← Back to sermon library

[Music] welcome to everyone it's good to be in the house of our God on this Lord's Day just a couple of reminders first tonight will be the Lord's Supper at our 5 p.m. service and then as I sent out an email this past week there will be no Wednesday night Bible study this week God willing we'll pick up the following week on the 16th well for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 24 Psalm 24 Psalm 24 I'll begin reading in verse 1 a psalm of David the earth is the Lord's and all its fullness the world and those who dwell therein for he has founded it upon the Seas and established it upon the waters who may ascend into the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place he who has clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted up his soul to an idol nor sworn deceitfully he shall receive blessing from the Lord and righteousness from the god of his salvation this is Jacob the generation of those who seek Him whose seat your face say law lift up your heads o you gates and be lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battle lift up your heads o you gates lift up you everlasting doors and the King of glory shall come in who is this King of glory the Lord of Hosts he is the king of glory say law well please take your Trinity Psalter and turn to Psalm 146 Psalm 146 and will stand and sing together [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and Holy Father what a privilege and a joy it is to gather in your house what a blessing it is to have the very ear of God as we come to you in prayer we thank you Father that we can come through your son the mediator of the new covenant that prophet priest and King that one who has secured our salvation for us and how we praise you for the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit we acknowledge God Most High from everlasting to everlasting we acknowledge your handiwork in the creation even as we saw the son this morning it's a beautiful display of your goodness and your wisdom and your power we give glory to you most time for your handiwork in the created realm we thank you as well that you are in the heavens and you do whatever you please and that you are governing your people you're governing all your creatures and all their actions according to your wisdom we praise you for redemption through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ God as we gather on these Lord's days we do so with that blessed memory that the Christ is risen from the dead and we know that he went to that death on behalf of those whom the father had given him the Apostle so clearly says he was delivered up because of our offences and he was raised for our justification and we rejoice in these good things Lord God we know it's not our works it's not our virtue it's not our merit that commends us to God but it's the the work of the Lord Jesus Christ on our behalf he is the man described in Psalm 24 he is that one who ascends into the very presence of God most I he has one for us our salvation through his life his death in his resurrection and God we rejoice in this we praise you for Sovereign Grace we praise you for election and predestination doctrines that make some professing Christians uncomfortable but doctrines we hold to and delight in because we know father if you had not chosen us we would have never chosen you and so we give praise to you for that we give praise to you that in your time your son did all that we could never do that he stood in our place on that cross that he took the wrath and the fury and the punishment do for our sins and that he rose again the third day how we thank you for the ministry of the holy spirit it takes that accomplished work and applies it to your people and God even now we pray that he would be at work in our hearts and in our minds as we approach the God of heaven and earth help us to do so with reverence and to help us to do so as well with great joy considering ourselves blessed because of what you've done on our part we asked you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions god we pray that you would indeed apply that that merit than that that blood of Christ afresh to us that you would cleanse us from all iniquity that you would wash us that you would give us that that that clear conscience with a holy God for any and all who have not come to you through your son we pray that today would be the day of salvation we pray that Christ would indeed see the travail of his soul and be satisfied we pray that sinners would be called out of darkness into marvellous light confessing him alone as Savior as Lord and us King we ask that for our meeting here together we pray that for other churches in Chilliwack we pray that for the this nation and throughout the earth that the gospel would run swiftly and be glorified and that men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation would come to the Father through the son and the power of the Holy Spirit we ask that you would bless in this local body those with continuing needs we do rejoice that the goodness of God displayed in our in our brethren we thank you for the good report from from the D Armani's and we pray that you'd continue with them continue to watch over our dear sister as well we thank you that little Jimmy is improving in the hospital we do pray that soon he'd be able to return home and that you would bless this little one and cause all all these developmental needs to be in place and cause him to one day confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we also pray for the new fields we commit them to you and to the word of your grace and we pray for the many that have the cold that are suffering with illness those who are struggling physically and God for each and every one of us we struggle spiritually and we would pray that today we'd see that that balm of Gilead applied to us we pray that the word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit would speak peace to our hearts that it would encourage us that you would strengthen us with might in the inner man so that Christ may dwell in our hearts through faith that you would cause us to reflect upon the great love of God for us and cause us to reflect upon the great blessings associated with our salvation and God as we enter into this week we pray that you would conform us evermore unto the image of your beloved son so we start another year may it be a year wherein we seek faithfulness before a holy God and may you indeed bless and encourage and strengthen each and every one of us and cause us to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ we pray for our children and for our young people we know there are many dangers in this world in terms of temptation and sin we know that in some respects they have challenges that we as as adults never faced with phones and media and sorts of the sorts of difficulties that can present danger we just pray for them that they by grace would remember their Creator in their youth that they would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior that they would see he is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 and that their hearts would be melted with love for this for the Lord Jesus Christ we asked he would bless other churches in our town we pray that they would know peace and help and strength they would know prosperity under the blessing of God Almighty we pray for the persecuted Church we rejoice that in various countries the people of God are growing and are preaching in such a way that they are perceived as a threat to these godless regimes we know that it is a difficulty to be sure God we know that this means there is spread there is growth there's increase Jesus promised to build his church the gates of ATS would not prevail against it but he never promised there wouldn't be attempts by the evil one to disrupt and disturb the people of God bless our brothers and sisters that suffer for your name caused them to press on in the midst of such affliction and caused them to know the nearness of God as their good and father we do pray for the governing authorities in our nation we live in a time that is wicked we live in a time where it's okay or authorized legitimized even in cases subsidized to murder babies to murder old people to murder sick people father this is just a tragedy and we can only cry out to you that in your wrath you would remember mercy we pray father in heaven that you would