Acts: A Committed Christian

It's good to have you with us this morning at but THATSDA if you have

your bible's turned with me to Acts chapter seven. Acts Chapter seven taught all

My message this morning is a committed Christian. A committed Christian. You know,

we all make commitments here today. We all committed to different things.

We're committed to our families. We're committed to our jobs, We're committed to

our hobbies. We have different commitments that we all keep, and we're all

devoted to. Like I said, whether it's our jobs, or our families,

or or hobbies that we love, we have different commitments that we all

commit to a few years. For me, one of the things that I

love that I'm committed to after some time is running. I've talked with that

about that in the past. A few years ago, I was I was

doing some training, and I was training to do a marathon, and a

half marathon came up in Hoigh Springs, and so I decided I had to

run that race, and paid my fee and got out for that run.

And like I said, I'd been preparing for that for for some time and

had prepared for half I mean a full marathon. So I began running that

day, and everything was going good. And I never never ran in that

area, didn't know the course, and so everything was good. I was

about eight miles in and I was fine. Everything seemed fine, and I

was like, you know, this is really hoping that I would maybe get

one of the better times I've done a half before, and so it was

really pushing to think, Man, I really want to be a little faster.

And then we got to around mile ten or so and the course changed

and it went from being on the roads or sidewalks to all trails, and

so it was soft dirt and we ran like a mile around the lake and

then through the woods and up some hills. And I was not prepared for

that. My body was not prepared for that. I had not done any

training for that. And I tell you, after I got through that one

mile of something different terrain, I was toasted. My legs were gone.

I was my legs were shot. They felt weak, I was winded,

and I had at least two more miles to go, and so I pushed

through and with that other two miles, never stopped, just kept running,

and I finished the race. I want to tell you today, as I

tell you that story, what helped me finish the race was not how strong

I was or not how prepared I was. What helped me finish that race

that day was my commitment to finish what I had started. You know,

in your life and in you're in my life, we all have different commitments.

But one of the greatest commitments that you have here today, if you're

a believer is your commitment as a Christian. You know, you're to be

a committed Christian, and some of that means different things that you should commit

to as a Christian. And today, as we come to this passage Scripture,

we're going to look at the end of a life of a Christian.

This is the first Christian that we see in Acts. Now that, of

course there are many Christians we see, we see the Apostles, but this

is the first instant Scripture gives us into the life of a Christian. And

his name is Stephen. And we started seeing a little bit about Stephen a

few weeks ago. But not only is this the first Christian that we see

in the New Testament, but this is the first martyr. This is the

first Christian that we see that dies for their faith. And I want to

see as we come to the end of his life or the end of race.

For Stephen, what he was committed to from the beginning to the end.

And I want to ask you this morning, as we explore his commitments

as Christians, I want to ask you today, as a Christian, what

are you committed to? I want to ask you today. Are these commitments

the same commitments that you started with as a believer, And as you live

the rest of your life today, are you committed to these things till the

end? So let's read together God's word. It's Acts chapter seven, and

we're going to start in verse fifty four and we'll read through verse eight.

So let's stand together and let's read God's word together. The Bible says,

this is the word of the Lord. Now, when they heard these things,

they were enraged. They ground their teeth at him, him being Stephen.

But he, Stephen, 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 Heaven's opened up, and

the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried

out with a loud voice, and they stopped their ears and they rushed together

at him, and 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

received 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 these things, he fell asleep and saw approved of his execution.

Let's pray together, Father, I pray today as we explore the end

of Stephen's life and we look at how he was committed to the commitments that

Stephen had from the beginning to the end. Lord, I pray that we

would, as believers, explore our commitments. We would examine how committed we

are as a Christian in these different areas. And Lord, I pray that

that would these would be commitments that we would make today, but Lord,

it'd be things that would be committed to the until the end of our lives.

Today. So Lord, give us wisdom. Lord, you know today

the things that I've prepared, You know the things that You've brought to my

mind. You know, Lord, what I believe today is you've led us

to your words. So God, give me clear speech, clear thought,

clear presentation. Lord, not of my words, but yours. So Lord,

anything that Lord, as we work through this message today, I pray

that only things that would be declared today would be what you would desire today.

