10/15/09

Acts 6:1-15 (New International Version)

Acts 6
The Choosing of the Seven
1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So 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. 3Brothers, 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 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This 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. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen Seized
8Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."

12So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."

15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

As united as this first church seemed, they shared some of the same problems we do today. There will never be a “perfect” church until we are united with Christ. A church does not have to be perfect to be faithful. Some of the problems they had were multi-cultural languages and favoritism, although it was unintentional. The Apostles solved the problem by delegating responsibility to other believers instead of micromanaging. The Apostles were then able to focus on spreading God’s word. Leaders who are overwhelmed should determine your God-given abilities and priorities and then find others to help. Many different people have many different gifts that, when used together, can fulfill God’s mission. These men were required to be full of the Holy Spirit even for the task of securing food in God’s name. Just remember that anyone who serves Christ in any capacity must be the same way to be effective. Don’t expect your pastor to handle every detail. They work should be spread out among the members. The Gospel spreads by a ripple effect where one person passes it on to another. Touch somebody for Christ today and expect it to be passed on.

Stephen had the power of the Holy Spirit. This is a requirement for Christians. Through this power he was a wise servant, miracle worker, and evangelist. Exercise the gifts given to you by God. Notice the similarities of the procedure Stephen was put through. The religious leaders felt concern over his message; they framed him, and then condemned him. Caiaphas, the same man who condemned Jesus, was probably the one who resided over his trial.

I want to talk about our weakness. God loves to use weak people. We all have weaknesses; the important issue is how we use them. God’s ways are higher than ours. So many times our ideas won’t line up with His. He will use weakness for his glory. Our weaknesses are not mistakes. God allowed them so that he could show power through them. God is drawn to people who admit their weaknesses. In fact, it is the number one attitude that he blesses. This should be encouraging to us. Never think that God can’t use you because He is not limited by our limitations.

Admit your weaknesses. This is an expression of Faith in God’s goodness. They cause us to depend on Him. When we are weak, we are strong. They help to prevent arrogance. Many times, God will lay our greatest weaknesses in line with our greatest strength to keep our egos in check. Your most effective ministry will come out of your deepest hurts. It helps us to depend on each other. When we weave the strands of our lives together, a very strong rope is made. They also create an increased capacity for our sympathy and ministry. Other people will find healings in our wounds; God wants to take your greatest weakness and transform it.

Honestly share your weaknesses. Paul shared his failures, feelings, frustrations and fears. When we do this, we risk rejection but the benefits are worth the risks. This helps us to relieve stress, defuse our fears, and give us freedom. The more honest you are, the more of God’s grace you get. You will also receive grace from others. When others see God use your weaknesses, they begin to believe that God can use them. The best quality of leadership is credibility. You must be honest with them and not be pretending to be perfect.