Stays focussed on the main thing

Series: The Church

Speaker: Steve Jeffrey

Date: 9th November 2013

00:00:00 --> 00:00:07 In verse 2, he quotes the apostles as saying that leaving the word of God would be a grave mistake.
00:00:09 --> 00:00:15 And in verse 7, Luke reports and in fact celebrates the effect of not leaving the word of God.
00:00:17 --> 00:00:19 The word of God spread.
00:00:19 --> 00:00:33 His point is that the word of God kept spreading and bearing fruit because the apostles did not make the strategic mistake of leaving their calling to fix a pressing problem.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:40 What Luke, I think, is saying here, it was so right that the apostles' focus stayed on the ministry of the word and prayer.
00:00:41 --> 00:00:47 The major threat to the church's mission, Luke teaches us, is whatever threatens the word of God advancing and spreading.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:49 That's the threat.
00:00:53 --> 00:00:59 And in this case, it would have been something very good that was threatening it.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:02 Not something bad at all.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:15 See, I suspect that our default way of thinking is that it would have been good for the apostles to express a little bit of humility by serving some tables.
00:01:17 --> 00:01:25 That is, the assumption is that if these apostles were truly loving and they truly had a pastoral heart,
00:01:25 --> 00:01:31 then they would get involved in the nitty gritty of caring for these widows' physical needs.
00:01:31 --> 00:01:48 But Luke puts it together here in such a way that it helps us see that it would have been a big mistake for the church's God-given mission.
00:01:48 --> 00:01:57 And I say this with an element of gentleness.
00:01:58 --> 00:02:04 It's because the widow's needs are not the mission of the church.
00:02:04 --> 00:02:14 The spread of the word of God and the increase of disciples giving glory to Christ is the mission of the church.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:28 Now, historically, the churches tended to play these two sort of major roles off against one another.
00:02:29 --> 00:02:32 Ministry of the word and prayer and pastoral care kind of stuff, if you like.
00:02:32 --> 00:02:34 Play them against one another.
00:02:34 --> 00:02:40 Playing off the importance of one ministry over the other.
00:02:44 --> 00:02:53 But here God led the apostles to overcome both parts of the threat by not playing the threat off against one another.
00:02:53 --> 00:03:03 The apostles didn't say, guys, we can't wait on the tables here because, frankly, we're too busy with the word of God and prayer.
00:03:05 --> 00:03:06 They didn't say that.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:14 And it wasn't because, well, actually, I've done my stint of waiting on tables and it's time for someone else to do that now.
00:03:14 --> 00:03:18 And it's not because, well, actually, I'm an apostle.
00:03:18 --> 00:03:23 I walk with Jesus for three years and waiting on tables is a little bit below me.
00:03:24 --> 00:03:26 You know, my pay rate is up here.
00:03:29 --> 00:03:36 And they certainly didn't say that caring for the needs of this group wasn't as important as the ministry of prayer and the word of God.
00:03:38 --> 00:03:40 The issue wasn't one of importance.
00:03:41 --> 00:03:43 It was of calling and responsibility.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:47 Notice the instruction in verse three.
00:03:49 --> 00:03:52 Brothers, that is, the apostles are now speaking to the church.
00:03:53 --> 00:03:58 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 And we will turn this responsibility over to them.
00:04:02 --> 00:04:09 And so the apostles instructed the church to pick seven leaders who were full of the spirit and wisdom.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:13 As it turns out, they appointed all Hellenists.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 Greek-speaking Jews.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 We know that because the seven names are all Greek.
00:04:22 --> 00:04:27 The church put up the names as to who they think could do this job.
00:04:27 --> 00:04:34 But it was the apostles who authorized them to do the ministry in verse six.
00:04:34 --> 00:04:38 They presented these men to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:43 That's how important the apostles thought this ministry was.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 They didn't just go, hang on a bit.
00:04:46 --> 00:04:49 I've got, you know, my job description's here.
00:04:49 --> 00:05:04 They said, pick seven people full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 People of stature.
00:05:05 --> 00:05:18 People of stature.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:21 Of godliness amongst you.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:25 And we will delegate this responsibility over to them.
00:05:25 --> 00:05:29 They were very careful about who they appointed to this role.
00:05:29 --> 00:05:29 Why?
00:05:31 --> 00:05:33 Because it was so essential to get it right.
00:05:33 --> 00:05:39 It was so essential that that ministry was done.
00:05:40 --> 00:05:43 It was important as far as the apostles were concerned.
00:05:43 --> 00:05:55 Because without this ministry being done well, and without them doing their ministry well, the ministry of the word of God does not spread.
00:05:57 --> 00:06:01 And so we make a grave mistake when we pit these two things against one another.
00:06:01 --> 00:06:09 It was a very wise move on the part of the apostles and the church they delegated.
00:06:10 --> 00:06:14 The apostles kept on devoting themselves to ministry of the word and prayer according to verse four.
00:06:14 --> 00:06:21 There is no hint here at all that the apostles thought that the ministry of food distribution was below them.
