February 22, 2026 - Tyler Speck Preaching | Acts 8:1-3

I didn't come through until I grew up in church. I went from a b ages 12. Five or six. But one thing I do remember is that doxology word for word on so it's always nice to have to do that. If we don't do that it maybe once or twice a year until it's it's, it's nice to just so bad and so I appreciate that. Give me with you all. Again, I can't answer. My name is, is Tyler. I'm a pastor at a church in Brookline. As I just shared with you, all were in the process of appointing a new church in Newton. It's a little concerning to me that the correlation between when I'm here and snow or should I say call Jason? Maybe there's something there. If you have me back again, I think maybe August it would help us if it's if you want to turn their acts 6 verses 8 through 15. I know y'all bounced around a little bit because of the snow because pastor and son was sick feeling better flu, flu, right? Must have been the am I the flu? I'm actually I had a small sabbatical for the month of January which is really nice, but my son got sick, it wasn't the flu. But then I got the flu which is not how I envisioned spending my time off. I'm the only plus, I was actually did lose some weight. Bouncing around a little bit because of those things, but I think from this point forward, your kind of back to proper order and working through the book of Acts. So again, acts 6 verses eight through 15. What? Why you turn there? I want to pose a question to you to ponder as as we read as we think about this passage and it's this. He's quite simply when you think of the work and glory of God, what do you think of? And when you think of God continuing his work after the Risen Christ. So that is the book of Acts on word to right. Now, what do you typically think of

Give you a second to think about it in, in hold, that question in your mind is, as we read your the word of the Lord ax 6, and Stephen Full of Grace and power was doing great wonders, and signs among the people. And some of those who belong to the synagogue of the Freeman has it was called into the cyrenians and of the alexandrians and of those from Cecilia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Steven, but they could not withstand the wisdom in the spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men, who said we have heard him speak Blasphemous words against Moses, and God, and they stirred up the people in the elders and describes, and they came up on him and sees him and brought him before the council and its setup, false Witnesses. Who said this, man, never ceases to speak words against this. Holy place, the temple, and the law Or we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place, and we'll change the Customs, that Moses delivered to us, and gazing, at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an Angel. Peripheral quick. Thank you for your word. Cuz we open it. I'll speak to our hearts. Speak clearly. And we hear and respond to you, God. Mecu is good and beautiful and true. No matter what anyone in this room is walking in, with God, remind them that you care for them, you love them. You want more than anything. God for us to look to you. Jesus help us to be just that and your name. Amen. Just on when I step back I think it is. Yes, when I think of the work and glory of God, I can only think about positive things. People putting their trust in Jesus, for the first time, prayers, being answered in an undeniable obvious way. People of God is living and walking in the spirit and enacting the gifts of the Spirit, and living out their faith, through the spirit, write a diction, broken. People freed from sin and bondage, instru read. This is, this is all the work of God. This is all to the glory of God. All of those things. But I asked our passage and access to the book of Acts as a whole forces. Us to see something, we don't instinctively think of when it comes to the work and glory of God. Mistress idea that when God is at work in your life, and when God is at work in the lives of others, there's always opposition that comes along as well.

Not to say that the opposition or the evil that we see in this passage or the book of Acts in other places, is the work of God. But because the work and glory of God exposed to human heart, and because there is a real enemy to God, to his people to his work. That hates God, that hates his people. And that's actually exactly what we see in this passage, right? We see two distinct, two, different things going on. We see the work and the glory of God on full display through Steven, and you'll hear even more next week when you get into Steven speech. And what he says to these people, we see these things on full display and beautiful and it's good, and it's awesome. I do the same time that we also see ride along with it. The hatred, the world and the evil of the world. It's our main point today is just simply this the work and glory of God, bring out the hatred and evil of the world.

