Top Priority

First Importance!

Act 6:1-7

Act 5:42 (ESV)

42 And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus.

This is the starting point we need to bring everyone to.

Core message of the Bible: Jesus

Core purpose of disciples: (be a disciple) and make disciples.

First things!

1Co 15:3 (ESV)

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,

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Act 6:1 (ESV) Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

Act 6:2 (ESV) And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

Note that they did not deny the need to serve tables but only that teaching and preaching was THEIR calling and priority.

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Act 6:3 (ESV) Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

Act 6:4 (ESV) But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

What is the ministry of the Word?

Neh 8:8 (ESV)

8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

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Act 6:5 (ESV) And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

Act 6:6 (ESV) These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

Act 6:7 (ESV) And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

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Core message of the Bible: Jesus

Core purpose of disciples: (be a disciple) make disciples.

Mat 28:18-20 (ESV)

Outward sign of inward change

Like circumcision - comes as a sign of what has happened inside NOT as the mechanism to accomplish that change.

One body

Eph 4:11-13 (ESV) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers,

12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Rom 12:4-8 (ESV)

4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,

5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;

7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching;

8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Nail down your purpose!

Core message of the Bible: Jesus

Core purpose of disciples: (be a disciple) and make disciples.

Top Priority: Figure out what you going to do about Jesus! Get into the Body of Christ!

If you are part of the body of Christ, figure out how he wants you to work to build that body up in love. That is your top priority!