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A rapidly growing church filled with thousands of new believers suddenly faced an internal complaint that revealed cultural tension and unmet needs. How did the apostles respond when practical ministry threatened to pull them away from their primary calling, and what surprising strategy did they employ? The outcome not only restored harmony but unleashed even greater gospel advancement—details that raise intriguing questions about leadership, roles, and growth in any church.
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/imperfect-church
#mlcc #church #churchonline
📝 Study Notes, Scripture List, Transcript, and more: https://medicallake.church/sermons/imperfect-church
#mlcc #church #churchonline
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LearningTranscript
00:00This week while I was studying for the text today out of Acts chapter 6, I was in the
00:05Life Application Bible, they had a couple of notes, and it was a really interesting note
00:08that they had at the beginning of this.
00:09They were talking about, many of us as we go through Acts have this impression that
00:14the early church was perfect.
00:16They never had any problems, everything was just exactly as it should be, and there was
00:20never any issues with people or relationships.
00:23They mentioned that the early church had problems just like we do today.
00:27They were not a perfect church.
00:30I mean, think about it.
00:31If you found a perfect church, would you even be able to be a member?
00:34I wouldn't.
00:36I couldn't be a member if we were looking for a perfect, because I'm not perfect yet.
00:39They were a perfectly imperfect church.
00:41They had issues as well in the first church.
00:44But what's interesting is they did not let their issues fester to become serious problems.
00:50They addressed the issues right at the very beginning so that the harmony and the unity
00:54of the church could be maintained.
00:55So an issue does arise here in Acts chapter 6, but the apostles handle it quickly so that
01:02the unity and the harmony can remain in the church.
01:06So we see here in Acts 6 the idea that when a problem arose in the church, the apostles
01:11were quickly delegating authority to others to solve the problem.
01:16So they're learning something else.
01:18I mean, we have up to, we have 3,000 that got saved in the day of Pentecost and several
01:23later adding up to about 5,000.
01:25And then we learned that many, also women became, men and women came.
01:28So the women are now being counted.
01:30So we've got maybe up to 10,000 people, 8,000, 9,000 people that are part of the believers
01:35in Jerusalem.
01:36So you've got a lot of people here, and the apostles are trying to oversee what's happening
01:41in the churches here in Jerusalem.
01:44They realized that there were certain things they were unable to do because they had other
01:49tasks that they need to do.
01:51And it kind of reminds us, we sometimes forget that the church functions best when everyone
01:57is doing that which they're called to do.
02:00When everyone, I mean, don't ever call me to lead the worship team.
02:04I'm never going to do that, and I would not hurt your ears with my singing voice.
02:09But other people are really good at that, and they can do stuff like that.
02:12So when everyone is doing what they're called to do, the church functions best.
02:16And that's what we're going to see here in Acts chapter 6.
02:19An eternal problem arose, and they handled it quickly.
02:23I've always said that the sign of a healthy church is not the absence of problems or conflicts.
02:28That's not the sign of a healthy church.
02:30The sign of a healthy church is how quickly we resolve our conflicts and problems when
02:35they do arise, because they will arise.
02:37Because I'm not perfect, and you're not perfect, and I may do something that offends you, and
02:43I wouldn't want to do that, but it may happen.
02:46But how quickly you resolve the conflict shows the sign of a healthy church.
02:50Some people say, oh, it's the amount of money given.
02:52It's not the amount of money given.
02:53It's not even the number of people in a church that makes a healthy church.
02:56It's how quickly are we willing to solve problems and relationships when they do arise.
03:02That's the sign of a healthy church.
03:04So we look at me in Acts chapter 6, just a little section here, just seven verses we'll
03:07go through.
03:09There's a problem in the church.
03:10A problem arises in the church.
03:12And you can imagine there's a lot of people here in Jerusalem.
03:16Look at verses 1 and 2.
03:17Here's the problem.
03:18Now, in these days, again, it's an unknown time frame, exactly how far past Pentecost,
03:24maybe up to three to four to five years past, a time has elapsed.
