Anthony Gammage ~ Acts 6:1-7

Sermon Quotes:

Acts 6:1-7
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists[a] arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And 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.3 Therefore, brothers,[b] pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

James 2:8-9
8 If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

Romans 12:15
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Ephesians 2:11-13
11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ…

Philippians 2:6-8
…6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Ephesians 2:18
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Resources:
The Gospel Coalition articles on Race: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/when-race-becomes-an-idol
Is the Black Lives Matter Movement the New Civil Rights Movement?: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/is-black-lives-matter-the-new-civil-rights-movement
Nine Marks Journal on Race and the Church and some other works:
https://9marks.org/journal/multi-ethnic-churches/
https://9marks.org/tag/ethnicity-and-race/