You Have My Axe (Acts 5-9)

You Have My Axe                                   HOPE Christian Fellowship

                                                               January 4, 2009

Acts 4-10                                                                    Pastor Jeff Bassette

What’s the “axe” in your hands?

Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas                   (Acts 6:1-7)

         Hands:                                        Heart:

         Contribution:

Gazelle (Tabitha, or Dorcas)                                                        (Acts 9:36-43)        

         Hands:                                        Heart:

         Contribution:

Simon the tanner                                                         (Acts 9:43-10:8)  

         Hands:                                        Heart:

         Contribution:

Joseph  (Barnabas)                    (Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-31, 11:22-26, 13:2-3)  

         Hands:                                        Heart:

         Contribution:

You?                                                                                    (Acts 29+)

Will you offer your gift in love, & let God join it together with others,

for the sake of His mission both _______________________?

Hi Reiko

Here’s outline.

Please use:  “What’s the ‘axe’ in your hands?” as one slide.

For next slides: 

Type name or names as I’ve given them on top line underlined, then on same slide show the three categories/words:

            Hands:

            Heart:

            Contribution:

It’s probably best to put them on three lines for the slide, as I just typed them for you here.  I squeezed “hands” and “heart” onto one line for the sake of space on the outline, but on the PPT slides it’s probably more clear if you put them on separate lines.  There are no blanks to fill in for them.  Only blank is the bottom line  “through you and for you.”  Which you can type as I’ve indicated with emphasis (bold/italic) below. 

            Thus, for names first slide would look like:

Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas                   (Acts 6:1-7)

         Hands:                                       

         Heart:

         Contribution:

Don’t put bible passages up on screen this week.  I’d like people to open up a bible, or listen to it as I read it.

Do same format for each of the lines that have names on them, as I showed you in the example above.

For the final one, do same thing.  Only difference is it’s “you” with a question mark like I showed you.  DO type out the same words:  Hands, Heart, Contribution underneath it.  I just didn’t have space on outline and it’s not needed to make the point.  But on your ppt slide I’d like those words stated.

Will you offer your gift in love, & let God join it together with others,

for the sake of His mission both _through you and for you_?

You Have My Axe                                                            HOPE Christian Fellowship

Series:  You Have My Axe—Part 1                                                                 January 4, 2009

Acts 4-10                                                                                                    Pastor Jeff Bassette

INTRO:    Every one of us has a place in G’s story.  If you’re here at HCF, God wants you to find your place in the story he’s writing through us.  Have you?  Path to finding your place may be rocky/confusing/even conflict along way (like this team).

Video Clip: Lord of Rings—Fellowship of the Ring.  Council of Elrod—Who carries ring?

          When they start mission, they divided.  Arguing over their places in story.  No trust.

1.     When Frodo, the weak one who seems have least to contribute, (small, not trained as warrior), offers to carry ring, it’s turning point. 

2.     Aragorn—reluctant king, offers sword.  Legolas-bow.  Gimli—his axe.

3.     True fellowship based in mission.  F-ship of ring.  We f-ship of cross. R/l w/a reason.

What’s the “axe” in your hands?

At HCF, you may feel like:  weak one.  Haven’t much to contribute.  Offer it anyway.

Your example might inspire others.  Whether does or not, still pleasing to God!

And God can do wonders, even miracles, with our few small loaves of bread.

Trans:            Bible filled w/stories of ordinary ppl, Want to look at some “small” characters         

Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, & Nicolas –convert to Judaism           (Read Acts 6:1-7)

     Hands:     Full of Holy Spirit, wise, Grecian Jews (born o/s Israel), respected

     Heart:       Willing to serve widows, provide for econ’ly vulnerable, take 2ndary support role

     Contribution:  See v.7, word of God spread rapidly, through apostles

Gazelle (TabithaàAramaic name, or DorcasàGreek version)                      (Read Acts 9:36-43)   

     Hands:        Always doing good, helping poor, sewed clothes

     Heart:          Heart for poor, in relationship with them, close enough to care

     Contribution:  Dearly loved in life, miracle of coming back to life widely known

Simon the tanner                                                                                       (Read Acts 9:43-10:8)  

     Tanner treats skins of dead animals, makes him ritually “unclean” to devout Jew like Peter

     Hands:        Tanner, has home, used it for hospitality

     Heart:         Willing host Peter for some time, build relationship

     Contributn:  Bridge for gospel go all way to Gentiles for first time through PeteràCornelius

Joseph  (Barnabas)                                             (Read Acts 4:36-37, 9:26-31, 11:22-26, 13:2-3)  

       Hands:  Levite knows scripture, from Cyprus—knew Greek culture, generous to poor

       Heart:  an encourager, nickname, mentor/sponsor to nameless many, Saul, John Mark

       Contribution:  released other into ministry who surpass him, NT letters of Paul, ripples o/w

You?                                                                   (àActs 29+)

Will you offer your gift in love, & let God join it together with others,

for the sake of His mission both _through you and for you  ?