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welcome to everybody uh everyone it's good to be back in the house of God for our Lord's Supper service this evening for our call to worship you can turn with me in your Bibles to Psalm 121. psalm 121. several Psalms in this particular section have a statement called a song of a sense so numbers 120 to 134 carry that inscription and one man said the importance of pilgrimage to Worship in Jerusalem explains why an entire section of the psalter is devoted to songs that would be sung by those pilgrims ascending to the temple on Mount Zion so this is what they would sing on their way to worship God at the temple so I'll begin reading in verse one a song of ascents I will lift up my eyes to the hills from whence comes my help my help comes from the Lord who made Heaven and Earth he will not allow your foot to be moved he who he who keeps you will not Slumber behold he who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep the Lord is your keeper the Lord is your shade it's your right hand the son shall not strike you by day nor the Moon by Night the Lord shall preserve you from all evil he shall preserve your soul the Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth and even forevermore amen well please turn with me in your hymn book to number 98. number 98 c as in Charlie and will stand as we sing together foreign [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] oh is your face [Music] well let us pray our blessed God and Holy Father it is a joy to gather in your house again on the the Lord's day we thank you for the means of Grace that you have provided for corporate worship for the gathered Church of the Lord Jesus Christ what a blessing to fellowship with the Saints what a blessing to be able to sing Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to our great God and what a joy to pray to you father coming to the uh coming to the father through the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit and as well we thank you for the word of God and for the sacrament of the supper and may you encourage and strengthen each of our hearts tonight and build us up in our Most Holy Faith we acknowledge that you are God most high from Everlasting to Everlasting The God Who made the world the God who governs the world and the God who has redeemed his elect from it and we Rejoice that you have set your affection your mercy upon us we know we're not heaven bound or we're not saved because of anything good in us it's not because we we made good decisions or engaged in moral reform but you chose us in him before the foundation of the world and in your time you sent forth your spirit to convict us of our sin to show us the glory of the Redeemer Christ and to grant us those Graces of faith and repentance that we may close with the Savior so as we sing and pray as we consider the word of God tonight as we take this Sacrament help us to remember that it's all of Grace as the Apostle says we are redeemed through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ according to the riches of his grace we ask he would forgive us now for all of our sin and transgression you call us to live in a particular manner in a manner consistent with that Gospel of our Salvation And yet we say with the hymn writer we're prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love so cleanse us from all our corruption now wash Us in that precious fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness and for any and all who've come here tonight that are still dead in their trespasses and sins we pray that today would be the day of salvation that your Holy Spirit would do that work of conviction would do that work of setting forth Christ as as altogether lovely and chief among ten thousand and may it be the case that Sinners would confess saving faith in him tonight for the praise and glory of your great name for the rejoicing of the angels in heaven and for the celebration of the Saints on Earth as we see more plundered out of that kingdom of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the son of your love we pray father for your blessing upon the needs in this local assembly just remember Shirley Crowe as she has surgery tomorrow we just commend her to you and to the word of your grace and pray that all would go well for her that you would just give her health and give wisdom and ability to the doctor and we pray they'd be able to get all of this cancer and that she would be in in good shape Lord God give her that peace of Christ that does surpass all understanding and just strengthen her father as she goes goes in into this particular situation tomorrow as well we rejoice in this good news from Larry concerning Bryson God we see your hand and we see your mercy and we see your power and Lord we just rejoice in your loving kindness and in your goodness we pray for this young man that you would bless him richly she would Grant him Grace that he would understand the truth as it is in Jesus and that he would know that Joy of being found in Him Father we pray for all of us we all have our various trials and and difficulties that we face in this lower world we pray that your Holy Spirit would strengthen us we pray that tonight would be a means to that particular end that we would persevere in this lower World in a manner that is consistent with what we find in scripture and in a manner that would indeed Adorn the gospel of our blessed savior Christ look with favor upon other churches in our community we thank you for those that are Faithfully preaching the word and we pray that you would just bless them Prosper them and Grant them help and strength and God be as well merciful to those in various countries that are suffering for the cause of God and Truth we pray father that you would be merciful to those in prison those facing all sorts of Calamity and trial for their faith in the Redeemer King we pray for Myanmar that there would be a ceasefire sooner rather than later we pray that your protection would still be upon that Orange Grove and that you would just strengthen our dear brother Peter and use him for your glory in that part of the world and we ask these things in the name and for the glory of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ amen ah well you can turn with me again in your hymn books to number 404 hymn 404 will stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] your father [Music] is [Music] Mercy disease is [Music] better too foreign [Music] Jesus Christ [Music] where we are around you wake up [Music] everyone my life [Music] well you can turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 7 for our Lord's Supper meditation Acts chapter 7. we'll pick up the last section I'll read beginning in verse 44 to chapter 8 verse 1 and then our Focus this evening is on the martyrdom of Stephen in verses 54 and following so beginning though in verse 44 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 inter 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 him a house however 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 heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did so do you which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute and they killed those who 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 