October 13, 2025 • 29 mins
What if the pressure you feel isn’t a problem to avoid but an invitation to grow deeper? We turn to Acts 6:1–7 and walk through a pivotal moment for the early church: rapid growth, real tension, and a wise response that protected the mission and multiplied the impact. A complaint over neglected widows threatened to split the community along cultural lines, yet the apostles refused a false choice between care and calling. They safeguarded prayer and the ministry of the Word while raising Spirit-filled servants with proven character to meet practical needs.
That decision wasn’t about hierarchy; it was about health. We talk candidly about why churches stall when a few carry the load, how burnout creeps in, and what changes when everyone owns the mission. You’ll hear why wisdom matters more than raw talent, how deacon-shaped service stabilizes systems and softens hearts, and why character—humility, steadiness, integrity—turns logistics into love. We connect the dots from Jerusalem to our own congregation’s season of stretch: fuller rooms, growing ministries, and the holy opportunity to become stronger, not just bigger.
This conversation offers a roadmap for churches and believers navigating growth: recognize the need without losing the mission; elevate the Word and prayer as the church’s lifeblood; and equip people to step in with courage and care. The result in Acts is striking—“the word of God spread,” “disciples multiplied greatly,” and even hardened priests believed. That’s not accidental; it’s the fruit of ordered obedience and shared ministry. If you’ve been waiting for an invitation to serve, consider this your moment. Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave a review with your next step—where will you put your hands to the work?
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Episode Transcript
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SPEAKER_00 (00:05):
Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church Formate,
Florida.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Mannteaching the word.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
We are going to be in Acts chapter 6, verses 1
through 7.
I'm reading from the New KingJames Version of the Bible.
The Bible says, Now in thosedays when the number of the
disciples was multiplying, therearose a complaint against the
Hebrews by the Hellenists,because their widows were
(00:42):
neglected in the dailydistribution.
And then the twelve summoned themultitude of the disciples and
said, It is not desirable thatwe should leave the Word of God
and serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, seek outfrom among you seven men of good
reputation, full of the HolySpirit and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business.
(01:04):
But we will give ourselvescontinually to prayer and to the
ministry of the Word.
And the same pleased the wholemultitude.
And they chose Stephen, a manfull of faith in the Holy
Spirit, and Philip andProchorus, and Niconor, and
Timon, and Par Parmeneus, andNicholas, a proselyte from
(01:24):
Antioch, whom they set up, whothey set before the apostles.
And when they had prayed, theylaid hands on them.
And then the word of God spread,and the number of the disciples
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,and a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
We'll stop there.
This is God's word.
Have you ever had a moment, hada point in your life, where
(01:49):
growth expressed your need forhelp?
Ever had a time where growthexpressed your need for help in
your life?
What am I talking about?
Well, maybe it was starting anew job sometime in the past.
Maybe it was when you werewelcoming your first child.
Remember that?
If you had children.
(02:10):
Maybe you were stepping into aleadership role for the first
time, taking responsibility.
Whatever it was, growth in yourlife really expressed and
exposed your need for help.
I mean, things began veryexciting, but soon you felt
stretched thin.
Anybody can testify to that?
(02:31):
Yeah.
That's just life.
Maybe you feel that way rightnow.
Soon you felt stretched thin.
And you realized that ifsomething didn't change, the
burden would overwhelm you.
And that moment right there,that moment where pressure meets
purpose is often where God doeshis deepest work in us.
(02:52):
It's one of the times.
That's exactly what's happeningin Acts 6.
The early church is growingquickly.
Thousands had come to Jesus infaith.
Needs kept increasing, but sodid the tensions.
So did the pressure.
The church was thriving andstruggling at the same time.
And it's in this tension that wesee, really, I think, one of the
(03:15):
most vivid leadership andministry moments in the New
Testament.
Because what happened wasinstead of retreating, the
church pressed forward.
They pressed forward.
Instead of splitting apart, theyrelied on the Spirit's wisdom
and each other's gifts.
And the truth is, at Providence,we're experiencing a similar
(03:38):
season.
God is at work.
Praise God.
People are being baptized.
Didn't we have a wonderful timedown at the beach recently?
God is at work.
People are being baptized.
Families are joining.
Ministries are growing.
But so are the challenges.
We feel the stretch.
Susan, can I get an amen?
We feel the stretch.
(03:59):
And it's a good stretch becauseit gives us a chance
individually and as a church togrow deeper, not just bigger,
stronger, not just wider.
So that brings us back to Acts6.
It's really a guide for how togrow the right way, God's way.
So let's pay attention and learnfrom their example because here
(04:19):
in Providence, in the life ofProvidence Church, we've seen
our children's ministry expand.
We've seen our Bible fellowshipgroups grow.
We've seen our worship servicesbecome fuller.
And I know the way we'vestructured things, this service
doesn't feel it nearly as much,but this service over the last
three years has grown a good bitas well.
Second service, sometimes it's achallenge to find seats.
(04:42):
And that's a wonderful thing.
But again, it's stretching up.
We've experienced Sundays whenvolunteers were doubled or were
missing, when we needed extrahelp with the kids, or, like I
said, more seats in the room,even Second Service.
And these are signs that achurch is alive.
That's a good thing.
But they also highlight the needfor everyone to get involved in
(05:05):
some way.
The story that God started 15years ago in the life of
Providence Church keepsunfolding today.
Anybody?
(05:25):
Raise your hand.
We got a few.
Look around.
That's the remnant among ustoday.
Thank you.
You can put your hands down.
God started that story 15 yearsago and it keeps unfolding
today.
