Please forgive my allergies. All right, turn with me back
to Acts chapter 6. Acts chapter 6. I have some. Let's begin this by reading verse
7. Acts chapter 6 verse 7. And the word of God increased,
and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. and a great company of the priest
were obedient to the faith." How encouraging is that? That's encouraging, isn't it?
The Word of God increased. The preaching of it, the hearing
of it. It's not just religion that increased,
they dug into the Word of God. Sinners listening to what God
had to say increased. That increased. And it says,
the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly. And a great
company of the priest were obedient to the faith. That does my heart
good. That really does, it does my heart good. Because we ended
chapter five with the apostles being beaten and suffering shame
for his name. But now we see that all that
persecution couldn't stop one finger of the hand of God. Not
one finger, it couldn't stop one purpose of God's will. Couldn't stop one sinner whom
God chose from being saved, no matter how much persecution they
brought. God blessed his word there. I want God to bless his
word here. I really do. I really do. I want God to bless his word
here. I was just driving over here,
you know, thinking on the way over here. drive again, here
we meet again, we're gonna preach again, and hear again, and everybody
who came knows I have nothing new to say, right? You're not coming here waiting
for something new. And if God does not bless his
word, this becomes a stale thing, because our flesh won't, right? But if God will bless his word,
and if God will have mercy on this place, that is my desire
for the rest of my life here. I want God to bless his word
here. That's what I truly want. We pray his blessing on every
place where he's raised up a ministry, every place where a declaration
of his word is and a hearing of his true word is. We want
a blessing there. Well, what was the means that
God used to bless his word so greatly there? What was the means
that God used to bless his word? I want to personally learn something
from this. I want to personally learn something
from this text because I desperately want God to bless his word here.
I really do. So what was the means that God
used to bless his word so greatly? Let's look at this story. Okay.
Chapter six, verse one. It says, 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. Their widows were neglected.
There were Jews who lived in Greece and their widows were
neglected. They weren't receiving as much
of the daily ministration or it wasn't coming as often. Look
over at chapter 4 verse 34. It says, Neither was there any
among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands
or houses sold them and brought the prices of the things that
were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet and distribution
was made unto every man according as he had need." All right, so
they brought these things to the apostles and they distributed
everything out as there was need. Now chapter 6 verse 1 says, 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. Now
let's take note of this. This applies to every ministry,
but this is our ministry, our local ministry. I want to learn something. I
really want to learn something from this. The Lord recorded
all of this to teach us something. And it's very sad, but the first
real issue in the church was over money. All right? It was real. God called these
believers together and it kept saying they were of one accord.
And they were of one accord. And they started selling all
their stuff. And they just started selling their houses. And they
were working. And it was moving. And things
were growing. And look at what's going on over
there in Jerusalem. And then a problem came. And the first one was over money.
May God take away our love of money. I'm not saying may God take away
our money. I'm not saying that. We need
money. We need things. He's provided money for things. It's nice to go out to dinner
sometimes. That's not a need, that's a want.
Take your family on vacation. But may God take our love of
money away. Away. May God give us a heart
to just let it pass through. Let it pass through this church.
This church doesn't need a big bank account. It needs a small
bank account with much passing through it. That's what this
congregation needs. And my prayer is that money would
never be the issue of contention here. Never, never. If there's an issue, may it be
over the gospel. May it be an issue of the word.
If there's contention, may it be over the word, but not over
money. Not over money. Verse one says,
and in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied,
there arose a murmuring. They didn't have an open falling
out. There was not a split. There was just a murmuring. It
just started growing. It's just a murmuring. You've
heard of a heart murmur, that condition that some people have,
a heart murmur? You ever heard of that? I knew somebody that had one,
a heart murmur. And it means that it just flutters sometimes. It's not that the heart doesn't
work. The guy I knew was still living.
It's not that it didn't work. It's just something wasn't right.
