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. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 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. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 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. —Acts 6:1-7
Introduction: As we enter Acts 6, we see that the church needs to pause. We see the first official complaint against the church. From the beginning, the church was not perfect. But God used broken people to reconcile people to Himself. And that is still what God is doing today.
Big Idea:
Acts 6:1-7
- Preaching
- Praying
- Serving
Acts 6:1
- Hellenists - Greek speaking Jews who did not live in Jerusalem
- Widows came to live out their final days in Jerusalem
- Diffusion of Responsibility - as a group increases in number, personal responsibility that individuals feel decreases.
When the church
Acts 6:2
- They paused and gathered everyone together
- They are communicating a new ministry structure
We cannot
the Word of God
- Greek ‘logos’
- To speaking It publicly, to being devoted to it privately
Acts 6:3
- We also cannot forsake
- They were not looking for the next person in line or a warm body
- They needed capable believers ‘of good repute’ -> literally translated ‘to bear witness’ or ‘to suffer martyrdom’
- Are we willing to lay down our lives to
Mark 20:28: the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many - This is a foreshadowing of Stephen’s story
Acts 6:4
- The more the church
- This is where we get our word Deacon from
Greek Diakoneien: one who waits; one who serves
We hurt our witness when we
- Preach and pray but don’t
- Pray and serve but don’t
- Serve and preach but don’t
Acts 6:5-7
- There was unity - structure was good and still is good!
- Jewish priests saw the way these seven Greek speaking Jews were caring for each other and came to know Jesus and obey his teachings because of the work they did.
The disciples were devoted to
- John 15:4-5
- We abide in God when we seek His word
- We abide in God when we pray
- We abide in God when we care for people
Are you in
Are you
Are you
The Church aligns with God, we align with God, when we
Small Group Questions
What did God teach you through this passage and message? Share the work of God in your heart with the group.
What questions did this passage and sermon raise in your mind?
What is the main thing that occupies your mind during the week? Where do prayer, the Word, or serving others occur week-to-week in your life?
We likely all are inclined towards (1) being devoted to the Word (2) praying or (3) serving others. Which one are you more inclined to in your normal daily rhythm? Which one are you least inclined to do naturally?
This week:
Who is one person that you can serve?
Who is one person that you can pray for?
Who is one person that you can encourage with the Word?