Day 156: Acts 6- Delegate

Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
 
7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
 
Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
 
Meditation
God’s grace compels everyone in the Church to find their highest and best role in serving Christ, using our gifts for God. This will happen when we delegate duties that weigh down our primary call and lift others to serve.
 
The structure of the early church could not sustain the growth, leading to a need of a specific people group, Greek speaking Jews known as Hellenists. The direct diagnosis was their widows were, “being neglected.”  The grand vision of God for the Church was bigger than the apostle’s desire to control or get all the credit so they delegated duties.
 
Moses learned to delegate in Exodus 18, encouraged by his father in law to find “able men” to help him judge Israel. In like manner, the Apostles recruited “men of good repute, full of the Spirit of wisdom” (3) to serve so that they could focus on their primary calling, namely prayer and the ministry of the word (4).
 
In God’s grand vision for the Church no one can do everything. We all have gifts and need to find pathways to develop and deploy the gifts God’s grace has entrusted to us. The neglect of caring for others in the early church was addressed systematically through delegation. Likewise, the needs of the church today are opportunities for every Christian to find their highest and best role in creating a caring community.
 
Richly Dwelling
-Why do people fear delegating responsibilities to care for others? Do you?
 
-How does a larger view of God’s grace and His vision for the Church empower us to let go of control and credit to give away responsibilities to others, empowering everyone to find their highest and best in serving Christ?
 
-The Apostles were freed FOR the role God called them to, prayer and preaching, and the church grew from the Word of God advancing (7).  How can your church help people find their highest and best role for the advancement of the Word of God and the building of the church?
 
Key Verse
3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.