Organizing the Ministry of the Church

Transcript

GR 1201
05/06/2001
Organizing the Ministry of the Church
Acts 6:1-7
Gil Rugh

The book of Acts in your bibles and the sixth chapter. These opening chapters of Acts are exciting chapters the early days of the church’s life were days of excitement and growth. Thousands of people responding in faith to the gospel of Jesus Christ and being saved. In Acts chapter 1 verse 8 Jesus had promised the disciples that you will receive power after the Holy Spirits come upon you and you will be my witnesses throughout all the earth. And we see that unfolding very clearly as the followers of Christ have received the Holy Spirit and in His power they are proclaiming the gospel of Christ and thousands of people are coming to salvation. You know this is a unique time in the churches history. So we move through the book of Acts the ministry of the gospel will expand and churches will be planted and in other places in the world. But I don’t believe there’ll be another time like is recorded in the opening chapters of Acts. Oh they’ll be thousands upon thousands of people saved. As the word is carried throughout the world and churches are established, but will look at some of the missionary journeys in the last part of the book of Acts, but keep in mind at this period in time there is only one local church and it is in one city. The city of Jerusalem and thousands upon thousands of people are being saved in the city of Jerusalem and being brought into this church. Back in chapter 2 verse 41. We were told as a result to the first sermon, three thousand people were baptized. Over in chapter 4 verse 4, the number increased to about five thousand men, plus women and children. Then you read in chapter 5, verse 14, all the more believers in the Lord multitudes of men and women were constantly added to their numbers, so you see the growth is tremendous. Some has estimated perhaps fifteen or twenty thousand believers could have been in the church in Jerusalem. A tremendous blessing, concentrated at this point and really one location, the city of Jerusalem. You know it’s often these kinds of situations that we think of when we think Oh if we could only relive the early days of the books of Acts. With thousands of people. Hearing and believing the message. Coming into the church faster than we know what to do with them. That’s what was going on in those days. Well we also must remember, that there were the ordinary, mundane tasks that were being carried out by the church in the midst of all of this. Luke will focus his history on the ministry and impact of the Word of God as its preached; but there are all the other details that go on as the church is functioning together as God’s people. Those everyday details that are just a normal part of being the family of God. We’re going to get a glimpse into some of these ordinary matters as we come into chapter 6. The devil is relentless in his opposition to the work of God. He tried persecution already and he will use it again. Chapter 4. We have the apostles getting arrested. Forbidden to preach anymore in the name of Christ. In chapter 5 they are rearrested. They are forbidden again to preach in the name of Christ, then they are beaten so things are accelerating. They move beyond just warnings, but now to warnings with beatings. By the time the come to chapter 7 we will have the first martyr in the early church. So persecution was one of the tactics the devil used. He also used deceit and hypocrisy from within the fellowship of believers, remember Ananias and Safari. The opening parts of Acts chapter 5. Where they are lied to the church and lied to the Holy Spirit. In doing that the devil was attempting to undermine the integrity and truthfulness of the church which was the pillar and support of the truth. That was a danger from within. Now we come to chapter 6. The devil marshals another tactic. Again from within the fellowship of believers. This will be something not an overt sin, like lying, but a failure on the part of the church in one area of its ministry. Hard feelings that came out of that. Grumbling and complaining over it and the danger that the church will be divided and diverted from the ministry of the Word of God. Serious matters that must be dealt with, but in God’s grace they are handled properly, and we will see that the Word of God continues to grow and multiply. Chapter 6 opens up with an indefinite timeline now at this time literally in these days, the days we’re talking about. These early days of the church’s history. We don’t know how much time has gone on in these early chapters in Acts. Some have estimated as much as five years. We just don’t have any way to draw the line. But in these early weeks and months and years of the church’s life and ministry and the growth is happening at a tremendous rate. At this time in these days, while the disciples were increasing in number, I want you to note this problem comes in the midst of God’s greatest blessing. What more could a church desire? They are preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and people are being saved by the thousands. This church has grown from nothing to 10, 15, 20 thousands people and it’s continuing to increase during this time while the disciples were increasing. A problem arises and were reminded it’s often in the midst of God’s greatest blessing that we can expect that the devil is going to work to