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alright I'm actually taking the week off we have some things to do at home before spring break or while it's still spraying I guess spring cleaning is what it's called so I'll be off this week they'll be preaching in Surrey next Sunday and pastor Kirkpatrick will be preaching here on Sunday so please do not come to Bible study this Wednesday God willing we'll take up the following Wednesday just a reminder as well that Andy and Priscilla have applied for membership we had hoped to do that this morning bring them in but their sickness in their homes so Priscilla is not here so God willing in two weeks time we'll receive them into the membership and then a reminder that Jew young and Hannah's wedding is on April 27th that's at 1:00 p.m. everybody is cordially invited to come it will be here as I said April 27th well for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 31 Psalm 31 we'll read just the first five verses as our call to worship Psalm 31 to the chief musician a psalm of David in you O Lord I put my trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in your righteousness bow down your ear to me deliver me speedily be my rock of Refuge a fortress of defense to save me for you are my rock in my fortress therefore for your name's sake lead me and guide me pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me for you are my strength into your hand I commit my spirit you have redeemed me O Lord God of truth amen well please take your Trinity hymnal you'll notice that these are new books we've replaced the other two with one that functions as both Salter and hymnal you'll notice that they do not include the amens but will continue to sing the Amen irrespective if of its inclusion in the book and for our our first hymn our first Psalm this morning you can turn to Psalm 99 B so the first section are the Psalms up to Psalm 150 and there's various editions or versions and they have different letter designations we'll be using Psalm 99 be and will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] well let us go to the Lord God Almighty in prayer our Father in Heaven it's a joy and a privilege for us to gather in the presence of such a great God we acknowledge that you are from everlasting to everlasting we acknowledge your handiwork in the creation in Providence and in Redemption and we give praise to You Father Son and Holy Spirit for your salvation of us we know Lord God we're not commended to God by our works or our law keeping but by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that in the fullness of the times you sent forth your son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law how we thank you for the work of Christ and obedience to the Father his death at Calvary is a substitute and a sacrifice that great atonement wrought on that cross for our salvation and we thank you that he was raised the third day he sits enthroned at the right hand of God Almighty we ever lives to make intercession for his people God all these things speak comfort to our hearts all these things encourage us and stabilize us and bring us that security of the sons of God and we would pray today that as we sing as we pray as we look to Holy Scripture all would be done for the glory of God Almighty help us to realize that you are indeed great that you are majestic as the Prophet said who would not fear the old king of the nations for indeed it is they do we know God based on our own nature based on our own place before a holy God we didn't seek you we didn't worship you we didn't praise you but thanks be to God for that great grace thanks be to God that you put it in our hearts to respond with gratitude and thankfulness and praise unto you and we would ask even now that you would frame our hearts right caused us to have that fear caused us to have that trembling and God give us that joy and Thanksgiving at the prospect of being in the presence of a great God lord help us to exalt you as we are bidden by the psalmist here help us to see you and throned upon the praises of your people here and we would ask most my god that you would forgive us now for our sins whenever we reflect upon your holiness your majesty your righteousness the scripture declares we see our own waywardness before you and God it is humbling to us to see that as your people as believers in Jesus Christ we don't always let our conduct be worthy of the gospel we don't always treat your law with that respect and dignity that it deserves and we transgress against you so we confess that iniquity even now praying for cleansing in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ thanking you and rejoicing over that reality that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared and we pray that we would know that even now and that it would be a great encouragement to our hearts and God for any and all who've come here this morning strangers to these things those who are dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that today would be the day of salvation for them we pray that your Holy Spirit would be at work in the preaching of the word that you would bring that conviction for sin and shows sinners what they are before the God of heaven and earth and show them the glory of Jesus Christ that one in whom there is forgiveness and a righteousness that avails with God we pray that today sinners would be called out of darkness and the marvelous light confessing faith in Christ the Lord unto salvation we know father with men it's impossible to do these things but with you all things are possible and so we appeal not the free will of man not to human ingenuity certainly not to any good works that could be offered before you but we appeal to Sovereign Grace and pray that you would do that which is impossible with men we ask thee bless other churches we thank you we're not alone in this city we ask that you'd bless those that are preaching the truth we pray father that this community the persons in this community would hear that message desperately necessary for everlasting life our community does stand in many and have many needs but ultimately that need to be reconciled with God through Jesus Christ the Lord is over all things so bless other churches and use them for your glory be with the Saints and Surrey we thank you for Pastor Mike and for the Brethren there and pray that you would just watch over them give grace to them to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation and give them boldness to hold forth your word of truth being with the Saints in Vernon as well we pray that you would establish a good confessional Church there we pray Lord God that it would be a means of salvation for sinners and a place where the Saints of Christ can worship the God of heaven and earth and our Father we pray for those in our mets that i've saw that are suffering physically we have several Lord God that are having various trials and challenges and and afflictions and we just commit them to you into the word of your grace we know Lord God that we are decaying in the outer man but may it be the case that we be renewed day by day that father these ones that are suffering even now would be would be thrilled in their hearts at the prospect of ultimately entering in to the presence of the Father Son and Holy Spirit we pray for our brother dawn we pray for mrs. Boult we pray for Bev we do continue to pray for Linda she recovers from the various treatments that she has received and Lord God we just ask that you would undertake on their behalf we ask him pray that she'd bless mr. van Schaik we thank you that he's already home we do pray God that he would recover well from this stroke and that you would just watch over him and mrs. van Schaik as well and God for all of us we come here weary we