Job Description

Your ministry does not start when you walk into a church building and it definitely does not end when you walk back out. We open Acts 6 and follow the early church as it grows so quickly that real people get overlooked, then we watch how wise delegation protects the mission without treating service like “less than.” Stephen is chosen to handle a practical need, yet Acts 6:8 says he is full of grace and power, doing great wonders and signs. That contrast forces an honest question: have we been calling something “not my job” when God is calling it obedience?

We talk about what it means to be Spirit-filled in everyday life. Yes, the Holy Spirit comes at salvation, but surrender is what invites Him to take full control. I challenge the idea that Christian leadership depends on talent or personality and instead point to the anointing that comes when ordinary believers yield every area of life. We connect Stephen’s example to the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, because disciple-making is our real job description at work, at home, and everywhere else we represent Jesus.

Then the tone shifts as Stephen faces dispute, false witnesses, and violent resistance in Acts 6 to 7. Even with truth on his lips and Jesus in his sight, he is stoned and his final words mirror Christ-like forgiveness. We also sit with a sobering warning from Leonard Ravenhill and a piercing question from John Newton about churches drifting from the Spirit’s leadership, and we end by praying for hunger, sensitivity, and a life lived in God’s overflow. If this challenged you, subscribe, share it with a friend, and leave a review. What would change this week if you fully surrendered control?

Transcript

Welcome And Service Invitation

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What's going on, everybody? Welcome to another episode of Beyond Sunday. As always, I'm your host, Pastor Lee Day, and I pastor Christ Family Outreach Church located right here in Amelia Courthouse, Virginia. And if you've not yet made your way out to visit with us, to fellowship with us, most importantly, to worship God and celebrate Him and praise His holy name, I welcome you to do so. Thursday night services get going at 6:30. Sunday morning services get going at 10 o'clock. Doors open at 9 30 a.m. And I just want to again say, come on out and be a part of what God is doing. You, my friend, you, yes, you, could be the next life changed for the glory of God by the power of his Holy Spirit. Let's get right

Acts 6 Growth And Delegation

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into it. If you got your Bibles, go ahead and get them moving over to Acts chapter 6. Flip it open to Acts chapter 6. And while you're turning the pages, and what a good sound it is when you hear the pages of the Word of God flipping and turning, that means we're digging deep. That means we're getting ready to dig deep. But let me lay some groundwork here, kind of give you the framework of where we're going to be coming from, the platform, if you will. Um in Acts chapter six, it says that uh the disciples were increasing in number. So those following Christ, uh, the number has been increasing. Praise God, that's a great thing. And we're seeing that as CFO. We are seeing the number of disciples increase, salvations uh almost weekly, people coming to the Lord. And it is a move of God, it is revival, it is the Spirit of God drawing man, woman, and child unto himself. And that's what he does, praise God. But the the disciples were increasing in number in Acts chapter 6, verse 1. And the an issue is erased, it's it's brought to the disciples' attention that the widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food. And so the 12 disciples, according to the second verse, the 12 disciples uh summon all of the disciples. The second verse actually says the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, it is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. And it's not that, it's not that they were prideful and couldn't be humble and have humility and say, Well, we're too good for that. It's not that. It's it's that they're they're ready to delegate. They under they understand that it's time to move on in this part of their ministry and continue to do that. So it's time to it's time to serve a table, and then and then and then you go from faith to faith and glory to glory. Your ministry continues to grow and and and all of a sudden they've got to move on. Okay, they've got to move on, and they say, hey, now it's somebody else's turn to serve the table. Now someone else has to come up and and and learn this part of the process, and and on and on it goes. And so they they get together and they they find some guys that can come in who are true followers of Christ, okay? These are true godly men. They find them to come in and they ask them to take over the daily distribution of the food. One of the guys, his name is Stephen, and that's what we're gonna be, that's who we're gonna be talking about today. And in Acts chapter 6, verse 8, because the life of Stephen, especially this little part right here, has so much to teach us, and I'm so excited to share with you what what what the word of God says concerning Stephen. But Acts chapter 6, verse 8 says this. And Stephen was full of grace and power, was doing great things and signs among the people. I'm gonna read it one more time. And Stephen, full of great grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Now, we already know kind of by the framework that I just laid out for you in Acts chapter six in the beginning. And if you want to go back for homework later, it's Acts 6, 1 through 7, just kind of what I was referencing a moment ago. We already know that Stephen was chosen to serve the people at the tables. Okay, we already know that. And we already know by by what I had explained to you that Stephen was a spirit-filled man of God. Now, how do we become spirit-filled? How does the Holy Spirit of God fill our lives up?

