Tawa Baptist

Distraction

Scripture: Acts 6:1-7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/E0fq28Wa49A

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • The problem
  • The proposal
  • The growth
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Most weeks we find a police car in our church car park watching the roundabout. Or at least I think they are watching the roundabout. They might be staking the church out for criminal activity. Brodie’s name is known to the police.

Sometimes I talk to the police. Once I asked them what they were looking out for and they said, people using their cell phones while driving. Driving while distracted is a major contributor to car accidents in New Zealand.

Driver distractions include things like talking with passengers, using cell phones, looking at scenery, eating, smoking, or searching for objects in the car.       

According to transport New Zealand statistics, in 2023 there were 15 fatal crashes, 98 serious injury crashes, and 796 minor injury crashes where driver distraction was to blame. Distraction can be a dangerous thing, not just with driving, but in life generally.  

Today our message focuses on Acts chapter 6, verses 1-7. The book of Acts tells Luke’s account of the early church and the spread of the gospel. In Acts 6 we read how the apostles avoided distraction and saved the church from crashing.

From Acts 6, verse 1 we read…

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jewsamong them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men of good standing from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 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.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

There’s a lot going on in Acts 6:1-7; it would be easy to become distracted.

To give you a road map, the church in Acts 6 faced a problem. The apostles came up with a proposal to sort the problem and the outcome was growth.

Let us begin with the problem.

The problem:

One person you almost never see on an airplane flight is the pilot. If the captain in charge of the plane started walking down the aisle handing out boiled sweets, the passengers would likely feel quite disturbed, and rightly so. If the pilot is in the back with us, who’s flying this plane?

Although the pilot is the person in charge, they don’t usually fly the plane by themselves. The co-pilot supports the captain and the navigator makes sure the plane stays on course. 

It is important for the pilot to not be distracted while flying, especially when taking off and landing. Those in the cockpit also need to keep an eye on all the dials and gauges to make sure fuel levels, cabin pressure and other vital systems are as they should be.

The pilot could not do their job without the flight attendants. It’s the role of the flight attendants to ensure the safety and comfort of the passengers. If the passengers have a problem, then the flight attendants deal with it.

Say for example, one of the passengers had a medical emergency. The flight attendant would help that person. If the pilot had to respond to the medical emergency themselves, that would put the lives of everyone else on board at risk. The pilot cannot afford to be distracted.

In Acts 6, verse 1, we read how the early church had a problem. The church was growing quickly, which was a good thing. But fast growth also comes with challenges.

The apostles were not aware of the problem at first. It only came to their attention when frustration boiled over into complaint and grumbling. There were at least three aspects to the problem. An organisational aspect, a cultural aspect and a welfare aspect.

The cultural aspect was the deeper underlying issue. Before addressing the organisational and welfare concerns, the apostles had to deal with the cultural disconnect.

At this point the Christian church was almost entirely comprised of people of Jewish descent. However, not all Jews of the first century were the same.

There were basically two cultures in the early Jerusalem church. The Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. Hebraic as in Hebrew and Hellenistic as in Greek.

The Hebraic Jews were those Israelites who had been born and raised as Hebrews living in Palestine. They mainly spoke Aramaic. Jesus and the apostles were Hebraic Jews.

The Hellenistic Jews were those Israelites who had been born and raised outside of Palestine. They grew up speaking Greek and had been immersed in Greek culture for most of their lives.

The members of the Jerusalem church may have all been descended from Abraham, but they did not think or communicate in the same way. I suppose in contemporary terms it would be like the difference between Middle Eastern Jews and American Jews. Same ancestry, different culture.

The Greek speaking Jewish widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The daily distribution of food was sort of like a food bank for those in poverty. This was the welfare aspect of the problem.

Widows were especially vulnerable in the first century. There was no social security benefit from the government and work opportunities were often limited for women. If a widow did not have a way of supporting herself or if her family wasn’t able to help, then the church provided for her.  

That the Hellenistic widows were being overlooked was probably unintentional. The disconnect was likely caused by a cultural misunderstanding. Some cultures have no difficulty speaking up for themselves, while other cultures feel it is rude or impolite to ask for help or to put themselves forward.

Perhaps the Hellenistic Jews expected the Hebraic Jews to read between the lines and see what was needed without having to be explicitly told. When that didn’t happen, tensions rose.

The twelve apostles were like the pilots of the plane; they could not afford to be distracted from their work of bearing witness to the risen Jesus. They could not deal with this concern themselves without putting the whole church at risk. This was the organisational aspect of the problem.

