Some people just can’t handle the truth. That was the case for those who heard Stephen’s testimony about Jesus.
Acts 7: Stephen's Speech
1 And the high priest said, "Are these things so?"
2 And Stephen said: "Brothers and fathers, hear me. The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,
3 and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.'
4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living.
5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.
6 And God spoke to this effect---that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years.
7 'But I will judge the nation that they serve,' said God, 'and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.'
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.
9 "And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him
10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favour and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.
11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food.
12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit.
13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.
14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all.
15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,
16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
17 "But as the time of the promise drew near, which God had granted to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt
18 until there arose over Egypt another king who did not know Joseph.
19 He dealt shrewdly with our race and forced our fathers to expose their infants, so that they would not be kept alive.
20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God's sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father's house,
21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
23 "When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.
25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
26 And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarrelling and tried to reconcile them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?'
27 But the man who was wronging his neighbour thrust him aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'
29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
30 "Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord:
32 'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.' And Moses trembled and did not dare to look.
33 Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.
34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.'
35 "This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?'---this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.
36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.'
38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us.
39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt,
40 saying to Aaron, 'Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.'
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.
42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: "'Did you bring to me slain beasts and sacrifices, during the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?
43 You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan, the images that you made to worship; and I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.'
44 "Our fathers had the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen.
45 Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David,
46 who found favour in the sight of God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.
48 Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,
49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?'
51 "You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.
52 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,
53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it."
The Stoning of Stephen
54 Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him.
55 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.
56 And he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."
57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him.
58 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.
59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60 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.
Things to think about…
1. Stephen who was full of the Spirit and whose testimony included “doinggreat wonders and signs among the people”, although not an Apostle, showed what a life devoted to the truth and grace of Jesus can cost. Stephen’s sermon is a good template for any preacher to emulate. He gives an accurate description of the characters and their historical context and then expounds what it meant to his audience and then what it means in the contemporary context. Stephen’s hearers only attack him when he makes the message personal. This can happen for any faithful preacher of God’s word. Pray that God would raise up more of them in our day.
2. Stephen makes two main points in his sermon. 1. That the characters of Abraham, Moses and David did not get the promises they desired whether they entered the land or when the temple was built. 2. There was always opposition in every generation by unbelievers to what God was doing through the leader. Stephen’s hearers were no different, they were merely behaving like their forefathers, Acts 7:51.
3. It is interesting to note that they were enraged and ‘ground their teeth’, Acts 7:54. Those who enter hell are said to go where there will be the ‘weeping and gnashing of teeth’ Luke 13:28. Some people manifest the reality of their eternal destination before finally going there. Have you met with such opposition and anger to your witness? I certainly have.
4. God delivered Peter and the Apostles out of prison. Why didn’t he deliver Stephen from this angry mob? The seed of the church is sometimes sown with the blood of the saints.
5. Look at the way Stephen died and the vision he saw before he entered heaven, Acts 7:54-60. His final vision is a testimony of the trinity, vs 55. This was too much for his hearers. Stephen says that Jesus is with God and is God. This is essential to the gospel. The religious people didn’t want to hear this as is evidenced by Stephen’s attackers rushing at him while covering their ears, vs 57. Forgiveness is a big part of the gospel. Could you forgive your killers as they were in the very act of taking your life, vs 60. Amazing grace was on display through Stephen, confirming the testament that set him apart for ministry to start with, that he was a man “full of wisdom and the Spirit”, Acts 6:3, 10.
6. Stephen becomes the first Christian martyr, Acts 7:60. This passage makes the first mention of Saul who minds the clothes of the murderers, Acts 7:58. This man would lead the next stage of Christ’s message and establish churches in the known world. It is as if Luke through the leading of the Holy Spirit is setting the scene for the next major character to take the Lord’s commission into the world. Oh the depths of God’s grace. Saul (Paul) would also know the cost of being a faithful disciple of Christ.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesdays. On break over the school holidays.
Young adult Life group – Onbreak over school holidays
Prayer Points
1. Graham Willey and family. Praise the Lord Shirley Willey is in glory around the throne of her Saviour.
2. Keep praying for Anna and the Playgroup on Fridays, pray for more families to be reached.
3. Pray for Chaplaincy and Kids Hope at Karalee State School.
4. The ongoing conflict in Israel and Ukraine.
5. Church finances to continue to grow and expenses to be more than met.
6. Pray for Kids@Church, Life groups. Young Adults all on holidays atm.
7. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, 5:30pm at church. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
8. Pray about the possibility and planning of a Farmers Market at Chuwar Baptist Church on Saturdays. Anastasia taking the lead on this. Pray for us as we plan
9. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
10. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for the unanimous vote at Sunday’s business meeting and the church agreeing to continue fulfilling the vision and mission of the church.
2. New people at our service on Sunday.
3. Praise God for young people stepping up in the worship ministry.
4. Playgroup is a great encouragement for our church.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Working bee Saturday morning 13th July. Please contact Che for a list jobs and requirements.
2. Monday and Wednesday evening prayer at church 5:30-6:30pm
3. Life Group Wednesday 6:30pm at church – currently on break.
4. Kids@Church on break over the school holidays.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for July...
Q. 22. What is Sin? A. Sin is any transgression of the law of God.
Bible References – 1Jn.3:4; Rom.3:20; James 2:9-11
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” Jer 33:3