come here oftentimes beaten down with our own remaining corruption and life in a sinful world and the attacks of the devil himself so we cry to you Most High that she would speak to our hearts today that you would encourage us that you would strengthen us with might in the inner man that we would know the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and God especially as we look upon the death of Steven and our and our sermon this morning may we see the the aid that a triune God gives to his people may we never lose sight of that reality that we don't walk alone in this world but you are with us even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death we fear no evil because you are there your rod and your staff they comfort us they protect us they drive away our enemies may this be a great help to us today Lord God and may you through your word and by your spirit conformed us evermore under the image of your beloved son and God we know that your son learned obedience through suffering so we know that'll be our lot in life as well we know God that comfort and ease and pleasure and all those things that that we often crave for not the normal possession of the people of God so help us to make peace with that reality and to know that Christ has overcome this world to over overcome all all enemies of the people of God may this speak volumes to our hearts in terms of comfort and peace we ask that you'd be with our brothers and sisters in other parts of the world where they suffer in ways that we can't even imagine where their governments target them for execution were their religions or the religions of their nations target them for execution where they are imprisoned or where they lose houses or they lose family members they lose businesses Lord we pray for those under Muslim oppression that you would just watch over your people and we do pray for those nations steeped in Islam the gospel preaching would go forth there and that many would turn from their useless idols to the true and the Living God we pray as well for the nation of China we know they are cracking down on on Christians they want to rid the land of foreign Christians by 2020 and God we just pray that you'd overrule this wickedness that you'd preserve those missionaries that we know and love and that you would continue to use them to preach the cross the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ we know that he must reign till all of his enemies are made his footstool and we know that oppressive governments we know that that false religion all these things will ultimately be subdued but even now Lord God we pray for the continual preaching of your word that it would run swiftly and be glorified and that it would accomplish the purpose for which you send it and God continue with us now we pray and we ask in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ amen well you can turn to the hymn portion of your book - number 243 hymn number 243 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] you can turn in your Bibles to John chapter 12 for our scripture reading the guy had a choice to be singing a song when he died that would be a great one to be singing the faithfulness the goodness the kindness and the mercy of God set forth so clearly in that wonderful hymn of our faith John chapter 12 we'll pick up reading in verse one then six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany where Lazarus who had been was who had been dead whom he had raised from the dead there they made him a supper and Martha served but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with them then Mary took a pound a very costly oil of spikenard anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil but one of his disciples Judas Iscariot Simon's son who would betray him said why was this fragrant oil not sold for three hundred denarii aye and given to the poor this he said not that he cared for the poor but because he was a thief and had the money box and he used to take what was put in it but jesus said let her alone she has kept this for the day of my burial for the poor you have with you always but me you do not have always now a great many of the Jews knew that he was there and they came not for Jesus sake only but that they might also see Lazarus whom he had raised from the dead but the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus the next day a great multitude that had come to the feast when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him and cried out Hosanna blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord the king of Israel then Jesus when he had found a young donkey sat on it as it is written fear not daughter of Zion behold your king is coming sitting on a donkey's Colt his disciples did not understand these things at first but when Jesus was glorified then they remembered that these things were written about him and that they had done these things to him therefore the people who were with him when he called Lazarus out of his tomb and raised him from the dead bore witness for this reason the people also met him because they heard that he had done this sign Pharisees therefore said among themselves you see that you are accomplishing nothing look the world has gone out gone after him now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast then they came to Philip who was from Bethsaida of Galilee and asked him saying sir we wish to see Jesus Philip came and told Andrew and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus but jesus answered them saying the hour has come that the son of man should be glorified most assuredly I say to you unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies it remains alone but if it dies it produces much grain he who loves his life will lose it and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life if anyone serves me let him follow me and where I am there my servant will be also if anyone serves me let him let my fault him my father will honor Amen well just a couple of observations we noticed in the first place devotion to Jesus ought to rank really high in the lives of God's people you see that very specifically here in the first section Judas Iscariot of course complains about this the persons that have no communion with Jesus will complain about this but those of us who know the Lord God through His Son Jesus Christ in the power of the Spirit value prize and cherish communion with God they love to express acts of devotion to God not because they think they're going to get saved but it's a consequence of their having been saved we don't do these things because we think God's going to reward us with salvation rather we do these things because they're the natural reflex or the the outflow of those who have been conquered by Sovereign Grace it is appropriate and it is right for us to take the very best that we have and sacrifice it unto our Lord Jesus Christ Jesus says in verse 7 let her alone for she has kept this for the date of my burial for the poor you have with you always but me you do not have always so Christ highlights that in this particular situation it is more appropriate for her to take these resources and to consecrate him with it than to sell it and to give it to the poor as well notice the animosity of the religious leaders we're gonna see that again in great detail when we turn to Acts chapter 7 in a few minutes but they want to kill Asura's what was his crime his crime was having been raised from the dead by the Lord Jesus Christ you got to be a special sort of a diabolical man or group of men to want to kill somebody whose only offense was having been raised from the dead but as far as they were concerned as long as Lazarus drew breath into his lungs he testified concerning the power of Jesus Christ and they could not stand