Stephen & the Holy Spirit

Intro

Our series is called “Encountering the Holy Spirit” and throughout this series we’ll that the Holy Spirit brings Power & Purpose to the People of God

We’ll look at a variety of sitiations where the actions of God’s people are empowered by God’s presence working in them and through them

No when it comes to the work of the Holy Spirit I want to make a couple of things clear.

All Christians have the Holy Spirit living within us.

We can’ t become Christians with the Spirits work in us.

He’s the one that

John 1:12-13 “12 But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.”

1

First introduced to Stephen in Acts 6:1-7

Earlier in the book of Acts we see the church has become so united that they’ve sold their posessions and pooled the money to be distributed as people needed it.

But this has caused some tension - the Greek speaking Jews (kno as Hellenists Jews) feel their peole are missing out so the leader so fthis fleging movement (the Apostles) come up with as solution.

Acts 6:1–7 (NIV 2011)

1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

1st Point -

Acts 4:12 “12 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.””