“It’s About to get REAL”

BIBLE READING: Acts 7

                I’m not exactly sure what occupation Stephen had before being selected by the Apostles to help with the ministry, but he sure knew how to preach.  Even after being falsely accused by people who were trying to get him to stop preaching, he is said to have the face that was like the face of an angel.  As he is about to begin his wonderful presentation concerning Jesus Christ, it looks as though Stephen had the attention of the high priest in Acts 7.1.  After the high priest’s question, Stephen saw an open door and began to preach the lesson that he was born to preach.  Knowing that there are those that are in opposition with him, he seeks to find some common ground with his fellow Jews as he goes all the way back to Father Abraham.  Abraham was held in the highest regard by all Jews, seeing as how he is the father of the Jewish faith.  He spoke of the Promise that God had made Abraham and how God made a special covenant with him through the act of circumcision.  He reviewed how God had done the impossible in granting Abraham a child in his old age, Isaac, who was to serve as an extension to that Promise of Genesis 12.  As he continued, he led them on a journey that they were all familiar with; it had stops at Jacob and how his favorite son Joseph grew to be hated by his brothers and was sold into slavery.  Then, in what seemed to be an impossible turn of events, Joseph grows from a slave to a prisoner, to a ruler, second only to the Pharaoh in Egypt.  He continued to show God’s providential hand leading Joseph, to not only save his own family from the famine, but single handily saving the entire civilization of Egypt.  That allowed for God’s people to live in the land of Egypt to allow for His Promise of deliverance to continue four hundred years later with Moses.  All the while tickling the ears of the high priests, the members of the Sanhedrin and others who are within ear shot of Stephen’s voice.  Stephen continued with describing the faithlessness of their ancestors that led to their wandering in the wilderness for those forty years, causing nearly an entire generation to perish, not being able to see the Promise fulfilled.  Then along with Joshua, Israel regains their prominence of God’s people and succeed on their conquest of the nation of Canaan.  This conquest fulfilled, in part, the promise that God had made to Abraham all those years ago. This allowed for God to use men like David and Solomon (who were also huge historical favorites of the Jews) to usher in the building of God’s Temple, cultivating what Israelites considered their “glory days”.  What does all this have to do with Stephen being a great preacher, you might ask?  In Stephen’s presentation, he so eloquently carries them on a journey of self-discovery without them ever being aware of it.  He allows them to see, that all the while God has been working through their people to accomplish His purpose for them, in an attempt to help them understand that God was still doing so with Jesus.  Then…just when he knows he has their attention and maybe even their support, he offers what would be considered “the invitation” (or as the kids might say “It’s about to get real, up in here”). 

"You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it." (Acts 7:51-53)

Sadly, the crowd responded in a way that Stephen probably expected; they killed him that day.  Now you might disagree with me by saying that Stephen was unsuccessful in his efforts of preaching, not getting a single positive response to his sermon that day.  However, I would argue that the response was very successful. Although Stephen may not have had the opportunity to baptize anyone into Christ, his sermon continues to bring people to Jesus today!  His sermon is one that allows the believer to see that after all the dust had settled of Israel’s history, one is able to see the hand of the Almighty has been involved in every single detail to fulfill His Promises to His People.  The best part just might be that the story doesn’t end there. God is still at work today in reminding us His Promises are sure!  What an amazing sermon, what a bold preacher, what an incredible God!