Three Marks of a Spirit-powered church

6 In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. 2 The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, ‘It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’ 5 This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a convert from Antioch. 6 They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread, the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

Acts 6:1-7

Introduction

Well friends, I greet you all warmly in the wonderful name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. It’s good to see each and every one of you here this morning.

Maybe just to say: we’re taking a slight detour from our regular preaching rhythm. We’ve been going through the book of Romans for the last number of months and we find ourselves in Romans chapter 8—don’t turn there. We’re taking a break from Romans chapter 8. As you may know, the elders have brought a proposal before the church that we make some modifications to our church’s constitution. In line with that, we told you that we would teach a lot on any changes that we make. So, we’re currently looking at the section on deacons. We’re going to spend the next couple of weeks considering deacons from Scripture. We’re going to be handling a number of passages, beginning with Acts chapter 6. We’re going to look at 1 Timothy chapter 3, and we will also be looking at Philippians chapter 1 in the coming weeks as a kind of mini‑series, as we familiarize ourselves with the passages of central importance to our topic.

Which means that this morning you need to turn to Acts chapter 6.

Acts chapter 6. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then the book of Acts. Of course, if you hit Revelation, you’ve gone too far. Acts chapter 6. We’re going to be looking at the first seven verses of Acts chapter 6. I’m going to read these to you—maybe just to prepare my own heart for the reading and then the teaching of God’s Word, but also to give us the opportunity to prepare our hearts. Let’s just bow momentarily in a word of prayer.

*Father God, believing that Your Word is true and that it is sufficient for all matters of life and doctrine, I do ask that this morning You would open Your Word up to us by Your Spirit, that in its pages we might see Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, and love Him even more. That Lord God, Your Spirit would stir the affections of our hearts and we might have and live lives which are transformed to Your praise and to Your glory. I ask all these things to the good pleasure of our Father who is in heaven. Amen.*

Acts chapter 6, beginning at the first verse. I’m going to ask if all who are able would please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word. Would you please rise?

Friends, hear the Word of God.

*In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. Well, the twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This proposal pleased the whole company. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.*

Just so far in the reading of God’s Word. Amen. Please be seated.

So if you know me at all—and you can speak to Leisel and confirm this—I cannot cook. I cannot grill a fish. I cannot roast a chicken. I cannot boil an egg. I can’t even bake toast. But I do know how to make a killer sandwich. I can open the fridge and combine whatever’s in there into a mouthwatering morsel, never mind what time of month it is. I’m a simple guy really. And so my go‑to snackwich is a classic: the cheese and tomato.

Now let me tell you how to make the best cheese and tomato snackwich. You take a slice of bread and a slice of bread, obviously. And then you take a layer of cheese and a layer of cheese, and you take a slice of tomato. Now, the secret is those two layers of cheese. You see, you didn’t know that. That’s why you come to church. I’m going to tell you more that you don’t know later. But you have two layers of cheese. And I don’t want to be too technical about this, but it’s best if the top layer is a sharp cheddar and the bottom layer is an aged gouda—and a slice of bread on the bottom. And then it goes into the snackwich maker. And I know that there’s too much jammed in there. And so while it’s snacking, you can be sure that you’re going to spend a lot of time scooping out the extra cheese that is oozing out of the sides, trying not to burn your fingers as you go about doing it. I call it my Cheesy Supreme.

Acts chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7 is a little bit like my Cheesy Supreme. Let me explain to you why it is layered.

Now you consider the slices of bread on either end—the top and the bottom. Well, Acts chapter 6 from 1 to 7 has got a top and it’s got a bottom. It’s got a first half, and that is verse 1a, and it’s got a bottom half, which is verse 7. Read those two passages of Scripture together and I’ll tell you how they relate.

Verse 1: *“In those days, as the disciples were increasing in number.”* Now go to verse 7: *“So the word of God spread. The disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number.”* Do you see the repetition there? *“And a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.”* There is a top bit in Acts chapter 6 verse 1a and there is a bottom bit in Acts chapter 6 verse 7. And really what joins these two passages together is the multiplication of disciples. Disciples multiplying at the beginning of the story as they increase in number. And while there is stuff in the middle, by the time you get to the end, the disciples are again growing. They are multiplying. Acts chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7 is about the multiplication of disciples.

Now, what comes next in my Cheesy Supreme is those two slices of tomato—no, the two layers of cheese. That’s the second part of verse 1, verse 1b, and verses 5 and 6. They go together in Acts chapter 6.

Read again with me the second part of verse 1: *“There arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that the widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.”* And then as you get to the end of the story in verse 5: *“This proposal pleased the whole company, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.”*

Can you see that Acts chapter 6 verses 1–7 is—secondly, after this multiplication of disciples—about church unity? There’s disunity at the beginning, a spat between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebraic Jews. There’s a problem. And then as you get to the end of this passage, there’s unity at the end. The whole gathering is pleased. There’s a solution. Chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7 is about church unity.