What would they do? It is to the apostles’ proposal we turn now.

The proposal:

A hospital is a complex organisation. There are many different jobs needing to be done by different people, all of them vital to the health and wellbeing of the patients.

The surgeon’s role is essential of course. What is a hospital without doctors.

It is imperative that surgeons not be distracted from their work, especially while in theatre. And when they are not in theatre, surgeons are often on call, needing to be ready to respond to emergencies. 

It would not be right for the surgeon to spend their time and energy changing bed sheets or emptying bed pans. That would be a waste of their training and skill. More good can be achieved if the surgical team are allowed to focus on doing operations.

This is not to imply that the role of nurses, orderlies and cleaners is somehow less. If no one changed sheets or cleaned up bodily fluids, disease would spread, patients would suffer and the doctors’ work would be undermined.

In verse 2 we read how the apostles called all the disciples together to address the problem. They did not react defensively when people complained. Nor did they sweep the problem under the carpet or minimise it. They faced the problem with humility and wisdom, dealing with it in a timely manner.

Another thing we notice here is the way the twelve apostles functioned as a team. Just as it takes a team of people to fly a plane and a team of people to perform a surgery, so too it requires a team of people to lead a church. 

Notice too how the whole church was asked to come together. Now, it is not necessary or wise to involve the whole church with every pastoral problem. As a rule, you address the issue with those who are affected.  If just two or three people are affected, then the whole church doesn’t need to know about it.

But the situation in Acts 6 did affect the whole church and so the apostles wisely included everyone in discussing their proposal. This was a big deal. If left alone the issue threatened to split the church, which would not be good for anyone.

Jesus said, “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” The church’s greatest witness for Christ is the way its members relate with each other. 

The apostles start by saying to the congregation, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.”

Ministry is simply another word for service. A ‘minister of the word of God’ is someone who serves God’s word, like a prophet or a preacher or an evangelist. A minister of God’s word seeks to understand God’s message and communicate that message to others.

Usually this is done by prayerful study of the Scriptures. As the minister reads the Bible, the Holy Spirit illuminates God’s word in the Scriptures. Other times God’s word comes to the minister through providence or in a dream or through another person or by divine inspiration.

As ministers of God’s word, the apostles were like surgeons on call, needing to be ready to respond to God’s word and Spirit.

When God’s word does come, there is usually a process of discernment, which takes time. God’s word is a weighty thing; it carries a lot of meaning. And it often has sharp edges, like a scalpel, so it needs to be handled with care.

It requires a high degree of concentration to deliver God’s word. You cannot afford too many distractions.    

For the apostles in Acts 6, neglecting the ministry of the word of God to wait on tables would be like surgeons neglecting the operating theatre to change bed pans or the pilot neglecting the landing of the plane to hand out biscuits.

It’s not that waiting on tables or serving the poor is somehow less important than preaching. Both are important. Indeed, those who cared for the widows gave credibility to the apostles’ message of love.

But the apostles had been entrusted by God with a special task. The twelve knew Jesus personally, had heard his teaching first hand and had witnessed Jesus’ death and resurrection. It would be a waste of their training and experience to wait on tables when others were able to do this. 

The apostles did not want to become distracted, like Martha. They wanted to remain attentive to Jesus, like Mary.

In verses 3 and 4, the apostles present their proposal saying…

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men of good standing from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Wow, this is impressive. The apostles do not impose a solution on the church. Nor do they try and fix the problem themselves. They propose a democratic approach; they admit their own limitations, trusting the congregation and the Holy Spirit to find the right team of people to handle this responsibility.

5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism.

The interesting thing about this list is that they are all Greek names, most likely from a variety of different places. This is a multi-cultural group. The Hellenistic widows would not be overlooked now, because the people in charge of the foodbank had the cultural understanding to meet their needs.   

What has God given you to do? When we are young and have lots of energy, the temptation is to try and do everything ourselves. But as we get older, we learn to be more strategic with how we spend our life.

If you don’t know yet what your niche is in God’s purpose, you might ask yourself: What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? What can I do that most other people can’t?

The apostles did not try to do everything themselves. They did not allow themselves to become distracted. They kept the main thing the main thing. They gave themselves to God’s calling on their lives and it resulted in growth. 

Growth:

In verse 7 of Acts 6 we read of the growth that happened in the early church. The word of God spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

When we look at this verse, we probably notice the numerical growth before anything else. Afterall, it talks about the number of disciples increasing rapidly and a large number of priests coming to faith. Numbers have their place, but they don’t tell the whole story.

