Better than Joseph's bones...

“Listening to Stephen Preach About Joseph”

(Acts 7:9-16, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 31, 2011)

9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers, 16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

9 “And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him 10 and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

Who was Joseph? Not the husband of Mary... He came centuries after the Joseph that Stephen was preaching about in Acts 7. The Old Testament Joseph lived about 1900 years before Jesus. Stephen focuses first on the relationship between the other sons of Jacob and this man Joseph. The patriarchs, who were the beginning of the tribes of Israel, were jealous of Joseph. They saw something in him that they wanted, but that they did not have. Joseph was the favorite of his father and he reported on his brothers to their father. That would be enough to ignite sibling rivalry. But there is one other important relationship that infuriated Joseph's brothers. Joseph heard from God in the form of dreams, dreams about him and about them, dreams about how he would be exalted above them, and they would bow down to him.

At the decisive moment when Joseph's brothers committed a brutal attack against him, one of them said, “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.” Joseph heard the word of God, a word that spoke of his sure exaltation, and his brothers hated him for that. It was not only because of their father's relationship with Joseph that they conspired to lie together about his death. It was because of their younger brother's relationship with God that they hated him. That relationship revealed the fact that Joseph was the singular chosen one in his generation, though the Messiah would come from a different line. In his day Joseph was the man.

His own brothers hated him, and they did what they could to see that his prophesies would never come to pass. They thought of killing him, but they decided on another plan. They sold him. They made money on him and got rid of him. They thought that they had probably heard the last of his glory. But, as Stephen notes, God was with him.

Joseph went through many troubles, but the Lord rescued him out of them all. The low moments and the delays were necessary. Forgotten in the king's prison in Egypt, God used him as an instrument for life for the very brothers who had mistreated him so poorly. God used this chosen Joseph not only for the descendants of Jacob, but for the Egyptians. He gave him an interpretation of Pharaoh's dream about the future, and gave him favor and wisdom with Pharaoh. In what seems like less than a moment, this man was brought from the dungeon to the throne room of the ruler of the Egyptian empire. Pharaoh liked him, and he liked his wisdom, so that he made this Joseph his second in command.

11 Now there came a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction, and our fathers could find no food. 12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers on their first visit. 13 And on the second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh. 14 And Joseph sent and summoned Jacob his father and all his kindred, seventy-five persons in all. 15 And Jacob went down into Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers,

Through Pharaoh's dreams, and the revelation given to Joseph regarding those dreams, God had spoken of events that were most certainly about to take place. There would be a famine throughout all Egypt and Canaan (modern Israel). God used this suffering favored one, Joseph, to prepare a place for his father and brothers to go where they could survive the famine.

This was a time of great affliction for the whole region, and the lack of food in Canaan drove the sons of Jacob into the presence of their savior, Joseph. Jacob was very reluctant to let them go, but they had no food. They went there once, and then a second time, and it was on that second visit that Joseph revealed to his brothers who he was, for they had not been able to recognize that this great Egyptian who spoke with the authority of Pharaoh was actually the brother they had despised and sold into slavery.

Before they even knew who he was, these brothers actually fulfilled the word that God had given to Joseph so long ago in a dream, that the brothers would bow before him. Stephen does not dwell on the drama of what took place. He has a very specific purpose that causes him to select just the right details in his preaching on the life of Joseph. We see Jesus (and Stephen) in Joseph. Eventually Jacob, his sons, their wives, and their children, seventy-five people in all, settled in Egypt. Why? Because there was food there, and they needed to live. And Joseph, the brother that they thought they were rid of, was alive, and he was the key to their continued well-being.

16 and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

That is where Jacob and all his family lived out the rest of their days. But before they died, both Jacob and Joseph made their surviving family members promise that they would eventually be buried in Canaan, the land that God had promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their descendants forever.

In the case of Jacob, when he died, his body was immediately brought back “home.” According to Genesis 50, “his sons did for him as he had commanded them, for his sons carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave of the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. After he had buried his father, Joseph returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.”

