Finding Our Place of Service - Acts 6:1-7; 9:36-40; 11:29-30 - July 8,2007

Sunday School Lesson – Finding Our Place of Service – July 8, 2007

This is lesson two (2) in our study series.

Our background scripture is Acts 6:1-7; 9:36-43; 11:27-30.

Our focal scripture is Acts 6:1-7; 9:36-40; 11:29-30.

Finding our place of service in church and life in general is important. The key is that we serve where GOD wants us to serve. The HOLY SPIRIT will confirm our place of service in our hearts and will guide us as we serve our LORD.

As we serve, often GOD will reveal to us how HE is working through us to minister to the living body of believers and others. We are all called to ministry.

Our study has three sections:
- We can serve in different ways.
- We can serve through our skills.
- We can serve through giving.

We can serve in different ways:

Let’s read Acts 6:1-7:

1 In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews[1] Jews of Gk language and culture against the Hebraic Jews[2] Jews of Aram or Hb language and culture that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to wait on tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.” 5 The proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a • proselyte from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.[3] The laying on of hands signified the prayer of blessing for the beginning of a new ministry. 7 So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Church growth can be challenging. This happened to the early church. The solution to their challenge has been a pattern for churches today. The Apostles decided that they needed to stay focused on presenting the gospel. But here is the situation.

The early church had believers from various backgrounds. Our scripture tells us about the problem that arose between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebraic Jews, both groups now believers in CHRIST. The Hellenistic Jewish widows complained that they were not receiving their share of the daily distribution. Apparently, the Hebraic Jews were in charge of the distribution and the Hellenistic Jewish believers felt like they were being cut short of the daily distribution.

The Hellenistic Jews lived outside the immediate area of Jerusalem and spoke Greek. These were the Jews dating back to the time the Jews were in exile in the Babylonian area. They came to worship in Jerusalem but lived far from Jerusalem and spoke Greek. The Hebraic Jews lived in or close to Jerusalem and spoke Aramaic.

The Apostles called the entire congregation and told them they wanted to stay focused on presenting the gospel and did not want to compromise their time with having to serve the daily distribution. The daily distribution was food and could have included money. They then asked the congregation to choose seven (7) men of good reputation, full of the SPIRIT and wisdom to handle the distribution. They asked the congregation to do the selecting and to give their names to them and they would appoint them for the task of serving the table and ensuring all received their fair share.

Some believe this was the selection of the first deacons but most do not.

This pleased the congregation. Churches today follow this example in selecting believers for service. The key is there are many ways to serve our LORD. Those serving tables allowed the Apostles to serve/preach the gospel. All were in the service of the LORD.

So the congregation chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit (The first recorded Christian martyr), and Philip (Who approached the Ethiopian eunuch), Prochorus (PRAHK-uh-ruhs), Nicanor (nigh-KAY-nawr), Timon (TIGH-mahn), Parmenas (PAHR-mih-nuhs), and Nicolaus, a proselyte from Antioch.

All seven (7) men had Greek-sounding names. This would indicate that the congregation selected them to restore harmony with the Hellenistic Jewish believers. There is also an implied trust that these same Greek-speaking men would not discriminate against the Hebraic Jewish believers.

The congregation had these seven (7) men stand before the Apostles. The Apostles prayed for them and laid their hands on them. The laying on of hands did not impart some magical power. It was an outward expression by the Apostles to the congregation and a confirmation to those selected, that those selected, had the authority to carry out the administration of the daily distribution to the widows. In other words it was an outward expression to show the transfer of authority for them to carry out the duty for which they had been chosen.

Just because they were chosen did not make them more important then those serving in other capacities. Ministry is ministry whether it is teaching, preaching, serving tables, cleaning up or caring for the children.

GOD was already providing food and possibly money for distribution to the believers. GOD provided an opportunity for the Apostles to seek a solution. It was a test of where was their heart. Do they, as leadership, seek a solution or just let it go? Can they trust the believers (Congregation) to select the right believers to do the job?

GOD allows challenges to come into our churches to test those in leadership and to reveal the heart of the church. Is leadership focused on seeking the guidance of GOD or making decisions based upon human wisdom? We as humans are limited in our resources but GOD can take a few fish and a few loaves of bread and feed many. The purpose of the body is to equip the members of the body and to reach out to the lost.

The bottom line GOD provides.

We serve through our skills.

Let’s read Acts 9:36-40:

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas.[12] Dorcas = Gazelle She was always doing good works and acts of charity. 37 In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” 39 So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.

