Blood On The Stone

Welcome to Verse by Verse. Thank you so much for joining us as we take a look at the book of Acts. We take things nice and slowly as we look and see what God is doing in the big picture of expanding the gospel from Jerusalem to Judea and to Samaria and to the ends of the earth. My name is David Humphrey, and I'm the pastoral care and missions pastor here at United City Church in Humboldt, Texas. We're excited to be your church family while you're incarcerated, but we're gonna be even more excited when you get out and you can come and be a part of our church in person. We love you very much. Please grab your Bible and a journal, perhaps a pen, and be ready to take some notes and let's learn together through the book of Acts. So, of course, we have been taking a long look at Stephen, and you might remember Stephen was known as a servant of God back in the early part of Acts. He was set apart, he wasn't called a deacon at the time, but he was set apart as a servant to help take care of the widows, but he was full of the Holy Spirit. And, of course, when we get down to Acts chapter seven, we see that he has been questioned by the religious leaders. They were really upset with him because they told him they were, they were, he was at,

the religious leaders were asking him if he indeed had said that Jesus of Nazareth would destroy the temple and change the customs that Moses had given them. And Stephen was like, well, I thought you'd never ask. And he finally speaks up and gives a really amazing speech, which we won't read all of tonight, but you just go back and read Acts chapter seven and you'll find all of that. It is powerful. It was a speech, or really a telling of a story. He really told the whole biblical story, and I would say four main movements. There's the Abraham movement, the Joseph movement, the Moses movement, and the tabernacle temple movement. So he just makes that one story because we talk about this a lot in here, but I hope that you will always remember the Bible is one story. All of these chapters are part of one story, and it is the story of Jesus Christ and what he has done. The Old Testament doesn't build up to Jesus. The Old Testament is full of Jesus, as is every verse in the New Testament. So with all of those movements that he went through at every step, he was pointing to how Abraham, how Joseph, how Moses, how the tabernacle, how the temple, all of them were just forerunners of Jesus. They were all pointing ahead to Jesus. He talks about how Moses was like Jesus,

and the tabernacle, all of it. So tonight, we have reached the climax of this story, this chapter, and frankly, one of the most beautiful stories in the entire book of Acts. I can honestly say that. This is an incredible moment. We've already read ahead to it, but this is, I would say, the words that Stephen shares here as he just reaches this fever pitch in verse 51 are just kind of the final flourish of God's glory coming out of his mouth before a super dramatic exit, okay? So that's what we're gonna see. We're gonna start in verse 51, and I want us just to look at verses 51 through 53 first, and then we'll work our way down into verses 54 and following. So Stephen says, you stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the righteous one, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Well, I'm not sure if that was what his voice sounded like. I have a feeling it might have been a lot even stronger than that. But you know, the first part of the story,

it doesn't really read like that. When we're listening to his speech, you know, it's beautiful, it's strong, it's all moving in the direction, and then it's just like all of a sudden, he just cranks it up. And it doesn't last long, guys. I mean, I think I probably read that in less than a minute. And then we know what happens next, but I want us to see what he's saying really specifically. We go word by word, verse by verse in here, because I don't want us to miss anything that was trying to be conveyed here with this sudden shift of tone. Verse 51, he first called them, number one, he goes, you, so he's making it crystal clear who he's talking to. You, you stiff-necked people. Can't you see him with his finger out there? I don't know if he had a finger up there. And you know, my mama would not let me lift a finger like that towards her. Right, that was very, so I don't know if that's what he did. Maybe he did something like this. You stiff-necked people. You know, when you've just kind of. had it up to here? You know, I think Jesus, when he was speaking in the temple and he had just had it up to here,

I guarantee you Jesus raised his voice. He wasn't whispering a little prayer for them. You called my, that my father's house was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations. So here he goes, you stiff-necked people. What is this stiff-necked? Stubborn. Stubborn, for sure. That comes from the idea in this time, they thought about an ox that wouldn't turn its head when the yoke turned, you know what I'm saying? Stiff-necked. It's like, you're trying to turn that thing and he's like, I'm locked in. I'm going this way, I don't care what you say. And that's what he's calling them. Just like, you're just so stubborn, so unyielding. Because guys, here's the thing about God, God doesn't yield. God is who God is. It doesn't matter whether we like it or not. God just is God. And he is beautiful, he is lovely, he is everything good. But guys, God is just God. He doesn't care if the United States thinks he's God. He doesn't care if anybody says no to him. Guys, he's just God, period. And we will yield to him. And what he's saying is, you are just unyielding. You are unteachable.

