Please God to bless us as we
consider his word this evening and we'll look at the first eight
verses in this sixth chapter of the Acts of the Apostles that
we read together. And it commences with, and in
those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews,
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. This was the early days of the
Christian Church and we read that there were many disciples. Disciples were not of course
referred to here as the twelve or eleven apostles, but It is
a much broader view, really representing the true believers, those who
were the Church of God. And so we have this truth, and
in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
a lot more there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews
because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. We
observe that the devil is always keen to try and infiltrate into
the Church of God and tries to bring reasons why there should
be discrepancies and a focus upon those things which are not
truly spiritual but that rise up and cause divisions and so
there were these Greeks and Hebrews and it was clear that the Hebrews
were being looked after much better than the Greeks and there
was therefore this problem and understandably it was so they
murmured because the Greeks against the Hebrews because their widows
were neglected in the daily ministration. That means that the provision
that was given to the widows was superior to the Hebrews than
to the Greeks. And there was no real reason
for that. Well, faced with this situation,
the twelve called the multitude of the disciples. And that was
of course the twelve apostles. And they called the multitude,
they called the people together. And they said, it is not reason
that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. So if
there had been a neglect in looking after the widows, and if they
hadn't actually looked after it as they should have done perhaps,
they now brought the point that in actual fact that they weren't
able to do this work that was necessary. Because if they did
it, they would not be able to preach the word as they were
commissioned to do. And so they brought this fact. It is not reason that we should
leave the word of God and serve tables. And serving tables, of
course, meant really looking after those widows and many other
situations which developed things that were necessary to be done.
But they felt, and that was rightly so, that if they spent all their
time doing that, then they would neglect the preaching of the
Word. And therefore they came and said,
Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest
report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint
over this business. well we know not really why there
were seven that they requested but nevertheless it was there
were seven people that they desired should be brought forward and
the standard that they set was a very high standard it said
full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom how wonderful it is and also
that they might have and be blessed with an honest report." So just
ponder the qualification for these people that were to be
found serving in this way. They were to be full of the Holy
Ghost and honest and granted with much wisdom. Well, and they
were instructed then to find them that they might among you. They were to look outside of
those gathering there, they were to look amongst them and to find
out if there were seven people that could qualify for this work. And then they say, but we will
give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of
the word. Well, how important it was that
there was that giving themselves to prayer and to the ministry
of the Word. And of course that's no less
today. There is a great need, is there not, for the ability
to give ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. The ministry of the Word had
been set forth so very clearly by Peter previously when he spoke
to the multitudes. And what did he speak where he
came and said Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince
and a saviour for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins. The great gospel was to speak
of what the Lord Jesus Christ had done and to direct them to
the need they had because of their sinful state and their
sinful condition and that was not to be neglected And if they
spent all their time looking after other things, then they
would not be able to declare the great and the glorious gospel. And so there was this statement
from the apostles to the brethren. And the saying pleased the whole
multitude. What a good thing, isn't it?
When there is unity. When there is that agreement.
when there's no divisions. And here it was. And the same
please the whole multitude. And so they found people that
qualified. And they chose Stephen, a man
full of faith, and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus,
and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte of
Antioch. And so they had selected these
men and it's interesting that the apostles had directed these
disciples to find these men and to choose them and then to bring
them to the apostles. The apostles weren't going to
then have a list and say well we think we'll select this one
and that one. No, they commissioned the disciples to go and to select
these people who qualified and to bring them to the disciples. And this occurred. And then when
they sat before the apostles, at whom they sat before the apostles,
And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. Again, we have a wonderful pattern
here. The first thing they did was to pray. How important prayer
is, and how we must not neglect prayer in everything. Here there
was the setting forth of these seven people, and the first thing
they did was to pray. To pray over them. whom they
set before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid
their hands upon them." And by doing that, they were demonstrating,
they desired the blessing of the Lord would be with them,
and upon them, and to go with them. There was nothing greater
than that. But it was a clear indication
that they desired God's will to be done and to be worked out
in this way. And we then recognise the blessing
of God upon this. And the Word of God increased. And the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. And a great company of the priests
were obedient to the faith. Well, God heard the prayers. God answered the prayers. And
there was clearly a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit
of God, so that there was much blessing. There were a multitude
who were blessed in this way. Not just one here and one there,
but a multiply. The Word of God increased. The Word of God which was preached,
it increased as Christ crucified was declared by the apostles. Then it had a wonderful effect
and there was a time of great blessing. Well may we know today,
again and again, a time of great blessing. How we need the Holy
Spirit to come and be poured out on many people So there may
be a turning unto the Lord and there may be this multiplying. And a great company of the priests. The priests also, those who had
been declared the servants of God, who were serving in that
old way in the temple, they were moved by the Spirit of God. It came upon them and they were
blessed. We're living faith. The Lord
God can do great things. My friends, we have a great God
today. A God we can go to. A God to
go to in prayer. And here was this great company
of the priests were obedient by the faith. And then we read,
and Stephen, full of faith, Well, we read he was indeed a man. I chose Stephen a man full of
faith. And here we see the outworking
of this. And Stephen, full of faith and
power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Well, these were special days. They were days when the Lord
wonderfully appeared and blessed the multitudes. But we have this
testimony, Stephen, full of faith and power. Well, may we know
something of that living faith, that we may be full of faith,
nothing doubting, as we come and pray. May we pray in faith,
believing, The Lord will hear and answer prayer. We have those
many things that we need the Lord to appear for us in. May
we have living faith, faith that Stephen received. May we receive
that faith in light manner and be found doing those things which
are for God's honour and for God's glory. And Stephen, full
of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the
people. May God bless His Word. Amen.