4th, 1972, in Richland, VA, ministry is being
given through Brother Stephen Kahn.
Our Father, we do thank Thee, that we
belong to the family of God.
Not because we are worthy, but because Thou
hast called us by Thy grace.
Our Father, we do desire that as Thy
children in Thy family, we may know how
to behave, that Thou mayest get all the
glory and the honor.
O Lord, our one desire is to glorify
Thee.
So we just commit ourselves to Thee for
tonight, trusting Thy Holy Spirit to breathe upon
Thy Word and make it living and operative
in each of our lives.
We want Thee to do the work.
We want Thee to bring us to a
place that will please Thee, that will glorify
Thee.
We ask in the name of our Lord
Jesus.
Amen.
Will you please turn to the Bible.
But in those days, the disciples multiplying in
number, there arose a murmuring of the Hellenists
against the Hebrews, because their widows were overlooked
in the daily ministration.
And the twelve, having called a multitude of
the disciples to them, said, It is not
right that we, leaving the Word of God,
should serve tables.
Look out, therefore, brethren, from among yourselves seven
men, well reported of, full of the Holy
Spirit and wisdom, whom we will establish over
this business.
But we will give ourselves up to prayer
and the ministry of the Word.
And the saying pleased the whole multitude.
And they chose Stephen, a man full of
faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and
Nicholas, apostolate of Antioch, whom they set before
the apostles.
And having prayed, they lay their hands on
them.
And the Word of God increased.
And the number of the disciples in Jerusalem
was very greatly multiplied.
And a great crowd of the priests obeyed
the faith.
This morning we mentioned how in the early
church they met a problem.
It was the problem of a man and
his wife trying to lie to the Holy
Spirit.
But the Holy Spirit was so real in
the church that immediately the discipline of the
Lord came upon them.
Now this incident was like a fly in
an ointment.
But before it can spoil the ointment, it
was taken away.
So it wasn't very serious.
It was a personal problem.
It didn't affect the whole church.
And it was solved right away because the
Holy Spirit was there in the church.
But tonight you'll find in chapter 6, the
church, the early church, had a real problem.
This was the first real problem of the
church.
In chapter 5 it was a problem of
a couple.
More personal in nature.
But here you'll find it was a real
problem.
The first problem the church ever faced corporately.
I wonder if you can find on earth
a church that does not have any problems.
On the one hand we should never be
satisfied with what we see.
We should always strive for that which will
answer to God's heart.
I do not believe that God wants us
to just sit back and say, well, are
we human?
There will be problems.
So what?
We close our eyes, we sit back and
try to be contented and satisfied.
God wants us to strive for that which
will satisfy his heart.
If his heart is not satisfied, let us
not be satisfied.
That's very true.
But on the other hand there will always
be problems.
If you want to look for a perfect
church on earth, you can visit the whole
world and you will not find it.
You know, I know some people who are
perfectionists and they are trying to look for
a perfect church.
They go to one place for a little
while and then discover some spots and they
move to the next place.
And at first they think that, well, the
next place is better, but within a few
months they discover something more and they have
to move on.
In other words, there is no perfect church
on earth.
There will be problems.
But in the early church, the early church
flies on problems.
Whenever you find they have a problem, the
church seems to grow because of the problem.
Instead of being defeated, instead of going under,
you find problems serve as opportunities for the
Lord to bring them to a higher level.
Brothers and sisters, this happened to the early
church.
And today, do not think that you can
find a perfect church.
No problem whatsoever.
If the Lord has really brought you together,
the closer you are, the more you are
living as members of one body, the more
problems you will find.
If you just visit once a week for
an hour or two, just listening to a
sermon, shake some hands and go home, no
problem, no problem.
But you don't call that church life.
If the Lord really put you together as
members of one body, you see one another
often, you try to worship God together, you
try to serve God together, you try to
minister one to another, you'll find plenty of
problems.
But the thing is, the church, according to
God, thrives on problems.
If there is no problem, there will be
no growth.
