To be born blind, deaf, and mute, I’m amazed at all Helen Keller was able to see and even more in awe over the way she expressed what she saw. On one occasion, she shared the following.

I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty and joy to accomplish humble tasks as though they were great and noble. For the world is moved along, not only by the mighty shoves of its heroes, but also by the aggregate of tiny pushes of each honest worker. ¹

Stop for a moment and just picture her hands forming these words. If you are not versed in sign language, imagine that for a brief moment in history you are. And in the brief moment, you are standing before Helen Keller as she makes this profound confession.

As the words roll from the movements of her hands and fingers it’s as though she is pulling them straight from your heart. When she expresses her dream to accomplish a great and noble task, though she can’t hear you, you whisper, “Me, too.” Then when she talks about her joy at accomplishing humble tasks as though they were great, you say, “Oh, I agree.” But you never thought much of your simple, humble tasks, till Helen Keller tied them together as one. Suddenly you’re held captive by a slide show running through your mind as one humble task after another races by. You blink in disbelief that one life, your life, could affect so many. Then you considered the impact of everyone else who thought their humble tasks had gone unnoticed. As you link the lives of all the unseen servants, helpers and encouragers, the heroes of great moments are hidden by the lives of simple servants performing humble tasks that have impacted the world. Blinking your eyes back into focus on the still hands of Helen Keller, you say, “Wow! I never saw that before.”

Sadly, many think that what makes a church great is having a great personality in the pulpit, or a series of great events over time that attract the attention of others. Any church can experience times of exceptional preaching, or moments of memorable events. Yet one of the evidences of a vibrant church in the book of Acts is not great seasons of preaching and events, but great servants who are faithful and fulfilling humble tasks each day in their church and community.

Serving the Church

Make no mistake, the early church had some powerful preaching and amazing events. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit fills 120 of Jesus’ followers and they move through the congested streets of Jerusalem speaking the native languages of all there. The preacher that seems to have grabbed their attention most is Simon Peter. His sermon is recorded in Acts2:14-40. As a result of his preaching at this unusual event, verse 41 reports that three thousand surrender to Christ and are baptized.

Many churches would count the converted and live off the story of that experience for years. That wasn’t true of the early church. Acts 2:42-47 describes their subsequent actions saying,

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

The members of the church acted upon their new life with Christ. Verse 42 states that they worship together as some taught. Verses 44 and 46 indicate that some opened their homes for fellowships. Verse 45 highlights that they met each others’ needs, and verse 47 declares that they all shared their experience with Christ with others. These verses read as though every member had a job, and they were fulfilled in the job they held. For some today, that’s hard to believe.

I laughed when I read Laura Panaro’s experience at her church. She was helping clean her church when she met a 12-year-old boy who was doing the same. Having been arrested for stealing, he was there by a court order to perform community service.

Now working together, the boy asked Laura what she had done to be working there. She answered, “Why, Son, I didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just helping out at church. What did you do?” she asked. “ I didn’t do nuttin’, either,” he quickly returned. So Larua asked him why he didn’t tell the arresting officer he didn’t do anything wrong. “What’s the use?” he muttered. “He went to my house and found all my stuff.”²

There are some, like this boy, who either think you’ve done something wrong or there is something wrong with you if you do anything at the church. Yet the early church makes it clear in Acts 6 that if there are no lives serving at church, in time, the church will have no life.

Six months has transpired between Acts 2 and Acts 6. Lives within the church are opening their homes for Bible study and fellowship. Some are leading the Bible studies while others are meeting needs. All are sharing their salvation experience with others. As a result, some scholars believe that within the six months between Acts 2 and Acts 6, the early church has grown from a membership of 120 to 10,000. They have it at a point of critical mass. By Acts 6, they have reached the point where they now have more members attending then willing to serve. This is made clear in Acts 6:1-7.

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

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.

In verse 2, the grammar of the Greek indicates that the Apostles had to pull away from their role of teaching and prayer to perform roles that others should be filling. Oh, the job may be getting done, but wasn’t being done well, and it was weakening other efforts at the same time.

Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12 both indicate that the church is like a body. Just as a body has many members, each with different functions to fulfill, members of a church come together to form one body. However, if some members are missing, others have to fill in, and it weakens the body.

I heard of a man who once cut off his thumb with a saw and later cut off his forefinger. At the hospital he showed the doctor that he had saved his forefinger and asked if he could sew it back on. When the doctor said he could, the man made a stranger request. “Can you sew my finger where my thumb was?” When the doctor asked why, the man explained that even though it wouldn’t be as strong as a thumb, at least he would have something there to grab things. Surprisingly, the surgery was a success.

Having been a pastor for twenty-five years, I’ve seen the body of Christ look strange. Fingers are where thumbs should be. Feet are where ears should be. And many members are trying to perform three or four roles at once because other members are not doing their jobs. No wonder today’s church seems strange and ineffective to the world. With so many members not serving, those that are serving are exhausted from all the roles they are trying to carry and the church looks awkward and weak to the world.

However, when every member fills a role, they are fulfilled by their role and others within the body are made strong because of them. I’m living proof. I was strengthened in the third grade because of Mrs. Wantland. This dear woman taught third graders for nearly fifty years. Then, Spec Little strengthened me in the seventh grade. When Dad led the church to start a bus ministry, I wanted to help. Spec Little picked me up every Sunday so I could pass out milk and cookies to those getting on the bus. Troy Tolson helped shape me in the tenth grade. He was a man who treated us as young men, which made me listen even more to him when he taught scripture.

I could cite many more names, and some of them would even be ministers. The point to make is that when every member is in place fulfilling their role and being fulfilled by their role, the body of the church is both impressive and effective. Acts 6:7 confirms this when it says that “the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly.” This is written as though the number of lives being changed has multiplied exponentially. That’s hard to conceive when 10,000 had surrendered to Christ in just six months. Yet for validation of this, Luke adds that “a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” The numbers have not only increased, but those who were strongest against them are now with them. All this happened because every member was in place filling a role and being fulfilled by the role they filled.

Serving the Community

As I said at the outset, one of the evidences of a vibrant church in the book of Acts is not seen in great preachers or events. It’s when the members become great servants faithfully fulfilling humble tasks each day in their church and community. We’ve talked about serving the church, but what about serving the community?

I’m told that St. Bede’s Episcopal Churh in Santa Fe, New Mexico, has a hand-lettered sign that hangs over the only door into the sanctuary. It reads SERVANTS ENTRANCE. That’s a great place for that sign to hang. However, there should also be a sign that says SERVANTS EXIT as you leave.

It is clear that the members of the early church not only served the church but they also served the community. Look at Acts 2:42-47 again.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 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, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

Verse 43 says, “Everyone was filled with awe.” This word “awe” appears only three other times in the Gospels. One was when God had made Zechariah mute for nine months. But at the birth of Zechariah’s son, God loosed his tongue and he names him John (Luke 1:65), and the boy would become John the Baptist. The other two times it occurs when Jesus heals a lame man (Matthew 5:8, Luke 5:26), and raises a boy from the dead (Luke 7:16). In each case, a sense of awe came over the people when they saw God do something only God could do

When you look at all God was doing through the church, no wonder the people were in awe. Verse 44 says “All the believers were together.” For a group of believers to be of the same mind and heart is a miracle all to itself. Verse 45 adds that they took care of one another. Verse 46 states how they regularly worshipped together. Then, verse 47 explains that they were “enjoying the favor of all the people.” The people had a sense of awe over the power of God that was evident within them. However, others had “favor” upon them as the very grace of God was expressed through them.

Princeton University Sociologist Rodney Stark cites a moving example of how the early church served the community. His article in Christian History records that in the years 165 A. D. and 251 A. D. two great plagues swept the Roman Empire. Each plague killed one third of the empire’s population, and with each plague, the believers impressed their community with their willingness to serve. Stark writes,

The willingness of Christians to care for others was put on dramatic public display…. Pagans tried to avoid all contact with the afflicted, often casting the still-living into the gutters. Christians, on the other hand, nursed the sick, even though [some] died doing so…. Christians also were visible and valuable during the frequent natural and social disasters afflicting the Greco-Roman world: earthquakes, famines, floods, riots, civil wars, and invasions. Even in healthier times, the pagan emperor, Julian, noted the followers of “The Way” support not only their poor, but ours as well.³

With believers so active in meeting the needs of non-believers, no wonder that verse 47 ends with the affirming statement, “the Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved.”

