It takes many to make a kingdom strong.
“This is a list of the leaders over David’s warriors who helped make David’s kingdom strong. All the people of Israel also supported David’s kingdom. These heroes and all the people of Israel made David king, just as the LORD had promised.” – 1 Chronicles 11:10
Read Nehemiah 3.
How many times do you see the phrase, “Next to them?”
“The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together and said, “It is not right for us to stop our work of teaching God’s word in order to serve tables. So, brothers and sisters, choose seven of your own men who are good, full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. We will put them in charge of this work. Then we can continue to pray and to teach the word of God.”
The whole group liked the idea, so they chose these seven men: Stephen (a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas (a man from Antioch who had become a follower of the Jewish religion). 6 Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.” – Acts 6:2-6
The apostles couldn’t do it alone. The people chose seven of their own to work ‘next to them,’ so the apostles could focus on their particular portion of building the kingdom.
Are you full, today?
Stephen wasn’t an apostle.
He was, however, “a man with great faith and full of the Holy Spirit” and “richly blessed by God who gave him the power to do great miracles and signs among the people” .
Whether you’re the painter, the pastor, or the plumber, are you full?
Do you go to church to warm the pew and get your tank full or do you spend your own time with God, getting full of His Holy Spirit so that, whether you’re entering the church or entering the rest of your world, God can use you ‘next to them’?
Be among those other believers who have honed their skills to the point God can use them to rebuilt His temple like in Nehemiah 3 and with great faith and full of the spirit like Stephen in Acts 6:5.
