“Desperate Measures & the Man with Many Hats”

Acts 6-7

(Scripture reading – Acts 6:8-15, 7:1, 7:51-60)

You may have heard the phrase “…and this is why we can’t have nice things”. It’s a phrase used regarding the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of keeping your home in the condition that you want it in. Each of us has our own ideas for what is appropriate, clean, and nice looking, and we go to great lengths to keep our household that way and ward off potential problems. Inside the house, we are constantly washing dishes or clothes, and vacuuming or sweeping our floors. We periodically change filters on our furnace and water dispenser. We put special liquids or powders down our drains to keep them from clogging. We set out traps to keep insects and mice at bay. The battle to keep things the way we want them is just as fierce outside the house. We replace roofs to keep the rain out, we spray our yards with insect repellent to keep mosquitos and spiders away. And, if you are like me, you hire a lawn service to see if they can have better luck than you at ridding your lawn of those pesky African violets. Home ownership is just one example of where people go to great lengths to maintain what’s theirs.

People also goes to great lengths to protect their image of God. For those who don’t believe in God, they attempt to convince others He doesn’t exist, and fight to keep Him out of the public domain. Those who do believe in God will promote their version of him, touting what they believe He is like, what it takes to be with Him in heaven after death, and how those beliefs should affect our lifestyle.

When it comes to religion, one of the most interesting things about this dynamic is the extraordinary measures used, both past and present, to specifically stop the growth of Christianity. In the books of the Bible that we call the gospels, we learn about the contempt people had for Christ not only during His lifetime, but before He was born. In the beginning chapters of Acts, we see examples of the disdain people had for Christianity during the birth of the church.

But the fact we are here today, meeting to study God’s word, to sing about Christ, and to fellowship as brothers and sisters over 2,000 years later, is proof that God’s will cannot be thwarted. Today we are going to read about one of the most desperate attempts to stop the spread of the gospel.

Up to this point in the book of Acts, the message of Christ has been brought primarily to the Jews through the preaching of Peter (see Acts 11:2). Luke wrote about three of Peter’s sermons using a total 46 verses (Acts 2:14‐36; 3:11‐26; 10:34‐43). When we get to Acts 9 and beyond, we’ll see that Paul, becomes the primary preacher to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13; 1 Timothy 2:7). But sandwiched in between these two apostles, in Acts 6 and 7, we are introduced to a man named Stephen who acts as a transition between Peter and Paul. We’ll see that Stephen arrives on scene in a unique set of circumstances involving the early church. We’ll read about Stephen’s one and only sermon, in which Luke uses 52 verses to record (more than all the verses dedicated to Peter’s preaching). And finally, we’ll see the dramatic conclusion to his life. Let’s go through Acts 6 and 7 and learn about all the hats that this man named Stephen wore and the desperate measures used against him.

ACTS 6:1-7 – Stephen the Peacemaker

Now at this time, as the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint developed on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

Since the birth of the church in Acts 2, this is the second mention of behavior that had the potential to bring warranted, negative criticism on followers of Christ. The first was when Ananias and Sapphira lied about how much money they sold a piece of property for. In that case, God brought immediate judgement on them to resolve the situation. Here in Acts 6 we see that some people are giving preferential treatment certain individuals at the expense of another. This was clearly inconsistent with the concept of the church being united as one body under Christ its head.

These verses describe two different groups of Jews who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah. One group of Jews who had remained in Judea, near Jerusalem, and spoke the Hebrew language, were appropriately called “Hebrews.” The other group consisted of those who were scattered among the Gentiles, spoke the Greek language, and who used the Greek translation of the Old Testament, called the Septuagint. These were called “Hellenists,” from a word meaning “Greek” or “Greek-speaking.” To “Hellenize” is to adopt Greek culture and ideas.

The Hebraic Jews prided themselves on the fact that they had always lived in the land of the patriarchs and that they used the language that their fathers spoke. They were near the temple and regularly worshiped there. On the other hand, the Hellenistic Jews from other parts of the world were jealous of the first group and made to feel like outsiders.

Dissension arose between the Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews concerning how food was being distributed to the widows from each of these groups. From the text it appears that the Hebraic widows received priority over the Hellenistic widows. Even though both groups had converted to Christianity, this didn’t automatically eliminate the underlying strife between them.

