Acts 6:1

In those days, when the number of the disciples multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Gentiles against the Hebrews, or the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministry. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, "It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God to serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look you out among you seven men of honest rapport, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word."

Let's pray. Father, I ask that you would, Lord, at this moment, fix our hearts and our minds upon you. Lord, you are the author and the finisher of our faith. For the joy that was set before you, you endured the cross, despising the shame, and you have sat down at the right hand of the throne of God today. Lord, you are on the throne. You desire in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters here this morning to transform us, Lord, by the renewing of our minds, to wash and cleanse and sanctify us by the washing of the water by your Word. I pray that you would, Lord, by your Spirit, continue to transform and equip us for the work that you've called us to. For we ask it in Jesus' name. And all God's people said, "Amen." You can be seated.

As we have been going through the book of Acts over the last few months, we have seen God fulfilling His Word, fulfilling the promise that He made to His disciples there in Matthew chapter 16. When they were gathered together in the northernmost part of the nation of Israel, they were gathered at Caesarea. There, Peter made that great declaration, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus said, "Peter, flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say that you are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my church." Jesus promised His disciples there that He would be the one who builds His church.

We have seen Him building His church since we began the book of Acts. As He told His disciples in Acts chapter 1, verse 4, they were to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, which He said they had heard from Him. For John truly baptized with water, but they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now. He went on to say, "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto Me in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth."

Shortly after that, on the day of Pentecost, we see Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, standing up before the multitudes in Jerusalem and preaching the gospel. On that day, 3,000 came to faith. Then, in Acts chapter 4, we saw that that number increased to 5,000. In Acts chapter 5, verse 14, we read that more believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women in the church. The body of Christ continues to grow as God is faithful to His word to build His church.

As we look at this passage in Acts this morning, we see God doing the very same thing in our own church. I love the fact that God's word is dynamic. As we read in Hebrews chapter 4, it is living and powerful. It is sharper than any two-edged sword, able to pierce even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart, as the author to the Hebrews says. God's word is alive, powerful, and dynamic.

As we go through God's word, it speaks to us about the very things we are experiencing at that moment. You know this personally as you read through the word of God on your own throughout the week, going through it devotionally. Isn't it amazing how you can read a passage of scripture that addresses the exact issue you are facing at that time?

Looking at our own church here, Calvary Chapel of Escondido, we see that the same challenges the early church faced, especially as we come to Acts chapter 6, are some of the things we are experiencing now. Just this next week, on the 15th, as we have been announcing for several weeks, we will be going to three services. God is growing His church and multiplying the number of people coming here week in and week out.

So much so that, as you have noticed over the last several weeks, it has been difficult to find a parking space and sometimes even a seat. Until today, with the time change, there are a number of people who may have forgotten to adjust their schedules.

Clocks are not here this morning with us, but we've seen how God is faithful to His word, and God is growing the church. As our church grows, we are adding more opportunities to gather together, to worship together, and to learn the Lord's word. This is not just on Sunday morning, but also on Sunday afternoon with our Spanish ministry. On Monday night, we have the School of Discipleship, and on Tuesday morning and night, the women's ministry meets. On Wednesday night, we will start a Bible study here, going through 1 Timothy. Thursday night, the men's ministry gathers, along with the Spanish services, and we also have Saturday night services. There are many opportunities here to worship with one another and to sit under the teaching of God's word together.

In addition to worship and the word, we have opportunities for prayer throughout the week and for service. So much is going on! When a church is growing numerically, the ministry also begins to grow. As I mentioned several weeks ago, when we told everyone that we would be going to three services on Sunday, I referenced the passage in Proverbs 14. Proverbs 14:4 says, "Where there is no ox, the stall is clean, but there is much strength or much increase by the strength of an ox." Where there is no animal, the stall is nice and clean, and everything seems fine, but nothing grows. The implication is that when there is growth, when there is the ox in the stall, it can be messy. There are times when we experience growing pains, aren't there?

In Acts chapter 6, we see some of these growing pains beginning to happen as the number of the disciples increased. It started with 120 in the upper room in Acts chapter 2, increased to 3,000 by the end of Acts chapter 2, and then to 5,000 by Acts chapter 4. The numbers continued to grow in Acts chapter 5 to the point where they stopped even numbering everyone; they just didn't know how many people were there because God was doing a powerful work by His Spirit. As we've talked about before, it's God's work. He is the one who brings the increase. Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, says that one may plant and another waters, but it is God who gives the increase. We have seen God be faithful and give the increase here at our church.

One of the reasons I believe this is the case is because of the clear, simple teaching of God's word. Pastor Chuck talked about many years ago that Calvary Chapel has been focused on simply teaching the word of God simply.

As God's word goes forth, it will not return void. We see God using His word to grow each of us individually, but also to grow our church corporately in a powerful and awesome way. The Bible says that in the last days, there would be a famine of God's word. As we look around our own nation and the world, I truly believe that we are in the midst of a famine of God's word.

