Acts 5:6:8-15; 7:51-60, "Martyr"

Ken MacLeod

Community on Mission • Sermon • Submitted a year ago • Presented a year ago

0 ratings

· 5 views

Notes

Transcript

National Geographic’s “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth” is a fascinating exploration of the ways humans can pursue longer, happier lives. One thing that becomes clear is that we can have longer, fuller lives if we stop seeking comfort and ease and choose to do hard things that test our limits. We are made to get stronger through adversity. And we live in a time and place in which you can eliminate almost all discomfort from your life. But do so at your own peril. We grow and even thrive through suffering, loss, and discomfort. Easy for Chris Hemsworth to say.

But it’s true, and Jesus has taken this principle to a whole new level. Jesus was the only perfectly righteous person to ever live. But He was hated and crucified. But this was His obedience to God the Father who accepted Jesus’ death as a sacrifice for our sins. And He raised Jesus to glory. And for those that share His way of the cross, they will share in His glory. As disciples of Jesus Christ, suffering and death leads to eternal life and glory. Some of us may be fasting during Lent as a means of sharing in the sufferings of Christ, in order to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus.

The people that push this principle to its limit are those that suffer and die for Jesus’ sake. We call them martyrs. I gave you some examples a couple of weeks ago. These are the people that live life to the fullest in Jesus Christ. Their lives might be shorter than most, but as we will see, they are fuller.

The word “martyr” comes from the Greek word μάρτυς, which means “witness”. Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8 that they would be His witnesses in all the world. That is the word μάρτυς, and it is helpful to know for our passage today.

The death of a martyr bears witness to their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior. How? When someone gives their life for Jesus Christ, they testify that He is more valuable than our life in this world. Eternal life is in Jesus Christ. So if I die in faith, I gain Christ. The kingdoms that run our world don’t appreciate the fact that they have no power over our affections. The martyr also proclaims that Jesus is Lord, and I will obey him rather than men. The kingdoms of this world don’t appreciate that they do not have our allegiance. The death of a martyr is a testimony.

Romans 14:8 (ESV)

For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

I belong to Jesus. Jesus is worthy of my full devotion, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. My suffering and death is a testimony to Jesus’ worth. And when the pressure is on from opposition or persecution or adversity, if I am filled with Jesus, others will see Him coming out of me. We are bearing witness that He is real.

Are we so filled with Jesus that if you pressed us hard, everyone would see Jesus come out? What we see in Stephen’s trial and death is his filling coming out. Three fillings, actually. He is filled with grace and power, filled with boldness in preaching the gospel, and filled with love for his enemies. He is filled with the Holy Spirit and when the pressure was on, what came out of him looks a lot like Jesus. In fact, it’s impossible to read this account and not think of Jesus at His own trial and crucifixion. And I think this is Luke’s purpose. He is giving us all the opportunity to consider, when the pressure is on, what filling comes out of me?

The first way Stephen bears witness to Jesus Christ in adversity is with the filling of grace and power.

Filled with Grace and Power

Acts 6:8 (ESV)

And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

We all know someone who is filled with grace. They are kind to everyone, gentle, forgiving. And we all know someone who is filled with power. They are fearless and bold and active. How many people do you know who have the fullness of both of these? Obviously, God is full of both grace and power. Jesus demonstrated that same fullness, as God with us. As believers in Jesus, we have been given the Holy Spirit. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we should see the fullness of grace and power working together in our lives.

Stephen had the grace to minister to people with power to perform miracles, probably healings and casting out demons. But when some people begin to oppose him we also see his wisdom from the Holy Spirit that no one can withstand. His grace and power are breaking down the gates of hell in the lives of people around him. Many of experiencing new life in Jesus.

But there were some that did not like this. His opponents came from ethnic synagogues around Jerusalem, including a synagogue of people from Cilicia, from which Saul (who became Paul) came. He was probably in this group of debaters. We don’t know much of the content of Stephen’s teaching, but if the man who became the Apostle Paul could not dispute his teaching, he must have been brilliant and taught a very clear gospel of Jesus as the Messiah. Non of them could withstand Stephen’s wisdom and the Spirit in him. So they stirred up false witnesses (pseudeis marturas, pseudo-martyrs) and claimed he was trying to destroy the religion of Israel.

Acts 6:15 (ESV)

And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

These are the effects of the Holy Spirit in Stephen’s life. He is full of grace and power (verse 8), doing great wonders and signs (8), speaking with wisdom, and now keeping his peace when people are lying about him (15).

