Stephen Filled With Boldness

Frankie

Frankie's been coming to this church for 14 years.

He graduated from Tarpon High School, Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.7.

Played football all four years as well as being a part of the Jacobson Culinary Arts Academy at Tarpon High all 4 years and graduated with an Occupational Completion Point A,B and C in Professional, Culinary Arts and Hospitality from Pinellas Technical College.

He is planning on attending Pinellas Technical College for Construction then St Pete college for business management. He believes he would like to become a superintendent over building houses.

Signs and Wonders (v.8)

Acts 6:8 ESV

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

Background Point: Stephen outside his original call - one of the men chosen to serve the widows is now doing things outside of his original calling.

We too should be flexible to do things outside of our original calling

Tell the story of Pastor Steve and I sitting in the office discussing all the different rolls I was thrust into.

Stephen full of grace and power - Stephen is presented as a prophetic figure in this passage who is about to communicate God’s word to the people.

He is fulfilling a pattern of prophetic destiny which involves rejection and suffering, but ultimately vindication by God.

The Opposition (V.9)

Acts 6:9 ESV

9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

These men were all diaspora jews who were hellenists themselves.

These “freedmen” would have had a desire to defend and try to recapture some of the traditions they had and therefore would have defended them strongly.

They would have been bought in on the false religion of the Pharisees and Sadducees

Sometimes we can fall in love too much with our tradition “how we have always done things” is what we find ourselves saying all the time.

Tradition can become and idol for us (like it was for these men) and can lead us to do rash things

Sometimes our love for tradition can hinder our ministry.

We have to make new traditions!

Could Not Withstand (v.10)

Acts 6:10 ESV

10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

God filled his prophets with wisdom and the Spirit to do the tasks - Jesus promised that his followers would be filled with the Holy Spirit and given the right words to say.

Luke 21:10–15 ESV

10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. 12 But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name’s sake. 13 This will be your opportunity to bear witness. 14 Settle it therefore in your minds not to meditate beforehand how to answer, 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

When we have to give answer for anything remember this truth!

We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit and that Holy Spirit will give us the right words to say.

People being afraid to tell others about Christ because they are afraid that they will not be answer questions.

Stirred up in secret (v.11-13)

Acts 6:11–13 ESV

11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law,

These false witnesses accuse the true witnesses of blasphemy against Moses and God!

Exodus 20:16 ESV

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

They then go stir up everyone in anger to persecute Stephen.

Unfortunately this is us sometimes - we go around we plot and we gossip on our own and we create trouble! We twist things and make false accusations against others - other people we may even consider friends!

Application: Things done in secret often times do not bring honor to God

If we are afraid that others will know of something we are doing then we should probably not be doing it.

Accusations about the temple (v.14)

Acts 6:14 ESV

14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

They make the same accusation against Stephen that they made about Jesus.

Mark 14:57–64 ESV

57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, not made with hands.’ ” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” 61 But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death.

Gospel Transition

Gospel Transition: We have no need for a physical temple here on earth anymore because we have no further need for sacrifices because Christ was our final sacrifice.

Hebrews 9:24–28 ESV

24 For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. 25 Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, 26 for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Nor do we have any need for a temple - for we are all temples for the Holy Spirit!

1 Corinthians 3:16–17 ESV

16 Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Face like an angel (v.15)

Acts 6:15 ESV

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

This reminds us of Moses - in fact Stephen is a very Moses like character

A servant leader prophet who is rejected by the people

Face lit up perhaps to represent that the Spirit of God is closing the gap between heaven and earth.

Final Application Points

God uses us in ways we do not always expect

Things done in secret usually are not good

We are temples of the Holy Spirit