With All Your Heart

Introduction

Jesus quoted this verse in answering a question: “What is the greatest commandment?”

Matthew 22:37 ESV

37 …, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.

Have you ever really lingered on this verse?

What does the phrase “with all your heart” mean?

20 times this phrase is found in Scripture.

Seek the Lord…with all your heart (Deut 4:29, Jer 29:11)

Serve the Lord…with all your heart (Deut 10:12, 11:13, 1 Sam 12:20, 12:24)

Love the Lord…with all your heart (Deut 6:5, 13:3, 30:6, Matt 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27))

Obey the Lord…with all your heart (Deut 26:16, 30:2, Josh 22:5)

Turn to the Lord…with all your heart (Deut 30:2, 30:10)

Cling to the Lord…with all your heart (Josh 22:5)

Trust in the Lord…with all your heart (Prov 3:5)

Return to the Lord…with all your heart (1 Sam 7:3, Joel 2:12)

Worship the Lord…with all your heart (Zeph 3:14)

In Scripture, “with all your heart” conveys a commitment that encompasses your entire being—your thoughts, your actions, your everything!

There are many examples of people in Scripture that have embraced this “all in” attitude and activity with God.

And one of those “with all your heart” kind of people is a man by the name of Stephen. His story is in the Book of Acts chapters 6 and 7.

He is a Greek speaking Jewish Christian.

In Acts 6:5, we are introduced to Stephen as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.”

He is one of seven people chosen by the people comprising the Church to oversee the distributions of benevolence to those in need.

And as the church continues to grow, Stephen stepped up to advance the Cause of Christ and confront the errors embraced by religious leaders of his day.

Big Idea

When I think of Stephen and his ministry, I see a man that we could all learn from in the qualities of loving, serving, and believing God “with all our hearts.”

So we pick up Stephen’s story in Acts 6 and beginning with verse number 8.

Text

Acts 6:8–10 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.

Transition

Stephen operated his life and ministry in the [] Fulness of God’s Favor.

Full of God’s Favor

The Scripture informs us that Stephen was full of grace.

The original Greek word used here is: χάρις.

What is grace?

At its foundation, grace is God’s free, sovereign, underserved favor toward humanity.

Grace is demonstrated in Christ for salvation, forgiveness of sins, and new life.

Furthermore, grace is manifested through the Holy Spirit in conviction, redemption, pardon, spiritual gifts, and blessings.

Stephen possessed God’s Grace, not only in God’s favor concerning Stephen’s salvation and forgiveness.

But Stephen has God favor which is demonstrated through the working of “great wonders and signs” among the crowd of people.

People are getting healed.

The demon possessed are being liberated.

The sinner is responding by repenting of their sins.

The church is growing.

Why? Stephen has the favor of God saturating his life.

This kind of grace—this kind of favor—is not resisted or rejected, but the favor of God is embraced and acted upon by Stephen.

He is not just receiving the blessing of God but he is being a blessing to others.

With all his heart, he is serving, seeking, loving, clinging to the work of God in reaching the lost with the life-saving message of Christ.

Application

Are you receptive or resistant to the favor of God in your thoughts and actions?

What do I mean by that?

Abraham called to go to a land God would show him.

Samuel responding to the voice of God.

David anointed to become the king of Israel.

Jeremiah summoned by God to speak to the people of Israel.

Mary visited by the Angel Gabriel.

All of these giants of the faith had the favor of God in their lives. But they all responded with obedience.

Abraham went.

Samual listened.

David served.

Jeremiah spoke.

And Mary gave birth to a Son, and named Him Jesus.

As a believer in Christ—saved through God’s grace received by faith—you have the favor of God on your life. Respond to God’s favor with obedience. Do what He has called you to do.

Transition

Stephen was a man who possessed the favor of God. In Acts 6:8, we also see that Stephen operated his life and ministry in the Fulness of God’s Power.

Full of God’s Power

The original Greek word used here is: δύναμις—meaning outward power, influence, authority, force for war.

It is the same word used in Acts 1:8.

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.”

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In general, their our two aspects of power working in the life of Stephen:

A power to operate in the supernatural. Stephen, full of God’s power, is used by God in healing and casting out demons.

A power to boldly proclaim the irrefutable Gospel Message of Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit and power are closely linked and led him to perform signs and wonders among the people.

He was the first other than the apostles to be described as working miracles.

This means that the empowering work of the Holy Spirit—that power which heals, sets free and delivers—was not limited to the original apostles.

We are seeing here the fulfillment of what the Apostle Peter proclaimed on the Day of Pentecost:

Acts 2:39 ESV

39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

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So, why does God use miracles then and today?

Signs and wonders in Acts accompany the proclamation of God’s kingdom, serving to reveal God’s glory, grace, and power while authenticating both God’s message and His messengers.

