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02-14-2010, 08:02 AM
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Waiting on Tables? Acts 6
ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
"Waiting on Tables" by Tom Sikes Acts 6 There were some folks in the early church who were needing help. They were the widows who poured into Jerusalem for relief. Country people perhaps who came by donkey or who walked to the metro from the margins. Just like our Kentucky Ham Meal. Pouring into the church for food, for table fellowship, for rest, and renewal. Lonely people who needed to know they were cared for. That is one aspect that helped the early church grow. Hospitality. Table fellowship. But evidently, there were some Greek speaking Jews who were not getting the attention they needed. So they complained. There was a conflict within the church. Not surprising. As a group grows, it is difficult to make sure that all are cared for. One person cannot do it all. Imagine if you were responsible for the grits, the coffee, the biscuits, the ham, the eggs. No way no how right? Serve a few, yes. But to serve thousands? No way Hosea. We have seen that the early followers of Christ were bold in their speech and actions. They were outward and upward. They were aware of their sins and recognized their need for God's grace in Jesus Christ. They were trying their best. But here we find a bump in the road. They say that a minister's true ministry begins after the sixth year. By that time, the honeymoon is way over. And there have been conflicts with the pastor and the people. Some pastors leave, some churches chew up their pastors. Some pastors chew up the people. But if you can work through the conflict, great things happen. So what would the early church do with the complaint of the Greek speaking widows? What do we do when we have a bump in the road of our family life? How do you handle conflict in your office or your home or your church? The early church is a "highly complex mix of traditional and novel symbols, flexible, ambiguous, constantly changing, yet powerfully centered. We have also seen a social movement, comprising of small groups who share their possessions" (The First Urban Christians, Wayne A. Meeks, p. 190) We have discovered the Acts of the Holy Spirit in a new people. Who pray hard, who do miracles, who worship with one heart. So what happens when the fellowship grows? How did they respond? Verse 1: "Now during those days, when the disciples were increasing in number, the Hellenists complained against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food." Many Jews immigrated to Jerusalem to spend their final years in the Holy City and die there. Jerusalem leaders had put together an organized system of relief for the destitute. Rabbinic literature testifies to the existence of both a daily and a weekly distribution of relief. The daily distribution (tamhuy) typically consisted of bread, beans and fruit. The weekly distribution (quppah) consisted of food and clothing. Will the disciples do the blame game? Will they start pointing fingers at one another? Verse 2: And the twelve called together the whole community of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should neglect the word of God in order to wait on tables." We see the beginning of the realization that the church was getting too big for them. They were realizing they were getting out of balance between worship and witness. The phone was ringing off the hook and the customer service was taking up all their time. They were losing their devotional life and were constantly putting out fires. Sound familiar for some of us? How about all of us? Verse 3: Therefore, friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the SPirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task He calls them friends. In the midst of conflict with temperatures rising, he reminds them of the koinonia. He allows them to select the seven, not Simon Peter. There is a shift of power to the betterment of the church. No bottleneck. The number seven is significant as it symbolizes completion, the holy number. Mickey Mantle knew what he was doing picking that number (sorry for the digression). They were to select seven who had the following qualities: 1. Full of the Spirit. Not half full, not acquainted with the Spirit, but those who were filled to the brim. The Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self control. Those who were not living in the flesh, but those living in the Spirit. We know the difference. 2. Wisdom. Common sense, not just holy sense. Practical people who could be a task force. 3. In good standing. Who had good reputations with those inside and outside the community. Those who would make good representatives of the early church, good ambassadors for Christ. Would you be called to fill the gap in the early church? Good standing, wisdom and full of the Spirit? Verse 4: while we, for our part, will devote ourselves to prayer and to serving the word. The apostles were losing their devotional life and losing their quiet times in the busy times of management. They saw the need for prayer and for teaching. On the outset, it is a fine line between serving alongside the people and knowing when to step aside. To fulfill the role given by God. To not be accused of being lazy, to carry the load. But to not carry the whole load while those around do nothing. I find the ministry very difficult to be a preacher and a pastor. To not neglect prayer and to set aside time to study and to keep my devotional life. One would think that church work gives the leader plenty of time to pray and to read and study. But the management of the church can override the devotional life of a minister. And sure enough and soon enough, the minister loses the Spirit and the well runs dry. I find that in my own life after twenty years of ministry. Not a day goes by when I don't feel like I have neglected someone. A nursing home, a hospital patient, a member diagnosed with diease, a card, a letter, a call. Multiply it by hundreds of members and well, you get the picture. Some here receive plenty of attention. Others here might feel neglected. How can we better serve one another? Sure we serve the community but are we serving one another? The Elders and Deacons and Ushers and Youth and Sunday School Classes and Small Groups? How can we energize these groups to reach out to make sure our widows and others are not neglected? While as the Minister, I recognize my role and continue to try to serve better, I am not alone. Together we gather, look around at who is NOT here, and then what? Who is missing? A new member who needs to greet over 10 people to feel they belong? An old member who used to be in the mix but is now in the margins due to life's circumstances? Together, a pastor and a people, are all disciples. And we can learn from this early church. Look what happens. Verse 5: What they said pleased the whole community, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, together with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. Who was complaining of feeling neglected? The Greek speaking widows. Who was called to help with this problem? The Greek men. All of them were Greek. They understood the culture, the language, the style, the needs. It reminds me of Greek weddings I have attended and the Greek Festivals in Atlanta. I am reminded also of the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and all the cultural lessons there. Who better to serve the needy and neglected than those who are of that culture? Smart move. The first chosen was Stephen. A man full of faith and Spirit. It was obvious. Verse 6: They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. This was the first ordination of deacons, called to wait on tables, just like many of you have done this week. To serve with spirit, with wisdom, and with character. Verse 7: The word of God continued to spread. The number of disciples increased GREATLY in Jerusalem, and a great many priests became obedient to the faith. Even those who were in the margins of faith and those in the center of faith came together. That is what Christ does...gathering the lonely and the seeking and the searching. Our church is called to grow, not to be stagnant. But to grow is to put into place a way for each of us to feel welcome and cared for. And it takes many of us, not a select few, but all of us. I appreciate the call to serve alongside you. Not on a pedastal nor as a doormat. But together we serve. I am the Pastor. But we are all ministers. Every member is a missionary called, shaped by this passage and now sent to serve. No finger pointing. No blame game when a conflict arises. But together, we serve Christ through this church with the hope, peace, joy and love within each of us. Amen.
__________________
Tom Sikes "Get up and go on the road in between." Acts 8.26 
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