I was talking to a young man the other day and he was around some other people that were just, some of the things they were saying were kind of bothering him. And he said, you know, I think I just need to be teachable. I said, you know what? That's something that'll get you somewhere. We all, no matter what age we are, need to remain teachable. And what he's basically saying is, you're just not even teachable. Like, I've just laid out for you how the entire Bible points to the Messiah, but he wasn't gonna logically bring them into that information, right? It's had to be a work of the spirit. So he calls them, you stiff-necked people. And then he just digs in the knife a little deeper. Uncircumcised, well, even just saying that word, just saying that word alone to them was a massive insult. Why? Why would that be such an insult to Jewish leaders? That was their main- Yeah, like that's, we are the circumcision, right? We are the ones, like that was like their identity as a people. And he says, you're uncircumcised in what? Heart and ears. Well, circumcision was the mark of the covenant, okay? Circumcision was just a physical act. Circumcision didn't save anybody.

Never saved Abram. It didn't save his kids. It didn't save anybody in the Old Testament, okay? It was a mark in the flesh to show that they are under the covenant, okay? But again, nobody got into heaven because they were circumcised or they weren't. That's not the point. But when he says uncircumcised in heart and ears, what he's saying is your hearts haven't changed, right? Look at Romans chapter two. Somebody knew I was gonna go there. I know you did. Somebody did, right. Romans chapter two. And I want us to just read or somebody that, let's give everybody just a second. Somebody read verses 28 and 29 of Romans chapter two. Paul is building an argument around this whole idea of circumcision. First of all, what it is. And second of all, what it isn't. Because that's a problematic statement. Somebody read Romans 2, 28 and 29. It says, a person is not a Jew who is won only outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward in business. No, a person is a Jew who is won inwardly. And circumcision is circumcision of the heart by the spirit, not by the written code.

Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God. Thank you, Paul. I'm not sure how it could be much more clear than what he said. You understand what he's trying to tell them is, guys, this is not about a mark in our flesh. This is a work of the heart. So in other words, any of us who believe in Jesus by faith, we have had a circumcision of the heart. And that's what he says, uncircumcised in heart. You see, Stephen could see underneath the ritual act that they had done for centuries. And that's a beautiful act, but that's not what gets somebody into heaven. And they had... I'm using it as like a mark of this is how we know who's in and who's out But in the park and but what Paul is saying is it was never about the physical act It was always about the heart and then he goes on Steven With this understanding and he calls it uncircumcised in heart and ears Why would he say they need to circumcise their ears? They're not Yeah, they're not comprehending what's going on. They're like like I'm speaking. He says I'm using words I'm trying to make it clear to you, but your ears are They have not been transformed right They have they haven't had the had the flesh Literally circumcision is a pulling away of flesh. I'm not trying to get graphic We're all adults in the room guys, but this is the simple was not just well

Let's just use any old place right? God chose the circumcision of the male organ That's a point where life Begins That is the point of seed Guys, and so what he's saying is it was never about that place But that was a tearing away of the flesh and we've got to have a tearing away of the flesh of our hearts And we've got to have a new heart Amen to see that Jesus is who he says he is and to believe in him So that's what he's trying to say. So he's just going straight at it He's like look God always was about a heart change not a surgical ritual Okay, the surgical ritual was just meant to be an outward symbol sort of like how we talked how we looked at the temple And the tabernacle were never meant to be like the dwelling place of Almighty God like it's just a building Right, they were just just a foreshadowing of the true dwelling place of God because we are the temple of the Living God And that was just a just something before so Basically when he calls them uncircumcised in heart and ears Would you say he's calling them out as not being God's people at Yes, that's what he's saying do you understand why they're getting hot They're getting mad Stephen is mincing no words So He's not done You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did so do you? Now, you know when you're a little kids you ever used to say something about you and your mama too and all that kind of bad stuff We would used to say that like we're trying to put each other down like in third and fourth grade Your mama kind of stuff here's what he's saying. It's not just you It's your ancestors, too They did not see and embrace The Messiah as the one coming they were also uncircumcised in hearts they were how did it say that they Resisted the Holy Spirit. He goes on in the very next verse what goes on down though. Let's go down to