The work and glory of God, bring out the hatred and evil of the world, right? When you do the work of God and you reflect the work of God, it will bring out hatred and evil. There will be good, that comes out of it as well don't hear me. But there is also hatred and evil that exists

I will look at our passage look at these two idiots at work and glory of God. Mainland verses 8 through 10 also in verse 15 and then look at the hatred and evil of the world versus 11 through 15. The first glory of God. What does Stephen do? What does God do through Steven Wright? Look at what it says forsake. He's full of grace and power and doing great wonders, and signs among the People speaking with wisdom, and with the spirit, riding a 15 will come back to you later. His face is like the face of an Angel. Right before we dive too deep. And remember, we are here as well actually preach on this last time I think two or three Sundays ago did the the the the Christians of the time appointed deacons? I'm in, Steven was one of them. If you remember what I said about Stephen specifically this isn't verses 1 through 7. It list the names of the other six deacons but then it takes time to point out. Something specific about Stephen Right. The author of Acts Luke's goes out of his way to say they chose Stephen. A Man full of faith, and of the Holy Spirit and Philip and precarious, and I can order and timing deposit there. Luke again, who wrote acts is not just telling us that that Steven is kind of like an A+ volunteer who comes in in his around every Sunday serving and doing all the things, right. But he's actually going out of his way to say that this man is an extremely godly, man who's about to suffer greatly

You read the ad and it before you jump into the next part of the passage. You think he's about to crush it, right? All right, we got this Deacon, who's this guy, who's, who's full of faith in full of wisdom and he's full of the spirit all man. He's, he's going to live a life that impacts the kingdom of God, that expands the kingdom of God. He's going to go on to do, Great and Mighty things like that. If we don't keep reading past 47 that's might what might be what we assume. A little. Do we know, just the next page is murdered?

Are you think maybe through this man? Zack, he's going to go on the rest of his life. In thousands will be saved by what happened because he's a man of God full of faith.

Are you don't think on the next page will be arrested. Given a passion speech and then died.

But my friends, this is this is one of Acts constant license, right? The work, and the glory of God, bring about the hatred and evil the world.

Notice to Stephan verses 8 through 10. The emphasis isn't on him, being amazing. Even though the Bible goes off to point, he is a faithful man. It's actually more on the work of God through him. Write great wonders and signs full of grace and power. Speaking with wisdom, from the Spirit by this idea of God working through his people not them working on their own and working out of their own abilities and capabilities. Know what is God working through them. This is this is a female throughout scripture.

Right from Moses doing signs and wonders in front of the Egyptians to David and Goliath to Daniel in the Lion's Den to Elijah bring down fire, they didn't do that. God did those things through them?

Read every story of scripture that the point is never for us to walk away and think I ought to mimic them and what they do in a certain sense. Under the point is always, God works through dependent people. And God's plans will not be thwarted.

And God's plans are God's plan you, regardless of what we do or don't do.

I say that it actually brings great relief. I not shame, or embarrassment or pointing out a shortcoming, right? Why will because it means everyone in this room. That trust in. Jesus was born again and has the spirit of God living inside them. You can do and are called to do the work of God.

You are called to reflect the glory of God by the spirit that lives inside you.

I just thought you just got to use your strengths and use your abilities and use your capabilities for his good and his kingdom. Yes. Ultimately the plan of God depends on his faithfulness, not yours. That's that, that's, that's not just the plan of God, that's just life. That's just the world. That's this, that's this entire book. Write, this book is not dependent on the faith of the people of God. It depended on the faith of God. If you look at this book all you see is people failing over and over and over and over again and all you see is a faithful God over and over and over again. This book is not about how good we are. This is about how much God loves us.

And how he is faithful.

If that's if that's what this book is about it, that's what I passages about. That's what our lives out to be about as well.

Then we sit back and do nothing. It means that God is calling in us into his work that he is going to do in and through us.

Name this morning might not feel up to that for whatever reason.

are you may be tired and see this idea of God's work to be exhausting and And in something you don't want to step into and something's going to cost you a lot and there's always a reason why we don't want to do these things. We remember Steven, and in the other Christians, we see in the book of Acts again, they aren't the source of their work. I thought the reason I'm able to step into the work of God is because God lives inside them for the spirit. The only work you have to do, quote, unquote is stay close to Jesus. Even then he's the one holding on to you.

