"Biblical Unity and Order" | Acts 6 | Pastor Keith

Please take a seat, open your Bibles to the book of Acts

Acts 6 · chapter mention

chapter 6. I wanted to ask you to do some

homework and that is read the book of Acts Chapter 7, which

Acts 7 · chapter mention

will begin on Sunday. If you want to get a summary of

the Old Testament, A biblical summary, the book of Acts

Acts 7 · chapter mention

Chapter 7, which we're not doing tonight, but Sunday, is one of

the most brilliant passages in the Bible, and I encourage you

to read ahead because it's loaded with so much a wonder.

But we're in Acts 6 tonight, so the church is continuing to

grow. Let's start now in those days

when the number of the disciples was multiplying.

Now he's changed from and the Lord added to the church daily.

God's good at maths. He's now multiplying.

He's multiplying. Sometimes there are blessed

subtractions. Do you know that?

Sometimes God says, you know what?

We don't need that situation, that person and, and, and

there's a blessed subtraction in the Kingdom of God.

But here we see now in those days when the number of the

disciples was multiplying, there arose A complaint against the

Hebrews by the Hellenists because they're widows were

neglected in the daily distribution.

So the church continues to grow, but they arose up within the

church a complaint. And so a murmuring is happening

and it was a matter of food. Now remember back when the

church was formed, people willingly, voluntarily, without

the Lord telling to do so, sold land, sold property and brought

their funds, laid it at the disciples feet to use as the

disciples of the apostles saw fit.

And so part of that, what was happening now is there were

widows and well, you can look at, we'll get to the

qualifications of what was a widow.

There were widows who were 60 plus years of age who had no

family, were godly. They actually served in the

church day and night. They cared for the afflicted.

They did all this work. And So what happened and is

there they were being cared for and including that others who

because of their coming to Christ had lost their job, lost

a lot of things being cut off from family, kicked out and

remember a young Japanese girl where in the church where Helen

and I got saved. Can't remember, I can't remember

her name, but she told went home and told her family she had

become a Christian. And her father physically threw

her out the door and physically kicked her all the way down the

street and told her to never return.

She was no longer their daughter.

And so these things that happened to some of the

believers there in Jerusalem. And so a complaint came up

because there were two cultures. There were the Jews believer,

Jewish believers who were living in more and more living a life

more like the Greek culture. And then there was the

traditional families and now become Christian Jews who still

retained their Hebrew culture. And so there was this this kind

of faction in a little bit purely because of their culture.

And so the Hebrew was saying that they felt that there was a

complaint against the Hebrews by the Greek culture, saying the

Hebrew sides, they're getting, they're getting more bread,

they're getting, they're getting better looked after than we are.

So as I said, the church had a definite support corrupt

programme for widows who served the church daily and faithfully.

And you can read that for yourself in one Timothy chapter

5 verses 3 to 16. And it goes into great detail

about how old they were had to be had to have no family support

because if there was a family, then the family had to support

the widows. That was their job.

Otherwise they'll candid worse than than a non believer and so

they'll believe in they served in the church.

So that as I said, the Greek cultured Jews felt that the

Hebrew cultured Jews were being given precedence more bread than

the Greek widows. And so there was a problem.

Now Satan loves to use an unintentional wrong to start a

conflict. So this hadn't been a thing

ordered by Christ to say, OK, when you come to Christ, you got

to sell all your land and you got to live in a communal style

type lifestyle. They weren't doing that because

they were helping one another. They love one another, but it

wasn't something that that was initiated by Christ or the

apostles. God had never commanded that.

So the situation, this was a problem, it needed to be dealt

with because it risked bringing a schism, a split in the church.

Well, we're going to have just the Hellenist congregation

meeting here, and we're going to have the Hebrew congregation

meeting here. Oh, but we're still all of

Christ, no? And so in bringing a solution to

the perceived problem because we don't know if it was true or

not. Sometimes they speak well, but

they're actually not, you know, so we don't know.

Doesn't say the apostles brought more than just a resolution to

the conflict. Their actions actually brought a

maturity to the church. Pastor Chuck Smith used to teach

us this about conflict. He'd said if someone in your

church has a problem with someone with what they've done

or what they're doing, there are only two that you should discuss

that matter with. One is the Lord, take it to the

Lord, and two, speak to the other individual yourself.

