1 00:00:00,001 --> 00:00:08,760 Good morning, Springhouse. 2 00:00:08,760 --> 00:00:12,340 Man, you guys look good. 3 00:00:12,340 --> 00:00:23,680 Look at your neighbor and say, "You look good." 4 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:29,920 And if you're joining us live stream, I know I look good, but I can't see you. 5 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:34,720 You're probably on your couch in your robe, but I'm glad you're joining us today. 6 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,000 I wish you were here. 7 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,440 It's a good day to be in the house of the Lord, but it's always a good day when God 8 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:43,000 is on the throne. 9 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:48,960 And he is on the throne today, and I'm glad that he's in control. 10 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:53,840 Before we get rolling here, I'm gonna give the same two announcements that I gave last 11 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:54,840 week. 12 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:57,280 I'm gonna give them for the last time. 13 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,700 Next week, not next week, September 8th, two weeks from now, there is a special luncheon 14 00:01:01,700 --> 00:01:04,040 for those who are newcomers to Springhouse. 15 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,980 If you have been here, maybe started in the last six months, and you're just interested 16 00:01:07,980 --> 00:01:12,600 in meeting our pastor team, we'd like to meet you, tell you about our ministries, tell you 17 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:15,100 about how you can get plugged in. 18 00:01:15,100 --> 00:01:18,720 But we are going to have a luncheon that day right after this gathering, and if you'll 19 00:01:18,720 --> 00:01:24,560 scan that QR code there and sign up, that would be helpful so that we ensure that we 20 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:25,640 have enough food for everybody. 21 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:30,080 So if you'll do that, and then out in the foyer, there's also placards out there that 22 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,980 you can sign up for and register through the app. 23 00:01:33,980 --> 00:01:38,800 And then, as I said last week, I'm announcing this super early, half of the spots are already 24 00:01:38,800 --> 00:01:40,140 gone for our marriage retreat. 25 00:01:40,140 --> 00:01:45,380 So if you wanna sign up for the marriage retreat, you might wanna go ahead and do that and get 26 00:01:45,380 --> 00:01:46,380 in on there. 27 00:01:46,380 --> 00:01:48,820 You can register for that through the app as well. 28 00:01:48,820 --> 00:01:50,240 That's coming up in January. 29 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:55,400 All right, we're gonna continue our series, His Church today. 30 00:01:55,400 --> 00:01:57,320 We've been in the book of Acts. 31 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,120 I pray that you are reading along with us. 32 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:04,280 I pray that you are making it a daily habit to be in the Word of God. 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,480 We had a devotional, a reading plan rather, that we ended out the beginning of the year. 34 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:12,040 I pray that you are continuing to go through that, or if you have your own Bible reading 35 00:02:12,040 --> 00:02:14,140 plan that you are in the Word every day. 36 00:02:14,140 --> 00:02:16,440 But we are in the book of Acts, and it really is helpful. 37 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:17,800 It's kinda like when you go to school. 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:20,000 Some of you have not been in school in a very long time. 39 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,880 But if you remember going to school and there was a test, you would go and you would feel 40 00:02:23,880 --> 00:02:28,940 much better about that test had you already done some of the homework and research yourself. 41 00:02:28,940 --> 00:02:30,960 It really helps if you want to read along with us. 42 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:33,240 So we're giving you a heads up of where we are. 43 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,600 We are in the book of Acts, and we're gonna be traveling through. 44 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:39,480 And I'm actually gonna do a quick, before we get started, a quick review of where we 45 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,560 have, where we've been. 46 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:48,100 Okay, so in Acts chapter two, Acts chapter two, the Holy Spirit falls on the people, 47 00:02:48,100 --> 00:02:51,340 and people receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit. 48 00:02:51,340 --> 00:02:56,420 And we had a service in here where we talked about the gifts of the Spirit. 49 00:02:56,420 --> 00:03:01,060 And so many of you received the gifts of the Spirit that day, baptism of the Holy Spirit 50 00:03:01,060 --> 00:03:02,060 that day. 51 00:03:02,060 --> 00:03:06,460 And I pray that you are continuing to lean in to listening and being obedient to the 52 00:03:06,460 --> 00:03:09,800 Holy Spirit, because He has some things for us. 53 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:12,060 He has some things for you. 54 00:03:12,060 --> 00:03:15,780 And remember, I drew kind of a door here, and I said the door is open. 55 00:03:15,780 --> 00:03:19,760 The door has always been open, but some of you needed to be told again that the door 56 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,520 is open, that we allow the move of the Holy Spirit here at Springhouse. 57 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:26,160 And so listen to His voice. 58 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:28,720 It's not just during our hour of worship together. 59 00:03:28,720 --> 00:03:32,240 It is throughout the whole week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. 60 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,920 And I find, you know, not that I don't need to listen to the Holy Spirit while I'm here 61 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,880 with all of you guys, I find that I really need to pay attention to His voice when I'm 62 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:42,920 isolated and alone. 63 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,160 So listen to His Holy Spirit. 64 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:50,060 So the Holy Spirit falls in, it says at the end of chapter 2, "They devoted themselves," 65 00:03:50,060 --> 00:03:53,400 they being the believers, "to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship and to the breaking 66 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:55,120 of bread and to prayer." 67 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:57,880 And we want to pair along with the early church. 68 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:02,960 And so we should be a people who are paying attention to teaching, fellowship, breaking 69 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:04,120 of bread, and prayer. 70 00:04:04,120 --> 00:04:06,600 We should make that an active part of our lives. 71 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:10,400 All the believers were together and had everything in common, everything in common. 72 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:16,060 Acts chapter 3, Peter and John heal a beggar at the gate called Beautiful, and he preaches 73 00:04:16,060 --> 00:04:17,280 the gospel. 74 00:04:17,280 --> 00:04:21,320 And as he heals this beggar, people go and say, "Look what Peter and John did." 75 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:23,840 But you know, Peter and John are just the vessel. 76 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:26,060 The one who heals is God Almighty. 77 00:04:26,060 --> 00:04:27,280 The one who heals is God Almighty. 78 00:04:27,280 --> 00:04:31,680 And so it's a pathway in order to give the gospel of Jesus Christ. 79 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:35,240 And the word tells us that 5,000 were added to the church that day. 80 00:04:35,240 --> 00:04:39,720 If we had 5,000 members here at Springhouse, we would be considered a megachurch. 81 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:45,360 So really, lots of people are being added to the kingdom, not because of signs and wonders, 82 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:49,640 but because of the gospel of Jesus Christ being preached, because of the gospel being 83 00:04:49,640 --> 00:04:52,060 preached, because of the good news of Jesus Christ. 84 00:04:52,060 --> 00:04:56,560 And so in Acts chapter 4, Peter and John have to stand before the Sanhedrin who do not like 85 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,320 what Peter and John have been preaching. 