Stephen: Holy Spirit filled life

Last week we were introduced to the Seven who were selected by the believers to serve the Grecian widows. All seven of these men were selected because they had a solid reputation, good character, they were spiritually mature, and full of wisdom. These men were willing to serve in whatever position to fill a critical need within the Body of Christ. These men were way overqualified for this humble role but it was never about a title or a position, it was about loving people the way Jesus loved people.

In Acts 6:8-15 we are introduced to Stephen. Stephen made a huge impact on the church in a tragic way, much to young… spoiler alert… yes, Stephen became the first martyr in the Book of Acts.

This morning we will cover a lot of ground in the Book of Acts. We will finish Chapter 6 and go through Chapter 7. Chapter 7 is the longest chapter in the book of Acts. It is Stephen’s speech which is a historical recap from Abraham through Moses and then Stephen closes by calling out there sinful rebellion against God and then presented them with a response to repent. The religious leaders were so full of anger and pride that they picked up stones and murdered Stephen.

So who was Stephen?

Acts 6:5 (ESV)

5 “… Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…”

Stephen was the first of the 7 listed who was who was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit.

If we are going to be full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit we will make a great impact for God’s Kingdom wherever we go.

PRAY

So let’s continue in our text in Acts 6:8-15

Acts 6:8–15 ESV

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 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. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 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, 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.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen was a man full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, he was also full of grace and power.

Stephen was the first non-apostle mentioned in the book of Acts to stand up to the religious leaders.

Stephen was the first non-apostle mentioned where signs and wonders followed his ministry.

Stephen boldly proclaimed Jesus as the true Messiah and the Holy Spirit gave him the boldness to be HIS witness and wisely defend the truth against the religious elites.

Stephen was so articulate and full of the Holy Spirit that the religious leaders were frustrated because none of them could stand against the wisdom he had as he spoke. They were embarrassed; they were humiliated so these Jewish experts in the law began to slander Stephen.

They set up false witnesses against the man.

They said that he never stops speaking words against the holy temple and against the Jewish law.

They claimed that he said that Jesus will destroy the temple and change the customs that Moses handed down to the Jewish people.

None of those things were true, all of this was slanderous lies. In fact, in Stephen’s speech in Chapter 7, he was careful to honor historical breakdown that honored the patriarchs of Jewish history. From Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers… then the 400 years of slavery and Moses.

Stephen honored those men of faith who came before them but confronted the rebellious cycle that had never been broken until Jesus came to break that cycle.

That required them to do something that they were unwilling to do… to humble themselves, to repent of there sin, to admit that Jesus truly was the Messiah and to admit the fact that they needed Jesus.

That is the snapshot of our text. I encourage you to read through it at home because it is an excellent condensed historical account of Abraham through Moses from a Christ centered, New Testament perspective.

So, what can we learn from the short life of Stephen?

Being filled with the Holy Spirit makes us a thermostat not a thermometer

Are we led by the culture, by the world, by social media influencers, by the political climate? Or are we led by the Holy Spirit and anchored in our love for Jesus?

As Spirit-filled believers, we don’t change as the temperature changes, we are the ones who set the temp.

If we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will seek to glorify Jesus as we speak the truth about Jesus. Regardless of what the world says, we are called to be witnesses for Jesus.

If we are led by the Holy Spirit, we will speak against sin… religious bondage and we will point people to the freedom that only Jesus can bring.

The Jewish leaders were stuck in tradition, in legalism, in power over the people and they were jealous that God was doing miraculous things outside of their influence.

Stephen, a man full of the Holy Spirit became that thermostat who changed the religious environment by confronting the bondage they were putting on the people.

The religious establishment could not stop the New Testament church because the church embraced their new identity, they were now witnesses for Jesus. And these witnesses were filled with the Holy Spirit just like Stephen.

Even many of the Jewish priests were becoming followers of Jesus which made the religious establishment even more mad.

They were desperate, they were trapped but they were so prideful that they could not acknowledge that this was a God sized movement and this movement could not be stopped.

The Holy Spirit will give us the words to say and the courage to say it.

Stephen wasn’t willing to back down no matter what they threw at him.

Acts 6:10–14 NLT

10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. 11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council. 13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

Since they could not withstand the Holy Spirit empowered wisdom that Stephen spoke they resorted to slander and lies.

