Acts 6:1-7
Which responsibility at home or work would you gladly give up? Never give up?
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- Given Acts 2:44-45 and Acts 4:32, how could the widows be neglected?
- How do the apostles resolve this problem?
- Why did they choose men "full of the Spirit and wisdom"?
- Considering Acts 6:6, why such attention to a seemingly minor task?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What secondary issues hinder your congregation from fulfilling Acts 1:8?
- Does you congregation require high credentials and offer great blessings for the minor tasks? If not, what if it did?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Acts 6:8-15
Are you more likely to "rock-the-boat" or keep "peace-at-any-price"?
- God is ... What do we learn about God in this passage?
- We are ... What do we learn about people in this passage?
- What do you think Stephen was like?
- Immigrant Jews often formed their own synagogues in Jerusalem. How is their opposition to Stephen like and unlike the opposition the apostles faced from the Sanhedrin in Acts 5:27-28?
- I will ... What has the Holy Spirit revealed to us in this passage? How can I apply it to my life this week?
- What two adjectives best describe your spiritual life?
- What would be different if you were "full of grace and power"?
- You can ... Who do you know who needs to hear this? Feel free to share with others by social media links at the bottom of this.
Radiating From Within
And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. Acts 6:15
Recommended Reading
Exodus 34:29-35
The New York Times recently carried an article about what the newspaper called a "youthful glow, radiating from within," which characterizes certain people. The writer described the multibillion-dollar skin care industry and the prevalence of cosmetic surgery. But having a youthful glow is "more than skin deep," said the columnist. It must come from within, from our attitudes and lifestyle habits.
Indeed. In eternity our faces will glow with radiance possible only in heaven. According to Revelation 21, the Celestial City shines with the internal radiance of the glory of God; and we can assume our faces will shine like the face of Moses on Mount Sinai, of Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, and of Stephen in Acts 6.
But we don't have to wait until heaven. The Bible says: "We all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord" (2 Corinthians 3:18). Psalm 34:5 says, "They looked to Him and were radiant." The easiest way to make our faces beautiful is by looking at Him.
A person's face is the signature of his soul.
William L. Stidger, early twentieth-century preacher
Earlier in the book of Acts, we met Stephen, who was described as being "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 6:5). Now Barnabas is described in similar terms. Just as was the case for Barnabas, ministry must be based on the work of God through us as we are gifted and empowered by the Holy Spirit. Our faith that God can do more than we can even imagine is crucial to this kind of Spirit-power working through our lives (Ephesians 3:14-21). Unfortunately, some of us want a shortcut to the Spirit's power. We don't want to have to demonstrate faithfulness. We don't want to be focused on prayer. We don't want to be devoted to sharing with others. But in both Barnabas and Stephen, we see these qualities. As we continue our journey looking at the Holy Spirit through the remainder of the year, let's all ask ourselves: "What do I need to do to open my heart and invite the Holy Spirit to have more influence on me and more transformational power in me?" When we yield to the Spirit's power and influence, our lives bear amazing fruit. Barnabas wasn't effective just because of his talent; he was effective because of his faith and because of the Holy Spirit's power in him!
Today's Prayer
Almighty God and Creator, forgive me. Holy Spirit, fill me. Son of God, cleanse my heart. I want to yield to your control. I want to be faithful in every season of life. I want to be spiritually wise in what I say and do. I want you, O LORD, to have influence and control so that others can know your grace. In Jesus' name, I ask for these mercies. Amen.
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