86 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,600 They do not like this, "The way," they say. 87 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:01,600 They call it "the way." 88 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:03,760 We don't want you preaching the way. 89 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,240 And so they stand before the Sanhedrin. 90 00:05:07,240 --> 00:05:12,080 And in Acts chapter 4, 12, we learned of Peter's response to their accusations. 91 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:17,560 And he says this, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no name under heaven 92 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,080 given to mankind by which we must be saved." 93 00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:21,760 Which name is he talking about? 94 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:22,760 Jesus. 95 00:05:22,760 --> 00:05:25,080 There is no other name but the name of Jesus. 96 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:30,440 And so they let them go because so many people were rejoicing at the fact that the beggar 97 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:31,440 was healed. 98 00:05:31,440 --> 00:05:35,680 Let me tell you, if we have somebody, I mean, do we not rejoice that Craig is in the house 99 00:05:35,680 --> 00:05:36,680 today? 100 00:05:36,680 --> 00:05:37,680 Okay? 101 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,280 We rejoice when God moves. 102 00:05:39,280 --> 00:05:45,360 We rejoice when God chooses to show mercy and grace and moves on our behalf. 103 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,800 We should lean into God's mighty move in that way. 104 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,780 And so it tells us, it goes on to tell us that the believers share everything. 105 00:05:53,780 --> 00:05:54,840 They share everything. 106 00:05:54,840 --> 00:05:57,080 All the believers were of one heart and mind. 107 00:05:57,080 --> 00:06:02,400 No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything 108 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:03,400 they had. 109 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:07,920 That they would be a people that would share the blessings God has given us. 110 00:06:07,920 --> 00:06:11,960 That when we're sitting next to somebody on a Sunday and we know that they are actually 111 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:16,700 in need, that we would not just be hoarding the blessings and the things, the resources 112 00:06:16,700 --> 00:06:20,000 God's given us, but that we would hold them like this and be willing to listen to the 113 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,000 Holy Spirit say, "Use this, give this, give this." 114 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:30,200 And my experience has been is when I give it, he returns it multiples. 115 00:06:30,200 --> 00:06:34,520 Not in maybe the same way, but he returns it in his own great glorious way. 116 00:06:34,520 --> 00:06:35,520 And it is wonderful. 117 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:36,520 Why? 118 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:38,680 Because then you'll have the opportunity to share it again. 119 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,280 I have opportunity to share it, share it again. 120 00:06:41,280 --> 00:06:44,360 And so at the end of chapter four, we're introduced to a man named Barnabas. 121 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,480 Now Barnabas is a very important, one of my favorite characters in scripture. 122 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:49,880 And we're going to learn about him in a few weeks. 123 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,960 But Barnabas, we're introduced to him and he says he sold a field. 124 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,080 He sells this field and guess what he does with the money? 125 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:01,840 He lays it at the apostles feet so that the apostles might use it for the glory of God 126 00:07:01,840 --> 00:07:03,960 and providing the needs for the people. 127 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:08,380 But in stark contrast in chapter five, we learned about a man named Ananias and his 128 00:07:08,380 --> 00:07:09,920 wife Sapphira. 129 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:11,720 And they lied to the Holy Spirit. 130 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:14,060 You see, they had also a field that they could sell. 131 00:07:14,060 --> 00:07:17,720 They didn't have to sell it, but they were convinced in their heart and their mind that 132 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:18,840 they were to sell this field. 133 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:20,920 They sell it and they get the money for it. 134 00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:26,040 But instead of bringing all of it to the apostles feet, they hold back some of it for themselves. 135 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:30,120 And in doing so, they lied to the Holy Spirit. 136 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:34,920 They grieved the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit of God took them out. 137 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,260 Both of them, Ananias and Sapphira dead. 138 00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:39,640 That sent shockwaves through the church. 139 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,760 It would send shockwaves through our church if that happened. 140 00:07:42,760 --> 00:07:45,360 And people, just their eyes opened. 141 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,760 I'm sure their jaws dropped, but you know what the word tells us? 142 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:51,920 Remember 5,000 at the beautiful gate, 3,000 at the day of Pentecost. 143 00:07:51,920 --> 00:07:53,500 Hey, listen, guess what? 144 00:07:53,500 --> 00:08:00,460 More than ever, more than ever, people were added to the kingdom because of the purification 145 00:08:00,460 --> 00:08:01,460 of the church. 146 00:08:01,460 --> 00:08:08,100 Oh, that we would be a people seeking to live in righteous ways, to live honoring a holy 147 00:08:08,100 --> 00:08:09,100 God. 148 00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:10,100 Guys, you can't do it on your own. 149 00:08:10,100 --> 00:08:12,100 There's no, I can't do this on my own. 150 00:08:12,100 --> 00:08:14,300 For somebody to say, "Kevin, live righteously." 151 00:08:14,300 --> 00:08:18,020 I can't do that without the help of a powerful God. 152 00:08:18,020 --> 00:08:19,020 And guess what? 153 00:08:19,020 --> 00:08:20,380 God wants to help us. 154 00:08:20,380 --> 00:08:24,780 Jesus left and ascended to heaven and gave us the precious gift of the Holy Spirit, God 155 00:08:24,780 --> 00:08:25,780 Almighty. 156 00:08:25,780 --> 00:08:32,020 The person of the Holy Spirit is walking with us to help us, to comfort us, to convict us, 157 00:08:32,020 --> 00:08:37,100 to lead us, to guide us, to give you the answers that you seek, to tell you what it is that 158 00:08:37,100 --> 00:08:40,340 you need to do in that circumstance or that situation. 159 00:08:40,340 --> 00:08:44,720 Or when the circumstance and situation does not turn out the way that you hope it did, 160 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:46,740 He stands beside you and says, "I got you. 161 00:08:46,740 --> 00:08:51,580 I'm comforting you because I have a plan and a purpose in it and you can trust Him. 162 00:08:51,580 --> 00:08:53,500 You lean in to the Holy Spirit." 163 00:08:53,500 --> 00:09:02,040 And so afterward, after the deaths, the apostles were arrested because of all of the commotion 164 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:03,100 and all these things. 165 00:09:03,100 --> 00:09:07,020 And the Sadducees we learned about last week who do not believe in the resurrection or 166 00:09:07,020 --> 00:09:11,260 afterlife or angels or anything like that, they bring them in and they say, "We do not 167 00:09:11,260 --> 00:09:16,320 like you preaching this gospel because we do not believe it's true and we believe that 168 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:21,280 you are blaspheming what we know to be the Word of God." 169 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:26,220 And so glory to glory, I love how God weaves Himself in and out of our stories. 170 00:09:26,220 --> 00:09:27,220 Amen. 171 00:09:27,220 --> 00:09:31,460 He weaves His way in and so He gets in there and these apostles are in jail and overnight 172 00:09:31,460 --> 00:09:36,800 an angel of the Lord comes and lets them walk out to go and He says, "I want you to go and 173 00:09:36,800 --> 00:09:40,080 preach the same gospel that got you in this jail." 174 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,380 Wouldn't it be like God to use an angel so that the people who don't believe in angels 175 00:09:44,380 --> 00:09:47,260 have to see an angel came and set them free. 176 00:09:47,260 --> 00:09:49,900 That's just, the Lord just blows my mind. 177 00:09:49,900 --> 00:09:54,560 So they go and they preach and then they come back out and they bring them back in and they 178 00:09:54,560 --> 00:09:57,240 question the apostles. 