That's it. No third person, no telling

others, no one. You know what they're doing, you

know, like no, none of that. And you're to do it in that

order. Go to the Lord 1st and then go

to that individual. And then taking a step back, the

fourth thing you would do in that case is you are to seek

God's will in that situation above your own.

You know, the Bible says in the book of Proverbs that God hates

proud looks so forth and so on and those that cause division.

And when you think about it, anyone that causes a division in

the in the congregation of Christ and says, you know, no,

we're demanding we have this. This is what what they've done

is they've taken their pet hurt their pet thing and they've said

I don't care the damage that it does to others.

I don't care how to all split the church.

I don't care what it does to the name of Christ and how people

who aren't Christians will look on.

I don't care. This has got to be sorted this

way. And So what what has happened is

that individual has self proclaimed to their own desire.

This is going to it's got to go my way or the highway and

instead of looking at the damage to the Lord's name to the church

and to individuals the fallout so the the apostles heard the

murmuring the complaints. It says verse 2.

Then the 12 summoned the multitude of the disciples and

said OK, everybody come here. It is not desirable that we

should leave the word of God and serve tables.

Now, before I go on, this is not like we're not going to do

something so petty as that. And I mean, you know, we're the

chiefs here. We're not the Indians.

That's that's not the spirit of what they're saying here.

They're saying the will of God in this situation is not that

this becomes something that we must manage and look after.

It goes on to say, therefore, brethren, seek out you guys, put

it on you, seek out from among you.

Here's the answer. 7 men get 7 men and they must have a good

reputation, 3 qualifications. They must be full of the Holy

Spirit and have wisdom, whom, after you've selected them, we

may appoint over this business. They'll be in charge of that.

They can run it, they can sort it out, but we will give

ourselves continually to what two things, to prayer and to the

ministry of the word. The apostles in examining the

problem found out probably that they were to blame.

In reality, you might go as well.

How's how's that? Well, were were the apostles so

looking after the food problem like situation and they're

involved in this and problems were coming up.

They were murmurings where they were neglecting their time now

to sort out these situations, these small things and these

other things and the ministry of the Word.

And they would be suffering because of the time spent on

this situation, because they were busy, so busy serving

tables. They're trying to do too much.

You see, spiritual deficiency in the church will always make it

easy for problems to develop attention to.

Prayer and the ministry of the Word are matters of spiritual

discipline and they especially the teaching of the Word of God

is that which must never fall short.

And those who are given that position to teach and to pray in

that regard, because you can't teach without prayer and you

need prayer to be able to teach any prayer to seek God.

Chuck Smith would say, and I, and I know how this is in my

life is, is, is you would read every commentary.

You would spend weeks and weeks and weeks.

You would read over and over and over the passage you're going to

preach. You would, you would write

endless notes. And I have exercise books that I

I write endless, endless notes on, on passages and, and look at

every commentary and they don't all agree which So what is what

is actually the text saying? And you've got to work through

this before you can share. And then you're going to seek

God and how long I pray specifically through the week.

God help us to understand your word.

Help us to know your word, but also help us to preach and teach

the word that is needed from this text.

So you got to teach the text. It's past Israel showed us out

of Nehemiah chapter 8. And that's where Calvary gets

Nehemiah 8 · chapter mention

their their distinctives. You read the text, give sense to

the text. And then there's application,

Nehemiah chapter 8, verse 8. And so to be able to do that, it

Nehemiah 8:8

takes a lot of work. It's not like just get up here

and, you know, you've heard those, you've heard those

messages. Well, I haven't really got

together. I haven't had time.

So let's just seek the Lord and see where he leads us.

Yeah. Prayer, preparation and

preaching. When Paul gave his last words to

Timothy, whom he had trained, who took over the pastoral role

at Ephesus, what did Paul say? Make sure you got all the

administration down. Make sure that when you do the

weddings, you get their names right.

When you do the funerals, you get their names right.

Make sure you got all the offices out and you know, and

the invoices are paid on time. Make sure you got that down.

He said simply said preach the Word, preach the word.

So the ministry of the word that the apostle said all of our

time. And I can tell you people so, so

now that you're not working for the police, what, what are you

doing with all your time? And it's it's it's ironic.

I hated homework at school. That's why I did so well.