filled a 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 thank you for this your written word thank you for the book of Acts and what it teaches us concerning disciple making and church planting and the extension of the kingdom of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ here on Earth we thank you as well for your mercy afforded it to your people in life and in death and may these things encourage us and may the gospel of our Salvation refresh our minds and hearts tonight as well father as we participate in the supper may this indeed be a means of Grace Grace and may you strengthen our faith and may you help us to glorify you in this present evil age again father forgive us of all sin and unrighteousness and guide us now by your Holy Spirit and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well Acts chapter 7 and the culmination here in the martyrdom of Stephen actually begins prior to this if you go back to chapter six you'll notice that Stephen is arrested there is a sort of a debate or a discussion and they are bested by Stephen so of course in terms of silencing their opponent they arrest him and they put him up on trial and the particular charges that they level against him are found in chapter 6 at verse 11. then they secretly induced men to say we've 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 that would be the Jewish Sanhedrin and then it says they also set up false Witnesses who said this man does not cease to speak Blasphemous words against this holy place and the law the holy Place being the temple it's going to be the subject matter of his defense in the entirety of chapter seven so they said we have not we have heard him say verse 14 that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the Customs which Moses delivered to us interestingly that's the same charge that they leveled against our lord Jesus Remember when he stands before the Sanhedrin this was the issue you said you were going to destroy the temple he didn't actually say he was going to destroy the temple like with C4 or something we know that he was talking about the Temple of his body intriguingly going back in Redemptive history this was the same charge leveled at the Prophet Jeremiah Jeremiah prophesied concerning the fall of the Southern Kingdom he prophesied concerning the Babylonian captivity of Judah which would result in the decimation of their Temple for the Jews the temple was everything and so if they perceived that you were speaking ill of the temple that was indeed a Blasphemous offense and so Stephen then defends himself in chapter seven and Stephen's basic point we don't have time to rehearse the entirety of his sermon but he he develops a Biblical Theology of God's dwelling among people and he essentially says that God doesn't need a temple an Earthly place in order to manifest his glory or his presence among his people Abraham met with God prior to the Tabernacle and Temple we see this in the Patriarchs we see this throughout Redemptive history and at this latter part of his sermon he tells us that Solomon built a house for God and then in verse 48 he says however the most high does not dwell in temples made with hands as the prophet says now when he gets into the words that he speaks as they're about to converge upon him and destroy him he essentially says that everything the temple stood for is realized in and through our Lord Jesus Christ so they are incensed and outraged against him and so he defends himself by highlighting that he is not attacking the temple he appreciates the Theology of the Temple and how it inevitably led to the Lord Jesus Christ the temple wasn't an end in and of itself but rather it pointed forward to the Blessed Christ and so now that Christ has come we have Temple or dwelling in God through our lord Jesus so that's kind of the essence of his defense now as he concludes his defense notice in verses 51 to 53. he's not just you know satisfied with giving them a Bible study here's your biblical Theology of Temple and here's what it means now I want everybody to go home and think about this no he rebukes that he applies his words and he says you stiff neck and uncircumcised in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit as your fathers did so do you which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute and they killed those who 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 he upgrades these men because of their culture ability or responsibility in the death of the Lord Of Glory so again he presses this home on their consciences and that brings us now to his martyrdom on the one hand if you're thinking like a devil in man's clothes you'll understand why they're so upset they didn't like to be called stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart they didn't want to be told that they always resist the holy spirit this outraged that but the means that they employ to try to silence him was murder it was wicked it was vile so I want to look first at the blessedness of Stephen in verses 54 to 56 secondly the murderous Rage of the council in verses 57 and 58 and then finally the death of Stephen in verse 59 to chapter 8 verse 1. what follows in chapters 8 and 9 are closely connected to what Stephen prays in terms of Lord do not charge them with this sin but notice in the first place with reference to the council verse 54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart and they gnashed at him with their teeth the things they heard the entirety of his speech especially the emphasis upon the temple pointing to our Lord Jesus Christ he doesn't dwell in a house made with hands rather it was typifying the coming of the Messiah the just and holy one that you men crucified notice they're Fury when it says they heard these things they were cut to the heart the word means to be cut to the quick or to be infuriated you see an instance of this chapter in chapter 5 at verse 33 you can turn there when they heard this they were Furious and plotted to kill them in Chapter 2 there's a positive effect of being caught to the heart that is absolutely contrary to what we find in our passage 237 now when they heard this they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and Brethren what shall we do so there's a positive cutting to the heart a conviction for sin and a desire for the savior but they have the negative cutting to the heart they're outraged they're Furious they want to rid the world of of Stephen as far as they are concerned he is a blasphemer and he does not deserve to live notice as well they gnashed their teeth at him this is an expression of Rage in in the Old Testament passages where it's used Matthew Poole makes the observation gnashing of teeth is the curse of the Damned which men by their sins do prepare for there's weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth is what our blessed savior says concerning hell and the outer Darkness so they are already preparing for that eventuality now note the blessedness of Stephen in the midst of this they heard these things they were cut to the heart they gnashed at him with their teeth Stephen probably understands that this is not going well humanly speaking Stephen understands that they did not respond favorably to his message they were not cut to the heart and said