179 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:02,420 And so the apostles are there and Peter says this, he says, "We must obey God rather than 180 00:10:02,420 --> 00:10:03,880 human beings." 181 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,520 Do you know that you need to obey God rather than human beings? 182 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,720 You must obey God more than human beings. 183 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,000 And so they wanted to kill them. 184 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,300 They wanted to kill them. 185 00:10:14,300 --> 00:10:15,300 They wanted to hold them. 186 00:10:15,300 --> 00:10:18,960 They were so upset about this, but God does another wonderful thing. 187 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:23,360 He raises up a Pharisee named Gamaliel and guess what? 188 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,240 Gamaliel is a Pharisee. 189 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,760 Pharisees believe in the resurrection of Jesus. 190 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:32,760 And so Pharisee, he's raised up and he says, "Hey, hey, hey, listen. 191 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:38,020 Let's let these men go because if this is man's plan, then it's going to fail. 192 00:10:38,020 --> 00:10:42,300 But if this is God's plan, you can't do anything about it anyway. 193 00:10:42,300 --> 00:10:46,120 So let's just let them go and see what happens." 194 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:50,400 Isn't it crazy that God would raise up a Pharisee in the midst of that? 195 00:10:50,400 --> 00:10:56,880 I just love if you pay attention to God, he's always there weaving in and out of our story. 196 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:00,920 I love that he can take ashy situations and make them beautiful. 197 00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,320 He is such a great, great God. 198 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:10,920 And so the apostles after this Pharisee gets them out of it, guess what? 199 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,300 Because the Sadducees beat, they beat the apostles. 200 00:11:14,300 --> 00:11:18,720 I don't mean in a race, but they beat them physically. 201 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,860 And you know what the apostles said? 202 00:11:21,860 --> 00:11:28,820 Bless the Lord that we were counted worthy enough to suffer for the cause of the gospel. 203 00:11:28,820 --> 00:11:33,740 When was the last time you actually suffered for the cause of Jesus Christ? 204 00:11:33,740 --> 00:11:36,400 I mean, we love to come in and talk about how God needs to bless us. 205 00:11:36,400 --> 00:11:37,400 God's supposed to bless you. 206 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:40,700 God's supposed to make you feel good and comfortable and cushy and give you an abundant life. 207 00:11:40,700 --> 00:11:48,020 When was the last time that you chose to undergo suffering for the cause of Christ? 208 00:11:48,020 --> 00:11:52,460 And so we pick up here in chapter six. 209 00:11:52,460 --> 00:11:56,780 And chapter six, the church was having some issues with manpower. 210 00:11:56,780 --> 00:11:59,660 And some churches that happens manpower is an issue. 211 00:11:59,660 --> 00:12:00,660 Okay, guess what? 212 00:12:00,660 --> 00:12:03,500 We need more workers in our children's and youth ministries. 213 00:12:03,500 --> 00:12:07,460 Okay, here at Springhouse, we could use people that would help with greeting and communion 214 00:12:07,460 --> 00:12:09,500 and serve in various places. 215 00:12:09,500 --> 00:12:13,600 I commission and I charge every single one of you under the sound of my voice, if you're 216 00:12:13,600 --> 00:12:17,820 choosing Springhouse to be your church, you should be serving somewhere. 217 00:12:17,820 --> 00:12:19,620 You should be serving somewhere. 218 00:12:19,620 --> 00:12:20,620 Why? 219 00:12:20,620 --> 00:12:25,580 Because it's not about you coming and Kevin just pointing out to you, we are supposed 220 00:12:25,580 --> 00:12:32,580 to be building each other up and God has given you specific gifts and specific ways to serve. 221 00:12:32,580 --> 00:12:36,600 Don't rob the kingdom of God from your gift. 222 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:42,300 And so they were starving for manpower for the food distribution to the widows. 223 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:45,940 And so they identified the apostles get together and say, listen, we've got these assignments 224 00:12:45,940 --> 00:12:49,440 over here, but we are busy doing this distribution. 225 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:50,940 This can't continue. 226 00:12:50,940 --> 00:12:55,400 So we need to raise up seven, let's raise up seven people filled with the Spirit and 227 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:57,900 we will identify them and they will take over that ministry. 228 00:12:57,900 --> 00:13:02,480 And one man in particular, they identify is a man named Stephen, who we're gonna spend 229 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:04,860 a lot of time talking about today. 230 00:13:04,860 --> 00:13:09,580 The word tells us that they chose a man named Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy 231 00:13:09,580 --> 00:13:13,020 Spirit, full of faith and the Holy Spirit. 232 00:13:13,020 --> 00:13:16,360 They chose six other men as well, but Stephen was especially identified because what we're 233 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:17,900 going to look at today. 234 00:13:17,900 --> 00:13:21,180 So we're about to read scripture and let me kind of tell you what we're gonna do here. 235 00:13:21,180 --> 00:13:22,180 Okay. 236 00:13:22,180 --> 00:13:23,180 Cause there's a lot of scripture today. 237 00:13:23,180 --> 00:13:31,600 So what we're gonna do is we're going to look at the beginning of Stephen's charge from 238 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:38,900 the St. Hedron and then we're going to skip over Stephen's response until the very end 239 00:13:38,900 --> 00:13:39,900 of his response. 240 00:13:39,900 --> 00:13:43,260 And we're gonna pick up the end of his response to the end of that chapter. 241 00:13:43,260 --> 00:13:46,760 Now I'm gonna go back and I'm gonna be talking about Stephen's response and we're gonna go 242 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:48,800 through it, but I'm just not gonna have you guys read it. 243 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:49,800 Okay. 244 00:13:49,800 --> 00:13:50,800 Does that sound good? 245 00:13:50,800 --> 00:13:51,800 All right. 246 00:13:51,800 --> 00:13:56,380 So we're gonna start with Stephen's charge and then we're going to go to the end of Stephen's 247 00:13:56,380 --> 00:13:59,380 response into the end of the chapter and what happens. 248 00:13:59,380 --> 00:14:01,940 Let's stand together, Springhouse. 249 00:14:01,940 --> 00:14:05,380 Let's read like football's about to start. 250 00:14:05,380 --> 00:14:06,380 Here we go. 251 00:14:06,380 --> 00:14:13,700 Now Stephen, a man of God's grace and power performed great wonders and signs among the 252 00:14:13,700 --> 00:14:14,700 people. 253 00:14:14,700 --> 00:14:20,500 Opposition arose, however, from the members of the synagogue of the freedmen, as it was 254 00:14:20,500 --> 00:14:28,760 called, Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria, as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia who 255 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,520 began to argue with Stephen. 256 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:37,180 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the spirit gave as he spoke. 257 00:14:37,180 --> 00:14:43,940 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words 258 00:14:43,940 --> 00:14:48,980 against Moses and against God." 259 00:14:48,980 --> 00:14:53,860 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. 260 00:14:53,860 --> 00:14:58,020 They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 261 00:14:58,020 --> 00:15:04,140 They produced false witnesses who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against 262 00:15:04,140 --> 00:15:07,200 the holy place and against the law. 263 00:15:07,200 --> 00:15:13,700 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this palace and change 264 00:15:13,700 --> 00:15:17,920 the customs Moses handed down to us." 265 00:15:17,920 --> 00:15:23,180 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his 266 00:15:23,180 --> 00:15:26,380 face was like the face of an angel. 267 00:15:26,380 --> 00:15:29,340 And at this point, Stephen responds. 268 00:15:29,340 --> 00:15:35,380 And at the end of his response, he says this, "You stiff-necked people, your hearts and 269 00:15:35,380 --> 00:15:38,280 ears are still uncircumcised. 270 00:15:38,280 --> 00:15:40,900 You are just like your ancestors. 271 00:15:40,900 --> 00:15:43,940 You always resist the Holy Spirit. 272 00:15:43,940 --> 00:15:48,680 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? 