At the reason Stephen did these things was not because he studied the Bible for 5 years in a Starbucks.

It's because he was full of the spirit. As much as I love studying the Bible in Starbucks.

Just because he was close to God and ultimately because God was close to him, that's why he was able to step into the work of God. And so Christian, who is here thinking, you can't step into these things because of your deficiencies or your weakness. You are exactly where God wants you and needs you.

Bible actually presents our weaknesses as a good thing that God uses.

Are supposed to keep the humble reminds us that we're not God. We're not the ones doing it. This whole church planting the we're embarking on those preaching at our church last week and I was completely honest with them like I am just a very average or below-average person in every single regard. And I saw you like really nice. I know I'm not, I'm very average or below-average, but God wants to do something in the town of Newton for people that are there following Jesus. And for people that are there and don't know Jesus yet. And depends on his faithfulness. Not mine. Not the teams. That's why we step into the work of God because God is faithful and God wants to accomplish it and he invites us into his work.

The reason Stephen did these things, the reason why the apostles do these things, the reason why people in the Old Testament did what they did. The reason why we do what we do is because God is faithful, that is the power behind the work of God.

More thing about the work and glory of God. And we should know. Is that almost always involves suffering?

I'll get it into part of the reason why Duvall suffering, when it comes to a hatred and evil. But only kept on this for just a second because it it's normally not our natural inclination, as followers of Jesus to run headfirst into suffering.

I'm not necessarily saying you should do that on purpose, but the Bible painted as an unavoidable part of Walking With Jesus.

Are you look at the long line of God people in scripture, one of the defining marks his suffering? not just in Jesus, though, him most of all, yes, but the entirety of got people From the Old Testament to the New Testament and Beyond. Are you want to do things for God? You went to work for God. You want to see God's glory? Go about? Yes. But realize that also comes with suffering.

And here's the thing that actually don't think about either. Is that that might make you be inclined to step out of Walking With Jesus but suffering exists there to the differences. We suffer with Jesus vs suffering without Jesus. It's a really, I should. Actually refine my phrase suffering is just a facet of life, no matter who you are, or what you believe we come from.

It's just a Christianity with the scriptures with the life of Jesus, with the spirit living inside us are suffering is given purpose and ultimately the end of suffering in our life is a good thing that God uses.

Even suffer greatly. He was murdered. Not to give away the plot but it goes in a passion speech and Paulo, Paul who wrote, most of the New Testament overseas. Steven being killed in his please by a bit then God uses that to call Paul to self in all of a sudden we have over half of the books in the New Testament. Based and Stephen being murdered based in his suffering. God uses suffering for good. It's unavoidable.

And we see this in our passage, right? Not just even dying later on in the passage, we see it here now. Are we see people lying about him. We see people opposing him, we see people. Conspiring together to arrest him. We see him getting arrested.

right, we we see sort of a systemic suffering in a certain sense in our Passage

Right there shows us that that suffering is not a new idea, it existed since the beginning of time.

Or should I say since Adam and Eve sinned?

And yes to 22 knowledge, to a certain degree. I feel like it's kind of two camps that I often hear Christian leaders, put themselves into, or back out of when it comes to suffering. Usually minimize it. And say, there are people getting killed for their faith across the ocean is true. There are. Yes. We tend to maximize it, right? I think what the Bible would actually have is a bit of a middle ground where everyone is suffering, somehow it in some way.

You might not walk out of there today and be murdered for your faith, but we live in a place where you probably will be ridiculed for it to some degree. we're maybe some of you have experienced this costs, you friendships and tensions with family. I guess we can come here on a Sunday morning and not to fear for our lives, but suffering still, very real thing in our lives as well.

Are there still subtle societal pension?