If there is no problem, there will be
no opportunity for the Lord to bring His
people to a higher realm, to bring in
His forethought.
So dear brothers and sisters, do not look
for a perfect church without problems.
But thank God, when there are problems, there
are opportunities for God.
And you'll find with the early church, this
was the case.
The first real problem that came to the
church was a problem created by the
Hellenists and the Hebrews.
In other words, in the early church in
Jerusalem, it was composed mainly of Jews.
There was no Gentile.
All Jews.
Some proselytes, yes.
But we may say the church in Jerusalem
was composed of people whose background were all
Jewish.
So they had no racial problem, but they
had cultural problems.
Why?
Because these Jews were of two kinds.
Some Jews were born and reared in the
land of Judea.
They were Hebrew Jews.
They were exposed to the strict teaching and
practice of Judaism.
But there were other Jews who were born
and reared in Gentile cities, dispersed throughout the
world at that time.
So they were exposed to Greek culture.
They were Jews, but they received Greek culture.
Their outlook, their views, somehow were affected by
Greek civilization.
They were not so strict in keeping the
law as the Hebrew Jews.
They were more liberal because they had more
contact with the world.
More intellectual, probably.
So these were Hellenist Jews or Greek Jews.
In the early church in Jerusalem, they were
all Jews, but some were Greek Jews, some
were Hebrew Jews.
And God put them together, formed one body.
Naturally, the twelve apostles being Hebrew Jews.
Naturally, they knew more of the conditions among
the believers with Hebrew-Jewish backgrounds.
So in the matter of the taking care
of the widows among them, it seemed as
if the widows of the Hebrew Jews, the
Christians, with Hebrew-Jewish backgrounds, they were well
taken care of.
But the widows that belonged to those believers
with Hellenistic backgrounds, they were overlooked.
Not intentionally.
Certainly the apostles were not intentionally, you know,
overlooked the willingness and took care of the
Hebrews.
Certainly they wouldn't do that.
It wasn't a matter of intention.
It was just a matter of circumstance.
It's a circumstantial thing.
I do not know why there were so
many widows in the early days.
It seemed as if in the church in
Jerusalem there were lots of widows.
Probably life was very hard in those days.
The church took care of the widows.
Not only in the Old Testament.
God commanded his people not to neglect the
widows.
You know, even when a man was reaping,
harvesting, and if anything was left behind, he
shouldn't go back and try to pick up
these seeds.
He should just leave them behind for widows,
for orphans, for strangers.
God took care of these widows.
He was the father of the fatherless and
the judge of the widows.
So you'll find in the early church they
always took care of the widows.
And even in 1 Timothy you'll find a
widow that was over 70 years old was
in the list of the church.
That is, the church took care of these
widows.
Thank God for that.
They are really one big family.
But somehow, due to human limitations, not intentional,
but circumstantial, the widows of the Greek Jews
were neglected.
And because of that there was brothers and
sisters, it was the first real problem to
the church.
It was a problem of cultural difference.
You know, there are many natural distinctions in
our lives, such as racial distinction, Greek and
Jews.
Such as cultural differences.
Those who receive Greek culture and those who
receive Hebrew culture.
Such as social differences.
Some are masters, freemen.
Some are government servants.
Educational differences.
Some were barbarians.
Some were Scythians.
Naturally speaking, you'll find on this earth there
are many, many distinctions.
These are natural lines of demarcation.
It is natural for the world to be
divided through these lines because these are natural
lines.
It's very easy to be divided.
Very easy.
But in the redemption of Christ, in the
work of God, He does something tremendous.
He brings in some from the Jews, some
from the Gentiles, and makes them one.
He brings in some freemen and some government
and makes them one.
He brings in the Scythians and the barbarians
and makes them one.
In Christ, all these natural distinctions are eliminated.
All gone.
Therefore the Bible says, there is neither Jews
nor Gentiles.
Before you come into the church, you are
a Jew.
But something happens when you come into the
church.
You are no longer a Jew.
There is no Jew in the church.