I am happy to say that as a church, we have members involved in disaster relief, prison ministries, and ministries within hospitals. We also have members ministering to women facing unexpected pregnancies, and we’ve recently partnered in ministry with The Bair Foundation. Their aim is to find Christian foster homes for children who’ve been at risk. Some of our men have helped at a men’s mission while other members have given care in various assisted living centers. This is a short list of what quickly comes to mind, and I’m sure many more efforts could be listed.

Yet, I’m still concerned that many believers in today’s church are more focused on serving each other within the church than helping others outside the church. To help us reclaim a holistic view of service, let me offer you the example of a woman named Tabitha. Her story is found in found in Acts 9:36-43.

36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

Tabitha’s experience raises the following question, “When you die, who will weep at your death?”

Will your family weep for you? My dad once said, “Son, don’t put your work over your family, for thirty days after you’re gone, work will go on, but your family will still be mourning you.” There were tears shed for Tabitha. Will there be tears shed for you?

Will fellow church members weep for you? Will they tell stories of your faithful years of service? Will they share experiences of how you worked side by side and how you encouraged them and the investments you made in them?

Will members from the community weep for you? Though they are not members of your family or your church, God used you to bless their lives. Because you saw and met their need, they surrendered their life to Jesus Christ.

A community shed their tears for Tabitha because of the way she served them. They wept over her because of the humble tasks she fulfilled. Who in the community will weep for you?

Handy to God

If this is an uncomfortable message to hear, please understand it’s an uncomfortable message to preach. In our busy lives, we find it hard to add one more responsibility to our days. Therefore when a preacher challenges believers to actively serve in their church and community, I’m sure you do what I do and pad your conscience with excuses. Yes, preachers do it, too. Here are some of my favorites.

I don’t have time to add another responsibility.
What if they need me for more than I can give?
God, you know I’m an introvert by nature.
I’m already too tired to do what I’m doing.
What if they ask a question I can’t answer?
Surely, there’s someone better equipped than me?

I’m sure there are other excuses out there. When I reach retirement age, I’m sure I’ll say, “God, I’ve served at the church, and I’ve helped in the community. Let those that are younger serve. I deserve a rest.”

For all of you who have used any of these excuses or one I’ve not mentioned, listen to this story by Tom Elliff. Tom Elliff has served as a missionary, pastor, and denominational leader. His life is filled with amazing experiences with God because he learned the following lesson from his grandfather.

As the two of them were working together on a piece of wood, Tom’s grandfather asked him to grab a certain tool off the wall. Unfamiliar with the tool, Tom hestitated till his grandfather said, “Tom, it’s on the left.” Moving to the left, but still uncertain, Tom’s grandfather tells him, “Tom, it’s toward the top.” Trying to decide which tool to grab, Tom hears his grandfather sigh, “That’s okay, Tom, I’ve fixed it with this screwdriver.” With the screwdriver still in his hand, Tom’s grandfather shares the following lesson. “Tom, there were other tools I could have used that were far better suited for the job. Do you want to know why I used this screwdriver? I used it because it was handy.” His grandfather went on to say, “Tom, there may be other individuals better suited for a particular job, but the one God will use is the one who is handy. Keep yourself handy to God.”

You and I will always think there are others better suited for opportunities at the church or to meet a need in the community. God’s not asking how well suited you are. He just wants to know if you will be handy. Those that are handy to God get to experience the fulfillment and joy of being used by God in their church and community.

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[1]James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited, (Wheaton, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 1988), 55.
[2] Laura Panaro, Florence, N.J. Christian Reader, “Lite Fare.”
[3] Robert Lewis with Rob Wilkins, The Church of Irresistible Influence, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2001), 45-46