Acts 7
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Legacy: What Is Yours
Legacy: What Is Yours
The Testimony of Stephen—7:1–2, 8–9, 22–25, 37
A. Divine purpose—vv. 1–2. God led Abraham to Charan (Haran), 420 miles north of Jerusalem. He wants to lead you in your daily life.
B. Divine promise—v. 8. God’s promise or covenant to Abraham signals the start of the twelve tribes. All fit into God’s plan.
C. Divine protection—v. 9. Though Joseph’s brothers sold him, yet God protected him to preserve the Jewish race. Though the New Testament was not yet written, Joseph knew the meaning of .
Josephs brothers did not recognize the one who could save them the firs time they saw him. Do you recognize your Savior when you see Him
D. Divine pity—vv. 22–25. Moses felt sorry for his people; then he became their leader.
E. Divine prophet—v. 37. Moses is speaking here of the coming of Christ.
The Triumph of Stephen—7:54–60
A. Problem—v. 54. These leaders didn’t want to know the truth. As the result of this attitude they became angry.
B. Power—vv. 55–56
1. Spirit—v. 55. He was full of the Holy Spirit. This is the secret of success.
2. Satisfaction—v. 56. Jesus is standing to welcome Stephen at the right hand of God. See , .
C. Persecution—vv. 57–58. The people became angry and cast Stephen out of the city. His clothes were laid at the feet of Saul.
D. Prayer—vv. 59–60. As he dies he prays for his enemies.
The Jewish leaders felt that killing Stephen would destroy Christianity. Saul watches him die, and later becomes one of the great preachers. The death of Stephen left an impact upon Saul which he could not forget. Stephen was willing to suffer for the Lord.
THE SURRENDER—vv. 54–60
A. The problem—v. 54. (LNT). Guilt brings anger. Truth often creates anger among those who are guilty. Notice how angry some people are when they are wrong!
B. The Personality—vv. 55–56
1. Spirit—v. 55. Stephen is filled with the Spirit. He sees Jesus standing at the Father’s right hand. The Bible speaks of Jesus sitting at the Father’s right hand—. Why was Jesus standing? To welcome Stephen home.
2. Saviour—v. 56. The Saviour, whom Stephen serves, welcomes him home.
C. Punishment—vv. 57–58. The anger leads to murder. Stephen did no wrong. A young man named Saul (later Paul) holds the clothes of those killing Stephen.
D. Prayer—vv. 59–60. A twofold prayer: (1) receive my spirit—v. 59; (2) remission—v. 60, asking God to forgive their sin.
Pentz, C. M. (1975). Outlines from Mark and Acts (p. 42). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.
The connecting feature of these four epochs is that in none of them was God’s presence limited to any particular place. On the contrary, the God of the Old Testament was the living God, a God on the move and on the march, who was always calling his people out to fresh adventures, and always accompanying and directing them as they went.
Conclusion
Stott, J. R. W. (1994). The message of Acts: the Spirit, the church & the world (pp. 130–131). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
What interests many people most about Stephen is that he was the first Christian martyr. Luke’s main concern lies elsewhere, however. He emphasizes the vital role Stephen played in the development of the world-wide Christian mission through both his teaching and his death.
Stephen’s teaching, misunderstood as ‘blasphemy’ against the temple and the law, was that Jesus (as he himself had claimed) was the fulfilment of both. Already in the Old Testament God was tied to his people, wherever they were, not to buildings. So now Jesus is ready to accompany his people wherever they go. When soon Paul and Barnabas set out into the unknown on the first missionary journey, they will find (as Abraham, Joseph and Moses had found before them) that God is with them. That is exactly what they reported on their return (14:27; 15:12). Indeed, this assurance is indispensable to mission. Change is painful to us all, especially when it affects our cherished buildings and customs, and we should not seek change merely for the sake of change. Yet true Christian radicalism is open to change. It knows that God has bound himself to his church (promising that he will never leave it) and to his word (promising that it will never pass away). But God’s church means people not buildings, and God’s word means Scripture not traditions. So long as these essentials are preserved, the buildings and the traditions can if necessary go. We must not allow them to imprison the living God or to impede his mission in the world.
Stephen’s martyrdom supplemented the influence of his teaching. Not only did it deeply impress Saul of Tarsus, and contribute to his conversion which led to his becoming the apostle to the Gentiles, but it also occasioned ‘a great persecution’ which led to the scattering of the disciples ‘throughout Judea and Samaria’ (8:1b).
The church was shocked, even stunned, by the martyrdom of Stephen and by the violent opposition which followed. But, with the benefit of hindsight, we can see how God’s providence used Stephen’s testimony, in word and deed, through life and death, to promote the church’s mission.
Stott, J. R. W. (1994). The message of Acts: the Spirit, the church & the world (p. 143). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.