catch us of guard and try to divert us from that very thing, which brings the blessing of God. It’s going to seem like a small matter put into perspective of all that God is doing. Even the persecutions the churches has experienced have been great opportunities. The disciples rejoiced because they were privileged to go and present the gospel before the Sanhedrin of Israel. On more than one occasion so they could see that even in persecution God had opened the door to present the truth of Christ to those who otherwise would not be open to hear. What blessings! But now we find out a rather ordinary mundane thing intrudes and upsets the harmony of the church and threatens to divert it from its basic ministry. We read in verse 1, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. Now we find out not only did the church have to deal with explosive concentrated growth, but there were two major divisions in the church. The church at this time was comprised primarily of Jews. Now there could have been sprinkled in their also Gentiles who had become converts to Judaism and then converts to Christianity. In fact, we’ll meet one of those men down at the end of verse 5. Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch. He would have been a Gentile who had converted to Judaism. Now the proselyte and then had come to believe in Christ and now is a member of the church, but basically the church is Jewish. The Gentiles that were there were basically Gentiles who had converted to Judaism and come into the church through that route. There were two basic groups of Jews, we think there is unity and harmony; but there were Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews. The Hellenistic Jews were the Jews of the diaspora. We talk about the diaspora even today, the dispersion of the Jews. The Jews literally that were sewn throughout the world. These were Jews that lived outside of Palestine and then been born and raised outside of Palestine, so they had adopted a lot more of the Greek culture and language of the dead, they are called the Hellenists, or Hellenistic Jews. Now the other group is the Hebraic Jews, or the native Hebrews as we have them called here in our translation. There the Jews that were born and raised in Palestine, they were a more narrower. Closed to the outside influences. Hebrew or Aramaic was their language and they viewed themselves are a purer line of Jews. We know from secular writing, something of the tension that existed between Hellenistic Jews and the Jews that were native to Palestine. Now the passing of time and we’ve seen some of this in our day as well, those Jews outside of Palestine wanted to move back to their home land. Often, they got opportunity they would return and take up residence in Palestine. So you have two groups there. When they came back they brought with them the culture and language that they had grown up with. Then it created barriers and tension between the two groups. Now Jews from both groups have been saved and brought into the church. Do you know what happens when a person gets saved, comes into the church they bring a lot of the baggage with them. Now just talking about sin I’m talking about the culture, the dress, the lifestyle, all of that and not again the sinful ways just the general differences that come from people. That is magnified of course if they come from different areas where the culture the language and so on is different. There is a church that is experiencing this tremendous growth, but it has internal division between two major groups. It comes to a head over the issue of caring for widows. We didn’t even know that was going on as a special ministry of the church. We know that church was involved in meeting the needs of people and we read men like Barnabas that sold land and gave the money to the church to help meet the needs and there weren’t any needy people in the church as the church would move to we meet whatever needs came up. Now we find out there was special ministry to the widows and again this is not surprising especially with a church that is totally Jewish at this point. For going all the way back into the book of Deuteronomy. The Jews have been instructed by God on their responsibility to care for the widows and the orphans. So the early church not only meet the needs of people generally in the church, but they had a special ministry to the widows where they would be those who had special needs without anyone to care for them and the Hellenistic Jews got upset because they said their widows were being overlooked. Weren’t being treated fairly, taken care of; like the native Hebrew widows were. We are told in verse 1, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews. Now I want you to note that word complaint. Because we want to get an idea we might think, well they just came forward and said I think there’s been an oversight and it needs attention because our widows are being neglected. But that word translated complaint. “Gongoosmaus” It’s one of those words that the sound of the word gives a flavor like our word murmur. Like when you murmur that underlying rumbling complaining. A Greek dictionary defines this word as complaint. Displeasure expressed in murmuring. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament it was used of the murmuring and complaining of the Israelites against Moses and the Lord. Look over in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. We won’t go back to some of the Old Testament references, Exodus 16:7, Numbers 20, Numbers 14 verse 27 and the Greek translation in the Old Testament used a form of this word for the murmuring of Israel. In 1 Corinthians chapter 10 Paul is warning the church of Corinth, not to pattern their conduct after the Israelites conduct of the Old Testament, the people of God there. Also, in verse 10 he tells them nor grumble, there is our word, as some of them did and were destroyed by the destroyer. Learn the lessons on grumbling from God’s people in the Old Testament. In Philippians chapter 2 verse 14, Paul writes to the Philippians and said do all things without murmuring or grumbling or complaining. When we come back to Acts chapter 6 and we read a complaint arose, what we really have here is a complaint that expressed itself in murmuring and grumbling. So you see the potential for trouble here, for whatever reason the church had failed and the indication in the context would indicated there’s no doubt there had been an oversight here. That could be expected with thousands upon thousands of people coming into the church. Naturally can expect that perhaps the smaller group, the group your less familiar with, the group who has a little different cultural approach, dress, language, it’s easy to overlook them. That action had a response, and the response for that action and failure is murmuring and grumbling and you can see how things begin to multiply the problems in a church. Here is a genuine issue to be dealt with. For whatever reason this oversight, this failure took place, but now the response to that is grumbling and murmuring and complaining. You can see now you have a relatively young church with thousands of new believers, and you’ve got discontent. You’ve got short comings and failures and murmurings and complaint, and response and it could be a situation that could begin to fracture and divide the church very early in his ministry. The ministry to widows is an important ministry. In fact, later Paul will address it regarding the responsibilities of the church in 1 Timothy chapter 5, he’ll give clear guidelines on the churches responsibility to widows. There he’ll clarify what those responsibilities are what widows are qualified to be cared for by the church, certain restriction and limitations such as they must be widows indeed, widows without family to care for them. Widows who were at least 60 years of age and so on. The ministry to widows, I’m not saying that that is not an important issue but stop and think about it. Here is the early church given the privilege of God to proclaim the gospel to all segments of Jewish society right up to the supreme court of Israel. They are seeing thousands upon thousands of people saved and becoming part of the church. Yet in the midst of that there is murmuring and complaining going on because we don’t think this group of widows is being treated fairly and you look at it and say well you know is that the kind of problem that should occupy the church and I mention this and we sometimes think oh, the kind of things we deal with they’re different and unique, but you understand it’s the same thing we have to deal with isn’t it? The church today has a ministry that is broadening and encompassing in a variety of ways. We have to be very careful that something like seeing that the widows are properly cared for doesn’t become the occasion for dividing the church and diverting it from the ministry of God’s Word which results in the eternal salvation of souls. These kinds of situations and ministries must be placed in their proper context and handled properly. Verse 2. What is the response? The twelve summon the congregation of the disciples they call the church together. They said stop your bickering. No. This is not an important matter. No they not say that either. They say it is not desirable for us to neglect the Word of God in order to serve tables. They acknowledge the problem. In fact the acknowledge that they may be to blame for the problem. We have not given attention, there needs to be to this situation and it wouldn’t be desirable for us to take time from the ministry of the Word of God to get involved in serving tables. Now serving tables in the context can be talking about the providing of food in other necessary benefits for widows. The word tables is also used in the New Testament of banking transactions and the gospels like Luke chapter 19 verse 23. Matthew chapter 21 verse 12. Remember the tax gathers sat at tables. The tables became a synonym for doing banking or financial transactions this all gets into this. Money that was given that would be used to help care for widows is what their talking about. That would have to do with seeing that their physical needs are meet, food, and clothing and shelter and so on. It’s not good for us to get involved in that ministry at the expense of the Word of God. There is a recognition on the apostles part we can’t do everything. This ministry has out grown us in that scene. We are going to have to develop some organization and structure involving others to see the ministries is properly carried out and at the same time we do not get distracted from the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. In verse 3, their solution, select from among you brethren, seven men of good reputation full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. We want to delegate some of our