Life as a Witness

Introduction - A waste?

In 1949 and about a two-hour’s drive west of here, a young man named Jim Elliot graduated from Wheaton College as a Bible major with highest honors.

In October of that same year Jim would write an entry in his journal that would turn out to be a prophetic statement for his life:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

Earlier the next year, a former missionary to Ecuador told Elliot about the Huaorani (or Auca) Indians. The Huaorani were a small and violent unreached people group who lived in the jungles of the Ecuadorian Amazon.

For years, the Huaorani had been harassed by workers from the Shell Oil Company as Shell looked to acquire the land for the oil reserves. Because of this the Huaorani were both wary and violent toward outsiders.

Jim Elliot, however, sensed a call from God to go and reach the Huaorani for Jesus.

Jim preached a sermon around this same time from the book of Acts on the importance of being a witness.

In 1952, Jim and a friend, Pete Fleming headed to Ecuador as witnesses to this resurrection.

After spending some time in Ecuador learning Spanish, Jim and another missionary friend, Nate Saint, were able to establish contact with the Huaorani in the fall of 1955 .

After several friendly contacts with the tribe from Nate Saint’s plane in January, 1957, Jim, Nate, and three other missionary friends decided to land the plane on a sand bar and camp nearby in an attempt to interact with the Huaorani.

On January 7, the men shared a friendly encounter with three natives who came to meet the foreign crew. The following day, the men waited, expecting to meet a larger group of Huaorani . What met them, however, was not a friendly group looking to make friends but a hostile group coming to attack the missionaries with spears. The men did not fight back and were martyred while trying to share the gospel with the Huaorani.

This story is similar to today’s story of Stephen.

Given the situation, one has to ask if the lives of Jim Elliot and his friends were wasted.

These men loved Jesus, what could they have done if they had lived longer?

These men lived in a place that was not comfortable or desirable by many.

These men spent their days in practical obscurity and really only became known after their death.

These men spend so much of their time working with people who did not want them or Jesus.

So, I have to ask, were their lives wasted?

Something is waste if it has no redeemable value.

So, it all depends on what you see as valuable.

We are meant to live for God.

Reality is:

You cannot waste your life living as a witness.

witness = a person who lives out their faith to show THE Faith.

ILLUST - Worst Witness / Best Witness

Worst Witness - The Burger King employee eating at McDonalds.

Best witness - 5-star rating from a verified purchaser on Amazon.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

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.”

The passage today is the beginning of the transition away from Jerusalem and towards the ends of the earth.

6:1–12:25 The Witness beyond Jerusalem. Beginning with Greek-speaking Jewish Christians in Jerusalem

(6:1–7), the Christian gospel was proclaimed to an ever-widening circle—to Samaria

(8:4–25), to an Ethiopian

(8:26–40), to a Gentile God-fearer

(10:1–48), and to the Gentiles of Antioch

(11:19–30). Key figures in the outreach were the Hellenists Stephen and Philip, the apostle Peter, and eventually Paul and Barnabas. The stage was then set for Paul’s ministry that would go to the “end of the earth” (1:8).

-The ESV Study Bible (Chapter 6)

Stephen lives faithfully and is accused falsely. (6:8-15)

Stephen defends God’s Word. (7:1-53)

Stephen is attacked fiercely and dies for his faith. (7:53-60)

As we walk through the passage, we will also see What we learn about God.

Acts 6:7–7:1 (ESV)

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

Stephen lives faithfully . . .

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

God uses people for His mission.

It is extraordinary to think that God uses people to carry out his mission on earth.

Jesus was here and revealed God to us in the most complete way.

God is not willing that any should perish. Therefore, God will use the very best way to spread the gospel. It was in God’s plan for Jesus to return to his Father and leave the spread of the gospel through disciplemaking to his twelve disciples.

Using people to carry out the mission must then be the best way to carry out his mission.

Importance of the Christian witness:

Kenneth Scott Latourette, respected history professor at Yale said:

The most thought-provoking set of facts in human history is that in spite of its seemingly absurdly inauspicious start, within five centuries Christianity won the professed allegiance of the overwhelming majority of the Greco-Roman world, that it survived the demise of that world, and that within nineteen centuries . . . it penetrated to practically every corner of the inhabited globe and became a moulding force in every great cultural area of mankind.

“Never in so short a time has any other religious faith—or for that matter any other set of ideas, religious, political or economic— ever achieved so commanding a position in such an important culture without the aid of physical force, or social or cultural prestige.” (Other movements spread by conquest or politics, but not Christianity).

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.

Luke 12:11–12 (ESV)

11 And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, 12 for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”

Luke 21:15 (ESV)

15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which none of your adversaries will be able to withstand or contradict.

The Holy Spirit is active.

