Read Acts 6:1-7
1 But as the believers rapidly multiplied, there were rumblings of discontent. The Greek-speaking believers complained about the Hebrew-speaking believers, saying that their widows were being discriminated against in the daily distribution of food.
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program. 3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
5 Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas of Antioch (an earlier convert to the Jewish faith). 6 These seven were presented to the apostles, who prayed for them as they laid their hands on them.
7 So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too. (NLT)
Discover
1. What problems prompted the Twelve to call a meeting?
2. What role did the Twelve identify as their purpose within the church, and for what separate purpose were seven others chosen?
3. What effect did this meeting have on the Kingdom of God?
Respond
The early church had recently been birthed, and now they ran into one of their first organizational problems. As they grew, so did their complexity and needs. That led the leaders to acknowledge an important principle: while they had a specific purpose within the church, others had also been equipped by God to serve elsewhere and meet those needs. Each person had a unique role and purpose in God’s mission within the world. The same is true for us today.
As you consider your own purpose and where God might be calling you to serve, here are a few questions to process:
• What are your gifts and experiences? (If helpful, take this spiritual gifts assessment.)
• What are your passions?
• What needs to be done?
Pray through those questions, and then consider the following next steps:
What You Can Do
One of the best ways to live out your purpose and serve here in Indianapolis is by partnering with local nonprofits already doing great work in our neighborhoods. Pull up the Traders Point serving calendar at tpcc.org/serve-near-calendar, and choose an opportunity that lines up with the questions you answered above. Consider how you can link arms with your family or small group to serve together.
How You Can Pray
Pray for God to give you boldness and show you ways to get outside your comfort zone to engage the needs around you. As you look through the opportunities on the serving calendar, pray for the local outreach partners you see listed. Pray for strength for their staff and that the people they serve would see and know the love of Jesus through them.