A Chosen Vessel
I want you to note those words in ACTS 6:5 'and they chose Stephen'. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit the man called Stephen was chosen by the whole multitude. They did not elect him by voting, but chose him with one accord or unanimously. The word 'chosen' in the Greek includes the meaning that the choice is 'without opposition of any kind, unitedly'. There was no strife, no discouragement, no quarrel. All knew that he had been chosen. The word 'Stephen' means 'crown', and how triumphant was that man's life, even though he lived for so short a time. This one man of God accomplished much more in his brief life than we who have been many years in the Lord, and he was indeed worthy to receive a crown, a crown of glory.
We are not told much about Stephen. We do not know anything about his parents or family or qualifications. Suddenly he appears on the scene like a bright shining star, and becomes the very first martyr, calling upon the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ in the moment of death.
The meaning of divine choice is revealed to us by the life and ministry of Stephen. Do we,like him, also want to be chosen—or called of God with a heavenly calling? Is there a longing in your soul as had the psalmist in Psa. 106. 1. where he begins the psalm with the words: "Praise ye the Lord'? Praise is a heavenly thing. We praise God for the blessings of eternity, for heavenly, eternal and glorious things, and not merely for earthly things. If we want to live a triumphant life, we must first of all understand what it means to be one of God's people. 'Remember me, O God, with the favour that thou barest unto thy people, and visit me with thy salvation.'
Have you that spiritual conviction that you are one of a heavenly people, a peculiar people, God's chosen people, a people that have been pulled out by God's mighty hand, who have become a heavenly peculiar treasure. Mark that word 'peculiar treasure'. Man's standard of choice is based on rank or position or wealth or fame. But God has a different standard. Even though we are as filthy rags, ruined by sin and absolutely worthless and use/ess, yet He says: 'O my son, my daughter, I want you to be my peculiar treasure' He knows what He can make of you and me for eternity, if only we place ourselves in His hands. So do not resist God's hand, when it is His desire to choose you. In Psa. 106. 4, 5, the psalmist prays: 'That I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation and glory with thine inheritance.' All these things are exemplified in the life of Stephen, who, in becoming God's chosen vessel brought to many heavenly joy, and, as a believer, gloried with all the saints in the great heavenly inheritance.
I remember the early days of my Christian life in the year 1936, when, after my conversion, my father met me at the station and said to me: 'We have absolutely no objection to your becoming a Christian, but I request that when you come to your home town you do not say that you are a Christian. You can read the Bible and pray; you can do anything else that you like; but do not say that you are a Christian. When you are away from your home town, however, you are free to do as you wish.' I told him: 'Father, the Lord Jesus is my Life; how can I live if I deny Him? If I do not breathe I cannot live physically. He is my Life, and if I deny Him I will die in one hour.' Then A C H O S E N VESSEL 17 he proposed another plan: 'If you want it that way, you can take up a job for three months; then people will say: "This man had a job, and resigned it when he became a Christian." Otherwise they will say that because you had no job you became a Christian'. I told him that if I got a job for one week or even for one day it would be possible to go astray because of my failure to honour God. In the sight of God one soul is of more value than all the wealth of the whole world. In this way God teaches the spiritual meaning of heavenly truths brought out in the life of Stephen, an unknown person, about whose family, native village, country or qualifications we know nothing, but who in the eyes of God was most precious.
In the world people who want to become great, work hard to win fame and a name for themselves. If they want to become an M.L.A. they will spend a great deal of money by going here and there, yet when they actually enter into the Council they have only to occupy the chair they sit on. In the meetings they simply sit, and occasionally have to shew their hands. They have no real concern for the country, nor any other qualifications for the job; they want only to have the letters M.L.A. attached to their name. How strange that men will work so hard just for a name!
This passage in Acts, however, shows how you and I can be chosen for heavenly fame and an eternal name. For example there may be some believers living in a village and you go there and ask: 'Do you know Subbarao ?' and they will reply: 'No!' Though it is only a small village there are few who know his name. How different things are when such a man is chosen of God. Then you could go to heaven and ask any angel: 'Do you know Subbarao ?' and he would say: 'Yes, I know him very well.' 'How do you happen to know him?' 'He has been chosen by our heavenly King, and our King Himself has told us of His choice.' Upon earth a man may be nothing, but when he is chosen by God he will be acknowledged with joy and gladness by the heavenly host. The pity is that there are so few believers who are willing to be His chosen vessels. There ate many who consider themselves to be very good Christians, who are quite satisfied to attend a service once a week, and give some money once a month. 'We do not harm anybody,' they say. 'We do not tell lies; we do not deceive anybody; we do not quarrel; we live a quiet life and go to church every Sunday for forty-five minutes; but we are too busy for prayer-meetings. If we go to such places, we go to sleep.' You may indeed be a fine Christian. Your standards may be high. But God wants more than that. He loves you; He bought you by His blood, so as to make you His chosen vessel, His peculiar treasure, His vineyard, His co-worker, and His eternal partner.