God is moving among us.
And the real question for me asthe senior pastor and also the
other pastors, as we've talkedabout this, the real question
is (05:47):
will we, as a church family, step forward to embrace the
opportunities He's providing?
Will we rise, not just innumbers, but in service and in
unity and in love for oneanother, for disillusioned
believers in our community, andfor unbelievers in our
(06:08):
community.
Every Sunday brings new faces.
There's a few in this service.
There'll be more in the secondservice.
Every Sunday brings new faces,brings new challenges, brings
new opportunities to serve oneanother in love.
And growth doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
I keep having to tell ourministry staff that on a regular
basis.
Growth doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
(06:29):
It can be a gift that refinesand recenters us on what matters
most.
And Acts chapter 6 shows us thatevery growing Christian and
every growing church eventuallyfaces a decision.
And that decision is, will we bestretched thin or will we be
(06:50):
pushed deeper into Christ andinto one another?
The difference really depends onour response.
Whether we lean in with prayerand humility and a spirit-led
willingness to serve.
So let's choose to grow togetherstronger as we move forward.
And in Acts 6, we see a momentjust like this.
(07:11):
The church in Jerusalem wasthriving.
Thousands had come to Christ,but with that growth came
growing pains.
There was a brewing conflict, infact, that was taking place.
Some widows, especially thosefrom the Hellenist, which is
Greek-speaking Jewishbackground, they were being
overlooked in the daily fooddistribution.
(07:34):
And this wasn't just alogistical moment.
It actually threatened to dividethe early church along cultural
and ethnic lines.
But instead of reacting in fear,as churches often do to this
kind of thing, and instead ofprotecting their own comfort, as
churches often do in this kindof a situation, the apostles saw
(07:56):
an opportunity not to shrink themission, but to expand the
ministry.
Again, we understand what it'slike to grow.
We're going through itourselves.
And we've gone through it indifferent seasons in our life as
a church.
Over the past 15 years, we'vewelcomed new families.
We have seen an increase inchildren.
We have expanded our ministries.
And along with that, there ispressure.
(08:18):
There's pressure to our systems.
There's pressure on our leaders,and there's pressure on our
volunteers.
And these are good challenges,but they're still challenges.
And so we need God's wisdom tohandle them with grace and
purpose.
We are blessed by God to be inthat kind of season again.
And again, that's where Acts 6comes in.
Not just as a moment in churchhistory that we can look back on
(08:41):
and say, oh, look at that.
That was really an interestingthing.
No.
But it's also as a moment, it'sa time, it's a guidepost for our
growth journey as well.
Acts chapter 6 offers a strongexample of how to grow through
growing pain.
Not to avoid them, not to denythem, but to navigate them
faithfully and wisely.
(09:03):
And the early church didn'tstall, they didn't splinter,
they didn't panic, they didn'tminimize the issue.
What they did was they leaned onthe Spirit's wisdom, they relied
on each other, and they movedforward with the mission.
Why?
Well, because they were led byGod to serve.
Not because they saw this momentas a threat, but as a turning
(09:26):
point.
Because they allow growing painsto become growth points.
So often we don't even do thatin our own lives.
When we begin to experiencegrowing pains in some area of
life, we don't like it.
It's uncomfortable.
And so we shrink back from itinstead of allowing it to be a
growing point in our life.
Same in church.
So just for the next fewminutes, let's explore three
(09:48):
ways the early church respondedto growing pains as they were
led to serve, so that weindividually can follow their
example and as a church andcontinue growing God's way.
Three ways that we see this asthey're led to serve.
First of all, we have torecognize the need without
losing the mission.
We have to recognize the needwithout losing the mission.
(10:10):
The Bible again says, in thosedays when the number of the
disciples was multiplying,that's a great thing, isn't it?
When the numbers of disciplesare multiplying is a wonderful
reality.
But then what happened?
A complaint rose.
They must have been a Baptistchurch for sure, I guess.
I don't know.
A complaint rose against Hebrewsby the Hellenists, those Greek
(10:34):
speaking, because their widowswere neglected in the daily
distribution.
Then the twelve summoned themultitude of the disciples and
said, It is not desirable thatwe should leave the Word of God
and serve tables.
So the church is growing, but soare the needs.
And that struggle is common ingrowing churches.
In the ancient world, widowslacked any kind of social safety
nets, no social security,something like that.
(10:57):
And so caring for them wasn'toptional.
It was essential if they didn'thave family, especially.
And the fact that HellenisticJews, these Greek-speaking
widows, were overlooked reallyreveals cultural complexity
within the early church.
Hebrew-speaking Jews had moresocial influence in Jerusalem.
(11:19):
While Greek-speaking Jews oftenfelt sidelined, and in fact
were.
This could have easily, in thislocal body of believers now,
this early church, it could haveeasily created a cultural
divide.
But instead, the apostlesaddressed the issue directly.
That's good leadership.
That's what needs to happen, iswhen something like this comes
(11:41):
along.
Is you address the issuedirectly.
You don't hide from it, youdon't keep it in the closet, you
don't keep it hush-hush, youaddress the issue directly.
And they gather the believersand say, it's not desirable that
we should leave the Word of Godand serve tables.
Now that's not because servingtables was beneath them, but
(12:01):
because God had given them aspecific calling to fulfill.
No doubt they were servingtables up to this point.
Somebody was doing it becausepeople were falling through the
cracks.
God had given them a specificcalling to fulfill.
Their role was to lead andnurture the church spiritually.
(12:21):
And if they abandoned that, thechurch might still be well fed
physically, but spirituallystarving and not on mission.
