Full of grace and power

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.

Today’s text should be a source of great encouragement and a great exhortation to every believer. The text begins saying:  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.   First we should understand that it was not that the apostles thought they were too important to serve. After all Jesus says:  “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:25-28)  It was really a matter of logistics. The apostles simply could not do all the work and still have time for teaching, prayer and ministry.

Stephen was among those chosen to serve. Here’s what the text says about Stephen:    Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.    One of the greatest tragedies in the church today is the number of people who either do nothing to serve or who only do the work of service. How often do we hear someone say, I just help in the kitchen, or I just do this or that, I don’t or can’t really make a difference?  Stephen didn’t just serve by waiting on tables. He was performing great wonders and signs among the people. The position of service is one of the greatest opportunities for ministry in the church. Who better to see and recognize the needs of others than the ones who are serving them? When we see a need, our first reaction should be to meet the need. What was Stephen’s qualification for ministry and miracles? The text says:   select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.   That was the extent of Stephen’s qualification for ministry and miracles. He wasn’t ordained. He didn’t attend any classes. He was full of the Spirit. As for wisdom, the most important wisdom any of us can have is to yield t the Holy Spirit, to do the things that the Spirit is showing us.

Colossians 3:17 says:  Whatever you do, in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.     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. Amen.    Whatever we do, whether in word or in deed; all that we do and say, we should do and say in the name of the Lord.  That’s a pretty high exhortation. It’s one thing to do and say spiritual things at church, when we are serving there, but what about at work, or in our neighborhood, do we really do all that we do and say all that we say as though we are conveying the words of God. In Luke 16:10 Jesus says:    “He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”    If we will commit to being both faithful and righteous in the little things we do, in serving and in speaking to others, it will become natural for us to be faithful and righteous in the bigger things. We then will be, like Stephen, in a position to hear Jesus say:   ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’ (Matthew 25:23)  We will be, like Stephen, full of grace and power, performing great wonders and signs among the people.  

The greatest responsibility any of us has as believers, as followers of Christ, is the responsibility to respond to the things that the Spirit is showing us. In John 14:12-14 Jesus says:  “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.”

Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit; thank You that You have given me all that I need to do all that You want me to do. I can do the works that You did. If I will do all that I do and say all that I say in Your name and to Your glory, You will do it for me and through me. May I be sensitive to the things You are revealing to me today, even the little things, knowing that as I am faithful and righteous to respond to the little things You show me, You will give me bigger and greater things. Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ; precious Holy Spirit, may we together, perform great wonders and signs among the people today.  In Your name Jesus. Amen.