We also read how the word of God grew (or spread). The word of God is like seed planted in the soil of the human heart. Just as a seed grows into a plant which is good for the soil, preventing erosion, so too the word of God grows inside our mind and is good for the soul, giving integrity to our inner life.   

Hearing God’s word may stop someone from doing something bad or it may prompt them (on an unconscious level) to perform some kindness, without them realising God is in it. Christian values (inspired by God’s word) influence our secular society for good, in ways most people are not aware of. 

The other type of growth we read about in verse 7 is growth in the obedience of faith. Faith is not just an idea we agree with in our head. True faith leads to action. If faith is the root, obedience is the fruit. How is your fruit? Are you growing in things like kindness, faithfulness, patience and generosity?    

The kind of growth described in Acts 6 does not happen by human effort alone. Yes, we have our part to play in sowing the seed of God’s word and in being obedient to the faith, but ultimately it is God’s Spirit who makes our efforts fruitful. 

Conclusion:

With today’s message I’ve highlighted the dangers of distraction. But I also need to acknowledge the benefits. Sometimes distraction can be a good thing, something helpful for our wellbeing.

Watching cricket in summer provides a pleasant distraction for Robyn and I. Kane Williamson is perhaps the greatest batsman New Zealand cricket has ever produced. He has played 105 test matches, scoring over 9,200 runs at an average of 54.9. This is to say nothing of his records in other forms of the game.

Kane is wonderful to watch. He plays the ball late, finding the gaps in the field. He seems to go into his own little bubble, blocking out all distractions and staying calm. You wouldn’t put Kane in to bat at number 10 or 11; it would be a waste. He does more good higher up the order, batting at 3 or 4.  

I once saw Kane in person walking around Mount Maunganui. He was pushing a buggy with one of his children in it. He acknowledged me with a nod and a smile. I smiled back but I didn’t interrupt him. It gave me joy to see Kane spending time with his kids. I’m pleased he has a life outside of cricket. 

If Kane (or anyone else for that matter) were focused on cricket all the time, it would do their head in. As human beings we need other interests. We need to spend time connecting with people and nature, doing things unrelated to our work. Too much of anything is not good for you.

At the end of the day the pilot and the surgeon need time away from the cockpit and the operating theatre. Just as the preacher needs time away from the Bible and the pulpit.

Some distractions are bad, some are good, and others are unavoidable.

Even though the ministry of God’s word was Jesus’ main priority, he often turned aside to heal people. How can he ignore human need. Jesus’ words were accompanied by miraculous deeds of power. The ministry of God’s word goes hand in hand with the ministry of God’s compassion.

The risk with miracles, of course, is that they can distract people from the message. Discernment is required.     

We need to ask ourselves, is God in this distraction?

It appears at least two of the seven chosen to take care of widows were distracted from their task of managing the food bank. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, both Stephen and Philip became ministers of the word of God, preaching to people in Jerusalem and Samaria.   

Focus on what God wants you to do. Give your life to it. But remain open to the Spirit. Sometimes God may want to distract you; he might want to restore your soul or lead you to something new.

May the Spirit of God make us fruitful as we abide in Christ. Amen.   

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Discuss / reflect on the apostles’ response to the problem in Acts 6. Why do the apostles choose not to get involved (in a hands-on way) with the daily distribution of food? What can we learn from the apostle’s response?
  3. What has God given you to do? What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What can you do that most other people can’t?
  4. Are you doing what God has given you to do? What sorts of things distract you from God’s purpose for you? How might you avoid these unhelpful distractions? 
  5. What kinds of distractions are helpful to you? How might we discern when God is wanting to distract us?
  6. How is your growth in obedience to the faith going? Are you growing in the fruits of the Spirit?  
Tawa Baptist

The Spirit & Saul

Scripture: Acts 9

Video Link: https://youtu.be/v9xfsj7_kas

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Stephen
  • Ananias
  • Barnabas
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning everyone.

Over the past two or three weeks we have watched Olympic athletes from all over the world competing at the highest level. These men and women are extraordinary in their ability, their commitment and their work ethic.

But, as capable as they are, most (if not all) of them did not get there alone. Each of them had people in the background of their lives supporting them. Coaches, parents, fundraisers, physios, friends and so on.

During the month of August, we are focusing on four messages from the book of Acts in support of Arotahi, the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. The book of Acts tells how the Holy Spirit used men and women to share the message about Jesus.

