Claude T. Stauffer :: A Message that Brought Jesus to His Feet – Acts 7

The Spirit Acts

A Message That Brought Jesus to His Feet – Acts 7

As we continue our study, let’s remember our objective. The objective of our study is for:

The Spirit of God using the word of God to make people of God and change the people of God into Spirit-empowered, effective, edifying, disciples of Jesus Christ.

This is an awesome chapter to see that objective continue to work in us. Make sure you pray for this to be done before you continue.

The Spirit Acts Bringing Boldness and Knowledge of the Word

Previously, in Acts, we saw how, when the apostles were persecuted, their awareness of the presence of Jesus by the Spirit with them emboldened them to stand up in faith before their persecutors (Acts 4:1-22). We also saw that when the apostles and disciples prayed to God, putting their focus on God and not their obstacles or their persecutors, the Spirit refilled them and gave them boldness to continue (Acts 4:31). In Acts 7 with Stephen we will see another example of this Spirit-filled boldness. But we will also see that this boldness is bolstered in an additional way.

Knowing the Bible breeds boldness. Stephen was assured by the presence of Jesus just as the previous apostles had been, but here we see Stephen is additionally emboldened by his familiarity with God’s word. Because Stephen knew the word of God by the Spirit, he was able to stand firm, courageously without doubting, because he knew what he proclaimed was true, because it was based on the word of God.

Sanctified by the word of God. Jesus prayed for His disciples, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth” (John 17:17). Sanctification has an inner and outer aspect.

First, to sanctify means to cleanse. Sanctification is a heart cleansing that enables us to hear God loud and clear. It’s a spiritual heart-ear cleaning, so we can hear God. This is an inner work, in our heart and soul. The idea is being cleansed from worldly attachments that hinder our walk with God. When you know God’s word by the Spirit, it has a cleansing effect in that doubts are cleansed away, feeding your faith. There is an inner cleansing to our heart and soul when we wash ourselves with God’s word. The Bible speaks of being sanctified and cleansed by the washing of the water by the word (Ephesians 5:26). We are “cleansed from old sins” (2 Peter 1:9). God’s word helps us to understand the forgiveness and cleansing from sin that we receive by God’s grace through faith in Jesus.

Second, to sanctify means to set apart for God’s use. But sanctification also means being set apart for God’s service. Sanctification is being suited or equipped and made usable to the Lord. Sanctification gets us in shape spiritually so that we are familiar with the marching orders God has given us in His word. Sanctification prepares us to be used by God and become an outward expression of God’s willin life.

This inner and outer sanctification is a work of the Holy Spirit in us. Remember, Stephen was, “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,” (Acts 6:5), “full of faith and power,” Acts 6:8), and “wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke” (Acts 6:10). What we see now in Stephen is the work of the Spirit in and through him. The Holy Spirit prepared Stephen inwardly so that he was usable outwardly for God’s purposes.

Service requirements: The Spirit, the Scriptures, and opportunity. There are three things needed for serving the Lord. First we must be born again and indwelled by the Holy Spirit (John 3:14-16). Once we have been regenerated and given spiritual life by the Holy Spirit, the Spirit will help us know and grow on God’s word. With the Spirit within and the sword of the Spirit in our hand (i.e., Ephesians 6:17), all we need is a God-ordained opportunity to step out in faith and put into practice what God has provided for us.

Given the opportunity, Stephen shared the word of God with his accusers in a way that brought conviction of their sinfulness. They do not accept what he points out from the word of God and do stone him. But the impact of Stephen’s ministry does not end there. Remember, there is one man within earshot of his Spirit-filled message and who later is saved. That man was Saul of Tarsus, soon to become Paul (Acts 9). God used him to impact the world for Christ. Stephen’s message may not have brought immediate fruit, but it was a big part of the Spirit’s conversion of Saul, soon to be Paul.

Stephen’s Scriptural Knowledge – The Ministry Product of Spirit-filled Teaching

As we see the message of Stephen in Acts 7, we are struck by the thorough knowledge of and use of God’s word that he has. Stephen didn’t have a pocket Bible, or a study Bible. He didn’t have a Bible study program on a computer, IPhone, or IPad. All he had was what he had been taught in the Scriptures by others. He learned his lessons well. And because of that, God was able to mightily use him.

The knowledge of and effective use of God’s word by Stephen reflects on the Spirit-filled teaching of the apostles. Stephen is the product of Spirit-filled, empowered teaching. This was a man chosen by God and appointed by the apostles in the Spirit to “serve tables”! (Acts 6:2). Stephen was selected to serve in a menial task, but his willingness to serve, his servant-hearted effort, put him in a situation of opportunity for God to use him more. He had learned his lessons well at the foot of the apostle’s teaching. Stephen demonstrates the evidence of one who was “steadfastly devoted to the apostle’s teaching” (Acts 2:42a). But what about us?

How well do you know God’s word? Someone has composed the following "Top Ten" list of signs you may not be reading your Bible enough:

• 10) The Preacher announces the sermon is from [Genesis]…and you check the table of contents.
• 9) You think Abraham, Isaac & Jacob may have had a few hit songs during the 60's.
• 8) You open to the Gospel of Luke and a WWII savings bond falls out.
• 7) Your favorite Old Testament patriarch is Hercules.
• 6) Your favorite Bible verses are:
  • Cleanliness is next to godliness
  • God helps those who help themselves
  • Confession is good for the soul
  • Money is the root of all evil
  • Honesty is the best policy
  • (None of which are in the Bible!)
• 5) You become frustrated because Charlton Heston isn't listed in either the concordance or the table of contents.
• 4) Catching the kids reading the Song of Solomon, you demand: "Who gave you this stuff?"
• 3) You think the Minor Prophets worked in the quarries.
• 2) You keep falling for it every time the preacher tells you to turn to First Condominiums.

And the number one sign you may not be reading your Bible enough:

• 1) The kids keep asking too many questions about your usual bedtime story: "Jonah the Shepherd Boy and His Ark of Many Colors."⁷²

This is humorous. If you don’t see the humor, then maybe this becomes a tragic comedy for you. Knowing your Bible should be no laughing matter.

As we look at Stephen we will see God greatly use him. One of the prime reasons God did use Stephen was that Stephen knew his Bible.

Shame and Fear: The Enemies of Effective Service

When we look at Acts 7 and the life of Stephen, we might be tempted to think, “I could never do that.” There are likely two reasons for your hesitancy to share your faith or follow in the footsteps of Stephen. Shame and fear are the two likely culprits. Shame and fear are the enemies of effective service. Are you ashamed of sharing your faith? Are you scared of sharing your faith? Maybe you are prompted by the Spirit to share your faith, but you just don’t feel like you can do it because of the threat of shame and feeling of fear. Let’s introduce our study of Acts 7 by considering these two reasons for us not following in the footsteps of Stephen.

