Stoning of Stephen

Trusting in Christ in Life and Death

Would you Rather:

Would you rather lose all your pictures you’ve ever taken in life up to this point, or lose all your money?

Would you rather be able to speak 10 different languages or be able to speak to animals?

Would you rather be criticized for the rest of your life or ignored for the rest of your life?

All of these questions are nearly impossible, yet they can be pretty fun.

One of the most difficult questions that we could ever ask though is Would you be willing to stand for Jesus even if it mean’t you might die?

Would I be willing to proclaim the gospel knowing I might die for Jesus?

I hope I would always answer that question YES! Of course!

Truthfully though we don’t know until we get into the situation.

Read Acts 6:8-10, 7:44-51, 7:54-60

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What superhero, movie, or story has captivated your attention the most?

Which one blew your mind or made you think about it the most!?

There are a bunch for me, but I love a good story.

Anyone star wars fans?

(talk about Rogue one briefly if so).

Point: The way the rebels got the death star plans is what Rogue one is all about. We learn how they got those plans and what it cost them to get them!

It’s one of my favorite star wars movies and just in general one of my favorite movies.

People will go to great lengths to experience something awesome.

When we experience something awesome, we want to talk about it!

In the book of Acts, we see how the Gospel has wrecked peoples lives in the best of ways.

The Gospel - That Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and rose again on the third day and he is now alive interceding for those of us who believe in Him!

This was a story they had to tell!

Then we get to Stephen.

Who was Stephen?

Basically a deacon in the early church.

He was a servant to people.

vs. 8 says, He was “full of grace and power.” - God’s grace and power that is.

Stephen’s character attracted good attention and bad attention.

Good attention in the church in that he became a leader.

Bad attention from those who didn’t accept Jesus as “The way the truth and the life.”

So what did Stephen do in the face of opposition to the gospel?

1. He proclaimed Christ with Grace, humility and patience. Vs. 8

2. He remembered the Holy Spirit. Vs. 8

3. He remained Bold. vs. 51

We need to remember:

Like Stephen

It’s not up to us to convince someone of the gospel.

It’s up to the Holy Spirit working through us.

So 2 questions:

What does it mean to share the gospel?

What makes you apprehensive, nervous, or afraid to share it?

a. To answer the first, sharing the gospel is expressing Jesus to those around us. In the way you live and in what you say. Sometimes that specifically telling someone what the cross and the resurrection of Jesus means to you. That we’ve been saved from the wrath of God against our sin.

Sometimes that just means living for Christ around people who are not. speaking differently, acting differently,

b. To answer the second, We don’t recognize what we have. We have the Holy Spirit. Literally, we have God. God doesn’t ask you to do something and then abandon you to do it.

God has given you HIS strength to share HIS gift.

Vs. 10, “They were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.”

vs. 55, “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit...”

We got nothing without Jesus living through us.

We got nothing if we aren’t consistently going to God’s word to be filled up with Jesus.

ILLUSTRATION:

Imagine working for Elon Musk as his right hand man.

You make 50 million a year.

However, every time you get paid each month, you take your check home with you and put it on your book shelf or on your night stand. You don’t ever take the check to the bank.

How much money do you have in your bank account?

0

How much money do you have though?

However much the checks are worth!

What’s the only thing stopping you from having immense wealth?

TAKING THE STINKING CHECKS TO THE BANK! We are taking them home and leaving them!

We have something infinitely more valuable accessible to us every moment of every day… yet we put it on the shelf… put it on the last page of apps on our phone… we ignore it. God’s word.

Barna Research says 87% of American households own at least 1 copy of the bible but only 37% of people read it once a week or more.

I’ll be the first one to call malarky on that stat too… No chance 37% of people read the Bible.

If 37% of people read God’s word, our world would be turned upside down for Jesus!

The main reason people give for not reading God’s word.

“they don’t have enough time… “

All you have to do is look at your “screen time average” at the end of every week and see that you had more than enough time to give Jesus a couple hours this week.

If you pay attention to this passage in Acts though you will see the men attacking Stephen have read the Bible…

It’s not enough to just read the Bible without Jesus…

We need the Holy Spirit to help us understand the Bible as we read about Him.

That’s one reason we pray!

The bottom line to all of this is

We need Jesus desperately.

We need to read about him alot.

We have time to do that.

God would change you and me and the world around us if we simply did.

But… at the same time… Following Christ isn’t easy… especially if one day your life is on the line.

But take heart with these verses… Jesus promises us that even though life is hard, he will be with us.

Matthew 16:24-25 Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

2 Timothy 3:12, “Indeed all those who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Life is hard.

Life asks tough questions.

God doesn’t leave you alone in the difficult times or with the difficult questions.

Do you love Him who has made himself available to you and who is with you?

APPLICATION:

As we apply this today, I want you to understand something.

The men who killed Stephen knew the Old Testament.

They had a lot of knowledge in their heads about the Bible, but they didn’t believe Jesus was who He said he was.

Sometimes the different between living forever with Jesus and living forever without Jesus is about 18 inches between what someone knows in their head and what they believe in their heart.

It’s not enough to know about Jesus.

I know stats about Lebron James, Michael Jordan, and Tom Brady… but none of them know me or would recognize me in a crowd.

There’s a difference between Knowing about someone and KNOWING someone.

Do you know Jesus?

in John 10 Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”

When we pray, read God’s Word, and share His Word with others, we not only hear God’s voice, but God hears our voice.

Is God hearing from you?

“i know my own and my own know me.”

How can God know you if He never hears your voice in prayer or never sees you living according to what you’ve read in His word?

Stephen ultimately died for Jesus because

He knew what God’s Word said and He believed it.

He lived out what he believed.

This same calling rests on us.

To know God’s Word and to live it out.

Don’t miss the order of this statement.

Do you know God’s Word?

If not, you can’t live out what you don’t know.

If we want to be bold like Stephen, it starts by getting alone with Jesus. Reading His Word. And Enjoying God living through you.

I hope all of you would be bold enough to die for Christ if it came to it.

I hope I would be too.

I hope God captivates your attention.

I hope you never get over the grace and mercy God poured out at the cross.

I hope we never stop being thankful for all that God has done for us.

I hope we never take for granted that we have access to God’s Word!

I hope we never stop seeking Him in His word, but fall more in love with Him as we study His word.

I hope we pray eagerly for our friends and family.

Why do I hope all these things?

SO we can have the boldness of Stephen.

So when we get to heaven, Jesus looks at us and says, “I know your voice.”

Ben… I heard your prayers all your days. I know your voice and you know my voice. Come enjoy eternity with me.

That’s worth whatever life throws at us folks.

Jesus is worth it.

Let’s live the gospel out privately and publically as long as God puts breath in our lungs.

Let’s pray for revival (like we sang today).

Let’s be sure we are always hungry for more of Jesus.

Let’s pursue that above all else.