Stephen and what is seen!
Windsor, May 21, 2000 - a.m.
-Drew Chapados
Text: Acts 6 & 7
How happy it is that we as children of God could come together and sing with one heart the
great traits of our Awesome God. Our God is an awesome God and has provided for the whole
world life and glory through His Son Jesus the Christ! Our prayer every week at the west
side church of Christ is that all that we come into contact with might know the joy that we
know of days like this of being a saved child of God!
Our world has had moments in which some pretty amazing things have been seen by human eyes.
I can't imagine what it would have been like for a lifelong citizen of East Germany to
behold the tearing down of the Berlin wall. Or, the Iranian hostages the moment they could
see their families back home. What must it be like to witness some of the greatest acts in
history?
As I think about great visions, I always try to imagine being able to see the great works of
God in the Bible! I mean, there were a lot of great deeds and scenes in the Bible for man
to have the privilege of looking at!
But of all the scenes, I can't think of any that would be as great as the glimpses that only
a few men got to see of the Divine and the future glory!
- Moses- he got to see a lot, the parting of the red sea, perhaps the vision of the
promised land in Deuteronomy 34:1-5. But none were greater as Exodus 33:17-23 when Moses
requested of God to see His glory. Although Moses was not allowed to see God's face, God
put him in the rock and allowed him to see His back. What a thrill to look at the back
of God!
- Isaiah- Isaiah 6:1- he saw the Lord, again he did not see His face or feet but
imagine the thrill.
- Paul - 2 Corinthians 12:1-6- who was caught up into the third heaven.
- John - Revelation 4:2- someone sitting on the throne, 5:7- the Lamb of God slain from
the foundation of the world & 21&22- the heavenly Jerusalem.
All these are awesome, but to me the one that really stands out is the one in Acts 7!
The first martyr of the New Testament church. The first one who would shed his blood on behalf
of the One who shed the blood for mankind! Stephen did not have a long preaching career and he
did not write the books like the Apostle Paul but his faith has impacted millions to this day and
even one of his former enemies. Some 20 years later Paul would tell Jesus how he was to blame
for the innocent Stephen in Acts 22:20! Stephen is a genuine hero of the church!
So let's look this morning at the two chapters of the Bible dedicated to Stephen and
see what can be seen!
6:3-6- We first find that there was a problem in the church and men had to be
selected by the church who were full of the Spirit and wisdom! This is important
when selecting men today: they must be men who can faithfully fulfill their spiritual
duties! Stephen was a man who had somehow already proved his love for Jesus Christ
and His church!
Vs.7- through this selection of godly men, the church multiplied in number. No
longer was God adding to the church but multiplying!
Vs.8,10- well Stephen begins to do some amazing things! He was this great & powerful
guy. He gets into some conflict and they say there were approximately 480 synagogues
so some of the members of them are challenging him but they can't handle the power of
the Spirit's word. We must be like Stephen and continue to have the faith in God's
word! God said "My word shall not return unto me void" Isaiah 55:11!
Well his enemies can't defeat his arguments so they go to an old trick, hire
witnesses to attack his character! If you can't defeat his words go after him!
Vs.13,14- what do they go after? Now, Jesus would destroy Jerusalem. Matthew
24:1,2! And, the customs of Moses would give way to a new covenant. Colossians
2:14.
Vs.15- what do the people see? They see a face filled with peace, love, joy and
purity. If the enemies of God could just see this!
This sets up then the great defense of the gospel! Stephen's great sermon in chapter
7 would be copied by men later. See Paul in chapter 13.
What Stephen shows is that it is not Jesus who is against Israel, but the Israelites
themselves!
Vs.1-5- the beginning of Israel as the people of God. Abraham was called by the God
of glory (2) and given a promise though childless (5)
6-8- Israel would suffer for 400 years, yet they were given a covenant of circumcision
from God and would one day be free.
9-19- Stephen rehearses how Israel ended up in Egypt. Jealousy drove Joseph's
brothers to reject him (9,10)! But, the family would be reunited (14) and a king rose
who did not know Joseph and treated the Israelites terribly (18,19).
20-29- Moses received formal education in Egypt but needed greater training in the
wilderness before assuming the lead of God's people.
30-35- God then called Moses to lead His people out of Egypt.
Now, watch how close Stephen gets to the point:
37- God will raise a prophet like Moses!
39-42- Israel rejected Moses even though he had the living word of God! They rebelled
against him and his message!
Stephen goes on to say that the tabernacle of the testimony stayed with Israel until
the days of David and Solomon.
Now Stephen begins the speech that would cost his life!
Up until now the Jews would probably agree with everything spoken! There is nothing
that Stephen has said that they could disagree with.
Why not stop here then? Why not say we have more common ground than uncommon? What
did Stephen see that we all need to see?
51- they were like their fathers and rejected the Holy Spirit's word.
52- as they killed the prophets in the old days, the same spirit lives in them and
they killed the Righteous One!
53- they received the law but did not obey the law.
What was the response?
54- cut to the heart (different than in 2:37) and gnashed with their teeth.
55- here is the great vision: the glory of God & the Son standing on God's right hand!
56- Stephen tells the crowd.
57,58- they stone him and kill him.
59,60- two cries are heard from Stephen: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit (Luke 23:46)
and Lord, do not charge them (Luke 23:34).
What do we see through this?
- Stephen's great faith to follow Jesus
- Stephen's great courage to preach Jesus
- Stephen's great love for Jesus
- Stephen's graduation to glory because of Jesus
What did Stephen see?
- Jesus taking note of what was going on
- Jesus giving strength for the final walk
- Jesus telling his child 'just a little more'
We must not rebel against God's messenger or more importantly God's message. We must be
like Stephen and be able to say that I followed Jesus in life I will follow him in death!
We don't read of the deaths of Paul or Peter or Andrew in the Bible. We have only a
little bit of James. Only Jesus & John the Baptist deaths are given more attention in
the New Testament than Stephens. Why? I don't know, but here is the first child to come
home due to unnatural causes and Jesus is standing at attention wanting to be with him
but telling him and the world that you're almost there! Don't give up, don't doubt now,
but keep coming!
Do you have that same promise? Do you know that if you were to die today, you would like
Stephen be with Jesus forever? Why not? 2 Cor.6:2- do it now! Don't walk out those
doors without doing it!
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