Love Your Enemy

Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie had helped save over 800 Jews during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. Unfortunately they were captured by the Nazis and put in an all female concentration camp where Betsie later died. Years after the war Corrie traveled the world speaking about Jesus and her experiences during the war. One day she spoke at a church service in Munich, where she had the most unlikely encounter of her life...

“It was at a church service in Munich that I saw him, the former S.S. man who had stood guard at the shower door in the processing center at Ravensbruck. He was the first of our actual jailers that I had seen since that time. And suddenly it was all there – the roomful of mocking men, the heaps of clothing, Betsie’s pain-blanched face. 

He came up to me as the church was emptying, beaming and bowing. ‘How grateful I am for your message, Fraulein.’ He said. ‘To think that, as you say, He has washed my sins away!’ 

His hand was thrust out to shake mine. And I, who preached so often to the people in Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side.

Even as the angry, vengeful thoughts boiled through me, I saw the sin of them. Jesus Christ had died for this man; was I going to ask for more? Lord Jesus, I prayed, forgive me and help me to forgive him. 

I tried to smile, I struggled to raise my hand. I could not. I felt nothing, not the slightest spark of warmth or charity. And so again I breathed a silent prayer. Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me your forgiveness.

As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me." -Excerpt from The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom

“I forgive you, brother!” I cried. “With all my heart.”

For a long moment we grasped each other’s hands. I had never known God’s love so intensely as I did then. But even so, I realized it was not my love. I had tried, and did not have the power. It was the power of the Holy Spirit.
-Excerpt from 7 Women: And The Secret Of Their Greatness by Eric Metaxas

Remember this moment today, as we discuss some of the hardest teachings Jesus ever gave us.

“You have heard that it said” “But I tell you” You will hear these phrases used repeatedly by Jesus. He is saying, my teachings go beyond the Torah. My teachings touch not only the actions of a human being, but their hearts.

We will be in Matthew 5:21-48.

Last week we saw Jesus end his opening statements in the sermon on the mount, by declaring that if our righteousness does not surpass that of the pharisees, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, he is going to explain what he means by that.

Let’s begin with verses 21-22: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”

In the ten commandments it said 'You shall not murder,' 6th commandment. But Jesus says, in truth, it goes further than this.

Anger with another person, prolonged can lead down an ugly path. He uses the word “Raca” which is an Aramaic term used for contempt for someone else. Particularly, when we view someone as unworthy/worthless. And he goes even further, “you fool!” calling someone a fool in biblical terms was very serious. To call someone a fool was to accuse them of being immoral.

Something as simple as anger can begin to lead to contempt. We begin to despise that person. And soon, we begin to view them as a fool, someone who is morally evil and backwards. And Jesus says, this is a pathway to destruction. Do not allow your heart to go down this road.

Next, 23-24: 23 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.

Just like last week, we see how Jesus gives us concrete actions that will help guide our own hearts toward the right. Jesus tells us, if we find that another person has something against us, we should take action as soon as possible to make it right.

It’s interesting too, it doesn’t say if we have something against someone else, but if someone else has something against us, we should try to make it right, if we can.

The result of such an action? Our heart is affected in a positive way. 

Next, 25-26: 25 “Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still together on the way, or your adversary may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. 26 Truly I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

Jesus continues on the topic of anger, and controlling our emotions. He reminds us, to settle matters quickly with our adversary. This certainly could refer to an actual legal situation. But, it’s also a great metaphor for a conflict with a friend or family member that begins to escalate. And Jesus tells us, it’s best if possible to resolve it. Sometimes a very small dispute can spiral out of control so quickly, and over time the relationship is ruined. But, if we pause when agitated, stop, and figure it out, we can make it right before it goes too far. He’s reminding us: Don’t let pride get in the way, these situations are too important. Choose to be the bigger person and make it right.

I’ve found being a Christian is essentially choosing over and over to be the bigger person in any given situation.

Next, Jesus is going to move on to the topic of lust and human sexuality.

Verses 27-28: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

This is the 7th commandment in the 10 commandments. Again Jesus takes us to the heart. It’s not just about not having an affair. It’s goes further. If you even look at a woman lustfully, you’ve already broken that commandment.

Now, we’re Christians, yet many can attest to struggling with lust, or anger. Why? It’s because we’ve been given a new heart, but we still live in a fallen world. Our heart is redeemed, but still battles a fallen nature. So our hearts are undergoing a change from the Lord, from glory to glory. And the Lord wants us to cooperate in that process, by living the things Jesus is telling us.

Jesus goes on in the next two verses to explain the seriousness of sin. God takes sin very seriously, and we should too. Sin can affect our hearts in a profound way. But in the wrong direction! Jesus gives one of his strongest warnings in the entire New Testament here:

Verses 29-30: 29 “If your right eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Guard your heart. By your choices, you can participate in guarding your heart. Or our hearts can become slowly corrupted by wrong choices. But do not be afraid! As always you have three powerful friends to help you in this journey: God your Father, Jesus Christ your savior, and the Holy Spirit within you.

If your eyes are leading you to lust, take action. Repent quickly. If your hand is causing you to stumble, take action, repent quickly. And by so doing, you will guard your heart.

Jesus is going to continue on the topic of sexuality, and now he’s going to speak particularly about marriage.

Verses 31-32: 31 “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Here we see that the law of Moses allowed a man to divorce a woman simply with a certificate of divorce, but, Jesus says the way of the heart is different. He says, divorce should be very rare, only in the case of sexual immorality, though other scriptures imply abandonment by an unbelieving spouse is also grounds for divorce (1st Cor 7:15). With these issues it’s always wise to seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit. 

But the message is clear: Divorce is destructive, and marriage is meant to be permanent. He doesn't want us getting divorced and remarried every time we have a disagreement or catch feelings for someone passing by, he wants us to recognize the importance of marriage as a lifelong commitment before God.

Jesus is next going to get into community relations.

Verses 33-37: “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one."