Verses 2-4 show us a wonderful example of Christian unity, whereby the early church used wisdom to work through a dispute and come up with a solution. In addition, this event reveals that they didn’t want to lose focus on the mission of spreading God’s word. It was for these reasons they organized the first group of “deacons” in the church.

2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. 3 Instead, brothers and sisters, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Are you a multi-tasker? Do you do it out of necessity, or do you believe it makes you more productive? In my opinion, the people who tout the effectiveness of multi-tasking are just fooling themselves. When you sit on the couch with the TV on, and multi-task by doing something on your phone, you are no longer watching the TV. You can only hear it, and even then, you may not fully perceive what you hear. If you are texting as you drive, you aren’t able to give full attention to the road ahead. About the only kind of multi-tasking I can get on board with is if you are listening to music while performing an activity. The sound of music doesn’t compete with your physical performance (it may even increase it), and it doesn’t require any significant mental exertion.

But, let’s be honest, if you are going to do anything well, you need to be focused on it. In Acts 6:2-4, the twelve apostles concluded that prayer, studying, teaching and preaching God’s word are more effective when you can dedicate yourself to them. Yet at the same time, they did not do so at the expense of needy believers in their congregation. They took care of them as well.

5 The announcement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. 6 And they brought these men before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen was one of seven men who was put in charge of providing for the needs of Hellenistic or Grecian Jews who had accepted Christ. Scripture doesn’t provide us any information about the personal life of Stephen—his occupation, parents, siblings, or whether he had a wife, or children. He was chosen for the role of distributing food, but we have no evidence he knew anything about culinary arts, food preservation, or that he could balance a tray of dishes with one hand. The Bible does provide us with some more important information though – his spiritual character. Based upon Acts 6:3 we know he had a good reputation among the people, was full of wisdom, and the Holy Spirit. Acts 6:8a also describes him as a man full of God’s grace and power.

ACTS 6:8-10 – Stephen the Influencer

As we can see from verse 8, Stephen’s role wasn’t restricted to ministering to needy people within the church; he also “8 performed great wonders and signs among the people.” Stephen was also what we might call, in modern lingo, an “influencer”. An influencer is someone who has built a reputation for their knowledge and proficiency on a specific topic. In today’s world, influencers typically use social media to make regular posts about their supposed area of expertise. As a result, they generate a large following of enthusiastic, engaged people who pay close attention to their views. On the other hand, a further consequence of sharing one’s beliefs in the public arena is that an influencer will most assuredly receive criticism from those who disagree. They may even become a target for verbal and physical abuse. Note the following recent example: https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/colts-starting-safety-khari-willis-abruptly-retires-at-age-26-to-pursue-a-new-calling/ - “With much prayer and deliberation, I have elected to officially retire from the NFL as I endeavor to devote the remainder of my life to the further advancement of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”). In Stephen’s case…

9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

We learned from Acts 5:28 that the disciples had “filled Jerusalem with this teaching.” Stephen, however, is helping to take the first steps for bringing the gospel beyond Jerusalem. We know from verse 1 that Stephen interacted with Hellenistic or Greek speaking Jews within the church because of his duties as deacon. But in this case, his audience includes Hellenistic or Greek speaking Jews who were not followers of Jesus.

Depending upon which translation you use, the Synagogue of the Freedmen is also called the Synagogue of Freed Slaves, or the Synagogue of the Libertines. The word libertine is from the Latin and originally referred to a man who was a slave but had since been granted liberty. Some scholars believe that these people were slaves of the Romans who had been freed, became converts to the Jewish religion, and met in this synagogue in Jerusalem. Other scholars contend that these freedmen were not Jewish converts, but Jews by birth who had been taken into captivity by the Romans in 63 B.C., and then, later, set free to reform Jewish communities (https://www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/L/libertine.html).

Regardless of when they became Jews, the synagogue is made up of four nationalities. The Cyrenians and Alexandrians were from two cities in North Africa. Cilicia and Asia were Roman provinces in Asia Minor. In your bible studies you have likely heard of a city called Tarsus. Tarsus was a city located in Cilicia and was the apostle Paul’s hometown. Given this fact and knowing that these ethno‐linguistic groups tended to worship together, there is a good chance, Paul, while still known by the name Saul, and before becoming a follower of Christ, attended this very synagogue. Given Saul’s zeal for Judaism, he may have even been attendance or participated in this argument or debate with Stephen. The least we can say is that Saul (Paul) heard Stephen preach and teach at some point. We know that he approved of Stephen’s execution (Acts 8:1).

