Expect Messiness, Empower Everyone: Acts 6:1-7

Raise your hand if church has ever disappointed you. If Christians have let you down. If you've seen division, conflict, and messiness in the body of Christ and thought, "This isn't what it's supposed to be like."

Here's the truth: church has always been messy. From day one. Acts 6 shows us tension erupting in the early church—racial and cultural division, people being overlooked, complaints flying. And yet, the church didn't fall apart. Instead, they leaned in, addressed the problem, and grew stronger because of it.

Expect Messiness

Acts 6:1 says, "The Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food." Translation: the foreign Jews felt like the local Jews were getting preferential treatment.

Even in the early church—right after Pentecost, right after thousands came to faith—there was tension. Why? Because the church is made up of broken, imperfect people. Cultural and racial tensions don't magically disappear when we follow Jesus. They have to be worked through.

Here's the hard truth: we don't discover healthy spiritual communities—we work together to create them. And that means we have two options:

1. Stay surface level and refuse to risk offending each other
2. Dig in, do life together, and trust each other with who we really are

Tension doesn't mean God is absent. It means He's actively shaping us to be more like Jesus.

Empower Everyone

The twelve apostles were doing everything—teaching, serving, distributing food. And they weren't doing a great job at all of it. Some widows were being overlooked. So what did they do? They empowered others to step up.

They appointed seven men—all with Greek names, likely Hellenistic Jews—to oversee the benevolence ministry. The minority was given leadership. More voices, more perspectives, more diversity was brought to the table in a meaningful way.

These men weren't chosen just because they were minorities. They were filled with the Spirit, gifted to lead, and uniquely positioned to understand and connect with an underserved population.

What This Means for Us

If you're in the majority—whatever that majority is—expect to serve instead of be served. Expect to listen instead of speak. Amplify the voices that are harder to hear. Seek understanding with those who are underrepresented. Not to be woke, but to better see and experience God's Kingdom.

Proverbs 18:2 says, "Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions."

This Week, Try This

1. Stop avoiding conflict. Is there a tension in your relationships or your church that needs to be addressed? Don't ignore it. Bring it into the light with humility and love.
2. Listen more than you speak. This week, in conversations—especially about hard topics—practice listening. Really listening. Not just waiting for your turn to talk.
3. Empower someone. Who around you has gifts that aren't being used? Encourage them. Create space for them to step into what God has called them to do.

Messiness + Empowerment = Growth

To truly participate in church, we must expect messiness and empower everyone. We must give special attention to those who are hurting or underrepresented, navigate conflict together instead of avoiding it, and listen when we'd rather speak.

At Indy Metro, we're committed to creating a space where everyone's voice matters, where conflict is worked through with grace and truth, and where messiness doesn't scare us off—it draws us closer together. And we'd love for you to be part of it. Come as you are this Sunday. Let's create healthy community together, even when it's messy.