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SERMON SERIES: We’re currently in a sermon series through the book of Acts. Today we’ll read about how the early church dealt with internal issues.
Seven Chosen to Serve
6 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists[a] 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,[b] 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.
In this part of God’s Word we’ll see a huge potential threat to the church. Unlike what we’ve already seen though, this threat is internal. By taking a close look at it, we can learn that…
God can take what the enemy meant for evil, and use it for good!
In this Scripture passage, this happens…
When the church operates as a team,
Acts 6:1-5, Eph. 4:11-13, Col. 3:12-14, John 13:1-5
where each player:
- Has a good reputation
Acts 6:3, 5:12, 1 Tim. 3:7, Col. 3:23-24, 4:5, Titus 2:8
- Is full of the Spirit
Acts 6:3, 4:31, Eph. 5:18, Luke 11:13, Gal. 5:16
- Is full of wisdom
Acts 6:3, James 1:5, Prov. 1:7, 2:6, James 3:17
- Is prayed for
Acts 6:6, James 5:16, Eph. 6:18, 1 Tim. 2:1
And the outcome is that the church can:
- Spread God’s Word
Acts 6:7, Rom. 10:14-15, Matt. 28:19-20, John 1:1
- Multiply disciples
Acts 6:7, Matt. 28:18-20, 2 Tim. 2:2, 2 Cor. 5:17
- Bring lost men and women to Jesus
Acts 6:7, 2 Pet. 3:9, John 3:16, 1 Tim. 1:15-16
Reflecting on God’s Word
Getting Started
- Take some time to read over Acts 6:1-7 and pray.
- Have you ever read or heard about this before? What stood out to you as we were talking about it?
- As you think about this sermon series through the book of Acts, what observation do you have?
- In your life, where has God taken what the enemy meant for evil and used it for good?
Diving In
- As you think about how the enemy could have really snuck in and destroyed this church over this conflict, how have you witnessed churches dealing with conflict? What are some good and bad examples that come to mind?
- We talked about a couple of mistakes that people can make when complaints arise in the church (either ignoring it and allowing resentment to arise, or complaining in a selfish manner). Which mistake are you most likely to make, and how can you be sure to deal with any complaints that you may have in a God-honoring way?
- As you reflect on the 4 characteristics of a team player in the church, which one do you do best? Which one do you need to work on the most?
- When the church operates as God has designed it, it is able to spread God’s Word, make disciples, and even bring those whom we’d never imagine coming to faith, to have faith in Jesus. Who in your life are you praying comes to have faith in Jesus? Spend some time praying for that person, and asking God to give you opportunities to have conversations with them about who He is.
Applying the Scripture
What are your biggest takeaways from this passage of God’s Word?
- What practical step(s) do you need to implement in your life to apply what God has taught you in this passage of Scripture?
- How would applying this affect your life and your relationship with the Lord?
- Who can you ask to keep you accountable to applying this to your life?
Small Group Guide:
Open with prayer.
Go around and give everyone a chance to share about how the past week has been. What’s one highlight? What’s one lowlight?
If your small group has talked about it before, feel free to use this time to hold people accountable to what they’ve asked to be held accountable for previously, and go through the “missional” part of this discussion guide.
Prayer Time:
Pray for each other in your small group to be faithful take the step(s) that you shared above. Pray for each other and the interactions that they have with those who don’t know Jesus. Pray that God would soften the people’s hearts to what He has for them. Pray that God would give everyone opportunities to share the Gospel.
Staying Missional:
Share spiritual/missional conversations you’ve had where you live, work, and play:
Who did you have a conversation with that took a spiritual/missional turn this week?
What questions did you ask to discover where God is at work in their life, even if they are not aware?
How were you able to share your story of life change or how you have experienced Jesus?
How can you be intentional this week with people where you live, work, and play to have spiritual/missional conversations if the opportunity arises?
Who in your life do you think could be discipleable or open to spiritual/missional conversations?
What’s next?
Discuss the next step for your small group. When will we gather again and what purpose will it fulfill?