Choosing to Live (and die) for Jesus - Acts 6:8-8:1

Bruce Goettsche

Union Church of La Harpe Illinois

Acts • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago • Presented 21 years ago

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“Choosing To Live (and die) For Jesus”

Acts 6:8-7:60

Throughout the course of life there are certain people who seem to stand out from the pack. These are people like Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson and Ben Franklin. You might also think of Winston Churchill, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther. These people made an impact through the lives they lived.

In the Bible there are a host of people who’s stories stand as examples to us. In addition to Jesus, there was Abraham, Joseph, David, and Elijah. In the New Testament we think about James, John, Peter, Paul and Mary (sorry!). A man who should also be on this list is the very first Christian martyr, a man by the name of Stephen.

A martyr is a person who voluntarily dies for what they hold to be true. The word martyr actually comes from the Greek word for witness or testifier. We first met Stephen in the first part of Acts 6. He was one of seven men chosen to minister to the widows and orphans in the new and growing church. In this extended passage of Scripture we look at today, we learn some of the story of Stephen. He stands as an example of what it means to live and die for Jesus Christ.

A TESTIMONY IN LIVING

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. (6:8)

It is interesting to me that we are not told that Stephen was a “nice guy”, we are told he was full of God’s grace and power. Literally he was “filled to brim” with grace and power. I shudder to think what some people might suggest I was filled with!

Stephen was filled with grace. I think this means Stephen radiated or reflected the grace of God. This means,

He had confidence in God’s promise of forgiveness, not because of His own goodness but because of God’s love. There was no boasting or arrogance in Stephen. He knew His salvation was an undeserved gift. When the men of the council looked at Stephen he seemed to have the face of an angel. He was right with God and everyone could see that fact.He extended grace to others. I sense that Stephen was chosen for his position as a servant because he had a gracious heart. He hurt with the hurting and extended love to anyone willing to receive that love.He was a man who enjoyed life. People who understand grace appreciate the wonders of the gift of life. A person who has understood and received God’s grace enjoys the journey of life.

We are also told that Stephen was a man who was filled with power. Stephen walked in God’s power. When he prayed for people, they got better. When he touched them, they were made well. Stephen believed God. He trusted and tapped into God’s power and it was reveled by the way he lived his life.

Stephen was a man of wisdom and knowledge. We are told, “These men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” (9-10) It is apparent that these men debated the truthfulness of the gospel with Stephen. He was equal to the task. Stephen understood what he believed and was equipped to defend those beliefs before others. He was not afraid of debate because he was convinced of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Earlier in the chapter we were told Stephen (6:5) was also a man full of (or captivated by) the Holy Spirit and filled with faith. He was a man under God’s control. He was responsive to God’s Spirit in His life. Stephen was one of those people who showed Christ by the way he lived and by the words he spoke. I bet you have known people like this, haven’t you? The question I can’t help asking is, “Why do these people seem so rare?” Is it because,

we are so busy trying to “fit in” that we are embarrassed to be truly numbered among Christ’s followers?we are so wrapped up with our “needs”, “desires” and “wants” that there is no room on the throne of our life for Jesus?we live in such a “works” oriented world that we don’t understand the nature of grace? Some, I’m sure are spending all their time trying to earn God’s favor, knowing that we are failing miserably.

A TESTIMONY IN WORD

Because of Stephen’s influence, people were uncomfortable with him. When the light shines in the darkness, the darkness rebels. Since they could not overcome him in debate, they resorted to false charges against him.

The charges

“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.” [vv. 13-14]

It is likely that these men did make up these things entirely. They may very well have been quoting Stephan but doing so out of context. Stephen may have been talking relaying Jesus words, “If you destroy this temple, I will raise it in three days?” Jesus was talking about his body and his Resurrection. It could be that Stephen was teaching Jesus’ words, “You have heard that it was said of old, ‘you shall not kill’ but I TELL YOU anyone who hates his brother is guilty of murder.” Jesus, of course was not saying that the law of Moses was no longer valid, he was saying the law meant to speak to our attitudes as well as our actions. It is quite possible that Stephan was teaching that no one could be saved by the law or through going to the temple. It is likely that Stephen was pointing out that the true temple was God dwelling in the heart of those who trust Him and may have pointed to the new law that was going to be written on the heart of everyone who trusted in Christ. His opponents were twisting his words around to say that he was against the temple and the law.