the reality that Jesus Christ had that power then he had that authority and that all the persons were coming to him so they make the planner they have the desire to actually liquidate Lazarus it's it really is symptomatic of just how wicked man can be whenever you think I just don't know how it could get any worse read the gospel narratives it will show you how it can in fact get worse and then as well we notice this this fear again possessed by the Pharisees at verse 10 I'm sorry says the varices therefore set among themselves you see that you are accomplishing nothing look the world is gone after him I think this is a helpful passage to sort of illustrate for us what John means by world when John uses the word world in John 3:16 God so loved the world he doesn't mean every single human being most likely he's talking about Jews and Gentiles just like he's doing here the Pharisees are concerned that the world the Gentiles are now going to follow after this Lord Jesus and that's precisely what happens in verse 20 there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast then they came to Philip who was with from Bethsaida of Galilee and asked him saying sir we wish to see Jesus many a Puritan preacher had that on his pulpit sir we wish to see Jesus that is the ultimate end of preaching that is the ultimate end of our evangelism and our witness and our testimony is that sinners may see Jesus well let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for Jesus we thank you for that power that is displayed in the Christian gospel and we thank you that that that gospel is being preached all over the earth today and we pray it would go forth conquering and to conquer she would save men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation that she would add to the church more and more people that would praise the Lord God Most High and father help us as we sing help us as we look to the word to have our hearts drawn out in praise and adoration and worship and may we show devotion to our Blessed Lord Jesus and may we never be stingy or may we never be hard-hearted when it comes to this expression of our faith not as a means to be justified but as a consequence of us having been justified for certainly there is nothing more excellent in this world than to have communion with the one who is altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 help us to learn from these things and we pray through Christ our Lord amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to 471 hymn number 471 and as we sing together [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts where in Acts chapter 7 we spent some time looking at Stephens defense before the council basically he was brought up on false charges the charges were that he was anti Moses the law of Moses and he was anti temple of God and he effectively answers those charges and turns the tables on his hearers in verses 51 to 53 he essentially says that they are idolaters they have been abandoned the true and the Living God he's not engaged in name-calling when he says you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart these are particular terms pulled out of israel's history in the Old Testament that are associated with idolatry in terms of their stiff necks and then in terms of their uncircumcision of heart and ears that is a connection to heathenism and the fact that they resist the Holy Spirit means they resisted the true and living God so he turns the tables on them and of course they respond not in humble faith but rather in murderous rage so I'll read beginning in Acts chapter 7 at verse 51 you stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your father's did so to 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 stopped 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 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 amen well let us pray father in heaven again we thank you for the written word we acknowledge that it comes from you we acknowledge that it's God breathed and we pray that even now it would be profitable for us in terms of instruction and reproof and correction and and all the doctrine that the Bible would have for us God do forgive us for our sins and transgression and the things that darken our understanding fill us with your Holy Spirit and cause us to reflect upon the glory of God as revealed in this particular passage and give us the sort of courage manifested by your servant Stephen give us that kind of wherewithal to stand fast in the midst of great persecution in the midst of great opposition to the faith and cause us to maintain fidelity to our Lord Jesus Christ and it's in his name that we pray amen well as I said he refutes their charges and shows that in fact they are false and then he turns the tables on them and I think we see even more of that displayed in the passage concerning his martyrdom I want to look first at the the blessedness of Stephen I mean the way he's described here it really highlights the the divine favor upon Stephen at this particular moment I think we have this idea that when we're in the midst of trial our hardship or affliction we have to go it alone that's never the case brethren the Lord God sustains us the Lord God keeps us the Lord God has promised that we will never walk alone and you see that displayed in the life and ministry of Stephen so we'll note first the blessedness of Stephen secondly the murderous rage of the counsel and then finally the death of Stephen but let's look first at the blessedness to appreciate what he undergoes in terms of divine favor we ought to see the response of the counsel in verse 54 now it says that when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth probably these things includes the entirety of the sermon as I often suggested as we moved our way through it I think they understood what he would say think they got the jest I think they got the point in terms of his defense against these false charges and I think they understood that he had in fact turned the tables on that when he calls them uncircumcised when he calls them stiff neck he is telling them that they're guilty of the sin the crime of idolatry against the the true and living God but probably more particularly when they heard the things that he said in verses 51 to 53 they didn't respond favorably to be calling stiff neck they didn't respond favorably to being called uncircumcised in heart and ears they didn't respond favorably being told that they had always resisted the Holy Spirit and so when they heard these things they were cut to the heart now we often pray that during preaching or sermons or when people come into contact with the scriptures they would be caught to the heart but there's a good being cut to the heart and there's a bad being caught to the heart now it's a different verb that's used in Acts chapter 2 but the concept is the same on the day of Pentecost the sinners there were cut to the heart they were convicted and they cried out men and brethren what must we do so Peter dutifully happily joyfully points them to the Lord Jesus Christ he says let every one of you repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins these men here are cut to the heart but it's more akin to what you see in acts 5 at verse 33 there it is the same word that's used and you can turn there to sort of see it fleshed out in acts 5 at verse 33 after Peter again testifies concerning Jesus to this same counsel verse 33 says when they heard this they were furious and plotted to kill them that's what's in view here with reference to stephen's words they're furious they're cut to the heart they are upset they express it through this gnashing of the teeth and again if you go back in the Old Testament you'll see this as a sign an exhibition and expression of one's rage it's used