Before you come to the church, you are
a Gentile.
But when you enter into the church, something
happens.
Your Gentile is left outside.
You become something else.
There is no Gentile in the church.
Before you come to the church, you may
be a freeman.
You may have a high social position.
But when you come into the church, you
are no longer a freeman.
There is no freeman.
We are slaves to Christ.
Or you may be a slave.
Very low social status.
But when you come into the church, you
are no longer a slave.
You are free in Christ.
Brothers and sisters, when we come into Christ,
when we come into the church, God has
done something in us.
All these natural distinctions are eliminated.
The old creation is finished.
It's left out.
We are now a new man.
A new creation.
The body of Christ.
It is Christ.
I always remember that incident.
Our dear brother, Watchman Lee, you know, he
has a servant.
I know that servant.
A dear brother in the Lord.
Oh, he just loved Brother Lee.
And he cooked for Brother Lee, you know.
And he loved Brother Lee to such an
extent, he used his own salary to buy
food for Brother Lee.
And Brother Lee could not at any time
say, well, I like this dish.
If he say that, he will have that
every day.
That brother just loved Brother Lee, you know,
and served him so faithfully.
But, when they came to the church, that
is, when they come together, because they are
both brothers, they came to the Lord to
remember the Lord and his people.
This brother always looked where Brother Lee sat.
He dare not sit near him.
He always tried to sit somewhere else behind.
So one day, Brother Lee just got hold
of him and get him to sit by
him.
Why?
In the church, there is no freeman nor
barman.
We are brothers.
And you know, in the early church, this
especially, like in the church in Rome, most
of them were slaves.
But some were freemen.
But when they came together, there wasn't any
sin of freemen.
Brothers and sisters, in Christ, in the church,
all that is natural is left out.
We are now in Christ and Christ is
in us.
That make us one body, one church.
But, how subtle is our flesh.
How subtle is the enemy trying to bring
in the old creation.
And once you allow that which belongs to
the old creation to get into the church,
it will split up the church if it
is not dealt with.
So the first problem to the church here
is if this thing should continue, the whole
church in Jerusalem will be split along the
cultural line.
The Hebrew Jews, they will meet as one
circle.
And the Hellenist Jews will meet as another
circle.
The church will be broken, divided along the
line of culture.
It was a great temptation.
A great temptation.
It's very easy, you know.
It's very easy to find yourself close to
people who have the same background.
The same cultural background.
The same social position.
It's very easy.
One day a brother, he was a high
official in the Chinese government.
I know him very well.
And he talked to brother Nick.
He said, I'm thinking of organizing a church
where all these high officials can come and
worship God.
You know, these high officials, they will not
come to any church.
You have to organize a church for them.
So our brother said, all right, if you
want to organize a church for high officials,
then I think the the rickshaw drivers, you
know, those rickshaw pulleys that pull the rickshaws,
they should have a rickshaw church.
Then they will feel very happy because they
are all rickshaw drivers.
The church is above all these natural distinctions
which belong to the old creation.
We are one.
But how subtle was the enemy?
You find here the enemy used that natural
distinction, cultural differences and tried to put a
wedge into the life of the church.
Again I say, so far as the apostles
were concerned, it was not intentional.
It couldn't be.
It's just circumstantial.
And a murmuring began to rise.
You know, God does not like murmurs.
If you read the Bible from the Old
Testament down to the New Testament, you'll find
God never likes murmuring.
And sometimes when people began to murmur, God
dealt with them very strongly.
Why?
Murmur is the beginning of strife and division.
If a murmur is not stopped, it will
soon develop into something very serious.
Being brothers and sisters, why can they not
just talk openly?
The Bible says, speak the truth in love.
If the widows of the Hellenists were neglected,
why not these Hellenists who knew the situation?
Why did they not come to the apostles
and told the apostles?
I believe the apostles were appreciated very much.
They were human.
They were limited.
They didn't see it.
Even though they were very spiritual, yes, the
apostles were highly spiritual, but they were not
perfect.
