Acts 6:1-7

Acts 6:1-7

RESTRUCTURING THE CHURCH

V. 1 Numerical Expansion

“plethuro” – to multiply or abound
similar to ‘plethora’ – super abundance

HOW many Christians at this time?

“It has been conservatively estimated that at this time the total number of the disciples was between twenty and twenty-five thousand.” R.C.H. Lenski

In 2006 there are an estimated 2.1 billion Christians

The world population as of 2/21/06 is estimated to be 6,493,444,238 (www.geography.about.com)

The current annual rate of growth is 1.3% – resulting in 12 billion people by 2054

Missiologists estimate that 180,000 become Christians daily – an annual growth rate of 65,700,00 new Christians.

CHRISTIANITY: WANING OR GROWING? by Rick Wood

Have we entered the post-Christian age? Is the Christian church on the decline? Much is said in the news and on TV today about the decline of moral values and the decline of the church's influence in the world. The question then arises: Is it true that Christians are losing the battle to other faiths and other forces in the world?
Instead of declining, the number of evangelical Christians has been growing rapidly. The number of Christians has been growing at more than three times the rate of world population growth. Between 1950 and 1992, Bible believing Christians went from just 3% of the world population to 10% of the population. This is a jump from 80 million to 540 million.
While the West was busy fighting the Cold War, Bible believing Christians were quietly but dramatically winning the battle of ideology all over the world. Today in the Russian Republic, biblical Christianity is being taught openly in every school of the land.
Many other areas of the world have seen spectacular growth of the Christian church. The number of African Christians has grown from just 3% of all Africans in 1900 to 46% today. Asian Christianity has grown from 16 million to 75 million in just the last nine years. The evangelical movement in Latin America is currently growing at three times the general rate of population. When the Communists took over in 1949 there were only around 1 million Christians in the China. While under intense and severe persecution, the number of Christians in China has grown to over 60 million believers today.
This growth trend, while accelerating dramatically in recent years, has been continuing relentlessly for almost 2,000 years. In 100 AD there were an estimated 360 non-Christians for every Christian. Today there are only 6.8 non-Christians (Those who do not claim to be Christian) for every evangelical Christian.
God's initiative since AD 100 displays determined and increasing activity to build His Church. Note: It took 18 centuries for evangelicals to go from 0% of the world population to 2.5% in 1900, only 70 years to go from 2.5% to 5% in 1970, and just the last 22 years to go from 5% to 10% of the world population. What this means is that now, for the first time in history, there is one evangelical for every 9 non-evangelicals world-wide.
According to Dr. Ralph Winter of the US Center for World Mission, "Despite the rapid increase in world population, the number of faithful Bible-believing Christians is increasing faster than any other large movement or religion. It is doubling every ten and a half years."
Source: http://www.missionfrontiers.org

V. 1b A bi-cultural church

The apostles were all Hebrews and didn’t yet know how to bridge the cultural gap that was beginning to exist in the church.

There were two distinct groups in the Jerusalem church:

ARAMAIC SPEAKING JEWS GREEK SPEAKING JEWS
Hebrew Jews Hellenistic Jews
Had been with Jesus Had not been with Jesus
Considered themselves ‘pure Jews’ Mixed well into the culture at large
Lower and middle classes or ‘working’ tradesmen, fishermen, etc. Affluent, older retired business people who had come to Jerusalem to live out their ‘golden years’
Spoke the language of the ‘Bible’ Spoke the language of Business


V. 1c The Widow problem (the conflict is brewing)

• The majority of widow’s that we in need of aid were the Greek speaking Hellenists.
• They were separated by great distance from their adult children and families.
• At the same time, a great deal of the churches money came from the wealthy Hellenists.
• Yet, the leadership of the church was entirely Hebrew.

V. 2 & 4 Conflict Resolution

• Call a meeting of the people
• State the problem:
Perceived problem: Inequity of food distribution
Real problem: For the apostles to focus on this is misplaced energies.



V. 3 Solution: Select additional leaders

‘seek out’ – a process of intentional efforts to find new leadership

Not an election!
But a recognition of the emerging leadership within the church family.

‘from among you’ – the best leadership comes from within.

‘full of the Holy Spirit’
Fruit: Galatians 5:22-23
Power: Acts 6:8, 8:6-7

‘full of wisdom’ – practical people who make good decisions

V. 5a Acceptance of idea

When leadership is anointed, godly people receive decisions with joy.

V. 5b-6 The New Leaders

Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas


ALL GREEK NAMES!
These men were Hellenists!

V. 7 Positive Outcome of Shared Leadership

“The Hellenist believers immediately became more content and they stopped their murmuring. They were no longer under the leadership of Aramiac-speaking Hebrews who had hillbilly roots in Galilee. Their new leaders were, from their perspective, cosmopolitan, well-educated, affluent and spiritual Christians who could easily understand their problem not only with widows but also anything else that would arrive. They now felt liberated and, therefore, they could be more enthusiastic about serving God and extending His kingdom. Things always go better when people are happy.” C. Peter Wagner


Priests came to Christ!