men and Brethren what must we do to be saved no they're angry they're infuriated they're going to get rid of him and Stephen understands this but notice how God affords Comfort to his suffering Saint in the time of Crisis notice specifically what we find there is a vision that he has and there is a declaration that he makes the vision is in verse 55. notice 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 Brethren there is our Triune God as I've had cause to reflect upon in the Gospel of John it's not just one place or two places where we see the Christian doctrine of the Trinity it is everywhere through scripture the true and living God is but one only but this true and living God exists eternally his father Son and Holy Spirit the Father unbegotten the Son begotten by the Father the spirit proceeds from the father and the son so Stephen now is full of the Holy Spirit he gazes up into heaven and there he sees the glory of God and significantly there Jesus is standing at the right hand of God now again Brethren I can't overestimate how this would outrage this particular audience he has just reminded them that they killed him they crucified him and yet now Stephen has an eye full of Jesus standing at the right hand of the glory of God most high that is precisely what he says now it's a vision that's available to him and it's a vision that is limited or accommodated to Stephen's capability capacity the creature never fully sees the glory of the Creator John Calvin says the glory of God appeared not unto Stephen holy as it was but according to man's capacity for that infiniteness cannot be comprehended with the measure of any creature we cannot exhaust we cannot contain we cannot hold a view of the glory of God most high as he is that's why our confession of faith says that he's known only to himself at the level of essence the creature cannot debt uh Plumb the depths of the glory of God most high so he's filled with the Holy Spirit he sees the glory of God and again interestingly he sees Jesus not sitting at the right hand of the father but standing at the right hand of the father turn back to chapter 2 in the book of Acts and you'll see another reference where Jesus is at the right hand of the father Acts chapter 2 specifically at verse 32 this Jesus God has raised up of which we are all Witnesses therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit he poured out this which you now see and hear and then over in chapter 5 chapter 5 same sort of an emphasis in verse 31 him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins so now as Stephen is being prevailed upon by the Sanhedrin they're gnashing their teeth at him they're infuriating they're infuriated they're outraged with him God the spirit fills him the Lord God most high manifests himself to him and he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the father now other places in Scripture that speak of Jesus at the right hand of God certainly Psalm 110 1 Yahweh said to my Lord sit at my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool the book of Hebrews chapter 10 makes much of the fact that Jesus sat down at the right right hand of the father after accomplishing his Priestly work that's a significant bit of theology because the high priest on the day of atonement didn't sit down in the holy of holies the high priest on the day of atonement went in he made his sacrifice and then he got out and then he found the scapegoat he put his hands upon that animal he confessed the sins of Israel and then they drove it out into the Wilderness he didn't sit in the holy of holies so theologically to show the superiority of the high Priestly office of Christ once he offers up himself that one sacrifice for said he sits down at the right hand of the father what's the implication never to duplicate the sacrifice again it's once for all what we do tonight in terms of the supper is different than Roman Catholicism Roman Catholicism sees in their Lord's Supper an unbloody sacrifice a sacrifice of atonement that's not what we're about there is a once for all sacrifice that Christ rendered and now he sits enthroned at the right hand of the father so significantly here we see Jesus standing well it never says that he can only sit or he can only stand why is he standing I think there's two particular reasons so remember he's full of the Holy Spirit he looks up into heaven he sees the glory of God and there Jesus standing at the right hand of God I think it suggests two things first his willingness and his Readiness to receive Stephen unto himself his willingness and his Readiness to receive Stephen unto himself after Stephen has his body caved in by the Stones of this murderous rage he is going to depart and be present with the Lord and so that standing there signifies the help of the Savior the comfort of the Savior the graciousness of the Savior to receive his servant unto himself but I think secondly I think that what is suggested here is that it's not Stephen ultimately that's on trial it's not Stephen that's ultimately understood scrutiny it's the Sanhedrin our blessed Christ at the right hand of the father is watching over these Lawless men these Godless men these wretched men and it's him that is the judge that will in fact do right in terms of their ultimate destruction in ad70 pool and guilt say this and standing ready to assist and comfort all that should suffer for his sake that's Matthew Poole John Gill says where he was seen by him standing to denote his Readiness to assist him and his indignation at his enemies and I think that's comforting on the one hand comfort in the sense that Christ is going to receive us but on the other hand Vindication shall not God avenge his elect who cry to him day and night Revelation chapter 6 those Souls that are under the the altar those martyred Souls they say how long Lord until you avenge our blood the Divine responses and oh how dare you ask for vengeance how dare you ever suggest there should be any kind of Retribution upon the enemies of God no that's not the answer the answer is is that it's going to come second Thessalonians chapter one The Apostle says it is righteous with God to pay with tribulation those who afflict you brethren we image God and God is love but God is also Justice God is righteousness it is not wrong as the people of God too long for those things so when Jesus is standing there ready to receive his servant he's also standing there presiding as judge over this Motley Crew or over this kangaroo court and he's going to bring judgment upon them and incidentally that's what Jesus prophesied in Matthew chapter 24. that was the basis for which they called him to the Sanhedrin you're talking about the destruction of the temple just like Jeremiah before him and when Jesus is standing before the high priest he says something that Stephen will imitate okay notice what we find in the Declaration that he makes verse 56 and he said look I see the heavens open and the son of man standing at the right hand of God I'm not sure that anyone else in the New Testament refers to Jesus as the son of man Jesus refers to Jesus as the son of man on numerous occasions it's one of his favorite titles for himself it reflects Daniel 7 13-14 which is an Ascension text it's when the son of man ascends to the Ancient