Shame is the result of sin. Shame is something we shy away from in life. Shame makes us feel uncomfortable. We don’t like to be ashamed. We want to be accepted or honored. Where does shame come from and, why does it make us uncomfortable?

First, shame is caused by sin. Shame first appears in Scripture as a result of sin. Before sin entered the world, human beings were naked and unashamed (Genesis 2:25). After they sinned, they were ashamed (Genesis 3:9-11). Shame is associated with guilt or inadequacy. Shame is associated with failing or falling short in some way. We are ashamed when we are caught in a sin (e.g., Ezra 9:6; Ezekiel 16:27, 63; Ezekiel 43:10-11).

Second, shame is caused when others embarrass us, victimize us or treat us inappropriately. The men David sent to Hanun, king of Ammon, returned embarrassed because Hanun shaved half their beards, cut their garments so that their buttocks were exposed and sent them away publically in this way (2 Samuel 10:1-5).

Third, shame is caused when people impose or insist on us. Elisha was “ashamed” when his students insisted he let them go search for Elijah. He eventually let them go because he felt “ashamed,” but they did not find the prophet (2 Kings 2:12-18).

Fourth, shame is caused by being unprepared. The priests who were not ready to resume service in the temple were ashamed. They had neglected the practice of the sacrifice and were ashamed (2 Chronicles 30:13-15).

Fifth, shame is caused when we contradict our testimony. Ezra was ashamed to ask the king for an escort because it contradicted his testimony to the Lord’s provision and protection (e.g., Ezra 8:22-23).

Sixth, shame is caused by defeat or association with defeat because of pride. The psalmist said defeated enemies would be ashamed (Psalm 6:10). Some are ashamed to stand with Jesus because they didn’t believe He would rise from the dead or fulfill His word (e.g., Mark 8:38; Mark 9:26; Luke 16:3).

Seventh, shame is caused when you are proven wrong. The psalmist prays that God would not allow him to be proven wrong and therefore shamed (e.g. Psalm 119:5-6, 116; Micah 3:5-8; Micah 7:16).

Fear is the foe of faith. Fear can stifle faith. Fear can cause us to quench and halt what our faith directs us to do. Someone has defined fear with the acronym False Expectations Appearing Real. I think that’s an accurate definition because it includes the idea of deception. The Bible says:

• 2 Timothy 1:7 – For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

A lot of things cause us to fear. We are often fearful about sharing our faith. Fear arises when we begin to imagine all the possible bad things that could happen to us if we proceed in a certain way. But the Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear.” Fear to walk in faith is not from God. Then where is it from? I believe it’s straight from the pit of hell. The devil wants to prevent us from sharing the gospel with the lost. The devil doesn’t want to lose any of the people that are destined to join him in hell if they persist in their sins. It is the devil and perhaps our own overactive imaginations that cause fear to well up in us and prevent us from being used by the Lord. When that happens, we need to take those thoughts captive (2 Corinthians 10:3-4). When that happens, we have to seek the Holy Spirit for the “power and love and of a sound mind” promised in the verse above. All of that is something the Holy Spirit works in us. We need to call out to the Holy Spirit in Jesus’ name when we are afraid. Like the disciples, we need to call out to Jesus and say, “Increase our faith” (Luke 17:5). When we do that, I believe He will replace our fear with faith.

But you don’t have to be ashamed, and you don’t have to be fearful. There’s a solution.

The solution to shame. If there is a verse that guides us in the way so that we can become usable like Stephen, it is found in Paul’s words to Timothy when he writes:

• 2 Timothy 2:15 – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

The phrase, “does not need to be ashamed” is translated from the Greek term anepaischunton (Greek adjective of anepaisechuntos) meaning, “not ashamed, having no cause for shame” or having no reason for shame to come upon you.⁷³ This verse speaks of a protection from shame. What is it? What can protect us and squash shame?

First, shame can be squashed by diligence in the things of God. “Be diligent” (Greek spoudason Aorist/Active/Imperative of spoudazo) means do your best, be eager to do, apply yourself diligently to do something. In other words, if you want to avoid shame, dig into God’s word diligently and know it.

The idea is, “to use speed,…to make effort, be prompt or earnest. …do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavor, labour, study”⁷⁴ You have to give an effort if you want the Spirit to use the word of God in your life, like He did in Stephen’s life! You can’t read the Bible like you read the newspaper or a comic book! You need to pay earnest attention to what you are reading. When you read the word of God, do it where you are going to be able to concentrate and prayerfully depend on the Spirit to teach you and illuminate God’s word to you. If finding such a place is difficult for you, pray and ask God to help you. You need to get alone with God and His word so He can speak to you through it.

Second, shame can be squashed if we present ourselves approved to God. The phrase “present yourself” (Greek parastesai Aorist/Active/Infinitive of verb pasistemi) means actively present yourself at God’s disposal, actively offer yourself to God, actively bring yourself to God, actively stand before God. The idea here is to actively present yourself to God, prioritizing what He thinks of you rather than anyone else. If we can stand unashamed before God, then we don’t have to worry about being ashamed before anyone else. Fix your eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2). Our standing with God is all that matters.

This also means, therefore, when you study God’s word, do it prayerfully. Don’t just approach God’s word like you do the newspaper or a magazine, but go to the word in prayer, asking God to open its meanings and applications to you. Read in Psalm 119 how the psalmist went to the word so prayerfully. So open up to the Lord and speak to Him. That’s the way we should go to the word, prayerfully expecting God to speak to us by the Spirit.

Third, shame can be squashed by being a worker. A “worker” (Greek ergaten noun of ergetes) is a workman or laborer. This word means, “a toiler; figuratively a teacher…labourer, worker (–men.”⁷⁵ There is nothing wrong with hard work when you study God’s word. Effort and perspiration when it comes to the study of God’s word is a good thing. Pour over it, dig into it, and do it all prayerfully, seeking the truth and substance of it in the Spirit.

This is a word used of those who work in a field to plant, cultivate and bring a crop to harvest. It is anyone who works to bring something to completion or effect. Keep God’s purpose and end in view and prioritize it. Stay the course God sets before you and make and measure progress.

Fourth, shame can be squashed by an accurate understanding of God’s word. The words “rightly dividing” (Greek orthotomeo) mean to make a straight cut, to cut according to the pattern, to make straight, to dissect, to divide right, to expound correctly, to teach correctly. The idea here is following the straight path of God’s word.⁷⁶

When you go to God’s word, don’t go to it with a predetermined agenda or prejudice to your will. Instead, go to God’s word with a surrendered heart, seeking God’s will to be done and not your will to be done. When it comes to the word of God, we must not twist it to support our will or perspective; we must be open and honest for God to apply it to us and the world around us. We must be willing to let the chips fall where they may.

