Confrontation Is Not Always Easy 9/12/13

Good Morning,

Today I am very tired and the coffee will be a strong cup of Door County Cherry Crème. I can smell it brewing right now.

We will first read Acts7:51-60. In these verses we find Stephen. Who was Stephen?

Saint Stephen (Koine Greek: Στέφανος, Stephanos; sometimes spelled "Stephan"), the first martyr of Christianity, was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, a deacon in the early church at Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of members of various synagogues by his teachings. Accused of blasphemy, at his trial he made a long speech fiercely denouncing the Jewish authorities who were sitting in judgment on him and was stoned to death. His martyrdom was witnessed by Saul of Tarsus (later renamed Paul), a Pharisee who would later convert to Christianity and become an apostle.

New King James Version (NKJV)

Israel Resists the Holy Spirit

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.”

Stephen the Martyr

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!”
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.

What we see in Stephen is that he had one chance to speak up to the Pharisees and he did it. They rejected the Holy Spirit and the Good News of Jesus Christ right up to killing Stephen. But he delivered the hard message. Notice he did not even hold a grudge as they were stoning him.

Stephen knew his calling and was not ashamed to go at it for Jesus. He was not ashamed of the Gospel nor did he fear what men could do to him. Despite the danger of offending them and suffering their wrath he went forward and obeyed God.

Many people look for a hero as a leader. I suggest that Stephen was a real hero. One endorsed by God. How heroic are you feeling today? Gospel delivery anyone?

Have a great day.

Marty