THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

“‘Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.’”  (Acts 6:3-4 HCSB)

There is something awe inspiring about watching a flock of geese fly in formation. But beyond the beauty of it, there is a practical reason why they fly together that way. Each bird can fly 72% farther with the others than they could by themselves. As the lead bird tires, it drops to the back, and a fresh leader takes that bird’s place.  They are honking as they go.  The reason they do that is to encourage each other.  Further, it has been observed that if one goose gets sick or hurt and falls out of formation, two others go to watch over the bird until it can fly again or else dies.  They stick together.

That’s the power of partnership.

What if we did like the geese? The early Christians understood this and we see it illustrated in Acts 6. 

There we discover THE REASONS FOR PARTNERSHIP IN THE CHURCH in verses one and two.  There are two reasons revealed in these verses.

The first reason is THERE ARE PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS THAT DEMAND PARTNERSHIP.

“In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution.” (v.1). 

When I was young, I sometimes had these aches in my legs. I’d complain and Mama would say, “Those are growing pains.”

Growing churches have growing pains. In only six chapters we see that every inch of ground gained for the Kingdom of God has been a battle. The path of progress for the church has been uphill and filled with roadblocks. The conflict the church now faced demanded a resolution. Together they could triumph, but divided they would be defeated.  Former President Lyndon Baines Johnson put it this way, “There are no problems we cannot solve together, and very few that we can solve by ourselves.”

The second reason is THERE ARE PRIORITIES TO ACHIEVE THAT DESERVE PARTNERSHIP.

“Then the Twelve summoned the whole company of the disciples and said, ‘It would not be right for us to give up preaching about God to handle financial matters.  Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty.  But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the preaching ministry.’” (v.2-4). 

The preachers weren’t arguing that they were too good to wait tables or that caring for the widows was unimportant. They were saying God has called us and gifted us to do some things for the church that you can’t do and He has called and gifted you to do some things for the church that we shouldn’t do.

It is all about priorities.  The ministry of the pastor is to hear from God so He may speak for God and thus empower and equip you for your ministry. We cannot be the church God wants us to be if a handful of “professionals” are hired to do the work, while the rest of the members watch.  God has heights for us to climb that we cannot accomplish without the power of partnership. 

In 1953, Edmund Hillary and guide Tenzing Norgay became the first to reach the summit of the highest peak in the world, Mt. Everest.  After this incredible feat, calamity almost robbed them of the joy of their accomplishment.  As they were descending, Hillary slipped and Norgay saved Hillary’s life.  Asked about this, he answered, “Mountain climbers always help each other.”

Beyond the reasons for partnership in the church, we find THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PARTNERSHIP IN THE CHURCH listed in verses three through six.  

What does God require of those who will provide spiritual leadership in the church? We can categorize the requirements two ways.

The first involves CHURCH COMMITMENT.

“Therefore, brothers, select from among you seven men…” (v.3a). 

This was a church decision.  These were men who were committed to the church—active members in the “First Baptist Church” of Jerusalem.

In our church, you can be a member of the Sunday School and not be a member of the church. You can enjoy the services and ministries of the church and never join.  You don’t even have to be a Christian to do that!  But to hold office requires membership.

You can go to heaven without being active in a local church, but I doubt you’ll take many, if any, with you.  God works through His church.  It is the Body of Christ in this world.  We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit.  The local church is the tangible manifestation of believers.

The second matter is one of CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.

“seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint to this duty. “ (v.3b).

3 elements are emphasized concerning the leader’s character.

The Leader Must Be Respected: “good reputation.” 

If people don’t respect you, they won’t follow you. Respect must be earned by the display of consistent Christian commitment. Lack of integrity undermines credibility. Serving in the church isn’t about a title, but a testimony.  It is time to call the church to appoint leaders who will elevate their lives to the Biblical standard rather than trying to lower the standard to match the experience of the leader!

The Leader Must Be Righteous: “full of the Spirit.” 

Spiritual leadership demands spiritual people—men and women filled with the Holy Spirit. Are you?

Here’s the test:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control.” (Gal.5:22-23a)

You can see fruit. Can people observe this fruit in growing measure?  That’s a Spirit-filled life!

The Leader Must Be Responsible: “full of…wisdom.” 

This is the intersection of character and competence.  The leader is responsible to take the Word of God and make practical application. It is about having discernment and making sound decisions.  That is indispensable for church leadership.

What happens when we understand the reasons for and meet the requirements of partnering together in Kingdom work?  We will enjoy THE RESULTS OF PARTNERSHIP IN THE CHURCH as witnessed in verse seven.

“So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” (v.7)

Continued growth will mark the church. This will be in two areas.

There will be SPIRITUAL PROGRESS. 

These disciples developed. We will be rooted in sound doctrine so as to stand strong. As we grow deep in the Word we will grow up in the Lord. The local church will become the Body of Christ in more than theory. It will be a reality.

With that comes STATISTICAL PROGRESS. 

It mentions numbers.  We are told by some that we are not to consider numbers as the measurement of a church’s progress.  While it is true that this should not be the sole indicator of a church’s fruitfulness, it denies the reality that there should be some increase in the amount of fruit if the tree is healthy.  How much may vary and there can even be a season of being dormant and pruning—but out of that comes more fruitfulness. 

This is the story of Acts.  Weigh these verses:

“the number of people who were together was about 120” (1:15)

“So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.” (2:41)

“And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved.” (2:47)

“But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.” (4:4)

“Now the large group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common.” (4:32)

“In those days, as the number of the disciples was multiplying” (6:1a)

“So the preaching about God flourished, the number of the disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.” (6:7)

Wanting quality rather than quantity is a cop out. Spiritual quality of discipleship yields increasing quantity of disciples. We count people because people count!  A plateaued or declining membership should drive us to our knees to seek God and then move us to our feet to seek lost lambs.

Are you in partnership with God? Jesus invited us to take His yoke—He’ll plow with us. Are you in partnership with the church?  All committed Christians need to join the church where they are fed and served. Are you as a church member in partnership with your shepherds?  They will equip and employ you in the most rewarding enterprise of all—eternal in its significance!