So speak today. Father. We need you, I need you,

Father, and Lord, we need a movement of your spirit in this place

to day. So Lord, I pray you would open up our hearts and

our ears to your word today. And your name we pray, I mean

you maybe see them. Just see Stephen's commitments. First, Stephen was a

committed witness. Stephen was a committed witness. And as we think about our

commitments as a Christian, we are to be a committed witness. The Bible

says here Stephen is. And as we looked last week Stephen's preach and he

spoke to them, they had accused him. The scripture says that he brought

false testimony against Stephen and Caiaphas and all the religious leaders came together and they

asked Stephen last week, are these things so? And then Stephen presents,

he responds to the accusations that have been brought to him, and at the

end of that he calls him, as we remember from last week, he

told them that you are a hard people. Right, you have hard hearts

and you have hard ears. Your hearts are hard to hear God's word,

and your ears are hard in hearing God's word. And the Bible is actor

speaking those things. The Bible says, now verse fifty four. Now,

when they heard these things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth.

But look what the Bible says. But the Bible says in that moment,

but he Stephen was full of the spirit, and he gazed into heaven.

So the Bible says, he looked into heaven. This idea gazed is this

in scripture says in verse fifty six, and he says, behold, I

see the Heaven's opened up. This idea of opening up in scriptures, this

idea of something being disclosed to someone. If you ever go to the doctor

and they'll give you a disclosure of privacy or different things, they disclosed different

information to you. Right, we went to the doctor to the other day

and went to the hospital to visit a church member, and a doctor came

in and he was starting to disclose information about the diagnosis of the patient in

the room, and he noticed that we were there, and he said to

the patient, is it okay if they hear what I'm about to tell you,

disclose to you. Right, that's the imagery of this passage that God

is disclosing something to Stephen. And what is that he sees? The Bible

says, I want you to just see a few things. Again. This

is Stephen a witness, right, a faithful witness. Now, if you

watch on the news and there's something that happens on the newsday, they'll have

an eyewitness. A testimony is someone who was first hand saw what happened,

what crime, or what issue, or what tragedy happened. Right, And

so this is the imagery of this passage. Stephen is a witness. What

does he witness? The Bible says in this passage, look what it says

it be he and full of spirit, gazed into heaven and he saw the

glory of God. You know, we see in scripture and the Old Testament

and the glory of God, and it is detailed in great lengths in the

Old Testament. When Moses creates the tabernaycle, the presence of God falls upon

the tabernacle, and the presence of Lord is great. Moses with the glory

of God for forty days and forty nights, and therefore he glowed. Right

there is this imagery of the glory of God that man cannot what enter into

the presence of Lord. We see that with Solomon's temple. And here in

this passage scripture, man can't dwell in the glory and the holy of holies.

Right once of the year, man goes in on the day of My

toldment. But other than that, they cannot be in the presence of God,

who is so holy. Yet Stephen, what sees the glory of God?

But look on what scripture says in this passage scripture in verse fifty five,

full of the Holy Spirit, gaze in heaven, and he saw the

glory of God. And who's in the midst of God's glory Jesus. Stephen

sees the glory of God. And who now shares God's glory Jesus. He

sees the glory of God, and Jesus is now with He's sharing that same

glory. We cannot be in God's presence because God is so holy. But

Jesus, who died and rose again for our sins now is with the glory

of our Father. The Bible says, he knows, sees the glory of

God. But the Bible says, he sees something else. Scripture says,

he sees and this passage he sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at

the right hand of God. The Bible says, no, he sees Jesus.

But listen to what he declares. Again, he's given an eyewitness,

kind of like I said on the new station, you see a witness.

What did you see? And Stephen declares what he sees. Behold, I

see the heavens opened up, and the Son of Man standing at the right

hand of God. So several things he tells them that he sees. He

sees the heavens opened up, and he sees the Son of Man standing at

the right hand of God. As you think about first this right hand of

God, what is that mean? Well in scripture? Well, I think

as very important as you come to this passive scripture, if you want to

understand one thing that like Luke who wrote Acts, really wants you and I

to see together, is he wants you and I to see parallels. He

wants you to see a parallel between Stephen's life and Jesus's life. Right,

Steve, Jesus at the end of his life went on trial. Right,

who did he first go on trial with? He went on trial first with

the religious leaders. Right. Religious leaders came in, brought him in Caiaphas,

all of them that night, after they captured him in the garden.

