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good morning everyone I might be maybe a minute early but it's a better better early than late before we begin worship this morning just a couple of announcements a reminder an email went out a couple times pastor Butler is down in California right now preaching at the grace reformed baptist church of the Antelope Valley and then attending the conference down in California all be joining him tomorrow so so his vicar pastor porter is in the fault that this morning his substitute we can pray that would be a good Lord's Day morning secondly it is the lord's supper this this evening service so those who are able to of course our Lord's Supper is this evening at the evening service will have as we normally do a shortened beginning will preach and then observe that blessed ordinance of our Lord the Lord's Supper well let's begin our worship by a reading of Psalm 2 if you'll turn in your Bibles with me to Psalm 2 that will be our call to worship psalm 2 word of the living and true God why do the nation's rage and the people applaud a vain thing the kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his Christ saying let us break their bonds in pieces and cast away their cords from us he who sits in the heavens shall laugh the Lord shall hold them in derision then he shall speak to them in his wrath and distress them in his deep displeasure yet I have set my king on my holy hill of Zion I will declare the decree the Lord has said to me you are my son today I have begotten you ask of me and I will give you the nations for your inheritance and the ends of the earth for your possession you shall break them with a rod of iron you shall dash them to pieces like a Potter's vessel now therefore be wise o Kings be instructed you judges of the earth serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling kiss the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his wrath is kindled but a little blessed are all those who put their trust in him amen let's stand and sing if you have a hymn book there the larger one you can turn in the back to one of the inserts its be thou my vision will stand and sing be thou my vision together you please be seated let's go to our great God in prayer let us pray our righteous in our Heavenly Father we rejoice again yet again God that we can gather together in this place for worship truly it is an honor to be able to gather freely in this place of worship to worship the triune God and we pray that you would help us this day right now to worship you rightly we do pray again that your name would be hallowed here that it would be hallowed around the earth we pray that your will would be done on earth as it is in heaven we pray Lord God that you would be honored in praise that you would be worshiped this day certainly in this place by your gathered Saints but around the world God and those churches of yours we pray that you would by your spirit cause your Saints to worship you are right in spirit and in truth we do pray that you would be with us now that we might be able to cast aside those things that would intrude and in dirt a proper worship and that we would properly worship our blessed God in spirit and in truth we thank you for the forgiveness of sins through Christ Jesus the Savior we rejoice Lord God in that precious truth that you did send him here in the fullness of the times born of a woman born under the law that he might redeem those who are under the law we rejoice that he came into this world sinners to save and we acknowledge Lord God that all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God but we rejoice in that blessed truth that in your appointed and accepted time by virtue of Christ's finished work you have by your spirit made dead sinners alive in Christ Jesus by grace you're believers have been saved and we do pray God that you would help us this morning to rejoice in so great a salvation knowing that it has not been wrought by deeds of holiness which we have done but solely and alone by the perfect work of our redeemer the lord jesus christ we do pray that you would be with us that we might worship you now genuinely in light of all these things and in great joy that you might be the recipient of all honor and praise we would ask god you would be with those who need prayer for physical things we thank you that both Don and Shirley can be with us this morning we do pray that you'd strengthen each and each one of these our brother and our sister that they would know physical strength they would know physical healing and strength and body and we do rejoice that they can be with us and would ask that you would cause them as well to rejoice that they can be with the Saints and they can be here singing the praises of our God we pray that you'd be with John Proctor at home we had asked that you would strengthen him and Lord just bless him though away from us we pray that he would along with us be rejoicing in our God and singing the praises of our Christ and that you would tend to his body and even bring peace Lord God and healing to him in that regard we do pray that you be with the many others struggling physically we know you know them all by name we do pray that you bless each and every one of our dear brothers and sisters whether they're with us this morning struggling with disease or illness injury whether they're unable to join us that you would cause them to know healing Lord that you would strengthen their bodies and that you would above that and the inner man cause them to rejoice in the God of heaven and earth we do pray that you'd be with any and all who are traveling that you'd watch over them that you would strengthen them you would would return them by by your providential care home safely and we do just ask that you be with each and every one of these we pray for pastor Butler as he preaches this morning and this evening in palmdale we do pray that you would strengthen him for that task of ministering the gospel to that body of believers down there we do just pray that you'd give him what he needs to preach well and that you be with Pastor Barcelos and that congregation that you would grow their number that you would strengthen them in their confession and Lord God that you would cause them sunday in and Sunday out to gather together rejoicing in their God and singing your praises we do pray for this conference as well in California these hundred plus pastors and various seminary students and another person's that will be attending to attend this doctrine of God conference that you would strengthen those speaking to speak well concerning you to speak well from your word concerning doctrine as it pertains to our great God we do pray that those attending would be strengthened would be nourished by your word and in the truth they all might leave if pastors to their various charges to speak well concerning their guard and to have their God and to have learned well the things of a precious doctrine that come from your word we do pray that you'd be Lord God with those around the world as we come each and every Sunday into this place to pray for our brothers and sisters who are persecuted around the world for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ we would ask that you would be with each and every one of these weather in chains or under the heavy hand of enemies and those who oppressed we do pray that you would strengthen these and it caused them to know you Lord God as the god of all comfort the God who strengthens Saints in the midst of difficulties and afflictions we do just pray that you'd be near to them and we do pray again that you would deal with their persecutors that you would save those who are presently your enemies and that you would judge those who will remain in opposition to you we do pray that you would take them out of the way we think of of organized opponents of the living and true God such as Isis and we do pray that you would destroy them you would cast them down that you would pluck out their fangs that you would smash in their teeth that they might no longer bring violence against your Saints we do pray Lord God that you would even have abbot that such as such as are in these in these camps in parts of these death armies that you would even save some by Christians preaching the gospel and we know that Paul went into the homes and drag men and women out to be brought to trial even unto death we do pray as you