But everybody knows that it’s the middle bit of a snackwich that makes the entire thing work. What’s in the middle of a Cheesy Supreme? Well, it’s that thick slice of tomato which is seasoned to taste. The middle of our story is the most important part of Acts chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7. It is the twelve—from verse 2 to 4.

The twelve summons the whole company of disciples and they say: *“It’s not right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”*

Can you see that Acts 6:1–7 isn’t just about the multiplication of disciples? It isn’t just about church unity. It’s also about the service that we see in the middle. And I’m going to explain that to you in a moment. But for now, to say that some of God’s people are set aside for acts of spiritual service and some of God’s people are set aside for acts of practical service. At its heart—in the center—Acts chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7 is about service.

Acts chapter 6 verse 1 to 7 is like my Cheesy Supreme: slices of bread, layers of cheese, and a thick layer of tomato in the center, in the heart.

Well, Acts 6:1–7 is about the marks of a Spirit‑powered church. And the first marks of a Spirit‑powered church is they are **discipling for growth**—that’s the edges. Then they are **uniting for purpose**—that’s towards the center. And right at the heart of this passage is **empowerment for service**—and that is in the middle.

The main idea that I’m arguing from this text this morning is that **Christ’s ransomed church—that’s us—ministering in the Spirit’s power, sees the gospel triumph.**

What we’re going to do is we’re going to look at that outer layer of Acts 6:1a and verse 7 first.

Discipling for Growth

I’m going to read those two parts of this passage again and then we’ll work through them. It says in verse 1, *“In those days”*—we’ve got to ask the question, what days were those? *“As the disciples were increasing in number”*—so the word of God spread in verse 7, and *“the disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly in number, and a large group of the priests became obedient to the faith.”*

This passage begins and this passage ends with the disciples increasing in number. People were being added to their number. People were added to their number as they became, in verse 7, *obedient to the faith*. What does it mean to become obedient to the faith? Obedience to the faith means surrendering one’s entire life to Jesus Christ as your Lord. This isn’t just an intellectual agreement, but it’s a life which has been transformed by the gospel.

Friends, this is important for you to note, especially if you’re visiting with us this morning: saving faith is a call to obedience. Saving faith produces obedience in our lives. Saving faith is evidenced by obedience in our life.

Well, this saving faith, this obedience to the faith, resulted in disciples, and the disciples were increasing in number. The church was growing and growing and growing.

What Is Church Growth?

And I’ve been meaning to chat to us for a while about the idea of church growth. When I hear the phrase “church growth,” I cringe. And I imagine many of you do too, because so much of what we hear about church growth is abuse—churches abusing God’s Word for the sake of growth, churches which are fixated on numbers and for numbers’ sake going to inappropriate lengths in order to fuel growth.

The latter part of the 20th century saw the rise in what is called the seeker‑sensitive movement. Influential church growth gurus such as Bill Hybels and Rick Warren—seeker‑sensitive churches striving to be as modern and as relevant and as attractional as possible, the goal ultimately to reach unbelievers—which in and of itself isn’t a bad thing. But too often seeker‑sensitive churches devolve into seeker‑driven churches: churches which are devoted to packing in the masses and keeping them entertained at any cost.

Now, Luke doesn’t care about numbers for numbers’ sake, but as you read through the book of Acts, you discover that Luke does care about numbers. He cares about the numbers of those ransomed lives which have become obedient to the faith. Luke cares about the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of men. Luke cares about the Spirit’s sovereign work through the preached word of God and how that proves the gospel’s power to redeem fallen man.

It’s all about disciples for Luke. Disciples are Christ‑followers. When Jesus calls disciples, He says, *“Follow me.”* A disciple is a follower—one who trusts and believes in a teacher and follows that teacher’s words and examples. Making disciples is the Great Commission. It is the mission of the church. And here in Acts 6:1, it is the first use of the word *disciple* in the book of Acts. Luke for the rest of Acts is going to use this word another twenty‑seven times.

Disciples put their faith and their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and as their Savior, and then they live transformed lives to His praise and to His glory. Friends, legitimate church growth is about the multiplication of disciples to the church.

Acts chapter 6 from verse 1 to 7 begins and reveals that the Spirit multiplies disciples as the gospel triumphs by transforming hearts and expanding the church—Christ’s ransomed church.

Uniting for Purpose

Now with this multiplication came tension and an opportunity to see the Holy Spirit’s unifying power in the lives of believers. And that brings us to our second point—the kind of middle layers of Acts 6:1–7. If you read with me Acts 6:1b, you can read the problem, and in verses 5 and 6 you can read the resolution.

