Armor of God #9 - Pray in the Spirit
Awake Us Now
Why does Paul connect prayer with the Armor of God? Because when we "pray in the Spirit," we have something that front-line soldiers have always longed for: the ability to talk directly with our "Commander-in-Chief!"
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Growing Gracefully: Infilling
Awake Us Now
Everyone who is a true disciple of the Lord Jesus has the Holy Spirit. But does the Holy Spirit have us? It is one thing to know the Living God and to know Jesus as Savior, but it is another thing to walk in the power of the Holy Spirit on a regular, daily basis!
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Growing Gracefully: Awake
Awake Us Now
God charges His disciples to "be awake" in all times and all situations. We are especially charged to be awake to God's Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the reality of spiritual warfare, and the signs of the times.
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Growing Gracefully: Prepared
Awake Us Now
Almost two thousand years ago, John the Baptist called people to repent and prepare for the coming Lord. Today, we are still called to have repentant hearts that receive and extend the forgiveness of the Living God, and to prepare fruit for Him in our lives!
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Dig Deeper - Acts Chapter 12: Herod's Demise
Awake Us Now
Herod Agrippa I Ruled 41-44 A.D. Grandson of King Herod the Great Imprisoned Peter during Passover in 42 or 43 A.D. He died before Passover of 44 A.D. Herod went from Judea to Caesarea following Peter’s angelic escape from prison. Herod was quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They joined together asking for an appointment with Herod requesting for peace as they depended on Herod for their food supply. From writings from Flavius Josephus “Antiquities of the Jews, Book 19” (Translator: Paul L. Maier) Josephus tells us that Herod met with the representatives...
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Growing Gracefully: Holiness
Awake Us Now
Holiness is a gift, offered to us in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. But once God has made us holy, we are then called to pursue holiness in our lives!
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Growing Gracefully: Obedience
Awake Us Now
Growing gracefully in obedience is a response to the salvation God has worked in our lives through Christ Jesus. We are called to walk in obedience as a response to our faith in Jesus. Obedience is not necessary for salvation, but obedience is necessary! Join us as we explore Growing Gracefully in our relationship with Jesus Christ through obedience to Him and His Word. Obedience does not save, but neither is it optional. God desires not simply outward actions, but inner obedience to His Word. Pastor focuses on two important Biblical truths: 1. Obedience does not save - Jesus saves --Grace of...
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GOD ACTS! (Chapter 12) - He Proceeded to Seize Peter
Awake Us Now
God’s word brings light into our lives, gives us direction and points us to Jesus showing us where our hope and strength are found. Today’s story demonstrates this truth. Join us! Chapter 12 is about some of the persecution Peter experienced and we will look at Peter’s writings in 1 Peter in conjunction with this story in Acts chapter 12 for additional insights. THEN + NOW Persecution - Acts 12:1-4; 1 Peter 4:12-13 Herod Agrippa the First, encouraged by approval after arresting believers and putting the Apostle James to death, decides to arrest and imprison Peter. He has...
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Armor of God #10 - Keep on Praying!
Awake Us Now
"Prayer in the Spirit" is about taking time in the presence of the living God and allowing Him to nurture, nourish, transform, and renew our souls. It is not about "give me, give me, give me," but about "mold me, shape me, use me."
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Growing Gracefully: Training
Awake Us Now
Despite the most rigorous physical exercise and training regimen, our bodies will age and, eventually, die. But there is a training - training in godliness - that lasts into eternity. The spiritual diet we eat, the spiritual exercise we do and the spiritual training we choose affects our ability to grow graceful as Jesus’ disciples. Training ourselves for godliness has benefits for today, tomorrow and for eternity. Spiritual training is timeless. Train to be godly - Christianity is not a spectator sport. We can’t be a couch potato. We must be in training to be godly. This is training with...
info_outlineThe Bible is not ancient words. It has so much to say to us today. It is for every generation but especially needed in this generation.
Then
- Accusations
- False witnesses came forward accusing Stephen of blasphemous words against the Torah and the Temple (Acts 6:11, 13)
- These are charges that would lead to capital punishment.
- Acts 7:1 the high priest asks Stephen if these charges are true. Stephen begins his response very graciously “brothers and fathers…” and at that moment Stephen goes from Defendant to Prosecutor.
- Stephen’s Response (part 1) - Torah
- A trip through Israel’s history…
- Abraham (Acts 7:2b-3)
- Stephen begins his speech with “The GOD OF GLORY appeared to our father Abraham…” and shares the story of Abraham. We will see he ends His story with the words Glory and God as well!
- Joseph (Acts 7:9-10)
- Joseph was hated by his brothers, but ultimately used by God to save his brothers and families. Those God uses are often persecuted.
- Moses (Acts 7:25-40a)
- Moses was used by God to save the people, but the people did not recognize he was sent to rescue them. Using the history of Israel Stephen continues to demonstrate how often God’s people have rejected the very ones God has raised up. Steven talks about Moses receiving “LIVING WORDS” to pass onto the people. Jesus is the Living Word - we see this in John 1:1, John 1:14. Stephen is communicating that Messiah has come and He is the Living Word all without mentioning Jesus name.
- Stephen’s Response (part 2) - Temple
- The history of Israel’s idolatry…
- Tabernacle (Acts 7:44-47)
- God gave Moses the pattern for the tabernacle of the covenant law to have with them in the wilderness. God gave the people the design of the tabernacle and that He would dwell in their midst but the people chose to worship idols instead and that resulted in exile. David ushered in a period of revival and Solomon built the Temple but ultimately ended up worshiping false deities.
- Temple (Acts 7:48 - 53)
- Stephen shows how the temple has become an object of worship rather than God: Worship of things rather than the Creator. Stephen calls these important leaders a stiff-necked people and accuses them of being just like their own ancestors. He tells them they resist the Holy Spirit and asks them, “Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?” And he goes on to accuse them of killing the Righteous One.
Now
- Ignore the Scriptures -
- Then - they took the parts of Scripture they liked and ignored the parts they didn’t.
- Now - this same thing continues today.
- Followed self-made gods
- Then - followed the gods and ideas of others rather than the Scriptures
- Now - today we buy into the lies of the culture - Christians are often ignorant of what the Bible has to say.
- Buildings over Mission
- Then - they idolized their temple
- Now - many see the Christian faith as having a nice social network when instead our mission is to lead the world to a knowledge of the Lord Jesus.
- Miss Jesus the Messiah
- Then - this testimony of Stephen was for calling the people back to God
- Now - God today seeks to call us back to the knowledge of Jesus the Messiah.
- Resist the Holy Spirit
- Then - many resisted the Holy Spirit
- Now - today many resist the Holy Spirit. God calls us to despair of doing things in our own power and to humbly receive what He offers in Jesus our Savior. He desires we listen to Him and follow Him as Abraham, Joseph, Moses, the prophets, Stephen and the Apostles followed Him.
God yearns for us to know Him
Jesus loves us desperately and in Him is hope, forgiveness, power to live a new life and life forever.
Acts 7:54-60. There are only 2 ways to respond to this message:
1 - to be angry
2 - to be repentant
How did the Sanhedrin respond to Stephen’s message? They were angry, but Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looks up to heaven and sees the GLORY OF GOD and concludes his testimony with, “Look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man (Jesus) standing at the right hand of God.” Then they take Stephen out to stone him and his final words are: “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Do not hold this sin against them.”
This week’s READING ASSIGNMENT:
Acts chapter 7-8 (read and reflect on these two chapters together).
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