Stephen’s Death, A Part of God’s Plan

Transcript

GR 1597
03/20/11
Stephen's Death, a Part of God's Plan
Acts 7:54-60
Gil Rugh

Acts 7 in your Bibles. We're considering the early days of the church's history, the church which began in Acts 2. Something of those early years of history is being unfolded through the book of Acts. And I'm constantly reminded as I work through Acts that we may be living in the closing chapter of the church's history. And as amazing and exciting as the early days of the church's life would be, what a privilege it is to live toward the close of the church's history and have the opportunity to represent Jesus Christ in these days, anticipating His return for the church

What the early church focused on was the preaching of the truth concerning Jesus Christ. In a variety of settings the gospel is being preached, but always in the context of proclaiming this gospel to the Jews. Some of the Jews are responsive, some are not. We have seen great responses, I mean, thousands of people saved on the Day of Pentecost as a result of the preaching of Peter. Then a little bit later in Acts 4 we are told there were 5,000 men. So we've grown from over 3,000 because the end of Acts 2 told us in addition to the 3,000 there were others being added to the body. Then we're growing over 5,000. And then we're told on different occasions, Acts 5:14, the Lord was continuing to add to their number, so good things are happening. Nothing more exciting than to be presenting the message of Jesus Christ and seeing people respond in faith, being saved, and beginning to grow in their new life in Christ.

But with this there is hostility and opposition to the message of Christ. Often this comes from the religious leaders, but these religious leaders are supported by the people that they lead. The leaders and those who follow them are offended by the message of the gospel because inherent in the gospel is a declaration that your religious activity will not save you. Your own good works, your own righteous deeds will not provide cleansing from sin. They find that offensive. And of course the religious leaders are being told that their religious activity is not just of no help, it is a hindrance, and it is harm. So what they want to do is silence the message and the messenger.

Back in Acts 4:18, the leadership, the Sanhedrin, Jewish leaders, they summoned the disciples and they commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. This is what is offensive, the message of Christ because it is a message of sin, it's a message of salvation. But it's a message of salvation from sin only in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

In Acts 5:40, again the Sanhedrin comes to the fore, the Jewish leaders, and they take the advice of one of their number, Gamaliel, and decide not to kill the disciples, the leaders here, the apostles. But they flogged them and ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus. That repeated emphasis, you are not to speak and teach the people about Jesus, the One that you say is the Messiah.
Come back to Matthew 23, and beginning in verse 13 He gives this series of woes pronounced upon the scribes, the Pharisees, religious leaders in Israel. Woe to you, verse 13, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people, note this, for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. These religious leaders not only reject the message that Jesus Christ is presenting, not only refuse to believe in Him as the Messiah that God has provided, but they are doing all they can to prevent others who might respond in faith to the message to keep them from believing.

Down in verse 15, woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites because you travel around on sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves. See the seriousness of religious activity devoid of true faith in Jesus Christ. Religion becomes a great hindrance. We think, at least it's a help; it creates a certain moral climate. Let's face it, the scribes and Pharisees created a better moral climate than the pagan gods of Rome and so on. God says when you win a convert, he's twice as much a son of hell, and becomes more difficult to reach with the true message of Jesus Christ.

Come back to Acts 7. The opposition to the gospel has been growing as we move through these early chapters of Acts. It's led by the religious leaders of Israel. It never stays just static, that opposition continues to get stronger and build. It is about to explode in violent persecution of the church. The first action of this violent persecution that will break out will be the execution of Stephen. And this will change the church permanently because it will move now from being a Jewish church centered and focused only in the Jews in Jerusalem and the surrounding region, to becoming a worldwide church primarily comprised of Gentiles.

