Sermon Tone Analysis

STANDING TALL        ACTS 7:54-60

 

 

            This evening, we are going to conclude our study on the life of Stephen.

In fact, at the end of our study we are going to come to the close of Stephen’s life.

So I ask you will take your Bibles and turn with me to the seventh chapter of Acts.

I want us to look at the last seven verses of this chapter.

But before, we look at this chapter, I want to remind you a little about Stephen and what brought him to his death.

If you recall, the church was growing so rapidly that they were having a hard time meeting all the needs, especially those of Grecian Jewish widows.

So the church selected seven men, as the apostles suggested, to wait on tables.

Stephen was one of these men.

In fact, he was the first man selected according to Scripture.

And God had bigger plans for Stephen, then just waiting tables.

Stephen preached the gospel, which got him in trouble with certain factions of the Jewish party.

They accused him falsely and he defended himself and the gospel against their charges.

At first, you could imagine that the Jews probably were nodding in agreement as Stephen recited the history of Israel until they got the drift of where he was heading.

At the end of his sermon, Stephen indicted the Sanhedrin with resisting the Holy Spirit.

Well, as you might imagine this did not go over too well with these so-called religious people.

And what we see happening in these verses is Luke recording a contrast between Stephen and the Sanhedrin.

I find in these verses a difference in their attitude, attention, and action.

So let us look at these contrasts as stated by Luke.

First, let me note the difference in attitude.

ATTITUDE – 54-55a

            The first difference that was apparent in the text is their attitude.

*Now when they heard these things*, the things that Stephen had been addressing over the past 53 verses *they were enraged*.

It might have been where Stephen was unable to deliver more of his sermon because his statements torn these religious leaders to bits.

The Greek text has two words for our English translation of enraged.

The first word means literally “to saw asunder.”

In other words, it was a way to express how furious they were because the words of Stephen ripped right through them.

His words sent them out of control.

The other Greek word stood for heart.

These statements cut them in the heart.

They were not only angry, but they were stricken with madness.

As a result of this intense anger, Luke recorded that the Sanhedrin *ground their teeth at him*.

Literally, they grind their teeth at him.

Twice in the Old Testament, this phrase was used to describe the enemies of God’s people.

So this is a picture of rage mixed with frustration.

This phrase is also used in several passages describing the torment of those who will endure the wrath of God in eternity because they refuse Christ as Lord and Savior.

Let me give you a few of those passages so that you can get the picture of what is happening with the Sanhedrin because they are in a little bit of hell here on earth through the convicting message of Stephen.

Matthew 8:12 says, “while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Matthew 13:41-42 says, “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

In Matthew 22:13, we read, “Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into outer darkness.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

You find it again in Matthew 24:51, “and cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites.

In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

So you can see that hell will be full of people gnashing their teeth at God in fury.

It is a kind of anger that remains bitter and full of hatred.

So the Sanhedrin, like the people of hell, were so furious at Stephen that they were completely out of control as we will see in just a moment.

Now, that we have seen the attitude of the Sanhedrin, I want you to notice the attitude of Stephen.

Luke said he was *full of the Spirit*.

This means that Stephen was controlled by the Spirit of God.

Folks, this was what Paul was saying in Ephesians 5:18, when he gave the command, “be filled with the Spirit.”

In other words, we are commanded to full of the Spirit all the time.

Being filled with the Spirit is to allow this to be a continuous pattern of our lives, not just from time to time experiences.

The problem for many of us is that we yield to the Spirit and then we don’t, we yield, then we don’t, we yield and then we don’t.

But Stephen was under complete control of the Spirit.

How do I know this?

Well, the normal reaction of self did not show up in these false allegations.

Instead, Stephen remained calm in spite of the uproar that was taken place around him.

What is true of Stephen can be true of us.

The same Spirit that filled Stephen can fill us.

So scholars point out that this filling of the Spirit was a special work of God during a crisis.

Well, I would agree with that.

God does a special work in the life of a believer during a time of crisis.

God gives the grace that we need to face the tough situations in life.

Well, you might think that you could not do what Stephen did, but I believe God will pour out the grace that we need at the very moment we need it.

Have you ever heard anybody talk about dying grace?

I used to wonder.

I have read literally thousands of pages of historical information on the death of Christians and the death of martyrs, everywhere from the early church right on through to the present day, when people were being martyred in China, when people were being martyred in other places in our current, modern world for the cause of Christ.

And in reading all of this, I have never one time read of a Christian who died a raving, screaming maniac.

Have you?

For example, the Czech martyr, Jan Hus, was promised safe passage to discuss his criticisms against the Catholic Church.

But they betrayed him and burned him at the stake.

He died, not cursing at his persecutors for their deception and brutality, but singing praise to God as the flames consumed his flesh.

On October 2, 2006, Charles Roberts walked into an Amish schoolhouse, dismissed all but ten young girls, and proceeded to shoot them before fatally shooting himself.

Five of the girls died, five survived.

Six months after this tragic event, U.S. News and World Report returned to the scene of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, to find out how the Amish were coping, reporting their findings in the article, "Moving On."

The reporters discovered that the tragedy brought together Amish and non-Amish neighbors, resulting in a deeper sense of community.

They stood together, comforting and supporting one another.

The Amish immediately reached out to the widow of the shooter, extending forgiveness, and forgiveness has been what has moved these Anabaptist descendants forward through dark days.

So the first contrast between the Sanhedrin and Stephen is attitude.

Next, Luke records the contrast of attention.

ATTENTION – 55-57

            The second difference is the direction of the Sanhedrin and Stephen’s attention.

Let us look first at Stephen’s attention.

Notice, Stephen found himself in this difficult situation, but take note to what he did.

He looked up.

Folks, the only place to look when things are tough is up.

He set his sight on God to get his mind off this situation.

So Stephen looks up and notice what he sees the glory of God.

He sees God in all of his glory.

Ezekiel saw the glory of God.

Isaiah saw the glory of God.

Paul and John on the island of Patmos saw the glory of God.

So Stephen got a glimpse into heaven.

Oswald Chambers wrote, “If we lose the vision, we alone are responsible, and the way we lose the vision is by spiritual leakage.

If we do not run our belief about God into practical issues, it is all [over] with the vision God has given.”

When you find yourself in a bad situation do as Stephen does and keep your attention on Jesus.

Remember to look up rather than look at yourself.

I want you notice something else, Stephen saw *the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God*.