conquered his heart that you would conquer the hearts of the enemies of the gospel that they might believe in the living and true God but again that you would judge those who would remain rebellious that you would cause them to no temporal judgment that would they would be brought to an end in this lower world to bringing their madness and their death and their violence upon the people of God we do pray though around the world right now God that by your spirit you would stir up the hearts and each and every one of your saints that they might sing the praises of their God and rejoice in salvation by such a Christ so be with us now father as we come in worship and continue in worship and might the hearts of your saints be found in genuine and joyful worship we pray that you would help us God to rejoice in you we pray as the preacher will preach later that you would strengthen him in the pulpit God that you would give him what he requires strength from on high to do so we do pray that Saints would be instructed here this morning and nourished and well equipped to go forward into this upcoming week and we would ask again lastly father that you would come by Amazing Grace and save sinners we pray whether young or old a boy or girl man or woman Lord God that you would be here and that you would save that you would by your grace to bring those who are dead in trespasses and sins to light in life in Christ Jesus our Lord we pray that you be with us now and that you would receive all glory in the name of Christ Jesus we pray amen let's stand and sing our next him if you'll stand with me and the Trinity hymnal again will be 217 that's the larger hymnal let's stand and sing 217 you can turn in your Bibles to the book of Acts for our new testament scripture reading I realize we're in the book of Revelation but this morning in this evening we're going to be preaching from acts 6 and 7 with regards to the account of the stoning of Stephen and so I want to because it is a large chunk of the book of Acts will move a reading of Revelation 82 next Lord's Day and will read acts 6 beginning in verse 8 to acts 7 43 this is x6 beginning in verse 8 once again the word of the living and true God and Stephen full of faith and power did great wonders and signs among the people then there arose some from what is called the synagogue of the freedmen sirenians Alexandrians and those from Cilicia and Asia disputing with Stephen and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke then they secretly induced men to say we have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God and they stirred up the people the elders and the scribes and they came upon him seized him and brought him to the council they also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us and all who sat in the council looked steadfastly at him looking steadfastly at him saw his face as the face of an angel then the high priest said are these things so and he said brethren and fathers listen the god of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia before he dwelt in her an and said to him get out of your country and from your relatives and come to a land that I will show you then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in her an and from there when his father was dead he moved him to this land in which you now dwell and God gave him no inheritance in it not even a to set his foot on but even when Abraham had no child he promised to give it to him for a possession and to his descendants after him but God spoke in this way that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land and that they would bring them into and that they would bring them into bondage and oppressed them 400 years and the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge said God and after that they shall come out and serve me in this place then he gave him the Covenant of circumcision and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day and Isaac begat jacob and jacob begat the twelve patriarchs and the patriarchs becoming envious sold Joseph into Egypt but God was with him and delivered him out of all his troubles and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh king of Egypt and made him governor over Egypt in all his house now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan and our fathers found no sustenance but when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt he sent out our fathers first and the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers and josephs family became known to the Pharaoh then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him down to Egypt and he died he and our fathers and they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of ham or the father of Shechem but when the time of the promised drew near which God had sworn to Abraham the people grew and multiplied in Egypt till another king arose who did not know Joseph this man dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers making them expose their babies so that they might not live at this time Moses was born and was well pleasing to God and he was brought up in his father's house for three months but when he was set out Pharaoh's daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son and Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds now when he was 40 years old it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel and seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended and avenged him who was oppressed and struck down the Egyptian for he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand but they did not understand and the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting and tried to reconcile them saying men are you brethren you are brethren excuse me why do you wrong one another but he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away saying who made you a ruler and a judge over us do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday then at this saying Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian where he had two sons and when 40 years had passed an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush in the wilderness of Mount Sinai when Moses saw it he marveled at the site and as he drew near to observe the voice of the Lord came to him saying I am the God of your father's the God of Abraham the god of Isaac and the God of Jacob and Moses trembled and dared not look then the Lord said to him take your sandals off your feet for the place where you stand is holy ground I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them and now come I will send you to Egypt this Moses whom they rejected saying who made you a ruler and a judge is the one God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush he brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness 40 years this is that Moses who said to the children of Israel the Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren him you shall hear this is he who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers the one who received the living Oracle's to give to us whom our fathers would not obey but rejected and in their hearts they turned back to Egypt saying to Aaron make us God's to go before us for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt we do not know what has become of him and they made a calf in those days offered sacrifices to the idol and rejoiced in the works of their own hands then God turn turned and gave and gave them up to worship the host of heaven as it is written in the book of the prophets did you offer me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness o house of Israel you also took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your God REM fan images which you made to worship and I will carry you away beyond Babylon amen well let's pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in the reading of the scriptures we thank you for Stephens rehearsal of the history of Israel as it ultimately pointed forward to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray that you would always bless us after enduring a reading of your scriptures that we might take in your word that we might know it we might understand it by your spirit and that we might rejoice in its truth we pray that you would be with us again now as we continue to worship help us God to be those joyful genuine worshipers of yours and might you receive again all glory and honor and praise we pray in Christ Jesus name