I never think like a month ago. There's a man walking, his dog in Seattle on some walked up to him and said, what religion do you ascribe to ISA Christians? Got stabbed And yes, I think that was also because that person had some mental issues as well, but it's also because he followed Jesus haven't here in America.

Remember, not that long ago, one of the colleges near where we are Church means that we minister to, we were parting with an on-campus organization that tries to reach out to students and share the gospel and invite them in. And it's it's at there's a big welcome fair right? Where all the campus organizations, and have tents and booths all the Freshman, they can come and see, with her options are, do you think the Christian tents for Fun Center? Now they're in the very back corner, actually behind a corner. No visibility. Every single Christian organization was back there. Things like this are happening more and more nicer side in our country and it is, it is greatly concerning to me.

Do I think it'll be to the point that were persecuted for our faith and killed for a bit? I don't, I certainly hope not. But it's very concerning to me.

And actually do, if I can be honest, for just a second was even more concerning to me. That's how certain Christians are responding to this.

Are these sorts of things? Like, I've seen it, I've seen it in the city of Boston. I've seen it in New England, like these sorts of things seem to cause Christians to kind of shrink back.

Live in silence or serve privatized their face.

Instead of realizing that two to some degree suffering, and persecution is actually how God gets the gospel out.

And it also actually how God draws you near.

I'll go get the gospel out, that is the book of Acts is just suffering after suffering, but gospel expansion, after gospel expansion. That's just the early church persecution murders martyrdoms get the gospels flying out

Jerome. The early church fathers had the blood of Christians is seed. Another words persecution murdering Christians, just led to the multiplication of Christians, it led to the gospel going out. The suffering Stephen being murdered is how God gets the gospel out. The second thing it also does is it draws Us near to God. Joni, eareckson Tada, who was terrible suffering, someone who lives at, she's still alive, but has lived a great life of suffering. I know she was 17, 18, really promising, life ahead of her. I remember correctly. I think she's had some athletic scholarships to a college but got involved in a terrible accident. Was paralyzed for the rest of her life. She says this. She said the greatest good suffering can do for me is to increase my capacity for God.

The greatest good suffering can do for me, is to increase my capacity for God.

I'm not necessarily saying. That your lens for living life should be. How can I suffer most today?

But realize suffering is part of the work of God.

You see, it was Stephen our passage. We see it with the apostles.

let me suffer for the gospel to get out and we, when we suffer, well, we can draw closer and closer and closer to God,

A second idea in the passage. Hatred in the evil of the world.

Married verses 10 and onward again. But they could not withstand the wisdom in the spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said we have heard him speak Blasphemous words against Moses, and God, and they stirred up the people in the elders and the scribes and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council and a set of false Witnesses. Who said this man, never ceases to speak words against this. Holy place in the law, we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and we'll change the Customs. That Moses delivered to us. And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an Angel.

Are they secretly instigated men? Covert, they stirred up people. The elders in the scribes, are they, they mobilize crowds and power structures to bring hatred and evil and oppression to this gospel to this man, Steven Are They seized him and bring him before the council? They set up false witnesses to lie.

But if I wasn't even shoes, I would be tempted to shrink back.

I would be tempted to stop talking.

It may be mentally my might like not going to give up believe in the gospel. Yes. But like, for the sake of my family, for the sake of whatever, I'm going to close my mouth. That's the Temptations. I would feel and I would bet most of us in this room would feel as well.

But that's not what I'm sure. Stephen felt it, too, but that's not what he did. E Preston. He didn't give up preaching the gospel.

We took a church-wide survey a bit ago and in Reading to the result, something I found super interesting was there was a correlation and maybe even a conversation between, how long you've been a Christian and how frequently and fervently, you share your faith.

