Acts: A Life of Impact

If you have your Bible's turned to Acts with Me Acts Chapter six. Have

you ever thought about the question of do you want your life to make an

impact? Think about it. God has granted you a life, and I

don't know today, nor do you today, how long that life will be.

But in the years that God has given you, when your life is

over, do you desire that it make an impact beyond just your name on

a monument one day? Do you desire that your life will make an impact

in others? It's a question I think all of us should ask. It's

a great book by John Piper called Don't Waste Your Life, and it's with

this idea that God has given you a life years, months, days,

and He's given it to you for a purpose, and that is to make

it impact on the impact in the life of others. And whether you realize

it or not, your life is making an impact. It's either a good

impact or is a bad impact. Heard a story of a man. He

was a repairman TV repairman, and he was one of those ones that when

he came home, he just didn't want to have anything more to do with

work and didn't want to think about work and his job. He's just consumed

with it and why he was at a shop, and when he came home

he didn't want to have anything to do with TV repairs. And so in

his house he had back then, you had antenna's, you member, back

in the days, you had antenna on your house, and he had antenna,

and the antenna wouldn't position the right direction even so much that one day

a storm came through and broke one of the antenna's off, you know,

or it was bent really bad. But he was so didn't want to do

anything with anything TV. When he got home, he didn't bother the reposition

it in the right direction, or didn't go bother go up and fix the

broken antenna. He just left it the way it was. Well weeks later,

months or so later, as a new neighbor moved in, moved in

right beside him, come to find out that his neighbor, as he found

out in the new homeowner, was a TV repairman, you know. As

he got into his house, he got him in antenna like everybody did back

then, and he decided, you know, well, my neighbor's a TV

repairman, and if he's got his antenna positioned this way, so should I.

So he positioned his antenna in the exact same direction as the TV repairman.

Months went by and really just never really was getting good reception. So

he went outside and looked out at the TV repairman's antenna again and noticed that

antenna was broken. So guess what he did. He went up, got

up on the roof, and he broke his antenna, just like his neighbors.

You see, whether you want to or not, you are making an

impact. People are They're watching your life and some of them are following your

example and they're living their life like you. So, whether you like it

or not, you are making impact. But I think there's a question that

we all should ask what kind of impact am I making? And do I

want my life to be a life of impact? And so the questions I

wanted to come to the day is this question, how do I have a

life that impacts others? And how do we ask Christians live a life that

impacts others? As we come to Acts chapter six, we're going to see

a character today. His name is Stephen. We saw him last week as

he was one of the few that were selected to serve in the church and

take care of the take care of the widows, the Helleness Widows. He's

a Hellenist. And we see Stephen. This is just in chapter six.

In chapter seven is the only time we see Stephen. We see a very

small excert picture into Stephen's life. But Stephen is a life that makes a

huge impact, makes an impact on the church at that time, but makes

an impact on the Gospel. It makes an impact and unbelievers' lives. Just

in these few chapters, these two chapters, we see a man who is

a By the way, he's not an apostle. Scripture tells us that in

the previous passage. This is some would say, as you come to life

of Stephen, you see the very first Christian, because up to this point

we see Christians, and we see the church bodies, but we've never seen

just one individual Christian until we come to Stephen. Here is a Christian lay

person serving in the church who has a life that changes the world. And

so today as we look at his life and how we impacted others, I

pray we see things in Stephen's life and we would consider today how we must

have these elements in our life if we're going to make an impact on others.

So let's stand together, and let's read God's word together, and let's

look what the Lord leads to us, leads us to today. So it's

Act chapter six, and we're starting verse eight, and we'll read through verse

fifteen, and Steve event scripture says, full of grace and power, was

doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged

to the syn of God of the freemen, and that was called the Syrinians

and the Alexandrians, and those from Cecilia and Asia rose up and disputed with

Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit with which was

he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, we have heard

him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God. And they stirred up people and

the elders and describes, and they came upon him and sized him and brought

him before the council. And they set up false witnesses who said, this

man never seeks to speak words against this holy place and the law. We

have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will

change custom that Moses delivered to us. Verse fifteen says and gazing at him,

all who sat in the count soul saw that his face was like the

face of an angel. Let's pray together, Father, we thank you Lord

for your word today. I pray that today, as we think about Stephen's

life, we would think about our own life, Father, as Christians and

God, as we look at a life that made an impact that changed the

world. God, I pray that we would consider Lord, how our life

can change others around us, and our family and our neighborhoods, and our

workplaces and our schools. So Lord, may you use this word to speak

to us. Father. Lord, I know today as I've come prepared and

has prepared many things in this outline and this message that you have I believe