03:29Now, in these days, when the disciples were increasing in number, so a lot of disciples,
03:34a complaint by the Hellenists, and we'll define that word in a second, the complaint by the
03:38Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows, that's the Hellenist widows, were
03:43being neglected in the daily distribution.
03:45So they were distributing items, most likely food, so the daily distribution, the Hellenist
03:51widows were being neglected.
03:53That's the problem.
03:55And the 12 summoned the full number of the disciples, summoned the group together and
04:00said, it is not right that we should give up preaching the word to serve tables.
04:04Here's the problem.
04:06These apostles were eyewitnesses from the baptism of John all the way to the resurrection.
04:12They viewed his life.
04:13They're the only eyewitnesses that are around.
04:15Their job is to give testimony to what they've seen.
04:18And now they're called upon to serve tables because all of the need that was there, so
04:22they're being pulled in two separate directions, the apostles.
04:28They were making disciples.
04:29The disciples are increasing.
04:30That's the fact, that's our job is to make disciples.
04:32The conversion is just the beginning part.
04:34Growing people up in the faith is what's important as we grow together in the church.
04:38So it had experienced increased growth, but that always introduces new problems.
04:48People have said, don't you want to go to a bigger church?
04:50I said, why?
04:50There's just more problems.
04:53Hello?
04:54That's supposed to be a little bit funny.
04:56It's true.
05:00More people, more problems.
05:03So no, it's, again, the absence, the absence of conflict is not the sign of a healthy church.
05:07It's how fast we deal with them is a sign of a healthy church.
05:10So they're increasing, and the disciples are increasing.
05:13The community is having an issue with the Hellenist widows.
05:17So sometimes when a church is growing, problems increase because new things are happening.
05:23I mean, you start a new ministry, and that opens up, oh, well, now this is conflicting here.
05:27And so everything changes when growth happens.
05:30So there's a problem that's going on.
05:33If we remember, the apostles were eyewitnesses, but also when anyone had a need,
05:39they would sell their possessions voluntarily.
05:42They would give it to the apostles, laid at the apostles' feet,
05:45and then the apostles would distribute it to people as they had need.
05:48That was what they were doing up to this point.
05:50So all the money that's being sold is laid at the apostles' feet.
05:54They're taking it, and they're distributing to anyone who had a need in the congregation.
05:57They didn't want anyone to have a need in the congregation.
06:01So as soon as the apostles heard of this need, this problem that was happening,
06:05they acted quickly on it.
06:07They acted quickly.
06:07The Hellenist widows, or the Hellenist Jews, the Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews.
06:14They were Greek-speaking Jews born outside of the Israel area,
06:17and probably later on in life migrated to Jerusalem, maybe to die in Jerusalem.
06:22So they've left family where they lived at, and they've come to Jerusalem,
06:25so they're Greek-speaking Jews is the idea.
06:27They even have their own synagogues.
06:29Later on in chapter 6, we read this, verse 9.
06:31Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the freedmen, as it is called,
06:36and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and those from Sicilia and Asia,
06:42rose up and disputed with Stephen, whom we're going to meet next week.
06:45So they even have their own synagogues.
06:47We like to be around people that are like us.
06:50So the Hellenist Jews had their own synagogues, and the Hebrew Jews had their own synagogues,
06:53and at times, the Hebrew Jews looked down on the Hellenist Jews as second-class Jews.
06:59I mean, they weren't born in Israel.
07:00They came later in life.
07:02They really weren't part of what's going on here.
07:04So they tended to be looked down upon.
07:07The church was in one accord, we're told, often here.
07:11But the Hellenists, they were experiencing some sort of distancing,
07:15maybe because of language.
07:16They were Greek-speaking, and the Hebrew Jews were Aramaic-speaking.
07:19Some new Greek, obviously.
07:21Perhaps it was cultural differences that they have.
07:24I mean, we like to be around people that are like us.