273 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,360 They even killed those who predicted the coming of the righteous one. 274 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:59,340 And now you have betrayed and murdered him, you who have received the law that was given 275 00:15:59,340 --> 00:16:03,080 through the angels but have not obeyed it." 276 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:08,140 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth 277 00:16:08,140 --> 00:16:09,140 at him. 278 00:16:09,140 --> 00:16:15,740 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and 279 00:16:15,740 --> 00:16:18,980 Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 280 00:16:18,980 --> 00:16:26,680 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 281 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:32,420 At this, they covered their ears and yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed 282 00:16:32,420 --> 00:16:37,520 at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. 283 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:43,920 Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of the young man named Saul. 284 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:50,040 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 285 00:16:50,040 --> 00:16:56,240 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." 286 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:59,400 When he had said this, he fell asleep. 287 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:01,580 Father, thank you for your word. 288 00:17:01,580 --> 00:17:04,040 Thank you that we believe the entirety of the word. 289 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:07,900 I pray that you would speak to us and let our hearts be changed today. 290 00:17:07,900 --> 00:17:13,560 In Jesus' name, amen. 291 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:14,560 This is my brother. 292 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:15,560 Anybody have siblings? 293 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,920 Anybody have siblings? 294 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:20,460 I love my brother. 295 00:17:20,460 --> 00:17:23,960 We used to fight when we were little, all of the time. 296 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,100 We would fight over the dumbest things. 297 00:17:27,100 --> 00:17:28,100 You remember? 298 00:17:28,100 --> 00:17:29,100 We fight over the dumbest things. 299 00:17:29,100 --> 00:17:30,360 I don't remember the things we fought over. 300 00:17:30,360 --> 00:17:31,360 I just knew that we fought. 301 00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:32,640 But here's the thing. 302 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:35,680 When it comes to sibling fights, there's no fair way to do it. 303 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:36,880 You just do it, right? 304 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:39,000 And so my brother and I, we would fight. 305 00:17:39,000 --> 00:17:40,000 I don't know. 306 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:41,920 Like we never, I don't remember a time. 307 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:44,200 Joey could correct me and he probably will if I'm wrong. 308 00:17:44,200 --> 00:17:49,040 But I don't remember a time when we stood in his place and we just like had it out and 309 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:50,040 fought. 310 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:55,280 What happened with us is like I would go grab a lamp and I would throw it at his head and 311 00:17:55,280 --> 00:17:57,060 then I would run. 312 00:17:57,060 --> 00:18:01,020 And then he would like go get a bat and then he would chase me with the bat and beat me 313 00:18:01,020 --> 00:18:03,220 down and then he would run. 314 00:18:03,220 --> 00:18:07,820 And then I would go grab a knife and I would chuck it at his face and it would basically 315 00:18:07,820 --> 00:18:09,280 like, you know, right in front of his face. 316 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:11,480 Then he would go grab another object and throw it. 317 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:17,840 I mean, we were just brutal and it's just a wonder that we are alive today. 318 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:22,960 And so we just, we thought like it escalated to level 10, like out of the gate. 319 00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:24,520 There was not, and it was always over. 320 00:18:24,520 --> 00:18:29,520 I probably touched like his shoe and I wasn't supposed to, or he, he came in my room. 321 00:18:29,520 --> 00:18:31,620 It was dumb, just dumb things. 322 00:18:31,620 --> 00:18:36,260 But we would fight and siblings do fight and that happens. 323 00:18:36,260 --> 00:18:40,040 And thankfully we don't fight anymore. 324 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:41,040 We're good. 325 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,720 We haven't thrown anything at you in a very long time. 326 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:49,800 I do have a big stone up here, but no, but I, but here's the thing of all the fights 327 00:18:49,800 --> 00:18:51,620 that we had. 328 00:18:51,620 --> 00:18:57,800 I never one time remember, never once do I remember him ever falsely accusing me of something 329 00:18:57,800 --> 00:19:02,340 that I actually didn't do or say. 330 00:19:02,340 --> 00:19:08,240 We've thought over frivolous things, but I never remember one time him making an actual 331 00:19:08,240 --> 00:19:11,440 false accusation against me. 332 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:15,640 False accusations sting. 333 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:20,080 False accusations, they sting. 334 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:22,820 It's one thing to fight about something you feel you're right about. 335 00:19:22,820 --> 00:19:27,400 It's another thing to fight against something you've been falsely accused of doing or saying. 336 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:31,640 There's nothing that will quite get under your skin like a false accusation. 337 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:38,280 And in fact, we probably will remember more so when we are falsely accused than anything 338 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,440 else because there's something that hits you at your core. 339 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,720 Listen, you might fight me and hey, I may have been wrong and I may know that I'm wrong 340 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:48,800 and I'm not willing to admit it, but don't peg me for something that I actually didn't 341 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:53,640 say, didn't come out of my mouth and try to fight me for that. 342 00:19:53,640 --> 00:19:56,680 I remember being in high school. 343 00:19:56,680 --> 00:19:59,760 There was this girl in high school and she had gotten pregnant. 344 00:19:59,760 --> 00:20:03,680 And when you're pregnant in high school, that's not a good thing. 345 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:08,400 And I was accused of telling people that she had gotten pregnant. 346 00:20:08,400 --> 00:20:14,040 And I remember being so upset because I did not even know she was pregnant to begin with, 347 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:19,280 but I was the one pegged as the one who released that information and people came against me. 348 00:20:19,280 --> 00:20:20,660 But you know what was more hurtful? 349 00:20:20,660 --> 00:20:23,240 It wasn't just hurtful that I had a false accusation. 350 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:28,060 What was hurtful is that the people who knew me well believed the accusation. 351 00:20:28,060 --> 00:20:31,600 Have you ever had people around you believe a false accusation against you, ones that 352 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:34,600 love you, ones that are close to you, finding a hard time? 353 00:20:34,600 --> 00:20:38,480 You need to have people in your corner in your life who love you enough and trust you 354 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:41,900 enough and believe you enough that you can look them square in the eye and say, I didn't 355 00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:42,900 do it. 356 00:20:42,900 --> 00:20:45,480 And they say, I got you. 357 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,680 I got you. 358 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:52,580 False accusations, man, they sting. 359 00:20:52,580 --> 00:20:54,120 We want to be a people. 360 00:20:54,120 --> 00:20:57,480 We want to be a church who believes the best in others. 361 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:01,220 We believe the best in the people around us. 362 00:21:01,220 --> 00:21:08,020 And so Stephen, the word tells us was a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. 363 00:21:08,020 --> 00:21:11,420 This man Stephen, we read about, he's full of faith and of the Holy Spirit. 364 00:21:11,420 --> 00:21:16,440 And there's many of you that I could say you are full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. 365 00:21:16,440 --> 00:21:19,260 And they begin to argue with Stephen. 366 00:21:19,260 --> 00:21:24,100 Now it's hard to argue with somebody who's full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. 