We'll go forward and then we'll then we'll come back hold on let me get there as Your font, but well, let's let's just let's just look at what it says right there You always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did so do you? How did they? resist the Holy Spirit You look at verse 52 kill the which of the prophets did your father's not persecute No God remember the Holy Spirit didn't like come into being after Jesus went to heaven The Holy Spirit was motivating every prophet that ever spoke for God the Holy Spirit was the one that inspired all of their words and what he's saying here is when you persecuted the prophets you were resisting the Holy Spirit and now in this age Just like your parents did just like their parents did you're still resisting the Holy Spirit even though God the Father sent his son to look you in your eyes and To tell you what he was like and you're still resisting the Holy Spirit because this is a serious Accusation that he makes here and he goes on and he says look your ancestors Do you and you you stood against Isaiah Ezekiel I mean we can just let the list go long of all the prophets that they persecuted But they stood up and they spoke for truth Basically, what he's doing is he is comparing them the people he's speaking to directly in this moment With all the stories that he's just told Remember how he talks about how they rejected Abram How Moses was rejected All of these things, he's just sort of punctuating it with how you are doing the same thing. Joseph rejected by his brothers, Moses rejected by God's people, and just the list goes on and on.

And then, I love this verse 52. It's an interesting rhetorical question, which we just read. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? What's the answer to that? Yeah, they knew what the answer was, right? That's a question to say, every single one of them, you persecuted. And guys, you can look in Hebrews chapter 11 for the Faith Hall of Fame, and there's some things that we can read about some of the ways that the prophets were treated, and some of the ways that they were just ignored. Basically, he is just throwing out indictment after indictment after indictment. Said, they didn't just persecute them. But what does it say? They killed them. Look at the very next line. And they killed those who announced beforehand becoming a righteous one. He goes on to say, whom you have now betrayed. He said, you're just acting like your ancestors did. You're just following in their footsteps. They persecuted the prophets that God sent with the message of truth. They killed them. And then came the righteous one. You see how he's called the righteous one? He could have given Jesus any one of the beautiful names

that we have for him, but he called him righteous one. Whom you have now betrayed. And did he say killed? Murderer. Murderer. What's the difference in killing and murdering? Murderer. Or were you? It's intent. Yeah. He said, you killed. You murdered. You planned it. And you betrayed him. And you lured him in as if they lured Jesus in, right? I mean, Jesus walked right in there because he knew it was time to walk right in there. Nobody tricked Jesus into anything. Right, but guys, he's just trying to help them see here which of your fathers, which of them did they not persecute? Then you went so far as to kill the ones who announced the coming of Jesus. And not only that, you killed Jesus. You murdered him. The righteous one. The Messiah. That's what he's saying. He's trying to make it crystal clear who this guy was. It's not just some Jesus of Nazareth. No, this was the righteous one.

Look at verse 53. It's kind of interesting that he throws this in here. You. You who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it. Do you hear in his voice, it's like, you? Of all people, you? Like I might have thought a lot of people would disagree and would maybe reject Jesus, but you? My, like you of all people should have been the ones embracing him and welcoming him. And oh, of course I can see it. All of the prophets have been pointing to this. But he said, you who received the law as delivered by angels. What are they speaking of there? What is the law as delivered by angels? Does that have to do with at Mount Sinai when it was delivered in the midst of 10,000 angels? Yes. Yeah, see, they're speaking directly to how Moses received the words, like the oracles. Remember how we talked about, I think a couple of weeks ago, we looked at the very oracles of God. They received them. You can look back at Mount Sinai. You can look back at the story, guys. There's a lot more to it. But he's saying it's like they came almost as like directly from angels.

