totallylovedbygod65
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- Mar 12, 2024
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ACTS 7
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
THE CUTTING POWER OF GODS WORD
We are coming to the end of one of the greatest defences of the Christian faith ever given, we do not know how old Stephen was, history tells us that he wasn't all that old and yet here he was telling the council of the Jews, the full history right from Abraham to the present day.
It was ok, up to verse 48, when he says God lives not in temples made with hands.. what the Jewish leaders are beginning to think, but our forefathers built this temple, for God to live in. You mean to say that he doesn't live her anymore? Well yes says Stephen.
In his sermon, Stephen had called out the previous generations for their sin and unbelief and now he was placing the same accusation on this current generation, look at the three words at the end of verse 51.. SO DO YE.
Of all the words that Stephen said, these were perhaps the most cutting, because they identified the current hearers with previous generations. You see and this is so true today, we love to hear how bad the previous generations have been and they probably have, but we never liked to grouped with them. Goodness me, we aren't like them at all.
As soon as the council heard this, they went absolutely mad, it says they gnashed with their teeth, they literally were in total rage.
You see Man is always seeking to blame someone else, anyone else to be honest, but when men are faced with the reality of what Happened to Jesus, they react in rage and anger.
That is why the gospel is a stumbling block to many, they cannot comprehend that it is their sin, that has put Jesus on the cross.
This is the reason that people react with so much hostility when you share the gospel, they simply do not want to be confronted with their sin.
Paul, who was listening to all of this and probably covering his ears, was consenting to the death of Stephen, he thought that killing Stephen was one of the best things the Jews could of ever done.
Stephen told the whole counsel of God, he gave it to them straight and honest. He did not hide anything from them, he wasn't afraid of placing the blame for Christ's death squarely where it belongs.. IT WAS MAN'S SIN THAT SENT JESUS TO THE CROSS
Let us preach Christ and him crucified.. like Stephen Did
God bless you
Keith
ACTS 7
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
THE CALLING HOME OF STEPHEN
What a wonderful Christian Stephen was. The whole council was going totally mad, but he had a holy calmness about him.
Here was a man totally full of the Holy Ghost, he was full of Jesus and therefore he saw nothing but Jesus. He had shared the gospel of who Jesus was and now he was going to receive his reward.
Not only did Stephen have a holy calmness, he had a holy cry, his last words told of Jesus. He testified of Jesus.. not himself v56. I see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Finally, he had a holy confidence. Lord Jesus receive my spirit. He knew totally and absolutely who his saviour was and where he was going. It was an unshakeable faith.
All this must of shaken those around him, especially the one, whose coats the people who were stoning Stephen Had laid down their coats. the one called Saul.
His blood was not wasted, his testimony lives on.. amen
God bless you
Keith
51 Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
THE CUTTING POWER OF GODS WORD
We are coming to the end of one of the greatest defences of the Christian faith ever given, we do not know how old Stephen was, history tells us that he wasn't all that old and yet here he was telling the council of the Jews, the full history right from Abraham to the present day.
It was ok, up to verse 48, when he says God lives not in temples made with hands.. what the Jewish leaders are beginning to think, but our forefathers built this temple, for God to live in. You mean to say that he doesn't live her anymore? Well yes says Stephen.
In his sermon, Stephen had called out the previous generations for their sin and unbelief and now he was placing the same accusation on this current generation, look at the three words at the end of verse 51.. SO DO YE.
Of all the words that Stephen said, these were perhaps the most cutting, because they identified the current hearers with previous generations. You see and this is so true today, we love to hear how bad the previous generations have been and they probably have, but we never liked to grouped with them. Goodness me, we aren't like them at all.
As soon as the council heard this, they went absolutely mad, it says they gnashed with their teeth, they literally were in total rage.
You see Man is always seeking to blame someone else, anyone else to be honest, but when men are faced with the reality of what Happened to Jesus, they react in rage and anger.
That is why the gospel is a stumbling block to many, they cannot comprehend that it is their sin, that has put Jesus on the cross.
This is the reason that people react with so much hostility when you share the gospel, they simply do not want to be confronted with their sin.
Paul, who was listening to all of this and probably covering his ears, was consenting to the death of Stephen, he thought that killing Stephen was one of the best things the Jews could of ever done.
Stephen told the whole counsel of God, he gave it to them straight and honest. He did not hide anything from them, he wasn't afraid of placing the blame for Christ's death squarely where it belongs.. IT WAS MAN'S SIN THAT SENT JESUS TO THE CROSS
Let us preach Christ and him crucified.. like Stephen Did
God bless you
Keith
ACTS 7
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
THE CALLING HOME OF STEPHEN
What a wonderful Christian Stephen was. The whole council was going totally mad, but he had a holy calmness about him.
Here was a man totally full of the Holy Ghost, he was full of Jesus and therefore he saw nothing but Jesus. He had shared the gospel of who Jesus was and now he was going to receive his reward.
Not only did Stephen have a holy calmness, he had a holy cry, his last words told of Jesus. He testified of Jesus.. not himself v56. I see Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
Finally, he had a holy confidence. Lord Jesus receive my spirit. He knew totally and absolutely who his saviour was and where he was going. It was an unshakeable faith.
All this must of shaken those around him, especially the one, whose coats the people who were stoning Stephen Had laid down their coats. the one called Saul.
His blood was not wasted, his testimony lives on.. amen
God bless you
Keith