led me to. But Lord, if there's anything that Lord's not of you,

Lord, I pray that you would leave cast it away. Lord,

I had the words that would clear, it would be your words, not

my own. And say, Lord, I pray for the Holy Spirit and

anoying over my words, over my mind, over my speech. Lord,

help me speak clearly, Lord your word today. Lord, we come today

and your dependent individuals who desperately need the Lord your Spirit to speak to us

today. So Father, May your spirit feel this place. Feel the hearers

today and the media are watching on TV and online today, and I pray

that God, you speak to them. Lord, And as you speak,

God, may we not push you away. But Lord, Lord, as

your word says he who has ears, let him hear what the spirit says.

God, give us ears for your word today. Lord, we love

you. We thank you Lord for today and your name. We pray,

Amen, you may be seen. How do we live as Christians? How

do we live as a Christian a life that impacts others? The first thing

I want you to see in this passage we if we want to have a

life that impacts others, we as Christians, we must be Christians of character.

We must be Christians of character. If you come to this pastor script

the very first verse you see in verse eight, it says, and Stephen

interdu seeing this Christian, as I said, who's serving as a servant in

the church. It describes as Stephen. You see the comment there and it

gives a description of Stephen, and listen to what it says. Stephen was

full of grace and power and was doing great signs and wonders among the people.

Scripture describes in this passage what people saw in Stephen. This was not

just Stephen from cesarea or wherever he was Antiocha believe, or he was a

Hellenis he was from a different area. But it doesn't say just his name

and where he's from. It describes his character, what he was full of.

Now it's interesting, as we see Stephen in Acts chapter six, there's

actually four different descriptions of Stephen. How they described this man, and six

in chapter six in verse five, if you go back to the last week's

message and the passage we looked at and they said, the disciples, I

mean the apostles, we need to point servants to serve tables so we don't

neglect the preaching in prayer. And so they find men to serve in.

One of those is Stephen. One of the ones they chose. And as

they describe selectning seat Stephen in their description, they described what Stephen was like

then, so it's another description of Stephen. Verse five says, and they

said please, and what they said please the whole congregation. And they chose

Stephen full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. So here's four descriptions.

He's full of faith, he's full of Holy Spirit. Verse eight says he's

full of grace and power, and he's doing many signs and wonders. You

know, if you remember last week when we looked at actually the first part

of Act chapter six, this idea of being feeled full of something was the

idea that if you're filled full of something, that thing that you're full of

directs you, right, it guides you. It's something that we see in

scripture. Being filled with the Holy Spirit means that individuals' lives are directed by

God, are directed by the Holy Spirit. They're sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

So if you think about Stephen, it describes several things that Stephen is

full of. He's full of the Holy Spirit. His life is directed by

the Holy Spirit. He's full of faith. His life is a life that's

lived out a faith. He's a man who's not only full of faith and

full of the Holy Spirit, he's full of Scripture says here grace. He's

he lives out grace in the lives of others. I think you see that

now he handles this opposition in a little bit. He's not only full of

grace, he's full of power. Dinamos. This is the word that we

get the word dynamite from It's a passage that used to see that signs and

wonders and things. God is doing things in and through Stephen that you cannot

explain, and that's the power within him that's flowing from him. It gives

this idea of something someone being full of something and then taking control and working

in and through him. We see this in scripture. This is taught by

Paul. Paul talks to us and he instructs us in Ephesians that we are

to be filled with things. I'll give you example. I want you to

see this passage with me. It's Ephesians chapter five, seventeen through nineteen.

You've heard this passage maybe before, and the Bible says, Paul says,

do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

What is the will of the Lord? You say to me pastor day,

what's the will of Lord for me as a Christian? Well, Paul says

it. Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debakery. But

be filled with the spirit. So Paul says to you and I we or

should be filled with something. What is the will of God? We are

full of the Holy Spirit that what does that mean? We are directed by

the Holy Spirit working filling us and then working in and through our lives.