This reality emphasizes thetheological significance of
prioritizing the ministry of theword and prayer.
From the Old Testament all theway through the prophets to
(12:43):
Jesus Himself, the Word of Godhas always been the life source
for God's people.
Romans chapter 10, verse 17reminds us that faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the Wordof God.
And so any church that straysfrom this core calling,
preaching and teaching scriptureto believers and unbelievers,
(13:04):
loses its foundation.
And it is preaching and teachingscripture.
Preaching and teachingscripture, not taking away from
it and not adding to it.
Not appeasing worldly culture,but also not creating
self-righteous legalism or extrabiblical laws.
(13:25):
The core calling was and is theministry of word and prayer to
believers and unbelievers.
And so the apostles' choiceshere is not a rejection of
practical service, but astrengthening of spiritual
priorities.
And their response shows whatthe Apostle Paul later explains
(13:46):
in 1 Corinthians 12, and that'sthat the church is one body with
many parts, each with unique butequally important roles.
And so when pastors neglecttheir spiritual oversight and
their responsibilities,including prayer and the word,
and instead have to focus onevery logistical and
(14:06):
programmatic detail, the wholebody suffers.
And this isn't pride, it's apriority.
And honestly, I have to tellyou, after 32 years plus now of
doing this, this is wheregrowing churches often get
stuck.
Right here.
It's where they often get stuck.
Because what happens is weeither ignore the need and hope
(14:27):
it all just goes away.
Have you ever done that in yourown life?
We either ignore the need andjust hope it just goes away, or
we try to fix everythingourselves and end up burning
out.
But in the life of ProvidenceChurch, we don't want to be a
church where only a few doeverything while the rest watch.
(14:50):
We want to be a church whereeveryone plays a part in caring
for the body and advancing themission.
And we do that fairly well.
I'm grateful to say.
We can improve.
Because we have leaders tryingto do more than they were meant
to do.
We have volunteers stretchedthin.
(15:11):
We have people serving inmultiple areas because others
haven't stepped up yet.
And so if you if you've been onthe sidelines, it's time to step
in.
Not because you're guilted intoit.
I know that only works briefly.
It might motivate you for alittle bitty period of time.
It won't last long if you'rejust motivated by guilt.
(15:34):
Stepping in, not because you'reguilted into it, but because
you're part of the family.
And families pitch in.
So let's be candid.
Can I be candid?
Some of us need to stop assumingsomeone else will take care of
it.
You might actually be the answerto someone's prayer.
You might actually be the answerto someone's encouragement that
(16:00):
they need.
You might be someone's reminderthat God sees and God provides.
Now I know that everyone has adifferent season in life.
Some are in a physical or healthtrial right now.
Some are coming out of or arecurrently in a relationship
(16:21):
trial.
Some are spiritually strugglingfor various reasons.
And you need to get to a morestable place in life by God's
grace.
God is patient.
And he is your help andstrength.
I want to remind you of that.
He is your help and strength ifyou will rely on him.
(16:42):
And we want to help you as weare able and as you will let us.
But there are some who can andneed to step in, to pitch in,
and to play a part.
Because we have to recognize theneeds of a growing church
without losing the mission.
Without losing the mission.
(17:03):
Let me help you reflect on thisjust for a moment.
Maybe you've been around awhile.
You've been around in the lifeof the church.
What exactly have you observed?
Where exactly have you observeda gap in ministry?
Or where exactly have youobserved people feeling
overwhelmed as they serve?
(17:24):
What can you personally do tostep in?
Is there a part of you that'sbeen hesitant to get involved?
Why?
Why?
Let me push it a little further.
Can I do that?
What fear?
Or what excuse?
(17:44):
What fear or what excuse do youneed to let go of and to respond
in faith?
Because if we want to growaccording to God's way, we need
to recognize the need withoutlosing sight of the mission, and
some individuals need to be ledto serve, and I'm praying for
God to do that in your life.
(18:05):
Secondly, what we see in thispassage that we have to do, that
they did, is raise upspirit-filled servants.
Therefore, brethren, they said,seek out from among you seven
men of good reputation, full ofthe Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom
we may appoint over thisbusiness, but we will give
ourselves continually to prayerand to the ministry of the Word.
(18:26):
Now, what's so great about thisis the apostles didn't just look
for availability, they wereactually after spiritual
maturity.
They asked the congregation toidentify individuals who were
filled with the Holy Spirit andwisdom and have a good
reputation.
I think that really highlightsan important truth.
And it's this the work of thechurch, the work of the gospel
(18:48):
through the life of the churchis sacred.
And those who serve should bespirit-led and gospel-centered.
Should be spirit-led, full ofwisdom, and have a good
reputation.
This reminds us that serving andleadership, both serving and
leadership in the church, isn'tabout status.
It isn't about personality.
(19:09):
It isn't about convenience.
It's about character and callingand becoming like Christ.
The spirit-filled life, the needto be filled with the Holy
Spirit, the need to have wisdom,the need to have good
reputation, isn't just forpastors and apostles.
It's actually for every believerwho is surrendered to Jesus and
willing to serve.
(19:30):
And wisdom here doesn't justmean intelligence or skill.
I believe biblical wisdominvolves applying God's truth to
real life situations.
That meant that these men neededto be compassionate to people.
They needed to stay steady underpressure.
(19:52):
And they needed to be immersedin Scripture.
They weren't just serving bread,they were living out the gospel.
Their ministry wasn't just abouthandling tasks, it was about
maintaining unity andsafeguarding the witness and
building up the church.
That's why we see the apostleslay hands on these men.