of Days and then all power all glory all kingdom is given unto him so that he may Rule and Reign and so when Jesus said that before the Sanhedrin they understand precisely what he was talking about that's why the high priest rent His Garment and accuse him of blasphemy because he understood what Jesus was claiming Jesus was claiming to be Daniel's son of man that would Ascend to the Ancient of Days that would take his position at the right hand of the father and he would Rule and Reign Over All Things and so Stephen says essentially the same thing and it has the same effect upon his hearers notice that they're not softening notice that they're not saying wow he's making such good biblical sense he's quite the Theologian he's quite the man no everything that he says they resist they reject and they ultimately drive him out of the city to Stone him so he says look I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God Jesus before the Sanhedrin says when they asked him are you the Son of God he said 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 intriguingly Brethren when Christ refers to himself as son of man it's not necessarily that he's highlighting his true Humanity more often than not when he speaks of being the son of man it is underscoring his divinity it is underscoring that Daniel passage and Daniel 7 13 and 14. when he's referred to as the Son of God for instance in Luke's gospel in the genealogy it is his Humanity that is being stressed now we know the one person of Christ who Natures Divine and human here specifically he is a predicating of the son Divinity look I see the heavens opened and the son of man standing at the right hand of God why does he tell them what he sees why does he do this is he trying to get stoned is he trying to get murdered is he trying to get executed no he does it for two reasons Calvin suggests it's to rebuke his hearers he says God meant not only privately to provide for his servant but also to ring and torment his enemies which this most certainly would have done but as well to corroborate his defense look I see the heavens open down the son of man standing at the right hand of God he is is the true temple of God he is the reason for which the temple existed it pointed toward him it spoke of him it foreshadowed him his argument all along has bit the presence of God is Not confined to the temple or to Jerusalem his glory appeared to Abraham and Mesopotamia and His glory was now in heaven associated with Jesus and seen by Stephen so this would outrage his hearers now again I doubt Stephen said hey how can I get maximum effect and really irritate these guys I I don't think that's what's in his head I think Calvin is saying this is one of the reasons or one of the effects that it has but he's looking up into heaven he sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand who wouldn't report that who wouldn't exclaim that who wouldn't tell somebody or tell everybody look this is what I'm witnessing you're outraged you're infuriated you're gnashing your teeth at me you want to destroy me but God most high is my ever-present Aid and health God most high stabilizes his Saints in the moment of excruciating difficulty in the moment of excruciating hardship it is not the case that God abandons his people yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil why because thou art with me as I move through the valley of the shadow of death the Apostle Paul at the end of Romans chapter 8. I am persuaded there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord and he describes some things there that are pretty horrific he describes some things there that are pretty challenging and yet it is never the case that Christ will leave or abandon those for whom he died from Heaven he came and sought her he came to die and bleed for her he will never ever forsake us and will never ever let us go now notice the murderous Rage of the council in verses 57 and 58 first of all they seize Stephen so I don't say wow great observation this guy's a good Theologian we should listen to him no then they cried out with a loud voice stopped their ears and ran at him with one Accord now remember these are grown men these are the same men that slapped our blessed savior as he stood before the San Andreas these men act like children and that's not a diss on children children are supposed to act like children adults are not supposed to act like children they're acting like petulant little babies that don't get their way and instead of just trying to best him with argumentation refute him with their own scriptures no they just get more outraged and now they're going to stop their ears and they're going to rush upon him the significance of the stopping of the ears oh he is blaspheming the things that he is saying are just too wretched for our especially holy and pure ears these their self righteous Godless men who parade themselves as the leaders in Israel and yet they haven't they have descended into the mob mentality of just trying to murder somebody one man 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 do you understand that the one that you crucified the one that you put to death the one that you put into the ground that one now is standing at the right hand of God most high and that one is the means by which Sinners and God dwell together in other words he's the temple he's the dwelling place he's that which Tabernacle and Temple pointed unto now notice they run at him this shows their unit it shows there's solidarity when they heard these things or rather what then they cried out verse 57 with a loud voice stop their ears and ran ran at him with one Accord the wicked are at times far more unified in their machinations than the righteous are shared with you before we've gone through it before in Acts chapter 23. there is this conspiracy to murder Paul there is this conspiracy to rid the Earth of Paul these people engage in this they say we won't eat again until Paul is dead I don't know that I see that kind of Christianity that kind of commitment I'm not going to eat again until such and such a thing takes place there is resolve on the part of the wicked to try and rid the world of the righteous I've said that this morning this is International Day of Prayer for the persecuted church that's kind of the connecting theme between the morning and the evening sermon now notice they cast him out of the city verse 58 tells us they cast him out of the city and stone them why did they cast him out of the city well the Old Testament law demanded such and I think the idea is simply this his blasphemy is too ratchet to penetrate our perfect ears but his blood is too putrid to litter our our perfect City we got to get him out of the city and we got to deal with him there and again that's the stipulation in Leviticus chapter 24. Leviticus 24 14 in terms of Old Testament penalty for blasphemy take outside the camp him who has cursed then let all who hurt him lay their hands on his head and let all the congregations Stone him you have an incident or an illustration of this in the execution of naboth in First Kings chapter 21. remember naboth had a had his own piece of property and Ahab wanted it so he could have a vegetable garden or a Vineyard and of course Ahab said you know it's his I can't really