What does it take to be a strong spiritual leader? Spirit-filled leaders don’t save their lives.

They lay down their lives for Christ. Their focus is on Christ and others. They, like Stephen in the book of Acts, aren’t concerned about living for now. They are on a mission of multiplication for the Kindom to come.

In other words, to God, the greatest tragedy is not the life laid down but the life lived solely for oneself.

In Act 7, the leaders told Stephen to explain himself, as they thought he was speaking blasphemous words against God. Stephen wasn’t interested in defending himself; he wanted to proclaim the truth.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, addresses the high priest and explains the historical events of his people, pointing to Jesus, and asks the leaders to consider how big God truly is.

ACTS 7:51

“’You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you.’”

He told them they resisted the Holy Spirit. And this “cut to the heart” of all who were listening.

ACTS 7:54

“When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth.”

Spirit-filled leaders don’t resist the Holy Spirit. They are filled with Him. And when filled with the Holy Spirit, we crucify the flesh.

You can’t really live for Christ unless you’ve first laid down your life for Christ! Jesus calls us not to “come and live” but to “come and die.” And in dying, we live! (See Galatians 2:20)

Join Pastor Phil as he…

Tells us the life we have when we lay ours down

Tells us what a martyr is and isn’t

Let’s continue to journey through the book of Acts and discover what biblical leadership looks like and how we can live and lead by the Spirit of God.

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