Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Story of Sunday from book of Martyrs

Brothers and sisters we are called to live for Jesus but there have also been brothers and sisters through Church History who have not only lived for Jesus but they have also died because of their faithfulness to Jesus Christ.

Stephen is the first Christian martyr, the first whose life was ended because of His faithfulness to Christ.

As we have been walking through the book of Acts we have seen Satan’s attacks upon the church of Jesus Christ, he has attacked from without and from within.

The attacks from without have come in the form of threats and violence or persecution.

But now that violence increases to the point of Stephen’s death.

Today I want us to take some time to simply consider Stephen, to consider his life, to consider his death, and to consider what it was that drove him.

One of the things that I want to point out even as we begin

Last week we were told that the number of disciples multiplied greatly.

Here what we have in the life of Stephen is the picture of a disciple of Jesus Christ

Stephen was a man who had let go of everything to follow Jesus.

Luke 14.25-

We are told later in 8:3 that Saul who later is Paul was there at Stephen’s death,

I wandered as I was preparing, did Paul ever think of Stephen?

Of course he did

I wander if he thought of Stephen when he wrote

We can definitely say that for Stephen

Philippians

To live was Christ

To die was gain

I. Stephen lived for Jesus

Let’s notice Stephen’s life

6:3 tells us that Stephen was a man of good repute, he was known to be a good man

He was full of the Spirit and full of wisdom

Now surely being full of the Spirit means that the fruit of the Spirit was evident in his life so we could say that Stephen was loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, that he had self-control

He was a man that not only named the name of Christ but he walked like Christ as well.

Gal. 5.

6:5 specifically speaking about Stephen said that he was full of faith and of the Spirit

Notice what the text before us today says about Stephen

He was filled with grace and power

He was a man filled with gifts from God, God had poured out his grace on this man.

He had been empowered to minister, he had cared for widows, he is seen speaking and acting with wisdom, performing signs and wonders.

We see that the ministry and teaching of Jesus is continuing through this Spirit empowered man.

Jesus was also full of the Spirit

and wisdom

Grace, faith, wisdom, power, full of the Spirit; these are the things said about this man

Let me ask you, If someone were to make a list of things to say about you what would it be?

man/woman full of faith?

man/woman full of wisdom?

man/woman full of grace and power?

man/woman full of the Spirit?

Remember: you are controlled by whatever fills you.

Ananias and Sapphira had hearts filled by Satan and he controlled them

If you are filled with jealousy then you will envy others and will not be able to rejoice with them when they rejoice

If you are filled with anger then you will quarrel and even murder with your thoughts

If you are filled with lust then your sexual appetite will lead you into a deep darkness

But if you would live for Jesus, if you would be a faithful witness for Jesus then brother, sister you must seek to be filled with faith, power, wisdom, grace

You must seek to walk by the Spirit

You say, what do you mean, walk by the Spirit,

I think we have evidence that Stephen was a man who spent time with the Lord, he spent time in the Word, he spent time in prayer communing with the Lord, he spent time fighting to treasure Christ and to kill sin in his life everyday

Remember the Beatitude

Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God

Well it was almost as if Stephen walked so closely with the Lord that he saw the Lord

Notice v.15

This is clearly a reference to what?

To Moses

Ex. 34.

Ex. 34.

Stephen was a man who was able to live for Jesus, to be a faithful witness for Jesus because he walked with the Lord, he spent time with the Lord, he entered into the presence of the Lord.

Because of this, Stephen was a man that was a great blessing to the church,

notice

Acts 8.

Brothers and sisters, you can’t live for Jesus if you are not walking with Jesus.

You can’t live for Jesus if you are not spending time with Jesus

You can’t live for Jesus if you are not beholding the glory of Jesus Christ in the Word and in Prayer so that your heart is captivated by the glory and the beauty of Christ

Do you walk with the Lord?

Do you spend time with Him in prayer?

Do you spend time with Him in the Word?

II.

Jesus was central for Stephen

One of the things that the text tells us is that Stephen was a faithful witness for Jesus

v.9ff

He would go to a certain synagogue and speak and they could not withstand his wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

But we are told that they stirred up trouble for Stephen and he is brought before the council notice what is said in v.13 and 14

Clearly Stephen has been preaching the gospel, the resurrection of Christ, the second coming of Christ and so he is asked about it before the council

Now we could go into a lot of detail about Stephen’s sermon but that is not what we are going to do today.

Stephen’s sermon is the longest in Acts and if we were to cover it in detail then this would be the longest sermon you ever sat through

So let’s hit some of the highlights

Now in context it is important to remember they are questioning him specifically about the temple and the law (v.13)

That is God’s presence, God’s Word, God’s promises,

Stephen’s sermon could be divided into 4 major parts

He covers the time of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and then David and Solomon

One of the things that we need to notice is that God’s presence and God’s promises to His people existed before the temple and before the law

Abraham

So before the temple or the law God appeared to our father Abraham (v.2)

Before the temple or the law God said to Abraham (v.3)

God will lead Abraham, He will show Abraham

God gave promises to Abraham and entered into covenant with Abraham

Joseph

v.9 God was with him, even when he was sold into Egypt, even when he was out of Palestine God was with him, don’t miss in v.9 how Joseph’s brothers hated him as well

v.9 God was with him, even when he was sold into Egypt, even when he was out of Palestine God was with him

v.10 God rescued him and gave him favor and wisdom

Moses

The Lord spoke to Moses v.30-34

Notice in v.35 and following, this Moses that was sent by the Lord for the salvation of the people of Israel was what?

rejected, he had been rejected by the people earlier

He is given signs and wonders and he leads the people out of slavery

This Moses received living oracles from God to give to the people of Israel but what?

v.39-43