They took him before this mock trial. Right, and they're between the before

the religious leaders. They accused him of certain things. If you go with

me, if you have your Bible was turned to Luke twenty two, wants

you to see what happens when Jesus was on trial with these religious leaders as

your turn to their owner reminds you that the same religious leaders that put Jesus

on trial is now the same religious leaders that Steven is standing in front of.

It's Caiaphas and all the Sadducees, all the religious group who who tried

Jesus and sent him the pilot are the same ones who now Stephen is in

front of. And the Bible says in Luke twenty two, if you look

at verse sixty six, the Bible describes what happened to Jesus and these are

the words. And when today came the assembly of the elders and the people

gather together, both the chief priests and the scribe. So there's the whole

group, right and chief priests is Caiaphas and the scribes. And they led

him way to their council. It's the same zach imagery. If you go

back to verse I mean, chapter six of Acts, you see the same

thing happen with Stephen. And look what the Bible says. This is Jesus

and verse sixty seven. And they said, if you are Christ, tell

us. But he said to them, I tell you you will not believe

me. If I ask you, you will not answer. And then Jesus

says these words, but from now on the son of Man shall be seated

at the right hand of the power of God. And so they said,

are you the son of God God? Then? And he said to them,

you say that I am. And they said, what further testimony do

we need. We've heard it from ourselfs and from our own lips. And

from that moment on they sinned. They determine they're going to crucify Jesus,

and they send him the pilot. But listen to what Jesus word said right.

Jesus says, from this point on in verse six sixty nine, but

from now on, the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand

of God. He said, God, you see think about this. When

Jesus on trial, he tells the religious leaders there there Caiaphas, and all

of them listen. From this time on, the son of Man will be

seated at the right hand of the Father. Stephen sees what Stephen's on trial.

He sees the heavens opened up. Jesus had told them in the past

that from then on they would see the Son of Man sitting and got the

right hand. Stephen is in trial. He sees the heaven open up,

and he's on trial, and what does he see. He sees just what

Jesus had told them, just as he said in the past when he was

on trial, that he would be seated out the right hand of the Father

and Acts chapter seven. For us being full of the Holy spirit spirit verse

fifty six, and he said, behold, I see that heaven's open up.

And listen what he said, and the son of Man standing at the

right hand of God. You know what it says, Hey, Jesus told

you that he was going to be sitting got the right hand of Father.

Today my eyes are open and I see heaven, and Jesus is just where

he told you he was going to be. He's right at the right hand

of the Father. You sees. Stephen is a faithful witness. Stephen is

a committed witness, and he knows in his heart and in his mind this

is the same group that killed Jesus. And he knows it was by these

words that they sought to kill Jesus. And by these words they may seak

this comes to kill Stephen. But Stephen is a faithful witness. He's faithfully

declares that Jesus is true. Jesus is the son of God, and Jesus

does share glory with God. And Jesus is standing by the right hand of

the Father. You know, you and I us as believers, as we

think about what God has called us to and as commitment. One of the

most one of the things that God has committed us all calls us all to

do is to be a faithful witness, be faithful and committed to tell people

that Jesus truly is the son of God, and Jesus is the one who

lived and died and rose again. There are all people, all across our

world, and our families, and our communities and our workplaces, do not

believe that he is the son of God. But God's called all of us,

even in the midst that we may face opposition. He's called all of

us to be committed to be a faithful witness. Stephen is this faithful witness.