07:26So there was some sort of distancing that were happening here in the church.
07:30In the organization of distributing food to the widows,
07:33the Hellenist widows were overlooked.
07:35No one was paying attention to them.
07:37In fact, the phrase is, they were overlooked,
07:39is the idea that they were continually being overlooked.
07:42It wasn't just a one-time event.
07:44They were being neglected over a period of time in the past.
07:47They just weren't getting what they needed.
07:50To be a widow in those days was a difficult thing.
07:52You had no husband, and these moving from an outside area to Jerusalem
07:56probably had no family there as well.
07:59They're on their own.
08:01Now, there is no implication in the text whatsoever that this was on purpose.
08:06This was not done on purpose.
08:08You have to imagine, the apostles, with the rapid growth of the believers,
08:13the organizational structure was unable to accommodate the growing needs.
08:17The apostles just couldn't do both things at the same time.
08:21They couldn't preach the gospel.
08:22They couldn't be eyewitness to what they saw
08:24and then serve the tables and distribute the money at the same time.
08:26They just weren't capable of doing it.
08:28It was too much for 12 people to do.
08:32They were engaged in the preaching command,
08:34and they were overwhelmed with trying to manage now the distribution of food
08:38and preach at the same time.
08:40So they've got an issue that's going on here.
08:42They don't want to neglect these ladies.
08:44They want to make sure these widows get everything that they need.
08:46They were being neglected.
08:47So what are we going to do about it?
08:49We can't do both.
08:50This is not possible.
08:53Widows were important, especially in the Old Testament.
08:55You read often how God cared for widows.
08:57They were dependent upon widows and orphans and aliens.
09:00They were dependent upon generosity and kindness and mercy.
09:05He speaks often about them.
09:09Spencer wrote,
09:09To fail to care for its widows not only stripped the women of their honor
09:14but shamed the entire community.
09:16So the apostles realized,
09:18Oh man, we're failing here.
09:19We can't do it all.
09:21There's just no way we can do it all.
09:22We need help.
09:24We need to find someone that will help us make sure that this ministry is taken care of
09:28because we can't possibly do it all.
09:29We want to honor these women.
09:31We don't want to bring disgrace to the community.
09:36Luke already told us that there was no need among the people.
09:39They made sure if you had a need, I would provide it.
09:41If you had a need, I would provide it.
09:43That which was in my means to do, there was no need.
09:45That's chapter 4.
09:47There was not a needy person among them.
09:50But now there is.
09:51Now there are some needy people among them.
09:53For as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold,
09:57again, voluntarily, and laid it at the apostles' feet,
10:00and it was distributed to each as any had need.
10:03Now there's a need.
10:04These ladies are being neglected.
10:07The tables.
10:08What are the tables?
10:09Well, the tables were a place where money was at or food was distributed from.
10:13It's both.
10:14It's not just one or the other.
10:15It's table, money changer tables in the temple, remember?
10:20So tables had the idea of money and also the idea of distributing food.
10:26John Pohlhill wrote,
10:27The Jews, the regular Jews, had a weekly dole for resident needy called the kuppah.
10:34It was given out every Friday and consisted of enough money for 14 meals.
10:38There was also a daily distribution known as the tamha.
10:41It was for non-residents and transients and consisted of food and drink,
10:45which were delivered from house to house where no needy were dwelling.
10:49The Christian practice seems to embrace elements of both of these systems.
10:53Both.
10:54So they were taking needy people, that which they needed daily to survive,
10:59and these ladies were being neglected.
11:01They were being overlooked.
11:03The apostles, they're calling with the preacher of the gospel.
11:07Now they want to help these ladies, but you can't be in two places at the same time.
11:10It's not possible.
11:12They need help.
11:14The task of serving tables was not an unimportant ministry.
11:18It was a very important ministry.
11:19It's just that the apostles, they're the only eyewitnesses around to give testimony to what they've seen.
11:25So they have a different task to do.
11:27So you see that we see different roles developing here in the church.