And to my surprise and maybe two years to the newer, Christians were actually more likely to share their faith.

compared to the ones who've been following Jesus for three or four years or more

And also, if I can honestly share, this is when I tell her things is first, and foremost seeing someone placed their trust in Jesus, but then weeks or months later you just starting, was there bringing a little more friends. You're being a little more vocal about their faith in their workplace, Right. They're sharing their faith, more than someone who's walked with Jesus for 10 years. That is not true. And is it when I personally resonate with him my story, maybe you sent that in yours too, but I was definitely more vocal about my pastor. Now, about my faith in college when I just became a Christian.

And I actually don't think it's always because everyone just loses enthusiasm. Let me be part of it. I do think it's just because we got a little too comfortable, though that may be part of it.

But I think it's actually because the second we Face some of it has a distaste for Christianity.

To 80% to England. The second someone has a distaste for Christianity. We don't know what to do.

Like I'm not talking like they don't believe in the gospel by moving a fight at marginally interesting or they're just kind of humoring you with a conversation. I'm I'm talking like they find the teachings of the scriptures of pensive. Outdated.

Most of us kind of freeze up.

I like like yeah, it gets it gets uncomfortable, and we freeze up. And then after that encounter, we kind of walk away thinking. I don't, I don't want to be put in that kind of position again. Weather today, co-worker, or your neighbor or classmate Do we become more insular?

The Church of the whole does an overtime with just sort of learn to keep to ourselves when it comes to our faith or only share and talk about it with the people that we know 1 million percent, subscribe to the same faith, we do and follow Jesus. Like we do.

For that.

Jesus. Yes. I'm very drunk words for us about this. That we shouldn't be surprised. Jesus in The Gospel of John says this. He says, if the world hates, you know, they're just hated me before it hated you, if you were of the world, the world would love you as its own but because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world. Therefore, the world hates you remember the word that I said to you a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. the saying is 2000 + years old when Jesus walked the Earth and yep, we act like we never heard it before and persecution comes on a doorstep when an uncomfortable conversation happens. Friend. Christian Chrysler. We shouldn't be surprised when people don't like Jesus. Why? Because he's told us that This book reflects that this book is full of stories of of, yes, God saving people but also people who don't like God. Also people who don't like or want God's Rule and reign.

If you're here and you're not Christian, you probably have some thoughts. I'm here. Jesus is not saying here, we'll talk about the Cs with Jesus is not saying here, is that all people individually? We literally hate Christians. Reading the gospels. There's idea to study of a person of peace and they're certainly people in my life that aren't Christian De, love me very well.

Do my challenge for you if you're here and you're not Christian and I am really, really right on the nose with this what Jesus says in the Gospel of John, is that ultimately people have problems against Christ against God. Because Jesus speaks against their works.

because the message of Jesus shakes us to our core,

It doesn't mean that we negate kind of scientific worldview questions, those things are important. But what the scriptures would actually show us, is that people who hate Christians or hate Christianity is not just a worldview or scientific disagreement.

No other words people at their core don't like the message of Jesus because it disagrees with the way they want to live their lives.

At the end of the day, I'm convinced that not following Jesus. Core of all of it is anything other than something with the human heart.

I convinced that not following Jesus at the core of it all and not anything other than I and identity struggle, that we find in our hearts, look at the way they accuse Steven, Are they set up false Witnesses? Who said this man, never ceases to speak words against this. Holy place in the law. We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and we'll change the customs of Moses. The Customs, that Moses delivered to us, Otherwise, they're accusing Stephen of actual kind of threatening their identity. Where they find their identity. Right? This isn't Stephen, and I'm just debating about ideas or a friendly conversation about politics. By, Steven is literally speaking to the center of the world. I've been telling them who they are. What makes them clean. What they think makes them safe. These things that they prescribed to for years and years. They actually point to Jesus, and actually, their lives should be centered on Jesus.

Why we aren't told exactly what Stephen says, but the fact that they point to these things and the fact that Jesus spoke about these things, right? He talks about the temple being torn down. Is metaphorical talking about his body in that moment, too. But there's also a prophecy about the temple. 70 years later, that gets torn down as well.