(20:13):
And that's more than just aleadership formality because
throughout Scripture, laying onhands symbolized both divine
appointment and church support.
These men were set apart tocarry sacred responsibilities
with spiritual integrity.
And in doing so, the churchactually experienced more than
(20:34):
just efficiency, it actuallyexperienced empowerment as a
church.
This actually marks, right herein Acts 6, this actually marks
the beginning of what laterbecame known as deacon ministry.
Servants of the church whosupport the ministry of the word
and prayer by meeting tangibleand practical needs.
(20:55):
I'm blessed to now these years,in all these years, I almost
said it's generally and as awhole, it excludes individuals
in the past in a positive way,but I am blessed to be able to
work alongside and serve withthe best group of deacons I've
ever known in my life.
And I'm so grateful for thosemen who serve and their wives,
(21:17):
who serve and help and supportin so many ways.
They're not perfect.
Trust me, they're not.
Their wives will tell you that.
They're not perfect.
Neither are you pastors.
But neither are you.
(21:39):
And we work together by God'sgrace.
But these men are servants ofthe church who serve.
And when deacons fulfill theircalling, man, the church thrives
in its mission.
And isn't that what Jesus taughtus?
In principle, for all of us.
Mark 10, 43, he said, Whoeverwants to be great among you must
be your servant.
(22:00):
Authentic leadership in thekingdom of God involves meeting
needs, especially those withouthelp, and serving humbly.
An application for us as achurch is that we need this kind
of leadership now.
People who don't just attend buttake responsibility for the
mission.
(22:20):
People who say, This is mychurch.
These are my people.
And I'm here to serve.
Yeah.
Maybe that's you.
Maybe God is prompting you todaynot to wait until you feel
prepared or things get moreconvenient in your life.
That'll never happen.
(22:41):
Everybody's busy.
Maybe He's prompting you to befaithful with what you already
have.
I'm praying for a new wave ofservant leaders to help the ones
we already have.
Not only deacons, and we do needmore deacons.
I'm praying for a new wave ofservant leaders, but others to
help those who are alreadyserving in so many ways.
(23:02):
Not perfect people.
Nobody would qualify.
But those filled with the Spiritand wisdom and have a good
reputation.
I'm talking about people wholove Jesus, who love his church
enough to put their hands andtheir hearts into the work.
Yeah.
And if you've been waiting foran invitation, this is it.
Consider it right now.
(23:23):
It's your invitation.
Step forward.
Call the church office 310-4997.
310-4997.
Email or text one of thepastors.
We want to talk with you.
We want to equip you and thenrelease you with purpose.
Let's stop treating servantleadership as someone else's
(23:45):
responsibility.
Let's be the kind of churchwhere that kind of leadership is
common, not uncommon.
Let's keep building a ministrythat actually mirrors the heart
of Jesus, not for recognition,but for the people and the
mission.
Again, if you've been around awhile, I know some of you are
fairly new, and some of you arenew here for the first time
(24:06):
today, I believe.
Grateful for you being here.
But if you've been around awhile, I want you to think about
this.
Who in our church, or even justin your life, do you admire for
their quiet, faithful service tothe Lord?
And what is it about theirexample that specifically
(24:29):
challenges you?
And if someone were to come byyour way today and ask you,
where are you serving?
How would you respond?
What next step could you takethis week to start to grow in
this area?
So if we're going to grow God'sway, we must raise up
(24:50):
spirit-filled servants who areled to serve.
And then, verse 7, watch Godmultiply through shared
ministry.
Verse 7, then the word of Godspread.
Isn't that the goal?
And the number of the disciplesmultiplied greatly in Jerusalem.
That's God at work.
And a great many of the priests,even, were obedient to the
(25:12):
faith.
This is the result of spirit-leddelegation.
When the apostles stayed true totheir calling, and the seven
served faithfully in theirroles, the church experienced
renewal and revival.
And I have no doubt they had toscale up.
They had to increase theorganization.
They had to add more and more.
And Luke here, who wrote thebook of Acts, reports that the
(25:34):
word of God spread, meaning thegospel went forth with greater
power and greater reach.
And this wasn't just internalmanagement, it is missional
effects.
And this moment is really filledwith theological significance.
First of all, it reflects to usGod's plan for multiplication
(25:54):
through faithfulness.
Because the gospel spreads whenthe church functions as a
united, spirit-empowered body,each member fulfilling their
role, or a role at least.
Like I preached two weeks ago,this is the result of Ephesians
4.16, where the Apostle Paulwrites, From whom the whole
(26:17):
body, joined and knittedtogether by what every joint
supplies, causes growth of thebody for the edifying of itself
in love.
And secondly, Luke points outthat a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
That would have been men whowere deeply embedded in the
temple system, probably amongthose who once opposed Jesus and
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the apostles.
And so I'd say their salvationand their conversion was
significant, don't you?
I mean, it demonstrates thetransformative power of a gospel
that is lived out both throughthe word of God and indeed
action by the people.
I submit to you, and my thesisis this that when the church
(27:03):
remains healthy, and when thechurch remains holy, and the
church remains humble in itsservice, it becomes a powerful
witness even to the moststubborn hearts.
This is a picture of kingdomexpansion, not driven by
personality, not driven by aprogram, not driven by anything
(27:29):
other than spirit-filledobedience.
This is the people of Godempowered by the Word of God,
led by the Spirit of God, andthey unleash a movement of God
that no one can stop.
Our goal is not just to staybusy, but to be fruitful.
It's not about building anorganizational machine, but
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about making disciples of Jesus.
That will happen if we'resatisfied with only a few doing
the heavy lifting.
