“They chose Stephen (to serve), a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…full of God’s grace and power…opposition arose…but could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” –Acts 6:5, 8, 10
“We need to remember and search for our roots in the luminaries, risk-takers and movements of the church through the centuries...to neglect them is to fall victim to a narrowing amnesia that leaves us floundering." -Timothy Jones
“It is observed that a man improves more by reading the Story of a person eminent for prudence and virtue, than by the finest rules and precepts of morality.” –J.Addison
I. Stephen’s Story-
The power of a testimony and inspiration from a godly example are personal invitations to engage life and experience God. Christian history and biographies cultivate the fertile soil of our hearts and minds while germinating the seeds of destiny within us. Once we read how they lived, what they believed, and see the passion, commitments and sacrificial service of their lives, it’s hard to return to a mediocre faith.
Father God delights in using history, biographies and personal testimonies to bless and benefit us. The most powerful forces for changing perspectives, motivations and expectations are personal ones. The Holy Spirit uses human lives in changing human lives, whether from a real relationship or the pages of a book.
Acts 6-7 focuses on Stephen’s life, faith, defense trial and death. It teaches us the vital role of lay ministry, understanding history & a theology of suffering in Christian witness. In other words, we are involved in spiritual warfare with eternal life & death consequences. You have a crucial role to play. Many Christians in history and around the world live with suffering and persecution that is foreign to us. And an understanding of Biblical, Christian history may free us from the spirit of the age and selfish motivations or mindsets.
As Christians, we believe that the Bible has both inspired reporting and inspired interpretation of events. Acts is the history book of the early church. Luke is the finest historian of the New Testament; and he devotes three times as much space to the speech of Stephen (the 1st Christian martyr) than he does to any of the sermons of Peter or Paul. This seems intended to build a theological bridge from where the Jerusalem Church is to where Paul will eventually be; that God is not limited to a particular place or people…but is Living and moving in history and our personal lives. This truth confronts a Hebrew (eastern or religious) mindset with Christian perspectives. In the NT (now), there are no holy places, only holy people…who are the house of God, the temple of the Holy Spirit!
II. Speech Themes-
Stephen’s speech or “defense” begins with a simple review of OT Jewish history & the life of Abraham. It seems this intro was to show his familiarity with and love for the people of Israel. As it progresses, he focuses on Joseph and Moses, who were raised up by God, rejected by Israel and later honored as deliverers. Though Stephen doesn’t compare them directly with Christ, the analogy is unmistakably clear. Rather than seeking acquittal from false charges, Stephen gives a history lesson for a defense of Christianity as God’s way of worship. He says little about Jesus (7:37, 52) and much about Moses because he is accused of rejecting Moses’ teachings and speaking against the Temple and its customs (6:11-14).
The speech emphasized that history repeats itself. In every generation, men are the same…lacking understanding, quarreling, disobedient, backsliding, rejecting God’s messengers, preferring useless idols and humanistic endeavors to the merciful, Living God (7:25, 27, 35, 39, 41). God is also the same. HE reveals Himself to us, hears us, knows our troubles, comes to free us, sends deliverers and leads us out of bondage into new life and promised lands (7:30-36). For Stephen’s hearers, it was a warning, but also an assurance that every promise of God stands firm.
Stephen’s message also stressed that the activity of God is not confined geographically to Israel, and that worship acceptable to HIM is not confined to the Jewish temple. To the horror of his accusers, he outlines how much of God’s activity has taken place outside of their land and before there was a temple. He then highlights that the Most High is not confined to our buildings, and gives great prominence to the spiritual nature of true religion and the comparative insignificance of its externals. Here he quotes Isaiah’s word that buildings are not what really count with God, but rather the moral and spiritual condition of our lives. The God of Heaven looks for broken and contrite hearts belonging to those who tremble at HIS Word (7:48-50, Is.66:1-2). God’s word and Presence transcends all boundaries, and this is justification for the spread of the Gospel & Church.
III. Spirit-Filled Suffering-
He concludes with a “scathing” accusation of these Jewish leaders; charging them with resisting the Holy Spirit, murdering the Messiah (Jesus), and failing to keep the Law…they reacted with anger and pronounced an immediate death sentence. Stephen must have known that his life was in danger. All he had to do to save his own life was to give a compromising speech. But he would rather die than betray his sacred trust. Luke’s vivid description of the enraged crowd dragging Stephen away and stoning him to death is matched only by the shocking supernatural events that accompany the execution (7:57-60).
“Stephen’s experience of a special anointing with the Spirit’s fullness in the midst of suffering challenges many prevalent notions. We usually relate that fullness to some ministry activity or personal spiritual experience…we must not forget that the Spirit’s fullness is also given to prepare for suffering (or comfort and encourage in times of severe crises), which are important parts of the life of faithful obedience. God is powerfully at work both when the sun shines brightly and when dark clouds loom over us…I believe the Spirit’s fullness in the darkness is so important for our spiritual health that God permits us to go through dark times in order that He can fill us afresh…
There, the vision of God’s glory and Christ’s exaltation is seen…and when we realize that God is on the throne and that He is for us, we can find courage and even joy in the midst of our pain.” –Fernando
Stephen’s last words are similar to Jesus on the cross…asking God to receive his spirit and not to hold this sin against his killers (7:59-60, Lk.23:46, 34). Wow! That is supernatural. Augustine says the church owes Paul to the prayers of Stephen. This may have been his only sermon, but his closing prayers combined with the witness of his life and anointed death prepared the way for Paul’s later conversion.
IV. A Special Revelation for Us-
The ministry and martyrdom of Stephen helped remove some prevailing prejudices and mindsets that were hindering Christianity and the spread of the Gospel. He opened a historic window for the light of Christ and fresh breeze of the Spirit to pour in. He opened the door theologically for the world mission of the church. And most importantly, his testimony brought a revelation to us that because of Jesus Christ, the Heavens are open, God’s holiness and presence is available anywhere! God in Christ came to us…and will meet us still!
“…the Message of Christianity is that Jesus is in Place, at home with where we are. This is the ultimate liberation from all pretension of there being more or less sacredness to places. It is an invitation to go into all the world, into every place, and know that God is with us. This message reaffirms a different deity than that which is promoted by many in this world…our God lingers wherever we find ourselves, whether it is gazing up at trees or fretfully poring over our monthly bills.
For many, this is a wild claim. It challenges the view that churches are more sacred than schools, or that God’s wisdom is more prevalent in universities than in mental wards. It challenges the notion that there is more freedom to be found by a vacationer on a cruise ship than by a death row inmate in a cold prison. No. Jesus has been to all these places, HIS Presence makes each a place where we can encounter God. Jesus has obliterated the harsh lines of distinction between all places by coming to all of us, where we exist. God is surely with us. Wherever we are, God will meet us there! That is good news!” -Paul E. Stroble
No comments:
Post a Comment