change hearts that through the preaching of the gospel people would cry against such things that father this would not be the the way that it always is we pray that you put wisdom in the hearts of those who do have principle those who do lead efficiently and effectively we pray that they would stand fast even when everybody around them would compromise in these areas and God we pray that people would would not be afraid to call evil evil and good good we live in very very distressing times and Lord we pray for the grace to pray for these leaders but as well to be faithful to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and grant us boldness and courage to hold forth your word of truth Lord God we do pray as well for the church and Surrey and for the work in Vernon we just commit these brethren to you into the word of your grace we pray that this day of worship would be marked by joy in the presence of God Almighty and in the presence of the people of God and we pray that in those places your word would go forth for the saving of sinners and for the sanctifying of your people and we pray these things through our Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn in your Trinity hymnal to number 268 number 268 again will stand as we sing together [Music] we can turn in your Bibles to John's Gospel we're in John chapter 5 for our scripture reading this morning John chapter 5 John 5 beginning in verse 1 after this there was a feast of the Jews and Jesus went up to Jerusalem now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep gate a pool which is called in Hebrew Bethesda having five porches in these lay a great multitude of sick people blind lame paralyzed waiting for the moving of the water for an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water then whoever stepped in first after the stirring of the water was made well of whatever disease he had now a certain man was there who had an infirmity 38 years when Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had bit that he had already had been in that condition a long time he said to him do you want to be made well the sick man answered him sir I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up but while I am coming another steps down before me jesus said to him rise take up your bed and walk and immediately the man was made well took up his bed and walked and that day was the Sabbath the Jews therefore said to him who was cured it is the Sabbath it is not lawful for you to carry your bed he answered them he who made me well said to me take up your bed and walk then they asked him who is the man who said to you take up your bed and walk but the one who was healed did not know who it was for Jesus had withdrawn a multitude being in that place afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him see you have been made well sin no more lest a worse thing come upon you the man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well for the reason the Jews persecuted Jesus and sought to kill him because he had done these things on the Sabbath but jesus answered them my father has been working until now and I have been working therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill him because he not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was his father making himself equal with God then jesus answered and said to them most assuredly I say to you the son can do nothing of himself but what he sees the father do for whatever he does the son also does in like manner for the Father loves the Son and shows him all things that he himself does and he will show him greater works than these that you may Marvel for as the father raises the dead and gives life to them even so the son gives life to whom he will for the father judges no one but has committed all judgment to the son that all should honor the son just as they honor the father he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him most assuredly I say to you he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment but has passed from death into life most assuredly I say to you the hour is coming and now is when the Dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live for as the father has life in himself so he has granted the son to have life in himself and has given him authority to execute judgment also because he is the son of man do not marvel at this for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation I can of myself do nothing as I hear I judge and my judgment is righteous because I do not seek my own will but the will of the Father who sent me if I bear witness of myself my witness is not true there is another who bears witness of me and I know that the witness which he witnesses of me is true you have sent to John and he is witness to the truth yet I do not receive testimony from man but I say these things that you may be saved he was the burning and shining lamp and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light but I have a greater witness than John's for the works which the father has given me to finish the very works that I do bear witness of me that the father has sent me and the father himself who sent me has testified of me you've neither heard his voice at any time nor seen his form but you do not have his word abiding in you because whom he sent him you do not believe you search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of me but you are not willing to come to me that you may have life I do not receive honour from men but I know you that you do not have the love of God in you I have come in my father's name and you do not receive me if another comes in his own name him you will receive how can you believe who receive honor from one another and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father there's one who accuses you Moses and whom you trust for if you believed Moses you would believe me for he wrote about me but if you do not believe his writings how will you believe my words Amen well we see with our Lord Jesus Christ his continual sort of running into these religious leaders they were very angry with them very frustrated with that first of all they they sort of upbraid the man that had been healed because he's now carrying his bed on the sabbath day they don't stand and marvel that this man who for 38 years had been completely incapacitated is now standing and walking and carrying his bad legalists miss those sorts of things they neglect the weightier matters of the law visa vie justice mercy and faith and so they get upset with him and then they turn their aggression against our Lord Jesus Christ and we see very very clearly unequivocally that these men understood that Jesus was making himself equal to God that's why they wanted to stone him that's why they wanted to blaspheme him there's this idea that sort of circulates among some and it attaches itself to churches that Jesus really wasn't conscious of who he was Jesus really didn't have this sort of idea that he was indeed God's son you cannot take that from this particular passage in fact Jesus tells us tells them very particularly in verse 23 all should honor the son just as they honor the father brethren no creature could ever say such a thing now we know that the second person of the Trinity assumed our humanity but in terms of who Jesus is that mediator that blessed one person two natures he says that we are to honor the father honor the son just as they honor the father he who does not honor the son does not honor the father who sent him you see why they got upset you see why they had animosity you see why they wanted to neutralize what they perceived was a threat and then Christ goes on and he continues to highlight his position his place is his role is function and one of the things that he emphases emphasizes time and again is the need to believe you need to believe on the son and that brings everlasting life it is never gonna be by the good works of anyone in here that you'll enter into heaven I don't know if you're tired of me saying that or you're tired of hearing that but I think it bears repetition because we get this idea that if I just try a little bit harder if I just reform and in a few more areas if I just fix things in my life well then God will have me there is no moral Reformation that you and I can do to take us into the very presence of God I've got news for you the man described in Psalm 24 is not us it's Jesus he ascends into the tabernacle of