Let your “yes” be “yes” and let your “no” be “no.” This is heart integrity. There shouldn’t be a need for taking oaths, the integrity of a Christian should be so complete, that when we say something, we mean it, and we do it. And everyone simply expects that from us. Swearing oaths was a big thing in ancient times, and we still do it in court rooms today, but, God prefers our character be that we don’t need to swear anything, people simply know they can trust our word and our actions. This flows from a heart choice of integrity.

By series of decisions we build integrity, or we begin to lose integrity. But nothing is final, always come to Jesus, and he can fix anything in us, if we’ve lost integrity, Jesus can restore it, if we’ve developed sexual misconduct, Jesus can redeem it, if anger controls us, turn to Jesus, he will help us. Always, with all of this, remember the answer is to turn to Jesus, and ask Him to do a work in your heart, and then obey what Jesus speaks to you in the Holy Spirit.

The last ten verses are really going to round out this way of heart holiness that Jesus is explaining. He’s going to directly address how we deal with people who have hurt us, make us angry, and those we consider enemies.

Verses 38-39: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person.”

The old testament said, if you are attacked, you may retaliate. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth. But Jesus says, do not resist an evil person.

If they speak poorly about you, don’t say to yourself, well I’m going to spread some rumors about them. Instead, take actions that are shockingly different then the way of the world. Pray for them. Set good boundaries, but refuse to hate them. Love them. It is radical act in a sinful world, and no one knows how to respond when they've spewed out hate and you've responded with love. 

Jesus continues, 39b: "If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also."

When Jesus was taken to the cross... When he was spit on, reviled, mocked, when nails were driven through his hands and feet, so much abuse was heaped upon him... it stopped there. Jesus did not return it to those who harmed him. He absorbed it. He took it upon himself. Hate, shame, rage, disdain, all ended. It did not boomerang back. It stopped. 

In middle-eastern culture, a slap was not a physical assault as much as it was an attack on the person’s honor. Jesus tells us: Don’t continue the cycle of hate. Let it end with you. And yes, you’ll look like you lost. But you actually won. Because hate and disdain was poured on you, and you refused to continue the cycle of hate, you ended it. That is holy love.

He continues, verse 40: "And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well."

Imagine, if someone takes something from you, and you offer them, without being ironic, your jacket too. This would speak to their greed, possibly change their life forever. But ultimately again, the act changes you. It changes your heart. By choosing a higher path, your heart begins to get used to choosing a higher path, and more and more, we choose the higher path naturally.

Does this mean we must always give someone something more if they steal from us? No, this is very situational, and must be led by the Holy Spirit. But the principle is clear: Don’t demand your rights, don’t retaliate. Love your enemy.

Next, verse 41: "If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles."

Roman soldiers could compel civilians to carry supplies or belongings, and it was believed the rule was: Not beyond 1 mile. But Jesus says: Go the second mile.

It would’ve been so humiliating to be forced by foreign soldiers to carry their belongings, but Jesus flips the script, and says go a second mile with them. Suddenly a task forced on them, became an act of charity. And it shifts the entire spiritual environment.

Verse 42: “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”

Are we willing to help those in need? Poverty was very common at this time in Israel. There were many taxes from the Romans. And many felt they needed to protect what they had, instead of helping the poor. This is a great reminder that we ought to give generously to those in need, even if we risk our own financial safety.

In these last few verses, Jesus is going to get to the very heart of the matter. And he’s actually going to call it: “Being like your Father in heaven.”

So if you really want to go all in with God, which we all should, this is the way:

Verses 43-45: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Jesus says, love your enemies. Not just your neighbors. Not just family or friends. But your actual enemies. And pray for those who persecute you. Is that possible? Or is this teaching too hard? I firmly believe, it is possible, and it's not too hard.

There’s something many practice in recovery. If you have a resentment toward someone you’re instructed to pray for that person every night for two weeks, for God to guide them, favor them, and give them every good thing you want in life. What does this do? Over those two weeks, it changes your heart. And you begin to love that person.

Now, you should set firm boundaries with abusive people, but you can still forgive, love, and pray for them.

And we’re told by Jesus, if we do this, we’re being true sons and daughters of our Father in heaven. Because God does the same thing. He gives rain and food and safety to both those who love him and those who reject him. There are thousands of people in this city who reject and ignore God, yet they have air in their lungs, food, safety, jobs, and housing. God loves and cares for his enemies. Jesus wants us to do the same thing. By choosing this path in Christ, over and over, our hearts are placed in His hands, and he molds our hearts through these actions.

Jesus explains further: v.46-47: "46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?”

Anyone can love someone who loves them. But you are called to a higher way. The way of holy love.

Lastly, verse 48 says: "Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

This verse can feel intimidating, but see it in it’s context: The perfect way of love, to be like our Heavenly Father, is to love and pray for our enemies. To turn the other cheek. To go the extra mile. To refrain from lust. To keep our anger in check. And if we live out those things, we are indeed, living a way of life, where it can be said: They are perfect as their heavenly father is perfect.

This is the high calling. The holy path. It’s beautiful. It’s scary. It’s a bit intimidating. It’s exciting. It’s raw. It’s real. It gets into the nitty gritty of life. But when we look at it, we can all agree, it’s right. It’s really right.

Yet I think we look at it and think: “There’s just no way I can do that.” And we look down sadly, and want to give up.

But as we look down at the ground, something begins to spark in us, and it’s the Holy Spirit, whispering to our hearts: With Christ, anything is possible. 

A little ember begins to glow in us, and it bursts to life. And we begin to dare to believe. We see Jesus holding our hand. We see our Father walking beside us, holding our other hand. We see the Holy Spirit glowing within us. And we slowly go from looking down, to looking up to heaven, with courage and faith, and growing determination in our hearts, and we whisper: “With God, I can.”

Love. Your. enemy. Corrie Ten Boom learned this mystery through a single moment, seeking Jesus’ help. That then, must be the mystery of how to live the teaching of Jesus, in the moment of action, ask Him for help, and he will give the help, to complete the action. Her hand connected with the man who had tormented her in the concentration camp, and holy brotherly love was the result. 

Corrie Ten Boom learned that this was the way to have a heart like her Father in heaven. And so we may too, through walking in these footsteps, know the path that leads to the Father's heart.