do anything with it and Jezebel says go over there and take that land she concocts the story she accuses him a blasphemy and they take naboth outside the city and there they Stone him to death so the Jews are operating in a unique situation they are actually breaking the law horribly but at the same time in their fastidious self-righteousness they're trying to keep the law all Leviticus 24 14. we're going to drive this man out of the city and we have to execute him so they cast him out and then they Stone him and again this is the Old Testament uh penalty for blasphemy so Leviticus 24 16. and whoever blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death all the congregation shall certainly Stone him the stranger as well as him who is born in the land when he blasphemes the name of the Lord he shall be put to death now the question arises in this particular situation was this the end of judicial process was this the end of due process after all the Sanhedrin is the highest political and religious Court in Israel but in John 18 they didn't have the authority to execute the savior in John 18 they admit as much they didn't have the prerogatives to execute criminal offenders that's why they had to go to pilate that's why they had to concoct a story about Jesus that's why they had to get him on tax evasion because of course that would challenge the prevailing Authority in Rome anybody that doesn't want to pay their taxes never forget this Brethren you are an enemy to your government if you don't pay their taxes you don't pay your taxes that's the the crime that will get you undone that's what brought down Al Al Capone the man who had bodies everywhere the man who engaged in criminal Enterprise it was tax evasion that ultimately brought him down so they charge him with blasphemy but Pilot's not going to execute Jesus based on blasphemy so they concoct this story that he forbids paying taxes to Caesar so it's a kangaroo court but they acknowledge that they don't have the authority to engage in capital punishment relative to the Savior what changed why do they now have it in the case of Stephen they don't have it in the case of Stephen they're getting more emboldened against the way they're getting more emboldened against the Christian Church they are getting more outraged and they are taking the Law into their own hands so their fastidiousness well we've got to take them out of the city we've got to execute them with stones as as commanded by Moses in the Book of Leviticus but you don't have the authority or the right to do this let every soul be subject to the governing Authority there is no Authority except from God you're under the Roman Empire they didn't give you the ability to engage in capital punishment and so they have taken the law into their own hands they drive Stephen outside of the city and then they throw stones at him now kids they're not throwing little rocks to irritate him they're picking up big stones and they're throwing them at Stephen in order to kill him in order to murder him and this is murder this is Injustice this isn't righteousness this isn't due process this is an outrage in terms of jurisprudence they don't have the authority they don't get any Witnesses they have no cross-examination there's no defense that is appropriate at this point they just go to summary execution to shut him up Brethren as I mentioned this morning the antithesis is real the god haters hate the people of Christ and they will do them disservice and Injustice any chance that they get notice what they do according to verse 58 and the witnesses laid down their clothes is at the feet of a young man named Saul why would they lay down their clothes well probably because their clothes got in the way of being able to throw the stones if you're going to be inhibited from carrying out execution you got to get rid of any inhibition take off the outer garment and what happens as well when you're picking up stones and throwing them at people to kill them you probably start to get a little warm you probably start to sweat a little bit so Luke is very detailed he's very graphic in terms of description because he wants us to understand oh yeah a Biblical Theology of Temple oh yeah these murderous wretched Jews but he also wants us to understand the Warfare that is leveled against the people of God Stephen is a good man Stephen is filled with the Holy Spirit Stephen is a wise man Stephen is a man that knows his Bible and Stephen is a man that can speak the truth and yet that will not hold in this context and so they have to rid the Earth of this particular man so the Witnesses are those stoning Stephen Deuteronomy 17 7 the hands of the witnesses shall be the first against him to put him to death and afterward the hands of all the people so you shall put away the evil among you now notice and the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul Now Saul is going to feature large in the rest of the book of Acts in fact the spotlight is going to be upon him in the rest of the book of Acts he's introduced here as a young man probably around the age of 30. and Philemon verse 90 refers to himself as Paul the Aged he's probably around 60 at that particular time and so Saul is introduced to us and I think Saul is introduced to us so that when we read Paul's Epistles we understand that he's not treating this in an abstract way he's not say hello the blood of Jesus Christ his son is is a wonderful thing and he talks about the riches of his grace Ephesians 1 7. in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace he knew that theologically he knew that biblically but he knew that experientially here was a man that was tasked with guarding the outer garments of those engaged in an act of murder against Christ's martyr this is Grace Brethren the fact that God answers this prayer in the conversion of Saul of Tarsus the prayer we'll see in just a moment and in the use of Saul of Tarsus as the great Apostle Paul to the Gentiles Paul knew the grace of which he wrote Paul knew the grace of which he preached Paul knew that Grace because it was Grace that taught his heart to fear he was a murderous wretch just like the rest of them he was a murderous and complicit individual in the stoning death of this wonderful man called Stephen now notice finally the death of Stephen in verses 59 and following we see his death and then as well we see the consent of Saul notice in the first place his dying words his is dying words you can tell a lot about a man by what he says in the 11th hour and Stephen is no exception to that notice in verse 59 they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God there is supplied I think it's better left out they stoned Stephen as he was calling on and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit notice the similarity with his master said precisely one of the sayings of the Savior on the cross he says to the father receive my spirit this is from Psalm 31 and we see it specifically on the cross in Luke Chapter 23. so he says Lord Jesus receive my spirit that's a comforting proposition notice what he's saying then notice what he's doing Jesus is standing there poised to receive him and so Stephen affirms that yes receive my spirit that's the end for all of us as God God's people if we're not God's