It takes all of us in some wayor another.
Over the years, we've seen whathappens when people step up.
Ministries thrive, burdens areeased, lives are changed, and
when we hold back, others end upcarrying more than they should.
(28:11):
We are not here just to consume,we're here to contribute.
God has intentionally placed youhere with gifts that the church
body needs.
SPEAKER_00 (28:21):
You've been listening to Foundations of
Truth, the Bible teachingministry of After Timothy Man.
Providence of Church, FormutBeach Forgot.
Providence at 751 West Form andBeach For.
Pastor Timothy Mann and Providence Church Formate,
Florida.
Providence Church is a localassembly of followers of Jesus
Christ dedicated to helpingpeople become committed and
mature followers of JesusChrist.
Now, here's Pastor Timothy Mannteaching the word.
SPEAKER_01 (00:22):
We are going to be in Acts chapter 6, verses 1
through 7.
I'm reading from the New KingJames Version of the Bible.
The Bible says, Now in thosedays when the number of the
disciples was multiplying, therearose a complaint against the
Hebrews by the Hellenists,because their widows were
(00:42):
neglected in the dailydistribution.
And then the twelve summoned themultitude of the disciples and
said, It is not desirable thatwe should leave the Word of God
and serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, seek outfrom among you seven men of good
reputation, full of the HolySpirit and wisdom, whom we may
appoint over this business.
(01:04):
But we will give ourselvescontinually to prayer and to the
ministry of the Word.
And the same pleased the wholemultitude.
And they chose Stephen, a manfull of faith in the Holy
Spirit, and Philip andProchorus, and Niconor, and
Timon, and Par Parmeneus, andNicholas, a proselyte from
(01:24):
Antioch, whom they set up, whothey set before the apostles.
And when they had prayed, theylaid hands on them.
And then the word of God spread,and the number of the disciples
multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,and a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
We'll stop there.
This is God's word.
Have you ever had a moment, hada point in your life, where
(01:49):
growth expressed your need forhelp?
Ever had a time where growthexpressed your need for help in
your life?
What am I talking about?
Well, maybe it was starting anew job sometime in the past.
Maybe it was when you werewelcoming your first child.
Remember that?
If you had children.
(02:10):
Maybe you were stepping into aleadership role for the first
time, taking responsibility.
Whatever it was, growth in yourlife really expressed and
exposed your need for help.
I mean, things began veryexciting, but soon you felt
stretched thin.
Anybody can testify to that?
(02:31):
Yeah.
That's just life.
Maybe you feel that way rightnow.
Soon you felt stretched thin.
And you realized that ifsomething didn't change, the
burden would overwhelm you.
And that moment right there,that moment where pressure meets
purpose is often where God doeshis deepest work in us.
(02:52):
It's one of the times.
That's exactly what's happeningin Acts 6.
The early church is growingquickly.
Thousands had come to Jesus infaith.
Needs kept increasing, but sodid the tensions.
So did the pressure.
The church was thriving andstruggling at the same time.
And it's in this tension that wesee, really, I think, one of the
(03:15):
most vivid leadership andministry moments in the New
Testament.
Because what happened wasinstead of retreating, the
church pressed forward.
They pressed forward.
Instead of splitting apart, theyrelied on the Spirit's wisdom
and each other's gifts.
And the truth is, at Providence,we're experiencing a similar
(03:38):
season.
God is at work.
Praise God.
People are being baptized.
Didn't we have a wonderful timedown at the beach recently?
God is at work.
People are being baptized.
Families are joining.
Ministries are growing.
But so are the challenges.
We feel the stretch.
Susan, can I get an amen?
We feel the stretch.
(03:59):
And it's a good stretch becauseit gives us a chance
individually and as a church togrow deeper, not just bigger,
stronger, not just wider.
So that brings us back to Acts6.
It's really a guide for how togrow the right way, God's way.
So let's pay attention and learnfrom their example because here
(04:19):
in Providence, in the life ofProvidence Church, we've seen
our children's ministry expand.
We've seen our Bible fellowshipgroups grow.
We've seen our worship servicesbecome fuller.
And I know the way we'vestructured things, this service
doesn't feel it nearly as much,but this service over the last
three years has grown a good bitas well.
Second service, sometimes it's achallenge to find seats.
(04:42):
And that's a wonderful thing.
But again, it's stretching up.
We've experienced Sundays whenvolunteers were doubled or were
missing, when we needed extrahelp with the kids, or, like I
said, more seats in the room,even Second Service.
And these are signs that achurch is alive.
That's a good thing.
But they also highlight the needfor everyone to get involved in
(05:05):
some way.
The story that God started 15years ago in the life of
Providence Church keepsunfolding today.
Anybody?
(05:25):
Raise your hand.
We got a few.
Look around.
That's the remnant among ustoday.
Thank you.
You can put your hands down.
God started that story 15 yearsago and it keeps unfolding
today.
God is moving among us.
And the real question for me asthe senior pastor and also the
other pastors, as we've talkedabout this, the real question
is (05:47):
will we, as a church family, step forward to embrace the
opportunities He's providing?
Will we rise, not just innumbers, but in service and in
unity and in love for oneanother, for disillusioned
believers in our community, andfor unbelievers in our
(06:08):
community.
Every Sunday brings new faces.
There's a few in this service.
There'll be more in the secondservice.
Every Sunday brings new faces,brings new challenges, brings
new opportunities to serve oneanother in love.
And growth doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
I keep having to tell ourministry staff that on a regular
basis.
Growth doesn't have to beoverwhelming.
