Acts 6:1-15 Division and Distraction I. Introduction A. Chapter 6 will show us that, once again, Satan seeks to thwart the work of God. B. This is an internal attack that sought to divide the young growing body and distract the leadership from their primary responsibility, which was to tend to spiritual needs. II. Acts 6:1 Division in the church 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. A. Multiplication in numbers creates needs. 1. The conversion of non-resident Jews in Jerusalem and their subsequent desire to stay behind and learn put a burden on the church to supply the needs of the widows. 2. The two groups of widows a) Hellenistic Jews were those Jews who resided outside of Israel and became part the Greek culture - in speech and dress. b) The Hebrew Jews were accused of receiving more. These are widows who spoke Hebrew and were from Israel. 3. So the Hellenists were thought to be less spiritual, and the Hebrew widows were thought to be holier than thou and were strict traditionalists. 4. That combination provided the opportunity for conflict. 1
B. Favoritism 1. Favoritism is showing kindness to one at the expense or lack of another. James 2:1-4 My brethren, do not hold the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with partiality. 2 For if there should come into your assembly a man with gold rings, in fine apparel, and there should also come in a poor man in filthy clothes, 3 and you pay attention to the one wearing the fine clothes and say to him, "You sit here in a good place," and say to the poor man, "You stand there," or, "Sit here at my footstool," 4 have you not shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? 2. As the food was being doled out, those who were not strict Hebrews in dress and speech felt they were given less. a) If you have ever been at the short end of the stick of partiality, you know why we are not to do it. b) It hurts and can at times be quite painful. c) When we show favoritism, it is because you have something to gain. (1) Status, material benefit, or pleasure d) Let us love openly and freely all who would come through the doors of this building. (1) Whether they be Hispanic, black or white, wear suits or shorts, ugly or beautiful, smart or dumb, rich or poor; whether their life is together or in shambles, let us show equal kindness and friendship to all. C. Satan seeks to create division. 1. Although there is an accusation of favoritism, it does not mean that it actually existed or was deliberate. 2. It could have been the result of poor administration. 2
3. What we do know is that Satan is seeking to create a breach in the work of God so that he might hinder the progress of this fast growing church. 4. Satan will take advantage of an unintentional wrong and blow it up into a massive problem. 5. Beware that you are not used unwittingly by Satan to bring division into the church. 6. 1 Corinthians 13 gives us great instruction on how we should love. a) Love suffers long, does not seek its own, believes all things, and hopes all things. 7. Don t assume the worst, and before you draw your conclusion of evil or wrongdoing, make certain YOU are walking in love. III. Acts 6:2 There is distraction in the church, but the Apostles stay committed and focused. 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. A. Satan s secondary attack was to take the apostles away from their primary calling. 1. This is the priority for all who are given the responsibility for teaching the word. 2. I have known many Pastors who had a board or congregation they reported to, who felt that the pastor was to do everything. a) This is wrong as well as detrimental to the body that keeps their pastor away from the Word. B. The instruction given by both Jesus and Paul in the Pastoral letters makes it clear what the priority of the pastors/elders should be. 1. They are to feed, tend and raise up believers for the work of the ministry. 3
IV. 2. It is also the priority to be in prayer. C. So the first principle in which we see the Apostles walking is that they should not be drawn into physical tasks to the neglect of the spiritual. Acts 6:3-6 The Divine principle of delegation 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." 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. A. There is wisdom in spreading the load out 1. Ephesians 4 makes it clear that the leaders of the church are to raise up laborers to do work in the church. B. Moses was instructed by his father-in-law to appoint men to help in the work. Exodus 18:17-23 So Moses father-in-law said to him, The thing that you do is not good. 18 "Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace." 4
C. Requirements for service 1. Notice that the seven names listed in Acts 6:5 are of Greek origin, which would have gone a long way in dealing with the favoritism accusation brought by the Hellenist widows. 2. The men were of good reputation. a) To have a good reputation means that people recognize you as a person who is of high moral character and devout in the Christian faith. You are one who has given yourself over to the cause of Christ, one who is familiar with the Word. It is, to state it another way, one who is recognized for their godliness. b) This isn t something you earn overnight, but something that comes as you daily walk uprightly before God and man. (1) Would you have been considered had you been in these circumstances, or would have any of the following disqualified you? (a) Short tempered, tied up with personal goals, etc. 3. The men were full of the Holy Spirit. d. The idea behind full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom is that these men should be both spiritually minded and practically minded. This can be a hard combination to find! a) This is not something that you hear much of as a requirement for service. Yet if the Lord needed the Spirit in His life, how much more do we? b) Notice that there is a discernable difference between the person who is filled with the Holy Spirit and those who aren t. 5
(1) Paul notices that some believers were lacking the power/filling/baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts19:1-7 (2) Distinguishing factors of a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit are: (a) (b) (c) Power to be a witness. A zeal for the things of God. An overflowing joy. The giftedness to minister to the body. 4. The men were full of wisdom. a) What was needed was not people who were full of knowledge but rather wisdom. b) Wisdom is having the understanding of how to apply biblical principles. c) It goes without saying that we cannot have wisdom unless we are well versed in the Scriptures. Jeremiah 8:9 The wise men are ashamed, They are dismayed and taken. Behold, they have rejected the word of the LORD; So what wisdom do they have? James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 5. The men were available a) At times unwillingness to serve has been one of the great tragedies in the church. (1) How can it be that there are very few of God s people available to do the work that arises in local bodies? b) The result is that those who do offer their time and lives for service are generally overworked. 6
c) These men weren t being appointed to pastor churches either. They were going to wait on tables. d) These were average guys who would go on to do exceptional works. V. Acts 6:7-8 God s word spreads through Stephen. 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. 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. A. So Satan failed to divide the Church and distract the leaders B. The Apostles, filled with wisdom and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, were able to diffuse two potential threats to the mission of the early Church. 1. Division and distraction were handled by appointing and adhering. 2. The church appointed workers to deal with the frustration. 3. They adhered to the command of Jesus to feed the flock of God. 4. They met the physical need without forsaking the spiritual. C. Be faithful in the small things. 1. God used Stephen in other ways. a) As Stephen was faithful in the small things, the Lord went on to use him in greater ways. 2. Too often, people are only willing to avail themselves for prominent jobs. 3. Jesus said we ought to learn to be faithful in the small things, and He would give us bigger tasks to do. 7
Matthew 25:21 21 "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.' VI. Acts 6:9-15 Stephen is falsely accused. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, "This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14 "for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." 15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. A. Satan continues to stir up strife. 1. It is possible that Paul is in this group. ii. Those from Cilicia: The mention of Cilicia suggests this may have been Paul s synagogue before he was converted. He came from Tarsus in Cilicia. (Lovett) B. Why would the Jews make such accusations? 1. Because Stephen was clearly teaching that Jesus was greater than Moses; that Jesus was God; that Jesus was greater than the temple; that Jesus was the fulfillment of the law; and that Jesus was greater than their religious customs and traditions. C. When they couldn t answer Stephen, they decided to falsely accuse him. 1. False accusation was the only way they coulddeal with him a) Blasphemy against Moses b) The holy place 8
c) The law d) Jesus would destroy this place. e) Change the customs of Moses D. How Stephen appeared to the accusers VII. Conclusion 1. Even under accusation, Stephen could not resist the presence of God upon his life. A. Beware of partiality. B. Do not succumb to division. C. Do not succumb to distraction. D. Be faithful in the small things. 9