responsibility to others. Now obviously the church has grown tremendously. The twelve apostles do not know and are not intimately acquainted with all ten, fifteen, twenty thousand people that are now part of the church of Jerusalem. What tells them to select seven men from among yourselves? He gives some qualifications for them: they do have to be men they are going to assume oversight and leadership in the church. Select seven men, the qualifications here, they have to be of good reputation that have to be men of high ethical quality. Good character and conduct. Well-spoken of, well respected. Secondly they have to be men who are full of the Spirit, men who are spirit controlled men. Men who give evidence of living their lives under the authority and direction of the Spirit of God. They must be men full of wisdom, this is a practical requirement. They have to be men who are going to be able to do the job. Men who have the kind of ability. Wisdom that will enable them to organize this area of the ministry properly and see that it is carried out as it should be. Then, we will appoint them to the task, simple qualifications, but foundational for the work to be done properly, men that are respected of good reputation. Men that are living lives controlled and directed by the Spirit of God; men who have the ability the wisdom to do the task that needs to be done. Simple basic qualifications, but it will help the church to develop and grow properly. Some view these men as the first deacons in the church, so have your bibles may titles this section, the first deacons. There is a debate that goes on that are these formally deacons as the New Testament will later talk about them in 1 Timothy chapter 3, I don’t know if I would want to argue that they are formally an office of deacon at this point, but I think there is a great probability that this is the foundation and the beginning of what will become the office of deacon, as Paul unfolds it in 1 Timothy chapter 3 with a series of detailed qualifications set down. This will fit with what the role of deacons will be. So while the apostles may not have recognized, not understanding how the church is going to develop and grow, that we are now appointing a class of men called deacons. I think what takes place in chapter 6 is probably a foundation that what will become the office of deacon later. Deacons are only mentioned specifically twice in the New Testament. In Paul’s letter to the Philippians in Philippians chapter 1verse 1, he addresses it to the elders and deacons in the church at Philippi. Then, in 1 Timothy chapter 3 he gives a list of detailed qualifications for elders and also a list of detailed qualifications for deacons. The recognition that there will be two formal offices, elders and deacons. We’ll see as the book of Acts moves along the office of Elder will come into existence in the context of really fulfilling some of the duties given to apostles. Now the elders won’t become apostles, but for example in Paul’s first missionary journey in Acts chapter 14 he will appoint elder because you see their won’t be any apostles personally present to lead those ministries, as there were in the church of Jerusalem. So Elders were appointed and they will have the responsibility for the spiritual oversight and the ministry of God’s word and then there will be deacons will assist the men in that ministry. What seemed to me that what these men are to do in Acts chapter 6 and what fit with what the Deacons later are I assume to do is to help in whatever way necessary so that the ministry of the church can accomplish its responsible goals without hindering the ministry of the Word of God. For example, 1 Timothy 5 talks about the ministry to widows that will have to be done, but it should not distract those who are responsible for the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. It’s a ministry others can do. So we see organization developing here. Now I mention here, there’s, you know, debates that go one about organization and management in the church all the time, two extremes. There are people who think we ought not to try and formal organize the church we ought to allow the Spirit to work and all of us have the Spirit. As we simply submit to the Spirit, the Spirit will guide in His purposes will be accomplished, but when you stop and think about it. I have the Spirit. I come to teach you the Word, but I prepared the Word that I came to teach today. I don’t just get up and say look I’m just going to assume the Spirit will put words in my mouth when it’s time to preach they’ll be the right words. Though I say I trust the Spirit will enable me when I get up to preach, but I also trust that He will guide and direct me in my preparation. He has prepared me as I get up to speak. So it is in the organization. Now there is the other extreme, those who attempt to build the church just on basic management principles like they were establishing a McDonald’s franchise and you can build a significate group of people with the right techniques and management principles, but you cannot build the church of Jesus Christ that way. He must build His church, but as the church grows and develops we can see organization because more necessary. When a church is very small, if a church is just a handful of people meeting in the living room the organization can be minimal. If that’s all there was in the church at Jerusalem, they wouldn’t have had