Amen well let's stand and sing our last him then is 220 again in the larger Trinity him to let stand and sing 220 you please be seated and turn in your Bibles 2x7 again we finished off reading 2 verse 43 will pick up reading at verse 44 of chapter seven act 7 verse 44 the word of the living and true God our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness as he appointed instructing Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen which our fathers having received it in turn also brought with Joshua into the land possessed by the Gentiles whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David who found favor before God and asked to find a dwelling for the God of Jacob but Solomon built in the house whoever them ever the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands as the Prophet says heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool what house will you build for me says the Lord or what is the place of my rest has my hand not made all these things you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in hardened ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your father's did so do you which of the prophets did your father's not persecute and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth but he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said look I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God then they cried out with a loud voice stop their ears and ran at him with one Accord and they cast him out of the city and stoned him and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with this sin and when he had said this he fell asleep now Saul was consenting to his death at that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria X the Apostles and devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him as for Saul he made havoc of the church entering every house and dragging off men and women committing them to prison therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word amen let us again pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in this text of Scripture we rejoice in that promise being fulfilled that Christ would build his church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it we do pray that you would help us now as we consider the martyrdom of Stephen we pray that you would bless us in this exercise both preacher and here that we might be the better for having gathered and that we might learn well from our God and from your word we might leave this place instructed in the truth and living it to go forth and to live in light of the gospel of saving grace so be with us now father might all that has done be done to your glory and we pray in Christ's name Amen well this morning in this evening we're going to look at this passage I know it is the lord's supper this evening so this morning our consideration will be the Stephen of Christ and this evening the consideration will be the Christ of Stephen so we remember tonight the Lord Jesus Christ and we remember him with regards to the Lord's Supper no doubt there is much of our Christ in this passage to avail of that we might fill our minds that we might have a burning remembrance of our Savior but this morning we want to look at the Stephen of Christ who is this Steven what is he marked by what are his characteristics what can we glean what can we gain by a consideration of this the first martyr of Christianity this is first off by way of introduction what is the book of Acts what is the book of Acts we're parachuting into acts six and seven but what is this book we could say that this book of Acts is the narrative record of the fulfillment of Christ's promise in Matthew's Gospel I will build my church and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it ax is the narrative record of that being fleshed out in time and in history following our Savior death his resurrection and his ascension we have this record of that promise being brought to fruition we have in acts 18 for example this language of Christ Himself that serves as an outline for the entire book in acts 1 and verse 8 we read this out beginning in verse 7 it is not for you to know times or seasons which the father has put in his own authority but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth and so the book follows that again as a narrative record of Christ building his church in power and in great victory this acts six and seven passage we could call it the Stephen porreca p perhaps you've heard that word before it's not pericope it's not periscope with the s taken out but porreca p it's a it simply means a section of a book in the studies of the scriptures it means a self-contained portion of text and here you see in the book of Acts we have largely the story of Christ building is church through Peter and then through Paul but we have this Stephen porreca p joining together almost those two sections where there is an account of this Stephen and what does this or what is this Steven porreca p designed to do we may say it is designed to show that Christianity is of God that is the design behind the Steven porreca p to show that Christianity is of God if you back up to acts 5 verse 38 and verse 39 this is the section that precedes the Stephen porreca p notice what we have there in acts five at verse 38 remember this is Gamaliel and his advice to the gathered council notice what we read in acts 538 and now i say to you keep away from these men and let them alone for if this plan or this work is of men it will come to nothing but if it is of god you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God so we come to the ste even porreca p and thats its design to show that this is not of men this is of God because what do we see in in in acts 8 following the stoning of Stephen verse 4 of acts 8 therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word you see if this was at if this movement this way this Christianity was of men then it would have been brought to nothing the stoning of Stephen could have been that the punctuated end of Christianity but you see it was of God and so this stoning of Stephen rather than bringing an end to Christianity rather is something owned and blessed by God for its advancement and that's what the Stephen / Ricka Ricka p is designed to do to show that Christianity is of God here in the account of Stephen we have the fulfillment of Christ's prophecy in Matthew 23 I will send you scribes prophets wise men some of them you will scourge some of them you will crucify some of them you will persecute from city to city so that on you all the blood righteous blood shed on the earth will be vindicated we have this reality brought forth Stephen is as much as he is the fulfillment of Christ's words to build his church he is also the fulfillment of that reality that Christ would send profits into the world to speak concerning the glorious gospel of the Blessed God well we want to look at the Stephen of Christ under three headings and three sub headings in each if we can follow this and if the preacher is able to handle his time well we're going to look at these three things those three things are his Constitution as a Christian his character his characteristics as a preacher and his Christ's likeness as a martyr so first his Constitution as a Christian in examining the Stephen of Christ from this passage we want to look at his Constitution as a Christian and for that let's move back to acts six and notice firstly under his Constitution as a Christian he was full of faith and power notice acts 6 and verse 8 this porreca p if you will begins especially here by noting that Stephen was full of faith and power and did great wonders and signs among the people his first characteristic as a Christian is that he was full of faith and power now just for a moment we need to understand that there are differences here between Steven and us Steven was full of faith and power that's not to mean that we are not full of faith and power but there is a special he Steven finds himself in a special place in redemptive history where God was using a spirit wonders and signs among the people in order to confirm and attest to the validity of Christ and His gospel we have that at the end of Mark's Gospel noting that these signs in these miracles and these wonders are such that attest to the validity of the Christian message we on this side of a finished Canon are not blessed with such spirit wrought signs and miracles and