19. Faithful Unto Death

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Hymns: RHC 31 Blessed Be the Name 332 Moment by Moment 546 For All the Saints

Acts 7:54-60

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

Faithful Unto Death

OUTLINE

  • Faithless Rage (v54, 57-59a)
  • Faith’s Composure (v55-56, 59b-60)

INTRODUCTION

Faithful Unto Death – Acts 7:54-60. When Jesus first sent the Apostles to preach the gospel in Matthew chapter 10, He instructed them to go, preach, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He told them that they are sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, He instructed to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

And He warned to beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, they will scourge you in their synagogues and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them…But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. In other words, God’s presence will be with you so that the utterance of your lips will be divinely led.

And Jesus further prepares them for the fiery trial and persecution when He tells them to endure the fires of persecution – and ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

The Apostle Paul tells us, 2 Timothy 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

Hard words, necessary words to prepare the hearts of God’s people for the trials of faith to come. 

The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant his Lord. It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house “Beelzebub” prince of the devils, how much more shall they call them of his household, He warns them to be prepared preposterous accusations.

And he tells prepares their heart to be brave, courageous, bold and unflinching in the face of opposition to the gospel even unto pain, suffering and even death.

Matthew 10:28-33 28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. 30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 

God keeps a record of every hair of a saint and has His angels always around them. 

31 Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. 32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

He tells them of the blessing and cost of discipleship. 

Matthew 10:38-41 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39 He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 

Jesus said Matthew 5:10-12 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs (to them) is the (inheritance of God’s eternal kingdom as Paul says if we suffer, shall also reign with Him (2 Tim. 2:12).) kingdom of heaven. 

11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Peter said to the persecuted believers scattered all over the Roman Empire in 1 Peter 4:13, “But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad with exceeding joy”.

The ultimate sacrifice of discipleship is martyrdom when one is willing to lay down his life to be a witness to the truth of the gospel.

Our text brings us to the last moments of Stephen’s life before he was stoned to death for proclaiming that Jesus Christ is God, the only Saviour of the world.

Stephen was right there at the centre of the Father’s will and he was right there willing to stand alone as a witness to the truth of the gospel.

Stephen’s charge against his persecutors, the Sanhedrin council, the highest court in Israel was stubbornly resisting the convicting work of the Holy Spirit in their hearts for Stephen’s truthful indictment of their murder of the prophets God sent and finally of God’s Son, their Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Acts 7:51-53 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.

And the text that leads us to this momentous climax at the close of Acts 7 is that God will now allow the gospel to be given to the Gentiles fro chapter 8 onwards till the end of the book for His own people has rejected Him.

And the reason why this is the longest chapter in the Book, I believe the Spirit of God is writing in honour of His faithful saint Stephen, who was faithful unto death!

Two thoughts: 

  • Faithless Rage (v54, 57-59)
  • Faith’s Composure (v55-56, 60)

(1) Faithless Rage (v54, 57-59)

54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

What was the reaction to Stephen’s charge? It was appalling, dreadful, hard, bitter and harsh. Instead of being persuaded to believe in Jesus Christ and find salvation, they drag him out of the city and stoned him to death.

This is not a trial. This is savagery, beastly response to the truth. I call it a “faithless rage”. An expression of fury, anger, wrath, hatred, resentment, outrage, a towering rage, a frenzy of rage and anger…

They refused faith’s free gift of salvation. There is only a fearful awaiting of God’s judgment. There can be two responses to the gospel. A sinner either comes under conviction through hearing the gospel, be broken with repentance and come to faith in Jesus Christ, or he can harden his heart and go deeper into a faithless rage with fierce opposition to the gospel and unrepentant as these men standing before Stephen.

Our text tells us – they were cut to the heart! Pierced through with a guilty conscience and yet resisting to the core… 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Through God’s Word Stephen has overturned all the charges of blasphemy the false witnesses have hurled against him. He indicted them, as one commentator, Thomas Walker puts it well, of forgetting their origin (by Abraham’s life), for their envy (by Joseph’s life) and their rebellion in breaking the law (by Moses’ life) and their misconception (by David and Solomon, the temple-builders) and their resistance to the truth concerning the identity of the Messiah (by prophets and teachers God sent their way).

– and they gnashed on him with their teeth.

