Over the past two weeks, we have looked at the brief life and ministry of Stephen, who is this very important transitionary character in Luke's record and life.
The intensive work of the gospel is about to go forth here in the history that's recorded for us by Luke. The teaching of the apostles has been filling all of Jerusalem. Peter's been the primary character in the narrative. We're soon to see the shift from Peter to Paul as Paul begins to take the gospel to the Gentiles.
It leaves the wall, it goes out of the gate, and that hinges here on Stephen. The last two weeks, we've looked at Stephen's arrest and his inquiry. Chapter 6, verse 8 through 7, verse 1.
And you'll recall at the beginning of chapter 6, there's an issue that arises in the church. The widows of the Hellenists, that is the Greek-speaking Jews, are not being served, and so the first deacons are called, and Stephen is amongst them.
Not long after this, we see, beginning in verse 8, that Stephen has a broadening ministry, not the service of tables, but he's also doing great wonders and signs among the people.
And we understand, as we are good students of the Scripture, that any time biblical signs and wonders are being done, they're accompanied by the preaching of the gospel.
We see this as a consistent pattern in the life of Christ. We see this as a consistent pattern throughout the book of Acts.
And although it's not recorded here by Luke, it's proper to assume that. And we can see, beginning in verse 9, that this commotion begins between Stephen and some of the synagogues of the freedmen, the Cyrenians, the Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia.
These would all have been Hellenist Jewish populations. These were all Greek-speaking Jews.
And they dispute with him, not about the things he was doing, but about the things he was saying.
And they, unable to dispute with him and withstand his wisdom, they raise up false witnesses,
and they bring him before the council, the Sanhedrin, the religious ruling Jews of the day.
And the question is asked of him, chapter 7, verse 1, are these things so?
What is the high priest referring to?
The charges that are made against him, made in these three pairs, beginning in verse 11, and then in verse 13, and in verse 14.
They're repeated and expanded upon.
And the initial accusation made in verse 11 is that Stephen is speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God,
or irreverent words against Moses and God.
And as we look in verse 13 and verse 14, we saw that he explains to us what this means.
To speak blasphemous words against Moses is to speak against the law and the customs that were handed down by Moses.
And to speak blasphemous words against God is to speak against the temple.
So the high priest asks the question, are these things so?
Defend yourself, Stephen.
What do you have to say of these accusations?
And we're going to look at his response and the result of his response this morning.
And before we get into our text, I want to remind you, I've asked you over the last two weeks to keep two general lessons in mind as we look at the life and ministry of Stephen.
Number one, a life given in service to God is a life that is not wasted.
I've shown you that God uses Stephen and the persecution that arises as a result of Stephen's life and ministry to spread the gospel across continents in the next generation.
And we're a result.
Those of us who are found in Christ now are a result of the life and ministry of Stephen.
So a life given in service to God is a life that is not wasted.
And secondly, the significance of such a life cannot be measured by its short-term gains, its breadth, or its length.
This very short ministry, this ministry that doesn't seem to yield much fruit, ends in Stephen's martyrdom, has such great reach and effect.
God uses it in such mighty ways.
And as we consider our own lives beloved, we need to be thinking, is our life given in service to God the way Stephen's was?
And have we been measuring the way in which we give our lives to God in terms of short-term gains, breadth, or length?
So I'm going to read the text this morning.
Our text will be Acts 7, verse 2 through 60.
Yes, verse 2 through 60.
And there's a temptation at this point to not read the text.
There's a temptation just to highlight some things throughout the text.
And many faithful preachers have done that.
And I find that to be an acceptable practice.
I'm not suggesting if you have a favorite preacher who doesn't read the entire text to you that he's wrong in doing so.
But I feel compelled to read the entire text to you because the power that the Spirit wields in our lives comes from the Scripture
and true things that I may say about the Scripture, but it's the Word of God that needs to be saturating our meetings together.
So I think it's important for us to actually open the text and actually read the text and consider it before I begin to make comments about it.
Yes, I timed myself.
It takes about seven minutes to read the text.
That's not too long.
Let me ask, you know, I'll try to read it well for you.
I'm reading from the ESV.