In the case of Joseph, the story required more patience. Over 400 years passed until the bones of Joseph were buried in the land of promise. See Genesis 50:25, Exodus 13:19, and Joshua 24:32. This man of suffering had faced a very low condition. He was rejected by his own people, accused wrongly, and forgotten by those who promised to come to his aid. But God was with him. Eventually he was taken from his prison house and exalted at Pharaoh's right hand. Yet he did not want to be buried in Egypt forever. He was looking for a better end to his story.

In all of this suffering and glory, he was a light pointing to the chosen Messiah. The very people who were listening to Stephen's words already supposed that they had done what they needed to in order to stop Jesus and His followers. But God was with His Son, and God is with His church. There is no amount of trouble that can utterly destroy what God is determined to glorify. Jesus loved us when we were His enemies. Now we are sons of God through Him.

1. What were the sufferings and glories of the Old Testament man Joseph?

2. How is it that Israel came to Egypt?

3. What were the circumstances surrounding Joseph's return to the promised land?

4. What does all of this have to do with Jesus?

OT Passage: Psalm 105:16-22

The Present Power of a Promise Believed

“Listening to Stephen Preach About Abraham”

(Acts 7:2-8, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 24, 2011)

… The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child. 6 And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’ 8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Why would we listen to a man like Stephen? Isn't anything from 2000 years ago passé? Stephen did not live in a world of seemingly boundless technology or of transcontinental communication and mobility, a world where an idea can no longer be contained. What can we learn from Him?

Like all the true Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles, Stephen had been in the presence of the God of heaven. Heaven's truths are never passé. They come from God. Did we create the earth? Do we have the end and the beginning of all things in our hands? We need a voice from a place of certainty. This is what listening to Stephen can do for us. He speaks for Jesus Christ on some very important matters. We have an opportunity in these verses to hear heaven's commentary on Abraham. Stephen lived 2000 years ago, and Abraham lived 4000 years ago. But heaven's understanding of Abraham was very important then, and it is still of critical importance now. There can be no message of more abiding significance than one spoken by the God of heavenly glory through His true servant.

… The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.’ 4 Then he went out from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran.

Out of all the people on the face of the earth 4000 years ago, the God of glory chose an unknown man named Abraham who would be a critical figure for three modern religious communities. Two of those traditions were represented by Stephen and his adversaries in Acts 6-7; the third would not exist for another 700 years. God appeared to Abraham and He directed Him. This personal communication between God and man was critical not only for Abraham, but for all who would seek to follow the God of Abraham.

When God spoke to His servant 4000 years ago and made a promise to him. Abraham was in one place in the Middle East, and the Lord was directing him to another. God intended to show Abraham a land. Abraham followed the voice of the Lord. He went out. Stephen's first point: 1. Abraham had God's direction and promise.

And after his father died, God removed him from there into this land in which you are now living. 5 Yet he gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot's length, but promised to give it to him as a possession and to his offspring after him, though he had no child.

Stephen recounts then the coming of Abraham into the land, and the Lord's promise to give this land to Abraham and to his offspring after him. Yet Abraham had no offspring yet, and he did not yet have any inheritance in the land yet, “not even a foot's length.” Now we have two points from Stephen: 1. Abraham had God's direction and promise. 2. That was all that he had.

Stephen then continues with the specifics of what God said to Abraham in Genesis 15, which was a remarkable word of God regarding events that would take place more than four centuries after Abraham's death.

And God spoke to this effect—that his offspring would be sojourners in a land belonging to others, who would enslave them and afflict them four hundred years. 7 ‘But I will judge the nation that they serve,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and worship me in this place.’

The Lord told Abraham the story of the book of Exodus. As yet Abraham had no offspring, but he would one day. They would not seem like much at first, but in the face of horrible persecution from men, they would eventually show how reliable God's word to Abraham was. The Lord told Abraham that the pathway to partaking the promise would include slavery and much affliction. He told him the time frame, and how He would judge the nation that enslaved them. He also told Him that His offspring would come out of Egypt and worship God “in this place.”

This was an astounding prediction, given that Abraham did not yet have one child or one foot of land in what would be Israel. But at the time that Stephen spoke these words, and even today, we are able to see that the Word of the Lord is utterly reliable, even when it would appear impossible on so many levels. By the time that God brought Israel out of Egypt about 1500 years before Christ, there were over 600,000 adult male Jews. Today, even after the horror of the Holocaust, experts estimate that there are over 13 million Jews throughout the world.

