“Leveling Up Our Serving” Acts Volume 2 Series
September 10, 2023

Acts Volume 2 Title.png

“Leveling Up Our Serving”
Acts Volume 2 Series

AV First
Pastor Ed Carlson
9/10/23

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.” 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.

This first problem Luke writes about in the new Church was the result of a

.

1. They recognized the problem

and took wise steps to solve it.

2. They did not condemn or

either side.

3. They honestly faced their own

.

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.

4. They were open to

.

5. They got the Church using their spiritual gifts and natural talents to start

the Body.

1. Good

2. Full of

3. Full of the

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)

doesn’t come naturally to our flesh, it takes , and that effort is where we grow in our maturity.

2) Serving goes

the and of the world that says, “it’s all about me.”

3) Serving can

lives and affect people as we show , , and .**

1. Unity and Cooperation

2. The Good News continued to spread like wildfire

3. Lives are Transformed