A Heart Transformed: The Message of the Beatitudes

This is a story that Pastor David Gibbs from Lancaster Baptist Church tells of his upbringing: One day my dad came to me and he said, "I'm worried about you, David." He said, "You're selfish. I don't ever see you offer to help people. It's time for you to learn to serve.” 

I said, "What do you have in mind?" And he said, "Our neighbor down the road, the Tates, he's dying. He's really sick. And he's too sick to put out his corn. And I want you to go down and talk to Mrs. Tate and offer to serve them.”

"I want you to do something for them, not looking for something in return." 

And I said, "Whoa, dad, I know you love me and I don't want to be selfish. That's a sin. But dad, we don't want to do the Tate's corn.” I said, "There's not a nastier, meaner woman on the planet than Mrs. Tate!"

My dad said, "I picked the Tate's for a reason son. If you can't learn to serve you're going nowhere with God." Well, we went down to the Tate's knocked on their door  and here come Mrs. Tate. She opened the screen door, she didn't say "hi" she started cussing me out standing there, "What do you want little Gibbs!?"

I told my dad, "Do you hear this?" Then I turned to her, "I don't want nothing my dad wants to talk to you." 

My dad said, “No, tell her what you want to do.” 

I said, "Mrs. Tate I know your husband's dying, and you're not getting your crop out. Well we'd like to help get your crop out-" And my dad stopped me. He said, "Tell her it would be your privilege." 

I said, “My dad thinks I'm selfish. I probably am. But my Bible says it would be our privilege to serve you." 

She replied, “Well, my equipment is not ready.” My dad said, "That's okay. We'll use ours. My boy wants to serve you because he's a Christian.”

She looked at me and she said, “Is that right?” I said, "well, yeah.” So we got their crop out. Then we got it harvested. My dad sold the corn. He said, "Now I want you to take the money to her and thank her for the privilege."

I went down the road and knocked on her door. And I said, "Here you go, Mrs. Tate." 

She looked at me and said, "I know you guys are always inviting us to go to church. We've never gone, but any chance we could go this Sunday with you?" They both went and he got saved.

In less than two weeks, he was in eternity. At my wedding, years later obviously, Mrs. Tate was there. She came up to me and said that day: "I'm so glad your dad taught you to serve, son."

Two things happened, first, a family got blessed, but additionally, for David Gibbs, his heart was deeply affected by these events. He was changed.

When I think of the life of Jesus, he lived these truths. And he also taught them. And we teach about them in our sermons today. Our sermons attempt to communicate truths that will help us to live the way described in this true story from the life of pastor David Gibbs.

A sermon can teach us and inspire us to live out a heart of loving service. I'm sure you can think of many sermons in your life that have deeply touched you. I think of so many of the greats. Certain names come to mind, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, A.W. Tozer... But there is one single, great, perfect sermon. And it was given by none other than Jesus our savior himself. Today we refer to it as the sermon on the mount.

For this new sermon series the Lord has given us, we are going to go through the different sections of the sermon on the mount, examining what they mean for our hearts.

We will be in Matthew 5:1-20.

Beginning in Matthew 5:1-2: “1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them.”

As often was the case, Jesus sat down to begin teaching. His 12 disciples gathered closest around him, and the crowds gathered on the hillside for the message.

We don’t know exactly how many were present, but most likely there were thousands, possibly even more.

This sermon message would be the key manifesto of the kingdom of God: How to live as a Christian in a broken world. This first section deals with the human heart. And as Jesus often did, he flips the expectations of the world on their head.

He began this way, verse 3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

When you see that word blessed, you can also think of it as if Jesus was saying “happy are those who…” "Or favored are those who…"

The first thing he mentioned is the concept of being poor in spirit. What does this mean? The original Greek here pictures someone who is a complete beggar, something with inner bankruptcy toward God.

It reminds me of step 1 in the 12 steps: "I admitted I was powerless, that my life is unmanageable."

God wants us to come to him, and he says we are blessed and happy, if we come to him knowing we are completely reliant on Him for everything.

Complete and utter dependence on God. Is that who you are today?

I need Jesus. Totally reliant or…

I’m in control, and I tag religion on to the side. Do we have some controlling domineering types in the room? You must surrender and become totally reliant on God. You are not in control. God is in control. And when we try to be in control, we’re usurping the place of God. We are playing God, and that is idolatry.

Those who recognize, they are poor in spirit, totally dependent on God, Jesus says, will belong in the kingdom of God. They find a safe comfortable place within it’s borders.

Next, verse 4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

A mourning heart is a heart that is grieved over their own sins, the sins of the world around them, and the unsaved people in the world. This Greek word pictures heavy grief. And remember, Jesus is speaking to a crowd where many have not embraced him as their savior, so he’s pointing to people who are unsaved, and he’s saying if you grieve over your inability to follow the Torah, you will be comforted, if you grieve over your sin, and I think this is key: If you grieve over your disconnectedness from God, you will be comforted.

Next, verse 5: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."

In English we often think of meek as being the same thing as weak or pandering. But in the original Greek, it pictures great strength placed under control, a strength tamed and submitted to God, and channeled toward God’s purposes.

In Greek literature praus was the exact Greek word used for when a wild horse was captured, tamed, and broken in, to be a warhorse. It’s strength wasn’t removed, but it was channeled toward a different purpose.

Next, verse 6: "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

The first three mentioned here, poor in spirit, mourning over sin, and meek/humble, all bring someone to the point of hungering and thirsting for something more, something holy, something pure, hungering and thirsting for righteousness. And Jesus promises, if you do, you will be filled.

Filled by Jesus Christ himself. Filled by his body and his blood. Filled with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus takes the person who is poor, mourning, and meek, and longing for righteousness, and that person is in a perfect position to recognize their need of a savior, and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior. Isn’t that amazing?

And I think the next few verses of the beatitudes are all going to explain, after receiving Christ, how to live.

Verse 7: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

Once we’ve seen God’s mercy to us, all our sins forgiven, God wants us to show mercy to others. To avoid judgment. But to forgive quickly and love. Position of the heart.

