Acts Chapter 7 Verse 1

• Are what things so? This is what Stephen was accused of back in Chapter 6.  In verse 11, they accused him of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.  In verse 13, they accused him of speaking blasphemous words against the temple and against the law.  And finally in verse 14, they accused him of saying Jesus was going to destroy the temple and change the customs given by Moses.  So, he is accused of words…
• Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me is such a lie isn’t it! Words are so powerful, aren’t they!?  Pierre du Plessis (I have no idea who that is) said, “Words create worlds!”  And that is the truth truth!  Someone else once said, “Be sure to taste your words before you spit them out!”  HA!  I like that one!
• What you say is ultra powerful…and we write cute nursery rhymes that lie to us about it…HA! But words are all Stephen is accused of but these are   Blasphemy against God, against Moses, against the law and against the temple.  Most certainly offenses that by their law would condemn a man to death…and so Stephen will answer the high priest and it may seem as if Stephen is showing his intellectual prowess here but he’s not…he’s answering strategically, evangelically, even prophetically each and every accusation…

Acts Chapter 7 Verses 2 – 8

• One thing that should be understood is that the Jews not only lived in the present, but they also lived very much in the past. Like Uncle Rico times a thousand!!  Their history was and is extremely important to them and they have great respect for the dead…almost more than the living!  And so Stephen going through this detailed history would be welcomed by them but notice…
• One thing he is accused of is blasphemy against the temple but check this out, he’s setting them up or perhaps better said, trying to reach and reason with them…, “The God of glory appeared to Abraham,” when he was where…? Mesopotamia!  And even when he came into the land where they stand presently God spoke to him…notice, no temple!  He’s not trying to demolish their foundations…he’s trying to establish their foundations and open their eyes to the fact that through Jesus the foundations are fulfilled and it’s time to move on…what do you do with a foundation?  You build!  Look what he goes into next…

Acts Chapter 6 Verses 9 – 13

• Now in the midst of this history lesson, Stephen is giving details that draw a very clear line to Jesus. With Abraham, he was told to leave his own country and go where God was sending him and when he got there he had nothing, not even enough to set his foot on it says back in verse 5.  And Abraham was to bring forth a people that would be freed from bondage, serving God, and even looking different then the world, typified for us by Stephen mentioning
• Now he moves on to Joseph who very interesting was rejected by the patriarchs. Just like Jesus was rejected by those Stephen is witnessing to…but notice…they recognize him the second time!  This is more prophetic for them than anything because we know that Jesus being rejected by the Jews at His first coming, He will be recognized as their Messiah by them at His second coming!  But notice, there was famine, the fathers find no sustenance and so Joseph arrives on the scene but they don’t recognize him…just like Jesus…again, here’s the theme…Stephen is not trying to do away with their foundations…their foundations are good…but he is trying to deliver the message that the era of foundation is past…Jesus has come!

Acts Chapter 7 Verses 14 – 25

• Another character, same message. Moses was sent by God to deliver his people but when he first came, he was rejected by them…it wasn’t until Moses came back…which we will get to in a minute, that they accepted him.  And it’s accusatory in a way…Stephen’s words…, “They did not understand.”  It actually means, “They did not consider with wisdom.”  That is literally what it means to understand.  To consider, behold, examine and yet not have wisdom is to not understand…this may have been a clear jab…

Acts Chapter 7 Verses 26 – 33

• Gasp! Remember they have accused him of speaking against the temple but Stephen reminds them boldly that God spoke to Abraham not in the temple and God spoke to Moses and he didn’t need the temple either…in fact the ground in the wilderness was holy!!

Acts Chapter 7 Verses 34 – 36

• This is huge and man for any of these elders truly seeking God they would somehow be softening because Stephen points out here that the people rejected Moses, their God appointed leader (which mean Moses is NOT rejected by Stephen) but he points out the elders of Israel rejected Moses after he already pointed out that the patriarchs of Israel rejected Joseph, another GOD APPOINTED leader! His case is building.  And I love this, he is using the foundation to build his case…not tearing it down like he is accused of!!

