A COVENANTED PEOPLE
#635 A COVENANTED PEOPLE
Scripture Acts 6:1-8; Ephesians 5:13-16, NIV Orig. September 5, 1976
Passage:
Acts 6
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews[a] among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 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. 3 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 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.” 5 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. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 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.
Stephen Seized
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
Ephesians 5
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
15 Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Introduction
Have you ever considered the diversity of backgrounds from which the apostles came. Several of them came from a background of having been commercial fishermen. That is somewhat to be expected when Jesus began his ministry in Galilee. Others, however, represented other trades. There probably were farmers, such as farmers were in Galilee. There were tradesmen. One could not find an abundance of formal education, but what they lacked there, they made up for in determination and common sense.
As different as they were in social grace, they were even more different in personality. Phillip was this kind of fellow you remember, who tried to calculate the cost of feeding the thousands on what mental computer he did have.
Matthew was the most typically human. It didn’t matter to him where his livelihood came from, so long as it came. The scripture is strangely silent on whether his wife had anything to do with it.
Simon Peter? I think he did not readily understand himself. Available immediately to any cause he considered worthwhile. He had the knack of wanting to wade in and bash a few heads if it took that to accomplish his purpose. If his motivation flagged, however, then he was going to be the first one out the back door.
Time doesn’t permit further discussions of these man-like creatures with whom Jesus labored. A brief look at the one area of their lives in which they were in total agreement, may be helpful. Someone has put together a survey on how they died.
· John—extreme old age in Ephesus
· Peter—crucified by Nero
· Andrew—on a cross in Achaia
· James—thrown from a pinnacle of the temple
· Bartholomew—flayed alive in Armenia
· James the Elder—beheaded at Jerusalem
· Thomas—with a lance at Coromandel
· Phillip—hanged in Hierapolis
· Matthew—by sword in Ethiopia
· Thaddeus—shot with arrows
· Simon—on a cross in Persia
· Judas—hanged himself
The only thing that brought unity to the diversity of their lives was Jesus. To have walked with Jesus made them fearless patriots of His cause. When we have a source, there is a danger that the further we get from that source, the less able we will be to comprehend it. It becomes of fundamental importance, that we let this SOURCE continually manifest HIMSELF through our
lives as different as they are.
I. The Day of Vision Brings Insight into the Things that Separate Us.
Acts 6:1, “There arose a murmuring because of these neglected widows.” Ephesians 5:13, “All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light.”
We have spoken before of the two kinds of murmurings: There is the murmuring of the malcontent; there is also the murmuring of concern. The Greek seems to call to mind a more private rather than a public outcry.
Vision has its beginning, does it not, when we acknowledge our problems and begin to deal with them in light of faith and reason. The first practical solution to that ancient problem in the church at Jerusalem was a [recognizing] of responsibility. And please don’t make the mistake of assuming that it called for a separation of laity and clergy: The greater the depth of spiritual energy to be exhausted, the more necessary for that person to commit himself to prayer; it became a vital spiritual responsibility for every believer to support the active ministries of others in prayer.
It is more than a question “Do you pray for your pastor?” that I raise this morning. Do we pray for those around us? Do we pray for our deacons, or do we just throw barbs or murmurings at them? Do we pray that Sunday School teachers will be able to communicate the love of Jesus through what he or she does?
With what power the Word of God separates the eternal and the variable. The eternal, you remember, is what we are by virtue of the Word; the variable is what we do with what we are. It is the eternal which must address itself to the variable, and not the other way around. Ephesians 5:13, “Whatsoever doth make manifest is light”—that which brings openness and honesty. In the church, neither our organizational structures nor our moral [prohibitions] are to be considered eternal unless they are given credence by the Word of God.
In the world, the believer is to put his confidence in that only that comes under the scrutiny of the Word.
II. A Day of Visitation.
The leadership of God—the seven were called out not by the apostle but by the multitude of believers:
· Concern about church program—support it or change it
· Concern about the inactive
· Concern about the lost
· Concern about our own lives.
Every person in his place (Nehemiah 4; Acts 2:1). Henry Drummond told the story of shipwrecked men adrift on the great ocean in a small boat. After several days they were growing weaker. In the night, [they saw] the masthead of a ship. [They] had a lantern but only one match, slightly damp.
I have on the corner of my desk a stack of cards (200)—Soul-Winning Commitment Cards. If one of ten had kept that pledge we would have baptized 50 or more. We say mean things about draft card burners but we have burned our commitment cards. God’s promises are not written and signed. Our promise need not be written to be kept.
An endeavor of cooperative faith reaches across membership lines—man in town unreached because he overheard a fellow church member make an unchristian remark about him; it reaches across church lines; across denomination lines.
III. A Day of Victory
· And the Word of God increased
· And the numbers of disciples multiplied
· And priests were obedient to the faith
· And Stephen did great wonders, a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost
Closing
We are familiar with the unfortunate expression “a cross I must bear.” Yet these words are spoken with dismay, perhaps even discontent. The vision, visitation, and victory I have spoken of this morning have to do with our [bearing] a cross. But this cross is a burden as wings are a burden to a bird, or as sails are a hindrance to a ship.
Drummond