(06:29):
It can be a gift that refinesand recenters us on what matters
most.
And Acts chapter 6 shows us thatevery growing Christian and
every growing church eventuallyfaces a decision.
And that decision is, will we bestretched thin or will we be
(06:50):
pushed deeper into Christ andinto one another?
The difference really depends onour response.
Whether we lean in with prayerand humility and a spirit-led
willingness to serve.
So let's choose to grow togetherstronger as we move forward.
And in Acts 6, we see a momentjust like this.
(07:11):
The church in Jerusalem wasthriving.
Thousands had come to Christ,but with that growth came
growing pains.
There was a brewing conflict, infact, that was taking place.
Some widows, especially thosefrom the Hellenist, which is
Greek-speaking Jewishbackground, they were being
overlooked in the daily fooddistribution.
(07:34):
And this wasn't just alogistical moment.
It actually threatened to dividethe early church along cultural
and ethnic lines.
But instead of reacting in fear,as churches often do to this
kind of thing, and instead ofprotecting their own comfort, as
churches often do in this kindof a situation, the apostles saw
(07:56):
an opportunity not to shrink themission, but to expand the
ministry.
Again, we understand what it'slike to grow.
We're going through itourselves.
And we've gone through it indifferent seasons in our life as
a church.
Over the past 15 years, we'vewelcomed new families.
We have seen an increase inchildren.
We have expanded our ministries.
And along with that, there ispressure.
(08:18):
There's pressure to our systems.
There's pressure on our leaders,and there's pressure on our
volunteers.
And these are good challenges,but they're still challenges.
And so we need God's wisdom tohandle them with grace and
purpose.
We are blessed by God to be inthat kind of season again.
And again, that's where Acts 6comes in.
Not just as a moment in churchhistory that we can look back on
(08:41):
and say, oh, look at that.
That was really an interestingthing.
No.
But it's also as a moment, it'sa time, it's a guidepost for our
growth journey as well.
Acts chapter 6 offers a strongexample of how to grow through
growing pain.
Not to avoid them, not to denythem, but to navigate them
faithfully and wisely.
(09:03):
And the early church didn'tstall, they didn't splinter,
they didn't panic, they didn'tminimize the issue.
What they did was they leaned onthe Spirit's wisdom, they relied
on each other, and they movedforward with the mission.
Why?
Well, because they were led byGod to serve.
Not because they saw this momentas a threat, but as a turning
(09:26):
point.
Because they allow growing painsto become growth points.
So often we don't even do thatin our own lives.
When we begin to experiencegrowing pains in some area of
life, we don't like it.
It's uncomfortable.
And so we shrink back from itinstead of allowing it to be a
growing point in our life.
Same in church.
So just for the next fewminutes, let's explore three
(09:48):
ways the early church respondedto growing pains as they were
led to serve, so that weindividually can follow their
example and as a church andcontinue growing God's way.
Three ways that we see this asthey're led to serve.
First of all, we have torecognize the need without
losing the mission.
We have to recognize the needwithout losing the mission.
(10:10):
The Bible again says, in thosedays when the number of the
disciples was multiplying,that's a great thing, isn't it?
When the numbers of disciplesare multiplying is a wonderful
reality.
But then what happened?
A complaint rose.
They must have been a Baptistchurch for sure, I guess.
I don't know.
A complaint rose against Hebrewsby the Hellenists, those Greek
(10:34):
speaking, because their widowswere neglected in the daily
distribution.
Then the twelve summoned themultitude of the disciples and
said, It is not desirable thatwe should leave the Word of God
and serve tables.
So the church is growing, but soare the needs.
And that struggle is common ingrowing churches.
In the ancient world, widowslacked any kind of social safety
nets, no social security,something like that.
(10:57):
And so caring for them wasn'toptional.
It was essential if they didn'thave family, especially.
And the fact that HellenisticJews, these Greek-speaking
widows, were overlooked reallyreveals cultural complexity
within the early church.
Hebrew-speaking Jews had moresocial influence in Jerusalem.
(11:19):
While Greek-speaking Jews oftenfelt sidelined, and in fact
were.
This could have easily, in thislocal body of believers now,
this early church, it could haveeasily created a cultural
divide.
But instead, the apostlesaddressed the issue directly.
That's good leadership.
That's what needs to happen, iswhen something like this comes
(11:41):
along.
Is you address the issuedirectly.
You don't hide from it, youdon't keep it in the closet, you
don't keep it hush-hush, youaddress the issue directly.
And they gather the believersand say, it's not desirable that
we should leave the Word of Godand serve tables.
Now that's not because servingtables was beneath them, but
(12:01):
because God had given them aspecific calling to fulfill.
No doubt they were servingtables up to this point.
Somebody was doing it becausepeople were falling through the
cracks.
God had given them a specificcalling to fulfill.
Their role was to lead andnurture the church spiritually.
(12:21):
And if they abandoned that, thechurch might still be well fed
physically, but spirituallystarving and not on mission.
This reality emphasizes thetheological significance of
prioritizing the ministry of theword and prayer.
From the Old Testament all theway through the prophets to
(12:43):
Jesus Himself, the Word of Godhas always been the life source
for God's people.
Romans chapter 10, verse 17reminds us that faith comes by
hearing and hearing by the Wordof God.
And so any church that straysfrom this core calling,
preaching and teaching scriptureto believers and unbelievers,
(13:04):
loses its foundation.
And it is preaching and teachingscripture.
Preaching and teachingscripture, not taking away from
it and not adding to it.
Not appeasing worldly culture,but also not creating
self-righteous legalism or extrabiblical laws.