The Bible says, he sees Jesus fulfilling his words the imagery here this

passage. He sees him standing at the right hand of Father. The Bible

says, he sees here the son of Man's interesting, this son of man

term was Jesus. It's actually found it roots, by the way in Daniel

chapter seven. Also, by the way, standing at the right hand of

the Father was a prophecy of Psalm on one ten. But the son of

man term was a term that was found its roots in Daniel. It was

a passage that described the coming Messiah Daniel seven thirteen and fourteen, if you

want to look at some point. But it also became Jesus's famous, his

favorite term to reference to describe himself. And in describing that term son of

man, Jesus would use it to describe his role as the judge to judge

those all folks that God would grant him the right or the role to be

the one who would judge. The description of this is Luke to twelve at

eight an example of Jesus showing his function to judge. He uses he said

this in Luke twelve, And I tell you everyone who acknowledged me before man,

the son of Man will knowledge before the angels of God. The idea

is he's the one who what He's the one who's acknowledging right before God.

He's the one who's judging before God. Right. So here, what does

Stephen sees? He sees Jesus fulfilling his words to Caiaphas. Jesus is truly

shares glory with God, but he truly was the Messiah, and he's sitting

at the right hand of the Father. But also he sees what he sees

Jesus ready to judge heaven today. And what you say, what is Jesus

doing today? Jesus is in heaven today and he's standing ready to judge.

I won't Jesus think today as you think about your commitment, how are you

committed to tell people that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is the

Messiah. He's the way, the truth of life. No one comes to

the Father but by him. How are you faithfully sharing that? How are

you faithfully telling people that Jesus is ready to judge and that they must receive

him as Lord and savior. You know, we will. We're not shy

at times to giving people tough news. Right. If you're you know,

if you're if you're a Duke fan, you're not shy to tell me that

North Carolina lost last year last night, Right, You're not shy at all

to give me the bad news. Right. So we're we're at times we're

willing to tell people hard things, right, But some things sometimes we're not

willing to tell the hard things about the gospel. You know, we are

not shy to tell the hard news about a sports team losing. But it's

sad that we'll shy away from being a witness for Jesus today. You and

I to be committed witnesses. Sometimes that is conversations where you get to talk

to people and they're open to the gospel. And sometimes that means sharing the

gospel with people who you know are not open with it? Can I say

to you? You and I today Stephen was sharing the Gospel with people who

had killed Jesus, And even in the midst of the greatest hostility, Stephen

was committed. Now I ask you today, how committed are you? How

committed are you to be a witness right now? But even till the end

of your life, even if it would cost you your life, would you

commit to be a witness for Jesus? Stephen was states Not only Stephen was

a committed witness, but Stephen was a committed example. The Bible says in

this passage of scripture, he sees, and he declares, and he cried

out with a loud voice. But they cried out with a loud voice,

and they stopped their ears and rushed at him. The Bible says in verse

fifty eight. They've been cast him out. We'll talking a little bit at

that. In a minute. They cast him out, and they laid off

their garments, of their robes, of their jackets, and begin stoning Stephen.

And the Bible says in verse fifty nine, And as they were stoning

Stephen, he caught out in a loud voice. Lord Jesus received my spirit.

Another thing that Luke wants you and I to see, Luke who wrote

the Gospel of Luke, but also Luke who wrote Acts is he wants you

to see the parallels of Stephen speaking the truth of what Jesus said at the

before he was crucified. But he also wants you to see the parallels of

just how Jesus responded at his death to how Stephen responded at his death.

You know, the Bible tells us that in Luke twenty three, verses forty

through forty six, that Jesus was dying. It says these words, and

it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land

until it was the ninth hour, And while the sunlight felled, the curtain

of the temple was torn in two, and Jesus calling out with a loud

voice, saying, Father, into your hands, I commit my spirit.

Jesus on the cross is dying, and he says, Father, I commit

my spirit to you. Here Stephen is being stoned, and as he is

dying, he says that almost the same words. Just as Jesus said,

Father, I commit my spirit to you, Stephen says something a little different.

What does he say in this passage. Scripture says, he doesn't say,

father, but who does? What is he say? Lord? Jesus,

receive my spirit. You see in his life he was committed witness,

and as he was dying, he was committed example. He exhibited, he

showed Jesus even in his life. In his life and in his death he

was living out Jesus. He was showing others the same Jesus that they saw

die. Stephen wanted them to see in his life and in his death.

