Thursday, December 27, 2012

Advent Archive: Acts 7


- Alan Obrien
There are several details about Acts 7 that I would love for you to think on as you read it today. And you need to read it! First of all, I want you to notice the way Stephen submitted his life to knowing and understanding Scripture and how God used Scripture in his life. The majority of Acts 7 is Stephen presenting the gospel to the Jewish government. Notice how well he knew the storyline of the Bible as well as how close he stayed to Scripture, quoting much of it rather than relying on his intellect and reasoning. Sounds much like Paul in 1 Corinthians 2, right? Second, I want you to notice that all of Scripture is used by Stephen to illustrate God’s plan of redemption. Stephen starts way back in the day of Abraham in order to show these Jews, who loved and revered Abraham, that it was God’s ultimate plan to bring forth Jesus, Whom they murdered, and He brought Jesus into the world through Abraham. In other words, they were rejecting God’s plan.But finally, I want you to notice how the Sanhedrin received Stephen’s message of correction. Verse 54 tells us they were under deep conviction and instead of repenting, they gnashed on him with their teeth and then, when sin was finished, it brought forth death and they murdered Stephen. Friends, hear me on this… that is how all of us naturally respond to being corrected. We hate it as well as those who bring it into our lives. But you know as well as I do that we NEED Biblical correction. It has always been God’s plan to use man to fix man.
Food For Thought: How should you respond to correction? How do you respond to correction? 

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