ACTS 6:11-15 - Stephen the Victim

When a person realizes that he is lacking in wisdom or understanding of the truth, he has two ways to respond. On one hand, he can admit the error of his ways and educate himself in the truth. Conversely, he can react the way the people did from this Synagogue.

11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

Acts 6:10-14 reveal the all-too common tendency for people to resort to deceitful behavior when they find themselves on the short end of the wisdom and truth stick. People like this believe that the ends justify the means, and they unashamedly go out of their way to stir up dissension and lies. Ironically, their actions are clear evidence they are weak and wrong. But they are so ingrained in their way of thinking that they are no longer able to listen to use logic, listen to reason, or submit to their conscience.

It is interesting that these men referred to themselves as “freed men”, to proclaim they were no longer slaves to other people. However, they were still slaves, just of another kind. The Synagogue of the Freedmen were in desperate bondage to sin. Instead of accepting the Truth that would have set them free, they rejected it, resorted to lies and, as we’ll see later, participated in murder.

The primary false allegation they made was that Stephen committed blasphemy against God. Was that really true? Blasphemy means to deliberately and directly, speak with contempt about God or to be defiantly irreverent. Blasphemy can be either verbal or written reproach of God’s name, character, work, or attributes (Leviticus 24:16).

Stephen didn’t blaspheme God - he said things these people didn’t agree with. Stephen was led by God and likely said the same kind of things that Peter had spoken of that got him in trouble in Acts 3. Both men spoke about actual history recorded in the scripture and made the connection to Jesus. When we get to chapter 7 we’ll see more specifically the kinds of things Stephen was saying.

Really, it wasn’t what Stephen said about God that made these people angry, it was what he said about them. Stephen pointed out spiritual weakness and defiance that existed in these people. When you tell someone that there is something wrong with them that needs to be addressed, most don’t take too kindly to that.

In Luke 12:1-11, Jesus had warned his disciples about what was going to happen if they spoke the truth about Him. Jesus had also said that the religious leaders whom the disciples will encounter were the ones that were the blasphemers….1 Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. 2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. 3 What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs. 4 “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. 5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. 6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. 8 “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. 9 But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. 10 And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. 11 “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”

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Isn’t it remarkable how we can sometimes just look at person and make a pretty accurate determination of how they are feeling? Somehow, the brightness or focus of the eyes, the shape of the mouth, angle of the head, or even skin tone can reflect what is going on inside us. Stephen didn’t use words alone as he communicated with these people. As verse 15 says, his facial expression also got their attention.

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Luke used similar words to describe Stephen’s face as he did when he described the transfiguration of Jesus, “And as he [Jesus] was praying, the appearance of his face was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white” (Luke 9:29, NLT).

It’s important to notice that it wasn’t merely a few Christians who had the opinion Stephen’s face looked different. The text says that all that the religious and political leaders saw it that same way. The people who recognized this unique appearance on Stephen’s face were people who claimed to know Old Testament scripture – so they were well-aware of what this angel-like appearance implied. This was an expression frequently found in Judaism. It meant that someone had a brightened, enlightened, spell-binding, or awe-inspiring appearance. For example, after Moses spent time with the Lord in Exodus 34:29–35, his face shone with such a radiant glow that the people were afraid to come near him. Whenever he returned to the people from being in God’s presence, Moses covered his face with a veil. Similarly, the angel of the Lord that appeared to Samson’s mother had such an imposing presence about him that she later told her husband, “His appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome” (Judges 13:6, ESV). According to Ecclesiastes 8:1, “Wisdom lights up a person’s face” (NLT).

All those who looked upon Stephen were struck with awe and wonder at his appearance. There was something about Stephen’s countenance that prompted comparisons to an angel who stands in God’s presence and reflects His glory. The evidence on Stephen’s face was another clue he wasn’t a blasphemer, but that didn’t matter to these people.

