Acts 6:8-7:60 - The Unstoppable Nature of God's Message "Don't miss it like they did!"

I love when water was still.

Taking a rock and throwing it to watch the giant splash

Ripples for begin from the site of impact and work it’s way to the bank of the pond

Once you throw that rock, there is nothing that can stop the ripples from going out to the banks.

You can’t simply return the water to its perfectly calm stillness.

What we’re going to see today is:

Big Idea: The unstoppable nature of the gospel

Once the gospel disrupts something, there isn’t returning it to its original state.

The church has been growing and multiplying

Signs and wonders are being done by the apostles

The Word of the Lord is continue to increase daily.

Context

Stephen was 1/7 chosen by the church to ensure that everyone got a fair distribution of the food.

Stephen is a Christian, “full of faith and the Holy Spirit” (v. 5).

Stand to read

Acts 6:8–7:1 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. 1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

Leader: This is God’s Word

Everyone: Thanks be to God.

This is a frequent theme for the Jews.

They get jealous and try to kill someone.

They arrest Stephen and put him on trial.

Stephen gives them a clinic of historical theology.

Stephen runs them through the Old Testament!

Pointing to Abraham, Jospeh, Moses, Joshua, David, and Solomon.

One after another God had shown patience and love toward His people through leading them out of their brokenness.

More than that, every time the Lord would bring them back, they’d sin against Him again!

The Jews continue to fail to see the point of the law and the temple.

They idolized the Temple.

One of their accusations against him was that him against the law and the temple (v.13)

He points out that they’ve missed the Lord entirely.

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.”

Time and time again, the people of Israel rejected to presence, the power, and the plan of God.

God remained steadfast in His patience and persistence of His people.

Church, what this shows us is:

Rejection will not stop the gospel

In our sin, we have all rejected God’s plan.

If you were to come up to me after service and say, “I never want to see or talk to your ever again.”

I’d be pretty sad.

If you send me a mean email

I’ll probably chuckle after rolling my eyes.

If my wife says to me, “I don’t want to talk with you ever again”

That would destroy me. That’s so much worse.

Hilary’s words have so much more weight than anyone else.

The longer and deeper the love, the greater the torment of loss.

Time/time again the people of Israel had rejected the gospel

Yet, God remained faithful

Rebellion after rebellion, God remained faithful to His people.

To the point that He sent His Son, Jesus, who would endure very similar trials that Stephen is enduring so that we can be called children of God!

Those who believe in Jesus through faith are given a new life in Christ!

There are people who will not receive the gospel.

If you’re a Christian, there are people who will not believe what you have to say about Jesus.

There are people who may even speak out against you.

Following Jesus means we will face spiritual attack and temptations.

God has not let us to fight for ourselves.

Church,

The gospel empowers us to endure trials

Gospel presentation

God provided for us an Advocate!

Jesus came to live as a man, die as a man, and conquer evil!

Jesus died for our sins!

Jesus sympathizes with us in our sufferings!

He was rejected by the very people He came to save!

We crucified Him!

Jesus was also rejected by God because He became sin for us!

The very spirit of Jesus lives in us by faith!

It’s the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us the endurance to face all trials because He faced them first!

In this moment, Stephen is suffering and being rejected just like Jesus was.

Acts 7:54–60 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. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen was a man, full of faith and the Holy Spirit.

He was absolutely resolved in His trust in Christ.

When they started picking up their rocks, He stood on the Rock of his salvation!

He looked up into heaven and saw a glimpse of King Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

This is interesting. Usually, you hear the phrase that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God—Now He’s standing.

When I graduated from college, when the graduates come in—Everyone stood.

In our wedding, when it’s time for Hilary to come down the isle, everyone stood.

When we give standing ovations

When you come to my house, we will stand up and greet you!

Standing gives acknowledgement of honor.

Jesus is standing in honor of Stephen before the Father.

Stephen acknowledged Jesus before man, now Jesus is acknowledging Stephen before the Father.

Jesus stands to welcome Stephen into the Kingdom.

After Stephen sees Jesus, he prays and the crowd rushes.

Notice how Luke uses the phrase, “he fell asleep.”

For the Christian, death is like sleeping.

This is a beautiful picture reminding us that while “Stephen fells asleep in this life, he woke up in glory.”

“For as sure as he suffered and died like Christ, he was guaranteed to be resurrected like Christ.”

Tony Merida

Stephen’s hope was in a resurrected Savior.

Church, this shows us that:

Death will not stop the gospel

Since Jesus is the risen King, we can be sure in our proclamations off the gospel!

Jesus is risen and rules and reigns at the right hand of God!

Gospel presentation

Don’t miss this like they did!

If you’re not a Christian, this simple message is for you!

When Jesus took on flesh, He was here on mission!

He was going to take your guilt, shame, and sin off you and onto Himself!

He endured the suffering that you were supposed to for your sin!

Jesus died for you!

When Jesus made the sacrifice on the cross, He showed that death couldn’t stop the gospel by defeating death by rising from the death!

Now, just like Stephen, you can have this hope in the risen Jesus through faith.

Turn from your sin, and follow Jesus!

Stephen was received into the arms of Jesus, and the gospel continued.

Watch how.

Acts 8:1–2 ESV

1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.

This appears to be very grim, but don’t miss the absolute beauty that comes from this.

Because of suffering, persecution, and rejection, the gospel did not stay in Jerusalem, but went to Judea and Samaria.

Do you remember where Jesus said they’d be witnesses of the gospel?

Acts 1:8 “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.””

Rejection and death did not stop the gospel, but advanced the gospel!

Though they think they are stopping the preaching off the gospel, they’re actually spreading it!

Take that, Satan!

It appears to be a dark day in the church, but God uses evil for good!

Stephen’s death sparked a movement of the church and now Christians are being arrested for believing in Jesus, but the gospel is spreading and people are being saved!

It didn’t stop in Judea and Samaria—the gospel made it’s way all the way to Dearborn County.

To save you and me by the grace and power of God.

There may be some things in your life right now where you’re thinking, “How could God ever use this?”

It’s okay to mourn—They did when they buried Stephen (8:2)

But this suffering is producing more gospel-fruit than before.

Ripple effect

A rock, that will not move on its own is taken and thrown onto a peaceful lake.

The rock breaks the water’s surface and instantly sinks to the bottom.

This causes ripples to move throughout the lake until it reaches the bank.

The rock needed a disturbance in order to make ripples and cause this beautiful after affect on the water.

Church,

The gospel empowers us to reach the world

There are people who do not know the gospel or have a relationship Jesus.

Value: Share the Hope of Jesus

We have been given the most important message ever.

There is heaven and there is hell

There are people’s eternity’s at steak!

We have been given influence into people’s lives!

God has allowed us to have relationships where we can show people the we care and love them

Take home:

Nothing will stop the gospel.

This means the gospel

Empowers us to endure hard times together as the church.

Empowers us to share the hope of Jesus with the world.