Called To Die

54 When they heard these things, they were enraged and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57 They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 60 He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep. 1 Saul agreed with putting him to death. On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.

Pray

Stephens addresses

Stephen brought to the front that the Sanhedrin the leaders of the Jewish people had venerated (raised up) out of their position: Land, temple, and Law. Leaving no room for the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus of Nazareth.

And this address enraged the people.

No one wants to be called out like this. No one wants to be told that you are making the same mistakes your forefathers did. These were the wise of the wise. The educated of the educated. That’s partly how they came to these positions. And now this man is telling them that they are doing the same thing their forefathers done. They think they’re better than that.

As Stephen is standing there in the holy spirit He looks and he sees Jesus by the throne of God. It has only been a few years since Jesus had stood before this same tribunal and had been condemned for answered affirmatively the high priest’s question as to his being Israel’s Messiah.

Mark 14:62 CSB

62 “I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

And saying himself You will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven

Stephen was saying that his vision confirmed Jesus’ claim and the Council had rejected him

So now unless the council wants to admit that they were wrong with Jesus. They have no choice but to find Stephen also guilty of blasphemy. And to be openly blasphemous before the council was a matter of death. They rushed him took him outside the city and stoned him.

Look at the progression of the meetings before the Sanhedrin:

First time Peter and John in chapter 4: They were threatened

Second time the Disciples in chapter 5: They were flogged

Now the third time: Here is a stoning and Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr.

And now we also meet a very important character Saul who will become Paul Who will write a majority of our New Testament. But at this time Saul is the one holding the jackets of the people killing Stephen. And as a historian Luke the author of acts makes it shown to us that Saul is there because it is so important to what will come

Let me ask you a question, What if you were called to die for your belief?

Ready To Die

Would you be ready?

If a man or woman (let’s not be sexist) were to come in right now and say recant or die Or spit on this bible and live? Would you be ready? Or maybe it makes you want to turn away from your faith? Maybe it scares you?

Knowledge in your head that to die is to gain But it isn’t real in your faith, in your nefish your very being.

Let me tell you a true Story of Robert Jermain Thomas in the year 1866.

He was a young missionary in the county to China. Born in Wales. His wife died there in China of a sickness But he didn’t quit Being a missionary.

In 1866 he is going to Korea on a boat. Which many Koreans of that time spoke Chinese (it’s not that way today). As he arrived the Koreans did exactly what they did to the catholic priest that had been there earlier. They killed them.

Robert is able to get off the boat as it is on fire one of the few And he swims to shore and a man is waiting for him to get there so he can kill him. But instead of pleading for his life he pleaded that the soldier take the little red book in Chinese the bible.

The soldier gunned him down. But it made such an impression on him that he picked up the book and 30 years later he read it an accepted it.

Others that were watching used the bible that washed up on shore as wallpaper (poor people). And eventually started reading it. Now Seoul, South Korea has millions of Christian believers

He was ready to die.

Are you?

Here’s the problem if you say no

Mark 8:34 LEB

34 And summoning the crowd together with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. (Mark 8:34 ESV)

Denial of self. Jesus does not mean to deny oneself something. He means to renounce self. To cease to make self the object of one’s life and action. God must be the center not You. Die to self for the sake of God.

Pick up cross. Does not refer to some irritation in life. Means the way of the cross. Picture is of a man already condemned, Required to carry his cross on the way to the place of his execution, Like Jesus. This is a picture of suffering and death. Doesn’t mean no happiness. No good things. Quite the opposite. Suffering for Christ is a short term. With rewards.

We are all Called to die

Some as martyrs and some in old age But we are all called to die to self and live for God

Are you ready?

Pray

Invitation

Give life over

Give something else over

Trust in God

And he will fulfill our needs

Bibliography

https://missionsbox.org/missionary-bio/the-first-protestant-missionary-to-korea-robert-jermain-thomas/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UukIJ_CnMS8

https://www.evangelical-times.org/articles/historical/though-he-died-he-still-speaks/

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