Essentials Of The Faith / Sunday Morning Sermon Series / Acts: Enlarging Our Vision

By Getting In The Game 11/09/08

Sermon Series: Acts: Enlarging our Vision

Sermon Title: ‘By getting in the game.’   

Sermon Text: Acts 6:1-7

Introduction: The year was 1972, the sport, Football, and the team? The Miami Dolphins. Anyone know why 1972 was a special year for the Miami Dolphins? That’s right, 17-0…a perfect season. 14-0 during the regular season and 3-0 during the playoffs…ending with a Super Bowl title.

The Washington Redskins coach, the other team in the Super Bowl that year,  prior to the big game was asked to comment on Miami’s awesome defense. He said ‘I can’t recall any of their names, but they are a matter of great concern to us.’ Who can tell me the nick-name given to the 1972 Dolphins defense? The ‘no-name defense.’

What made that team so great was not a handful of superstars, as it often is today.

·       It was the dedication of every team member.

·       The willingness of every player to play his position the best he could for a common purpose.

Something special happens when everyone plays their position. The whole team becomes greater than the sum of it’s parts.

What do you think would have happened if three players on the ’72 Dolphins team decided they weren’t needed? Let’s say they went to the huddle and they called a sweep to the right with Mercury Morris running the ball. But after the ball is snapped, the three guys in front of him decide that blocking wasn’t all that important. So they just stood there?

What if nine people on the team wanted to play running back? And because they couldn’t they said forget it, I don’t want to play? (Chip Kelly)

The world of sports isn’t the only place where getting in the game and playing your position is vital. It also happens in the church.

Being called by God to serve in the Kingdom involves so much more than just teaching Sunday school, being an elder or having some up-front ministry.

·       Every position in God’s kingdom is vital

·       Every ministry, every act of service in God’s church is important.

And Satan is bent on convincing you that

·       What you do isn’t necessary.

·       What you do isn’t important.

·       Or, you are not needed at all, someone else will do it.

The truth is…each ministry, each act of service through God’s church, is an opportunity to impact eternity, in ways you perhaps have never considered. So don’t believe the lie.

Transition: My football illustration is not only relevant because of the time of the year, it’s relevant because of our text this morning.

Open your Bibles to Acts 6:1 (pg. 835 in the Bibles under the chair in front of you) For it’s there we’ll see we enlarge our vision of God by getting in the game.

I. Acts 6:1           The problem on the field

Read: Acts 6:1

The church was growing, even in the midst of persecution. Some estimates have the church in Jerusalem at about 8,000 Jews and Gentiles, all living in or around the city.

Responsibilities within the church were also growing…more needed to be done. And in a group that large, it was inevitable that someone’s needs would be overlooked.

Notice that even in the early church, where the HS was moving in powerful ways, where the church was growing, there were still problems…

·       and this time it wasn’t from the Jewish religious leaders,

·       it wasn’t from outside the church.

·       Once again, it was an inside job

·       and it had slipped past the view of the leadership.

What was the problem? Favoritism, prejudice. The Grecian/Helenistic Jewish Christians (those Jews who were not natives to Israel) complained that their widows were being overlooked by the church’s meals on mules program.

To them it looked like the Hebraic/Native Jewish Christians (those Jews who were born in Israel) were showing special attention to their own widows. What they complained of was an ‘us/them’ mentality and that must never exist in God’s church.

We, are God’s church, together.

·       We may have different skin color.

·       We may have different native languages.

·       But…every follower of Jesus Christ has been covered by the Blood of the Lamb, has the indwelling Holy Spirit and are one Body in Christ.

We, are God’s church, together.

One group of people in God’s church was being shut out/ignored and it was about to tear the church apart.

Transition: So, what happened?

II. Acts 6:2,4      The decision by the coaches

Read: Acts 2,4

What do you do when you have more jobs than you can handle? You take on another one. At least that’s often what happens in the church. When there is a need, we look around and see who is faithfully serving God and we give them more to do.

Doesn’t that sound crazy? Really, doesn’t that sound crazy? But it’s what we do. Why? Because there are too many people who are comfortable sitting in the stands, and if asked to serve, they say no. So we ask those who already on the field, already in the game to do more.

·       We need to understand that is not the way God planned his church to work.

·       It’s not what we see here in Acts 6.

And the early Apostles knew it wasn’t right either. They knew they had a responsibility to be faithful to their calling to be ministers of God’s Word to God’s people. It was not a matter of waiting on tables being inferior or lesser in importance than teaching God’s Word. This was not a question of hierarchy but of calling.