You may find if you don't have an ESV, it's hard to follow along.
You might want to just listen.
If you have an ESV, it may help for you to follow along.
But let me ask that you try to clear your mind and engage in what's actually happening.
So here's Stephen standing before the Sanhedrin.
They would have sat in a semicircle around him.
Seventy men, high rulers of the day, dressed in their fancy garb.
This was the Supreme Court of the day.
The high priest sitting behind him.
He's asked this question.
These accusations have been made.
Are these things so?
And Stephen says, and he doesn't really defend himself.
I don't want to say that at the outset.
He doesn't really give a defense, but he launches into this speech.
So let's listen carefully as I read.
Beginning in verse 2, and Stephen said,
Brothers and fathers, hear me.
The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he lived in Haran
and said to him,
Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land I will show you.
Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran.
And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.
Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length,
but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.
And God spoke to this effect, that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others
who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.
But I will judge the nation that they serve, said God,
and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.
And he gave him the covenant of circumcision.
And so Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day.
And Isaac became the father of Jacob and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt.
But God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions
and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt,
who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan and great affliction,
and our fathers could find no food.
But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt,
he sent out our fathers on their first visit.
And on the second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers,
and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob, his father, and all his kindred,
seventy-five persons in all.
And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers.
And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver
from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
But at the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham,
the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,
until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.
He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants
so they would not be kept alive.
At this time, Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God's sight.
And he was brought up for three months in his father's house.
And when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians,
and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers,
the children of Israel.
And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man
and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving him salvation by his hand,
but they did not understand.
And on the following day, he appeared to them as they were quarreling
and tried to reconcile them, saying,
Men, you are brothers.
Why do you wrong each other?
But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying,
Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?
At this retort, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian,
where he became the father of two sons.
Now, when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai
in a flame of fire in a bush.
When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight.
And as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord.
I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.
And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
Then the Lord said to him,
Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,
and I have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them.
And now, come, I will send you to Egypt.
This Moses, whom they rejected, saying,
Who made you a ruler and a judge?
This man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea
and in the wilderness for forty years.
This is the Moses who said to the Israelites,
God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.
This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai.
And with our fathers, he received living oracles to give us.
Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside,
and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,
saying to Aaron,
Make for us gods who will go before us.
As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt,
we do not know what has become of him.
And they made a calf in those days,
and offered a sacrifice to the idol,
and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven,
as it is written in the book of the prophets.
Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices during the forty years in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
You took up the tent of Moloch,
and the star of your God, Raphon,
the images that you made to worship,
and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.
Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness,
just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it,
according to the pattern that he had seen.
Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua,
and they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers.
So it was until the days of David,
who found favor in the sight of God,
and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands,
as the prophet says,
Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me,
said the Lord,
or what is the place of my rest?
Did not my hand make all these things?
You stiff-necked people,
uncircumcised in heart and ears,
you always resist the Holy Spirit.
As your fathers did,
so do you.
Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?
And they killed those who announced beforehand
the coming of the righteous one,
whom you have now betrayed and murdered.
You who received the law as delivered by angels,
and did not keep it.
Now when they heard these things,
they were enraged,
and they ground their teeth at him.
But he, full of the Holy Spirit,
gazed into heaven,
and saw the glory of God,
and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
And he said,
Behold, I see the heavens opened,
and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.
But they cried out with a loud voice,
and stopped their ears,
and rushed together at him.
Then they cast him out of the city,
and stoned him.
And the witnesses laid down their garments
at the feet of a young man named Saul.
And as they were stoning Stephen,
he called out,
Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
And falling to his knees,
he cried out with a loud voice,
Lord, do not hold this sin against them.
And when he had said this,
he fell asleep.
Beloved, this is God's Word to us.
It was written for His glory,
and for our good.
We would all do well to listen to it,
in order to believe its promises,
and obey its commands.
Now, there's a lot before us.
I certainly can't,
and won't deal with this verse by verse this morning.
We'll try to take it thematically.
And I want to use kind of a simple structure
for such a large text.
I'd like you to hear that structure in advance.