What Jesus would Steven is likely likely speaking to is the identity that these people found themselves in sing. Imagine in a loving way. Hey, that's not who you are. And God. Christ actually defines Who You Are.

Are they didn't like the idea that someone would tell them, even if it wasn't love that, someone tell them that what they believe is incorrect. Based on their own scriptures.

We can tear our context. New England. Capable competent. Strong people. What is the temple? And what is the law, what it? What are the things that we sent ten to find our identity in other than Jesus?

Self-sufficiency or Comfort family. Even good gifts and good things from God. But they aren't God.

Or when the gospel kind of starts to reach into these part of our lives and touch these things, and in society, and our lives, that's when the hatred comes out.

I'm just taking your washed clean by the blood of Christ, but you still send. There's a part of you still that wants to send and walk away from God. Luckily Jesus at the Spirit lives inside you hold onto you and doesn't let you go and hopefully Lord willing your life shows a progressive sanctification.

But don't be deceived. Hatred and evil can still very easily live inside us. It's not just outside of us that these things exist.

When the gospel starts reaching into these things, that's when that comes out.

Is very literally like breaking into darkness. The difference for the Christian here is that we respond not like the world Respond by turning back to the light by turning back to Jesus, by repenting by confessing our sins and saying I'm that, yes, I am living away. I shouldn't be living if I'm following Jesus. The world doesn't do that.

Weldings further and further and further into darkness.

That's what we see in our Passage.

That's what we see in the book of Acts. Are these kingdoms of darkness and I have lied that are at War and we're promised the ends that the light overcomes that God wins. And that at the end of the day, we will spend eternity with Jesus. Yes, but darkness is still present. It's still a great battle.

Bass players are close with a 15. when the more puzzling parts of the passage, Says, I'm gazing at him. All who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an Angel. What's not translated at least in the ESV version. Is that that likely means his face was shining.

This whole section, maybe you noticed it. Auctioneers Jesus.

Tell me if it sounds like Jesus, full of grace and Power.

Doing great wonders and signs among the people.

People rose up and disputed him. They couldn't withstand his wisdom in the spirit with which he was speaking in, and they secretly instigated others. I set up false Witnesses.

They charged him. With destroying the temple in the Customs that Moses delivered to us. Even Steven dies, that's Christ. And that's the whole point is Steven is following Jesus. In Jesus is living through Stephen.

This idea that his face is shining like an angel. That's meant to reflect, Steven being in the presence of God that goes all the way back to Moses. Moses comes down off the mountain, where we spoke with God and receive the tablets of from God, and he walks down. And it detects says that his face was so bright that people couldn't look at him. It was the glory of God through him.

That's what Stephen is reflecting and friends. If the spirit is here and resides and lives in you, Your face not might not shine but you are meant to metaphorically, speaking shine like that to the people around you.

Christ. When he was on top of a mountain. There's something called the Transfiguration. I were his true self was unveiled to three of us disciples that were with him and they saw him and he was shining

This shining face is not just because he went got his face cleaner. I got a new face wash is because he's in the presence of God, and the glory of God, is really dating from him.

I don't know, I don't think of something like that will physically biologically ever happened again.

Dakota Fanning.

But this is something God wants for us to reflect the glory of God.

How to do that by clinging to Jesus. It's through that God works in and through us, his Works, go forth and Glory Goes Forth and the gospel Goes Forth and people put their trust in him. And all the sudden the kingdom of God is expanding.

And yes, there is opposition but we know the end of the story.

The work and glory of God, bring out the hatred and evil of the world. But pray God, we are grateful for you. Grateful that you call us to work with you that you work through us. And ultimately it's not dependent on us and our efforts put on you and your glory in your goodness.

God, I pray for anyone now who's suffering is experiencing this hatred of this evil that comes along along with doing your work. God remind them that the solution is not to either work harder or to step out of the work but to look to you, Jesus To your goodness and your love and your comfort. Propose to do that. Help us to do these things in your name. Amen.