July 12th & 16th
Acts Pt. 3
Effective
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 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. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.
—Acts 6:8-10 (ESV)
Your character will limit your impact long before your qualifications will.
These men disagreed with Stephen, yet couldn’t defend their disagreement.
The freedmen came with knowledge to the disagreement and Stephen came equipped with the spirit.
We need the Spirit with knowledge
The Freedmen missed out on the life changing freedom Jesus offered because they allowed knowledge to rule without the Spirit of God.
I will join my knowledge with the Spirit so we can be effective
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,
—Acts 6:11-12 (ESV)
The false teaching spread like wildfire because nobody was willing to question the popular belief.
Just because it is popular does not make it true
The Freedmen wanted to counterfeit what is truth by stirring up witnesses that are saying something very similar to what Stephen said, but slightly different.
The only way to spot the counterfeit is to become familiar with the original.
We need to become familiar with truth
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
—John 14:6 (NIV)
I seek after Truth so we can be effective
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.
—Acts 6:13:15 (ESV)
Isn’t it interesting that the two people they were accusing Stephen of being blasphemous about/towards were the two other people that this had happened to before.
We live for the approval of One. God and God alone. Stephen was not receiving approval from peers, but He had Gods.
-Sometimes it feels like the world is against us, but we aren’t looking for
their approval…only God’s.
We need to spend intentional time with God
We can fake our knowledge, we can fake our relationship, but we can’t fake time spent with God.
I spend intentional time with God so we can be effective
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Next Steps:
1. Today, I chose to accept Christ as my Savior for the first time.
2. I choose to let my knowledge be partnered with the Spirit
3. I will familiarize myself with Truth through time spent with Jesus and His word
4. I acknowledge that I have been faking my relationship with God and today that changes