You know, something's just not right. Lord calls us as soon as we realize
something's not right. There's a murmur. Calls us to
get that out of here. Get that out of here. Lord, perform
an operation on the heart and cut it out, starting with the
pastor of this church, starting with nobody but me. If I develop
a heart murmur, Lord, cut it out. Cut it out of me. And let's get it out of here.
This is what David said. He said this over in Psalm 139.
He said, Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know
my thoughts. And see if there be any wicked
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Now, I don't
want trials. I don't call for trials. Lord,
don't send me trials. But if I am the cause of a trial,
then cut that out of me. If I'm bringing a murmur into
your worship, Lord, just cut it out. Cut it out. Well, it
says in verse 1, this happened, when the number of the disciples
was multiplied, The more flesh you get into a room, the more
trouble comes. It's just the truth. So I honestly encourage us, I'm
not writing this to make it sound good in my notes, I honestly
encourage the Moody family, and the Hickman family, and the Watts
family, I encourage us, I deeply encourage all of us to pray for
more and more of God's spirit here. That's what we need, more
of God's spirit, the more flesh that he gives to this congregation.
May he give even more of his spirit to this congregation.
May his spirit forever outweigh our flesh here. Isn't that what
we want? I want his spirit to fill this house. That's what I want. I want the
Lord to bless this place. I want the Lord, I beg the Lord
to keep my flesh out of it. Keep my flesh out of it. Up to
this point, they were always with one accord, and we are. We are. In Christ, we are. We really are. May the Lord be
merciful to us and constantly remind us of the one thing that
matters inside this building. The one thing that matters, that
is the worship of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our wall color doesn't
matter. I say I don't have an opinion,
I'm lying, I do. I don't care, I do. I don't care as long as you go
with the one I want, but the wall color doesn't matter. It
does not matter what we put on that ceiling. It doesn't matter. We're going to put some bead
board up there. Should we put the beads up or the beads down?
It doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. Not one
bit. May the things of this flesh
never drive us apart. I love you so much. And this
flesh is such a wicked flesh, isn't it? And I hate it. May my flesh never drive me and
you apart. Lord, I beg for your Spirit. By God's Spirit, and only by
God's Spirit, He will allow us to be in one accord. In Christ,
we'll be in one accord. I sincerely, honestly hope for
the rest of our life we're in one accord. In Christ. If we stay our minds on Jehovah,
our hearts will be fully blessed. That's what the song says. You
stay on Jehovah, and everything will be fine. Our hearts will
be fully blessed. Unity. That's what I want with
you in this life. Unity. I really deeply crave
it. Unity. Well, verse 1 says, 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. Then
the 12 called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said,
it is not reason, that means it's not fit, it's not right. It is not reason that we should
leave the word of God and serve tables. Everything was coming
to the apostles. This is how the church started
out. God called these apostles. These apostles went out and preached.
People believed the word and started following the apostles.
The church grew and they were giving as God laid it on their
heart to do so. Everything was coming to the
apostles and they were handling stuff. They were doing stuff.
In the process All of this murmuring and this division started taking
place. And the apostles, they finally
called everybody together and they said, God is not going to
bless this. That's what they did. He will
not bless us, the apostles, leaving the word of God to serve tables.
He will not bless us if we make anything more important than
the word of God. He won't bless us. Were the apostles
saying that tables were not important, serving our brethren and distributing
to the saints? Absolutely not. Every bit of that is commanded
by God in the word. What they were saying was God
has not called us to it. He hasn't called us to it. And
if we spend our time doing the things that God hasn't called
us to do, and in the process neglect the one thing He has
called us to do, then God is not going to bless it. He's not
going to bless it. So they said in verse 3, 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, but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to
the ministry of the word." That is the answer to the question
that we asked at the beginning of this. What is the means God
used to bless his word so greatly there? Verse four, they said,
we're going to give ourselves continually to prayer and to
the ministry of the word. We're going to make this word
our number one business. Number one. Verse five says,
and the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen,
a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Procorus,
and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte, that
means a convert, of Antioch, whom they sent before the apostles.