God he the one that that has no iniquity he is the one that has no sin the only way of salvation is faith in Him faith in Him is the means by which we receive that righteousness of Christ and the means by which we receive that forgiveness of sins that comes from him and him alone don't make the mistake of the Jews he says to them you search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life see that's a problem today people read the Bible simply to try and figure out how to live now don't get me wrong the Bible is very helpful on how to live that's not the primary message the primary message of the Bible is that you're a mess and the only way to live is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ yes search the Scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life but these are the the very scriptures that testify of me Jesus says you've missed the point and then he finishes this with one final sort of a death blow to them in terms of their place he says there is one who convicts you and it's Moses Jesus says that Moses wrote about Jesus and these Jews these religious leaders missed it by a mile I don't want any of us to miss this we need to see that Christ alone is the way of salvation faith in Him is what is most needful well let us pray father we thank you for Jesus we thank you for this wonderful gospel this glorious truth that in the scriptures there is eternal life there is the knowledge of eternal life because it reveals to us Christ that one who always did what the father willed for him that one who always obeyed that one who died as a substitute and sacrifice at Calvary that one who has raised the third day God may it be the case that everyone here would be looking to him in faith and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well you can turn for our final him before the preaching to number 219 219 will stand as we sing together [Music] we could turn in your Bibles to Acts chapter 6 Acts chapter 6 we're going to take up the first seven verses this morning but I do want to read the whole chapter Acts chapter six I'll begin reading in verse 1 now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Helenus because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution 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 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 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word and the saying please the whole multitude and they chose stephen a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit and Philip procuress the can or team on par - and nicolas a proselyte from antioch whom they set before the apostles and when they had prayed they laid hands on them 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 and Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and signs among the people then there arose some from what I'm sorry then there arose some from what is called the synagogue of the freedmen Cyrenians Alexandrians and those from Silesia and Asia disputing with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom in the spirit by which he spoke then they secretly induced men to say we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God and they stirred up the people the elders and the scribes and they came upon him seized him and brought him to the council they also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place in the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us and all who sat in the council looking steadfastly at him saw his face as the face of an angel amen will let us pray father thank you for the written word thank you for this record of the early church and I pray now the Ministry of the Holy Spirit would be upon each and every one of us that she would help us to appreciate this passage help us to see what is going on and may we indeed be strengthened and edified and encouraged we ask God that the gospel would be made clear and plain that the spirit would open hearts to receive that truth so that sinners can come to know Christ as Lord and Savior again forgive us now for our sins and our transgressions and anything that would darken our understanding and we pray this through Jesus Christ the Lord amen well our Lord Jesus in Matthew chapter 16 promised to build his church remember that interaction with the disciples jesus said who do men say that I the Son of Man am and then they give the various responses and then Jesus says but who do you say that I am and Peter says thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God Jesus then pronounces a beatitude upon Peter and he says that upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of 80 shall not prevail against it but Christ there and nowhere else that I know of ever promised the church that she'd have no problems that she'd have no difficulties that she'd have no trials that she'd have no hardships in fact up to this point in the book of Acts we have seen persecution in Acts chapter 3 and 4 and 5 we have seen persecution by unbelieving priests and the unbelieving Sanhedrin they targeted the church for destruction so there was persecution we also see an example of corruption in the church in Acts chapter 5 verses 1 to 11 that case of Ananias and Sapphira brethren we are not promised that there will never be any hardships any difficulties any trials for the church on earth and here in Acts chapter 6 verses 1 to 7 it's not persecution from without it's not necessarily corruption from within but rather it's the potential for distraction it is the potential for the ministers of God's Word being distracted from preaching that word and they have a solution calculated to secure their place as preachers of the gospel John Gill made the very good observation he says so that as it appears from the instance of Ananias and Sapphira that this first and pure gospel church was not free from hypocrites it is also manifest that though they were at first soap United and harmonious in their affections and judgments yet they were not always clear of feud's animosities and contentions satan bustard himself and got footing among them as he commonly does where the gospel is preached and there is an increase of it so we've got outside persecution inside corruption and in this particular situation the threat of distraction the Apostles leaving their tasks and serving tables that's the issue so I want to look first at the problem in the church in verses 1 and 2 secondly the proposal to the church in verses 3 to 4 and then finally the provision for the church in verses 5 to 7 now note in verses 1 and 2 there's both a practical problem and a spiritual problem a practical challenge and a spiritual issue or concern if we deal with the practical then it will alleviate the spiritual that's the argument that the Apostles produce in this particular section but note in the first place with reference to this practical problem the time verse 1 of chapter 6 tells us now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying now we always look at revival and Awakening at the increase of the church as a blessed privilege or blessed provision from God or words we ought to praise God with the addition of new people who confess saving faith in our Lord Jesus who have come out of darkness into marvelous light but brethren it's like anything where there's more people there at least is the potential for there to be more problems sometimes you hear is the world much more wicked now than it was say at the time of the early patriarchs well there's more people so therefore yeah I guess it is more wicked when you've got what's the current population seven billion you got seven billion people that makes for a pretty polluted world and so that's what's happening the church has been growing we start off in Acts chapter one and the number of disciples was 120 in Acts chapter 2 after the preaching of Peter on the day of Pentecost three thousand souls are added to that we get to Acts chapter four we have five thousand added to them so we have quite - quite the large church in Jerusalem and so now that there's all these people the potential for problems is there and that's what's happening these are growing pains these are challenges these are difficulties these are hardships remember the church on earth is not the church triumphant the church on earth is imperfect the church on earth is persecuted the church on earth has corruption and the church on earth oftentimes goes through distraction when we get to