You know what angels, when we think about angels, you know, we think about wings and cute little things. But guys, angels in the Bible are messengers, all right? Angels have messages from God. They're coming from heaven to say something, okay? They're not just coming to look beautiful in the sky and you know, all that kind of stuff. We had a few times when they were doing that. But just think about all the messages. Of course, like when Jesus was born, they came with a message, right? Glory to God in the highest, that was their message. And on earth, peace among men on whom his favor rests. And when the angel came to Mary, right? Gave a message. All over and over and over in the Bible, we see, remember when we look back at Moses' story, there was an angel involved in that whole burning bush saga. So just over and over you see angels are messengers and that's why I think it's very interesting he says you received the law it's delivered by angels and did not keep it delivered by these messengers and you just disobeyed it God sent you as Messiah and you who are supposedly his people rejected and murdered his Messiah but what did Isaiah prophesy about how the Son of Man how the how the Messiah would be received if I remember that verse the prophetic verse he came to his own yeah he was despised and rejected of men so I mean Isaiah wasn't surprised when I guess I guess Isaiah it was from his heavenly vantage point you know it was kind of watching things I don't know how that works but I mean I don't think Isaiah was like oh man I can't believe it no he's like no I mean that's how it's gonna play out God said it was gonna play out that way but still I think Steve is kind of flabbergasted by like

really you of all people I think would would see it but we know it's only by the Holy Spirit of God that that this that that the scales fall off and that we can see so any other comments on those verses before we go to first to 54 and following yes sir Steve okay circumcision was an L word sign of your commitment to God yes I was saying they had no commitment to God and they didn't want one yes we're in open yeah in open rebellion that's exactly right yes yes he was yeah because now because like circumcision was something you had to kind of submit in order to even receive that mark in your body right and we have to submit to God to have the circumcision of the heart right God doesn't bend to us we bend to God like we come to God on his terms we don't just come waltzing up to God however we want no way yeah I mean we God wants to relate to us but we come on his terms there's only one way to the father yes Paul the several apocryphal writing Jewish apocryphal writings were medical writings and so forth during that 400 years apocryphal is between the Old Testament the New Testament for those of you I don't know what he's talking about sorry that's okay they many have actually taught that circumcision was the way for Jewish people to get into heaven okay they they they but there's many of them who say specifically that salvation is only for those who are circumcised okay there's one apocryphal right now I've been racking my brain trying to remember which one it was but I can't off the top my head that actually said that Abraham is stationed at the gate of hell to make sure no circumcised Jew enters hell okay so so when when when when the Pharisees of the Sadducees here that are listening to Stephen are told directly that they are uncircumcised he could not have said anything that would have offended sensibilities anymore to the man yeah exactly I mean the Holy Spirit was inspiring every word that Stephen said of course it's almost as if that they they took they took God's grace in granting salvation and made it well it is exactly like made it a workspace of course she yeah yeah it's always it's like we think we want I mean the world even today right well you know nine out of ten people that you stop on the side of the side of the road and say well how

do you get into heaven you'd be a good person right they think we will if I'm just a good enough person that's what a lot of people are trusting him well I'm just gonna try to do more good than bad and then God's gonna let me in but it's by no work we can't there's no good work we can do be the best person that ever lived right and we're not gonna match Jesus because we all have a sinful nature but it's like we somehow we want to earn our salvation somehow when God just wants to just give it to us just a free gift at the expense of his son I want us to look now at verses 54 through 60 and I'm just gonna tell you every word of Scripture is holding ground guys every single word but I'm this this is something yes Dave's real fast just quickly going back when he says you resist the Holy Spirit yes it is beyond my comprehension that these Jews in the new scripture and the Holy Spirit from Genesis 1 is taught now they don't understand but they don't they don't they don't the thing is it is a work of the Holy Spirit it's not about how many times you've read the Torah. That's not gonna do it. There has to be a supernatural work that no man, no pastor, no minister, nobody can do it. Pastor Chris doesn't, we all know, he doesn't save anybody. All he can do is preach the Word with clarity and we pray that the Holy Spirit will just keep touching, right? This one. Open their eyes. Open their eyes. And that's the prayer. So let's look at these verses. This is the response. Now when they heard these things, they were enraged and they ground their teeth at Him. But He, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And He said, Behold, I see the heavens open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at Him. And then they cast Him out of the city and stoned Him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. And as they were stoning Stephen, He called out, Lord Jesus, receive a spirit. And falling to His knees, He cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against Him. And when He had said this, He fell asleep. Wow. No good. Guys, that is, if there's

