This morning we’ll be viewing the purpose of “ministry” or “service.” In The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren says, “Growing up, you may have thought that being ‘called’ by God was something only missionaries, pastors, nuns, and other ‘full-time’ church workers experienced, but the Bible says every Christian is called to service. Your call to salvation included your call to service . . . [and] one reason why you need to be connected to a church family is to fulfill your calling to serve other believers in practical ways” (pp. 229-230, The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, 2002).
In The Purpose Driven Church, which is the main resource we’re using for our Wednesday night Bible study, Rick Warren defines “ministry” as “demonstrating God’s love to others by meeting their needs and healing their hurts in the name of Jesus.” He also tells us, “Every believer isn’t a pastor, but every believer is called into ministry. God calls all believers to minister to the world and the church. Service in the body isn’t optional for Christians” (p. 368, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995).
In Mark 10:45, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” According to Warren, “service and giving are defining characteristics of the Christ-like lifestyle expected of every believer” (p. 368, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995); and this morning, we’ll see the reason and rationale explaining why ministry and service is expected and necessary of every believer in the body of Christ.
Some Overlooked Widows (v. 1)
1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.
We read here about trouble brewing among the disciples; “disciple” being a designation given to Christ-followers before they were called Christians at Antioch.(1) A complaint arose against the Hebrews by the Hellenists; a complaint that threatened unity and growth in the New Testament church. The Hebrews were native-born Jews, and the Hellenists were Jews “who either spoke Greek rather than Aramaic, or had adopted Greek customs.”(2) The daily distribution of bread was being neglected among the widows of the Hellenists; therefore, they were offended, taking it as discrimination.(3)
The distribution of bread worked like this: There were appointed collectors who received every day from every court, a piece of bread or any sort of food, or even money from whomever offered it; and then they divided that which was collected, in the evening among the poor, giving every single person his or her daily sustenance called the “Tamchui.”(4) This distribution of bread became a huge task as the number of new converts grew into the thousands; therefore, people were being neglected, not because of prejudice, but for a lack of human resources or “man power.”
James said, “Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). If we take care of the orphans and widows, then our demonstration of love and care reveals a pure heart before God. So, how are most churches doing at caring for the orphans and widows within their congregation? If they’re not being shown enough care, it might not be for a lack of “man power,” but for a lack of “will power.” Many church members don’t have the will or desire to serve others; and therefore, many needs go unmet.
Rick Warren says, “The greatest need in evangelical churches is the release of members for ministry. A Gallup survey discovered that only 10 percent of American church members are active in any kind of personal ministry and that 50 percent of all church members have no interest in serving in any ministry” (pp. 365-366, The Purpose Driven Church, Zondervan, 1995). He continues to say that God “expects every Christian to use his or her gifts and talents in ministry” (p. 365).
Selecting Table Servers (vv. 2-4)
2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
“Dwight L. Moody used to say that it was better to put ten men to work than to try to do the work of ten men.”(5) It seems the twelve apostles were doing the work of 144 men, figuratively speaking. In verse 3, the apostles informed the disciples, “Seek out from among you seven men . . . whom we may appoint over this business.” The apostle’s solution was to recruit help. This sounds like a reasonable plan; but the apostles felt that more explanation was needed as to why they, themselves, couldn’t perform this task alone.
There were likely some who asked, “Why do we need more servers? Hasn’t God called the apostles to minister to people?” The apostles set the record straight, informing the disciples that this additional care, necessary to administer the daily bread, would interfere with their primary calling, which was the ministry of the Word; which involved dedicating themselves to in-depth Bible study and teaching of the Scripture, in order to better administer the bread of life.(6)
In 1 Corinthians 12:7, Paul said that God gives spiritual gifts to the body of Christ so we can better minister to one another (NLT). Listen closely as I share from verses 23-24 in the New Living Translation: “The parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care . . . while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together [as] such, that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other.”
According to Paul, this service done for those who have less honor, or those who are lacking, is performed by each and every church member working together; members that represent, for example, the hands and feet of the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). In his book I Am a Church Member, Thom Rainer says, “With church membership, everyone has a role or function. That is why some are hands, feet, ears or eyes. We are all different, but we are necessary parts of the whole. Each part, therefore, has to do its work, or the whole body suffers . . . [and] does not function well.”(7)
“In some churches in China, they welcome new believers by saying, ‘Jesus now has a new pair of eyes to see with, new ears to listen with, new hands to help with, and a new heart to love others with” (pp. 229-230, The Purpose Driven Life, Zondervan, 2002). I’ll never forget the song “Hands and Feet” by Audio Adrenaline back in the late 1990’s when they sang, “I want to be Your hands; I want to be Your feet; I’ll go where you send me.” May this be our declaration as well!