11:35The apostles, they understood delegation.
11:39They understood delegation.
11:40Maybe they were thinking of Jethro in the Old Testament when Moses was trying to govern the entire nation of Israel,
11:49and he's killing himself.
11:51He can't possibly do it all.
11:53And his father-in-law Jethro comes and says,
11:55Hey, why don't you choose out some people to help you?
11:58Maybe that's what they were thinking about.
11:59But something has happened.
12:00Something needs to change so these ladies get taken care of.
12:04Delegation.
12:05D.L. Moody used to say that it was better to put 10 men to work than to try to do the work of 10 men.
12:13It's true.
12:15They just couldn't do it.
12:16There's only 12 of them.
12:17They can't possibly be in two places at the same time.
12:20It's not possible.
12:22So they come up with an idea.
12:24Again, probably maybe from Jethro in the Old Testament, it's possible.
12:28But they came up with an idea as we need someone to help us in this ministry.
12:32We can't do it all.
12:33So they're going to pick out some people.
12:35Look at verses 3 through 6.
12:39Therefore, brothers.
12:40Now, brothers and sisters is the term.
12:43He's talking to the church.
12:45Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute,
12:49full of the Spirit and of wisdom,
12:52whom we will appoint to this duty, the duty of serving the widows.
12:56But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.
13:00So they have different roles.
13:02Both of them are important.
13:04And what they said pleased the whole gathering.
13:07And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,
13:10and Philip, and Procurus, and Nicanor, and Timnon,
13:15and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, and a proselyte of Antioch.
13:18That's the only one that was probably Jewish here.
13:21The other ones were Hellenist Jews, perhaps by name.
13:23These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
13:29They delegated to these men the responsibility of taking care of the needy widows.
13:36The names of the seven point them out to be probably Hellenists
13:39who would best understand the needs of the Hellenist widows.
13:42Just the names.
13:42Now, some Hebrews had Greek names.
13:45We know that.
13:46Simon Peter had a Greek name.
13:47We got that.
13:47But it's probably Hellenist.
13:49So Greek-speaking Jews are chosen out.
13:52They're well-respected.
13:54They're well-spoken of.
13:55And the emphasis is on the men's character.
13:58Did you notice that?
13:59Not on their talents and ability.
14:01Oh, I'm good with numbers.
14:02That's not important.
14:02How about your heart?
14:04See, it's about their character, not their actions or abilities.
14:07That's what God was interested in, their character.
14:12Why seven?
14:13Maybe because a Jewish council, a city council would have seven people on it.
14:16Possibly, maybe seven, because it's a perfect number.
14:19Seven men are chosen.
14:20They were full of the Holy Spirit, giving evidence that God was at work in their lives
14:25with actions and attitudes.
14:27They were known for their wisdom, the practical ability to manage the money that's going to
14:31be given them to distribute to the widows.
14:35Here's what's interesting.
14:36The leaders, apostles, did not choose these seven.
14:40Look who chose them.
14:42The congregation chose the seven.
14:44The apostles said, hey, you guys, congregation, you look out and you pick among you.
14:48People that could do this job, to have that kind of character, full of the Holy Spirit,
14:53full of wisdom.
14:54You, congregation, choose these people.
14:57I thought that was interesting.
14:58The choice was the congregations, not the leaders.
15:01It's not like the leaders go, I need a warm body.
15:03Okay, you'll do.
15:03And you'll do.
15:04No, the congregation said, hey, we know these people.
15:07We've lived with them.
15:08We know their hearts.
15:10This person and this person and this.
15:12They would do a great job.
15:14I thought it was interesting that the congregation made the decision and not the apostles.
15:19Luke lists Stephen first.
15:21Not an accident because we're going to be introduced to him next week.
15:24And all chapter seven is a sermon that he preached.
15:26So he's listed.
15:27Philip is listed later on in the text.
15:30The other five, we don't know anything about them.
15:33We are told that one may have been a scribe for John the apostle.
15:36Perhaps.
