From Dream to Deliverance
Monday, September 20, 2004
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, I thank You for the truth of today’s reading: You give each of us a certain, specific calling in life. I thank You that we are not all the same, that every, single one of us is unique from the gifts and graces You give us, to the fingerprints produced by the different ridges and lines on our fingertips! I pray that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may live faithfully and obediently in whatever area and gifting You call me to today. I pray that You will use me as You created me to be used, and don’t allow me to be distracted from my calling, even if the distraction is a “good” one. God, I thank You that the apostles showed us that no calling is more important than another, but each one must be carried out in order for Your plan to be fulfilled. Reveal the gifts and callings of every person at New Life that together we may glorify You and Your kingdom may grow. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
God's Word For Me Today
Acts 6:1-7
1But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. Those who spoke Greek complained against those who spoke Hebrew, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers.
“We apostles should spend our time preaching and teaching the word of God, not administering a food program,” they said. 3“Now look around among yourselves, brothers, and select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom. We will put them in charge of this business. 4Then we can spend our time in prayer and preaching and teaching the word.”
5This idea pleased the whole group, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (a Gentile convert to the Jewish faith, who had now become a Christian). 6These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7God’s message was preached in ever-widening circles. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.
Reflecting on God’s Word
Have you ever been tempted to do something that you weren’t gifted to do in the church, just because cried out for attention?
A Deeper Exploration of God’s Word
How did the apostles respond to the widows’ “rumblings of discontent”?
What was the primary calling of the apostles?
Did the apostles say that the “food program” was not important?
Understanding God’s Word
Why do you suppose that the Apostles told the believers what their primary calling was?
What does this say about the distribution of tasks in the local church?
Applying God’s Word to Our Lives
What one thing does today’s Scripture call you to do right now?
Thoughts...Keeping Perspective...
In the midst of a crisis, or at least a growing problem, the apostles RESPONDED to the situation by keeping their perspective on who they were, whose they were and what they were called to do, rather than REACTING to the “rumblings of discontent” from the widows. The apostles were matter of fact about their approach---we are called to preach and teach, not administer a food program. The Apostles didn’t say there didn’t need to be a food program. In fact, in tomorrow’s reading we will see that they called for an orderly food program to be established. What they said, though, was that administering a food program was not in their sphere of calling. They were preachers and teachers. God called them to share the Good News of Jesus through the “vehicles” of preaching and teaching. If they left those “vehicles” behind in order to administer a food program, the change of priorities would have produced an unwanted product—the rapid influx of new believers would have ended. The apostles were training disciples and sharing the Good News. If they turned their gaze inward to those already in the fold, the would not be producing new shepherds, nor reaching lost sheep. So they did what God wills in such situations: They called on the gifts of others to meet the need, and to fulfill their calling! May we do the same!