ever been a holier moment, I don't know what it is. That has honestly the beauty and intensity. And it is meant, as you can see it, it is meant to be, to show how Christ-like Stephen was. I mean literally, two of the statements he said as he is being pummeled with rocks and blood is probably gushing out of his head and all over his body. Guys, it was gory. Stoning is not a pretty death. Guys, this is hell. This is horrific. And he is sitting there in the midst of this, saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Do not hold this sin against Him. Just almost exactly what Jesus said, right? Into my hands I commit my spirit. And Jesus saying, Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. Yes, Denise? Just pure love in the face of pure hate. Which, again, is that not Jesus Christ? Is that not Him? It was pure love in the face of pure hate. Guys, when He said, when they heard these things that Stephen said, it set them off. It says, they were enraged. They ground their teeth. Guys, this is like animal. Guys, this is just like, you know what I mean? It's just like so angry. They couldn't believe he had the nerve to say it. But then I love verse 54 and verse 55. They're enraged, grinding their teeth at Him. But He, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. And not just the glory of God, but Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Guys, verses 54 and 55 are meant to be the most striking contrast that exists. These flesh-filled people are just mad as a hornet, as my mama used to say. And Stephen is just peaceful and full of the Holy Spirit, and he's just looking at Jesus. Guys, because you know what? When you keep your eyes on Jesus, whatever is happening around you just kind of fades out. Guys, it just is, it doesn't mean that the things that are happening to you, maybe your body's going through something, or you know, a loss of somebody, or terrible things are happening. But guys, if you just keep your eyes on Jesus in the midst of whatever it is, a lot of the stuff doesn't, it just takes away some of the sting of the things you're facing. I love this imagery that Pastor Chris has been, was using about that, you know, about dating. You know, you just keep running to Jesus. Just keep running after Jesus. Just keep your eyes focused on Him. Husband, wife, young person, just keep your eyes focused on Him. And that's

what you've got with Stephen. Look, it says, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God. The Shekinah glory. Guys, there's only a couple of times in the New Testament that we see this. Testament that we see seeing the glory of God some of you guys remember the story of the transfiguration that's when Peter James and John went up the up the hill with Jesus and they were praying and then Jesus was transfigured that means he took on the glory of God like he took on his heavenly glory so it's like hey let's take this earth shirt off for a minute and let's just see what I really who I really am and they got to see and it says it was white and sparkling and all that kind of stuff guys so first thing Stephen saw was the glory of God but then it says and he saw the Son of Man standing God's right hand now you've heard some sermons preached on this I know this is one like if you can't preach this passage you just don't you can't preach that's all I can say this is just way too good but listen I want you to remember some of you guys probably know or remember that Son of Man was Jesus's own favorite name for himself but Jesus called himself the Son of Man more than anything else he called himself he loved to use that and I didn't know this until I was studying this there's only two places outside the Gospels when Jesus is called the Son of Man this is one of them and now this is a real deep Bible trivia question anybody think they know where the other way is I'll give you a hint it's in the first two-thirds of the Bible so there is a prophecy and it's in Daniel wait what some of you guys were with us when we studied Daniel you're supposed to remember every single thing we've studied it's been four years ago again really good but guys Daniel chapter 7 is one of the most breathtaking prophecies of the Christ I'm just gonna tell you it is amazing we're not gonna take the time to go there because it's there's just so much and there's no way we can even begin to unpack it tonight but guys check out Daniel chapter 7 that is a place where ahead of time he's called the Son of Man and then Jesus always called himself the Son of Man and then here Stephen is pointing to him as he saw the Son of Man he didn't say he saw Jesus of Nazareth sitting standing at

