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. Pious, observant, highly moral Jews like the Pharisees (and Saul was a chief Pharisee) were the good guys going straight to heaven. Once they had determined through seeking Gods mind in all this matter, they make an announcement to those whose widows were being overlooked. Frequently, workers in food service occupationsthe modern equivalent of "serving tables"find themselves in low-status jobs with inadequate pay, poor benefits, high turnover, and difficult or even abusive working conditions. It would be similar to a church where there were mixtures of ethnic cultures and one or two cultures were being favored above the others. Not every English translation displays this biasfor example both the King James Version and the New American Standard Bible translate Acts 6:2 as serve tables rather than wait on tables., It is not reason [i.e., right] that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Bible Commentary / Produced by TOW Project, 10 Key Points About Work in the Bible Every Christian Should Know, Beyond Rank and Power: What Philemon Tells Us About Leadership, Learning From the Psalms How to Pray Through Your Work, Serving the Word and Serving Tables Are Equally Valuable (Acts 6:2-4), The Church on Wednesdays, Naomi Compton, The Work of Community Leadership Is a Work of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:3), < Ananias and Sapphira: A Case of Malicious Identity (Acts 5:1-11), Serving the Word and Serving Tables Are Equally Valuable (Acts 6:2-4) >, The Beginning of Gods New World (Acts 1-4), An Orienting Vocation for the Kingdom of God (Acts 1:8), A Christian Identity as God's Kingdom Witnesses in Daily Life (Acts 2:1-41), An Orienting Community That Practices the Ways of God's Kingdom: Acts 2:42-4:32, The Economics of Radical Generosity (Acts 2:45; 4:34-35), The Holy Spirit Empowers Radical Generosity With Every Kind of Resource (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-38), A Just Community Is a Witness to the World (Acts 2:47; 6:7), A Clash of Kingdoms: Community and Power (Acts 5-7), Ananias and Sapphira: A Case of Malicious Identity (Acts 5:1-11), A Clash of Kingdoms: Community and Powerbrokers (Acts 13-19), Vocation in the Context of Community (Acts 13:1-3), Leadership and Decision Making in the Christian Community (Acts 15), The Community of the Spirit Confronts the Brokers of Power (Acts 16 and 19), Confrontation Over the Liberation of a Slave Girl in Philippi (Acts 16:16-24), Confrontation Over the Disruption of Trade in Ephesus (Acts 19:21-41), Engaging the Culture With Respect (Acts 17:16-34), Tent Making and Christian Life (Acts 18:1-4), The Gospel and Limits to Vocation and Engagement (Acts 19:17-20), 4 Attributes of Paul's Leadership as Witness (Acts 20-28), Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at the Alum Creek church of Christ in Alum Creek, West Virginia. What can Christians do to make this vision a reality in today's places of work? When disciples are made, unbelievers are displaced. Sermon on Acts 6:8-15 and the Deacon martyr Stephen and how he models and parallels Jesus. What happens when we are confronted with people different from us? Contributors: Aaron Kuecker Adopted by the Theology of Work Project Board August 11, 2012. 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. As an organisation grows, so does its problems and disagreements. Do you devote yourself to prayer? They set up false witnesses. Saul discovered that he had been making a mistake. The early church was not a perfect church. WebScripture: Acts 1:614. Because the church was facing an internal crisis, the apostles had to act, and they did act: They told the church, Seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.. He wants you to be used, to be a part of His ministry to the world. You do this because of the work of Christ on the cross. , so that the world may believe that you have sent me. That is, we learn of Jesus. 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. WebActs 6:1-7 is very instructive with regard to problem solving. This young growing body of believers in Jerusalem needed not only the Word of God but also some level of organization. The care, the charity of the church, is not being distributed fairly. Intro: What it takes to build a great church One writer estimated that about 2,000 priests lived in It reminds you all that you are each subject to the word of God. The Church had to minister the Word and minister to it people if it was to move out into the rest of the world. What does Luke mean by this phrase, the Word of God increased? It takes very little social imagination to see what is happening in this situation. 4:14; 5:22; Heb. 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. How well do you care for people? Heres the main point for these sermons: BACKGROUND TO ACTS: 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word. The sojourn in Canaan 3. For those with eyes to see, however, Luke is engaging in a little irony right from the outset of Acts 9. It comes right after an incident that shows how incessantly active Gods Spirit is (and so how unstoppable Gods project is). Gentile proselytes to Judaism who later became Christians were also in this group. 1 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Box 1353 |Nampa, ID 83653 USA1-800-803-8093, If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at, Christians in the UK sued by gay couple lose everything, CARM, search engines, Google, and persecution, Austin, Texas passes ordinance that threatens religious freedom. Thats how Saul thought until one day God crashed into his life with a truth so profound as to qualify as a kind of mystery: its all by grace, Saul. Those who are most similar to the leaders of a movement on the basis of background, culture, status, and so on, often benefit from their identity in ways unavailable to those who are in some way different. (Acts 6:4, NIV). As Frederick Buechner so deftly put it, Paul set out as a hatchet man for the Pharisees and returned a fool for Christ! Paul had to eat crow the rest of his days, proclaiming that everything he had believed once upon a time was bogus, a lie, the opposite of what he now knew to be the truth of grace. so that the world may know that you sent me, Sermon: The Word of the Cross, Folly or Wisdom? The apostles demonstrate their dedication to prayer by praying at the appointment of the Seven. John Piper Oct Would you take a job like that? The early church was not a perfect church. Theology of Work Project Online Materials by Theology of Work Project, Inc. is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. 