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Radical Faith: Our Living Creed

By Glen Dawursk, Jr. 9/2002

God _______ it, I _____________ it, and that _________ it!

That’s it! If all three are in tact, your faith has the basis for being a “radical” faith.

Stephen was an early Christian believer who professed his beliefs openly around him.

Check out Acts 6:8-7:2.

Here we see that Stephen __________ the scriptures.

God says it: Radical Faith requires
that we ___________ to know the Word of God.

We desire to know more about God. We actually “__________” for the scriptures. We need to know what God says for faith to grow.

Next, Stephen was not afraid to _____________ His beliefs. He truly believed what he talked about. He had the ___________ knowledge

I believe it: Radical Faith requires
that we _________ God’s word and believe it as _________.

Next Stephen stood up for his beliefs.

Check out Acts 7:51-53.

Stephen was in their faces. His “head knowledge” transcended to his heart and became a _____________.

Acts 6

Stephen Seized

⁸Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. ⁹Opposition 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. These men began to argue with Stephen, ¹⁰but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.
¹¹Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God."
¹²So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. ¹³They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. ¹⁴For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us."
¹⁵All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Acts 7

Stephen's Speech to the Sanhedrin

¹Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?"

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⁵¹"You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵²Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him-- ⁵³you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

Check out Acts 7:54-59

We see that Stephen was eventually stoned to death for his beliefs. He would not compromise his beliefs for anything – including his own death.

That settles it: Radical Faith confronts Satin’s lies and does not _________ what the repercussions might be. It requires that we “__________” it with our lips and our lives.

It does not allow for a compromise, relativism or mediocrity. It does not hide itself “under a bushel” for any reason. It requires _______ service NOT just ______ service!

Check out Acts 8:1

Saul gave permission for Stephen’s death. He was a learned Jewish scholar who had __________ what Jesus taught. He knew that the Jewish leaders had fabricated the case against Stephen and in his blindness had an innocent man killed.

When we lack any of the three concepts, our faith can become ________ and lead to uncertainty.
Our ___________ can also become in jeopardy.

BUT God had mercy on Saul; God had other plans for him.

Check out Acts 9:1-9.

1. Saul’s conversion required that he first had to _______ what God had to say.

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵But 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."
⁵⁷At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, ⁵⁸dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
⁵⁹While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." ⁶⁰Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Acts 8

¹And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

²On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. ³But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

Acts 9

Saul's Conversion

¹Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest ²and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. ³As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"
⁵"Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked.
⁶"I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."
⁷The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. ⁸Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. ⁹For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

2. Next He had to __________ it. In Acts 9:17-19a we see how Ananias was sent to Saul’s house and he baptized him.

3. Finally, Saul had to _________ it with his lips and _______ with his life. Acts 9:19b-20 says he began hanging out with other Christians and then preached about Jesus openly in public.

• A modern day analogy of Radical Faith is the story of Cassie Burnall
  (Maybe use the video “She Said Yes” from Plough Publishing House www.plough.com or checkout www.cassiebernall.org)

Your Questions Are:

Where are you in the three steps?

Do you hear God’s voice?

Do you believe the facts in your head AND in your heart? Would you stand up for Jesus no matter what?

You may not have a gun to your head, but God asks you daily “if you believe in Him.”

• Every time you _________ someone’s rip on God or __________ someone’s vulgar use of God’s name – it is as if you have said “I don’t believe.”
• Every time you _________ a TV show or movie which is clearly against God’s morals and you simply ____________ as “who cares” – it is as if you have said “I don’t believe.”
• Every time you say ____________ it is as if you have said something – you have said “I don’t believe.”

¹⁰In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!"
"Yes, Lord," he answered.
¹¹The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. ¹²In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."
¹³"Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name."
¹⁵But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. ¹⁶I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."
¹⁷Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord--Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here--has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." ¹⁸Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, ¹⁹and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem

²⁰Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" ²²Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.^[19]