…pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom…(Acts 6:3 – ESV)
This verse gives us the criterion that the Apostles had for the first deacons of the early church. The fact that they were to pick out men that were full of the Spirit meant by implication that some obviously were not filled. Although doctrine is obviously important, they didn’t ask them about doctrine, they saw devotion and demonstration. Those men that were filled were obvious. People who are full of the Spirit aren’t full of themselves; they are ready to serve. They are not full of cares they are full of Christ. They are not full of worry they are full of wisdom. It will show, and God’s people will know. You shouldn’t have to try and get the leadership of a church to notice you they ought to know if God is calling you to serve. If you are full of the Spirit, believe me, somebody will notice.
Of course, this means that you have to be plugged in to a local body of believers somewhere. People full of the Spirit and wisdom aren’t those who stay home from church. No one is going to “pick you out” if no one knows where you are. God isn’t in the habit of having people full of the Spirit and wisdom who are lone ranger Christians, and believe me, you aren’t the exception. Considering the fact that God fills people up so that they can flow out, how wise do you think it is to stay home from church and tell people you are doing God’s will?
When they went out looking for men full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, men of an honest and good report, do you think they had a list, a survey, or did they have to see something? Did they have to know something? They had an honest report, their lives were telling the truth. They were the same around everybody. When someone is like that, what you see is what you get. They had to know these men had a reputation not only for honesty but also for Spiritual things. Their honest report meant that they weren’t just religious showboats, they weren’t full of wisdom one minute and full of the world the next minute when no one else was looking. Believe me friend someone else is ALWAYS looking. When people see you do they know you like this? Jesus said by their fruits ye shall know them: tell me, what fruit is it that people see when they see you? What fruit is it that people who know you know that you have?
People ought to know you are a Christian, not because of the sticker on your car, not because of the slogan on your shirt, not because of the saying on your hat, but because of what comes out of your mouth, what happens with your hands, what things you do with those legs, what kind of look you have on your face, what kind of things you do with your time, and what kind of things are on your mind. Fellow believers ought to know you are full of the Spirit and of wisdom. We should be seeking God for these things to be flowing in our lives, so that we may serve the Lord and serve others. They ought to know and it ought to show and when you grow it ought to flow.
God is still looking for people full of the Spirit and wisdom to serve. You are full of something, the question is what? They ought to know.
10 comments:
There is much to take in here. I'll leave another comment when I have spent time musing over these things.
And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love.
Yes, they'll know we are
Chrsitians by our love.
This is the chorus to a song that I love to sing. I agree, a "real deal", full of the Spirit, deacon (or Christian) doesn't have to "clothe" himself in anything other than what you've stated here.
Seems to me you are saying we should "walk the walk" as well as "talk the talk". It is kinda hard to do that in front of a T.V.
Indeed...
"They ought to know and it ought to show and when you grow it ought to flow."
(Jeremiah 9:8)Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him.
(Luke 6:45)The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
I would like to say that I see myself as those of good repute full of Spirit and so on, but that would not be entirely true. I don't know if any could in himself look into a mirror and say, "he's talking about me" but I think instead when we can get to that point where we don't need to look into that mirror (or even think of looking) to see if we are that which is being spoke of, we are indeed "trying".
What I mean is this... (1Corithians 13:1)If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
We must not focus on self or the flesh to reach any level of being full of the Spirit, Just as (John 3:30) says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."
How can "I" become anything of good repute or of anything Spiritual unless first have the desire to rid myself of "self".
Not that I can do anything of my own, though I can find the desire for that which is Holy.
Input is welcome...
Looks like you've been doing a lot of "musing", Paulie....and have given the rest of us something to "muse" on.
Thanks
The community of believers is a good place to "look into the mirror"...
Very true JD!
Have you heard anything about W2's at all?
Yes, Paul, Sharon dropped them off at the office today, they are taped on the door, and you can pick it up whenever, I'll be up there during the day, and of course, for service later...
What's this Dan tells me about bats?
Bats? Oh man! We have bats by the hundreds! They got up in the crawl space of the atic and seemed to have made a home out of it. Lord willing, they will come tomorrow to trap them and plug up the hole they are getting in from. Lord willing!
Post a Comment