The other day a businessman told me his problem. He was a victim of his own success. The company he had started faces a crisis. It is now so big that he can’t manage it by himself. It’s a good problem, but a problem just the same.
He faces some tough choices. He can continue as things are and risk frustration and possibly a heart attack. He can cut back and become a smaller business. The third option would require more courage. He could enlarge his facilities, hire more staff and delegate more responsibility. This would be a big step but would offer the prospect of more profits. Most importantly, he must change the way he thinks about his business.
Growing churches must make similar choices. Church growth is not pain free. Leaders face tough choices. Leaders need to adjust to new ways of doing things. I have led congregations through the challenges of growth and well remember the unsettled feelings people had. There were difficulties with inadequate facilities. There had to be changes in job descriptions and staff positions. A congregation of 900 cannot be led the same way a congregation of 300 is led. Growth means change and change is unsettling.
The church in Jerusalem experienced the problems of growth. It showed up in the feeding program for widows. Church leaders had to change their thinking, their structure and retool their operations to continue growing.
PHILIP, THE MAN WITH A GROWING MINISTRY
Philip emerged in the midst of this crisis. There is nothing striking about Philip’s background, he just made himself available to God and God used him. Philip never stagnated or plateaued. He never said, “I’ve gone far enough,” or. “I’ve done my fair share.” He was always ready to grow and face new challenges.
The Bible doesn’t tell us he had any great abilities or talents. He was a layman, a businessman and a relatively new convert but as each new situation emerged, he grew personally and enlarged his ministry influence.
Philip was a man with a growing ministry who set a pattern for us to follow. There is much we can learn from him.
1. BE A PROBLEM-SOLVER, NOT A PROBLEM-MAKER
i. Realize there will be problems.
It would be nice to pastor a problem-free church. Such a church does not exist, and it did and I became the pastor, I’m sure there would soon be problems!
The New Testament churches in Corinth, Ephesus, Galatia and Colosse had problems, and we will deal with problems too. The church in Jerusalem faced a major crisis. It threatened to divide the church.
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against those of the Aramaic-speaking community because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. (Acts 6:1).
Jews, at that time, distributed food to the poor every Friday and the first Christians carried on this custom. The problem was not that they were doing something wrong. The leadership was just caught up in a growing workload.
Church problems come in many forms. Congregations can argue over worship styles, facilities, leadership anprograms. Historically, churches have debated doctrine, but these debates are less common today.
ii. Realize that problems often have secondary issues.
The issue concerned widows who were being neglected, but it was only certain widows who were being neglected. Those who spoke Greek got food; those who spoke Aramaic got none. Clearly it was not simply a food issue; it was a racial and ethnic matter and became a source of tension.
Part of the work of a pastor is look below the surface to discover the underlying factors in a dispute. What people say the issue is and what really motivates them to argue are often two different things.
iii. Determine to deal with the issue.
The leaders of the church in Jerusalem did not sweep the problem under the rug and pretend there was no issue. The apostles met together to deal with the situation. They knew there was wisdom in a collective decision. They made the issue a matter of prayer, the confronted the situation in love and came up with an innovative solution.
Problems do not go away by themselves; problems get bigger. They continue to disturb and disrupt you until you deal with them.
iv. Never compromise the ministry of the word.
The apostles were caught in a bind. There were only 24 hours in a day and they simply didn’t have time to do everything they wanted to do. They couldn’t serve food and still prepare to preach.
They realized, It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. (Acts 6:2). Nothing is more important than the ministry of the word and no issue should interfere with that ministry.
v. Recommend solutions; don’t just debate and blame.
The apostles were under great pressure and needed to come up with a solution that everyone accepted and this is what they did. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and we will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. (Acts 6:3).
The apostles concluded that the original job descriptions of pastors no longer worked with the influx of people. The Twelve did not get involved in the debate over who was right and who was wrong. They devised an innovative solution.
The church chose seven men to look after the widows. It was the Greek-speaking widows who were being neglected and it is interesting that each of the seven men were Greek-speaking! In effect the seven men said, “We are going to stop complaining about what the apostles are not doing and get involved in solving the situation.
