30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
01 Acts 06 01-07 THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AS THE CHURCH LEARNS TO SERVE 05 Acts 06 03-04 The need for mature leaders
📖 Acts 06:01-07
05 – 16Jul2023 – *The need for mature leaders* - _Acts 06:01-07_ - THE SPREAD OF THE GOSPEL AS THE CHURCH LEARNS TO SERVE - Bible reading: _Ephesians 02:19-22_
“Lord Jesus, teach us maturity and encourage the church to grow in maturity. We have the tendency to keep our people immature by not encouraging them to accept trials by which they could become mature. In Your name, we pray. Amen.”
_Acts 6:3-4 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 task of the disciples was to seek out from among them seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom the apostles would appoint over this business.
*Seek out from among you…*
This meant that the resolution to the crisis must be God’s solution, which must emerge from among them. They would partner with God, who would lead them in this search. At the same time, there would also be ownership in bringing about a godly solution.
_Numbers 11:16 So the LORD said to Moses: "*Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know* to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you._ / _Deuteronomy 1:13 *Choose wise, understanding, and knowledgeable men from among your tribes*, and I will make them heads over you.'_
*This is the principle of devolution of power, which was being applied in this situation.*
Isn’t this yet another causality for us in our circumstances? There is a hesitancy to devolve and invite the people involved to be a part of the process to discover and implement a godly solution. Few people hold on to the decision-making power to themselves and this causes serious and long-term damage.
Apostle Paul was wanting the church to appoint people who would be with him in administering the gift to the saints at Jerusalem. This provided transparency to this whole exercise.
When few people hold on to power and position to make decisions, we see that transparency gets a hit and suspicions are raised, which in turn causes great damage to the health of the group before God. The devil uses these situations to further stir the pot.
_I Corinthians 16:3 And when I come, whomever you approve by your letters I will send to bear your gift to Jerusalem._ / _II Corinthians 8:19-20 and not only that, but who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift, which is administered by us to the glory of the Lord Himself and to show your ready mind, (20) avoiding this: that anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us—_
We now come to the qualities that these seven men needed to have to take responsibility for the matter of the daily distribution. These men were to be of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom the apostles appoint over this business;
Let us examine these qualities one by one and see the relevance of these qualities to the need of the situation.
*Good reputation*
What is good reputation?
Good reputation is translated from the Greek word, martureō, pronounced as mar-too-reh'-o. This is the word from which we have received the word mature. The opposite of this is a novice. Therefore, the person ought not to be a novice. _I Timothy 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil._
Each of us in His church must commit ourselves to maturity for this is a basic qualification to be a blessing in the body of Christ. Maturity is built through learning the lessons of faith in Christ, through the trials of life. _James 1:2-4 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, (3) knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (4) But let patience have its perfect work, *that you may be perfect and complete*, lacking nothing._
These men who were selected were therefore, those who had gone through trials and had matured.
This character of being of good reputation also meant that this person was a witness to Christ. A person who had testified Christ in different circumstances.
Another side to the attribute of good reputation was a person who had a good report or evidence of honesty. Which meant that this person had been tested out in situations where compromises and dishonesty was possible but this person chose to remain honest, even at personal cost. _Psalms 15:4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised, But he honors those who fear the LORD; *He who swears to his own hurt and does not change*;_
The testimony of this person being of good reputation must not only be from those close to him but from also those outside the close circle. _I Timothy 3:7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil._
There was the need of mature men to sort out this matter of daily distribution. We have already looked at the background to this issue and therefore these men had to keep the context in mind and then work out an effective way to solve this issue.
```We desperately need mature leaders in His church in our times.```