THE MATURING CHURCH
ACTS 6:1-7
EVERYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF IS IN A CONSTANT PROCESS OF MATURING. IT IS A PROCESS OF DEVELOPING UNTIL A FINAL STATE IS REACHED. HUMANS, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE WILL LIVE FOREVER, WILL BE IN A CONSTANT PROCESS OF MATURING UNTIL WE REACH OUR ETERNAL STATE. IT WILL BE IN HEAVEN OR HELL, BUT ONLY THEN WILL WE REACH OUR FULL MATURITY AS HUMANS.
SPIRITUAL MATURITY THOUGH IS A MUCH MORE COMPLEX ISSUE. WE WILL ACHIEVE SPIRITUAL MATURITY, ONLY WHEN WE ARE PRESENT WITH THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN HEAVEN.
THE SCRIPTURE IS VERY CLEAR ON THIS:
1 CORINTHIANS 13:11-12:
11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I stopped those childish ways. 12 It is the same with us. Now we see a dim reflection, as if we were looking into a mirror, but then we shall see clearly. Now I know only a part, but then I will know fully, as God has known me.
PAUL IS TELLING US THAT WE ARE IN A PROCESS OF CONSTANTLY MEARNING, UNTIL WE REACH THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF MATURITY WHEN WE ARE WITH CHRIST.
THIS MEANS THAT THE CHURCH IS IN A CONSTANT PROCESS OF MATURING, OR REFINING ITSELF, OR AT LEAST SHOULD BE IN AN IDEAL WORLD.
WE HOWEVER ARE NOT IN AN IDEAL WORLD, AND THEREFORE PEOPLE WILL BE AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF MATURITY IN THEIR CHRISTIAN WALK ALTHOUGH SOME THINGS SHOULD BE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT FROM THE START.
A) A DESIRE FOR PRAYER AND TO READ THE BIBLE
B) A DESIRE TO PLEASE GOD
C) A DESIRE TO KNOW GOD
D) A DESIRE TO BE WITH GOD AND HIS PEOPLE.
THE PROCESS OF MATURING IS NOT ALWAYS ENJOYABLE, BUT IF WE ARE HONEST WE WOULD HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS EXCITING. MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCES DO NOT CONTINUE FOREVER WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, AND IN MOST OF THESE CASES, THE INTERRUPTION WILL COME IN WHAT I CALL A “MATURING CRISIS.”
A MATURING CRISIS IS ANY CRISIS THAT A PERSON OR CHURCH FACES, THAT REQUIRES A DECISION. THEY CAN COME IN MANY FORMS, BE SIMPLE OR COMPLEX IN FORM, AND HAPPEN TO PEOPLE OF ANY AGE.
THE COMMON ELEMENTS OF A MATURING CRISIS ARE:
FOCUS
DECISION-MAKING
WHEN FACED WITH A MATURING CRISIS, WE WILL TEND TO FOCUS ON THAT CRISIS MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE AROUND US. IT WILL EFFECT OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS. WE WILL LOSE SLEEP OVER IT.
WE WILL ALWAYS MAKE A DECISION WHEN FACING A MATURING CRISIS. THE DECISION COULD BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE IN EFFECT, OR THE DECISION COULD BE TO TAKE NO ACTION AT ALL, BUT WE WILL MAKE A DECISION.
POINT ONE: THE MATURING PROCESS OF A CHURCH IS DETERMINED BY A MATURING CRISIS.
THE CHURCH ONLY MATURES BY GOING THROUGH WORTHWHILE STRUGGLE. JUST AS AN ATHLETE NEEDS RESISTANCE TO BUILD MUSCLES SO TOO DOES THE CHURCH NEED CHALLENGE TO MATURE.
I WAS WATCHING A RECENT GAITHER PROGRAM AND THE MAN WAS TALKING ABOUT FACING TRIALS IN OUR LIVES. WHITLEY PHIPPS QUOTED AN OLD LADY WHO WISELY SAID:
“IF THE MOUNTAIN WAS SMOOTH YOU COULDN’T CLIMB IT.”
