Defining A Leader Series

Acts 6:1-7

Defining a Leader

Introduction

A. Does any one here live a perfect life?

B. A life without any problems that occur?

C. I know I don’t, I always have different challenges, situations, events, that create problems

D. Here in our passage today we find out that the New Testament Church had problems much like we have problems

E. The church had been growing like crazy last count there were up to 20,000 members

F. Obviously the 12 apostles could not keep track of everything, it is just to much for them to be able to handle it all

G. The problem that this Church of Acts was facing was one group thought their widows were being mistreated. The greatioan Jews thought that the Hebraic Jews were hogging all the food for the widows

H. Now this on surface seems like a petty issue, so a minor things, why does the Bible spend 7 verses dealing with this problem

I. There is a bigger problem here. Satan was making a direct attack on the church and cause division

J. In fact this is the 3rd attack by Satan.

a. The first was on the persecution by the Sanhedrin – that didn’t work in fact Acts 4:4 tells us those who heard the message believed and the number of men grew to about five thousand

b. Then Satan attacked the body through sin with Annias and Saphira – That just caused Acts 5:14 “nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and where added to their number

c. Then it is this attack were Satan attempts to create dissension – this attack did not work either verse 7 tells us that the word of God spread

K. No matter how great things are going in a church – there will always be problems

L. Sometimes there are sin Problem

a. Someone is not walking with God like the ought to be

b. You can not be praying or studying or worshiping as you ought to be

c. There is going to be completion, jealousy, envy, and always some element of pride

M. Even with the best intentions, church leaser will overlook someone or something – Its just part of human nature

N. This is not an excuse for problems to occur;

O. We should do everything possible to promote harmony and unity in the body

P. But if there is a human element in our work – there will be problems

Q. So how are we going to handle the problems?

R. We are given a great example of how the first church was able to deal effectively with this problem

S. WE can take this example and apply to our church today

T. They solved this problem with the same thing that created the problem

U. With People

V. But not just any people

W. Leaders

X. Leaders with 4 essential qualities

Y. We are in need of Leaders with these qualities

Z. The first quality is of a leader is:

I. A Leader is a Committed Christian

A. Explanation

1. One of the qualities that the Apostles were looking for was commitment

2. Commitment to Christ

3. Not in words, but it deeds – now don’t get me wrong I am not talking about a works salvation

4. I am talking about people who make all these different claims but never back it up with action,

5. These 7 were very solid committed Christians

6. The criteria that they had to be possess is “to be full of the Spirit and Wisdom”

7. I would argue that it would be impossible for a non committed Christian to be full of Spirit

B. Application

8. What can we learn from this?

9. If you want to be used in mighty ways

10. If you want to experience God doing miraculous things

11. If you want to see the Spirit moving

12. You need to be a committed Christian

13. Not just some of the time

14. Not just when it is convenient

15. But to live out a life style of full commitment

C. Illustration

16. When a giant airplane is headed down the runway it will reach a certain point where it cannot remain on the ground

17. If the plane would attempt to stop, it would crash

18. The only choice then is to take off

19. Unfortunately, our churches are filled with people who have, how to say it, “never left the ground”

20. Who have been sitting there for years and year warming up their engine, taxing down the runways, prepping, getting ready

21. Planning on it, meaning to, trying to, going to get to it, aiming to, hoping to

22. But they never leave the ground

23. They never cross that commitment line where they have to take