to need seven men of Godly character to oversee the care of widows, everyone would have known the one or two widows that were there. They would have been aware of what their needs were and so one, but as the church grows those things become more necessary. So, we should not be surprised as the church gets larger, there will be more structure, and there will be more organization in it. We just don’t come together on Sunday morning and trust the Lord will have burden someone this morning to care for the children, to watch the nursery, to teach Sunday School and children’s church. We trust the Spirit can direct us to plan and organize appropriately so those things could be taken care of. We established a meeting time to start, not to end. We could have just trusted the Lord will just come and it will be interesting to see if the Lord brings us here all at the same time. We say no. We’ve organized we say service will start at ten o’clock. We say oh you’ve hindered the Spirit. What if the Spirit wanted everybody here at 8:15? Well we trust He will guide and direct in the planning as well as the carrying out. Now I don’t want to belabor that too much, but important to see here the church has reached a point for the ministry of the word to continue effectively there has to be a development in the organization. Additional men given specific responsibility and oversight in conducting of the ministry. Verse 4, but we referring to the apostles will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. The priority of the apostles would remain. Praying and preaching. We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word now note they are not saying these other things don’t need to be taken care of. Or those who take care of these other things don’t need to be Godly men, but they also realize they can’t do everything. When the plan of God is to keep their focus on the Word, others pick up the responsibility of the ministry. I take it that is God’s plan as set down through the New Testament for the functioning of its church. As elders assume the responsibility of leadership in the church as we move on in the New Testament, their ministry is to focus in the Word of God, and in praying for the work of God. There are many other aspects of the ministry that are very important very crucial, they all contribute in one way or another to the body of Christ being all that God intends it to be. The tragedy in many churches is that those who should be devoting their time to the ministry of the Word of God are running around doing many other things so there is precious little time left for prayer and the study and preparation of the scripture and that weakens the ministry and hinders the work of God. So to appreciate the balance that is brought in the ministry we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word of God. I would say one of the unique things in the ministry at Indian Hills if I can complement you as a church had been your willingness to recognize the priority of the ministry of the Word of God. So that men could devote themselves to that ministry so that I in particular could be given the privilege to devote myself to prayer and to the preparation and preaching of God’s Word. You have taken up the ministry in a variety of ways. So that everything that God intends get done, but not at the expense of the ministry of God’s truth because the church is the pillar and support of the truth. That is at the heart and foundation of all that we are and all that we do, amazing. Verse 5, the statement found approval with the whole congregation. That’s one of the major miracles of the book of Acts. This has been a major and emotional problem. I mean we’re talking about widows and certain widows being ignored, these get into personal, what we would call, gut level issues that people get emotional involved in and there’s no excuse, for these widows to get overlooked and if they were godly men they wouldn’t be overlooking the widows because then they’d be concerned and James will later say, what? True religion is what? Caring for the widows and the orphans so you can make a case for your complaint, but there is an attitude and a spirit here of obedience to the Holy Spirit and a desire that His will be accomplished and the whole congregation agrees this is a good idea. No argument, all you apostles are just trying to ignore your duties, you just don’t want to get down and dirty and have to do the manual stuff, and no this is a great idea. We appreciate the need for the ministry of the Word, we appreciate the need these other things have to be taken care of it’s a great idea. So they select seven men, and there a name for us here. Five of these men we never hear from again, because Luke’s prime goal as a historian is not to track through all the details of the functioning of the church and churches. In fact, even the caring of the widows here comes up in the context of what? The problem of hindering the ministry of the Word of God. Should the apostles give up some of their time from prayer and the ministry of the word to take care of the widows? No. So he will only track those things that have to do primarily with the preaching of God’s truth. We need to keep in mind there are a lot of other things going on in the church and what we call the daily ordinary routine mundane. Necessities for the church to be all that God wants it to be. So they select seven men, the first two will be