From Murmuring to Multiplying

“From Murmuring to Multiplying”

(Acts 6:1-7)

Series: Back to the Basics (Acts 1-9)

Rev. Todd A. Linn, PhD

Henderson’s First Baptist Church, Henderson

Take your Bibles and join me in Acts, chapter 6.

While you are finding that, let me say that our Response Room is open after each morning service today. There are volunteers there to help you respond to the Word of God. If you need to talk to someone about salvation, or baptism, or church membership, right after the service step into the Response Room—right out these doors. Look for the sign. Response Room. Folks will be there to pray with you.

We’re in a 10-week series on the first few chapters of the Book of Acts, a series entitled “Back to the Basics.” As our church is a church in transition, it is especially helpful for us to go the Book of Acts and read about the first church—going back to the basics, making sure we are acting and operating as a biblical church.

We’ve been reading in recent weeks about the growth and expansion of the church and I enjoyed listening to Brother Rich and Brother Jacob’s messages on Acts 4 and 5. I hope you do as I do when I miss a Sunday I’ll get online and listen to the message. I don’t want to miss out what’s going on in the life of the church, and that comes primarily through corporate worship and the preaching of the Word. So the church is growing in these opening chapters and then we read about a problem that arose from the growth

Please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word.

1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;

4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,

6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

Let’s Pray. “Father help us to be ‘obedient to the faith.’ Help us by way of Your Holy Spirit to learn today from this passage. Correct what needs correction in our lives so that we conform to the image of Your Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. In His name we pray, amen.”

The title of our message is, “From Murmuring to Multiplying.” The early church, the first church, was a church experiencing phenomenal growth. You’ll remember back in the second chapter that Peter preached a message after which 3,000 souls were saved. Then in chapters 4 and 5 that number grows to over 5,000. The Lord is adding to the church daily as the church gathers daily as the last verse of chapter 5 tells us—verse 42 there—“And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.”

Now what I’d like to do is give you four statements I learned some 15 years ago when I attended the Pastor’s Training Institute led by the late Adrian Rogers at Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis. Brother Wane Jenkins mentioned it to me and I went and got to listen to Adrian Rogers address us pastors for a week, teaching basics about the church. Let me give you these four statements and we’ll use them as something of an outline for the text. Number one, note this about the early church and any church:

Where there is Life there is Growth

The only church that doesn’t grow is a dead church. Where there is life there is growth. Growth in numbers and growth in maturity. Growth is both deep and wide. Folks growing in evangelism, growing in missions, growing in giving, growing in discipleship. Where there is life there is growth.

And then in our passage this morning, Chapter 6, verses 1 and following, is how that growth resulted in some friction in the church. When a church is alive and moving there will be friction. Friction is not a bad thing. Friction is a sign of life and growth. When I run each day, there is friction in my shoes and socks and feet and legs because my body is moving. And when a church is alive and moving there will be friction. It’s not a bad thing. It’s how we respond to the friction that matters. Where there is life there is growth.

Where there is Growth there are Problems

Anything that moves causes friction. Now look again at verse 1 as we walk together through the passage, verse 1:

What’s going on here? Well, you’ll remember at the end of chapter 2 and also in Rich’s message a couple weeks ago that the church is sharing its resources, pooling together and distributing to each and every one as everyone had need—food, clothing, stuff. Well, the church is growing so rapidly and transitioning from a few believers to well over 5,000 believers that some folks are being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

Specially it is these Hellenists, or Greek-speaking Jews. Their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. And they complain against the Hebrews, the Hebrew-speaking Jews: “Hey! Our widows aren’t getting their share of the resources!” And the sense is that they feel they are being neglected because of who they are.

You’ll remember Paul teaches in Galatians 3 that the gospel is the great equalizer. There is no one person any more important than the other. Galatians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” That is true, but folks don’t forget where they’re from! These Hellenists, these Greek-speaking Jewish believers, feel they are being slighted in the daily distribution. They felt the Hebrews, the Hebrew-speaking believers, were getting priority and privilege, while they were being ignored.

When I fly I’m always seated in coach way in the back near the restrooms at the tail of the plane. So when the food is being distributed on those long overseas flights, they serve first class first. Those guys get all the good stuff! Then stewards and stewardesses make their way back from their through business class, serving people you know—beef or chicken? Or maybe beef, chicken, or pasta—and folks say what they want and eventually they get to me and the others in coach seating and they’re like, “Well, we’re out of pasta, beef, and chicken, but we can give you this sushi, or something!” And sitting their in my cramped coach seat I feel like a Hellenist!