Making Room For The Holy Spirit

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Well, here it is. It's really simple. We make room for him to do so, and we invite him in to do so. You see, he's in you at salvation, but here's the question: have you invited him to take over once he's come in you? I've had so many people over the past um years, a couple, few, a few decades of being a believer and serving in ministry as well. I've had so many people ask me and just say, hey, Pastor Lee, how how come, how come I'm just not looking like other people that just seem like they're they're living in such victory in Christ? How come? And it all comes down to this have you sold out to him? Have you surrendered every area of your life to him? Or are you still holding on? Are you still lingering in some of the old you worldly ways?

Refuse To Limit Your Testimony

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Now, the eighth verse tells us that Stephen was doing great wonders and signs among the people. In other words, my friends, Stephen did not limit his ministry or his testimony to just serving the tables. Okay? And I need you to understand that because there's nothing wrong at all with serving the people at the tables. But what's so important to understand here is that Stephen just didn't limit himself to doing that. There was a job that needed to be done and he did it. But when the job was done, or when something else needed to be done along with that job, write this down if you're taking notes. Stephen got his hands dirty. You could write it like this. Stephen went to work. He went to work. He just didn't say, well, my job's just to do that table, so I'm not going to come over here. Maybe you know what I'm talking about. Have you ever known someone working at a job and they see something needs to be done, but they won't do it because they say that it's not their job to do that? They're capable to do it, but here's the facts. They're too lazy to go outside of their job description. And let me tell you what God does not need, my friends. What God does not need are lazy Christians that won't witness outside of church or church events. Jesus gives us all the great commission. Write this down, jot this down if you're taking notes. Matthew chapter 28, 19 and 20 is where Jesus says, 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. So write this down. Do not limit my ministry or my testimony. Do not limit my ministry or my testimony. See, the people at church need to hear your testimony and experience your ministry. But so do the people at your job. They need you to. Don't think that your job description, and I'm throwing up air quotes right now, don't think that your job description simply cuts off when you leave church. Your job description of being a Sunday school teacher, your job description of being a worship leader, your job description of being a youth pastor, your job description of being an associate pastor, your job description of being a senior pastor, whatever it is. Your job description of being a greeter, uh, your job description of working at the kiosk of church, your job description of working in the sound room, whatever it is and whatever it looks like, it doesn't cut off when you leave the building, when you leave the church. Okay. We're to go beyond that as believers. So our job description, according to Jesus Christ, we're to 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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, says Jesus in Matthew 28, 19 through 20 again. Okay. So our job description is to represent Christ, be ambassadors of God everywhere, not just in the church

Talent Versus Spirit-Led Ministry

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house. Now, it wasn't Stephen's talent, and I need you to understand this, this is huge. It wasn't Stephen's talent or his intelligence that created what was going on in his life. It was the fact that he had surrendered and yielded himself to whatever the Holy Spirit of God wanted to do in his life. Now, listen carefully. Success in ministry is not about talented people doing amazing things for God. Success in ministry is all about ordinary people like you and myself letting God's Holy Spirit have complete authority and control in our lives. There's a lot of talented preachers out there. There's a lot of talented worship leaders out there. But but is it Holy Spirit anointed? Is it Holy Spirit driven? Is it worship or is it just entertainment? Is it preaching with authority of God, the word of God, or is it just entertainment? See, we want to be humble. We want to be servants. We want to acknowledge that God is the Father, He is the Master, He is in control, He has authority, all authority. Can someone out there say amen to that, my friends, my brothers and sisters? That God is the one that has all authority. And so at salvation, yes, as I mentioned earlier, we we are we have received the Holy Spirit, but have we surrendered every area of our life to that Holy Spirit? And are we walking with him in the anointing of God, relying on his power? Now let's get back into the text.