Acts Chapter 7 Verses 37 – 50

• God is not confined to the temple! Remember when our fathers carried the Tabernacle of Witness…God is with us!  And just as Joseph was rejected by his brothers, Moses was rejected by his brothers, the law was rejected by the people and transgressed… even now the works of the law are exalted higher than the Person of God!  Scripture confirms, the foundations have been laid and it is time to recognize the scriptures fulfilled!
• I love his message! Thorough, complete, clear and even convicting!  That the foundation has been laid…it is strong…but it is complete.  Now it is time to recognize what God is doing right now!  Which is perfectly where we are as a church and I love how relevant and perfect in terms of timing this scripture set is because I believe God is saying the same thing to us in this New Year!
• The foundation is laid…it is strong, it is good…but it is complete…(and I fought this for weeks with God and yet He has confirmed it through several of the leaders here who have no idea what I am about to share with you and He has even confirmed it in a dream…because you know I am definitely a dreamer of dreams…)
• In 2016 God gave us, this church, a message of Not rest as in stop everything but rather rest in Him…do all that we do…but rest in His strength, His righteousness and His willful results.  From that came a culture of grace and safety in that no matter who is serving/leading or how they are leading in terms of their style or what the ministry is even…our strategy became we are not afraid to fail…we are not afraid to make mistakes.  We are to love God and love this church and in that we will certainly be imperfect but we rest in God…in our weakness He is made strong.
• Then last year God gave us the call to After a period of resting, really it’s only natural that a body would be refreshed and so we challenged ourselves to make God’s calling sure in our own lives.  If it’s not fresh and filled with joy, specifically our hearts, then take a big step back…we’re still resting in Him…we’ve learned that now…but always seeking the Holy Spirit and His mark on everything we set out to do.  And if God has moved on, so should we…
• This year, and I have fought this for weeks because on the surface, I don’t have the faith for it…I’m too weak…God has given the call on me and on this church for 2018 to build and to grow. Now, that doesn’t necessarily mean physically…although it could…I’m not saying it doesn’t…but it doesn’t necessarily mean that we are going to grow in numbers or build a building this year.  What I believe He means is that the foundation is here…and it is good.  It is   A strong ministry, a strong ministry team, a strong flock, a strong call, a strong presence, a strong purpose and we are resolute in that we are led, governed by and in total submission, dependence and followship of Jesus Christ…the Head of this church!
• No other foundation can be laid that will hold but the foundation here at C4 has been poured, it has resolved…settled and it is now time to build…1 Corinthians 3:10-15 says, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.”
• The foundation is here and it is good…and now, God is calling me, you, us…this church, this year…to build and to grow. And we all have this same call…we all have a role in this…For me, at least for this season until God gives more direction, its unarmed love.  He wants my heart more like His…disarmed and gift love and I’m after that!  
• God confirmed this for me in a dream and I shared the dream with some folks before God even gave me the full meaning…But during prayer on Wednesday night, God showed me what it means. I dreamt that we were here only it was much bigger…like a grand auditorium with so many chairs I can’t put a number on it…balconies and all that…and Matt was finishing up the worship set and people were still coming in…(you know who you are, HA)!  And I was scrambling in a back room of the sanctuary to find anything that I could bring out to give folks a seat…
• But then as the worship set was finishing, everyone began to leave…they all were lined up walking out of the back of the sanctuary…and I stopped one lady who was just sugar sweet with the warmest smile on her face and I asked her, “Where is everyone going?” And she said, “We are all going to the overflow room…it’s getting too cold in here…”
• And so I went into the overflow and there everyone was filing in and I said to myself, “Well I better just preach in here, no one is in the main sanctuary!” And I woke up…sharing that dream with Matt and the worship team on Wednesday night, God slapped me with the understanding stick…He ever do that to you!!??  And I stopped prayer and said, “I got it…”  We are to build, we are to grow and that means we are to, this church, me you, us….we are to go, each of us…to the overflow!!  <Illustration>
• Joel 2: 21-24 says, Fear not, O land; Be glad and rejoice, For the Lord has done marvelous things!  Do not be afraid, you beasts of the field; For the open pastures are springing up, And the tree bears its fruit; The fig tree and the vine yield their strength.  Be glad then, you children of Zion, And rejoice in the Lord your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, And He will cause the rain to come down for you—The former rain, And the latter rain in the first  The threshing floors shall be full of wheat,  And the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil.”
• I love it! I’m so inspired!  Just like Stephen…the foundation is good…but it’s time to build…go to the uncomfortable for the Lord…all you His saints…love with unarmed love…go to the overflow because it’s time to let God again refresh, again bring rest and yet again…move us forward into what He has called us to do…in our personal relationships with Him, in this church, in your heart, in your lives in this community and in this world…we are to overflow! We are no longer to be comfortable with just being filled…we are to create not just converts and disciples and ministries and all that…we are to create fruit loops!  HA!!!  Loops of fruit, overflowing as we draw near again to Jesus in this post foundation season of my walk, your walk and the story of C4 in God’s eternal plan…!
• The foundation is good…and it will hold. Jesus Christ and Him crucified and Him resurrected…the work of God here at C4 is firm upon that foundation…and in this new year…we together with God leading and guiding…will build…and we will grow!