You may not be able to write this down just yet,
but I want you to hear it
just so you know where we're headed.
Now, structure will be in four parts.
First, Stephen's brief history of Israel.
Second, Stephen's conclusion from Israel's history.
Third, God's approval of Stephen's conclusion.
And fourth, the council's reaction to Stephen's conclusion.
So Stephen begins in this speech,
not really a defense as you'll soon see,
but in this speech to give a brief history of Israel.
And that is the major portion of our text,
verse 2 through 50.
And just as an aside,
I find it really astounding
that he's standing before the religious elite of the day
and he repeats to them their history.
But he does so to make a point,
as we'll see in his conclusion.
He begins in verse 2 by saying,
Brothers and fathers, hear me.
And I want to note this
because it's the candor of the way in which he's speaking
and the heart that follows along with it.
Stephen shows in this,
by calling them brothers,
his solidarity with them.
He recognizes that he himself is also a Jew,
that this is his history that he is about to speak.
And he also shows them respect
in calling them fathers.
And this sets the tone for what he's about to say.
And he goes through a number of characters,
kind of high points in Israel's history.
And he begins with Abraham in verses 2 through 8.
And in speaking about Abraham,
Stephen emphasizes the divine work
of bringing Israel to be
and to be in the land
in which they're currently dwelling at this time.
He emphasizes the fact
that while Abraham was the means,
that God was accomplishing his ends
through the life of Abraham.
Let me draw your attention to verse 4.
Abraham's commanded to go to the land.
Verse 4 says,
Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans
and lived in Haran,
which is about halfway to where he was supposed to go.
And after his father died,
look at the way that Luke records this,
the words of Stephen,
and God removed him from there
into this land in which you are now living.
Stephen recognized that God was sovereign
over redemptive history,
over the history of Israel themselves.
He emphasizes this as he speaks
about Abraham to begin with.
He then moves on to Joseph.
I promise we're going to move quickly
through these characters.
Verses 9 through 16,
in which Stephen expresses
his understanding in God's sovereignty
and bringing about Israel's movement
to Egypt.
The fulfillment of this promise
that was given to Abraham,
that there would be a people
that would rule over them.
Verse 9,
And the patriarchs,
jealous of Joseph,
sold him to Egypt,
but God was with him
and rescued him
out of all his afflictions
and gave him favor
and wisdom
before Pharaoh.
Sold into slavery,
later put into a jail,
sees visions and dreams,
interprets things for Pharaoh,
and he's put in charge
of the whole land
and in the process
of gathering in
and preparing for this famine
that was going to come.
This is the way in which
God brings
and brings about the promise
that the great nation
that he's bringing forth
in Abraham
would be ruled over
in a foreign place.
Stephen then spends
the majority of his speech
on Moses.
Remember the accusation
made against him
that he's blaspheming
against Moses.
Verses 17 through 44.
He speaks of God's work
in Israel's increase
and the slavery.
Verse 17.
But as the time
of the promise
drew near
which God had granted
to Abraham,
the people increased
and multiplied in Egypt.
We read about that
this morning
to the children
until there arose
over Egypt
another king
who did not know Joseph,
who didn't have
favorable opinions
of Joseph
and his people.
Stephen expresses
his understanding
in God's selection
of Moses
to redeem the people
from their slavery.
The first part of verse 20.
At this time,
Moses was born
and he was beautiful
in God's sight.
Verse 35.
This Moses
whom they rejected
saying,
who made you a ruler
and a judge?
This man God sent
as both ruler
and redeemer
by the hand of the angel
who appeared to him
in the bush.
This man led them out
performing wonders
and signs in Egypt
and at the Red Sea
and in the wilderness
for 40 years.
This is the Moses
who said to the Israelites,
God,
speaking of Christ,
will raise up for you
a prophet
like me
from your brothers.
So Stephen is very aware
of God's selection
and use
of Moses.
Stephen
emphasizes
Israel's rejection
of God.
Beginning in verse
39.
It speaks that
the fathers refused
to obey
the commands of God
given to Moses.
They thrust Moses aside
and their hearts
they turned to Egypt.
You recall that they
made a golden calf.