heaven the church triumphant none of those things will obtain in the eternal state but in this state they're all there they're all present and the issue is how does the church deal with that it's not the case that we just pretend that there's no problems rather we seek by God's grace to deal with those problems now note the issue now in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplying there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Helenus because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution so the Helenus complained against the Hebrews now if you don't know what a Helena Stan a Hebrew is this passage is going to trouble you and puzzle you so let me just try and explain all of them are Jews remember this is Jerusalem but a Helenus was a Jew that lived outside of Judah the Helenus were Greek speaking Jews that lived outside of Judah and so now in Jerusalem these Helenus are there they're saved the Hebrews are those who were Jews that lived inside of Judah and so in this daily distribution of food for the widows again a very thorough concept in the Old Testament very much emphasized in the book of Exodus and in the book of Deuteronomy it's repeated here it's also seen in first Timothy chapter 5 how the church is to care for widows God says were to care for widows and in this particular instance there was this Gailey distribution probably a food and perhaps money which also shows us there wasn't a common refrigerator remember in those scenes before where they they sold their property and they brought the proceeds and they laid them at the feet of the disciples it wasn't the case that the disciples made one giant kitchen and everybody just come and went came and went as they please now there was there was still this this distinction of property and so they were distributing it to these particular widows so the Helenus are complaining because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution now I think Jay Alexander explains the situation well because initially brethren we're going to think oh this is a problem that boy this is you know they're not woke they're just need racial sensitivity training I mean these colonists in Hebrews they've got some friction and some tension the only thing that's going to help them is to get them conditioned on how to deal with one another in terms of racial sensitivities I don't think that's what's happening and I think the solution evidence is that but but notice what Alexander says he says neglected literally overlooked not necessarily implying ill-will or content they were being overlooked but it's not necessary to conclude it was ill-will or contempt remember the Helenus lived outside of Judah the Helenus are now in Jerusalem the Helenus just aren't as well known as the Hebrews they're just not as known to everybody as were the Hebrews so it might have just been sort of an administrative problem or a managerial problem or an organizational problem and not a racial thing not a racial problem he goes on to say but merely such neglect as might arise from there being less known than the natives the jealousy of the races may have prompted the complaint without affording the occasion for it where's that might have scrapped it well well they're sliding us because we're Helenus well that might have occasioned the complaint but it's not necessarily the cause it could have just been a matter where they were overlooked that sort of thing happens and we always ought to be careful not to conclude the worst at every given turn oh you racist no maybe we just forgot you terrible human oh maybe we just overlooked an administrative error or an organizational defect shouldn't be interpreted as the unpardonable sin not again I'm not saying they're doing that but you could see the seed the widows are getting their food the Helenus are coming up short and then they complain well you know perhaps if we were Hebrews perhaps if we lived in Jerusalem perhaps if we were native then we wouldn't be overlooked now let's see how the tax proceeds verse 1 this is the practical problem the there was a complaint against the Hebrews by the Helenus because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution that brings us to the spiritual issue verse 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 you all get that right the apostles there the twelve their primary calling was to preach the word remember in Acts chapter 1 at verse 8 Jesus tells these apostles you will be witnesses to me first in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth that's their primary function that's their calling that's what Christ has given them to do and so they rightly observe that if every single day we need to sit behind the table to make sure that no Helenus get slighted it's going to take us from that primary calling now they're not saying it as if serving table is beneath them they're not saying it as if they are some prestigious or or elitists that that that can't be bothered getting their hands dirty with reference to feeding but no they're not saying it that way at all they're saying it as a matter of priority it's not desirable that we stop doing what Jesus called us to do and start doing this other thing which is good in and of itself and the context makes that clear because they provide seven capable men to carry out that particular task so is everybody with me this is the spiritual problem this is the challenge this is the potential distraction if the apostles have to leave their study and have to leave their pulpit to go serve food this is not what Jesus intended for them in other words the Apostles advocate what's called the division of labor which is a beautiful thing because no one man or even in this instance twelve man can do everything does that make sense Christ can the father can the Spirit the Lord God Most High can do all his holy will but men creatures are limited creatures aren't infinite creatures have times that they need rest creatures yet spent creatures overlooked things and so these apostles recommend to the congregation that we divide the labor so the work of serving tables is legit one commentator says there is no hint whatever that the apostles regarded social work as inferior to pastoral work or beneath their dignity it was entirely a question of calling they're not elitist oh you too you're too high and lofty to get down there and you know dole out some soup to a widow yeah you're just too good for that no that's not the claim the claim is Jesus called me to witness Jesus called me to testify Jesus called me to lead in this church and to make sure things get done that doesn't stop us from continuing in the work this was in fact the specific were committed to the Apostles after the Apostolic you know era well even within the Apostolic era that baton is passed to the elders of the church one of the things that an elder must be able to do according to first Timothy 3:2 is he must be apt to teach first in any chapter 4 paul highlights Timothy's role in exhortation in reading and preaching in 2nd Timothy 4 Paul says to Timothy preach the word be ready in season and out of season Titus chapter 1 Paul mandates that an elder a bishop an overseer a pastor all those terms are synonymous in the church must with sound doctrine be able to edify the people of God and refute those who contradict the other office in the church is that of deacon and while that word deacon is absent from acts 6 1 to 7 this is most likely at least the seed form of what would be the diaconate men committed to serving in that capacity not because one class is better not because one class is more dignified not because one classes is is less refined but because of the division of labor this is what this necessitated so the specific work of preaching the word committed to the elders Bach says he says in the Apostles view the ability to prioritize activities and not be responsible to do everything reflects good leadership and stewardship delegation right isn't that what Moses learned from his father-in-law you know you wonder if Moses hair was coming out because he was doing this so much Moses had a tough job brethren I know we all say how hard our jobs are read Exodus sometimes butcher yourself and Moses moccasins for for a few steps and and see what that brother had to deal with but it was his father-in-law who said you can't take all this on yourself there no way possible for you to effectively adjudicate every single