Stephen
Notes
Transcript
Baptism--
explain baptism:
3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
baptism is an outside symbol that Jesus gave us…to show an inward reality.
baptism shows:
you are publicly proclaiming that you belong to Jesus Christ. You are identifying with Jesus. He is your Savior and Lord. You are proclaiming to the world that you have died to your sin, been buried with Christ, and risen to new life in Christ.
It also show that God has washed away your sin....baptism doesn’t do it. It is merely a symbol to what God has already done when you confessed your sin, repented, and believed on Jesus.
so it is an outward symbol of an inward reality of the incredible change Jesus has done in your life, and you want the world to know.
call Andy Wolf forward...
introduce him…
picture
policeman
4 questions:
I will ask you four questions (please answer with a “yes” as a group)
i. Do you confess that you are a sinner, and that because of your sin you deserve to be separated from God forever?
ii. Do you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for your sins and rose again so that you might have eternal life with God?
iii. Are you now trusting in Jesus Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins?
iv. Do you intend, with God’s help, to obey Jesus’ teachings and follow Him as your Lord?
Next, I will ask each of you the following questions and allow you to personally answer:
i. How did you come to faith in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, King, and Treasure?
ii. Why are you wanting to get baptized today?
let’s pray (gather up front) - dad prays?
and then dunk...
encourage others who are considering baptism....
our next baptism is February 18th, but we can do it anytime
Please turn to Acts 6:8. Acts 6:8.
In this amazing book, Jesus is continuing to work in the Early Church life here and also in our lives.
He has already led them through hard things:
—persecution
—hypocrisy
—potential division
God’s Word is spreading through the Holy Spirit....
let’s read what happens next.
Let’s read Acts 6:8 - 15
Acts 6:8–15 (NIV)
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
who is this Stephen? We just learned about him last week. He was one of the 7 men appointed by the early church to take care of the widows and provide food for them.
we see here that he is the first mentioned—besides the original 12 apostles—who is performing miracles.
9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene (North Africa) and Alexandria (Egypt) as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
Jews who were originally slaves...
if you look on the map—these are Jews from Cyrene (North Africa), Alexandria (Egypt), and Cilicia and Asia — these are parts of modern day Turkey.
10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” (notice the order of the words—who are they more concerned with — Moses—being Jews who highlighted Moses and the OT…)
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. (Jewish ruling council)
13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
before I keep reading...
listen to what these Jews are saying—remember these are people who do not believe Jesus Christ the Savior and Messiah and Lord. They believe in the OT—but are still waiting for the Messiah.
so they hold things from the OT very dearly—like Moses, and the temple (the holy place, and the law). They hold the OT laws and teachings very dearly.
these are extremely important things in their history (ours too as Christians)
but we already see here in vs. 15—that God is behind Stephen—because his face reminds us of Moses when he would meet with God and come down from the mountain his face would be glowing...
let’s keep reading. Stephen is going to give a long speech.
1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.
3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.
5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.
6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.
7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’
8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.
so…church…how is Stephen’s speech going so far in responding to his charges? Are the religious leaders upset yet?
No…they are probably nodding along.
Outline:
Stephen’s Speech:
Life of Abraham (vs.2-8)
but look at what Stephen is doing—he is already challenging them—God is not confined to a temple—God showed up and existed long ago to Abraham in a pagan foreign land. and guided him even before the law....
Let’s keep going.
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him
10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.
12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.
13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.
14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.
15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.
16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.
so the map (again) see Egypt
let’s stop there...
what is this about?
Outline
Abraham (vs. 2-8)
Joseph (vs. 9-16)
are the people upset so far? no...
Stephen is again…making hints that God has showed up for them before there was a temple and a law....he even showed up in the land of Egypt—providing for them. God is not confined to a temple.
let’s keep going...
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.
18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’
19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family.
21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.
22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.
24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian.
25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.
26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?
28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’
29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:
32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’
35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.
37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’
38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.
39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.
40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’
41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.
42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets: “ ‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.
44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.
Outline
Abraham (vs. 2-8)
Joseph (vs. 9-16)
Moses and the Exodus (vs. 17-44)
are the people upset yet? no...
but again…God has always moved—even outside the temple....
and even our ancestors had this great law---how did they do? not so well...
you are accusing me of speaking vs. the temple and law....we need to look at our history to see they spoke against their own law.
45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David,
46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
Outline
Abraham (vs. 2-8)
Joseph (vs. 9-16)
Moses and the Exodus (vs. 17-44)
Joshua to King Solomon (vs. 45-47)
that’s a lot of OT history to cover...
so far—Stephen has not been too offensive…but look at how he applies it now… (vs. 48-53) stand for this
48 “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
49 “ ‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’
51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him—
53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
What is Stephen’s application:
God is not confined to a man-made temple (vs. 48-49). Stephen was accused of speaking against the temple....but the god of the universe can’t be fit in a box—from Abraham to Joseph in Egypt to the Israelites in the dessert—God is very portable—and He is everywhere. T
They were so concerned with their religious system, and rules, and traditions, and they missed the fact that actually—there is someone who has come who is the real temple. The real sign of God’s dwelling with us is Jesus.