(13:25):
The core calling was and is theministry of word and prayer to
believers and unbelievers.
And so the apostles' choiceshere is not a rejection of
practical service, but astrengthening of spiritual
priorities.
And their response shows whatthe Apostle Paul later explains
(13:46):
in 1 Corinthians 12, and that'sthat the church is one body with
many parts, each with unique butequally important roles.
And so when pastors neglecttheir spiritual oversight and
their responsibilities,including prayer and the word,
and instead have to focus onevery logistical and
(14:06):
programmatic detail, the wholebody suffers.
And this isn't pride, it's apriority.
And honestly, I have to tellyou, after 32 years plus now of
doing this, this is wheregrowing churches often get
stuck.
Right here.
It's where they often get stuck.
Because what happens is weeither ignore the need and hope
(14:27):
it all just goes away.
Have you ever done that in yourown life?
We either ignore the need andjust hope it just goes away, or
we try to fix everythingourselves and end up burning
out.
But in the life of ProvidenceChurch, we don't want to be a
church where only a few doeverything while the rest watch.
(14:50):
We want to be a church whereeveryone plays a part in caring
for the body and advancing themission.
And we do that fairly well.
I'm grateful to say.
We can improve.
Because we have leaders tryingto do more than they were meant
to do.
We have volunteers stretchedthin.
(15:11):
We have people serving inmultiple areas because others
haven't stepped up yet.
And so if you if you've been onthe sidelines, it's time to step
in.
Not because you're guilted intoit.
I know that only works briefly.
It might motivate you for alittle bitty period of time.
It won't last long if you'rejust motivated by guilt.
(15:34):
Stepping in, not because you'reguilted into it, but because
you're part of the family.
And families pitch in.
So let's be candid.
Can I be candid?
Some of us need to stop assumingsomeone else will take care of
it.
You might actually be the answerto someone's prayer.
You might actually be the answerto someone's encouragement that
(16:00):
they need.
You might be someone's reminderthat God sees and God provides.
Now I know that everyone has adifferent season in life.
Some are in a physical or healthtrial right now.
Some are coming out of or arecurrently in a relationship
(16:21):
trial.
Some are spiritually strugglingfor various reasons.
And you need to get to a morestable place in life by God's
grace.
God is patient.
And he is your help andstrength.
I want to remind you of that.
He is your help and strength ifyou will rely on him.
(16:42):
And we want to help you as weare able and as you will let us.
But there are some who can andneed to step in, to pitch in,
and to play a part.
Because we have to recognize theneeds of a growing church
without losing the mission.
Without losing the mission.
(17:03):
Let me help you reflect on thisjust for a moment.
Maybe you've been around awhile.
You've been around in the lifeof the church.
What exactly have you observed?
Where exactly have you observeda gap in ministry?
Or where exactly have youobserved people feeling
overwhelmed as they serve?
(17:24):
What can you personally do tostep in?
Is there a part of you that'sbeen hesitant to get involved?
Why?
Why?
Let me push it a little further.
Can I do that?
What fear?
Or what excuse?
(17:44):
What fear or what excuse do youneed to let go of and to respond
in faith?
Because if we want to growaccording to God's way, we need
to recognize the need withoutlosing sight of the mission, and
some individuals need to be ledto serve, and I'm praying for
God to do that in your life.
(18:05):
Secondly, what we see in thispassage that we have to do, that
they did, is raise upspirit-filled servants.
Therefore, brethren, they said,seek out from among you seven
men of good reputation, full ofthe Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom
we may appoint over thisbusiness, but we will give
ourselves continually to prayerand to the ministry of the Word.
(18:26):
Now, what's so great about thisis the apostles didn't just look
for availability, they wereactually after spiritual
maturity.
They asked the congregation toidentify individuals who were
filled with the Holy Spirit andwisdom and have a good
reputation.
I think that really highlightsan important truth.
And it's this the work of thechurch, the work of the gospel
(18:48):
through the life of the churchis sacred.
And those who serve should bespirit-led and gospel-centered.
Should be spirit-led, full ofwisdom, and have a good
reputation.
This reminds us that serving andleadership, both serving and
leadership in the church, isn'tabout status.
It isn't about personality.
(19:09):
It isn't about convenience.
It's about character and callingand becoming like Christ.
The spirit-filled life, the needto be filled with the Holy
Spirit, the need to have wisdom,the need to have good
reputation, isn't just forpastors and apostles.
It's actually for every believerwho is surrendered to Jesus and
willing to serve.
(19:30):
And wisdom here doesn't justmean intelligence or skill.
I believe biblical wisdominvolves applying God's truth to
real life situations.
That meant that these men neededto be compassionate to people.
They needed to stay steady underpressure.
(19:52):
And they needed to be immersedin Scripture.
They weren't just serving bread,they were living out the gospel.
Their ministry wasn't just abouthandling tasks, it was about
maintaining unity andsafeguarding the witness and
building up the church.
That's why we see the apostleslay hands on these men.
(20:13):
And that's more than just aleadership formality because
throughout Scripture, laying onhands symbolized both divine
appointment and church support.
These men were set apart tocarry sacred responsibilities
with spiritual integrity.
And in doing so, the churchactually experienced more than
(20:34):
just efficiency, it actuallyexperienced empowerment as a
church.
This actually marks, right herein Acts 6, this actually marks
the beginning of what laterbecame known as deacon ministry.
Servants of the church whosupport the ministry of the word
and prayer by meeting tangibleand practical needs.