367 00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:29,360 It's hard because when you've got the God of the universe on your side, it's a losing 368 00:21:29,360 --> 00:21:30,560 battle going in. 369 00:21:30,560 --> 00:21:34,140 He was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit. 370 00:21:34,140 --> 00:21:38,880 And it says they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. 371 00:21:38,880 --> 00:21:41,120 So they would say something, he'd knock it out. 372 00:21:41,120 --> 00:21:43,280 He'd say, they'd say something, he'd knock it out. 373 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:47,720 He'd just respond to it with such wisdom. 374 00:21:47,720 --> 00:21:53,500 And so what they decided to do is they said, let's make up a lie. 375 00:21:53,500 --> 00:21:55,000 Let's make up a lie. 376 00:21:55,000 --> 00:22:00,000 This fellow never stopped speaking against this holy place and against the law for we 377 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:05,440 have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs 378 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:09,080 Moses handed down to us. 379 00:22:09,080 --> 00:22:14,520 Let's convince the teachers and the leaders of the law that this is what this man is doing. 380 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,720 And so they bring Stephen in and they accuse him. 381 00:22:18,720 --> 00:22:24,020 And it says, all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin, guys, I find this to be funny. 382 00:22:24,020 --> 00:22:27,560 All who were standing in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen and they saw that his 383 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:31,620 face was like the face of an angel. 384 00:22:31,620 --> 00:22:36,940 I find that funny because if Justin and I are in an argument and his face starts to 385 00:22:36,940 --> 00:22:39,140 glow, I'm probably going to take a beat. 386 00:22:39,140 --> 00:22:41,240 Okay, wait a second. 387 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:42,240 You know what I mean? 388 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:47,920 I mean, it doesn't say they just looked, they said they looked intently. 389 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:49,560 Is your face on fire? 390 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:57,200 Like I mean, how many know that your anger and your selfishness and your pride can blind 391 00:22:57,200 --> 00:23:01,700 you from seeing everything that's right in front of you? 392 00:23:01,700 --> 00:23:04,280 They were looking intently at him. 393 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:09,200 They saw that his face was like an angel, yet we're still going to have this argument. 394 00:23:09,200 --> 00:23:10,320 We're still going to do. 395 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:13,640 Guys, have you ever met somebody who's never wrong? 396 00:23:13,640 --> 00:23:15,560 I'm sitting next to them, pastor. 397 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:20,560 Wait a minute. 398 00:23:20,560 --> 00:23:25,760 When you're angry, when you're selfish, when you're prideful and you're not allowing the 399 00:23:25,760 --> 00:23:33,600 Holy Spirit to be infused into the conversation, when you're not leaning into the Holy Spirit, 400 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:40,760 it's hard to see anybody else's point of view but yours. 401 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:44,440 So they bring him in front of the Sanhedrin and they don't just bring him in. 402 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:45,440 This is interesting. 403 00:23:45,440 --> 00:23:46,440 They don't just bring him in. 404 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:47,760 He's in front of the Sanhedrin. 405 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:48,760 They're all around him. 406 00:23:48,760 --> 00:23:55,840 They're all looking at him intently and he is there alone. 407 00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:57,760 Where's Peter? 408 00:23:57,760 --> 00:23:59,280 Where's John? 409 00:23:59,280 --> 00:24:03,360 Where are the apostles that identified him as a man full of faith in the Holy Spirit? 410 00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:08,960 Like where, like if I have to stand before the Sanhedrin, I hope I got a buddy with me 411 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,400 who's going to come and hold my arms up and say, "Hey, listen, I can vouch for this person." 412 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:14,400 Right? 413 00:24:14,400 --> 00:24:22,520 And they drug Stephen and Stephen is there alone having to defend a false accusation 414 00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:25,640 amongst the people who don't like him. 415 00:24:25,640 --> 00:24:27,400 Can you imagine, put yourself in those shoes for a minute. 416 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:29,040 What type of emotions would you be feeling? 417 00:24:29,040 --> 00:24:32,880 What type of things would you, I mean, would you be angry, frustrated? 418 00:24:32,880 --> 00:24:33,920 They drug this person. 419 00:24:33,920 --> 00:24:41,680 He's completely innocent and they're hurling these false accusations against him. 420 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:43,560 So nobody's with him. 421 00:24:43,560 --> 00:24:50,480 Yet Stephen, filled with faith in the Holy Spirit, begins his response with this, "Brothers 422 00:24:50,480 --> 00:24:54,720 and fathers, listen to me." 423 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,800 When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, it doesn't matter what comes your way. 424 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:03,160 You will always respond in keeping with the Holy Spirit. 425 00:25:03,160 --> 00:25:10,120 I want you to understand that this is a respectful introduction to Stephen's response. 426 00:25:10,120 --> 00:25:11,240 He says two things. 427 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:14,520 He says, "Brothers," meaning we're on the same page here. 428 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:16,360 We're on the same, we're in the same level. 429 00:25:16,360 --> 00:25:17,400 We're one another. 430 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:22,720 But at the same time, he says, "Fathers, and I recognize and respect the position that 431 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:24,720 you all hold." 432 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,520 Listen to my response. 433 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:31,440 Many of us would have just gone in and wouldn't have given them, we would have had a mouthful 434 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:34,760 of garbage to say, and then we would have posted it on Facebook. 435 00:25:34,760 --> 00:25:38,480 It would have been glorious. 436 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,880 He starts with respect and honor. 437 00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:46,600 Stephen had the Holy Spirit and he responded with confidence, wisdom, and kindness. 438 00:25:46,600 --> 00:25:48,240 Christians, let me tell you something. 439 00:25:48,240 --> 00:25:52,440 We should always respond with confidence, wisdom, and kindness, not just one. 440 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,000 If we're overly confident, we're overly bold, then we become arrogant. 441 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:00,040 If we just lean into wisdom only, then we might do it without being kind. 442 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,860 If we're just kind, we may be shallow. 443 00:26:01,860 --> 00:26:09,620 We need confidence, wisdom, and kindness when we are responding to people with regard to 444 00:26:09,620 --> 00:26:10,620 the gospel. 445 00:26:10,620 --> 00:26:13,240 And he basically says we are the same. 446 00:26:13,240 --> 00:26:17,320 Can I tell you that sometimes we hold on to our point of view so hard that our point of 447 00:26:17,320 --> 00:26:20,900 view becomes our God? 448 00:26:20,900 --> 00:26:24,340 Pastor Justin was talking about this a few weeks ago where we hold on to our beliefs 449 00:26:24,340 --> 00:26:29,580 so tight that we don't allow any, the Lord to come in and to transform us. 450 00:26:29,580 --> 00:26:35,520 I can tell you I am a much different evolved believer today than I was 20 years ago. 451 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,440 God is constantly transforming me. 452 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,240 It doesn't mean that the truth of God changes. 453 00:26:40,240 --> 00:26:44,560 What it means is that my evolution of understanding what God's word is saying and how it applies 454 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:46,240 to my life will evolve. 455 00:26:46,240 --> 00:26:48,740 And it does evolve. 456 00:26:48,740 --> 00:26:54,360 And when we hold on to it like this and we get into these fights, these righteous arguments, 457 00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:58,240 and we hold so tightly to our point of view, we're not leaning into the Holy Spirit, but 458 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,900 I'm holding on to this is what I know. 459 00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:06,460 And we come at it using the world's tactics to fight a righteous battle we will lose every 460 00:27:06,460 --> 00:27:10,380 time. 461 00:27:10,380 --> 00:27:16,420 Stephen was able to give them the opportunity to state their case, albeit it was completely 462 00:27:16,420 --> 00:27:18,380 bogus. 