You can sometimes tell a lot about a person, from the way they die. Stephen, the “Jesus is Lord” movement’s first martyr, is one of those cases. The narrative of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7 gives us great insight into someone spiritually mature – someone described as “full of grace and power,” “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit,” and wise beyond his peers. So how is it possible that someone like that would drive the leaders of a nation into a mob frenzy that ends up killing him? The answer is a surprising one: because God was looking for someone to deliver a strong message to his leaders (“your God is too small!”), and in so doing plant the seed of a disciple-making movement beyond the understanding of anyone else living at that time.
Sermons from June 2015
Description: Do you long for your co-workers, classmates and friends to know and delight in God? Do you want to see fewer homeless, sick, lonely and hopeless people in our city? Do you dream of the day when people around the world know and glorify God? The good news is God desires these realities and He has a plan to bring them about. In a phrase, His plan is for all of us to join Jesus in his mission to make disciples of all nations. While there are many ingredients which our Lord Jesus uses to multiply the number of disciples within a city this message reveals 4 that are indispensable. May God help all followers of Jesus to honor widows, respect His Word, prioritize prayer and mature in Christ for the good of our neighbors, the renewal of our city and the glory of God among all nations.
There are two ways to live life. We can live with God, love one another, love our neighbors and serve according to our divine purpose with joy and peace even in the midst of opposition. Or, we can live with jealousy, fear and anger while still considering ourselves religious. In our message today these two ways are contrasted in the lives of the apostle Peter and the high priest Caiaphas. Why was Peter able to serve with love and joy even when thrown in prison and beaten? The answer to this question is revealed in Peter’s words to Caiaphas. It is also the secret for living the life God created for us today.
Like many people, Ananias struggled with duplicity. Along with a secret desire to impress his friends at church he also had another shameful secret behind closed doors. These two unfulfilled desires made him vulnerable to Satan’s deceptive plan. At a time when the church was unified in witness to their city, Satan found this man to be an easy target. In the shocking events that follow Ananias’ duplicity we discover that Jesus, from His exalted seat at the Father’s right hand, is committed to expose hypocrisy in those who claim to follow Him and to provide an opportunity for us to confess because He is resolute in His promise to build a united community among every nation against which “the gates of hell shall not prevail.”