Gazing Into Heaven
“Now when they heard these things they were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him. 55 But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” 57 But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together at him. 58 Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7.54-60 ESV)
Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/CLLSxb0SnqU
Summary
The persecution of Stephen for preaching the Gospel reminds us to pray for those who are being persecuted right now. It also shows us how we should prepare to endure persecution if we are called to suffer for the sake of Jesus.
Introduction
When Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place for you..." (John 14.2) He was preparing His disciples for His own persecution and theirs. His would be the crucifixion. There's would be stoning, crucifixion and many other ways that those who hate God torture and murder God's servants.
The hymn we just sang, "The Son of God Goes Forth to War" was written in honor of a Christian missionary named Henry Martyn. Martyn became a missionary to India and Persia (modern Iran) in 1806. He worked very hard to translate the New Testament into Urdu and Farsi, the languages of Pakistan and Iran. Weakened by disease, he tried to return to England in 1812. But he died along the way in Turkey. This was his last journal entry ten days before he died: "Oh! when shall time give place to eternity? When shall appear that new heaven and new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness?" In his suffering he was looking to heaven.
When Stephen was dying for his efforts to preach the Gospel, he also looked to heaven. When we suffer for living and proclaiming the Gospel, we can remember him and also sing with Psalm 123 "Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens... Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us! For we are exceedingly filled with contempt... (and) with (the) scorn... of the proud" (1, 3-4).
What Happened to Stephen?
When Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to the disciples, they began to preach Gospel message of repentance and forgiveness. Many people were converted to this true and only saving faith. They left behind the pride of self-righteousness and the doubt of self-reliance. And, along with this growing faith came growing love. They didn't look down on other people and think, "If they obeyed God they way I have, they wouldn't be so poor or sick." They used their earthly blessings to help those in need. This formed the first church budget with only two line items. One was support for the pastors who were faithfully preaching the Gospel and ministering to men's souls. The other was for the deacons (Greek for "servant") who were ministering the love of Christ by providing food and physical needs to all who wanted to follow Jesus.
This aid was never just a matter of handing out meals. That often causes toxic charity which only enables people to continue in sinful living. Christian charity was and is always accompanied by the teaching of the Christian faith: repentance for our sins, forgiveness for the sake of Jesus, and new obedience in the Holy Spirit. This angered the Jews from one of the synogogues, and they argued with Stephen that Jesus was not the Messiah. Luke tells us, "they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke" (Acts 6.10). They accused him of blasphemy just as they had accused Jesus. He was put on trial before the high priest, wherein he gave his famous testimony - the longest sermon in the Book of Acts.
Stephen went through the history of Israel showing how God called Abraham and Moses to establish the people of Israel. But he also reminded them of the Greater Prophet that Moses had prophesied (Deuteronomy 18.18). God sent a number of important prophets, but the most important of all would be the Messiah, the only prophet truly greated than Moses. This is the prophet to whom all the other prophets pointed who would bring salvation through His suffering for us. Yet Israel had rejected these prophets and especially the Messiah, Jesus. At that point Stephen said he could see the Son of Man standing at God's right hand" (Acts 7.56). At this they "cried with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran at him" (Acts 7.57). They took him outside the city and stoned him to death. While he was dying he prayed for the forgiveness of his murderers.
Praying for the Persecuted
Religious persecution is an old problem. But there is a difference between unjust persecution and just judgment upon nations. God punished Egypt for its unjust enslavement of Israel. He punished the Canaanites for their great wickedness and depravity. He even punished Israel in the same way when they later joined in the same evils. Throughout history human evil has been overthrown by God. At the same time this world has attacked God's people not because they have done anything evil, but for exactly the opposite reason: Because they have pursued righteousness. This is persecution: When people attack those who are just and upright because they are just and upright. This is why Cain murdered his brother Abel, why Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery, why Absolom revolted against David, why Jezebel tried to murder Elijah, why Jeremiah was thrown into a cistern, why Herod tried to kill Jesus in Bethlehem, why Jesus was harrassed by the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes, why He was finally crucified, why Peter and John were imprisoned, why Stephen was stoned, why Saul persecuted the church before he was converted, why Herod killed James, the brother of John, why Paul was stoned, and why John was exiled to the Island of Patmos.