There are many churches—tons of churches. If we were to number and total all the churches in America, it would be a very large number. However, just because there are a lot of churches does not mean that every one of them is giving forth God's word. There are many churches in our area that are faithful to clearly and simply share God's word, and praise the Lord, those churches are growing as well.

In the last six months, we have seen not just an economic slump or downturn, but an economic collapse in our nation. People have been fixated on what they have, trying to amass as much wealth as possible, building bigger barns and buying bigger houses. When all of this collapses, one of the positive outcomes is that people begin to recognize that all of those things do not satisfy. There is only one who truly satisfies—our God. He is sufficient for all things, and He has given us His word. As God's word goes forth, as we see here in Acts, God, by His word and by His Holy Spirit, grows individual believers and also grows the church.

As the church grows, the ministry grows, and the needs grow. This is what we see in Acts chapter 6, verse 1. In those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a complaint. There arose a murmuring. Oftentimes, when things are growing and a ministry is expanding, we have a tendency to overlook some of the areas and issues that are occurring. We may miss the needs that are arising within the body until those needs confront us directly.

The expanded needs in a ministry are often not seen until they are felt. You have probably experienced this in your own life as well. Most of the time, you are not able to clearly identify your needs by sight until you feel them. The same thing happens in a church; the needs are not seen until they are felt. Then, as the church is growing, people begin to realize that they have needs that must be addressed.

Not receiving the same kind of one-on-one ministry that they once did can be disheartening. When the church was smaller, when it was just 120 in the upper room, everything was so intimate. Everyone gathered together, and everybody had everything in common. However, as the church began to grow, as we see in Acts, things started to feel a little disconnected. People began to notice that they were not receiving the same kind of ministry they once did.

As is often the case, the people began to murmur and complain. The Greek word translated as "murmur" here means to secretly complain or grumble in a low tone to one another. You know what it's like when you come to church on a Sunday and you walk in, only to find that someone has taken your seat. That's my seat! I always sit in that seat. I know this is true because, as I stand up here on Sunday mornings, I look out and see that many of you are in the exact same places you always occupy. Even though we don't have names on our seats, you know that this is your seat. This is where you sit.

In fact, I’ll confess that for many years, my family and I have sat right here in this first row. It's funny; they're out of town this week, so nobody's there. We tend to get into these customary habits—not just with our seats, but even with our parking spaces. You have a parking spot that you always use. If someone takes your parking space, it can be frustrating.

But it’s not just about the seat you sit in or the place you park. It can also be about not receiving the same kind of ministry you once did because of the church's growth. You might find yourself bringing some friends aside, saying, "I just can't believe they have overlooked this. They used to do so well. I can't believe they've done this." This is murmuring and complaining.

Murmuring was one of the famous pastimes of the children of Israel in the Old Testament, specifically in the books of Exodus and Numbers. Moses, in the book of Exodus, gives us insight into something that I think is really interesting. Turn with me, if you would, to Exodus chapter 16. Exodus 16, the second book of the Bible, is just two chapters after the children of Israel have come out of bondage in Egypt. This is the same group of people that saw God bring the ten plagues upon the Egyptians.

This exact same group of people, just days before this happens, watched God part the Red Sea in front of them. They walked over on dry ground. After they got across the Red Sea, God closed the waters in on the Egyptian army, and they were completely free from the bondage they had been in for over 400 years. Within three days, they were complaining. They were crying, weeping, and upset, murmuring against Moses. They said, "Moses, why did you bring us out into this wilderness to die? We had it so good in Egypt."

But notice what Moses says in Exodus 16, verse 8. The people were complaining because they didn't have any food. Moses said, "This shall be what will happen. When the Lord shall give you evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to your full, for the Lord hears your murmurings which you do murmur against." What's it say? "Against Him." And what are we, Moses says? "Your murmurings are not against us. They are against the Lord."

Boy, that's heavy. When we are murmuring and complaining, we're not murmuring or complaining against the ministry, our neighbor, or the person who stole our seat in the sanctuary. We're actually murmuring and complaining against God. God sees it as a complaint against Him.

God has clearly told us in His Word that if we lack anything, we are to ask of Him. James tells us this in James chapter 1, verse 5. He says, "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives all liberally and without reproach, and it shall be given him."

Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapter 7, verse 7, "Ask, and it shall be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds. And to him who knocks, it shall be opened."

So God has clearly revealed to us that we are to ask of Him. The Apostle Paul in Philippians chapter 4 says, "Be anxious for nothing." Even when you're going through a lack, or when you find that you're not receiving the kind of ministry you once did, be anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God, and the peace of God which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

And so we have these very clear principles revealed to us in the Word. Yes, when the church is growing, when the body of Christ is expanding and multiplying, there is an increased need for ministry. Sometimes that need is not really seen until it's felt, and maybe you're the one who feels it. You might be tempted to complain or murmur, but we need to recognize that any such murmuring and complaining is against God. He has given us a clear answer: all we must do is ask.

