Acts 6:8-8:1
“Standing Tall When It Counts”
Introduction
A. Do you remember the Dan and Dave Commercials Reebok had back in 1992
B. It was Dan O’Brien and Dave Johnson as there were both competing for Olympic Gold in the Decathlon
C. Dan O’Brien never made it to the Olympics, but Dave Johnson did
D. Dave Johnson however suffered a major set back a couple of months before the Olympics
E. He had a stress fracture in his leg
F. So he stopped training, and tried to rest it
G. When it was time for the completion, he had not trained for three months
H. But went on anyway, preparing to give it all to stand tall
I. He was in pain, but he kept going on
J. Made it thought the first day, considerably off his normal pace
K. The next day with the final 5 events, were excruciating
L. He kept going
M. He was in tons of pain
N. But would not give in
O. Finally the last even that 1500m. Despite everything if he had a good finish he could win a bronze
P. He ran the event with all his might, all his heart, and wound up winning a bronze
Q. Many people would find this a disappointment
R. Not Dave. Dave says, “God has called me to talk about a bronze medal and a broken bone. Kid’s needed to know that there are obstacles to overcome – that they must have faith in God to succeed. Give yourself 100% to God, and although you may not all win gold medals, there will be God in your heart
S. That is standing tall when it counts
T. Today we are going to look at a person in the Bible who was willing to stand tall when it counts, that is Stephen
U. There is a price to pay to stand tall, and we are going to look at what it requires to stand tall
V. The first things we see is:
I. Standing Tall May Require You to Stand Alone 6:8-10
A. Explanation
1. So Here is Steve
a) As the Bible says a man full of God’s grace and power
b) He was doing wonderful things, performing miracles among the people
2. Unfortunately the opposition rose up against him. What is interesting to note is that the members of the Synagogue of Freedmen were of Hellenistic Jew Decent. So was Steven.
3. This opposition was coming form his own people
4. Now Stephen, as we will find out later, was a great orator
5. His speech before the Sanhedrin was masterfully crafted
6. These Members of the Synagogue of freedmen were no intellectual match for him
7. He ripped them up on side and down the other
8. Because of this they arranged to have false witnesses bring charges of blasphemy against him
B. Application
9. So what can we learn from this
10. The saddest part of this whole ordeal is this opposition was not from his enemies
11. This opposition was from his own people. People like him
12. When we stand tall, don’t expect everyone to be standing with you
13. Standing tall might mean standing alone
14. It can be awful lonely
C. Illustration
15. Heather and I are trying really hard to explain this whole night time sleeping thing to Isaiah
16. Often we will put Isaiah in the crib leave the room quietly, go to our bedroom, and then He starts
17. He starts crying and crying, we will go back over to the bedroom, check his diaper, all that good stuff
18. There are a lot of times when he just ate, his diaper is changed, but he is feeling alone
19. Now one likes that alone feeling
20. But if we are going to stand tall
21. You very will could be the only one standing tall
22. Are you willing to stand tall?
II. Standing Tall May Require You To Stand Against Error
A. Explanation
1. Stephen is now before Sanhedrin, and boy does he let them have it:
2. He points out three things wrong with Sanhedrin’s charges’
a) First of all the issue of land:
b) The Sanhedrin were claiming that Israel was Holy Ground and that if it wasn’t Israel, God wasn’t there
c) Stephen Correctly pointed out that error by stating that rue God of glory cannot be limited to Jerusalem, nor even to Israel for he is the God of the whole world
d) Abraham, Joseph, Moses, had all met God outside the geographical boundaries of Israel
3. The 2nd issue was that of the Law of Moses
a) The Sanhedrin argued that Stephen was not following the law of Moses, that he was even as far as Blaspheming the Law of Moses, a crime punishable by death
b) Stephen response was “you have been braking the law of Moses all your lives and because you have rejected Moses you have rejected the truth about Jesus”
c) The ancestors of the present leaders had rejected all of God’s prophets, including Moses.
d) By doing so they rejected the true worship of God.
e) Having the temple did not make them right in God’s sight.
f) In fact it was because of their rejection of god that they had been sent into captivity in the first place
4. The 3rd issue was the temple
a) The Sanhedrin were accusing Stephen that he was defiling the temple
b) Stephen response is saying the day of the Temple is passed. It had been a blessing, it is great
c) But now we have the LORD Jesus Christ
d) He is the real temple
B. Application
5. What can we learn from all of this?
6. You might be sitting there and thinking that these people were messed up but look closely
7. Land = America is God’s chosen place, only the USA is good enough for God
8. Law of Moses = In order to be saved you cant do this your cant to that, you have to do this and that, come to church, give 10% when we are told if we believe in hearts and confess with our mouths we will be saved