There were two charges of blasphemy against Stephen. That Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple and that He would change the law and customs of Moses.

Filled with Boldness in Preaching the Gospel

Stephen’s answer to these charges is, “You want to talk about the Temple and Moses? Let’s talk about the Temple and Moses.” He recites the history of the nation of Israel as Moses had written it.

Then he points out Acts 7:35

Acts 7:35 (ESV)

“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.

Acts 7:36 (ESV)

This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

Acts 7:37 (ESV)

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’

God fulfilled this through Jesus, who, like Moses, was rejected by Israel, but God sent to be both ruler and redeemer. So, Stephen is saying, let’s remember our history. We don’t have the best track record when it comes to listening to the prophets God sends. This Moses you talk about,

Acts 7:39 (ESV)

Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,

And as far as the Temple goes. It was much more important to these religious leaders than it was to God Himself. God doesn’t need it.

Acts 7:49–50 (ESV)

“ ‘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?’

Israel has consistently used religion to hold God at arms length.

Acts 7:51 (ESV)

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.

Stephen refers to two passages the prophet Jeremiah wrote to conclude. This is the heart of the issue. They protected their customs and their temple, at the cost of actually listening to the Holy Spirit to do God’s will. Their final failure was resisting the work of the Holy Spirit when He filled Jesus of Nazareth. Stephen calls Him the Righteous One

Acts 7:52–53 (ESV)

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.”

To prove him true, these men are cut to the quick and grind their teeth at him. To paraphrase John Wesley, repentance is the Holy Spirit received and anger is the Holy Spirit resisted. One thing is clear - Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit and many people are being saved by Jesus Christ through Stephen’s ministry. But these men are resisting the Holy Spirit, and it results in a murderous rage.

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, has his eyes fixed on Jesus.

Acts 7:55 (ESV)

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.

All around him are people who are angry enough to kill him. But He sees Jesus above it all, totally in charge, and Stephen’s bold conclusion to his sermon is,

Acts 7:56 (ESV)

And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

When you are surrounded by enemies who hate you,when that pressure is on you, what vision is pressed out of you? Is it Jesus in glory on His throne, totally in charge? Or is it the rulers of this world with all the power and we need to power up and use their weapons against them? The real test is how we treat our enemies. If we are filled with Jesus, we will be...

Filled with Love for Enemies

As Stephens enemies run at him screaming, unable to listen any longer, Stephen prays two prayers.

Acts 7:59 (ESV)

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

Acts 7:60 (ESV)

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.

When we entrust ourselves to Jesus in adversity, we recognize that He receives us out of love and grace. And we are looking to the one who prayed this same prayer on the cross. As hate-filled, evil men crucified Him, He entrusted Himself to the Father and prayed that He would forgive His crucifiers.

When you are surrounded by people who hate you, when the pressure is on, what comes out? For me, the tendency in a room filled with angry people is defensiveness, appeasement, fear, anger, anything but compassion. But this is what we see in Stephen. The Holy Spirit has shown Him Jesus Christ risen, alive, and reigning. That makes everything clear.

How do we apply this? It all begins with being filled with the Holy Spirit. When we ask God the Father to fill us with His Spirit, He loves to answer “yes”! And all the rest follows. The Holy Spirit fills us with the presence of Jesus. We are filled with the fullness of grace and power. We overcome evil with good. We are filled with boldness as the Holy Spirit makes the gospel clear to our minds. He reminds us of who Jesus is and what He has done for us so we can give a clear, bold testimony. And He fills us with love for our enemies. Because when the gospel is clear to us, we realized just how much we have been loved and forgiven by God through the work of Christ, and we are quick to love and forgive even our enemies.

So let’s remind ourselves of the gospel through communion.

Questions for Discussion

What are some ways we fill our minds and hearts?

You don’t have to share out loud, but think about the last high pressure situation you were in. What did you see come out? What about the last one our church faced. What did we see come out of us?

Why is the combination of grace and power helpful to the Christian? How did Jesus demonstrate the fullness of grace and power at the same time? What can we learn from Him?

How does Stephen make things clear in his sermon to the council? How can we make the gospel clear when we share it with others? What would help you to be more bold in sharing the gospel or your testimony with others?

What role does the Holy Spirit have in our gospel preaching?

What do we learn from Stephen’s last two prayers in Acts 7:5-60?

How will you respond to this passage this week?

Who is someone you can share this passage with this week?

Related Media

Related Sermons