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This is part of my sermon to Prayer House Assembly of God on March 24th.
I was reading in Acts 6 recently and found that it speaks of the early Church. The Apostles were loaded down with many responsibilities. They were trying to do everything themselves. They couldn’t do it, they were trying to teach, preach, and labor for the Lord.
In Acts 6:2 “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.”
Widows had been neglected, and it was brought to light by other disciples. It was a worthy complaint, and I believe God used the situation to cause the church to grow. In Acts 6 verse 3, something stood out to me.
“Acts 6:3 “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;”
The disciples picked the seven men. These seven were to do labor. They were to make sure that the poor were taken care of. What stands out was these men were to be full of the Holy Spirit, and wise. Why would laborers need to be full of the Holy Spirit and wise?
The Word states in Acts 6:7 after the men were picked, prayed over by the laying on of hands and sent out; the Apostles were then able to give themselves continually to prayer and the Word. Acts 6:4.
Act 6:7 “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
The Word of God spread. Why? The Apostles were able to spend their time studying, praying, receiving revelation and guidance from Christ for the Church, to equip the church to spread the Gospel, and helped those in need. People heard the Gospel, and saw the Gospel in action.
Why Holy Spirit filled men? The Apostles knew that just having good management and administrative skills wouldn’t be enough. We might think having men with good skills would be enough and possibly think that being filled with the Spirit, being wise, would be too high of a standard for laborers. Hey they were only handing out food, right? Why wouldn’t the group pick some young guys who could just do the job?
Smith Wigglesworth stated it plainly: “The plan of the church was that everything, even everyday routines, must be sanctified to God, for the church had to be a Holy Spirit church. Beloved, God has never ordained anything less. The heritage of the church is to be so equipped with power that God can lay His hand upon any member at any time to do His perfect will.”
This is why every job in the church is critical and needs spirit led people involved. It doesn’t matter if all you do is mow the grass or clean the nursery – it is what you are offering up to the Lord as service.
There is no stopping point in a Spirit-filled life.
We begin at the cross, a place of disgrace, shame, and death, and that very death brings us the power of the resurrected life. Then being baptized in the Holy Spirit, we go on from “Glory to Glory”, 2 Cor 3:18.
2 Corinthians 3:18 “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”
The church needs divine anointing. God’s presence and power needs to be seen by a hurting world. Those that do not know Christ need more than just spiritual platitudes.

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