Message: The initial passion and faith of accepting Christ can wane as well as our commitment to God's plan, creating a need to recharge. A "loss of zeal" is another way of stating the missing joy and excitement of the Lord. The call is to have a "fire", a zeal, that is infectious to the people around us for the love of the Lord. Stephen was operating in the gifts God had given him, allowing God to speak to his heart to do great wonders among the people who could not resist his anointing. Therefore, in jealousy, the leaders looked for opportunities to convict him of blasphemy. [Pastor Jeff shares his testimony which could have caused him to lose his zeal] Stephen calls out the religious leader's passionate stubbornness to turn to the Lord. As Stephen, in order for us to be moved to action, there must be a passion, as Christ's passion for the things of God. Satan wants to wear us out, so we give up, but God reminds us to rest, find strength in Him. He reminds us who we are and to stir up the truths though the Holy Spirit. In the Lord's salvation, joy and love our fears are quieted so His passion can come out in us.
Scripture: Acts 7:51-58 "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul." KJV
