The encounters of God’s word
Acts 6:7-15; 5/21/2023; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang
Introduction
Where will our daily encounters take us and where will we go? If we get rich and encounter good things, we will say that this is the grace of God. When we encounter disasters, get sick, or die, we may say that this is God’s permission and blessing in disguise, right? But at the same time, we also pray for God to remove the suffering, because we can’t take it anymore, we can’t breathe, right? But the only thing they don’t know is that the essence of believers’ encounters is the encounters of God’s word. let’s look at the first point：
The word of God spread
The essence of Jesus Christ coming into the world, dying on the cross, and resurrecting from the dead is the incarnation. The first encounter with the incarnation was that God became human in the form, that is Christ, Jesus. First, discipleship increases. The difference between a disciple and a believer is commitment to God. The basic characteristic of a disciple is that he is willing to bear the cross and change his life. Judging from the revelation records of the Bible, there is no difference between believers and disciples. Acts 2:41 says: “three thousand disciples were added.” Acts 4:4 says, “the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.” However, from the perspective of theological description and expression, the division of believers and disciples is also in line with the reality of church management and the life growth of believers. Luke here deals with the relationship between the spread of the Word and the increase in the number of disciples, and tells us a very important truth, that is, the increase in the number of disciples in the church is due to the spread of the Word of God. If someone tells you that the number of members in the church has increased from 135 to 531 within five years because of his ability, influence or power, it must not be based on the Bible.
Second, the priests became obedient to the faith. It was indeed not easy for the Jewish priests to believe in the Lord. In theory, only Levites can serve as priests, but in fact priests must be descendants of Moses and Aaron. Therefore, being able to serve as a Jewish priest is a great honor, and it is also a guarantee for the life of the priest himself and his family. The Bible says: “and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.” It shows that there are priests who believe in the Lord, but not many. The reason is simple, it involves interests, family life, and even survival issues. It is a bit like the fact that there are not many believers among the children of high-ranking cadres and those with vested interests in China, and the reason is similar. I have been a believer in the Lord for more than 30 years, and I had the opportunity to share my faith when I returned to China, but there were very few people who responded. The main reason is that they are reluctant to bear vested interests, let alone take risks. In the Jerusalem church at that time, there were Jewish priests who believed in the Lord, and it was indeed worth putting a sum in the precious pages of the Bible, which shows that it is precious and difficult to obtain.
Finally, signs and wonders. The bible says Stephan “performed great wonders and signs among the people. ” But it doesn’t tell us exactly what miracles He performed. I searched through the book of Acts and found no signs and wonders in the traditional sense of Stephen. Instead, I noticed a detail in the Bible: “Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power,” is ahead of signs and wonders. That is to say, Stephen’s grace and power are far superior to the so-called great wonders and miracles. Once this order is reversed, it will expose people’s utilitarianism, realism, or curiosity. This is exactly the same reason that the Jews at that time always demanded a miracle when they saw Jesus. They don’t care about the truth, they just want to satisfy the stimulation of the moment and seek the satisfaction of the senses. This is similar to the ease of mind of believers today. Belief in Jesus has nothing to do with mission, and going to church is just to join in the fun. I will not go to a church without signs and wonders. I can’t believe it without flipping it. Let’s look at the second point:
Controversy of the Word of God
The Word became flesh, full of grace and truth! Have we seen the glory of the only begotten Son of the Father? First, the people in the Synagogue of the Freedmen. The word the Synagogue of the Freedmen is derived from Latin and means “free people”. This group of people has a special background, originally Jewish. They were captured during the Roman general Pompey’s Eastern Expedition, and were later released by his master, and even obtained the status of a Roman citizen. It should not be difficult for everyone to imagine a group of them who have seen big scenes and returned to small places. The pioneers of this group of people are extremely sensitive to new things and have a strong comprehension ability. The original Judaism, the wall theory of the Roman Empire, and now they meet the gospel brought by Jesus Christ. They are exciting, studious, and challenging. Freedom is their new identity and the foundation of their thinking. But when men’s freedom departs from the sphere of Christ, they are not far from heresy.