9. Temple = We can only worship God in the Church, God’s only dwells inside these four walls
10. These problems have not gone away, maybe the terminology is different, but the problems are still the same
11. Notice how Stephen was brave enough to stand up to the truth, to declare what was right, what was wrong
12. We need that boldness
13. Standing tall may required you to stand against an error
14. Are you willing to put everything on the line?
C. Illustration
15. This might seem real easy, ohh yeah I stand up for the truth no problem
16. But understand Stephen was facing death
17. You might not be in a situation that you will be stoned
18. But what if confront someone in truth, might cause you to loose your best friend?
19. You going to do it?
20. What if you confront someone in truth, and it might cause you to loose your job?
21. You willing to risk it?
22. What if you confront something in truth, it might cause people to laugh at you
23. Are you willing to be humiliated like that
24. Are you willing to stand tall against an error?
III. Standing Tall May Require Telling the Truth Even When it is Unpopular (7:51-53)
A. Explanation
1. Though I do not have all the records in front of me,
2. I am willing to bet that what Stephen said to the Sanhedrin was the meanest things they have ever heard
3. He called them stiff-necked and uncircumcised people
a) The stiff-necked part God used when describing when Israel’s worship of the Golden Calf, wasn’t friendly then, certainly isn’t friendly now
b) The uncircumcised part recalls God’s judgment on the apostates among his people as being "uncircumcised in heart
4. What bold words
5. They are only two ways to deal with a stiff neck.
6. It can be bend to the will of God or it can be broken
7. Either yield to God now or you most assuredly will stand before God on that day of Judgment
8. And There will be no argument
B. Application
9. What do we learn from this?
10. Standing tall my cause you to loose the popularity contest
11. No one want to hear these things
12. But if we are going to stand tall
13. That is exactly what we are going to have to do
14. Tell the truth when it is unpopular
C. Illustration
15. In Kindergarten, there was this girl, who I liked
16. We were doing a paper one day, and we both missed the same questions
17. Mrs. Tatern immediately became suspicious
18. She started ask me if I cheated
19. I didn’t, I know I didn’t
20. But I wanted to say I did, because I did want to get my friend in trouble
21. Ultimately I had a choice, despite the risk, I stood up to the truth even when it wasn’t popular
22. Are you willing to stand?
IV. Standing Tall May Require You To Suffer
A. Explanation
1. So the Sanhedrin was ok with the harsh words and everything was cool
2. Not exactly how it went
3. Boy they Got real mad
4. When you look at 7:57 you can picture the Sanhedrin officials hearing what Stephen was saying and started to go crazy
a) They were covering there ears and yelling at the top of their voices
b) When someone is saying something you don’t want to hear you do the same things
5. They could not handle the truth anymore
6. They snapped
7. So they attacked him, the Bible says they rushed at him – this is the same phrase used in Luke 8:33 to describe the legions of demon who went into the pigs and caused them to run into a lake and drown
8. They then dragged him outside the city to stone him
9. One by one, they through these rocks on him
10. During this whole traumatic experience, he was calm, he felt the Lord with Him
a) He even said much the same things that Christ said on the cross “do not hold this sin against them”
11. Now we also see in 8:1 this is the first time that Saul is mentioned
12. I am sure that the stoning of Stephen, at the time, made Saul happy, but later on in his life when he was dealing with everything on the road to Damascus, he remembered that picture and it caused him to loose some sleep
B. Application
13. But what can we learn from this?
14. Stephen stood tall to the very end
15. He never got mad at them, he never wanted to fight back
16. He wanted them to see the truth
17. This is not a matter of being right of wrong
18. It is a matter of standing tall to the end
19. Standing Tall may require you to suffer
20. I hope, and I pray that it will never lead you or I where it led Stephen
21. But I want to know where is you stopping point?
22. Where will you stop standing tall?
23. Are you willing to hand in there to the end
24. Are you willing to stand tall despite the inevitable outcome?
25. Are you willing to stand tall if it you will suffer?
C. Illustration
Conclusion
A. How tall are you standing?
B. I don’t care what it says on your driver license
C. I don’t care what the Dr. measure you at your checkup
D. I want to know how tall you are standing when it comes to following the Lord
E. Because I am heading to Edinboro today
F. I think of Grandma Loomis
G. If you were to measure here you would find out real quick, she’s not even 5 ft
H. You wouldn’t think she is very tall
I. But rest assured she stands very tall
J. Last year when I saw here, I found out that she lost about ½ her weight, almost died, and the first thing she said to me “I have been praying for your every day”
K. Physically she can not get out much
L. Physically she has no strength
M. But she is warrior
N. She is standing tall, and she will stand tall till the end
O. That’s what we need today
P. In our passage we found out that the New Testament Church definitely did not have it easy, wasn’t the smooth sailing that we like to think it was
Q. It was a lot of persecution
R. During those times, notice, by Stephen example, how tall the stood
S. That needs to be our attitude.
T. How tall are you standing today?
U. On a scale of 1 ft to 10ft. 10 being Stephen were are you?
V. The question I want you to wrestle with today is “how can I grow taller to stand taller?” What areas in my life do I need to work on?
W. Now that we have looked back, let us move forward
