Acts 6:3-4

Summary retelling of Acts 6:3-4:

The apostles ask the gathered congregation to pick out 7 good men who can watch out for the needs of the people.  They then declare that while these seven stewards were assigned to the administrative task of making sure the service happened they would return to what Jesus has called them to do: prayer and the ministry of the Word.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

The apostles ask the congregation to pick people that they respect and have faith that they can do the job.  They needed to have the confidence of the people in order to accomplish the task.  (There is something neat in the ones they pick, but we’ll get to that tomorrow.)  For now, let’s remember that the main qualification for being selected was that the whole assembly of disciples saw them as respectable people.

Again we seem to have a passage that leads us to think about our reputation among the people.  So how is your reputation?  Are you reliable?  Fair?  A good judge?  How do people see you?

Second Thought:

The 7 are chosen to work.  They are chosen to accomplish the task that was needed.  They were called to be the judge of fairness and equity.  Their job was serious – especially in the short-term.  In many respects, they can literally be considered to be peace keepers.

How has God called you to be a peace keeper?  What do you need to focus upon to obey that calling?

Third Thought:

There are two key tasks listed here for the generalized work of the apostles: prayer and ministry of the Word.  This is pretty cool, because it holds up a mirror for evaluation that we can use.  So let me as you – anyone who would like to think of themselves as a spiritual leader in whatever context you think – are you praying regularly?  Are you engaging in prayer with the other spiritual leaders in your community?  And are you talking about the Gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ?

Well … are you?  Why do you think that in the typical American church that these two jobs are often neglected at the expense of other less important tasks by the people who claim to be leaders?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 6:5-7