MATURING CRISES FOR INDIVIDUALS AND CHURCHES ARE REMARKABLY SIMILAR, AND COULD REVOLVE AROUND:
1. FINANCIAL MATTERS
2. ETHICAL MATTERS: a) LEGAL
b) MORAL
3. HEALTH ISSUES: a) SUDDEN DEATH
b) MULTIPLE HEALTH ISSUES
c) PROLONGED ILLNESS
4. EMPLOYMENT ISSUES: a) RESIGNATION
b) TERMINATION
ALL OF THESE SITUATIONS WILL CREATE GREAT STRESS ON RELATIONSHIPS AND DEPENDING ON THE WAY THEY ARE HANDLED AND CAN LEAD TO: a) GREAT DAMAGE AND DIVISION
b) GREAT CLOSENESS AND BLESSING
AS WE STUDY THIS PASSAGE UNDERSTAND THAT THE CHURCH AT THIS TIME WAS GROWING AT A VERY FAST RATE. TWO ACCOUNTS THAT ARE MENTIONED IN THE FIRST CHAPTERS OF ACTS ARE:
a) ACTS CHAPTER TWO: PENTECOST: 3,000 ADDED IN ONE DAY
b) ACTS CHAPTER FOUR: SOLOMON’S PORTICO, 5,000 ADDED
IT IS CLEAR THAT THE EMPHASIS OF THE DISCIPLES WAS ON EVANGELISM, NOT NECESSARILY DISCIPLESHIP. THE RESULT WAS THE NEED FOR MATURITY.
NOTE THE WAY EUGENE PETERSON DESCRIBES THE FIRST VERSE OF OUR PASSAGE IN HIS PARAPHRASE, “THE MESSAGE”.
ACTS 6:1: 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.
THE REAL PROBLEM HERE WAS NOT OVER FOOD, BUT CULTURE. PALESTINIAN JEWS SPOKE ARAMAIC AND HEBREW, AND CONSIDERED THEMSELVES TO BE ABOVE THE GREEK-SPEAKING JEWS FROM THE REST OF THE ROMAN PROVINCES.
THE TALMUD STATES:
“CURSED BE HE WHO TEACHETH HIS SON THE LEARNING OF THE GREEKS.”
THE GRECIAN JEWS WHO ACCEPTED GREEK CUSTOMS WHICH DIFFERED FROM HEBREW LAW WERE THOUGHT OF BY THE HEBREW JEWS AS BEING LESS SPIRITUAL AND WORLDLY.
THE CHURCH HAD TAKEN OVER THE RESPONSIBILITY FROM THE SYNAGOGUE OF LOOKING AFTER THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS, AND IT APPEARED THAT THE GREEK WIDOWS WERE BEING DISCRIMINATED AGAINST AT THE FOOD LINE BECAUSE OF THEIR LESSER STATUS.
THEY CALL THE WHOLE GROUP TOGETHER TO DEAL WITH THE SITUATION. NOTE WHAT THEY SAY IN VERSE 2:
ACTS 6:2: 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.
THIS VERSE IS A REPRIMAND FOR THEIR SINFUL BEHAVIOR. PRIDE CAUSES US TO LOOK AT OURSELVES AND COMPARE OURSELVES TO OTHERS.
ONE OF THE UNFORTUNATE RESULTS OF HAVING TO DEAL WITH A MATURING CONFLICT IS THAT IT TAKES THE CHURCH LEADERSHIP AWAY FROM WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. LESLIE SHARED SOMETHING THAT SHE READ IN A BOOK ONCE THAT IS VERY APPROPRIATE HERE. WHEN IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION “ONLY DO, WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO.” IN SHORT DELEGATE JOBS THAT OTHERS CAN DO TO OTHERS. DO THE JOBS THAT ONLY YOU CAN DO BECAUSE OF YOUR POSITION.
WHEN SIN ENTERS THE EQUATION, IT PREVENTS US FROM COMING TO A COMMON SOLUTION TO ANY PROBLEM BECAUSE WE PERSONALIZE IT. THE GRECIAN JEWS THOUGHT THEY WERE BEING ATTACKED BY THE HEBREW JEWS OVER THE ISSUE AND THAT THE HEBREW JEWS SAW THEMSELVES AS BETTER THAN THE GRECIAN JEWS.
NOTE THAT THEY WERE ALL PART OF THE SME FAMILY. THEY WERE ALL JEWS. EACH CHURCH IS ITS OWN FAMILY AND AS LESLIE AND I FOUND OUT DURING OUR PRE-MARITAL COUNSELLING, EVERY FAMILY HAS A LEVEL OF DIS-FUNCTION IN IT, SOME MORE THAN OTHERS. THIS MEANS THAT ALL CHURCHES WILL FACE MATURING CRISES OF VARIOUS KINDS BECAUSE OF IT’S DIVERSITY: THE CHURCH IS MADE UP OF:
a) ATTENDERS
b) SEEKERS
c) NEW-BORN CHRISTIANS
d) CARNAL CHRISTIANS
e) LEGALISTIC CHRISTIANS
f) SPIRITUALLY MATURING CHRISTIANS
EACH WILL BE AT THEIR OWN LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY AND EACH WILL BRING THAT LEVEL OF SPIRITUALITY WHEN DEALING WITH THE MATURING CRISES OF THE CHURCH.
