A Mind Stayed on Jesus (2)
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· 9 viewsOur standard for love imitates the love Christ has for the lost.
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Our standard for love imitates the love Christ has for the lost.
Our standard for love imitates the love Christ has for the lost.
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
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.
And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
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.
And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”
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 was one of the seven men who were chosen by God through the people to serve the people. The God given requirement for this leadership role was an honorable man, full of the Spirit and wisdom. This is what Stephen demonstrated. He had a heart towards God and God’s people. This not only earned him the attention of those he was serving, but also the attention of those who opposed the faith altogether. We are going to get into the opposition, but first we must know:
Faithful service to God flows from the love God has given to you.
Faithful service doesn’t flow from a sense of duty, responsibility, or obligation. The sense of duty comes from the love, and so forth.
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.
The majority of opposition to the church came from others who claimed to be religious. Looking at this from the perspective of godly love, it is apparent they lacked this quality. Caring for the people so long as your leadership position stays in tact is not an example of godly love.
Philippians 2:6 (ESV)
who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
If I am an imitator of Christ, why would a position or lack thereof be a concern as it pertains to serving the people of God? Position matters for organization of ministry, however, the love of Christ compels us to desire to serve one another. In other words the desire to serve doesn’t begin when you receive the position of your dreams, it begins at Christ. This is why the scripture says:
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Having a love of God leads to delight as you spend time with him. Such was the case with Stephen. He had a love of God and so had a love for God’s people. This is why he was anointed by God to do ministry. He was full of the spirit, wisdom, and was used by God to do great wonders and signs.
What will God do with you when you love Him and His people?
Stephen was arrested, demonstrating the oppression the church was faced with.
Stephen recounts jewish history to the high priest specifically the Father’s interaction with mankind from Abraham to Moses. In doing so he demonstrates the faithlessness of the priesthood as he concludes:
“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
The main offense of the priesthood was their lack of love for God, and so their inability to be led by His spirit. They opposed God and his rulership in their lives. Anyone who does not have the spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.
Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
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.
Stephen has a mind stayed on Jesus.
Why was he able to maintain a heavenly mindset while confronted with oppression?
Stephen understands he is a new creature in Christ. He seeks the things of Christ, to accomplish His will. This is why he is one of the seven chosen to serve the people in the first place. While staying focused on things above where Christ is seated, he didn’t have time to be distracted by the worldliness of the priest. This even includes the oppression he was faced with.
When you are confronted with the world focus on Jesus.
The church is sustained through the promises of God. Why when confronted with worldly problems do we feel there is something we can add to solve the problem? We know to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added, yet we continue to seek our own ways first, then wonder why it didn’t work.
Love compelled Stephen to tell the truth to the priest even though he understood what could have been the outcome. He knew the hatred they had for the followers of Christ but fear cannot stall faith when God is the center piece.
But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
Stiff necks have closed ears. They hated him so much, they took him out and stoned him. However, look at the imitation of Christ love in the text:
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 had a mind stayed on Jesus. Because of this mindset, not only residing within Stephen but also many other members of the Way, the church grew in-spite of oppression.