people we don't get that blessing if we're not God's people we don't get that Comfort if we're not God's people the end is terrifying but in this instance even though he's being stoned to death he's being pelted he is being brought within inches of his life he's able to say to his blessed Master Lord Jesus receive my spirit the Comfort afforded by our blessed God is obvious Calvin says this is an inestimable comfort in that we know our souls do not wander up and down when they slit out of our bodies but that 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 now none of us plan for our death that way well you know when the end comes I I hope I suffer it patiently but perhaps we should perhaps we should pray to God for the grace necessary to to exit this world in such a fashion and to realize that this is the means by which we gain remember Paul in Philippians 1 21 for to me to live is Christ and to die is what to gain what do you do with Paul do you kill him he gets more Christ do you let him live he gets more price whatever you do with Paul it's about more Christ see that's an attitude or a disposition that the people of God need to embody it that's the kind of thing that we need to be about we need to have that confident expectation that when we breathe our last the Lord Jesus is going to receive our spirit Paul says in second Corinthians it's better to uh to depart and be with present with the Lord or to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord Philippians 1 23 he's conflicted if I stay on there'll be fruit from my Ministry but if I leave it is far more excellently better is what he says the reality that an Ascent into heaven to be with the savior is something that is most glorious and the reality that Jesus hears prayer and receives the spirits of just man-made perfect again that he calls Upon Jesus to receive his Spirit we miss things like that all the time in our Bible reading but they wouldn't have they would understand Psalm 31 into your hand I commit my spirit who is the receiver of spirit it's God most high what is Stephen predicating of Jesus that he's God most high Lord Jesus receive my spirit notice as well he then calls Upon Jesus to forgive that just like Jesus on the cross he he calls out to the father to receive his spirit and he says father forgive them for they do not know what they do so he calls on Jesus to forgive these murderers notice in verse 60 then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice that's similar to Jesus as well when Jesus cried out it was with a loud voice when Stephen cries out it's with a loud voice how does he have the energy he's being stoned to death right well if God calls upon you to suffer in a similar manner then God affords the resources necessary so that you'll be stable so that you'll be secure so that you'll be equipped and able sometimes we read Fox's book of Martyrs or we read incidents like these and we say man I wonder if I could handle that somebody put a gun to my head and said recanter I pull the trigger what would we do well I'd like to say I'm not going to recant and they can go ahead and pull the trigger but I know I'm I'm a chicken I know I'm a I'm a coward if God puts us in that kind of a situation we trust God to provide the spirit to Aid Us in that situation when Thomas Hawks is burning and melting in the fire and his last dying word says Christ is is Lord of the fire we say man what a great guy Thomas Hawks was he was but what a great God we serve that gives his people the energy and the strength in Dire Straits to cry out with a loud voice when they're within inches of their death and say this Lord uh then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice Lord do not charge them with this sin do not charge them with this sin again you got to see where the narrative is going Saul of Tarsus is going to not be charged with this sin Saul of Tarsus is going to be forgiven on the road to Damascus Saul of Tarsus is the fruit of an 11th hour prayer offered up by Stephen in a time of great Calamity and in a time of great trial he says Lord do not charge them with this sin and God most high receives that petition now in terms of his Quran operating evidence to his sermon beforehand you say well Butler doesn't say he says that you know Jesus is why the temple stood Jesus is the anti-type for that typical Temple oh yes he does notice he connects Jesus with the Forgiveness of sins that's Temple stuff notice that he connects Jesus with access to God that's Temple stuff and he connects Jesus to This House of Prayer which is the temple so everything the temple stood for everything that it typified Finds Its realization and fulfillment in our lord Jesus so in these dying words he is corroborating the biblical Theology of Temple that he presented beginning in chapter 7 at verse 1. he is not shrinking back he's not saying oh no I capitulate I'm going to see it the way you guys tell me no he contends for the for the truth truth even to The Bitter End and then notice how verse 60 describes his death and when he had said this he fell asleep probably not the word choice I would have picked if I was Luke he was brutalized he was bleeding he was battered he was broken what a horrific and and wretched death that he died I think anybody would be satisfied with that response but for Luke when he had said this he he fell asleep FF Bruce says Stephen fell asleep and unexpectedly peaceful description for so brutal a death but one which fits the spirit in which Stephen accepted his martyrdom amen the people of God die well the people of God exit this world in a manner that is consistent with their calling their High calling in Christ Jesus the Lord and then finally notice the consent of Saul of Tarsus in verse 1. now Saul was consenting to his death this means to join in approval to agree with to approve of to consent to to be sympathetic with to the murder he was consenting to an act of murder so when he says this is a faithful saying worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world Sinners to save of whom I am chief he's not kidding Brethren it was Grace that taught My Heart To Fear Paul could sing that with John Newton Paul could sing that with any of us he wasn't some theological machine that just wrote abstract Theology and dispensed it to the masses his whole theology was essentially an explication of what had happened to him on the road to Damascus he wasn't seeking Christ he was opposing Christ he wasn't seeking to be in the church he was trying to destroy the church to his grace that taught his heart to fear and interestingly he repeats this in two places that I think are significant turn to Acts chapter 22. Acts chapter 22. specifically at verse 20. well verse 17. now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple that I was in a trance and saw him saying to me make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly for they will not receive your testimony concerning me so I said Lord they know that in every synagogue and I I imprisoned and beat those who believe on you and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shot I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him he never forgot that Brethren you just don't forget something like that and then turn to Romans chapter 1. Romans chapter 1 