Acts 6: Progress Through Problem Solving


  1. PROBLEMS confronting the early church
    1. Rapid GROWTH of the church
      1. Bus program
      2. Influx of new members (Spring Hill, TN influx of Yankees)
      3. Need for new facilities
    2. MURMURING arose (behind the scenes complaining)
      1. Numbers 14
      2. 1 Corinthians 10:10
      3. Philippians 2:14-15
      4. Murmuring is a SYMPTOM of a problem
    3. CULTURAL differences
      1. Different LIFESTYLES
      2. Different TRANSLATIONS of the Scriptures


  2. PEOPLE who solved the problem:
    1. People cause problems and people solve them. Problems that are solved will be solved by people (although it has been said that a number of church problems have been solved with a few funerals.)
    2. The APOSTLES - in our day, the ELDERS assume this role
    3. The BRETHREN - need responsibility w/ accountability
    4. The SEVEN men - the first DEACONS? They were . . .
      1. Willing to serve under DIFFICULT conditions
      2. RESPECTED by whole church
      3. Guided by SPIRITUAL truth. They were full of . . .
        1. Holy Spirit
        2. wisdom
      4. CAPABLE of getting the job done
  3. PRIORITIES that were preserved
    1. The problem was openly and fully faced:
      1. Not IGNORED
      2. Not HIDDEN
      3. Ignoring / attempting to hide problems is a recipe for . . .
        1. DISCONTENT
        2. DIVISION
        3. DISASTER
    2. God's word was PRESERVED in the solution
      1. "It is not REASON . . ."
      2. not too good to serve tables, but not at the expense of the word
    3. The WELL-BEING of the church was maintained
      1. The whole multitude was PLEASED = UNITY
      2. We can please people w/o being "people-pleasers" Gal 1:10
      3. Getting people to be pleased with the preaching and practice of the Word in its FULNESS.


  4. PROGRESS that was made
    1. The Word of God INCREASED
    2. The number of disciples MULTIPLIED
    3. Many of the PRIESTS became obedient to the faith