Transcript
The Work That Pleases God
I'm going to read to you from Acts 6:2 and 4, where we read this.
Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables."
Now verse 4:
"But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."
A problem threatened to divide the young community of Christians. When one group felt that their widows were being neglected by the church's charitable work, the problem needed to be solved. Yet the apostles insisted that they were not the ones who should directly meet the need.
Now this didn't concern the actual serving of food and cleaning of the dining tables for these widows. It was a figure of speech in that day that meant the handling of the practical work involved in caring for the widows. The apostles said that they should remain faithful to their central calling, which was prayer and the ministry of the word. In the big picture, it would be wrong for them to spend their time administrating the practical needs of the widows.
Not Superiority, But Wisdom
Now some people believe that this was evidence of a superior attitude among the twelve apostles, that in their pride they considered themselves above such work. I want you to know I don't think so. Instead, I think that they were wise in delegating these responsibilities. God did not call these apostles to be everything and to do everything directly for the church. God has and will raise up others to serve in other ways.
Thinking about it in a modern context, we can say that a pastor should not have his time consumed in tasks that are essentially serving tables. Yet, there is something wrong with a pastor who considers such work to be beneath him.
Prayer and the Ministry of the Word Is Work
Yet the apostles were not to do nothing. They had work to do, saying, "We will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." The fact that the apostles busied themselves with prayer and the ministry of the word shows how energetically they did those things, and how consuming it is to preach and pray rightly. The ministry is a lot of work, even apart from the administrative headaches.
A young man said to Donald Grey Barnhouse, "I'd give the world to be able to teach the Bible like you." Looking straight in the eye to him, Dr. Barnhouse replied, "Good, because that's exactly what it'll cost you."
You see, to serve the needy widows of Acts 6 well, and to serve them fairly, was real work. To give oneself continually to the word of God and to prayer was also work. One of those works isn't better than the other. Each of them is good and valuable for God's kingdom.
Do You Understand Your Calling?
What we need is a sense of God's calling and gifting for our life, and a sense of what the Holy Spirit wants us to do. These early Christians understood their calling, and they did their work. So here's the question, do you? Do you understand your calling? Do you do the work God has called you to do for his kingdom?
Doing what God has called and gifted you to do is really the work that pleases him. You don't have to do anybody else's work, just whatever it is God has called you to do and gifted you to do. May you do it unto him with joy today.