463 00:27:18,380 --> 00:27:22,460 Some of us need to give an opportunity for the non-believers to tell us what they think 464 00:27:22,460 --> 00:27:26,360 and how they feel before we open our mouth. 465 00:27:26,360 --> 00:27:34,360 And sometimes the Holy Spirit will say, "Shut your mouth to you. 466 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:38,700 Be quiet." 467 00:27:38,700 --> 00:27:45,980 So he's got, we're gonna look at the two big charges that they give him, these lies. 468 00:27:45,980 --> 00:27:48,820 They say first, "You blasphemed against Moses." 469 00:27:48,820 --> 00:27:50,340 Why is Moses important? 470 00:27:50,340 --> 00:27:58,880 Well, Moses is central, central to the faith, central to the story of everything that these 471 00:27:58,880 --> 00:27:59,880 people believe. 472 00:27:59,880 --> 00:28:07,380 Moses was like in their mind, like God, little g, but they, I mean, they elevated Moses high. 473 00:28:07,380 --> 00:28:14,660 They had such high regard for Moses, such high respect for Moses that if you said anything 474 00:28:14,660 --> 00:28:20,960 against Moses, you could face a real serious consequence. 475 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:27,440 And so Stephen is going to use the truth to defend his faith here. 476 00:28:27,440 --> 00:28:28,540 And so we're gonna go through this. 477 00:28:28,540 --> 00:28:31,620 So the first accusation is you blaspheme against Moses. 478 00:28:31,620 --> 00:28:37,020 Let's watch how Stephen under the influence of the Holy Spirit responds to him. 479 00:28:37,020 --> 00:28:41,960 He says this, "When Moses was 40 years old," I want you to understand that Stephen is going 480 00:28:41,960 --> 00:28:45,480 to actually use the scripture against them. 481 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:49,640 The same scriptures they're using toward him, he's gonna use against them, okay? 482 00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:54,080 "When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 483 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:58,160 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged 484 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:00,000 him by killing the Egyptian. 485 00:29:00,000 --> 00:29:05,200 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them." 486 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:06,280 But what does it say? 487 00:29:06,280 --> 00:29:08,240 But they did not. 488 00:29:08,240 --> 00:29:11,260 The next day, "Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. 489 00:29:11,260 --> 00:29:14,500 He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers. 490 00:29:14,500 --> 00:29:17,440 Why do you want to hurt each other?' 491 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:20,880 But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside." 492 00:29:20,880 --> 00:29:22,700 We're gonna see a common theme here. 493 00:29:22,700 --> 00:29:26,680 Pushed Moses aside and said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? 494 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,000 Are you thinking of killing me as you did the Egyptian the other day? 495 00:29:30,000 --> 00:29:34,600 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. 496 00:29:34,600 --> 00:29:39,840 After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses." 497 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:41,460 An angel appears to Moses. 498 00:29:41,460 --> 00:29:43,180 Remember who he's talking to here. 499 00:29:43,180 --> 00:29:47,760 "In the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 500 00:29:47,760 --> 00:29:51,460 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. 501 00:29:51,460 --> 00:29:56,860 As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say, 'I am the God of your fathers, 502 00:29:56,860 --> 00:29:58,800 the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' 503 00:29:58,800 --> 00:30:02,920 Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing 504 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:04,500 is holy ground. 505 00:30:04,500 --> 00:30:07,140 I have indeed seen the impression of my people in Egypt. 506 00:30:07,140 --> 00:30:12,600 I have heard their groaning and now have come down to set them free. 507 00:30:12,600 --> 00:30:16,800 Now come, says the Lord, I will send you back to Egypt.'" 508 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:22,580 This is the same Moses, look at this, they had rejected with words. 509 00:30:22,580 --> 00:30:23,720 Who made you ruler? 510 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,120 With the words, who made you ruler and judge? 511 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:30,260 He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself through the angel who appeared 512 00:30:30,260 --> 00:30:31,840 to him in the bush. 513 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:36,300 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt. 514 00:30:36,300 --> 00:30:39,000 At the Red Sea for 40 years in the wilderness. 515 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:44,520 This is Moses who told the Israelites, "God will raise you up, raise up for you a prophet 516 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:46,280 like me from your own people." 517 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:47,560 I'm gonna read that again. 518 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:55,600 God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people. 519 00:30:55,600 --> 00:31:00,860 He was in the assembly of the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, 520 00:31:00,860 --> 00:31:04,760 and with our ancestors he received living words to pass on to us. 521 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:06,760 But our ancestors did what? 522 00:31:06,760 --> 00:31:09,760 Refused to obey him. 523 00:31:09,760 --> 00:31:14,500 Instead they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 524 00:31:14,500 --> 00:31:18,940 They told Aaron, "Make us gods who will go before us as this fellow Moses who led us 525 00:31:18,940 --> 00:31:21,960 out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him." 526 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:26,140 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. 527 00:31:26,140 --> 00:31:30,200 They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 528 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:36,400 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon, and 529 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:37,400 the stars. 530 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:39,740 In other words, here's what he's doing. 531 00:31:39,740 --> 00:31:41,040 This is what Stephen's doing. 532 00:31:41,040 --> 00:31:48,020 He is drawing a line between Moses and Jesus and he's saying, "You are charging me with 533 00:31:48,020 --> 00:31:55,620 blaspheming Moses, but all throughout history, all our people did was blaspheme Moses. 534 00:31:55,620 --> 00:31:57,280 Reject Moses. 535 00:31:57,280 --> 00:31:58,600 Push him aside. 536 00:31:58,600 --> 00:32:02,660 Every time he went up the mountain, we turned away from him and made a calf. 537 00:32:02,660 --> 00:32:03,660 Every single time. 538 00:32:03,660 --> 00:32:07,800 So the argument that you're saying to me, the degree of accountability you're holding 539 00:32:07,800 --> 00:32:13,960 me to in regard to blaspheming Moses, you can't even hold that standard for yourself. 540 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:18,280 In the midst of all of that, in the midst of all of that, what he's saying is God is 541 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:19,920 going to send somebody great. 542 00:32:19,920 --> 00:32:23,940 Moses is saying, "God's going to send somebody greater than me in the future." 543 00:32:23,940 --> 00:32:28,740 Moses is not pointing to himself and saying, "Look at me, God has a master plan. 544 00:32:28,740 --> 00:32:30,320 God has somebody better." 545 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:35,580 The reason that I highlighted signs and wonders is because who is most of the Sanhedrin made 546 00:32:35,580 --> 00:32:36,580 up of? 547 00:32:36,580 --> 00:32:39,540 Sadducees who don't believe in signs and wonders or angels. 548 00:32:39,540 --> 00:32:44,040 And here we are, you are charging me with blaspheming the exact same thing. 549 00:32:44,040 --> 00:32:45,240 You are a hypocrite. 550 00:32:45,240 --> 00:32:47,780 In other words, you're charging me. 551 00:32:47,780 --> 00:32:54,360 But here's the thing, Moses was raised up to display the glory of God. 552 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:57,500 Moses was raised up to perform signs and wonders. 