situation appoint 7d man they can hear the lesser cases something that's actually needing your attention you can function as the Supreme Court those things will be brought to you delegation is not a sign of weakness delegation is a crucial aspect of leadership and that's what's being exercised in this particular passage so everybody clear on what the problem was there's a practical problem the Helenus are complaining that their widows are neglected the Hebrews are sliding the Helenus but the spiritual issue is if the Apostles have to weigh in on that if the Apostles have to ladle out the soup then the Apostles will not be doing what Christ has called them to do so let's look secondly at the proposal and in the way that we might imagine they deal first with a solution to the practical problem and then highlight the solution for the spiritual problem notice in verse verse three 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 the Lord's they must be qualified men not just any man and I don't think we should ever interpret this as to suggest that every other man was bad I've sort of met with that in my time as a pastor I've met with people or have learned of people or I've seen people I was hesitate because you're gonna think who is it in our church not necessarily in our church where guys want to be in the ministry and Paul says if you want to be in the ministry that's a good thing but if you don't want to be in a ministry that's okay too if you're qualified for the ministry that's good if you're not qualified not because you're a horrible specimen of a human being that's okay too not everybody's going to be in the ministry and that's okay this is everybody with me your life your identity your your fullness your your pleasure your your being is it caught up in what you do it's caught up in who you serve isn't this the mistake the Apostles make when they come back the 70 returned and they say to Jesus Lord we saw demons cast out in your name we saw people healed we saw amazing things Jesus himself says I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven but as they're rejoicing Jesus says I don't want you to rejoice in that and it's an idiom I don't think he means never rejoice when a demons actually cast out but it's an idiom don't rejoice so much in that that you forget to rejoice in death he says don't rejoice in that but rather rejoice that your names are written in heaven that's where our identity is isn't it isn't it yes everybody can give me a nod and a wink at this particular moment it's not a sin to not be a pastor it's not a sin to not be a deacon it's not evil you're not missing you're not out everybody that God saves has particular skills and gifts and abilities and it's all different and that's why it's so blessed that there is this division of labor so that not one man or twelve men or the Seven here has to do everything now in this instance Stephen was able to preach Philip was able to preach but that doesn't necessarily mean that those who serve today as deacons have to preach no it doesn't mean that at all they have to do what God says notice the solution in terms of the practical problem these men must be qualified the men must be of good reputation the word in its active sense means to affirm in a supportive manner testify favorably speak well of approve passively which is how it's used here it means to be well spoken of be approved in other words they are to be men of good reputation they're not the guys that you would put forward and everybody kind of rolls their eyes and says yeah them really but notice it goes on to say the man must be full of the holy spirit and wisdom which I think underscores this principle it wasn't just effective managers that they needed they needed godly man who happened to be effective managers so I think that's a problem too when the church shops out elders or deacons is a man good in business is a man good in this particular regard does he have savvy in the marketplace those things are great sanctified by the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit but the main emphasis is is he a godly man see the presence of the Spirit is absolutely requisite for service in the church because a man may have great management skills and great organizational ability he may not have the spirit necessarily he's successful at envision he's successful at prosperity credit unions he's successful in the world he's not to be a servant in the church and then wisdom now wisdom is one of those statements or one of those words in the Bible that you know we all want more of I hope I hope it's part of your prayer list every day to pray to God for wisdom to be a Solomon and dare ask for wisdom but why wisdom here of course they would need a general overarching degree of wisdom the brethren when you're dealing with people and you're dealing with money and you're dealing with some unhappy people that are complaining about others you need wise men in place to be able to try and navigate through such things not just oh this is the way it's gonna be here's your one ladle of soup and everybody just knuckle know you got a negotiate you got to facilitate you got to be wise in the way that you carry out is ladling out of the soup you got to make sure that the Helenus aren't slighted you got to make sure that things are accounted for and you need wisdom in order to do this again I don't think we're blown away that the Apostles put this mandate down they need to be seven seven there is an imperative for the church forever it's not the case that every church has to have seven seven deacons it's just functioned here and some say it's connected to the number of perfections I'm saying it's connected to the way that Jews did other things and they would use seven men some have suggested real practically one man for each day of the week it's not the the detail that we're supposed to take away from this not the case that you either have no deacons or seven deacons that that's not what the point is they are men of good reputation they're men full of the Holy Spirit and they are men that are wise and they can I just say this kindly graciously cautiously but ever so firmly their men this isn't human beings there's two Greek words for man the one for man is specified here it is man who is the leader in the church it is man who functions as elder in the church it is man who functions as deacon in the church God did not call women to function in the church in that capacity and that's God's call that's God's mind we do not have the right to change it we do not have the right to try and place a cultural construct on it well that's because no it's because God said it some do this with first Timothy chapter 2 Paul says I do not permit I do not allow I do not authorize a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man and so people today say well that was a problem in Ephesus she had some pushy women you had women that that weren't darkly sound but Paul's argument isn't about pushy women Paul's argument is not the culture at Ephesus Paul's argument is guess the garden God made man first the woman being deceived transgressed those are the the arguments for this perpetual position within the context of the church it's supposed to be man now notice their function I love this I'm gonna tell you why I love this in just a moment 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 have any of you ever dealt this way with your kids your kids say have dart guns just pulling that out of the hat and they're shooting each other with those dart guns and they come to you and they say we're shooting each other with these dart guns and it hurts and you respond by saying I'm going to take the dart guns away I think I fathered that way a lot rather than taking the time to encourage to instruct and say there are limitations in terms of how you use this dart gun there's things you can point at there's things you're not supposed to point that rather the knee-jerk reaction at least for me was well just give it to me this is why we can have nothing good you know that that sort of argument the Apostles don't lead that way well if the Helenus feel slighted forget it no soup no food no daily distribution cut them off we don't want to hear the squabbling we don't want to hear the bellyache we don't want to have additional problems this is why we can have no good things they don't do that notice that they do not recommend sensitivity or racial sensitivity