God was faithful to His promise to Abraham. Though Abraham had no offspring and no land, by the time that Stephen preached this sermon, millions of descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob lived in the land that God showed to Abraham and they had spread abroad through many trials to other lands in preparation for the Lord's greatest gift to the Jews and to the world, Jesus.

8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham became the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs.

Not only was the Lord's word reliable, but he sealed it with a covenantal sign, circumcision, God's visible encouragement to Abraham of the Lord's knowledge of Abraham, and the Lord's claim upon him and his offspring. See 2 Timothy 2:19. The fulfillment of the promise started slowly with Isaac and then Jacob and then the twelve patriarchs. But those twelve would become tribes, and people well beyond the sons of Abraham would one day count themselves as children of the great old man through faith in Jesus Christ.

Stephen's points from the life of Abraham: 1. Abraham had God's direction and promise. 2. That was all that he had. 3. That was enough. Stephen is working toward a conclusion: True followers of the God of Israel will hear His promise and move out in obedience.

This is the way of true religion. The promise of God has come in Christ. He is the Word from heaven. He believed the word of the Father, and He moved in a direction that looked like nothing but sadness, but led to heavenly glory for millions. The Jews in Jerusalem who received Him may have appeared to be an unlikely group to move the world, but we can now testify to the fact that they rocked the cosmos. Abraham did not look like much. But the God of heaven spoke to him and he received the promise of God. Stephen carried the message of Christ on his face, on his lips, in his life, and then in his death. God used him well. He will use you if you will hear Him. You can bear a message with your life, a message from heaven. It is a word that cannot be contained.

1. What details of the lives of the patriarchs does Stephen recount?

2. How does suffering fit into the life of God's faithful servants?

3. How did God prepare Israel for His best promises?

4. How was circumcision a covenant?

OT Passage: Genesis 15

Speak Lord, Your Servant Hears

“Honey from the Rock”

(Acts 7:1-2, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 17, 2011)

7:1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?” 2 And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me.”

… (57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears ...)

7:1 And the high priest said, “Are these things so?”

The high priest had heard the accusations that witnesses had made against Stephen. Stephen was one of the servant-leaders of the Christian movement that was gaining thousands of followers throughout Jerusalem. This was not the first time that the high priest had heard about Jesus and His followers. The priests and the Sadducees who were in charge of the temple precincts, together with other Jewish leaders in the Sanhedrin had been trying for many months to stop God. That is why they had condemned Jesus of blasphemy and turned Him over to the Romans. That is why they had instigated the crowd to ask for the freedom of Barabbas when Pilate wanted to free Jesus. That is why they had tried to spread a false report denying the resurrection. That is why they had demanded that the apostles stop preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus.

Some Jews who were part of a movement called the “Synagogue of the Freedmen” considered Stephen their enemy. They were Jews who had come to Jerusalem from places like Northern Africa and modern-day Turkey in the north, and were zealous for Rabbinic traditions. They had seized Stephen, a truly great man, full of grace and power, and had dragged him before the council with some false witnesses that they had instigated to bring certain charges against Stephen, who had a face like the face of an angel. These witnesses said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” They also said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law.” They went on saying, “We have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” These were the charges: that Stephen was involved in religious hate speech against God in His own Promised Land, speech that God had said in His Law should be punished by death, speech against the Holy One of Israel, against Moses, and against the temple, the Law, and Jewish customs. The charge was not only blasphemy but also insurrection through Jesus, who Stephen and the Christians claimed was alive; that this resurrected Jesus would destroy the temple and change Jewish customs. The charges against Stephen were very serious. Before the entire council and before Stephen's accusers and anyone else who may have been witnesses on that day, the High Priest asked Stephen this question: “Are these things so?”

In asking this question he opened the door of public fairness to a man that the Scriptures say was “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” A forum like this was a dangerous one for those who are committed to a lie. Truth might break out in unexpected ways. Make no mistake about many of the priests, the Sadducees, the Sanhedrin: They were not seeking the truth. They were committed to this lie: that Jesus and his apostles were mortal enemies of Judaism and deserved to die.