POINT TWO: THE POSITIVE MATURING OF THE CHURCH IS SEEN IN IT’S RESPONSE TO THE MATURING CRISIS:
THE FIRST STEP OF A POSITIVE MATURING CRISIS OF A CHURCH IS TO FACE THE REAL PROBLEM. THE FOOD ISSUE HERE IS WHAT IS CALLED A “PRESENTING PROBLEM”. IT IS A SYMPTOM OF WHAT THE REAL PROBLEM IS. WE KNOW THAT ONCE THE REAL PROBLEM IS DEALT WITH, THE SYMPTOMS DISAPPEAR.
THE DISCIPLES DEALT WITH THIS PROBLEM BY BRINGING THE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO MAKE THE DECISION ON WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE FOOD ISSUE. THEY MADE IT LOOK LIKE THE PEOPLE WERE HELPING THEM, WHEN IN FACT WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS GETTING THE PEOPLE TO WORK TOGETHER AND COME TO A DECISION THEY COULD ALL SUPPORT.
BILL HYBELS SAYS THAT WHEN WE CAN MAKE OTHERS FEEL THEY HAVE MADE THE DECISION, RATHER THAN JUST THE LEADERS, THEN THE WHOLE GROUP ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DECISION.
THE DISCIPLES ASKED THE PEOPLE TO CHOOSE MEN WHO WERE FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHURCH, AND WOULDN’T FAVOR EITHER GROUP. THESE MEN WERE IN ESSENCE THE FIRST DEACON’S OF THE CHURCH. NOTE THE QUALIFICATIONS STATED FOR THESE MEN:
ACTS 6:3, 5-6:
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.
THE CONGREGATION THOUGHT THIS WAS A GREAT IDEA. THEY WENT AHEAD AND CHOSE—
STEPHEN, A MAN FULL OF FAITH AND THE HOLY SPIRIT,
PHILIP,
PROCORUS,
NICANOR,
TIMON,
PARMENAS,
NICOLAS, A CONVERT FROM ANTIOCH.
THEN THEY PRESENTED THEM TO THE APOSTLES. PRAYING, THE APOSTLES LAID ON HANDS AND COMMISSIONED THEM FOR THEIR TASK.
THE PEOPLE THEN SET THESE PEOPLE ASIDE THROUGH ORDINATION TO THIS SPECIFIC TASK. THE LAYING ON OF HANDS INDICATED THAT THE CHURCH BELIEVED THAT THESE MEN WERE CHOSEN BY GOD FOR THE TASK AT HAND. IT ALSO MEANT THAT THEY HAD THE RESPONSIBILITY AS A CHURCH TO FOLLOW THESE MEN. THE SCRIPTURE IS CLEAR ON THIS POINT:
PSALM 105:14-16:
14 BUT THE LORD DID NOT LET ANYONE HURT THEM; HE WARNED KINGS NOT TO HARM THEM. 15HE SAID,“DON’T TOUCH MY CHOSEN PEOPLE, AND DON’T HARM MY PROPHETS.” .
POINT THREE: THE MATURING CHURCH IS A BLESSED CHURCH:
THE TRUE MATURING CRISIS WAS THE HARD FEELINGS BETWEEN THE TWO GROUPS. WHEN THEY CAME TOGETHER TO CHOOSE THE SEVEN MEN TO LOOK AFTER THE ISSUE OF THE FOOD, THEY ALSO DEALT WITH THE ISSUE OF DIVISION.
THE LEADERS OFFERED THE PEOPLE A CHANGE OF FOCUS BY MAKING IT SEEM LIKE THEY WERE SOLVING A PROBLEM FOR THE LEADERS. A CHANGE OF FOCUS IS SOMETIMES GOOD, AND IT CAN BE AT TIMES PAINFUL, AS ANGER FOR THE OTHER GROUP IS NOW DIRECTED AT YOU.
IT IS SOMETIMES NECESSARY FOR THE SPIRITUALLY MATURE, TO TAKE AND ABSORB CUTTING AND HURTING REMARKS AND ATTITUDES IN ORDER TO PRESERVE THE PEACE OF THE CHURCH AND THE ADVANCEMENT OF IT’S MINISTRY. IT IS NOT PLEASANT, BUT IT IS NECESSARY AND MOST TIMES BENEFICIAL TO THE CHURCH.
THE SPIRITUALLY MATURE REALIZE THAT THEY MUST SACRIFICE THEIR PRIVILEGE OF OPINION, PARTIALITY AND EMOTION, TO THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE BENEFIT OF HIS CHURCH.
