The Face of Angel Among Angry Faces

Rev. Paul J. Miller – Sermon Outline – September 26, 2021

Series Title: “The Church is Persecuted & Scattered”

Today’s Title: “The face of an angel”

Today’s Text: Acts 6:1-15

 

The Choosing of the Seven - Acts 6:1-6

• “Hellenistic Jews” (v1) – Jews who spoke Greek
• “complained” (v1) - First sign of possible division in the church
• “wait on tables” (v2) – Feeding people is important, it’s just not what the Twelve were called to do. (See Romans 12:3-8)
• “choose seven men” (v3) – Note that this was a group decision (v5)
• Of the seven men listed, (v5) only Stephen and Philip are mentioned again in Acts
• “a large number of priests” (v6) – The gospel is being accepted even among some Jewish leaders

 

Stephen – Acts 6:7-15

• “great wonders and signs” (v8) – although important, what gets him killed is not the works but his words
• “opposition arose” (v9) – various groups, some who were likely part of the Sanhedrin
• “they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him” (v10) – The greatest power of the Spirit is the Word, not signs and wonders
• “secretly persuaded some men” (v11) – Where truth is rejected, lies will emerge
• “they stirred up the people” (v12) – Up until now, the crowd was mostly with the church. The lies worked
• “brought him before the Sanhedrin” (v12) – third time in Acts this happened (Acts 4 & 5)
• “they produced false witnesses” (v13) – truth was not on the side of the Sanhedrin, so they accused Stephen of something that would raise up anger among the people
• The lie: Jesus will destroy the Temple and change our customs (v14)
• “the face of an angel” (v15) – In a room filled will lies, deception, and anger,

TRUTH STILL SHINES

 

10 Ways that Stephen Reflects Jesus

• Trial before the Sanhedrin (Mark 14:53, Acts 6:12)
• False witnesses (Mark 14:56-57, Acts 6:14)
• Distorted meaning about destruction of the Temple (Mark 14:58, Acts 6:14)
• Temple “made with hands” (Mark 14:58, Acts 7:48)
• “Son of Man” saying (Mark 14:62, Acts 7:56)
• Charged with blasphemy (Mark 14:64, Acts 6:11)
• The High Priest’s question (Mark 14:61, Acts 7:1)
• Committal of spirit, just before death (Luke 23:46, Acts 7:59)
• Cry out with a loud voice (Mark 15:34, Acts 7:60)
• Forgiveness of the persecutors (Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60)