15:37We don't know.
15:37We just don't know anything more about them.
15:38Those two, Philip and Stephen, we do know about.
15:43So after they were chosen by the congregation, they were installed by the apostles, a laying
15:49out of hands, a commissioning service, delegating the authority of the apostles onto these men
15:54to do the ministry, different roles that they were called to do.
15:59Often this text is used to support the office of a deacon.
16:02This is the office of a deacon.
16:04Interestingly enough, that word is not used in reference to these men at all.
16:07Probably not the official office of a deacon here.
16:10That comes on later.
16:121 Timothy 3 gives us a listing of what the qualifications are.
16:15Probably not here.
16:17Probably not.
16:17The seven seem to be selected to meet an immediate need not to fill an official church office.
16:24So this isn't probably the first deacons.
16:26They were servants, sure, but it wasn't the first deacons like we understand the office
16:30of a deacon that comes later on.
16:33Because both Stephen and Philip were more than that.
16:35They were evangelists.
16:36I mean, they preached the gospel.
16:38Philip preached to the Ethiopian eunuch.
16:41And here, in Acts 21, on the next day we departed and came to Caesarea, and we entered the house
16:47of Philip, the evangelist.
16:48That's the same Philip here, who was one of the seven and stayed with him.
16:53He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.
16:55So he wasn't just a servant, we call a deacon.
16:58He was an evangelist also.
16:59So was Stephen, because you're going to hear his sermon that he preaches.
17:02He's also an evangelist.
17:03So they bring him to the apostles.
17:07The apostles lay hands on them.
17:09Lay hands on them.
17:09It's just a transfer of granting authority.
17:13Authority flowing from God to the leaders and then granting and delegating authority to
17:17those to do the ministry.
17:20Laying on a family.
17:20Kind of like when Moses laid his hands on Joshua to confer the ministry onto Joshua right before
17:26he died.
17:27Deuteronomy chapter 34.
17:29And Joshua, the son of Nun, was full of the spirit of wisdom.
17:32Sounds almost like these guys here, huh?
17:34For Moses had laid his hands on him, so the people of Israel obeyed him and did as the
17:38Lord had commanded Moses.
17:40So Moses laid his hands on him and said, I'm transferring my authority to him.
17:43He's going to take over after I die.
17:45So these seven men's work allowed the apostles to do what God had commissioned them to do.
17:52Could you imagine being torn?
17:55A single individual in a church cannot do everything.
17:59It's not physically possible to do everything.
18:02Can't be in two places at one time.
18:04The apostles said, we just can't physically do this.
18:06There's too many people in too great of a need.
18:08We need to delegate that authority to create this role that they can fulfill that need.
18:12And everyone was doing what they were supposed to be doing so the church could have harmony
18:18again.
18:20Verse seven, just another summary statement.
18:23It's going to transition us into Stephen, whom you're going to meet next week.
18:27Look at verse number seven.
18:29And the word of God continued to increase.
18:32So because they solved this problem, delegated to these men the role of meeting the needs of
18:38the widows so the apostles could preach the gospel.
18:41It says the word of God continued to increase.
18:45And the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.
18:48So even more people were coming to the faith.
18:51And not only just average people, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the
18:56faith, which was unheard of by the priests.
18:58How could you turn against Judaism to this Nazarene sect?
19:03They did.
19:04They believed.
19:04So after solving the problem of the Hellenist widows, the church is now harmonious again.
19:11The harmony is back.
19:12There's no friction.
19:13There's no tension.
19:14The Hellenist widows don't have any more complaints.
19:16Now everyone is functioning exactly as God intended them to do, commissioned to do what God wants
19:20them to do.
19:22So they're right there.
19:23Because the seven met the needs of the widows, the gospel expanded even further because everyone
19:28was doing what they were supposed to do, their role in proclaiming the gospel.
19:33The word grew as it was faithfully proclaimed and fell on fertile soil like the parable of
19:39the sower, fell on fertile soil and produced fruit.
