7/16 Sermon on Everyday Heroes, Pt. 3

Last Sunday at The Family Church in Gainesville, Florida, senior pastor Philip Griffin continued the series Everyday Heroes, each sermon focusing a different figure from the Bible.  This message was about Stephen, the early church deacon who stood up to the Sanhedrin religious ruling body in Jerusalem and faced death by stoning with his eyes on God.  The scripture text is Acts 7:51-60: you can read it in the New International Version on Bible Gateway...here's a link to it: [link]...

In discussing Stephen, Pastor Philip made as his theme the marks of a Spirit-filled life...with "Spirit" being the Holy Spirit.  In describing the word "filled"...and going back to the Greek word "pleuro"...he pictured a ship with its sails down and stretched full of the wind, driving it onward. One living his or her life filled with the Spirit displays certain marks, which Philip enumerated: (1) Fearless...Stephen boldly spoke truth to the Sanhedrin instead of trying to deny the trumped-up charges leveed against him, (2) Focus on Christ...instead of being consumed with the injustice of his treatment, Stephen focused on his vision of the Son of Man, i.e. Jesus, as the true judge, (3) Forgiveness (love)...instead of cursing those stoning him, Stephen prayed to God to not hold what they were doing against them, and (4) Fruit that lasts...Stephen's fruit of the Spirit in this situation was as a testimony to Saul (later renamed Paul), who not only witnessed it all but may have directed the trial and stoning himself...

I know this series is called "Everyday Heroes", but I find it hard to place someone like Stephen as "everyday".  In my own "everyday", I may not be faced with a false accusation and rigged trial leading to my unjust execution, but there are plenty other, lesser injustices I have to face.  How I respond to them will reveal how the Holy Spirit is working within me and will serve as a witness to others...

You can watch this message on the church's YouTube video website...here's a link, through which you can also see previous sermons [link].  The Family Church holds its Sunday morning services at 9:30 and 11, with the featured message, praise music, and opportunities for prayer.  The series continues next week...