From Pentecost To Problems

From Pentecost To Problems

“And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring..”

Acts 6:1

Prayer

We know that the church started as a result of a ten day prayer meeting where people were waiting for the power from on high.  This power would transform their lives and they would never be the same again.

Pentecost

Once Pentecost happened people were added to the church daily. A great revival was in progress.  Pentecost produced people coming into the church.

People

One would think that everything was perfect with this group of people who were in one accord; they prayed; they fasted; they sold their possessions and had all things in common; miracles, signs and wonders were operating in the church.  Thousands of people were coming into the church. But with the people came....

Problems

Acts Chapter Six opens with revival and church growth happenings but with people problems. 

A good pastor needs to understand people.  Many people coming to our churches have problems.  David’s group in 1 Samuel 22:1-2 were definitely problem people.  You will have some of these same type of people in your church. People walking into your church hoping that you have the answer for all their problems.  You can transform them into Mighty Men and Women through the help of the Lord.  In 2 Samuel 23:8-39 you will see that there are 37 out of the 400 that David had that were transformed into David’s mighty men.

John Drakeford said, “By people we are broken, and by people we are put together again!”  People will hurt you and also be a blessing to you. The church would not be a church without people.  People do not arrive in our churches perfect.  The five fold ministry is designed to make them and bring them to perfection (Ephesians 4:11-12).

It is often said, “People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  We must show the world that we CARE.

A tribe in East Africa exchange greetings by asking, “Are you well?”  The response is, “I am well if you are.”

Kwame Gyekye in his recently released book entitled, African Cultural Values: An Introduction suggests that  “In African societies human relations are highly valued.  Greeting people one meets is an important element in enhancing human relations and in making people feel good about themselves.  The greeting is considered a way of acknowledging   the  other  person    as   a   fellow  human  being.”         

As pastors and church leaders it is very important for us to study human nature. In Acts 6 the apostles gave the people the opportunity to choose for themselves deacons in the church. 

People put forth their greatest efforts when they are carrying out their own ideas that they claim as their own.  Give your people credit in coming up with solutions to church problems.  Do not try to take all of the credit yourself.  People have the tendency to reject decisions that are made for them even when these decisions are in their best interests.

 

Give your people a chance to voice their opinion and take ownership of the decisions made.  We need to treat people just the way that we would like to be treated.

People can be divided into three groups:

1.    Those who make things happen.

2.    Those who watch things happen.

3.    Those that wonder what happened.

We need to train our people to make things happen and to be involved in the church.

When faced with the problem in Acts chapter six, leadership could have been:

1.    Lazy (Just does nothing about the problem)

2.    Procrastinated: (Just put off the problem until later.)

3.    Distracted (Just look at other situations and side issues.)

4.    Impatient (Just be upset and quit).

But they solved the problem by using the people that were causing the problem.

Bear Bryant, a famous football coach said, “If anything goes bad, I did it.  If anything goes semi-good, then we did it.  If anything goes real good, they did it.”  That attitude is what it takes to get people to be a team, and win for you.

So the Apostles looked at the masses of converts of people as a result of prayer and Pentecost.  People with problems but part of the team and told them to be involved in the decision.  Peace prevailed and problems turned into....

Progress

“And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied.”  (Acts 6:7)