Didn't See That Coming - You Matter
Have you ever taken a shortcut that took you longer to reach your destination, or did you completely miss the lesson you needed to learn?
Acts 6
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.
We see here how growth happened quickly, and it did because God was already working in people's hearts. People coming to a relationship with Jesus made the need greater.
God doesn’t just solve issues automatically, He makes them greater on purpose so we can work together with God and show up in the world.
The issue was much larger than just the distribution of food to widows. It was about these two groups (Jews and Gentiles) living and working together as one church. During this time, widows who did not have family around to provide and care for them were left to fend for themselves with no financial assistance. As a result, local temples took on the responsibility of caring for their widows through their giving and leadership.
In scripture throughout the Bible, God commands that widows be cared for. But in Acts, the Israelite Jews were taking care of their own widows while neglecting the needs of the Hellenistic Jews or converted Greeks.
This happens in the church, too. Pastors are busy taking care of teaching, preaching, volunteers, hospital visits, funerals, weddings, managing facility needs, the budget, and so on. So, sometimes, things fall through the cracks. In Acts 6, we see that the apostles were too busy themselves and needed to put someone in a position to care for the widows.
Humans tend to prioritize needs that give us something in return, but the Kingdom of God turns this idea upside down. There are needs all around us, and often, we miss them.
In Acts, leadership took a step back, realized the problem, and figured out they couldn't handle it themselves.
When you think of ministry, if the first thing that pops into your mind is pastors, you need to expand that thought process because we are all called to serve.
In Acts, the apostles took the spiritual and material concerns within the church seriously, and though they didn’t fix it themselves, they weren’t hands-off either. They left it to the church people to find 7 men who were full of the Spirit and wisdom to serve as deacons.
This didn't mean there weren't many people filled with both, so it did turn into a situation where certain people were chosen, and others weren't. It was like getting chosen last for a team in gym class or losing out on the solo part in choir. Those not chosen felt defeated, which can be demotivating and discouraging.
But what if it leads to something else greater?
God calls certain people to lead in His church, and He requires that they be faithful and committed to walking in His Spirit, humble, and wise in, and for, the execution of their duties. This isn’t everyone, but everyone should serve somewhere.
You matter to the church's life and ministries because you've been given gifts and passions specifically designed by God to advance the Kingdom.
God brings you to where you should be. You have a story, struggles, gifts, and talents for a reason.
In Acts, they were ready to adjust the plans according to the needs of the church people. Sometimes, we get stuck in a specific way of doing something just because we have not seen it done differently. Systems and structures are always made to meet needs at the time of the needs. But needs change, and our processes have to change with them.
The universal example of this is COVID. Everyone had to adapt quickly. In the church, services went from in-person to online, to outdoors, back to indoors but staggered, to fully back indoors with a livestream.
What about as churches grow? There's a need for more classrooms, teachers, and coffee, and systems and structures need to adapt to meet these needs effectively. And to make this happen, you need people to serve.
In Acts, the believers practiced positive attitudes and didn't blame others. Rather, they showed compassion for their people and cared for the widows in need. This is the culture of a healthy church. Who wants to serve with miserable people? Who wants to serve alone?
It’s better to serve together, and the only way that works is if there is a collective positive attitude among the members serving.
Things aren't always going to go perfectly according to our expectations. In situations like that, we can't blame anyone. Instead, we need to find a solution. This is especially true when times get tough, but when we are all on a mission together, before the hard times come, it allows us (with God's grace and empowerment) to get through them and see God's Kingdom advance.
As a church, we are a group of people who serve God together. So, ask yourself, how will you get involved?
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
Acts 6
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.
We see here how growth happened quickly, and it did because God was already working in people's hearts. People coming to a relationship with Jesus made the need greater.
God doesn’t just solve issues automatically, He makes them greater on purpose so we can work together with God and show up in the world.
The issue was much larger than just the distribution of food to widows. It was about these two groups (Jews and Gentiles) living and working together as one church. During this time, widows who did not have family around to provide and care for them were left to fend for themselves with no financial assistance. As a result, local temples took on the responsibility of caring for their widows through their giving and leadership.
In scripture throughout the Bible, God commands that widows be cared for. But in Acts, the Israelite Jews were taking care of their own widows while neglecting the needs of the Hellenistic Jews or converted Greeks.
This happens in the church, too. Pastors are busy taking care of teaching, preaching, volunteers, hospital visits, funerals, weddings, managing facility needs, the budget, and so on. So, sometimes, things fall through the cracks. In Acts 6, we see that the apostles were too busy themselves and needed to put someone in a position to care for the widows.
Humans tend to prioritize needs that give us something in return, but the Kingdom of God turns this idea upside down. There are needs all around us, and often, we miss them.
- Where are we looking when we think of helping others?
- What need is in front of us that we are missing because it’s not like us?
In Acts, leadership took a step back, realized the problem, and figured out they couldn't handle it themselves.
When you think of ministry, if the first thing that pops into your mind is pastors, you need to expand that thought process because we are all called to serve.
In Acts, the apostles took the spiritual and material concerns within the church seriously, and though they didn’t fix it themselves, they weren’t hands-off either. They left it to the church people to find 7 men who were full of the Spirit and wisdom to serve as deacons.
This didn't mean there weren't many people filled with both, so it did turn into a situation where certain people were chosen, and others weren't. It was like getting chosen last for a team in gym class or losing out on the solo part in choir. Those not chosen felt defeated, which can be demotivating and discouraging.
But what if it leads to something else greater?
God calls certain people to lead in His church, and He requires that they be faithful and committed to walking in His Spirit, humble, and wise in, and for, the execution of their duties. This isn’t everyone, but everyone should serve somewhere.
You matter to the church's life and ministries because you've been given gifts and passions specifically designed by God to advance the Kingdom.
God brings you to where you should be. You have a story, struggles, gifts, and talents for a reason.
In Acts, they were ready to adjust the plans according to the needs of the church people. Sometimes, we get stuck in a specific way of doing something just because we have not seen it done differently. Systems and structures are always made to meet needs at the time of the needs. But needs change, and our processes have to change with them.
The universal example of this is COVID. Everyone had to adapt quickly. In the church, services went from in-person to online, to outdoors, back to indoors but staggered, to fully back indoors with a livestream.
What about as churches grow? There's a need for more classrooms, teachers, and coffee, and systems and structures need to adapt to meet these needs effectively. And to make this happen, you need people to serve.
In Acts, the believers practiced positive attitudes and didn't blame others. Rather, they showed compassion for their people and cared for the widows in need. This is the culture of a healthy church. Who wants to serve with miserable people? Who wants to serve alone?
It’s better to serve together, and the only way that works is if there is a collective positive attitude among the members serving.
Things aren't always going to go perfectly according to our expectations. In situations like that, we can't blame anyone. Instead, we need to find a solution. This is especially true when times get tough, but when we are all on a mission together, before the hard times come, it allows us (with God's grace and empowerment) to get through them and see God's Kingdom advance.
As a church, we are a group of people who serve God together. So, ask yourself, how will you get involved?
For more LHC content, subscribe to our newsletter below or follow us on Instagram.
Want to play catch-up, or are you looking for a specific topic? Check out our collection of sermons here.
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