For the spread of the gospel God is not looking for the clever, he is looking for the Christian. (wasn’t that clever!)

He doesn’t need you to do all the work, he simply needs you to allow the Spirit to work through you.

ILLUST - have you ever experienced this? The Holy Spirit bringing back to mind a Scripture at just the right time or giving you the right words that seem wiser than you knew you could be?

Kind of like James Bond and Q - Q has everything Bond will need for his next adventure even if Bond doesn’t know he needs it.

Can you think of a place in Scripture where God passed over calling a person because they were not skilled enough?

. . . and is accused falsely. (6:8-15)

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.”

These are the same charges they brought against Jesus.

Speaking against Moses (the Law) and the Temple (God’s dwelling place) and therefore against God.

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?”

Stephen defends God’s Word. (7:1-53)

He doesn’t defend himself directly

He defends the gospel

Acts 7:2-50

7:2-8 - Abraham and the patriarchs

Genesis 12-36

7:9-19 - Story of Joseph

Genesis 37-Exodus 1

7:20-44 - Moses

Exodus 2- lev - Num - Deut

Points to how Moses is a type of Jesus: both sent by God, both redeemers, both performed wonders and signs

Acts 7:37 (ESV)

37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’

7:45-50 - Joshua - Solomon

Joshua - 1 Kings

Here Stephen points out that even Solomon’s temple was never intended to house or contain God

Acts 7:51–53 (ESV)

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 cut short when he applies the prophets to his accusers

Acts 7:54–60 (ESV)

54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

Why did they do this? Because God’s Word is effective.

God’s Word is effective.

We don’t need to sell Jesus. God’s Word is effective

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.

Jesus is the only Savior.

Jesus standing at the right hand of God is placing Jesus at the same level as God.

Jesus is a dividing line for the world.

Why is Jesus not sitting? - Is he standing to welcome Stephen or to Judge?

58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

. . .

God’s grace is sufficient.

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.

Living faithfully (as a witness):

Requires a living faith.

Steven had a living faith

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

Acts 6:5 (ESV)

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch.

A living faith does not require a super faith

Stephen was not an apostle in the proper sense as far as we know.

He likely did not meet Jesus.

His faith was developed and strengthened based on what he learned from the apostles.

Same is true for us.

You can’t live our a faith you don’t have.

Don’t practice your faith or dabble in your faith — Live it!

Means knowing God’s Word.

You can’t be a witness to something you know nothing about.

What can you know about Jesus without the Bible?

If I am going to give my life to something, I want to know it is true.

Knowing the Word of God is vital to witness about the one the Word speaks about.

ILLUST - Eagles fan growing up because friends were Eagles fans

I was a fan by association. I was not a follower by relationship.

Stephen did what was necessary to make sure the ministry of the Word was not hindered.

Stephen also knew the Word of God . . . very well

He was a Hellenist - was a Jew not Gentile - Did not grow up with as strong of a cultural Jewish background, which means he may not have had the same exposure to the Scripture as others, but he knew the Scriptures well.

If asked, do you know the Scripture well enough to share the gospel?

Demands your life.

Living out your faith is serious unless you don’t take your faith seriously.

Would you die for Jesus?

You can’t witness to that which you do not truly believe with your whole life.

Will you live for Jesus?

Romans 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Lay down life daily

Luke 9:23 (ESV)

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

We don’t ‘store up’ our devotion in case one day we are called to die for our faith. Full devotion is a daily dying.

It is always easier to commit to a hypothetical situation (of martyrdom) than it is to commit to a constant reality (of dying daily to our desires for Jesus).

You will not waste your life when living as a witness

You may end up wasting your witness depending on how you live your life

The impact of these fully devoted witnesses didn’t end on that riverbank that day.

Several years later, the widow of Jim Elliot and the sister of Nate Saint returned to Ecuador as missionaries to live among the Huaorani.

As a result, many of the Huaorani trusted in Jesus, including some of the same men who killed their husband and brother.

Steve Saint, the son of the missionary pilot tells the story of how his aunt and woman who was like a mother to him lived as a witness to the Huaorani which became influential for him in accepting the gospel, forgiving the men who had killed his father, and even befriending Mincaye, the man solely responsible for his father’s death.

This has led to a national stage to witness to the love of Jesus and the gospel he brings.

Similarly, Stephen’s martyrdom that day was a profound witness to the gospel and grace of God to many. Unbeknownst to Stephen his faithful life and death would have a profound impact on the entire mission of God

And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 22:17-21

17 “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. 20 And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ 21 And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ”

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## Living out your faith is serious unless you don’t take your faith seriously.

## You will not waste your life when living as a witness

## You may end up wasting your witness depending on how you live your life

## It is always easier to commit to a hypothetical situation (of martyrdom) than it is to commit to a constant reality (of dying daily to our desires for Jesus).