The Defense

In his defense, Stephan went into quite a detailed history of Israel, recounting the experiences of Abraham, Joseph and Moses. Why?

First, Stephen wanted the people to see that God’s revelation is progressive. In other words, God reveals his plan over time. Abraham had a promise but did not see it fulfilled. Joseph was sold as a slave before he became second in command. Moses was at first rejected (and exiled for 40 years) before he ever led the children out of Egypt. This “new religion” these men were so concerned about was really a fuller revelation of God’s purpose. It was not against the truth but the fulfillment of it.

Second, Stephen wanted these leaders to see that the temple, though a special place of worship, was not really the home of God. God has said from the very beginning that there is no one place that God dwells . . . no building can hold Him. The portable nature of the Tabernacle showed it was a temporary habitation of God. The temple (or a church, today) is a special place but it is not God!

Third, Stephen pointed out that all the forefathers of Israel faced rejection. Abraham was a stranger in a foreign land; Joseph was rejected by his brothers; and Moses was rejected several times by the Hebrews as well as by Pharaoh. So, rather than opposing Moses, Stephen was actually following in his footsteps!

You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers 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 put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.”

Stephen wanted these leaders to see beyond their traditions. He wanted them to see the Savior, not their religion. His argument was that just like their forefathers they resisted the truth of God if it disagreed with what was comfortable. He wanted them to see Jesus for who he really was. In this time when most of us would have fiercely defended ourselves, Stephen chose to proclaim Jesus Christ and him crucified. He knew that such a proclamation could cost him his life. He prayed that his example would win his opponents.

Former missionary to Africa, James King, tells the following true story: In one of the African churches under his care, there was a lady who came by herself to every service. Accompanying her was a mongrel, non-descript dog. He would enter with the lady and sit beside her during service. She sat on an outside seat next to the aisle. At the conclusion of the service, when the invitation had been given by the pastor to come for prayer -- the dog would come along and take his place beside her.

The lady's husband was a hard man and abused his wife. In fact, he beat her so severely for her Christian life-style, that he beat her to death. At the funeral he forbid her Christian pastor to conduct a Christian funeral. After her death and burial it was only he and the dog left. He noticed that the dog disappeared on Wednesday evening about 7:00 and didn't reappear for about two hours. It happened again on Sunday -- about 9:00 A.M. the dog was gone and returned about 12:30. The same thing again that evening.

The following Sunday a.m. the man's curiosity was so aroused that he decided to follow and see what the dog was up to. He had to really hurry to keep up. He followed the dog to the humble little church -- the dog went in and took his seat on the aisle while the service went on. At the close of the service, the man who had taken a seat in the back to watch the dog saw the dog come forward and take a place at the altar where his wife had prayed. The man was so touched in his spirit that he too went forward and gave his life to Christ. Now the dog comes to church with a new master. The witness of the faithful is powerful! Stephen understood that his testimony would remain even if they took his life.

A TESTIMONY IN DEATH

The leaders were getting angrier by the minute. In this hostile situation Stephen didn’t focus on the leaders, he looked to Heaven. (That’s a good principles for life). He was filled with the Holy Spirit and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

It is unusual to talk of Jesus “standing”. Normally we think of Jesus sitting at the right hand of God. His work is finished so he has taken his place. The fact that Jesus is standing leads us to believe that Jesus was rising to Stephen’s defense or that He is rising to welcome his servant.

Stephen reported what he saw and the leaders went into a fit of fury. They grabbed him and dragged him off to be executed by stoning. It was an illegal act of an impulsive mob. To the ears of these leaders, Stephen was speaking blasphemy. He was calling Jesus, God. As anticipated, Stephen he was treated just like the prophets who went before him.

Stoning someone was not easy. You couldn’t kill someone with just a few rocks. It was a long hot business. That’s why the men took off their cloaks and laid them at the feet of the young man named Saul. Stephen was pelted again and again. We can only imagine the pain of each rock until he went unconscious and then eventually died.