Moses has not been up
on Mount Sinai
for very long
but they're very worried
about what has happened
to him.
So they make a calf
and they worship
that calf.
Verse 42 says,
but God turned away
and He gave them over
to their worship,
the host of heaven,
as it is written
in the book of Prophets.
This is Amos 5,
25-27.
Did you bring me
slain beasts
and sacrifices
during the forty years
in the wilderness,
O house of Israel?
You took up the tent
of Moloch,
a false god,
and the star of your god,
Raphon,
a false god,
the images that you made
to worship
and I will send you
into exile
beyond Babylon.
And so you see
that Stephen
in his speaking
of Israel's rejection
of God
as their rebellious activity
that that continues on,
right?
All the way
to the prediction
of Amos
that they would go
into exile
in Babylon.
It happened
in the forty years
in the wilderness
and it was still happening.
He briefly speaks
about Joshua
and David
and Solomon.
A little rapid fire
verses we get
in verses 45
and 50
to speak about
God's dwelling place.
The tabernacle
that God had instructed
them to build,
a place where
His Shekinah glory
could exist,
later became
a temple
dreamed up by David,
accomplished by
Solomon.
But then he's
very quick to say,
speak the words
of the Lord
from Isaiah 66,
1 and 2.
God says,
heaven is my throne
and the earth
is my footstool.
What kind of house
will you build for me,
says the Lord,
or what is the place
of my rest?
Did not my hand
make all these things?
And what he's saying
is that I'm not limited
to this temple,
this place.
You remember
the accusation made,
right?
You were blaspheming
against the temple
itself.
So he sweeps
through the high points
of their history,
making these clear points.
God has been in control.
God has been moving.
God has been establishing.
God has been commanding.
And Israel
has been
rebellious.
So you have to read this.
I'm coming at it,
you know,
from the beginning,
but you have to read it
from his conclusion.
They become enraged
with the things
that he is saying to them.
They're furious with them.
And why?
Because it concludes
this historical sweep
in verse 51
through 53.
He's been driving
to this place
as he's been speaking
all along.
You stiff-nicked people,
uncircumcised
in hearts and ears,
you always resist
the Holy Spirit.
As your fathers did,
so do you.
Which of the prophets
did your fathers
not persecute?
And they killed
those who announced
beforehand the coming
of the righteous one.
Think just recently
of John the Baptist
in our study of Mark.
Whom you,
the righteous one,
have now betrayed
and murdered.
You who received the law
as delivered by angels
and did not keep it.
So remember these accusations
that are made against him.
611.
Blasphemous words
against Moses and God.
Stephen's conclusion
is to say
it is not I
who have offended God,
but you.
What a defense.
The accusation
you're making against me
is not true,
but it is true of you.
It is not I
who have spoken
against Moses,
but you
and your disobedience
and your failure
to keep the law.
It is you
that has blasphemed
the law
and Moses.
He calls them
stiff-necked people,
which is a reference
to Exodus 33,
1-6.
And I'd appreciate it
if you'd turn there
quickly with me.
The second book
of your Old Testament,
Exodus 33.
And I'm doing this for you.
I want you to see
the conclusion.
I want you to really
wrap your mind
around the accusation
that he's making
against these religious
elites.
Exodus 33,
verses 1-6.
This is immediately
following
chapter 32,
Israel
worshiping
the golden calf.
This is what happens
on the very heels
of that event.
The Lord says to Moses,
verse 1,
Depart,
go up from here,
you and the whole people
whom you have brought
up out of the land of Egypt,
to the land of which
I swore to Abraham,
Isaac,
and Jacob,
saying,
To your offspring
I will give it.
So go ahead,
pick up.
You're in the desert
of Sinai,
pick up and take off.
Go to the place
that I promised you.
Verse 2,
I will send an angel
before you,
and I will drive
out the Canaanites,
the Amorites,
the Hittites,
the Perizzites,
the Hivites,
and the Jebusites.
Go up to a land
flowing with milk and honey,
but I will not go up
among you,
lest I consume you
on the way,
for you are a stiff-necked
people.
Now,
what that means
is that there are people
who are not willing
to bow
to the will of God.
