Be A Great Servant
How To Be a Powerful Church • Sermon • Submitted
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An Examination of Stephen’s Short Life of Ministry and Martyrdom in Acts 6-7
An Examination of Stephen’s Short Life of Ministry and Martyrdom in Acts 6-7
Fill a Need
Fill a Need
Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.
And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.
The church will always have problems
The church will always have needs
The church will always need good servants like Stephen.
Be qualified to step up—6:3
Be ready to take a secondary role—6:4
Be willing to step up—6:5
Teach the Word
Teach the Word
And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen was a servant in public and private—6:8
Stephen relied on the Lord—6:10
Stephen suffered for Christ006:12-14
Look to Past to Understand the Present
Look to Past to Understand the Present
History of Israel Summary: A short retelling of Israel’s history with God given for a theological application. The Israelites had rejected God’s prophets, now they have rejected God’s prophetic Son.
Faithfulness of Abraham—7:1-8
Patriarch’s Rejection of Joseph—7:9-16
Moses’ Rejected—7:17-41 cf. 27, “who made you a ruler and judge over us?”
God’s presence turns away from those who rejected him—7:42-50
They had fallen into the same pattern as their ancestors—7:51-53
Look Forward to Your Reward
Look Forward to Your Reward
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.
Death will come for us all—7:54
Look to Jesus—7:55-56
Be received when rejected—7:57-60.