At this time, in Acts chapter 6, there was a legitimate need, a legitimate lack in the body of Christ. There was a group of people within the church who had a true and genuine need. They were not receiving the ministry that they ought to have been receiving. But the solution was not to murmur; the solution was to ask. The exact need is revealed to us in Acts chapter 6, where we read that the Grecians, or the Hellenists in some of your Bibles, were complaining against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministry.

As we've been studying through the book of Acts over the last several weeks, we've seen that as God is growing His church and as God is moving, the enemy is always attacking. The enemy is always seeking to destroy the work that God is doing. Satan often attacks on multiple fronts. A lot of times, when the enemy seeks to attack the body of Christ, he does it from various angles, trying to find a weakness and a way in.

We've seen that the enemy has come by intimidation. The religious leaders of the day tried to intimidate the early church leaders, telling them not to speak in the name of Jesus. Last week, we saw how they came against them with direct opposition, when they not only warned them not to speak in that name but also beat them. A couple of weeks ago, in Acts chapter 5, we saw that the enemy sought to come in with internal corruption through Ananias and Sapphira.

So, the enemy was coming at them with intimidation, opposition, and internal corruption. But now he comes at them with a new attack, and I believe it is one of the most effective attacks that the enemy uses against the church: sowing discord and division. The enemy seeks to sow discord and division as he considers the church.

As he takes out the church or tries to from all these different angles to find a weakness or a way in, he oftentimes comes with discord and division. As you study through church history, you'll see that this has been one of the most effective attacks of the enemy throughout the ages. It's not the last time that we're going to see discord and division in the Book of Acts; it will come up again. The enemy is trying to come in and sow discord and division to break up the body of Christ.

Now, the Hebrews within the body of Christ tended to regard the Hellenists as unspiritual compromisers. There were Christians within the body of Christ that came from a Hebrew background, which was a very strict Jewish cultural background. Then there were Christians within the same body of Christ who came from a Jewish background but were Hellenists, influenced by Greek culture. The Hebrews looked at the Hellenists as if they were unspiritual compromisers, while the Hellenists viewed the Hebrews as holier-than-thou traditionalists. We don't have any of that anymore, do we?

There was already a natural suspicion between these two groups. When they came into the body of Christ, they had these views of each other. The enemy was seeking to take advantage of that suspicion that was already there. The Hebrews were Jews from a strict Hebrew culture, most of whom came from the city of Jerusalem or the region of Judea. In contrast, the Hellenists, although they followed the ways of Judaism and had now become Christians, were probably from the surrounding regions around Jerusalem and Judea. They may have been Jews who converted to Judaism from a Greek background or Jews from the diaspora, which is the dispersion of the Jews away from Jerusalem and Judea to the uttermost parts.

Another interesting aspect of studying the Hellenists, these Jews with a strong Greek cultural background, is their history during the time of Alexander the Great. When Alexander the Great went throughout the world conquering for the Greek Empire, after his death, his kingdom was divided into four groups. The two most powerful groups were the Seleucid Kingdom.

which was in modern-day Syria, and then also the Ptolemies that were in modern-day Egypt. These two groups were very Greek. They fought back and forth from about 300 BC until the time that the Roman Empire emerged. The Seleucids and the Ptolemies were constantly in conflict, influenced by their Greek heritage. And who was right in the middle? Israel.

During that time, Israel was greatly influenced by a Hellenistic worldview and a Greek mindset, primarily the liberal side of Judaism. The group mentioned in Acts chapter 6 that was significantly influenced by the Hellenists was called the Sadducees. We have discussed the Sadducees before; they were the ones who did not believe in the supernatural or in the resurrection. They were a fairly liberal group and extremely Greek in their culture. As we saw last week in Acts chapter 5, it was the Sadducees, specifically in verse 17, who had great influence over the priesthood in Jerusalem at that time.

The Hellenists had a Greek background. They even had Greek gymnasiums in Jerusalem and followed many Greek customs. In contrast, the Hebrews were staunchly attached to the Word of God and the traditions of the Old Testament. Yet, both groups had become believers in Christ. Now, the enemy was seeking to come in and break up the church through division.

The issue identified at this point was that the widows of the Greeks were not receiving daily ministry like the widows of the Hebrews. The Hellenists noticed this disparity and felt envious and jealous, which ultimately led to anger. As they looked around and observed what was happening, they did not like what they saw.

The word translated as "neglect" in Acts chapter 6 is a Greek word that also means to take two things and place them next to each other for examination. How many of you recognize that this often leads to trouble? Let me give you an example from my own life that I remember. Being a child on Christmas Day, most of you can probably identify with this, especially if you had brothers and sisters. I have three brothers and one sister. And there on Christmas morning...

You unwrap all of your gifts, and you have all of your presents in front of you. Everything's unwrapped, and then you start to look around. How come she has five gifts and I've only got three? You know what it's like. When you begin to examine what you have and what somebody else has, all of a sudden, you begin to be in your flesh. Oh man, that's just not fair. That's just not right.