that way in the book of Job it's used that way in the Book of Psalms and it's used that way in the Book of Lamentations so they're cut to the heart but instead of crying out men and brethren what must we do they express their rage their fury and their anger towards Steven by gnashing at him with their teeth they are very upset at what has happened with reference to this sermon it has taken a turn of events that they simply do not approve of they are the guilty ones according to Steven and Steven is the one that's right in terms of the interpretation of the Old Testament Matthew pool makes this observation in terms of gnashing of teeth he says gnashing of teeth is the curse of the Damned it is the curse of the Damned which men by their sins do prepare for we read that in Scripture that hell is a place where there'll be weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth and so a pool says is that this is a mark of the Damned and they're preparing for it in their own life by their sins in their response to Stevens sermon so the idea here is that they're not happy they disagree they do not believe that what Steven has said is true concerning them they reject it with every fiber of their being now note the blessedness of Steven they're gnashing their teeth at him they're expressing their rage toward him they are showing their fury but God comes to his aid God comes to his rescue God comes to comfort his servant at this time of great challenge I mean brethren there's probably not gonna be a day where you and I will stand before 71 people that are utterly opposed to Jesus Christ be asked to give a defense over charges given about us falsely and do so with the sort of acumen and ability that Stephen does they're only to have them result in this expression of anger and fury and gnashing of teeth and yet the composure of Stephen the stability of Stephen the security of Stephen the comfort of Stephen is afforded to him by our triune God sometimes people say or they read foxes Book of Martyrs and they say boy I wonder if I would be able to stand in the midst of such persecution if you're a believer in Jesus Christ you would be because God will give you the grace necessary in a general overarching sense Stephen was in fact filled with the Holy Spirit know that according to Acts chapter 6 and verse 5 but here the Spirit comes and fills him in such a way as to provide the stability necessary for him to undergo the trial you can know this brethren that if God is going to call you to some exploit God's going to give you the resources and the wherewithal to deal with it God's never gonna leave you he's never gonna forsake you he's never going to abandon you there will never be a time in your life where you say oh the Lord has left me not if you're a blood-bought not if you're a child of God not if you're a believer in Jesus no I'm not suggesting you're not gonna have hardship I'm not suggesting you're not gonna have whoa I'm not suggesting you're not gonna have difficulty you will but the glory is is that Christ is with his people Christ is there with his people I've told you many times about Thomas Hawkes you can find him in foxes Book of Martyrs Thomas Hawkes was going to be burned to death for his crime of heresy and essentially his heresy was the true religion and so his buddies asked him I don't think Fox calls them his buddies but his buddies asked him give us a sign when you're in the fire as to how long you can tolerate the pain so the day comes Hawkes has put into the fire nothing is happening his buddies aren't hearing any communication from him while he's burning well that says that while he was burning and melting he raises his stumps and he he bangs them together three times to show and demonstrate that Christ is Lord of the fire I think that's a beautiful illustration of what we find in this particular account notice what the author says concerning Stephen he first has a vision and then he makes a declaration in the first place in verse 55 we read that he was filled with the holy spirit again there's that idea we may not be filled with the Holy Spirit in the way that Stephen was in this particular instance and therefore may conclude that we couldn't do it but if God calls you to this sort of thing brethren believe the reality that he will give you the grace necessary we don't need grace for great exploits when we're engaged in little exploits but if God calls us to great exploits they'll be great grace for those exploits he is filled with the Holy Spirit in a way that we've already been reminded in Chapter six at verse five but here we're seeing it approving it or understanding it in a way that ought to speak great comfort to our hearts that doesn't leave him on his own God is not vacating him God's not saying you're now on your own no the Holy Spirit fills this man he be full filled with the Holy Spirit notice he sees the glory of God now some will say well how did he do this was it was a physical thing that haven't opened up just for him it was a vision and God peeled back heaven as it were to show Stephen the glory of God but in a manner that was consistent with the capacity of Stephen the sense where we could never behold the glory of God in our creatureliness remember when Moses asks to see the glory of God God puts him in the cleft of a rock and passes by him so that Moses only sees the back parts if we saw God as he is we would dissolve and this is what's happening Stephen gets this view of the glory of God he's filled with the spirit he looks up into heaven and he sees the glory of God but it doesn't stop there see our God is triune the true and living God is Father Son and Holy Spirit so the Spirit is dwelling him he looks up and he sees the glory of God and there he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of God now already in the apostolic preaching in the book of Acts we see that Jesus is at the right hand of God Peter refers to that in Acts chapter 2 Peter refers to that again in Acts chapter 5 but what is intriguing here is that Jesus is what he's standing there's theological emphasis laid upon the fact that Jesus sat down at the right hand of God in Hebrews chapter 10 the the psalm itself psalm 110:1 the lord said to my lord yahweh says to adenine sit at my right hand until i make your enemies your footstool Hebrews 10 again I think illustrates the finished work of Jesus Christ by the fact that he sat down at the right hand of the Father remember on the day of atonement according to Leviticus 16 when the high priest went in there to make atonement for the sins of Israel did he sit down no he did not sit down he did not chill didn't get familiar he he got and he got out probably three or four times he went in there with blood to make atonement for the nation he comes back out he lays his hands upon that scapegoat he confesses the sins of Israel the scapegoat is driven out into the wilderness you see the covering of sin by blood and you see the removal or the expiation of sin in that goat it's taken far outside the camp but that High Priest never sat down in a book that is designed to show the supremacy and superiority of Jesus Christ in Hebrews chapter 10 we read that he sat down at the right hand of God most high he finished the work it was once for all so why is Jesus now standing at the right hand of God in Stephens vision there's actually a lot written about this you you'd be amazed at what guys pick up on it spent a lot of time writing about I think Paul and Gil nail it comfort and encouragement for Steven there's Jesus standing at the right hand of the fluff of the glory of God waiting to receive is martyr that's what we have in our future that's what we look forward to in our future you may have a miserable life right now you may have the worst of lives right now but Jesus