FALL QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2012 - A LIVING FAITH UNIT TWO: THE PEOPLE OF FAITH

“STEPHEN’S FAITH DEMONSTRATED IN HIS DEDICATION”

Sunday School Lesson No. VI - October 7, 2012 Presented by Rev. Frank Davis, III Pastor-Teacher Lesson Text: Acts 6:8 – 7:2a Required Reading: Acts 6 – 7 Memory Text: Acts 6:8, “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.” Reliable Resources: Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Libronix Electronic Library; Precepts for Living (UMI), Word Search 9 and 10 Electronic Library; MacArthur Study Bible; Thirty Amazing People in the Bible by Dr. David Jeremiah INTRODUCTION Now we move from Hebrews where we discovered “The Facts of Faith,” to the Book of Acts. This is also called the history book of the New Testament. According to H. L. Wilmington, “The book of Acts is the true story relating the first thirty years of the early church. In many ways it is the high mark of Christian witness. The action centers around two great “crusaders”: the greater Jerusalem crusade (Acts 1 – 12) headed up by Peter; and the global crusade (Acts 13 – 28), led by Paul.”

Our lesson this week is within the sphere of the “Greater Jerusalem Crusade.” When the early church began, it was on the Day of Pentecost where in an upper room, 120 souls (followers of Jesus Christ) tarried until the Holy Spirit fell upon them and empowered them to begin the witness of Jesus Christ! (Read Acts 1 – 2). At the end of that feast day celebration, 3,000 souls had been added to the newly founded Church. (Acts 2:41)

The power and flame of the Gospel message was evident throughout Jerusalem as people of over 15 different countries were in attendance and received the Christ. In subsequent days, this phenomenal message of Jesus Christ was spreading like a forest fire, adding at least 5,000 more souls to the Church (Acts 4:4). Now with such a great growth and so many of these new believers remaining in Jerusalem, there became a need to assist many with food and necessities. The early apostles used the Jewish method of shared benevolence (2:44-47), but it became evident that the need of a better process was necessary as we read the opening words of Chapter 6: “And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.”

This is the point where we pick up our lesson this week: “Stephen’s Faith Demonstrated in His Dedication.”

Anticipated Power Points:  Selection of Stephen. Acts 6:1-8  Slander against Stephen. Acts 6:9-14  Stand of Stephen. Acts 6:15 – 7:2a LESSON OUTLINE

I. Selection of Stephen. Acts 6:1-8 Stephen was one of seven select men to carry out the burden of distribution of goods to assist the Apostles in meeting a pressing need. (Read Acts 6:1-2). Stephen, as well as the other six men, had to fulfill three simple but serious qualifications to be assigned by the Apostles to this work. Note this quote by H. L. Wilmington: “The apostles mentioned 3 qualifications for those who would be enlisted to serve: They must (a) be full of the Spirit and (b) be full of wisdom (cf. v. 10). In addition they were to (c) be known for these things, that is, the previous two qualifications were to be their reputations. …Selecting seven men may go back to the tradition in Jewish communities where seven respected men managed the public business in an official council.” With the choosing of the select seven, the Apostles were able to give priority focus to the spiritual needs of the Church, which at this time was of great necessity. The complaining widows of the Grecian-Jewish sect were satisfied and the work of the Church grew and multiplied. (Read Acts 6:6-7). Stephen’s selection was truly founded upon his demonstration of divine dedication. He was a man of fullness. That is what controlled him. He was a) Full of faith (vs. 5): “translated as moral conviction, particularly reliance on Christ.” b) Full of the Holy Spirit (vs. 5): meaning totally directed or controlled by the Holy Spirit! c) Full of power (vs. 8): able to perform convincing miracles that he totally represented the Gospel of God as did the Apostles. d) Full of wisdom (vs. 10): speaks of his ability to war with words. Such understanding of the scriptures made him a confident debater in the depths of scripture knowledge and interpretation. (Luke 21:15) II. Slander against Stephen. Acts 6:9-14 According to Wilmington, there was “malice against Stephen… 1. Who (6:9): A group of Jews from the Synagogue of Freed Slaves begin debating with Stephen. 2. Why (6:10): They hate Stephen because they are unable to stand against his Spirit-anointed wisdom. 3. What (6:11-14): They charge Stephen with teaching a twofold blasphemy. a. That Jesus will destroy the Temple of God (6:13a) b. That Jesus will destroy the law of God (6:11-12, 13b-14).” Wilmington Now according to The Bible Knowledge Commentary, “The false witnesses were not necessarily outright liars. Stephen had probably said the things they accused him of; however, they misrepresented the intentions and imports of his statements (Matt. 26:61; Mk. 14:58; Jn. 2:18-22). The Lord Himself predicted the destruction of the Temple (Matt. 24:1-2; Mk. 13:1-2; Luke 21:5-6), though He never said He would do it.” Stephen had divine insight into the teachings of God and their perfect fulfillment. With the spreading of the Gospel, he understood that all Old Testament pictures had been fulfilled in our Lord Jesus Christ. The zealous crowd was protecting a system with cultic fervor. Christ is the end of the law or fulfillment of the law. (Read Romans 10:4). These Jews did not receive this truth! III. Stand of Stephen. Acts 6:15 – 7:2a God’s glory shone on his face as he stood his ground valiantly. A glory like Moses had when he came from the presence of the Lord! (Exodus 34:29,35). Our lesson ends with the Council of the Jewish Sanhedrin bewildered by Stephen’s stand, and yet his greatest message is yet to come.

CLOSING Beloved, as Stephen, we should be ready to demonstrate our faithful dedication towards our Lord Jesus Christ! I Peter 3:15 tells us, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.” We shall continue next week…

PASTOR FRANK A. DAVIS, III Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA & Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179 Phone: (504) 486-7876 Email: [email protected] Website: www.thestudyhour.com TV Broadcasts: WHNO TV 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m. – Channel 14 (Hammond-Amite area), 6:30 a.m. Radio Broadcasts: WLNO AM 1060, Saturday 8:30 a.m.; Sunday 5:30 a.m. WABL AM 1570 (Hammond-Amite area) Sunday 7:00 a.m.

LOOKING AHEAD: October 14, 2012 Acts 7:51 – 8:1a PASTOR DAVIS TEACHES THE LESSON ONLINE VIA VIDEO AT www.thstudyhour.com and at Bibleway every Wednesday at noon. Please come and hear the lesson in person, and ask questions as needed.