Acts 6:8-15 and 7:51-60

Turn to Acts chapter 6.

Acts 6 · chapter mention

Now it's full Lord's Day, isn't it?

It's a good Lord's Day.

The church meeting that we're going to have

straight after this.

There is going to be, I think,

Pilgrim's Progress,

the video of that

on the creche for children,

just for children.

You can't go in there as adults.

But do stay.

It'll be, I think,

the encouragement for you to stay around.

We'll have coffee and then

gather back in here just for a short time.

And then we've got the Hope Pregnancy Prayer

at 5 o'clock.

And the whole issue of abortion,

how we need to ask the Lord to work,

ask the Lord to make us effective in this ministry.

Do come at 5 o'clock this evening.

And there is an outline for this sermon.

It's a really long passage.

Interestingly, Stephen didn't need an outline.

But I do.

And so I hope that might help you.

Reactions to sermons are funny things, aren't they?

I've been preaching for a long time.

There are a handful of occasions

when I can remember people have responded angrily.

There was one time I went to preach in a church in Twickenham.

And I was supposed to be preaching on one passage.

I got up, opened my Bible,

and I had another sermon note.

And so I thought,

well, in for a penny,

in for a pound,

I'll preach that.

And a man got up halfway through,

stomped out,

slammed the door,

and shouted at the person on the door

that I was getting at him.

I didn't even know what I was preaching

until about 30 seconds before I got up to preach.

But he was very, very angry.

I've never had anyone throw stones at me, though.

Can you see the end of the reaction to Stephen's sermon?

It's ferocious, isn't it?

A sermon that creates fireworks.

Why would a speaker address people so strongly and so accusingly?

And would a preacher be that insensitive?

Or is the preacher angry?

Or does he want to be offensive?

Have you heard those kind of preachers?

Is he a proud man?

Self-righteous?

Or is it possible that he speaks like that

because he wants the listeners

to find something better than they've found?

C.S. Lewis has got a famous quote.

He says,

People fool around with drink and sex and ambition

while God is offering them infinite joy.

People are like infinite children, Lewis says,

making ignorant children,

making mud pies

because they cannot imagine a holiday by the sea.

In other words, C.S. Lewis is telling us

that people aim too low

and somebody needs to come along

and lift their gaze

and religious people

can aim too low.

You may be the sort of person

that's happy to be in a one-hour service

in a nice building.

You think,

that'll do me.

You've aimed too low.

The history of the early churches,

we've seen it in Acts,

we've seen the Lord Jesus Christ

being raised to his throne in heaven

and building his church.

And as he builds his church,

opposition builds as well.

And so today,

we come to the first martyr

in the history of the church

whose name was Stephen,

who was killed for his faith.

You might think,

sometimes people are in the wrong place

at the wrong time

and it can be fatal.

Open Doors,

the ministry organisation

that works amongst the persecuted church,

tells me that every two hours,

somewhere in the world,

a Christian is killed

simply for believing in the Lord Jesus.

Every two hours.

So from your arrival,

when you got here,

to the time you leave

after tea and coffee,

somewhere in the world,

somebody has been killed

for just being a Christian.

Stephen was stoned to death.

And why was he killed?

What did he say

that made the crowd so angry?

If you were here last week,

you'll remember that Stephen

was chosen to be a servant

distributing food and goods

in the church.

He was obviously a remarkable man,

a multi-talented man.

There are five reminders

in the book of Acts

that he was a man

full of the Holy Spirit

and wisdom and power.

And he's obviously doing

a lot more than just administration.

We're told chapter 6, verse 8,

he was working miracles.

Chapter 6, verse 10,

he was preaching.

And just as Jesus

was strongly attacked

for his miracles

and his preaching,

now Stephen

is strongly attacked.

We're told verse 9,

people argued with him.

Verse 11,

they slandered him.

It always happens, isn't it,

when you're not winning

the argument,

if someone slanders you.

And then in verse 12,

they seize him,

they take him to trial,

and in verse 13,

they tell lies about him.

And so we're meant

to read Acts 6 and 7

and see the echo

of the Lord Jesus.

The same sort of stuff

that landed on Jesus

is now landing on Stephen.

And because the religious people,

they can feel

their religious comfort blanket

being taken away.

They attack Stephen.

I was once on a committee

with an angry man.

I didn't know

he was an angry man

when I went on the committee.

But he didn't like

to be crossed.

He particularly

didn't like to be blocked.

They say, don't they,

that anger is a blocked goal.

Why is there anger

in your home?

I want to say

it's because of a blocked goal.

As on the committee,

he would say

something had to be done

and somebody would

contradict it

or they'd even question it.

Guy's face

would become contorted.

It looked like

he was going to

break into tears.

But it was actually

anger.

His path

was being blocked.

And so it is

with these people

who are listening

to Stephen.

