Category: Sermons
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The Conquering Word
The Conquering Word 5/27/2018 Acts 8:5-13 Download MP3 As the church was pushed out of Jerusalem by persecution, it went preaching the word. The first stop along the way was Samaria and the preached word made a powerful spiritual impact there as it turned those chained in darkness to the light of the gospel. Even the…
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Martyrdom and Mission
Martyrdom and Mission 5/20/2018 Acts 8:1-4 Download MP3 As soon as the vigilante mob finished stoning Stephen, they turned their guns on the church. Luke accents the immediacy of the connection between Stephen’s martyrdom and the persecution of the church as he says “on that day” the church was scattered. Though the Jerusalem church was scattered…
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The First Christian Martyr
The First Christian Martyr 5/13/2018 Acts 7:54-60 Download MP3 When Stephen turned from preaching to application, undoubtedly his aim was to bring his accusers to awareness of their sins and to repentance. It turns out that the word Stephen preached provoked rage in their hearts rather than repentance and they took up stones for execution. As…
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Moses Episode 1: Shoving Moses Aside
Moses Episode 1: Shoving Moses Aside 4/15/2018 Acts 7:17-29 An ugly scene recorded in verse 27 shows an ancient father shoving Moses aside, a symbolic action manifesting Israel’s rejection of God’s appointed deliverer. As Stephen prepares to make a charge against his accusers -v51-, he not only shows that he indeed reverences Moses but he…
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Descent Into Egypt
Descent Into Egypt 4/1/2018 Acts 7:9-16 Overview: As Stephen continues on in is defense before the Council, he transitions from Abraham to Joseph. In previous verses, Stephen noted that the promise of the land to Abraham would not be fulfilled until 400 years after they had been enslaved in a foreign land. The key link…