wonders those former ways of God revealing his will unto his church now being seastar confession says but you see we do have similarities here his characteristic as a Christian being marked by full of faith and power that's true of each and every one of you if you profess the name of Christ full of faith and power now you might not be equipped to do wonders and signs and healings and miracles among the people in fact you won't be but nevertheless every Christian from the beginning of Christianity from from the first believer after the fall to the last believer when our Lord Jesus Christ comes again will be full of faith and power we will be full of the reality that we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ we rest upon the promises of God Steven peculiarly here when it talks about full of faith now other manuscripts will have full of grace but what we have here is the reality of what has previously brought out in his description in verse 5 a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit Stephen peculiarly here is strong in belief and cry his understanding of the truth and in the understanding of the certain promises of persecution for the people of God he is resigned to that fact and i believe we see that at the end of this account in at seven where he calmly and in great piece says Lord Jesus receive my spirit he was resigned unto the reality of persecution evidenced again by the fact that he doesn't answer the blasphemies and the false witnesses by a defense of himself but rather by a glorious opening up of the gospel of Jesus Christ as fulfilled through the life and times of the people places and things of Old Covenant religion we are like Stephen though brethren to be full of faith in this regard in a strong belief in Christ are you full of faith do you believe in Christ there is the simplicity of the gospel summons which is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved do you believe do you believe in the Savior can you say with Peter thou art the Christ the Son of the Living God can you say with Peter thou hast the words of everlasting life can you say with every one of the believing Saints in the Holy Scriptures i believe on this blessed one who came and who died rose again and ascended to the right hand of the Majesty on high i'm a follower of the lamb we are to be full and strong in the belief in our Christ and in the understanding of his truth how how is this the case we are given faith as a gift from God and what are two what are we to do subsequently but by the aid of the Holy Spirit seek to nurture and to grow in the grace and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord how can we do that do we need to buy a book 37 and a half ways of growing in the faith and in the knowledge of Christ Jesus the Lord no we don't we come to the scriptures and we see means ordained by God whereby we can grow in the grace and in the knowledge of God there is no special formula there is no special book save for the Bible there is no nothing that we need to do to avail up in any sort of mystical or involved way other than what our confession simply summarizes from the biblical witness the grace of faith whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts and is ordinarily wrought by the Ministry of the word by which also and by the administration of baptism and the lord's supper prayer and other means appointed of God it is increased in strengthened Stephen was one called from among his brethren recognized as one full of faith and power that means he was one who attended to the means that God ordained to grow in his faith to be nurtured in his walk with the living and true Savior and so we brethren are like Stephen full of faith and power at this particular point that we've been saved by God and we've been brought to a place of belief and Trust in the everlasting God of heaven and earth what do we see here peculiarly with regards to Stephen at the point of full of power Gil notes this with regards to what it means for him to be full of grace and power he was full of power to preach the gospel and teach it to the people which he did with authority to defend it and oppose the adversaries of it to bear reproach and indignities for it and even death itself and to do miraculous works for the confirmation of it you see I think we narrowly define power and full of the Spirit when we come to the scriptures and say that it only pertains to the doing of signs and wonders and miracles what do we have with regards to Stephen Stephen being full of faith and power well in the porreca p it's specifically these things that preceded the miracles in the works and the confirmation of it with authority preaching the gospel defending it in opposing adversaries and brethren while we may not be Stephen we nevertheless have been given the wisdom and the power from God in order to defend the truth of Christianity haven't we we might we are not going to you know raise the dead we are not going to heal with a with our hands or with our shadow or with our a touch of our garment the the infirm we are not going to speak in tongues and prophecy and have words of knowledge from God but brethren we have the power from on high to vigorously defend the truth of Christianity against those who oppose with a calmness and a zeal of Stephen to say listen and then to preach the glorious gospel of the Blessed God and if need be to indict those who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in their heart and ears who always resist the holy spirit never bending a knee to the king of kings and Lord of lords brethren we might not be Stephen in that sense of power but we are Stevens in this that we have faith that we have belief in the Savior and that we have the wisdom and power to defend our bless of Christ and the truth would to God that every Saint not just theologians not just pastors but every saint would take the charge to know the scriptures to know our Christ to know truth to hold it tight and to speak it well he was full of faith and power brethren this is something that the Apostle Paul praise for for the Ephesian Christians turn there now just before we move on to the next point turn to Ephesians 1 because faith and power belief strength of belief and understanding of the truth and power in the Holy Spirit is what the Apostle Paul praise for in Ephesians 1 notice at verse 15 therefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints do not cease to give thanks for you making mention of you in my prayers that the god of our Lord Jesus Christ the father of glory may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him the eyes of your understanding being enlightened that you may know what is the hope of his calling what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Saints and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in the heavenly places you see Paul prays that the Ephesian Christians would of faith and understanding and power from on I you see it we talked about this a little bit this morning you see these Ephesians were once worshippers of Diana they were once such who would go to their magic books and their Scrolls of incantations in order to try and gain power but you see having been saved by such a God by amazing grace through the working of Christ and the spirit they've now been brought to a place where they go to the only one who can dispense power and faith to people the triune God of heaven and earth and so Paul prays that they would receive faith and power finding our way then back to act 6 and 7 notice secondly under his Constitution as a Christian he had a spirit wrought and spirit empowered wisdom in acts 6 what do we read in verse 10 with regards to this council that was brought before Stephen verse 10 says and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke this a wonderful a wonderful tax that speaks to the strength of our apologist Stephen the strength of our great Christian defender Steven the strength of this blessed martyr Stephen they could not resist the wisdom and spirit by which he spoke the opponents of Stephen could not answer his reasoned arguments which arguments came from the scriptures make no mistake when we read here and they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spoke that wisdom and that spirit is found here in that he exited the Old Testament Scriptures in order to argue with perfect truth that Christ was the glorious intended terminus of all that came