receiving you into glory is in your future I don't know but that should make us all at this point just jump for joy at least spiritually right we our heart should be doing you know backflips in in thankfulness to God that as bad as it may be in this lower world there's a day coming wherein jesus is going to receive us is this what p steven does I specifically neglected to read the part supplied by the New King James he's calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit he's calling upon Jesus as God saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit that's our future Christ is there to receive the spirits of the just men made perfect according to Hebrews chapter 12 Jesus our Victor Jesus our King so he's there standing at the right hand of the majesty of God and he's going to receive his servant Stephen but gil adds the dimension that christ is the person fighting judge over this situation as well remember the sanhedrin or this religious council is the highest court in Israel at the time both politically and ecclesiastical a they have Stephen on trial Christ standing at the right hand of the Father shows us that the Sanhedrin is on trial Stephen is not the one in the dock they are Stephen is the prosecuting attorney even with his indictment concerning their guilt in verses 51 to 53 so Christ is presiding over this to show his reception of Stephen but to show his judgment over this kangaroo court now notice he makes this declaration in verse 56 he said to them look I see the heavens open and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God now I don't think Stephen would do well in today's political climate this would infuriate them as the text shows us this was calculated not to sort of you know calm things down okay let's just take a step back we're all getting ahead of our certain that's not what he does says look I see the heavens open I see the glory of God I see Jesus standing at his right hand he tells them this almost as it were adding insult to injury and they respond in kind when they cry with a loud voice when they stopped their ears when they drive him out of the city but it's an amazing thing that he does with reference to this statement he says I see the heavens opened and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God remember Stephen doesn't live 30 40 80 years past Jesus we're within a few years the same counsel that Stephen is standing both before is the same counsel that Jesus was standing before and doesn't Jesus do something in six exactly parallel in Matthew 26 64 tell us that we have Giroux or are you the Christ are you the Messiah what does Jesus say it is as you said nevertheless I say to you hereafter you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven Stephen is the only other one besides geez to refer to Jesus as the Son of Man two instances in the book of Revelation one like the Son of Man but only Stephen outside of Jesus refers to him as the son of man so Christ does this before the Sanhedrin now Stephen does this before the Sanhedrin so if you ever wonder why they got so mad because they understood what he was doing they knew his point they said he said to them all the things that he had that he had maintained in his sermon he is pressing this upon the consciences of these hearers for them the glory of God was not associated with Jesus of Nazareth for them the glory of God was not connected to this Jesus whom they crucified remember they butchered him they murdered him they maybe not slam the nails into his hands and his feet but they went to Pilate they instigated the crowd they mocked him while he was on the cross they saw him buried they saw what their hands had done and now Stephen has the gall to stand in their midst and say I see the glory of God and Jesus is right there with him this Jesus whom you crucified is right there with the father they couldn't handle this they couldn't take this this is why they are full of rage so he says this to rebuke his hearers Calvin says God meant not only privately to provide for his servant but also to wring and torment his enemies that's what he's doing he's ringing and tormenting his enemies and consider this he's corroborating his defense he's corroborating his defense now whether he is doing this self-consciously or not he is certainly doing this indirectly what's been his point throughout the glory of God is manifest apart from the temple the glory of God is manifest apart from Jerusalem the glory of God shows itself in in verse 2 of this sermon in Acts chapter 7 - to Abraham in Mesopotamia and now Stephen says I see the glory of God the heavens are open and Jesus is associated with the glory of God so when they respond as they do in verses 57 and following there's a sense where we ought to be able to understand it because if Stevens not right he is highly offensive but Steven is right and so the actions and the conduct and the attitude of these men is what is highly offensive now notice the murderous rage of the council they first seized Steven and then they stoned Steven notice that they cry out with a loud voice again this wasn't sirs what must we do to be saved they cry out with a loud voice because they're filled with rage and fury and anger and animosity I mean these are the sorts of people that murder Lazarus so Lazarus can't say Jesus raised me from the dead again can you comport with that there's a lot of bad things going on in the world right now isn't there it's a lot of horrific things that happen in our world today and sometimes I think we're inclined to say well it's just never been this bad well I don't know that we were in a time where a guy was raised from the dead and people wanted to murder him so that he couldn't testify that he was raised from the dead it's pretty bad day same council same Sanhedrin same people they cry out not in terms of humility before God and Steven tell us about this Jesus but they cry out murderous rage notices well they stop their ears kids you know what that means maybe you've mocked each other and you stop your ears because you don't want to hear what they have to say I think the crying out and the stopping of the ears was their visible attempt to get rid of or to stop up the flow of blasphemy as they perceived it flowing from Steven in other words they think Steven is full of blasphemy they he's full of heresy he's full of air so they scream out and they close their ears and and they they don't want to hear what he has to say and I would suggest that this is a very childish behavior sin doesn't make people mature and manly it makes them cowardice fully cowardice and that's precisely what they do they cry out with a loud voice they stop up their ears and then notice they run it in with one Accord one Accord they're unified in this aggression 71 men 71 men have agreed that they're going to terminate Steven they're going to liquidate Steve they're gonna rid the world of Stephen a man filled with the Holy Spirit a man understanding the Old Testament Scriptures a man pressing upon the conscience is of this errors the very things they need to hear so that God would convict them of their sin and they would cry out for forgiveness these men are unified in their aggression I don't think there's any substance to Gil making a statement that this is the crowd and not the Sanhedrin there's no shift in the narrative Stephen is before the Sanhedrin Stephen is before these 71 men and for us to think well that seems like undignified behavior on their part how'd they treat Jesus in Matthew 26 they spat on him they slapped him and they mocked him if persons will do that to the very Messiah sent from God to redeem their nation of its sin they'll do that to his servant as well they spat on Christ they slapped Christ and they mocked him I don't think there's any shift in terms