28:20. Acts 9 is one of those stories that has proven to have a pretty wide reach. No one had ever seen widows being cared for with such love and precision. WebThe Coronation Of The King - Acts 1:9-12 God's Precious Plan Of Salvation - Acts 2:21-24 How Salvation Works - Acts 2:36-42 A Man Named Jesus - Acts 4:5-12 That's My Crowd - Acts 4:23-35 Practicing The Ministry Of Encouragement - Acts 4:36-37 The Relationships Of The Baptist Deacon - Acts 6:1-7 Both are essential in the formation of Gods people and for the witness of Gods people in the world. Webo Promise of the Presence and Protection of God Matt. It doesnt matter what your gift or work is. It means to serve. Therefore, a more literal translation would be serve tables and serving the word." Letters To Theophilus (1:1) Many Infallible Proofs (1:3) The Promise Of The Father (1:4-5) The Restored Kingdom (1:6-7) Witnesses For Every manner of good work has the capacityby the power of the Spiritto be a means of participation in Gods renewal of the world. When English translations say wait on tables (Acts 6:2) in contrast to serving the word (Acts 6:4) they are using different wordswait and serve"to translate the same Greek word, diakaneo, which is the original word in both Acts 6:2 and 6:4. Yet despite his preaching gift, he is set aside for the service of resource distribution. WebSermon Outlines In The Book Of Psalms Walking With God Through The Psalms Psalm 1:1,2 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. Letters To Theophilus (1:1) Many Infallible Proofs (1:3) The Promise Of The Father (1:4-5) The Restored Kingdom (1:6-7) Witnesses For Christ (1:8) The Ascension Of Christ (1:9) The Return Of Christ (1:10-11) Nothing less than the power of the Spirit makes possible meaningful, community-building, peace-making work among Christians. I remember one of my professors in seminary shared an account of the struggles they had when they first went to a foreign country to serve as missionaries. The church presented these seven men to the apostles to be appointed as deacons. Its not only color or race that can create friction but it can also be when people come from different cultures. WebACTS 6:1-7: And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Please check out Pastor Sam Kims YouTube channel. Maybe that is a piece of irony, too. At the start of the church, the Apostles face a challenge. THE PATRIARCHS SOJOURN IN EGYPT (9-16) 1. God tells Ananias that Saul will learn how much he has to suffer for the Lords sake. No one had ever dragged as many women away by their hair as had Saul. The twelve disciples say, We cant neglect teaching Gods word to wait on tables. Its not that helping the widows is a bad thing. The workers best suited to heal the ethnic divide in the Acts 6 community are qualified because they are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Like those qualified for prayer and preaching, the table-servers ability is the result of spiritual power. The number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. 1. The apostles understood that those passages we read about evangelization of the world applied primarily to them. On another occasion, a few months later, after the first misunderstanding was worked out, they encountered an even greater challenge. read more. Introduction: After the events of Acts 5, the apostles found themselves in a predicament. OPENING TESTIMONY: Acts 9 is told with remarkable restraint. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. This is a good, solid company, a company you respect. They were to be men of good repute: they were not only to be good men, but they were to be known to be good men. God has given each of you spiritual gifts. 3 But select from among you, brethren, seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. And he will not fail to accomplish his purposes! Can We Build It? It reminds you all that you are each subject to the word of God. Gods wisdom had again triumphed. The work of administering justicein this case, by overseeing food distributionis just as important as the work of preaching the word. This outline gives a "talking paper" format as v. 10). WebScripture: Acts 6:17. WebActs Series Outlines 11 . It is about all the people Top Sermon: How do we get past these disagreements so that we can achieve growth? Joseph A. Fitzmyer, The Acts of the Apostles: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, The Anchor Bible, (New York: Doubleday, 1998), 344. When we began the study of the Book of Acts, I mentioned that one way of outlining the Book of Acts is by using the Great CommissionGo into all the world preaching the GospelJerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world. Had the Church kept things simple we would not have the issues to address. No longer could the church do things the way it always had. To preach Gods word is a serious matter. The enemy had nine cooks and one spy.. Waiting on the Lord requires patient trust Waiting means that we give God the benefit of the doubt that he knows what he is doing Waiting is God's way of seeing if we will trust him before we move forward II. It began in October 1995 and has enjoyed by Matt Slick | Dec 11, 2018 | Persecution, Christian Living. Probably it was used here to refer to the place where funds and supplies were administered for the widows. The Result of Unity Introduction: Today, I want to talk to you about two little words that no one wants to hear, but everyone, who goes to church long enough, will most likely have to deal withCHURCH CONFLICT. Being a disciple means you are work with others. Saul meets up with the One whose name and memory he had been trying to wipe out. You Hebrews arent giving our Hellenist widows their fair share.. God has so many different jobs for us to do. It is not to be taken lightly by the preacher. You like your coworkers-to-be. So we see this morning that while caring for the Hellenistic Widows was the initial problem, it went much deeper. Are Deacons Needed Today? The fact that the church appointed Greek-speaking Christians to oversee the daily distribution to Greek widows demonstrates that they appointed the most qualified men. WebThe Choosing of the Seven. If your eyes are on Him and others see that your eyes are on Him, it wont matter if you are great or not at what you do. Acts 4:34-35. 