They set up false witnesses against him saying that he was heard blaspheming Moses and even God. He said that God will destroy the temple and change the Mosiac customs so Stephen was arrested and brought before the high counsel.

He could have backed down and appeased the men who had the authority to kill him but he didn’t.

He didn’t back down instead he allowed God to speak and to debunk those false arguments. But it was never about Stephen, it was always about Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave him the words to speak and he boldly spoke them.

He had the attention of the high counsel before he addressed the counsel.

Acts 6:15 NLT

15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.

Stephen’s countenance reflected the glory of God. I’m not sure what that looked like but it was very noticeable.

When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, HE will change our countenance, HE will give us freedom, HE will brighten up our face even when we face certain conflict ahead. The Holy Spirit will give us that peace.

The Holy Spirit will used us to present the promise.

In Chapter 7 Stephen presented his speech.

Acts 7:1–8 (ESV)

1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.

5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot’s length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Stephen went through the history of the faith, the covenant of circumcision, and the inheritance of Abraham, an inheritance that he would not see.

Then he goes on to Joseph. How God used Joseph to protect the promise by protecting Israel through the famine. But another Pharaoh came to power that did not know Joseph and enslaved the Israelites.

Acts 7:17–20 (ESV)

17 “But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt 18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph. 19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive. 20 At this time Moses was born.

Moses was raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. He was instructed in the wisdom of the Egyptians and he was mighty in word and deed.

Then at 40 he went out to visit his people the Israelites then as he saw an Egyptian oppressing an Israelite man, so Moses struck down the Egyptian thinking that he would gain favor among his own people but that backfired. As he was trying to split up an argument one of them asked Moses “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?” Then Moses was exposed for murdering an Egyptian so he fled to Midian for another 40 years.

Then God called Moses back to Egypt through the burning bush so God could use Moses to deliver HIS people from slavery.

God said to Moses that…

Acts 7:34 ESV

34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

Acts 7:35–39 (ESV)

35 “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. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,

God used Moses to reveal and ultimately fulfill the promise that was given to Abraham but they still rebelled against God in the wilderness.

Rebellion was in the heart of all mankind from the beginning and so God revealed to Moses that they needed a Savior.

Stephen pointed out that Moses was talking about Jesus. This Jesus that the religious leaders crucified.

Jesus is the promised Messiah who is able to deliver us from sin.

In Moses’ day, the people had the law but Jesus came to fulfill the law and became the perfect and final sacrifice for the sin of all mankind.

Stephen revealed that that history would repeat itself unless they repent, stop rebelling against God and surrender through obedience to Jesus.

Then he refers to the temple. He reminded them that originally God dwelled in a tent in the wilderness and God was fine with that but David had it in his heart to build God a house so the temple was eventually built by Solomon.

This is where Stephen exposed there religious spirit for what it was…

Acts 7:48–53 ESV

48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by 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 what is the place of my rest? 50 Did not my hand make all these things?’ 51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 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, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Stephen is speaking the way Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and the religious leaders.

He said that loving God has nothing to do with customs, traditions, places of worship but it has everything to do with surrendering to the Lordship of Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit and stop resisting the Holy Spirit.

So often we want to make Jesus the Lord of our life instead of surrendering our life to the Lordship of Jesus. Jesus is King and if we are going to be of HIS Kingdom we must surrender to Christ’s Lordship.

Rebellion isn’t just in the religious leaders… we want to do what we want to do instead of doing what God wants us to do.

It drove Stephen’s audience mad with rage… mad enough to kill Stephen for speaking God’s truth.

The truth is hard to hear… nobody likes to hear the truth. We would rather hear, I’m ok being broken, my brokenness is who I am, stop judging me for being broken.

If the truth is reveal, we have a choice… to ignore the truth and hang out with those who affirm my brokenness or deal with truth and surrender to Jesus. When truth is out we are held accountable to that truth.

Acts 7:54–58 ESV

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 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. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Through this tragedy, we are introduced to an important, New Testament figure, Paul.

Saul was unwilling to repent, he was angry, he was deceived in thinking that he was doing God’s bidding but later on he realizes that he was not.

Jesus reveals HIMSELF to Saul on the road to Damascus and that’s when his heart of stone became a heart of Flesh.

Only Jesus can change our rebellious heart.