You remember, probably I think I've told you this illustration before, but probably

one of my favorite shows is Andy Griffith. You remember watch the Indy Griffith

show. I watched a lot growing up, And one of my favorite episodes

is Uncle Harvey and is Indian Elixir? You remember that at Bee's getting a

little conscious about how she's aging. You know, she used to have the

energy that she used to have. And there's this travel salesman coming through Mayberry,

right, and he's selling this Indian elixir that's supposed to help you with

energy and all this stuff. Aunt Bee sucks in and she gets her a

few bottles, right, and she's taking that Indian elixir and the next thing,

you know, is full of alcohol and she gets tanked, right,

And here she is. She's got all the women from church over at the

house. And Andy comes in and all the church ladies are there, and

Bee's on the piano. She's just dancing away and singing and spinning around on

the things. And what's happened, Well, what's happened is what Paul's talking

about Aunt Bee has gotten full of liquor, right, and as a result,

the liquor has filled her and as a result, it's leading her to

do things that she would not normally do on her own right. And Paul

is using that as an example. Do not be filled, don't be drunk

with wine. Don't let a wine fill you. And then what leads you

to do evil? But in turn, what just like you would fill yourself

with alcohol. In turn, Paul is calling us be filled with the spirit.

Fill yourself up with the Holy Spirit, and allow the Holy Spirit to

take over you and lead you to do right. And that's what we see

in Stephen. Stephen is a man who's full of the spirit. He is

a man who's full of faith, He's full of grace, he's full of

power. Now I want to ask you today, what are you full of?

You know, every one of you today in your life, every day

you choose to be filled with something. My mom talked to her the other

day, and she goes on these senior adult trips on these big buses,

and they traveled Pennsylvania and all this, And she went on one of these

trips a week or so ago, and she said, on that trip.

There was a lady that was on trip. She was a pastor's wife.

Her husband, she's a widow. He passed away a few years ago.

Know, when you get on these trips that this is different people from Union

County where my parents, my mom is from, and there's people all over

in that area. They all going together and so not just her churches,

people from all over the community. Well, so there's this pastor's wife there

and she got paired up to room with this other lady. Well, the

next morning, my mom sees this, this preacher's wife, because they talk

and stuff. She said, how did it go last night? Staying with

such a She said, Janet, she said, that's the most bitter woman

I've ever met in my life. She said, she's met she she went

through a divorce, and she said she is so bitter from that divorce.

She said, I told her you better, You got to get rid of

that bitterness. Are you gonna take that bitterness to the grave? Ill?

She said, it was miserable because she's so bitter, and she just she

just stayed in one room night with her in one room, and she could

just tell that the lady was what listen, she was full of bitterness,

and as a result, what was flowing from her bitterness. You see,

you all, all of us, choose to be full of something. And

we can be full of bitterness, we can be full of anger, we

can be full of lust, we can be full of you name it.

But ask you today if we want to make a life that impacts. A

life of impact, says you know what, there's nothing that's good in me.

If it's left up to Jonathan, or if it's left up to you,

we will be full of anger, be full of these things. Lord,

what I need is less of me and more of you God. I

mean I need more of your spirit. Father. Feel me of your spirit.

God. I need more of your wisdom. Lord, Feel me with

your wisdom. Lord, I need more. I need more faith, God,

Feel me with your faith. God, I need more of your power.

God. I'm weak. Anybody feel like that in this room today?

Father, I'm weak? Or feel me with your power. You see,

Stephen makes impact not because anything that was good in Steve, but it was

what was in Stephen that made him be a man of character. So today,

as you, as we look at how do we have a life that

impacts? Maybe it starts with simply saying, God, I'm I'm a wretched

man. I'm a wretched woman that Lord needs more of you. So feel

me, Father that others might see not my character, but listen, but

they see your character, God, God. As a Christian, I'm to

be a Christian of your character. God. So feel me, Father,

and listen to this, Listen to imagery. Feel me that you might take

over God. Don't you love that? Feel me that you might take over

me, Lord, Because God, if I walk in my strength, I

will what fail. He's not only a man of characters, and we should

be Christians of character. And when you see what else we see in this,

what do you be? Christians of courage? And Stephen is a man

of courage. Scripture says, Stephen, full of grace and power, was

doing great wonders and signs among the people than some of those who belonged to

the sin of God of the freemen, and he lists several different groups.

Scripture says rose up and disputed with Stephen. You know, when God gets

a hold of you, there's people who are not going to like it.