before him the people the places the ceremonies the articles of Old Covenant religion that the temple the tabernacle the temple all of these things were Christ's word in their trajectory and so Stephen was arguing from their old testament scriptures from his old testament scriptures and saying that this christ was promised this one whom you reject it this one whom you betrayed and murdered by hanging on a tree he was the one that all these things pointed forward to the opponents of Stephen the Sanhedrin the synagogue of the freedmen this council could not answer his reasoned arguments which arguments came from the Holy Scriptures brethren this brings us to an application that we are to know our scriptures or to know the scriptures we're to be Stephens in this regard we are to know the scriptures we're too we're to have such a a measure of wisdom and presence of the spirit that while people may reject the arguments they have no reason ground wherewith to argue with any validity because we have the spirit of god and the word of truth and we bring arguments that cannot be refuted the scripture our only guide for faith in life the truth from on high the infallible inerrant inspired word is that which stephen used and is that those arguments that flowed from that could not be refuted could not be answered by the enemies of truth thirdly his Constitution as a Christian is seen in that his God was with him notice verse 15 backing up to verse 13 they also set up false witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us and all who sat in the council looking steadfastly at him saw his face as the face of an angel his God was with him what does this mean they saw his face is the face of an angel it means that he had the divine supernatural confirmation that he was under divine favor and the council was most certainly not it's like Moses when he came down from the mount of from Mount Sinai when Christ came back from the Mount of Transfiguration there was a supernatural glow I'm not saying all three are the same but there is a similarity we can glean here God was with all of these and we have here the confirmation that Stephens arguments are right Stephen is right and the council is wrong you see these false witnesses were brought against him and they weren't false witnesses in the sense that what they said was wrong necessarily but as bruce says by coming up against a Messenger of God they were if so facto false witnesses because they opposed God's messenger you see when we read here this man does not cease to speak blasphemous words of course they weren't last from us against this holy place and the law there's truth to that Stephen no doubt like Christ before him would have preached that this temple will be destroyed there will not be one brick upon another that will God willed from from on high destroy this place this temple no doubt no doubt he would have preached Stephen would have preached the end of the ceremonial law the end of places and things that were only temporary in their Christ word pointing Stephen would have preached that for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us that's not false that's true but you see the council was wrong not to understand that what Stephen preached was true they likewise should have known that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us probably their customs delivered to us speaks to the yoke of the ceremonial law that was the peculiar yoke of the Jewish Church prior to Christ's coming into this world Christ fulfills the ceremonial law he takes it away those things being typical of him the Lord Jesus Christ when the true came the copies were to be no more all of that to say this reality that they saw his faith face as the face of an angel proved that his God was with him the supernatural light of divine favor upon Stephen proved that the council was wrong and that this Christianity is of God brethren we may not have a supernatural light our faces are probably never going to glow like that of an angel a lot of us might look a bit unto where it but we have here brothers and sisters the reality that nevertheless while our faces might not glow with the supernatural light of divine favor we never we will always have this truth that our God is with us he will never leave us nor forsake us when we defend his truth like a Stephen when we are in the faith like our Stephen when we have a spirit rod and spirit and powered wisdom wherever we are as Christians our God is with us will never leave us nor forsake us brethren there's also an element here though of innocence of innocence they saw they looking steadfastly at him they saw his face as the face of an angel divine favor and confirmation that he spoke no blasphemies and he was innocent of the charges that they're that they're bringing against him he was only ever preaching that which was true and so there is a measure of innocence here brothers and sisters this could bring us to an application where we are to seek after the light of God's countenance his divine favor and approval are you harboring sin are you living with sin on dealt with are you harboring unrepented sin you need to come to the fount that is opened up for sin and for uncleanness to repent and find forgiveness in Christ Jesus the Lord you see when we are in the way when we are walking in the old paths where the good way is it is as if we have faces as of an angel because the light of God's countenance is with us but when we sin you see our bones grow old all the day long we're weary you ever had that where the guilt of sin for unrepented sin weighs down upon your soul where it's not just spiritual you physically feel the weight and the guilt of having broken the law of God you see that's why david says that in psalm 32 because the guilt of sin the light of God's countenance being removed because of unrepented sin ways down on us and its physical brothers and sisters when I kept silent my bones grew old psalm 32 3 through my groaning all day long for day and night your hand was heavy upon me my vitality was turned into the drought of summer seyla you see the light of God's countenances removed from David in that instance but when he finds forgiveness and when he acknowledges his transgressions the light of God's countenance is restored and it is as if then the light of God elite's the face as of the face of an angel notice this language of our confession at this very point and brethren if anybody ever charges the confession of faith as being dry in its theology they're wrong I find in my own opinion nothing more devotional than the confession of faith notice this chapter 18 paragraph 4 true believers may have the assurance of their salvation diverse way shaken diminished and intermitted as by negligence in preserving of it by falling into some special sin which wounded the conscience in grievous the spirit by some sudden or vehement temptation by God's withdrawing the light of his countenance and suffering even such as fear him to walk in darkness and to have no light yet are they never destitute of the seed of God and life of faith that love of God and the Brethren that sincerity of heart and conscience of duty out of which by the operation of the spirit this assurance may in due time be revived and by the witch in the meantime they are preserved from utter despair a blessed thing we have in the assurance of grace and salvation brothers all that to come back to this brothers and sisters the reality that we are to seek after the light of God's countenance if we fallen we've stumbled in our walk with Christ if we have sinned unrepented up that we're harboring and dwelling with pray God to mortify that and to live unto righteousness and to have the light of his countenance restored we may walk and in holiness and righteousness all the days of our lives his God was with him Gil says his face might shine as Moses did when he came down from the mount or in some degree as Christ's did at his Transfiguration and this might as it ought to have been taken as an acquittance of him by God from the charge of blasphemy either against God or Moses his God was with him Stephen had the light of God's countenance confirming the truthfulness of his testimony well that's his Constitution as a Christian let's now move to his characteristics as a preacher his characteristics is a preacher because Steven preaches here doesn't he he preaches a wonderful sermon many have seen as a prototypical of the