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”
21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
Israel has always rejected God’s messengers. (vs. 51-53)
there’s a pattern of it...
it started with Joseph—his own brothers sold him into slavery.
it was heavy with moses…constantly rejecting him, even worshipping other gods
and now it has continued to the present with Jesus Christ—killing even the Son of God…and now continuing with Stephen
so in other words—you are accusing me of rejecting the law—you are rejecting the law.
if you would look to Jesus—you would see that He is the one the OT law has always pointed to.
the temple from the OT—pointed to Jesus—He is the temple to end all temples.
the animal sacrifices in the OT — pointed to Jesus — who is the ultimate sacrifice to end all sacrifices.
the priesthood in the OT — all pointed to Jesus.
If they could see that they need Jesus—He would fulfill their greatest longings for temple and law.
what is their reaction now?
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.
55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
Application:
Jesus was right—we will suffer like Him
20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.
Stephen is literally falling in the footsteps of Jesus...
Kevin Deyoung:
both are put on trial before the Sanhedrin
both accused by false witnesses
both accused of being against the temple
both reference temple made with hands
both mention the Son of Man
both charged with blasphemy
both questions by high priest
and more...
and so Jesus knows what this is like and we should not be surprised.
now, it’s hard for us to relate to this kind of suffering (people around the world do)—but it’s a challenge that we should be willing to suffer for the sake of following Jesus, even if it much more minor than this. we must be willing to take a risk to speak up in the name of Christ for His sake.
2. Be ready to be Jesus’ witnesses—even in suffering.
Stephen is under tremendous pressure—accusations from some of the most powerful religious figures.
he could have caved in.
but no—what comes out—a sermon—in which he speaks pretty much the entire OT history. it was probably longer than this.
what would we have done in that kind of pressure?
remember earlier it said:
Acts 6:5 (NIV)
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.
Acts 6:8 (NIV)
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
are you the kind of person intentionally soaked in God’s presence so that when the pressure gets turned on---the Holy Spirit comes out.
with the new year always comes new years resolutions....how are you allowing God to intentionally shape you into the kind of person that can witness even when the pressures comes up?
what does that look like?
intentionally being in God’s Word…having a plan…i have seen some of you post what you are doing…whether that is reading the Bible in a year, or reading or listening to a chapter a day…do you have a plan to hear from God’s Word?
how can we help you?
it’s not all on you — God has promised — “You will be my witnesses...” God had promised—he would give them the words to say
13 And so you will bear testimony to me.
14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.
15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
Jesus gives us the word to say—but are we the kind of people being formed daily...
slow habits over time...
so that when the pressure comes—and we get squeezed—what comes bubbling out of our souls--
one writer says “If you walk with Jesus now....you can speak for Jesus then...” (Kevin DeYoung)
(sports—practice, practice, practice so when the lights are on the brightest…shooting free throw under pressure…)
Application:
3. — (in form of a ? - comes from the crowd) - how do we react when confronted with uncomfortable truth?
the crowd was confronted with uncomfortable truth…how do we react to uncomfortable truth? Stephen took familiar stories and applied them in fresh ways to Jesus....
when someone confronts us with criticism (even if it is unfair—do we take time to evaluate it and consider it). Are we able to take constructive feedback and change if the Holy Spirit is calling us to change through others?
do we get defensive or do we slow down realizing— “I am covered under the grace of God? even if I am in the wrong, it’s a chance to grow, be forgiven and change?”
or do I react like this crowd— “I may not stone them to death, but I surely stone them in my heart....
What has God been trying to speak to you that you have been resisting?
I have to think of the religious leaders would just have paused and say “Let’s talk and discuss and at least consider…maybe Stephen is right?”
How that could have made a difference.
Application
#4— Somehow, God advances His kingdom in spite of opposition. (8:1, 4)
Look at Acts 8:1
1 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
this Saul would go on to become the Apostle Paul that God would use to be one of the greatest missionaries of all time.
this persecution would also scatter the church outside of Jerusalem—hundreds and thousands of believers would go all over the place now—to spread the Word of God. instead of persecution killing the church, it only multiplied and sped up its spread.
this passage reminds us so much of Jesus and how He mysteriously works...
we mentioned earlier that the accusations against Stephen were some of the same Jesus faced...
but what Stephen says also reminds us of Jesus
look at Acts 7:59
59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
Jesus prayed a similar prayer while hanging on the cross:
46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” When he had said this, he breathed his last.
and then Acts 7:60
60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Jesus on the cross, suffering and dying—our model for persecution today. though it seemed like Jesus had lost that day—he actually won. because he paid for our sins fully on the cross, crying out “It is finished!”
and he rose triumphantly from the grave
what seemed like defeat was actually God’s plan.
and I think the same thing happened that day with Stephen.
it launched the Christian church—it spread them from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth.
God was working in spite of the opposition. I am sure this wasn’t the Church’s plan to spread the Gospel…
what man intended for evil—somehow God works for good and the saving of many lives—just like he did in Joseph, Moses, the cross of Jesus Christ, Stephen, and even your situation of suffering and witnessing.
—Jesus was standing (Hebrews says sitting)—being welcomed in...
so as we close today...
what do we learn from Stephen — as we think about 2024—how can you be the kind of person intentionally formed into a man full of faith and wisdom and the Spirit like Stephen? we don’t drift into it--
how can we open — unlike the religious leaders—to conviction?
how might God open up doors for you to be his witnesses?
could it be that God could use suffering in your life to help spread His gospel? It’s not part of your plan—but His...