STEPHEN: A GREAT LAYMAN
Acts 6:8-15
I. STEPHEN WAS A MAN OF HIGH MORAL CHARACTER:
A. Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
B. Honest report – having a good reputation, bearing a good witness, beyond reproach
C. Ecclesiastes 7:1 A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth.
D. Forty-eight percent of American workers admit to taking unethical or illegal actions in the past year. USA Today (4/14/97) listed the five most common types of unethical/illegal behavior that workers say they have engaged in because of pressure:
--Cut corners on quality control
--Covered up incidents
--Abused or lied about sick days
--Lied to or deceived customers
--Put inappropriate pressure on others.
E. An English one-liner that has always amused me is: "A gentleman is one who uses the butter knife when he is alone." In other words, it’s what someone does when no one’s watching that indicates the true person.
F. Titus 2:11-13 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
II. STEPHEN WAS A MAN OF FULL OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
A. Acts 6:3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
B. Acts 6:5 …and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost,
C. A Sunday School class was studying the Apostles Creed. Each member of the class was given a section of the creed to learn by heart; then Sunday by Sunday they would take in turns to recite the creed, each student repeating their part. And so, one Sunday morning, the class began. The first child stood up and said "I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth." The second student stood and said "I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord." Then there were a few moments of silence, before one girl spoke up: "I’m sorry sir, but the boy who believes in the Holy Ghost is absent today."
D. Ephesians 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit
E. A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen; talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see; expects to go to heaven on the virtue of Another; empties himself in order to be full; admits he is wrong so he can be declared right; goes down in order to get up; is strongest when he is weakest; richest when he is poorest and happiest when he feels the worst. He dies so he can live; forsakes in order to have; gives away so he can keep; sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge. A. W. Tozer
III. STEPHEN WAS A MAN FULL OF FAITH
A. Verse 3 – faithful and steadfast
B. Verse 8 – full of faith – grace (chartos) God’s love favor, gifts, and blessings
C. It is related that one fearfully stormy night a boat was wrecked. As the dawn came, many were seen out in the icy waters, holding on to anything that would prevent them from sinking. Ed and Will Spencer came to the scene. Ed was a fine swimmer. He swam out and out again until he had rescued many, and was almost exhausted. He saw a woman holding on to a piece of board and crying for help. They said, "Ed, you’d better not go." But it was too much for him. He swam out into the icy waters and brought her to shore. Then he swooned. He was taken to the hospital. After some hours, he became conscious and said to his brother Will, "How many were drowned?" Will replied, "I do not know." Then he said, "How many did I save?" Will replied, "Ed, you saved seventeen." But Ed sadly said, "Did I do my best?" He would become unconscious, and every time ask the same question when he would revive. "Will, did I do my best?" Have we done our best? We fear we are playing at religion and soul winning.
D. Faithfulness is consecration in overalls. - Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941)
E. If we are correct and right in our Christian life at every point, but refuse to stand for the truth at a particular point where the battle rages-then we are traitors to Christ. Martin Luther (1483-1546)
IV. STEPHEN WAS A MAN FULL OF POWER
A. Verse 8
B. Acts 1:8
C. Ephesians 3:16 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
D. Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
E. If you were to go out on the water you have two types of boat you could use. You could use a powerboat. In a powerboat you have total control. You start the engine, head off in a straight line toward your destination, and get there very quickly. Alternately, you could get into a sailboat. Here you do not have total control. Rather you must identify which way the wind is blowing and set your sails to catch the wind. You probably won’t be able to head straight to your destination but will need to zigzag across the bay. And the speed at which you move will be largely determined by the strength at which the breeze is blowing. Although there is much about the speedboat that is attractive, living a life attuned to the Spirit is more like being in a sailboat, with the Spirit the breeze. We need to identify what it is the Spirit is doing, and then work in harmony with the Spirit to move forward. Very often we will not be heading in a straight line towards the goal, and the pace at which we move will be largely determined by the Spirit.
V. STEPHEN WAS A MAN FULL OF GREAT COURAGE:
A. Acts 7:51-53. "You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did. Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have not become; you who received the law as ordained by angels, and yet did not keep it."
B. . "One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
C. True courage is like a kite, contrary wind raises it higher.
D. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
E. Joshua 1:9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
VI. STEPHEN WAS A MAN FILLED WITH FORGIVENESS:
A. Acts 7:54-60."Now when they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. But Stephen, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God… ...and when they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him… and they went on stoning him as he called upon the Lord and said: ’Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ’Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep."
B. Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
C. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men.