The first essential is to be like Stephen, not working for the sake of position. There are some people who, if you give them some position, will work day and night; but, if you do not give them a position, will hang back and do nothing. They are only working for a name. But we are told that Stephen did not work for honour or position. He worked quietly and lovingly, Acts 6. 1,2.
When the number of the disciples was multiplied, and the Lord was working mightily, the devil brought in murmur - ings and grumblings among the Grecians against the Hebrews because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration, thus subtly bringing strife and quarrelling amongst God's people. Throughout the centuries the devil has been using two weapons to hinder the work of God and to prevent His servants from true service. Firstly, when God begins a work and His power is being manifested in lives, there come murmurings, complaints, and quarrelling among God's people, and through this the work is upset and hindered. A few of that type of murmuring believers can quench the Spirit of God and the work suffers.
A CHOSEN VESSEL 19 Secondly, the devil tries to hinder God's servants from ministering the Word, and compels them instead to serve tables. He wanted the apostles to leave their important ministry and do this. You find the same tragedy in many parts of the world among the servants of God. God has called them to be preachers, teachers and evangelists, but now they are serving tables. For some time they are faithful, but when the work is increased, they become entangled with the world. There arc others of God's servants who have worldly wives, and in order to keep peace at home their husbands have to work for them. Before marriage these men gave God's word the first place in their lives and spent much time in prayer and were full of zeal, but now they are dried up, and are going down slowly but steadily. First one child arrived, then a second, then a third, till there are five! Now those men spend the whole time washing napkins; that is their service; and when you ask them why there is no fruit in their ministry, they say the ground is very hard. But God's Word reveals the real secret of weakness. First things must be kept first; and by His grace we can do so. He will give us wisdom, even as He gave divine wisdom to His servants in Acts 6. 5. 'And the saying pleased the whole multitude', and they chose men like Stephen, who went quietly from house to house helping the people, and caring for the widows and the poor. They were known to nobody; their birth and.history were a secret; they sought simply to serve wherever they saw the need; and when the time came, the whole multitude with one accord chose them because they had been watching their lives and had noted how they served without any show, and were yet at the same time full of the Holy Spirit and of divine wisdom for every service.
We too need the anointing of the Holy Spirit whatever the service may be, howsoever small or howsoever great. It may be only to serve the widows and the poor, or to look after the building, or to serve food or to lay mats or any similar job in the house of God. Whatever it is we must have the anointing, and be filled with wisdom and the Holy Ghost, not seeking glory of men. We require Holy Ghost wisdom and divine anointing to find out what should be done in God's house and God's service, and we must do everything as unto Him and not as unto men.
Stephen had the desire to serve the Lord and the people. He was not longing to be a preacher. There are some who not only Jong to be preachers, but want only to preach on Sunday and to large congregations. They feel very happy when they are speaking and waving their arms about. They willingly accept the call to address a big meeting, saying: 'Yes, I will be only too glad to take the meeting!'Yet when the same men are asked to take a cottage meeting they will say: 'Brother, I am not feeling well today', or 'my wife has asked me to come early, as my baby is not too well. So please excuse me.' Such men can preach only to a crowd. Now Stephen was not that kind of man. He was not longing to be brought forward as a preacher. He was quite satisfied to serve tables, to give food and to attend to the poor. He served joyfully and they all knew that he was full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. He knew how to behave himself everywhere; how to be humble, meek, gentle and careful. Wisdom is manifested by the small things and the way they are done.
Do you also want to be a divinely chosen vessel? Then be willing and ready to do simple things joyfully, not for man's sake, but for God's; and God Himself will fill you with His Holy Spirit and wisdom. That is how Stephen came to be chosen as God's vessel. Acts 6. 8: 'And Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and miracles among the people.'He was appointed only to look after the widows and business details, but it was soon manifest that he was a man of faith. He was not going round begging money from others. He could have said: 'I have been appointed by all A C H O S E N VESSEL, 2 1 the multitude to look after these people. Now, we have so many widows in Jerusalem, and so many children, and so many babies. Please give more money for their support.' Imagine Stephen today in America, going about with long stones of need and distress, and asking: 'Please give dollars for the support of these widows and orphans.' O ye beggars of American dollars! be men of faith, learn how to trust God. He is a loving, mighty and unchangeable God. He can do all things. Why should His servants beg? Is it because they have no faith? Stephen was a man of faith, and by faith he saw The need supplied. God performed wonders and thus proclaimed Stephen as the man of His choice for the task. Has God chosen you?
If you are willing to do His will He will choose and make you a man of faith. You will be made to see the wonders of God's working. He is the Living God. In Acts 6:10, we read: 'And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the power and the spirit by which he spake.' Stephen went about doing his job, and at the same time he gave the Word to all he met. He was a humble ordinary man, but a man also full of the Spirit of God, and a divine wisdom that could shut the mouths of the learned. It is only as you obey God that He will give you the divine wisdom to meet any situation and make of you a chosen vessel.
This should be the deepest desire of each one of us. Will you not respond to His call, that He may make of you His chosen vessel? Only thus can you become a man filled with power and the Spirit of God.