Acts 6:1a (ESV): Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number,
Acts 6:1b- (ESV): a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.
Acts 6:2 (ESV): 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.
- EVERY CHURCH IS AN IMPERFECT COMMUNITY OF CARE AND LOVE
- THE SOLUTION IS MORE CARE FORM MORE PEOPLE
- A CHURCH THAT CARES WELL HAS A POWERFUL WITNESS
1) EVERY CHURCH IS AN IMPERFECT COMMUNITY OF CARE AND LOVE
Acts 6:1a (ESV): Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number,
1) THE SOLUTION IS MORE CARE FROM MORE PEOPLE
Acts 6:1–7 (ESV): 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.”
Ephesians 4:11–15 (ESV): And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,
“When a person comes to you, to love you, to serve you in the midst of the hardship you are going through, the question shouldn’t be whether this person is a pastor or not, elder or not, church staff or not, the question should be does this person have the Holy Spirit or not. Because when God saves he doesn’t just entrust his Sprit to pastors and staff but to all of His children, so that when someone in your small group, as scared or nervous as they may be obeys God’s calling to come and visit you in the midst of whatever difficulty you are going through, in a very real way, its the Holy Spirit Himself who has come to visit” —Hamlin Suh
3) A CHURCH THAT CARES WELL HAS A POWERFUL IMPACT
Acts 6:7 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.
1) If you have a legitimate complaint, would you raise it?
2) If you have the Spirit of God, and any level of wisdom, would you commit to helping us create a revived community of care?
3) Today remember the good news of the gospel.
Galatians 6:9–10 (ESV): And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. 10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.