00:06:21 --> 00:06:27 There is no hint at all that they didn't love and care for the widows because they themselves didn't actually distribute the food.
00:06:27 --> 00:06:41 In fact, it seems that the widows and the whole church were satisfied that care was being offered under the leadership of the apostles, even if it wasn't by the apostles.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:48 And so the issue here is entirely a question of calling.
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 And this is a vital principle for us as a church.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:56 God calls all of his people into ministry.
00:06:56 --> 00:07:00 He calls different people to different ministries.
00:07:00 --> 00:07:09 And each calling in ministry is to work together to see the word of God spread and increase in our mission field.
00:07:13 --> 00:07:22 But the word of God will not spread if those charged with the ministry of the word of God allow themselves to be distracted from their primary calling.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:29 And so Luke here celebrates the solution of the apostles.
00:07:30 --> 00:07:32 The two threats are overcome.
00:07:33 --> 00:07:36 The widows were cared for and the ministry of the word of God was not neglected.
00:07:37 --> 00:07:38 Both were utterly crucial.
00:07:38 --> 00:07:45 And either one of these threats could have undermined the church and ended its amazing growth.
00:07:45 --> 00:07:54 The solution was the diversity of gifts and calling working together to see the influence of the word of God spread in their mission field.
00:07:54 --> 00:08:00 And I believe that's what we should be praying and laboring towards here at St. Paul's.
00:08:00 --> 00:08:10 As we try to establish our own kind of teamwork that meets the whole gamut of practical needs and free some for the ministry of the word and prayer.
00:08:10 --> 00:08:22 The great threat in any local church is anything that jeopardizes the spread of the word of God as being our main thing.
00:08:25 --> 00:08:30 And the way Luke celebrates the triumph of the church over this threat is by showing its effect in verse 7.
00:08:31 --> 00:08:33 And so the word of God spread.
00:08:33 --> 00:08:40 The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
00:08:42 --> 00:08:47 What Luke is celebrating is the triumph over this problem resulted in a breakthrough.
00:08:47 --> 00:08:50 A new breakthrough in evangelistic power.
00:08:51 --> 00:08:53 Notice he says even the priests.
00:08:53 --> 00:08:57 The guys who had been hostile and arrested the apostles in chapter 4.
00:08:58 --> 00:09:01 Are responding to the word of God and obeying the faith.
00:09:01 --> 00:09:03 The church has been tested.
00:09:03 --> 00:09:07 She has passed the test by caring for the widows and guarding the word.
00:09:08 --> 00:09:11 And God honors his triumph with a new power and a new fruitfulness.
00:09:13 --> 00:09:17 The word of God, Luke says, grew like a living thing.
00:09:18 --> 00:09:22 Because the word of God is alive and active according to Hebrews 4.
00:09:22 --> 00:09:34 In early September I spent a couple of days with the senior staff here working out what is the big thing that we need to work on in 2014
00:09:34 --> 00:09:41 in order for us to take the next steps to see the word of God spread in our mission field here at Chatswood.
00:09:41 --> 00:09:49 The thing that we identified was that we needed to unleash the ministry capacity of the people at St. Paul's.
00:09:51 --> 00:09:58 It is interesting that we saw this back in 2010 in a parish council and staff planning day.
00:09:58 --> 00:10:04 That one of the three big obstacles to growth and the spread of the word in our mission field
00:10:04 --> 00:10:08 was the lack of leadership and involvement across the church.
00:10:11 --> 00:10:14 Thankfully we have seen progress.
00:10:15 --> 00:10:22 We had 100 people gather yesterday to celebrate those who made a contribution across the life of the church yesterday afternoon.
00:10:22 --> 00:10:24 It's fantastic.
00:10:24 --> 00:10:26 People who are involved in all sorts of ministry areas across the church.
00:10:27 --> 00:10:29 So we're seeing some progress.
00:10:33 --> 00:10:37 But it's identified as something that we need to work harder on.
00:10:38 --> 00:10:44 To be consistently developing leadership and commitment across the church.
00:10:45 --> 00:10:47 And it's going to be a particular focus for us next year.
00:10:47 --> 00:10:55 Having thought about that, I scratch my head looking at this passage and go,
00:10:55 --> 00:10:56 why would you want to?
00:10:57 --> 00:10:58 That's another question.
00:10:59 --> 00:11:02 Why would you want to be involved in the ministry of supports?
00:11:02 --> 00:11:05 Because I think that's a question for not just this church, for many churches.
00:11:05 --> 00:11:10 Because the reality is, apparently across the church, it's the 80-20 rule.
00:11:11 --> 00:11:13 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people.
00:11:14 --> 00:11:16 So obviously a lot of people don't see it valuable.
00:11:16 --> 00:11:18 What is the motivation?
00:11:19 --> 00:11:27 The best answer I could come up with as I was looking at this passage is that it was a privilege.
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 It's a privilege.
00:11:32 --> 00:11:34 What I mean by that is,
00:11:34 --> 00:11:43 is that I never feel that I am St. Paul's Chatswood's privilege.
00:11:43 --> 00:11:46 What I mean by that is,
00:11:46 --> 00:11:48 that you're really privileged to have me.