I want to ask you today, believers, friends, today, as Christians,

are you committed to be a witness? But are you committed as a

Christian for people to see Jesus in you and what you say and what you

do and how you live your life? Are you a committed example that you

want others to see you and see Jesus in you? You know, you

think about this passage and you just see his commitment. And by the way,

this was this was not just at this point. But if you go

back to Stephen's life, Stephen, as we just see Stephen in Acts chapter

six, it tells us they were trying to find servants to serve out among

them and pick out from among you, and the Bible says they picked out

seven men of what good repute, full of spirit and wisdom. And the

Act chapter six' five it says that they it pleased them to find Stephen,

and Stephen was full of faith in the Holy Spirit. And Act Shepherd

six eight it said, and when Stephen was full of grace and power,

Stephen was a man who was an example example to others, to the church,

but those outside the church. As he's sharing the Gospel with the Jews

here in this picture, he was a faithful example. This week we read

in our Bible reading Plan one Timothy four twelve, and in that passage says,

let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an

example in speech, in conduct, and love and faith and purity. That's

Paul telling us Christians, and he's telling, as he's telling Timothy there,

that you and I should not allow any wanted to look down on us because

we're young. But in turn, as believers, we are to set an

example, an example in what area in our speech and what we say,

and in our conduct, and how we live, in our love and how

we love others. We set example of what faith looks like. And lastly,

we should set an example in purity. Da Carson wrote a devotion and

I read it along with the bill Ye plant and Da Carson said he was

in Canada. He was a young pastor, very young in ministry. And

he said he every time after he preached, he would as he was leaving

the church, it would have been an older lady in the church. And

she said, oh, preacher, you did so good, but you're just

so young. And she said that. He said, he'd say she'd say

that, and he said, pretty soon he'd realized she was doing it every

Sunday, every time he'd walk out. She said, preacher, was a

good summon, but you're just so young. And so finally he just kind

of had a little enough, you know, And she came to him at

the end and she says, preacher, you did a good job, but

you're just so young. And she he said, eventually he kind of let

it get to him. He says, yes, but scripture says, let

no one despise you for your youth. Let no man woman despise you for

your youth. He said. She never said it again, but did Carson

had a good point. He says, you know, I said, let

no one despise you for your youth, and I stopped there. He says.

What Timothy is saying there, not that you should use that as a

rebuttal, but in turn set the example in your speech and your faith and

your love and your and purity, and then no one will what despise you.

You don't You should not ever have to say it. You should live

it, and then they won't say it. You see that? Can I

ask you today, as a Christian today, how committed are you as a

witness as are Christian today? How committed are you, young person to old

person in setting an example that I want people to see Jesus in me and

what I say, in what I do, in my purity, in my

love. I want to be an example, and I want to commit to

that now and even to the end. I want to be a committed example.

Lastly, here Peter was I mean Stephen was not only a committed witness,

he was the only committed example. He also had a committed love.

The Bible says that they took Stephen and they stoned him, and as they

were stolen as Stephen, the Bible says, to this, listen, what

it says here, and falling to his knees, he cried out with a

loud voice, Lord, don't hold this sin against them. The Bible said

that again, Luke wants you to see the parallels Jesus on the cross.

He said these words. Fall into his knees. He cried out, don't

hold this sin. But the Bible says that Jesus said, as he was

dying on the cross, Father, forgive them, for they know not what

they do. See. Stephen was an example of love. Stephen was committed

to love even in his death. But that's tough, isn't it. Let

that sink in. Man, You get mad, you go down there,

you go down one forty seven, someone cuts you off, You get mad

and get angry at them. Never let someone stone you. He was being

stoned, and he said, Father, don't hold this against them. He

loved them. How committed are you as a Christian to love others? How

committed are you as a Christian to love your enemies? You know, Jesus

taught in Luke six twenty seven to twenty eight. But I say to you

who here love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you, Bless

those who curse you pray for those who abuse you. He lived that.

It's the story of a young man and his name was Jerry McAuley. He

was a thief, he was a counterfeit. As a result, he spent

some time in prison, and there he received Christ. But he really struggled

early on in his faith and really living for the Lord. But eventually he

really became committed to the Lord and really became committed to witnessing. He actually

would open up the first rescue mission in New York City, and he would

become friends with some of the worst criminals in New York just before he died.