And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them, and
the word of God increased. and the number of the disciples
multiplied in Jerusalem greatly in a great company of the priest
were obedient to the faith. What's the answer to problems
and mishaps and quarrels? Stay true to the word of God.
I am preaching to myself if I ever have. I want to learn something
from this. Stay true to the word of God.
I'm not saying I know everything. But I do know the one thing that
God will bless, His Word. His Word. He will bless His Word. After they did that, verse 5
says, the saying pleased the whole multitude, almost 10,000
believers. The whole multitude. Look at
chapter 1, verse 15. Chapter 1 verse 15 says, And
in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples
and said, The number of names together were about 120. That's
how many people they had in the church, 120. All right, now look
at chapter 2 verse 41. Then they that gladly received
His word were baptized, and the same day there were added unto
them about three thousand souls." Added to the 120, so now they're
up to 3120. How's everything going over there?
Oh, we're growing. 3120, okay, now look at 4, chapter
4, verse 4. Howbeit many of them which heard
the word believed, and the number of the men was about five thousand."
They're up to 8120. Look at chapter five. Verse 14 says, and believers
were the more added to the Lord multitudes, both of men and women. So give or take, who knows how
many, about 10,000 believers in this church were brought back
to one accord by them saying, we're just going to stick to
reading and preaching the word of God. They all said, we like that.
People say, you know, you can't please everybody. And they are
right. I can't. But God can. God can. The flesh of believers
differs on almost everything in this life. But when it comes
to Jesus Christ and Him crucified, now the flesh of believers differs
on almost everything in this life. But when it comes down
to Jesus Christ and Him crucified, they are at one accord. They
are all in perfect agreement. When they forget about themselves
and when they focus on their King, when they say, wait a minute, let's stop for one minute and
focus on our King. When they focus on their Lord,
their Savior, the man, the God-man, when they stop all the stuff,
all the stuff, they're in religion, you got the pew, you got the
building, here's the church and the steeple and the people, and
they say, wait a minute, Let's focus one minute on the Savior
of our souls. Let's think about our Redeemer
for just one minute. The Redeemer of our life. When
they focus on Him, they are at one accord. When they forget
about their own life, and they start focusing on His glorious
death, His own sacrifice. Think about that for just a second
with me right now. Think about him for just a second. Think about him hanging on that
tree. His body hanging there. Think
about what he was doing right there. Think about how that affects
you. When God's sheep get out from
under the stuff, out from under the chaos, the ruckus, the confusion,
and they get under that blood, that blood that he shed that
covers us, covers our sins, covered in it, covered in it, so that
we might be holy and righteous before our God and so that we
might be accepted in the beloved. When God's people dwell on that,
they are in one accord. One accord. They all say unto
Him that loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood,
be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. They all say
that. Christ gets all the glory, right? Right. All dominion belongs to
Christ, right? Right. We are in perfect agreement
on that, right? Right. Amen, brother. I love you. Total agreement. One accord. Now, you know, you
want to talk about UT versus UK? I don't know about all that. difference of opinions. But if
you want to talk about the lamb that was slain, we're in one accord, aren't we? He said in verse 4, chapter
6, verse 4, we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to
the ministry of the Word. And then they chose these seven
men to take care of things And verse 7 says, 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. Now I want to say this while
we're on this text, okay? The heading of my Bible says
that these seven men that they chose became deacons. My Bible
says seven men ordained deacons. And they did. They became deacons. The word deacons is not in this
text. It doesn't say deacons anywhere
right here. But they did become deacons because
the word means an attendant, a servant, to run on errands. It means to run errands. It means
a waiter at a table or in other menial duties. That's what it
means. That's a deacon. So when they
took over these responsibilities, they became deacons. But the
word deacon is in the Bible five times, which shocked me only
five times. And in none of those times is