Verse 8: "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."

This depicts the second work of grace, a heart made pure and holy in love. The pure in heart, made so by Jesus, made so by the Holy Spirit’s sanctifying work, will see God face to face.

Verse 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."

What does the word of God mean by peacemaker? This is very important, we are called in the Bible, ambassadors, peacemakers in the world.

But this does not refer to the modern concept of “keeping the peace” by staying quiet. I think many Christians think that, if I just stay quiet I can keep the peace, but it’s a false peace.

The biblical concept of peacemaker, is “making peace” by actively stepping into broken situations, and bringing healing and peace of Christ.

Often we think well, just don’t make waves. Jesus made waves. For the right reasons of course. Make waves when Jesus calls you to, for a holy purpose. Don’t “keep the peace” be one who goes out and makes peace a reality in people’s lives by ministering to them.

Next, verse 10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Essentially, it’s saying, to live holy, in accordance with the kingdom of God as Jesus is describing it, means you will be persecuted.

Verses 11 and 12 are going to expand on this: 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Happy are you if you’re insulted, persecuted, and falsely called evil things, because of Jesus. The result? A great reward is waiting for you in heaven.

Jesus understands that it’ll hurt, but, he reminds us that our response should be to rejoice, have joy when we’re persecuted, because we know it means rewards in the future. (Not an easy thing to do apart from the Lord)

Verse 13 is fascinating: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

It is possible, Jesus is saying, for a disciple to be the salt of the Earth, on the cutting edge of culture and society and leading the way of humanity toward truth, or a disciple can drift, and become bland, and then he says, once bland, it’s no longer good for anything but to be trampled under foot.

We are called to be a physical extension of God’s kingdom. Every offering given in the Old Testament, in Leviticus was to be salted, Leviticus 2:13 said, "Salt all your grain offerings, do not withhold the salt of the covenant you have with God."

Jesus gives another metaphor, verses 14-16: “14 You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

So Jesus has gone through 9 heart positions, internal heart positions, but now he quickly points to externally focused actions. Be salt to the world, don’t lose your saltiness. Be light to the world, do not hide your light, but let your light shine through actions that flow from a heart devoted to God.

In Jewish culture, it’s interesting, the temple was considered the light of the world, but Jesus is saying "No, it’s you."

In the last four verses, Jesus is going to tie together the opening section of his sermon with profound statements.

Verses 17-18: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

Many in the crowds I’m sure were beginning to believe that Jesus was doing away with all the commandments of God, in favor of a different way. But Jesus says, that isn’t the case. He didn’t come to abolish the Torah, but fulfill the Torah. In fact what Jesus brings builds on the torah, it’s the next step in the spiritual development of humanity.

For us today, Jesus speaks again to our hearts, often our hearts want to “get out” of the responsibility of obedience to God. We tell ourselves well Jesus paid it all, so I can live however I want, and even if I keep sinning it’s ok, but Jesus says no, I haven’t come to do away with God’s commands, I’ve come to fulfill them. Jesus comes to give new commands, his two great commands to love God and love others. And to follow the Spirit, to love our neighbor, to repent of sin by the power of the Holy Spirit. He didn’t come to end all law, but to fulfill an old law, and bring a new law, the law of love, of the life giving Spirit.

Jesus continues: v. 19 “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

If we teach God’s commands as optional, we will still go to heaven, but we’ll be considered least in the kingdom of God. But, if we teach the whole counsel of God, the whole word of God as commands, we will be called great in the kingdom of God.

Lastly, verse 20, Jesus dangles us on a ledge: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

How could that be possible? Jesus would willingly give His life on the cross, to make us holy. And he would send us the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit would sanctify us, cleanse us, so that we would go even further than the old laws. The old testament law said, "an eye for an eye", we are told to love and pray for our enemies. The Old Testament said by your actions you’ll be judged, for us, our thoughts are considered also.

Many denominations would say that Jesus fulfilled it all, so we will sin all the times, but it’s OK. The word of God tells us, shall we go on sinning so grace may abound? By no means (Romans 6:1). By the Spirit, we are to put to death the deeds of the flesh (Romans 8:13). And it all goes back to the heart. Because of Jesus Christ, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit with us, we can live a righteous life. With a new heart, given by Jesus, anything is possible!

Think back to the opening illustration: Little David Gibbs was discipled by his dad, to go do an act of service, and it changed the lives of people he served, but it also changed David’s own heart. Jesus is like the dad in the story, calling us to acts of love and service, and those acts definitely do help other people, but those acts also change our hearts. They mold our hearts into Christ’s likeness. But, when we avoid them, or ignore them, or even do something the opposite of love, that also forms and shapes our heart, in the wrong direction.

Do you long for a heart change today? Maybe you need the first heart change today, that is stone to fresh, that is giving your life to Jesus Christ and being born again? If that's you, give your life to Him today. But perhaps as a Christian you need a heart change?

Maybe you need to go from wounded, to healed? Ask Jesus.

Maybe you long to go from controlling to submitted? Ask Jesus.

Maybe you desire to go from angry to gentle? Ask Jesus.

Maybe you need to go from ashamed to set free? Ask Jesus. 

Maybe you need to go from bitter to joyous? Ask Jesus.

Maybe you long to go from selfish to servant heart? Ask Jesus.

He will changes our hearts. All we have to do is ask. But, don't be surprised if His answer includes an action that will craft the heart change in you that you desire. 

Stephen's Prophetic Message to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7)

I was in Cancun over the last week, thanks to the generosity of my mom and step-dad, who have a time-share there. We had a wonderful time. Such a beautiful place, we saw the sunrise, the beaches, the pools, enjoyed good food.

The Lord guided us, and my mom, bless her, she handed out so many Spanish gospel tracts, and little Jesus’ to people, to children, and to workers. And I did a few times as well too.

But one night I needed to do laundry. They had a laundry service there. So I took my laundry down, and there was a lady named Isela who was there to help me. Before I left I felt the Lord urge me to take a tract and a little Jesus downstairs with me. So I reluctantly did. I was tired, didn’t feel like doing ministry, but, I felt the Lord’s nudge, after listening to a sermon from Joe Sweet.