training they don't do that well you know as Hebrews you need to appreciate the the Helenus really are Jews too though they speak a little bit different and they've been exposed to Greek culture perhaps more than you we know we need to have encounter sessions and we need to make sure that you are racially sensitive to one another they don't take the Twitter and Facebook and upbraid everybody in the church for not being hashtag woke they don't do it that way they have minds that function in a very good way find seven men that that that are full of the Holy Spirit wisdom men who have good reputation among you all and will appoint them over this business will give them charge of this men that we can trust men that we know will take care of it men that won't have to say this is why we have no good things or or or you need to be educated on racial sense it's not see what was a potential hot potato in the context of the Jerusalem church that could border on racial discrimination the Apostles don't see it that way they don't say it we need to make you more racially racially sensitive they say get competent men and put them in charge I love that find some men that know how to do these kinds of things and let them do these kinds of things that's the solution to the practical problem it's not well we need to go and think on the top of a mountain and figure out the best way not to you know slight these how no fine man put them in charge and and when we trust they'll be able to figure it out it's a beautiful thing isn't it when the church functions the way the church is supposed to function and then of course this provides the solution for the spiritual issue verse 3 the end whom we may appoint over this business but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word we have seen this give ourselves continually or this continually emphasis in acts up to this particular point it means to persist in something too busy oneself with to be busily engaged in to be devoted to in acts 2 they continued steadfastly same word in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship in the breaking of bread and prayers see the Apostles see this as their calling we will devote ourselves to prio to prayer into the Ministry of the word now this this doesn't just mean private prayer though it certainly includes private prayer but it means public prayer its association with the word probably speaks to public worship in other words the Apostles are responsible to make sure the people of God are worshipping to make sure the people of God are learning to make sure the people of God are receiving preaching and they will continued steadfastly in it they will give themselves continually to it now turn over for just a moment to Colossians chapter 1 Colossians chapter 1 I'm gonna end this morning with a few observations evasions and one of them is going to be we need men like this we need these kinds of men not apostles that's not what I'm suggesting Lord God please provide for us apostles no the apostolic ministry is over there's not going to be any more apostles fundamental requirement for the apostle was that they witnessed the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ nobody living today witnessed the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there's not going to be apostles remember I said at this particular time it was the Apostles who took the lead in teaching and preaching those apostles then said there will be elders that will take the lead and we're taking the lead in in the churches at that time in preaching and teaching now notice in Colossians 1 verses 28 and 29 this is the kind of man that we need him we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus to this end I also labor striving according to his working which works in me mightily see there's activity there's rigor there's there's diligence there's there's labor involved you know sometimes those those trades or those jobs or those sorts of professions or those sorts of things like ministry where you use your mind it's almost looked at well you know that's that's nice for your job you know guys digging ditches that that's a job that's that's work that's that's man's work brethren the engagement of the mind for you know any period of time is taxing it is labor it does require effort and there is a spent Ness that occurs when somebody engages in that it's just the reality but this is the kind of man that we need turn over to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 2nd Timothy chapter 2 specifically at verse 14 Paul is giving a series of commands to Timothy in fact look at the beginning in a second Timothy 2:1 first command be strong second command verse 2 commit commit these things to faithful men verse 3 you must in door verse 7 consider what I say verse 8 remember that gene Christ verse 14 remind them of these things charging them before the Lord not to strive about words to no profit to the ruin of the hearers now notice in verse 15 be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth the commands continue shun profane verse 16 verse 22 flee also youthful lusts verse 23 avoid foolish and ignorant disputes you see that emphasis there in verse 15 be diligent to present yourself approved to God a worker who does not need to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth that ought to be the case that a man carries out his ministerial task in such a way that he seeks approval not from man but from God and then he's able to do so with a clear conscience he's able to do so knowing that he has by the grace of God carried out the task he was called to so back to Acts chapter 6 the Apostles recognize the potential for distraction to keep them from prayer and the Ministry of the word the Apostles and elders after them are not just no not at all shouldn't but just in there they're not CEOs they're not accomplished businessman they're not leaders of the pep squad they're not cheerleaders they're not motivational people they that's not their calling in their tasks what's the task in the Christian ministry prayer and preaching have we made that so hard why is it so difficult why have we we we created sort of a a ministerial niche where prayer and preaching come on what else do you got what kind of bedside manner do you have how good be a smile how whiter your teeth how perfect of your hair what schools did you go to I mean not that all that stuff is unimportant but it is unimportant when it comes to the function of the pastor it's to preach the word and pray that's the job you say well that's it that's a lot that's tough st. a pity party I know you did my walking my it is a tough job praying and breaching try it sometime pray and bridge I've always been amused the few times it's happened where persons have come to me and said boy I had an opportunity to speak in public and it's tough it's tough it is tough it's difficult you get butterflies you get afraid you'll want to look at me face people not that anybody here is of course it's tough but these are the kinds of men we need praying preaching men Mathew Poole says the two great employees I don't know if that's the accurate way to use employees but I love it prayer and preaching the two great employees of a minister of Jesus Christ to pray unto God for the people and to speak unto the people from the Lord John Gill says these two prayer and preaching are the principle employment of a gospel minister and are what he ought to be concerned in not only now and then but what he should give himself up unto holy that his prophet he might appear and what he should be continually exercised and employed in C that's crucial why because the people of God depend upon the Word of God the people of God need the Word of God Jesus was not kidding when he cited Deuteronomy in his combat with the devil out in the wilderness man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God sometimes people read their Bibles or sometimes people hear sermons and they don't see immediate effect keep it sometime there's a cumulative effect 20 years of hopefully decent preaching 20 years of reading your Bible every day 20 years of calling upon the Lord I guarantee you cumulatively there's going to be positive benefit I think I've shared with you before a story I read once where a man was well I think he was writing the Dear Abby and or somebody was mocking the concept of preaching no preaching doesn't do any good preaching doesn't serve any purpose