the word ordained attached to it. Not one time. Now verse six says, whom they
set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they
laid their hands on them. The apostles were given special
abilities. The apostles could raise people
from the dead. They could physically heal infirmities. And God gave them these abilities
because they were writing the word of God at that moment in
time. And God said, I'm going to prove
that this is the word of God with signs and wonders. All right. Now, God has finished his word. We're not waiting on a 67th book. It's finished. The word is finished. So there are no more apostles. Period. And it does you and I
no good to physically lay hands on anybody. You just get them
dirty. I have no ability, no center saved by grace. That's
it. This right here, they set them
before the apostles. They prayed and they laid their
hands on them. This was done to prove this is of God. All right, this is of God. Those men were acknowledged as,
not in this text, not in this word, deacons, but nowhere in
the word does it say ordained with that. It doesn't say ordained. Now, the word ordained is in
the scripture, and we'll talk about that when we get to it,
but it's not attached to deacons, all right? The heading up here
was put there by the translators. Now here's what God required
of a deacon. Look at verse 3. Wherefore, brethren, look you
out among you seven men. They had to be of honest report. They had to be full of the Holy
Ghost. They had to be a believer. All
right? And it says wisdom. Had to be
full of wisdom. What or who is our wisdom? Christ is. That means Christ
had to be in them. Christ had to be in them. Every
child of God ought to have the heart of a deacon. Every single
child of God. He ought to be of honest report.
He ought to be a believer. Christ ought to be in them. Every
single one, every child of God has the heart of service, the
heart of helping the ministry of the word. There are some people
who actually are appointed to certain things. Every church
has a treasurer. Tony's our treasurer. All that
means is he handles the checkbook, signs a check, balances the checkbook. All right. You are the deacon
of that task. the deacon of that task. Sometimes
I ask you men to serve the elements in the Lord's table. At that moment in time, you are
the deacon of that need. You're the waiter, right? I right now am a waiter. The
Lord said, feed the sheep. A sower went forth to sow seed.
servant. That's all it is. God's ministry
has a great need for deacons and the heart of a deacon ought
to be in every single child of God, every single one. So that
is why we're not going to have any ceremonies here. Some churches
have deacons, and that's okay. I know one that was required
by their bank to have one, or they could not be recognized
as a non-profit organization. They needed to see officers,
and that's fine. They made a deacon. That's fine.
We'll abide by the law, whatever has to be done. But we're not
going to have a ceremony ordaining people to what is our reasonable
service, all of us. We're all in this family together,
every single one of us. And we don't need to say, well,
let's push it all off on you. That ain't my problem, go see
him. We're all in this family together.
We all have a heart to do whatever we can for the ministry of the
word. I know that you do. I know God has given you this
heart. I can see it. I was not here. I was here, but
I came late Saturday. I had studying to do. And by
God's grace to you, he will never let me show up here until the
studying's done. The studying has to be done first.
And if studying doesn't get done, then I just won't be here. And
I'm sorry, but I'm not. I'm not. May God make that clear
to me. Studying has to come first. It
has to come first. And it's clear to me that God
has given you all this heart. I thank God that he's given you
this heart. I thank you that he's given you
this heart. Every single thing you do, every single thing you do so
that I can be given to the ministry of the word. I want to thank
you for working so hard and being so generous to completely support
our family. I don't have to go work. You
completely support our family so that I can be given to the
ministry of the word. I pray the Lord will give me
the heart of a pastor like I know he's giving you the heart of
a deacon. I pray he'll give me that heart. I pray that the Lord
will bless us here. And I pray that the word of God
will increase here. The declaring of it, the hearing
of it. I pray that the Lord will add to the church as he sees
fit. If he sees fit to increase it greatly, then may he send
more of his spirit. And I pray that he'll do as he
sees fit. And I pray that we'll all be
obedient to the faith. That's what I want. I want us
to be obedient to the faith. And I love you all. I love you
and appreciate you. All right, let's stand together.