Square Pizza and Mystery Meat
I. Introduction
On this very important day . . . a day that distinguishes us - on this Pentecost Sunday I want to take you back into the book in which it all started. I want you to join me in Acts 6 & 7 as we talk about Square Pizza and Mystery Meat!
II. Text
Acts 6:1-5, 8-10; 7:54-60
During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.” The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit
Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.
At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!” Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them. As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.
III. The Lunch Line
There is a major problem with the record of Pentecost! The dilemma is that when you read through the book of Acts from beginning to end the book of Acts reads like a chronicle of super heroes and extraordinary people used by God to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
• Peter preaches at Pentecost and sees 3,000 converted.
• The disciples heal so many people that the sick are brought into the streets so that their shadows might fall on them.
• Philip teleports after preaching the gospel.
• Paul threatens the entire socioeconomic stability of a city with his preaching. Raises a dead kid to life. Survives a stoning. Shipwrecks and survives. And goes to Rome to appear before Caesar and witnesses powerfully.
So as you read Acts you can have the tendency to be taken aback and actually come to the conclusion that even with the Holy Spirit I don't see me in this. This is foreign and out of my reach. These folks aren't human!
But right in the middle of all the studs . . . you have Stephen. Stephen . . . who waits tables for widows. The Holy Spirit power displayed in the account of Pentecost isn't reserved just for instances like the raising the dead, changing a city, or casting out demons. NO, in Stephen's case . . . the power of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the lunch line! In fact, the powerful news today is that Pentecost (the experience of the infilling of the Holy Spirit) can turn the lunch lady or in this case the lunch man into a powerhouse of potential for God's glory. Stephen job/role/position of authority was serving square pizza and mystery meat (surely you remember that don't you?) . . . and the account says he (even though no one was writing magazine articles about him, following him on twitter, or asking him for his autograph) was "brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them." Another version says it like this, "And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people."
Stephen, through the Holy Spirit, is producing miracles in the lunch line!
In fact, he is so powerful in the lunch line that the local officials need to shut him up. So they bring up false charges and make him defend himself. In front of the high priest, nonetheless. (The lunch man is called into the principal's office!)
So what does this waiter have to say to the Jewish scholars and powerbrokers of his day? A lot. He ends up preaching the longest recorded sermon in the book of Acts. Not Peter. Not Paul. Or any of the other apostles. But Stephen the waiter.
He does so well that they kill him. A tragic ending for Stephen, but by far his most significant moment. And that’s because the ensuing persecution that comes from Stephen’s sermon and death forces the church out of Judea and into Samaria and eventually into Gentile territory. In other words, the guy pushing square pizza single-handedly starts a worldwide movement! It all started with waiting on tables for widows.
Out of that I think there are several things that we can learn and several questions we must answer!
IV. Lunch Line Lessons
a. What starts as an insignificant assignment, under the power of Pentecost, often leads to your most significant moment.
One man said, "God does not direct His children to do the unusual until they show faithfulness in the ordinary."
This entire lunch room account reveals the need for the fullness of the Spirit not just for the extraordinary but also for the mundane! Never underestimate God’s ability to use small, seemingly insignificant assignments to set the stage for significant impact.
Too many want to talk about the need for the Holy Spirit at church or for great earth shaking exploits (missions trips, sickness, etc.) and we end up only tapping the power in us for the important and forget that we need it for the mundane as well!
The need to be full of the Spirit has less to do with your assignment's prominence or importance and has more to do with your opposition!
You are being opposed daily. The enemy of your life is daily trying to destroy you. He knows that if he can get you to underestimate your station in life, if he can get you to hate your assignment, belittle your assignment, despise your assignment, and perceive your assignment as a misplacement then you will underestimate your need for the power and believe that only the Pauls, the Peters, the Philips, only the preacher, the worship leader need the infilling power of the Holy Spirit. Then you fail to allow the Holy Spirit to use you as you install the alarm, make the snow cone, take the customer service call, counsel a friend, raise your kids, or mow your yard! We begin to believe that since I am not on the front line so apparently I don't need the Holy Spirit except on Sunday! Are you brimming with grace and energy and the power of the Holy Spirit in YOUR LUNCH ROOM?