of the audience or who stops up their ears who Nash's at him with their teeth who cries out with a loud voice and who ultimately drives them out of the city it's the Sanhedrin it's the Religious Council it's the men who should have known better it's the men who are apostate before the true and living God they're acting like babies Bach says the remarks send the crowd into a frenzy when Stephen declares that he sees the Son of man standing at the right hand of God he is stoned for blasphemy because in the view of these Jews no one has the right to be at the side of God's heavenly presence you understand how subversive that was again go back to the life and Ministry of the Lord Jesus how did they treat him in John chapter 8 when he says before Abraham was I am they mock him they they put him down and then they pick up stones to throw at him why because he being a man made himself equal with God see these persons who do not have the spirit these persons that do not understand the scripture these persons that operate on a humanistic level they think that those who believe the true religion the one true and living God Father Son and Holy Spirit are the blasphemers no the tables are turned here they're the blasphemers they're the idolaters Christ is presiding over it but ultimately in terms of this human Court they're going to carry out their wickedness notice they stone Stephen what it says in verse 58 they cast him out of the city and stoned him now this is legit that they did this not in terms of stoning him and killing him but the procedure is legit according to the Book of Leviticus 24 14 the Old Testament penalty for blasphemy take outside the camp him who has cursed then let all who heard him lay their hands on his head and let all the congregation stone him get his filthy blasphemous idolatrous self out of our holy city that's why they cast him out that's why they drive him out you see it in the case of namath remember early on in Stephens defense we looked at that situation as a bit of an Old Testament parallel the death of nebith in 1st Kings chapter 21 under the couple of the year a happened Jezebel what happens when they come to execute namath they drive him out of the city that's consistent with Levitical law the fact that stoning was the right sanction or penalty for blasphemy that's right - Leviticus 20 24 16 says whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death all the congregation shall certainly stone in the stranger as well as him who was born in the land when he blasphemes the name of the Lord he shall be put to death so in terms of their actual actions it has a procedural obedience to it they dried him out of the city they stone him as the law prescribes but it begs the larger question did they have the authority to do this is this the end result of judicial process is this the end result of a good case is this the end result or is it something akin to lynching well John 1831 they said they did not possess authority to crucify the Son of God so they had to turn him over to Pilate again we're not dealing with 30 40 80 years later just a couple years later they did not possess the authority with reference to Stephen but with one Accord they drive him out of the city they take up stones to stone him now kids this means exactly what it sounds like taking up stones to stone someone means to take up rocks and throw them at that person until that person is dead you knock the life out of them literally via stone so in terms of driving them out of the city there in terms of actual stony there but in terms of the lawfulness of this they didn't possess the authority to do this particular such engagement is particular sanction now notice what it tells us it's very descriptive isn't it it's very descriptive Lucas just giving us a bird's-eye view into this sort of kangaroo court I think in many respects Lucas saying once you see your brother brethren when I say brethren I mean brothers and sisters just so everybody knows if I say brethren ladies that means you do Paul in first Corinthians 16 actually tells women in the church at Corinth to act like men so it's not a mean thing it's not you know hyper chauvinistic I mean it probably is in today's world I should probably be in a jail cell but when I say brethren I mean men and women it's almost like Luke is showing us what Paul will later say all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution it's like Paul does if you take Pauline authorship of the book of Hebrews showing us what the people of God have faced a knee bruised chapter 11 is it all health wealth and prosperity is it all wives the big hair it's a big car big summer homes is it name it and claim it no it's suffering what's our Lord Jesus say in the Upper Room discourse in Matthew or in John chapter 16 in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I have overcome the world it's not lying to his people or you know just believe on me and all your troubles will go out the you know go out the door believe in me and you have no hardship Lucas saying I want you brethren to see a brother who suffered for the cause of Jesus Christ maybe you and I need to come to this passage more often when we think we're suffering boy I've got it really tough I looked at somebody today and they didn't smile at me we're not staring down the face of Angry Men with stones that are going to murder us for our commitment to Jesus Christ are we I doubt it Luke tells us what's happening so they run him out of the city they stone him and then it says and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul again this is consistent in terms of the Old Testament sanction Deuteronomy 17 7 the hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death and afterwards the hands of all the people so you shall put away the evil from among you but if asked why would they take off their outer garments probably because they were restricted by the outer garments you know once in a while you'll see somebody jogging down your street and jeans and you go that's odd jeans don't allow for a lot of unrestricted movement typically wear jogging pants or shorts or something we dress for the occasion don't win I don't use this outfit when I'm in the backyard gardening not that I garden a lot but I have once at least last year me and my wife did some stuff but but but there's an appropriateness in terms of attire they took their other garments off because they were restricted in the amount of force they could apply in killing this man they take those garments and they lay them down at the feet of a young man named Saul now why are you telling us this loop because this young man named Saul is going to feature large in the story ahead and he's introduced here he's mentioned again in chapter 8 at verse 1 a he's not young in terms of a teenager later on and Philemon he speaks as an agent man probably 60s he's probably around 30 at this particular time which is a young man he's not an adolescent he's not year-old he's not a ten-year-old he's a he's a young man he's already a trained man he's already sat under the feet of gamma Leal he's a rabbi he's educated he's smart but Luke tells us what's happening because Saul is going to feature large in the rest of the narrative so they do this and now we come to the death of Stephen specifically at verse 59 and following verse 59 reiterates that they stoned Stephen I think that might have just been a sort of a recommencement give us a bit of salt tell us who they're laying down these garments at the feet off and remind us once again that they're stoning Stephen so what's happening when they're stoning Stephen what do you think would be happening if they were stoning you may I suggest what would happen if they were stoning me I'd be saying wow this really hurts I'd be saying call my attorney