Stephen --A Man Who Wore Many Hats(Deacon, Evangelist, Convict,Crown)
Acts 6:8-7:60
INTRODUCTION:
1.) Last week we were introduced to a number of men who served in the distribution of food in the church.
2.) One of these Greek men was Stephen.
3.) This morning, I want to look further at the man Stephen, and see how he continued to grow inn faith and service to God and the Church even to the point of death.
I. FROM A DEACON TO AN EVANGELIST.
1.) Stephen had already demonstrated himself a man of God as a deacon.
A.) He had shown himself to be a man full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom.
aa.) Acts 6:3
2.) Stephen continued to grow in and be used by God.
A.) One of the things we will find in life is that if we are open and surrendered to God, that he will use us for his glory.
aa.) God is willing to use us to whatever degree we are willing to give ourselves to Him.
B.) Certainly Stephen was a man with that kind of character.
ba.) Stephen had been appointed as one of the seven we had looked at last week who were chosen by the church for ministry to the Widows.
bb.) The ministry Stephen had in the church was certainly a very important and vital ministry within the Church of Jesus Christ.
2.) Stephen’s ministry did not stop with serving tables.
A.) As often is the case, God has more plans for one who is surrendered to him and His service.
B.) God knew Stephen had a heart dedicated to Jesus Christ, and a love for the people of God in the church.
ba.) With such character, and devotion, God worked on this man and was able to carry on great work and ministry through him for the Church.
3.) God was working powerfully through Stephen.
A.) Acts 6:8
B.) He was full of God’s grace.
ba.) When we speak of God’s grace we generally speak of God giving us something that we don’t deserve and could never be worthy of, and far greater than what we would ever come to expect.
baa.) Certainly we would most commonly refer to God’s grace in the connotation of our salvation.
bb.) There were also times in the early church when God would also extend his grace beyond salvation, and specially work through that person to accomplish great things for the kingdom of God.
bc.) As God looked at Stephen, he saw in this man one through whom he could work.
bca.) It seems that beyond the working of God for salvation, that God also chose to bless Stephen with an extra measure of Grace in some gifts from the Spirit of God.
C.) He was full of God’s power.
ca.) By the power of God he did great wonders.
caa.) This was at a time in the church when there were still spiritual gifts, and some of the church had received special power from the Spirit of God to perform works, signs and wonders.
cab.) I want to you to see something from this text. God’s Word does not just say he performed wonders, but that he performed “great wonders.”
.01) It is entirely possible by that designation that God was working through him to do miracles, signs, and wonders even more spectacular than what many others in the church had been doing.
.02) Perhaps I am reading more into this passage than I should by saying that, but it appears that God knew the heart of this man and was able to work greatly for the glory of Jesus Christ and the Church.
.021) Sometimes God can use such a person who is surrendered to Jesus Christ, and with a humble spirit to do great things for the kingdom of God.
D.) By the power of God He did miraculous signs.
da.) God’s Word does not elaborate further on the signs that Stephen was performing, other than to make it very clear that God was in that which he was doing.
4.) Somewhere along the way, Stephen’s ministry seems to have gone from being a deacon to working as an evangelist.
A.) Stephen had opened himself up to be used by God.
B.) The more his heart was tuned in to God, the more that God had blessed him with opportunities of service to the Kingdom of God.
D.) It is in his role serving as an evangelist, that he came to be in trouble with the Jewish leaders and religion.
da.) This brings me to my second point and a new phase of his life as he moves:
II. FROM AN EVANGELIST TO A CONVICT.
1.) The synagogue of freedmen opposed him.
A.) Acts 6:9a.
B.) Some have claimed that in and around Jerusalem there were around 480 different synagogues.
ba.) This particular synagogue described was one that was made up of Jewish people who had gained their freedom from slavery.
bb.) More specifically, it was made up of freed slaves from Cyrene, and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia, and Asia.
bc.) Perhaps their former position as slaves had given them a common bond that caused them to form their own synagogue.
2.) These men began to argue with Stephen.
A.) Acts 6:9b.
B.) They could not stand up against His wisdom.
ba.) Acts 6:10a.
bb.) Stephen had wisdom from the Word of God.
bba.) As a man of God who had been devoted to the Word of
God, Stephen could speak with wisdom greater than his opponents, because he was being directed by the Word of God.
C.) They could not stand up against the Spirit by whom he spoke.
ca.) Acts 6:10b.
cb.) When Stephen addressed this crowd it was not merely his own words, and thoughts; What made his message so powerful was that he was speaking by the Spirit of God.
cba.) The Spirit and wisdom of God are always superior to any arguments and wisdom this world has to offer.
cbb.) This may well have been an instance of a promise that Jesus had given.
.01) Matthew 10:19
.02) Mark 13:11
3.) Sometimes when conquered with the truth the wicked will counterattack with lies.