Appointing Ministry Leaders (vv. 5-6)
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.
Some people use this passage to justify the selection of deacons to help carry the burden, because “three times Luke and the apostles use a Greek term from which we get our English word deacon.”(8) For instance, verses 1 and 3 use the word diakonia, and verse 2 uses diakonein; however, both of these words are translated as “service” and “refer to the distribution of money or food to help the needy of the congregation.”(9) The congregation was choosing ministry team leaders who would serve in the church, and who would lead others in service. These were not necessarily deacons.
The seven men chosen were called to a specific area of leadership. The Inter Varsity Press New Testament Commentary says that what the apostles passed on to the Seven through the laying on of hands was the “authority to work as the apostles’ representatives in a specific task.”(10) They were commissioned as ministry team leaders, heading up groups of service volunteers. This was similar to how Moses was commanded to choose able men out of all Israel, and make “them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens” (Exodus 18:25).
Allow me to refresh our memories of the account concerning Moses. In Exodus chapter 18, when Jethro saw Moses judging the cases of the people all by himself, he counseled Moses as follows: “The thing that you do is not good . . . This thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself” (18:17b, 18b). Jethro then instructed him, “You shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God . . . And let them judge the people at all times . . . So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you” (18:21a, 22).
Both Moses and the twelve apostles needed help, though they are considered among the greatest men of faith. Moses needed help in order not to wear himself out judging the people all by his lonesome; and the twelve apostles needed assistance ministering to the widows, so they could better meet their needs and have time to dedicate themselves to the study of the Word. From where did their help arrive? It came from among the members of the congregations they were shepherding.
The Word of God Spread (v. 7)
7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Here’s something we can’t afford to miss! When the Seven were chosen and commissioned as ministry team leaders, and they began helping other people learn to share the responsibility of the daily distribution of bread, then things were done much more effectively, resulting in unity among the believers within the body. The tables were waited on, the bread was served, and the Word of God was shared too, resulting in the church growing by leaps and bounds. The example of love and unity even impacted many Jewish priests to convert and give their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ.
In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul said, “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of . . . Him who is the head – Christ – from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:11-13a, 15b-16).
Ephesians 4:16 speaks of “the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies.” The joining and knitting could represent muscles and tendons; and then we hear about the joints themselves. The muscles, tendons and joints represent people within the body of Christ; or rather, people within the church. So, what is the end result of every part of the body working together, or all the church members working together? The end result is “growth of the body,” or church growth; and “the edifying of itself in love,” or growing in love toward one another. We must not overlook how Ephesians 4:16 says this “effective working” occurs as “every part does its share.”
Time of Reflection
Let’s not be like the Hellenists, sitting around complaining that someone’s not doing enough to meet people’s needs; because it takes everyone working together to accomplish all that must be done, and for a church to grow. Instead, let’s have the attitude demonstrated by the disciples and the multitude after the apostles had recommended finding servants from among them, and appointing them over the ministry. We read that “the saying pleased the whole multitude” (v. 5). So what about it? Are you pleased in knowing that you have a place of service in the ministry of the church?
The last thing we read here is that “as the Word of God spread,” the number of disciples multiplied greatly; meaning that more and more people gave their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ. It was the power of the Word ministered by the apostles that led to faith, for it is through the Word that we hear the truth necessary to make a heart change. In Ephesians 1:13, Paul called it “the word of truth, the ‘gospel’ of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise.”
So what is the “gospel” message that leads to salvation? In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Paul shared the basic tenets of the gospel as follows: “That Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” Romans 10:9 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” So, this morning, if you’ll repent of your sins and believe the gospel message of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, then you will be forgiven of your sins and receive eternal life.
This message is part of a series on being a "purpose driven church." Many in-text citations are from Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Zondervan, 1995).
NOTES
(1) John Gill, John Gill’s Exposition of the Bible, www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/acts-6-1.html (Accessed May 16, 2012).
(2) Henry Webb, Deacons: Servant Models in the Church (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 2001), p. 68.
(3) Ibid., pp. 68-69.
(4) Gill, www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/acts-6-1.html (Accessed May 16, 2012).
(5) Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1989), p. 429
(6) Webb, p. 69.
(7) Thom Rainer, I Am a Church Member (Nashville, TN: Broadman and Holman, 2013), pp. 12-13.
(8) Webb, p. 69.
(9) Ibid., p. 69.
(10) “Acts,” Inter Varsity Press New Testament Commentary, Bible Gateway: www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/Acts/Appointment-Seven (Accessed May 16, 2012).
