Session 5: Ready for New Ministry (6:1-7)
Two factors came into to play which created the need to do ministry in a new way for the early church. One was the tremendous response and growth to the message of the Gospel of Jesus. Secondly, there was the continued commitment of the fellowship to care for those in need. Because of these two realities the way of doing church needed to be changed. The early success of the church brought different responses. On the one hand, more people were hearing the message and responding to the growing fellowship. One the other hand, resistance by Jewish religious leaders increased to try to silence the apostles and end, what the leaders thought, was just a popular, and passing, fad.
The Jewish religious leaders had a dual dilemma: religion and politics. In the case of religion, the ruling religious party, the Sadducees, did not believe in after-life, so the resurrection of Jesus could never be accepted by them. Consequently, there was not possibility of them accepting anything the apostles knew as truth about Jesus. As for politics, the Sadducees, although small in number, were very powerful and had the favor of the occupying Roman authorities. Any unrest in the Jewish people would be held against the Sadducees by the Roman occupying powers, hence anything that upset the status quo was a danger to them.
It was within this environment that the church in Jerusalem grew rapidly. Because the church cared for any member in need, the demands for resources to meet the needs grew. Members sold property and brought the money to the apostles to provide for them. Thus, the apostles spend a lot of their time accepting and distributing funds for the needy.
Read 6:1-2
1. Who were the “Grecian Jews” and the” Hebraic Jews”? ______________________
2. Who were the “widows” and why was their needs significant? _________________
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3. Why would be Grecian Jews feel their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food? _____________________________________________________
4. Who were ”The Twelve” identified in 6:2? ________________________________
5. What was significant in their involvement in helping the needy? _______________
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6. What do you feel about their attitude that it was not right for them neglect the “ministry of the word of God” to participate in the benevolence needs of the people?
7. Some church members believe that the pastor must do it all. What do you think about this attitude?
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8. What process did the apostles follow to reach a decision? _____________________
9. What qualifications were stated for the seven? ______________________________
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10. Is each church required to have seven deacons? ____________________________
What factors are used to determine the number of deacons in a church body?
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Read 6:5-6
11. How did the selection process reflect the unity of the church?
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12. How did the ministries of Stephen and Phillip show that the work of deacons goes beyond “waiting tables?”
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13. Why were the seven presented to the apostles after their selection?
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Read 6:7
14. What was the result of the change in ministry in the church at Jerusalem?
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15. In a church of today, what two functions stand out as necessities for reaching out to the world around us?
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Changes in the way we minister are frequently needed but seldom easy. May people resist change even to the point of obstinacy. A saying that sometimes reflects our attitudes is, “The seven last words of the church are: We have never done it that way.
The example of the early church is a good one for us to follow. When circumstances call for a change, leaders are to consider the options and bring a proposal to the congregation along with the rationale for the action. When the entire congregation is involved in the decision, the change is more likely to be accepted. The bottom line is that change is inevitable and we should recognize that fact and be able to see the long-term results. If we oppose change to the point of division we fall into the hands of Satan who likes nothing better than to see discord within the church and then bitterness replaces the spirit of love and concern that was the foundation of the first church at Jerusalem.