David’s Sermon Preview

There are a number of quotes or phrases that get my blood pumping. When Mel Gibson’s character William Wallace says, “Every man dies, but not every man truly lives,” I want to do something lively. When I read Martin Luther King Jr.’s letters from a Birmingham jail, every fiber of my being wants to do justice. In the passage of Scripture we will be looking at this weekend (Acts 6-8) a few phrases jump off the page and stir my soul: “Men full of the Spirit and wisdom,” “the number of disciples increased rapidly,” “The word of God spread,” and “many…became obedient to the faith.” Those bold phrases sum up what I believe this church is to be all about. (My only exception would be to add ‘women’ to that first phrase.)

The cry of my heart is to be able use these phrases to describe what Jesus is doing in our city. I hope it is, or is becoming, the cry of our hearts, as the Lord is knitting us together, to be the light and salt in our day. Many have gone before us. Many have worked hard and answered the call to be salt and light in their part of the world, in their part of history. Now it falls to us. Who are we going to be? What will we be remembered for? Are we salty? Are we shining bright?

What follows chapter 6 are the stories of Salty Stephen and Radiant Phillip. One was so full of the salt of Christ that he was stoned to death by the same people that crucified Jesus. His martyrdom sparked the spreading of the gospel to the entire western world. The other was so full of the light of Christ that he was able to spark revival in Samaria, in Ethiopa, and (most importantly) in his own home.

Let’s get excited about seeing how Jesus can use our lives as a spark in our world and our time.