Verse 1 shows that the early church in transition was a church in friction. And that friction caused some murmuring, or complaining. See that there in verse 1? “There arose a complaint.” I like the King James Version there because I think it’s better. It’s the word, “murmuring.” Murmuring. It’s a word that sounds like what it is. Murmuring. That mouth-moving under the breath, rumblings of discontent.

God has never been a fan of His people murmuring. The Old Testament provides more than one occasion where murmuring didn’t turn out well for the murmurers. Exodus 16 says that the whole congregation of Israel began murmuring against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. Regretting that they had ever followed these leaders. Murmuring about food in the wilderness. Moses rightly rebukes them, telling them that their murmuring is actually against the Lord and not the leaders. Read it later in Exodus 16.

Rich mentioned another example in his message a couple weeks ago. That guy named Korah back in Numbers 16. Remember Korah? He lead a rebellion against Moses and Aaron. Didn’t agree with their leadership. Got 250 of the folks to back him, bringing division to the people of God. Korah and these 250 murmured against the leaders. And you know it doesn’t end well for them. God causes the ground to split open and literally swallow up the murmurers.

In 1 Corinthians 10—where Paul is using Old Testament examples to make his point to the church—he lists a number of sins they had committed listing murmuring in the same list as idolatry and fornication.

Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

Leaders have to assume that there will always be those who murmur and always some who will question their motives. There’s not a leader in the Bible immune from murmuring and complaining. My wife is a great pastor’s wife. Years ago she told somebody once, she said: “You may not agree with my husband’s decisions, but you better not question his motives.” And I’m grateful for that!

Our church is a great church. We’re moving through transitions right now. And we need to pray for our leaders and support our leaders and not murmur about a thing! Philippians 2:14, “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.”

Where there is life, there is growth. Where there is growth, there are problems. There are no problems in a dead church! Thank God for problems!!

Number three:

Where there are Problems there are Solutions

Look at the solution put forth by the apostles. Verses 2 and following:

2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.

3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;

4 but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The apostles put forth a solution. They led. They didn’t bring all the people together and say, “Well, what are we going to do everybody?! Let’s just take a poll and everyone share what you think.” There are times where that sort of thing is helpful. But ultimately someone needs to lead. Someone needs to say, “This is what we’re doing.” That’s what the apostles did. They said, “Okay folks, this is what we’re doing. It’s not desirable—it’s not right—for us to neglect the preaching and teaching of the Word and prayer in order to serve tables,” or to wait upon folks during the meals on wheels thing.

It’s not that they were somehow “above” serving the food, nor that they were “too good” for it or somehow “too big and mighty” to do the work of waiting on tables. It’s not that. It’s just that it was not their primary calling. That’s why they said in verse 2, ‘it is not desirable,” or it’s not right.

One of the greatest challenges of pastoral leadership is to stay focused on the ministry of the word and prayer. That is the pastor’s primary and greatest calling. And yet, he can neglect that calling not by doing bad things, but by doing good things. Serving tables is a good thing. Church administration is a good and necessary business. Serving widows, ministering to families in the home is good and right. The apostles are not saying that those things are bad. They’re simply saying, “Look, we’ve got our priorities under God to lead in the ministry of the word and prayer. We can’t do everything nor should we.” The church is to be equipped to do the ministry of the church.

Ephesians 4:11-12: [The Lord] gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints [to do] the work of ministry, [that the church should be edified].

This frees up the pastor to focus upon his primary calling of preaching and teaching the word of God, and seeking God in prayer. That’s his calling. If he tries to run around and do all the ministry of the church, not only is he being unbiblical, not equipping others to serve as he should, he is also robbing them of the nourishment of the Word that comes through his preaching and teaching ministry—largely because he hasn’t taken time to study and prepare.

As someone said, “The preacher who is always available isn’t worth much when he is available.”

So these apostles come up with a solution and share it with the congregation. They encourage them to prayerfully seek out these seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom—verse 3—“whom we may appoint over this business.” This business. Not the business. Not running the church. But a very specific ministry of the church. This specific business of serving the congregation.

Deacons are servants. The word deacon means to serve. It’s a specific business. Deacons are not to run the entire church body. They are to serve the church body.