And here Stephen is. He's not an apostle, he's not a deacon,

He's just a servant serving the Church, trying to live for God and be

bold for God, trying to take stands for God, trying to be a

witness for God in this community. He's trying to as he's been called to.

In Acts chapter six, you remember the hellness were being neglected, and

Heleness were Jews. Greek Jews who came from the different areas in Israel,

came to Jerusalem and at Pentecost got saved and remained in Jerusalem. And those

Heleness were being neglected. And so that came out to the church and said,

hey, our widows of being neglected. And so therefore the Church says,

we need to raise up men to serve the hellness. Well, so

they chose Helenus men to do that. So Stephen is one of these heleness

men. There's one of these Greek Jews who's come from another area, came

to Jerusalem, God saved. And now what does he want to do.

He's trying to minister to his brothers. All is you come to these different

groups in verse nine, the freedmen and the Ceserines and Alexandrians, all of

these are Helenus. All these are Greek Jews. These are not believers here.

These are unbelievers who are in Jerusalem. But listen to me. Stephen

is trying to reach them for the gospel. He knows they don't believe in

the gospel, and he's trying to be a witness to his own people.

And as a result of sharing the Gospel with his lost neighbors, his lost

neighbors are now Scripture says, are coming against them. You could see this,

and that they rose up and disputed with Stephen. In the midst of

this, Scripture says, Stephen has courage. You know. Can I just

say to you today, understand this, believer or church member. If you're

here today and you decide to be a life that makes the impact on others,

and you seek to be a life that's filled with the spirit, that's

directed by a spirit, full of faith, full of wisdom, full of

power, listen. Those who oppose you may be those who are closest to

you. Your greatest opposition may not be the person that's at walmart Is.

You don't have any idea who they are. It actually may be your family

members. Your greatest opposition may be your neighbors, your friends, your college

roommates, or your college classmates, or your middle school or high school classmates.

It may be your friends that you grew up with who it may be

those that you are closest to that you want to reach the most. But

in this picture, Steven's trying to reach his own people. And they are

the ones who are attacking him. They're the ones who are rising up against

him. Those are the ones who are disputing him. But Stephen what continues

to speak boldly and continues to be a bold witness even in the midst of

opposition. Stephen has courage. You say, passion. Where does this courage

come from? Again, I want to remind you this is not just some

greatness in Stephen that you could say, well, he's just one of these

anomalies. He's one of these incredible Christians. It's just got it all together.

No, it's not what's so good about Stephen's flesh. It's the Holy

Spirit that's in working Stephen. Look at what Scripture says in verse ten.

But they could not withstand the wisdom and what the spirit with which he was

speaking. Hey, you remember in Acts chapter six, the apostles say,

hey, we need to it's not right for us to give up preaching and

prayer. We need to raise up men to take on this role to serve

the hell and his shoes, and let us appoint some men to do that.

And what is the qualifications of these men that we're looking for that be

full of what wisdom and the spirit. Stephen was just what the church was

looking for, but it's also just what his lost neighbors are looking for.

Men are a man who was full of the spirit and full of wisdom.

You see what was in that gave Stephen courage was the Holy Spirit working within

him. It's a Holy Spirit directing and guiding him and filling his mind.

But also I believe with this you know why I believe what the source of

courage was for Stephen Two things. I believe the source of courage for Stephen

was one the promises of God and secondly prayer. Scripture says, and I

want you to see this. This is a beautiful passage of scripture and Luke

chapter twenty one, and we're gonna have it on the screen. Look twenty

one, twelve through fifteen, Jesus prophesied something. He prophesied that we would

face opposition if we try to share the gospel, if we try to be

bold if we try to take a stamp for the Lord, if we try

to be a bold witness to those that we love, that they would be

opposition that came against us. And this is what Jesus says. He's telling

this disciples that in Luke twenty one twelve, and he says, but before

all this they will they will lay their hands on you, and they'll persecute

you, delivering you up to the synagogue and prisons, and you'll be brought

before kings and governors for my namesake. So Jesus is prophesying to his followers,

if you try to live for the Lord, there are gonna be people

who come after you. They're gonna grab you, they're gonna snatch you up,

they're gonna prison you, all these different things. They will lay their

hands on and you persecute you, deliver you up. You'll be brought before

kings and governors. He's making that prophecy before it has ever happened. And

we see that. We saw that here with the early church. Peter and

John Wood, they laid hands on him, right as the apostles that say

preaching Solomon's Portico, they let hands on all of them, they beat them.