Cults twist God’s word to support their false doctrines. Cults turn a blind eye to those portions of Scripture that refute or oppose their views. Sometimes, as in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the translation of the Bible is used to eliminate passages they have difficulty interpreting favorably to their doctrines. In still other situations, as with Mormons, or those from the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints, entire other bodies of “Scripture” (e.g., The Pearl of Great Price; The Book of Mormon) are concocted to support their false doctrines which contradict the true word of God. The disciple must never do that! We must come to God’s word objectively, not subjectively. We must come to God’s word and study it inductively to seek out the truth, not deductively, or with a truth we have already established and now come to the Bible after that to support our preconceived view. The root and foundation of truth is God’s word, and we need to start there by letting the Spirit illuminate it to us from the start.

Jesus said:

• Matthew 7:13-14 – ¹³ “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

There is a broad way of worldly living that leads to destruction. And then there is a “narrow” (Greek stenos) or a strait narrow way that leads to life. Many travel the broad way of this world. This is probably in part because of a fear of not fitting into the world or not being accepted by people. Few travel the narrow, straight way to life. This may be in part for fear of not fitting in or being accepted by the world. But fitting in with the world makes you unfit for eternal life (e.g., John 15:18-20; 1 John 2:15-17).

If you know God’s word right so that you can apply it rightly (i.e., “rightly dividing the word of truth”) then you will be unashamed. This is what we see in Stephen’s life.

Lastly, shame can be squashed by being ready and available for God’s use. Like Stephen we should be ready to use it “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). Stephen was always ready to preach the word of God to the unsaved. He had a firm grasp of the word of God and was ready to apply it quoting or referring to appropriate sections of it pertinent to the situation he found himself in. If Stephen had this knowledge of the word at the entry level of ministry (i.e., serving tables) we should too. We should all prepare now, right now, for the future possibility that God will use us in some way.

When you do this, the Spirit will work the word of God into you like He did to Stephen, and with the same effect.

Writer Amos Wells reflected our need for thorough Bible study in this verse:

I supposed I knew my Bible,
Reading piecemeal, hit or miss,
Now a bit of John or Matthew,
Now a snatch of Genesis,
Certain chapters of Isaiah,
Certain Psalms (the twenty-third),
Twelfth of Romans, first of Proverbs ––
Yes, I thought I knew the Word!
But I found that thorough reading
Was a different thing to do,
And the way was unfamiliar
When I read the Bible through.
You who like to play at Bible,
Dip and dabble, here and there,
Just before you kneel, aweary,
And yawn through a hurried prayer;
You who treat the Crown of Writings
As you treat no other book,
Just a paragraph, disjointed,
Just a crude, impatient look,
Try a worthier procedure,
Try a broad and steady view;
You will kneel in very rapture
When you read the Bible through.⁷⁷

It’s obvious that Stephen hadn’t studied the Bible piecemeal. Stephen had a thorough and complete understanding and awareness of God’s word. He had committed Scripture to memory. He knew how the Scriptures fit together. He was able to string the pearls of Scripture together to make his point.

Get into the Bible and make it a priority. Other people throughout history who have been greatly used by God have been students of God’s word. Missionary John Bunyan said, “I was never out of my Bible.” John Wesley credited with a revival in England in the 18th century that practically saved that nation, said, “I am a man of one Book.”

We have great advantages today. Now you might be thinking, “Yeah, but that’s Stephen, and he was able to sit under the apostle’s teaching firsthand, we don’t have that today.” Wait a minute though, we have a lot of advantages that Stephen didn’t have. We have the Bible in our hands! There were no pocket Bibles or Study Bibles in Stephen’s day. He had no iPhone or iPad or laptop or any computer that could do word searches. He didn’t have access to all the study tools we have in our day. All he had was the Holy Spirit and the Spirit-filled teaching of the Apostles. And that was all he needed to be used the way he did.

The Bible in Stephen’s day consisted of scrolls kept in a synagogue. The New Testament had yet to be completed and even when it was completed it wasn’t distributed to the common man until the translation and copying of the Bible by such people as John Wycliffe in the 14th century and William Tyndale and Miles Coverdale in the 15th – 16th century. They had a burden from God to get God’s word to God’s people. They felt the word of God should be given to every man and sought to give out the Bible. The widespread distribution of the Bible to the common man started to come about with the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg in 1450, coupled with the Reformation of the 16th century, Bibles were printed and distributed in number to the public.

Try this test. Go to your home and count the number of Bibles you have. You’ve probably got at least one and most likely far more than that. You have the word of God at your fingertips! There is no excuse for not being a student of the word. The Bible is incredibly accessible and available today. We are without excuse.

But wait you say, “I can’t read” or you say, “I am blind and can’t see to read.” Still, you have no excuse. The Bible can be heard on tape and CD. The Bible can be watched on video. The Bible can be read in brail. The Bible is available to all people, especially those of us who live in the West. Those who live in the few areas where the Bible has yet to be translated into their native tongue are being served by such ministries as the Wycliffe Bible Translators who seek to translate the Bible into every human language on the planet. Bible societies and ministries such as the American Bible Society, the International Bible Society, The Bible League and a host of other ministries distribute free Bibles throughout the world. We have the Bible and there is no excuse for anyone in our part of the world not being a student of God’s word. God wants to use you, and He uses those who have a handle on His word. Someone has said, “A Bible in the hand is worth two in the bookcase.” Pick up your Bible and get into it. More importantly, let it, the Bible get into you by the application of the words by the Spirit to your life and heart.

The Main Points of Stephen’s Spirit Directed Message

There are, I believe, three main thrusts of Stephen’s message to his accusers.

First, the people listening were faithless like their forefathers (Acts 7:9, 25, 35, 39, 51). By citing patriarchal figures who were people of faith, Stephen sets up a stark contrast to his accusers who exhibit little to no faith in God.

Second, while the people are faithless, God has been, is and always will be faithful to anoint a messenger or deliverer to reach out to the people (Joseph, a type of Christ – Acts 7:9-10; Moses – Acts 7:20; the Angel of the LORD – Acts 7:38-39). By repeatedly citing those in history who God raised up to deliver God’s people, Stephen also shows that each time God anoints and appoints a deliverer, the people of God reject God’s anointed deliverer. These are the two primary points made by the Spirit through Stephen to these people.

Third, Jesus the “Just One” who God sent to save them from their sin, was crucified by them (Acts 7:51-53). Even when God sent Jesus, the One who all of Scripture points to (e.g., Hebrews 10:7), they rejected Him too. They crucified Jesus, their promised Savior, Christ, Messiah. Stephen boldly proclaimed this to his accusers.

So I ask you, what is your response to seeking the Lord to prepare you to be used by Him for His glory? I hope and pray you step out in faith and discover you’re much like Stephen. Now let’s study how these points are actually made.

A Mighty Message – A Message that Brought Jesus to His Feet

Where was Jesus at this time? The Bible says Jesus was seated beside God. In one of Paul’s inspired prayers he says:

• Ephesians 1:15-21 – ¹⁵ Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, ¹⁶ do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸ the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power ²⁰ which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Jesus is “seated…at His right hand in the heavenly places.”

Then later in Hebrews it states:

• Hebrews 8:1 – Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

Again, Jesus, our High Priest, is “seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.”

Jesus is portrayed as seated with His Father in heaven. But at the end of Acts, Jesus is brought to His feet. At the end of Acts, Jesus is brought to His feet like One watching something that He just can’t remain seated for. Like a fan that jumps to their feet when a player for their team makes a great play, Jesus stands up. Like one seeing a great courageous, heroic, pivotal act that changes the course of the battle to victory, Jesus stands up. Like one watching a resounding, powerful final argument or a turning point in a debate, Jesus stands up. What is the message that brings Jesus to His feet? It is a message like the one given in the power of the Spirit by Stephen in this chapter.

In the Spirit, Stephen Begins with Abraham’s Call and Faith

• Acts 7:1-8 – ¹ Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?” ² And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, ³ “and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ ⁴ “Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. ⁵ “And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. ⁶ “But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. ⁷ ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ ⁸ “Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.”

Stephen is led by the Spirit to start with common ground, Abraham, whom all Jews could relate to (Acts 7:1-2). Stephen begins by pointing out the faith and willingness of Abraham to leave his place of comfort to go where God wanted him to go (Acts 7:3-4). He then continues by stating that Abraham had to trust God even though he did not immediately see the promise of God fulfilled (Acts 7:5). Abraham’s faith is in stark contrast to those who rejected Jesus even though Jesus was the Promise of God standing right before them (see Romans 4). Stephen then shows God’s faithfulness to continue the promise from generation to generation, giving the covenant of circumcision as a sign of this (Acts 7:6-8). And Stephen shows them that Abraham had a faith they had forgotten and didn’t have.

Abraham’s Faith

Abraham is used by Paul as a model of saving and sustaining faith (Romans 4). Abraham is named in the Hall of Faith list in the Book of Hebrews (Hebrews 11:8-12). When we look at the life of Abraham we see a model of faith. Stephen referred to Abraham because the people he talked to here would be very familiar with Abraham, who they saw as “their father.” And by doing so, Stephen was showing a contrast of the faith in Abraham and the faithlessness of those he addressed. Abraham’s faith can be summarized as follows:

1. Abraham gave his all to God and left his home to follow God in obedience to God’s call – Genesis 12:1-4
2. Abraham knew no altar–native to God. He called on God regularly making altars of worship – Genesis 12:7-8; 13:4, 18; 22:9.
3. Abraham was not perfect, he was flawed – Genesis 16:2; 20.
4. Abraham was a pilgrim who lived in a temporary tent, not a king who lived in a castle of carnality. Abraham had his priorities right. His eyes were fixed on the heavenly promise, not the pride of earth – Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:3, 12, 18; Genesis 8:1, 2, 6, 9, 10; Genesis 24:67; Hebrews 11:13; Hebrews 13:14; 1 Peter 2:11-12.
5. Abraham had an ongoing relationship with God that produced growth in his faith – Genesis 17:3; 18.
6. Abraham was changed by God – Genesis 17:4-5.
7. Abraham was made fruitful by God – Genesis 17:6
8. Abraham was marked by God so that he was distinct from the world, holy (i.e. circumcision) – Genesis 17:10-11.
9. Abraham was open to God’s will, even when it contradicted his desires – Genesis 17:18-19.
10. Abraham left God’s mark on others – Genesis 17:27.
11. Abraham was a servant of God – Genesis 18:1-8.
12. Abraham accepted and believed that God could do the impossible – Genesis 18:9-15.
13. Abraham was strengthened by his experience with and knowledge of God – Genesis 18:16-22.
14. Abraham was concerned about justice like God was – Genesis 18:23.
15. Abraham trusted God with his most precious possession, his son, Isaac, and so became a picture of God the Father giving His Son Jesus at the same cite (Mt. Moriah = Golgotha) – Genesis 22
16. Abraham reverently sought to know more about God by asking questions of God, (his faith was dynamic, not static, it was growing not slowing) – Genesis 24-33.
17. Abraham was accounted as righteous by God based on his faith and trust in God – Genesis 15:6.

This was the faith that Stephen’s accusers were sorely lacking. Perhaps Stephen hoped to have the Spirit convict them of their lack of faith. Unfortunately, they did not respond repentantly. Many did not believe in the miraculous (e.g., Sadducees) and others were so caught up in their own man-made traditions that they were unable to see the work of God in their midst (e.g., Pharisees). Stephen, on the other hand, walked in the faith of his patriarchal father, Abraham.

In the Spirit, Stephen lays the Foundation for the Main Point by Referring to Joseph

• Acts 7:9-16 – ⁹ “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him ¹⁰ “and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. ¹¹ “Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. ¹² “But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. ¹³ “And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. ¹⁴ “Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. ¹⁵ “So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ “And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.”

Stephen now introduces the first of a series of historical examples of the lack of faith and spiritual blindness of the Israelites. Stephen does this by showing that from the start in history, Israel and her predecessors reject those God sends to help her. Rather than receive Joseph, the patriarchs were “envious” of Joseph (Acts 7:9). But Joseph, the one rejected by his brothers, God helped, anointed and used to deliver the family of God. God even used the evil intended by the patriarchs to work salvation for them during a famine (Acts 7:10-16). Joseph recognized God’s hand upon him and His divine planning when he said:

• Genesis 50:20 – “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”

Joseph’s Godly perspective enabled him to forgive his brothers and avoid bitterness. This reveals a side truth to this passage, When we look at life from a Godly perspective (i.e., from a perspective that considers God’s will and plan), it enables us to react and get through difficult times in a Godly, Christlike way. In fact, Joseph is a type of Christ in the Old Testament.

Joseph Man of Faith and a Type of Christ

When we look at Joseph, we see he was a Godly man of faith, as well as a number of similarities between him and Jesus. These similarities are:

1. Joseph and Jesus were both loved by their fathers (Genesis 37:3 and Matthew 3:17; John 3:35; 5:20).
2. Joseph and Jesus were both hated by their brothers, who rejected their claims (Genesis 37:4, 8; Matthew 21:37-39; John 15:24-25).
3. The brothers of Joseph and Jesus plotted to murder them (Genesis 37:18, 24 and Matthew 26:3-4; 27:35-37).
4. Joseph and Jesus were blessed among the Gentiles and received their bride from the Gentile populous (Genesis 41:1-45 and Acts 15:14; Ephesians 5:25-32).
5. Both Joseph and Jesus were reconciled to their brethren (Genesis45:1-15; Deuteronomy 30:1-10 and Romans 11:1, 15, 25-26).
6. Both Joseph and Jesus experienced persecution at the hands of those they were trying to save and weathered the storm of persecution by their Godly outlook and submission to the will of God (Genesis 45:5, 7; 50:20 and Matthew 26:36-46; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:21-22; John 18:11).

