THE DEMEANOR AND DISPOSITION OF A FOLLOWER OF CHRIST
Acts 6:8-15 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)--Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
INTRODUCTION: THIS SHORT PASSAGE IS REALLY ONLY THE BEGINNING OF THE STORY THAT WILL END WITH THE DEATH OF STEPHEN. STEPHEN WAS ONE OF THE FIRST DEACONS CHOSEN FOR THE EARLY CHURCH. FROM THAT MOMENT, IT SEEMS AS THOUGH HIS LIFE IS SHORT. THERE IS NOT MUCH TIME BETWEEN HIS SERVICE IN THE CHURCH AND HIS DEATH FOR CHRIST. YET, EVEN IN THIS SHORT TIME, WE CAN SEE SOME TREMENDOUS TRUTH AS TO THE LIFE OF STEPHEN, AND ITS APPLICATION FOR US.
TRANSITION: SO, TAKING A FEW MOMENTS, LETS LOOK AT SOME OF THE QUALITIES REVEALED FOR OUR BENEFIT THROUGH THE LIFE OF STEPHEN.
I. THE DEMEANOR OF STEPHEN
a. THE CHARACTER OF STEPHENS DEMEANOR IS MARKED BY SEVERAL QUALITIES
Acts 6:3-8 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. 8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
b. FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
i. FULLNESS IS A COMMAND
Ephesians 5:18-19 (NIV)
18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.
19 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord,
ii. FULLNESS IS A DECISION AS TO WHO IS IN CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE – WHO IS INFLUENCING YOU
iii. FULLNESS IS A CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL WORSHIP
iv. FULLNESS IS AN INTIMATE CONNECTION TO GOD
v. TO BE FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD IS TO BE INFLUENCED AND LED BY HIM, AS WELL AS TO BE IN AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM TO THE POINT THAT OUR THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS – BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL REVOLVE AROUND OUR RELATIONSHIP AND CONNECTION TO GOD
c. FULL OF WISDOM
i. FIRST AND FOREMOST, WISDOM IS A GIFT OF GOD. IT IS A DIVINE GIFT.
ii. THE GIFT OF WISDOM IS NOT A LIMITED GIFT – IT IS A UNIVERSAL GIFT
James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
James 3:15-17 Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. 17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
1. SO IN REALITY, WE ALL LACK WISDOM (WHEN YOU SEE “IF”, THINK SINCE).
2. GOD HAS PROMISED THAT ALL WHO ASK FOR WISDOM WILL RECEIVE WISDOM, AND RECEIVE IT GENEROUSLY.
iii. SO, SINCE WE ALL LACK WISDOM APART FROM HAVING RECEIVING IT FROM GOD, AND SINCE WE ONLY RECEIVE IT IF WE ASK FOR IT, THEN HAVING THE QUALITY OF WISDOM IS IN ITSELF AN ACT OF SUBMISSION TO GOD.
iv. FOR A BELIEVER TO POSSES THE QUALITY OF WISDOM MEANS THAT THAT BELIEVER HAS COME TO THE POINT IN THEIR LIFE THAT:
1. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT APART FROM GOD THEY HAVE NO REAL WISDOM.
2. THAT GOING IT ON YOUR OWN MERIT AS A BELIEVER IS NOT WHAT GOD EXPECTS FROM THEM.
3. THEY HAVE SUBMITTED TO GOD’S PLAN AND DESIRE IN ASKING FOR WISDOM FROM HIM FOR WHAT IS LACKING IN THEIR OWN LIFE
d. FULL OF FAITH
i. SIMPLY PUT, FAITH IS BELIEF AND TRUST – IN GOD
ii. IT IS A VISUAL EXPRESSION OF THE QUALITY OF OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.
iii. FAITH IS A PERSONAL ASSENT OF ME TO THE DIVINE TRUTH GOD HAS REVEALED.
1. GOD HAS REVEALED THAT HE IS IN TOTAL CONTROL. FAITH ALLOWS ME TO SEE EACH AND EVERY OCCURRENCE IN THIS WORLD THROUGH THAT FILTER.
2. GOD HAS REVEALED THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD. FAITH ALLOWS ME TO VIEW WHAT I AM PERSONALLY GOING THROUGH IN THAT LIGHT.
e. FULL OF GOD’S GRACE
i. GRACE IS NOT MERCY. THE MERCY OF GOD IS SEEN IN HIS COMPASSION TO PROVIDE A SAVIOR FOR US.
ii. GRACE IS NOT LOVE. THE LOVE OF GOD IS SEEN AS THE MOTIVATING FACTOR IN ALL THAT GOD DOES.
iii. GRACE IS THE FAVOR GOD IS ABLE TO EXTEND TO EACH AND EVERY ONE BECAUSE HIS JUSTICE HAS BEEN SATISFIED.
