What do I Stand for?
Today I want to talk about a concept, that affects all of us, but dependent on your background and/or how you were raised or what you were taught growing up you may have one view or another. Now this particular question can have several answers depending on that view. So if you're taking notes go ahead and write this down, What do I stand for? I’m sure if we wrote down 5 answers and took a poll around the room, a lot of us may have one or two similar or like minded answers. As a church I am sure some would say they STAND for Christianity or some would say that they stand for America or Freedom or Democracy.
Let’s now talk about physically standing, there used to be a tradition for men to STAND UP when women enter/leave the room now days standing just because of a woman’s presence will come off as weird to most women, although my wife probably could get use to it. Now it’s more appropriate to stand when being introduced. Alot of us STAND to cheer our favorite football team when they make a big play, although the Gator fans didn’t do much of that last year, I am a Miami fan so I have felt that pain for 10 years. At concerts the bands sometimes get STANDING ovations and so on. There are many reasons that cause us to STAND.
I had the privilege of serving for our country for four years. When I joined the military it was during the first Gulf war, what this meant was I was to complete my training and they would ship us directly from training to the Gulf. I knew this when I joined and I made the decision that I would be willing to fight or STAND UP for my country in this way. God had a different plan and the war ended while I was in training so I never got that opportunity. While I served they trained us to physically STAND for a few things, like when an officer entered a room we would STAND at attention as a sign of respect or honoring the rank that they had achieved, or during the national anthem we would also STAND at attention to honor the country that we serve. To this day whenever I hear the national anthem I still STAND at attention. I think all of us STAND for something in our lives either physically or personally in our lives.
Here recently I feel God has lead me to a particular person in the bible to study and as I have been studying this person he has revealed some things that I would like to share. I feel there are so many lessons that can be learned from this man’s life it really should be covered in several messages. Today I want to talk to you about a man named Stephen and what he decided to STAND for. Many of you may know the story of Stephen, but for those who do not I will give a brief overview of the life of Stephen. See Stephen was introduced to us after Jesus had been crucified and had risen into heaven. It was a time of rapid growth in the church through the bold witness of Peter and John after the Holy Spirit came upon them. As a matter of fact after Peter and the apostles received the Holy Spirit, Peter preached to the crowd and 3,000 people that came to see what was going on gave their lives to Christ became believers and got baptized. As those believers spread the news of Gospel the news and love of Jesus spread faster and faster.
This caused 2 things to happen,
First thing that this caused was opposition amongst the High priests or the Sadducees, as more and more people were becoming believers, as people were being healed and delivered from evil spirits. The bible says that they became jealous. The keepers of the Religion or Laws were so upset about what the apostles STOOD for, because they felt that it contradicted the Laws of Moses and the temple so they had the apostles arrested and threw them in jail. Well that did no good as an Angel of the Lord came and opened the doors of the jail and let them out to continue spreading the Gospel. When God has a plan for you, and you are being faithful and STAND for him, not even steel bars can STAND in your way of what he has for you. So throwing them in jail did not stop them, so they arrested them again had them beaten and told them to never speak in the name of Jesus.
This did not stop them, it says in Acts 5:41-42 (NLT)
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus.[a] 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”
So even if you are beaten in any situation, your finances, your health, your marriage, I don’t care what it is if you STAND for God and speak the name of Jesus over it he will deliver you from that situation or use it to make you better and glorify him.
What do you stand for?
The second thing that began to happen is as the people began to show the love of Jesus to everyone by sharing everything they had to provide for anyone in need a lot more people showed up to have those needs fulfilled. As the believers continued to grow in number there became a need for people to be appointed to help care for them. There were only 12 apostles and the number of converts started with the 3000 but the bible says at another point when Peter healing a cripple man on the way to preach at the temple that 5000 men, not counting women and children became believers. As the body of christ or what we call the church grew, problems started to arise on how food was being distributed. The apostles needed to assign people step up to help distribute food, so they could spend their time in prayer and teaching the word. And this is where we are introduced to Stephen,
Acts 6:2-4 (NLT)
2 So the Twelve called a meeting of all the believers. They said, “We apostles should spend our time teaching the word of God, not running a food program.3 And so, brothers, select seven men who are well respected and are full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will give them this responsibility. 4 Then we apostles can spend our time in prayer and teaching the word.”
One of the seven men selected was Stephen, He was described as a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. When we are faithful to God’s calling on us he will put us in a position to make an impact for him. Stephen at this point was faithful, there was a need and he was able to help fill it. When we are faithful in the little things we are called to God will grow us. As Stephen’s faith began to grow it says that he performed amazing miracles and signs among the people. When you STAND UP and fill God’s calling for your life it comes with increased responsibility but also when we fill that calling, it comes with increased criticism. There are going to be people that question you and why you have changed, there are going to be people that try to drag you down or demean your progress. There are going to be people that are going to question your faith or make you feel that you're not good enough. This is what happened to Stephen the Religious people began to debate or argue with Stephen about the laws and traditions. Nothing good ever comes from arguing over religion.