In Acts 7 Stephen has very simply and clearly surveyed the first thousand years of Israel's history. Carefully under the direction of the Holy Spirit who is using him as a mouthpiece, because as we'll see, verse 55, Stephen is a man full of the Holy Spirit. He's a man functioning under the control of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is using Stephen as the mouthpiece of God to present the truth from God concerning Israel's spiritual condition. And the history of Israel has been a history of the rejection of God's word, of God's servants and of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

So in verse 51 Stephen said to them, 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. And he's demonstrated their action through their Old Testament scripture. And it comes down right to today; you are resisting the Holy Spirit. That's going to become clear because as verse 55 says, Stephen is full of the Holy Spirit, under the Spirit's control as he is giving this message. And their reaction is going to be one of overwhelming rejection, hatred, and the killing of Stephen. In doing that they are opposing with all their energy the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Isn't it amazing how sin totally twists your thinking? There are men who are convinced they are God's representatives on earth, they are the authorities in the Old Testament scriptures and they are the strongest opponent to the ministry of the message of Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of all the promises of the Old Testament. So their sin is greater than the sin of their fathers. Verse 52, which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, and you have carried that to its climax. You have become the betrayers and murderers of the Righteous One. They killed those who told of the coming of the Righteous One, but you've killed the Righteous One. I mean, you are the climax of guilt.

You who received the law ordained by angels and did not keep it. Remember the charge against Stephen back in Acts 6:13, they put forward false witnesses who said, this man incessantly speaks against this holy place, the temple, and the law. Now Stephen says, you received the law but you didn't keep it. Because if they had submitted to the law, the truth of the Old Testament scriptures, they would have believed in the Messiah that the Old Testament scriptures prophesied. But they have not.

We started this information about Stephen back in Acts 6, look at verse 3, when he was selected for special ministry in the church to the widows. Verse 3, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom that we may put in charge of this task. And down in verse 5, Stephen is identified as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. And you come down to verse 10, as Stephen is ministering the truth of Christ they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he is speaking. The Spirit is using him to present the word of God with power.

So when you come to Acts 7:55, we are told he was full of the Holy Spirit. We see the character and quality of this man. He was uniquely gifted and used of God in proclaiming the message and doing miracles to substantiate the message. He has preached the message here of Jesus Christ and the climax of Israel's rebellious history in the power of Spirit, and yet as far as we can tell not one person was saved. The longest sermon we have recorded in the book of Acts, powerful sermon. Not one person saved. The overwhelming reaction is rejection and hostility. Again I say this because _______ the focus is, and we find this consistent throughout the scripture here, there is not this going back and saying something must have been done wrong. Maybe we learned something, you don't have to be so direct with the message, you don't have to be offensive and tell people they are guilty and they are sinners. You just tell them the message about Christ and let the Spirit do that. No, you tell them the whole truth of the gospel. The reason the gospel is necessary is because of man's sin, because of his guilt, because their own religious activity cannot save them from their hopeless condition. There is nothing wrong with the presentation of Stephen, right down to verse 51 where he accuses them of being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart. Part of that line of people who have consistently resisted and opposed the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

Pick up with verse 54. Now when they heard this they were cut to the quick. I don't know why they translated this cut to the quick; it is literally cut to the heart. Kardeis, cardiology, we bring it over into English but for some reason they used cut to the quick. I remember early in my study of the scriptures I had to go find out what “quick” was. It means cut to the heart, it pierced them to the heart. The word of God is used powerfully here. It's not the word of God was not powerful as Stephen presented it in the power of the Spirit, it is overwhelmingly powerful. But it doesn't bring about their salvation. But it so brings them under the conviction and condemning power of God's word that they take vengeance on the messenger.

Come back to Hebrews 4. And this section begins in Hebrews 3, pick up with verse 12. Take care, brethren, that there be not in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. These Jews who were professing believers, those to whom the letter to the Hebrews was written, a warning here that there not be in any of you an unbelieving heart in departing from the living God. And then a warning, verse 15, drawing from the Old Testament, today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts as when they provoked Me. A reminder, don't commit the same kind of sin that Israel did in their past history. Verse 18, to whom did He swear they would not enter His rest but those who were disobedient. So we see they were not able to enter because of unbelief. They were kept from going into the Promised Land and the blessing that God had promised them because of their refusal to believe. Therefore let us fear, if while a promise remains of entering His rest anyone of you seems to have come short of it. For we indeed had the good news preached to us, just as they also. But note this; the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard. Hearing the word does not save you. Faith comes by hearing but hearing alone does not save a person. A person might sit and hear the word of God over years. Israel did but the bulk of them died in unbelief because hearing the word did not evoke in them a response of belief and trust in that word.

Warning again, same quote in Hebrews 4:7, it's from Psalm 95. Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Verse 11, therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest so that no one will fall through following the same example of disobedience. Similar kind of message that Stephen has preached. Then you'll note verse 12, for the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And when Stephen preached the word, these Jewish leaders are cut to the heart as the Spirit drives home the word of God. But that does not cause them to repent and bow in faith, believing in the Messiah that they were guilty of crucifying. They continue to harden their hearts and reject the message.

So come back to Acts 7:54. When they heard this they were cut to the heart, they began gnashing their teeth at him. They are in rage. Come back to Psalm 35. In the context here of those who are opposing the psalmist and thus opposing God. Verse 1 begins, contend oh Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Verse 11, malicious witnesses rise up. Sounds like what happened, false witnesses against Stephen. They repay me evil for good. Verse 15, but at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered themselves together, the smiters whom I did not know gathered against me. They slandered me without ceasing like godless gestures at a feast. They gnashed at me with their teeth. That's a picture of people so enraged that they are grinding their teeth.

Turn over to Psalm 37. Again, same kind of psalm. It begins, do not fret because of evildoers, don't be envious toward wrongdoers. They will wither quickly like the grass and fade like the green herb. Rather delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart, verse 4. Come down to verse 12, the wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes at him with his teeth. So gnashing at him with his teeth, they have drawn this out of the Old Testament. They are just enraged, they are clenching their teeth, they can hardly control themselves, and in fact they don't control themselves in that sense.

Come over to II Corinthians, a passage we've come to a number of times in our study of Acts as well as other studies. II Corinthians 2:14, but thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. Always in every place we are making Christ known. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. We stress when we come to this passage often, it is the giving off of the fragrance of Christ, giving off the message of Jesus Christ which arises in a pleasing way to God. We think that what is pleasing to God is the response, but that's out of our hands. That becomes a matter between the listener and God. My role in this is to be the mouthpiece of God in giving off the message of Christ. And that message is a pleasing fragrance before the throne of God. To one we are an aromas from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. You know much of the problem the church gets into, it is convinced that if we do the right things in the right way we will get a positive response. But that's not biblical. Charles Finney promoted some of that thinking; he thought you could get a revival doing the right things, using the right methodology. And you could do it without the Holy Spirit.

And so we have all these ideas that promote church growth because growth is a sign that God is blessing. It may be and it may not. Earlier in Acts 2 God is blessing the word and thousands are saved. In Acts 7 God is blessing the word and not one person is saved and the speaker is executed. God is pleased with the message give off. The response to Stephen by Christ in heaven indicates the approval of God. We can't lose sight of this. If we do, we begin to chase around and think if we are faithful with the word people will be getting saved, we will be growing and our sharing the gospel, we'll have all these people to show that we led to Christ. Maybe yes, maybe no. I don't know what God is going to do with the word when I give it out, you don't know what He's going to do with the word when you give it out. Stephen didn't know when he stepped up in the power of the Spirit to preach this powerful sermon; it will result in no conversions but his execution. And furthermore it would lead to the greatest persecution of the church. That's going to necessitate its being scattered out of Jerusalem. We can't lose sight of what we are—the church is the pillar and support of the truth. We are God's servants, giving forth a message which is a savor of life to life and death to death. And I just don't know whether it will be life to life or death to death when I give it off. We will beg people to be reconciled to God, as Paul writes to the Corinthians as well on behalf of Christ in chapter 5. But that's in God's hands, what He does with the message that we give forth.