where the Apostle is up braiding the Gentiles for what can be known of God is Manifest to them through the created order the creature leads us to the Creator we look at the effects and we go to the cause and Paul tells us that in general revelation God manifests himself but one of the things that he says the end of verse the end of the chapter notice in verse 32 who knowing the righteous Judgment of God that those who practice such things are deserving of death they not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them Calvin says in his commentary this is the summit of evil it's not only that you're content to damn yourself but you want to sit around and watch everybody else and consent while they damn themselves and so the Apostle probably maybe potentially has in his own mind here in the in the utilization of this particular statement this Stephen incident he may not have picked up a stone he may not have thrown one at Steven's head he may not have delivered the death blow but he was involved he was consenting he was approving there was everything about that particular event that satisfied this man he was a wretch saved by grace he was a sinner that needed the cleansing blood of our blessed Lord Jesus Christ back to Acts chapter 7. I love that Matthew I love what Matthew Henry says concerning this incident he says that Paul fed his eyes with this bloody spectacle in hopes it would put a stop to the growth of Christianity he says we have reason to think that Paul ordered Luke to insert this for shame to himself and glory to free Grace so that when we come to a first Timothy 1 15 we can't scratch our heads what kind of a sinner was Paul oh this is the kind of Sinner Paul was so that when Paul preaches the gospel to sinners like you and me when Paul celebrates the grace of God most high when he says in Ephesians 1 in him we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace we can't affirm that Paul's not lying Paul's not faking Paul's not engaged in hyperbole he's not just trying to win arguments but rather he is telling you of the availability of a fountain that is open for sin and uncleanness do not continue in Rebellion against God do not continue to resist do not continue to reject do not be one that would be upbraided by Stephen you stiff neck and uncircumcised in heart you uh in heart and ears you always resist the Holy Spirit do don't do that believe on the Lord Jesus Christ confess him as Lord and Savior turn from your sins and know the joy of being found in him not having your own righteousness which is from the law that that righteousness which is from God received by faith in conclusion the murderers are wretched their vile response to his message is to be cut to the heart and infuriated and gnash at him with their teeth and their murderous response to his vision is in verses 57 and 58 they Prevail upon him with one Accord they drive him out of the city and they commence to Stone him to death now in terms of the goodness of God we ought to appreciate that he is with his people in their time of trial I refer to that girl Leah this morning how did she how did she do it honestly Brethren that would be a tough one by the age of 18 to have two children from somebody that did not marry you and love loves you and care for you and do those things that are that are good in a marriage situation how does she do it is she just a bulwark of stability and a strong individual well no doubt she's got some natural resources no doubt she's a sturdy gal but it's the grace of God how does Thomas Hawks in the fire say Christ is Lord of the fire it is because the Sovereign God the Triune God affords help to his people in time of need notice as well that he gives strength to his people in their time of need he's not just with them Stephen's full of the Holy Spirit he gazes up and he sees the glory of God and Jesus standing at his right hand but he's also given the strength to be able to stand up in the midst of this he's able to cry out with a loud voice his petitions to our blessed God as well he gives peace to his people at their time of death we see it in the use of the verb he fell asleep he he was brutalized he was he was stoned to death and yet the choice by Luke is he fell asleep as well he receives his people when the spirit departs from the body no matter how broken bruised and battered their bodies are the spirit departs and is present with the Lord see there's not Soul sleep there's not this period of an unconsciousness on the part of Stephen Stephen ended that day the way the thief on the cross ended that day being received in that glorious Kingdom by the blessed savior himself and then we see in terms of the goodness of God that he answers prayer this dying prayer of a martyr who says do not charge them with this set Brethren the significance of that prayer and its answer has impacted Western Civilization the entirety of the world the Apostle Paul was not just an exceptional religious figure but that man did great things for a lot of different things all throughout the world and we have much indebtedness to his ministry both in in terms of preaching and missionary Endeavor and the Epistles that he wrote but I want to end on the final note with reference to Stephen he ultimately demonstrated dependence on the Triune God Brethren that ought to be our prayer we ought to want to just finish well I don't want to abandon the Lord I don't want to recant I want to be able to deal with and bear up I'm speaking for all of us with whatever it is they throw at me with whatever it is they hurl at us that ought to be our prayer that in death we don't dishonor our blessed Master he expressed courage in the face of martyrdom he doesn't shrink back he doesn't cry out he doesn't he doesn't run from there he doesn't say well what about my rights I'm not getting you know the the case or the the jurisprudence that I stand in need of no he Bears up under this with great courage as well he evidences Christ's likeness in his trial and affliction he imitates the Savior Lord do not charge them with this sin Lord receive my spirit these were what Christ did on the cross and Stephen imitates that but I want to underscore finally with something that's very familiar to at least half or three quarters of you Heidelberg Catechism number one what is your only comfort in life and in death that I am not my own but belong body and soul and life and in death to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ he has fully paid for all my sins with his Precious Blood he has delivered me from the tyranny of the devil he also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven in fact all things must work together for my salvation because I belong to him Christ by his holy spirit also assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him Christ is our only comfort in life and in death it has been well said of the people of God that they die well because of the god of the people that is poised to receive the spirit when we separate from the body Stephen teaches us glorious truths God demonstrates glorious things in this passage and while it is bloody while it is brutal while it is wretched and while it is definitely contrary in terms of any approach to law abidingness on the part of people it does evidence the grace and the mercy