Christian apologists that would counter the Jewish Church after him many Christian apologists going toe-to-toe with the Jews of the day arguing for the validity that Christianity is of God notice first in his characteristics as a preacher he has a zeal that was tempered with patient control he has a zeal that was tempered with patient control notice first off in a sense working backwards ax750 one there is this proclaiming zeal that steven has for the glory of God the splendor of Christ the holiness of God's law and against the sinfulness of man notice acts 751 you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your father's did so do you which of the prophets did your father's not persecute and they killed those who foretold the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it the strong zealous preacher isn't he you see he did not shy away from the fact that his end was nigh he probably felt you know we can't assume too much obviously but we have the text that follows that they stoned this innocent Stephen to death we have the reality that Steven here is no doubt getting the idea that these were rejecting his conclusions concerning Christ you see up until verse 50 they're tracking with them they're tracking with them it's the history of Israel it's the history of the Old Testament it's reflecting upon Israel's national religious history but you see now he brings it to this you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears and brings to bear the christological reality of that Old Testament he transfers from verse 52 verse 51 as some commentators say because he probably detected the venom building as he was drawing his conclusions concerning Christ he has a zealous creature he doesn't shy before the tyranny and the oppression of the opponents of Christ but rather preaches well of his Christ strongly in daiting his audience calling them betrayers and murderers saying that they are just like those that they would always swore that they were not like their fathers who persecuted the prophets everyone that was sent his zeal is strong as a preacher but you see it was balanced brothers and sisters notice the beginning of his sermon we have to import the weight of this to verse 2 of Acts 7 from what precedes it because they brought in false witnesses against them they brought in witnesses to charge him with blasphemy and preaching against God and Moses but you see what do we have Stephen answer with all of these witnesses are brought forth he's undergoing this mock trial which should never happened which should have never happened at all and we see verse 2 and he said brethren and fathers listen you see his zeal was tempered by a patient control he didn't launch into a Peter to Malkis ear chopping thrust in his preaching physically and and figuratively he didn't do that what is he open with brethren and fathers listen you see it's to collect it's to collect the air of the moment the seriousness of the moment and to bring it to the calmness of a Christian preacher bringing to bear the truth upon an audience hopefully brothers and sisters we have such zeal marked by a patient control see that we can we can we can Christians can sometimes get a professing Christians can sometimes get a whiff of truth throw the truth in a lay is ur gun and just shoot everybody down there zeal as if they're defending the truth in a wholesome manner yet some young people not just young people but I see them out there on the internet they get a hold of Calvinism and they're the biggest jerks to walk the earth with their Calvinism beating up every arminian that's out there we need to have a seal marked by self-control hey we need to have a balance yes we defend the truth with a vigor unmatched by any philosophy or epistemology on the face of the earth but we don't do it like jerks throwing the truth and a gun and shooting everybody down we do it like Stephen yes you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears but also listen to me listen because the truth deserves balance Peter alert Peter learned this well didn't he remember only only a 50 days had passed between his chopping off of the ear of Malkus and him on the day of Pentecost with a Steven like balance notice Peter on the day of Pentecost in verse 22 of Acts to remember he's preaching to an audience that put to death the Lord of glory just like Stephen but you see with his proclaiming zeal he nevertheless begins this section acts 22 by saying men of Israel to 22 men of Israel hear these words you see Peter had come a long way from in a zeal unqualified by any patient self-control when he lopped off the ear of that servant Malkis 44 it coming after the Lord in the Garden of Gethsemane it's come a long way from that and from standing before those who put to death the Lord of glory saying men of Israel listen and so we have that in our Steven zeal met with a patient control brethren in your defense of the truth and you're speaking to friends and to family and to coworkers and to anyone out there if you're on a blog on the internet wherever you are as often as you're able to try to stay off those but you know I'm not going to bind your conscience as good conversations can happen on the internet a lot of the time really bad ones can but when wherever you find yourself speaking of our Christ and defending the gospel of our blessed of God do it with a Steven like balance yes is hellas pneus for the truth an uncompromising defense the doctrine of Jesus Christ and the glory of God has revealed in the scriptures but do it do it with that flavor of listen brethren and fathers listen he had a zeal that was tampered with patient controls secondly he had a thorough knowledge of the scriptures hopefully that's evident you see that whole section that we read in our new testament scripture reading was long wasn't it it's long because steven is mounting a defense he's mounting a defense of the truth he is not as Bruce would say a forensic issuing a forensic defense as if to seek acquittal before the Sanhedrin but it is rather as bruce says a defense of pure Christianity as God's appointed way of worship and he knew his scriptures you see he doesn't just launch into some generic statement of believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved but that's a wonderful summons that should follow up on the heels of any gospel preaching but you see he goes through and involved scripturally riched defense that Christianity is of God hopefully brothers and sisters while we might not have the the acumen of a Stephen from 2,000 years ago hopefully we know our Bibles and we can speak in such a way the Old Testament spoke concerning Christ the law the prophets and the Psalms they all spoke concerning me Christ said hopefully we can understand that the Old Testament is not some haphazardly slapped together collection of of morals but rather is but rather in there we have those books all containing Christ's word looking text that announces his coming that speaks tip illogically by foreshadow by all these things concerning the Lord Jesus Christ who would come Stephen had a knowledge a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and notice that his presentation comes not maybe he don't notice this but his presentation does come in the rabbinic tradition you see he is answering a gathering of rabbinic scholars as counsel synagogue of the freedmen the scent scent Hedren etc and Stephens defense his rebuttal if you will comes in the tenor of that rabbinic tradition Bruce notes stephen has his reply ready versus two and three it takes the form of a historical retrospect that is a looking back at history a form well established in the Jewish tradition the protestation of faith is in the Old Testament often associated with a recital of the divine intervention in the life of Israel God in history was the underlying basis of rabbinic optimism the declaration at the beginning of the firstfruits Deuteronomy 26 5 to 10 is paralleled by Psalms 78 and 107 Stephens address in acts 7 is thus in the true form it is in the sequel that he differs from Hebrew models in other words he's in the rabbinic tradition in so far he is with historical retrospect rehearsing the nation of Israel in its religious history but in the sequel that is in the proclamation to these who would reject the christological interpretation he brings Christ to bear and say all these things spoke concerning Christ all these things pointed forward to this