How should we live?

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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
Opening Question . . .
What are you FULLof?
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
Plop, plop, fizz, fizz,_________.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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My baloney has a first name, its___________.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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Sermon Stickiness

• Lecture (15)
• Reading (22)
• Demonstration (32)
• Discussion (45)
• Practice (79)
• Doing (90)
• (Source Society of Human Resource
  Management)

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
Sermon Subject . . .
What are you FULLof?
THE STORY OFTHE STONING OF STEPHEN
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How should we live?
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Todays Theme . . .
If youre full of the Spirit,youre free,
faithful, fearless, fruitful, and, frankly,
fantastic. If youre full of anything else,
youre fried.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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Outline

• START
• FINISH

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
What are you FULLof?
START
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
SETTING
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How should we live?
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1In those days when the number of disciples was
increasing, the Grecian Jews among them
complained against the Hebraic Jews because their
widows were being overlooked in the daily
distribution of food. (All scripture quotations
from the New International Version)
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Squabble
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How should we live?
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2So the Twelve gathered all the disciples
together and said, "It would not be right for us
to neglect the ministry of the word of God in
order to wait on tables.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who
are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We
will turn this responsibility over to them 4and
will give our attention to prayer and the
ministry of the word.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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5This proposal pleased the whole group. They
chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the
Holy Spirit also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor,
Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch . . .
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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7So the word of God spread. The number of
disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly . . .
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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SevenServants
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Stephen
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How should we live?
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Stephen

• Stephanos crown
• One of 72? 120? 3,000?
• Full of the Spirit, wisdom and faith

What are you FULLof?
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What are you FULLof?
SEIZURE
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How should we live?
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8Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and
power, did great wonders and miraculous signs
among the people.
What are you FULLof?
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What are you FULLof?
Signs
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How should we live?
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9Opposition arose, however, from members of the
Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)
Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the
provinces of Cilicia and Asia.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
These men began to argue with Stephen, 10but they
could not stand up against his wisdom or the
Spirit by whom he spoke.
What are you FULLof?
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What are you FULLof?
Synagogue
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How should we live?
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Synagogue

• Sunagoges gathering
• Synagogue of the Freedmen former slaves
• Stephens superior Spirit-filled wisdom
  stumped em all

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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11Then they secretly persuaded some men to say,
"We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy
against Moses and against God.12So they stirred
up the people and the elders and the teachers of
the law.
What are you FULLof?
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What are you FULLof?
Slander
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Slander

• Secretly spoke against Stephen
• Stirred em up
• Said spoke against Temple and Law

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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• They seized Stephen and brought him beforethe
  Sanhedrin.
• 13They produced false witnesses, who testified,
  "This fellow never stops speaking against this
  holy place and against the law.

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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14For we have heard him say that this Jesus of
Nazareth will destroy this place and change the
customs Moses handed down to us."
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
What are you FULLof?
Sanhedrin
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How should we live?
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Sanhedrin

• Supreme Court of seventy
• Same old scene
• Subornation
• Full of SELVES

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
15All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked
intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face
was like the face of an angel.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Shining
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How should we live?
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Shining

• Just like Moses and Jesus
• Reflecting Gods glory
• Let your light SHINE!

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
SERMON
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Summary
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How should we live?
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Summary

• Survey Abraham to Isaac to Jacob to Joseph
  to Moses to Prophets to Jesus
• Seeking Story of God reaching out but
  people repeatedly resisting
• Stupidity Turned Temple and Law into gods
• Salvation Saved from stupidity

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Specifics
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How should we live?
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48The Most High does not live in houses made by
men. As the prophet says 49'Heaven is my
throne, and the earth is my footstool . .
. 50Has not my hand made all these things?
What are you FULLof?
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Specifics

• God in a box
• God in us
• God in the world

What are you FULLof?
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51"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised
hearts and ears!You are just like your
fathersYou always resist the Holy Spirit! 52Was
there ever a prophet your fathersdid not
persecute?
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
They even killed those who predicted the coming
of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed
and murdered him . . .
What are you FULLof?
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Stiff-neckedSpirit Suckers
What are you FULLof?
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Stiff-necked Spirit Suckers

• Stiff-necked?
• Uncircumcised hearts and ears?
• Like father, like son You always resist the
  Holy Spirit!
• From accused to accuser You murdered God!

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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54When they heard this,they were furious and
gnashed their teeth at him.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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SteamedSavages
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
55But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up
to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus
standing at the right hand of God. 56"Look," he
said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand of God.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
SONOFMAN
What are you FULLof?
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Son of Man

• Stephen full of the Holy Spirit
• Son of Man?
• Stand!

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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• My dear brothers, stand firm.Let nothing move
  you. (1 Corinthians 1558)
• Be on your guard stand firm in the faithbe men
  of courage be strong.(1 Corinthians 1613)
• Be patient and stand firm,because the Lord's
  comingis near.(James 58)

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
What are you FULLof?
STONING
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How should we live?
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57At this they covered their ears and, yelling at
the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
58dragged him out of the city and began to stone
him.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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Stoning 101

• Shunned dragged outside city
• Shoved into 11-foot hole
• Stoned witnesses go first, then all Israel

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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59While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed,
"Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60Then he fell
on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold
this sin against them." When he had said this, he
fell asleep.
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Sacrifice
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How should we live?
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Sacrifice

• Stephen the Churchs first martyr
• Martus witness
• We are ALL witnesses
• Crown of life

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
Seeds
The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the
church. (Tertullian) Unless a kernel of wheat
falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a
single seed. But if it dies, it produces many
seeds. (John 1424)
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
SCATTERING
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How should we live?
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• 1bOn that day a great persecution broke out
  against the church at Jerusalem, and all except
  the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and
  Samaria . . .
• 4Those who had been scattered preached the word
  wherever they went.

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
SAUL
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How should we live?
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• The witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of
  a young man named Saul. (758b)
• And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.
  (81)

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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Saul began to destroy the church. Going from
house to house, he dragged off men and women and
put them in prison. (83)
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
STRIKING SIMILARITIES
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Opening Question . . .
Striking Similarities

• Signs
• Shining
• Sanhedrin
• Solo
• Son of Man
• Selfless sacrifice
• Shunned
• Submission

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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Follow the example ofCHRIST(1 Corinthians 111)
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
FINISH
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Full?
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How should we live?
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Full of . . .

• Spirit where it all starts
• Power plug in
• Wisdom know the Word
• Grace spread it
• Faith trust God 1,827

What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Free?
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How should we live?
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What are you FULLof?
Fearless?
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What are you FULLof?
Forgiving?
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What are you FULLof?
Fruitful?
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How should we live?
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Fruit of the Sinful Nature
immorality impurity debauchery idolatry
hatred discord drunkenness jealousyfits of
rage factions dissensions envyselfish ambition .
. . Those who live like this
will not inherit the kingdom of God.(Galatians
521)
What are you FULLof?
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
Fruit of the Spirit

• love
• joy
• peace
• patience
• kindness
• goodness
• faithfulness
• gentleness
• self-control

What are you FULLof?
Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step
with the Spirit.(Galatians 525)
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How should we live?
Opening Question . . .
How willYOUfinish?
What are you FULLof?