But listen what he says. He promises, he prophesies that. But

then he gives them a promise in this Listen the way he says, this

will be your opportunity to bear witness. Listen. When people come after you,

that's not the time to retreat. That's the time to be a witness.

And listen the way he says, this will be your opportunity to bear

witness. Settle it. Therefore in your minds, do not meditate beforehand how

to answer, for I will give you a mouth, and listen to this

and what and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or

contradict. Jesus promise his disciples, his followers, they will come after you.

But when they come after you, if you're a faithful witness, listen,

I will give you view the words to say, and they will not

be able to withstand the wisdom that within you. You see today, I

believe today the reason that Stephen had courage because he had couraged and the promises

of God. God, you promised me that these that you prophesied, that

these things would come against me, and you commanded me that this was the

time to speak, and God, you promised me, if I would be

bold, you would give me the words to say. He had courage and

the promises of God, but also he had courage through prayer. You know,

the Bible says, and Peter and acts that. Here Peter and John

share the gospel at the temple, and they're going in the temple that heal

the lame man, you remember, was laying at the gate. And as

they were coming out, coming out of prayer, they were coming in,

saw in his portago and all these people came up to them and said,

how did this happen? And there Peter and John share the gospel with the

Jews and some believe. And the Bible says, the Sanhedrin came and Caiaphas

and all them came in and laid hands on them just like Jesus said,

and they carried them off, and they kind of brought them up and kind

of gave them a little trial there. And then they finally threatened them,

don't you do this again. Don't you speaking the name of Jesus again?

Commanded them, not threaten them, not to speaking the name of Jesus again

or else. Right, And the Bible says, right, that happened.

Peter and John leave and they go to the church and they gather all the

believers there, probably ten thousand believers there, and they tell them what happened.

And you know what the Bible says. The Bible says the church in

that moment prayed. Ten thousand people prayed. And you know what they prayed

for. Well, let me tell you what they prayed for. And Acts

four twenty nine through thirty it says they prayed this. And now, Lord,

look upon the threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your

word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hands to heal, and

signs and wonders are befoorth And then they of your holy servant Jesus. You

know, when that church body gathered together, there was one in the midst

of that prayer meeting that night, and his name was Stephen. And you

know what. Stephen lift up his voice that day and he prayed, Oh

God, when they come against me, help me be bold, God,

give us boldness in the midst of opposition. You see, Stephen had courage

because he was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he being filled with the

Holy Spirit, he rested in the promises of God, and he rested in

the prayers for boldness. I ask you today, some of you today,

as you say you know a pastor, I really want to be that Christian

God has called me to be. I really want to be a Christian that

makes an impact on my neighbors. Some of you were facing opposition from your

family, friends, co workers, classmates. Sometimes you say, you know

what is really? Is it worth it for all that I tried to do,

all the pushback I get? Have you said today, Father, Lord,

help me not rest and find peace in trying to make things better.

But in turn, Lord, help me trust in your promises that God,

when they come against me, You'll give me the words to say. Father,

and God help me be courageous in your promises. And God helped me

be courageous knowing that God, I'm praying for boldness today? Would that be

you today? You want to make a life of impacts. Be a Christian

of character, you make a life of impact. Be a Christian of courage,

resting in the promises of God and praying for boldness. Lastly, and

by the way, can I tell you one of the greatest examples that we've

seen in the last twenty years or so of boldness was of a girl named

Casey Bernald. You remember her. She's one of the victims of Columbine.

You remember the story of Casey. Shooter comes into the library, finds Casey,

has her stand up and says, do you believe God? Right with

a gun to her head? And she said yes, boldness, courage.

Man, we may we as a seventeen year old girl or sixteen year old

girl who has made an impact throughout the last twenty years because she simply said

two words yes or one word glad you're paying attention. What could we do

with our life? What you see? Not only can we see a Christian's

womb, be a Christian to make an impact, a Christian of character,

or be a Christian of courage, but lastly, be a Christian of God's

countenance. Man, this is beautiful. Scripture says and Acts chapter six.

They they really see that. Oh, by the way, I don't want

to miss this because about dead, the Bible says, but in verse ten,

but they could not withstand the wisdom and the spirit which with you speaking.