James, the brother of our Lord, tells us in James chapter 4, verse 1, that this is where wars and fights come from. Let me read this to you. James 4:1 says, "From whence come wars and fightings among you? Do they not come even from your desires, from your lusts that war within your members? You lust and you have not. You kill and desire to have and cannot obtain. You fight and you war, yet you have not because you ask not." Interesting. This brings us back to the important principle of asking. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives all liberally and without reproach. Ask, seek, and knock, the Lord says.

Don't murmur and complain because of neglect, as we see here in this point in Acts chapter 6. The Hellenists began to complain and murmur because they were neglected in the daily ministry. It appears that the early church carried upon themselves the responsibility to take care of the widows within the body of Christ.

Now, I want you to recognize that this was almost purely a Hebrew cultural thing. Within the Hebrew tradition and the Old Testament law, they were commanded to take care of the widows, the orphans, the fatherless, and so forth. The Hebrews within the body of Christ, who had become Christians, brought that tradition into the church, which is a great tradition. It was just something that they did; that's what they were all about.

However, the Greek-influenced Hellenists did not have that tradition. When they all became a part of the body of Christ, the Hellenists looked at the Hebrews and said, "That's not fair. They're getting ministry that we're not getting." Well, how do you deal with such a complaint and murmuring within the body of Christ? It's very important that we consider this.

This is a great question because we are in a similar situation here at Calvary Chapel. The body of Christ is growing, and as the body of Christ grows, the ministry needs to grow as well. Those needs are oftentimes not seen and are often overlooked until somebody feels that need and says, "Wait a minute, this isn't fair."

It is very important that we consider how the early church and its leaders dealt with complaints when they arose. I praise the Lord again that His word is living and that He shows us how to confront such things. In Acts chapter 6, verse 2, we see what they did. Notice the first thing that the apostles, the leaders of the early church, did when confronted with this issue between two groups of Christians. They called the multitude of the disciples together.

Why did they do this? Consider it for a moment. In Christ, there is no Jew, no Gentile, no Greek, no Hellenist; we are all one in Christ. The first thing the apostles did was gather everyone together to recognize that we are one body. There is no division between the Hebrews and the Hellenists; we are one in Christ. They gathered all the multitude of disciples together as a reminder of this great truth.

It is so easy for us to divide among certain groups within the body of Christ. That is the way our flesh works. Think about it. As we see in the Old Testament, all these different groups gathered together after the languages were dispersed in Genesis chapter 11, trying to strengthen their group. Man is always separating himself. Look at our culture; we are filled with a culture of people trying to be individuals.

If you don't believe me, go to a high school campus. Everyone is constantly trying to be individual, special, and unique. They want to be different from everybody else. Even though they think they are different, they are all really alike at the end of the day. They all buy their clothes at the same place. We are constantly trying to divide ourselves into different groups, but in Christ, He says, "No, we are one body." We are all a multitude of disciples together.

So the first thing that the church leaders did was gather everybody together in recognition that we are one in Christ. Then they said unto them...

It is not reasonable or desirable that we should leave the Word of God to serve tables. Not only did the leaders gather everybody together in recognition that we are one in Christ, but they also determined that this issue could be a distraction. This issue could distract from what God had primarily called these men to do. They recognized that they were called by God for a purpose, which they would expand upon when we get down to verse 4.

The leaders of the church recognized that they were one body and that this should not be something to divide that body. It was merely a distraction. They stated that it was not desirable for them to leave the Word of God to serve tables or to wait on tables in this respect. Notice that they did not overlook or diminish the problem. They recognized that the issue brought to them was legitimate. They did not dismiss it by saying, "Oh, get over it. This is stupid," or "Deal with it. We don't have time for this." Instead, they acknowledged that it was a legitimate issue but questioned whether it was significant enough to pull them away from the primary ministry that God had called them to do.

They did not diminish the problem or say it was no big deal. They recognized that it truly was a problem, but they also understood that it was not one that they, specifically the twelve, would take care of by themselves. Therefore, they said, "Wherefore, brethren?" They took the problem that was brought to them and turned it back to the body, saying, "Wherefore, brethren, look out among you and find seven men." The twelve recognized that they had a calling that should not be set aside for this ministry, which was a very real need.

Instead, the twelve instructed the church to identify seven individuals who could take care of this business, individuals they could appoint to this work. They provided three criteria for these seven men. First, they needed to be of honest report or have a good testimony. They were to have an honorable reputation. Secondly, they were to be full of the Holy Spirit. Thirdly, they were to be full of wisdom. Now, I want you to consider this for a moment.

The task that they were calling these seven men to was one that you and I might look at and say, "That's really not that big a deal." Yet, to God and to the disciples, it was a big deal. It was a ministry that needed individuals who were of good report, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom. They didn't just say, "You, you, you, you, and you do it." They said, "Identify some people that meet this criteria to fulfill this ministry."

It's very clear that in this, the disciples in the early church, the apostles, recognized that every aspect of ministry is important. It's not just some little sideline sort of thing that anybody can do. It was important to them because it was important to God. So, they said, "We want you to identify seven individuals full of the Holy Spirit, full of wisdom, and of good report to be commissioned to this task."