This fury

rises up inside of them

because they're

being challenged.

It's easy, isn't it,

for us to be threatened

when something precious

is being taken away

from us.

But understand that

sometimes the person

is taking something

away from us.

They're taking a false

God away from us.

Something that we're

trusting in,

depending in,

finding our identity

that we shouldn't be

trusting in.

And therefore,

when we're challenged,

very often,

it's a kindness,

isn't it,

of the person

to challenge us?

Or to take it away?

And their security

blanket here

is being threatened

by Stephen.

Can you see

what their security

blanket was?

Where was their comfort?

Chapter 6,

verse 13.

The people trusted

in the holy place,

the temple,

and the law

was their great weapon.

And Stephen,

in his sermon,

is dethroning

the temple

and dethroning

the law.

And he's saying

Jesus Christ

is on the throne.

And the temple,

it may point you

to Jesus

and the law

may point you

to Jesus,

but you're not

meant to worship

the temple

and you're not

meant to be

trusting the temple

and you're not

meant to be

worshipping the law

and you're not

meant to be

trusting the law.

You are meant

to be worshipping

and trusting

Jesus Christ.

so these things

the temple and the law

they'd become like the rabbit's foot

they'd become like a lucky charm to the people

that's what they trusted in

for you it probably isn't that

but there will be things in your life

which your identity is resting on

which you're trusting in

and as Thievin exposes that

and shows them what it is

they go on the attack

there's two points you can see from the outline

first God's word on what really matters

and then God's word on what really lasts

it's a speech

Stephen is on trial

and they're asking him

whether the charges that have been brought against him are true

and he begins to speak in chapter 7 verse 2

let's look at that

the speech has got four parts

the first part is God's dealing with Abraham

Father Abraham

in verses 2 to 8

Stephen obviously doesn't need to tell them who Abraham was

they know he is

but he is showing them that they've missed the obvious

so in chapter 7 verse 3

he reminds them that God met with Abraham

God is the one who took the initiative

and God is the one who told Abraham

to go to the promised land

and then look at chapter 7 verse 5

Abraham never owned a scrap of the promised land

and that's what Stephen wants these people to know

he says to them

you're so interested in the holy place

but your father Abraham

never owned one scrap of the promised land

and of course Abraham didn't have the law either did he

because the law came centuries later with Moses

so Abraham had no land

no law

and Stephen wants the people to remember this

he's saying to his listeners

do you remember that

do you realise that the founding father of the faith

him who you look to

had no holy place and no holy law

but what did Abraham have?

what did Abraham have from God

verse 5?

a promise

God gave him a promise

for the future

that one day the land would belong to the people of God

a promise

and in chapter 7 verse 8

God gave to Abraham

a relationship

a covenant

I will be your God Abraham

and you will be my people

and you will belong to me forever

I've noticed that when somebody is at the end of their life

and they know that they're coming to the end of their life

they often come to their senses

what interests those who are coming to the end of their life

and they know that they're coming to the end of their life?

is it their possessions?

is it their car?

is it the office?

is it the work on the house that needs doing?

now when people come to the end of their life

what are they interested in?

how do they come to their senses?

they are interested in

relationships

and the promise

relationships and the promise

that's what a dying person is interested in

they've come to their senses

they've realised what really matters in life

it's the promises

and the relationship

they long for a promise

that can get them through death

they long

and they rejoice

in the relationships

that they've had

they have with the Lord

and so what would you rather have?

would you rather have the temple

that can do nothing for you

or the law

which only convicts you

or would you like to have

the promise of God

and a relationship with God?

and Stephen is teaching his listeners

that God gave Abraham

what really matters

and all the promises

point to Jesus

and the relationship

that you can have with God

comes through Jesus

who takes away

the barrier of our sin

and he brings us

into fellowship

with God through the cross

that's the first thing

in the speech

it's got to do with God

and Abraham

the second section

has got to do with

God and Moses

not God and Moses

God and Joseph

remember Joseph

in the technicolor coat

there's no mention

of the color coat

in verses 9 to 19

Stephen doesn't talk

about the coat

that's not important

but what does he tell them?

chapter 7 verse 9

it's that Joseph

landed in

Egypt

and he says the word

Egypt

six times

he says

don't you remember

that Joseph

your forefather

went to Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

not the promised land

is it possible

that God can do

anything with his people

if they're not

in the promised land?

yes of course

we're told

aren't we

wonderfully

chapter 7

verse 9

God was

with

Joseph

it's a wonderful thing

isn't it?

a wonderful truth

for you and I

as the Lord's people

this morning

God was

with his servant

isn't that a precious thing?

as you walk home

as you get on the bus

as you drive home

as you face

the rest of this week

you can say

having trusted in the Lord Jesus

God

with me

and then we're told

chapter 7

verse 10

that God rescued Joseph

and God rescued him

from prison

and then God used him

very wonderfully

and God provided

for Joseph

and he provided

for the family

through the famine

God looked after him

but it was all

where was it all?

it was all in

Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

Egypt

did Joseph live

in the promised land?

no

did Joseph have the law?

no

are those things vital?

they are not

but God rescued him

and provided for his family

and that is what really

matters

that you would be rescued

and that you would have

a place in God's family

I remember hearing

a missionary

going to Pakistan

with a family

he was interviewed

and they asked the dad

aren't you a little bit nervous

about your children

going to Pakistan?

aren't you afraid

for your children?

and he said

I remember being really surprised

about this as a teenager

he said

I'd be more afraid

to keep them here

in the UK

things are comfortable here

and it's easy to forget

the important things

John Patton

John Payton

you children learn about him

in Club 16

don't you?

and he went to the New Hebrides

which is now called Vanuatu

and John Payton

was a missionary

preparing to go

to the New Hebrides

Vanuatu

and he was told

by a member of the church

as he was heading off

to the New Hebrides

where there were cannibals

John Payton was told

you will be eaten

by cannibals

my boy

John Payton said

to the man

you sir

are old

and you will soon

be eaten by worms

and whether I'm eaten

by cannibals

or worms

I don't mind

because I will soon

stand before my Redeemer

and so will you

that is the courage

of a man

who knows

that he has

actually given

his life

to the most important

things

and so what would

you prefer?

would you prefer

to have a temple

or the law

or would you

prefer to be able

to say

Christ has rescued

me

and Christ

has provided

for me

and Christ

will provide

for me

because that is

what Joseph

received from God

he received

rescue and provision

on a small scale

but the Lord Jesus

he delivers

and provides

for us

on a mighty

a massive scale

because

he died

for you

and he rose

again for you

and he lives

for you

and so that's

what Stephen

says about Joseph

now the third

section is God

dealing with Moses

it's verses 17

to 43

it's a long

section

why does Stephen

spend so long

speaking about

Moses

well because

if you look

at chapter 6

and verse 11

he's been accused

of speaking

against Moses

and what Stephen

does is he tells

his listeners

and they don't

need to be told

again about the

law on Mount Sinai

they know about

that Stephen

reminds them

in the end

God owns

the whole

world

now here's

the question

the question

is this

was Moses

appreciated

and Stephen

says you know

that people

have brought

the chapter

of chapter 7

verse 25

he didn't

have any

interest

in him

you didn't

recognize him

you did not

want him

can you believe

that

God raised

that Moses

but the people

didn't want him

you can see

where this is

going

can't you

because God

raised Jesus

and these people

in front of

him

very very

religious

but they

didn't want

him

and Stephen

reminded his

listeners that

the people

of God

disobeyed

Moses

yes they

did

they

disobeyed

they refused

chapter 7

verse 39

they refused

to obey

him

in fact

they turned

from what

Moses had

said

to false

gods

they turned

and made

themselves

a golden

calf

and they

made a

golden calf

to worship

and to put

their trust

in

and you can

see where

this is

going

can't you

because

God's

son

the Lord

Jesus

was rejected

and the

people in

front of

Stephen

have turned

away from

Jesus

they don't

want him

and they've

turned to

the temple

and the

law

false

gods

and so

again

were the

temple

and the

law

bad

things

no they

weren't

they were

good

things

they were

signposts

to the

Lord

Jesus

but they

were not

meant to be

worshipped

the

temple

and the

law

were not

meant to

be

trusted

in

and so

can you

see where

the speech

is going

follow the

trajectory

Moses

has been

sent by

God

greatly

used

by

God

but he

was

rejected

by the

people

and

disobeyed

by the

people

and Moses

spoke of

Jesus

chapter 7

verse 37

and Jesus

has now

been

rejected

and

disobeyed

and Stephen

preaches

what the

Lord Jesus

and Stephen

as a preacher

of the Lord

Jesus is now

being rejected

himself

and being

disobeyed

and there

is hostility

hostility to

the Lord

Jesus is

ferocious

and it's

strange

and ferocious

you can

lift the

lid

of what

looks like

boredom

and underneath

there's a

serious

dislike

of Jesus

find the

person who

just seems

to be

bored by

the subject

not really

interested

in the

subject

of the

Lord

Jesus

and you

probe a

little

deeper

and you

find that

they are

strongly

opposed

to

Jesus

I read

this week

about T.S.

Eliot

the poet

I didn't

know this

but T.S.

Eliot

became

Christian

and it

was a

massive

shock

to his

friends

T.S.

Eliot

was a

really

bright

man

he wrote

this

he wrote

that the

majority

of mankind

is lazy

minded

in curious

absorbed

in vanities

tepid in

emotion

and is

therefore

incapable

of either

much doubt

or much

faith

T.S.

