Acts 6:1-7 

¹In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic 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 and sisters, 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.

Crab Mentality is Good!

Someone said: “If someone wants to put you down, you might be at the top.”

That is an idea of crab mentality which is often the more popular way of looking into it.

Crab mentality is commonly understood as outdoing or putting down others just to be at the top or stepping on others to be successful.

If you fill an empty bucket up to half of it with live crabs, the crabs will step on other crabs and try their best to be the first to escape or to come out of the bucket. At first glance, that is the very idea of crab mentality without deeper observation or without any consideration on how crabs think or coordinate with other crabs.

Pause! Just try to think beyond that prevalent or well-accepted suggestion of crab mentality. Look closely! Consider some other probable possibilities why crabs step on each other while they are in a bucket or in any enclosure!

In a bucket, the first crab initiates the great escape from the bucket. Another will climb at the back of the initiator and the next crab will do the same.

The initiating crab sacrifice itself and the next crab follows its sacrificial example by allowing others to step on its back and goes on and on until the others are able to escape. It appears like they are trying to outdo or trying to escape ahead of other crabs.

Crabs cannot grip or steady themselves while clinging at the back of the others. Yet even with unsteady way of making a ladder for others to be able to escape, they persist.

That is the crab mentality that represents a persistent or resilient team work for the sake of the other crabs that would benefit from their joint effort.

The crabs that were able to escape from the bucket, for sure, are very thankful for the sacrifices of those crabs left in the bucket.

Crabs have shaky grip but they have a great cooperative teamwork that benefits the others.

That kind of mentality, helping each other to reach the top, is better appreciated among ants because ants have better grips than crabs and ants are better in climbing than crabs.

If the mentality of crabs is to step on another any crab, then crabs won’t stay in groups. If crab mentality is not helpful to crab community, crabs would stay away from each other if they know that one crab would use the other just to be on top.

In a space or ground without enclosure, crabs do not step on other crabs just to be on top. But if they are in a situation where they needed to be freed, to escape from any enclosure or traps, it is where you can see them helping each other to escape to freedom.

Crabs stepping on other sacrificial crabs happen only when crabs needed others to have freedom or to escape from any enclosure.

In the church, there are those who sacrifice for others to escape from the penalty of sin.

We have physical needs and spiritual needs that needed division of labor.

1. Physical Needs

¹In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic 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 and sisters, 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…

When the weaker believers were overlooked, the first church needed to select leaders who would attend to their physical need like serving food. The Apostle instructed the church to select seven men who would spearhead the physical need of the church. Seven more men were added to the church leadership to be responsible for physical works not directly related to the ministry of the word and prayer.

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.

The name Stephen means “crown” was the first recorded Christian martyr. The name Phillip means “fond of horse” who is believed to be the evangelist who baptized the Ethiopian eunuch. Procorus, Nicanor, Timon were the other three leaders from the original seven. The name Parmenas means “constant” while Nicolas from Antioch was a convert to Judaism which suggests that Nicolas was not of Jewish blood.

Stephen did not limit himself to physical responsibilities but helped in spreading the gospel. Phillip for his part was a gifted evangelist and like Stephen, he too, shared the gospel. For sure there were other Christian non-leaders who participated in witnessing. Although they were not mentioned here, it does not mean that they did not witness.

Luke focused his attention to the works or to the Acts of the Apostles not to members.

TMEC Leaders

Two of the more consistent leaders of TMEC, Bro. Max and Bro. Nito, were former B.O.T. members but they excel in various ministries not just as B.O.T. members. Bro Max is best known for his administrative work involvement. Bro. Nito, for his part, is most recognized in the field of evangelism. Both of them are also great preachers, faithful Bible teachers and missionaries.

They are a measuring rod for dedication and devotion that next generation leaders would measure their commitment to God’s work at TMEC.

Interestingly, there were two of the first original seven church leaders who were more popular than the other five leaders of the first church. Stephen and Phillip were great church leaders but they became more popular to the Christian world not just because of their administrative responsibilities. The book of Acts mentioned more about their individual personal witnessing than their service in the food distribution in the church.

Those names mentioned in the book of Acts of the Apostles remind us that whenever we are involved in God’s activities, God will never forget to commend us one day. In the church, there are physical responsibilities where we need leaders to step up. There are also spiritual responsibilities and we need leaders, too.

2. Spiritual Needs

 ⁴ and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

The Apostles were the first preachers, teachers and pastors of the church. They focused more of there attention to prayer time and in the ministry of the word.

In the New Testament church, there was division of labor between physical and spiritual.

Pray for our church leaders to perform their responsibilities given them diligently. Pray also for me to be more diligent especially to the ministry of the word or to my preparation of lessons or sermons.

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.

Let’s pray that God will allow this church to grow fitting to the ability of our leaders on how to handle the church affairs. Pray for wisdom for me and the BOT members on how to handle growing attendance.

Leadership style for smaller churches is far different from leadership style for thousand memberships. Pray that God would multiply the leadership ability for our leaders. Pray also that God would raise leaders in this church who will be able to handle the word demand for thousand memberships.

There are various needs that can be experienced in different numbers of membership.

Buying Car

The need of family for a car is exceptionally unique compared with that of a bachelor. A sports car can normally carry four people that bachelors love to drive. When the bachelor marries and had more children, he needs to consider his family. Even if he still loves driving sports cars, a family man needed to buy a van to bring his family to the church simultaneously until they can be independent to drive their own cars.

Leadership needed also to shift to a bigger vehicle to accommodate a bigger congregation. The church needs ministry realignment appropriate to the number of its members. It needs wisdom from the Lord to modifying church ministries because it affects the physical building and also manpower.

Pray that our church leaders will catch the vision from God on how to fine-tune the current ministries we have.

When we hear complains from church members, remember that the first church complained to the apostles because there was a need for additional leaders. Complains from church members are God’s way of reminding our leaders about needs of the church to be given attention to.

Pray that God would raise leaders apposite, suitable to certain ministries.

Each leader has been given his or her spiritual gift that needed to be maximized to full use.

Is God calling you to be involved in a certain ministry in the church or outside the church?

Remember that those who accepted the challenge to be involved were recognized in the Bible and God will certainly commend your involvement to church responsibilities.

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