The first person put to death for their faith in Jesus Christ was a gifted and generous man named Stephen. He was accused of blaspheming God and speaking against the Temple and the Law of Moses. Acts 7 records his defense before the Sanhedrin, the religious council of the day. What can we learn from Stephen’s story about God’s faithfulness, about courageous faith, and about being willing to risk it all for the sake of Jesus Christ? How does what Stephen went through relate to our own situation today?
Sermon Notes
Stephen’s defense from historical theology:
- God – the Sovereign, promise making, promise keeping God
- Abraham – the Patriarchy, recipients of God’s covenant
- Jacob/Joseph – Egyptian bondage & slavery
- Moses – deliverance, the Exodus & the wilderness
- David/Solomon – Monarchy & the Temple
Religious leaders:
- Ignored lessons of Israel’s spiritual history
- Rejected the Word of God & God’s messengers
- Worshiped idols & false gods
- Resisted the Holy Spirit
- Opposed the gospel of grace
Stephen:
- Knew and could teach the lessons of history
- Recognized how OT & prophets pointed forward to Jesus
- Was humbly submitted to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit
- Spoke boldly and was willing to give his life for the glory of Christ
Acts 7 – the timeless truths:
- God’s pursuit of a people He can call His own.
- God’s patience with sinners throughout human history.
- God’s presence cannot be contained, confined, or controlled.
Acts 7 – the timeless truths:
- God is not seeking to establish a holy place but to transform sinners into a holy people.
- This kind of transformation is possible in and through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
“God wants and intends the restoration of a lost world to Himself and to its true nature and destiny by breaking down whatever barriers are placed between it and Him, and in Jesus Christ he actually makes this possible.”
Alister McGrath
Studies in Doctrine
“God’s church means people not buildings, and God’s word means Scripture not traditions. So long as these essentials are preserved, the building and the traditions can if necessary go. We must not allow them to imprison the living God or to impede his mission in the world.”
John Stott
“The measure of all love is its giving. The measure of the love of God is the cross of Christ, where the Father gave the Son to die so that the spiritually dead might have life.”
J. I. Packer
Rediscovering Holiness