I'd be saying I think you guys are rash in your judgment I would say you don't have the authority lawfully under the Roman Empire to execute criminal offenders you can't do this that's what I suspect I'd say perhaps you'd say something more noble more holy more pious good good good for you but for me I think I'd just be a big whining baby saying you know the bad things have happening happening to the wrong guy that's not what Stephen is doing when a man is filled with the Holy Spirit when a man gazes up into heaven he sees the glory of God and he sees Jesus standing there at the right hand he thinks like God he thinks like the Savior and Jesus or rather Stephen is very similar to the Savior in his dying words the first thing he says is Lord received my spirit I can't just imagine how that would have affected them just imagine what they would have thought if he's calling upon Jesus to receive his spirit what was the scripture reading at the outset of worship it was psalm thirty one one two five it is that committing of our spirit into the hand of the Lord God of truth Jesus does this on the cross in Luke 23 he says to the father into your hands I commit my spirit well now Steve and his committee his spirit into the hands of Jesus again I think this would incense that it would fill them with even further rage and fury but as I'll argue in just a moment it further corroborates his defense again I don't think he's self-consciously doing it but certainly indirectly he is doing it so he calls upon Jesus and he says receive my spirit John Calvin says this this is an inestimable comfort in that we know our souls do not wander up and down when they flit out of our bodies but they Christ receiveth them that he may keep them faithfully if we commend them into his hands this hope ought to encourage us to suffer death patiently again what's on the other end for us Jesus receiving our spirits now notice he calls upon Jesus to forgive his murderers verse 59 they stoned Stephen as he was calling on in 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 think about that for just a moment if as I've accurately described my conduct being stoned it would have been get me a lawyer you guys are rash but it would have been feeble and weak because after being pelted with stones I doubt I'd have a whole lot of strength to cry with a loud voice Stephen does he cries with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with this sin now here is where and I would suggest that he further corroborates his testimony what did the Jews associate the temple with it was a house of prayer according to Isaiah 57 who's receiving prayer here it's Jesus what did the Jews associate the temple with the forgiveness of sins and here Stephen is calling upon Jesus to exercise the hiss of sins what else did the Jews see the temple as significant for it provided access to God didn't it here it's Jesus who provides access to God so even in his dying words he is showing this Sanhedrin that the very function and the purpose and the rationale behind the temple is fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ again brethren I think these people were probably out of their minds with rage and then note the death itself well back for just a moment in terms of his prayer Lord do not charge them with this sin this is commanded by Jesus in Matthew 5 verse 44 we're supposed to pray for our enemies we're supposed to pray for our persecutors but it's also displayed by Jesus on the cross in Luke 23 doesn't he say the same thing Lord do not charge them with this sin Stephen is exactly like his Savior when it comes to the death that he suffers on behalf of the Savior and then in terms of the actual description of his death notice it says and when he had said this he fell asleep now this is in soul sleep this isn't the false or the heretical doctrine that we cease to be at least for a time no Jesus is receiving his spirit the body goes to sleep and it's an intriguing choice of words I think FF Bruce nails it when he says with reference to this word Stephen fell asleep an unexpectedly peaceful description for so brutal a death but one which fits the spirit in which Stephen accepted his martyrdom beautiful and then saw they've already told us who Luke's already told us that they laid there their garments down at the feet of a young man named Saul what's all doing in 8 1 a he's consenting to this isn't he the word consent there it seems a bit vague there's a heart-felt approval here on the part of Saul of Tarsus he says as much in acts 20 to 20 was the of Stephen he also uses this particular word in Romans chapter 1 and verse 32 I've often wondered if it was in his mind what he participated in with reference to the garment kluh the garment guarding on his part while holy stephen is being executed you know romans chapter 1 they not only do those things but they approve of they consent to they give a heartfelt amen to others who practice the same sorts of things he's not some passive guy here he's actively engaged in this he is rooting for them against Stephen now Matthew Henry preached this sermon before this is a text I've quoted before but it's absolutely positively beautiful Matthew Henry said that Paul fed his eyes with this bloody spectacle in hopes that it would put a stop to the growth of Christianity if you question that you need to just continue on in the book of Acts what does Saul of Tarsus do so all of Tarsus tries to eradicate the earth of Christianity Saul of Tarsus is a man who breathes threats and murder and anger toward the people of God stone Saul of Tarsus gets orders so that he can go and arrest men and women and drag them off to prison Saul of Tarsus is about the liquidation of Christianity and this is what Luke is telling us this is our foray into meeting Saul of Tarsus Henry goes on in that quote he says we have reason to think that Paul ordered Luke to insert this which is not hard to think because Paul and Luke were friends where do you think Luke got a lot of his information to write the Gospel according to Luke where do you think Luke got a lot of his information to write the Acts of the Apostles why do you think in certain key sections in the book of Acts we find we sections that means Luke is with Paul they were buddies so matthew henry says we have reason to think that paul ordered Luke to insert this why for shame to himself and glory to free grace Saul as it were tells Luke rather tells Luke I want you to put that in so that if anybody ever says well I don't think the grace of God is sufficient for me I don't think the blood of Jesus is sufficient for me you point them to that persecutor of the church who became the apostle to the Gentiles it was for shame to himself and glory to free grace Oh brethren in terms of some concluding thoughts in the first place as mentioned we ought never underestimate the wickedness of man I realize that's not a popular theme and I realize we don't like to hear this or think about it but we need to hear it we need to think about it in fact come back tonight we're gonna look at it in the book of Proverbs this idea of the wickedness of men look at the vile expression with reference to their the the the the words of Stephen Lords he preaches this sermon based on their scriptures applying things to them and they get outraged they're furious but then in terms of his vision they engage in murderous rage that that's what's happening here they didn't have the lawful authority this wasn't a due process this wasn't the natural land or the the yielding of the the events are rather the results of due process this is mob violence inflicted upon a godly man we need to appreciate something about the martyr himself Stephen I think that in many ways he exemplifies for us grace under pressure in the first place he