Before he died in eighteen to eighty four, he actually had tuberculosis,

and he said these words to his wife. He says, I know that

tuberculosis will soon take my life, but I want to die on my knees,

still praying for the loss. I'd rather have some poor soul that I

led to the Lord put one small rose on my grave, than have the

wealth of millions. You see, mister Jerry's last words and prayers actually happened

at his funeral. A man came up and gave one of the ushers some

flowers and asked that the flowers be put on Jerry's grave. He said this

to the usher. He says, I hope Jerry, who was my friend,

will know that they came from old Joe Chappy. You see, mister

Jerry, at the end of his life was known to be a true friend

and a true friend to sinners. Christian today, how committed are you as

a witness? How committed are you to be an example? And how committed

are you to love sinners, love your enemies, love the lost, even

to the end. Sadly, as we come to this passage, I want

to close with a few things I want you to think about. Not only

did you see Stephen as a Christian who's committed to certain things, but also

you really see, and Luke wants you and I to see this, you

really see the commitment of unbelievers. What is the commitment of unbelievers? Well,

Scripture would show us in this pastor of Scripture one, they're committed to

rejection, the Bible says, when Steven speaks, the Bible says, they're

enrage. It's really the idea of being torn into It's the idea of being

ripped that Scripture would describe. It is sown into their hearts. It's Scripture

would describe them grinding their teeth. You know, Stephen had said, hey,

you rejected Moses, who really rejected Joseph? And you rejected Jesus.

And what how did they respond to those words? They rejected Stephen. The

unbeliever's commitment as they're committed to rejection, they're committed to unbelief. Scripture would

say, after Stephen gives one of this great christological claims that Jesus has fulfilled

his word, he is standing by the Father, he is ready to judge.

How did they respond to know that Jesus is standing there ready to judge

them? The Bible says, they cover their ears. They don't want to

hear it. They're so hard. They don't want to hear the word of

God. They don't want to even hear that Jesus is truly the Messiah.

Jesus is sharing the glory of God. They cover their ears. Their unbelievers

are committed to rejection, but they're committed to unbelief. You remember I told

you last week, Stephen says, he even told them. He says,

look, you are stiff and at people UNCircumcising the heart and ears you always

resist the Holy Spirit. Spirit is speaking, and they their hearts are closed

to the Gospel. Their ears they close their ears to hear God's word.

They are people are who are committed to unbelief. They don't want to hear

it. What do we say last week? And Hebrews three fifteen says today,

if you hear his voice, don't harden your hearts as in the rebellion

as they heard. What do they do? They hearten their hearts and they

cover their ears. They were not only committed to rejection, they were committed

to unbelief. But lastly, they're committed to hate. They're committed to hate

this Christian who's trying to share the gospel with them. The Bible says they

rushed to them. Deuteronomy seventeen seven would say that the witnesses would be the

very first ones who would take part in the stoning. Scripture would say,

the hands of the witness shall be the first again against him to put him

to death, and afterwards the hand of the people, and you shall purge

the evil from your myts. We know through the Missionara and other Jewish writings

that when the trial was finished, that they would take off their jackets and

the witnesses that you go to Acts I think it's Acts Acts thirteen. You

see, these witnesses are the false witnesses that Luke has described. They would

be the ones who would come forward. They would take their jackets off,

and they would be the first ones. Scripture would tell us or mission I

would describe that the stoning. Typically, they would drop someone two feet two

height lengths of how tall they were, So if they're six foot, they're

going to drop them twelve foot onto something. So they would push them from

behind and they would lay and face first. If they didn't fall on that

twelve foot drop to death, the first witness would take a stone, and

this is what the missionar would tell us, and they would drop the stone

on his heart. If that didn't kill him, then the next witnesses would

come and it begins stoning to death. That's the imagery of what's happening to

Stephen. The Bible says that they were enraged. They gret their teeth as

he spoke, and they talked about the glory of God. They saw Jesus

standing out in the right hand, Jesus ready to jo as they closed their

ears, and then they rushed to him. They took their jackets and they

begin stoning, and Steven says, receive my spirit, Jesus. And that

made them even more enraged, and they begin stoning him, and he says,

don't hold this sin against them. Full of hate to unbelievers, me

to believers. They killed him today. I want to ask you, if

you're a Christian here today, you committed, you committed witness, you commit

to be an example. Will you commit today to be committed to love the

loss love others around you? It's the second greatest commandment. If you're unbelieverd

today, what are you committed to? Are you committed to unbelief? Are

you committed to rejection? Are you are you committed to hating God's words and

at times hating God's people? You know? The sermon is there's one part

that I've not told you about quite yet. This a very unique part.

