The Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, “It would not be right for us to give up preaching the word of God to wait on tables. “Brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.” (Acts 6:2-3, CSB)
So many restaurants I go into these days have a “Help Wanted” sign in the window. It seems there is a shortage of servers in most places. These signs remind me of the events described in Acts 6. There may not have been a sign on the door, but the church was in need of servers.
The early church was experiencing growing pains. Many souls were being saved, and great things were happening. But . . . there were issues as well. Considering the rapid growth of the church after the Day of Pentecost, it’s not unusual that problems might arise. Sometimes things happen that are more an oversight than intentional. It’s a “housekeeping” type thing that a little reorganization might help.
A situation arose in the church concerned its widows. Some of the Greek-speaking widows felt they were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The Twelve realized that they would not have time to pray and minister the Word if they also waited on tables. They also knew that if the situation wasn’t resolved, it could hinder the work of God.
The solution was simple and quickly implemented. No one criticized the complainers or suggested they just leave. There was no division in the church or arguing over ways to handle the situation. No committee was formed to discuss it endlessly. Instead, they found seven good men to take on the responsibility of caring for the widows. This allowed the apostles time to care for the spiritual needs of the church while practical matters were also being handled.
Before selecting the men to fulfill this role, the leaders looked for three qualities. They were to have a good reputation, be full of the Spirit, and possess wisdom. All of this just to feed widows, you might ask. Why did they set such specific requirements for what was essentially waiting on tables?
They needed men of integrity who were spiritual as well as practical. These men would need wisdom to deal with different personalities and different cultures and to give the same care and curtesy to everyone. They needed to be faithful, responsible, kind, and compassionate. They needed men who would treat this as ministry rather than a burden or a chore to be done hastily and half-heartedly. The ones they served deserved respect and kindness.
The seven chosen to wait tables were Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. You will recognize at least two of those names. Stephen was later martyred for his faith, and Philip became an evangelist and was the one who explained the gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch.
Not all ministry is done from the pulpit. It’s ministry when we greet visitors with a smile and welcoming words. It’s ministry when we sweep up bits of paper and glitter from a Sunday school classroom floor. It’s ministry when we check on our elders or show kindness to a struggling single mom. It’s ministry when we drive the church van for outreach. It’s ministry to clean toilets, cut grass, shovel snow, sanitize nursery toys, and give gas money to a struggling family.
Ministry is often disguised as work, and it takes time.
In the body of Christ there will always be a “Help Wanted” sign hanging on the door. The job requirements today are the same as in Acts 6: a good reputation, being full of the Spirit, and wisdom. We are the face others will see when they decide if Christianity is real. Hopefully they will see God’s compassion and love shining through our actions. Serving others might look like some mundane task, but it is really ministry.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:12-14, ESV)
“The greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11, ESV)
Lord, open my eyes to opportunities around me where I can serve others and show them Your love. Let everything be done for Your glory.
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