Acts 7:2-60

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.

Acts 7:2–60

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,

Exodus 33:1–6

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.

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.