and the goodness of our God and that Christ is our only hope our only comfort in life and in death well let us pray Our Father in heaven we thank you for this passage we thank you for this example of Stephen and his death in this time of great Affliction and hardship he nevertheless has communion with the Triune God give us that confident expectation that if called upon to suffer unlike manner our blessed savior will be there to receive us we thank you that you are our only hope our only comfort in life and in death and may these things encourage our hearts and we pray through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well you can turn in your Bibles to Matthew 26 as we transition now into the Lord's Supper just a couple of observations while we're turning and before we read the section appropriate to The Taking of the supper the sacrament is for believers only if you're not a Believer the main emphasis tonight is to believe the gospel to look to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and receive everlasting life that's what the Bible's word to you is don't take the supper if you're an unbeliever rather look to Christ and be ye saved as well the sacrament is for believers who are seeking to deal with their sin it's not for perfect people because we could never take it it's for people that are seeking to maintain a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men we're confessing our sins to One Another We're confessing our sins to God with reference to First Corinthians 11 and the rehearsal of the supper by the Apostle remember they had that sort of division in their common meal together before they took the supper the Apostle Paul says that betrays the one bodiness of the very event you're engaged in it is to introduce you Unity into something that is to bring Harmony fellowship and the communion of the Saints and so he rebukes them and says what you're doing is really not even the Lord's table you've turned it into something that is completely contrary and other so dealing with our sin again not sinless Perfection as well the sacrament is a means of Grace to be sure but the elements Remain the elements they they are moved from you know profane use in terms of food and drink into sacred use but they don't become something other they don't become the actual body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ there's no transubstantiation that's the Roman Catholic view there's no consubstantiation that is the Lutheran view the bread remains bread the wine remains wine but they symbolize they are emblems of the body and the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ when he says this is my body he's speaking metaphorically he's not speaking literally and so there's no change of the elements here and then finally the sacrament points us to Christ certainly repent of your sin certainly confess your said but don't stop at you the sacrament's all about Jesus and I think Murray's right it is the Lord we are remembering so frequently Believers become so introspective that preoccupation with themselves excludes preoccupation with Christ we're supposed to be preoccupied with the Savior as we take the supper well with those thoughts I'll ask the brothers to come and pass out the bread while they pass out the bread will sit and will sing number 283 in our hymn books after we conclude that him I'll read the appropriate section and pray and then we'll take the bread together so number 283 and again please remain seated as the brothers pass out the bread [Music] our cherish we are now here foreign [Music] Jesus Christ [Music] foreign [Music] Matthew chapter 26 I'll begin reading in verse 26 and as they were eating Jesus Took bread blessed and broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body well let us pray Our God and Father we thank you that in the fullness of the time you sent forth your son born of a woman born under the law to redeem those under the law and we know the means by which this was undertaken on our behalf was his death and God we see the the glory of the Gospel the glory of Christ in the gospel in terms of his life and death and Resurrection we give praise to you that we have Redemption through his blood the Forgiveness of sins and may you continually impress upon us that Grace and that mercy and that goodness of God revealed in and through the work of the Lord Jesus on our behalf we thank you for his broken body we thank you for his resurrection from the dead and we praise you for his current session now at the right hand of God most high and we pray in Jesus name amen we'll take together well you can remain seated and we'll sing number 341. uh the you're inclined to take juice instead of wine the juice is in the outer ring and the wine is in the inside of the tray we'll sing 341 while the brothers pass out the fruit of the Vine [Music] thank you thank you foreign [Music] foreign foreign [Music] and then [Music] foreign foreign foreign [Music] 27 then he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the New Covenant which is shed for many for the remission of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my father's Kingdom and when they had sung A Hymn they went out to the Mount of Olives amen well let us pray a God as we consider the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ we know that covenants are ratified in blood we see that in the old Covenant in Exodus 24 but we are taught in Hebrews that the bloodables and goats could never take away sin there were certainly typical pointing forward to that Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world we Rejoice father in this blessed provision in the gospel the blood of Jesus Christ your son does wash us from all sin and iniquity we rejoice in your kindness to us we rejoice in The Riches of your grace and God help us to consider these things not just once a month but each and every day may we live in life light of what Christ has done in his Redemptive work on our behalf and we pray this in Jesus name amen we'll take together you can turn to 352 we'll sing that wonderful compendium that summary of gospel truth in number 352 you can stand as we sing together [Music] foreign [Music] with this [Music] was savior it is [Music] foreign hope in the Lord for with the Lord there is Mercy and with him is abundant Redemption and he shalt redeem Israel from all his iniquities God we thank you for this Lord's day we thank you for your house and your people and the privilege to gather together to sing your praises to look to your holy scriptures to under or to enjoy the sacrament of the supper truly it's been a full day and we give all praise and glory unto you we ask now that you would be with us in this coming week help us to be faithful witnesses to you help us to shine as lights in this crooked and perverse generation and give us that boldness to hold forth your word of Truth we pray again for the persecuted Church all throughout this Earth for the various persons suffering and manner similar to what we see in Stephen God we just pray that you would bless your church bless your people strengthen them and enable them to persevere in the midst of such trial and we pray this through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen well please be seated for a brief time of meditation