prominent in coming events. Steven, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. He’ll be the central figure beginning in verse 8 of chapter 6 and all the way through chapter 7. He’s a powerful preacher. So you note here. Doesn’t say that theses deacons couldn’t be men who were capable in the preaching of the Word of God, they wouldn’t be the men for whom that was there major responsibility. He’s a man full of faith, a man who lived His life in dependence upon the Lord, a man who was full of the Holy Spirit, a man who will be told down in verse 8, who was full of grace and power and he performs great wonders and signs among the people. You say wow, I don’t know that I would have selected him to be serving tables. I mean wouldn’t he have more important things to do and you realize that the ministry of the church is important and even though there is distinction made, he notes he will devote themselves to prayer and ministry of the Word. Doesn’t mean that the others aren’t of great capability and giftedness and godly character. They are not inferior in that way, they just have some differing responsibilities so he’s a man we’ll see more later. Then Philip is the second one mentioned and he will become a prominent and dominate figure in chapter 8. For Philip is the one who will carry the gospel to Samaria. Remember Jesus said you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria. Philip will be the one who carries the gospel out into Samaria. He is the one who will share the gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch, servant of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians and thus provide opportunity for the gospel to be carried back by that Ethiopian leader. Then entourage to Ethiopia, perhaps that’s prime ministry of Philip in chapter 21 verse 8 of Acts He will be called Philip thee Evangelist or Phillip the gospelizer. So again, a man who would be powerfully used of God and we see these men selected for these responsibilities are of the highest character and abilities, because every ministry of the church is of great importance and significance. Verse 6, these they brought before the apostles, the apostles prayed over them then laid their hands on them. Remember at the end of verse 3, we will put them in charge of this task, that’s what they do. These men have been selected out, these are men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit, the wisdom necessary to do the job that needs to be done. The apostles take them pray over them, lay their hands on them. Laying on of hands used both in the Old and New Testament, indicates their identification with these men, indicates that they are delegating some of their authority to these men in this area. Well they act with the full authority of these apostles. It’s part of them. It’s interesting in this context as we have talked about it these men’s deacons or not. They are not called deacons, but the word deacon is used in the context. At the end of verse 6, the widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. That’s a form of the word deacon, serving. That word serving. In verse 2, at the end of the verse we don’t want to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Again, another form of the word deacon. Interesting, down at the end of verse 4, we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry, that word ministry is the form of the word deacon. In fact I think that it’s the same form as you had in verse 1, serving the food. What the apostle is saying, we can’t neglect the Word of God to serve tables, we’ll serve the Word of God, you serve the tables. You serve the financial matters we’ll serve the Word of God. So all involved is serving here. Just in a little different realm and a little different way. So the unity of the church is preserved. The grumping and complaining ceases. The failure to care for the Hellenistic widows is taken care of. We now not only have the apostles providing leadership and oversight in the ministry, but now they are assisted by Godly men, who are seeing that other aspects in the ministry are properly cared for and the needs are being meet. What is the result of all this? Verse 7, and the word of God kept on breading. I take theirs significance that the Spirit of God is directed Luke the historian to put that here. Because we had a potential in these first 6 verses for disaster out of something rather minor. That the ministry of the Word of God could have been impeded. That the conflict and difference could have divided the ministry. The apostles could have thought maybe we do need to back off from this devotion to prayer in the ministry of the word to help get these problems taken care of under the intention of doing something good they would have sacrificed the best; but it was handled the way that the Lord would have it handled. That it may have enabled the ministry of the word to continue and the ministry of the church to develop and the Word of God kept on spreading, kept on growing. The number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem. Now this is phenomenal. Say we will not see anything like it in the Apostle Paul’s ministry. The last half of the book of Acts we will see multitudes of people saved in a variety of places around the world, but as far as we can tell we will see any city that will be so impacted. Thousands upon thousands upon thousands of people in that city come to salvation; and part of the