God's right says he saw the Son of Man now we know from our study and from the early in Acts that Jesus's current location and his location even before this story is not standing at the right hand of the Father it's what it's seated at the right input says he went and he was seated at the right hand of the Father and that's where we see throughout the New Testament that's where he's seated seated at the right hand of the Father but this is different and I guarantee you some of you have heard that sermon that talks about Jesus giving Stephen a standing ovation have to raise your hand if you've heard somebody preach that he was a standing ovation I've definitely heard that multiple times you guys have missed out on some good sermons if you haven't so I do want to say this Jesus is standing and that is significant as much as I wish that it was a standing ovation I don't think that's what that what this means that wasn't even a cultural phenomenon at the time so a lot of theologians have got a lot of different theories on why Jesus is standing I looked through several of them I think the standing ovation thing Jesus was definitely pleased with Stephen and so we when we're pleased with you know sometimes we stand up and give an ovation so it works but I don't think that's what Jesus was doing I don't think Jesus was giving him a standing ovation I think based on what I understood in the study that it's more likely emphasizing Jesus the exalted Son of Man standing as the judge and the one receiving Stephen's bold testimony like like I'm standing with you Stephen you're standing for me and I am standing with you I mean in my mind's eye I see Stephen locking eyes with Jesus but there is the exalted you and I don't know if that's it but I see Jesus as Stephen's advocate you know your advocate is the one that stands with you and that he definitely is Stephen's advocate so if that's the meaning I'm not I can't say with absolute certainty but I also see it as heaven standing opposed to the Jewish reaction to Stephen kind of like hey wait a minute Greg? I've read something about this kind of interesting that when Christ is sitting it is he finished his job

So he paid for everybody. Yes, and so we sat in Here he's standing in the pan spin. Yeah, rip then they would listen. Yeah. Yeah I think it is definitely related to this idea of Jesus as our advocate as our judge as our witness. Yes day In studying this one of the things that I never thought about in the Old Testament Testament look at the prophets Isaiah Jeremiah when they saw Emmett they saw angels Here Stephen sees Jesus. Yes, I think yourself to Nick there is I'll tell you what else that I looked at in this That was something I didn't really know. I didn't understand but the Jewish conception of Someone standing at the right hand of God was very offensive Because that signified anybody that was standing or that's right there at the right hand of God is then Co-equal with God and we all know they had a big problem with thinking that Jesus of Nazareth Now was God that was super problematic right to them. They thought that was blasphemy But what you can see here is this is this whole idea that the Nazarene Jesus is standing beside Yahweh in judgment against us and look at look at what it says Look at look at the way at the way that it plays out here. They heard these things that were enraged He full always fear gaze in heaven saw the glory of God and Jesus standing and then Stephen speaks up Because here's the thing Stephen sees it, but I don't think they see it They don't They don't see it guys, but Stephen says look behold I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God and look They cried out with the loud voice to stop their ears and rush. You see that was that was it? That was the final moment when he said I see Jesus You know the one that you crucified the one that you the one that you betrayed all of that. I see him He's standing right now. I'm looking him in the eye And he's standing there right beside God and they were like They were like, that's it. Can't hear another word from your mouth, and they didn't The only words that came out of his mouth next were the ones that we know It needs but Lord Jesus received my spirit and Lord didn't hold us in against That was it resting that

Nowhere in this scripture in any word that it the Jewish leaders did all the grain Laws and tradition there's no vote here like they weren't so Bill would say yes that they They didn't care what they were doing. They just wanted that man. That's exactly right Guys, literally they started yelling. They stopped their ears I think that's cuz it's like they what they thought they heard was so much blasphemy. They're like, I can't hear another word of it I'm not listening to your foolishness and it's like a mob mentality guys And it just went crazy they rushed at him like a pack of wolves and They rushed him out of the city because they didn't do stonings in the city So I know all this in a verse it just feels like it is all happens real fast guys This is this is not just all momentary right, there's the meditated premeditated act they they they march him out of the city and Then yes, they started throwing rocks at him Until he died So how big was it? Well, I don't know how big the rocks were. They're big enough to kill him. That's all I know Yeah, I'm just gonna take us. This is a brutal way to die And and he's not the only martyrs who's ever died At the at the at a stoning, but I want you to remember that Stephen is the first martyr in Stephen holds a very unique place in history as The first martyr Guys we cannot miss the little statement That the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul Who we will later know as Paul who we're gonna spend the rest of the book of Acts talking about And who went on to write roughly 48% of the New Testament To say that this is an interesting place to introduce him is the understatement of the century Guys, it just and it's just it's just so quiet. Just this little statement. They just laid their garments at his feet What is it saying that they laid their garments at his feet? What does that signify? Yeah, he or if that is getting approval It signifies that he's a watcher if they're laying their garments at his feet doesn't say Saul's got the rocks