Come back to Acts 7. They are gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, this reminder that here is a man functioning as God would have him function; speaking what God would have him speak. He gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Is that a confirmation of God's approval on this message? Does that put him in stark contrast with the leaders of the Jewish nation who are gnashing their teeth at him in hatred and opposition? And yet he is privileged to look into heaven and there the glory of God the Father is displayed for his sight and Jesus Christ is standing at the right hand of God. What a contrast. These men who are rejecting Stephen and his message are rejecting the God of Israel and will bring devastating consequences of judgment upon themselves for those actions.

What a privilege, looking into heaven. It happens rarely. Come back to Ezekiel, there are other occasions, Isaiah 6. But look at Ezekiel 1. Ezekiel dates his prophecy, in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day, in the fourth month while I was by the River Chebar among the exiles, those who had been carried away in the Babylonian captivity. The heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. A unique privilege given to this prophet puts Stephen in the line of such great servants of God. Isaiah saw the Lord high and exalted with the train of His robe filling the temple in Isaiah 6. Here Ezekiel, the heavens are opened and he saw visions of God. Can't read all of chapter 1 but if you haven't read it I encourage you to read it. Come down to verse 26, now above the expanse that was over their heads there was something resembling a throne like lapis lazuli in appearance. And on that which resembled a throne high was a figure of the appearance of man. Then I noticed from the appearance of his loins something like glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it. From the appearance of his loins and downward something like fire. There was radiance around Him. The appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face. Even for Ezekiel, a mighty prophet of God, he is overwhelmed. What an awesome experience to see the glory of God.

Come over to II Corinthians 12. The Apostle Paul shares his experience as we noted in our earlier study today in Romans, he is defending his apostleship to the Corinthians. Boasting is necessary thought it is not profitable, but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord, verse 1. I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago, whether in the body I do not know or out of the body I do not know, God knows. Here Paul is given a vision, a picture into heaven, he doesn't even know whether this happened in a vision or it actually happened to him where he was transported to heaven. He says I don't whether I was bodily transported to heaven and I had the privilege of seeing this, or it was in a vision. Now I know a man in Christ, this happened fourteen years ago. Whether in the body I do not know or out of the body I do not know, God knows. Such a man was caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man, whether in the body or apart from the body, I don't know but God knows. Whether this was a vision given to me or I was physically, bodily transported to heaven, he repeats that twice. I don't know, but the reality of it stands.

I was caught up into Paradise and I heard inexpressible words which a man is not permitted to speak. So Paul was caught up and had a vision of heaven, and certain things there he wasn't allowed to record. Similar to what happened to John when he was transported to heaven in the book of Revelation. And certain things he is instructed not to write down. But for Paul's benefit something is revealed here.

We won't go over to Revelation 1 where John is given that vision of the resurrected, glorified Christ.

Come back to Acts 7. These are unique servants of God that are given such an awesome privilege to be shown something of the glory of God in heaven and Stephen is one of those. So we see the character of this man. He does indeed stand in the line of men like he has talked about—Joseph, Moses, the prophets of the Old Testament. Here he has the approval of God.

He saw the glory of God and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. They don't see it but he does and it is real. The impact is overwhelming. You know this same Sanhedrin had had Jesus Christ stand before them and tell them of coming events.

Come back to Matthew 26. You understand the governing body of Israel had sat with Jesus Christ before them. They have also heard from the followers of Christ on repeated occasions already in the book of Acts. Verse 57, just the setting, those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest where the scribes and elders were gathered together. This is following His arrest in the Garden. Peter is following and so on. Verse 59, now the chief priest and the whole council, you have the council again sitting together, kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus so they might put Him to death. What kind of witnesses did they recruit against Stephen? False witnesses. What kind of witnesses did they recruit against Jesus Christ when He is on trial before them? False witnesses. They couldn't find them to testify against Christ, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward. People came forward but their testimony was so blatantly false that it had no credibility. But they find two and He said, destroy the temple of God and I am able to rebuild it in three days and so on. That's the testimony against Him, about the temple, about His power.