6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

These men in the first church were good men! Men “full of the Holy spirit and wisdom.” And remember: these were men who were selected largely to solve the problem of murmuring in the church. That was the problem that arose from the friction of a church on the move. Murmuring. Deacons serve the church largely by putting an end to murmuring.

That’s why a man who murmurs and complains about the church cannot serve as a deacon. Deacons are godly servants—not “yes men” who just go along to get along—but men who deal with problems in a biblical way. Not murmuring. Not talking about others behind their back. Not undermining leadership through gossip and rebellion. But serving the body in such a way that puts an end to murmuring.

Our deacons serve you that way. They serve you in a literal way as they’ll do in just a few moments when we take the Lord’s Supper together. They will literally serve you. They’ll “serve tables” if you like. But they serve in an even greater way through the Deacon Family Ministry. Each family in our church has a deacon assigned to them. Your deacon wants to serve you. Let your deacon know what’s going on in your life. Tell him how he can pray for you or minister to you. Our deacons will call, visit, pray. They’re not mind-readers though! So let them know how they can minister to you and you’ll find these men also to be “full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.”

Our deacons are good men. I know a lot of pastors who tell jokes about their deacons. I’ve never understood that. Deacons are godly servants. They love you. They love this church. They need our encouragement as they serve. Grateful for our deacons here at Henderson’s First Baptist Church.

Where there is life there is growth. Where there is growth there are problems. Where there are problems there are solutions.

“There are no problems too big to solve, just people too small to solve them (Adrian Rogers).”

So where there are problems there are solutions. And what happens next? Number four:

Where there are Solutions there is even Greater Growth

See that in verse 7:

7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

The sense is that the greater growth of the church was a direct result of the solution to the problem. Murmuring was fixed; multiplying followed. Raising up deacons to serve the church body, to minister to the church families, resulted in the word of God spreading even more greatly. From murmuring to multiplying.

Why don’t we take a moment to pray. Bow with me. “Our Father, we thank You for the clarity of Your Word. We bow before it as we ask Your Spirit to probe our hearts to reveal any rumblings of discontent or murmurings that need to be addressed. Do that right now. We confess our sin of unhelpful words we have spoken. We confess our sin of not talking to the right person about the problem. Forgive us for gossip and division. Give us grace to speak and act in ways that edify and build up. Thank you for our leaders, our deacons, our church. Grow us to greater heights and greater depths for the glory of Your Son Jesus Christ, in Whose name we pray, amen.”

Observing the Lord’s Supper is one way to demonstrate unity in the body of Christ. That’s Paul’s point in 1 Corinthians 10:17 where he says, “For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread.”

As fellow believers we are brothers and sisters of one family, the family of God united together through our faith in Jesus Christ. The power of the gospel unites us together as one. Jesus has made made possible our being united together with God and united together with one another. This is one of the wonderful truths we celebrate as we partake together of the Lord’s Supper.

Our deacons will be serving you the bread and cup. The deacons serve you because—again—that’s what their name means; deacon; it’s a title that means, “to serve.” So they are serving you this morning.

While the deacons serve we will be singing. We’re going to sing this great hymn about God’s throne above and what He did for us through Christ Jesus.

After we sing and everyone is served, I’ll lead you in taking the elements, eating the bread, drinking the cup. Let’s sing together.

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea

A great High Priest whose name is love

Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hands

My name is written on His heart

I know that while in heav’n He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free

For God the Just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me

“The Bible says that on the same night in which Jesus was betrayed, that He took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (1 Corinthians 11:23-24).

[Eat bread]

“Then the Bible says that in the same manner, Jesus also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Corinthians 11:25-26).

[Drink cup]

Amen. Stand now and let’s sing the final verse as we “Behold Him there, the risen Lamb…

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb

My perfect, spotless Righteousness

The great unchangeable I AM

The King of glory and of grace

One with Himself, I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

One with Himself, I cannot die

My soul is purchased by His blood

My life is hid with Christ on high

With Christ my Savior and my God

Amen!

When you return tonight at six, we are presenting the Missions and Ministry Plan for 2020 this evening and there will be time for discussion. We’ll also be providing some “Pray and Go” door hangers and assignment sheets for you to take with you when you leave so you can pray for specific households here in Henderson.

As you go, greet the folks around you. Make sure everyone around you gets a “hello” and “good to see you.” Alright? God bless you, church family, love you and will see you later.

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