. In chapter 5, they confronted a couple who sinned against the Holy Spirit and the community. They must have felt heavy, discouraged, and disappointed. But they learned to take their sins seriously and kept each other accountable with truth in love. Here in chapter 6, they were distracted by the problem caused by a lack of organization, structure in the church. It could’ve derailed them, but they navigated through with humility and wisdom. In other words, it’s not that the first church was a healthy church because of the good things they were experiencing; no, it’s because they learned to devote themselves to God and to one another in all circumstances – whether they were persecuted, confronted, or distracted. This is what made them a healthy church. 

Friends, how are you all doing? I can only imagine the kind of pressures you feel in your lives – pressures from demanding or hostile work environments, from challenging marriages and parenting, from sick children or aging parents to your chronic health problems, and from all the other troubles and complications of living in this fallen world. Are you discouraged? Are you exhausted? Are you close to giving up or is this causing you to turn to God, be more desperate for God? Are you trying to figure everything out on your own or are you leaning on others for their help and prayer? I want to share something very important: in the midst of these demands and challenges, we must remember that a healthy Christian isn’t someone who is experiencing peace, safety, and comfort; it’s those who are choosing and learning to devote themselves to God and to one another in all seasons. One Christian author writes, “Learning Christ means precisely learning to trust in Him and put our hope in Him in the midst of all the complications, troubles, and pressures of life.” Does this describe you? I pray that it does – that with the help of the Spirit, you will learn to live out the gospel truths every day. That’s what the first church did. Then let’s dig deeper into this passage to learn from them once again. Three things:

• THE PROBLEM

• THE SOLUTION

• THE GOAL

THE PROBLEM

Verse 1 begins this way: “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing.” Despite the threats against the church, more and more people were turning their lives to Jesus. Why do you think that is? Of course, it was because God was working – Jesus made that clear when He said in John 6:44, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them.” No one can be saved unless God opens their hearts to embrace the gospel. Then they were increasing in the number because God was blessing them. But there was also something unique about this community that caused people to be curious, attracted to them – and we see this by reading the rest of the verse. “In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” Let me explain what I mean – here are some things that we can infer from this verse. First, this implies that there must have been widows in this community who could not even afford to put food on their table. Second, there must have been a lot of widows who were suffering from poverty, because the church leaders decided to develop a system to distribute food for them. And lastly, the need must have been extreme, because this distribution wasn’t done monthly or weekly; it was being provided daily. It’s important to notice this because as one pastor insightfully points out, the first church wasn’t just a community for the poor; it was a community of the poor – these widows were very much a part of their community. This community wasn’t made up of just the rich or the strong, but it was also made up of the poor, the weak, the broken, the suffering, the outcast. And together, they learned to interlock their lives with one another – they called each other brothers and sisters. 

I want to share something that Aristides, a Greek philosopher who became a Christian, wrote to the Emperor Hadrian regarding the generosity of the early church (note that the language has been modernized): “Christians live in hope and expectation of the world which is to come. So, they do not embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. If one or other of them has servants or slaves, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They love one another, esteem widows, and rescue orphans from any who ill-treat them. Whoever has [wealth] gives to him who has not, without boasting. When they see a stranger, they take him into their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother. If there is among them any that is poor and needy, and they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to have food which they can supply to the needy one.” Isn’t that incredible? Why would they do this? It’s one thing to give out of abundance. Why would they sacrifice by fasting 2-3 days just to help others? I think it’s because when they gave, they weren’t just giving to the poor; they were giving to their brothers, sisters, friends. That made all the difference in their attitude.  

Friends, isn’t this the kind of community we want to be part of? Isn’t this the kind of community that we want to be – a community that is so enriched with love and compassion because we see each other not as strangers, not as acquaintances, but as brothers, sisters, and friends? Jesus said in John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Then this is the kind of community that I’m praying for – that the young and the old will share their lives with love and compassion for one another; that despite many differences, we would call each other brothers and sisters; that we would do everything in our power to help others even if it means that we would suffer; and that our love would show the world that we are disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Now, you’re probably wondering, “Where’s the problem?” We’re getting there. The church was dedicated to distributing food to the widows daily. Can you imagine the work, organization, manpower that’s needed to do this every day – not just that, the money, the cost involved to make this possible? It’s true that these were good things to celebrate; but Luke shares that not everyone was happy – “the Hellenistic Jews complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” There’s no indication in this passage that this uneven distribution was the result of malicious or evil intent. Knowing that this community was filled with love and compassion for one another, it’s unlikely that this was an act of racism or favoritism. Of course, we don’t know all the details, but it could’ve been a simple oversight. The Hellenistic Jews spoke Greek and the Hebraic Jews spoke Aramaic – and because there were a lot more of the Hebraic Jews in number, it could’ve been that the instructions were given only in Aramaic, leaving the Hellenistic widows in the dark. Whatever the case may be, the reality was that some of the widows were not being fed. 