I call this the Rage of Unbelief. It's not just hurting people because you are angry or want to take something from them. It is a hatred driven by the faith and righteousness of their victims. The Bible speaks of this rage in several places. In Psalm 69.7 (ESV) David said, "The insults of those who insult You have fallen upon me." In Psalm 44.22 he said, "Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." In John 15.18 Jesus said, "If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you."
Open Doors is a ministry is dedicated to helping persecuted Christians. It was founded by Brother Andrew, who smuggled Bibles behind the Iron Curtain. You can read about his work in the book God's Smuggler. Open Doors maintains a watchlist of the the most extreme levels of persecution today. On that list are countries such as North Korea, Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Eritrea and Nigeria. We need to pray for and help Christians who are suffering for the name of Jesus!
Preparing for Persecution
What about you and me? When we remember what happened to Stephen and to so many other Christians before us, are we prepared to suffer persecution for the name of Jesus. Jesus said that as the world comes closer to its end there will be wars, and famines, and pestilences. He also said that these are just the beginning. In Matthew 24.9 He said, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake." In our own country we are seeing softer forms of persecution.* Students have been denied admission to college because they said their faith in God was important to them. Bakers and florists have been sued for not celebrating same-sex marriage. Employees have been fired from companies for expressing their beliefs about the Bible outside of the workplace. Younger Christians find it challenging fit in to a culture that is increasingly hostile to the Bible. You're weird if you believe in creation or that Jesus is the only way to salvation. There was a time when these issues could be debated, and both sides could still be friendly to one another. Now Christians are just shouted down and ostrasized. Parents and grandparents walk a thin line trying to maintain friendship with their children while not opproving of all the behaviors in which they may engage. How do we respond to all of this?
(*Note: I haven't provided references. Search on all these statements, and you will find the sources.)
Here are three things we can do. First, trust God's word. In the hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God," there is this verse: "Take they our life, goods, fame, child and wife. Though these all be done. Our victory has been won. The kingdom ours remaineth." If we want God to help us face persecution, we have to be able to let go of everything except Him. The world has criticized and rebelled against God's word since its beginning. But year after year, century after century, that word still stands true, and it always will. Even if your own children turn from God, you will never help them by turning from God yourself. Their salvation depends on you trusting in your salvation. I have seen people who walked away from God to the great sorrow of their parents. The parents died believing they would probably never see their children again. And yet, some of those same children did come to Christ when they grew old and remembered the steadfast faith of their parents. We can trust God's word that "All things work together for good to them that love God and are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8.28).
Second, pray for spiritual wisdom. Stephen confounded the enemies of Christ with his spiritual wisdom. Jesus said that the Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him! (Luke 11.13). The Spirit always comes to us through God's word, so always remember that prayer is two-way: God's speaks to us in His word, and we respond. When the world starts showing its hostility to Christ, we need the Spirit coming through the word of God in worship, Bible study, and prayer. I am now old enough to see this pattern: Someone says something threatening about Christians or the Christian faith. At first I feel a little weak and unable to push back. But when I go to God's word, I always find the "five smooth stones" of David, simple Bible verses, to sling back at any Goliath who arrogantly condemns God and God's people.
Third, love your enemies. When Stephen died, he prayed for the forgiveness of his persecutors. Satan would love more than anything for you to hate the world that hates you because of your faith in Christ. When you see a person persecuting a Christian, do not let sinful feelings of revenge fill your heart. Do not wish for their destruction. Remember that God loves them as much as He loves you. Jesus said, "God so loved the world..." even the world that hates Him. It is from that love that we are able to love our enemies. They may need to be subdued. They may need to be destroyed. But let that be God's decision, for He has said, "Vengeance is Mine. I will repay" Romans 12.19. For our part, we love as much as we can, even those who hate us and revile us. This drives the devil crazy!
Conclusion
In the heat of his debate with the Christ-haters, Stephen's mind was on God's word and on God Himself. Luke tells us that He gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus standing at the right hand of God was the assurance Stephen needed that Jesus had indeed conquered sin, death and the devil in His death and resurrection. No anger or violence of men sold out to sin could take that from him or from us. Amen.
Hymns
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuQqGkzpAzJ8jbYFc9eFff6R_Ckc3li2w&si=bEFdaO3DOYxY7KIB