One of these men was Philip. It was his people who were wronged, but he became a problem-solver instead of a problem-maker.
The implication of this experience in Jerusalem is still with us today. It is why deacons are chosen to serve in churches today. It teaches us that problems don’t need to divide a church. Problems can be opportunities for further growth.
Churches have always had challenges. New Testament churches learned to solve their problems and so must we. Unsolved problems can precipitate a crisis.
2. BE PREPARED, YOUR OPPORTUNITY WILL COME
When the problem arose and a solution was found, there was no time to get ready to serve. The situation was urgent. There was no time for a college program or even a short-term seminar. The people had to be ready when the opportunity arose.
It is important that Christians stay prepared to serve in order to be ready when the opportunity presents itself. The time to learn to be a deacon is not after election to the board. The time to prepare to be a teacher is not the day you stand before a class. Always be prepared and the opportunities will come.
The church chose seven men who were already qualified. The qualifications required said nothing about business acumen, talents and abilities. The qualifications dealt with character issues because the apostles knew that good character is essential for ministry. They knew godliness gave credibility to the ministry. They looked for good men, not just talented or educated men.
If I want God to use me, I have to be a certain kind of person. If I want to be a problem solver and not a problem maker, I have to have character. Philip’s character qualified him to serve. What do we learn?
i. Build a good reputation.
They were to be “known to be” men of honest report. They were to have a good reputation, not just in the church, but also in the community outside the church. They weren’t expected to be perfect, but they were to be known for a consistent Christian lifestyle. Philip met the required standard; he had a good reputation.
Leaders in the church must have lives of integrity. They pay their bills, they tell the truth and they are honest in their business dealings.
ii. Be filled with the Spirit
The deacons were to be full of the Spirit. They were not only to be born of the Spirit, they were to be full of the Spirit. They were not to be men with a 20-year-old experience with the Spirit; they were to be currently walking in the Spirit.
Some people are filled with themselves, others are filled with pride, but people who serve in the church need to be filled with the Spirit. The reason is simple. The Spirit gifts us for ministry and empowers us, making us effective. Christian ministry involves spiritual warfare and it is the Spirit that enables us to do battle with the enemy.
To be full of the Spirit, is to have the Spirit working in your spirit, changing your character and attitudes by producing the fruit of the Spirit. To be full of the Spirit means to have his anointing flowing through you. To be full of the Spirit is to have spiritual gifts operational in your life.
iii. Demonstrate wisdom.
The deacons were to be full of wisdom. Not every Christian is wise. After many years of Christian leadership, I’ve learned that many nice people who are on their way to heaven, simply are not cut out for leadership. They lack wisdom. Truly, there is a major shortage of wisdom. In fact, common sense isn’t too common.
3. BE READY TO BE PART OF THE GROWTH OF THE CHURCH
The church in Jerusalem faced a major problem. Dissension was increasing, racial feelings were surfacing and needy people were being neglected. It threatened the witness of the church. The old ways of doing things bottlenecked the future growth of the church. Changes had to be made if they were to be the church God wanted them to be.
So they did something that had never been done before. In retrospect, it seems such an obvious solution, but at the time, it was revolutionary. They instituted a division of responsibility. The seven deacons would look after the widows and the apostles would devote themselves to prayer, fasting and the ministry of the word. The need of the widows was met and the ministry of the word was not diminished.
So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:7).
The impact of the decision was felt immediately. Seven men had an opportunity to serve in a new way. The apostles were released to concentrate on their ministries. There was a fresh vitality and anointing on the outreach of the church. The word of God spread. The number of disciples increased rapidly. A large number of priests came to faith in Jesus.
Sadly, many differences in churches today are not resolved in a wholesome way and consequently the ministry of the church is curtailed. People get involved in character assassination and arguments over petty issues. They leave a congregation and go to another church where they try to get their way.
Philip emerged during a difficult time in the church by becoming part of the solution. He was available to do his part and qualified to serve.
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