Victorious over failure

1. Victorious over failure #12 Acts (6:1-7)

2. Declaration I have come to receive the Word of God. I accept its authority over my life—to transform my thoughts and actions, and so receive all the blessings God has in store for me.

3. Introduction • The Church loves by sharing • The early church was moving into unknown territory

4. The narrative 1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

5. 2So 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.

6. 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.”

7. 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.

8. 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.

9. The core issue is love • The core problem is the lack of equal love for the Hellenistic widows • The lesser problem may be one of communication • Another problem may be the natural neglect due to limited energy

10. The core solution is good management • What not to do & what to do

11. The core solution is good management Acts 6 9Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.

12. The core solution is good management • It requires calling out those who failed – and that failure may be inadvertent • It is ineffective (even wrong) to ask the victims of injustice to love; such exhortations should be directed to the perpetrators of evil

13. The core solution is good management • Loves thrives better in some situations than in others

14. The core solution is good management • When we are in the position to produce an environment for spiritual goodness to thrive, we ought to do it

15. The core solution is good management • We need capable people in management (wisdom); but they must first be spiritually committed to the Lord (full of the Spirit | full of faith and of the Holy Spirit)

16. The core solution is good management • The examples of John Wycliffe and Martin Luther

17. The core solution is good management • Instructed by Scripture and by Reason

18. The management principle is obedience in love • Obedience to Jesus Christ our Lord • Beware the converse danger!

19. The management principle is obedience in love • Love. The unsung heroes – the Hebraic widows

20. The management principle is obedience in love • We trust people we love (with appropriate safeguards)

21. Conclusion 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly

22. Conclusion • Improving love within the local church and the making disciples are mutually reinforcing • There are times when a spiritual problem calls for a management solution, but that management is instructed by spiritual principles