Date: July 29, 2018, Countryside Wesleyan Church
Introduction
- Background on Saul/Paul--how Stephen must have seemed to him
- Stephen on trial--he's the bad guy, right?
- Sermon text
- Wow--Stephen sure wasn't trying to "win friends and influence people"
- These must have been "drips" of truth for Saul, that gnawing God does at our hearts, at our subconscious.
- Severus Snape in Harry Potter--he's the bad guy, right? (bad guy is actually the good guy, although we were so indignant. We were so sure of ourselves that he was evil.)
- When pastors/priests fail us (good guy is actually the bad guy, although we were so convinced s/he was a prophet and anointed by God.)
- Gamaliel in Acts 5 (sometimes we know deep down we're in the wrong, but we continue to fight against God anyway; when we don't know who the good guy is, wait on the Lord; hit the pause button and wait for clarity)
- Paul's story (zeal without knowledge; what were his parents thinking, naming him Saul--a good guy that's a bad guy)
- Paul immediately makes a course correction--that should be our longing as well. Lord, show me if I am fighting against you.
- Some individuals--even within the people of God--will never hear that course correction. Take Ahab, the king of Israel, who had the consistent warning of the prophets but never heeded, even though he was an Israelite.
- David and Nathan--again, David immediately makes course correction.
- You'll find them annoying. (Ahab and Micaiah)
- Be still long enough to hear the dripping of the Holy Spirit, that gnawing on your heart that God does trying to get you to change course.
- The good gueys will lead you to submit to God more. (a friend who said to pray when I wanted to take Jericho)
- They'll lead you to love others more. (which doesn't mean you won't get angry--but it's about what you get angry about)
- Sometimes God lets you hit the wall. (hopefully in this life, unlike Ahab who hit the wall in the next life)
- Stephen and Paul, the rest of the story
- Jesus stands at the right hand--indicating who the good guy is. And Stephen gets blessed, even as he is dying.
- Eventually, "every knee will bow and tongue confess."
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