Joseph was the perfect Biblical character to mention in the beginning of Stephen’s message, because he pictured Jesus in the Old Testament. Joseph was a perfect example of how a deliverer of God could experience hardship and still be from God, like Messiah Jesus. Joseph demonstrated faith in that he never questioned God during all his trials but trusted that God was in control. Joseph also pictured and illustrated the beginning of the main theme and the point Stephen was attempting to make to his accusers, that is, that the children of Israel have always rejected God and His ministers, even though God has been consistently gracious and lovingly patient with them. Joseph, a type of Christ, was rejected by his brothers, the predecessors of the ones Stephen is addressing now.

In the Spirit Stephen Furthers His Point By Referring to the Life of Moses

• Acts 7:17-28 – ¹⁷ “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt ¹⁸ “till another king arose who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹ “This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. ²⁰ “At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God;l and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. ²¹ “But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. ²² “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. ²³ “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. ²⁴ “And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. ²⁵ “For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. ²⁶ “And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ ²⁷ “But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ ‘Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’”

Stephen demonstrates by referring to Biblical history that God rose up and preserved a deliverer, Moses (Acts 7:17-22). The Lord put into the heart of Moses a desire to help his brothers, the Hebrews (Acts 7:23). Moses sought to protect one of the Hebrews from an Egyptian who Moses struck down and killed (Acts 7:24). Moses “supposed” that his brethren would understand his intent and motive in this act, but they did not and rejected him (Acts 7:25-28). This is further evidence of the pattern of hardheartedness and spiritual insensitivity in the people of God toward those God sends to help and deliver them. Stephen illustrates from Biblical history another example of the people of God rejecting the anointed and chosen deliverer of God.

In the Spirit Stephen Shows Moses Was God’s Anointed But the People Rejected Him

• Acts 7:29-36 – ²⁹ “Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. ³⁰ “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai. ³¹ “When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, ³² “saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and dared not look. ³³ ‘Then the Lord said to him, “Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. ³⁴ “I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and 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?’ is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ “He brought them out, after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.”

No one can deny that God’s hand was upon Moses and that God did mighty things through Moses in the process of delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage. But this deliverer who was so clearly called and anointed by God was also rejected by Israel.

The Faith of Moses

In Hebrews 11, Moses is listed as a model of faith. It is no accident that Stephen refers to this great man of God. In Hebrews 11 it states:

• Hebrews 11:23-29 – ²³ “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, ²⁵ choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, ²⁶ esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. ²⁷ By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. ²⁹ By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.”

From this passage we can prayerfully glean a great deal that Stephen might have hoped would be used by the Spirit to convict his accusers and move them to repent.

First, Moses came to a point in his life where he had to decide if he was going to be an Egyptian worldling or a Hebrew man of God. The contrast between the two areas couldn’t have been clearer:

Egyptian –World versus Hebrew man of God

Son of pharaoh’s daughter versus Reproach of Christ

Heir of throne of Egypt versus Wrath of king

Wealth of Egyptian versus Riches of God

Egypt greatest power versus Power of God

Best world had to offer versus Worst God had to offer

Moses’ conclusion was that the worst God offered was better than the best the world had to offer, because the world‘s wealth was temporary (Hebrews 11:25), “for a season.” The accusers of Stephen had not come to such a conclusion; they were still clinging to and making their decisions based on the approval of men and influence in the world (Matthew 14:3; John 12:43; Galatians 1:10; Galatians 6:14).

Moses considered the rewards, the consequences. The world’s rewards were only for a moment compared with the eternal rewards we have in Christ. Sin does offer pleasures for a season, but only for a season, it is a lie. It promises much but delivers little. That is deception. Guard your heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23). “A moment of pleasure can bring a lifetime of pain.” (Pastor Chuck). God calls people to reason in light of the sinful, unreasonable things they do. People don’t consider the consequences and, therefore, suffer (Isaiah 1:18).

Moses was 40 years old at the time of his crossroad decision. He had the wisdom to take eternity into account when making his choice. A little suffering now but eternal blessing later (Romans 8:18). Moses’ life consisted of:

• 1st 40 years – Breaking the man
• 2nd 40 years – Making the man
• 3rd 40 years – Man on a mission

During the first 40 years of life, God showed Moses that in his flesh he couldn’t bury one Egyptian successfully. In the second 40 years, God showed Moses that in His power, the whole Egyptian army could be buried in the Red Sea. When Moses was 80 years old he had no confidence in himself and resisted God’s call (Exodus 3; Exodus 4). Moses had to get to the point where he realized that, apart from the Lord, he could do nothing. At that point, he would come to know that with God nothing is impossible. God allows us to expend our energy and ideas until we are down to nothing, and then He shows us the ultimate power in Him.

The Twofold Lesson to Learn From Moses

There is a twofold lesson to learn from the life of Moses, and it is a lesson of faith. The lesson to learn from Moses is: Apart from Me, you can’t do anything (John 15:5); I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). The opponents of Stephen were not willing to learn this twofold lesson and had in fact rejected Jesus entirely. They were unwilling and not open to the truth of God and so were opposing the truth of God and God Himself in His Son Jesus.

In the Spirit, Stephen Shows the Idolatrous Heart of Israel

• Acts 7:37-43 – ³⁷ “This is that Moses who said to the children of Israel, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear.’ ³⁸ “This is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the Angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers, the one who received the living oracles to give to us, ³⁹ “whom our fathers would not obey, but rejected. And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt, ⁴⁰ “saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us; as for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ ⁴¹ “And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. ⁴² “Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the Book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? ⁴³ You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your God Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’”

Idolatry is misplaced faith. Even though God did tremendous miracles and delivered Israel from Egypt by the hand of Moses, he was still rejected and disobeyed by the people. Not even a dozen miraculous acts of God to free the Israelites from the bondage of the strongest power of the day would get through to their hard hearts! The issue here is that God’s people rejected Him and true worship in favor of false idols of this world. They rejected the invisible God for visible images of gods that were really not gods at all! (See Psalm 115; Isaiah 46)

In the Spirit, Stephen Shows that Not Even God’s Presence Got Through To Them

• Acts 7:44-50 – ⁴⁴“Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He appointed, instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen, ⁴⁵ “which our fathers, having received it in turn, also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David, ⁴⁶ “who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ “But Solomon built Him a house. ⁴⁸“However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says:
  
  ⁴⁹ ‘Heaven is My throne,
  And earth is My footstool.
  What house will you build for Me? says the Lord,
  Or what is the place of My rest?
  ⁵⁰ Has My hand not made all these things?’”

God directed Moses to construct the Tabernacle and alter and later a Temple where God would make His presence known. But the people, rather than worship the God of the Tabernacle and Temple, worshiped the physical structure itself. They were caught up in materialism, rather than willing to seek God in the Spirit. They have again missed the entire point of God by worshiping the Temple instead of the God of the Temple.

In the Spirit, Stephen Speaks the Truth to These Hard-Hearted People

• Acts 7:51-53 – ⁵¹ “You stiff-necked and 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 foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, ⁵³“who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.”