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. Pious, observant, highly moral Jews like the Pharisees (and Saul was a chief Pharisee) were the good guys going straight to heaven. 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. If each member of the church will do their part, the church will grow. We hate SPAM and promise to keep your email address safe. 7 And the word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith, (Acts 6:1-7). I guess you are wondering what I am doing with the papyrus and pencil? Priority of Preaching Acts 6:1-7Intro: Nehemiah built Text, Acts 6:1-7, KJV: 1 And in Acts 6:1-7 (ESV) The apostles laid their hands on the Seven. Have a carnival in the parking lot of a church. The surface issue is Hellenistic Widows being overlooked in the daily distribution of food but it really is much more than that, it is an issue of diversity Is the Gospel powerful enough to save all people and knit them together in one body? 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, There is an important dialogue hear in the Greekliterally, it is not Gods will that we should serve tables, He wants us to serve the Word. The Bible offers guidance for a Christian view of wealth and how wealth can be used for God's redemptive purposes. There is some discussion as to whether or not the Seven in Acts 6 are really deacons or not. Sermon. read more. Acts 6:1-7. 1 A connection to the past or previous era --Jesus reminded them of the Fathers promise which they had heard from Jesus Himself. Let your pastor be a pastor, not the Chairman of the Board or the CEO. Take em or leave em. The church became involved in the selection of these seven men; they chose the men themselves. Its one thing to discover youve been wrong all along about something but its quite another matter to discover that the person you thought was a sham and a hoax actually exists, knows your name, has been watching the violence youve been perpetrating, and is putting a personal stop to it right then and right there. Sermon. They care about one another; I want to be a part of a group that cares about its members.. It doesnt mean you are isolated. I believe that God calls pastors and not CEOs. This task of caring for the Greek widows was of utmost importance, the Gospel was literally at stake. However, I do believe that men were deaconsmainly because a form of the word deacon occurs twice in this text: distribution at verse 1 and serve tables at verse 2. Series: Essentials for Church Growth The apostles had been freed from the work of caring for the benevolent needs in the church, and they were free to do nothing but pray and preach. 1. They were the poorest church (Paul took offerings from other churches to support them) and yet they won more souls and offered the greatest threat to Satan. Already weve seen rank hypocrisy rising up through the lies and deception of Ananias and Saphira. 23 I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. They worked together and the gospel spread. Gods looking for a few good men and women and children to accomplish His will on the Earth. Evangelical/Non-Denominational. Do we understand that they are all reliant upon the Spirit to do their work for the good of the community? Since He gave them to you, you need to ask HIM how to use them as well as WHEN to use them. Because Ananias must have been as perplexed, befuddled, and shocked by his revelation from Jesus as was Saul. Please check out Pastor Sam Kims YouTube channel. When disciples are made, the world is changed. CARM |P.O. How could they have time to shepherd the flock? Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. Their service is qualitatively the same, although the specific tasks and skills are different. WebActs 6:1-7 is very instructive with regard to problem solving. First, you must desire to discover your gifts. We explore what the Bible has to say about the purpose of your work with guest Tom Lutz. Introduction. And the story proper of Sauls conversion is told in a very straightforward manner that is largely devoid of narrative bells and whistles. Every resource on our site was made possible through the financial support of people like you. The number of those who were disciples of Jesus continued to grow. But no. Outline I. WebActs 6:17 describes some of the growing pains of the early church and how the leadership responds. Its enough to see that this is a God thing, a movement of the Spirit of God. On the other side we see Satan and all of the forces of Hell. You wonder what Saul thought when those scales fell from his eyes only to have those eyes then fall on the kindif somewhat waryface of Ananias. Going beyond Disagreements Youngmo Cho, Spirit and Kingdom in the Writings of Luke and Paul (Waynesborough, GA; Paternoster, 2005), 132. How do we react when God brings other folks into our lives? Ananias was convinced that God was making a mistake. As long as you are doing it for the glory of God. lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Everything sounds great, doesnt it? read more. Acts Series #5 . The call to leave Mesopotamia 2. With your gift of any size, youll enable us to continue equipping Christians with high-quality biblically-based content.
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