ACTS 7:1-53 – Stephen the Orator

I’m not a big reader, but when I do read, I often choose books about history. Over the years I’ve read books about the Civil war, the French and Indian War, World War II, pirates, cowboys, and Roman gladiators. History is not only interesting but, knowing it can also have great impact on our future. Spanish philosopher and atheist, George Santayana is credited with the aphorism, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,”. Another non-Christian, British statesman Winston Churchill wrote something very similar, “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

The reason history is interesting and relevant to us today is because of what we have in common with our ancestors – our human nature. For example, if you study the history of communication, you’ll see how it has changed over time, but you’ll also learn that no matter what the method of communication is, it has always been used to curse and demean people. Similarly, modes of transportation of have changed, but people have used every one of them to get from one place to another for the purpose of doing evil of some kind.

As Christians we know that historical events can be used to warn or encourage, because people’s behavior in the past was driven by the same spiritual tendencies that we have now. At the end of the book of Deuteronomy and throughout the book of Joshua, Moses and Joshua recounted historical events from the past to encourage the current generation not to make the spiritual mistakes that their ancestors had made.

Peter spoke about history in Acts 2:22-36 at Pentecost also. That time the message was received with acceptance and the people were filled with the Holy Spirit. But that response was an exception to the rule. Normally when you refer to sinful behavior from the past to implicate someone in the present, you will receive a hostile response. When Peter and John did this in 3:11-4:22 the religious leaders seized them and told them to stop talking. If you continue to speak, about this people don’t want to hear, the response becomes increasingly hostile. We learned this from Acts 5:12-40, where the signs, wonders, and message they spread landed them in jail, on trial, and a severe beating. And now in Acts 7, Stephen has the audacity to compare history with the present as well.

In verses 2-8, Stephen begins by recounting a key point of Israel’s history by referring to the promise made by God to Abraham about them receiving a future inheritance. However, beginning in verse 9, he strategically speaks of historical events and uses terminology in such a way that his audience begins to recognize he is connecting those past events to the current generation and passing judgement on them at the same time. Stephen references:

· the envy that Joseph’s brothers had for him (9-16)

· a savior brought to the people (20-27)

· the angelic look on Moses’ face - which Stephen also has (32)

· the topic of freedom (34)

· the reluctance of people to listen to the truth (35)

· the existence of signs and wonders as an indicator of God being up to something (36)

· words that bring life – not rules, tradition, and pride (38)

· the tendency for people to be disobedient (39)

· the worship other gods (40)

· being sent into exile (43)

· that fact that God is not bound within the physical or mental walls of mankind (48-50)

Finally, in verse 51-53, Stephen no longer makes subtle inferences, but instead, comes right out and declares that the current generation is guilty, just like the prior ones.

Stephen told the story of the Jews, highlighting specific historical facts, to point out how the current Jewish leaders were wrong – Christ was indeed the Messiah. These men were no different than disobedient ancestors of Old Testament. Stephen’s speech was an indictment against the chosen people of Israel who had witnessed miracles throughout their history, had been given the law, the holy things, and the promise of the Messiah. Stephen highlighted their own rebellion and idolatry, even though they too were now eyewitnesses of the mighty works of God. This angered them to the point where they decided to silence the message and messenger once and for all.

ACTS 7:54-60 – Stephen the Martyr

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

If you remember, in Acts 5, the Pharisee leader, Gamaliel had convinced these people to restrain themselves in their desire to stop the spread of Christianity, but here we see that they just cannot take it any longer. Reason is no longer an option.

When we picture this event, we cannot help but imagine the hate, ferocity, violence, and bloodshed that occurred. That’s the final response that people who don’t know Christ have to resort to. But in Luke’s description of the event, he doesn’t dwell on those details. Instead, the focus is on Stephen, a man, filled with the Holy Spirit, and how he responds to the persecution. Notice that being filled with the Holy Spirit does not make one invincible, able to save one’s life in every instance. But instead, it enabled Stephen to look beyond the immediate, life-threatening situation directly into heaven, to speak the truth boldly and forgive his enemies.

SO WHAT

1. The church should not neglect the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ. While the Great Commission was one of the most important mandates given to the church, it wasn’t meant to be done with tunnel vision, or a full steam ahead, sprint to the finish line approach. Even though heaven is our home and our goal, we still live here. We still feel the effects of life on a fallen planet. As such, the church is not supposed to abandon compassion and the needs of people. We still need to function in an orderly, mature way, using common sense and wisdom.

