Making the Most of Every Moment
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Today we are going to be picking up where we left off last week in Acts Chapter 7.
Last week, we looked in Acts Chapter 6 where we seen the first deacons of the Church ordained and one of those, if you will remember, was a man named Stephen.
Stephen, the Bible told us, was a man full of faith and power and the Holy Ghost and He did great wonders and miracles among the people.
He was, by all indications, a man sold out for Christ and on fire for God!
In Verse 9, we seen a group of individuals rise up and start disputing with Stephen about his beliefs as a Christian and the Bible told us in Verse 10 that… “they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.”
Stephen was on fire for God because God was on fire in him!
Hebrews 12:29 tells us...
29 For our God is a consuming fire.
And we can see that plainly play out in this great servant, named Stephen’s life!
Because these men could not overcome the defense of the gospel that Stephen presented though, they stirred up the surrounding people against Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin council and the Bible says they...
13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
At this point, the Bible tells us that after the charges were laid against Stephen, they all looked upon him and his face was as the face of an angel!
Stephen was shining for all the crowd to see!
Now, I love what Chuck Swindoll says about the situation before us here as we begin Chapter 7 and I want to use it as the springboard for our message today.
Chuck Swindoll — Imagine yourself standing before the most powerful and influential officials in your country’s government. Evidence has been presented that makes you appear guilty of a capital crime, for which the sentence of death will be carried out before sundown.
These officials have the power to decide whether you live or die, and if you die, how quick or how painful your death will be. Your next words will determine what happens next. Do you feel the pressure of Stephen’s situation?
Stephen looked at his circumstances and, instead of feeling the pressure to save his own life, saw a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. For a few precious moments, he was given the undivided attention of the most powerful and influential men in Jerusalem. Rather than waste those critical moments pleading for his life or refuting the false testimonies of Christ’s enemies, he chose to say what Israel’s leaders needed to hear.
The title I have given to today’s message is simply this…Making the Most of Every Moment.
Stephen’s “apologia” or defense of the gospel would wind up costing him his life.
In just a few brief moments, Stephen would become the first martyr for Christ but what his accusers did not know, was that in doing so, they would cause the seed of salvation to spread the world over and the same Christ they were trying to rid themselves of would soon be preached in every corner of the known world!
Stephen’s life was a living testimony of what Christ can do when a man or woman is sold out for God and the question I want to ask you this morning, as we get ready to look at Stephen’s defense, is this…are you making the most of every moment for God?
Does the world see Christ in you?
Is your life a living testimony of who God is and what He can do in a person’s life when given full control?
Life is short and not a single person sitting here this morning knows exactly how much time you have left on this earth. If your next breath were to be your last and you were to stand before almighty God to give an account for what you’ve done with your life, would you be excited for God to take a look or would you be embarrassed with what you’ve done with the time that God has blessed you with?
Someone once calculated and asked, “What is 750,000 miles long, reaches around the world thirty times, and grows twenty miles longer each day?”
The answer is the line of people who do not know Christ as their Savior.
During the reign of Oliver Cromwell, the British government began to run low on silver for coins. Lord Cromwell sent his men on an investigation of the local cathedral to see if they could find any precious metal there.
After investigating, they reported, “The only silver we could find is in the statues of the saints standing in the corners.” Cromwell replied, “Good! We will melt down the saints and put them into circulation!” — Rod Mattoon — Treasures from Acts
That dear friends is the great need of the church today!
We need some saints to get into circulation and start spreading the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with a lost and dying world!
Would you be willing to step up and volunteer to do that today?
Would you be willing to say as the great prophet Isaiah said, “Here I am Lord; send me?”
Are you willing this morning to make the most of every moment God gives you?
Let us pray.
A Lesson in History — (Vs. 1-47)
A Lesson in History — (Vs. 1-47)
Chapter 7 opens up with Stephen presenting his defense of the gospel but he goes about it totally different than we have seen Peter do thus far.
Every time we have seen Peter defend the gospel thus far, his defense has been mainly surrounding the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ but Stephen takes a little bit of a different route.
While Peter’s defense was straight forward and to the point, you could almost say that Stephen takes the long way home in his defense.
Stephen takes the council of religious elites on a journey through time and gives them a lesson in history if you will.
I have made this comment many times in the past but can I tell you once again that the word “history” is one of my favorite words!