church in that setting, this is a unique phenomenon that God has done in Jerusalem, in preparation for the spreading out of that gospel to other places. Low and behold a great many of the priest were becoming obedient to the faith and almost comes as a shock a great many of the priests. You have to understand. There were many priests in Palestine at this time. One writer who has done a lot of research on this estimates that there would have been as many as 8,000 priests in Palestine at this time and twelve thousand Levites. Now we’re probably not talking about members of the Sanhedrin. Now particularly not members of the Sadducee party. The liberal Jews who lead Israel and so vehemently opposed the truth of God, but the bulk of the priest would have been poor self-supported men. Remember, the priesthood was divided into 24 courses of priest and they each took their turn serving at the temple, John the Baptist Father. The opening part of Luke is a time for Him to serve Cain. These would have been a lot lower level, they would have been influential aristocracy that was governing Israel as a priesthood in these days. They responded to the truth of the gospel and were believing and becoming part of the church as well. What an opportunity. Now I couldn’t help but think as I saw this conclusion in verse 7 and the summary of what God was doing. If the church mired down in grumbling, division, conflict in the opening part of this chapter they would not have known the blessings that they forfeited. Now we need to remember that. Individually and as a church we don’t see the future. We don’t know the blessings that we would forfeit humanly speaking for being unfaithful. I think of that often in this ministry something had come up, maybe when I came to pastor this church I embezzled money. We were poor, I’ll embezzle it for a good purpose to buy a car to do ministry, whatever and had been removed from the ministry, oh you know my reflection back on this ministry to this day I think of myself back in that little church of less than 100 thought boy that could have been a nice ministry and a comfortable ministry and maybe would have grown to 100 or 150 people. I would not have known what God would have done. When I think of that in the context of the church, this church had divided and fractured and gotten caught up in their own self-centered, self-focused complaints diverted away from the ministry of God’s truth. They would have forfeited great blessing. I believe in the sovereignty of God. I believe the purposes of God are accomplished, but I am not a fatalist. I believe God holds us accountable for our actions. God would have established His church, but these individuals would have missed the blessing and privilege of being such a rich part of what God was doing. So we want to keep our focus as God has called us to do it. Let me just remind you four points and we’re done. Number 1, Conflicts and disagreements can and will arise as the church carries out its ministries. Conflicts and disagreements will arise as the church carries out its ministries. There is no such thing as a perfect church. There are failures. The widows get overlooked certain things don’t get done, people get slighted, that will happen. Number 2 the church should be organized in such a way that the work gets done without hindering the ministry of prayer and preaching. One of the things we have to look at when there is a failure, when certain things are not being done or being done as the should be done. We need to look and say how can we remedy this? My murmuring and complaining and grumbling about it doesn’t fix it. What can be done to strengthen this weakness and make the church effective in this area? Number 3, Godly men should be appointed deacons to help in the proper caring out in the ministry. That looks forward to where the development will take place, like in 1 Timothy 3. I have to realize, I am not called to be everything in the ministry. I am one of those had been appointed to devote myself to prayer and the ministry of the Word of God and the ministries carried out by many other people, godly men help in the oversight of that, godly men and women are involved in a multitude of ways in doing the ministry so that the body of Christ functions to honor Him. Number 4, the Word of God must be continually proclaimed so that it can grow and reach more people. In verse 7, the Word of God kept on spreading or kept on growing; the Word of God must be continually proclaimed so that it can grow and reach more people. One of the greatest tools of the devil is to divert the church away from being the pillar and support of the truth. Allow it to continue to see numerical increase, but the power of the Word of God is no longer there. God is no longer building the church. We have a church that functions in a biblical way. That is organized in a biblical way, it has a biblical focus in the ministry of church. So let’s pay together. Thank you Lord for your grace. Thank you for your grace manifested to us in Salvation, a grace we’ve experienced as a church. Lord, we thank you for your provision for us in every way. Lord may we today and in the future until Christ comes, handle our weaknesses, our failures, shortcomings, in a way that will honor you. May we be careful not to become diverted from the ministry of the truth, as we carry out all the diversity and ministry you’ve called us to do. We pray in Christ name. Amen.