You see, that's a fulfillment of Jesus's promise. If you're courageous,

they will not be able to withstand you, just like that could not withstand

Stephen. He was a man of courage. But once you see, Scripture

tells us that these men basically see that there's nothing they can do to oppose

him. God's there's something in Stephen that there's just nothing, nothing they can

do to overpower them. So basically what they do they instigate. Scripture says,

these false accusation. They bring up men who tell lies about Stephen,

that Steven spoke against God and Moses and against the temple. Those are two

big important things. We're really going to look at them with great lengths in

that week next week. But she's just important that you hear that they accuse

Stephen falsely of speaking against Moses, the God and against the temple. So

they give up all these false witnesses. Scripture tells us that verse thirteen,

listen, you could see, and they set up false witness who said right.

So they bring up all these false witnesses against try to bring charges against

Stephen. They bring this trial. Scripture tells us they they came, they

seized him of verse eleven, they brought him before this council. So it

was this trial there they put Stephen on trial, had all these false accusations

against him. Can you imagine as one man? I mean, you saw

Peter and John at least there was two of them. You saw when the

council sieged the apostles, at least it was all twelve apostles. Now this

is not an apostle, it's just a Christian, one of the servants in

the church. He's all by himself. He's got the Hellinus Jews, and

that's a Hedrin came against him, standing on trial and being fault accused.

And the Bible says in verse fifteen, listen what says and gazing at him.

All scripture says a keyword, all Hellenist, all Jews on that Jahedrin

Caiaphas. The very same council that put Jesus on the cross is now looking

at Stephen. And the Bible says, and in that council all who said

in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

It kind of gives you the same imagery of Moses. And in scripture in

Acts thirty four twenty eight through twenty nine, Moses is with the Lord forty

days in forty nine. He's in the presence of God for forty days and

forty nights. He didn't eat, he didn't drink. Who wrote the Covenant?

Who wrote the Covenant? And the Ten Commandments? On the tablets and

the Bible says when Moses came down, look at you can look at this,

and I think we have this on the screen twenty nine. And when

Moses came down from out Sinai with the two tablets and testimony of his hand,

he came down from the mountain and listen to what this And Moses did

not know that the skin of his faith shone because he was talking with God.

You see, there was a disposition that had changed about Moses. Why

because he'd been in the presence of God. You see this same imagery with

Stephen. Here there's this false accusations that have come against him. He's on

trial, and everybody looks at Stephen that day and his face looks like the

face of an angel. His face looks like the face of God. You

see even in Stephen, Stephen bears the countenance of God. If we want

to be a Christians that make an impact, we can be a Christians of

character, be Christians of court. But lastly, we are to be Christians

of God's countenance. I want to ask you something today. You know,

I'll never get this. Brandy when she was sick and she was in we

were in rehab and she was having to learn how to walk and move her

hand, and we had a physical therapist one day and we were just talking

with her and she looked at brand Now, I'll never forget the song as

I live. And she said, You're a Christian, aren't you. We

hadn't witnessed to her or anything at that point, and she said, I

am. She said, I can see it in you. I wonder today

when people see you, do they see the face of God in you?

Do they see God in your life and how you live your life? If

we want to be Christians that make an impact, we would be Christians event

character full of the Holy Spirit and that spirit overflowing, and how we live

our life. Will be Christians of courage that rest in the promise of God

and pray for boldness as we encounter those who oppose the message of Jesus.

But lastly, will be Christians that in the face of opposition, they'll see

God in us. You know, there was a story of a little boy,

or he was not a little boy at the time. I guess he

was a teenager. Said he was eighteen years old. His name was Dwight

L. Moody. Dwight L. Moody actually worked for his uncle. His

uncle owned a shoe store in Boston and there he worked as a salesman in

the boot store. Dwight L. Moody was not a believer at the time,

and he had went to a Sunday school class at the church and sodsical

teacher was named of mister Kimball. Mister Kennavill really had a heart for the

souls of the boys in his Sunday school class, and in particular he had

a heart for Dwight al Moody. He knew he was lost. One day

he just after praying, he was really burdened for DWIGHTE. Al Moody and

they needed to share the gospel with him. So he was determined after prayer,

he was determined that he was going to go to that shoe store and

he was going to share the gospel. So he said in these words too,

I was going to speak to him about Christ and the soul. So

he started heading out to the bootstore. I was just making his way to

the bootstore. He started thinking about it. Man, maybe I shouldn't go.