He's just watching. And have you ever thought about what part the watching of the stoning of Stephen played in his own conversion? I'm just gonna tell you, I have a feeling Saul went to bed that night thinking about not just the fact that Stephen was bold, but that he was willing to die for Jesus of Nazareth. I just, the parallels here are just amazing. And this is our introduction to one of the most important men in the entire Bible, certainly in the New Testament, and that is Saul. And we're gonna get to go through all of his, all of his stories, guys. Oh, let's don't miss one more time these two statements that Stephen said. He says, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. Just like Jesus said, into your hands I come, my spirit. And then look, he says, verse 60, so beautiful. Falling to his knees, he cried out with a loud voice. Guys, this was not a little whisper. He used his loud, the strength he had in his body. Lord, do not hold this sin against that. It's like his final, got that strength up, right? I'm gonna say one last thing, and this is the last words are gonna come off my lips, is forgiveness for all these people. Basically, it was tell us. Yeah, yeah, it was just like tel-el-estai, right? Just like what Jesus said, it's finished, it's done. Father, forgive them. They don't know what they're doing. He fell on his knees, and then I love the imagery that the Bible gives of fall asleep. Because, you know, you could say he died. I think it's beautiful. He fell asleep. More peaceful. Yeah, it's peaceful. It's also a reminder that Stephen woke up, too. When you fall asleep, the plan is to wake up, right? And how about you all? I know many of you have probably thought, well, going to sleep has got to be the way to go to heaven, right? Just go to sleep on this side, and you just wake up in heaven, right? That's a good way to go, and that's exactly what happened with Stephen, this incredible hearter. I want to encourage you. I'm gonna say, I'm gonna have a word of prayer, and we go all in six tonight, but that doesn't mean that I don't want you to spend a few minutes talking at your table about anything that stood out to you, but I do want to just close in a word of prayer, and then I'll just let you spend a few minutes there just sharing with one another. God Almighty, thank you so much for all the details that you gave of this

incredible story. Thank you, Lord, for the faith of Stephen. We don't know a ton about his story, but we know he was a servant. We know he was full of the Holy Spirit, and we sure did see it here, and thank you, God, for his witness, and God make us bold like him, Lord, that no matter what comes our way, that we're willing to stand up, and nothing will make us back down about our Jesus, because Jesus, you are the one who paved the way for us. You showed us the way, and Stephen followed in that way so beautifully, God, and we want to follow in the Jesus way, too. So, Lord, we love you, and we thank you. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. If you've got a few minutes, I really do encourage you to turn around to somebody at your table and just have a little table talk about something that stood out to you tonight, and then when you're done, feel free to head on. Thanks again for joining us verse by verse through the book of Acts. I hope that you have learned a lot. More importantly, I hope that you'll apply these things to your life this week. Share it with a friend. Great thing for you to just have some discussion with the other people around you, share the things that God is doing in your life. Again, remember, the Bible is a book about God, far more than it is a book about us, so let's learn about Him. Let's grow to love Him more and more. Here at United City, this is not the only thing that we have on the Pando app. We would love for you to follow some of our other content, watch some of our worship services, along with music and the messages, as well as podcasts. We've got a lot of great content, and we would love for you to follow that. Also, if you would like to be in touch with us here at United City, the best way to do that is by writing us a letter. You can address that to Prison Ministry at United City Church, 19901 Townsend Boulevard, Humboldt, Texas 77338. We'll read that, we'll pray for you, and somebody will write you back. God bless you, and we'll see you in the Word.