You know what history is right?
It’s “His”story!
That could be why I love the study of history so much!
And as we begin to read here, you’re going to see that Stephen not only gives them a lesson in history but he brings it all home in the end and let’s them know it truly is “His” story!
Stephen begins his history lesson with Abraham. Look with me if you will at Verses 1-8.
Abraham — (Vs. 1-8)
Abraham — (Vs. 1-8)
Stephen sets the tone for the rest of his defense with a lesson in faith and who better to use as an illustration for faith than the Father of faith himself, Abraham.
The Bible says in...
6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
God told Abraham to go and Abraham went. He didn’t ask questions, he just went.
In...
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.
9 By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise:
10 For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.
11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.
12 Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable.
13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he hath prepared for them a city.
Don’t miss what’s happening here and the why behind Stephen’s use of Abraham.
What was the charge against him?
13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.
The Jews were so enamored with their man made temple that they had forgotten the one who it was even built for!
They were so focused on the earthly that they had forgotten about the heavenly.
The reasoning behind Stephen’s use of Abraham, the Father of the Jews, was to condition these men’s minds and show them how far off course they had actually gone!
The founding Father of the Jews, the great Patriarch Abraham didn’t even have a tabernacle to worship in but he didn’t need one!
His faith was in God and he looked for a city the Bible says which had foundations whose builder and maker was God!
The first point Stephen makes here in his defense of the gospel is that faith in God is more important than faith in any man made temple!
The temple cannot save but God can!
The Jews had gotten so caught up in their man made traditions that they had left God out of the equation!
They were so focused on the earthly tabernacle that they weren’t focused at all on the heavenly tabernacle!
They thought good works and temple worship were the way to salvation but they had missed the point altogether!
The point of the temple was who the temple was pointing them to!
And the point of the law was that it was given to point them to God!
But they missed the point as so many even today do!
Listen friend, good works can’t save you!
And simply going to Church can’t save you!
The only thing that can save you is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ!
I read of a man named W.C. Fields and when he was on his deathbed, a visitor found him reading the Bible. When asked what he was doing, he replied, “Looking for loopholes, my friend. Looking for loopholes.” — Rod Mattoon — Treasures from Acts
Listen this morning friend, there are no loopholes in God’s word!
There are no loopholes when it comes to salvation.
It is by faith alone in Christ alone that a man, woman, boy or girl gets saved!
Nothing else!
12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Father Abraham had it figured out and Stephen starts his defense of the gospel with the great Patriarch to show these men that they didn’t.
They were missing the mark. They were missing the very one their temple was meant to worship! Their faith was focused on the wrong thing!
Then he moves on to another very famous Patriarch of the Jews to show them just who their faith should be in!
Look down at Verses 9-19 with me.
Joseph — (Vs. 9-19)
Joseph — (Vs. 9-19)
Rod Mattoon — When you study the life of Joseph in the book of Genesis, you find many similar comparisons between Joseph and Jesus. Joseph was a type or picture of Christ.
1. Both were from the nation of Israel.
2. Both were delivered up because of envy (vs. 9).
3. Both men were rejected by their brothers. (Joseph was sold into slavery)
4. Both were conspired against and falsely accused. (Potiphar’s wife lied about Joseph)
5. Both men were sold out for silver.
6. Both found refuge in the country of Egypt.
7. Both were freed from prison. God freed Jesus from the prison of death and exalted Him. Joseph was freed from Pharaoh’s prison and exalted to the palace.
8. Both became a savior to the people. Joseph’s new name was Zaphnathpaaneah which means or “Savior of the age” or “Savior of the world.” Joseph helped saved multitudes of people from physical death and starvation while Jesus saves people from spiritual death.
9. It was the second visit where Joseph made himself known to his brothers and they recognized him (vs. 13). At Christ’s Second Coming, Israel will finally recognize Jesus as their Messiah and Savior.
Zechariah 12:10 — And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
I racked my brain all week wondering why Stephen chose the men he did out of all the Patriarchs and Prophets and last night as I was sitting there studying, this is what made the most sense to me.
He chose Abraham to show these men what real faith looked like and who their faith should be in.
Then Joseph, I was stuck until I read this by Rod Mattoon about the similarities between Joseph and Christ.