Jesus just doesn't respond. So in verse 63, Jesus kept silent. The high priest said to Him, I adjure you by the living God. Isn't it amazing? I adjure you by the living God; here is the Son of God before him. That you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus breaks His silence, you have said it. In other words, I am the Christ, I am the Son of God. Are you the Christ the Son of God? You have said it, I am, in effect. And I tell you, He's not done. Nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. And note the response here. Then the high priest tore his robes and said he has blasphemed. What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold you have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? They answered, He deserves death. They spat on His face, beat Him with their fists, slapped Him and said, prophesy to us, you Christ. Who is the one who hit you? You see the response to that testimony. It will be the same kind of response that Stephen gets when he says; I see heaven, the glory of God, Jesus standing at the right hand of God. They understand the significance of this.

Come back to Daniel 7. These are the religious leaders of Israel; these are those who would know the Old Testament prophecy. How clear could it be and how blind they are. Look at Daniel 7:13, I kept looking in the night visions and behold with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming. He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him, to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed. Come down to verse 26, but the court will sit for judgment, his dominion will be taken away, annihilated, the Antichrist here, and destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, the dominion, the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people and saints of the Highest One, His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom. All the dominions will serve Him. That's going back to the psalmist's promises; sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet, and so on, as we have seen.

When Jesus is before this august body He's telling them, you will see Me fulfill this prophecy. Some day He will come in glory to establish His kingdom, fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. He is ascended to the right hand of the Father, He is there where He will receive a kingdom and return in glory to the earth. So for Stephen to say, I see heaven opened and the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, that's the same thing as when Jesus said that they would see Him seated at the right hand of God and then come in power to assume the kingdom. I mean, this is overwhelming. There are only two possibilities, to bow in repentance before the One who is the king of Israel or to destroy Him. They take the second course of action.

You know it is interesting, just an aside, how even modern day commentators miss what is going on here and move from the promises like in Daniel of a coming kingdom that He will set up that He'll rule over all the kingdoms. One writer says this on this point in Daniel; it is a vision of the boundless reign of Christ which was soon to begin with the Samaritan mission of Stephen's fellow Hellenist, Philip. So Acts 8 begins this fulfillment because the kingdom is going to be a spiritual one. Wait a minute, you've lost what is being said. That's not how the Jews understood this.

Here's another statement, commentators really clarify things. It meant that the hour of fulfillment had struck and that the age of particularism had come to an end. That really helped me. And really it's a spiritual kingdom that we're talking about. The Jewish leaders before whom Christ stood understood the significance of this, claiming to be the Messiah of Israel. He's claiming to be the One who will be established at the right hand of the Father and the nations will be made a footstool for His feet. But they are in unbelief.

Come to Acts 7. So these religious leaders, the Sanhedrin of Israel, have heard it from Christ, they've heard it from Peter and other of the apostles as we have seen already in Acts as they were called before them and instructed not to preach the message of Christ. And now they have heard it from Stephen and their unbelief is coming to a dramatic point.

Look at verse 57. Incidentally you see the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. That standing, verses 55 and 56, in the Old Testament prophets He'd be seated at the right hand. The standing may indicate He is here to receive Stephen. That position at the right hand is what is key. He may be here to receive Stephen, it may be indicative of the fact that His observing the proceedings here is the One who is the judge of Israel. And the Jews understood that. But their response, verse 57, they cried out with a loud voice, covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. Remember in Matthew 26 the response, what further testimony do we need? He has blasphemed. And they immediately begin to attack Him, which will climax with the crucifixion. What is their response to Stephen? They cried out with a loud voice, covered their ears so they can't hear anymore. It is blasphemy; you are declaring that Jesus the Messiah, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the One destined to rule and reign, the judge of all. We can't listen anymore, close your ears. So they cover their ears, indicating their unwillingness to hear anymore.

And you'll note, they rushed at him with one impulse. Isn't that amazing? The group is not divided on their response. They are one, there is agreement here, and they are functioning as a unit. So they rushed at him with one impulse.