But the moment I became a Christian and then God called me

into the ministry. I have never read studied so

much and I'm and it, it doesn't drop away.

Oh yeah. Well, you know, we taught the

book about, you know, I taught the book of Acts, you know, over

40 years now. So just just just know it.

No, because it's the manner that's got to be picked up fresh

every morning. You can't go back and say, well,

I preached this message back in 40 years ago and here we are.

So let's start off. Nothing's changed.

The world's changed. God's moving, you're different.

What's happening? It's still, you've still got to

teach the text. You've still got to teach the

text in context. But what is God saying to us out

of the text today? Today the apostles, we're

labourers and that's what we are, Donald Grey Barnhouse said.

No man is ever going to be able to fill the pulpit adequately

unless he spends thousands of hours year after year in the

study of God's Word, Pastor Chuck would say.

And so I would spend all week and then I've got to come down

to 45 minutes and I have 50 pages of notes, 45 minutes

serving tables. They decide, well, the apostles

go and we don't do tables. No.

And this is where we need to be careful.

Serving tables, however, is not a menial task, too low for the

apostles. That's not what they're saying.

Every ministry in the church is important.

Every ministry usher at the door.

You know, I still believe that the men that they had at the

door when hell and I first got saved and we started attending,

they had an an initial impact upon my life as a new Christian.

One used to drive a truck for the brewery brewery.

The other one was a fellow who had been in the Air Force like

my father and he just was loaded with with the word of God and

God's kindness and grace. And as I shook their hands, 1977

going to the church, those first two weeks of services, I'll

never forget the impact they had.

The ushers at the door had upon my life.

I got a firm, welcoming, manly handshake.

They didn't go into great depths about things, but I became great

friends with them, grew close to them, revered them and and so

the impact of ministry. Serving the tables is not a

menial task too low for the apostles.

Every ministry in the church is important, but it is a case of

priorities. DL Mooney said it is better to

put 10 men to work than try to do the work of 10 men.

The solution and the the church agreed with it.

The multitudes select 7 qualified men.

We qualify. Then it's going to go to here's

your bread, here's your bread, what you want, what

qualifications. And that's where we lose it.

That's where we think, oh, this ministry, oh, you know, the

ministry of being a missionary going to some far off length.

Oh, I mean, that's got to be the highest calling, wrong?

That's not true. The highest calling is the

ministry that you do, that God has called you to do, you're

doing in his will. And the highest ministry is you

doing what God has asked you to do.

That's the highest calling. It's not, oh, Billy Graham's out

of it. You know he's gone.

I was hoping to be another Billy Graham.

Hold it. No 7 qualified men.

The apostle set them apart for this ministry.

The Hebrew members notice it was the Hebrew members selected six

men who are Helenus and one man who was both a Gentile and

proselyte. So he was not a Jew.

Then he became a proselyte. He converted to Judaism and now

he's become a believer. And now he's been selected to be

part of serving at the tables. Now the term Deacon comes into

this picture now diaconos, but it's not mentioned.

Diaconos means to serve, it means ministration, it means to

wait on tables, literally waiter attendant.

But these seven are not given this title here.

Later Paul gives the additional qualifications because there's

more that Paul will add for such a a position in the church for

someone who wants to be a Deacon.

One Timothy chapter 3, verses 8 to 13.

You may not call waiting or serving at a table a spiritual

job. That's wrong.

But the requirements to fill the position notice were indeed

spiritual. They didn't say anyone here

being a Baker, one man of good reputation, that is a good

witness. They had a good witness in

Jerusalem, in the church. They are to be men who by their

lives people speak well of them and their love for Christ.

Secondly, serving at tables, they had to be full of the Holy

Spirit. Wow and wisdom.

Fullness of the Spirit, however, is not some unique spiritual

aristocracy to which only a few can attain.

It's normal Christian living according to the Bible.

For you and I to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Visas, chapter 5. How often are we to be filled?

When are we to be filled? Go on being filled.

It's normal Christian living. It's people who are living a

life that demonstrates they are followers of Christ, full of the

Holy Spirit. It means that the things of the

world, their home, their business, their profession,

their family and all life that they're involved in are touched

by the hand which is Christ's hand.

Those who whose lives demonstrate faith and trust in

Christ, in everything that they do, in everything that they do,

they are to be full of wisdom. That is a moral quality.