blessed blessed Redeemer he knew his scriptures and he knew them at the point of that they pointed forward to the Lord Jesus Christ and the splendor of his saving work so he had a zeal that was tampered with patient control he had a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and thirdly under his characteristics as a preacher he was Christo centric in the presentation of biblical truth this was I hopefully obvious from what we've said already but what does that mean kids Christa centric means christ-centered so when we say he was Christo centric in the presentation of biblical truth that means his preaching had Christ at the enter cristo centric preaching christian preaching should be cristo centric preaching or else it is not christian preaching Nehemiah Cox says this with regards to the crystal centricity of the Bible and its implication for preaching no doubt God whose works were all known by him from the beginning has in all ages disposed and ordered the revelation of his will to men his transactions with them and all the works of his holy Providence toward them with reference to the fullness of time and the gathering of all things to a head in Christ Jesus so in all our search after the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures we are to manage our inquiries with reference to Christ therefore the best interpreter of the Old Testament is the Holy Spirit speaking to us in the new there we have the clearest light of the knowledge of the glory of God shining on us in the face of Jesus Christ there is something out there in in you know under the banner of Christianity that some have called therapeutic moralistic deism maybe you've seen that out there on the internet it's out there in the social media world therapeutic moralistic deism that's what some have reduced Christianity to a set of morals that will help you along in your day you know they'll uplift you when you rise up from the pillow and all you need are these sets of principles and Mauro's to morals to help you skip along through this lower world if Christianity is reduced to that then we have lost Christianity Christianity is the revelation of the will of God in Christ Jesus the Lord who came into this world to live to die to rise again so that sinners might have everlasting life and Christian preaching and the recognition of God's will in the revelation of him to us is to be crystal centric is to have christ first god forbid that I should glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ Christ Himself post-resurrection teaches his he eats broiled fish and honeycomb with his disciples what does he do he gives them a bible study opening up there I is to the Scriptures by saying the law the prophets and the Psalms all spoke concerning me he would have gone to Genesis 3 15 and said that the hero born of woman who would crush the serpent with his heel that's me he would have gone to this statement by this text that Stephen himself sites Moses who said to the children of Israel the Lord our God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren him you shall hear that's me would have gone to Isaiah 53 the suffering servant who's bruised for the iniquities of all of his people that's me brethren Stephen was Christo centric and his presentation of biblical truth we are to be as well are we to bring morality to our children and to the people that we preach two and confessed to absolutely the Bible speaks with regards to Christian ethics the Decalogue the law of God we are to live in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ what does that mean we're to have a Christian ethic where we live in light of the truth and we follow after God's law with a cheerful obedience but you see if we only bring therapeutic moralistic deism to our children were sending them to hell we need to come with the glory of a cristo centric message that says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved god forbid or God bring an end to anyone who flies the banner of Christianity and brings a moralistic message that is Christ 'less save that church God or end that church God because Christianity its namesake obviously is Christ Christ him crucified Him risen again for the salvation of sinners lastly then with regards to the Stephen of Christ we want to note his Christ's likeness as a martyr so we have his Constitution as a Christian his characteristics as a preacher and now his Christ's likeness as a martyr remember that Christ promised that in this world you will have persecution but be of good cheer for I have overcome the world the Bible is replete the new could say is replete with promises that Christians will have persecution stephen full of faith would have known that well what we have first or what we have here in this stephen porreca p this narrative concerning the stoning of Stephen is that he is just like his master christ in his martyrdom notice first with regards to his Christ's likeness as a martyr he was not afraid to exercise some wholesome severity do we see Christ doing in Matthew 23 not just Matthew 23 but Matthew 23 for one example we see Christ bringing to bear some wholesome severity against a venomous crowd notice what we read in Matthew 23 at verse 31 Jesus Christ speaking pronouncing woes upon these hypocrites therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets fill up then the measure of your father's guilt serpents brood of vipers how can you escape the condemnation of hell therefore indeed i send you prophets wise men inscribes some of them you will kill and crucify some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth Jesus Christ could bring wholesome severity upon his audience couldn't he you see there is an unwholesome severity Christ never brought that he's holy harmless and undefiled but you see he's not a meek and mild Redeemer or political revolutionary that just skips through the tulips of Jerusalem he's one who brings wholesome severity upon his crowds for having violated his holy law for having persecuted the fathers for having persecuted the prophets just like their fathers for having been testa witnesses against themselves that they were filled with guilt Stephen in acts 751 is like his master in his martyrdom you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears he brings wholesome severity upon his audience as your fathers did so do you which of the prophets did your father's not persecute and they killed those who for told the coming of the just one of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it does it your and it doesn't necessarily have to be at the point of Christian apology Christian apologetics but when something is right and when something is true and when someone rails against what's right and true isn't it a blessed thing to observe someone indict somebody properly for their disobedience their sin in their madness hopefully your souls are stirred by our Steven here great vigor and strength and in wholesome severity just like his master in Deitz his sinful audience secondly when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten isn't that the rehearsal by Peter of Christ uses the Lord remember when he's given Peter is writing to his audience in his First Epistle he writes he's writing to slaves to render proper abid ians to their masters and not to be complaining wretches if if I can paraphrase and he brings before them the Lord Jesus Christ as the supreme exemplar the chief example of that sort of humility and he says with regards to Christ when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but what did he do he went valiantly and diligently to the cross not complaining not saying stop at not issuing some sort of defense to get him out of this to get him acquitted but rather when he was reviled he did not return that reviling when he suffered oppression and persecution by the hands of both the Romans and the Jews he did not threaten them but rather he committed himself to him who judges righteously his God Stephen does the same thing here notice the text in verse 57 well in fact we see this we see it first of all in 72 what we've noted already brethren and fathers listen there is that control that he that he exercised but notice as well in 755 but he being full of the Holy Spirit gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God and said look I see the heavens open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God well what does this have to do with not revealing