Maybe I shouldn't go during you know, during these times, the business

hours. You know, if I go in and I asked for him,

he may be embarrassed and and he may he may not look good for him.

And he So he passed by the store and he says, maybe I

just shouldn't do this. Finally, he just determined, courage courageous, he

made a dash for He went in found Dwight al Moody actually wrapping up shoes

in the back of the store. He put his hand on Dwight elm Moody's

shoulder and he says, I don't even know the words that I use.

He said, I simply told him of Christ's love and the love that Christ

wanted from him for him, and the love that Christ wanted him to return.

That was it. I hardly said anything in that moment. Dwight el

Moody was ready for the Gospel and was saved right there in the back of

that shoe store. One faithful Sunday school teacher, faithful the share of the

character of God, the courage of God, but the countenance of God.

His life was changed. Dwight L. Moody would later lead another man to

the Lord and name J. Wilburn Chapman. J Wilburn Chapman also would lead

someone else to the name of the Lord, I mean to the Lord,

and his name was Billy Sunday. Billy Sunday was a baseball player. He

led him to the Lord at a camp meeting revival service. Billy Sunday would

become a preacher and he would lead a man to the Lord named Mordecai Him.

Mordecai Him would also preach a revival service in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And there's a young man at that revival and his name was Billy Graham.

You see, it all started with one Sunday school teacher saying, I want

to make an impact. I want my life to impact others, and in

particular, I want my life to impact Dwight L. Moody. And can

I say from that faithful man there came hundreds of thousands of souls through the

miliant ministry of Billy Graham. You say today, did did Edward Kimball's life

make an impact? It made an internal impact My question is you today?

How about your life? As we come to Stephen. One man and in

that room and the counsel that day looking at Stephen was another man whose life

would be radically changed by Stephen's life. Stephen's character, his courage, and

his countenance, and his name was Saul. Let's pray together, Lord,

I love you. I thank you Lord for your word. Today. Lord,

I pray that we as individuals will consider the impact of our that our

life is making. Lord. I pray that we would be people today that

says, Lord, there's nothing good in me. Lord, I need more

of you today. So God, may your spirit change my character. May

you feel me with your spirit. May you feel me with wisdom, May

you feel me with grace. Maybe today there'll be those that say, you

know what, Lord, I'm struggling. I want to be a witnesses Edward

Kimball was. But sometimes Lord, just don't have the courage. Lord.

May you fill me with courage that I might find courage and the promises of

you, Lord, that you will give me the words to say God.

May I pray for boldness. I pray there be those today would pray for

boldness. But Lord, I pray today, there'd be those in this room

that say, God, I want people to see you and me. God,

I want to be a Christian of your countenance. So Lord, may

others at work, at home, at the store see you and me.

Lord, I pray as you've spoken today, I pray there'd be believers who

would respond to your invitation today to be a people of impact Christians that make

an impact on the lives of others. But Lord, I know today there

is Dwight elmo To Today there's an unbeliever here today that's never put their faith

in you, who's never said yes to you, Lord, And I pray

today that'd be those who today would say, Lord, I know that I'm

a sinner, and Lord, I know you died for me that I might

be forgiven of my sense. And today, God, I know you love

me. And today I ask God, may will you forgive me? Lord?

Or will you come in to me? Lord, save me Jesus.

Lord, Today I put my faith for salvation and what you've done for me

and the forgiveness that's in you Jesus. Today, Lord, today save my

soul. Lord, I confess I need you today. Lord, come into

my life. Lord, I give my life to you, Lord. I

pray there'd be those in this room and watching on TV today it says,

Lord, my life make an impact starts with a relationship with you, and

today I give you my life, Lord, to have your will and your

way in me. Lord. I pray that as we go this time,

invitation and tanners will lead us a song. I pray they be something that

come to this altar and just pray for courage. I pray for some come,

pray for boldness. I pray be those who say, Lord, I'm

full of bitterness, I'm full of anger, I'm full of lost, full

of some thought stuff that God, I need you to cleanse me of today

that you might feel me. Lord, Lord, however you're speaking today,

I pray they'd be those all over this room that will respond to you,

Lord. May whether it's praying at this altar or praying in their seat.

God, I pray or Lord, if you lead them to come and I

can pray with them. However you lead us, Lord, May we surrender

to you and respond to you right now in your name, we pray Amen

usirst, pain and all and all to fish