Different Character

Heavenly Different

My friends mom Would say that is just heavenly

Mothers day

Acts 6:8-15 (ESV)

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

In order to be heavenly different

Full of grace

Acts 6:8 (ESV)

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

Down home southern charm –JLM tour ..cats.. then down south..

He experienced Jesus grace and his life reflected that

John 1:14 (ESV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son[a] from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The way we give grace is by how we experience grace

Our grace should show in our relationships in this world..

Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

John Macarthur said, “When a man really believes God, it is at that point that he extends grace toward everybody else. Because, you see, everybody is only contributing to the plan of God in his life. But if you’re going to run around trying to salvage yourself in your little box that you’ve built for yourself, then you’re going to get irritated when somebody puts a dent in your box.”

In order to be heavenly different

Full of Power

Jolt cola

Dare to want it all

Ephesians 1:19-21 (ESV)

19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.

Nehemiah 9:32a (ESV)

32 “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us…

Packer quote Instagram

Ephesians 3:20 (ESV)

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

In order to be heavenly different, we should be

Full of great wonders and signs

This specific type of apostle is not present in the church today. The qualifications of this type of apostle were: (1) to have been a witness of the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1), (2) to have been explicitly chosen by the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:15), and (3) to have the ability to perform signs and wonders (Acts 2:43; 2 Corinthians 12:12). The responsibility of the twelve apostles, laying the foundation of the church, would also argue for their uniqueness. Two thousand years later, we are not still working on the foundation.

Beyond the unique twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, there were also apostles in a generic sense. Apostles..those sent out.. today we would use the word missionaries

In the new Testament other than Christ only the 12 apostles Stephen phillp an barnanbus were reported as doing. Miracles. I still believe God can do miracles in our lives anytime he wants, James says the pray of the righteous can heal… but I think certain gifts were limited to the time after Jesus ascension for the starting of His church.

Colossians 1:12 (ESV)

12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

5 for 5

Coach a team

Disciple.. there is no such thing as a retired Christian

Marriage mentor

Text a prayer

In order to be heavenly different, we should be

Full of Wisdom

Acts 6:9-10 (ESV)

9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

Stephen spoke

Wisdom Comes from the hebrew word that means skill Like a craftsmen who builds something…

This is the kind of skill to master the knowledge of God through his world and life application…

Weird things you might not know

Bread tag

Tabs for aluminum foil..

How about surran wrap in freezer

Banana peal

Bubble wrap. Wall paper

Coca cola battery to lossen bolts or clean the battery acid of your car battery terminals

The word stressed is the word desserts backwards

These are life lessons that you learn by doing and reading..

Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,

and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.

In order to be heavenly different we should be

Full of the Spirit

In just this one chapter Stephen was filled with the Holy Spirit three times

The Holy spirit is for all who believe.. not just the Billy Grahams or the Lew Schrumms of the world.

Being filled means to allow the Spirit to have full control (last week) what keeps the hoolys psirt from being able to control us iis sin. The spirit shows us the areas in oour life in which we need to give over to God,

Baseball glove… beat it up.. molded by God then the spirit goes in..but we got get out..

Galatians 5:16 (ESV)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

our lust, our gossip, our judgement, our bitterness, lack of forgiveness, hate our worldliness.

John 7:37-39 (ESV)

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Stirred up people

Stephen begins to share about Jesus

Someone said that God moved Stephen from the “Pantry” (waiting tables) to the “Pulpit.”

Acts 6:11-14 (ESV)

11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

2 Corinthians 4:4 (ESV)

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Ephesians 4:18 (ESV)

They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.

Why did God allow divorce

Jesus said..

When we are told something in our life is sin and we want to

Stephen was not worried about what others thought of him or would do to him, he just knew what was right and Followed Christ!

Philiippians 1:21 (ESV)

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Deal with people full of brokeness

False witnesses

Matthew 10:16 (ESV)

“Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.

In order to be heavenly different, we should be

Full of God

Acts 6:15 (ESV)

15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Face of an angel

Three people whose faces. Shone

Moses

Jesus

Stephen

Unique that Stephen was accused of blaspheming Moses words and that is when the same glory that lit Moses face, lit Stephen’s so close

So close to God he experienced his Glory

Psalm 103:1-4 (ESV)

103 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and all that is within me,

bless his holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his benefits,

3 who forgives all your iniquity,

who heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit,

who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

PRAYER

YOUR NAME IS HIGHER, YOUR NAME IS GREATER ALL MY HOPE IS IN YOU YOUR WORD UNFAILING YOUR PROMISE UNSHAKEN ALL MY HOPE IS IN YOU MAKE US HEAVENLY DIFFERENT