Series Seventeen: Church Leadership

In this study, we examine one key passage in Acts 6 where the early church faced early ministry challenges. The church was serving food every day and the apostles were struggling to meet the needs of the church. Religious snubbing had already occurred, and there was a need for men to lead. We will study the kind of men chosen for leadership as the passage tells us much about the kind of leadership God wants in the church.

In the local church it is dangerous to the flock if men without dedication are chosen for ministry. The kind of men that the church needs would be dedicated to a routine and have a reputation of consistency. When selecting men, we are not looking for perfection. In fact, we want to elevate men who admit their weaknesses and have hearts that are pliable to the truth of God’s Word. Their depth of conviction must be obvious, and their reputation as a churchman must be well known. Everyone will not be chosen for leadership, but every churchman should aspire to the same character qualities of the chosen elders and deacons.

1. Disciples of Christ were increasing in numbers, and a complaint arose (Acts 6:1–2, 7).
   1. The church was sharing resources and wisdom, and food was being served daily.
   2. There was a complaint that some were being overlooked.
   3. The twelve apostles were pulled into the controversy.
   4. Addressing the snub (v. 1) and serving needs were important, but these issues were taking the twelve away from the preaching and praying duties, which they were specifically gifted to lead.
2. It was decided to choose men (Acts 6:3).
   1. “From among you”—these were well-known men in the body.
   2. They are “full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Reputation was essential and well known.
   3. These men were not fringe guys; they were churchmen.
   4. Their tasks included:
      1. caring for the people’s physical needs.
      2. handling administration and money concerns.
      3. planning the management of resources and strategic expansion as numbers increased.
      4. selecting other men to teach them to be useful to the Master.
3. The apostles were then freed from daily administrations in the church to serve the body with prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4).
   1. This was a clear separation of duties based on giftings.
   2. Apostles preached, shared wisdom in counseling, and were powerful prayer warriors.
4. The early church listed the names of the men chosen for leadership (Acts 6:5).
   1. These men were not chosen for the things that society reveres, such as:
      1. business skills.
      2. speaking skills.
      3. administrative leadership or the ability to be strategic with logistics.
      4. their people leadership or management skills.
   2. Stephen is listed first in prominence and is further described as:
      1. a man full of faith
      2. a man full of the Holy Spirit
      3. a man full of grace (v. 8)
      4. a man full of power (v. 8)
   3. Each of the men would have a measure of these, but Stephen is separated out at the first in this list (likely because later we will see more of Stephen’s faith in Acts 7).
      1. We should aspire to be the kind of man who comes to mind when our church considers these qualities:
         1. a reputation for being available and ready to meet needs
         2. known to be sacrificial
         3. interested in being used by God to the max wherever they are gifted
      2. These are men whose testimony as authentic believers is not in question. They:
         1. don’t serve to cover up other deficiencies.
         2. don’t serve to placate a guilty conscience.
         3. have a sound testimony of conversion.
         4. have lives that bear the mark of the fruit of the Spirit.
         5. have a good reputation at home, at work, as husbands, fathers, and in the local body of believers.
   4. Stephen and the other men had recently witnessed the fate of Ananias and Sapphira, and they did not leave the congregation after the Lord’s discipline (Acts 5:1–11).
      1. Fear came over the whole congregation.
      2. These were the kind of men who are not driven to run away in fear.
      3. Their fear likely fueled more sober living and reverence for God.
      4. They had a healthy fear of the Lord and a seriousness about life in the church.
5. The “whole congregation” approved of these men (Acts 6:5).
   1. The whole congregation would not affirm men with a pattern of weakness.
   2. Just as in 3 John 12, these men are those of whom the congregation would testify of their character.
6. Stephen was described as full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5; cf. Eph 5:18).
   1. How did they know—and how would we know? A man filled with the Holy Spirit:
      1. is pliable under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
      2. is soft to the truth.
      3. strives in the tough areas to be changed by the truth and to obey it (1 Tim 4:7–10).
      4. investigates ways to obey and learns new ways every day to please the Lord (Eph 5:10).
      5. is not marked by grumbling or disputing against God (Phil 2:14).
      6. walks by the Spirit (Gal 5:16).
      7. doesn’t grieve the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30).
   2. A man full of faith:
      1. likely doesn’t know it himself! He is humble and uncommonly mature.
      2. is a man of wisdom (Acts 6:3). He knows how to be discerning in the application of truth.
      3. can be intimidating to other men.
         • Instead of being intimidated negatively, we need to learn and grow by observing the example of intimidating men full of faith.
7. Stephen was full of grace and power, performing great wonders and signs among the people (Acts 6:8). (Sign gifts pointed to the authenticity of Christ as the Messiah and to the gospel message of salvation by which both Jew and Gentile have access to the same Father by faith.)
   1. The Jews “were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking” (Acts 6:10), so God ordained an act of dragging away and a trial in front of the Council (v. 12).
   2. Stephen gave his defense, and we see what kind of man Stephen truly was (Acts 7:2–53).
      1. He directly quotes twenty-five passages from the Old Testament.
      2. Stephen loved the truth, and he memorized large portions of it. In his defense, these passages were easily brought to mind and he used them in context and with correctness.
      3. All of us can learn Scripture through repetition and application. To one level or another, we remember things.
         1. No one with a mind renewed in God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit cannot call to memory the passages that they have allowed to indict and correct their heart.
         2. Where there is trench work in a man’s life, it becomes familiar ground to recite and teach.
         3. We love Scripture more when we see the fruit that it produces in our lives.
            • The fruit is Christlikeness.
            • The fruit is for the most important things in life.
            • Passages were embedded in Stephen’s heart. Treasuring God’s Word in our hearts causes us not to sin against Him (Ps 119:11).
8. Stephen showed us the ultimate result of his sanctification.
   • Even in death Stephen is so full of faith and controlled by the Holy Spirit that he wants to follow Christ’s example on the cross where He asked the Father to forgive those who crucified Him (Acts 7:60; cf. Luke 23:34).

As men are we aspiring to be like Stephen, a man full of faith and filled with the Holy Spirit?

1. Consider your public testimony. Would you be chosen from among the others in the church for your godly character and integrity?
2. Are we known by all as being sacrificial?
3. If we are missing from an event or a week at church, would those in the body find it strange or uncommon?
4. Are we on task?
   • Different seasons bring change, but are we the kind of men who adapt to pressures and strive to be consistent despite the pressures?
   • If we are not, we need to confess and take it to the Lord to grow our faith.