Stephen

The Church: Origin and Purpose  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented   •  44:36
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Inspiration

What kind of life inspires you?
Impactful — Makes a big difference
Overcomer — Makes a huge change to be better
Successful — Plans and achieves goals
Kind — Innate ability to empathize with and reach out to others
Wise — Knows how to find the right answer and applies it.
Loyal — Never fails to be there and to follow through.
Today's message is about a life that inspires and how we can all connect to that kind of life.
Read Acts 6:8-15
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.

Who is Stephen?

One of the seven chosen to serve the Hellenistic widows. (Acts 6:1-7)
Acts 6:8–10 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.
A powerful speaker.
A man filled with the Spirit and wisdom.
A remarkable presence.
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.

Who are the accusers?

Acts 6:9 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.
Jews from various regions.
Not sure what freedman are.
Saul is possibly linked to this group.
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 6:9–11

Tarsus was located in the province of Cilicia.

What is the Conflict?

Stephen is preaching Jesus and they couldn’t refute him
There hearts were hard so they had to take him down.
They attacked him the same way they attacked Jesus.
Look at the accusations:
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.”

What does Stephen display?

The spirit filled life:
Galatians 5:16–25 ESV
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 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. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
The life under the law:
The law only points to sin:
Galatians 5:18–21 ESV
18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Grace points to life in the Spirit:
Galatians 5:22–25 ESV
22 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. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.
What truly inspires us?
Shouldn’t it be any life lived in the Spirit?
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