The only thing that makes sense to me is to drive home the fact that Joseph was a picture of Christ and show them that Christ is the true prophesied Messiah and that’s who their faith needed to be in.
And then next, we’re going to see he moves on to Moses as the third Patriarch.
Moses was held as the great deliverer and law giver to the Children of Israel.
And the reason I believe Stephen chose Moses as his third person of defense is to show that even going all the way back to days of Moses, their people had more times than not, been a rebellious people and denied the men whom God had sent!
Look down at Verses 19-47 with me.
Moses — (Vs. 19-47)
Moses — (Vs. 19-47)
William Barclay writes — NEXT upon the scene comes the figure of Moses. For the Jews, Moses was above all the man who answered God’s command to go out. He was quite literally the man who gave up a kingdom to answer God’s summons to be the leader of his people. Our Bible story has little to tell us of the early days of Moses; but the Jewish historians had much more to say.
According to Josephus, Moses was so beautiful a child that, when he was being carried down the street in his nurse’s arms, people stopped to look at him. He was so brilliant in his youth that he surpassed all others in the speed and the eagerness with which he learned.
One day, Pharaoh’s daughter took him to her father and asked him to make him his successor on the throne of Egypt. Pharaoh agreed. Then, the tale goes on, Pharaoh took his crown and for a joke placed it on the infant Moses’ head; but the child snatched it off and threw it on the ground. One of the Egyptian wise men standing by said that this was a sign that if he was not killed at once this child was destined to bring disaster on the crown of Egypt. But Pharaoh’s daughter snatched Moses into her arms and persuaded her father to take no notice of the warning.
When Moses grew up, he became the greatest of Egyptian generals and led a victorious campaign in far-off Ethiopia, where he married the princess of the land.
In the light of that, we can see what Moses gave up. He actually gave up a kingdom in order to lead his people out into the desert on a great adventure for God.
Rod Mattoon — Moses humbled himself by leaving the royal palace of the Pharaoh of Egypt. Jesus humbled Himself by leaving the glory place of Heaven to come to this wicked world. In so doing, He humbled Himself by becoming a man and leaving the adoration He received in Heaven.
Moses was rejected at first and so was Jesus.
Moses was a shepherd. Jesus is the Good Shepherd.
The history of Moses foreshadows the history of Jesus Christ. Moses delivered and led his people from the bondage of Egypt. Jesus redeemed and delivers men from the bondage of sin.
The Lecture by Stephen — (Vs. 48-53)
The Lecture by Stephen — (Vs. 48-53)
The Lynching of Stephen — (Vs. 54-8:1a)
The Lynching of Stephen — (Vs. 54-8:1a)
Rod Mattoon — The word “being” is from the Greek word huparcho {hoop-ar’-kho}. This word expresses a continuance of a former condition. Being Spirit-filled was a way of life with Stephen.
The Closing
The Closing
Stephen — (stephanos) — literally means crowned.
Stephen was faithful to God and God was faithful to him.
10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.
The question I want to leave you with today as we come to a close is this...
Are you being faithful to God and His will for your life?
Are you making the most of every moment that God is giving you?
Rod Mattoon — Beloved, God wants us to make our lives count for Christ, reaching others for Him.
For example, in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, Alexander Whyte pastored a large church in Edinburgh. During that time, a salesman by the name of Rigby traveled to Edinburgh regularly just to hear him preach. He often invited other businessmen to accompany him to the church services.
One Sunday morning Rigby asked a fellow traveler to go to church with him. Reluctantly, the man said “Yes”. When the traveler heard Whyte’s message, he was so impressed that he returned with Rigby to the evening church service. As the preacher spoke, the man trusted Jesus Christ as his Savior.
The next morning, as Rigby walked by the home of Pastor Whyte, he felt impressed to stop and tell him how his message had affected the other man’s life. When Whyte learned that his caller’s name was Rigby, he exclaimed, “You’re the man I’ve wanted to see for years!”
Pastor Whyte went to his study and returned with a bundle of letters. Alexander Whyte read Rigby some excerpts of the letters—all telling of changed lives. They were letters of men Rigby had brought to hear the Gospel in the church. Like the Samaritans who had been led to Jesus by the woman at the well, these men believed in Jesus Christ because of the word of Rigby. May the Lord help us to be shining lights for Christ. — Treasures from Acts