Now, why did they choose the number seven? I don't know. Perhaps they just thought, "Seven sounds like a good number, a number of completion, a number of perfection." Maybe they looked at the work and said, "I think we probably need seven people for this job." Whatever the case, they said to the body, to the church, "You identify seven individuals that are of good report, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom to be appointed to this work."

But notice what else they said. They said, "We will appoint them to the task." The people were to identify the seven men to fit the bill, but the twelve were going to appoint them to the work or set them to the task, making them overseers for that. This appointment that the apostles were going to give has two very important reasons for it.

Number one, it reflected the proper authority. It reflected the proper authority that God gave to these apostles and the leadership of the church. God had called, ordained, and appointed these twelve men to be the leaders of the body of Christ. In bringing these seven men to the apostles to be appointed to that work, it reflected that proper authority, the authority that God had given to them.

In Matthew chapter 28, when Jesus was commissioning his twelve disciples, he said, "All authority..."

is given to me in heaven, in earth, and under the earth. Go and make disciples of all nations. You see, Jesus had all authority, and he extended that authority to the disciples. Now, they, exercising that authority, said, "Listen, you bring seven men full of the Holy Spirit, of good report, and full of wisdom to us, and we will appoint them to the task."

This appointment, number one, reflected the proper authority that God had given to the apostles. Number two, it extended that authority from the apostles to the seven before all who were in the church, so that everybody in the church would recognize that these men had been appointed to this task by the apostles and ultimately by God. The whole church would recognize that they had a specific work—these seven men. It was very important that they were set to this work.

Then the disciples said in Acts chapter 6, verse 4, "But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word." The disciples recognized their primary calling. It was not that this work and this ministry that was brought before them was less than what they were doing. They recognized the importance of serving tables. However, they also recognized that God had called them to this specific task of seeking the Lord in prayer continually and ministering the word to the body of Christ.

The twelve apostles were not saying, "Hey, that job of serving tables is below us. We don't have time for that." That's not what they were doing. When we read "waiting on tables" or "serving tables," our minds immediately think of a waiter tending to the widows, taking food to them and waiting on them. But when you really break this down in the original language, "serving tables" actually referred to an administrative position. These seven men were not just waiters; they were in an administrative role, giving forth alms, finances, or food to the widows within the body of Christ. It was a full-time task, not something that just happened here or there. It was a daily responsibility, and they were to be commissioned and appointed to this work so that the apostles could be freed up to do the primary thing that God had called them to.

The importance of this task cannot be diminished. It is very important within the body of Christ that we identify, understand, and recognize what we are called to. Sometimes, it may take a little bit of time to really identify if this is what the Lord has called me to.

One of the things I have found in my own life is that it has been very beneficial for me over the years to identify what I am not called to. What do I mean by that? Well, over the last ten years or so, as I have engaged in various ministries within the body of Christ, I have clearly seen, as time has gone by, that the Lord has not called me to this, this, or this. It is not that those works are not good works or great works, and even important works; it is just that God has not called me to do that work.

What does that do for me? It frees me up. When people come to me and say, "I really have a burden from the Lord that you should do this," I can respond, "I am not called to that, but perhaps that burden from the Lord is upon you because He has called you to that." We do not typically like to hear that, but it is something I learned from Pastor Pat and many of the other leaders here at this church.

We found that if you went to Pastor Pat years ago and said, "Hey, the Lord, I really believe He wants us to do this," Pat would say, "Pray about it and do it." We still do that today. It is something we inherited from him, and we continue to practice it. It has become a routine. People come to us throughout the week and month, different leaders within the church, and they say, "We really think that this is lacking at our church, and we have a burden that you should do it."

This is what was happening in Acts chapter 6. Peter and the rest of the apostles said, "No, the Lord has not called us to do that, but it is still an important work. Identify seven men of good report, full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom, to do that work. We will appoint them to that task. We will lay hands on them, we will pray for them, and we will send them forth, but we are going to give ourselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the word."

As I look at our church today, we have many ministries and ministers. So many people are actively serving. In fact, many of you here this morning are serving in different capacities here with Calvary Chapel of Escondido. Perhaps you serve in children's ministry, youth ministry, men's ministry, or women's ministry. Maybe you come to the English services and serve in the Spanish services, or you go to the nursing home.

With Pastor Mark, or while serving in various areas such as Vacation Bible School in the summer and Harvest Celebration at the end of the year, there are many different aspects of ministry and opportunities available. These ministries are growing, and the opportunity for ministry continues to expand here as well.

As I look out over our church, I don't see any of these ministries as being more important than the others. I honestly believe that what I'm doing right here is no more important than what's happening in the children's ministry at this moment. In fact, I truly believe that what is happening there might be even more important because the Lord is raising up a new generation from that ministry to take the Word of God into the rest of the world. The same thing is happening here as well, but the ministry at Calvary Chapel is extremely important across the board in all that God is doing.

Why is this so? Because we have the message, the words of eternal life. God has given us a glorious message—the ministry of reconciliation and the ministry of redemption. He has extended it to us. Sometimes, that ministry goes forth through proclamation, the preaching of the gospel, whether it's here on Sunday morning, Saturday night, or at any other time. However, oftentimes, that work goes forth as you and I are out in the community, extending the hands of love of God to a world that is sick, dying, and going to hell.