When you give a man full of the Holy Spirit an opportunity to speak about Jesus, the Scriptures, Moses, the Law, the temple, and Judaism, you may not like what God says through that man. If truth breaks out, you may not be able to contain it, even if you kill the one who speaks the truth.

The Synagogue of the Freedmen already knew the danger of free speech. The foreign-born Jews who were in that movement had confronted this servant-leader-preacher Stephen and had tried to contain him themselves. They had tried already to use words against him, and they had learned that it was not advantageous to give this man a chance to speak. They had learned that “they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”

2 And Stephen said: “Brothers and fathers, hear me.”

Sometimes we speak. Sometimes we don't. Stephen spoke. There is no rule to tell us when to speak and when to be silent. When the high priest had invited Jesus to answer the charges of false witnesses, at first He remained silent. Then He responded to this direct question: “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.” See Matthew 26:57-68. The servant of the Lord speaks when the Lord wants him to speak, and keeps his silence when God wants him to be silent.

But when the Lord's servant does speak, we need to hear the words that such a man says. Stephen talks to his fellow Jews, calling them “brothers and fathers.” He has a word from God that all those who are interested in the story of the Bible should hear. Moses had written so long ago: “Hear, O Israel.” Later, the psalmist Asaph wrote, “Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!” He said, “Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.” Israel sang out Asaph's song. They gave voice to the voice of God encouraging them, “With honey from the rock I would satisfy you.” When the Rock of Israel came to die, when He was hungry in the wilderness and facing fierce testing, He said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Israel was the covenant community, the church of God in their day. Above all people on the face of the earth, those who were spiritual teachers and leaders in Israel needed to hear the Word of God not only with the ear, but with the heart. That is why Stephen said to them in God's behalf, “Hear me.”

It is disappointing when anyone decides that he does not want to hear the Word of the Lord. It is especially disappointing when the covenant community, Israel, and then the church, will not hear the Voice of Jesus through His Spirit-anointed messenger. But it is especially heartbreaking when those who are religious leaders associated with the Name of the great I-AM, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will not listen to a man like Stephen, and will not listen to Jesus.

… (57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears ...)

We need to hear from God eagerly, and test everything according to the Scriptures. We need to hear passages from the Bible as they are read, seeing the point even before the messenger says another word. Then we need to hear that point brought forward succinctly by the Lord's servant that day. Jews all over the world, even today, need to consider what Stephen had to say. There is still time to see Jesus as the Hope of Israel and to receive Him gladly. Church leaders everywhere need to take a fresh look at the Bible in light of Acts 7. Jesus is Abraham's Messiah. When Joseph was brought so low before He was raised up to Pharaoh's right hand, he was telling the story of Jesus, who was brought lower than Joseph, and who serves as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Jesus is the God of Moses. The longing of Moses that all God's people would be filled with the Spirit is being fulfilled even now by the gift of Jesus from heaven. Jesus is the Temple of God, and He is building us up into the temple of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is not the enemy of Israel or the church. He is the ultimate Friend who died for his friends.

The church needs to hear the voice of the God-man who gave his life to give us life. Stephen followed Him in truth and in death. The martyr's truth is like a double portion of grace from God for all who will receive his words. He gives the word of the blood of the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, and he testifies to the truth of that message with all that he has.

1. What were the accusations against Stephen?

2. When should a servant of God speak?

3. Why does Stephen call his hearers “brothers and fathers?”

4. What does it mean to hear God's voice?

OT Passage: Psalm 81

Extreme Makeover

“Like the Face of an Angel”

(Acts 6:8-15, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 10, 2011)

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people.

A Christian needs to live in the presence of God. Stephen, one of the seven chosen by the church to address the needs of poor widows in Jerusalem, was such a man. In the coming chapter we are going to hear Stephen's preaching.

All human beings were created in the image of God. We are told in John 1:18 that “no one has ever seen God,” but that “the only God, who is at the Father's side,” Jesus the Messiah, “he has made him known.” Jesus, the son of God, is the perfect visible representation of the Father. John says that Jesus is “the son of the Father in truth and love.” He looks like His Father.

Whatever it may mean to be with Jesus, however men are able to do that, however we can practice the presence of God, when we do this, we begin to look like Jesus in some vitally important way. We become sons of the Father in truth and love. Stephen was a Christian.

