"Fulfill Your Call" Sermon: Acts 6:1-7

“Fulfill Your Call”
[Acts 6:1-7]
September 6, 2009 Second Reformed Church

Both the Old and New Testaments have laws to make sure the most vulnerable in society – widows and orphans – receive care from the Church. The Scripture is equally clear that not all widows and orphans need the Church’s care – and those people should be excluded. For example: Ted Kennedy’s wife, though a widow, would not qualify to be supported financially by the Church, because she has plenty herself, and through her family, to provide for her needs.

This morning’s Scripture begins with a problem between two groups of widows who qualify for the Church’s financial support: one was a group of Greek-speaking Jewish Christians and the other group was of Hebrew-speaking Jewish Christians. When the distribution occurred – and this could have been of food or money or both – the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians were being overlooked. And we should understand that the word that is used here does not necessarily mean that they were overlooked due to malicious intent – it may have been accidental, based on the inability to communicate in the Greek language. Whatever the case may be, the Greek-speaking Jewish Christians were not having their needs met, and they qualified to have them met by the Church.

The Greek-speaking Jewish Christians went to the twelve apostles and told them that their widows were being neglected and asked them to intercede. This was a good thing to do. They didn’t attack their fellow Christians or condemn them or accuse them. They went to the apostles to straighten the matter out.

However the apostles were unwilling to take over the distribution and make sure that both groups of widows were receiving what the Church had promised to give them. Why? Were the apostles racists? No. They said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.” Were they saying that serving tables – serving the widows – was beneath them? No. They were saying that they were not called to that work and, as honorable a work as it is to serve the widows, if they spent their time doing that, they would not fulfill their call as pastors, which, primarily, is to preach and teach and study and pray.

We’ve looked at this before – biblically, a pastor should spend most of his time studying, praying, preaching, and teaching. He may do other things, but not to the neglect of studying, praying, peaching, and teaching. Those four make up the primary call on the life of the pastor. That does not make me better than someone who mows the lawn or cleans the building – and I may do those things from time to time – but I have a different call on my life – the apostle’s had a different call on their lives. It is not wrong to do things that are other than the primary call that God has put upon our lives, but we ought to fulfill our primary call – it is not right for us not to do what God has called us to do in order to do other things, no matter how good those other things are.

So the apostles said that they would not take up the distribution because it would keep them from fulfilling the call that God put on their lives as pastors. Instead, they told the Church to choose seven men who were of good repute, full of the Spirit, and full of wisdom.

They were to choose seven men who were well thought of in the Church and the community – men of integrity. They were to choose men who were Christians – who had made a profession of faith – but not just that – men who also were gifted by God the Holy Spirit and lived out those gifts in love of God and neighbor. And they were to choose men who had spiritual wisdom – not just men who were wise, or intelligent, but men who could relate the teaching of the Scripture to everyday living.

The whole Church realized that what the apostles said and did was the right thing – they were going to continue to fulfill the call that God put on their lives to be pastors, and they would allow others, chosen by the Church, to fulfill their call as those who serve tables – that is, “deacons” – the word, “deacon,” means one who serves or serves at the table.

And notice, it was the Church who chose the deacons, not the apostles. Just as we receive nominations for elders and deacons and then vote, they did the same thing in the early Church. And the Church chose for themselves seven men: Stephen, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas. These seven were brought before the apostles as the choice of the Church to serve the Church. And the apostles ordained the seven as the first deacons.

How do we know that? Because our text tells us that the apostles prayed for them and laid their hands upon them, sending them out to their work – to fulfill their call. The word, “ordain,” means, “stretching out the hand.”

We can conclude from this, that in a similar manner to our understanding that God the Holy Spirit gifts us and gives us ability as He wills and as it will be useful to the Church and to the glory of God, we may also understand that God has called each of us to specific tasks – specific lifestyles, specific things that we are to do in the Church and in the rest of our lives. And just as every Christian has been gifted by the Holy Spirit – each Christian has been called to something.

Paul wrote, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to anther gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills” (I Corinthians 12:4-11, ESV).

God has gifted you, and God has called you to serve Him and love Him and love your neighbor through fulfilling your call – through doing what He has called you to do. And don’t think that who you are in Christ doesn’t matter – by example – we are warned not to neglect that gift and calling that God has put upon us. As Paul wrote to Timothy, “Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given to you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you” (I Timothy 4:14, ESV). In fact, we are to work hard to maximize what we do with what God has given us and call us to. Again, Paul wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands, for God gives us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

Some may be thinking, “Well, that’s all well and good for you to talk about gift and call – you’re the pastor – but what am I gifted and called to do? I don’t know that I have a call on my life.”

