Preaching or Serving

Do you know what you were born to do? I mean, have you been in the zone, found that sweet spot of activity or service or ministry that you know God wired you for? It’s energizing and effective; you see it around you and can’t wait for the next opportunity to be there.

Conversely have you labored in an area, at work or at church, that drains you and saps your energy so completely that you know it’s no good for anybody else, either?

There are jobs that simply must be done. That’s life. I don’t feel particularly gifted in cooking or pulling weeds or folding laundry, but what kind of a home would we live in if I didn’t do them simply because I’m not thrilled by them? However, if each of us could know what we do best and what we thrive doing, wouldn’t everyone be better off if we leaned into those activities more and merely did damage control in the others, serving where necessary out of love and motivated by a pure heart, keeping the big Kingdom picture in mind?

The books of Acts depicts many scenes of great community living, not the least of which is this passage, describing some amazing Spirit-led delegation:

1In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
5This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
7So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. (Acts 6:1-7)
What’s going on here?

1. God is already moving among the believers. Disciples were increasing and spiritual growth only happens at the Holy Spirit’s initiative. There is momentum here as lives are being changed because of the gospel. Everyone involved here had the choice to go along for the ride or step out of the way.

2. Legitimate needs were not being met and there was potential for division. Let’s face it, it doesn’t take much to cause factions or ruffled feathers, even among the most spiritual church family. We’ve all heard stories of churches that have split over whether or not people should clap hands during worship, what kind of carpet should be installed, and who should be allowed to teach up front on Sunday. In the case of the early church, widows of non-Jewish background weren’t being fed and they were depending on the community of believers to provide for them. So not only were people going hungry, there was a potential problem between former Jews and Greeks if this issue of disparate caring was not addressed.

3. The original disciples were hesitant to stop preaching the Word of God. The Twelve, as they were known, had been teaching that the awaited Messiah had come, been crucified, and rose from the dead for the forgiveness of our sins, and they were seeing people’s lives changed because the Holy Spirit was convicting and turning hearts. They were very sure that God had called them, as eyewitnesses of Christ’s ministry, to keep doing what He had called and prepared them to do. They recognized the needs of the church, but didn’t think they were the only ones to fulfill them. Not that the tasks at hand were beneath them, they just knew they weren’t called to do them.

4. The Twelve delegated others to choose men to take care of the problem. Verse 3 gives the criteria: These men had to be full of the Holy Spirit and full of wisdom. They didn’t just pick anybody to put on an apron and start serving meals. (Personally, I’ve been to some restaurants where this is the reigning philosophy in hiring and training. Not the best service or attitudes I’ve encountered in my dining experience. But I digress.) They recognized that all ministry – ALL ministry – is led by and empowered by the Holy Spirit so spiritually mature people must be in charge.

5. Once the men were chosen, the leaders laid hands on them and prayed for them. In kingdom work, there are no menial tasks so the leadership in this community took seriously the service that these new ministers were about to undertake. The beginning of a ministry means something and launching people into God’s service can be a powerful and unifying experience for the community of faith.

6. Others were blessed by the efficient delegation of ministries. Look at the results of everyone doing what they were called to do! The number of disciples increased and formerly wayward or ignorant priests fell in line with gospel obedience! Not to mention that the ones preaching would have felt (and truly been) liberated to preach, preach, preach and the widows weren’t hungry anymore. Everybody won in this scenario.

So what does that mean for us? Are any parallels emerging for you yet?

Ultimately, the picture here is of a church dedicated, above all, to the singular purposes of God’s kingdom and His priorities. When there was an issue, someone brought it to the attention of the leaders, and they took care of it before the rumor mill or the momentum of bitterness could begin. Once God’s servants had been given their marching orders, everyone grew and experienced more of God.

When each of us listens to God and uses the gifts He’s given us, the world is changed! I don’t think I’m overstating this point, either. The world may be changed one neighbor or colleague or friend at a time, but neighbors make up cities, and colleagues make up businesses, and friends make up… well, everything!

It starts with listening to God and knowing how He has created us, uniquely, wonderfully, and fearfully. Then we can test the waters of ministry to see exactly where our gifts, skills, and talents can be best put to use for the kingdom. There are few things more invigorating than saying “no” to something because you have already passionately said “yes”. When we are operating with all engines firing, guided by the Holy Spirit, there is no limit to what God will accomplish! Where are you meant to be?




• Read 1 Corinthians 12. Do you see yourself or your gifts described here? If so, how are you using that gift? If not, what steps can you take to discover it?



• What are the purposes and motivation of using our talents, based on 1 Corinthians 12 and this passage from Acts?

• Is it hard for you to tell people “no”? Why? How could understanding this concept of gifts help you?