CONCLUSION:
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS PASSAGE TO HELP OUR CHURCH BE A MATURING CHURCH?
1. IDENTIFY THE TRUE ISSUE FROM THE PRESENTING ISSUE. MANY TIMES IT WILL BE RELATIONAL IN NATURE.
2. SELF-EVALUATE BEFORE SPEAKING. ATTEMPT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT IF ANYTHING WE ARE DOING WRONG IN THE SITUATION, BEFORE OUR EYES TURN TO OTHERS.
SOMETIMES MATURING CRISES WILL BRING US FACE TO FACE WITH THINGS WE HAVE TO CHANGE IN OURSELVES. ISSUES SUCH AS:
a) OUR EMOTIONS
b) ISSUES OF LORDSHIP
c) OUR OWN SINFULLNESS: 1) PRIDE
2) LACK OF COMPASSION
3) GREED a) TIME
b) MONEY
A WISE MAN ONCE SAID “BETTER TO REMAIN SILENT AND HAVE PEOPLE THINK YOU A FOOL, THAN TO OPEN YOUR MOUTN AND REMOVE ALL DOUBT.”
3. ENTER ALL MEETINGS WITH A SPIRIT OF COMPASSION AND ENCOURAGEMENT. THIS CAN ONLY BE DONE BY BATHING THE MEETING WITH PRAYER BEFORE IT OCCURS. ENDEAVOUR TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION FOR THE CHURCH, EVEN IF IT ISN’T YOURS.
4. SPEAK TO THE ISSUES ONLY AT MEETINGS, NOT BEFORE OR AFTER. WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT THEM BEFORE OR AFTER IT IS USUALLY ONLY TO DRAW PEOPLE TO OUR SIDE OF THE ISSUE.
5. START THE MEETING ON A POSITIVE NOTE. ASK “DO YOU BELIEVE THAT GOD HAS A SOLUTION TO THIS SITUATION?” PUT ASIDE PERSONAL DESIRES AND COLLECTIVELY FIND GOD’S SOLUTION.
6. KEEP ALL DISCUSSIONS ON THE ISSUES. AVOID PERSONAL STATEMENTS ABOUT OTHERS SUCH AS: “NO, YOU’RE WRONG” OR “I CAN’T SEE WHY YOU DON’T SEE WHY WE HAVE TO DO THIS.”
7. DON’T BE A POWER-BROKER. IT IS THE CHILD WHO SAYS “IF I DON’T GET MY WAY I’M TAKING MY BAT AND BALL AND GOING HOME.” THE MATURE PERSON WILL ALLOW A DECISION TO BE MADE WITHOUT SUCH PRESSURE, AND THEN ASSESS THEIR ACTIONS BASED ON THAT DECISION.
8. MAKE NO IMPORTANT DECISION QUICKLY. MEET AND TALK, DEPENDING ON THE ISSUE SEVERAL TIMES. IT BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS AND RESPECT. PATIENCE IS A WORTH-WHILE VIRTUE TO LEARN.
9. WEIGH THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CRISIS BEFORE ENTERING INTO DEBATE OR CONFRONTATION:
a) DETERMINE IF IT IS WORTHY. IS IT A MAJOR CHURCH ISSUE, OR IS IT A PERSONAL ISSUE.
b) DETERMINE THE PROPER METHOD OF DEALING WITH THE ISSUE. JESUS TAUGHT US HOW TO HANDLE CHURCH DISCIPLINE THIS WAY:
MATTHEW 18:15-17:
15 “IF YOUR FELLOW BELIEVER SINS AGAINST YOU, GO AND TELL HIM IN PRIVATE WHAT HE DID WRONG. IF HE LISTENS TO YOU, YOU HAVE HELPED THAT PERSON TO BE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER AGAIN. 16 BUT IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN, GO TO HIM AGAIN AND TAKE ONE OR TWO OTHER PEOPLE WITH YOU. ‘EVERY CASE MAY BE PROVED BY TWO OR THREE WITNESSES.’ 17 IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN TO THEM, TELL THE CHURCH. IF HE REFUSES TO LISTEN TO THE CHURCH, THEN TREAT HIM LIKE A PERSON WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE IN GOD OR LIKE A TAX COLLECTOR.
EVERY CHURCH AND INDIVIDUAL WILL FACE MANY MATURING CRISIS IN THEIR LIVES. THE MAIN LESSON TO LEARN IN ALL OF THEM IS TO SET BACK AND ALLOW JESUS CHRIST TO BE LORD OF OUR LIVES, AND IN DOING SO TO MATURE IN OUR SPIRITUAL WALK, UNTIL WE ATTAIN OUR GOAL OF SPIRITUAL MATURITY IN HEAVEN.
