Godly Servants

April 16, 2023

Series: Empowering the Church

Title: Godly Servants

Acts 6:3 "choose seven from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom"

Prayer: For clear and faithful preaching, Humility in service.

Outline:

The Acts 6:7 Train

• Purposeful Leaders

• Picture of a Disciple

• Pathway for Discipleship

• Practitioners of Disciplemaking

• Progress for Charting Growth

Acts 2:42–47

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

These two passages start and finish a section of Acts focusing on astonishing beginning of the Jerusalem Church. From these two passages:

• what are all these disciples devoted to?
• what actions of these believers inspire you?
• how important does their faith seem to be? What in these verses demonstrates this dedication?
• Can you list three things that result from the disciples life together?

Purposeful Leaders are Godly Servants

• Faithful

• Available

• Intentional (Initiators)

• Teachable

• Hospitable (Heart for God and people)

In the Letter to Titus, Paul instructs him to find mature Christians and describes them in these words:

Titus 1:5–9 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

What words in this scripture reflect the five characteristics of Godly Servants?

In the ancient world an overseer was both a servant and a leader. How did these mature disciples serve? how did they lead?

The Holy Spirit produces 'Love, Joy, Peace, patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.' (Galatians 5:22)

How would these qualities help us be godly servants and purposeful Leaders? 

Application: Jesus makes it clear that bearing godly fruit comes from Abiding in Him. (John 15) Spend time with Jesus and in his Word, to grow in his likeness.

Godly Servants

• Disciples: Luke 22:24–30

• Deacons : Acts 6:7

• Moses and the Judges: Exodus 18:5–23

• Pastor Timothy: 2 Timothy 4:1–5

• Ephesian Church: Ephesians 4:1–16

Servants of Jesus at Saint Paul's

• Council Staff

• Sunday School Telecare

• Care and Share Prayer teams

• Missions Youth ministry

• Worship Team Brothers & Sisters

• YOU!

Next in 'Empowering the Church'

• A purposeful Church needs a clear Picture

of 'The Spirit- Filled Disciple'

April 30,2023

2 Peter 1:3-8

Scriptures 2 Timothy 4:1–5