A.) Acts 6:11-14
B.) I am sure this passage draws your minds to the time of the crucifixion of Christ.
ba.) There have been a few years between the two events, but the actions, the lies, and the charges against Stephen echo those which were levied against Jesus Christ.
bb.) Satan and his forces are determined to destroy the child of God whenever it is possible to do so.
bba.) When Satan does not have actual legitimate charges to bring, he almost always brings lies and falsity to destroy the work of Jesus Christ and the church.
4.) The face of Stephen was like an angel.
A.) Acts 6:15
B.) I believe this is probably a detail of Stephen that Luke had received from the Apostle Paul.
ba.) Even years after the fact, Paul could not forget the face of Stephen as he sat on trial before the Sanhedrin.
C.) I would have thought if there was anything whatsoever of decency or the fear of God within these men who questioned Stephen that they would have at this point immediately backed down, and realized they were opposing the very work of God Almighty.
5.) Stephen began to preach.
A.) Stephen’s sermon is a recounting of the entire history of the Jewish people.
B.) In the recounting the history Stephen makes a few points in his sermon:
ba.) From the time of the call of Abraham onward, God had been working a plan to bring the Messiah into this world.
bb.) In every generation God had been bringing about people and events to further his plan and prepare the way for the Messiah.
bc.) Likewise in every generation of the Jews, many had chosen to reject the plan of God, and ultimately in doing so were also rejecting their coming Messiah.
bd.) Now that the Messiah had come the people of that generation, just like their forefathers had rejected God’s plan, and the Messiah that had come from God.
bda.) Acts 7:51-53
bdb.) This was the final straw in this trial against Stephen.
.01) After such accusations against the Sanhedrin, and religious leaders, they could tolerate no more of Stephen or of his arguments and sermon.
.02) This was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
.03) This brings me to my third point, as Stephen goes:
III. FROM A CONVICT TO AN ETERNAL CROWN.
1.) God gave Stephen a vision of heaven and the eternal.
A.) Stephen saw the glory of God.
aa.) Acts 7:55
B.) Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
C.) Stephen saw heaven opened and Jesus at the right hand of God.
ca.)There is much speculation on this vision Stephen had seen, but many in the Christian faith believe that at the very least it was a vision to strengthen his faith as he testified of the truth in Jesus Christ.
cb.) There are some who also have felt that this vision was a picture of Jesus actually welcoming him into heaven.
cc.) Regardless how we may look at the description, the reaction it brought from the crowd was that Stephen was to be put to death.
cca.) Acts 7:57-58
2.) God gave Stephen a faith that would carry him to the grave.
A.) When a person is genuinely living for Jesus Christ, the thought of death even death as a martyr for Jesus Christ will not deter such a one from his faith in Christ.
B.) In fact persecution and the fear of death will only serve to separate the true disciple of Jesus Christ from the fair-weather faith of an insincere or half-hearted Christian who does not have a deep faith in Christ.
C.) The Apostle Paul rightly stated not only his own position, but also the faith of all who are surrendered to Jesus Christ.
ca.) Phil.1:20-23
cb.) This was the kind of faith which Stephen also shared as he faced those who would not believe in Jesus Christ, nor accept the will and Word of God for their own lives.
D.) Stephen knowing that he would soon die, and that his faith was securely anchored in Jesus Christ gets on his knees and prays to God, for death, and to be with Jesus Christ.
da.) Acts 7:59
3.) God gave Stephen the grace and love of God for these evil men.
A.) When you are being pelted with rocks, it could be a hard thing to forgive those who are killing you.
B.) Yet Stephen knew it was out of ignorance they were carrying out these sinful actions. He also knew that the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ had to be proclaimed for man to come to salvation.
ba.) Just as Jesus had done, he prays for those who were killing him.
baa.) Acts 7:60a.
4.) God gave Stephen a release from this life into life eternal.
A.) Acts 7:60b.
B.) God gave him the blessed release of death, and welcomed him into the presence of God.
CONCLUSION:
1.) Today as we have continued to look at the Church in the book of Acts we have examined a bit of one man in the early church.
A.) Stephen was a man who had determined with all of his being to glorify Jesus Christ.
B.) There are many through the history of the church who like Stephen has held true to faith in Jesus Christ even if it meant they would die because of that faith.
C.) But just as many have had a faith that would never deny Jesus Christ, there have also been many in the history of the church who has decided to renounce their faith in Christ if challenged by society, or persecution.
D.) Wherever we are in our faith in Christ, and however deep that conviction to Christ is, my prayer is that each one of us would have that faith that would stand up to whatever the world may bring against whether in life or in death.
da.) May I challenge you today with the words of Jesus Christ: ‘Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 10:32-33).
db.) Let us be faithful to Christ.