And you would be right – you don’t have a call on your life – you actually have several:

All people on the earth are called to believe in Jesus Alone for their salvation. Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:41b, ESV). Since we are all sinners – every single mere human being – we are all called to repentance and belief in Jesus Alone for our salvation. If you believe in Him, you have fulfilled that part of your call.

We are also called to serve in our families. All of us are sons or daughters and we are obliged to serve as sons and daughters – honoring our mothers and fathers, even in death. Some of us are brothers or sisters, mothers or fathers, cousins, nieces, nephews – in all these different relationships, we are called to be who God has called us to be in the family – to serve in the family in love and in thanks to God for our families.

And we are called to serve in the world, both in our paying jobs and in volunteering in whatever way we can to help others and make this a better world, a better community. You don’t have to save the world, but God has put at least one person in your way that you are able to help in some way, which will show to them the love of Jesus.

Yet, if you are a Christian, you are now called to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world – to let everyone know the Good News of Salvation in Jesus Alone. Again, Jesus said, “Go into the world and proclaim the Gospel to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15b, ESV). And Paul wrote, “I am under obligation both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:14-16, ESV).

This is a call we will work at our whole lives – or until Jesus returns – whichever comes first. We must learn to tell others about Jesus in whatever way we have been gifted to do that – whether it is explaining the Gospel to them, inviting them to Church, giving them some Christian literature, or something else. However God has gifted you – that is how you are to show the Gospel to others.

Also, if we are Christians, we are to be part of a church – part of the life of a church – not because the Church saves us – not because the Church is sinless or perfect – but because God has given us this place to gather for worship and for our good. God has gifted and called each of us to serve in the Church in some way, as we already heard Paul say: “To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

If you are involved in Second Reformed Church, it is because – in part – that God has given you a gift or put a call on you to serve here. God put you here because we as a church need you for what God has enabled you and called you to do. I am here at this time because this church needed a pastor and God gifted me and called me to be a pastor. Some of you have been called and gifted as elders or deacons. Some of you have the gift of hospitality, empathy, organization, and so forth. Understand, that doesn’t mean that if you are an accountant for your paying job, you must handle the church’s finances – it may be, but not necessarily. Perhaps you earn a living as an accountant, but you love landscaping. God may have gifted you and sent you here to help maintain the property and the foliage. We need to understand what we can do – what we believe we are called to do – what will fill a need at the church where God has us – and then do it. If you need help finding your place – ask me – ask others in the church. We are here for each other.

We need to also understand that we may be gifted and called in one area and serve in that area at one time and serve in another area another time. God is able to use us in many and various ways as He sees fit and as it brings Him Glory and us joy. Yes, even though we face trials and tribulations in this world, if were are abiding in God’s Will for us – if we are using the gifts that God has given us and working to fulfill the call that God puts on our lives – we will have His Joy.

What happened when the apostles told the Church that they would not serve the distribution because they were called to preach and teach and pray and study? What happened when they told the Church to find persons who were called and gifted to be deacons – to assume the work of the distribution?

First, we’re told that “the Word of God continued to increase.” In other words, the apostles spent their time fulfilling their call preaching as much as possible so people would know that there is Only Salvation in Jesus Alone and to help teach the Christians and mature them in the faith through the workings of the Holy Spirit.

Second, “the number of disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem.” When the Church fulfills its call and uses the gifts God has given it, God is pleased to add to the Church – for His Glory and our joy. Growth comes as God is pleased to bring about growth, but that does not mean that we can sit in our pews and do nothing. God has called us – not to Salvation by works – but to a faith that works. Our faith is an active faith. We are enabled and called to do something. Do give up until you understand what God has called you to do and then do it with all your might.

And thirdly, “a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” Don’t make assumptions about people. The ones who opposed Jesus the most were the religious leaders. Don’t assume that a person believes simply because he wears a clerical collar, or sings in the choir, or holds the Church attendance record.

Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25b-28, ESV).

With the example of Jesus before us, remember also the words of Peter: “As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s various grace” (I Peter 4:10, ESV).

Let us pray:
Almighty God, we thank You for calling us to be Your sons and daughters, for gifting us by the Holy Spirit and placing various calls upon our lives. We ask that You would give us the grace to know what You have called us to do and be and to fulfill that call in Jesus’ Name. We ask as we receive the elements of the Lord’s Supper that You would meet with us and give us more of Your Grace, that we would be strengthened and renewed for the work You have called us to do. And in all things, keep us from worry and despair, but let us trust wholeheartedly in You, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Great Shepherd of the Sheep. For it is in His Name we pray, Amen.