preaching doesn't help people in this fellow wrote in and he said you know my wife has been feeding me food for twenty thirty forty years I don't know couldn't tell you what we had last night for dinner I certainly don't know what we had 20 years ago for dinner but I do know this it has sustained me it has nourished me and it has kept me whole I think preaching is like that if you want the immediate flash-in-the-pan all your problems are fixed and everything's going to be hunky-dory you don't understand preaching you don't have a clue you have to be under the word we have to be discipled by discipline by conditioned by the Word of God and that requires exposure and the men that exposed that word to the people of God must be men who pray and men who are given to the study of that word we see this elsewhere I've used the example you're gonna hear it again you don't want to go to an orthopedic surgeon who's looking at Google as he's trying to navigate on your hip that's not a helpful thing you don't want a guy who says yeah I've watched some YouTube videos and I think I'm ready to undertake and yet we do that with ministers you wouldn't take your car to somebody know if he's really good nice brute that's fine but for the most part well you know I've watched 15 youtube videos on this particular make and I think I'll get it I'm not sure I want you to get it and yet anybody anybody can stand in the pulpit preach why is that because people aren't discerning people don't read passages like these people don't think we need a class of men that pray and are devoted in annually to the ministry of the work that's why the confession of faith rightly summarizes the biblical doctrine of eldership in terms of paying ministers John Gil's quote if I were to continue in this section says this is why they ought to be paid because it's a demanding job that requires all their efforts and their energies those that preach the gospel ought to make their living by it not high on the hog not the guy that just bought his wife a Lamborghini not that kind of living the Brethren he ought not to have to worry about his next meal so that he can preach your next meal that's the emphasis in Scripture now that brings us finally to the provision for it the church the choice of the man verse 5 this is intriguing the saying please the whole multitude and they chose Stephen now Stephen is explained a bit further here because Stephen comes up later in the chapter and all of chapter 7 so Stephen is described I don't think it means that the rest of the guys didn't have what Stephen has but it wants to set a set apart Stephen because we're gonna deal more with Stephen a man full of faith and an end of the and the Holy Spirit but it's intriguing that each of these seven names are all Greek and the suggestion is I think good that they're all Helenus they're all probably the sorts of guys that were Helenus except for the one man notice the one man nicolas a proselyte from antioch we're gonna deal with nicolas in just a moment a little bit more but but but but all the men were Jews that were Helenus nicolas was not nicholas in a sense was the first Gentile we typically refer to Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 as that sort of first Gentile convert but he was a proselyte so that means he wasn't a Jew he Priscilla proselyte it are converted into Judaism that's nicholas so the inference is the other six men were jews but their names indicate that they were Hellenistic Jews what good solve isn't it what a good answer the Helena still slighted you pick seven man you know it was like well that's Helenus heavy now the Hebrews are going to be slided no this speaks to their honesty and their openness and their beautiful you know the wisdom and in applying this I mentioned Nicholas later on in church history IRA næss for instance associated this Nicholas with the Nicolaitans of Revelation to this Nikolaj attends or this group plagued the church and Ephesus and the church in Pergamos Revelation chapter 2 and so irony is and and and not a few of the Fathers said this Nicholas was sort of the leader of these Nicolaitans now if it was in fact that it shouldn't surprise us because one of the original twelve apostles chosen by Jesus was Judas you know that it happens right there's Ananias and Sapphira there's corruption there's issues not all that glitters is gold but the association that this Nicholas is in fact the leader of the Nicolaitans is pretty much based on the name so I don't know that I'd want to hang my hat and say this Nicholas ended up affecting and plaguing the churches in Ephesus and pergolas now all respect to iron ass I you know maybe he had more information that that I don't have but to just hang it on the association between the name Nicholas and nickel I attend I wouldn't want to do that so so though that the significance of the names there and they are referred to later in acts 21 as the seven it wasn't like this was forgotten that wasn't like this was over it wasn't like no this was the selection of Ganon's what would later probably later become the deaq unit or or deacons so the appointment of the men the church sets the men forth before the apostles in the notice at the end of verse six and when they had prayed they laid hands on them the laying on of hands in this context is probably a solemn sign of consecration you see it when Moses passes the baton to Joshua in numbers twenty-seven you see it used as well and places the pastoral epistles this laying on of hands it doesn't necessarily or only rather mean that it's a consecration to office you see laying on of hands connected with healing you see laying on of hands in the Old Testament connected with Association or transfer when the worshipper laid his hands upon the victim and he laid his hands upon his animal the significance was a transfer of his guilt to that particular animal when the high priest laid his hands upon that goat that scapegoat before sending it out into the wilderness that that was the associate or the the significance that Association that transfer but it becomes in the New Testament not a giving of the spirit but rather conferral of authority upon those who evidence the presence of the Spirit and so this is basically what we would call today ordination the church brings the Apostles or rather brings the men to the Apostles they pray and they lay hands on that and it was probably the case that they prayed while they were laying hands on them I jotted down a note from Matthew Poole with reference to prayer he says prayer is the salt which season ahthe and sanctify us all things I think that's a a good statement so so you see there was a practical need in the context of this church that threatened to wreak havoc on the spiritual needs of the church and very often it happens that way something practical something that that it's sort of out there will affect or distract us in such a way that that we can't be about the work of preaching and teaching and so they say select men seven men good man and make sure they have the spirit make sure they have wisdom and and will appoint them over this and for our part we'll continue in prayer and in the Ministry of the word everybody in the church is happy everybody's pleased they pony up the men they lay hands on the men and pray and then that brings us to this progress report in verse 7 now Luke does this at several places in the book of Acts he gives us a progress report kids you know what a progress portes its I got report card and Luke does that notice in verse seven he says 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 for those taking notes you can look at 9:31 twelve twenty-four sixteen five nineteen twenty and twenty eight thirty one for the other progress reports they read similarly and in fact it kind of helps break up the book of Acts not break it up in a way of disunity but it sort of gives us facets it gives us stages of the church in its growth and increase but look at what he says here he says the Word of God spread don't miss the connective word then we can't read or interpret the progress report negligent of the context they deal with the practical issue frees up the Apostles to continue in prayer and in the Ministry of the word having been freed up to continue in prayer and in the ministry of the word what happens in terms of the Ministry of the word the Word of God spreads men that are equipped men that are studied men that are prayed