Sunday, January 11, 2025
Vol. 9, Issue 5 (Winter 2025-26)
Philip is one of my favorite people in the Bible. He is mentioned in three different places in the book of Acts. This isn’t Philip the Apostle, who was one of the twelve disciples. We see this other Philip in chapters 6, 8, and 21. We know that these three chapters mention the same person because in chapter 21, Luke refers to him as the “evangelist” and as “one of the seven.” Also, further proof is that when he finished preaching in chapter 8 he travelled back to Caesarea, where it seems he is settled with his family in chapter 21.
Philip has become the blueprint for what I want my life to look like. In the book of Acts, we see three phases or modes of Philip’s life. We see him balancing serving the church, reaching the lost, and leading his family. He’s a deacon, an evangelist, and a father. And throughout Philip’s life, we see that his relationship with God is what drives it all.
Let’s look at Philip the deacon and serving the Church.
Serving the Church is directly or indirectly helping Christ’s Body. We are His Body. So, serving the Church is really serving Christ.
Most of our service inside the Church is to Christians. Most of my preaching is to Christians. But ministering to Christians is so important because none of us have made it yet. So every time we help the Church fulfill ministry to other believers, we’re helping fellow believers in their walk with God.
Here’s where we see Philip the deacon:
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 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. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:1-7
Notice verse 3: “Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;” Acts 6:3
Though Acts 6 does not call these seven men “deacons,” we generally refer to them as such. And this verse reminds me of 1 Timothy 3, where Paul gives the qualifications for pastors and deacons.
This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
I Timothy 3:1-13
Notice the qualifications for both pastors and deacons are very similar. When he starts discussing the deacons, he says “likewise.” In other words, just because you may not be on the platform doesn’t mean that it’s not necessary to live before God in faithfulness.
The first requirement listed for the seven in Acts 6 was that they be of a good reputation. 1 Timothy 3 backs this up. Paul says that deacons should be “blameless.” Paul says that bishops are to “have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” Likewise, deacons are to “obtain for themselves a good standing.”
He is not saying they should be perfect, but without reproach or scandal that would dishonor their work and God’s Name. Why would those “outside” ever want to come in if those serving in the Church are gossipers and adulterers and easily angered?
The next requirement for the seven in Acts 6 was that they be “full of wisdom.”
James describes godly wisdom for us:
Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
James 3:13-17
Then in James 1, James said “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5
He said, “If you need wisdom that can only come from God, just ask! He has promised to give it to you!”
Wisdom is a requirement for those serving in the Church so that they will make wise decisions. Wisdom is listed as a gift of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12. We are often enamored with some of the gifts such as tongues, prophesy, and healing, but wisdom is just as vital. Wisdom will keep a church together. Knowing how to handle a sensitive situation appropriately, how to speak to someone, and how to manage people and problems requires wisdom from God. Just ask for it!
The last requirement for the seven in Acts 6 was that they be “full of the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus said in Acts 1:8, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”” Acts 1:8
A great illustration of being filled with the Spirit for service in the Church is Apollos in Acts 18.
Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace; for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
Acts 18:24-28
Look at the descriptions for Apollos. He’s eloquent. He’s mighty in the Scriptures. He’s fervent in spirit. He speaks with boldness. But he “knew only the baptism of John.” In other words, he had been baptized in water, but he hadn’t yet been baptized with Holy Ghost fire. It seems that this is what Aquila and Priscilla began to explain to him. Apollos was knowledgeable, fiery, and passionate, but he needed something beyond his own abilities and skills. He needed to be endued with power from on high!
Note that being filled with the Holy Spirit was a requirement in Acts 6 not in order to preach sermons but to serve tables. From the platform to the pew, we all need to be full of the Holy Ghost if we are going to effectively serve the Church.
In Acts 4, the Church got together and “they raised their voice to God with one accord and said:….. Grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.” Acts 4:24, 29-31
They asked for boldness from the Holy Ghost and then received it in the next verse!
Jesus said in Luke 11, “‘So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”” Luke 11:9-11, 13
Ask and receive! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!
Just like with wisdom in James 1, all you have to do is ask and your Father in Heaven will not withhold any good thing from His children.
Now, let’s go back and look at the first few verses of Acts 6.
Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 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. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;”
Acts 6:1-3
These seven men were appointed to carry out very practical, physical work. They were appointed over the business of “serving tables.” We don’t have all the details, but we can infer that they were to visit these widows, make sure they were receiving the “daily distribution,” and serve them. This was a vital and important ministry in the Early Church!
Some other examples of practical, physical work in the Church today could be cleaning the church, volunteering to cook for an event or for someone that is sick, visiting a church member in the hospital, taking up the offering, cutting the grass, and on and on. The things that you may dismiss as small or overlooked are really benefiting the Body of Christ.
I think of the priests in the Old Testament. There was only one High Priest at a time. There was only one man who could go into the Most Holy Place into the presence of God. But there were many other priests doing other jobs so that he could do his job. All these other priests may not have been entering the Most Holy Place, but they were making sure the lamps were trimmed, that there was enough oil, that the laver was filled with water, that the sacrifices were prepared, that the shewbread was laid out weekly, that all the furniture was in order. All of these things were important and necessary.
Likewise, when you do anything to serve the Church, it is always important and I believe that Heaven takes notice. You may think it’s a small and menial task, but it is important to the ongoing function of the Church. God will bless those who serve the Body of Christ, in whatever capacity they do so.
Also, serving helps us become more like Christ.
Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise Lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
Luke 22:24-27
Jesus explained to His disciples that service is the key to greatness. That’s how Jesus lived and ministered. He was the greatest of all, but He chose to be a servant of all. And He knew that service opens people’s hearts to the Gospel.
Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”
John 13:3-5, 12-17
Jesus demonstrated that we are to love and serve others just as He did. We are not to lord over them with authority. That is how the world does it—they exercise dominion over people. But in the Church, the greatest servants of God are just that—servants. And when we are serving others, we are imitating Christ, and those we are serving will be drawn to Christ and not to us.
Once more, let’s look back at Acts 6, this time at verses 3-7:
“Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.
Acts 6:3-7
The Azusa Weekly 