Acts 6:1-7 - God's Will and the External Call

Acts 6:1-7 - Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. 2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

Message: God's Will and the External Call

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: As I continue to look at and study this idea of God's will on my life. The study can encompass a specific will for me that may be different from others. This is my vocation will or what I will spend my days doing on this earth. Many of us grow up learning and going to school with the ambition that following school we will enter the work force or that education will prepare us for doing work once we exit that learning phase of our life. Besides entering the workforce, for some the work of raising children and teaching them will be that vocation. So as we grow, we seek to know how we will be serving people. The workforce I have seen embodies or includes the work of ministry as well as layperson vocations. But in all vocations, I believe there is ministry work. For some, like me, that time serving is part-time or indirect while the minister or church worker is more directly spending time in ministry throughout their day. 

Thus, in this calling there is an internal call or that which I come up with or sense God calling me into, but there is also an external call or the confirmation I receive from others. 

I am still determining from scripture the calling spoken of in the Bible that pertains to non-ministry vocations. Non-ministry work is identified in scripture but the calling to do ministry is definitely identified. For example:

I Corinthians 9:16 - For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.

I Timothy 3:1 - It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.

The calling, externally, is necessary because we are fallen creatures and our hearts can deceive us. Jeremiah 17:9 - “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick..."

Today's passage shows us that God does confirm a person's call through others in the church, other leaders as well as the congregation. Acts 6:1-7 mentions a specific need: providing food to widows. The leaders of the church had the entire congregation select 7 men to provide for this need. I previously looked at this passage as I considered the study and role of deacons. Acts seems to first identify a need and then select those to provide for that need. It seems we often operate in the church by selecting people to serve in the role of deacon and then work on identifying where they will serve. For example, recently several people in our Sunday school class identified that Pamela and I should be home group leaders. They believe we have a calling for this and possess abilities for this role. I think this is an example of external call as well as this passage in Acts of seeing a need and identifying those that will serve that need. Perhaps it would go further if we made these callings and service roles more official in these ways in the Body. Perhaps we need to look at all members with this in mind. It seems rather what we do is identify needs and wait for volunteers. 

Summary: In determining God's will, in addition to a person identifying for themselves where to serve, leaders and others around them, such as the congregation, also are involved in confirming this call. 

Promise: From Tabletalk - No matter our vocation, we should expect some kind of external confirmation that the vocation we desire is actually for us. Furthermore, we should be honest with friends and family regarding their vocations. We do not serve people well when we affirm their sense of internal call and yet it is obvious that they do not have the skills or aptitude for the vocation in question.

Prayer: Lord, there is always great joy in reading and studying Your word. It is always illuminating to me to read and discern what you are saying and how those words apply to our lives. I believe you give me this understanding through Your Holy Spirit but you also confirm it through the congregation and through leaders. Thank you for speaking to me and equipping me for the work of ministry. Thank you for helping me always see the importance of that work and how I need to always prepare myself to do that work. Your ways are clear and they make sense to how life is lived.