Choosing Men to Serve and Stephen Accused of Blasphemy

INTRO

Let’s talk about the time frame of the church at this point. As we studied the Gospels, we had the ever-present Jesus—the presence of God with us in a visible way. But Jesus told the disciples He wouldn’t be with them forever. He even said, “It is for your benefit that I go away” (John 16:7). The book of Acts shows why Jesus said this. In Acts 1, Jesus commissioned the disciples before His ascension. In Acts 2, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them and three thousand people were added to the church. In Acts 3, Peter and John were arrested for healing a man. In Acts 4, 5000 people believe when they hear bold teaching and see miracles. Our word for the book of Acts is Authority, and Authority brings out boldness and excellent work. As we get into chapter 6, we get into a different scenario.

TEACHING

Acts 6:1: Notice the number of disciples multiplied (not added). They were adding thousands to the church. But the Greek believers complained against the Hebrew Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution. At this time, the believers held things in common and cared for each other (Acts 2:44–46), but the Greeks felt their widows were neglected. The King James Version uses the word “daily ministration” in place of “daily distribution” (HCSB). The word “ministration” is the Greek word “diakonos,” from which we get the word deacon, a servant of the church.¹As they ministered each day, the apostles were unable to meet all the needs, and they needed help.

Acts 6:2–7: The Twelve (the apostles) called “the whole company of the disciples” for help. The apostles had to keep the main thing the main thing—they had to focus on preaching the Word of God. The apostles instructed the believers to choose seven reputable men who were filled with the Holy Spirit and wisdom to take charge of this duty. Then the apostles could devote themselves to prayer and preaching. The church today needs to make this a priority—there must be people who lead the charge, who continually give themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word. This decision pleased the whole multitude, so they chose seven men for this service and laid hands on the seven men. While seven men were listed, Stephen was described as “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (v. 5). These men were the first deacons, a word that will be used over and over in Scripture. In 1 Timothy 3, qualifications for deacons are listed, just as they are in Acts 6. These men served the physical needs of the church, more so than the spiritual. In this way, prayer and preaching are not neglected even as the services provided by the church move forward. Their example shows that when there is a necessity in the church it’s appropriate to set forth a strategy to meet the need. When there’s a necessity in the church, God’s going to give the wisdom, people, and finances to make that happen. In Acts 14:21–23, as the church grew and expanded, there was a natural movement to appoint deacons to help meet the needs and elders to help with the teaching.

Acts 6:8–12: Stephen was a man of great faith and power who did great wonders among the people. He was a man who decided to follow God with everything he had. Our churches need “Stephens” today. Men from Cilicia and Asia disputed with Stephen but were unable to stand against his wisdom and the Spirit who guided his speech. As a result, these men persuaded others to say they heard Stephen speak blasphemy against Moses and God. Then they led the people, scribes, and elders to capture Stephen and dragged him before the Sanhedrin.

As explained in a previous lesson, people were brought before the Sanhedrin in an act of intimidation. The religious among us will want to intimidate those who actually work in the power of the Spirit. Why? Because they know they can’t imitate it, so they must intimidate it. When we can look and see the intimidation, then we become full of faith and power like Stephen.

Acts 6:13–15: They then presented false witnesses who charged that Stephen would not stop speaking blasphemous words against this holy place and the law. Isn’t it interesting that one group of people saw Stephen as a man full of faith, power, and the Holy Spirit, of a good reputation, and doing miracles, while others in the same area saw him as a blasphemer who spoke against God and the old ways of doing things? This was spiritual warfare. We should expect spiritual warfare because we who are born of the Spirit are recognized by the enemy as well as the evil spirit of others who

don’t know how to deal with what’s going on in their own spirit, so they come against us. We see this in our nation and in our churches. There will always be false witnesses and accusations and people who stir up strife. We have to stay on course with the Word, stay in prayer, and give the church the tools to flourish.

They brought forth false witnesses who claimed Stephen said Jesus would destroy the temple and change the customs Moses had given them. But the members of the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and said his face looked like the face of an angel.

Stephen’s confidence and boldness did not come from inside of himself; it came from the power of the Holy Spirit, who had completely taken over him so that Stephen was unafraid. If the most dangerous man, on the face of the earth, is the man who has nothing to lose, then the people who have nothing to lose are supposed to be us—followers of Christ. We have nothing to lose, for as Paul said, “For me, living is Christ, and dying is gain” (Phil 1:21). But many of us love our life here as if this is better than heaven. But there is nothing in Scripture that would say that is the case. There’s everything in Scripture that says that heaven is awesome and better than our life here, it is freedom—freedom from this life in this body of death, this earth that is corrupted, and from oppression in the mind. Stephen, even when these people were saying all these things against him, gave the first indication of that heavenly freedom, as it is stated that his face was like the face of an angel.

CLOSING

May we be the same kind of people. We don’t have to answer every accusation. We have to know in whom we have believed and know that He is able to keep us and that which we have committed unto Him all the way to the end. When we have that, we have nothing to lose. If we can see ourselves in that place, then we become the most dangerous people on the earth.