A few days in Florida before finishing in Maine...sermon post #12 - Acts 6:1-7

 

I am taking a little break at our mobile home at Betmar Acres in Zephyrhills, Florida before finishing the work in Machias, Maine.  I will assume my normal chores when here of washing the mobile, servicing the car, and pruning the palm tree.  What I enjoy the most are my morning walks around the park in the mornings and our bike rides around the park in the evenings.  I don't think I have been here during the month of December so the park looks great with all of its Christmas lights.  You can tell those from Maine because instead of lighted reindeer they have lighted moose in the front yard!

The sermon passage included the second sin that tried to creep into the 1st century church.  The first was the hypocritical lives represented by Ananias and Sapphira.  God dealt with this one swiftly with them walking into the assembly only to be carried out by others.  The second is the sin of prejudice which leads to division.  Someone had decided that the "away" Jewish widows were to be last on the list for the bread distribution.  The "native" Jewish widows were served first.  This instant division created by the sin of prejudice is brought to the apostles' attention.  It is not swept under the rug or excused away but rather a plan is set forth to keep unity in the body.

Qualifications are given by the apostles and selections are made by the congregation.  What is interesting is that all 7 men were of the "away" group.  I made a joke in the sermon that if this was us today we would have selected 3 elephants, 3 donkeys, and 1 indie.  We place such a high value on our created fairness structure.  What mattered to them was not if they were "from away" or if they had "always been here" but rather did they fit the qualifications set forth by the apostles.  In a growing church or one that is being revitalized, this is a crucial element of the atmosphere of the church.  God will bring to a church that is focused on Him qualified workers that need to be put into action sooner rather than later.  I think prejudice creeps into churches and division develops that stunts the physical and spiritual growth of the church.

The qualifications set forth by the apostles are good.  Those who are among them (trained, discipled) who are saved (full of the Spirit) seen (good repute) applying Scripture (full of wisdom).  I know that we are not to be hasty to lay on of hands to appoint elders but are the elders slow to lay hands on the workers that God has raised up among them?  This passage has a pretty quick turn around to commissioning ministry leaders.  Some more for me to "chew" on while walking the streets of Betmar.

Adam