So I came in and she set me up with two laundry machines to use. I paid the bill. And I noticed a little Jesus on her computer, so I assumed she had already received one. So, I went to leave, and the Lord told me, go back and give to her what I had you bring. And I said in my heart, "But she already has one." The Lord pressed on my heart again, so I walked back in, and I said I want to give this to you. And she was so touched. She said her coworker had one, but she didn’t and she was so excited. She teared up. She treasured this gift so much. It was beautiful the look on her face brought me to tears. I came back to the room, so touched, thanking God.

Two hours later I came back, she had done all my laundry for me, and put it back into my bag. And she smiled and said, “you’ll like what I did with your clothes.” And I opened my bag later that night, and found she had folded every piece of clothing and put them in bags grouped by item. I was so moved.

This beautiful moment happened because of God. I obeyed, I was blessed. She obeyed and blessed me back, and so we both were blessed. Remember this, as we go into our message today.

This will be our last message in the Follow Me series, which has taken us through the first 7 chapters of the book of Acts, and followed the disciples actions as they sought to live out the things Jesus taught them during his Earthly ministry.

We conclude this series with God’s final message to the nation of Israel, after they had crucified their messiah. Throughout this message we will look at the words of Stephen, the longest speech recorded in the New Testament. But, I encourage today all of us to see, that it is not simply Stephen speaking, but God speaking through Him.

If you recall two weeks ago, we had seen Stephen rising to prominence in the early church, filled with the Spirit and full of wisdom. He was sharing the word about Jesus boldly, and this led a group from the synagogue of Freed Men to begin to debate with him. A controversy broiled around Stephen, until he was seized and taken before the Sanhedrin. There many false charges were brought against Stephen.

This brings us to our scripture today, which is Acts 7, and we’ll be looking at the whole chapter today. This sermon is going to a bit different, more than half of the message is scripture itself, so we are going to largely let scripture speak for itself today.

It begins like this: (v.1-3) Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”

2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran. 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’

Stephen’s speech is going to depict the history of the nation of Israel, and so many of the great things God did.

The glory of God showed up in history, to one man, Abraham. A man living in Mesopotamia. A man called out of Babylon (modern day Mesopotamia is Iraq, which was once Babylon). The God of glory showed his glory to one man.

Next, verses 4-5: 4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child."

So he left Babylon, and to understand human history, you must understand the dichotomy between Israel and Babylon. Babel represented the nations under the control of Satan, and God called Abraham out of that world, to a land that his ancestors would one day inherit.

What's amazing is Abraham had no children yet. He and his wife Sarah were elderly. Yet God promised that his descendants would become His own special people. 

Next verses 6-7: 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’

God spoke of hard times to come for the nation, but he would deliver them.

“In this place.” On ground that did not yet belong to him. The temple would one day be built.

Next verse 8: "Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs."

History continues, Stephen is connecting everything together before the Sanhedrin, explaining all that had happened over the entire history of the nation.

Abraham received a covenant agreement with God. Isaac was Abraham’s son. And his wife gave birth to Jacob and Esau. And Jacob’s 12 sons would become the future 12 tribes of Israel. God was slowly building a nation from one man!

Now the narrative switches from Abraham, to Joseph.

Verses: 9-10: “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.”

We begin to see a pattern, of the patriarchs persecuting those God calls. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery. But, God was with Him.

Next, 11-16: “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all.

15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.”

The nation had grown from one man, Abraham, to 75, who went to Egypt to escape a famine. God had given Joseph supernatural wisdom, to store up grain for a coming famine, Joseph had interpreted a dream God gave the king of Egypt, that a famine was coming. And so Israel survived by coming to Egypt during the time of famine.

How does this apply to us today? Joseph went through a horrible life, from external standards. Many of us have been through difficult times as well. Joseph was taken as a slave, endured temptations, trials, prison, but God took him to leadership over all of Egypt; for a purpose, to help supply the surrounding region during a famine.

Remember that the trials you’ve gone through, they have a purpose, a purpose you may not understand yet, but, one day you’ll look back and realize, God was doing something in me, and for those around me.

So we saw how Joseph was persecuted, yet God protected him. Now we’re going to see Stephen focus in on Moses.

Next, verses 17-22: 17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased. 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’

19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

God protected Moses, his chosen leader, and made sure that he would be cared for by Pharaoh’s daughter. God protected Abraham. He protected Joseph. He protects Moses. All for the purpose of guiding and building a nation that belonged to Him.

God is also your protector. But we have to understand what that means and how that works. Did Abraham, Joseph, and Moses have no problems? Of course not! They went through terrible problems and difficulties, but God protected them, and cared for them through it all. Joseph was sold into slavery. Moses was driven into the wilderness for 40 years. Abraham had to wait for years to finally have a child. So, God’s protection is nuanced, it does not mean we won’t have problems, we certainly will, but God will see us through them if we trust in Him.

What made Abraham, Joseph, and Moses special? Their hearts followed God in obedience even when it was hard. As you grow in your walk with Jesus, you can also train your heart to obey even when it’s hard. How? Small acts of obedience. They lead to large acts of obedience.

Obedience isn't always easy. But it's worth it. 

Next, verses 23-29: 23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’

Again, we see that God’s people did not recognize the leader that had been sent to them. They rejected Moses.

27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.

Moses fled into the wilderness, they had said of him: “who made you judge and ruler over us?” Stephen is pointing to a pattern in Israel’s history, rejection of those whom God sends. God uses people. Often he uses one person, like Moses, or Joseph, or Abraham, and so many times, God’s people were rejecting the ones he sent to them. Why? Pride is often the cause.

We too must guard our hearts against pride. It’s not about us, we are simply humble servants. I try to remind myself of that, any time I might think I’m so special, I’m a pastor, no, I’m a servant of God, that’s what the Bible says. And so we all are that. If we forget that fact, pride will destroy us.

Next: 30-34 “30 After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’ Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’

Moses meets the God of Abraham and Joseph. And he is called by God to go back to Egypt, to a people who had rejected him.

