Acts 6-7

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What is the vision that is driving your life?

Questions to ask to determine what truly controls you:

1. Early on in your conversations with people, what do you want to make sure people know about you?

2. What preoccupies you?

3. What makes you feel the most self worth?

4. What are you the most proud of in your life?

5. For what do you want to be known?

6. What do you worry about the most?

7. When things go poorly, what do you look to for comfort?

“And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith. And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.” (Acts 6:7–8, ESV)

“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. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:9–10, ESV)

“Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.”” (Acts 6:11, ESV)

“And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (Acts 6:12–15, ESV)

The charges against Stephen are similar to charges made against Jesus:

-Blasphemy

-Teaching a different religion

-Teaching a different story of salvation

God does His greatest work through ordinary people.

“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.” (John 16:7, ESV)

Jesus said the power of the Holy Spirit at work in ordinary believers would be greater than the presence of Jesus beside us.

The most important sermon will not come from this pulpit, but it will come from you, given to your friends, co-workers, and neighbors.

2 Main Points in Stephen’s Sermon:

1. You (Israel) have always resisted the prophets

2. Your law cannot save you

-You’ve never been able to keep it

-It cannot give you a new heart

Stephen stresses 3 major themes in Acts 7:

1. The activity of God is not confined to the land of Israel.

2. Worship acceptable to God is not confined to the Jerusalem temple.

3. The Jews have constantly rejected God’s representatives.

The story we are living for (in their case the Old Testament) is incomplete, misshaped, and the wrong story without Jesus as the center.

In general, day by day, is Jesus the center of your story?

If not, our stories and our lives, no matter how religious, will be misshaped.

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” (Acts 7:51, ESV)

As followers of Jesus, we are called to be bold and gracious.

Another way to say this is to speak with grace and truth.

“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.” (Acts 7:54–55, ESV)

When Stephen looks up and sees Jesus, he is reminded that even in the midst of persecution, even in the midst of dying for Christ, Jesus is still ruling and reigning. Jesus is the true Judge overseeing the entire thing.

“And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”” (Acts 7:56, ESV)

“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.” (Acts 7:57–60, ESV)

Stephen’s murder will serve as the catalyst for the church multiplying and scattering out as they become more persecuted.

What does the story of Stephen teach us?

— There is only one story that matters—the gospel.

— There is only one Lord who is worth living and dying for—Jesus.

The one key difference between Jesus and Stephen’s life and death is that Jesus didn’t just die as an example for us. Jesus’ death was in our place. He purchased our salvation with His death.

The call for us today:

Don’t reject Jesus again by giving ourselves over to a misshaped story and a false lord.

“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” (Acts 6:10, ESV)

Four requirements to outthink and out serve those who oppose the gospel:

1. We must know the Scripture.

2. We must know the people to whom we are ministering.

3. We must desire to be used as vessels of the Master.

4. We must stay in tune with Christ through a constant state of prayer.