One who reaches the best ends by the best means, then use their

intellect and the knowledge of God, and then apply the

knowledge of God. Be wise how they apply that.

So it is a matter of being faithful to the call of God upon

your life. What has God chosen you to do?

Whatever ministry that God asks you to do, that His is His will

for you is the highest ministry. The highest calling is that

which God has called you to, to be in serving Him with your

life. So God had called the 12

apostles. Paul wrote, I am an apostle by

the will of God. That's why he was an apostle.

Today you'd be an apostle because you want to make money

somewhere, travel around the world, put a thing, I'm an

apostle and to minister to the people.

The word of God, they'd been chosen to be apostles and their

job was to go into the world. Teach what I've taught you.

Secondly, some people are called to serve physical food.

Others are called to serve spiritual food.

You need both. It is you mentioned being

married to your wife comes on and she's I'm a spiritual wife.

So here's the food. Well, here's the blessing.

Lord bless. Would you like some dessert with

that? Lord bring some sweet blessings.

Is that is that satisfy you? No.

On occasion, if the need arises, an apostle may wait on tables

and this famous story Chuck Smith was saying he's walking to

the church, it's been raining, he's got his suit on.

He's about to preach in the morning and there's a a gutter

overflowing. The water's just pouring,

flooded out as people are coming in.

He takes his suit jacket off, rolls his sleeve up, sticks his

hand down the drain, pulls out all the leaves and all the mark,

cleans it off, goes in, washes his hand and goes to the

ministry. Yeah, we do what we have to do,

but it is not to be the daily occupation.

It's to be in prayer and the ministry of the Word to give our

lives to them. You must give top priority and

1st attention to what God has called you to be and to do.

Those men, seven men you can put in charge of such matters.

In other words, now we're going to stay and spend all our time

in prayer in the ministry of the Word, studying and then

teaching. Because remember, how often were

they teaching every day? And you guys got the bread's got

nothing to do with us anymore. It's not washing your hands of

it. It's getting it done and getting

it done right by the right people.

So the apostles prayed for them and then laid their hands on

them. Read verse 5 and the saying

please, the whole multitude. They chose Stephen, a man full

of faith and the Holy Spirit. Oh, but he's just serving

tables. Hold your horses.

Read the Bible and Philip, Procurus, Nikonor, Timon,

Palminus, Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch whom they set

before the apostles. And when they had prayed, so

they prayed for them. And now notice a bit of a

difference here. Then they laid hands on them.

When did they lay hands on them? If all they did was provide for

the practical needs of these widows?

If you ask, that's a good question.

Why do they pray for these guys? Well, it's like Ian Ian's going

to mow the lawn. Ian, we need to come pray for

you. Going to He's going to mow the

lawn. You're going to pray.

Actually, according to this, we probably should, because they

were meeting the needs of the widows.

Do you really need to be spiritual to do this kind of

practical service? Yes, indeed, for practical

service. And here's where we missed the

point. Oh, all this is where all the

service happens. And over there, none of the

services no wrong. Remember the moment someone

comes to the door, someone greets them and then someone

ushers them to the sea, someone directs them to the toilet,

someone says, oh, it's great to see you.

The ministry is happening. The ministry is happening

because practical service is spiritual service.

The same Greek word is used for both distribution in Acts 61.

Now in those days the number of the disciples were multiplying.

There was a complaint against the Hebrews because their widows

were neglected in the daily distribution and daily

distribution. And then in Acts chapter 6,

Acts 6:4

verse 4, but we will give ourselves continue to pray and

to the ministry of the word. The idea behind both.

It's the same word is service. Both were service, whether in a

practical or a spiritual way. People serving in some capacity

in church should always count it.

And that's why I say please don't ever take on a position in

the church. Don't ever teach Sunday school.

Don't ever be in usher. No one else.

I'll do. Hi.

Welcome care. Get in.

Sit over there. Oh, son, I'll do it.

All you kids get out of here. Sit down.

Quiet. We don't have a Bible story.

No. Anyone else.

I'm doing it. No, please don't.

It's to do it because it's a privilege, A privilege to teach,

a privilege to serve the Lord in these best practical ways.

You know we have that. Some of you have been here when

we've done the spring cleaning. Have you noticed the spirit

that's amongst that group of people if you've been involved?

Most of you have. When we gather, we're there.