Next, a few people from various synagogues. It is not difficult to imagine why so many people came against Stephen at the same time, these people from all over the Mediterranean, There are Cyrene in North Africa, which is today’s Libya, Alexandria, the capital of Egypt, Cilicia in the north of Israel, which is near today’s Syria, and Asia, which should be near today’s Turkey. These Jews live overseas, but they still firmly believe in the Old Testament, obey the law, and have a strong sense of legalistic religious superiority. After finally returning to the country, looking forward to having a good Passover according to past customs. Unexpectedly, they met a deviant Stephen, who was filled with grace and power, and could perform great wonders and miracles. Such people are detrimental to the country and the people, and immortality is not enough to appease the hearts of the common people. What the high priest fears most is that people’s hearts will be bewitched and taken away.
Finally, speak with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. Christians generally do not take the initiative to fight or argue with others. However, Stephen responded to the challenge passively and had no choice but to act accordingly. I didn’t say anything, but you first came to challenge and issued a letter of war. Stephen, then, spoke with wisdom and the Holy Spirit. What is it to speak with wisdom? In fact, it is not complicated, just speak according to the principles of the Bible, say yes if you are yes, say no if you are no, and don’t say too much! Why? Because Jesus said that those who talk too much come from Satan. What is it to speak with the Holy Spirit? It is also very simple, it is the inspiration that is in line with the Bible, and the benefit of God’s glory and people’s peace in the testimony of the church. Speak with wisdom and the Holy Spirit, no need to add, no need to take away, just right. On the contrary, speaking in terms of humanism, there are always some illusions that the eyes seem to be brighter. Let’s look at the third point:
Challenge of the Word of God
As long as you preach the word of God, you will definitely encounter challenges. Those who regard God as their enemy will definitely use all means to get dirty and filthy, and to frame God’s servants. First, create something out of nothing. When people lose ground in the truth, they will inevitably look for untenable grounds in illusion. If one person’s testimony is not enough, just bribe one more person. Stephen obviously didn’t say anything, but if he couldn’t stand the antichrist’s nature, he would create something out of nothing. For the Jews, Moses and the Pentateuch are like gods. Well, then, Stephen’s slander against Moses will definitely arouse everyone’s emotions. Not long ago, our Jewish Sanhedrin did the same, accusing Jesus of objecting to paying taxes to the Roman Empire. Otherwise, how could that coward Pilate approve the crucifixion of Jesus? Today, those of us who belong to the race of Satan should follow suit and give Stephen an unwarranted charge!
Second, sensationalize and frame. Clearly, arguing with Stephen was not going to solve the problem. For Stephen spoke in wisdom and in the Holy Spirit, and all men were irresistible. It is useless for us to find people to falsely accuse him. These people who falsely accuse him have neither wisdom nor the Holy Spirit, and they are not opponents at all. Fortunately, these people don’t read the scriptures, don’t think for a long time, and echo what others say, so it’s not hard to stir up! It was also the same as when Jesus was being tried. I, the high priest, did some tricks, and the crowd shouted, “Crucify him, crucify him!” By the way, we still need a Judas to guide us, so that we can recognize Stephen in the dark! Thus, respected elders and scribes full of knowledge controlled the emotions of the people, “They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. ” The whole scene is very similar to the scene where Jesus was killed. May I ask, how would you pray at this moment?
Finally, spread rumors. When people are caught in the guild and lose their freedom, there will be a scene where the walls fall and everyone pushes them. False testimony at this time became a matter of course, and it was somewhat similar to the Cultural Revolution we are familiar with. Report each other, expose each other, betray each other, even husband and wife turn against each other, father and son become enemies, brothers kill each other, and humanity is wiped out! When the charge of “destroying the sanctuary and the law” was planted on Stephen, the rhythm of killing was brought up. This is not enough, it is necessary to connect Stephen with the crime of Jesus of Nazareth, saying that “he will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.” In this way, Stephen’s crime was basically confirmed, and evil things happened like this.
Conclusion
Well, that’s all for today’s sermon. Have you noticed that during Stephen’s victimization, the apostles did not speak to the church, nor did they take any rescue actions. The last verse gives the answer: “All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. (Acts 6:15) ” Luke used the camp of the Antichrist to witness for Stephen, which is perfect!
Let us pray……
Acts 6:7-15
7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.
9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen.
10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.
13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law.
14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