Today our sermon focuses on the conversion of Saul, also known as the apostle Paul. Paul accomplished great things for God. He changed the world.

If Christian mission was an Olympic sport, then Paul would be one of the GOAT’s, one of the greatest of all time.

We do well to remember though, that Saul would not have become the apostle Paul without the help of some key individuals supporting him in the background. From Acts chapter 9, verse 1, we read…

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” 7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

I said before that Saul would not have become the apostle Paul without the help of some key individuals. The Holy Spirit used three people in particular in the process of Saul’s call and conversion: Stephen, Ananias and Barnabas. Let’s begin by considering how the Spirit used Stephen. 

Stephen:

If you have a blocked sewer pipe, it does no good to keep flushing the toilet. The paper and the poo will back up until it finds a way out. The way out might be a vent somewhere onto your back lawn or (if you are unlucky) it might be the actual toilet bowl itself. Either way you end up with a smelly mess.

If your sewer line blocks, you really have to call a plumber who will put a camera down to see what the problem is. Sometimes the blockage can be cleared with an auger or a high-pressure hose. But if the pipe is damaged, you may need to replace it.

The psychologist, Carl Jung, said: “Fanaticism is always a sign of repressed doubt”.

Or, to put this another way, if repressed doubt is like a blocked sewer line, then the fanatic refuses to admit there is a problem and continues to flush the toilet more and more, even as the paper and poo of his fanaticism and anger spew out where it is not wanted.   

A fanatic is a person filled with excessive zeal, often for an extreme religious or political cause. Fanatics tend to be one eyed. They struggle to see things from another perspective. Before Saul met the risen Jesus, he was a religious fanatic.  

As we heard last week, Saul was present when Stephen gave his speech to the Jewish leadership and he approved of the crowd stoning Stephen. In fact, the killing of Stephen became the catalyst for Saul to go from house to house, dragging Christian men and women off to prison.

Stephen’s message was basically this: Jesus is the Messiah of God and the religious leaders (whom Saul aligned himself with) killed Jesus. But God has vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead.

Stephen was so convinced that God had raised Jesus from the dead that he was willing to die for it. Stephen brought the religious leaders’ hate to the surface, only to forgive it.

This caused Saul to doubt his own belief system. If Stephen was right, then the religious leaders and Saul were on the wrong side of God. If Stephen was right, then much of what Saul believed in was a lie.

Of course, Saul does not want to face the possibility he is wrong. And so, he represses his doubt. He pushes his doubt deeper down into his unconscious. Saul thought he could get rid of his nagging doubt by flushing the Christians away. But the blockage caused by repressed doubt won’t be shifted like that.  

The more Saul persecuted the church, the more the paper and poo of his fanaticism and hate overflowed where it was not wanted.  

Having done as much damage as he could in Jerusalem, Saul moves on to Damascus to round up more Christians there. Damascus is about 140 miles north of Jerusalem. It would have taken about a week to get there on foot.

Saul was probably travelling with temple guards.

As Saul drew near to Damascus, the risen Lord Jesus appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” When Saul asks who is speaking to him, the Lord replies, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting”.

It is characteristic of Jesus to say much with few words. In just two short sentences Jesus removes all doubt and frees Saul from his fanaticism.

Saul now sees first hand, for himself, that God has raised Jesus from the dead and he understands clearly that Stephen was right. He (Saul) is on the wrong side of God’s purpose. By persecuting Christians Saul was in fact fighting against God, without being aware of it.

We must not miss the inference in Jesus’ words here. The risen and ascended Jesus is intimately connected, by his Spirit, to his church on earth. When Saul persecuted Christians, Jesus felt it. ‘What you do to least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you do to me’, is what the Lord says in Matthew’s gospel.     

The point I’m making here is that the Holy Spirit used Stephen to sow the irritating seed of gospel truth in Saul’s heart. Without someone like Stephen to sow the seed, Saul may never have become a Christian. Stephen’s message and death had a profound effect on Saul.

Now most people are not as fanatical as Saul was. But pretty much everyone holds some kind of false belief at some point in their life. And, whether you become a Christian or not, the Holy Spirit is likely to use a person (like Stephen) to challenge your false beliefs.

When that happens, you have a choice. You can either offer your doubts up to God and say, ‘Lord, show me the truth about Jesus and the truth about myself’.

Or you can double down and repress your doubt. But if you do that, your doubt will surface somewhere else in your life as fanaticism. Either way, the truth will come out in the end. You cannot avoid it.   