Stephen points out that they have resisted the Holy Spirit, (which is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit and leads to eternal damnation – Matthew 12:31) repeatedly throughout their history and even “the Just One” Jesus. Now this may sound harsh, but in reality it is Stephen speaking the truth in love by the Holy Spirit to his accusers. He can probably see the hate and hardheartedness in the eyes of those standing around him, and so he speaks what they need to hear, not what they want to hear.

This is the true test of a servant of God. A servant of God speaks the truth of God in love (Ephesians 4:15). A servant of God speaks what the Spirit directs them to and what the listeners need to hear. A servant like Stephen doesn’t settle for what people merely want to hear or what will appease them. A Spirit-filled servant of God is not a people pleaser. A servant of God is a God-pleaser. They are willing to give their reputations and lives for the Lord. Stephen’s ultimate desire was that his accusers repent and be saved, (“Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” – Acts 7:60), but they would not.

Stiff-Necked – Spiritual Dullness

The word “stiff-necked” is translated from the Greek term SKLEROTRAKELOS which means, “hardnosed,…obstinate…stiff-necked.”⁷⁸ The idea is one that is unwilling to turn their heads to see something they need to see. It is the picture of one who willingly makes their neck hard and stiff so as not to look in a certain direction. These people were like a disobedient child who is told to look at something but refuses just for the sake of refusing. One dictionary states, “A stiff-necked person is a stubborn, self-willed person determined to resist God’s will (Acts 7:51).”⁷⁹

Read how the Bible depicts those who are stiff-necked and ask yourself, “Am I like this?” Read and hear the attitudes conveyed concerning the stiff-necked and consider whether you are looking in a mirror when you read such passages. The Bible states of the stiff-necked:

• Jeremiah 32:33 – “‘And they have turned to Me the back, and not the face; though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not listened to receive instruction.”
• Jeremiah 44:16 – “As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord, we will not listen to you!”
• Zechariah 7:11 – “But they refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear.”
• Revelation 2:21 – “And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.”

Are you open to the Spirit? Or have you willfully closed your eyes and ears in areas of your life thinking that ignorance is bliss and if you don’t hear the Spirit you can go on the way you are? Such a notion is from the pit of hell! Seek for the Lord to search your heart, root out sin, and cleanse it from you. I encourage each of you reading this to go to Psalm 51 and Psalm 139 and prayerfully go through it seeking the Lord’s will in your heart and life. Go on, do it! You won’t be sorry you did. You may just turn out to be usable like Stephen.

Uncircumcised in Heart and Ears

Circumcision is the cutting away of flesh. Stephen, in saying this, is conveying the fact based on history that these people and their predecessors are so concerned with fleshly things, the things of this world, that their hearts and ears are totally insensitive to the things of God, even when the things of God are His effort to reach out and save them. They were unwilling to be open to the things of the Spirit.

Paul warned Timothy about people who would be closed to the Spirit and, as they came closer to the latter days, they would increase. Paul wrote Timothy:

• 2 Timothy 3:1-7 – ¹ “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: ² For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! ⁶ For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, ⁷ always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Self-love and love of everything and anything other than Jesus will be the nature of the heart of humanity in the Latter Days. Jesus also warned of this when He said, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Unfortunately, this is exactly what we see in our day. People love their bodies, they love their cars, they love their homes, they love their dogs, but do they have enough time to love Jesus? Even those who say they hate themselves actually love themselves. The person who looks in a mirror and says, “I hate myself!” actually loves themselves. What do I mean? Well, the Bible says, “no one ever hated his own flesh” (Ephesians 5:29). When a person looks in a mirror and says they hate themselves, what they are really saying is that they love themselves so much that they hate what they look like. Their exalted view of themselves, or what they feel they should look like, is evidence of their self-love. Why are you so depressed over your looks? Because you love yourself and are dissatisfied with what you’ve allowed yourself to become! You feel you deserve better than that! The media and marketers of this world play on that self-love all the time, and it’s just one more distraction, one more obsession to keep people from loving Jesus with all their heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; 1 Corinthians 16:22).

The church is not exempt from such a prophetic characterization. What is mind-boggling and horrific is that such hardheartedness will apparently creep into the church as well. Indeed, the challenging words of warning from the writer of Hebrews make a direct hit on the hearts of many in the church when he says:

• Hebrews 5:12-14 – ¹² “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God;l and you have come to need milk and not solid food. ¹³ For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. ¹⁴ But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

There are those in the church who have accepted Jesus as their Savior, but they are lethargic in their relationship with Him. There are some who are stunted in their spiritual growth, perpetual babes in Christ. When a baby is born they are about the cutest thing in the world (that’s my opinion); they squint at the light, cuddle in your arms, and suck at the food. But what if that’s all they do? What if at age five, at age ten, at age 20, and at age 40 and so on, all they do is cuddle and coo never learning to speak intelligibly? What if they never eat anything besides milk? What if they never eat solid food? If they don’t eat right, they will die! If they don’t grow and mature physically or mentally, that is called retardation and while such individuals have a right to life, they are looked upon as abnormal and tragic in many ways. Are you retarded spiritually? Are you growing in the Lord? When you look at your walk with the Lord over the last year, can you see growth, can you see improvement? What venture in faith have you taken to stretch your faith? Are you trusting in God or yourself? Are you carnal and fleshly, or walking in the Spirit and spiritually fruitful? When you hear such a portion of Scripture, into which group do you fall, the “unskilled…a babe” or one who is “full age”? Are you a Stephen or are you stiff-necked? Which is it?

The Consequence of Stiff-necks and Persistent Hard-heartedness

There is a consequence of being stiff-necked and persisting in hardheartedness toward God. We see this consequence in the state of those God judged with the Flood as it says:

• Genesis 6:5 – “Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

From the very beginning humanity has chosen to turn a blind eye and hard heart toward the Lord and that with severe consequences.

We also see the consequences of hard-heartedness in the life of Pharaoh in Egypt when he hardens his heart repeatedly against God’s command to let His people go.⁸⁰ Jesus explained the consequence of hardheartedness in the following passage:

• John 12:35-48 – ³⁵ “Then Jesus said to them, “A little while longer the light is with you. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you; he who walks in darkness does not know where he is going. ³⁶ “While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light.” These things Jesus spoke, and departed, and was hidden from them. ³⁷ But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him, ³⁸ that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke:
  
  “Lord, who has believed our report?
  And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”
  
  ³⁹ Therefore they could not believe, because Isaiah said again: ⁴⁰ “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.” ⁴¹ These things Isaiah said when he saw His glory and spoke of Him. ⁴² Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; ⁴³ for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. ⁴⁴ Then Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. ⁴⁵ “And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. ⁴⁶ “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness. ⁴⁷ “And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. ⁴⁸ “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.”

If the Lord has been knocking on the door of your heart, open up and invite Jesus in (Revelation 3:20). The consequence of putting off Jesus is not that He will stop loving you, but that you will become so hard, calloused and insensitive to Him that you will be unable to respond to His loving overtures to you. Those who opposed Jesus got to a point where they “could not believe.”

