A GOOD TIME TO FORGIVE
Acts 7:54-60
While preparing for this message I ran across a funny story to share on forgiving.One day a visitor leaned on the old fence around a farm while he watched an old farmer plowing with a mule. After a while, the visitor said, "I don’t like to tell you how to run your business, but you could save yourself a lot of work by saying, ’Get’ and ’whoa’ to that mule instead of just tugging on those lines." The old farmer pulled a big handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his face. Then he said, "Reckon you’re right, but this animal kicked me five years ago and I haven’t spoke to him since."
As funny as that might be, some of us are just like that old farmer. Someone had done something to us some time ago, and we like the farmer hadn’t spoken to them since, much less forgave them. But there is a moral to that story. A grudge is harder on the one who holds it than the one it is held against.
Stephen had plenty a reason to hold a grudge. All he had done was to share in the Temple about Jesus who is the Christ, and those that were there, the Libertines, the Cyrenians, the Alexandrian, and some from Cilicia began to dispute with him concerning his words. Now although they were skilled debaters they according to verse 10 of chapter Six could not resist his wisdom and Spirit by which he spoke. That is when they accused Stephen of speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God, and also they stirred the people up and set up false witnesses against him.
But they made one mistake on their behave. They allow Stephen to speak for himself in chapter Seven. In his discourse he spoke of Abraham, Moses, and David. He spoke of how the Lord dealt with them through the toughest of times, and how he had provided for Israel. But instead of Israel loving God the more, they took on a rebellious spirit. They even denied the Messiah Himself and worse off murdered Him.
Then the rage of the Sanhedrin, pent up so long in repeated trials and confrontations with the followers of Jesus, could be contained no longer. It was as if someone had given a prearranged signal and they all rushed in on Stephen. Mob violence instigated and manipulated by an expert: Saul. It was no easy feat to arrange a death sentence and assure an execution and not become directly involved. But Saul was no ordinary man. His brilliance, fired by his hatred, worked it all out. Later, near the end of his life, he clearly stated that he added his vote to the Sanhedrin’s death sentence. His task, however, was to assure Stephen’s death while getting no blood on his own hands. After Stephen was beaten, the Jews were in a frenzy. They had to finish what they had started. Since no blood could be spilled in the temple precincts, they dragged the dazed and beaten Stephen outside the city wall for one of the most painful and prolonged methods of execution imaginable. He was pushed over the wall into the pit from which there was no escape from the hurling stones. A blow to the head with death-giving concussion would have been merciful. The crowd that day was not as accurate or precise in aim as an execution squad. Probably the vital death blow was a long time in coming. So while Stephen had every opportunity not to forgive these men but as verse 55 said that he was full of the Holy Spirit. So instead of hating these men he chose to forgive them. So let us recount that day and see why it was a good time to forgive.
First of all it was a good time because...
1. STEPHEN WAS NOT LEFT ALONE. (V.55)
“But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,”
Many times we go through things, and it appears that we are going through them all alone. It appears that no one cares whether you make it or not.
Stephen was going through this type of crisis. They had just finished questioning him and he in return spoke to them the truth. The verse 54 said that “when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth.” What they heard caused them to be enraged. In fact so enraged that one commentary said that they were shook to violence. His words cut clean to their hearts. Did he intend to hurt them with his words? No but he did want them to think about the wrong they had done in the name of religion. They were infuriated because here was another one of the followers of Jesus accusing them of murdering a man who some thought was the Messiah. But although they were shaking their fist at him and breathing their threats Stephen never felt alone. If you would allow me to use my imagination. I would think that he was singing as he looked up at the Father and the Son, [No, never alone, no, never alone, he promised never to leave me, never to leave me alone.] Can’t you hear him? The crowd were breathing their threats and he is singing [No, never alone, No, never alone]. Had you ever had to sing a song while the heathen were raging. Can’t you hear your self singing like James Cleveland, Master the tempest is raging, Oh the billow are tossing high. The sky is all shadowed with blackness, No shelter or help is nigh: Car - est Thou not that we per - ish? How canst thou lie there and sleep, when it seem like each moment so mad - ly is threatening A grave in the angry deep? Tell it children.
Secondly it was a good time because verse 57-58 lets us know how...
2. THEIR HEARTS WERE CONVICTED (v.57-58)
“Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58. And cast him out of the city, and stoned him;”
My brothers and sisters it was a good time to forgive because once again their hearts were convicted. The first being when Jesus was wrongly crucified. Now they are again in the presence of a man with convicting power. You know we preachers shouldn’t flatter ourselves but some times we can make people just as angry as these Jew were at Stephen, and if they could they would take us out a stone us too. But the truth of the matter was that their heart had once again been convicted and the only way they thought to deal with it was to get rid of the one that did it. Babies let me tell you something. The first phase of truly turning to Christ is that you would hear the word and it would convict you almost to anger, but deep down inside you know that it is the truth.
Finally, it’s a great time when...
3. ALTHOUGH YOU LOST THE BATTLE, YOU TRULY WON THE WAR. (V.59-60)
“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay no this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”
The New Living Translation said of verse 59 “As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit.” At this point it looks like all is lost for this champion of the faith. Those that were convicted of his words and knew not why, covered their ears and cried out with frustration as Stephen declared what he saw. They laid hands on him and threw him out beyond the city gate and stoned him. And regardless of what was going on, Stephen, much like Jesus to the Father, was heard saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit . And not only that, but Stephen much like Jesus took timeout from dying, so that others could be forgiven. He said “Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
O’ those were the words that won the war [Lord, lay not this sin to their charge]. I hope you get this. Winning the war does not mean that you get dirty with revenge, or verbally getting dirty with them. But winning the war means acting Christlike regardless of the situation. Jesus won His war not by fussing and fighting those that fought Him, but by dying not only for those who loved Him, but for those who didn’t.
[He died for the false accusers,
He died for those who whipped Him,
He died for the cross maker,
He died for the one who drove the nails,
He died for the one who pierced Him in the side,
He died for you, and He died for me.]
In other words my brothers and sisters...
I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, How He gave his life on Calvary to save a wretch like me; I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning, then I repented of my sins and won the victory. O victory in Jesus, my Savior, forever! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood; He loved me ere I knew Him, and all my love is due Him - He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.