Who is your Stephen? Who sowed the irritating seed of gospel truth in your life? Whose Christian witness got under your skin? Who caused you to doubt your false beliefs? Who brought your fanaticism and hate to the surface, only to forgive it?

Jesus wants to remove the blockages to faith in him caused by the lies we believe. Be open to the truth. Accept Jesus by faith.

We are talking today about the people the Spirit of God used to bring Saul to faith in Jesus. We have heard how Stephen planted the irritating seed of gospel truth. Now let’s consider how the Holy Spirit used Ananias to heal Saul. From verse 10 of Acts 9, we continue the account of Saul’s conversion…

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. 11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” 17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Helen Keller once wrote, ‘Walking with a friend in the dark is better than walking alone in the light’.

She knew this from experience. Helen Keller was both deaf and blind. She was also intelligent and courageous, a woman of faith. She wrote a dozen books and became an inspiration to millions. But Helen Keller did not accomplish these things on her own. There were people in the background of her life who supported her and helped her reach her potential.

In particular, Anne Sullivan. Anne became Helen Keller’s lifelong teacher and mentor. Anne used touch to teach Helen the alphabet and to make words by spelling them with her finger on Helen’s palm. Helen soon caught on.

Eventually Helen learned to read Braille and write with a specially designed typewriter. With Anne Sullivan’s tutoring, Helen Keller was admitted to College and graduated with distinction. And, when Anne Sullivan married John Macy in 1905, Helen Keller went to live with them and the support continued. [1]

Without Anne Sullivan, the world may not have been blessed with the insight and inspiration of Helen Keller. 

After his encounter with the risen Jesus on the road to Damascus, Saul was struck blind. He could hear well enough; he just couldn’t see. Saul’s blindness was quite different from Helen Keller’s blindness. Helen was only physically blind, whereas Saul was both physically and spiritually blind. 

Ananias, a Christian believer, received a vision in which Jesus told him to go and lay hands on Saul to heal Saul of his blindness. Ananias wasn’t too sure at first, but Jesus insisted so Ananias found his courage and obeyed Jesus in faith.

Christian faith isn’t just thinking the right things about God in our head. Real faith always finds expression in obedience to Christ.

The healing wasn’t just for Saul’s benefit. It was also for the benefit of the other Christian believers. The Holy Spirit’s healing of Saul, through Ananias, demonstrated to the church that Jesus had forgiven Saul and accepted him, therefore they could too.

When Ananias entered the house where Saul was staying, he said, ‘Brother Saul…’ Brother. There is no recrimination. No judgement. No accusation. Simply an offer of grace. Jesus had accepted Saul and that made Saul family. 

Saul accepts God’s grace through Ananias and his sight is restored, both his physical sight and his spiritual sight. Then, as a sign of his conversion and commitment to follow Jesus, Saul was baptised with water.

We don’t really hear much else about Ananias after that. His time in the spotlight is brief but significant. For without Ananias’ faithful obedience to Jesus, Saul may not have become an apostle of Christ. The Holy Spirit used Ananias to help Saul at an important crossroads in his life.

Usually, when someone becomes a Christian, the Holy Spirit involves a number of different people in the process. But, at some point in that process, we each need to make a decision for Christ. At some point we reach a crossroads, when we must make a commitment and say, ‘Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. I surrender my life to you’.  

Are you at the crossroads? Are you ready to commit to Jesus?

Who is your Ananias? Who has the Spirit provided to minister God’s grace?

Who has Jesus sent to hold you through the waters of baptism?

Accept the Lord’s help. Be in Christ. Be right with God.

And for those who have already given their lives to Jesus, are you ready to be an Ananias for someone else?

The Holy Spirit used a number of different people in the process of Saul’s conversion. Stephen diagnosed Saul’s sickness, and Ananias ministered God’s cure. But there is one other person who played a vital role in supporting Saul and that is Barnabas.

Barnabas:

For many days after his baptism Saul stayed in Damascus and began preaching that Jesus is the Son of God. Eventually though he had to leave because there was a conspiracy to kill him. From verse 26 of Acts 9 we continue Saul’s story…

26 When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Barnabas told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 

Some trees, in nature, require other buddy trees of the same species planted close by to help promote pollination. For example, apple trees, pear trees and plum trees may need up to three other trees of the same variety around them in order to fruit well.

Christians are a bit like that too. To be fruitful we need other believers around us.

Saul had a problem. People were afraid of him. They wouldn’t let him get close. Saul was like a lone apple tree. He couldn’t be as fruitful or effective in his witness for Jesus by himself. Saul needed an advocate, someone trustworthy who could vouch for him.