The pressures of leadership are mounting and this was all new to the Apostles. Without the HS, this early church would surely have fallen, just like Gamaliel has said. But God’s Church is not a work of men….it is the work of God and with wisdom that surpasses mine, He using men/women to build His Church.

There’s a key principle here. ‘No one can do it all. And no one should have to do it all.’ Remember…We, are God’s church, together.

Transition: Notice the Apostles didn’t shirk their responsibility to do something about the problem. After careful and prayerful consideration, they offered a solution.

III. Acts 6:3, 5-6          The work of the players

Read: Acts 6:3,5-6

It is God who builds His church. Therefore, God knows what His church needs. And God brings people to His church so it can be fully prepared to carry out what God calls His church to do.

·       With that said, CBC will go forward…with or without a keyboard player.

·       When God wants one here, God will provide.

·       I am confident of that.

·       So we can send Gary and his family off to Va. with our love and blessings.

But God also raises people up from within the church to serve in His kingdom. And that’s you…Do you know that you are here, not only to worship God but to serve God through this church?

The Apostles solution? Choose from among you…from those already here in the church, God has already provided for us.

There are a few things we need to notice here.

·       First, there were qualifications for those who would serve. And the church choose servants based on their qualifications.

That tells me not everyone should be involved in every ministry just because they’re asked or because they want to. They should say yes to only those ministries or areas of service where they are gifted.

·       Second, the church didn’t ask for volunteers. They chose specific people to serve. And they said yes. Wow…..that’s all I can say.

·       Third, each servant was brought before the church and commissioned….for serving on the meals on mules program? For serving at Calvary Café? For serving in the nursery? For serving in Children’s Church? For serving at a work day? Yes.

This tells me that no act of service is inferior to any other. All acts of service, all places of ministry here at CBC are important and necessary for helping to build God’s Kingdom. Sounds like it comes right out of the Bibles doesn’t it?

Read: 1 Cor. 12:14-27

Transition: The church needs servants. As we continue to study the Book of Acts, we’ll discover that the unity and growth of the church was dependent upon individuals who had a servant’s heart. 

And the world needs to see a church of servants. When we serve, the people outside these walls will be reached for Jesus Christ. How do I know? I saw the score in verse 7.

IV. Acts 6:7                 The score

Read: Acts 6:7

‘So the Word of God spread.’ Why?

·       Because it was preached better?

·       Because they finally sang the songs I like?

No. Because everyone played their part. God’s plan was realized because people got off the bench, found their positions and got into the game. They took the abilities God had given to them and used them for God’s purposes….and they scored big! The church grew and even many of the hard to reach priests were saved.

It was a team effort. God never intended a handful of people to do all the ministry in the church. He never intended for there to be a bench at all. His intent is for every believer to find their position, get on the field and play…to the glory of God!

Conclusion

You might be wondering why I continued in the Book of Acts this morning rather than speak on a text about persecution? Well, for a couple reasons.

·       First, I spoke on persecution last Sunday.

·       Second, that’s not the example of the early church. When they were persecuted… what does the text tell us they did?

Read: Acts 5:41-42

So, I followed their example and moved forward, teaching God’s Word with boldness.

So, here’s the deal. We, you and I, each of us, can no longer remain spectators or bench warmers. But here’s the rub…

·       I know you all have lives, lives with families, jobs, homes and other responsibilities outside the church.

·       You have a life and your time is precious.

I’m not asking you to do everything here at CBC. The seven men selected to serve in our text weren’t asked to do everything…just one thing, make sure everyone got fed.

And I’m asking you to do something…one thing…so that others who are doing too much here, who also have a life outside these walls, can be faithful to their other responsibilities.

And if you want to know how you can add one more thing to your already busy schedule, come to the Adult SS class…we are talking about that very thing.

What this church needs is men, women, boys and girls

·       Who are surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!

·       Who have made Jesus’ mission, their  mission.

·       Who see their calling from God as the highest calling in their life.

·       People who see working on a committee, serving as a deacon, ministry leader or usher, volunteering in the sound room or running the PowerPoint as the privilege that it is when it’s done as service to the Lord.

I want to urge you to find some time alone with God this week and allow him to search your heart.

Ask him to show you, how he desires to use you, to bless the lives of others here at CBC, to help build His kingdom and to glorify His name through your service.

Let’s be the church…together! By getting in the game.