A lady named Tabitha (Her Aramaic name) or Dorcas (Her Greek name) was an expert seamstress but in addition she is a believer, she was always doing good works and acts of charity. In particular she had a ministry with the widows.

The Apostle Peter was in near-by Lydda, which is about ten (10) miles from Joppa. Tabitha became ill and the believers in Joppa sent two (2) messengers to ask the Apostle Peter to come. They asked Peter to come quickly. But Tabitha died before Peter arrived.

The widows met Peter and showed him all the garments and items Tabitha had made for them. The word “showed” implies that the women were wearing the items Tabitha had made for them and showed them to Peter. They were in the room where they had placed Tabitha’s body. There is no evidence that they asked Peter to restore her. But she must have not been dead long because it was custom to bury the body soon after the person died. They had washed her and placed her in this upstairs room. Were they hoping that she would be restored to life?

Peter sends them out of the room. I pondered why did Peter send them out of the room? One thought is there would be a lot of crying and wailing and Peter needed peace and quiet to seek GOD’S will in what GOD had in mind regarding the death of Tabitha. There are times we need to be alone to seek GOD’S will in crisis situations. Also, Peter did not want to draw attention to himself. He wanted all glory to go to the LORD.

Peter prayed and the LORD restored Tabitha to life. Some may think that she was restored because of her good works, so she could continue doing needlework. She was restored to glorify GOD and to show GOD’S presence.

We notice in the early verses that she was a believer and she was a very giving person. Had those for whom she did work make the connection between her giving nature and her relationship to CHRIST? Did GOD restore her so they could connect the dots and get a clear understanding that what she had done was an outgrowth of her relationship to CHRIST?

Notice that Tabitha did the work for widows. Could it be that GOD confirmed in their hearts that CHRIST is the giver of eternal life and HIS resurrection is the assurance of the future resurrection of the dead for these widow ladies?

GOD wanted to show HIS presence and the power HE has over death.

Tabitha had a ministry through her needlework. The same is true for us. We can all minister through our work, hobbies, and in any number of ways. Seize the moment when opportunity presents itself. We should do all of our work as unto the LORD.

The key is that as a result of resurrection Tabitha, many became believers.

We can serve through giving.

Let’s read Acts 11:27-30:

27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 Then one of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world.[10] Or the whole world This took place during the time of Claudius.[11] Emperor a.d. 41–54; there was a famine a.d. 47–48. 29 So each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers who lived in Judea. 30 This they did, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

We need to listen to those who have a message from the LORD. A prophet named Agabus had given prophesy that a famine would come throughout the Roman world. History confirms that a famine occurred. It appears that Agabus gave the prophesy during his visit to Antioch. We do know that the believers in Jerusalem were struggling because the Jews were withholding the distribution from them even before the famine. Add a famine and bad matters would only become worse for the believers in Judea.
So each believer in Antioch, according to their ability, gave a donation for the relief of their fellow believers in Judea/Jerusalem. The elders in Antioch chose Barnabas and Saul/Paul to take the relief money to the believers in Judea.

(We know Antioch is where believers in CHRIST were first called “CHRIST-ONES” or “Christians.”)

Need produces an opportunity to serve GOD through doing or giving. Many of us cannot go to the mission field but GOD has blessed us with resources which we can use to send others or to meet a need of fellow believers.

Our church is planning a mission trip to Poland. The believers in Szczecin and Chelm need our prayers, support and our money. They have many opportunities but lack resources. The church in Szczecin has a congregation of 110 people and need our prayers, encouragement, and support money. In both the Szczecin and Chelm churches the people are intelligent, well educated, hard working people, gracious, loving, kind and more than there is space for me write. Unemployment is high and opportunities are few. LORD willing this will be my fourth year to go to Poland. I have seen their affluence improve each year but with the improving affluence I have also observed a decline in the interest of many in the matters of the SPIRIT. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Poland as well as around the world.

There are many ways to serve our LORD.

Every need presents an opportunity for believers to serve the LORD by doing, praying and/or giving.

To deny believers the opportunity to give is robbing them of the blessings to serve our LORD. GOD blesses many so they can give to meet needs. This is their calling and their ministry.

Often this is hard for some Pastors and church leadership to comprehend. There is often a fear of asking the congregation for money. Why?

I agree that asking for money too often is not good. Each person should give according to their ability to give. To give is a blessing and ministry. Many want to share in the bounty that the LORD has allowed them to accumulate.