A very important ministry was taking place in Acts, and it continues 2,000 years later here at Calvary Chapel of Escondido. God is doing a work, and He uses you and me to be a part of that ministry, which I think is glorious. One of the most amazing things in the world is that the God of the universe, the one who spoke everything seen and unseen into creation, wants to use you and me to further His work. That blows my mind.

There was an area of work, an area of ministry that needed to be addressed here. The apostles in the early church recognized that this was a work that the body would be a part of and would do. One of the great strengths that has caused Calvary Chapel, not just Calvary Chapel Escondido, but Calvary Chapel at large, to grow so strong since it was started back in the mid-60s is that the ministry has been given back to the body to do. And Pastor Chuck...

You listen to any of his messages from 40 years ago, and you'll hear him constantly saying that we've been called to equip the saints for the work of the ministry. I believe that's what God has called me to do: to make sure that every single person who is a part of this church is thoroughly equipped for every good work. You are ready to do whatever God would call you to do at a moment's notice. That's why we are so focused on discipleship.

All of our leadership, whether it's our pastors, our elders, or those in other capacities of leadership at this church, wants to see the body of Christ built up and equipped. We want you to be of good report, full of the Holy Spirit, and full of wisdom, so that you are ready to do the work that God has called you to. I believe that the early church was focused on that as well. The disciples, the apostles, recognized that they would give themselves continually to prayer and the ministry of the Word.

Let me confess to you that over the last year, this has been difficult for me. The Lord is reminding me once again of the importance of delegating things to other people so that I can focus on the very thing that God has called me to do. In April of last year, we made the transition, and I stepped into the position of senior pastor here at this church. Prior to that, I had a lot of different activities and things that I was overseeing and working on. Ever since then, over the last 11 months, the Lord has been slowly working on me to let go of some of these things. Some of them have been really hard to let go of, and some of them I still haven't let go of. However, He is constantly and continually reminding me that there is a calling that He has given to me, and I need to focus on this.

Many of you know it's too easy sometimes to say yes to everything. How many of you have been those who say yes to everything for a long time? Can you help with the men's ministry? Yes. Can you help with the children's ministry? Yes. Can you help with the youth ministry? Yes. Can you be on the cleaning crew? Yes. Can you help with the ushers? Yes. Can you help with the greeters? Yes. Can you help with communion? Yes. I'll do it all. Then you find yourself asking, "Why am I doing all this stuff?" It hasn't been the call of the Lord or the commission of the Lord; it's just been your willingness to say yes to everything. Perhaps the Lord is wanting you to identify what He has called you to and gifted you for.

You see, I believe in this room today there are people who are uniquely gifted and called by God to be in children's ministry. There are those in this room today who are gifted and uniquely called.

God has called some of you to be a part of the ushers or the greeters. You might wonder, "Come on, God really uniquely gifts people to be a greeter?" Yes, He does. How do I know this? The fact is that many people in this church do not wake up in the morning with a bright smile on their face, ready to extend their hand and say, "Welcome to Calvary Chapel. Can I help you with anything?" That's just not the way their minds work, but there are some who are naturally inclined to do so. God has uniquely gifted them for this purpose.

He has called you to help with the ushers, the sound team, or the worship team—not just on Sunday mornings, but also in home fellowships, women's ministry, or whatever it may be. Some of you have been uniquely gifted and called to be home fellowship leaders or to host a home fellowship. God has given you a great gift of hospitality, and you have the opportunity to use that gift.

This is why I believe the apostles instructed the church to identify seven people from among them who could do this work. Those within the body knew who had the gift of hospitality and were encouraged to say, "Hey, I think you should do this." They recognized individuals who worked well with three-year-olds, which is a challenging ministry. I guarantee it is harder to share the Word of God with a five-year-old than to do what I do on Sunday mornings. I know this because I have tried it, and it is just easier to speak to adults. Those of you who have done children's ministry understand that it can be difficult, but God has uniquely gifted and called some of you to take on that challenge.

So, they identified seven individuals. The scripture states that the saying pleased the multitude, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with Philip, Procurus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas, a proselyte from Antioch. It is interesting to note that every single one of these seven men had Greek names. Which group was it that was lacking and not receiving the ministry they desired? It was the Hellenistic group. Ironically, it was that very group that felt the need and ended up fulfilling it.

Seven men were chosen. We read of Stephen and Philip, and we will look more closely at Stephen next week and Philip the following week. These men fit the bill; they were full of the Holy Spirit, had a good report, and were full of wisdom. The apostles set these men before the apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.

In Acts chapter 5, we saw the religious leaders of Judaism lay hands on the apostles and throw them into prison. This is not the same laying on of hands. Here, the body of Christ identifies these seven men, who are full of the Holy Spirit, have a good report, and are full of wisdom. They are set before the apostles, who pray and lay hands on them, commissioning them to the ministry.