So what he's saying to them is,
you have been so disobedient.
I have redeemed you.
I have led you out.
I have taken you from slavery
and brought you
to this place.
I've called your servant Moses
up onto the mountain.
I have given him the law.
And you have turned
and you have worshipped
a golden calf.
I better stay behind
because if you guys
keep up with this
and I'm with you,
I'm going to consume you
with fire, right?
You will die.
I cannot go with you.
Verse 4,
When the people
heard this disastrous word,
they mourned,
and no one put on
its ornaments,
which means they didn't
adorn themselves,
they weren't joyful.
For the Lord had said
to Moses,
Say to the people of Israel,
You are a stiff-necked people.
If for a single moment
I should go up among you,
I would consume you.
So now take off
your ornaments
that I may know
what to do with you.
Therefore the people
of Israel stripped
themselves of their ornaments
from Mount Horeb onward.
It's significant
that Stephen accuses
these men
of being stiff-necked people.
He's saying,
You are just like
your forefathers
who worshipped wrongly.
They worshipped the golden calf
in the desert of Sinai.
He goes on to say
that they're uncircumcised
in hearts and ears.
Their flesh had been
circumcised as Jews,
but they weren't clean
before God.
He's saying to them
that you are as unclean
as the Gentiles.
You have no part
in the things of God.
He says that they
always resisted
the Holy Spirit.
They've never been obedient
just as their fathers.
All of the messengers of God,
the prophets of God,
were persecuted
by you and your fathers.
Killed the ones
that announced
the righteous one.
Now you have killed
the righteous one.
You received the law,
but you have never
kept the law.
It's a massive accusation.
A bold accusation.
We spoke last week
and the week before
about Stephen's courage
before these people.
A spirit-filled courage
to speak such words
to them.
Now,
beginning in verse 54,
we're going to see
God's approval
of Stephen's conclusion.
So he comes to this conclusion.
He gives this speech.
History of Israel.
He comes to this conclusion.
You are wicked.
Just as Israel has been wicked.
You need Christ.
But you killed Him.
Now,
when they heard these things,
they were enraged.
And they ground
their teeth at Him.
I don't know that I've ever
been that mad.
They ground their teeth
at Him.
But verse 55,
but he,
full of the Holy Spirit,
gets a vision.
He gazes into heaven
and he sees the glory of God
and Jesus standing
at the right hand of God.
And verse 56,
he makes that known to them.
So he sees it,
verse 55,
and verse 56,
and he said,
Behold,
I see the heavens opened
and the Son of Man
standing at the right hand
of God.
Now,
there are 17
New Testament
references
to Jesus being
at God's right hand.
The right hand
is the place
of honor
next to the King.
It's the place
of authority.
Jesus is seen
17 times
at the right hand
of the Father.
We should be familiar
with this.
Four of those
17 verses
describe Him
simply as
at God's right hand.
We don't know
exactly
the position
of His session.
That's the old word
for this.
His being
at the right hand
of the Father.
His session.
Four verses
simply at God's
right hand.
11
describe Him
as seated.
And this is meant
to show
the completed work.
He's not active.
He's seated.
He's currently
sitting.
You'll hear us say that
here on Sunday mornings
often.
Jesus seated
at the right hand
of God.
Interceding even now
for us.
11 verses
describe Him
as seated.
And then we have
two.
Right here together.
Verse 55
and verse 56
describing Him
as standing.
But why?
Now some have suggested
that He is standing
giving Stephen
a standing ovation.
That He's standing
in approval
over what is happening.
Stephen's the first
Christian martyr.
Some have suggested
that He's standing
in order to
welcome Stephen
knowing that He's
about to be
martyr.
And I think these
are all fantastic thoughts.
You may be familiar
with them.
You may have heard
this.
They're fantastic
but they're not
exegetically faithful
to go,
huh,
standing?
How interesting.
I wonder why.
Oh,
well,
Stephen,
a man approved.
Right?
Full of the Holy Spirit.
But if you look carefully
at the very next verse
after He says this,
they are even more furious.
You notice verse 57?
They cry out
with a loud voice
and they stop their ears.