Barnabas was just that person. Barnabas believed in Saul and trusted the work of the Holy Spirit in Saul’s life.

Barnabas reassured the believers in Jerusalem that Saul was the real deal and could be trusted. This enabled Saul to stay connected to the church and continue the work Jesus had called him to.

There is much more we could say about Barnabas and Saul’s partnership in the gospel, but we don’t have time today. Suffice to say, that without Barnabas, Saul’s career as an apostle may have been far less fruitful. 

Who is your Barnabas? Who believes in you when no one else does? Who sees you and trusts the work of the Spirit in your life. Who comes alongside you and keeps you connected with God’s people? Who makes you more fruitful for Christ? Take care of that relationship. Your life may depend on it.

Consider also who you can be a Barnabas for.

Conclusion:

Let us pray…

Father God, thank you for including us in your plan of salvation.

Holy Spirit, give us eyes to see your hand at work in the world around us.

Lord Jesus, help us to live in a way that glorifies you. Amen. 

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. Who do you identify with most in Acts 9? Saul, Stephen, Ananias or Barnabas? Why? 
  3. How does doubt affect human behaviour? How did Saul deal with his doubts? How do you deal with your doubts?
  4. Discuss / reflect on Jesus’ words to Saul on the road to Damascus. What does this tell us about Jesus and his relationship with the church?  
  5. How did Stephen help Saul? Who is your Stephen? Who sowed the seed of gospel truth in your life? Whose Christian witness gets under your skin? Who caused you to doubt your false beliefs?
  6. How did Ananias help Saul? If you haven’t yet committed your life to Jesus, what are the next steps for you? If you are committed to Jesus, are you ready to be an Ananias for someone else?
  7. How did Barnabas help Saul? Who is your Barnabas? Who believes in you when no one else does? Who makes you more fruitful for Christ? What can you do to take care of that relationship? Who can you be a Barnabas for?

[1] From womenshistory.org

Tawa Baptist

The Spirit & Stephen

Scripture: Acts 6-7

Video Link: https://youtu.be/-NhR2-BJGTY

Structure:

  • Introduction
  • Grace and power
  • Conclusion

Introduction:

Good morning, everyone.

A light bulb works when it is connected to electricity. Without electricity, all you have is a glass globe and darkness.

A river works when water flows through a channel along the ground. Without water, there is no river, just a scar on the landscape.

Your mouth and your tongue speak when your mind provides a thought. Without a mind, the mouth and the tongue having nothing to say.

During the month of August, we are focusing on four messages from the book of Acts in support of Arotahi, the New Zealand Baptist Missionary Society. Then, at the end of August, we will take up a special Renew Together offering for our Baptist missionaries.

The book of Acts tells how the Holy Spirit used ordinary men and women to share the message about Jesus. The Spirit is essential to the spread of the gospel.

The Spirit is to mission what electricity is to a light bulb.

The Spirit is to mission what water is to a river.

The Spirit is to mission what the mind is to speech

The church simply cannot function without the Spirit of Jesus.    

Last week we heard how the Holy Spirit worked through Peter and the other apostles, in Acts 2. This week we hear how the Holy Spirit worked through Stephen. From Acts chapter 6, verse 8, we pick up the story of the Spirit and Stephen…

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… 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.

May the Spirit of Jesus illuminate God’s word for us.

Grace and Power:

Some things are powerful but not graceful. Storms are like that. Lots of power, but little or no grace. Storms can do a lot of damage. Guns are also powerful, but once the trigger has been pulled, there’s no grace. The bullet is unforgiving.

Other things are graceful, but not powerful. Take butterflies for example. Butterflies are graceful, they are beautiful to watch, but they lack power. You have nothing to fear from a butterfly.

Flowers are also graceful, but not powerful, at least not in the same way that storms and guns are powerful. In fact, flowers are quite fragile. Sometimes flowers can have a powerful affect though, if arranged in a certain way or given with great love.  

Then there are those things which are both powerful and graceful.

Medicine is powerful and graceful on a chemical level. It has the power to heal you, in a relatively gentle way.  

Dancers possess both power and grace. They have exceptional strength for their body weight. At the same time, their movement is beautiful to look at. A ballerina glides with a grace and power that defies gravity and touches the heart.

And then there is the power and grace of the moon. The moon is beautiful to look at. Reflected light gracing the night sky, but with the power to move whole oceans.

