The Stoning of Stephen

The Stoning of Stephen (A Martyr Mindset) Our greatest losses are our greatest gains if we see things from God’s perspective, from His Word. Acts 7. 54 -60 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “LORD Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. The Religious leaders are furious. Religious leaders are not always spiritual leaders. Spiritual leaders do not gnash their teeth. They do not yell at the top of their voices. They do not kill people. Be assured if you are not old and have not yet seen it, over the next 40 years you will see men whom are supposed to be spiritual leaders in the Kingdom of God do some very dark and ugly deeds. So many things were going on here. We see… * The First Martyr The Greek word for witness is martyr (martoos) One who gives his life for the faith. Our lives, our reputation, what people think of us, our “good standing” in their eyes. Being a martyr means we do not count our life as precious but offer it up to the LORD. Being a martyr means that our lives match up to Jesus’, Who gave up everything in obedience to God, the Father. When you share the love of Jesus, witness for Him, and you do not care what people say about you or do to you, you are a martyr. If they kill you, you get a martyr’s crown. (Revelation 2.10) Stephen’s name means “crowned.” Stephen led the way in following Jesus. Jesus predicted this to happen. Matthew 24.9 Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. John 16.1 “All this I have told you so that you will not fall away. 2 They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. 3 They will do such things because they have not known the Father or Me.4 I have told you this, so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you about them. I did not tell you this from the beginning. This could very well be true of our time on earth. I don’t know why we doubt. The more we witness for Christ, ask people what they think of Him, the more His words of instruction and prophecy regarding persecution and being hated for His sake will come about. The seed will produce 30, 60, 100 times what is sown. It seems that the condition of America is in that third type of soil and the plants it produced. Mark 4. 18 Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the Word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. * the worries of this life * the deceitfulness of wealth (if I just have enough, if I had security until the day I die, pleasure, travel) * the desires for other things come in The love of the world, money, fortune, fame, relationships A good way to overcome doubt is to have “a martyr mentality.” Esther had this. “If I perish, I perish.” I love it! I am going to do what is right no matter what happens to me. Bonhoffer, Luther, John Knox, Prophets, Jesus Those who have gone on mission trips will experience what Jesus said in Mark 10. 29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for Me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. I was shocked when it happened but more shocked over who was saying it. I have not resisted to the shedding of my own blood like Jesus and Stephen and Peter and Paul and those in that 10/40 Window who will die today. Today Voices of the Martyrs Map Website Philippians 1.21 For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. This expresses the idea of that the followers of Christ have a life is entirely dedicated to serving and living according to Grace, teaching that death is not something to be feared but a transition to greater gain. Philippians 2 The mindset of Christ Jesus, your attitude, your mind Let this mind be in you that was also in Christ Jesus. * Precious in the Sight of the LORD is the death of His Saints. Psalm 116.15 His first martyr He stood up to welcome home Jesus prayed, I want the ones You have given me Father to be with Me. John 17.24 Father, I want those you have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory, the glory You have given Me because you loved Me before the creation of the world. Please note Stephen did not cling to this life. He didn’t protest his own death. He quietly and with deep faith submitted to his own death. He saw into Heaven. * God was working in the Heart of a Head Strong Pharisee,Saul Philippians 3.4 If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more:5 circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; 6 as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. 7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 10 I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. The Apostle Paul (formerly Saul of Tarsus) desiring to follow Jesus into his own death. This was after he saw the death of Stephen. We are so tied into this world. We have been made and recreated for another world, for Heaven. The upward mobility has not been good for our faith. Those in developing nations have strong faith. I have been with many many people when they have died. I always am in awe when believers make that transition. John Wesley observed, “God’s people die well.” Now if they are suffering, being sawed in two they will experience pain, but the peace of God surrounds the room. My brother, Mark, died in pain but immediately after his death in his home two deer went running down Riverside Drive, just as stately as you could imagine. One of his favorite songs were, “As The Deer Panteth For The Water.” In that moment he was with Jesus. Many of you have similar stories. Saul of Tarsus seeing Stephen die deeply affected Him. Stephen was seeing beyond this life into eternity. How we need this view as well. We have so much interference here. When I was a kid, before cable television and high def, we had an antenna. We had some ham operators in the neighborhood. We would have static on the TV. The picture would get fuzzy and the sound would be drowned out. Kids today know nothing about that. It is not easy to break through the interference. If we quiet ourselves before the LORD, we can gain that perspective. I tell you one way you will not get it and that is running from one thing to another. Be still no know that I am God. After the prayer meeting on Wednesday, Diddi said to me, “Churches need to pray. So few are.” Wednesday at noon, Thursday at 7:30pm and Saturday at 7am are times of scheduled prayer for us. Come.if you can’t come you can join us online on Wednesdays. Pray. Photo * Intercessory Forgiveness 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “LORD Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “LORD, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. Imitating Jesus “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing.” O to get to that place in our lives. Not fighting back. Not ignoring them But praying for those who do things against us. Matthew 5. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. The LORD has placed you in an interesting place if you have people who hurt you that you can pray for. You can intercede for their forgiveness before the Father like Jesus and Stephen did. You shall be My martyrs. Have that mindset Let this mindset be in you that was also in Christ Jesus.