In the midst of this travesty Stephen didn’t argue. Instead, he entrusted his spirit to the Lord and asked that his murders be forgiven. It is obvious that Stephen is following the example of Christ who yielded His Spirit to the Father and asked God to “forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

CONCLUSIONS

The story of Stephen is a stirring account. What is it God wants us to learn?

First, this is valuable History and introduces us to Saul. Stephen was the first martyr of the Christian faith. It was his blood that became the seed that led others to faith and faithfulness. We should know the story of Stephen.

This historical account also introduces us to a central figure in the remainder of the book of Acts; a man named Saul. Saul approved of these actions and held the coats of the murderers. Later, we will read how this young man Saul persecuted the church and then was gloriously introduced to the grace of God. He then changed his name to Paul.

Second, the passage gives us an example to follow. Notice that Stephen did not compromise the truth.

George Whitefield preached to a New England church three evenings in a row on “You must be born again.” The message was so vigorous that the elders finally came to him and asked, “Mr. Whitefield, why do you keep preaching, ‘You must be born again’?” Whitefield responded, “Because you must be born again!” Stephen wanted to get his message across: “ You have sinned— you need a Savior!”[1]

Stephen understood that the only hope of mankind was for people to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. They had to admit their rebellion and experience his forgiveness and grace. For Stephen to do anything less than proclaim the truth would be an act of disobedience to the Lord and show a lack of love to his accusers.

If you had the cure for a disease and refused to share it with someone who was suffering, it would show that you cared nothing for that person. In the same way, if we know how a person can be given eternal life but don’t tell them, we reveal that we don’t really care about the person.

Stephen cared more for others than he did for himself. He was more concerned for the eternal destiny of others than he was for his own life. The love of God was evident in this man of God.

This leads us to confront the difference between our lives and the life of Stephen. What is our reputation in the world? Would people notice that we belonged to Jesus by the way we live our lives? Could we withstand the questions of the world? Would we have continued to stand with Jesus even if it meant giving our lives? Would we have blessed our enemies, or cursed them?

I’m pretty sure that most of my answers would be on the wrong side of the column. I look at Stephen’s life and wonder, “How can I develop a faith like Stephen?”

The great preacher F.B. Meyer once talked to a man like Stephen and said, “Young man, you have something I lack and something I need. That’s more than obvious. But I can’t put my finger on what that thing might be. Could you tell me?

The man asked, “Have you surrendered everything to Jesus Christ?”

Meyer thought a moment and said that, yes, he felt reasonable certain he’d done that. Then he turned and left, even as the little voice in the back of his mind kept rebuking him, telling him he hadn’t answered the question with integrity. When he arrived home, he went straight to his bedroom and fell on his knees. The prayers and the deep emotions flooded forth from his soul. But he listened, too, to see what God might say. And it seemed to Meyer that the Lord walked right into the room and spoke to him. The Lord had held out His hand and said, “Meyer, I need them all-I need all the keys to your heart.” Finally, in his vision, Meyer reached into his pocket, withdrew a great ring of keys, and handed them over. He waited until they were counted one by one, but the Lord looked up finally and said, “There’s one missing. I asked you for all of them.”

And he turned and walked out the door. Meyer called after him, “Wait, Lord! Where are you going? Please don’t leave me!”

The Lord smiled sadly upon him and replied, “If I’m not Lord of all, Meyer, I’m not Lord at all.”

With great desperate weeping, F.B. Meyer agreed to turn over that last tiny key. He surrendered everything he was, everything he had, and everything he might ever be, to his Lord. And from that day on, the Lord began to use Meyer as He never had before. [David Jeremiah, My Heart’s Desire p. 85]

What keys do we want to hold on to? Are we willing to give God control over the circumstances of life? Are we willing to surrender our bitterness or resentment? Are we willing to live within our means and trust God to provide what is truly best for us? Are we willing to serve in the shadows? Are we willing to trust God with our children and our dreams? What keys of your life are you reluctant to surrender? Are we willing to let Jesus be Lord of our lives or are you trying to share that title with Him?

Admittedly, these are not easy questions. They are however, important questions. Our answers will reveal whether we are more like Stephen, or the men who put him to death.

[1]Hughes, R. K. (1996). Acts : The church afire. Preaching the Word (Ac 8:1). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

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