Orders up at Table Nine

"Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are know to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." Acts 6: 3-4

To put these verses in context, this command comes during a crisis in the early church. The Grecian Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily distributions of food. So essentially you have a clash over inequality, racial distinction, and injustice. This is a critical moment for the church. As Keith pointed out on Sunday this is a very tense situation, and there is good reason that you need men that are "full of the Spirit and wisdom."

However, the apostles also avoid another critical error...they don't try and do everything themselves! In the previous verse they state, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables." This is not a derogatory statement against the ministry of providing food. It is simply an acknowledgment that they have other things God has called them to that need to be prioritized.

The lesson here is pretty simple: do what God has called you to do! God has given each of us gifts, opportunities, passions, and a calling. We should try to find that calling and then do the work God has given us with all our might to His glory. However, this means that to function we have to all be working together. This requires trust. I know I sometimes work under the attitude that if you want something done right you do it yourself. However, this is not how God intended the church to look. The lesson is pretty simple and straightforward...and the application rarely seen.