When they had driven him out of the city they began stoning him. And the witness laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. You know there is irony; I guess we could say, in what happens here. Here are the leaders of Israel about to stone a man for telling them the truth concerning the Son of God, the Messiah of Israel, one who has just been given the privilege of looking into heaven itself to see the glory of God displayed, and the glory of the Son of God, the Son of Man, the Messiah of Israel standing at the right hand of God. And they are about to stone him to death. But they are not out of control; they are under control because they are very careful to function according to what the Law said you should do when you are stoning a guilty person. First he has to be taken out of the city; secondly the witnesses are to take the initiative in doing the stoning. So those two things are recorded here. Verse 58, they drove him out of the city; and secondly the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of Saul because they have to take the initiative, they are to cast the first stone.

Come back to Leviticus. You see how sin twists and warps the mind? Here are men so well versed in the scriptures that they want to be careful to carry out this execution in line with what the scripture says has to be done. It didn't bother them to bring false witnesses against Christ earlier; it doesn't bother them that they are using the testimony of false witnesses now. But we have to be very careful to be biblical in what we are about to do. Leviticus 24:14, bring the one who is cursed outside the camp and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head and then let the congregation stone him. You'll note that. Stephen is being accused of blasphemy, cursing against God, the temple and the Law of Moses. He has to be taken outside the camp where the tabernacle would have been then, and then the temple. So they take him outside the city.

Come over to Deuteronomy 17:6, on the evidence of two witnesses or three witnesses he who is to die shall be put to death. So you can't stone a man on the basis of one witness, you have to have two or three. That's why they were looking to have witnesses. Isn't it amazing? They want to do what the scripture says is required, you have to have two or three witnesses, but they'll take false witnesses. I mean, people will take the scriptures and twist it and misuse it for their own purposes. Note verse 7, the hand of the witnesses shall be first against him to put him to death. Afterward the hand of all the people. So you shall purge the evil from your midst.

So you see what they are doing, they are going to take him outside the camp, outside of Jerusalem, the place of the temple, and there we will stone him. And the witnesses take off their garments, come back to Acts 7. They laid aside their robes, those outer robes so they have more freedom to pick up the stones and throw them. These robes that would hang down and flow would inhibit the action of throwing. So they lay aside those outer robes so that they are freer to throw the stones. The witnesses, they are the ones mentioned here, because this is done like I said in a somewhat orderly fashion. Some write here and say, things just got out of control and its mob action. But it is not mob action. This is the agreement of the Sanhedrin.

They cry out with a loud voice, we can't go on, just as they did with Christ. It wasn't a mob action there in that sense, either, because there they took Him to Pilate. They didn't take Him out to stone Him because He had to die according to Old Testament prophecy by being hung on a tree, not by being stoned. And here the Sanhedrin, why did they do it this way? Why weren't they afraid of the Romans? Perhaps they thought they had cover because the Romans did allow the Jews to execute people when certain things had been done like a specific violation of the temple. And so they might have felt since their charge in stoning him involved blasphemy against the temple that they were safe in this execution of Stephen. And of course Stephen didn't have the kind of visibility and recognition in Israel that Christ did. And you see God sovereignly controlling all the process here for the way His Son must die, to be cursed by hanging on a tree. Here Stephen will die in the plan of God. Things aren't out of control here any way you look at it. And there is no wringing of the hands, how unjust, how unfair. And it is unjust, it is unfair, but God's people can rest confident that it's the plan of God for Stephen. I mean, here he sees into heaven, here is the glory of God, here is Christ standing at the right hand of the Father. Couldn't He have put a stop to this right away? Of course He could. Could He have changed the minds of his accusers? Of course He could have, it's not His purpose. So the sovereignty of God was at work.

In verse 58, key statement, the witnesses laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. As a historian as Luke writes and used of the Spirit, he sometimes introduces a person that will become prominent later in the history with this kind of reference. Remember back in Acts we met Barnabas, earlier in Acts? He sold a piece of property and brought the money, Acts 4, and laid it before the apostles. He just mentioned there about Barnabas, and he'll become very prominent later in the history, so we have a little introduction to him. Here we are introduced to Saul and Saul is going to become prominent in chapter 8 in leading persecution, but of course he will become the key figure in the book of Acts rather shortly.

