The Seven

Greetings in the name of Jesus! This is Rob Haymes. This is 15 Minutes With Jesus. Wherever two or three are gathered together in My name, Jesus said, there am I in the midst of them. To those of you who love Him in truth: mercy unto you and peace and love be multiplied. (Jude 1:2)

Thank you Heavenly Father. Thank you for this day. We thank you Lord; we bless your holy name. I want to thank you for this message that you have given me today for your people. I pray that you would bless us to hear what you are saying and understand what you are saying; to humble ourselves and give heed to your Word. Thank you Father. Your Word is the truth.

Today’s program is called, The Seven. Let’s turn to Acts 6:1, Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 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. 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; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Then the Word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. Every ministry that is ordained and given by God is important, whether it be serving tables, cleaning the church, feeding the poor, teaching and preaching the Word of God, or ministering the songs of the Lord; whatever God has given us is important. The Apostles believed that this ministry of serving tables was so important that they said, Choose you out seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom whom we may appoint over this business. They chose seven men whom they set before the Apostles, and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. Stephen was a man full of faith and power and wisdom who was working signs and wonders and speaking boldly in the name of Jesus. Philip was an evangelist whom God used mightily, doing signs and miracles before the people. These men did not look down on that appointment by the Apostles to serve tables, but they gave themselves to the work; the widows and others were blessed, and the Word of God increased. There is no evidence of personal ambition, envy, or strife over this. 

Jesus came to serve, and to give Himself a ransom for all. Let’s turn to Luke 22:24, this is at the Last Supper; Jesus was with His disciples, verse 24, Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. And He said to them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called benefactors. But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.   Are you more important than Jesus?   Are you too important to serve tables?   Let’s turn to John 13:1, Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart from this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. And supper being ended, the devil having already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going to God, rose from supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself. After that, He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. Then He came to Simon Peter. And Peter said to Him, Lord, are You washing my feet? Jesus answered and said to him, What I am doing you do not understand now, but you will know after this. Peter said to Him, You shall never wash my feet! Jesus answered him, If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me. Simon Peter said to Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head! Jesus said to him, He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you. For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, You are not all clean. So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. 

Let’s turn to Php 2:1, Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind. Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in Heaven, and of those on Earth, and of those under the Earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus. He took upon Him the form of a servant; He made Himself of no reputation; He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. God highly exalted Him, and He will exalt everyone who will truly humble themselves and die to themselves to do His will and serve His people, to the edification, or building up, of the body of Christ to His glory. God has promised: he that humbles himself shall be exalted. 

Maybe nobody knows who you are. Maybe nobody seems to appreciate your obedience to Jesus, but He knows who you are; the Father knows who you are, and He will reward you, in due time, if you will continue steadfastly in obedience to Him. God takes care of His servants!

Let’s turn to 1 Pet 5:1, The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. 

2 Pet 2:1, But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber. Verse 17, These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever. For when they speak great swelling words of emptiness, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through lewdness, the ones who have actually escaped from those who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage. Let’s turn to the third epistle of John, verse 1, The Elder, To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church. Verse 9, I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does, prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to, putting them out of the church. Diotrephes loved the preeminence; he was not a servant of the Lord nor of His Church.

These men do not have the mind of Christ. They walk in witchcraft and seducing spirits, deceiving and dominating the people. Just as the Apostle John dealt with Diotrephes, so will the Lord Jesus deal with you men who dominate and use and oppress His people. Verse 11, Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.

Philip was one of the seven. It was an honor in his life, and the lives of the others, that God chose them to take care of His Church; to serve tables and minister to widows and others. Acts 21:8, On the next day we who were Paul's companions departed and came to Caesarea, and entered the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and stayed with him: Philip the evangelist, which was one of the seven, that waited on tables; that cared for the Church.

Thank you for reading this message from 15 Minutes With Jesus at roberthaymes.com .

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with all of you who love Him in truth, Amen. (2 Cor 13:14)