Chosen for Service

Sunday, September 27, 2020

Acts 6:1-7

Introduction

             The alignment of last week’s message about the fellowship of the believers and this week’s recognition of the first conflict recorded in the Acts of the Apostles is intentional. The contrast is striking and instructional. The fellowship inspired awe as its behavior to the Lord and each other was radically different from the norm. Yet, conflict arose, even in the young Jerusalem Church. It proves that every movement is destined to beget an organization and every organization is destined to beget corruption, even the apostle-led Church of Jesus Christ. Even so, there is hope and the promise of Christ’s return. In the meantime, we strive for His glory while we correct our course, adapt, and carry on as often as needed. 

The Conflict

Acts 6:1-7 informs us that the Jerusalem Church included Jews who were native to the city, those who were recently returned to the homeland of their faith, and converts to the faith. The native people spoke Hebrew and Aramaic. The returning “Zionists” spoke Greek, which was the universal language of the day. The converts, or “proselytes” probably spoke Greek too. Greek-speaking Jews were referred to as Hellenists. While all were affected by the apostle’s teaching and the power of the Holy Spirit, there were still old prejudices that surfaced. Distrust of outsiders and habits of special deference to locals apparently resulted in insufficient care for the Greek-speaking widows. Greek-speaking widows were as disadvantaged as any in those times and they were outsiders with little or no familial support. Therefore, the Hellenist Christians had a legitimate complaint. 

The Resolution

The Hellenists appealed to the apostles. They were heard with compassion and prayerful consideration. It is interesting to note that the apostles called together the entire body and then offered a solution but did not fix the problem. The apostles pointed out that the Lord was better served by their focus on teaching and prayer. They urged the people to appoint godly lay servants from among the body. The body selected men whose names hint that they were Hellenists too, though it can’t be known for sure. Nevertheless, awe-inspiring, Spirit-led preaching, teaching, and service continued to cause growth in their numbers – even priests left the Temple to join the Christians!

Lessons for Today

Many, many religious traditions have claimed their origins in this story. And, it is a good model to observe. Yet, it is one that illustrates the eventuality of conflict. There is no perfect earthly reflection of the Christian community. There are seasons of Spirit-filled, inspiring worship, and service that generate growth in numbers. Such growth inevitably results in structure and organization. In time, the apostles moved on or died. They left behind Christian communities that broke down due to conflict and subjective leadership – Reading the remainder of the New Testament will bear witness to it. 

When viewed thematically, Acts 6:1-7 demonstrates that organization is inescapable; that vision-driven leadership is essential, and that Spirit-filled cooperative collaboration inspires awe that causes conversions from citizenship in the world of the flesh to citizenship in the Kingdom of Christ. It also reminds us that old prejudices and comfort-driven habits can impede the work of the Spirit.

Conclusion

When we recall the long history of the Church, we can quickly cite countless examples of corruption, cruelty, and evil in the name of Christ. When thinking about this local Christian community, do you recall such occurrences? What lessons have we learned? How have we adapted and re-focused upon our vision? When will awe-inspiring worship and service lead to growth here? Why? How will we strive to manage the inevitable organizational conflict when it arises?