You'll note here Saul was here, Saul has heard the message. How many times had Saul heard the message of Christ? How many times had he been present when the apostles and prophets had presented this message? He is here and has heard Stephen's message. Whether he was a member of the Sanhedrin or not, he is obviously part of the process going on here. He is a young man, how hold he is we don't know. He could be 30; he could be 40, somewhere from the early 20s to the 40s. He'd be a young man and not a teenager; the word wouldn't be used for that, but someone in young adulthood that range.

They laid their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. That indicates his hearty approval; he was one of those that were part of that one impulse, that agreement together. So he stands there. Later in Acts 22 Paul will give his own testimony, saying he was one in agreement with the stoning of Stephen. You think, what hope is there for these people? I mean, if any deserve the judgment of God, these who have done this to Stephen, so greatly used of God and they have rejected such a clear message. If any deserve, it would be these people.

So verse 59 says, they went on stoning Stephen. That's a terrible way to die. They just kept throwing stones at you until you were dead. We get concerned that people feel no pain, no suffering when they die and you have to decide, will this injection hurt or will this cause pain. Stoning was intended to be painful. The first stone wouldn't kill you. The witnesses threw the early stones and everybody else joined in. And they just kept hitting you with stones until they killed you. How many times they hit you, where they hit you kept adding to the pain. It's obviously clear, this is an ugly death. They went on stoning Stephen. What is he doing? Calling down the curses of heaven on them. No.

They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. We noted the similarity in the trial of Stephen to the trial of Christ, and it is death he follows His Lord. Christ cried out on the cross, Father, into your hands I commit My spirit. And Stephen says, Lord Jesus receive my spirit. James 2:26 says the body without the spirit is dead. Stephen realizes he is on the point of death, in a few minutes here he'll be gone, but he says, Lord, receive my spirit. Lord Jesus, the One he has seen standing at the right hand of the Father ready to receive him, receive my spirit. He understood to be absent from the body, II Corinthians 5:8, is to be present with the Lord. Lord, receive my spirit.

Then falling on his knees, if you keep getting hit with stones, pretty soon you are going down. And falling on his knees he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them. What did Jesus say when He was on the cross at the point of death? Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing. You see him manifesting the character of Christ in this. And God is going to honor that prayer because the leading individual mentioned here is a man named Saul. What's going to happen to Saul? Well when we get to chapter 9 we'll find out that the Lord is going to forgive him. Answered prayer. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. Paul never lost the amazement that God forgave him. I am the chief of sinners, I did the worst things. I mean, there could be no clearer witness than Stephen has been, have no clear confirmation of his testimony than Stephen receives of being given the privilege of seeing into heaven. And Saul says I was in agreement with it. And they laid their garments at his feet. He's going to watch their garments while the carry out the action which means he agrees it needs to be done. And yet God is going to forgive him. Remarkable.

Then he fell asleep, the word used of the death of a believer in the New Testament repeatedly. It has nothing to do with soul sleep. What has Stephen just said? Lord Jesus receive my spirit. His spirit is not going to sleep, his body is, it will become temporarily inactive, unused. That's the sleep of a believer. Come over to I Thessalonians 4:13, but we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep. Those believers who have died, whose bodies have been placed in the grave are no longer functioning and operative. So that you will not grieve as the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will arise first, and then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So we shall always be with the Lord.

So don't be concerned about them, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. When the spirit leaves the body, the body is physically dead. The body of the believer is viewed as asleep because it's going to be resurrected to be used again, lived in again in a glorified state.

You know as I worked through this I wondered, I wonder what the family of Stephen thought. We don't have any mention of family. Was he married? Were his parents still living? Did he have a wife? Did he have children? The impact on the church, the Lord didn't intervene to rescue Stephen. He's executed. You think of how discouraging that would be. If he has family, I assume he had family of some kind and no indication God picked him because he had no family. Imagine the impact, Lord, why didn't you rescue him? Lord, why did you let such a faithful man be killed? What an impact on the church that is trying to be faithful.