iv. GRACE REMOVES MERIT FROM THE EQUATION OF REDEMPTION
v. TO BE FULL OF GRACE IS TO BE ABLE TO VIEW THE NEED OF ALL WITHOUT THE HINDRANCE OF ASSIGNING PRIORITY TO INDIVIDUALS
f. FULL OF GOD’S POWER
i. GOD HAS THE ABILITY TO PERFORM, AS HE ALONE IS ALL POWERFUL
ii. BIBLICALLY, POWER CARRIES WITH IT THE SENSE OF ABILITY AND STRENGTH.
iii. TO BE FULL OF GOD’S POWER THEN IS TO ACT WITH THE ABILITY TO CARRY OUT AN ACTION AS THOUGH GOD WERE CARRYING IT OUT.
iv. IT IS THE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF DOING WHAT JESUS WOULD DO
HARD TO BELIEVE THAT THE SCRIPTURE REVEALS TO US THAT ALL OF THESE QUALITIES – THIS WHOLE DEMEANOR WAS INCORPORATED IN ONE MAN – STEPHEN!
WIGHT NOW, YOU MIGHT BE FEELING A LITTLE OVERWHELMED. HOW ISN THE WORLD CAN I EVER HOPE TO HAVE THE DEMEANOR PORTRAYED FOR ME IN THE SHORT TIME STEPHEN WAS ON THE SCENE IN THE EARLY CHURCH.
FRIENDS, LET ME SAY THIS – YOU HAVE A LIFETIME TO WORK ON THIS, AND YOU BEGIN IN THE SAME WAY:
Michel Lotito was an extraordinary man. This elegant Frenchman had a love for food and a fondness for eating unusual objects like bicycles, shopping carts and televisions. His odd appetite earned him the nickname Monsieur Mangetout (Mr Eat Everything).
I first heard of Lotito when he consumed a Cessna 150 airplane. The fact that somebody would eat a plane is bizarre to say the least and I can’t really tell you why he did it.
However, can tell you how he did it
I’ll be the first to admit that Lotito was a little strange. He suffered from pica, a psychological disorder in which people compulsively eat non-food items such as dirt and plastic. Lotito’s condition was first diagnosed around the age of nine, when he started munching on parts of the family TV set.
To make a long story short, he came to realize that he could turn his compulsion into a career and became an entertainer of sorts. He ate beds, chandeliers, television sets through the years until turning his attention to a Cessna 150 airplane.
Which brings us to the question: How do you eat an airplane? Seems impossible, doesn’t it?
Not if you eat it one bite at a time, apparently. And that’s just what Lotito did. He chopped the plane up into tiny bits. Parts small enough that he could swallow them easily. Each day he ate about two pounds of tiny plane pieces. And after two years…
…it was gone!
YOU AND I WORK ON DEVELOPING THE DEMEANOR OF A SOLD OUT FOLLOWER OF JESUS CHRIST THE SAME WAY – ONE QUALITY AT A TIME
START BY ASKING GOD TO TAKE GREATER CONTROL OF YOUR LIFE AND TO TURN YOUR HEART TOWARDS SPIRITUAL THINGS
SUBMIT YOURSELF TO GOD – REALIZING THAT YOU NEED HIS WISDOM TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS WORLD AND THEN BE HUMBLE ENOUGH TO ASK FOR HIS HELP
DEVELOP THE SIMPLE TRUTH FOR YOU LIFE THAT GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY AND THAT HE REALLY DOES KNOW WHAT HE IS DOING
LEARN TO LOOK AT PEOPLE BASED ON THEIR NEED OF A SAVIOR, NOT THEIR WORTH TO SOCIETY
LIVE YOUR LIFE AS GOD WOULD WERE HE TO BE LIVING IT FOR YOU
IF WE WILL WORK AT THESE QUALITIES – THIS DEMEANOR, IT WILL RESULT IN US, AS IT DID IN STEPHEN WITH AN UNPARALLELED DISPOSITION
II. THE DISPOSITION OF STEPHEN – A FACE LIKE AN ANGEL
a. BRIGHTNESS – THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DIFFERENCE EVEN BEFORE THERE IS PERSONAL CONTACT
b. WARMTH – THERE IS A COMPASSION AND CONCERN FOR OTHERS
c. JOY – A DELIGHT THE COMES FROM CONSIDERING THE PRESENT IN LIGHT OF THE FUTURE
d. PEACE – A CONDITION THAT COMES FROM BEING IN HARMONY WITH GOD!
HOW DO I KNOW THIS – BECAUSE EVEN AT THE END WHEN THEY WERE STONING HIM, STEPHEN DID NOT CALL DOWN CURSES FROM GOD, BUT RATHER ASKED THAT THEIR ACTIONS NOT BE COUNTED TOWARDS THEM!