(20:55):
I'm blessed to now these years,in all these years, I almost
said it's generally and as awhole, it excludes individuals
in the past in a positive way,but I am blessed to be able to
work alongside and serve withthe best group of deacons I've
ever known in my life.
And I'm so grateful for thosemen who serve and their wives,
(21:17):
who serve and help and supportin so many ways.
They're not perfect.
Trust me, they're not.
Their wives will tell you that.
They're not perfect.
Neither are you pastors.
But neither are you.
(21:39):
And we work together by God'sgrace.
But these men are servants ofthe church who serve.
And when deacons fulfill theircalling, man, the church thrives
in its mission.
And isn't that what Jesus taughtus?
In principle, for all of us.
Mark 10, 43, he said, Whoeverwants to be great among you must
be your servant.
(22:00):
Authentic leadership in thekingdom of God involves meeting
needs, especially those withouthelp, and serving humbly.
An application for us as achurch is that we need this kind
of leadership now.
People who don't just attend buttake responsibility for the
mission.
(22:20):
People who say, This is mychurch.
These are my people.
And I'm here to serve.
Yeah.
Maybe that's you.
Maybe God is prompting you todaynot to wait until you feel
prepared or things get moreconvenient in your life.
That'll never happen.
(22:41):
Everybody's busy.
Maybe He's prompting you to befaithful with what you already
have.
I'm praying for a new wave ofservant leaders to help the ones
we already have.
Not only deacons, and we do needmore deacons.
I'm praying for a new wave ofservant leaders, but others to
help those who are alreadyserving in so many ways.
(23:02):
Not perfect people.
Nobody would qualify.
But those filled with the Spiritand wisdom and have a good
reputation.
I'm talking about people wholove Jesus, who love his church
enough to put their hands andtheir hearts into the work.
Yeah.
And if you've been waiting foran invitation, this is it.
Consider it right now.
(23:23):
It's your invitation.
Step forward.
Call the church office 310-4997.
310-4997.
Email or text one of thepastors.
We want to talk with you.
We want to equip you and thenrelease you with purpose.
Let's stop treating servantleadership as someone else's
(23:45):
responsibility.
Let's be the kind of churchwhere that kind of leadership is
common, not uncommon.
Let's keep building a ministrythat actually mirrors the heart
of Jesus, not for recognition,but for the people and the
mission.
Again, if you've been around awhile, I know some of you are
fairly new, and some of you arenew here for the first time
(24:06):
today, I believe.
Grateful for you being here.
But if you've been around awhile, I want you to think about
this.
Who in our church, or even justin your life, do you admire for
their quiet, faithful service tothe Lord?
And what is it about theirexample that specifically
(24:29):
challenges you?
And if someone were to come byyour way today and ask you,
where are you serving?
How would you respond?
What next step could you takethis week to start to grow in
this area?
So if we're going to grow God'sway, we must raise up
(24:50):
spirit-filled servants who areled to serve.
And then, verse 7, watch Godmultiply through shared
ministry.
Verse 7, then the word of Godspread.
Isn't that the goal?
And the number of the disciplesmultiplied greatly in Jerusalem.
That's God at work.
And a great many of the priests,even, were obedient to the
(25:12):
faith.
This is the result of spirit-leddelegation.
When the apostles stayed true totheir calling, and the seven
served faithfully in theirroles, the church experienced
renewal and revival.
And I have no doubt they had toscale up.
They had to increase theorganization.
They had to add more and more.
And Luke here, who wrote thebook of Acts, reports that the
(25:34):
word of God spread, meaning thegospel went forth with greater
power and greater reach.
And this wasn't just internalmanagement, it is missional
effects.
And this moment is really filledwith theological significance.
First of all, it reflects to usGod's plan for multiplication
(25:54):
through faithfulness.
Because the gospel spreads whenthe church functions as a
united, spirit-empowered body,each member fulfilling their
role, or a role at least.
Like I preached two weeks ago,this is the result of Ephesians
4.16, where the Apostle Paulwrites, From whom the whole
(26:17):
body, joined and knittedtogether by what every joint
supplies, causes growth of thebody for the edifying of itself
in love.
And secondly, Luke points outthat a great many of the priests
were obedient to the faith.
That would have been men whowere deeply embedded in the
temple system, probably amongthose who once opposed Jesus and
(26:40):
the apostles.
And so I'd say their salvationand their conversion was
significant, don't you?
I mean, it demonstrates thetransformative power of a gospel
that is lived out both throughthe word of God and indeed
action by the people.
I submit to you, and my thesisis this that when the church
(27:03):
remains healthy, and when thechurch remains holy, and the
church remains humble in itsservice, it becomes a powerful
witness even to the moststubborn hearts.
This is a picture of kingdomexpansion, not driven by
personality, not driven by aprogram, not driven by anything
(27:29):
other than spirit-filledobedience.
This is the people of Godempowered by the Word of God,
led by the Spirit of God, andthey unleash a movement of God
that no one can stop.
Our goal is not just to staybusy, but to be fruitful.
It's not about building anorganizational machine, but
(27:49):
about making disciples of Jesus.
That will happen if we'resatisfied with only a few doing
the heavy lifting.
It takes all of us in some wayor another.
Over the years, we've seen whathappens when people step up.
Ministries thrive, burdens areeased, lives are changed, and
when we hold back, others end upcarrying more than they should.
(28:11):
We are not here just to consume,we're here to contribute.
God has intentionally placed youhere with gifts that the church
body needs.
SPEAKER_00 (28:21):
You've been listening to Foundations of
Truth, the Bible teachingministry of After Timothy Man.
Providence of Church, FormutBeach Forgot.
Providence at 751 West Form andBeach For.
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