The grinding of the teeth is an expression of anger and rage. This expression is used to describe the unrelenting anger and rage of those who are judged eternally in hell fire Matthew 8, 13, 25.

This is like the response of Pharaoh to Moses’ call to let God’s people go. As the Israelites escaped into the wilderness, Pharaoh came with his chariots in hot pursuit. In that critical moment, God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked on dry land across the Red Sea till Pharaoh and his army in wanton rage pursued them into the Sea and how the waves returned and drowned them after the Israelites safely went across.

(2) Faith’s Composure (v55-56, 60)

55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

At the receiving end of the rage you see the calmness of God’s servant Stephen. He was described as being full of the Holy Ghost. Indeed, the Spirit’s presence…

Romans 8:26-27 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

In that critical moment of contention between God and Satan, between good and evil, the Holy Spirit pleads for the saint to do God’s will – that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.

What was Stephen’s focus in that moment of crisis? He looked to Jesus. Stephen sets his sight heavenward.

Hebrews 12:2-3 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Psalm 121:1-8 A Song of degrees. I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

– looked up stedfastly (look intently, fix one’s eye) into heaven, and saw the glory of God,

56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God. 

As one pastor pointed out, “If the members of the Sanhedrin had looked up, I think that they would have seen the ceiling of the council chamber. God is not in the business of revealing himself to hard-hearted skeptics.”

For Stephen, it is the vision of Christ through the eyes of faith. Christ received stood to receive and acknowledge Stephen for standing in faith. Jesus certainly cares and very concern with what His servants are going through. Jesus takes the position of a defender and witness before the Father’s throne.

Matthew 10:32 Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.

Jesus rises to make intercession for Stephen, He stood up to come to Stephen’s aid, Jesus stands as a witness in the judgment against Stephen’s murderers and an advocate in Stephen’s defence. Jesus is standing to perform His duty as priest in the heavenly Temple. Jesus is actively watching, involved and responding to the needs of His people from His exalted position at the Father’s side.

(1) Faithless Rage (v57-59a)

57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 

They cried out with a loud voice and covered their ears and stormed the man with their rage. 

The instructions are given in the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 6:1-4:

When sentence [of stoning] has been passed thy take him forth to stone him. The place of stoning was outside [far away from] the court, as it is written, “Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp…” (Lev. 24:14).

When he was about ten cubits from the place, of stoning, they used to say to him, “make they confession”, for such is the way of them that have been condemned to death to make confession, for every one that makes his confession has a share in the world to come…

When a man was four cubits from the place of stoning they stripped off his clothes. A man is kept covered in front and a woman both in front and behind…

The place of stoning was twice the height of a man. One of the witnesses knocked him down on his loins; if he turned over on his heart the witness turned him over again on his loins. If he straightway died that sufficed; but if not, the second witness took the stone and dropped it on his heart. If he straightway died, that sufficed, but if not, he was stoned by all Israel, for it is written, “The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death and afterwards the hand of all the people” (Deut. 17:7).

– And the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.

With a dramatic twist, Luke here introduced the principal character of the second half of his book. “Saul” is his Hebrew name, a name he shares with one of Israel’s illustrious kings, of whom he shared a common lineage from the tribe of Benjamin. The name Paul is his Roman name. He is called a young man. His age was possibly about 35 years old. The witnesses laid down their upper garment at his side suggested that he was, so to speak, the ringleader in Stephen’s martyrdom, possibly the superintendent of the proceedings.

(2) Faith’s Composure (v59b)

59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 

Echoing the words of Psalm 31:5 Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

Stephen’s breath’s his last breath. He had the confidence that he would be ushered into the presence of Jesus. 

60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

He prayed for his enemies. Job prayed for his tormentors.

Job 42:7-10 And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath. 8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job. 9 So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them: the LORD also accepted Job. 10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

Stephen followed in the steps of Jesus, as we are called to do.

1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

On the cross Jesus said, Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.

On the cross, Jesus prayed, in thy hands I commend my spirit. Stephen prayed “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

What a wonderful disciple was Deacon Stephen filled with the Holy Ghost, who so closely followed the pattern of His Saviour! [John R. Rice]

CONCLUSION

  • Faithless Rage (v54, 57-59a)
  • Faith’s Composure (v55-56, 59b-60) 

Amen.