But this also posed another serious problem for the church. The apostles said in verse 2: “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables.” Those who were called to the ministry of the Word had to leave that calling in order to serve the tables. We’ll talk more about this in our next point, but the apostles weren’t implying that serving the tables was somehow beneath them. They were purely talking about calling – the different roles that we must play in order for the church to do what it was called to do. 

The first church was growing in number but also in diversity. But even in the midst of these “blessings,” there were tensions, challenges, and needs in the community. And this could also happen today. There may be great things happening in our church – more people may come; more people may turn to Jesus; more people may grow in the Word; we may grow in diversity; we may expand in the ways we love and serve the community around us – yet there could still be problems: a group of people (youths, singles, parents, you could name your group) can feel neglected; young people may feel misunderstood by the older people (and vice-versa); people could gravitate toward those who are like them – leaving behind those who can’t fit in anywhere – the possibilities are endless. Then let me ask you, “When we face tensions in this community, what will your response be?” Would you be quick to defend yourself as you find someone else to blame? Would you be quick to criticize and gossip? Would you be quick to assume the worst in people? Or would you be quick to listen because you assume the best in people? Would you be quick to encourage because you understand that we all make mistakes? Would you be quick to step up so that you can provide solutions instead of waiting for someone else to provide solutions? What will your response be? Brothers and sisters, we’ve been blessed immensely; but we will face tensions, we will have needs in this community because it’s filled with people – and we all bring our own baggage and brokenness to this community. It may not even be out of malicious or evil intent; but people could still get hurt and neglected. Yet I believe that there’s still a way for us to be patient, understanding, and loving toward others when these tensions arise: it’s to see one another as brothers and sisters. We’re not competing with one another. We’re not strangers who happen to go to the same church. We’re not consumers. The pastors and the leaders are not performers, graded according to their performance. We’re all brothers and sisters in Christ. If you begin to realize that, regardless of the nature of the problem we face, we will learn to be one – we will honor God and honor one another in all circumstances.

The problems were before the church: the widows were neglected, and the apostles were neglecting the ministry of the Word and prayer. How did they respond?

2) THE SOLUTION

Verse 2: “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word.’” The apostles acknowledged the problem. They didn’t deflect the blame on someone else. They didn’t downplay it. They didn’t deny the problem. No, they humbly took the responsibility. What’s amazing is that they didn’t take it on themselves, though they could have. They delegated. They gathered the whole church and proposed that they select seven men to lead this ministry. They faced a difficult situation and they invited others to be the solution. They trusted others. 

We see two incredible things from the apostles: humility and wisdom. In a world where power was something to keep to yourself, something that was never to be given away, as the leaders of the church, they humbly shared power. We see wisdom in the way the apostles invited the church to choose. The apostles could’ve appointed the people of their choice. But they didn’t. And it’s interesting that all seven men have Greek names, which probably meant that the elected leaders were all Hellenistic Jews. It’s even possible that the seven were drawn from the very group that was making the complaint to show the church that the apostles were listening. 

We see more of their wisdom in the qualifications they proposed for these leaders. They didn’t choose random people – whoever was available. They were looking for those who were full of the Spirit and wisdom. They were looking for those who had a deep personal relationship with God – those who were filled with the Spirit to do the work of the Spirit with the power of the Spirit. They were looking for those who would wisely live out the truth in all situations; those who knew the Scripture but also knew the people and their context well; those who would be able to navigate through complex situations; those who would bridge the gaps; those who would make God-honoring decisions and help people to process it. Again, it’s so interesting to see that the qualifications the apostles proposed for these leaders had to do with their relationship with God, not necessarily their competence for the task. They weren’t asking for the most administratively gifted person. They were more concerned about who they were, not what they were able to offer. 