Verses 35-36 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’ He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and performed wonders and signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the wilderness.”

Rejected by the people, but called by God. The story repeats itself. 

Verses 37-38 are key: “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us.”

God will raise up a prophet like me from your own people, that’s the messiah, that’s Jesus. Stephen identifies the spiritual authority of Moses, given by God, he was in the assembly, he was with the angel, with the ancestors, and he received living words to pass to us. But I wonder if that phrase right there is not referring just to Moses, but also to Jesus himself, that he was with the assembly, with the angel, with the ancestors, and Jesus received living words to pass on to Israel. I have no doubt Jesus was with Israel in all those circumstances.

Next 39-40: 39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’

Again, we see the pattern of the people is to turn away from God. They turned in their hearts back to Egypt. They rejected Moses, they rejected Joseph, but, ultimately, the truth is, they were rejecting God himself. And at this moment it was made plain.

We too, in our walk with Jesus, can in our hearts turn back to the world. And we’re just going through the motions, showing up to church, but our heart really belongs to the things of this world.

Our heart can long for what’s familiar, because being a Christian can feel so new and different.

Next, verses 41-43: 41 "That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made. 42 But God turned away from them and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

“Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’ beyond Babylon.”

They rejected God, and made a golden calf. And that continued, so much so, that we see Stephen quote from Amos 5:25–27, specifically adjusting it to point toward the Babylonian captivity.

We see again the dichotomy between Babylon and Israel, God took Abraham out of spiritual Babylon, yet Israel in their hearts kept turning back toward spiritual Babylon, a place without God. So God would one day physically send them into captivity to Babylon.

We took can end up “turned over” to false things, if we choose them in our hearts. Romans 1 talks about that. We must guard against idols, and make sure God is first in our heart, before our family, before our friends, before our money or possessions, God must be first. He will not allow an idol in his place.

Next, 44-47 “44 Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him."

Here we see Stephen explaining how God’s presence traveled with Israel, in the wilderness God’s presence was exemplified by the tabernacle, carried by the people under Joshua, it remained in the land under King David, who enjoyed God’s favor. But it was David’s son Solomon who would build the temple where God’s presence would reside.

But next we see Stephen explain that God’s presence goes beyond buildings made of brick.

Next, 48-50: “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:

49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’"

Stephen hints, God’s presence isn’t just for the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, or Solomon's temple, or Herod's temple, but instead God ultimately desires that we would be His temple.

All of this has been building to this moment. Over Israel’s history they were blessed and guided by God. Yet the people often rejected the rulers God sent to them, they rejected Joseph, Moses, the prophets, but ultimately, the nation was rejecting Him.

Now Stephen makes his final charge against Israel’s Sanhedrin. And we discover that this entire speech God spoke through Stephen to Israel's leaders, is a grand rebuke.

Next 51-53: “51 You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

The central charge is clear: You are just like your ancestors, which he had just been describing, you always resist the Holy Spirit. You resist God.

He tells them, you persecuted the prophets, you killed John the Baptizer, and then you betrayed and murdered God’s Son who was sent to you. You received so many beautiful things from God over your history, but you did not obey the commands God gave you.

This whole speech can be seen as a prophetic judgment against Israel, pointing toward the destruction of Jerusalem, and the diaspora/exile.

"You always resist the Holy Spirit" is the central charge. But I had to ask myself: Are we so different today?

Are we obedient to the Holy Spirit within us? Or have we already decided ahead of time that we're going to do things our own way? Are we living out God's agenda, or choosing our own path? Maybe we aren't so different from Israel. 

Yet with all of this one might be tempted to think that God doesn't love Israel. In our world today there is a growing hatred for Jews in the world. But none of this is a reason to hate Jews. God has preserved the Jews through the centuries. He gave them a homeland again after World War II. And in the end times we know that Israel will at last be saved. God loves the Jews, and has a plan for their redemption.

As it says in Romans 1125-27: "25 I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written:

“The deliverer will come from Zion;

    he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

27 And this is my covenant with them

    when I take away their sins.”

So we see that one day, in the events of the book of Revelation, Israel will finally turn to Jesus their true savior. 

So next we see how the Sanhedrin responded to the accusations of God against them, spoken through Stephen... 

Next 54-56: "54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

The glory of God is revealed to Stephen, just as it was to Abraham, so long ago. It reminds me that not all of Israel was condemned, there was a remnant of tens of thousands who had turned to Jesus, and would flee the city before it’s destruction in 70 AD.

Next 57-60: "At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep."

They covered their ears, resisting the Spirit. We also get our first mention of the young man named Saul, who was there...

As they pelted him with stones, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus receive my spirit." He fell to his knees, I’m sure in great pain, and prayed “Lord don’t hold this sin against them." Much of this is similar to the crucifixion of Jesus, a martyr joins in the sufferings of Jesus, even to death, which is a beautiful offering before God. Yet Jesus is with him through all this, he sees a vision of Jesus standing to welcome him into heaven. And finally, Stephen dies, and it says he fell asleep. Because, he wasn’t really dead, though his body died, his spirit lived on. 

In Acts chapter 8 we see the church in Jerusalem is scattered by a rising persecution. They flee to Judea and Samaria, preaching the gospel to the rest of the nation, before heading out into the Roman empire, to begin the next phase of the mission: The gospel had gone out to Israel, and now, it would begin to go out to the Gentile nations. Only the 12 apostles themselves would stay in Jerusalem, for the time being.

We know from history, that in 66 AD Israel revolted against the Roman empire and expelled them from the nation successfully. However, Rome raised an army and attacked Israel, and in AD 70, they destroyed Jerusalem completely, and destroyed the temple, and the Jews were scattered among the nations.

Jesus said it, the temple would be destroyed, and it was, Stephen echoed it as well, and indicated the condemnation of Israel. And yet, we know there is great hope for a future salvation of Israel, in the end times.

So the gospel began to go out among the Gentile nations, to us, praise the Lord.