*“There arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews”* and that complaint was *“against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.”* Now the solution that they bring—which is in the middle of this message, the most important part of this message, we’re going to get to in a moment—but this is the resolution that comes. *“The proposal pleased the whole company. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas, a convert from Antioch. They had them stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid hands on them.”*

The Conflict

The conflict in verse 1b arises when a group which is known as the Hellenistic Jews kind of go to war with a group called the Hebraic Jews. Now Hellenistic Jews lived in the Diaspora. They were scattered among the Gentiles. These Jews—the Hellenistic Jews—they spoke Greek. They used the Greek translation of the Old Testament. The word *Hellen* literally means *Greek* in Greek. The Hellenistic Jews are Greek‑speaking Jews.

The Hebraic Jews, on the other hand—well, they’re the Jews that remained in Judea near Jerusalem. They spoke Aramaic. And because they were from Jerusalem, the Hebraic Jews had eminence in Jerusalem. The Hellenistic Jews were foreigners. They were from out of town. And so they were marginalized. It makes sense that the Hebraic Jews—their widows would have received charitable care. There was likely an existing mechanism which took care of them, a widow’s list, and they were on it. But the Hellenistic Jews—the Jews from out of town—that their widows were being overlooked is almost understandable. Their names would not have been on that list.

And so between these two groups, there becomes a grumbling, there comes a complaining, there comes a disharmony, there is disunity in the church of God.

The Resolution

Now the resolution to this problem is so interesting. The church goes about appointing seven men to oversee the mercy ministry of the early church in Jerusalem. Seven men to distribute food to the widows. And mark this: the names of these seven men—Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, together with Stephen—all seven of these men have Hellenistic names. The eminent Hebraic Jews gave up the distribution of charity and they handed the task over to those who were marginalized in their community.

Friends, this isn’t unity for harmony’s sake alone. This unity had a mission in mind. The church is Christ’s body. It has been ransomed by His blood to display His reconciling power. And so when the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebraic Jews served together, they proved the gospel’s victory over division. The apostles didn’t negotiate a compromise. They unleashed Spirit‑filled servants to turn tension into testimony.

Acts 6:1–7 shows that the Spirit unites Christ’s body, and He does this in order to magnify the gospel. Where Satan sows division, the Spirit of God sends servants so that the world can see Christ’s ransom at work.

Now unity is never an end to itself. The reconciliation between the Hellenistic and the Hebraic believers created the perfect conditions to raise up Spirit‑empowered servants who could meet the practical needs while preserving the apostles’ focus on prayer and preaching. And we see that in the middle point—the heart of this text—from verse 2 to verse 4.

Empowering for Service

And that brings us to the third point. The first point: discipling for growth. The second point: uniting for purpose. The third point: empowering for service.

Read verse 2 to 4 together with me. *“The twelve summoned the whole company of disciples and said, ‘It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, select from among yourselves seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.’”*

Some of God’s people are set aside for acts of service—for spiritual acts of service: teachers who spread the word, who edify the saints, who evangelize the lost. And some of God’s people are set aside for practical acts of service: servants who engage in various kinds of ministries within the local church. Now when you put these two together, the church flourishes and it grows.

Spiritual Servants: The Apostles

I want us to look at both of those types of people. Firstly, God’s people who are set aside for spiritual acts of service. In Acts 6:1–7, they are called the apostles. Now they say of themselves in verse 4: *“We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”* Now you need to get that word *ministry*, because our English translations haven’t helped us to understand what is going on. In Acts chapter 6, that word *ministry* is *diakonia*. It’s not the noun, but it is related to the word where we get *deacon* from. It’s where we get the word *deacon* from. The apostles are deacons. They are servants. They are ministers of the word. They are spiritual servants of God’s people.

Practical Servants: The Seven

God’s people who are set aside for practical acts of service—this is the second group of people in Acts 6:1–7, the seven men of good repute. Now according to verse 2, they were *to serve tables*. That word *serve* there is *diakoneo*. Again it’s the word that we get *deacon* from. They are waiters. They are deacons. They are servants. They are ministers of God’s people. They are the practical servants in the early church of Jerusalem.

The apostles and the seven aren’t competing for importance in the local church. They are collaborating for impact. The apostles preached, and that is how they served God’s people. And these seven served—that is how they served God’s people.

Characteristics of Deacons

Now while these seven men are not called deacons in this text, they bear the characteristics and they perform the duties of deacons. They are like prototype deacons. The deacon is one of two recognized officers in the New Testament church—we will cover that when we look at Philippians chapter 1. Along with elders, they come from the membership of a local church and they serve the church by appointment.

