3. Stephen’s Gospel Defence
Acts 6:8-8:4

4. Why Did Stephen Die?
Beyond Stephen’s Life is God’s Plan

5. Acts 8:1–4
1 And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.

6. Why Did Stephen Die? Beyond Stephen’s Life is God’s Plan
To Allow a Moral Miracle

7. Job 1:21
21 And he said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Acts 7:60
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.

8. Why Did Stephen Die? Beyond Stephen’s life is God’s plan
To allow a moral miracle
Times of great tragedy are an opportunity for God to reveal Himself.

9. Why Did Stephen Die? Beyond Stephen’s life is God’s plan
To allow a moral miracle
Times of great tragedy are an opportunity for God to reveal Himself.
Stephen’s death has challenged many down through the ages.

10. Acts 6:11–14
11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us.”

11. Stephens Message
He Speaks against the Temple

12. Isaiah 66:1–2
1 Thus says the Lord: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? 2 All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the Lord. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.

13. Stephens Message
He speaks against the Temple
He speaks against Moses

14. Deuteronomy 18:18–19
18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him.

15. Stephens Message He speaks against the Temple He speaks against Moses
He speaks against Jewish custom

16. Acts 7:51–53
51 “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, 53 you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

17. Applications
Believers are God’s Temple

18. Applications
Believers are God’s Temple
Jesus is Pre-eminent

19. Applications Believers are God’s Temple Jesus is Pre-eminent
Matters of the heart are primary

20. Applications Believers are God’s Temple Jesus is Pre-eminent
Matters of the heart are primary
Hard hearts seek to destroy the things of God