Eliot

became

a

Christian

and

his

fellow

writer

Virginia

Wolfe

was so

angry

that he

became

a

Christian

she wrote

to a

friend

she said

a most

shameful

and distressing

interview

with Tom

Eliot

he has

become a

believer

in God

and immortality

and goes

to church

a corpse

would be

more credible

I mean

there is

something

obscene

that a

living

person

sitting

by the

fire

would

believe

in God

that's

fairly

hostile

isn't it

but it's

there

and that

is what

Stephen

is facing

so in

these three

sections

Stephen

has talked

about God

dealing with

Abraham

with Joseph

and dealing

with Moses

and so in

this last

section

from verses

44 to

50

he deals

with God's

special place

and he

says to the

people

God's special

place in the

Old Testament

was originally

a tent

in the

wilderness

did you

know that

God said

to his

people

I want

you to

have a

tent

because when

you're

travelling

it will

be a

symbol

of my

presence

with you

and as

you travel

and you

get to

a base

at night

set up

my

tent

it'll

be

there

as a

symbol

to tell

you I

am with

you

and when

you get

into the

promised land

the tent

is replaced

by the

temple

and the

temple was

built by

Solomon

but the

temple was

never meant

to box

God in

it was never

assumed that

the temple

no matter how

great and how

grand that

the temple

could somehow

hold God

in

could control

God

could box

God

even Solomon

when he

prayed at

the dedication

of the

temple

he says

God who

could hold

you in

you are

too great

and then

Jesus

comes

and in

John chapter

John 1 · chapter mention

1 we are

told he

made his

tent

among us

the proof

that God

is interested

in this

world

the proof

that God

is interested

in you

this morning

is that

Jesus came

and made

his tent

among us

and Stephen's

listeners

rejected

Jesus

and they

replaced him

that is the

speech

and so

secondly

and briefly

God's word

on what

really lasts

verse 51

Stephen

turns to his

listeners

and he says

you are just

like the

Old Testament

evildoers

yes you

are

you killed

the prophets

you killed

the Messiah

you had

the law

said Stephen

but you

just disobeyed

it

and the

crowd

goes crazy

they block

their years

they start

screaming

they run

at him

they drag

him out

of the city

where have

you seen

that before

Jesus was

dragged

out of the

city

they stone

Stephen to

death

and how

interesting

it is

that as

Stephen is

dying

we're told

that he

looks up

to heaven

he's given

a vision

into heaven

and he

sees the

Lord Jesus

standing

it's the only

place in the

whole of the

New Testament

where we're told

that Jesus is

standing in heaven

always because

Jesus finished

his work

we're told that

the priest

sits down

and so

Jesus is

seated in

heaven

but in

act 7

he's standing

why is he

standing

surely

he's standing

because as

he sees

Stephen dying

he is dying

to welcome

him

he stands

to welcome

his saints

his martyred

saints

and Stephen

echoes Jesus

as he dies

he says

Jesus

receive my

spirit

that's exactly

what Jesus

said on the

cross

into your

hands

I commit

my spirit

and then he

says Lord

do not hold

this sin

against these

people

which is

exactly what

Jesus said

on the

cross

isn't it

and the

references

come from

Luke's

gospel

who also

wrote Acts

and so

volume 1

of the

gospel

and volume

2

of the

book of

Acts

the people

the crowd

they're

full of

anger

and Stephen

is

full of

joy and

peace

and hope

these

people are

deeply

religious

but they

are deeply

opposed to

Jesus

is that

possible

is it

possible that

somebody could

come to

church week

by week

and be

deeply

opposed to

Jesus

of course

it is

and although

Stephen is

facing death

he's got more

life in him

than all the

crowd

he's got more

hope in him

more joy in

him

Spurgeon

says very

quaintly

on this

when a

person is

born

they cry

and the

people around

them smile

and when a

believer dies

says Spurgeon

the people

around may

cry

but the

believer

smiles

and here's

the point

Stephen is

exposing his

need the

things that

are really

going on

in the

people who

prefer

false gods

to the

real God

and he

gathers

the things

that really

matter for

those who

are drawn

to Christ

and this

is what

really matters

this morning

it is that

God would

call you

in the

gospel

and he

does

that he

would call

you to

follow him

and to

belong to

him

and to

be forgiven

and to

have eternal

life and

he does

that now

through the

preaching of

God's word

and so that

God's presence

would be with

you in

everything you

go through

in life

and in

death

and God

also gives

you his

promises

food to

live by

and that

he would be

your rescuer

all the way

through to the

end

and that

he would be

your protector

and these

are the

things we

find in

the Lord

Jesus

promise

and

relationship

that's what

really

matters

isn't it

and actually

nothing

else

ultimately

really matters

in the long

run

Jesus

offers you

promise

and

relationship

let's

pray

Thank you.