ADDITIONAL NOTES - ACTS 7
The Gospel most often takes root in places prepared by the blood of martyrs. Before people can give their lives for the Gospel, they must live their lives for the Gospel. One way God trains His servants is to place them in insignificant positions.
Deacons - were chosen for their INTEGRITY, WISDOM, and SENSITIVITY TO GOD.
Stephen: He was both a good administrator and a powerful speaker. He was the first to be put to death for his faith. How many risks do we take in being Jesus' followers? Would we be willing to die for Him? Are we really willing to live for Him? Stephen's message had three main points...
1. Israel's history is the history of God's acts in the world.
2. People worshipped God before there was a temple.
God doesn't live in man-made temples.
3. Jesus' death was just one more example of Israel's rebellion
and rejection. Circumcision was the sign of a covenant between God and Abraham and then Israel. God had always kept His side of the promise, but Israel had repeatedly failed to uphold its end of the covenant. Even in Stephen's day, they still failed to obey God. The people's hearts were far away from God. Their lack of faith and obedience meant they had failed in the covenant.
Stephen's message of review of Jewish history clearly verifies God's faithfulness and sovereignty. Despite what happens, however confusing, we must remember...
1. God is in control--nothing surprises Him;
2. This world is not all there is--it will pass away--but God is eternal;
3. God is just, and He will make things right--punishing the wicked and rewarding the faithful;
4. God wants to use you to make a difference in the world (like those of whom Stephen spoke: Joseph, Moses, Stephen).
THE EFFECTS OF STEPHEN'S DEATH (Directly or indirectly). His death was not in vain.
1. Philip's evangelistic tour. Acts 8:4-40
2. Paul's (Saul's) conversion. Acts 9:1-30.
3. Peter's missionary tour. Acts 9:32-11:18.
4. The church in Antioch Syria was founded. Acts 11:19.
ACTS 7. The Servant’s Character A variety of speeches are recorded in the book of Acts that distinguish this book from other books of the Bible. The Holy Spirit moved upon God’s servants and gave them the words to speak, just as the Lord Jesus told them would happen. There are evangelistic messages given to the Jews and God-fearing people, which are quite different from the speeches given to pagan listeners. Some were very deliberate and specific as instructive messages. Quite a number of them were apologetic messages like the one in this chapter that Stephen gave. A one-of-a-kind message was a warning message Paul gave as a farewell message to the Ephesian elders.
In Stephen’s defense, which is a masterpiece of spiritual power and policy, we learn much of what is important to pass on. People need to know what we believe plainly. That gives observers clarity as to why we do what we do and when we do it.
His Knowledge of the Scripture: Stephen had a clear and comprehensive grasp of Old Testament history and how God reveals His purposes in what He does. Knowing the will of God and being filled with the Spirit is a very powerful weapon when we are confronted with skeptics. When we have the word of God in our hearts and pray in the Spirit with understanding, what we have in our hearts brings fruit that remains.
His Faithfulness: When one is filled with the Spirit, he will be given the courage to preach the Gospel and tell people how to enter the kingdom of God. He will understand sin and why it is so defiling and separating from our Holy God. Eternity will stand before him and he looks into the faces of people he knows will be in heaven or hell. He will speak well of our Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption that He has provided. Truth will burn in his heart and pierce into the souls of those who hear his message.
His Vision: Seeing God's glory while we are here on earth is an unforgettable experience. Stephen saw God’s glory visibly when he saw “Jesus standing on the right hand of God.” We may never see God’s glory in the same way, but by the eyes of faith, we see His glory when we have the “mind of Christ” in our souls. The things of Christ are revealed to those who believe in Him as we live our lives conscious of being “hidden in Christ.” We are able to see Him and His glory in our times of worship as an assembly when we hear a Gospel message presented well, when we are privileged to lead a soul to Christ, and when we are moved by some visual evidence of the divine power and glory of God in creation. Faith opens our inner eyes to God’s glory, which is not just dreams or imagination but reality because it reveals Christ to us as His word reveals Him.
His Death: Stephen being martyred for Christ, witnessed the grace of God that overcomes the fear of death. It constrained him to pray for those who threw the stones that killed him. We are constrained to pray “for those who despitefully use you.” The intercessory prayer of Stephen resonates in the hearts of those who suffer for Christ today. The death of Stephen never left the conscience of Saul of Tarsus. The prayers of faithful saints who intercede on behalf of those who persecute them have unique power with God. In grace, God can avenge them by saving their persecutors.
His Mercy: Love for souls goes way beyond the reach of stones that are cast with the intent to kill. For one to seek the blessing of salvation on behalf of those whose sin-blinded minds are out to harm them, even the greatest possible hurt, is the highest kind of mercy. On behalf of those who killed him, Stephen had prayed for God’s mercy on them. Saul’s response was a pricked conscience, which he tried to silence by bitterly persecuting those who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. God, in mercy, reached him at the right place, at the right time, and in the right way. The body of Stephen was the “temple of the Holy Spirit,” which God used for a major purpose in His own sovereign way. That was why he was stoned.
THE EVANGELIST