So in conclusion, I think to apply this message we can remember a simple truth: Humbly watch for the agenda of God in the world and in our personal lives. Don’t resist the Holy Spirit. Listen for the Spirit. Follow the Spirit. And don’t become prideful, because then we begin to grow deaf to the voice of the Lord Almighty. As Stephen, let us remember, we are humble servants of God, called to obey His Spirit.

Just like Isela, remember, to be obedient in the small things, because the small things can be big things, if we’ll just step out in faith, do something a little uncomfortable, we will have a beautiful story to tell.

The Rise of Stephen

In 2018 I was sitting in an apartment in central Chicago, at Seminary, with a room full of people I respected deeply, a professor and a series of seminary students. And we were exploring a simple but profound question: Can a Christian really live holy?

This question would consume this era of my life. I was wrestling with it. But my answer was no. It’s just not possible! But, as we were talking about it over and over again, something in me clicked, and it was like I took my first step out onto a shining barely visible pathway… and I said to myself fearfully: What if it’s really true?

As much as it scared me, it also gave me this jolt of excitement. Like I’d begun… to believe.

Today we’re going to be looking at the scriptures which depict a young man that seemed to begin to believe, that with Jesus, anything is possible, and the convergence that occurred around him as a result.

If you remember last week we studied how the apostles were arrested, and tried before the Sanhedrin, but we saw how God used a pharisee named Gamaliel to help set them free. And the church continued to grow.

We will be in Acts 6:1-15 today.

Starting in verse 1: "In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food."

During this glorious time, the number of disciples was growing. However, a dispute occurred in the early church. It was a dispute between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hebraic Jews. Hellenistic Jews were Jews who had adopted Greek culture. Greek culture had spread throughout the middle east after the conquests of Alexander the Great. These were Jews who maintained their spiritual connection to God but spoke Greek, wore Greek clothing and had their own Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures, called the Septuagint.

The Hellenistic Jews spoke Greek and the Hebraic Jews spoke Aramaic. No doubt this was one of the main causes that the Hellenistic widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

I’m sure this started as a minor dispute. Minor disputes happen in the church all the time. And it’s all about how you handle those disputes. If you handle the disputes carefully, you can preserve unity and bring things around to a better outcome. But if disputes are handled poorly, they can lead to division in the church.

Pray, and use caution before you speak. God is always there to help us use tender words. If your one of those people where stuff just flies out of your mouth, you can learn to speak gently. So that’s the first thing to note, when disputes happen, act fairly.

Second thing to notice, is the early church is already engaged in what we today call mercy ministry. They are daily providing meals for the widows in the church. This just underlines how important it is that we as the church help takes care of the practical needs of those around us, food, drink, clothing, housing, everything we can.

Verse 2: “So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

The twelve apostles rightly realize, they can’t do everything themselves. They need to delegate. There were times in my ministry when I tried to do everything, and you can’t, you’ll burn out. We need to delegate to other leaders who can take up positions of service.

Verse 3 continues: “Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them”

Seven men are to be selected. And they are given two key qualifiers for this leadership role: full of the Spirit and full of wisdom.

Whenever someone is in a leadership role in the church, there are certain qualifications that are necessary. For this role of serving food, they felt it was important that they be Spirit filled and wise.

Verse 4 continues: “...and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

This allowed the apostles to focus their attention on prayer and the word. They turned a responsibility over so that they would not be stretched in too many directions, and end up neglecting the key focus of their ministry.

Are you doing too much? Do you need to ruthlessly eliminate something from your plate? Are you stretched to the max? That isn’t God’s will for your life. He isn’t a God of busy. He is a God of faithful service.

Let’s see how the church responded: (v5-6) "5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them."

What’s interesting is that each of these names is a Greek name, they most likely put Hellenistic Christians in charge of the distribution, which meant the Hellenistic widows would no longer be neglected. That is wisdom. So they gathered the seven men up front, laid hands on them, and prayed for them, dedicating them to their new positions.

But here we get our first mention of Stephen. Historically we tend to view Stephen as a young man, though we don’t actually know his age. I think it’s fairly logical to think he was a young man, put in charge of providing food for widows. Though it is possible he was older.

But we’re going to see our scripture for today begins to focus in on Stephen. Something special was happening in Stephen’s heart and life.

Next, verse 7: "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."

It’s interesting, numerous times in the book of Acts we see the early church confronted with some problem, internal or external, but each time they respond with wisdom and tact, and the result is clear: The word of God continues to spread.

It says the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. And we get this beautiful statement, that a large number of the priests became obedient to the faith. The priests weren’t like priests we have today. Instead priests were Levites of the tribe of Aaron, who worked in the temple. So this was a beautiful and important shift, where religious leaders were turning toward Jesus in droves.

And we also in our city are beginning to see the word of God spread. As we faithfully pray and speak, and live holy, and reject sin, we see the power and presence of God growing in our lives and in our services. It’s amazing to observe.

Next, we see Stephen begin his rise:

Verse 8: "Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people."

We see this fascinating meteoric rise of Stephen, who goes from leading the distribution of food to the widows, a pretty simple but important role, to moving into the fullness of God.

Stephen wasn’t an apostle. He didn’t spend time with Jesus, as far as we know. He wasn’t an evangelist or shepherd, necessarily, he was an ordinary person. But as he took on this role of helping widows with food, it’s like something caught fire in Him.

He was already Spirit filled and had wisdom, but somehow it went further. He began to be full of God’s grace and power. God was looking with particular delight on this young man’s heart, and blessing Him with grace and power.

This is a beautiful thing. I love to see a believer in the church who catches fire with excitement and begins to pursue God with their whole heart.

It is a sort of “rising up” that occurs in our lives. Think back to the opening illustration. That pathway that began to appear, as I started to believe…

I had been caught in unbelief. I didn’t want it to be true. I didn’t believe Christians could live free from sin. But, one day, in Captain Matt’s class we were all attacking Wesley's position. And he finally said, "Someone defend Wesley..." and at that moment I thought to myself, what if it’s really true? I can’t sense it. I can’t see it. It would take an act of faith because it’s not my experience so far. But what if it really is true, that a Christian can live holy?