But instead of coming to the apostles and
present the problem to them, they murmured behind
their backs.
And the murmurs began to spread.
You know.
And if this did not come to the
ear of the apostles, one day suddenly the
break.
It was dangerous.
But fortunately, the murmurs began to be heard
by the apostles.
And when the apostles heard that, what did
they do?
Brothers and sisters, here you find a problem.
A problem.
A problem is not a problem in itself.
It depends on the way how you handle
it.
If you handle it right, it is not
a problem.
It is an opportunity.
If you handle it wrongly, then it becomes
a real problem.
So when the murmuring came to the ear
of the apostles, look what the apostles did.
Instead of getting hurt, they brought it up
openly to the whole.
It's much better if it is something that
concerns the whole church to be brought to
the whole body for fellowship.
Than trying to hide something and murmur at
the back.
Everything was brought to the open.
Brought to the open.
The apostles were humble enough.
They were not so proud as to think
there was no problem.
They were willing to lay everything before the
brothers and sisters.
And they said, it is not good for
us to serve the table.
You know, actually this problem gave the apostles
opportunity to reconsider their service to the Lord.
Probably they were wondering during those days, why
is it that we were so busy?
We were so busy serving the table we
didn't even have time to pray.
We didn't even have time to minister the
word of God.
Probably the apostles were at were perplexing, you
know.
On the one hand, the table had to
be served.
These things had to be done.
The widows had to be taken care of.
You cannot just say, well, we won't do
anything.
No, you have to do it.
And yet, probably the apostles were wondering, now
why is it that it evilly affected our
ministry of the word, our prayer life?
Probably the apostles were wondering about that, but
they didn't know, you know.
But this problem brought to their attention and
they began to see.
What did they see?
They see one thing.
We cannot monopolize all the service of the
church.
The church being the body of Christ, there
is a place for each member.
There are diversities of ministry.
The apostles are not to monopolize all the
spiritual service of the church.
And that's what they did in the beginning.
You know, they didn't know anything better.
They thought that being called by God to
be apostles, being leaders, certainly they should take
care of everything.
Not because they were ambitious, but because they
all were conscientious.
You know, they were innocent.
So they tried to do everything for the
church.
Oh, they not only prayed and not only
ministered the word, but they also filled the
table.
You see, they tried to do everything.
Very humble.
They were doing their best.
You cannot blame them.
But they found it didn't work.
Even though they did their best, they found
there was that problem there.
They overlooked someone.
It was bad.
It was really bad.
They began to see that there are diverse
services, ministries in the church.
The apostles are not to monopolize all the
spiritual services of the church.
The apostles are not to be responsible for
everything.
Every member of the body has its special
service of ministry.
God calls apostles to pray and to preach
and to minister the word.
God has not called them to serve Satan.
So when they served tables, they didn't serve
very, very well.
We may think that if the apostles are
serving tables, certainly that's the best service.
No.
When they minister the word, yes.
But when they try to serve the table,
they find that it's very, very bad because
they serve one and miss out.
They began to discover their limitations.
They began to discover that it takes other
members of the body to complete.
Brothers and sisters, you know, that problem is
opportunity.
If there was no such problem in the
early church, the apostles would be continuing serving
tables, you know.
And the result was they would be so
involved in social work.
They had no work for preaching and for
praying.
So thank God for their problem.
It awakened them.
It woke them up.
They began to see it is not good.
It is not good.
This is not God's way.
God's way with His church is different members
have different ministries.
Thus coordinating one with another.
So they suggested let several men be chosen.
Men with good reports.
Full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
And let them serve.
And when the church heard about it, they
were pleased with it.
They responded.
You know, that's the way to do things.
Anything that affects the whole body is not
decided by a few.
By a few leaders.
They should try to see the feeling of
the body.
You know.
They should put it to the body and
see how the body responds to it.
Because it affects the whole church.
Brothers and sisters, is serving the table a
lower ministry than serving the Word?