More specifically, God performed signs and wonders through the apostles to substantiate and confirm the gospel of redemption and to motivate people to believe in it.

Application

From the days of the early Church to today, God continues of invest favor and power in people who trust in Him with all of their heart.

And whole-hearted believers in Christ continue to be used of God to reach the lost with the message of repentance and forgiveness.

Do you want to serve God with all your heart?

Do you want his favor and his power?

Do you want to be used of God to reach people with truth that sets people free?

Transition

We are faced with a fork in the road—a choice—a decision to be made.

Stephan chose to cling to God with all his heart.

But there are those who listen to the message of Christ and refuse to believe.

Acts 6:9 ESV

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.

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List leads me to a question: Are we more like Stephen who is all in with God or are we like the synagogue of the Freedmen who argue, debate, and dismiss the message of Christ?

But the truth is, that people who have the favor and power of God in their lives are people that can give a compelling demonstration in word and deed of the reality and truthfulness of God’s plan for humankind.

And we see in Stephen:

Acts 6:10 ESV

10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he [Stephen] was speaking.

We see that because Stephen operated his life and ministry in the Fulness of God’s Favor and Power, he was also Full of God’s Wisdom.

Full of God’s Wisdom

Jesus said to his disciples when they were called upon to defend themselves:

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.

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The original Greek word used here in Luke 21:15 and Acts 6:10 is: σοφία—sound judgement, intelligence, and shrewdness.

The Apostles, Stephen, and the early church proved these words of Jesus over and over again.

Its members were able to put up a case for their faith which could not be knocked down by argument.

The kind of wisdom that Stephen possessed was not his own. This was a wisdom from God.

When Stephen’s opponents could not get the better of him, they persuaded some people to make false public charges against him.

But even with all their efforts to discredit Stephen and the Gospel, they were unable to dismiss the fact that God was revealing his presence.

Acts 6:15 ESV

15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

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We see a description of a person who is close to God and reflects some of His glory as a result of being in His presence.

Here, we see the result of divine favor, of divine power, and divine wisdom.

Application

When I look at our society, I see an over abundance of information, but I also see the struggle—the inability to properly use that information.

Whether it is in industry, education, relationships, politics, and the church—we are struggling know what to do. We have a paralysis of analysis. We are stuck—and when you are stuck you lose patience, you get angry, and hope fades.

So, how can be operate our lives in wisdom?

James 1:5 ESV

5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

Transition

Everything that describes Stephen—a man who was full of God’s favor, full of God’s power, full of God’s wisdom—is the result of one overriding truth.

Stephen operated his life and ministry in the Fulness of God’s Spirit.

Full of God’s Spirit

With all his heart, Stephen was a man full of the Holy Spirit.

The original Greek word used here is πνεῦμα—literally means air, breath, wind—and is used as a reference to the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said in John 14:16:

John 14:16–17 ESV

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

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The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Trinity, is the παράκλητος—the Helper, the One who comes along side of. Stephen wasn’t alone—the Holy Spirit was with him—empowering him to do what only God can do.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of ἀλήθεια—the Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit gave him the words to speak that give life, but also judgement.

Stephen’s life was not is own—with all of his heart, he lived for God. His desire for God outweighed any other desire—including the natural inclination to hold to physical life.

Application - Worship Team

We need to be more than just “professing” Christians. We need to seek after God with all of our hearts.

We need God’s favor—His grace operating in our lives.

We need God’s power—flowing through our lives and reaching out to the lost of this world.

We need God’s wisdom—to know what to say and do, and know know when to do it.

But as Stephen demonstrated in his life and ministry, that he had God’s favor, power, and wisdom because he was full of the Holy Spirit.

Conclusion

Stephen was unafraid—he fearlessly proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and laid bare the failings of the religious leaders of his day.

From Acts chapter 7 verse 1 through 53, he proclaimed the truth, full of favor, full of power, full of wisdom—and full of the Holy Spirit.

The religious leaders and the crowd responded. Not with acceptance and repentance but…

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 died—becoming the first martyr of the Church.

And like Jesus, he commended his spirit to God and asked that those who caused His death would be forgiven.

Stephen sets before us an example of seeking and serving God with all our hearts.

Altar Call

So, I ask you: “Are you all in? Are you seeking, serving, loving, clinging to God with all of your heart?

Or, are you satisfied by just going through the motions of spirituality?

Prayer

Worship Song: Great Are You Lord

Closing Thoughts.

What happened here in Acts chapter 7 serves as a turning point for the church.

And in a couple of weeks, we will see that Stephen’s death unleashed intense persecution against the church.

But remember, a person who loves God with all [their] heart will not be deterred from God’s calling, no matter what.