Sermon Tone Analysis

The Stoning of Stephen

What do we when life doesn’t go our way.

What do we do when life is not fair?

What do we do when all of our plans for tomorrow, all of our bright hopes and expectations, all of our dreams for the futures come crashing down with the certainty that they will never come true?

C.S. Lewis died in 1963, November 22nd.

One hour later President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Texas.

It was also the same day that Aldous Huxley, the author of the Brave New World died.

The day Lewis died the last article published while he was alive was printed in the Saturday Evening Post.

It was entitled “We have no Right to Happiness.”

In it Lewis had written, “[‘a right to happiness’] sounds to me as odd as a right to good luck.

For I believe – whatever one school of moralists may say – that we depend for a very great deal of our happiness or misery on circumstances outside all human control.

A right to happiness doesn’t, for me, make much more sense than a right to be six feet tall, or to have a millionaire for your father, or to get good weather whenever you want to have a picnic.”

The same H.S. that gave boldness and courage to Stephen in his hour of death - when he died for his faith in God - that same H.S. is available to all Christians to help us live

our lives for God and when the time comes - to die for God as well.

Luke/Acts was one story - in two parts.

So before we finish with our study of Stephen - I went back and chose for us some of Christ’s words that Luke had recorded in his Gospel.

Listen as I read them - because they inform Stephen’s words and actions.

Luk

“9:23-27

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”

Luke 21:36

I would have you observe, first, that although Stephen was surrounded by bitter enemies, no doubt railing and cavilling, and muttering their observations to disturb him and distract his mind, yet his defence is wonderfully logical, clear, consecutive, and forcible.

If you read the seventh chapter through, you might think it was delivered from this pulpit to an audience as affectionate, appreciating, and attentive as you may be: it does not read like an address delivered to a furious mob of bigots, gnashing their teeth at the lone, brave man.

In calm, cool, deliberate, bold, stinging language, he deals with them fearlessly and without reserve.

He takes the sharp knife of the Word and rips up the sins of the people, laying open the inward parts of their hearts, and the secrets of their souls: between the joints and the marrow he deliberately inserts the two-edged sword, and discovers the thoughts and intents of their hearts.

He could not have delivered that searching address with greater fearlessness had he been assured that they would thank him for the operation; the fact that his death was certain had no other effect upon him than to make him yet more zealous.

What secret spirit helped him thus to speak?

Had he prepared that speech with long elaboration and forethought?

Had that oration been carefully composed, revised, and learned by heart?

Far from it.

He was not so unmindful of our Saviour’s words.

“But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you.”

Seized upon, doubtless, without previous notice, and dragged before the council without being allowed a moment for deliberation, Stephen stood up and defended himself, and the truth as it is in Jesus, with all the skill of a practised debater, with all the deliberation of one laboriously prepared, and with all the vigour of one whose zeal was like a fire in his bones.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

(set stage - Stephen before the Sanhedrin - a man full of wisdom and the H.S. - things proud of and ashamed & teaching about the temple)

READ - - Talk Babylon in Acts - Damascus in Amos - could be an error on Stephen's part that Luke faithfully records, and the members of the Sanhedrin would have caught his mistake, but more likely he was summarizing history and talking about the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom along with the Babylonian conquest of the Southern kingdom - and one theologian pointed out that the listeners would have remembered that it was the Babylonians that destroyed the temple.

And it all happened because God’s people wouldn’t listen when God sent them prophets.

Now - READ - Just the names David and Solomon would have made them feel pride.

Finish with - Let me ask you a question.

Was Stephen’s life and early death a tragedy?

Or a triumph?

Now, the moment Stephen was welcomed into Heaven by Christ Himself, how do you think Stephen felt about his life?

The story of your life, like every story you’ve ever read or any movie you’ve ever seen is NOT defined by the ups and downs, it is not ultimately defined by the struggles you face or the wrong turns and dead ends.

Your story will be defined by how it ends.

(repeat) Will your life end with you being welcomed into paradise by the Lord?

Will you hear Him say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant.”

Or will you hear Christ say, “Depart from me.

I never knew you.”

Stephen’s life was victorious because of his connection to God.

And his death was victorious for the same reason.

Today is a challenging message.

Cannot teach about a brave martyr and NOT be challenged by his example.

The Bible called Stephen a wise man - and he gave everything for the kingdom of God.

But let’s remember, that the same H.S. that gave boldness and courage to Stephen in his hour of death - when he died for his faith in God - that same H.S. is available to all Christians to help us live our lives for God and when the time comes - to die for God as well.

What do we when life doesn’t go our way.

What do we do when life is not fair?

What do we do when all of our plans for tomorrow, all of our bright hopes and expectations, all of our dreams for the futures come crashing down with the certainty that they will never come true?

Luke/Acts was one story - in two parts.

So before we finish with our study of Stephen - I went back and chose for us some of Christ’s words that Luke had recorded in his Gospel.

Listen as I read them - because they inform Stephen’s words and actions.

“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

24 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

25 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed?

26 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels.”

C.S. Lewis died in 1963, November 22nd.

One hour later President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Texas.

It was also the same day that Aldous Huxley, the author of the Brave New World died.

The day Lewis died the last article published while he was alive was printed in the Saturday Evening Post.

It was entitled “We have no Right to Happiness.”

In it Lewis had written, “[‘a right to happiness’] sounds to me as odd as a right to good luck.

For I believe – whatever one school of moralists may say – that we depend for a very great deal of our happiness or misery on circumstances outside all human control.

A right to happiness doesn’t, for me, make much more sense than a right to be six feet tall, or to have a millionaire for your father, or to get good weather whenever you want to have a picnic.”

Stephen didn’t put his own rights first.

His joy, hi

LEB

“And I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after these things do not have anything more to do.

But I will show you whom you should fear: fear the one who has authority, after the killing, to throw you into hell!

Yes, I tell you, fear this one!

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

And not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God.

But even the hairs of your head are all numbered!

Do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

“And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before people, the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the angels of God, but the one who denies me before people will be denied before the angels of God.

And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him, but to the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven.

But when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious how or what you should speak in your own defense or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that same hour what it is necessary to say.”

NET