From
Acts to Revelation
Part
17 – Stephen's Defense
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House
of Faith Church | www.PS127.org | www.TruthDigest.org
INTRODUCTION
Up to this point in the Book of Acts, we
have seen;
ñ Jesus gave the
Apostles their command before His ascension
ñ They obeyed,
returning to Jerusalem
ñ They replaced
Judas, and waited for the promise
ñ The Holy Spirit
came on the Day of Pentecost
ñ The Church began
ñ Peter & John
were preaching and teaching in front of the temple daily
ñ They healed a man
lame from birth
ñ The Sanhedrin
became jealous and angry and arrested them
ñ They warned them to
stop preaching and teaching about Jesus
ñ They continued, and
were arrested again, and beaten
ñ They continued and
the Church grew
ñ They appointed
Deacons to help see to the Disciples needs
Last week we see the Sanhedrin move their
focus from Peter and John to Stephen.
They had challenged Stephen publicly on
numerous occasions to no avail. Since they could not stop him theologically,
they decided to do what they had done when they could not silence Jesus, so
they made up charges against Stephen, and arrested him for trial.
Once arrested, they repeated the false
charges to the Sanhedrin, while Stephen stood silently before them.
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
Acts 7:1-53 Stephen's Defense
I.
THE CHARGES AGAINST STEPHEN
1.
Acts 6:11-12 “Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard
Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” So they stirred up the people and the elders and the
teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.”
1.
because they could not stop the Church from
a Theological stand point, unable to out-match the Holy Spirit which now dwells
in believers, they decided to trump up charges and have them killed, as they
did with Christ.
2.
Acts 6:13a “This
fellow never stops speaking against this holy place...”
1. Did the Apostles
preach against the holy temple?
2. In a matter of
speaking, yes.
3. Just as Jesus did,
because man had made the “place” above God.
4. But Stephen will
correct them at the end of Chapter 7 when he charges them, not
with false accusations as they did, but with prophetic charges by God.
3.
Acts 6:13b “...and
against the law.”
1.
Did Stephen speak against the
Law?
2.
Yes, just as Jesus did, teaching that the
Law was the tool of God to bring attention of man to his sin, so that he would
seek a savior, Jesus Christ. As Jesus said, He did not come to do away with the
Law, but to fulfill it!
4.
Acts 6:14a “For we
have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place ...”
1.
This is a distortion of the truth, when the
Law was fulfilled in Christ, the need for the Temple, priests, sacrifices, etc,
would exist no more. Because of Jesus
and His perfect sacrifice, man could once again have a relationship with God,
and no longer need to cover his sin, because Christ removed it, no longer
needing a high priest to meet with God, because now Jesus is our High Priest,
no longer needed the Temple, because we could now meet with God anywhere,
because we have the Holy Spirit in us.
5.
Acts 6:14b “...and
change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
1.
Yes, Stephen once again was a
good minister, preaching and teaching what Jesus had taught. Thank God there is
no longer a need for the customs handed down by Moses, through the New Covenant
between man and God, we can once again have relationship with God through the
perfect sacrifice of Jesus christ.
II.
STEPHENS HOLY SPIRIT FILLED ANSWER TO ISRAEL’S
LEADERSHIP
1. Acts 7:1-53 records Stephen's defense
1. and answer against
the charges and false imprisonment by these illegitimate self-appointed rulers
of Israel.
2. Stephen begins from the beginning
1. Speaking of God
appearing to Abraham to establish a covenant with him and his future
generations. This is the foundation of Judaism. The Sanhedrin listened, because
everything Stephen said was true, and accurate with the Torah.
3. Stephen continues
1. Reciting the
records of the lineage of covenant and promise from Abraham to the building of
the Temple, establishing, not only his understanding, but calling into record
these facts before speaking on his own position.
4. Once he established the foundation
1. He spoke prophecy
about Israel, which is recorded in the Torah and indisputable by the Sanhedrin.
2. The Truth does not
need be defended...it can always stand on its own.
III. GOD'S PROPHESIED
CHARGE AGAINST ISRAEL
1.
First,
Stephen made clear God's position about the temple
1.
The prophet Isaiah says, “The
Most High dwells not in the Temple made with hands. Heaven is My Throne, and
the earth My footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord. What
is My place of rest? Has not My Hands made al these things?”
2.
The modern church needs to remember this
lesson from scripture. The Church is not a building where God dwells, rather a
meeting place for believer's in whom God dwells to meet and build and
strengthen one-another with the Spiritual Gifts.
2.
Stephen
then continues by turning the tables.
1.
Instead of the one being judged with
trumped up charges, he uses the Torah to recite God's charges against Israel.
3.
Acts 7:51-53 “51 “You
stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your
fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your
fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of
the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you
who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not
obeyed it.”
1. Charge 1 -
Circumcision
1. Galatians 5:2 “Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye be circumcised
(physically), Christ shall profit you nothing.”
2. Romans
2:28-29 “28 A
man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely
outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision
is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a
man’s praise is not from men, but from God.”
3.
The Israelites failed to see that
circumcision was an outward expression of an inward Spiritual Truth, just as
water baptism, prayer of salvation, communion, etc...It's not the outward act
that accomplishes anything, but the inward, which is followed by an outward
expression to show the world what has taken place inwardly.
2. Charge
2 - You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!
1.
Everything carried out by God on Earth is
through the person and Office of the Holy Spirit.
2.
To resist Him is to resist God, for He is
God.
3.
They resisted Him by resisting the Plan of
God, Jesus Christ.
3. Charge
3 – Which if the prophets have your fathers not persecuted?
1.
Jesus said the same thing in Matthew
5:12, Matthew 23:30-31; Matthew 23:34-37; and in Luke 13:33-34
2. “They
have killed them for showing the coming of Christ”
4. Charge
4 – “You are the betrayers and murderers”
5. Charge
5 - “You received the Law, and have not kept it!”
CONCLUSION
The
lies and twisting of the Truth Jesus taught to Stephen brought about false
charges by the Sanhedrin against him.
When
asked by the High Priest if these charges were true, Stephen spoke of the
history of the Israelites. He spoke of how the leaders not only consistently
resisted the Holy Spirit, but also kill any Prophet God sends to teach them
about His Will and His Way, which was the coming of Jesus Christ to mend
relationship with God, broken by sin.
Apply this to our lives today, right now.
Is
your relationship with God “right” at the moment?
How
would you stand Stephen’s charges against the Sanhedrin?
·
Have
you circumcised your heart to follow the Lord, making an inward change to make
Jesus your Lord and Savior?
·
Or
are you following your old ways, resisting the Holy Spirit, not allowing Him to
do a work in you?
·
Are
you persecuting those who share the Gospel with you?
·
Do
not betray the Lord who saves you, you have received Christ, Keep Him!
