learning to retell our story? 24 aug 2014 by charles pang 1 acts 6.8 to 8.3 lesson 8
TRANSCRIPT
Learning to Retell Our Story?24 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang 1
ACTS 6.8 to 8.3 Lesson 8
Memory Text – Acts 6.10
“But they could not stand up against his
wisdom or the Spirit by whom
he spoke”
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Reading Text –
Acts 6.8 – 8.3
Learning to Retell Our Story24 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
• Facing the facts.The truth hurts
• Becoming a disciple of Jesus is all about getting a new story.
Your Story
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Key Question
Learning to Retell Our Story24 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang
Stephan did not say anything new that his audience did not already know, yet the priests could not accept their own history, why is this so?
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
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Stephen was one of the 7 Hellenistic leaders chosen by the church to serve the Grecian widows.
Already full of God’s ________ and _________.
Gifted speaker and a powerful __________ for Christians (6.8)
Opposition could not stand up against his wisdom or the by Spirit by whom he spoke.
Resorted to ________ testimony.
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
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Stephen being full of God’s grace and power chose a ___________ tact of argument against his accusers, as compared to Peter and John in the earlier persecution.
Stephen __________ to their common __________
“Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory, appeared to our father Abraham” (7.2)
“Our fathers could not find food” (7.11)
“The number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. (7.17)
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
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After seeking to make an identification with his hearers, he led them to a ________-_________point of view.
1. Joseph – the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph and sold him So were the high priest and Pharisees, they were jealous of Jesus and
his apostles.
2. Moses – he was rejected by his fellow Hebrew. So was Jesus, rejected by his fellow man. (see 7.35 - 39)
3. The tabernacle of Testimony – the dwelling place of God is not confined to four walls. Emmanuel, ___________________.
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
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Finale – Stephen now puts it ___________ (7.51-53)
This recounting was not about their ancestors, but was about them.
Like their ancestors who rebelled against Moses, the High Priests were rebelling against God.
Like their fathers who rejected Joseph, Moses and the prophets who were Israel’s Deliverers, they rejected Jesus, the Deliverer of Man.
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Facing the facts.The truth hurts
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Key QuestionStephan did not say anything new that his audience did not already know, yet the priests could not accept their own history, why is this so?
Nothing makes us more angry than hearing someone say the ugly truth we try to keep hidden.
• The High Priests did not like to hear of the failures of their fathers.
• They would not accept that they are just like fathers.
• They would not accept the fact that the Jesus that they killed is the center of God’s story – they had their story and were sticking to it.
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Facing the facts.The truth hurts
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Key QuestionStephan did not say anything new that his audience did not already know, yet the priests could not accept their own history, why is this so?
• Most of us of same problem – we have a certain way of seeing ourselves.
• We tell our story in a way we want others to see us.
• We repeat it to ourselves and to others.
• We know our sins but we leave them out of the story.
Have we _________and _________ God as we go about
own way ?
See Isa 65.1-3
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Becoming a disciple of Jesus is all about getting a new story. Your Story
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• You are not stuck in your old story.
• We can get a new one, one with God in the center.
• We need to see ourselves as we are.
• We need to let go of our self serving story.
• We need to seek reconciliation by first coming to grips with truth in confession (1 Jn 1.8 and 2.2)
Key Message : “ Telling Our Story in the Light of the Cross”
• Looking back to look ahead.Israel’s story
• Facing the facts.The truth hurts
• Becoming a disciple of Jesus is all about getting a new story. Your Story
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It’s Not Magic and It’s Not for Sale31 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang 13
ACTS 8. 4-25 Lesson 9
Memory Text – Acts 6.10
“Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went ”
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Reading Text
Acts 8. 4 - 25
It’s Not Magic and It’s Not for Sale31 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang
Key Message : “ Without repentance, baptism doesn’t change anything”
• Removing deep prejudices. The Gospel
Reaches Samaria
• Simon the Sorcerer is exposed.A Conversion Gone Wrong
• Without repentance, baptism doesn’t change anything.
The Heart of Baptism
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Key Question
It’s Not Magic and It’s Not for Sale
31 Aug 2014 by Charles Pang
What parallels do you see between the sins of Simon and the sins of Ananias and Sapphire (5. 1-11)?