Literally,
they put their hands
over their ears
because they did not
want to hear Him
say anything else.
Why is this
so enraging to them?
So think about that.
Think about the accusation
He's already made.
Right?
Verse 51 through 53.
He's made this accusation.
They're mad.
He sees a vision.
He shares the vision.
They get even more mad.
And then we know
that He's martyred
as a result.
That's your context.
Right?
If we're going to be
faithful,
studying the Word,
the context helps us.
you may recall
just up in verse 49,
He quotes from Isaiah 66,
1 and 2.
God says,
Heaven is my throne
and the earth
is my footstool.
Does that ring any
little flags going off,
bells going off,
anybody's footstool?
Footstool?
Where else do we hear
that type of thing?
How about Psalm 110.
1?
Not too much earlier.
Not too much time earlier
in the book of Acts.
Peter's used this reference
on the day of Pentecost.
Chapter 2,
verse 34 and 35.
Psalm 110.
1.
The Lord says to my Lord,
God says to Christ,
sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
your footstool.
There's some clue here.
Okay.
Alright.
What's going on?
Who are these listeners?
What would have been
their understanding
of the Scripture?
Would this have been
significant to them
that Jesus is standing
at the right hand of God?
They would have been familiar
with Psalms like Psalm 68.
1.
God shall arise.
His enemies shall be scattered
and those who hate Him
shall flee before Him.
God will stand up.
And when God stands up,
His enemies will scatter.
God will stand up.
And Isaiah 3.
Verse 13.
The Lord has taken His place
to contend.
He stands to judge the peoples.
So the vision that Stephen sees here
is a continuation of his indictment.
His in turn accusation
to these men
who are before him.
These men who have now heard
the Gospel preached
in multiple ways
and at multiple times.
He's saying to them,
you wicked Israelites.
You who killed Christ
and will not now believe
in Him as your risen Savior
and Lord.
He will stand
and He will judge.
It's a much different picture
than a standing ovation,
isn't it?
It's being painted
of our Lord.
Prophet, priest, king
coming judge.
To judge Him.
This is why they are so enraged.
He's heaping up accusation on them.
This is why they cry out
with a loud voice.
They stop their ears.
Remember, these are the older men,
the esteemed men,
the well-dressed men,
the wealthy men.
They fly into a rage
at this accusation.
This is God's approval.
Stephen's conclusion.
The council's reaction
to Stephen's conclusion.
Verse 57.
I've mentioned already.
Cry out with a loud voice.
They stop their ears.
They rush together at Him.
Luke simply records
verse 58.
Then they cast Him
out of the city
and stoned Him.
We get the introduction
of Paul,
now known as Saul,
likely one of the witnesses.
It was tradition
that the witnesses
in a trial
would be the first
to throw stones.
They lay their garments
at the feet
of a young man
named Saul.
Saul.
And then we picture
the way in which Stephen dies.
As they're stoning Stephen,
he calls out
in much the way
that Christ did to God,
Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit.
Looking to the greater joy
that he was going to have
being with Christ forever
and falling to his knees,
he's cried out with a loud voice,
Lord,
do not hold
this sin
against them.
Repeating the words
of Christ
on the cross.
And when he had said this,
he fell asleep
and thus we are
witnesses
to the first
Christian
martyrdom.
And just as they had killed
the prophets before,
the ruling Jews
now
murder
Stephen.
And it is a great
injustice.
And they kill Stephen
by the traditional way
that Jews would have
executed
a death
sentence.
But they didn't do it
in the proper manner.
He's stoned,
it would seem,
that a great group
of men
standing around him
hurling rocks at him.
The way that it was
meant to be done
is he was actually
meant to be thrown
off a cliff.
And if that didn't kill him,
a huge stone was supposed
to be thrown
from the cliff.
And if that didn't kill him,
then smaller stones.
They're so angry.
They're not even going
to wait to do it
properly.
They simply take him
outside of the city
and begin to beat him
with rocks.
It's a major injustice
even by their standard
and certainly by ours
as we know him
to be a follower of God,
a man
whose message
should have been
heeded
and listened to.
After this,
this great persecution
that arises,
it goes forth from there.
