Text: Ephesians 2:11-22
Life in the Spirit (Troy)
The Text: Romans 8
The First Witness (The Continuing Adventures of Jesus #11) (King’s Cross)
Introduction
Today we consider Stephen’s martyrdom and his message to the Jewish leaders, that might be boiled down to the simple quotation from Isaiah: “Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool, what house will you build me?” (Acts 7:49, Is. 66:1-2)
The Jewish leaders hated God, and this means that they used fastidious religious traditions to attempt to keep Him at bay. And so we too must be aware of this tendency in the Christian church. It is not enough that we be around the Word of God. We must listen and obey. We must humble ourselves and worship Him alone.
The Text: “Then said the high priest, are these things so? And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken: the God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charan…” (Acts 7:1-60).
Summary of the Text
The charge brought against Stephen was that he was speaking blasphemies against Moses and God, the temple and the law (Acts 6:11, 13). The high priest asked Stephen if this was true, and Stephen answers the charges with a lengthy summary of Jewish history, beginning with Abraham’s call in Mesopotamia, in the land of the Chaldeans (Acts 7:1-4). The overarching point of Stephen’s message is that God has never been bound permanently to one place: God spoke to Abraham before he lived in the Promised land, before he owned a single square foot of the land, and yet He gave him the covenant of circumcision and foretold the four hundred years of sojourning, including slavery in Egypt (Acts 7:5-8). Stephen traces the story of Joseph, envied by his brothers, but God was with him, all the way down into Egypt, providing for his family, according to the promise made to Abraham (Acts 7:9-17).
When another king arose who dealt harshly with Israel, God raised up Moses who was rejected by his own kindred, but God spoke to him by an angel of the Lord in the burning bush, which was holy ground and he brought them out of Egypt (Acts 7:18-36). Moses foretold another prophet and spoke many good things, but the Jewish fathers rejected him, demanding the golden calf and worshiping other gods, turning away from the tabernacle that he built that was with them even unto the days of David (Acts 7:37-46). Solomon finally built God a temple, but God does not dwell in temples made with hands since He made all things (Acts 7:47-50). At this point, Stephen drives the point of his message home, calling the Jewish leaders stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears and like their fathers, persecutors of the prophets and rejectors of the law (Acts 7:51-53). When they gnashed their teeth and Stephen had a vision of Jesus standing at God’s right hand, they hauled Stephen out of the city and stoned him, laying their clothes at Saul’s feet, while Stephen prayed for their forgiveness (Acts 7:54-60).
The Necessity of Debate and Collision
Stephen’s short ministry was characterized by debate, dispute, and controversy (Acts 6:9-10). It can be tempting to think that Stephen was being needlessly confrontational, but we should remember that the ministry of Jesus was much like this: three years of controversy, concluding with an early death. The gospel smells like death to those who are perishing, and those who bring that gospel are covered with that aroma (2 Cor. 2:15-16). And at the same time, controversy and debate is where the truth of the Word shines, confounding and infuriating some, but also softening and piercing others: it is the aroma of life for those who are being saved. There is even a hint of that here with Saul witnessing the murder of the first martyr.
Resisting the Holy Spirit?
Here, Stephen charges the Jewish leaders with resisting the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:51). And that may strike some as a strange thing to say. Who can resist the Holy Spirit? Isn’t this like saying they are resisting God? But this highlights the doctrines of predestination and reprobation. In fact, in our sinful state, all men resist God, suppressing the truth in unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18), and it is only those whom God mercifully chose before the foundation of the word to save who cease resisting (Eph. 1:4ff). This doctrine is a stone of stumbling and rock of offence to those who are disobedient, “whereunto also they were appointed” (1 Pet. 2:8). To which the objection comes again: but if they were appointed to be offended and disobedient, who can resist God? And Paul answers this elsewhere: “Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and who he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will? Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God?” (Rom. 9:18-20) This is a doctrine of high majesty, clearly taught by Scripture, which shuts the mouths of men in humility or else drives them to gnash their teeth in fury.
Jesus Standing
There’s a marked contrast between Jesus standing in Heaven and Saul standing outside the city overseeing the stoning of Stephen. It has been pointed out that in the apostles’ creed and many texts, Jesus is described as “sitting” at God’s right hand (e.g. Mk 16:19, Heb. 1:3, 10:12, Rev. 3:21), but here, at the climax of this story, Stephen sees Him “standing,” in a posture of intercession, like an attorney in a courtroom. The Jews thought they were conducting a trial of Stephen, but it was actually God who was conducting a trial of them. While they condemned Stephen in their sham hearing (thus condemning themselves), Jesus exonerated him while condemning the Jews. And yet, even then, at least one of those guilty Jews would become the answer to Stephen’s prayer, that God not hold their sin against them (Acts 7:60).
Applications
The sovereignty of God is what crushes the pride of man. The rejection of the sovereignty of God is ultimately an attempt to wrest some part of that sovereignty from God. The exhaustive sovereignty of God is the theological doctrine that destroys all totalitarianism. And it does this by humbling man in worship.
It is precisely this humility that listens to the Word of God and obeys. It is this humility that tells the truth even when the truth will offend and infuriate. A Christian is someone who lives coram deo: before the face of God. But because of the mercy of God, this is a great joy and relief. Whatever the Father has for us is for His glory and that is our highest good.
Mystery of the Church (CCD)
Ephesians 1:3-10
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 4 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5 he[a] predestined us for adoption to sonship[b] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.”
Perspectives
Understanding Ephesians well means understanding the context from which it was written, the ears that were prepared to receive it, and what the Spirit would teach us today. So let us understand what Ephesians is within the body of Scripture, we will study what it meant to those that received it, and we will get down into the weeds on a couple of texts to understand what we should learn today. This book is chock full of rich theology delivered at fire-hose rates. One hardly has time to absorb the first verse before the next truth is slammed down on top of it.
Context
Ephesians was likely written while Paul was a prisoner in Rome around 60 AD (Eph 3:1, 4:1, 6:20) and intended potentially for other churches in the area. Among his other letters Ephesians does not address specific heresy or error but instead mingles the high theology of the church with the nitty-gritty of daily life. Or maybe it isn’t mingling, it is highly intentional. Remember who Paul was, his context as an author and apostle to come from a card-carrying Pharisee to God’s apostle to the Gentiles. *
Outline
Ephesians is really a two part book, part one is where we will focus today, part two might be for a later sermon! Chapters 1-3 describe the mystery of the church developed sequentially from Paul’s statement of purpose, found in chapter 1:10 to an eloquently presented foundation on which to understand the earthly role of the church as well as the cosmic and “eternal” 3:11 role of the church.
To God’s work to reconcile sinners to himself 1:18-2:10
To Christ’s work uniting Jews and Gentiles 2:11-22
To the icing on top, that this work is a mystery that required revelation.
Note that this section of Ephesians falls between two of Paul’s prayers 1:15 and 3:14. The first prayer highlights his wish for the Ephesians to have understanding of the hope, the richness, and the power of God in salvation. The second prayer is a consecration and benediction to this new creation of God, bigger than a family or race. Paul’s prayer specifically ask from God that from his infinite strength that we might be strengthened in our faith in Christ. And when we have been strengthened, that we receive power to comprehend (and apply) the love of Christ.
This is the commission of the Church, to bring to a world the Power of God through the Love of Christ. And that is why we preach all of Christ, for all of Moscow, for all of life, for eternity! Amen
Christian Liberty & Resistance (Troy)
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- …
- 91
- Next Page »