now our men that are preaching in such a way that that word is going forth it is increasing it is spreading and not only is it spreading in some certain way some nebulous way but he goes on and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem you see what happens you deal with a practical problem freeing up the spiritual concern so that the Word of God can now spread and the numbers of number of disciples can multiply but that last part of this progress report is really amazing it's really glorious what Luke goes on to say and to great many of the priests were obedient to the faith that's huge isn't it the priests were not the ones that were sort of right for conversion the priests were not the ones that were sort of conducive to this new movement the priests by and large had an animus against the church against the people of God the priests were opposers of the the Christian Church and yet we're told in 6-7 that a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith I I need to read this isn't I'm gonna because it's helpful I need to read this quote from John Gill because I think he just beautifully explains this he says and that the priests and a large number of them should do this is very marvelous we'd all agree since they were the most in veteran enemies of the gospel and persecutors of the saints and it's this next bit that I think is glorious he says but what is it that efficacious grace cannot do what is it that efficacious grace cannot do it can save a great number of the priests it can save those who are inveterate enemies of the gospel it can save those who are persecutors of the Church of Jesus Christ it can do this because it's efficacious grace and it's God most high and it's jesus promised that i will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it there will be persecution there will be corruption there will be and I hate it distraction but nevertheless King Jesus builds nevertheless men continued steadfastly in prayer and in breach a and nevertheless the Word of God spreads nevertheless the number of the multa of the disciples multiplies and nevertheless inveterate enemies of the gospel itself come in to the camp of the Saints it it's really glorious it's really beautiful it's really amazing and if you think that there's going to be a church on earth that never has these kinds of problems you need to change that way of thinking I tried to say it as gingerly and as sweetly and as kindly as I could in 6:1 but brethren when there's a multitude of people there's probably going to be a multitude of potential problems I want to say it's always the case but but potential and what does the church do they navigate through it they don't stop being a church they don't say forget it no more food they don't say you know we're too high and lofty we're no fine good man that we can put over this business so that we can be freed up to do what we're supposed to do so there will be in conclusion problems facing the church we've seen it here all the way and acts 1 to 6 we see it all the way through the book of Acts we see it all the way through church history we'll see it all the way through until the new Jerusalem the church was persecuted from without saw corruption from within and experienced difficulties within that threatened to distract the preachers of the word but Christ promise remains firm he will build his church Hill once more says this stratagem of Satan did not succeed to divide the church but issued in the better decorum and discipline of it and in the spread and success of the gospel God thus making all things to work together for good he took this potentially explosive and divisive situation and through the wisdom of these apostles turned it for good it's beautiful secondly we need to appreciate the government of the church we're not supposed to mess with it we're not supposed to add to it we're not supposed to take away from it 1st Timothy 3 is the marching order in terms of qualifications both for elders and deacons that's it those are the two offices in the Church of Jesus Christ we don't have some hierarchical structure we don't have weird guys and weird hats at the top telling us what what we need to do elders and deacons look after the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ elders are tasked specifically with with preaching and teaching and with oversite Deacons are primarily concerned as John Gill explains elsewhere with the table of the Lord the table of the poor and the table of the minister that's it servants doing those things that make sure that the table of the Lord has looked after the table of the poor and the table of the minister those two offices abide we ought to praise God as well for the division of labor and and and if you think that one man or five men or seven men or twelve men can do everything you don't know and appreciate the division of labor I know you do I know you've shed tear your kids at one time I'm only one mom I'm only one dad I'm only one person we cannot look at any one person as we do the infinite God who is able to do all things according to his own counsel and will we cannot lay that burden upon people and demand too much from them third as I said we need biblically qualified men who are committed to giving themselves continually to prayer and to the Ministry of the word brethren pray for that pray for those kinds of men pray that kind of man goes to Vernet pray that kind of man goes to wherever God's people are and they need a minister they need a pastor they need a preacher they need an overseer a bishop whatever it is you want to call in again all those terms synonymous we need men we'll continue in prayer and in the Ministry of the word that's my plea to you pray for that pray for that for Vernon pray for that for every body of believers not that they'd have the most handsome men I've dated add the the most sort of oratorical II skilled men not that they would have the most you know business savvy men but they would have praying preaching men that's the dire need in the church at every severy time every epoch every situation what's the need for the church praying preaching men and when we have praying preaching men we can in confidence and with a hopeful expectation say to the Lord God Most High Lord we hope and pray and we want to see your word we want to see disciples multiply and we want to see even the enemies of Jesus Christ come into the camp of the beloved God we know you're able to do that you did it in Acts chapter 6 one two seven and you're in the business of saving that's what you do so we can pray to that end with that confidence that God the Lord will do what he has promised to do and if you're not a believer here this morning the way to salvation isn't by serving hellenistic widows the way to salvation is by the Christ by the Lord Jesus Christ faith in Him is the means by which sinners receive the forgiveness of sins and a righteousness that avails with God well let's close in a word of Prayer father we thank you for your word we thank you for the the wisdom of the early church taking on these problems and dealing with them and in very very simple very responsible ways we ask God that you would help us to have the mind of Christ as it comes to church Manship help us as well to see men raised up committed to this this life of praying and preaching we ask God that you would supply a man to the Brethren and Vernon and wherever your people are gathered together wherever there are churches that don't have men we pray that you would raise them up as Jesus taught us the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few so we pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise up men and send them forth and we ask this for your glory we ask this for the increase of disciples we ask this so that even the enemies of Jesus Christ will come to know Christ as Lord and Savior go with us now and help us to have a blessed Lord's Day and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well let's close by standing and singing the doxology in praise to our God [Music] the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace God thank you for this benediction this good word we pray that you would indeed cause these things to be ours we pray that we would know your peace we would know your blessing we would know your nearness and your goodness as our chief delight go with us now we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen please be seated