When is the last time you allowed the Holy Spirit to use you to work a great miracle at work?
What tables are you waiting on right now? What insignificant assignments are assignments that feel like they’re beneath the destiny that God has for you? That assignment can lead to your greatest moment if you will allow the Holy Spirit to invade the mundane! No lights, no cameras, no applause, no notice. However, a lunch line moment can change history! How you handle the daily is your audition for how you will handle the lead role. We don't see many Stephen's because we have assigned the Holy Spirit only to great moments!
b. We look for Holy Spirit in service! He looks for us in service too.
I think it is not only apparent and understandable that we all want to find the Holy Spirit in service! I don't want to go to a service that isn't marked by the power of the Holy Spirit's presence. However, what should be just as obvious but seems to be overlooked is that the Holy Spirit looks for us in service too! In other words, the Holy Spirit empowers those who are helping others, serving others, in the trenches, on the front lines of attempting to make a difference in someone's life.
Most of us don't do signs in the lunch line because we are there to be served rather than to serve!
Service is the conduit through which the power of the Holy Spirit flows!
There are multiplied accounts of this truth in Scripture. However, let me just remind you of two.
The boy and his lunch. His own hunger could have caused him to keep his meal to himself. His own need could have caused him to become self-centered and self-focused. However, when he serves the needs of others power is released. The incredible miracle of multiplication only took place after a young boy stepped up in the lunch line and served his lunch to Jesus!
Elisha reveals the same truth. Remember he served Elijah for decades. In fact, after Elijah is off the scene the sons of the prophets tried to degrade and insult Elisha by saying, "He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah" They think it is a slam. A degradation of his worth. They think his service disqualifies him from the supernatural. What they fail to grasp is that his service is what certifies him for the supernatural. A double portion of Spirit was released because he served!
Many of the gifts of the Holy Spirit are designated as ministry gifts! Not good church service gifts. But service gifts! We don't need ministry (service) gifts until we are ministering (serving). When we only desire to utilize the power of the Holy Spirit for our own good the flow is restricted and perhaps even diminished. How much power do you really need to do you? How much power do you really need to get your praise on, get your goose bumps, or to feel good about you? I can guarantee you that as you wait tables, meet the needs of others, and strive to impact the Holy Spirit will be the first on the scene to lend anointing, unction, power and signs.
No service . . . no signs! No excuses!
Even in his last moments, while rocks are raining down, he serves others. "Forgive them!" Your pain doesn't dismiss you from service! Your sickness doesn't excuse you. Your situation or station in life doesn't keep you from serving! While the rocks were raining down! While you are being beat up, talked about, lied on, piled on, cheated on keep serving!
Break out the hair nets, the plastic gloves and serve up some square pizza and mystery meat.
Get involved in handing out hot dogs to hungry and sometimes ungrateful kids. Mow your neighbor’s yard. Do the task at work that others fight not to do. Pick up the trash in the classroom even though it isn't yours. Serve! Want to be used by the Holy Spirit to do a miracle, to impact a generation, to say a word that won't be forgotten, to raise a dead dream or dead hope? The Holy Spirit will look for you in the lunch line before He pushes you into the lime light!
Who are you serving? How are you putting others first? I could let you off the hook on Pentecost Sunday and talk about the need for the Holy Spirit in service but today I want to tell you that the Holy Spirit is looking for you in service tomorrow!
What are you doing that gets Jesus to stand up? What? Where are we told that Jesus goes after He ascends to heaven? He is seated at the right hand of the Father! Correct? I want you to notice what Stephen sees . . . Jesus gets off of His seat! Stephen in the midst of being stoned says, "Look Jesus is standing!" You know what I think was happening I think Jesus stood up to get a better look and was saying, "Hey Dad, look at the lunch man!"
His willingness to serve even when he was experiencing pain moves Jesus!
So my question to you on this Pentecost Sunday is this . . . are you busy serving square pizza and mystery meat? Are you so determined to be significant that you are failing to be faithful in the insignificant? Are you serving?
How full of the Holy Spirit are you? So full that you are willing to work a lunch line? So full that when tasked with the unpopular you can't help it but signs and wonders breakout all around you?