Diane Ury visited campus soon after. And she said to us, she pleaded with Jesus for holiness, but Jesus replied to her, I can’t give you that, but I can give you myself. She said we must learn to turn out face toward God's face, and seek His face. At that moment, I saw a shining face appear over hers for a moment, and I knew I had seen the face of Jesus.

Rising as a Christian, happens in those moments where we take a step a faith toward something we previously felt was impossible. Stephen saw the apostles performing signs and wonders, and Stephen dared to believe, by faith in Jesus, I can walk in that power too.

He was full of the Spirit, full of wisdom, and God was showering grace on Him. Spiritual power was the result.

Is God calling you to go higher with Him? As you walk closer and closer with God, building those times of prayer and fellowship, sharing the gospel, helping meet needs, you begin to build momentum, growth, faith, and you begin rising in the Lord. 

And perhaps like me back in 2018, you start to think to yourself: Maybe it is possible.

Next, verse 9: "Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.”

The spiritual battle heats up. Opposition comes. The Synagogue mentioned here, the Synagogue of the freedmen, was made up of Hellenistic Jews. They must’ve noticed one of their own, a Hellenistic jew preaching the gospel in Greek, and decided they needed to stop him. It’s also possible that Stephen used to be part of the freedmen and left to follow Jesus. Hard to say for certain. But apparently Stephen was engaging in consistently sharing the gospel, and they began to debate him.

Next, verse 10: “But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.”

They could not stand up. They tried their very best to out debate him, but they couldn’t. The Holy Spirit spoke freely through Stephen, and wisdom came out of his mouth from the Spirit. And I had to ask myself, as I was reading verse 10, how can that happen?

Does the Holy Spirit just by default speak through Christians all the time? Not in my experience. It takes a particular attitude of the heart and mind to have this occur.

But how? First, wisdom. We have three main books of the Bible that are considered wisdom literature: Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Job. They deal with where the rubber meets the road: practical application of God's truth in the world. 

The collision of a sinful world with the purity of God creates many complex, paradoxical, and difficult situations that we’re called to navigate as Christians. How can we navigate them successfully?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. As we fear God, we are drawn toward His way of doing things. Then we study and learn the word of God, and this gives us a framework for how to live our lives. We gain wisdom from the word of God, and apply it to our lives.

But, this equation is completed by adding the factor of being filled with the Holy Spirit. And being filled with the Holy Spirit is following the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

The more we are filled with the wisdom of God from scripture, the more the Holy Spirit has to work with as far as leading us and guiding us. If we know numerous scriptures, the Spirit can bring them to mind in certain situations. We learn to follow the Spirit’s leading, and when this is matched with wisdom from the scriptures, it makes an unstoppable combination.

The heart of a Christian who has trained their mind on the scriptures has wisdom, and this wisdom is a beautiful place in our heart for the Holy Spirit to be seated in glory, because our body/soul/spirit is the temple of God. Then the Holy Spirit guides us to apply situationally the wisdom of scripture.

Wisdom is like having the guidebook with us, and the Holy Spirit is like having the Guide with us. The guidebook is helpful for the Guide to point to and say yes, in this situation, this is the best way to respond. Stephen walked in this powerful Spirit-wisdom mentality.

The wisdom of the word matched with the leading of the Spirit within Stephen meant he could hear the word he had stored in his mind, and how to apply it situationally by the Holy Spirit.

So they couldn’t say a thing against Stephen, he’s proving to them that Jesus is the messiah, and they can’t refute it. So what do they do? Admit Jesus is real and become Christians? Not quite. 

Verse 11: "Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”

They hatch a plot against Stephen, to have a basis to accuse him. These men begin spreading the word that Stephen is teaching blasphemy.

Have you ever had someone stir up gossip about you? Or speak evil things against you? It’s not fun. But it’s something we can expect will happen to us as Christians. Pray for the people who do this against you. God may move in their hearts to change them. And better yet, you may learn to forgive them, and even love them. 

Next, verse 12: “So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law.”

These men begin spreading their evil agenda everywhere. The amazing rise of Stephen, the signs and wonders, are countered by a rise of persecution. Lies spread, outrage grows, and soon the leaders find out.

I’ve seen this happen before. Lies and controversy spread quickly, and soon the person being slandered is brought before the authorities. So it was with Stephen.

Verse 12b: “They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.”

An outright controversy is taking place, demonic in origin. We have a spiritual conflict taking place. So Stephen, this young man stands in the chamber of hewn stone that we talked about last week, before the 71 leaders of the nation.

It says next, verses 13-14: "13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

This is somewhat similar to the trial that Jesus endured, many false witnesses were brought forward there as well. I can’t imagine how difficult this must’ve been for Stephen; lies so blatant.

They make two claims, first that Stephen was speaking against the temple and the law. And second, that Stephen was saying Jesus would destroy the temple and change the customs of the oral tradition. These were all lies. 

Verse 15 says, “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

They are all staring at Stephen, and they notice Stephen’s face begins to appear like the face of an angel. An angel is often described in scripture as being like lightning, very bright.

Stephen’s face shines before the Sanhedrin. This is clear evidence to them, that Stephen is bringing the words of God to them.

Only three times in scripture do we see someone’s face shine. First, Moses when he came down from Mount Sinai after meeting with God. Second, Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. And third, Stephen.

For a moment, I want to bring us back to the mount of transfiguration, because I believe it points us to what was happening with Stephen in this moment.

From Matthew 17:1-5, “After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

Like we talked about at the beginning, our walk with God can be like stepping out onto a henceforth unknown path. But if we dare to believe, we can reach to new heights with the Lord. As we grow in maturity in him, we find higher and higher levels of spiritual growth. On the mount, Jesus’ shines and God tells them to listen to Jesus.

Similarly with Stephen, God makes his face shine, to say, this is my servant, listen to him. Imagine being so close with God that your face begins to shine as you speak about him, wouldn’t that be amazing?

So as we conclude today, I want to challenge you, how can you begin to rise in your relationship with God the way Stephen did? He was full of the Spirit and full of wisdom. Which do you need today? Ask the Lord to help you dare to believe something you used to think was impossible. He will meet you there and guide you up the heights, just as he did for Stephen, an average human, touched by God.