Why is this important? Paul the Apostle, in his second letter to Timothy, said, "Do not neglect the gift that was given to you by the laying on of hands of the apostleship." You see, God has gifts that He gives as He wills by His Holy Spirit to fulfill the work that God has called us to.

You may be sitting there today thinking, "I don't think I could do any of those things. I don't think I could do children's ministry or even be an usher or a greeter or help with that. I can't do any of that stuff." That is not true. When the Holy Spirit gives you gifts as He wills, you are supernaturally enabled to do the very thing that God has called you to do.

I've told you this before, and it's very true. When I was in high school, I believed that one day the Lord was going to have me teach His word. So, I thought, "I should take a speech class. That'll help, won't it?" What the speech class did for me my junior year in high school was reveal that I cannot do public speaking. It was the most horrible four months of my life up to that point. It was so very difficult to stand up and give even a two-minute, three-minute, or five-minute speech on any topic, even a topic that I liked. I would stand up there, fumble over my words, and sweat like crazy, just like many of you may do if you stand before people, scared to death and shaking. I thought, "I can't do this." By the end of that class, I was convinced that no, I don't think He has called me to that.

Then, in 1999, Pastor Tony asked me, "Would you teach the junior high ministry?"

Now, my first thought was no, like so many of us when someone asks, "Will you do this?" But the words that came out of my mouth were not no; they were, "I'll pray about it." Most of you know that those are the Christian way of saying no. When you don't want to do something, saying "I'll pray about it" sounds spiritual, doesn't it?

I was scared to death when I stood before the junior high group on February 14th, 1999, Valentine's Day, and started teaching through the book of Galatians. I think I probably had 15 pages of notes on the first chapter. It blew my mind at the end of that that the Lord was able to use me, who formerly hated standing in front of people and speaking. I don't think I looked at my notes one time as I was teaching that day. Why? Because God, by His Spirit, is able to give us gifts as He wills to fulfill the ministry that He's called us to. He'll do the same for you.

He did the same for this group that we read of in Acts chapter 6. The ministry was growing, and the ministry needs were beginning to be felt. The ministers, the apostles, recognized that those needs needed to be placed upon the disciples, the body of Christ, to be met and fulfilled. Why? Because God wanted to use them.

Our ministry is growing. God is doing an awesome work before us. It's incredible to see it and to be a part of it. But as that growth happens, there are going to be ministry needs that begin to be felt. If someone comes to you and pulls you aside, starting to complain about someone taking their parking space or their seat, or expressing dissatisfaction, let me give you an exhortation of what you should do. Stop them. Say, "Well, let's stop. Let's pray. Bring the request to the Lord." But recognize that you just might be praying for yourself.

In Matthew chapter 9, Jesus saw the multitudes and was moved with compassion for them because they were like sheep without a shepherd; they were scattered and fainted. He said to His disciples, "Pray the Lord of the harvest that He will send forth laborers into the harvest."

And so they began to pray for laborers. In the next chapter, Matthew chapter 10, Jesus gathered the disciples together, paired them up two by two, and sent them out into the work. They were praying for themselves. God is preparing every single one of you to be a part of that work. He has called you and uniquely gifted you. He will give you His gifts by His Spirit to accomplish it, but He desires that we step out into the work.

In Luke chapter 5, if you turn there, we see Jesus at the beginning of His ministry. We read in Luke chapter 5, verse 1, that it came to pass that as the people pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the Sea of Galilee, or the Lake Gennesaret. The people pressed in around Jesus so that they could hear the word of God. He was preaching and teaching the word of God, and all the multitudes came and pressed in.

He saw two boats standing by the sea, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and He asked him to thrust it out a little from the land. Jesus sat down and taught the people from the ship.

When He had finished speaking, He turned to Peter and said, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." Peter leaned over and said, "We have toiled all night, Master, and have caught nothing. Nevertheless, at Your word, I will let down the net." When they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fish, and their nets were near to breaking. They beckoned their partners, who were with them in the other ship, to come and help them. As they came, they filled both boats so that they began to sink.

When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord." He was astonished at all that were with him at the catch of fish they had brought. So were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Peter.

And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not, for henceforth you shall catch men." This is an interesting story. As Jesus was giving forth the word of God, the people began to press in. He said to Peter, "Put out your boat a little bit," and he taught them from the boat. Then he turned to Peter and said, "Hey, put your boat out and let down the nets."

Now, Peter is a fisherman; he understands fishing. Although we never really see him catch a fish apart from Jesus' help, he knows the trade. He kind of schooled this rabbi from Nazareth and said, "Listen, we've been toiling all night. We haven't caught anything." I have a feeling that he probably didn't say that very loud. He likely leaned over and said, "Listen, we toiled all night. We didn't catch anything. But at your word, we'll let down our nets." What a great man of faith Peter was!

A friend of mine, Pastor Nick, who leads a church in Germany, was a fisherman on a boat in Alaska before he became a believer. He told me that when you fish, especially in freshwater with nets, if you don't catch any fish, you typically don't wash your nets because the fish slime and goop can begin to destroy them. But Peter was washing his nets. Why? I don't think he wanted anybody to know that he hadn't caught any fish.