553 00:32:57,500 --> 00:33:00,360 Moses was raised up to set the people of God free. 554 00:33:00,360 --> 00:33:04,800 Does that sound like anyone else we know? 555 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:09,580 The man that you just crucified was raised up to display the glory of God. 556 00:33:09,580 --> 00:33:14,140 He showed signs and wonders and he was raised up to set the people of God free. 557 00:33:14,140 --> 00:33:17,640 And he says to them, "You rejected both." 558 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:20,900 Man's got a good argument. 559 00:33:20,900 --> 00:33:26,100 We know in John 14, it says, "I am," Jesus says, "I am the way, the truth and the life. 560 00:33:26,100 --> 00:33:28,880 No one comes to the Father except through me." 561 00:33:28,880 --> 00:33:30,340 It's not through a man. 562 00:33:30,340 --> 00:33:31,980 I was a Catholic at one time. 563 00:33:31,980 --> 00:33:37,080 I had to go to a priest and say, "Would you please go on my behalf to God to forgive my 564 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:38,080 sin?" 565 00:33:38,080 --> 00:33:41,480 Do you know you don't have to go before man to get to God? 566 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:47,080 Jesus gave us the pathway to go confidently and boldly before the throne of grace. 567 00:33:47,080 --> 00:33:53,120 The second accusation, the lie, the blaspheme against the temple and the law. 568 00:33:53,120 --> 00:33:55,280 The blaspheme against the temple and the law. 569 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:56,920 Let's look at this. 570 00:33:56,920 --> 00:34:01,480 Stephen continues, "Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in 571 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:02,480 the wilderness. 572 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:07,120 It had been made as God directed Moses according to the pattern he had seen." 573 00:34:07,120 --> 00:34:11,880 So they had a tabernacle that was built and carried around that harnessed the presence 574 00:34:11,880 --> 00:34:12,880 of God. 575 00:34:12,880 --> 00:34:13,880 Okay? 576 00:34:13,880 --> 00:34:18,440 "After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they 577 00:34:18,440 --> 00:34:21,160 took the land from the nations God drove out before them." 578 00:34:21,160 --> 00:34:27,080 So Joshua leads the Israelites over the Jordan into the promised land with the tabernacle 579 00:34:27,080 --> 00:34:29,160 containing the presence of God. 580 00:34:29,160 --> 00:34:34,200 It remained in the land until the time of David who enjoyed God's favor and asked that 581 00:34:34,200 --> 00:34:37,400 he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 582 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:45,200 So King David had a desire to build a place, a temple for God almighty's presence to reside. 583 00:34:45,200 --> 00:34:48,460 But because of David's sin, he didn't get to build the temple. 584 00:34:48,460 --> 00:34:49,460 So Solomon did. 585 00:34:49,460 --> 00:34:52,200 But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 586 00:34:52,200 --> 00:34:54,240 However, read this line with me. 587 00:34:54,240 --> 00:35:01,820 "The most high does not live in houses made by human hands. 588 00:35:01,820 --> 00:35:07,660 As the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne and the earth my stupful.'" 589 00:35:07,660 --> 00:35:08,660 Stupful. 590 00:35:08,660 --> 00:35:09,660 Footstool. 591 00:35:09,660 --> 00:35:11,340 I'm reading a lot today. 592 00:35:11,340 --> 00:35:14,420 "'What kind of house will you build for me?' 593 00:35:14,420 --> 00:35:15,420 says the Lord. 594 00:35:15,420 --> 00:35:17,480 'Or will my resting place be? 595 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:21,380 Has not my hand made all these things?' 596 00:35:21,380 --> 00:35:26,860 The prophet said, 'Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.'" 597 00:35:26,860 --> 00:35:30,520 God's presence, friends, cannot be contained. 598 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:36,280 So he's drawing a line between the temple and rules and God's presence and his grace. 599 00:35:36,280 --> 00:35:40,280 I'm so glad that God's presence cannot be contained to one spot. 600 00:35:40,280 --> 00:35:44,320 Boy, that would be a lot of hassle for us to have to travel to one spot to get to the 601 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:45,940 presence of God. 602 00:35:45,940 --> 00:35:48,600 The presence of God, he is omnipresent. 603 00:35:48,600 --> 00:35:50,280 He is everywhere at one time. 604 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:54,280 That means in that dark moment of your life where you're isolated alone, God almighty 605 00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:55,280 can be right there. 606 00:35:55,280 --> 00:35:56,520 He's there. 607 00:35:56,520 --> 00:35:57,520 He's there. 608 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:01,100 In every situation and every moment, he is there. 609 00:36:01,100 --> 00:36:04,740 This is what Hebrews 9 says regarding that temple. 610 00:36:04,740 --> 00:36:09,160 But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he 611 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:15,360 went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands. 612 00:36:15,360 --> 00:36:18,880 That is to say, is not a part of this creation. 613 00:36:18,880 --> 00:36:23,920 He did not enter by means of blood of goats and calves, but he entered the most holy place 614 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:26,780 once and for all by his own blood. 615 00:36:26,780 --> 00:36:30,840 By his blood obtaining eternal redemption. 616 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:34,940 And what does it say about the law in Romans 7? 617 00:36:34,940 --> 00:36:42,460 But now by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we 618 00:36:42,460 --> 00:36:49,640 serve in a new way of the spirit and not the old way of the written code. 619 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:59,580 So Stephen has refuted both claims, both lies simply by retorting and responding just the 620 00:36:59,580 --> 00:37:03,380 truth that they have been speaking and teaching themselves. 621 00:37:03,380 --> 00:37:09,300 In other words, you are hypocritical by charging me with this claim because you cannot hold 622 00:37:09,300 --> 00:37:13,960 the standard that you're charging me with. 623 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:21,500 That one has come that was able to fulfill the entire law and you missed him. 624 00:37:21,500 --> 00:37:27,260 And so now this is how Stephen concludes his sermon. 625 00:37:27,260 --> 00:37:28,980 You stiff necked people. 626 00:37:28,980 --> 00:37:33,320 What if I concluded our messages? 627 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,480 You people, you know. 628 00:37:35,480 --> 00:37:39,360 No, he says you stiff necked people. 629 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:44,160 Their hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. 630 00:37:44,160 --> 00:37:50,840 They were circumcised in the flesh, but their hearts and ears were not circumcised. 631 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:53,400 You are just like your ancestors. 632 00:37:53,400 --> 00:38:00,720 And he says this, you always resist the Holy Spirit. 633 00:38:00,720 --> 00:38:09,020 I think the most dangerous thing that we can do as believers is resist the Holy Spirit. 634 00:38:09,020 --> 00:38:17,040 Resisting the Holy Spirit will send you right back to the pit that you got saved from. 635 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:19,920 The Holy Spirit, he says, why is this important? 636 00:38:19,920 --> 00:38:26,040 I think this is one of the most important lines in Stephen's retort, his response, because 637 00:38:26,040 --> 00:38:31,420 it is the Holy Spirit that opens your, he's the one who opens your eyes to see what you 638 00:38:31,420 --> 00:38:32,940 need to see. 639 00:38:32,940 --> 00:38:38,360 He is the one who, he is the one that would have allowed those people who actually believed 640 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:43,080 the majority of the story to see you're Jesus. 641 00:38:43,080 --> 00:38:45,540 You're the one who's fulfilling these scriptures. 642 00:38:45,540 --> 00:38:49,840 You are who you say, or it would have been the Holy Spirit, but he says the charge back 643 00:38:49,840 --> 00:38:52,180 to them is you resist. 644 00:38:52,180 --> 00:38:55,260 You always resist the Holy Spirit. 645 00:38:55,260 --> 00:39:00,460 And the Holy Spirit is the one who allows you to see the reality in every situation. 646 00:39:00,460 --> 00:39:03,900 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? 647 00:39:03,900 --> 00:39:08,400 They even killed the ones who predicted the coming of the righteous one. 648 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:12,600 And now you have betrayed, and here's where it gets real dicey. 649 00:39:12,600 --> 00:39:18,120 He's talking to the religious leaders, and now you have betrayed and murdered him. 650 00:39:18,120 --> 00:39:25,540 You who have received the law that was given through angels, but have not obeyed it. 651 00:39:25,540 --> 00:39:29,960 Then the word says this, when the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious 652 00:39:29,960 --> 00:39:30,960 and gnashed their teeth. 653 00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:32,860 I wish we'd bring back gnashing of teeth. 