The Holy Spirit combines divine grace with divine power. The Holy Spirit possesses a power unmatched in the universe and a grace far beyond human comprehension. The Holy Spirit gives life to all creation.

In verse 8 we read that Stephen was a man full of God’s grace and power.

This is another way of saying that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit.

If Stephen was the lightbulb, then the Holy Spirit provided the electricity.

If Stephen was the channel, the Holy Spirit was like water flowing through him.

If Stephen was the mouthpiece, then the Holy Spirit was the mind providing the thought for Stephen to speak.  

The grace and power of the Spirit of God enabled Stephen to perform great wonders and signs among the people. We are not told exactly what these signs and wonders were, but it may have included miraculous healings. To heal someone is an action that is both gracious and powerful.

Verse 9 says opposition arose from one of the Jewish synagogues. A synagogue was a bit like a local church congregation, except for people of the Jewish faith. These Jews began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him.

Here we see the God given power and grace of reason and logic. The Holy Spirit empowered Stephen to overcome his opponents with words of reason, as opposed to acts of violence.

Christian faith has intellectual integrity. Becoming a Christian does not mean throwing away critical thinking. Although we cannot grasp all the mysteries of Christian faith, we still seek to understand what we can. Jesus taught us to love God with our mind as well as our heart and everything else we possess.  

Stephen’s Spirit inspired rationale and wisdom should have been enough to convince the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah, but they refused to believe. Worse than that, they framed Stephen. They falsely accused Stephen of blasphemy. They stirred up the anger of the people and brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin.

The Sanhedrin was the name for the ruling council of Jewish leaders. Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin, falsely accused of blasphemy, just a few years before Stephen. Stephen was quite literally following in the footsteps of Christ.

The accusers said Stephen spoke against the holy place (that is, the Jerusalem temple) saying Jesus will destroy the temple and change the customs Moses handed down.

Jesus had predicted (with tears) that the temple would be destroyed. This happened in AD 70, nearly 40 years after Jesus. But it wasn’t Jesus who destroyed Jerusalem. The Romans destroyed the holy city because the Jews rebelled against Rome. Jesus tried to warn the people, telling them not to revolt against Rome, but the people would not listen.

As for the charge that Jesus had come to change the customs Moses handed down, this wasn’t right either. In fact, Jesus came to fulfil the law of Moses.

Stephen could see that Jesus’ once for all sacrifice on the cross made the ceremonial and ritual aspects of the Jewish Law unnecessary.

The moral aspects of the Law, which can be summarised as loving God and loving your neighbour, still stand. But we don’t need to keep sacrificing animals for the atonement of sin because Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is sufficient. Our forgiveness is through faith in what Jesus has done for us.

We can see why the Jewish religious authorities felt so threatened. If they accepted what Stephen was saying, their whole organisation would need to be restructured. They would lose a lot of power and control and status.

What’s more, they would have to humble themselves and admit they were wrong about Jesus. No wonder they wanted to silence Stephen.

Verse 15 says, ‘All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.’

Angels have knowledge from heaven. Stephen had knowledge from heaven and the Sanhedrin could plainly see that, it was written all over his face. Yet they would not concede that Stephen was right about Jesus.

As far as the Sanhedrin were concerned, this was a legal proceeding (Stephen was on trial), so the high priest gave Stephen an opportunity to respond to the charges brought against him. Stephen addresses his accusers with grace and respect, calling them brothers and fathers.

Stephen starts by finding common ground with his enemies. He talks about their shared history (their whakapapa or ancestry). After highlighting God’s call of Abraham, Stephen goes on to feature Joseph and Moses.

The thing Joseph and Moses have in common, is they were both used by God to save the people, and they were both rejected by the people they came to save. Stephen is drawing a connection here with Jesus. Like Joseph and Moses, Jesus was rejected by the people he came to save.

In verses 37-39 of Acts 7, Stephen says…

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’ 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors; and he received living words to pass on to us. 39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and, in their hearts, turned back to Egypt.

Stephen is saying that Jesus is the prophet Moses talked about, and they (the Jewish leadership) have rejected Jesus, just like their ancestors rejected Moses.

Stephen goes on to talk about the idolatry of the Israelites in the wilderness and how, later when they settled in Canaan, the first Jewish temple came to be built. But the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands. Heaven is God’s throne, and the earth is his footstool.

It’s like the Jewish religious leaders have (ironically) made an idol out of the temple. They are worshipping something made by human hands. They have made the temple and sacrificial system more important than God Almighty.