As they argued with him it says in Acts 6:10-15 (NLT)
10 None of them could stand against the wisdom and the Spirit with which Stephen spoke. 11 So they persuaded some men to lie about Stephen, saying, “We heard him blaspheme Moses, and even God.” 12 This roused the people, the elders, and the teachers of religious law. So they arrested Stephen and brought him before the high council.[a] 13 The lying witnesses said, “This man is always speaking against the holy Temple and against the law of Moses. 14 We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth[b] will destroy the Temple and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” 15 At this point everyone in the high council stared at Stephen, because his face became as bright as an angel’s.
Here is where Stephen decided what he STOOD FOR he knew that what they said about him was just lies, and instead of defending himself he took the opportunity preach to them and basically covered the entire Old testament in one sermon and how religion or the law had continually fallen short of what God’s plan was for them. But how all of this pointed to Jesus and God isn’t defined by their temples that he wanted to be first in us because we chose to put him first. If you have time read through Acts 7 today it is well worth reading.
Today I am just going to cover the last part in verse Acts 7:51-59 (NKJV)
51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”
Now lets just stop right there what Stephen just said to the Religious leaders was probably the worst thing that you could say to them. Telling the High priests that they had uncircumcised hearts and ears is basically like saying you don’t follow God’s laws in your heart or listen to them with your ears. Circumcision to a Jew was a big deal, it was a covenant between God and Abraham so telling them that they had uncircumcised anything was saying you aren’t in covenant with God so you are unclean in his eyes, if you don’t know what that is ask your neighbor, or Web MD it after church. So after he basically insulted them he continued in verse
54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”
Here is what I think is very important in verse 56 it says that he looks up into heaven, and sees Jesus STANDING at the right hand of God. You see in the bible Jesus is often referred to at the right hand of God but it is always seated. In this case he is STANDING , being who he is he knows what is about to happen and he is STANDING to honor Stephen for what is is doing, for what Stephen is about to go thru. You see Jesus knows what is the hearts of these people he knows that the are about to murder Stephen for what he STOOD for. He allowed Stephen to see into heaven and to see the glory of God before he died to let him know that he was there waiting, that he was not alone. Jesus is STANDING to welcome the first person to die for him into heaven. I think he was was calling over Moses and Elijah and was like look at what Stephen is doing like a proud father watching his son doing something amazing. He probably was like everyone STAND UP and cheer and welcome Stephen into heaven.
In verse 57 it says (NKJV)
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
Even after they were screaming at him to drown out his words, and after they dragged him out and were throwing stones, that were breaking his bones and his teeth. The small glimpse of heaven that Jesus allowed him to see was enough for him to call on God to forgive those who were taking his life while they were doing it. I love the way it refers to Stephen’s death it says he fell asleep, you know that has to be one of the most violent ways to die, being hit and pounded with stone after stone, but after seeing where he was headed he was at such peace that he fell asleep.
Don’t skip over verse 58 it says
58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul
So witnessing all of this and STANDING there watching was a young man named Saul, who watched and approved the killing of Stephen went on a crusade, finding imprisoning and killing anyone who followed christ. Saul who later would have an an encounter with Jesus on a road to Damascus. Saul became the apostle Paul he went from Christian killer to one of the most influential and most important missionaries to spread the Gospel. You think that being witness to the murder of Stephen and how he STOOD UP for Jesus even seeing Stephen praying for those who murdered him, you think that may have planted a seed with Saul?
So what I am asking you today is, What do you STAND for? You see Stephen STOOD UP for Jesus, and gave his very life for him. When he did Jesus STOOD UP to welcome him into heaven. When we take a STAND for Jesus in our lives we not only help spread the good news of who Jesus is but we also can affect how other people who may not know Jesus yet will see him when they have that encounter with the one who STANDS up for us in our time of need the one who STOOD UP and died for all of sins of the world, not just those who know him but he STOOD UP and died those who didn’t and right now I believe he is STANDING right here, right now with us saying keep up the good work. See we don’t all have to die like Stephen did to let people know about Jesus, but we can STAND UP and start living for him to glorify all that he has done and so others can see how amazing he is. Now I don’t know what he has done for you but I know that I will STAND UP and declare what he has done for me to anyone that will listen, and I want to live for him so everyone watching can see not just what he has done but what he can do with someone who has made a lot of mistakes but he STOOD UP for me anyway, who has made a lot of bad choices but he STOOD UP and welcomed me with open arms. Someone who has lived in sin for most of his life but Jesus STOOD UP and said I can use you, and he can use you too.
Let’s pray