demonstrates dependence on the triune God he's not standing there eight foot tall and bulletproof in his own strength okay bring it on I you know I'm just macho I'm a manly man I I do that no he doesn't do that he's dependent upon the grace of God as well he express his courage in the face of martyrdom everybody's so easily offended today aren't they everybody's triggered everybody just goes nuts over the smallest little thing this man is standing before 71 people that are going to put him to death and he's got a courage doesn't run from there like a little girl he doesn't know there's nothing wrong with being a little girl little girls there is when you're a thirty year old man little girls wonderful thirty year old men acting like little girls not so wonderful Stephen has courage I love how Paul asks for prayer with reference to the Ephesians he says and pray that utterance would be given to me that I may speak the Word of God boldly as I ought to speak so think of anything the church needs today we need theologically savvy men we need men that know their Bibles and they know their theology but we need men men stand up to not shrink back but to declare the whole counsel of God even in the face of 71 murderous men who are going to dispatch them as well he evidences Christ's likeness in his trial and affliction again isn't that intriguing he's dying he's being stoned to death he initially praise Lord Jesus receive my spirit and then he says concerning the hearers do not charge them with this sin see this you stiff-necked and uncircumcised of heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit he wasn't saying that in the spirit of meanness he wasn't saying that in the spirit of intolerance he wasn't speaking as saying that in the spirit of bigotry or prejudice he was saying in love sometimes people need to hear that their stiff-necked and their uncircumcised of hardened ears sometimes they need to hear they've always resisted the Holy Spirit and maybe just maybe under God that'll be the thing that humbles them under the mighty hand of God so they'll cry out for salvation Steven doesn't shrink back from Christ's likeness and he is comforted at the prospect of being with Jesus see whatever is going to happen in this next few moments Steven says Lord Jesus receive my spirit see bruised broken bloodied bodies ultimately give way to spirits received by Jesus and ultimately give way to the general resurrection from the dead when body and soul are reunited and we will be equipped and fit to stand in the presence of Almighty God world without end to bring glory and praise and honor to him notice as well thirdly in terms of the major players with reference to this situation got the murderers we've got the martyr but we need to appreciate the triune God the triune God is conspicuous in this passage you know sometimes you'll meet people out of the Trinity that's not a Bible concept the Trinity is all in this isn't it isn't that this is the the Spirit is filling Steven he's gazing at the glory of God the Father and he sees Jesus standing at the right hand notice that God is with his people in their time of trial I probably have said that I don't know how many times in the 21 and 1/2 years that I've been here probably a lot probably a lot and yet I still find that we don't always believe it I've said it I don't always believe it I mean I believe it but you know in terms of doctrine and practice there's a sort of a disconnect things start going difficult for us or we find some trial or a flitch and we just sort of lose it Oh God God's just abandoned me God God's not with me God is always with his people in their time of need that's just a settled fact that's an axiom God is good to Israel Asaph says in Psalm 73 but that that's axiomatic God is good to Israel that's that's just all we have that that that you don't need to even reinvent or we visit that proposition as well he gives strength to his people in their time of need the fact that Stephen cries out with a loud voice according to verse 60 shows us that God is strengthening him I mean brethren be honest brothers specifically when you got a sickness you got a cold or a flu and you're on the couch you adopt sick voice so that your wife will show pity and get you soup that kind of an attitude he says it with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with this sin whose strengthening him here it's not that he's better than anybody else intrinsically or in hair he said God is with him in the trial notice that God gives peace to his people at their time of death he falls asleep I mean this is a brutal scene this is a horrific scene this is a vile scene and yet it's described as him falling asleep as well he receives his people when the spirit despot departs from the body again soul sleep is wrong the doctrine that once we die are our bodies and our souls go to sleep until the reservoir that's just false it's a radical the body goes to the grave the spirit departs and is with Jesus and this is what Jesus does and then he answers the prayers of his people even when they aren't no longer on the earth never forget this he answers the prayers of his people even when his people are no longer on the earth he prays this doesn't heal or do not charge them with this sin does God hear this prayer does God answer this prayer he most certainly does you'll see it in Acts chapter 9 this Saul of Tarsus that was giving already approval to the murder of Stephen is saved by grace his sins are not charged to him his sins are forgiven him his sins are blotted out this Saul of Tarsus moves into the sphere of being Christ's chief apostle to the Gentiles God answers the prayers of his people even when his people no longer people the earth that is our faithful God and then finally in terms of temple Jesus is everything the temple pointed to Jesus is the one who hears prayer Jesus is the one who forgives sin Jesus is the one that provides access to God if you are not a believer in Jesus this morning those are three things you miss out on a prayer hearing God a forgiving God a God who brings you into his act into his presence the means by which or the way by which this is appropriated or received is by faith in Christ look to him believe in him and receive all of the benefits wrought out by him in his earthly life and ministry in his death and resurrection namely he hears your prayers namely he forgives your sins and namely he communes with you well let us pray our Father in heaven we thank you for the Lord Jesus we thank you for the the Grace and the strength that you give to this holy martyr Stephen in his final hours and we know that you have promised to never leave us nor to forsake us made this account encourage our hearts may you strengthen us and may you cause us to be faithful witnesses to our Lord Jesus the way that Stephen was here and to that end we do pray for the ministry the presence and the power of the Holy Spirit and our excuse me in our daily lives and God help us to conduct ourselves in a manner that is worthy of your gospel and we would pray that you would go with us now help us to bring glory to you in this day and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well why don't we close by singing the doxology in praise to God it's in the new book at page 446 four four six if you do not know it if you do know it great we'll stand and we'll sing together unto our triune God [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen father may these things be true in our hearts and our experience may we find great comfort in the triune God of heaven and earth and may we find great encouragement be the people of God by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ go with us now we pray in his most blessed name Amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation