Sermon Tone Analysis

Jesus standing on the right hand of God!

Jesus standing at the right hand of God!

“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.

Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him.

And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”

And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

And Saul approved of his execution.”

It was the spring of 1521, when a Roman Catholic monk and professor of theology was ordered to appear before the Emperor Charles V and the Imperial Diet of Worms of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Imperial Diet was the general assembly of the estates of the Roman Empire, an ecclesiastical and legislative body.

This monk was Martin Luther, whom had fearlessly criticized the abuses of the Roman Catholic Church.

His strong and direct criticisms had fanned into a flame the long-smoldering resentments, which enrage the German people towards Rome.

The Emperor ordered him to Worms, a city in SW Germany, where the Diet would convene so that he might stand trial, and if found guilty, would face execution.

Many people warned Luther about attending this meeting, even though he was promised safe passage.

They remembered that John Hus was also promised safe passage and was burned at the stake when he would not recant.

Luther said this to those who warned him, “I will enter Worms is spite of the “gates of hell and the powers of darkness,” even if there were “ as many devils in it as there were tiles on the roofs of the houses.”

So Luther when, and he stood, and he testified, but he refused to recant any of his writings.

These are his words at his trial:

“Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God.

I cannot and I will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience.

I cannot do otherwise, here I stand, may God help me, Amen.

Fifteen hundred years earlier, another servant of God faced a similar challenge as his stood on trial for his life.

Stephen like Luther stood solidly on the Word of God, the rock of divine revelation, and the firm foundation of his faith.

For the last three weeks we has unpacked his message to the Sanhedrin and to the rest of the Jewish leadership concerning Christ Jesus, His resurrection and the recounting of the history of Israel.

Stephen ably defended himself, masterful the process of showing them the error of their ways.

They accused him of blaspheming God, Moses, the Law, and the temple, yet he turned the tables of them and showed their true hypocrisy.

By doing so he showed that they were the ones who were blaspheming God, Moses, the Law and the temple.

These verses before us this morning really takes us beyond the courtroom setting of Stephen and gives us an first hand look at the result of his stance for truth.

Unlike Martin Luther where God used his friend Frederick the Wise of Saxony, to recuse Luther and take him to safety.

Stephen recuse would come through the fire of death and result in great welcome into the very presence of God.

Although he was killed, Stephen should never be seen as a victim but only as a victor.

His death merely ushered him into the presence of the Lord.

, “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops.

And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

There is a stark contrast between Stephen and his murders that is weaved throughout this passage.

We see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Jesus stands…as the people are enraged but Stephen is filled the Holy Spirit.

Jesus stands… as the people stoned Stephen but only sees the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.

Jesus stands…as the people murder him, but Stephen pleas for mercy for the people.

Let us pray…

Jesus stands… as the people are enraged!

, “Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.

But he, full of the Holy Spirit,”

The Sanhedrin had no doubt listened to the earlier part of Stephen’s speech with interest and agreement.

After all, he was merely reciting, recalling, representing the nation’s history—a topic dear to their hearts.

But as he moved from a speech to a sermon his meaning became ever increasingly clear, and they began to grow uncomfortable.

And when they heard Stephen’s complete, convicting, and concise chastisement of them their reactions changed, look at what is said in verses 51-53.

, “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit.

As your fathers did, so do you.

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

And because of their guilty conduct and great collusion they found themselves in the same position as they are described in when confronted with the truth.

, “ Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart”

The word here for cut is the word “Diaprio” ,which means “cut to the quick,” this literally means “to saw in half.”

The very words of truth that Stephen spoke ripped apart the veneer of their spirituality and exposed them for the blasphemous hypocrites they were.

They were infuriated rather that broken in repentance as they were that the end of .

There Peter’s words of truth brought conviction, but here Stephen’s words of truth of brought more callousness and they began to grind their teeth at him.

The act of grinding their teeth expressed their inner rage and frustration,

, “ Like profane mockers at a feast, they gnash at me with their teeth.”

, “ The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him.”

These actions are a foretaste of the obstinate sinners to come.

When angels pour out the bowls of God wrath and judgment during the Tribulation, sinners them will also stubbornly refuse to repent as well.

, “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch people with fire.

They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues.

They did not repent and give him glory.

The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.

People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores.

They did not repent of their deeds.”

, “The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!”

And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake.

The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath.

And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found.

And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”

These passages teach us that even the most severe judgments to ever hit the earth will not cause obstinate sinners to repent.

Three times in the above passage they show their anger toward God by cursing Him.

Stephen’s hearers seem just as resistant and callous toward the truth.

This was at least the third time they had heard the gospel of Jesus Christ (4:8ff; 527ff), yet they their anger escalated and they continued to harden their hearts.

It is a sobering reality but it is always true.

Either the Word of God softens your heart or it hardens your heart.

And if it continues to harden your hearts then God may step in and judicially harden your hearts.

Look at what Paul says later in

, “And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:

“‘Go to this people, and say,

“You will indeed hear but never understand,

and you will indeed see but never perceive.”

For this people's heart has grown dull,

and with their ears they can barely hear,

and their eyes they have closed;

lest they should see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, and I would heal them.’

Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”

Look also at Paul’s words in Romans,