This isn’t to say that competence doesn’t matter; of course, it does – God deserves the best. We all know that character and competence are both very important for leaders. But in many churches today, people believe this theoretically, yet functionally, they value competence over character in their leaders. Have you heard statements like these? “But he was such a gifted preacher.” “But look at the number of people who have come to Christ.” “But look how our church has grown.” These are dangerous statements. Unfortunately, we can all fall into the temptation of accepting what we should not accept, being silent when we should speak, and being passive when we should act all because we subtly value performance over character. Brothers and sisters, this should not be. In fact, I believe that God ultimately values character over competence. Listen to what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:27, “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong… so that no one may boast before Him.” 

This truth then is timely for us. As it was shared last week, God has led our church in a way that exceeded our expectations. We have a healthy number of people coming; we have a wonderful place to worship; we have the manpower and resources to accomplish great things for His Kingdom. But this also came with a lot more responsibilities – we have administration needs; we need financial organization; we have legal obligations. It’s true that the pastors could do this – but this would cause us to neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer, which is why I’m incredibly thankful that we’re preparing for an election. We have five candidates – and we will elect three to be the members of the Board. They will act and serve to keep the pastors accountable, do the administrative work, and alongside the pastors, lead and make important decisions for the church. Then this is my proposal to our community: that you would prayerfully cast your vote to elect the Board members of Lighthouse Toronto next Sunday. In order to encourage you to do this, we will be sending out the profiles of the five candidates this week. Then as you pray over this, let’s pray that whoever the church appoints, that they would continue to grow in their competence but more so in their character – that they would lead with gentleness; that they will have self-control; that they would be hospitable, generous, and loving. 

One more thing before we move to our last point: this delegation of responsibility has another important application for us all: it means that God is calling all His people to ministry. In verse 4, Luke talks about the ministry of the Word and prayer. Like I mentioned before, some people could read this and think that the apostles were somehow seeing waiting on the tables as beneath them – as if they were saying, “We have more important things to do.” But in verse 1, did you know that the word “distribution” is the same word as “ministry” in verse 4 – diakonia? The ministry of the Word and the ministry of the table – they’re both Christian ministries. And they both require spiritual people. The only difference lies in the form of the ministry – requiring different gifts, skills, and callings. Then remembering that Jesus came not to be served but to serve, all Christians without exception are called to a ministry. Pastors are called to the ministry of the Word and prayer. So, please pray that the pastors will be faithful to this task – and that we would do it well. Of course, I need to study harder and prepare well, but I also need your prayers to be a better preacher. This is what I’m called to do. But you too are also called to a ministry. Pastors can’t do it all. So, pray for yourselves. Pray that He would give you wisdom to discern where and how God is calling you to serve. This is not a way to guilt-trip you; but I have no doubt that as our church grows, God will call you. Then I’m inviting you to prepare your hearts and be ready for the day He calls you. 

3) THE GOAL

Let’s turn to verse 7. “So the word of God spread.” In other words, because the apostles humbly acknowledged the problem, because they wisely delegated the responsibilities, because they didn’t neglect the ministry of the Word and prayer, the Word of God spread. This is the goal of all that we do. Our goal is not necessarily to see our church grow in attendance, have a bigger budget, or have as many programs as possible. It’s not to build a church where everything is available to be consumed by the people. The goal of our church must be that all of us work faithfully to see the Word of God spread as we pray that more and more people come to know and accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. 

Then whenever we face challenges or tensions in this community, we must ask questions like, “What does the Word say? How can we be obedient to the Word? How can we apply the truths here? How can we help him/her to obey the Word? How can we help him/her to embrace the gospel truth?” Brothers and sisters, my prayer is that nothing (inside or outside the church) will hinder the Word of God from spreading – in fact, that we would intentionally take the gospel to the city, the places that we inhabit, because we believe that the power to save, the power to transform, the power to bring life is in the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed.” When God breathes, life begins, and life thrives. Only when God breathes, a community of love and compassion will be created. Then how much more should we desire to see the Word, the very breath of God, spread? This is what we aim to achieve.

CONCLUSION

Lighthouse family, the Word of God must spread. For this reason, we must be a community that’s devoted to God and to one another in all seasons, especially in the midst of all the complications, troubles, and pressures of life. Let us then continue to be faithful to the call that God has given us and wisely and humbly help each other to be faithful to their call, so that the church will be sanctified, the lost will be found, and God will be glorified.