Paul also refers to such hardening and spiritual callousness when he is inspired to write:

• 1 Timothy 4:1-2 – ¹ “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, ² speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,”

The illustration Paul uses here of a conscience “seared with a hot iron,” conveys the deadening effect of nerve damage done by a scarring injury. The sovereign principle of God is that sin desensitizes a person to spiritual things. The more a person sins, the less they will care about sinning. In Proverbs, it speaks of the deadened conscience of the adulterous woman by saying:

• Proverbs 30:20 –
  “This is the way of an adulterous woman:
  She eats and wipes her mouth,
  And says, “I have done no wickedness.”

God in His foreknowledge knows the decision a person will make regarding His sovereign mandate and proceeds accordingly. God knows who will have a repentant heart and who will not and applies His principle of hardening.

Lastly, Paul, in his final words to Timothy, warns:

• 2 Timothy 4:1-5 – ¹ I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: ² Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. ³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; ⁴ and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. ⁵ But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

“They will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” Does that describe you? Have you turned aside from the gospel, the good news of Jesus the Savior of the world? Are you following in the footsteps of those who rejected Jesus and went on to stone Stephen?

Sin is a serious and dangerous thing. Sin is dangerous and serious not only because of the pain it causes people (especially the innocent victims it leaves in its wake), but also because each time we sin, it has a deadening and spiritually desensitizing effect on the heart of the sinner. The more one sins, the more one is able to sin, the more one is inclined to sin, and that is dangerous. The more we indulge in sin, the further we move from God (Isaiah 59:2).

Sin is like leprosy in that it deadens the nerves that warn of harm to the body. A leper loses the sensitivity of their nerves and can lean on something hot, cut themselves or hurt themselves in some other way and the natural warning signs the body should produce are not produced and so the injury goes unnoticed and unattended, resulting in loss of limb or extremities. When a person sins, they begin to lose the sense of danger or warning against the effects of sin and become spiritually deadened, leading to spiritual loss. Sin deadens our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. When you’re out of touch with the Spirit, you’re out of touch with God. And when you’re out of touch with God, you’re headed for some serious pain and suffering in life and, if unchecked, eternally as well.

The Spirit’s Solution for Stiff-necked Sinners

What is the solution for the stiff-necked sinner? If you are a stiff-necked sinner and you are finally ready to heed the warnings and conviction of the Holy Spirit, what should you do? There are three things the stiff-necked needs to do to remedy their condition.

First, the Spirit’s solution for the stiff-necked is to stop resisting the Holy Spirit. Stephen associates resisting the Holy Spirit with being stiff-necked (Acts 7:51). The word “resist” here is translated from the Greek term ANTIPIPTO and indicates not only turning away or resisting something but actively opposing something,⁸¹ “to fall against or upon…against,…to fall, then, to strive against…”⁸² The grammatical form of this term (Present/Acts/Indicative) indicates that these people are persistently, perpetually, and near permanently in this state of being stiff-necked, of actively opposing and striving against something. This is a continuous action and condition of this people. Only the Spirit can break through the stiff-necked calloused heart. The stiff-necked person needs to stop resisting the Spirit and open their hearts to Him; they need to surrender to the Spirit with a willingness to do whatever He directs them to do.

Second, the Spirit’s solution for the stiff-necked is to return to the Lord and put your trust in Him. We have said that the patriarchal figures chosen by the Spirit for Stephen to mention in his sermon were people particularly known for their faith. Each figure experienced difficult times, things they would not readily have understood or expected in their life circumstances. The stiff-necked person is often stiff-necked because what God seeks to do does not fit their rigid standard of understanding. But, God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and His ways are far superior to our mere human way. We must seek the Lord on His terms, not our own. This was the word of the Lord through the prophet Isaiah when it was said and written:

• Isaiah 55:6-11 –
  ⁶ “Seek the Lord while He may be found,
  Call upon Him while He is near.
  ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way,
  And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
  Let him return to the Lord,
  And He will have mercy on him;
  And to our God,
  For He will abundantly pardon.
  ⁸ “For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
  Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
  ⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
  So are My ways higher than your ways,
  And My thoughts than your thoughts.
  ¹⁰ “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven,
  And do not return there,
  But water the earth,
  And make it bring forth and bud,
  That it may give seed to the sower
  And bread to the eater,
  ¹¹ So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
  It shall not return to Me void,
  But it shall accomplish what I please,
  And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.”

The stiff-necked person needs to forsake their stubborn ways and turn to the Lord in faith.

Third, the solution to their sin problem is Jesus. In Acts 7:53, Stephen describes these people as those “who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” They tried to keep it, but no one can keep the law. No one is righteous by self-effort or trying to obey God’s law (e.g., Romans 3:10-18). Some may be able to keep some of the law, but no one can keep all the law of God. And keeping all the law of God is God’s standard of righteousness and the way to heaven. That is why Jesus came, to do what we could not do.

This truth is stated in Scripture:

• Galatians 3:10-14 – ¹⁰ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” ¹¹ But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” ¹² Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” ¹³ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”), ¹⁴ that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

We aren’t saved and forgiven our sins by faith alone, but by faith in Christ alone. It’s not about faith in faith, but about faith in Jesus.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Stephen is pointing these people to Jesus.

Fourth, the solution of the Spirit for the stiff-necked is to stop persecuting and putting off the deliverers and especially the Deliverer, Jesus, sent by God. In Acts 7:52 Stephen says:

• Acts 7:52 – “Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers,”

The stiff-necked stubborn sinner needs to stop killing off the Spirit’s words in their mind and heart; they need to stop and listen and receive the Deliverer Jesus sent by God and revealed by the Holy Spirit. Jesus “the Just One” is the Deliverer of all deliverers. In truth, all other deliverers sent by God before Jesus were meant to point people to Jesus in some way. Jesus is the Deliverer that comes out of Zion to save (Romans 11:26; Isaiah 59:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 1:10).

One of the last good kings of Judah was Hezekiah (Josiah being the other – 2 Chronicles 34-35) and it was under his reign that God gave His people a chance to turn from their stiff-necked sin. It was under Hezekiah that an attempt was made to unify the divided kingdom (the ten tribes of Israel in the north and the two tribes of Judah in the south – 2 Chronicles 30:1). The impetus for this unifying action was to celebrate the Passover (2 Chronicles 30:2-5). Hezekiah sent runners throughout the land to offer restoration to the people, especially to those of Israel who had escaped being taken captive by the Assyrians (2 Chronicles 30:6).

The runners who went out bore a message from the Lord through king Hezekiah and that message is not only for the stiff-necked of that day, but for the stiff-necked of all times. The message was:

• 2 Chronicles 30:7-12, 26 – ⁷ “And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. ⁸ “Now do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. ⁹ “For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.” ¹⁰ So the runners passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun; but they laughed at them and mocked them. ¹¹ Nevertheless some from Asher, Manasseh, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. ¹² Also the hand of God was on Judah to give them singleness of heart to obey the command of the king and the leaders, at the word of the Lord… ²⁶ So there was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.”

