SCRIPTURE:
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1-7
OBSERVATION:
The Book of Acts is the story of the Early Church. In this chapter, the twelve apostles are faced with a dilemma: there are too many things to do through the Church, but not enough people to do them. After all, each person only has one body, two hands, and 24 hours in one day; every person has a physical limit to how much they can do daily. Yet, they knew that despite their physical limitations, there was a solution. After all, God would not call the church to do these great things if He did not have a great solution. So what was His solution? It was DOING CHURCH AS A TEAM!
The twelve apostles gathered together and chose seven people––who were wise and Spirit-led––commissioned them, and entrusted them to lead and carry forward God’s call of community service. What was the result of this commissioning? God’s Word spread throughout the Earth, the number of disciples and leaders increased, and many more came to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
APPLICATION:
Doing Church as a Team has been one of the core values and principles since the beginning of our church. Why? Because we are a part of this Church. One of the most remarkable things about this story is that we are a part of this same Church today. The hundreds of thousands of churches around the world today all stemmed from this Church. Because the apostles recognized they could not do church alone and were faithful in appointing and entrusting leaders, and because these leaders were faithful to respond to God when He called them, the Church expanded from Jerusalem, to Judea, to Samaria, and to the Ends of the Earth. Doing Church as a Team is at the heart of the global Church, and we must continue to do Church as a team both within our church and with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world.
Is God prompting your heart to serve? Maybe He has been calling you but you have not-yet taken that step to get involved. Whether this is your first prompting or your re-prompting, God is calling you to be a part of His team. He has handpicked you, chosen you, qualified you, and is calling you right now to do church as a team. Stop waiting. Today is your day. Answer God’s calling and be a part of the team. You might not know exactly where you want to serve, but that’s okay! Our team will help you find your fit. Join the team by filling out a connect card at enewhope.org/letsconnect and watch what God will do through you!
PRAYER:
God,
Thank You that You have called us to do Church as a team. We recognize that we cannot and should not do church alone. We remember Paul’s call to us in 1 Corinthians 12:27 that “you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it,” and we respond to that call. Thank You for choosing us, calling us, and inviting us to be a part of your work through the Church. We say “yes!” to you and offer our lives as living sacrifices to You. Use us for Your glory, Father.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen
