Prioritizing Spiritual Truths Over Material Concerns in the Church

 

Summary

In the sixth chapter of the Book of Acts, we encounter a pivotal moment in the early Christian church that speaks directly to the confusion and misplaced priorities of our modern age. The apostles faced a dilemma: should they focus on serving the physical needs of the community, or should they prioritize the preaching of the Word of God? This question is not just historical but deeply relevant today, as we grapple with understanding the true mission of the church amidst a world that often prioritizes material needs over spiritual truths.

The apostles' decision to appoint deacons to manage the daily distribution of food to widows, while they continued to focus on preaching, underscores a critical principle: the primary task of the church is to proclaim the truth of God. This does not negate the importance of acts of charity and kindness, but it places them in their rightful position as secondary to the spiritual mission. The modern notion of "religionless Christianity," which emphasizes social action over spiritual teaching, misses the essence of the church's calling. The church is called to be the "pillar and ground of the truth," holding up the message of salvation and the reality of God above all else.

The apostles understood that the fundamental needs of humanity are not merely physical but spiritual. The Word of God addresses the root of human suffering, which is sin and separation from God. By focusing on the spiritual, the church addresses the ultimate questions of life, death, and eternity—questions that no amount of social action can resolve. The modern world, with its emphasis on materialism and temporal concerns, often neglects these deeper issues, leading to a society that is materially rich but spiritually impoverished.

In conclusion, the church must maintain its focus on preaching the Word, ensuring that its priorities align with the eternal truths of God rather than the transient concerns of the world. This alignment not only fulfills the church's divine mandate but also offers the world the hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide.

Key Takeaways:

- The primary task of the church is to preach the Word of God, not to prioritize social action over spiritual teaching. This ensures that the church remains the "pillar and ground of the truth," focusing on eternal truths rather than transient concerns. [19:17]

- The apostles' decision to appoint deacons highlights the importance of maintaining the right priorities. Acts of charity are important but must remain secondary to the spiritual mission of the church. [24:21]

- The Word of God addresses the root of human suffering, which is sin and separation from God. By focusing on the spiritual, the church addresses the ultimate questions of life, death, and eternity. [29:28]

- Modern society often prioritizes materialism and temporal concerns, leading to a spiritually impoverished world. The church must counter this by maintaining its focus on preaching the gospel. [36:44]

- The church's mission is to proclaim the truth of God, offering hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. This alignment with eternal truths fulfills the church's divine mandate. [50:42]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:08] - Introduction to Acts 6
- [00:43] - Understanding Christianity and the Church
- [01:29] - The Origin of the Church
- [02:16] - Growth and Organization in the Early Church
- [03:33] - The Role of Organization
- [04:18] - The Dispute Among Grecian and Hebrew Widows
- [06:06] - The Apostles' Response
- [08:20] - The Primary Task of the Church
- [10:06] - The Modern Idea of Religionless Christianity
- [12:49] - Historical Context of the Church's Mission
- [19:17] - The Church as the Pillar of Truth
- [24:21] - Justifying the Apostles' Priorities
- [29:28] - Addressing Fundamental Human Needs
- [36:44] - The Consequences of Misplaced Priorities
- [50:42] - The Eternal Perspective and Conclusion

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
- Acts 6:1-7
- John 6:15
- Luke 12:13-15

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Observation Questions:

1. What was the primary task of the apostles according to Acts 6, and how did they address the issue of serving tables? [06:06]

2. How did the apostles justify their decision to prioritize preaching over serving tables? [07:10]

3. What was the reaction of the people after Jesus performed the miracle of feeding the 5,000, and how did Jesus respond? [13:30]

4. In Luke 12, what was the man's request to Jesus, and how did Jesus respond to it? [15:42]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. Why did the apostles believe it was not reasonable to leave the Word of God to serve tables, and how does this reflect on the church's priorities today? [07:50]

2. How does the concept of "religionless Christianity" challenge the traditional understanding of the church's mission, and what are the potential pitfalls of this approach? [09:21]

3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that modern society's focus on materialism leads to spiritual impoverishment? [36:44]

4. How does the sermon interpret the role of miracles in Jesus' ministry, and what does this imply about the church's focus on spiritual versus physical needs? [20:32]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on your personal priorities. Do you find yourself focusing more on material needs than spiritual growth? How can you realign your priorities to focus more on spiritual truths? [33:29]

2. The sermon emphasizes the importance of preaching the Word. How can you personally contribute to spreading the gospel in your community? [25:08]

3. Consider the idea of "religionless Christianity." Have you encountered this perspective in your own life or community? How do you respond to it, and how can you maintain a balance between social action and spiritual teaching? [09:21]

4. The sermon suggests that the church should be the "pillar and ground of the truth." How can your church better fulfill this role in today's society? [19:17]

5. Reflect on a time when you prioritized physical needs over spiritual ones. What was the outcome, and how might you approach a similar situation differently in the future? [33:29]

6. How can you ensure that your actions and decisions are aligned with eternal truths rather than transient concerns? [50:42]

7. Identify one specific way you can support your church's mission to preach the Word while also engaging in acts of charity and kindness. [24:21]

Devotional

Day 1: The Church's True Mission

The early Christian church faced a significant decision: whether to focus on serving the physical needs of the community or prioritize preaching the Word of God. This dilemma is still relevant today as the church navigates its mission in a world that often emphasizes material needs over spiritual truths. The apostles' decision to appoint deacons to manage the daily distribution of food while they continued to focus on preaching highlights the church's primary task: to proclaim the truth of God. Acts of charity and kindness are important, but they must remain secondary to the spiritual mission. The church is called to be the "pillar and ground of the truth," holding up the message of salvation and the reality of God above all else. [19:17]

"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you personally contribute to ensuring that your church remains focused on its spiritual mission while still addressing the physical needs of the community?


Day 2: Balancing Priorities in Ministry

The apostles' decision to appoint deacons to handle the daily distribution of food to widows underscores the importance of maintaining the right priorities within the church. While acts of charity are essential, they must not overshadow the church's spiritual mission. The apostles understood that their primary calling was to preach the Word of God, and they ensured that this remained their focus. By delegating the responsibility of serving the community's physical needs, they were able to maintain their commitment to the spiritual mission. This decision serves as a model for modern churches, emphasizing the need to balance social action with spiritual teaching. [24:21]

"And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9, ESV)

Reflection: How can you help your church maintain a balance between social action and spiritual teaching in its ministries?


Day 3: Addressing the Root of Human Suffering

The Word of God addresses the root of human suffering, which is sin and separation from God. By focusing on the spiritual, the church addresses the ultimate questions of life, death, and eternity—questions that no amount of social action can resolve. The apostles understood that the fundamental needs of humanity are not merely physical but spiritual. In a world that often prioritizes materialism and temporal concerns, the church must maintain its focus on preaching the gospel to offer hope and transformation. [29:28]

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:23, ESV)

Reflection: What steps can you take to ensure that your personal life reflects a focus on spiritual truths rather than material concerns?


Day 4: Countering Materialism with Spiritual Truth

Modern society often prioritizes materialism and temporal concerns, leading to a spiritually impoverished world. The church must counter this by maintaining its focus on preaching the gospel. The apostles' decision to prioritize the spiritual mission of the church serves as a reminder of the importance of aligning with eternal truths rather than transient concerns. By doing so, the church can offer the world the hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. [36:44]

"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1 John 2:15, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you personally resist the pull of materialism and focus on spiritual growth in your daily life?


Day 5: Proclaiming the Truth of God

The church's mission is to proclaim the truth of God, offering hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. This alignment with eternal truths fulfills the church's divine mandate. The apostles' decision to focus on preaching the Word of God serves as a model for modern churches, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the right priorities. By doing so, the church can offer the world the hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. [50:42]

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:19, ESV)

Reflection: How can you actively participate in your church's mission to proclaim the truth of God in your community?

Quotes

The primary task of the church is to hold up and to hold forth the truth, hold it up on a pillar, put it on a placard, placard it, declare it, hold it before men—the pillar and ground of the truth. That is the primary task of the Christian church. [00:19:17]

The philanthropic work does come in, but it's secondary. Now look at our Lord's own ministry. The primary thing was the teaching. The miracles, the healings were always secondary. John indeed in his gospel always refers to them as signs, and they were. [00:29:28]

The world is as it is tonight because it has put men before God. Man's at the center, man's everything. God doesn't come in. The clever people don't believe in him. Banish the death of God, they're talking about. The clever people are writing about that. [00:36:44]

The apostles must not give their whole time to this. They've got something more important to do. Why? Well, after all, you know, the feeding of the body only belongs to time. There's a day coming in the life of every one of us when we will not be interested in food. [00:50:42]

The apostles' decision to appoint deacons highlights the importance of maintaining the right priorities. Acts of charity are important but must remain secondary to the spiritual mission of the church. [00:24:21]

The Word of God addresses the root of human suffering, which is sin and separation from God. By focusing on the spiritual, the church addresses the ultimate questions of life, death, and eternity. [00:29:28]

The modern world is as it is because it's forgotten that this age, 20th century, mid-20th century, men, scientific achievements—think of those two Americans up there at this moment. Ah, this is marvelous, this is wonderful, this is the thing we want. [00:50:42]

The church's mission is to proclaim the truth of God, offering hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. This alignment with eternal truths fulfills the church's divine mandate. [00:50:42]

The apostles understood that the fundamental needs of humanity are not merely physical but spiritual. The Word of God addresses the root of human suffering, which is sin and separation from God. [00:29:28]

The modern notion of "religionless Christianity," which emphasizes social action over spiritual teaching, misses the essence of the church's calling. The church is called to be the "pillar and ground of the truth," holding up the message of salvation and the reality of God above all else. [00:19:17]

The church must maintain its focus on preaching the Word, ensuring that its priorities align with the eternal truths of God rather than the transient concerns of the world. This alignment not only fulfills the church's divine mandate but also offers the world the hope and transformation that only the gospel can provide. [00:50:42]

The primary task of the church is to preach the Word of God, not to prioritize social action over spiritual teaching. This ensures that the church remains the "pillar and ground of the truth," focusing on eternal truths rather than transient concerns. [00:19:17]

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