Unfortunately, the revival that erupted during the reign of Hezekiah was short-lived and the people returned to idolatry and their stiff-necked sin after Hezekiah’s death (2 Chronicles 33:36). In the concluding words of 2 Chronicles, it states:

• 2 Chronicles 36:14-16 – ¹⁴ “Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. ¹⁶ But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy.”

God patiently sent His deliverers and prophets to warn His people to repent from their sin and He did so for more than 500 years! During this time there were periods of repentance, but for the most part, the people of God persecuted and rejected those sent by God. Therefore, as these verses in 2 Chronicles states, there would be seventy years of captivity before God would allow His people to return to the Land from their disciplinary captivity (2 Chronicles 36:20-23). God still remains gracious, but there is a consequence for a stiff-necked sinner. If a person dies in their stiff-necked-opposing– God condition, there is no remedy, and they are permanently doomed to an eternity separated from God in hell (Revelation 20:10-15; 21:27)

A Message That Brought Jesus to His Feet

• Acts 7:54-56 – ⁵⁴ “When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being 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 said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”

Some say that Jesus rising to His feet here is an indication that He is getting ready to return for His bride the Church. That may be so, I hope it is. But what we see for sure is that what Jesus saw and heard in Stephen’s message, brought Him to His feet. Stephen would lose his life. He would be brutally stoned, but in his death he was transformed into the likeness of his Savior, Jesus.

The fact that Stephen was forgiving and not vengeful tells us his focus on heaven gave him the proper perspective for this life and anything, even a brutal death, he encountered in that life. His focus on the life to come prepared him for the severest hardship in this life. That is the message of Scripture:

• Colossians3:1-3 – ¹ If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. ² Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. ³ For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

When your life is hidden with Christ in God, nothing in this world can shake you, nothing in this world can truly touch you. They threw rocks at Stephen, and they murdered him, but truly, those rocks may have broken his body, but they did not touch his heart. Now that’s a message that brings Jesus to His feet.

Stephen Stoned For Speaking the Truth in the Spirit – but the Spirit Uses This Too!

• Acts 7:57-60 – ⁵⁷ Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; ⁵⁸ and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Notice they were cut to the heart, they were convicted of their sin, but they didn’t repent, they turned on Stephen and murdered him as they had murdered so many previous prophets and Jesus the Savior of the world (Acts 7:54-55, 57, 59-60).

Jesus ascended to sit at the right hand of God. But when Stephen sees Jesus in his vision, Jesus is standing. Why? Perhaps to honor Stephen or perhaps because He is getting ready to return to earth (Acts 7:6).

Saul (later to become Paul) heard and saw all of this and there can be little doubt that the testimony of Stephen and the way he died played a huge part in the eventual conversion of Saul of Tarsus (Acts 7:58).

Notice most importantly that in all of this Stephen depended on Jesus to get him through (Acts 7:59). He looked forward to going home to be with Jesus (see Philippians 1:21). And notice the fruit in this man’s life. We see in him the evidence of the work of the Spirit in that Stephen responds to his executioners with words that are almost identical to those of Jesus. Stephen responds like Jesus would in this situation.

Luke records in his gospel that on the cross Jesus said:

• Luke 23:34 – “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.”

Stephen, who had just summarized the patriarchal history in great detail, must have been acquainted with these words of Jesus too. And these words had a great impact on him as all of the word of God does (Hebrews 4:12). And those words were brought to his mind by the Spirit who was conforming him to the likeness of Jesus (Romans 8:29). Stephen was going to walk as Jesus walked and follow in the steps of Jesus until the very end (1 John 2:6; 1 Peter 2:21). As Stephen peered into heaven and saw Jesus standing to welcome him home, any thought of revenge or bitterness or unforgiveness quickly dissipated and his only thought became a desire that anyone, even those who were wronging him so severely, would be able to enter the glory which he himself was now entering. When you catch a glimpse of heaven and the Savior, all else melts away in His glow. I wonder how much of our petty differences, resentments, bitterness, and animosity towards others would melt away if we only had a heavenly perspective like Stephen did. That’s something to pray about!

Conclusion

John Hus was a man who believed the Scriptures to be the infallible and supreme authority in all matters. He died at the stake for that belief in Constance, Germany, on his forty-second birthday. As he refused a final plea to renounce his faith, Hus' last words were, "What I taught with my lips, I seal with my blood." The same could be said of Stephen. We may not be called upon by God to shed blood, but certainly we should seal what we believe, or say we believe, with our lives. We can give our lives as living sacrifices to God in light of all He has done for us (Romans 12:1). When we are willing to do that, it is the evidence and fruit of the Spirit’s work in you to conform us to the likeness of Jesus Christ. Don’t be stiff-necked and closed-hearted about this, rather open your heart to the Spirit and watch what He will do in and through you.

This is what happens when:

The Spirit of God uses the word of God to make people of God and change the people of God into Spirit-empowered, effective, edifying, disciples of Jesus Christ.

72 Adapted from, Signs You're Not Reading Your Bible Enough, by Alan Smith

73 W. E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981.

74 James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.

75 James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.

76 James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.

77 Paul Borthwick, Leading the Way by Navpress, 1989, p. 139.

78 James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.

79 Ronald F. Youngblood, general editor; F.F. Bruce and R.K. Harrison, consulting editors, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary: An authoritative one-volume reference work on the Bible with full color illustrations [computer file], electronic edition of the revised edition of Nelson’s illustrated Bible dictionary, Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1995.

80 The context of Exodus indicates that God foreknew that Pharaoh would harden his own heart to God’s request that His people be freed from slavery. In Exodus God states to Moses: Exodus 3:19 – “But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.” The context here shows clearly that God foreknew what Pharaoh’s response would be. Other verses indicate God was right: Exodus 9:34 – “And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.” (See also Exodus 13:15). But did God harden Pharaoh’s heart and if so what does that mean? Yes God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. What does this mean? The word “hardened” here is translated from the Hebrew term CHAZAQ which means, “to fasten upon; to seize, be strong, courage, strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify, to bind, restrain.”. Therefore what is meant when the Bible states God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; Exodus 7:13, 22; Exodus 8:15; Exodus 9:12, 35; Exodus 10:20, 27; Exodus 11:10; Exodus 14:4, 8, 17) is that God confirmed and strengthened the decision that Pharaoh had already made in his heart (Exodus 5:2; Exodus 7:13). God acts on the basis of His foreknowledge as is seen in many other cases (Genesis 28:7, 20-21; Genesis 32:9-11, 24-32; Genesis 49:28-33). God does not make people unrepentant; He simply strengthens and confirms their own decisions.

81 James Strong, New Strong’s dictionary of Hebrew and Greek Words [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, ©1996.

82 W. E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell) 1981.