Performing great wonders and signs among the people.

Acts 6 from the daily reading in the One Year Bible

Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. ² So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. ³ Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” ⁵ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. ⁶ And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

⁷ The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

⁸ And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. ⁹ But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. ¹¹ Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” ¹² And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council. ¹³ They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law; ¹⁴ for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.” ¹⁵ And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.

Colossians 3:17 says:  Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. 1 Peter 4:11 says:  If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever.    Perhaps Peter had Stephen’s example in mind when he wrote those words. In today’s text it says:  Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.   Stephen and the other six were called to “serve tables.” Look though at what the qualifications were for these men, they were to be, of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.

The text continues:  And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.    Stephen was not concerned that his assignment, his position was too lowly or insignificant. He did his work for the glory of God. He served with the strength God supplied, not in his own strength, but in the power of the Holy Spirit. As he served tables, he performed great wonders and signs. Stephen should be a role model for every believer. Regardless of our position within the body of Christ, we should serve with gladness and wholeheartedly. That same attitude should also be ours wherever we work and serve, in our homes, in our workplaces and in our communities. If we would truly set our minds to: do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, to:   speak as one conveying the words of God, to  serve with the strength God supplies, perhaps we too would see great wonders and signs, in our homes, our workplaces and our communities:   so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever.   In Mark 16:15-18, when Jesus commissioned the disciples, He said:  “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned. These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”    Signs and wonders, miracles were not for the 12 Apostles alone. Today, they are not only for the traveling minister. They are not only for those who are leaders, teachers and pastors. Jesus says the signs will accompany those who have believed.

If we are to see the signs and wonders, miracles accompany us, where we are, in all that we do, then we must believe. First and foremost we must believe, have faith in Jesus Christ, the cross and the resurrection. We must believe we are redeemed, reconciled to God and restored to all that He intended for us. Then we must believe, have faith in what we ask for. In Mark 11:22-24 Jesus says: “Have faith in God. Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.”   We were created by God, in His image and likeness, to rule and have dominion over creation. We need to believe that. We must though also believe and remember that all that we do, we do for His glory, not our own. So if we are commanding a mountain to move it better be a move that glorifies God. It is after all His strength, His power, through the Holy Spirit in us that enables and empowers those who believe.

The Holy Spirit working in and through us will not work contrary to the will of God. The Holy Spirit will, teach us, guide us, remind us of all that Jesus said. The Holy Spirit will enable us, like Jesus to see and hear the things God is saying and doing, so that we can, as Jesus says in John 14:12-14:   ^“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also; and greater works than these he will do; because I go to the Father. Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it.”    Believing in Christ, serving, doing all that we do for the glory of God, signs and wonders, miracles will accompany us, where ever we are and whatever we do.

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit thank You for the written word, which teaches, encourages and guides us. Thank You for the example of Stephen, an ordinary man who did extraordinary things, because he believed and did all that he did for your glory. May I too, like Stephen, be full of grace and power, Your grace and Your power, to do Your will.  Amen.