Stephen Challenged And Accused

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Acts chapter 6, verse 9 says this. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the freedmen, as it was called, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia rose up and disputed with Stephen. Okay, so now there's this there's this debate, there's this argument going on, okay? Verse 10. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit, capital S, the Holy Spirit of God, but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which Stephen was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God, and they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and bought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses, who said, This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law. For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us. And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Woohoo! Stephen's face was glowing, according to the text, just like the face of Moses would shine when he was in the presence of God. The proof was right in front of them. And here's the thing even though the proof was right in front of them, they were they were still not willing to budge. They were still unwilling to change. And can you imagine that? I mean, they're they're seeing his face glow in front of them. Stephen addresses the council, okay, in what is the longest address in the book of Acts. And and there's there's a few of them in there, okay? But this one, this one is the longest address recorded in the book of Acts. Stephen gives them the truth, my friends, but the people didn't like it. Now, I'm just gonna read a few verses for you right here. Uh we don't have time in this one episode to go through the entirety of the address. But in Acts chapter 7, get there in your Bibles if you got them. In Acts chapter 7, verses 54 through 60, I'm gonna read it quickly so that we

Stephen’s Vision And Final Prayer

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could talk about it. Uh, Acts 7, 54 through 60 says this. Now, now when they had heard these things, they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and I see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against him. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. This is such a powerful moment. Notice the two completely different types of behaviors that I just read that we we we found in that passage in the text. And and what is the major difference? Okay, the council is not operating in the Holy Spirit, and Stephen is. Now, I'm gonna read verse 55, and I'm gonna go on just a few more verses. I want you to pay close attention. But he, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, Behold, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But but they cried with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him, and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. Brothers and sisters, the 57th verse says that they rushed together at Stephen, and some translations say they rushed at him with one mind. So they're in unity, they're in one accord of coming against him. The problem was they were not being led by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit of God. They were being led by their flesh. And I want you to think about how many times you have been led astray by your own personal doing. Where if you had rather instead been fully committed to being obedient to God's Holy Spirit, you never would have ended up

When The Church Forgets The Spirit

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being there to begin with. Leonard Ravenhill, he was a British Christian evangelist, and he said that the Holy Spirit could totally depart from the church, and people within the building would have no idea that he was even gone. Isn't that a sad state that the church is in? That there are churches out there, and I'm not saying every church, but that there are churches out there, there are people of God out there, there are people who call themselves Christians out there, that the Holy Spirit, according to Leonard Ravenhill, this quote is British Christian evangelist, that the Holy Spirit could totally, completely depart from the church, and that people within the building would have no idea he was even gone. I mean, that is a powerful statement. Sad, very sad, extremely sad, yet nonetheless true for a lot of churches today. John Newton once said, and I quote, how could it be that the leading of the Holy Spirit, which was so essential to the success of the early church, has become irrelevant in ours? End quote. Wow. Whoa. Now that's powerful. I'm gonna read this John Newton quote one more time, and I want you to listen closely. How could it be that the leading of the Holy Spirit, which was so essential to the success of the early church, has become irrelevant in ours? What a statement. What a statement. We must always remember and live our lives, knowing that we want the Spirit of God not only filling us daily, but overflowing our lives as well.

Living In God’s Overflow

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We want to be in the overflow. Write that down. I want to be in the overflow of what God is doing. I don't know about you, but that's where I'm at. I hope you're there too. I want to live every moment of every day in the overflow anointing, in the overflow presence of what God is doing in and around and through my life. Now, watch the 59th verse. Acts chapter 7, 59 and 60. I'm gonna read this, we'll pray, we'll close. But Acts chapter 7, 59 and 60, this is what the scripture says, and it's so good. And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against him. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. In other words, my friends, he died. He passed on from this life, and gone on his glory. To be absent from the body is to be present with our Lord. Amen. What a beautiful moment. Even in his last breath, he's still giving testimony. Even in his last breath, he is calling out to God. Calling out to God, not in anger, not in confusion. He's trusting God even in the last moment when things just don't make sense to him. What a beautiful picture of walking where God calls you to walk. Holy Spirit of God, show us where and how you want us to walk, please. Show us any relationships you want us to pursue, that we may see and feel and experience your Holy Spirit, Father, moving in our lives. Teach us, teach us how to stay in step, remain in step with your Holy Spirit, Father God. Father, I pray in the name and in the blood of Jesus that we would be hungrier and thirstier, that that we would not just be satisfied with receiving the Holy Spirit at salvation, but but we would we would surrender every area of our lives. We would ask to be filled up and our cups running over. Father, we love you, we praise you, we honor you, help us in every moment today. And may we be with eyes and ears open. May our spirit be attentive to what your Holy Spirit is doing. And with our lives today, may we give you all of the honor, glory, credit, and praise as we walk in the authority and all power that you have for us. Use us. May we remember that our job description is not just going to church as Christians. Our job description is not just serving in the church. That's part of it. That's a major part of it. But that's not all of it. Help us to go and make disciples of all nations in the name of the blood of Jesus Christ. Everybody said together Amen.