00:11:50 --> 00:11:52 I believe that St. Paul's is my privilege.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:59 To be at St. Paul's and serving in a church community is a gift.
00:12:00 --> 00:12:02 In my view, it is all gift and privilege.
00:12:02 --> 00:12:11 I still remember the day when my chains fell off and my heart was free and I rose and went forth and followed Christ.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 I still remember that day, the day it happened.
00:12:13 --> 00:12:15 It was a gift.
00:12:15 --> 00:12:16 It was a gift.
00:12:17 --> 00:12:18 And it remains a gift.
00:12:20 --> 00:12:24 It was a privilege for me to be forgiven, to have all of my guilt erased,
00:12:25 --> 00:12:31 and for the first time in my life to have hope, to have life, to have a future, to have purpose.
00:12:31 --> 00:12:37 Because of what Christ had done for me on the cross.
00:12:39 --> 00:12:48 The immediate response was for me to go to my local church and to go to the minister and say,
00:12:48 --> 00:12:50 what do you want me to do?
00:12:53 --> 00:12:55 I wasn't paid to do it.
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 I went to him, what do you want me to do?
00:12:58 --> 00:13:01 I remember one day, knocked on his door after work, rocked up.
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 Okay, so what's happening?
00:13:02 --> 00:13:03 What do you want me to do?
00:13:03 --> 00:13:06 And he said, I've been trying to cut the grass for the last couple of days, haven't got to it.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:07 Not a problem.
00:13:07 --> 00:13:07 Where's the mower?
00:13:10 --> 00:13:11 Next day, rocked up.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 There's a pew that needs fixing the back of church.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:16 Fantastic.
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 Where's the tools?
00:13:20 --> 00:13:23 It was three to four days a week I went.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:27 And eventually he said, I need to do some hospital rounds.
00:13:28 --> 00:13:32 Give that a crack.
00:13:33 --> 00:13:34 Okay.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:37 Go and talk to some dying people.
00:13:38 --> 00:13:41 I had a little less subtlety back in those days.
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 That's a scary thought.
00:13:45 --> 00:13:57 But what I'm saying is, coming to Christ turned my life inside out and upside down.
00:13:58 --> 00:14:04 And I wanted to be involved in what he was doing to bring such a transformation in the lives of other people.
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 This is his eternal purpose.
00:14:07 --> 00:14:25 The mindset that I am so valuable that I deserve my stipend.
00:14:25 --> 00:14:28 That I deserve my housing.
00:14:28 --> 00:14:30 That I deserve my long service leave.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:34 That I deserve recognition.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 That I deserve praise.
00:14:36 --> 00:14:41 This is foreign to the spirit of Christ.
00:14:48 --> 00:14:54 Likewise, the mindset that I'm so valuable that I will only give to the church in a way that I see fit.
00:14:54 --> 00:14:59 And when I see fit, it's just alien to the spirit of Christ.
00:14:59 --> 00:15:08 Christ came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 For me.
00:15:12 --> 00:15:19 The whole orientation of his life was give, give, give.
00:15:19 --> 00:15:22 We saw it last week.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:24 He came.
00:15:24 --> 00:15:25 He ministered.
00:15:25 --> 00:15:26 He died.
00:15:26 --> 00:15:26 He rose again.
00:15:27 --> 00:15:32 He ascended on high and he sits as Lord over all space and time.
00:15:32 --> 00:15:36 And he continues to reign and work in this world for his eternal purposes.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:42 And for little old me to be involved in that is just astounding.
00:15:44 --> 00:15:47 And to think that you pay me to be involved in that is...
00:15:47 --> 00:15:50 That's a gift.
00:15:56 --> 00:16:00 It was a privilege then when I wasn't being paid for and it's even a privilege now.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:14 I'm convinced that when we adopt this attitude of serving because it is a privilege to be involved in what he is doing in his world,
00:16:14 --> 00:16:20 we will discover the deep blessing of the word of God growing and increasing in us.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:30 It's ironic that as we labor together, each doing their part to see the word of God increase and grow in the numbers of disciples coming to Christ,
00:16:30 --> 00:16:33 it tends to increase and grow in us.
00:16:33 --> 00:16:37 It's a connection between my giving and my growing.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:50 And so my prayer is that no obstacle inside the church or outside the church will hinder the word of God spreading from the ministry of St. Paul's Chatswood.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:59 And may the same power that brought thousands into the church in Acts do the same here at Chatswood
00:16:59 --> 00:17:06 as we work together to ensure that the word of God spreading in our mission field remains our main thing.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 Amen.
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 Amen.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:16 Amen.
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 Amen.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 Amen.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 Amen.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:17 Amen.
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 Amen.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 Amen.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:18 Amen.
00:17:18 --> 00:17:19 Amen.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:19 Amen.
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 Amen.
00:17:20 --> 00:17:20 Amen.
00:17:21 --> 00:17:25 Amen.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 Amen.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 Amen.
00:17:25 --> 00:17:26 Amen.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 Amen.
00:17:26 --> 00:17:26 Amen.