What Stephen possessed, came to him from God. He was full of grace and power. Jesus was also full of grace and power. Those who stay near him will be full of grace and power. God's gives gifts to His people, especially the greatest gift, love. The gift of love can come upon the church in power. This changes the way that we feel and act, and even the way that we look to others. Malcolm Muggeridge and Indira Ghandi both said of an elderly woman who had dedicated her life to serving Christ by serving the poor that there was something about the way that she looked. The latter, who was a Prime Minister of India in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s, wrote this about her: “Gentleness, love, compassion, radiate from her tiny person.”

What attributes of the Son of God shine through your face? How might God use these summer messages from Stephen, the deacon, preacher, martyr, Christian, to give you an extreme makeover? God's grace and power changed the way Stephen looked. The Lord's presence was also expressed through this man in heavenly signs and wonders.

9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen.

Christians are supposed to shine with the presence of Jesus. That does not guarantee that everyone will admire them. The face of Moses was glowing with the light of heaven after his encounters with God. Even though he was a very meek man, he had his detractors.

Stephen had enemies too, including a number of people from a group called the “Synagogue of the Freedmen.” We do not know who these people were, or even whether the word translated “freedmen” means slaves that were freed or refers to a region outside of Jerusalem. Verse 9 gives us two key facts that we do know: 1. These Jews were foreigners who had settled in Jerusalem, and 2. They rose up and disputed with Stephen, a man who had a very good reputation, but who they felt was causing a stir because of his Jesus-like words and actions.

10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

This Stephen was a great man. The apostles had instructed the church to pick seven men who were “of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom.” Stephen demonstrated these qualities in his interactions with those who had determined that they hated him and that he had to be stopped.

Paul reminds Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:14 to teach the church “not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers.” This is good advice. But this Stephen was not a trouble-maker. When he spoke, it was not to start a fight, but to end it with the power of heaven-sent wisdom and the love and truth of the Spirit of God. Ending a quarrel does not mean that everyone agrees with you or stops hating you. Jesus ended a verbal attack against him from the chief priests, scribes, and elders in Mark 11. That did not make them all like Him. Their hatred against Him grew.

11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

The same thing happened here with Stephen. Defenders of the Law, at least in their own eyes, hated him. Ironically, they set up false witnesses and stirred up others with hatred and murder. Their accusation: Blasphemy – speaking against God, against Moses, against the temple, and against the Law.

What were these foreign Jews really upset about? They did not want Jesus of Nazareth, and they did not want other Jews to hear what the followers of Jesus were saying about the customs of Judaism. They called these traditions, “the customs that Moses delivered to us,” but we know that they mixed up the Rabbis with Moses, even deciding that you can't heal on the Sabbath. Moses never said that.

15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen was before the same council that condemned Jesus, the same Sanhedrin that told Peter and the rest that they could not preach and teach the Name of Jesus, the same men that listened to Gamaliel when he urged his colleagues to let the apostles alone since if they were not of God they would fail. They were all looking at Stephen. He was just there, in front of them.

What did they see? They did not see something that was of men. They did not see a failure. They saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Angels look a certain way because they go before God. Gabriel said this when He came to announce the coming of Messiah: “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news.”

Stephen had good news. He had a gift that the enemies of Christ could not answer – Jesus. Jesus is the Word that cannot be refuted. Men who will not receive Him may feel the need to rid the earth of Him. To die for Him is an honor. To kill His messengers is a colossal mistake.

1. What does the passage reveal about Stephen?

2. What does the passage reveal about Stephen's adversaries?

3. What does the passage reveal about the Holy Spirit?

4. What has the ruling council of the Jews faced since some among them began their plots against Jesus?

OT Passage: Psalm 101

Jesus working through His church...

“Obedient to the Faith”

(Acts 6:1-7, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, July 3, 2011)

6:1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

6:1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

In the early days of New Testament Christian experience, virtually everyone who believed that Jesus was the Messiah was Jewish. We know enough about first century life to understand that there were important divisions among Jews based on their theological beliefs like the division between the Sadducees and the Pharisees. There were other factions that had more to do with cultural differences. Would these cultural factions be present in Christian Judaism? For instance, would Christians be suspicious of one another based on the language they spoke? The two major groups of Christians, in terms of language, were Greek-speaking Christians, also known as Hellenists, and Hebrew-speaking Christians. Both groups had poor widows who needed daily assistance for living. Jesus cared about them. The church in Jerusalem was addressing the needs of these women through a daily distribution of bread. The problem came from the fact that Greek-speaking widows were being neglected. The Hellenists were bringing this complaint against the Hebrew-speaking group. The apostles had encountered the opposition of ruling Jewish authorities and had counted it a privilege to suffer for the Name of Jesus Christ. Would they be able to handle these internal prejudices by the power of Christ and the cross?