In our human understanding we may think that
certainly giving ourselves to prayer and the ministry
of the Word, that's spiritual service.
Serving the table.
That's manual work.
That's secular work.
It has nothing to do with spiritual work.
But dear brothers and sisters, the Word of
God does not say so.
It is not a matter of whether you
are ministering the Word or whether you are
serving the table.
It is a matter of what are you
called to do.
If you are called to minister the Word,
then as you minister the Word, you serve
the Lord.
It is spiritual.
But if you are called to serve the
table and you serve as you are called,
you are serving God.
It is spiritual.
There is no difference in the eyes of
God.
Not because you are to serve with the
Word of God.
You have to be full of the Holy
Spirit.
But when you are serving the table, well,
you don't need to be full of the
Holy Spirit.
What's the use of being filled with the
Holy Spirit to serve the table?
Anybody can do that.
No.
In a restaurant, yes.
You can serve the table without being filled
with the Holy Spirit.
But in the church, when you are serving
the table, you have to be full of
the Holy Spirit.
Why?
Because in the church serving the table is
a holy work.
Serving God.
Serving.
You need to be full of the Holy
Spirit.
In order to do it spiritually.
In the church, so far as our service
and ministry is concerned, it is not more
than a matter of to have it done.
You know?
Usually we say, well, we can do it.
That's all it matters.
You know?
In the church, it is more than a
matter of having a thing done.
It is a matter of how you do
it.
How you do it.
Do you do it with the Spirit of
Christ in you?
Or do you do it because it is
something to be done?
If you preach because it is something to
be done.
It is worse than serving the table with
the Spirit of Christ.
So here you'll find there is no sense
of inferior or superior services.
No, it is the same.
Serving the Lord.
Some are called to serve in one way.
Some are called to serve in another way.
All are spiritual if they are done with
the right way.
And you know what happens?
After the apostles acknowledge their limitation and were
willing to open up the services of the
church to the other members of the body,
the result was those seven men that were
chosen, full of the Holy Spirit and faith,
they served the table so well there was
no more murmuring.
They did better than the apostles.
And because they did so well, the apostles
were free to preach the gospel so you'll
find the Word of God multiplied.
Through the cooperation and the coordination of the
different members of the body, each fulfilling its
ministry.
The result was the body grows in love.
Brothers and sisters, you know, that problem becomes
a blessing because it is handled in the
right way.
In the right spirit.
What is the church?
What is the body?
You read the New Testament and you'll find
the teaching in the epistles.
Here you'll find a demonstration.
There wasn't any teaching yet.
It was just a demonstration.
And later on in epistles you'll find the
teaching.
And the teaching is in the body there
are many and each member has the
Holy Spirit that will give gifts according to
the purpose that each one is called to
minister.
It is not a few big members monopolize
everything and do everything for the church.
If they do that the church will not
grow.
And they will not be able to do
things well.
They try to do too many things and
nothing is done right.
Whereas according to the word of God you'll
find that God in his wisdom has put
everyone in the body.
We are all priests.
There is a place, a service, a ministry
for each one of us in the body.
And it is God's will that all these
members should learn to function according to the
grace, to the gift that God has given
to each.
Not only to function but to function coordinately.
Not doing the same thing.
Everyone does something and yet together as members
of one body.
And this is Ephesians chapter 4.
You'll find Ephesians chapter 4 practice in Acts
chapter 6 before the teaching comes.
Those who are gifted more have the temptation
of monopolizing everything in the church.
Those who are little gifted, less gifted tend
to bury their talents in the earth.
But according to the wisdom of God, you'll
find that everyone has a place.
And we need to be living, functioning members.
Functioning together, coordinately, directed by the head, the
Holy Spirit.
And the result was the word of God
increased greatly.
Many came to the Lord during the Holy
Day.
Notice.
When the apostles brought this matter to the
whole church and suggested that several men be
chosen in serving the Lord in whatever capacity
it may be.
Even serving the table.
You need to be full of the Holy
Spirit.