19:42Even a great many of the priests believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.
19:47That begins a problem.
19:48Remember the Sanhedrin, how much they loved the apostles?
19:51Remember?
19:51Okay, you're with me.
19:54All right, good.
19:55They said, we command you not to preach in that name.
19:58They won't even say the name of Jesus.
19:59We command you not to preach in that name.
20:01So what do they do?
20:01They go out and preach in the name of Jesus.
20:03So they arrest them, throw them in jail.
20:06The angel of the Lord comes and delivers them out of jail.
20:08And then they go back to the temple and preach.
20:10And they come back.
20:10And then they beat them the last time we saw with rods.
20:14Sanhedrin's not happy.
20:15Now we have priests coming to the faith.
20:18Oh, the salvation of a great many of the priests may have been the ignition point for the violent
20:23attack on Stephen that's going to come.
20:25You're going to see next week.
20:27Violent attack comes on Stephen.
20:29The priests are defecting from Judaism, as the Sanhedrin would say, and following the way,
20:35the Nazarene, they're mad.
20:39They're mad.
20:40And it comes out here.
20:41You're going to see next week.
20:42It comes out.
20:43Luke now brings the ministry in Jerusalem to its high point.
20:49From now on, after the death of Stephen, the gospel goes out into all the world, as it was
20:54intended to do.
20:55This is the high point of the ministry in Jerusalem.
20:57Then the next time we're going to see it, it's in other places around the world, not just in
21:02Jerusalem.
21:04Back to that life application Bible, they talked about the word of God spreading here in the
21:09text.
21:10The word of God spread like ripples on a pond where from a single center, each wave touches
21:17the next, spreading wider and farther.
21:20The good news still spreads this way today.
21:22You don't have to change the world single-handedly.
21:25It's enough just to be part of the wave, touching those around you who in turn will touch others
21:29until all have felt the movement.
21:31Don't ever feel that your part is insignificant or unimportant because everyone has a role to
21:38play.
21:39Everyone does.
21:43When I came to the church years ago, I don't think there's anyone in this service would
21:47even know who I'm talking about.
21:48I'm not going to tell you who it is anyway.
21:49It doesn't matter.
21:50When I came to the church years ago, I had a discussion with a lady whose husband just
21:54graduated from, he got his doctorate in ministry in counseling, emphasis in counseling.
21:58And I thought, oh, good job.
22:00I don't have a doctorate.
22:00That's awesome.
22:01You did really hard work.
22:02That's good.
22:03And so it was counseling.
22:04So I was talking with her and I was saying, you know, I'm not a very good counselor.
22:09I don't have a lot of mercy when I talk to people.
22:12I see the problem.
22:13I identify.
22:14I say, go fix the problem.
22:15I don't want to see you back next week.
22:17I don't want to spend 10 years counseling you.
22:18I don't have a lot of mercy with this.
22:21So I thought, you know, he's got a degree in counseling.
22:24He's got to be good at it.
22:25So I said to the wife, I said, you know, it would be great if he's willing, he could
22:29kind of take the counseling role and I can do the pastor, the preaching role that I'm good
22:33at.
22:34I'm not good at counseling.
22:34He is.
22:35I'm good at preaching.
22:37And so we can do our roles.
22:39And she looked me dead in the eye and she says, you have a big church mentality.
22:44And I kind of cocked my head to the side and I said, what?
22:49Yeah, you have a big church mentality.
22:51And I said, well, what do you mean by that?
22:52She says, you expect us to do the work of the ministry.
22:57I had to bite the inside of my cheek not to get sarcastic with her because I'm thinking
23:02of Ephesians chapter four while she's saying this.
23:05Ephesians chapter four says this, and he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists,
23:10the shepherds and teachers, which I would fall into the last category as a shepherd and
23:14teacher, to do what?
23:17To equip the saints for the work of men.
23:19She actually quoted the Bible in a negative way.
23:22Oh, you expect us to do the work of the ministry.