2. Spreading the gospel is a church (team) responsibility. Know your personal talents and gifts and use them in some way.

3. Even for responsibilities that we might consider behind the scenes, or support roles, we need to have the proper qualifications. These would include a good reputation, wisdom, and the filling of the Holy Spirit.

4. We are always one opportunity from being promoted to the front lines. Stephen was also prepared to share the message of Christ because he knew scripture. He didn’t just know it mentally (like the Pharisees and Sadducees), but he knew it heart-ally. He understood it in its historical context, desired to know the heart of God as he read it, and applied it personally. He was a perfect example of what Peter also included in verse 15 of 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”

5. Not only are we one opportunity from being on the front lines, we are also one attack from being persecuted. But if persecution happens, we need to be fearless. Although most people will not respond to the good news of Jesus in the affirmative, the fact that God hasn’t brought the curtain down on this world, proves that He is still up to something. Try as they might, God’s enemies cannot stop what He is up to (Proverbs 21:30). Stephen didn’t fear his attackers because he knew the words of Jesus, Luke 12:4-5, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

6. Not only are we one attack from being persecuted, we are also one breath from meeting Christ face to face. But when that happens, we will realize it will have been worth it all. Like Stephen, the apostle John literally experienced heaven. Here is what John wrote about his experience and what we have to look forward to as well. (Revelation 22:1-5) Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

Stephen’s testimony still stands as a beacon of light for how every believer should strive to live: committed to the Lord in the face of danger; faithful to preach the gospel boldly; knowledgeable of God’s truth; and willing to be used by God for His plan and purpose.

Additional scripture that exhorts us to be bold.

· (Joshua 24:15) “Choose this day whom you will serve.”

· (Colossians 3:2-3) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

· (2 Corinthians 4:8-10) “⁸We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; ⁹persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. ¹⁰We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. “ (ironically written by the same man who had at one time approved of the death of Stephen).

“Desperate Measures & the Man with Many Hats”

Acts 6-7

ACTS 6:1-7 – Stephen the P_______________

· The church used w________ to work through a dispute and come up with a solution.

· The twelve apostles concluded that prayer, studying, teaching and preaching God’s word are more effective when you can d____________ yourself to them.

· The gospel wasn’t advanced at the expense of needy believers in their congregation.

· Stephen’s qualifications: good r____________, full of w__________, d full of the H________ S______, full of God’s g_________ and p___________.

ACTS 6:8-10 – Stephen the I______________

· Stephen performed great w_________ and signs among the people.

· Stephen is helping to take the first steps for bringing the gospel beyond J___________.

ACTS 6:11-15 - Stephen the V__________

· People resort to d_____________ behavior when they find themselves on the short end of the wisdom and truth stick.

· Stephen didn’t blaspheme God, he pointed out spiritual w____________ and defiance that existed in these people (Luke 12:1-11)

· The e___________ on Stephen’s face was another clue he wasn’t a blasphemer.

ACTS 7:1-53 – Stephen the O_________

· People’s behavior in the past was driven by the same spiritual t_____________ that we have now.

· When you refer to sinful behavior from the past to implicate someone in the present, you will normally receive a h_________ response. And, if you continue speaking, the response becomes increasingly hostile.

· These men were no d___________ than their disobedient ancestors of the Old Testament.

ACTS 7:54-60 – Stephen the M___________

· R_________ no longer was an option.

· Being filled with the Holy Spirit enabled Stephen to look b__________ the immediate, life-threatening situation directly into heaven, to speak the truth boldly and forgive his enemies (Luke 12:4-5).

SO WHAT

1. The church should not neglect the n_______ of brothers and sisters in Christ.

2. Spreading the gospel is a c_________ (team) responsibility. Know your personal talents and gifts and use them in some way.

3. Even s________________ roles require certain q____________ (e.g. a good reputation, wisdom, filled with Holy Spirit).

4. Store up s___________ in your mind and in your heart so that you are prepared to respond to critics (1 Peter 3:15).

5. Christians should expect p_________ , but should be f___________ (Luke 12:4-5).

6. Christians are always one b___________ from meeting Christ face to face. But when that happens it will be w__________ it all (Revelation 22:1-5).

· (Joshua 24:15) “Choose this day whom you will serve.”

· (Colossians 3:2-3) “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”