And we'll end with this. Jesus says, as you as you see me,

I'll be at the right hand of my Father. When Stephen listened to

me today, the Bible says, when Stephen looks up into heaven, Jesus

is not just at the right hand of the Father, but he's standing.

And I said before that's part of that is standing ready to judge. But

you know the second part of that is he's standing ready to welcome Stephen home.

You know, if you've ever been to somebody's house and you're a visitor

and you come in the house and they're sitting in the chair, and what's

the first thing they do. They've pulled the recliner up and they come to

stand up and welcome you. Right, hey, here's the imagery of this

passage scripture. Here's a committed Christian that was faithful, committed to witness.

Here was a committed Christian was committed to an example. Here was a committed

Christian that was committed to love and that the very end of his life,

Jesus stands it says, come home. I don't know about you, but

I tell you what a great way to end this, Say Lord, from

the very beginning to the end. God, I want to be that witness,

God to the very beginning to the end. God, I want to

be that example and God to the beginning to the end. I want to

love the ones that You've put in my life. I want to love the

loss and knowing that one day, Lord, you will stand and welcome me.

Will you commit with me? Let's be a committed Christians. Amen,

let's stand together. Tenner's gonna lead us in the song. Let's pray as

he comes. Father. I thank you Lord for your word today. I

thank you Lord for your calling on us as Christians to make commitments today that

God will be that witness for you Jesus. Even when they're those who are

ready to throw stones at us, Father, we'll be ready to say,

God, We're going to faithfully declare that Jesus, you are a Lord,

you are standing by the Father, you are the son of God. Lord,

I pray we would be Christians who are committed to be that example that

you've called us to be. Lord. I pray we'd be Christians, would

be committed in our love for the loss and love for others. But Lord,

I know today they are those here today are not believers, and their

lives would have been marked by commitment, unbelief and rejection and sometimes hate even

your word or your people. Today you're calling them to receive you as Lord

and Savior. And I pray it to be those today that today it would

commit their life to you, Lord, Jesus, they would do right now,

right where they are, where they're in this room or watching on TV.

There'd be those who would say, Jesus, I know that I'm a

sinner that needs a savior. God, I confess to you Lord that I

need you Today. Lord, I don't want to reject you anymore, and

I don't want to doubt your word anymore. Today, Lord, I want

to receive you as Lord. Jesus. I believe that you died on a

cross for my sins. Today and today, Jesus, I ask you to

come into my life. I put my faith in what you have done for

me on the cross. Today, Jesus, Jesus, save me today.

I'd pray there be some that may be in this room or watching online today

to today would be the day that they've turned from unbelief and turn to you,

Jesus. So Lord, I pray that you would grant salvation today to

many that are hearing today. But Lord, I pray for the Christians here

today, and maybe they are those here today. Says you know what,

Father, I've just not been that witness that you've called me to be,

or Lord, I've really not been that example Lord that you've called me to

be or Lord, I've not. Really my commitment to love others has not

been what it needs today Today, Father, I want to be committed to

you. Father, So Lord help me in my commitment. And I pray

to be those across this room today would make a commitment to you, Father,

to today, Lord, I will be that witness for you today.

Lord, I will be that example for you Lord. Today, I will

love others like you've called me to Today, I'll commit to love others.

Lord. However you're working in this room, I pray there be those that

would respond to you today. We love you, We thank you or for

your word. Lord, lead us now to respond, whether that's right in

our seats or coming to this altar. I pray they would be those that

respond. Lord. If I could you lead some to come that I could

pray with them. Lord, however you lead us to respond, I pray

Lord, we would do that. We would not be ashamed of you on

this earth, as that passage says, because God, so you won't be

ashamed of us. Father, Lord, lead us now in your name,

we pray Jesus to