From verse 51, Stephen makes his point clear, saying…

51 “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One [Jesus]. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

This is powerful stuff from Stephen. Stephen is borrowing words from Moses. In Deuteronomy 10, Moses had said to the Israelites in the wilderness, 16 Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer.

Circumcision was the sign of God’s covenant with Abraham. In ancient Israel you were not considered part of the people of God if you were not circumcised. You don’t need to be circumcised to become a Christian.

Baptism and communion are the signs of the new covenant for Christians. 

Whether it is circumcision or baptism though, outward rituals mean nothing without a corresponding inward loyalty of the heart and mind.   

Circumcision of the heart refers to keeping the covenant with God in the core of your being. Stephen was saying that many of the Israelites of his time were like the Israelites of Moses’ time, not truly committed to God and his covenant.

The Sanhedrin thought they were putting Stephen on trial, but Stephen (by the grace and power God’s Spirit) demonstrates that it is the religious leaders themselves who are on trial before God. They are the guilty ones, not him.

54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.

In Acts 2, when Peter confronted the crowd with the fact they had crucified the Messiah of God, the people were cut to the heart and repented. But Stephen is facing a different audience. These are not the same God-fearing Jews of Acts 2.

Stephen’s audience are more like corrupt politicians. These are men who only know the power of brute force and coercion by fear. Theirs is a power without grace. The power Stephen knows is different from political power. Stephen’s power is the power of the Spirit, power woven together with grace.

From verse 55 we read how, Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

Stephen, the man with a face like an angel, who possesses knowledge from heaven, is witnessing to the fact that God has vindicated Jesus by raising him from the dead and giving him the place of highest honour in heaven.  

From verse 57, we continue…

57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.  Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

At this point all justice has broken down. This is not a lawful proceeding. This is a lynching. The crowd is out of control. They are about to murder Stephen.  

Stephen has clearly hit a raw nerve. On some level the crowd know that Stephen is right, but they don’t want to admit they are wrong, so they double down.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

Stephen responds just like Jesus, with the power and grace of forgiveness.

Verse 60 says that Stephen fell asleep. Actually he died, but for those who die believing in Jesus, death is like a restful sleep. Death is not something to fear if we are forgiven in Christ and forgiving of others. For just as Jesus was raised from the dead to eternal life, so too those who hope in Jesus will be raised.

In verse 1 of Acts chapter 8, we read how, on that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

While persecution is not pleasant, we can see God’s power and grace at work in it. It’s not that God wanted the followers of Jesus to be harmed. But, like Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers, God used it for good.

As Christian believers fled for their lives, they took the message about Jesus with them, and so the Christian faith spread like seeds on the wind. 

Conclusion:

Stephen was the first Christian martyr. When we hear the word martyr, we think of someone who was killed for their beliefs. And while that is true, the word martyr originally meant witness. A martyr is a witness. Stephen bore witness to the power and grace of Jesus and died as a consequence. 

As Christians we don’t want to be persecuted for our faith. We pray that God delivers us from trial and persecution. But if we do suffer because of our allegiance to Christ, at least we know our witness is being taken seriously.

Jesus said, 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Sharing our faith with others is a brave thing to do. It makes us vulnerable to rejection and abuse. But that is the pattern Jesus set. No one was more vulnerable than Christ on the cross.

Sometimes our witness for Jesus is well received, like when Peter spoke to the crowds at Pentecost and 3000 responded in faith to his message.

Other times though, our witness for Jesus is misunderstood, or it is understood all too well, and we are rejected like Stephen.

Peter’s message (in Acts 2) was in the goldilocks zone, but tradition says Peter was eventually crucified (upside down) for his testimony about Jesus.

We are not likely to be killed for our witness, like Stephen or Peter. But the reality remains, sometimes we make ourselves a target when we speak the truth about Jesus and align ourselves with him.

The promise of Scripture is that those who share in Christ’s suffering will also share in his glory. May the Spirit of God, fill us with the power and grace to stand for Jesus. Amen.

Questions for discussion or reflection:

  1. What stands out for you in reading this Scripture and/or in listening to the sermon? Why do you think this stood out to you?
  2. How did the Spirit’s grace and power find expression through Stephen? Can you think of examples of the Spirit’s grace and power at work today?  
  3. How does reason support Christian faith? What role does reason and logic play in your faith?
  4. In what ways does Stephen’s experience correspond with Jesus’ experience?
  5. What are some of the key points of Stephen’s message to the Sanhedrin?
  6. Why did the crowd murder Stephen?
  7. How did God use Stephen’s death and the subsequent persecution of the church for good?