We're going to look at that
in some coming weeks.
The church is scattered.
God uses the death
of Stephen
in such a magnificent
way.
So what's the application
for us this morning?
You fall into two categories
this morning.
You either have placed
believing faith
in Jesus Christ
or you have not.
And I'm always concerned
that in the place
that we live
and in the day
that we live
that there are many
who think that they have
and haven't.
Beloved,
if you've placed
believing faith
in the personal work
of Jesus Christ,
you have been changed.
You are not different
in degree.
You are now different
in kind.
Enemy of God
now a friend.
Able to worship him.
Able to not sin.
Your life will be
progressing in holiness.
You will be able
to put off sin
and put on righteousness
by the empowering work
of the Spirit.
Your life will change.
You need to ask yourself
this morning
which category
you fall into.
For those
who have not placed
believing faith
in Jesus Christ,
I want you to hear
two points of application
from this text.
Number one,
encouragement.
God is long-suffering.
This major history
that's laid out
in these high points
by Stephen.
God is patient.
God is patient
with his people.
Peter puts that this way
in 2 Peter 3.9,
The Lord is not slow
to fulfill his promise
as some count slowness.
but is patient
towards you.
Not wishing that
any should perish
but that all
should reach repentance.
Be encouraged
that God is patient
with you.
Let this morning
be your time
of turning to him
because of his great love,
his steadfastness
that he's shown you.
That that love
would compel you
to love him in return
to believe in Christ
for the salvation
of your soul.
Second point of application
for those
who have not placed
believing faith in Christ
is a warning.
God will not
be patient
forever.
God will not
be patient
forever.
Christ will return
and he will
judge.
And I don't want
any of you
to be in the category
of these men.
I don't want
any of you
to find yourself
at the
retribution
end of Christ's
judgment.
God will not
be patient
forever.
Notice here
that Stephen
filled with the Spirit
does not
offer repentance
to the council.
When he indicts them
he says
you are guilty
and Christ
will judge you
but he does not
offer them
repentance.
It had been
offered before.
I'm sure they had
heard the gospel
message in many ways
and at many times
specifically Peter
offers it to them
in Acts 4.12
He says
then there is
salvation in no one
else for there is
no other name
under heaven
given among men
by which
we must be
saved.
But it is not
offered
now.
You have not
placed believing
faith in Jesus
Christ.
Let today be the
day of your
salvation.
Believe that he
died on your
behalf.
That he is
raised at the
right hand of
the Father
seated for now
interceding for
you to stand
one day and
judge those who
don't believe
in him.
And for those
of you who
have placed
believing faith
in Christ
I remind you
of the general
lessons given
weeks ago
in two points
of application
salvation for
you.
Number one
a life given
in service to
God is a
life that is
not wasted.
We find our
great purpose
and our high
value in being
disciples of
Jesus Christ
and in giving
our lives the
way in which
he gave his
life.
Not specifically
necessarily to
die on a
cross but
emptying
ourselves for
the sake of
others for
the high purpose
of the glory
of God.
A life given
in service to
God is a
life that is
not wasted.
All the
activity of our
lives that's
not focused on
the kingdom is
wasted energy
and effort.
Turning to
dust.
The things that
we will build
that have
nothing to do
with the
kingdom will
one day
disappear.
Secondly,
the significance
of such a
life cannot be
measured by
its short-term
gains,
its breadth,
or its length.
So beloved,
I would just
encourage that
as you submit
yourself to the
will of the
Lord,
Lord.
Do not look
to others and
the significance
of what they're
doing,
the significance
of their
ministry,
the particular
positions that
they hold,
the acclaim
that they
receive.
There are many
followers of
Christ that are
getting their
glory now.
Put it off.
Invest in it
later.
Serve faithfully
Christ in all of
the spheres in
which you walk,
whether it be
here together
with us,
with the
church,
whether it
be at your
workplace as
you do the
daily grind for
the glory of
God.
and the
short-term
gain of
your boss.
Be with your
classmates,
your roommates,
your spouse.
Seek to lay
your life down
for the sake
of the kingdom.
Let's pray
together.
Let's pray.