Sermon Tone Analysis

Acts 6-7

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Growth of the church

·         3,000 believed (2:41)

·         Then believers were added daily (2:47)

·         Then the church grew by 5,000 men (4:4)

·         Then this number multiplied (6:1)

·         Then the number multiplied again greatly (6:7).

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Murmuring

1.

They had a legitimate reason

2.       Murmur: Grumbling

3.       Just in case you’ve never read the Old Testament…God doesn’t like murmuring.

4.       1 Corinthians 10:9-10 "9Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer."

5.       Philippians 2:14-15 "14Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 15That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"

6.

What should we do instead of murmuring?

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First Things First

!! Acts 6:4

The food problem was solved by putting first things first.

!!! Prayer and the Word go together

1.       John 15:7 "7If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

2.       Proverbs 28:9 "9He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer/ shall be/ abomination."

3.       Samuel: 1 Samuel 12:23 "23Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:"

4.       Jesus: Mark 1:35-39 "35And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

36And Simon and they that were with him followed after him.

37And when they had found him, they said unto him, All/ men/ seek for thee.

38And he said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

39And he preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."

5.       Paul: Colossians 1:9-10 "9For this cause we also, since the day we heard/ it/, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;"

6.       Ephesians 6:17-18 "17And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"

7.       Acts 20:32-36 "32And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.

33I have coveted no man’s silver, or gold, or apparel.

34Yea, ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me.

35I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

36And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all."

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Dangers Of Overload

1.

The deacons’ main task was to take care of material needs and thus relieve the apostles for their spiritual ministry.

a.       Counseling, etc.

b.

They have high qualification and a position of honor.

2.       Moses

3.       A distracted  overtaxed pastor is the prelude to a dead church or a dead family.

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Deacons

Deacon Debate

·         These seven men are not actually called “deacons,”

·         The word “ministration” in 6:1 is /diakonia/ in the Gk., and this word is transliterated “deacon” elsewhere in the Bible.

·         The word simply means “servant”; in 6:2 it is translated as “serve” and in 6:4 as “ministry.”

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Qualifications

*1.       **honest report*

*2.       **full of the Holy Ghost*

*3.       **wisdom*: James 3:13-18 "13Who/ is/ a wise man and endued with knowledge among you?

let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.

14But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.

15This wisdom descendeth not from above, but/ is/ earthly, sensual, devilish.

16For where envying and strife/ is/, there/ is/ confusion and every evil work.

17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,/ and/ easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

4.       Notice:

a.

This was not about who is most popular

b.

Who does everybody like

c.       Who is the most talented

d.      Character, morality and spiritual things matter

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The Method

1.       “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you..” (3)

a.       Verse 5 “they chose”

b.

The ones appointed had Greek names

2.       We may appoint

a.

The apostles laid down the guidelines

b.

The apostles appointed~/charged the seven

c.

They prayed and laid hands on them.

(6)

3.       Verse 6: laying on of hands was signifying commissioning an granting of authority

a.       Acts 8:17-19 "17Then laid they/ their/ hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

18And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost."

b.      Acts 13:3 "3And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid/ their/ hands on them, they sent/ them/ away."

c.       Acts 19:6 "6And when Paul had laid/ his/ hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied."

d.      1 Timothy 4:14 "14Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery."

e.      1 Timothy 5:22 "22Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure."

f.        Hebrews 6:2 "2Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment."

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The Seven

Acts 21:8 "8And the next/ day/ we that were of Paul’s company departed, and came unto Caesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, which was/ one/ of the seven; and abode with him."

Stephen and Philip are introduced here.

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Stephen

1.       Stephen means “victor’s crown”

a.       Revelation 2:10 "10Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast/ some/ of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."

b.

He certainly earned it.

2.       Deacons are soul winners too.

a.        

3.

Opposition (9)

4.

Not able to resist (10)

a.       Just like with Jesus

b.      Stephen shut them up

                                                               i.

Right *words* (projectile)

                                                             ii.