in return well verse 54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth just like just like his master the Lord Jesus Christ prior to his death he doesn't he doesn't try to escape from the madness of men he doesn't try to assail them or issue some sort of weak apology but rather turns away from persecution and in this case with Stephen looks upon the risen Christ wonderful thing to do in the face of opposition here for Stephen in his particular case he doesn't respond with their gnashing he doesn't respond with their vent with any venom and answer to their venom but rather looks and sees his risen Christ and finds strength in him when he was reviled he did not revile in return we see this as well in verse 60 then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with this sin set does that ring any bells with regards to the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ what did the Savior say Lord forgive them for they know not what they do you see if we want to follow after someone Christian's want to follow after anyone it's the Savior isn't it what are Christians identified as in the book of Revelation those who follow the lamb wherever he goes Stephen is a perfect example is this first martyr following his master the Lord Jesus Christ even unto death and lastly his Christ's likeness as a martyr he committed himself to him who judges righteously again in that text from Peter that's what is the ending exhortation when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten but whats the remedy what's the answer then committed himself to him who judges righteously he put himself in the hands of the Father and here now it's Stephen committing himself to the risen and exalted Christ and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit you see he doesn't revile in return he does do anything like that but he commits himself to his Christ Lord Jesus receive my spirit the Blessed example steven is here of Christ's likeness in the face of difficulty brethren hopefully those this sort of example with the weight of that first Peter to language when he was reviled he did not revile in return when he suffered he did not threaten hopefully we can demonstrate that brothers and sisters we probably will never come before a stoning but we will demonstrate our Christ's likeness in the face of affliction in the face of opposition in the face of trial if we have this sort of mindset we demonstrate a Stephen light which is a christ-like resolve to commit ourselves to him who judges righteously rather than lash out in venom rather than lash out and vitriol against those who are opposed to us we calmly and with meekness commit ourselves to him who judges righteously that we might bear a Christ's likeness in this lower world well brethren hopefully a rehearsal of Stephen helps us to come to a conclusion with regards to our own walk in this lower world hopefully we will seek to be full of faith and power not power like Stephen and that acts sense of miracles wonders and signs but being full of faith and power that we might with strength hold our Christ understand the truth and even understand that certain promises that those certain promises of persecution hopefully we will have spirit rotten spirit empowered wisdom you know to know the scriptures is such a blessed thing to know for so many reasons because our Christ is there in because God's truth is there and revealed but practically speaking brothers and sisters thinking about that this this morning it is wonderful to know the scriptures at the point of anthropology that is the doctrine of man and the doctrine of sin as it concerns sinners imagine it you know I'm just thinking about a parent with a child you know if we didn't have the knowledge of total depravity from the scriptures or we had an errant view of sin man if we had some of the children that some of us parents have to deal with sometimes we would think they're possessed of a demon and we'd lock them up until they're 29 you see the Bible's knowing the scriptures having a spirit raw in spirit empowered wisdom we come to the scriptures and we see the hearts of men are deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it we see that we are to commit ourselves to him who judges righteously to be anxious in nothing but with prayer and supplication bring your requests to God who will answer with peace you see we come to the Bible and we have practical answers so if you have a demon child there is great hope there is the knowledge of the scriptures and there is the knowledge of our God insert any practical example here where you're assailed by trial by trouble by affliction whatever it may be we are to have a spirit rod and a spirit empowered wisdom we don't go to man in the world for answers to our problems we come to the living and true God and His perfect word we are brethren to have a Christlikeness we are to have characteristics such as Stephen the preacher whereby we have a knowledge of the scriptures we have a Cristo centric focus we are tempered in our zeal with patient control let's come to these examples such as Stephen insert ourselves or take application from the text so that we might be like a Stephen so that we might be like our Blessed master Christ in this lower world god give us the zeal give us the patients give us the the strength of face the faith give us the power give us all of these things that we might be good testifiers to the truth of God that we might be good witnesses to the legitimacy of Christianity though our faces might not shine with supernatural light let us know the light of God's countenance the strength of his grace if you're here this morning and you're going to leave these doors outside of Christ don't leave these doors outside of Christ and unbelief if you're here this morning you're not a believer you don't believe in this Christ of Stephen that we'll look at tonight you don't believe the the one that Stephen testified to opening up the scriptures and the one who Stephen looked at with a faith-filled gaze the Son of Man Stan at the right hand of God you're not in a good place your lawd is not good at the end of days or at your death you will be cast into the lake of fire reserved for the devil and his angels because you've sinned against the holy God and you've rejected the only remedy the only answer Christ Jesus the Lord young or old you're here this you're here this morning and you might not get everything about porreca peas and and a you know a historical retrospect and all of these big words that preachers use know this there is a holy God all have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God Christ Jesus came into this world sinners to save believe on Him you will have everlasting life in the forgiveness of sins and you'll wist even look with a faith-filled gaze on the risen Christ have all faith in him let us pray Heavenly Father we rejoice in your truth we rejoice in the scriptures we thank you for this a witness of Stephen this account in our Bibles that speaks to the strength of this preacher who spoke a good confession before his opponents and we do pray that you would give us some of these Steven Leight qualities that you would give us a faith and empower the spirit rock wisdom we pray that you would give us a zeal tempered by knowledge and patient control and we pray that we would have the strength of this apologist from so long ago in our Christian walk we are opposed when we are persecuted might we be christ-like in our answers and in our responses and Lord God might you strengthen us for this walk in this lower world we pray that you would now strengthen these gathered here this morning your saints that you would encourage them uplift them and equip them for this upcoming week and that you would now by your grace save sinners for your glory that those entered in this place this morning outside of Christ would leave singing with his Saints hallelujah what a savior and it's in Christ's name that we pray amen well let's stand and sing a hymn the doxology is what we'll sing we'll all stand together and sing that if you don't know it it's Roman numeral 16 and your hymn books let's stand and sing the doxology you now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy to God our Savior who alone as wise be glory and Majesty Dominion and power both now and forever amen please be seated and we'll have a brief time of Prayer when the piano is finished you're free to leave you