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The “twelve,” that is the apostles, heard about this issue, and they considered it important enough to call together “the full number of the disciples,” that is the church, which by this time numbered many thousands. They were determined to see this solved in the right way. The current situation was not right, but one potential solution to the problem was also “not right.” They said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.”

They understood their calling, and they knew the One who chose them for this work. If they were to do everything in the church, like addressing concerns about the distribution of bread to poor widows, they would not possibly be able to visit the various worship gatherings of Christians in homes throughout the city. They knew that they had to do the work that God had called them to do. The congregation of believers needed to step up to do what the body of Christ needed to do in caring for the poor among them and removing this offense. The church needed to pick seven additional leaders from their number who would see to this issue. This was an amazing solution, reflecting the belief of the apostles that God would be working through the people to see that His will would be accomplished. The original 12 leaders of the church were chosen by Jesus. The Judas replacement was chosen by casting lots in order to get the Lord's will. Now the congregation of believers was entrusted with this important task. This was a new step in the history of the church of Jesus Christ.

The apostles gave the people important direction. They told them the number of men who should be chosen and the kind of men they should choose:

1. They should be men with good reputations, probably both inside and outside the church.

2. They should be full of the Holy Spirit, men who were recognized as being directed by God in ways that were obviously like their Master Jesus.

3. They needed to be men who were full of wisdom, able to consider the way the Lord might work in their culture, gifted at humbly applying the Lord's commands of mercy and justice.

Once the church had made their choice, the apostles would approve of these men by appointing them to this position of responsibility. This would allow the apostles to continue to devote themselves to prayer and the service of the Word.

5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.

This plan “pleased the whole gathering.” We should expect that the will of God will be recognized by the believers. We need to be able to trust God that He can work through His children, helping them to discern those whom the Lord has gifted for special works, and then supporting those leaders as the body of Christ moves forward to care for the poor, and to perform many other great works that bring glory to the Lord.

They chose seven men, all with Greek names. One of these was Stephen, particularly noteworthy as a man “full of faith and of the Holy Spirit.” All Christians have some measure of faith and the Holy Spirit, but not all have the same fullness of these precious gifts. Faith hears the Word, believes, and acts with trust. The man who is full of the Holy Spirit obeys in accord with the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. His heart, mind, and will are moving in step with the Spirit at work within Him. At least Stephen and Philip were also preachers. The final man listed was Nicolaus, “a proselyte from Antioch,” a Gentile who converted to Judaism. Antioch would be a major missionary center for the early church where many Gentiles would come to faith in Jesus. The apostles showed their visible approval for the choice of the church by laying their hands on these men and setting them apart for this work with prayer to God for His blessing.

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

This is the way that the ascended Jesus, who died for us, continues to save His church. He works by His Holy Spirit. He works through the body of believers who are granted discernment as those who are fellow heirs of salvation. He works through leaders who are full of wisdom and the Holy Spirit. He works through humble elders who are able to affirm that the Lord has chosen others to take part in important works of sacrificial love. This is how the church should grow, by God working through His humble and expectant people gathering together in dependence upon Him and in submission to His Word. The Lord can bless a church that will follow Jesus this way. They know Him as Savior, but they also experience Him as Lord. So the number of disciples “multiplied greatly in Jerusalem,” and “a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.” They were able to see God keeping Hellenists and Hebrews together in love for the Christ of the cross. Maybe they thought that such a thing was impossible. But Jesus was working through His church, and all things were possible with God.

1. Why was the complaint of the Greek-speaking Jews significant?

2. What do we learn about the office of apostle in this passage?

3. How were the requirements for new servant-leaders appropriate?

4. What is the significance of the developments that followed this crisis?

OT Passage: Micah 6:1-8