Jesus then said to him, "Launch out into the deep." Peter put down the nets, and when they did, they caught a catch that was bigger than any he had ever taken before. They were all amazed. But Jesus said, "Listen, this is nothing. This is only an indication of what I'm really going to do with you because from henceforth, you shall be a fisher of men."

What we see here is that Jesus changed Peter's calling. Peter thought he was called to catch fish, but Jesus knew he was called to be a fisher of men. For you here today, I believe God is calling us to launch out into the deep because He has a new calling for you. It may be something you've never done before, and perhaps you're fearful of doing it, but God has a new calling for you.

As we step into a new time of growth for our church, as we add a third service, we need more help with children's ministry, ushers, greeters, security people in the parking lot, sound teams, worship teams, and all these different aspects of ministry that are opening up. So many doors of ministry are available.

God is saying to you, "Launch out into the deep," because I've changed your calling or I've given you a calling. He desires that you and I would be a part of that work. Paul the Apostle, in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, said, "A great and effective door has been opened unto me, and there are many, many adversaries."

Now, I don't say this to scare you, and I hope it doesn't, because I believe that the Lord is calling you to step out, launch out into the deep, and be involved in what God has called us to. However, anytime we step out into ministry, we need to recognize and count the cost, because there is always opposition. There is always warfare. When you step out to serve God, you will always experience some level of opposition and spiritual warfare.

In Acts chapter 6, continuing on in verse 8, it says, "Stephen was full of faith and power and did great wonders and miracles among the people." Then there arose certain members of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and the Cyrenians, and the Alexandrians, and of Cilicia and Asia. They rose up and disputed with Stephen, but they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke. They secretly induced men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."

They stirred up the people, and the elders and the scribes came upon him. They caught him and brought him to the council, where they set up false witnesses who said, "This man ceases not to speak blasphemous words against the holy place and against the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place and shall change the customs which Moses delivered unto us."

All that sat in the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. They looked at Stephen as he was sent out into the work, but there was opposition. There is always going to be opposition when we step out into that work to fulfill the ministry that the Lord has called us to. But greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.

God's work is for a purpose. Look at the result of what happened when the body of Christ called forth these seven men. The leaders laid hands on them and sent them to the work. Yes, there was opposition, but look at verse 7 of Acts chapter 6. After they laid hands on them, the word of God did what? It increased. The word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem. A great company of Christ's followers were obedient to the faith.

The word of God increased. Why? Because the apostles were freed up to focus on that which God had called them to. The word of God increased, the disciples grew, and the disciples multiplied. Many priests were obedient to the faith. This is interesting because the priesthood at this point in time was largely dominated by the Sadducees, who had a fairly Hellenistic culture and worldview. Now, as these seven men from that group are sent out to minister among that group, we see that many became faithfully obedient, and God moved His word forward.

I believe we are going to continue to see that at our church, but we need to recognize that as God grows our church and as He begins to develop this ministry even more and more, this is a ministry that has been around for a long time. For over 25 years, Calvary Chapel of Escondido has ministered here in the city of Escondido, but there are many more years to come and much land to be possessed.

As God grows His church, opposition will always come. One of the things that we need to be on guard against as we step into this new time of growth for our church is that the enemy is going to seek to come in and sow discord and division. He will try to cause murmuring and complaining. When that murmuring comes, make sure we take it to God in prayer.

We need to recognize that if today you are feeling a need, thinking that there is an area of ministry that we aren't fulfilling, God might be calling you. He might be desiring that you step out and launch into the deep and let down the net because a great catch is coming. We have very important needs here as it relates to ministry, particularly in our children's ministry. We need help in the 9:30 and 11:30 services.

We are going to be starting next week. They need a three-year-old teacher in the 9:30 service, and they need five helpers for all the different grades in the 9:30 service. The 11:30 service has nobody for the three-year-olds class—not a single teacher, helper, or anyone for the three-year-olds class. They also need helpers for all the classes again in the 11:30 service.

Why? Well, God is growing our church, and these are growing pains. They are not bad; they are actually good things. He is equipping and raising up people from within this body that sits here Sunday after Sunday. He is raising you up. He is calling your name, saying, "Launch out into the deep; a great catch awaits." It may not just be here at this church on this campus, but there are great needs in our community, down in Tecate. There are all kinds of opportunities, and God is calling you.

Let's stand and pray.

Father, we know that where there is no ox, the stall is clean. But, Lord, we see that there are difficulties—sometimes growing pains and troubles—as ministry grows. You are doing a work in our midst, and we thank you so much, Lord, for counting us worthy, placing us into this ministry, and using us for Your glory. What a privilege it is to be able to serve You, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all things.

I pray that by Your Spirit right now, You would move among Your body here, Lord, giving that call to step out, to launch out into the deep, and let down the net. I pray that You would help me and help my brothers and sisters here to be faithful to the call, for we ask it in Jesus' name.

And all God's people said, "Amen!" Thank you.