654 00:39:32,860 --> 00:39:37,900 You know, if you got mad at somebody, you know, I imagine that's what it was, you know, 655 00:39:37,900 --> 00:39:41,280 but gnashing of teeth, you know. 656 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:48,540 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven 657 00:39:48,540 --> 00:39:52,700 and saw the glory of God, and Jesus stand at the right hand of God. 658 00:39:52,700 --> 00:40:02,740 And here's the thing, truth will always offend the one who believes the lie. 659 00:40:02,740 --> 00:40:11,700 The truth will always offend the one who believes the lie. 660 00:40:11,700 --> 00:40:17,640 The leaders were so angry that they decided to kill him. 661 00:40:17,640 --> 00:40:20,940 They decided to take stones and hurl stones at them. 662 00:40:20,940 --> 00:40:23,880 Here's some truths that I want us to gain, and this is something that the Lord revealed 663 00:40:23,880 --> 00:40:28,460 to me on the back end of this passage that I want us to get today. 664 00:40:28,460 --> 00:40:34,540 First of all, the Sanhedrin did not have the authority to kill Stephen. 665 00:40:34,540 --> 00:40:38,780 That's why they had to take Jesus to Pilate. 666 00:40:38,780 --> 00:40:46,100 So yet again, in the accusation, you are blaspheming against the law, we're gonna, we are so focused 667 00:40:46,100 --> 00:40:52,100 on wanting to get your voice out of the mix that we are willing to do whatever it takes. 668 00:40:52,100 --> 00:40:56,140 And I want to let you know that there is an enemy and a world out there that wants to 669 00:40:56,140 --> 00:41:04,140 kill, steal, and destroy, and will do anything it takes to kill you. 670 00:41:04,140 --> 00:41:09,100 And these people, these religious leaders were willing to go grab stones to which they 671 00:41:09,100 --> 00:41:15,160 did not have the authority to do, and kill this man because they were so furious at his 672 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:20,420 point of view, which his point of view was actual truth. 673 00:41:20,420 --> 00:41:25,180 And the word tells us that they took their cloaks off, and they threw it at a young man 674 00:41:25,180 --> 00:41:31,180 named Saul, who we're gonna be talking a whole lot about here in the coming weeks. 675 00:41:31,180 --> 00:41:38,380 And this man Saul, who had become Paul, I believe with every cloak that dropped, I could just 676 00:41:38,380 --> 00:41:42,500 hear him dropping, it just mustered fury inside him. 677 00:41:42,500 --> 00:41:47,460 And he said, "I'm gonna go kill me some people that believe in the way." 678 00:41:47,460 --> 00:41:52,140 And they go out, and they're going to go kill Stephen. 679 00:41:52,140 --> 00:41:59,860 And so they're going out there to stone him, and what I want you to see today, friends, 680 00:41:59,860 --> 00:42:05,620 is Stephen is there, and he's before the Sanhedrin. 681 00:42:05,620 --> 00:42:11,040 He's been accused of lies that were not true. 682 00:42:11,040 --> 00:42:13,300 He's done nothing wrong. 683 00:42:13,300 --> 00:42:21,300 He was a man full of faith in the Holy Spirit, and he was standing there alone, fighting 684 00:42:21,300 --> 00:42:24,480 for righteousness. 685 00:42:24,480 --> 00:42:28,180 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God and 686 00:42:28,180 --> 00:42:32,260 Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 687 00:42:32,260 --> 00:42:37,740 What do you notice about Jesus' position? 688 00:42:37,740 --> 00:42:44,660 Everything we have read is that Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God, except for in this 689 00:42:44,660 --> 00:42:46,060 instance. 690 00:42:46,060 --> 00:42:52,340 Stephen, there alone, looks up and sees Jesus Christ standing. 691 00:42:52,340 --> 00:42:56,820 And I want to let you know, no matter who is accused, no matter what your circumstances, 692 00:42:56,820 --> 00:43:01,100 no matter what your problems are, Jesus will stand with you. 693 00:43:01,100 --> 00:43:03,320 You are not alone. 694 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:05,060 You are not alone in the fight. 695 00:43:05,060 --> 00:43:09,580 And I believe when Stephen looked up and he saw Jesus standing, I think he was waiting 696 00:43:09,580 --> 00:43:14,340 for that moment for Jesus to say, "Come on, well done, good and faithful servant." 697 00:43:14,340 --> 00:43:19,020 Guys, there are places in your life where you need to know that while you are trying 698 00:43:19,020 --> 00:43:23,360 to make the right choice, this was me in so many years, I say this with such humility, 699 00:43:23,360 --> 00:43:27,640 so many times in my life where the crowd wanted me to go left and I chose to go right. 700 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,820 And man, I was so massacred where I was made fun of for it. 701 00:43:30,820 --> 00:43:33,740 I was all of these things, and sometimes it grew weary on me. 702 00:43:33,740 --> 00:43:36,900 I just wanted to throw in the towel and go with the crowd because it would be so much 703 00:43:36,900 --> 00:43:37,900 easier. 704 00:43:37,900 --> 00:43:39,700 And I believe in those moments. 705 00:43:39,700 --> 00:43:43,600 Jesus Christ is standing with you. 706 00:43:43,600 --> 00:43:48,140 He's standing with you in the circumstance where you think you are all alone and everybody's 707 00:43:48,140 --> 00:43:49,960 turned their back on you. 708 00:43:49,960 --> 00:43:52,220 When everybody's around you and you're like, "Where are my friends? 709 00:43:52,220 --> 00:43:53,680 Where's Peter and John? 710 00:43:53,680 --> 00:43:55,600 Like I feel like I'm all alone in this fight. 711 00:43:55,600 --> 00:43:57,640 Why are you not here to help me lift my arms up?" 712 00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:01,300 I believe that Jesus will stand with you. 713 00:44:01,300 --> 00:44:03,840 He has given us the precious gift of the Holy Spirit. 714 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:08,740 And so he's looking at him and Jesus is standing there at the right hand of God. 715 00:44:08,740 --> 00:44:13,580 And I just believe that as he went down and they started to stone him, he was in the front 716 00:44:13,580 --> 00:44:21,000 presence of the Lord, immediately in the presence of God Almighty. 717 00:44:21,000 --> 00:44:24,460 Who are you looking at in the middle of your fight? 718 00:44:24,460 --> 00:44:31,040 Who are your eyes fixed on in the midst of false accusations? 719 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:35,960 And I love this at the very end. 720 00:44:35,960 --> 00:44:40,500 I probably be like, "Lord, smite them all." 721 00:44:40,500 --> 00:44:46,040 But Stephen says, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 722 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:53,440 He fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." 723 00:44:53,440 --> 00:44:57,040 Do you know somebody else who said those two statements? 724 00:44:57,040 --> 00:45:02,160 Jesus, the night he died. 725 00:45:02,160 --> 00:45:04,300 But I want you to understand the posture of Stephen. 726 00:45:04,300 --> 00:45:05,760 He was looking at Jesus. 727 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:10,860 And when you're looking at Jesus, then your responses are always gonna be like him. 728 00:45:10,860 --> 00:45:14,460 Your response, whatever comes out of your mouth's gonna be what he says. 729 00:45:14,460 --> 00:45:17,740 Because you can't see the circumstances or the hatred around you. 730 00:45:17,740 --> 00:45:22,620 You see the glory of Jesus, the strength of Jesus, the power of Jesus, the freedom of 731 00:45:22,620 --> 00:45:23,620 Jesus. 732 00:45:23,620 --> 00:45:32,500 And you're able to respond accordingly when Jesus is standing with you. 733 00:45:32,500 --> 00:45:41,480 How do you need to respond today to your accusers, to your circumstance, to the world around 734 00:45:41,480 --> 00:45:42,480 you? 735 00:45:42,480 --> 00:45:43,480 Do you feel alone? 736 00:45:43,480 --> 00:45:44,480 Are you isolated? 737 00:45:44,480 --> 00:45:48,240 Have you been believing God for something and you just feel like, "I wanna throw in 738 00:45:48,240 --> 00:45:49,240 the towel?" 739 00:45:49,240 --> 00:45:54,640 Well, church, I want you to know today, you never have to fight alone. 740 00:45:54,640 --> 00:45:55,920 Jesus stands with you. 741 00:45:55,920 --> 00:45:57,700 Would you stand with me this morning? 742 00:45:57,700 --> 00:46:08,300 For those who are gonna minister and pray with people, would you come forward? 743 00:46:08,300 --> 00:46:12,860 He is a holy God forever. 744 00:46:12,860 --> 00:46:18,760 A holy, righteous King forever. 745 00:46:18,760 --> 00:46:22,900 And today, you can be reminded that Jesus stands with you. 746 00:46:22,900 --> 00:46:26,900 Some of you need to come forward and you need to bring to the altar space. 747 00:46:26,900 --> 00:46:31,900 You need to drag out into the light the thing you've been carrying and holding onto, the 748 00:46:31,900 --> 00:46:36,580 thing you feel alone in, the thing that you're fighting for, the people that you're fighting 749 00:46:36,580 --> 00:46:38,060 for. 750 00:46:38,060 --> 00:46:45,100 Maybe your responses were not the right responses, but you need God to help you in your responses. 751 00:46:45,100 --> 00:46:46,560 Jesus is standing with you. 752 00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:52,300 So as we worship, you come and pray and do business with an almighty God who breathes 753 00:46:52,300 --> 00:46:52,740 stars.