Sermons About Stephen
"The Long View of Suffering: Of Martyrs and Bystanders"
Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16, 1 Peter 2:2-10, John 14:1-14 Acts 7:55-60. This is in many ways the sequel to my previous message on Palm Sunday. That Sunday's sermon dealt with many of the personal realities of how we deal with suffering in relation to God. That's the "short view"...suffering on an individual scope. Today takes a huge step back from that. We will glance at the powerful story of the intersection of one martyr--Stephen--and one bystander--Saul. But we won't let the drama and excitement of this powerful account eclipse what Luke, as author, was intending to convey through this story's setting in the grand scheme of his two-volume story we call Luke-Acts. In fact, such a perspective on the story grants us a powerful lesson on the "long view" of suffering--looking at it from God's perspective rather than ours. The main thrust of today's message is that when we take the long view of suffering, we share in God's kingdom in some extraordinary ways.
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How Did He Do That?
How Did He Do That? From the life of Stephen, Acts 6, 7 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13 It is important that we take a deep look at our lives and recognize what priorities drive us, what conclusions we arrive at, how we arrive at them, and vast difference between intention and reality. “We’ve read all the books and we still don’t do what we know we should.” 1. Stephen’s strong point was not what he could do, rather that the Holy Spirit was absolutely central in him. 2. His ministry was not a place of personal fulfillment; rather it became yet another platform for him to show the reality of the risen Christ. 3. Stephen did not ask “Where is God now that I need Him?” 4. Stephen was a giver. He showed us that the closer we get to God it is not so much a matter of what we give, rather it becomes an issue of what we no longer want to keep. 5. Stephen’s life disintegrates while God watches and he is OK with that.
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1 Kings 19:9-13 (a)
Taking a look at the life of one of the greatest prophets in the Bible, seeing what we can extract to learn and apply in our own lives, and to increase our serious devotion towards God.
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1 Timothy 4:9-11
An in-depth exploration of the epistle from the apostle Paul, to young Timothy in a series of sermons on 1st Timothy.
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1 Timothy 4:6-9
An in-depth exploration of the epistle from the apostle Paul, to young Timothy in a series of sermons on 1st Timothy.
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1 Kings 19:1-8
Taking a look at the life of one of the greatest prophets in the Bible, seeing what we can extract to learn and apply in our own lives, and to increase our serious devotion towards God.
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1 Kings 18:41-46 (pt.2)
Taking a look at the life of one of the greatest prophets in the Bible, seeing what we can extract to learn and apply in our own lives, and to increase our serious devotion towards God.
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Hebrews 11:13-16
What is real faith made of? What should be our anchor and hope in the midst of trials and even joys? How should our faith reflect in the way we live our Christian life? These are good questions and ones that are explored in this independant study.
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