Come back to Acts 7, Acts 8 will open up, Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. And on that day a great persecution breaks out in the church. Why God does what He does. Seems like a great disaster for the church, so many good things have been happening, the church has grown, had opportunity to testify before the leaders of Israel. If we could just continue on. But it's not the plan of God; the death of Stephen is the plan of God. Painful as that would be for the young church, painful as that might be for his wife and children or parents or friends, it's the plan of God. Now persecution will break out. What good can come of that? I mean, why use Saul? Why not use Stephen? Everything said about him would make one think he is as godly a man and as usable a man as Saul. He's a man that God used to preach the gospel; he's the man that God used to do miracles and wonders. Why not use Stephen and avoid such a tragedy? Why has Stephen die such a terrible death and then raise up a Saul first to persecute the church and then become a leader in the church? Why not just cut to the chase and use Stephen, and save the heartache and sorrow in the death of such a godly man and a man who would have been loved by the church and other believers? Don't always have an answer to the plan of God. Do I have plan B for God? If I had been the brother of Stephen would I have been puzzling and saying, Lord, why would you take his life? Why would you let him die such a terrible death? You know we needed him, you know his family needed him; you know the church needed him. You don't tell God what needs to be done. The church couldn't understand. We look back now and say, I see the plan of God because there is going to be persecution and out of the persecution the church is going to be scattered. And out of the scattering of the church the gospel is going to be carried to other places. And Saul is going to get saved and marvelous things would follow.

You know that's always the ways it is. God is in control and the tragedies of life are not tragedies in the overall perspective. It's a horrible thing what the unbelieving Jews do to Stephen, but it's not a tragedy for Stephen. This is part of the plan of God. He is given the honor of being the first martyr in the church. Who would have thought 2,000 years later we're talking about Stephen. He had no idea when he's dying there that down through the history of the church they are going to be talking about me. The early church didn't know that, his family didn't know that. He's gone, having died a terrible death and now the persecution. People are getting arrested, people are being carted off to prison, and families are being torn apart. And God is in control.

We get so frustrated. How often we as Christians talk about what is happening to our country, what are our kids going to grow up into, what are our grandchildren going to grow up in? What's going to happen when this happens? What's going to happen when that happens? Who are we? We lose all sight. Is not God sitting on that throne of glory? Is Jesus not at the right hand of the Father? Does anything happen to me outside the sovereign plan and control of God? Does anything happen to you as His child? I don't think this was a good thing, do you think it was a good thing? I don't think it was a good thing that these sinful men stoned Stephen, in that sense. They are guilty for that sin. Do I think this was something outside the perfect plan of God for Stephen? Maybe if he had ended that sermon at verse 50 instead of going on to verse 51, maybe it would have had a different ending. God is in control.

I carry that to my life. Loved ones die, it's too early, it's not right. It's all in God's hands. They'll remember that, we are witnesses for Him; we give off the message of life. That pleases God. The goal of our life individually as a church is to please God. He's pleased when I tell people about Christ. We get up and say, Lord, I want to please you. Go tell somebody about Jesus, tell them the gospel. Why? That's a fragrance that is pleasing to God. But they don't believe. So? I thought you wanted to please God. It's the message given off that pleases Him. How God uses the message is in His hands. What a privilege we have to be in the line of men like Stephen as the history of the church continues to unfold.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the life of Stephen, a brief life, short comments about him, one message. And he dies a terrible and painful death, but our Lord and Savior was there to receive him into glory. We are encouraged we are blessed by his life 2,000 years later. We are reminded of the privilege and honor given to us to represent you in the world, to give off a message which you have entrusted to us, which you are pleased to hear us speak forth. Lord, give us boldness and courage. I pray that the Spirit of God will use us as instruments, use your word. The desire of our heart is that men, women and young people would come to salvation in Christ. But the greatest desire of our heart is that you would be pleased. Use us to that end. We pray in Christ's name, amen.