These seven men bear the characteristics of deacons. They are to be men of good repute—we will see that in the list from 1 Timothy chapter 3. They are to be full of the Spirit and of wisdom. You will notice these people by their walk. You will notice these people by their witness. You will notice these people by their wisdom.

And these seven men bear the duties of deacons. Deacons serve the local church. Deacons are not a decision‑making committee. Deacons are not an oversight committee. Deacons are recognized servants in the church.

Finally, just note the appointment of these seven men. You’ll notice that the congregation choose them and then the apostles appoint them. There is a relationship between the leaders of God’s church and all of God’s church as they go about recognizing these men. Members of the congregation take part in the appointment of church leaders.

At its heart—right in the middle of this text—we have a revelation that the Spirit empowers servants so that the gospel triumphs. When leaders preach and members serve, all in the Spirit’s power, the church becomes a living witness to Christ’s ransom of men. The gospel triumphs as disciples multiply, as unity strengthens, and as servants are empowered.

Connect to the gospel

Well, how does this passage connect to the gospel of Jesus Christ? Right at its heart—right at the heart of Acts 6:1–7—is that idea of service. It’s the repeated word over and over again. The apostles serve by preaching and the seven serve by doing.

Jesus Christ Himself tied the gospel to service when He said in Mark 10:45, *“The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.”* Friends, the death and the resurrection of Jesus Christ are His ultimate acts of service for the people that He ransomed. Those that have believed this message go on to serve one another as an ongoing effect of the work of the Holy Spirit within them.

Application for believers

So how then do you apply this text in your life as a believer here at Benoni Baptist Church? Well, friend, you embrace your role in Christ’s ransom church by serving in the Holy Spirit’s power—just like the apostles served, just like the seven served. You are called to serve with your time and with your talents and with your treasure and with your testimony for the advance of the gospel.

For those of you who are juggling careers and kids and wonder where you might find the time to serve: service starts where you are. It starts with whatever God has given you to serve with.

Application for unbelievers

Unbelievers—how ought you to respond to this passage? Because there’s something in here too for you, friends. Just as the priests in Acts 6:7 became obedient to the faith, you are called upon to surrender to the gospel. Jesus Christ came to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus is ready to redeem you. And the Holy Spirit stands at the ready and is able to renew you. And so right now, heed the call on your life and repent for the forgiveness of sins. Put your faith and your trust in Jesus Christ and you will live.

Conclusion

How does this passage apply to our constitutional adjustments? Well, over time, as our church has grown and developed, some areas of our constitution no longer reflect how we function. And to address this, the church has approved the formation of a constitution committee. The team is presently working to revise the deacon section, ensuring that it is both faithful to Scripture and practical for our church today.

There are three principles from this text, this passage, which must shape our approach in terms of our constitution:

1. Just as the seven were chosen for being full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, our constitution must require deacons to be recognized as filled with the Holy Spirit. This ensures that whatever practical service they do flows from spiritual vitality, not mere competence.
2. The whole company affirmed the seven—that needs to be reflected in our process for member nominations and a clear congregational mandate. This guards against top‑down control and it fosters unity amongst us. It ensures that our deacons are recognized by the whole body.
3. The apostles delegated the needs to the seven. That needs to mirror our charge that deacons serve in practical ministries as designated by the executive of the church. This empowers deacons to address the material needs of the gospel with intentionality as they go about doing it.

Here’s the conclusion. Remember my Cheesy Supreme? Those layers that work together—the bread, the cheese, the tomato—each playing its part to some greater end. Well, the bread reminds us that the disciples multiply when the gospel triumphs. And the cheese—that’s a little bit closer to the middle—reminds us that unity thrives when the marginalized are lifted up, not by compromise, but by Spirit‑filled service. And the tomato at the center—well, that’s the heart of it all: empowered service in this passage. Not competition, but collaboration. The apostles preaching, the deacons serving, and all of that happening to the glory of Christ.

That’s the gospel recipe for the church. Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many, His ransomed church now serves in His power.

Believers, as part of this glorious design, however you are called to serve, serve with the Spirit’s fullness. Let your life proclaim Christ’s ransom is real. To those of you who are outside of the faith that are here this morning, Christ calls on you to obey the gospel. He served you by laying down His life so that you might be ransomed. Today you are to surrender your life to Him.

Let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will do in Benoni Baptist Church what He did in the book of Acts: multiply disciples, unite hearts, and empower servants for His own glory’s sake.

This morning from this passage, the argument has been: **Christ’s ransomed church is to minister in the Spirit’s power and see the gospel triumph.** We’ve seen three marks of a Spirit‑empowered church: discipling for growth in verse 1 and verse 7; uniting for purpose in verse 1 and verses 5–6; empowerment to serve from verse 2 to verse 4. Let’s pray that the Lord God makes this a reality in our congregation.