Acts 7:54-60
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But 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.”
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.
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.
Listening guide
Fearful <-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------> Confidence
Let’s become wonderful witnesses.
“Verses 54-56. 54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, (Sanhedrin = ruling religious leaders of the day) they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But 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.”
Everyone cares about what someone thinks about them.
When you look around, your witness will fall down.
V55 “Stephen looked... and saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God”.
See Jesus standing for you and I can promise you you will become a more courageous witness.
“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.”
When Jesus shares himself with you, you will be filled with wonder.
You’ll be a wonderful witness.
Follow up questions
“There are three things I have learned never to discuss with people... Religion, Politics, and The Great Pumpkin.” (Charles Schultz) Despite the fact that some people think the Internet is changing that maxim, the chart below shows large percentages of American Christians believe it is wrong to share the gospel with someone else. In your experience, what do you think are the reasons for that?
Isaiah 55:1 gives us one way to express the witnessing message. List some characteristics of that message and describe them.
Acts 7:56-58 Why do you think the religious leaders were furious when Stephen said, “I see heaven open”? What does this tell us about our witnessing? While we can’t control how other people respond/react to us, what could we do to help everyone have healthy conversations about these important matters?
Isaiah 55:17 tells us what is often the most detrimental to our witness: our “sinful greed” and “willful ways”. Are there any instances of sinful greed or willful ways that have hurt our witness that you would like to point out so we can confess our sin?
Isaiah 55:5 tells us that witness work is summoning nations we do not know. Most people would think of witness work in a foreign land. How can witness work in our own neighborhoods and cities often feel like summoning nations we do not know?
I found this quote from Frank Retief, a pastor, and have heard similar sentiment from WELS pastors and missionaries: “People without Christ go to hell – if you believe that you’ve got to take risks, take a chance, and be prepared to fail.” What do you think of that statement? Do you agree?
Peter Wagner, a leading missiologist, writes, “Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic methodology known under heaven.” What are some reasons that starting new churches is the most effective way to reach people?
What are some of the greatest obstacles for you to witness to others? How can I/we help?
A little acronym I have found helpful for witnessing is BLESS.
B = Begin with prayer.
L = Listen with care
E = Eat together
S = Serve with love
S = Share your story
One or two people that God might be calling me to pray for would be __________________ and __________________.