We're all serving the Lord. It's a joy, it's a privilege to

serve the Lord in these basic practical ways.

Instead of seeing it as an unspiritual burden apart from

the cross at Calvary, Jesus showed the ultimate measure of

love by simply washing his disciples feet.

So what's the result of the apostles decision?

Verse 7? Notice it says.

Then the Word of God spread because things were in order,

the right people were doing the right things.

Everything was going well. The apostles were back to prayer

and teaching the Word. Now the guys were distributing

the bread. Then the Word of God spread, and

the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.

And Even so, a great many of the priests were obedient to the

faith. Now when Satan attacks and

attempts to divide the church, we found the apostles not

distracted from the focus of the ministry because Satan.

And we pray that. I wish you would join us in the

priest service prayer Sunday mornings.

One of the things we always attempt to pray for is that

there'll be no distractions during the gathering of God's

people because Satan always wants to have a distraction to

get our attention away from the worship of him, from the study

of the Word and from the from a bang what God has said, He wants

to distract us to someone to get our attention away from from the

Lord. So the apostles beautifully were

not distracted from the focus of the ministry that God had from

OK, well, we're going to run a roster out of the 12/2 of the

guys each time we gather every day you're going to go on the

bread. Then we'll rotate that through

depends on how you have church. Well, there's more bread than we

like to have three of us. No, no, no, that have been

sorted Verse 8 and Stephen full of faith and power.

Man, we keep reading that did great wonders and signs among

the people. Then there arose some from what

is called the synagogue of the freedmen, Cyrenians,

Alexandrians and those from Cilicia and Asia, disputing with

Stephen arguments. They were not able to resist the

wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke.

Capital S notice wasn't him. Stephen was not smarter, better

educated, or a greater debater than the than the Jews.

These Jews. If you think that you have not

read the text correctly, you haven't seen what God is telling

you about Stephen. No, Stephen was able to say and

do what he did. Why?

Because he was full of faith and power.

Jesus had said you're going to be called up.

People are going to drag you before the magistrate.

But don't don't worry, John 14. I will give you the words to

say. I by the Spirit will give you

that. Don't you don't have to be

concerned about that. Verse 11 Then they secretly

induced men to say, we have heard him speak blasphemous

words against Moses and God. They stirred up the people and

elders and scribes. They came upon him, seized him,

brought him to the council. They also set up false witnesses

who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words

against this holy place and the law.

They were twisting what Jesus had said through Stephen, for we

have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy this

place, change the customs which Moses delivered to us and all

who said on the council looking steadfastly at him.

So his face is the face of an Angel.

That doesn't mean he's a good looking fellow.

No, it means Stephen as he is speaking to these guys, he's a

man of God and his face, they could see his confidence and

trust was in the Lord. He was not getting go cranky,

you guys. Yeah, and and and going off, he

was someone who trusted in the Lord and he spoke as someone who

knew the Lord and says notice again, it says then the word of

God spread and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in

Jerusalem and a great many of the priests were obedient to the

faith. So the word of God was dealt

with. It was found to be important.

So this is where Paul said we each have a gift.

We each are called. The task is what has God called

you to do? Because these seven were called

to serve at tables. But then we're going to read of

two of these men and no longer will we read of any of the other

apostles except Peter and John. And then we'll read of Saul.

But Philip and Stephen will read on because God opened the door.

They started. They said, yeah, we we'll do

that. You see, this is where you start

if you want to be a teacher of God's word.

And many people come and say, I'd love to teach the word of

God. Teacher of Bible state.

Oh, great. See Pastor Nap, Sunday School

kids start there. I want to go into the ministry.

Awesome. Come join us when we're cleaning

the church. We need to start with the

toilets and we need to go through.

You know what if you don't, if you follow up on that, there's a

really good chance God has called you into the ministry.

But if you back away from that, there's a really good chance

you're just after something that God hasn't called you to do.

Many of the Calvary Chapel pastors now serving and leading

mega churches in particularly in California and other parts of

America started as janitors, cleaners and message messenger

boys during their school holidays.

And when the church needed cleaning, that was the first job

they got. Pastor Israel will tell you as

an intern, Calvary Chapel, San Bernardino.

Where did he start his training? Under John Miller on the great

teachers. He cleaned the toilets after

every service and then all all the way along.

That's how you start into the ministry.