Because you are not doing it according to
your thoughts by your own strength.
Depending on your past experience.
If you are a waiter or waitress in
the restaurant then you think you can serve
the table in the church.
Not at all.
If you are an executive in a big
company then you think you can be an
elder in the church.
Not at all.
You have to be full of the Holy
Spirit.
Under the control of the Holy Spirit.
Anything in the church has to be under
the control of the Holy Spirit.
Served by men and women under the control
of the Holy Spirit.
Then you find everything is coordinated.
So this matter was brought to the whole
church at that time.
So they chose seven men.
And do you know these seven men as
you read the names?
All of them were Hellenist Jews.
None of them was the
Hebrew Jews were in majority.
The Hellenist Jews were in minority.
But here you'll find when they chose the
seven men, all of them were Hellenist Jews.
Isn't that something?
If the whole creation was in control, certainly
these Hebrew Jews would say, Oh, I must
choose seven men.
We are the majority.
We will choose Hebrew Jews.
So our widows will still be taken care
of.
But no.
These brothers with Hebrew background, they saw the
problem.
They loved their brethren so much.
In order to conquer them they choose everyone
from the opposite camp if we may use
that word.
They are not the opposite camp.
From the Hellenist Jews.
Their widows were neglected.
So let's choose their men.
They will know their situation better.
So their widows will be taken care of.
They never thought of that.
They were never afraid that now the table
will be turned and their widows will be
neglected.
No.
They were not thinking of that.
Brothers and sisters, you'll find how love overcame
all the natural fear within them.
They choose every one of them.
Hellenist Jews.
And by doing that they keep the unity.
Brothers and sisters, the church at that time
was faced with a real serious problem.
If that problem was handled wrongly, it would
split the church right down the line.
It was serious.
To keep the unity, the oneness of the
body, these brothers, brethren, they have such love.
They forgot themselves.
They thought of what will happen to those
who had already been offended.
They went the second mile.
And because they did that, the unity of
the church was superior.
That's wonderful.
So, brothers and sisters, do not be afraid
of problems.
When problem arises, this is the time that
we shall go to the Lord and speak.
Probably the Lord has something to teach us.
Probably, out of the problem, we may be
raised to a higher level.
Probably, out of the problem, we will be
nearer to the original purpose of God concerning
the church.
Now, if we have that kind of spirit
within us, and if we are really open
to one another, if we really love one
another, if we really strive to keep the
unity of the spirit in the bond of
peace, if we are really willing to forget
ourselves and to think of our brothers and
sisters, you will find, by the
grace of God, the church will be lifted
to a higher level.
And that's what happened in the early church.
So, dear brothers and sisters, tonight, this is
my burden.
As the Lord brings His people together, be
prepared to have problems.
We are still human.
We are limited.
But our limitation is God's opportunity.
That we may learn how we need one
another.
Otherwise, we may think, well, we can do
it.
Then we learn to need one another.
And really learn to work together with humility,
with meekness, with forbearance, with love.
And if you do that, you will find
the body of the church grows, is built
up with love.
Shall we pray?
Our Heavenly Father, how we praise and thank
Thee.
Because Thou art working towards the completion of
Thy body.
We do praise and thank Thee that Thou
dost allow sometimes problems to come among Thy
people.
That we may be given the opportunity to
learn something more of Thee.
O Lord, we do ask Thee that Thou
will lead us on.
Thou will open our eyes that we may
see how we need to keep the unity
of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
How we need to bear and forbear one
another.
How we need our brother and our sister.
We cannot do everything ourselves.
But Lord, teach us how to be functioning
members of the body.
According to that which we each are called,
we may serve Thee with humility, with faithfulness.
O Lord, we do pray that the body
may be built up in love.
We do pray that it may soon be
matured to that fullness of the statue of
Christ.
That He may come back to claim His
body as His bride.
So we pray that these lessons may be
deeply impressed upon us.
And we pray that they will be worked
in and worked out among us.
We do worship Thee together.
In the name of our Lord Jesus.
Amen.