Acts 7 Multiply

Acts 6:8 Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed amazing miracles and signs among the people.

Acts 6:3f …select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility… Everyone liked this idea, and they chose the following: Stephen (a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit)…

Acts 6:9-10 But one day some men from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, as it was called, started to debate with him. They were Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and the province of Asia. None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke.

Acts 6:11-12 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.”  This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law.

Acts 6:12 So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.

Acts 6:13-14 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” [CLICK] on ref to Temple, after reading text

Acts 6:15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Acts 7:1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these accusations true?”

are you ready to die?

are you ready to live for Jesus?

Oscar pistorius

I’m the double amputee who was a champion, an Olympic runner I’m the double amputee who was a champion, an Olympic runner. I overcame all of the obstacles.

rihanna

I put my guard up so hard. I didn’t want people to see me cry I put my guard up so hard. I didn’t want people to see me cry. I didn’t want people to feel bad for me. It was a very vulnerable time in my life, and I refused to let that be the image.

This is my story, this is my identity, and now this is how it’s going to shape my behavior. This is how it’s going to shape my response to crisis.

The American dream

Rebecca Pippert; Out of the Saltshaker and into the World Whatever controls us is our lord. The person who seeks power is controlled by power. The person who seeks acceptance is controlled by acceptance. We do not control ourselves. We are controlled by the lord of our lives.

Lance armstrong

I like to win, but more than anything I can’t stand the idea of losing, because to me that equals death. The trailer says the gift Lance Armstrong had was that he was a gifted storyteller.

Jimmy fallon

We have a story

how can we really know what or who is controlling us?

what a person does in their solitude is really their religion

Martyn Lloyd-Jones The true lord of your life, is anything that holds such a controlling position in your life that it moves and rouses and attracts us so easily that we give our time, our attention, our energy, and our money to it effortlessly. We don’t even think about it.

Acts 6:1,7 But as the believers rapidly multiplied So God’s message continued to spread. The number of believers greatly increased in Jerusalem, and many of the Jewish priests were converted, too.

out of joy the church multiplies multiply out of joy the church multiplies

Acts 7

Acts 7 v2 Abraham v9 Patriarchs v20 Moses v38 the law v46 the temple [CLICK] each verse

because I understand Jesus, I understand your story better than you do.

v37 Moses pointed to Jesus v38, 53 Jesus is the fulfilment of the law v48 God’s people are the true temple [CLICK] each verse

Is Jesus the centre of your story?

Acts 7:51 You stubborn people! You are heathen at heart and deaf to the truth. Must you forever resist the Holy Spirit? That’s what your ancestors did, and so do you!

Acts 7:52-53 Name one prophet your ancestors didn’t persecute! They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the Righteous One— the Messiah whom you betrayed and murdered. You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.

Acts 7:54-55 The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand.

Acts 7:56-58 And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 7:59-60 As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

Acts 7:57-58 Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him  and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.

There is only one story

Jesus & stephen Filled with the spirit, ministry of wisdom Accused of blasphemy Unjust trial Executed in a horrendous way Prayed for forgiveness for killers [CLICK] each line

Jesus died to set us free Jesus died to save us from sin.

Luke 9:23-25 If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

Jesus… come follow me