23:24And I want to say, uh, yeah, uh, yeah.
23:26But I, I, God allowed me to hold my mouth, which was a good thing.
23:31Didn't say anything.
23:33For why?
23:34For building up of the body of Christ until we all attain to the unity of faith and of
23:38the knowledge of the son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of
23:42the fullness of Christ.
23:43Why do we, why do the leaders train people so they can do the work of the ministry?
23:48So the whole body grows up together with everyone playing their role in the body, just like a
23:54family in a family.
23:55Everyone has a role in a family.
23:57Everyone takes part in something in a family and everyone.
24:00Yeah.
24:01My son's not here.
24:01I don't have to pay him money.
24:02Okay.
24:02My son takes the trash out.
24:04That's his role.
24:05Oh, he's back there.
24:06Oh, did he hear me?
24:07Oh, no, I'm in trouble.
24:10For those of you who don't know, I promised my children years ago, I've never used their
24:14name in a sermon.
24:14If I did, I'd pay him $5.
24:16So, okay.
24:17Yeah, I know.
24:18Okay.
24:18I just, I was a, yes.
24:21Okay.
24:21So I have one of my children takes the trash out.
24:24Does that count?
24:24No.
24:25Okay.
24:25I can't do that.
24:27Everyone has a role in a family to play and we all do it together.
24:30Why?
24:30So the family functions well.
24:32And when everyone's playing their role, not one person has to do everything.
24:35Everyone's playing their role.
24:37And so everything functions best when everyone plays their role.
24:43Every Christian, everyone has a vital role to play in the church.
24:46You say, yeah, but I'm, I'm older and I'm not, I have a lot of strength anymore.
24:49I can't really do a lot of manual labor.
24:51Can you pray?
24:52We need people praying.
24:54That's an important role in the church.
24:56We need people praying.
24:59The pastors and elders, we cannot do everything, nor should we do everything.
25:03It's not, it's not healthy for you and it's not healthy for me.
25:07I mean, I, I can do a lot of things.
25:09Singing's not one of them, but I can do a lot of things.
25:10But if I did them, guess what?
25:12That means you're not doing them.
25:14You're not growing in the faith.
25:15So it's, it's not good for the pastor to do everything.
25:19So we divide the roles up and everyone plays a role and everything functions best when we're
25:24all working together, doing our roles.
25:27The Holy Spirit calls believers to ministry in the church and everyone working together
25:33enables the church to grow up, to grow up to the full stature of Christ, to look like
25:39him, to be that family that God intended us to be.
25:42So let me ask you in closing, what role does God want you to play at Medical Aid Community
25:51Church, your family?
25:52What role does God want you to play?
25:54Every one of us have a role.
25:55Some are smaller.
25:57None of them are insignificant or unimportant.
25:59They're all important because they all work together to bring harmony and unity to the body.
26:04So what role is it that God wants you to play here at Medical Aid Community Church?
26:10Let's pray.
26:10Father, thank you.
26:11Thank you that the apostles understood that they just could, they just can't possibly do
26:16everything and that they were willing to delegate their authority to others so that
26:21the, no one had a need any longer.
26:24The Hellenist widows were now taken care of and no one was neglected.
26:27No one was overlooked and the church could have harmony and unity again.
26:31So Father, thank you.
26:33Thank you that they understood they had the wisdom by your spirit to know that to delegate
26:37to others so that together everyone doing their role can see the church grow up.
26:43So thank you, Father, for that.
26:45But help us also to understand that as a family, we all have a role.
26:49Everyone has a role to play and we do it together so that the whole body can grow up to look like
26:56your son, Jesus Christ, to be the full stature of the measure of Christ.
27:02Oh, Father, help us.
27:04Help us to continue to grow closer together as a family.
27:08Help us to minister together.
27:10And when problems arise, help us to be quick to solve these problems so that the unity and
27:16the harmony can remain in the church.
27:18Thank you, Father.
27:19Father, we pray in Jesus' name.
27:21Amen.
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